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[WP] He's the only one who cares about me, but I can't save him from her either. I can't even save myself.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*"
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[WP] You’re at the bus stop and the next one is said to arrive in 27 minutes. Suddenly, a bus pulls into the stop and it clearly belongs to your line. But when you get on, something is wrong.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 work, Thomas went to the same bus stop he always went to. It was late in the afternoon, and after a long day of speaking to clients and arguing with coworkers he just wanted to go home. \n\nBut, his home wasn’t all that homely. He lived in an apartment among tall skyscrapers and underground subways. The apartment was minuscule compared to his coworkers’; he could practically reach from one side to the other. He didn’t have much furniture. He slept on a mattress with a creaky wooden bed frame.\n\nThe bus was to arrive in 27 minutes. It was 4:30 PM, and Thomas sifted through the notifications on his phone, everything related to either business, politics, terrorism, or other problems of the same degree. Thomas thought that he made the wrong decision, moving to the big city instead of staying in the warm country with his family. \n\nSuddenly, a bus pulled up. But something was off; it hadn’t been 27 minutes yet and the bus was a yellow school bus. The driver opened the door, and as Thomas stood there in confusion, the driver asked, “You want to go home, right?” Thomas nodded and reluctantly walked on the bus, sitting in a seat about halfway through. \n\nThe bus was empty, the aisle desolate, dotted with candy wrappers and dust. Thomas closed his eyes for a second, thinking about what this all was. Opening his eyes, he looked out of the window. In lieu of the tall skyscrapers and bustling sidewalks, he saw a dirt road ahead, and to the sides were fields full of golden wheat and glistening corn.\n\nThomas shut his eyes, thinking that when he opened them again this would be all gone, that he was just dreaming. After opening his eyes once again, he felt smaller, like a child. His briefcase was replaced with a school bag. His dress shirt and tie were replaced with a blue t-shirt with orange stripes on it. His pants replaced with jeans, his shoes with sneakers. \n\nEventually, the bus stopped in front of a house, so familiar to him but such a distant memory, trapped behind years of work, stress, and money. He got up, grabbed his bag, and slowly moved towards the exit of the bus. He waved goodbye to the smiling bus driver, and started walking up the pathway leading to the red front door. \n\nHe saw a woman in the doorway, a woman that when he got closer recognized as a younger version of his now deceased mother. \n\nHer first words to him were: “Welcome home, dear.”"
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[WP] In the middle of a fight between a a hero team and a villain team, a superheroine kisses a supervillain. Write a story from the view point of any of the people there.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 city is crumbling before us. The skyscrapers are on the verge of collapse and any second someone could get flattened by a stray piece of rubble. But frankly, I don’t think anyone cares. Because all we can see is Calypso stepping towards the freshly unmasked Rogue, one of the worst villains in the city and, apparently, my brother-in-law.\n\nGarrett Marvin, the infamous Rogue, tensed at Calypso’s approach. To the blind eye, it made sense: if hating Rogue was an Olympic event, then Calypso would take home the gold, silver, and bronze. But I know that she isn’t going to hurt him or take him captive. She’s not going to turn him in and that’s what I’m afraid of.\n\nHe can’t move away from her and has no choice but to stare at her as she kneels down next to him. Careful not to irritate any of the bruises on his face or neck, she gingerly kisses him. The collective inhale behind me lets me know that civilians definitely saw this. She whispers something in his ear, gets up, and walks away.\n\nShe couldn’t take him in. She couldn’t even punch him. Always a lover that one. \n\nAnd even though I should probably be worrying about damage control with the media, or catching that ball of slime, Garrett Marvin, or even finishing this fight, I walk over to a shaking Calypso instead. Titus calls me name, my civilian name, over coms, obviously worried that I’m about to tell off Calypso for her wrecklessness. He doesn’t need to worry about me.\n\nShe crumples into my arms, her sobs strong but silent. I once again fight the urge to go after Marvin. Now is the time to be there for my sister. She tries to compose herself and looks me in the eye.\n\n“I told him that we’re done.”",
"I guess the rain was a bit much, dramatically speaking. Great battles aren't built around weather forecasts! Unless you're the army...whatever!\n\nPoint is: our \"little spectacle\" did more for the media than it did for whom we fought and saved. As if death tolls and survivor rates were acceptable statistics. Because the media prefers rates and ratings over human lives.\n\nI digress.\n\nIn all honesty, the battle was lost. Every heavy hitter we had was down, each speedster exhausted, and all backup disabled in one way or another. As heroes -- as mankind -- we faced our darkest moment: Lord Khantha declared himself leader and ruler of Earth. The broken spirit within me hurt far greater than the many bones that needed mending.\n\nI glanced along the beaten battlefield, dizzy from every blood cell evacuating this broken shell, mainly through my mouth. Those I had considered family were either dead or dying. I felt ashamed for my part in bringing them into this world. Comfort came in knowing they would never blame me; they would gladly give up their lives to fight for what's right. Standing on one broken leg and a few cracked vertebrae, I decided to end this battle.\n\nThat's when I saw Sanguine rush to the aid of Michael, that is, Rising Son. She took off both her mask and his before assaulting him with multiple, short kisses along his face. The last thing I remember is her giving a glare over-shoulder and disappearing from sight.\n\nThey tell me it's been three days since the Battle for Downtown. The good guys won, according to the staff. Something about Sanguine betraying Khantha in a power play to take over the world. From the ache in my leg, I'm not sure I'll ever be as fast as I was before. But maybe I don't have to be."
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[WP] You find a remote control with two buttons on it. One reads, "new game" while the other reads, "end game". You push one.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 had died. It was funny how it happened, honestly. It wasn’t a particularly special day, although I was hanging out with some good friends. We had just left the movie theater and were crossing the street to go to some fast-food place when several things happened at once: the honking of a car’s horn; the screech of tires; one of my friends letting out a terrified scream; and darkness swamping my vision.\n \nI had died, yet I was still awake… No, I wasn’t awake, was I? I had tried opening my eyes, but no light pierced my vision. I was seeing nothing. No, no, I wasn’t seeing the darkness behind my eyelids - I was seeing nothingness. I panicked. I tried to scream, yet no voice rose in my chest; no breath fell from my lips; I felt neither warm nor cold and I couldn’t feel my body. Was this purgatory? Was this Hell? What had I done to deserve this fate?\n \nYet, as I contemplated the meaning of it all, something began to change in the nothingness around me. With no warning, a small, dim light glimmered in the center of my vision, grabbing my attention and holding it with an iron fist. Over the course of what I perceived to be a minute, the light had become so bright that my very being was consumed by its safe, golden vibrance. I willed myself to move closer to it.\n \nI now stood before the light, which felt alien and overwhelming, considering I had no physical body to speak of. I mentally reached out and grasped at the light, and in one final burst of brilliance, the star shrank in size into nothing, and two phrases in yellow text replaced it: “NEW GAME” and “END GAME”.\n \nIt clicked with me that I had another chance at life, or, should I will for it, I could let this world continue on without me. If I willed the NEW GAME option, would I be born as someone else? Would I be reborn again, to become who I once was? If I chose the END GAME option, would I completely cease to exist, cease to think? Both options were something I had wished for in my life - the option to restart everything, or the option to end it all.\n \nNow that I think about it, though, I remember having so much to live for. My friends, who would be with me through thick and thin; my dog, who had been loyal for his whole life; and most importantly, I would live for my 6 year old brother and watch him grow up into a fine young man.\n\nI knew what I had to choose.\n \n\nI selected NEW GAME.\n \n(First time writing in a while. I love the prompt and would also love any constructive advice!!)"
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For clarification, the package wrapping is standardized based on how sensitive the contents are, even the most secretive of packages and letters this person has carried don’t look like the new one.
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[WP] You live in one of the massive futuristic Epoch Cities, the only places in the world where people still live. Your job is to carry mail that can’t be trusted to automation. Every package is categorized, your boss just handed you a new type of envelope and box but won’t tell you much about it.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 future we all live in one of the few Epoch cities scattered across the earth. The only safe way to get between is orbital flight. As such hardly anyone ever leaves there city and almost all information is transferred via the link (Was once the internet). But fod store that want secrecy or privacy send them via secured couriers these individuals willmdeliver your package for a price with the more features the higher cost. A common package is linked to the heart rate, proximity and opening of the package, youd heart rate drops or goes to high and the package explodes, you move away from the package explodes, the package is opened even a small tear and explodes. \n\nThe job is dangerous boy pays we'll and is ine of the few jobs usually hiring. Now i have physically carried nuclear launch codes, in a canister installed in my femur via my belly button. If i didn't make a checkpoint in time or got scanned it would detonate but this package demand even more security.\n\n\"Ok BoB I have a special job for you\" My boss oozes over his desk probaly seeing the dollars roll around his eyes.\nI let out a long sigh. \"I aint doing a nuke run again\". My boss eyes almost bludge outof his head. \n\"YOU HAVE NEVER DONE ONE!\" He demanded across the desk. \n\"Fine, I am not doing a level 9 parcel again it took 6 weeks to recover\" I complain\n\"You got payed a years wage for that job\" He reminds me\n\"Fine what level is this one?\" I ask disinterested\n\"Clear\" he murmurs\n\"Did you just say CLEAR!\" I now demanded\nThe boss nods in silence\n\nNow clear is the top level you can send something there will be 10 couriers that will have a package installed in them, you can't stop moving, can't eat, can't drink, can't be scanned, can't letanyone know you have a parcel, can't be late and only the first person there lives.\nNow the pay fod delivering this is insane, i could retire to a penthouse apartment and my grandkids wouldn't have to work.\nThe last time a clear package weng out it was the master keys for the City central system that kept us all alive, but they said it wouldnt have to be renewed for over 100 years\n\n\"What is it?\"\n\"Don't know\"\n\"Where to?\"\n\"Don't know\"\n\"Client?\"\n\"Don't know\"\n\nFuck this is a world od money but so difficult, I look down at my ancient watch and see the familiar face of a yellow spomge looking back at me, I i did this i could afford to get a women and live happily but if I failed.....\nI look at the watch f oir a bit longer while my mind races.\n\n\"I'm ready!\" I say as I read the line from my watch.\n\"Where do I\" I notice the room filling with gas well now i know whats happens next, I wonder where i will wake up i think as I fall to the ground"
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[WP] Many years after the zombie apocalypse, mankind realized Zombies were no more monsters than Elves or Dwarves. Zombies even had special features and abilities, and found a place within the magical world.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Manifold Ursech took very good care of himself. His room was always kept at a crisp level just around freezing. He took mind not to engage in very strenuous activity. When he did leave his cool chambers, he emerged to an area much the same. \n\nHe enjoyed no pleasures. As all of his kind, he was made for purpose.\n\nIn life, he had been a thriving adventurer. During a meeting with his master, the adventurer had died. Given new life in death, Manifold's master had allowed his true life's work to begin. Manifold himself held that certainty within his soul.\n\nWhich he did have. He still held opinions and felt emotion. He simply held no attachment to anything but his task.\n\n\"Good morning, Mani!\" Jacasta the human called from the library as he entered, \"have any interesting dreams?\"\n\nThe library was a grand room. Aside from Manifold's room and a few others, most rooms in the Arcticana Institute were. A place, mostly for the learning of ice magic and it's applications.\n\n\"Hello Jacasta.\"\n\nJacasta had lived at the Institute for four years. After several centuries as acting librarian, Manifold was only now beginning to commit him to memory. He was a portly man of zendian descent.\n\nThe zendian desert is a harsh place. Drought is synonymous with life in Zendia, but through careful application of magic and ingenuity, the zendian people had made a home. Jacasta, Manifold pondered, was definitely a prime example of his race.\n\nAffable and a genius in his own right, he had quickly risen to Sub-librarian in his short time at the Institute.\n\n\"Hello is so distant, my friend! How do you not call to me by now? Ha? Do you not revel in my presence, as I do yours?\" He sounded hurt, but he smiled.\n\n\"I will break you yet, ancient.\"\n\nJacasta's people, and many others, held Manifold's kind in reverence. Many of the techniques to create the soulkind had been lost. Manifold's race would eventually wither. It didn't worry him. \n\n\"Please do not break me. I'm very valuable.\" Manifold said earnestly.\n\n\"This, I know. Please, help me with this scroll?\"\n\nJacasta had, on a table close to the entrance, a large sheet. On the paper, he had designed an intricate web of symbols and runes. Gesturing towards it, the old dead man took a closer look. Instantly he understood it as a spell dealing with vast amounts of water.\n\n\"This is the spell you showed me some time ago?\" That particular spell had been an impossibility. Different lines of magic would have needed to cross each other. In that case, Manifold remembered, the line for creating the water cut through a sigil for the caster.\n\n\"Yes, but this one won't slice you in half. Look, look.\"\n\nManifold was already analysing the spell. This was his gift, his purpose. In his first life, the adventurer had been a very intelligent mage. His body still remembered that. He remembered every spell he'd ever seen. Every syllable, every spelling of a word, every gesture or intonation. \n\nThis meant that when he turned to Jacasta and told him it would work, it meant that it would. The man beamed with joy and made to hug the ancient librarian, but he held up his hands. He was very fragile, and mending himself took years at this point.\n\n\"Okay, yes, you're right. No hugs. But this will work. Thank you.\"\n\nVery impressively, Jacasta Indavesh had created a spell for creating rainclouds. Incredible ones that would feed a land for days. He would, certainly, change his entire country's fortune with this spell. Truly a genius.\n\nManifold committed him firmly in his memory as he gathered his things and left.\n\nThe permanent librarian then sat at his desk, and waited to see what would happen with the rest of his day."
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[WP] "Meet me at the clock tower at midnight." said the note in the wallet of someone you just pickpocketed.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 don't have much money. I resort to pickpocketing to get money to buy food. I barely make enough money to get food. Such is the life of a college student.\n\nI was exiting the coffee shop I go to everyday. The workers knew me and my situation so they gave me free drinks every morning. As i walked through the door, a very rich looking man walked through the door. *Perfect.* I grabbed his wallet, walked to the park across the street, took a seat.\n\nOpening the wallet, a small note fell out. \"Meet me at the clock tower at midnight.\"\n\n\"What?\" I whispered.\n\nI go home and wait until midnight. I go to the clock tower and go up the the top. *It's him! The guy I stole from!*\n\n\"I knew you would come. You thought i wouldn't notice when you stole from me? You thieves are dumber than i thought.\"\n\n\"I'm not a thief. I just needed the extra cash ok?\"\n\nHe laughs. I hear a noise behind me. Someone grabs me.\n\nBANG!\n\nEverything went black.\n\nI woke up in the hospital.\n\n\"That guy was crazy.\" I said to myself.\n\nNext thing i knew, i was at home on my couch watching the news.\n\n\"25 year old male killed in clock tower after stealing. The killer has not been found but the investigation is going on as we are reporting this. Here is a picture of the victim.\"\n\n*THATS ME!*\n\n\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\n\nGive me some criticism. I got lazy near the end so feel free to change the ending in a reply if you want.",
"The first time I had assumed it wasn't meant for me. A note scrawled on a twenty in the wallet I had found. I discarded the twenty as well. Too easily identifiable.\n\nThe next day it was a fifty. It said \"You missed our meeting. Don't do it again.\" This time I wondered, then shrugged. It was a big city, but you were bound to get the same person twice. Actually, who said it was the same person. It could have been anyone's bill.\n\nThe third day it was a hundred. \"Its been expensive. Clocktower. Midnight. Or else.\" I couldn't ignore this one. I showed up with some trepidation. The second day I had picked it from an old man. The third from an oblivious teenage girl. It was impossible. It was probably nothing.\n\nAs the tower struck midnight and bells rung across the city, shadows took form in front of me. A being strode forth from them. Man or woman, young or old, beautiful or hideous it was impossible to tell. No, it wasn't. It was all at once. \"You are a difficult person to reach.\" it said in a voice whose accent I couldn't place. \"Prophecy is a funny thing. Anyway, I have a mission for you. I've paid you a few hundred dollars already so you better say yes.\"\n\nI swallowed and nodded, inwardly cursing the man who had taught me the pick-pocketing trade.",
"Walking along the empty streets with the wallet in my hand contains a note saying, ”*Meet me at the clock tower at midnight*.” Was this given today? If so, will something occur tonight? These questions linger in my mind as I search what other contents are left behind.\n\nOther than the note and bills I found, there was a folded paper stuck tightly all the way down. I opened it and saw an aged photo of two young women. One is blonde and the other is brunette. They seem to be expressing genuine happiness when this photo was taken.\n\nI vaguely remember the person I stole this wallet from. It was all a rush and I couldn’t bear looking at his or her face. All of I did was grab a chance to steal in a crowded place.\n\nWill one of them be there waiting for me? I breathed deeply as I arrived. Looking from outside, the clock still hasn’t chimed so I’m probably still on time. I went inside and continued marching up the staircase, and I’m ready to see them face to face.\n\nThe narrowed walls and flight of stairs are making me hard to breathe, but I’ve never seen such a photograph of women looking so at peace! I want to know how to be like these beautiful ladies, and if maybe they can take me.\n\nOnly a few more steps will I see if these women will be my key. A key to a better life, no more stealing and concealing — this never-endless wailing will be gone! But as I took my last step, there was no one there. All I see a giant clock with light so rare.",
"I was hesitant, because it could obviously be a trap. I mean, who wouldn't want to get back at the unfortunate soul who snatched your wallet? \n\nAfter a few hours, I decided I would go there at 11, and hide. If police showed up, I'm already hidden, and can wait until they leave, even if it takes half a day. So I went to the clock tower and hid in a crate I found inside. After what felt like a year, the clock rang, and I heard a voice.\n\n\"You can come out now, it's safe.\"\n\nI hesitated, unsure of what to do. I am so glad I did, because after a few seconds, I heard a second voice.\n\n\"Is it done?\"\n\n\"Yes. The package is in motion.\"\n\nIt was then that I realized the note was not for me. The man had put the note in his wallet so he would remember where to go, and when.\n\n\"Good. Soon, everything will be put into motion. I recommend you get out of the city by then.\"\n\nWhat are they talking about? What is 'the package'? Why should this one leave the city? Most importantly, how can I get out of here? \n\n\"I kind of feel bad. There are so many innocents in this place.\"\n\n\"Don't. Remember, if we don't do this, everything has been for naught. Its best to forget.\"\n\nYou ever have that feeling in the back of your throat where you *know* you're going to cough? That's what happened just now. What happens if they find me? What do I do? Can I hold it back? That seems like my best bet, let's try it.\n\n\"I know, I know. Its just hard. So many people, just to kill those monsters.\"\n\n\"I know. But if they aren't dead by the new year, Earth is done for, and the humans will rule.\"\n\nWhat the hell? Are they trying to destroy humanity? Should I call the cops? Should I try to run? I should probably call the co-\n\n\"*cough*\"\n\nOh no.\n\n\"Who's there? Show yourself!\"\n\nFuck.\n\n\"Ok, ok, I'm sorry! I'll come out-\"\n\nThen they shot me in the head.",
" \n\n*Sucks to be this guy,* Julian thought as he crumpled up the ominous note and threw it in the fireplace, along with a mittful of receipts. The wad of bills he pocketed without counting. \n\n*This guy sure was loaded. Probably making a shady deal, or paying off a mafia debt.*\n\nHe looked at the identification. Gordon Burchett. 32. \n\n“Probably gonna find this guy in the obituaries tomorrow,” Julian mused aloud, committing the name to memory. “Poor sod.”\n\n“Huh?” Piotr looked up from his own loot.\n\n“Never you mind. Keep stripping.” Another cursory check revealed nothing more of interest. The wallet and its cards he consigned to the flames as well.\n\nJulian never bothered with digital, though he knew guys who did. No one he trusted enough to pass these off to, though. Cards were just too risky for his liking, though on occasion he would grab a few groceries on his way home if he could tap for them.\n\nNo, cash was the way to go, but there were fewer people wandering around with green in their pockets these days. Tourists were getting wise, and locals were wiser. It just meant that he riffled a lot more pockets. They made a decent enough living that way, though. They weren’t greedy.\n\nJulian and Piotr methodically emptied wallets of their precious contents, then disposed of the remaining evidence. Not a bad haul, when all was said and done. About average for the holidays. \n\nUntil, that is, Julian counted up the money he’d got off of poor Gordon Burchett. He whistled.\n\n“Fucking Christ, there’s ten thousand dollars here!”\n\n“You’re fucking with me.” \n\n“Here.” Julian tossed the bill-strapped stack to Piotr. “Count it yourself.”\n\nPiotr mouthed silently as he counted, his eyes widening more and more.\n\n“Fucking Christ, there’s ten thousand dollars here!”\n\n“And an echo.”\n\n“Huh?”\n\n“Never mind. Divvy this up.” Julian waved his hand over the pile on the table. “This should keep us flush for awhile. Probably prudent to lay low for a bit, at least until the new year.”\n\nPiotr nodded sagely. “Good call boss.”\n\nThey weren’t greedy, after all. \n\nBut the next day found Julian out on the streets again, bobbing for buckskin. Just to pass the time; he wasn’t trying too hard. By lunchtime he had satisfied the itch, and he returned home to Piotr with three more wallets than he had left with. He grabbed the morning paper along the way and flipped through it, scanning for the name Gordon Burchett. Or John Doe. The guy had lost his ID, after all.\n\nNo deaths. No bodies. Small mention of pickpocketing on the rise, but no other criminal or suspicious activity.\n\n*Maybe tomorrow.* Julian rolled the paper up and tucked it under his arm.\n\nThe smell of liver and onions greeted him as he entered the fourplex apartment he shared with Piotr. Julian inhaled deeply through his nose as he stalked into the kitchen, throwing the paper on the table.\n\n“Smells good, Piotr.”\n\nPiotr just smiled back at him and returned to his cooking.\n\nJulian sprawled in a chair and took out his meagre haul. About fifty bucks between the first two. He left the emptied wallets on the table and opened the third and last one.\n\nIt was empty.\n\n“What the fuck—”\n\n“Baited?” Piotr asked, as he plated their meal.\n\n“I dunno.” Julian stuck his fingers into every card slot, scraping the corners with his nails. “Maybe.”\n\nNo. There was something. Julian pulled a scrap of paper out of one of the interior compartments. He unfolded it.\n\n*Meet me at the clock tower at midnight. I am not asking.*\n\nAnxiety gripped Julian around his insides. *This can’t be real.*\n\n“What is it?” Piotr looked over his shoulder.\n\n“Huh. Weird.” He took his seat and took up his cutlery.\n\n“More than weird, mate.” Julian looked up with haunted eyes. “There was another one yesterday. Said the same thing.”\n\nPiotr froze, his laden fork halfway to his mouth. “Huh?”\n\n“I don’t fucking know, alright?” Julian shouted. He ran his fingers through his hair. “I think we gotta go.”\n\nBut Piotr was shaking his head. “No way, boss. Could be the cops.”\n\nThat sobered him. It was good sense. Julian nodded. “You’re right. Maybe we shouldn’t risk it.”\n\nHe still could not shake his trepidation, however.\n\n“Damn right we shouldn’t,” Piotr said, considering the case closed. “Now eat up.”\n\nBut that night found Julian out on the streets again, staking out the bell tower. Piotr was home in bed, and none the wiser. Julian had been restless ever since lunch, which he could not eat. So he waited for Piotr to doze off, then he crept out into town.\n\nQuarter to midnight, and no one in sight. Julian kept to the shadows, his leg bouncing. He kept repeatedly checking his watch even though there was a giant-ass clockface right above him.\n\nTen to midnight. Julian slunk closer, avoiding the lamplight and moonglow illuminating the street.\n\nFive to midnight. Julian crouched in the shadow of the tower, right up against its base. Still no one to be seen or heard.\n\nThen the bells began to toll. He was expecting them, but still they made Julian jump in his skin, and he clamped a hand over his own mouth to stop from yelping. He counted off the chimes. \n\nTen.\n\nEleven.\n\nTwelve.\n\nJulian waited as the peals faded, straining his every sense just to discern something, *anything* in the night.\n\nThat something gripped his shoulder and spun him around. He was too stunned to speak.\n\n“I am so glad you came, Julian.” The voice was deep and oily; it flowed into his ears and stopped them up, so that he could hear nothing else. The shadow before did not coalesce into any real shape, but it filled his vision so that he could see nothing else.\n\nJulian shivered, the chill of the night and his fright gripping him.\n\n“What do you want with me?” He managed to squeak.\n\n“Why, I have a job for you, my little sneak-thief.” The shadow grinned, somehow. Julian could see no teeth, and indeed no mouth. ”I hope my little gift was sufficient to contract your services? There will be more of course, upon completion of this meagre task.”\n\n“What’s the job?” Julian asked despite himself, his voice choked with terror.\n\n“For that, you will have to come with me.” The shadow appeared to close in around him. He could no longer see the lamplight or the moonglow at all, not even faintly. Indeed, he could see nothing at all. Only shadow.\n\n“How about it?” The voice came as though through water, and Julian was submerged in its depths.\n\nJulian could only nod, for fear of what a refusal would earn him, and the shadow enveloped him.\n\nJulian tried to scream, but the shadow swallowed that up too.\n\nThe world disappeared.\n\nHe thought it had been dark before.",
"Curiosity had always been my weakness. Even as a child, if I encountered a locked door, you could be sure I'd find my way in to learn of what treasures were being hidden from me. My parents, naturally, were far less than thrilled with my unfortunate skill set, as they were often the treasure I found behind the door.\n\nEven though I was gifted with talents of the more underhanded variety, I never used them with nefarious intent. I never wanted to steal whatever it was that I'd find behind a lock - I only wanted to know what it was. I never stole any personal information I'd find in a safe or in someone's computer or other supposedly secure locations. And I never stole money, credit cards, or anything of any real value in the wallets I lifted. In fact, I'd almost always return them before my mark knew they had been taken - and if not, they'd receive a package in the mail a few days later with their belongings.\n\nBut sometimes, I'd find a treasure that was just too impossible to ignore: a secret.\n\nThe note itself breathed intrigue from composition. Beautiful flowing cursive; little hearts capping the I's; rich, almost sensual burgundy ink. My interest had never been more piqued, and my curiosity never so hungry. Yes, this was going to be a fascinating evening. \n\nAnd it was going to be my downfall.\n\nI had taken and returned the clandestine wallet with the note in the morning, and spent much of the rest of the day making sure I knew what it was talking about. Surely the city had a clock tower if this note said that it did, but it was surprising news to me in the moment. I hadn't recalled ever seeing such a thing, but turns out it was just a matter of scale. The clock tower was really more of a hut built where a once mighty tower once stood. It did have a small clock face, but nothing as interesting or dramatic as I was anticipating based on what I knew from movies. But no matter - I now knew where the action would be. \n\nA smarter man would have looked at the size of this 'clock tower' and immediately thought how how this would likely unfold. Unfortunately for me, I am not that smarter man, so I had not considered that the inside could surely have enough space to fit one room. \n\nWhich was likely the nest for two love birds. \n\nWho were meeting up to share quiet, passionate moments together.\n\nAnd who would be stumbled upon by a curious idiot. \n\nIt was going to be my parents, all over again. \n\nThe evening flew by without me giving another thought to any of this. I found myself too lost in the thrill of the discovery ahead to care much about what it was I'd be finding. The warm night air was abuzz with the fervor of curiosity. Or it might have been from passing the time in a near by diner, mindless downing cup after cup of coffee. In any case, the time soon came to find my prize. \n\nThe windowless structure that contained the clock sat so unassuming in the warm night. It was a bit after midnight, so I had no doubt that whoever it was that I was meeting was already inside. Again, a smarter man would have thought of the implications - there are very few scenarios that contained positive outcomes in this situation. \n\nI quietly made my way to the back where the small door stood, and picked it with masterful ease. I gently made my way through the door, noting the small rush of warmth and the subtle flicker of candle light. \n\n*Oh...oh no.*\n\nIn my moment of realization, I took an ever so slightly too heavy step, causing a board beneath me to creak. I heard frantic whispers before two shirtless bodies rounded the corner in front of the door way. \n\n\"Shit!\" they yelled in unison. \"Who the hell are you?\"\n\n\"Luther.\"\n\n\"What the hell are you doing here? How'd you get in here?\"\n\n\"Oh, I picked the lock,\" I said. \n\n\"So, what, you're a pervert or something? You came to spy on us?\"\n\n\"Well, no. Actually, kind of, but not in that way. I was just curious is all,\" I said.\n\n\"Curious about what?\" \n\n\"The note,\" I said. I fumbled around in my pocket for the note before showing it to the frightened couple in front of me. I don't know why I kept it instead of returning it with the wallet - but that seems a trivial mistake in comparison.\n\n\"How do you have that?\" \n\n\"I stole it from your wallet,\" I said.\n\nIn the moments of incredibly awkward silence that followed, I began to realize that I probably needed to make some major life changes.\n\nStill holding the note out in front of my body, shuffled forward to return it to its rightful owner. No further words were exchange as a profound sense of disappointment now filled the room. The romantic intentions of the couple dashed by the idiotic curiosity of a thief. \n\n\"Well, I'm gonna head out. You two have fun!\" I finally said, somehow managing to turn and run at full speed in one motion. I was quickly out the door and onto the main street of the town, yet I couldn't stop myself from running. It was as though I was trying to outrun the shame I had brought upon myself in that little clock tower, but I just wasn't fast enough. And to this day, parts of me are still running, with little hope of ever being able to stop.\n\nIn the end of it all I did manage to change, at least. Since that day I have never picked another lock, never cracked another password, nor lifted another wallet. My curiosity rages with unyielding desire, but it is now held in check by the fear of being so thoroughly embarrassed and covered in shame. I will never put myself in a position where I have to literally run from one of my own actions ever again. \n\nNo treasure is worth the weight of such disappointment. \n\n \n__________________________\nr/psalmsandstories for more tales by me, should you be interested.",
"The wallet had cash enough to cover rent, the identification was new and the credit cards were black. I tossed the note after reading into the sewer and pocketed the cash.\n\n\nThe identification would need to be destroyed properly. *Or sold*, I thought quickly. But Wang wasn't taking my cards anymore, too much heat. \n\n\nI started towards the subway, picking up a bagel and a coffee. Before leaving, I noticed a small figure peering at me with interest. Beads of sweat briefly appeared before I returned to the cold. My coat wasn't new, but it wasn't ragged. Looking around, faces peered at me with indifference, but noted the difference in appearance.\n\nTorn jeans, but not through fashion. Neon colours on a windbreak marked the jacket out as a pass me down, my sneakers run nearly through. I could at least pass off as a hipster student. Which I did have a university card. \n\n\nJust not mine.\n\n\nI thought of the note. Whoever this was, I doubt that my actions would have had any effect. I paid my rent in full, and sat in with the box of dollar mac'n cheese. I tempted myself with a trip to the cornerstore, but settled with an old pack of tabac.\n\n\nMy next memory is a bit shattered. An explosion, shards of cheap wood and handcuffs. I was in a cell, cold but still sleeping. The room I was taken to smelt of metal. No, more akin to sterilization, alcohol wipes. I sneezed.\n\n\nI looked over the table to a bald man with a smile. \"You didn't meet me at the clock tower at midnight.\""
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[WP] "Men would kill just to see her smile" is not quite as romantic as penny-dreadfuls would have you believe
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"She was the woman in the crimson red dress, and she was smiling. A smile unlike any other, one could just never look away when she smiled. The room was filled with smoke as she walked through it, just the way she liked it. A woman who men would kill for if she asked, if she'd just give them a smile. Wordlessly, she walked to the bar, and picked up her glass, filled with a dark, lilac liquid, sniffing it, she smiled, a lavender and bergamot aroma filled the room, her lips parted, revealing the most perfect teeth ever seen in a room like that, as she drank deeply of her chosen cocktail. Like mist, she moved without effort, crossing the floor in perfect movements, her smile never leaving her lips. Such a beautiful smile. Men would kill to see it.\n\nIt was hard to describe anything but that smile. One might incur a little about her looks from it though, her skin was an indeterminate colour, one of the few that could fit in everywhere, smooth and perfect as it was. Her lips were lilac coloured, and parted to smile at a handsome man she passed. He had been so handsome. Lucky guy, most would have thought. Her hair was long and curly, though the colour would always escape one, as with the skin, it looked indeterminate or perhaps universal, but beautiful. Almost as good as that smile, with those beautiful, sharp, teeth of hers.\n\nA man worked up the courage to get up of his chair and spoke to her, the smile she gave him lit up his face, and in his eyes, he beheld paradise, with her arms she slowly embraced him, showing him her special smile, so very closely, and that was it, one could hear his joy, as if it was the greatest experience in his life, and when she let go, he fell to his knees and moved no more.\n\nHer smile lit up the room, and the few survivors looked at her in awe, and in pleasure, not noticing the others, their eyes followed her through the room, seeing her smile at the gunsmoke, as the men had so wanted to see her smile, and they knew what could make that woman smile. They'd kill to see her smile. And they had killed. Around the room, every waitress, cigaret gal, and working girl, in the bar, women so unworthy of comparing to her that they had to die. That had made her lips turn up in the beginning of a smile, so they'd killed the bartender and the waiters. That had given her a true smile. But it wasn't enough. So the gangsters had turned their guns on each other, and now her smile was so wide, so beautiful, like the Cheshire Cat if it was a dame. And one by one, the dying men, saw her smile up close, and felt her lips on their lips. And they loved her. How could they not? Her smile was so beautiful, how could they not kill each other, so that the last thing they'd ever see was her smile?\n\nWhen the last gangster had his kiss, she walked up to me. And gave me a sad smile. And with a haunting voice she spoke unto me. With words that I understood and also did not at the same time. ''~~That was fun, but now I have to go, since you can't love me, not like them, no. We are not compatible. Sure, you think I'm beautiful. I have a wonderful smile. But you'd prefer somebody else, wouldn't you?~~'' I nodded. She was beautiful. She had a beautiful smile. But I couldn't love her. Not a man like me. Not a bachelor like me. ''~~Don't worry, sweet boy, your secret is safe with me. Besides, I've had my fil for today. Such giving men, no? So willing to give me. Just. What. I. Need.~~ She smiled, gave me a little wink, and vanished into the gunsmoke. Somewhat confused, I walked out of the bloodstained room, past the many bodies, stopping only to look at the carnage, the bullet holes in the wall, and the distant approach of sirens. A part of me that had been screaming without me hearing it kicked into gear, I ran out the service entrance, and didn't look back. Didn't look, for that smile, a smile that men had killed for."
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[WP] An evil Wizard is creating a lot of chimera monsters and releasing them into the nearby areas. The reason? He's trying to impress a maiden he's captured and any that terrifies her, he just throws the creature out to be someone else's problem. They have become your problem.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Wizards have towers. This is known. More often than not, a wizard’s tower isn’t a problem. If anything, a high tower, built with the right amount of magic and whimsy could be very good for tourism. But the tower in Valencia had been built a bit too high. And it was never a good thing when a wizard got his head stuck in the clouds…\n\nRobert pulled his claymore out of the head of something that looked like the offspring of a French Bulldog and a Panda. But like all the creatures that’d come from the tower, it had a few errant scales and a rather nasty temper. This one had killed twice before the monster hunter had cornered it in the clearing.\n\nHe bent down and used his dreary blade to take the trophy. The mayor wanted heads, and Robert was the only one still delivering them.\n\nHis mustache twitched as he admired his handywork. The corpse would be gone by morning, he thought. They always were…\n\nSome rustling in the brush interrupted his train of thought. He straightened and backed out of the circle of turned up dirt. There was more movement in the trees, a flash of black– The hunter raised his sword, and briefly, the world went pink.\n\nBut the inevitable collision of fangs and steel never came…\n\nRobert opened his eyes and looked down the length of his blade. At its end, where the Panda-Dog-Lizard had been, there was a new creature. It was all black, and it looked like evolution had taken the day off when it’d been created. It was simply a muscular black tube propped up on four legs that seemed to be designed to dig through bedrock. It had a long tail at one end and a rounded nub that passed for a face on the other. Its mouth was a wide slit that was just slightly turned up into a permanent grin. It was looking at Robert’s trophy through wide, hopeful white eyes.\n\nRobert sighed. “This too?” He said and lifted the head up.\n\nThe creature’s mouth opened as it looked up at the treat. A meaty tongue fell absentminded out one side of its smile, and it stamped its clawed feet in anticipation.\n\n“You just had a–” Robert paused and took a moment to digest what he’d just witnessed. “–A *you*\\-sized meal!” He complained. “This head is a new one of these for me, you know!” Robert gestured with his sword. “And *I* need *this* to eat!”\n\nThe creature took two uncertain steps backwards, closed its mouth, then growled deep and low.\n\n“Fine!” Said the monster hunter. Fed up with his job for the day, he hurled the head into the forest. The creature was after it in a blink. “Unbelievable,” Robert muttered to himself as he turned to set off for town empty handed.\n\nHe woke to screaming… It was coming from the cottages nearest to the forests edge. And it was getting closer. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. It was near dawn anyway. Why not start work early? He thought. Maybe he’d be done in time to grab a drink with the mill boys. They were always a good time.\n\nHe went to search for his sword. He’d just found its pommel, when his wall caved in.\n\nThere was a rush of cold morning air and quite a lot more shrieking in the distance. When the dust settled, a familiar black tube, made mostly of skin and teeth, was sitting obediently at the foot of his bed. For a fraction of a second, he considered drawing the blade, but then leaned out to look at the damage the beast had done and thought better of it.\n\nThere were three cottages between Robert’s bedroom and the forest. Now, they all had a Meat Tube sized tunnel in them.\n\n“It’s too early,” Robert told the creature.\n\nIt turned and licked something under its back leg…\n\n“Yah know, I think it’s about time we end this,” he said.\n\nThe creature stopped licking and turned to him again. Robert picked up his sword and headed for the door. “C’mon *Sparky,*” he tried.\n\nThe creature didn’t move.\n\n“How about…” He scratched his head. “Mort?”\n\nMort, the Meat Tube, stood up and squeezed passed him out the door.\n\n“Ok,” he said. He was doing his best not to be passive aggressive towards his new– Pet wasn’t the right word. He didn’t know what the right word was. He sighed and followed Mort.\n\nHe followed Mort all the way to the base of the tower. But the creature was much faster than him, so he didn’t see much of Mort on the journey. However, the howling and the breaking branches and the blood of things Robert was expecting to have to battle himself made for a rather easy to read trail.\n\nHe found Mort sitting on the steps in front of a simple wooden door at the base of the tower. There wasn’t a knob or lever to be seen on the thing, but it didn’t look particularly sturdy. After a moment of investigation, Robert raised his boot and gave the thing a firm kick–\n\nThere was a twang like you might hear when a bowstring is released without an arrow.\n\nRobert came to in a bush some twenty feet away. Mort was still sitting next to the entirely unscathed door, looking at his new friend with some concern, or what passed for concern on his forever smiling face.\n\nRobert hoisted himself up and walked sheepishly back to the door. He was, understandably, a bit upset and found himself taking it out on Mort. “If you’re so smart,” he yelled at the Meaty Tube. “You open it!”\n\nMort recoiled a bit and growled. But decided against eating his new sidekick, lowered his head, and pushed his way through the door. There was an impossible backdraft of sawdust as the thing imploded. Once it settled, Robert found himself staring at a skinny spiral staircase. Mort had already disappeared up it.\n\nThe ascent took time. The tower was hundreds of feet tall, and the rooms didn’t begin until the top.\n\n“Vanity built this place!” Robert huffed, as he reached a wooden hallway near the peak.\n\nThere were many rooms, and it looked like Mort had already been through most of them. But there was no sign of the creature. Robert walked down the hall to a pair of oversized Oak doors at its end. They were the only set that was still intact. He leaned on them, and they opened without resistance.\n\nThe room was large. Larger than should’ve been possible given the width of the tower, Robert noted. He tried his best to ignore this fact as he wandered passed the big bed and the sprawling bookcases and out onto the stone balcony.\n\nThere was a woman standing there. She had a flowing red dress and steep red heals. She was looking out over the city. She didn’t turn around as he approached.\n\n“Umm,” Robert started. He scratched his head and wondered where Mort was. “I s’pose I’m here to rescue you, miss?”\n\nThe woman gave a short chuckle. “Rescue me?” She hissed. “From my loving husband? No. No. No. I believe you have it all wrong, hunter…”\n\n“Umm…” Robert replied.\n\n“You see, I just like watching things fall, and my husband–” She coughed. “The Wizard… He likes making things sturdy...”\n\n“Things fall?” Robert asked, nervously.\n\n“Oh yes… Things fall… First, they splat… But every now and then he outdoes himself and they scamper off.” She turned and smiled. The smile was all teeth and Robert felt like she was looking through him. After a moment, she looked at Valencia again. “Eventually, everything falls,” she explained.\n\nRobert took a step back and cleverly said, “Umm…”\n\nThe woman’s hands suddenly began leaking bits of black smoke, and she turned back to face him a second time. “Let’s see if you scamper off hunt–” She froze. \n\n“No!” She cried.\n\nRobert turned to find Mort standing beside him. Mort looked up at Robert, happily. Then his head wrenched sideways, and he coughed.\n\nHe coughed again, and a wet wizard’s hat flopped onto the ground.\n\n“But–” The woman started.\n\nRobert reached down and gave Mort a couple pats on the head. “I’m going to let you two work this out,” he told Mort, and turned for the door.\n\n…Mort came to meet him at the base of the tower a few minutes later. He nuzzled Robert’s shoulder reassuringly.\n\nRobert shook his head. “I think it’s time we get out of here, bud,” he told Mort. “This place is just too weird.”\n\nMort smiled at him… and then puked up a red high heal in his lap."
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[WP] For generations the men in your family have all left after fathering a son of their own. Each generation has always departed in the same direction, causing each descendant to pursue them in the same with an insatiable desire to find their patriarchy with the hopes of learning why.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 worthless daughter.\n\nIt delayed my Father's journey to the East by four years, having a daughter, and now I remember only the briefest things about him. He could never sit still, he always looked pained and nervous.\n\nBut I do remember the day that my brother was born, and the way that the lines on his face eased, an incredible calm coming over the man as my mother wept deeply, knowing that soon she'd be alone to raise two children in the hills of Nevada, just like my grandmother had been.\n\nAnd he did leave, just like that. His bag already packed, an axe in his hand. He kissed me on the cheek, my brother on the forehead, and my mother on the lips.\n\nFor fifteen years, I boiled inside with rage. They tried to marry me off, but it didn't work. My husband made me money and stayed out of my way, because he knew that I was not a wife. I would never be what he needed, and when I was gone and dead, he'd be free to seek another woman who loved him.\n\nBut I was busy preparing, as my brother grew up.\n\n\"Don't go, Angel.\"\n\nI laughed, sneering as I dropped the axe gently, the head embedding into the wood floor with a soft thud.\n\nBut my brother didn't look away from my eyes.\n\n\"Please don't go.\"\n\n\"I'm going so that you don't have to,\" I growled. \"I'll find out what damned secret has doomed this family, and I'll come back. But if I don't come back? Then it's death, and you can never ever follow. You hear me? You make a life here, you marry if you wish, you *live* for the love of sky and land. The curse ends here.\"\n\nHe wouldn't be able to dissuade me. He knew that, but he'd looked up to me for so long that he was lost already.\n\nI sighed, and my expression thawed enough to gesture him closer, and wrap him up in a hug.\n\n\"I'll do my best to come back.\"\n\n\"And dad?\"\n\nI didn't reply. I kissed him on the forehead, I kissed my mother on the cheek, and I embraced my husband.\n\nThen I walked out of our home, and East. Past the hills I knew well, past the town outskirts and then finally over the great Ridgeline past which I'd never seen.\n\nThe sunrise colored endless fields of grass in blood red and impossibly beautiful gold.\n\nI did cry, a little. A few shameless tears, as I started down the opposing slope and entered the untouched lands.\n\nBut it all was so ordinary, really.\n\nThe journey of a day became a journey of two weeks, and all the time, the anger in my heart became an open rotting sore, which I could not fill. All my fuel flew out of me, and left me with nothing but my quest.\n\nBut then, I found the forest.\n\nI'd never seen such trees before. Or deer who would stand and watch you walk. I'd never seen such pools of water, streams trickling under fallen logs, like an endless maze feeding the roots.\n\nAnd I cried again, because I knew I would never find them. They'd gone into these woods, one after another, and how could I ever hope to locate one man in a thousand thousand trees?\n\nBut by luck, and luck alone, I found it.\n\nA cottage, so similar to the one I grew up in. A garden, so overgrown with weeds. A door, marked with a bough of Holly, and our family crest.\n\nBut I stopped with my hand on that door. I stopped because I knew that if he was alive in there, I would kill him. I knew my rage ran too deep to be sane.\n\nI may have stood there for hours, before I finally pushed the door open, resigned to being a dealer of death if I must.\n\nBut I found nothing. No body, no sign of recent living.\n\nHe was gone. He'd been gone for ages. Then again, this home could have been built by his father, his grandfather, or how many generations of lost men.\n\nMen seeking something they did not even know, and leaving behind so much suffering where they once were.\n\nThis was my family's legacy.\n\nr/saryis is where I keep most of my writing."
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[WP] While cleaning out the basement of your parents' home, you find a box of your old things. At the bottom is your old telephone. You dial your old home number just for fun. The blood drains from your face as your 14 year old voice answers "Hello?" You've just found a direct line to the 80s...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"\"Hello?\" The voice of my younger self repeats with a tone of frustration. \"Look, Bradley. If this is you again just you wait, punk!\" \n\nA rush of nostalgic fear thunders through my body. Can this really be me? I sound so...brave. When did I ever call someone *punk*? I find the courage to reply. \"Hello?\"\n\n\"Woah. You're not Brad. Who is this?\"\n\nWhere do I even begin? My eyes are blurring but as I look at the phone in my hand, a relic nowadays, I cannot help but feel this is an opportunity for a change. Can I warn my younger self? Maybe I will not be able to change the past but if this other me can avoid it...\n\n\"I'm - I'm you.\" I stutter. I wipe my brow and crouch down onto the floor. I hunch my shoulders and turn my back to the floor in a similar position to when I wanted a private conversation as a kid. \"Listen. I'm a future you. I know this sounds ridiculous but I am. You need to avoid Wendy. She's trouble. I --\" I'm stuttering and stammering. I'm nervous and feel an urgency to divulge this, to share information that could save someone. Could save...me. \"I need you to l - listen to me. I -\" \n\n\"Whatever. Creep.\" \n\nThe line goes dead. \n\nNo. No! I begin dialling the line again and my heart is pounding and sweat is pouring and words are struggling and - \n\n\"Darling?\" \n\nWendy is stood in the doorway, leaning against the unpainted frame. \n\n\"Everything ok?\" She asks. Monotonous. Dry. Emotionless.\n\n\"Uh-huh.\" I reply in a tone which I pray hides my anxiety. \n\n\"I said is everything ok?\" \n\nShe enunciates each word like a dagger. The curt, piercing pang of her question hovering in the air, waiting to be answered. How can I reply? I never know how to reply. She stands waiting. Her slim silhouette a darkening shadow to a room which holds so many memories. \n\n\"I'm fine.\" I cough. Rising from the floor and clutching the phone behind my back. Again, I try to keep my voice cool and nonchalant but she is a bloodhound and she is hungry. She takes a step into the room. I begin dialling the familiar number of my home. \n\n\"Who you ringing?\" She asks, inching closer, the air in the room closing. \n\n\"No-one. It's just an old phone.\" \n\nI barley finish my sentence before she is scrambling on top of me scratching and tearing the phone from my hands. I lie on the floor and wait. \n\n\"Hello?\" I hear myself echo through the now broken speaker of the phone. Clenching my eyes shut I try to think of a me which could potentially escape this cruelty. The lights go out. The door slams shut and the phone line goes dead."
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[WP] You dread sleep but don't remember why. Like usual, you, the brain, has to break down for the soul what has happened to the body and world since it last slept. Tonight is going to stand out more than usual.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Another day passed as night arrived. With it came the need for rest, which I despised. \n\nThe Reason? I have no clue. It was something ingrained to my very soul. A feeling, that I couldn't tame. A fate that I couldn't escape. Denying my body's need for rest wouldn't be wise.\n\nThe bed was empty as it had been for the many days I lived here. The house was quiet save for the chirping of crickets. Moonlight shone through the windows,the curtains partially blocking it.\n\nI lied on my bed staring up at the ceiling, trying to quell all the unnecessary thoughts that would appear in my mind.\n\nSo I closed my eyes and let my tiredness whisk me away. For it was necessary and unavoidable. \n\nBut today felt different. Sleep never came so easily to me and the dreams, they were vivid beyond my comprehension.\n\nI felt a calmness I had long forgotten. For I was plagued by nightmares both real and illusions. The dreams today were different, they were of happier times.\n\nI believed I had already lost those emotions of joy and forever exist in a sea of negativity and turmoil.\n\nBut it seems I was wrong.\n\nA silver lining in a void darkness. Maybe I could survive a little longer. The happy memories that I long for might still exist out there.\n\nFor I feel closer to my ideal, to be content. The joyful memories of my past being my strength to rid me of the all consuming end.\n\nSo the next day I woke up in my lonely apartment. But I felt a difference. Since now I wasn't alone.\n\nThe memories would keep me going."
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[WP] You were sent back in time, waking up as an immortal at the dawn of modern human species, living in secret, unaging, and as far as you can find, able to heal from all injuries and illness. The day which you were sent back in time has arrived, and you plan to return home to resume your old life.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 has been some two hundred thousand years, and I've more stories to tell than can be found in any library I had to burn. I'd watched hundreds of civilizations rise and fall. Met with kings, queens, gods, monks, all the way to the destitute beggars on the street. I bore witness to the first wheel, to the realized potential of stone as a weapon. At first it was hard to adjust to the world of stone and bronze. And for the first hundred thousand years I tried to help them, you can still see relics of me from time to time. Stories of incredible heroes slaying beasts with magic (a simple chlorine gas bomb thrown into a particularly unruly lizards home), impossibly strong armor given to a \"demi-god\" (tungsten alloys incorporated into the best armor my fortune could buy), impossible ideas spontaneously generated from nothing, alien architecture thousands of years before it's time.\n\nAs we drew closer to the \"now\", I felt it in my soul. To change the past would change the present. I could undo thousands of years of suffering, strangle future dictators in their cribs. I could fly us to the moon with the infinite supply of everything I had. I could do anything, be anyone, lead this species in any direction I saw fit. And, for a time, I did. I was a God among men. Immortal, unstoppable, and unbreakable. I slew an entire army of men whose language I didn't speak simply for the thrill of basking in the horror on their faces as thousands of arrows failed to fell me. The fire set to the field they soaked in oil was nothing to me but a warm feeling. I rejoiced in their suffering as I hunted their camps down, one by one, like the ghost stories they loved to tell.\n\nBut, this grew tiresome. It wasn't modern life I missed, it wasn't the easy escapism of games and internet forums, it wasn't the day to day monotony. My thirst was singular. I couldn't even remember her face, but I needed to see it again. And so I set to do exactly that.\n\nI laid low, threw off my purple and gold robes, my iridescent armor. I pitched my machines and firearms into the sea, knowing the abyss would swallow them whole. And I set out to be the greatest tourist the world would never know about. I saw the games of rome, watched naval battles from the coastal mountains, wept at impossibly beautiful music, saw the first plays of famous names. I watched kings overthrown, borders drawn anew. I witnessed intellectuals carve their own existence against tyranny on two different continents. I sat down and contemplated the meaning of life as I watched atomic fire raze an empire to the ground. \n\nAnd finally, the day came. I had built up to this for longer than I can remember. The work was soul draining, the uniform was well below the station I held since the dawn of our kind. But it was worth it, to meet her again. Simple dates, a picnic with discount meat, a party with watered down booze. B rated horror movies and home made popcorn, her head on my chest as she always tell asleep before the ending. These simple things I craved so much.\n\nMy existence came to a peak this morning, as she wept. She held it in her trembling hands. A thin white stick, with two little black lines. This was it, this what what I waited thousands of lifetimes for. I couldn't wait to see her face-- after all, I did name a city after her."
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[WP] In the midst of a war torn city, two soldiers are left alone after news of their nation’s unconditional surrender reaches them. Describe their reaction or emotions following this event.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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\nRuin that was all that the war left in its wake the wasteland of war and destruction the specter of what once was a thriving city and beacon of liberty in a world of resignation to hate. The last state had fallen. It's once a great fifty star flag of the United states of America burning outside of the boise capital complex. My fellow patriots abandoning their weapons onto the blood soaked ground peter,jackson,schultz all of them dead for this lost dream.\n\n“We can’t have lost how have we fallen so far from our once perfect american dream” my voice distant and weak behind my gasmask. My hands clutching my rifle as the cascadians cheered waving their blood soaked flag above the capital’s steps. A thunderous group of reverberating footsteps walking treading across the ruined buildings concrete flooring.\n\nMy heart racing in that moment racing any movement our rash action leading to my death from a bullet to the back of the head. Seeming an eternity passing in that moment time and the future all too uncertain with what the future would hold. A voice thick as gravel in a blender spoke behind me his voice slowly approaching at a steady and relaxed pace.\n\n“*It Is A Sad Day To See The Last Remnant Of An Once Great Nation Falling Into Ruin*”\n\nI could feel the collective eyes from the group the tension in the room thick enough that you could cut it with a knife. One set of footsteps approaching from behind and arriving at the window adjacent to mine the visage of an old withered man visible from the corner of my eye. “*I used to live here before the bombs dropped. It used to be so beautiful the city of trees a hidden valley away from the world's light.*” \n\nThe soldiers below escorting the two senators and surviving military personnel to a line of trucks along the main therofair of the road. The occasional regular militia dragged out of the line and thrown into a growing number of prisoners lined up in the open space of the garden. A dull click reverberating as a small flame lit from the person standing to my right from a small silver zippo in his hand. \n\nTrailing smoke slowly drifting into the air from the old man’s cigar his breath deep and steady at the unfolding sight. “Why did it come to this couldn't you have left our people to our neutrality we never wanted this war.” “*To Send A Message, Maybe For The Land But It All Remains The Same In The End The Question Is Why Your Remained*”. Drifting embers drifting on the wind in the darkness illuminating the void and bringing light to where there was none previously.\n\n“I wanted to honor an old pledge i made but never followed through on”\n\n My hand closing around the dogtags hanging limply from my closed fist the steel cutting into my hand. The lengthy convoy slowly pulling away from the capital leaving the few personnel and a handful of soldiers in the gardens. Their hands bound behind their back as the criminals tied long blinds around their eyes each struggling in that moment as they are lined up against the central fountain.\n\n“*Sometimes We Have To Forget The Past*” A single gunshot echoed across the plaza followed by a faint splash. “That does not mean we should forget those we lost on the way” the words dwarfed by the distant laughter of the group below. His eyes drifting to the hanging dog tag in my hands. \n\n“While That Is True We Can Not Let Our Past Failures Cloud Our Judgment For The Future.”\nAnother gunshot ringing out followed by a shallow thud against the brick masonry lining the fountains edge. The next few minutes passing in silence punctuated by the occasional gunshot or desperate screaming and crying of those below.\n\n“It is too late for that”\n\nThe once crystalline water turning a crimson red and overflowing onto the stonework around the centerpiece of the garden. My voice becoming weak from the slaughter below i could not speak as the bloody patrol left the scene of the massacre. The bodies filling the entirety of the fountain civilians,politicians,soldiers it did not matter their creed they all died all the same there was no mercy.\n\n“*Though There Are Some Things That We Should Have Learned From But Have Not That Is Human Nature. Though The Dream May Have Left That Does Not Mean We Cannot Work To Realize It Once More.*” The cigar flying out the shattered glass window to the ground below the old man walking back through the building.\n\nThe same footstep as before retreating further into the darkness the seemingly all consuming tension leaving the room. My breath and agency returning my eyes catching a small object left behind shining dimly in the darkness. An old camera, the small flashing red light indicating a recent recording of the recently unfolded events.",
"Eric and Phil two privates in the Cascadian Peoples Army sat down on a crate in a bombed out 7/11 in Olympia. Huddled over a radio that made in aftermath of the second American civil war a great comeback. They where both awaiting the new broadcast, all soldiers where ordered to listen to it.\n\n​\n\n\"*This is a Message directed at the Brave Officers and Soldiers of the Cascadian Peoples Army. Authenthicator is Silver Eagle, Fire, Star. Silver Eagle, Fire, Star. I am Secretary of Cascadian Agriculture Olsen. Chairman Yates and most of the cabinet have been spotted in the State of Luna at the La Peruse Interplanetary Spaceport. They have deserted you and the cascadian dream when the fighting has reached their Doorsteps. They ran. Their final destination will be the Martian Republic.* \n\n*For us, who stayed and fought this means that the war is over. After 2 hard years of valiant resistance we have lost. You have fought bravely for your new Fatherland and for the Cascadian Vision. As many of you realize the Cascadian Army has all but collapsed and General Stephenson has signed the Armistice in the Capital of the Pacific States, San Francisco and agreed to the Unconditional Surrender of all Cascadian Military Branches.*\n\n*All soldiers are now ordered not to resist the disarmenent efforts from the Pacific States. You are to Orderly surrender, not doing so will be punishable by court martial*.\n\n*Cascadia will become integrated as the State of Cascadian into the Pacific States. The Council of the Pacific states have guaranteed that a soft and slow integration will take place, our values will be respected and a One country 2 System solution will be enacted that saw success in Peacefully Integrating both Hongkong and Taiwan.....*\"\n\n​\n\nEric threw the radio to the wall, it shattered into hundreds of different bits and pieces \"I cant fucking believe it. We lost? How?\"\n\n​\n\nPhil just continued sitting there, without looking at him he said \"Im just glad its over. This is the second war i was conscripted into. I just want to go home.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Under pacific rule? Their entire government is run by Silicon Valley Fatcats! Same American Bullshit, different name!\" eric ranted.\n\n​\n\n\"Yes and we lost, they have Russia, Europe and the Chinese on their side. Who did we have? Nobody! Only Lakotha and Texas where even recognizing us as a Independent Nation. \" he said and shrugged with his shoulder. Then took his old M16 and removed the Magazine. \"Eric, we should disarm now. Gotta surrender to the Nerds.\"\n\nEric shook his head and removed his magazine aswell. They where both walking out of the convenience store, looking for others. Nobody knew where to go from here. What would come next.\n\n​\n\n\"hey Phil, what do you think happens after we surrender?\" Eric said. Phil just shook his head and Eric continued \"You think they will make us into Slaves? Kill us?\"\n\n​\n\n\"Nah, i dont think so. They are bad but they are no Neoconfs. Just Capitalist pricks.\" Phil finally said.\n\nThe two marched on, leaving the ruins of Olympia behind them. Heading due west when they noticed a strange light in the nightsky.\n\n​\n\n\"Whats that?\" Phil asked and pointed at it.\n\nErics eyes widened and he said \"Looks like a Dro...\"\n\n​\n\nThe End",
"**Location: North West of Povilian City**\n\n\n''Julian, don’t do it! Please, stop it JULIAN!''\n\nMy hands on Julian’s helmet to prevent him from taking off his helmet. I know him for a long time and this is the first time, I see him crying. \n\nHe sits down, ''Okay, I’m not going to do it.''\n\nI sit by his side and we both look at the moon shining down on us. \n\n''Do you think they will send us there?'' He asks.\n\n''The moon? I doubt it. There is not much going on there apart from the ward. They send...''\n\nI look at him and I realise he is not even listening to me. He is thinking of something. Then, I ask myself. Should I be thinking of something too? \n\n''Before the war, I was just a painter. A guy who paints stuff. Now, I’m a guy who kills stuff and probably gonna get killed by either low gravity or the poison they will give me.'' He says.\n\n''We might’ve lost the war but we are still alive. I think that’s something to hold on.'' I say.\n\n''I know you well, man. That’s not you.'' He says and he puts his hand my shoulder.\n\nI look at the moon once again. We are surrounded by poisonous gas and it’s not even visible to the naked eye. I can see the moon just right.\n\n''Two weeks ago, they said your sister came to visit you. Did you see her?'' I ask him.\n\nHe shakes his head.\n\n''Why? What happened?'' I ask\n\n''Do you remember the time I said I might have something for my family.''\n\n''Yes?''\n\n''I was about to get the tickets for both of them, for my sister and my mother.''\n\n''To where?''\n\n''Revina.''\n\n''You mean the main station at Venus. That place nothing but a shit hole. Why would you send them there?''\n\n''It’s far better than the Earth. We were fighting for the land no longer gives anything. The water we drink, food we eat, do you think it’s the same as our grandparents had? No, it’s not. Anyway, I couldn’t get them on that ship. That’s why she was here. She was here for the tickets and I didn’t have the courage to face her. Tell her their only chance of leaving this planet no longer exist.\n\nI get up, ''What if I told you that’s not the only ship leaves that this planet.''\n\nHe looks at me he tries to figure out either I’m joking or not. Sudden beeping noise interrupts the moment.\n\n''Looks like our oxygen level is low. We should head back I’ll explain everything back there.'' I say\n\n''You go ahead, I need to get my stuff first, I’ll catch up to you.'' Julian says.\n\nI walk for ten minutes and then I look back I see nobody. I look at my oxygen level I decide to go back for Julian but I get a second warning which means I have only fifteen minutes of air left. Barely enough to make it to the base. I still go back for Julian.\n\n-------------------------------------\n\n-Thank you for reading the story-\n\n*Just FYI, I'm not a native speaker so, if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes please don't mind it.*"
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[WP] You live in a comic book world where everyone is given a future hero/villain name using a randomizer and can’t change it afterwards. You are the unlucky kid who got the name “Blade-Blade”.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Out of the five of us that made it successfully through our training and heroism school, today was the special day where we sat in a room with only ourselves and the dean of the school, receiving our blessed hero or in some cases, our villain name.\n\nI looked at my best friend Shawn, and we fist bumped each other. Hoping for a bright future. We realized that everyone got their own city to defend or antagonize, and we'd all forget each other. Floods of tears were shed beforehand, but we had all accepted our destiny. \n\n\"Well Shawn, it was awesome getting to know you. I wish we could have discovered a way to keep in touch, but... such if life,\" I said.\n\n\"I know, Blake, it's sad, but hey, we'll learn about each other again when we get our memories back when we retire, and if all goes well, we can see each other then,\" he winked.\n\nThe Dean stood at the podium and cleared his throat. \"Jane Swanson, based on your powers and training you will receive the hero name: Vicious-Victoria! You will defend the city of Ghego. Your special power will be using a new element to destroy your enemies called Sherug. Congrats!\"\n\nEveryone congratulated Jane and she had the biggest smile on her face.\n\n\"Roy Hart, based on what you've demonstrated you will receive the villain name: Psych-Fang. You will antagonize the city of Cemont. Your special power will be manipulating minds as you bite them when you're in wolf form. So mind manipulation and wolf transformation are your powers. Congrats!\"\n\nThe class cheered for Roy's new future. He leapt in the air and shrieked with joy.\n\n\"Maria Wong, based on what you've displayed, you will receive the villain name: Ghost Sceptor. You will antagonize the city of Quarez. Your power will consist of wielding a staff that is deadly to others and can turn you into a ghost. Congratulations!\"\n\nMaria jumped out of her seat and fist pumped triumphantly. We all clapped.\n\n\"Which brings us to Blake Baxter... your hero name will be... Blade-Blade. You'll defend the city of Wrosta. You'll be given elbow like swords,\" the dean rubbed his forehead and looked at me, cringing his face a little.\n\nI wanted to protest the decision so bad, but it wasn't his to make. It was a variety of factors, and it sounded *so stupid.* The whole class gave me a sympathy stare, for their abilities and careers sounded amazing. \n\nI tightened my fist. Tears formed on the edge of my eyes. *This isn't fair at all. I worked so hard to have something elemental or something special. This is so stock and the name is ridiculous too!*\n\n\"Ah, here we have Shawn Shlovksi... which, we have something unprecedented,\" the dean scratched his chin. \"Shawn, your hero name will be Shield-Shield. You'll also defend the city of Wrosta, alongside Blade-Blade. It says here that the two of you will be co-heroes,\" everyone paused and looked at the two of us, \"Congrats!\" the dean roared.\n\nI turned to Shawn and he turned to me with the biggest smile on his face. Suddenly I had a spike of joy. He had tears in his eyes as well.\n\n\"Well, Blake, I guess this isn't goodbye after all, bud!\" Shawn beamed, and he pulled me in for a tight hug, which I returned with equal excitement.\n\n​\n\nr/randallcooper"
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[WP] Due to the similarities of their professions, doctors now talk the same way about a patients health as mechanics do with cars.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 double doors swing open, crashing into the white walls of the long, brightly lit hallway.\n\n“Coming through!”, Jet shouts as he sails down the corridor, riding the stretcher like you used to do your mums shopping cart as a kid. Hanging from the back handle and with the front wheels just barely touching the ground. After shooting a wide grin and a quick “Hello ladies.” at several young nurses pressed against the wall for fear of being run over, Jet and the stretcher finally skitter to a halt outside my office door.\n\n“Hey Doc.”, Jet bursts through the door, as always, without knocking, “Got yourself another oldtimer. This one broke down right in the middle of city centre. Was a real hassle getting him over here. We had to jump start him twice on the way.”\n\nI look up from the manual I had been brooding over to find him grinning at me waiting for my response. As if he had done me a favour or something. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy working on an oldtimer as much as anyone. Who wouldn’t, with all the modern nick-nack they stick in them nowadays. Insulin pumps and cochlear implants, why one needs a degree in electrical engineering to make sense of any of that. No, no, they certainly don’t make them like they used to.\n\n“Did you drop of the insurance information at the front desk?”, I ask as I close the book and get up.\n\n“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry about it. He’s got full CC and all.”, Jet replies, “Oh, and his wife’s in the waiting room. She wants to know how long it will take you to get him back up and running again. Apparently she needs him back in time for some function tomorrow night.”\n\nWith a sigh I drop back into my office chair. Through the open door I hear Jet making his way back down the corridor chatting up the female staff. I straighten up, reach over and grab the telephone.\n\n“Sonja, Dr. Stevens here. Listen we have an oldie here in the hallway. I want you to prepare the workshop for the repair. And call Jason over at the scrapyard. See if he has any used parts we can salvage.\"\n\nI hang up the phone and turn my attention to the man still waiting on the stretcher outside my office.\n\n\"So, let’s have a look under this guys hood.”"
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[WP] At a prestigious school the student council is run by the most influential and talented kids. The treasurer dies in an accident, and you, a math-wiz scholarship student, are chosen to replace him. You discover his death wasn't an accident, and the council is involved in less than legal affairs.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Mr. Chalmers died on a Sunday. I was in my dorm, reading; I had a paper due at five.\n\nI thought it was my roommate, Isadora, who knocked on the door; she'd gone with some of the other borders to play soccer at the fieldhouse. I opened the door in jeans and my pajama top, only to see Headmaster Sims standing there in a full business suit.\n\n\"Uh--\" I stuttered, trying not to think about my uncombed hair. I had never seen the Headmaster in the dorms before.\n\nHeadmaster removed a handkerchief from his suit pocket, flicked it, and wiped his forehead. \"Miss Aurora Silverman?\"\n\nI stared at him. Nobody called me Aurora, not even Aunt Magda back when I was still living at home. But correcting the Headmaster felt strange.\n\n\"Um, yes.\" I felt my cheeks flush.\n\n\"Great,\" he nodded. \"I hear you're good at math. The best, actually.\"\n\nHe looked older than I expected up close, his face a topography of wrinkles and dark spots.\n\nI said, \"I'm only in tenth grade. There's probably seniors who...\"\n\n\"Nonsense.\" He shook his head and motioned for me to follow him down the hall. Still blushing, I said, \"Should I get dressed?\"\n\nHe glanced at my loose pajama top and tangled hair and pursed his lips, uncomfortable. \"Yes, yes,\" he said, waving his hand. \"Quickly.\"\n\n\"Oh,\" I added, glancing back at my desk, \"I have a paper due at five.\"\n\nHeadmaster Sims shook his head again, impatient. \"Don't worry about that, I'll excuse you.\"\n\nAlarmed, I shut the door.\n\nThe Administrative Office was perched on a hill towards the far reaches of the school. That day it looked enchanted, encircled by mist and softly suffused with morning light. I followed Headmaster up the stairs in my uniform, complete with itchy tights and a wool, plaid skirt. I still didn't know what he needed me for, and it occurred to me as we came to the door that I should have asked.\n\n*Oh well,* I thought. Too late now.\n\nHeadmaster Sims ushered me in to the marble-floored room, black and white tiles gleaming as a maid buffed them in the corner. The secretary sat by a mahogany desk in the entrance room, and a handsome senior boy--Algernon Friess, the president of the student council--was pacing, looking harried.\n\n\"Hi, Rory.\" He waved, and my heart stuttered a little. Multi-variable calculus was nothing compared to boys, I thought.\n\n\"Hi,\" I spluttered, doing my best not to be weird. I knew Algie, sort of: we were both on student council, him because he was gorgeous and popular and played lacrosse, me because I was the math girl. He had a sister, Anne-Marie, who was a first-year and also on the student council. She was one of the few kids on the council I could talk to without staring at my shoes; the rest of the students were so polished and attractive that I felt like a child next to them, especially because many had last names you'd recognize from the Forbes 100 list.\n\nHeadmaster Sims said, \"I trust you'll explain things to her,\" then nodded at Algie in the way I'd only seen people here do, a tiny gesture of understanding that passed unspoken between people whose families had socialized together for generations. I turned around, flummoxed, watching his figure wend past the columns and shining windows until he disappeared, dissolving in the light.\n\n\"Hey, Rory,\" Algie repeated, glancing at his watch. A Rolex, of course. \"So, Treasurer Chalmers died last night.\"\n\n\"Oh?\" I frowned. I was so surprised I forgot to sound awkward. \"He was pretty young, wasn't he?\"\n\n\"Yeah,\" Algie answered, speaking fast, his eyes darting around the mostly empty space. \"Anyway, follow me. The school needs your help with some of the records he left behind.\"\n\n*\"Me?\"* I squeaked, getting nervous again. Algie said nothing, just motioned for me to follow. His hair, pale blonde, reflected in the shafts of sunlight coming through the windows. I'd always envied people with hair like that--mine was a deep, fiery red that anyone could spot from a mile away.\n\nAlgie took me past the cavernous room where the student council usually met and up the stairs to a smaller space, where several adults I didn't recognize sat around a table, their backs steel-stiff and hands folded.\n\n\"Everyone,\" Algie announced as we came through the door, \"This is Aurora Silverman. She's here on a full scholarship for mathematics. She's in Calculus BC as a sophomore, just starting to study multivariable.\"\n\nThe adults nodded mutely, stone-faced. Algie directed me to sit next to a woman with hair black as ink and massive round eyeglasses.\n\nShe had a stack of manilla envelopes teetering in front of her, which she pushed towards me. She said, \"You're going to be replacing him.\" Her voice was stern and booming, echoing through the corners of the room.\n\nI stared back open-mouthed, my eyes on the towering reams of paper stacked and crushed together like bricks.\n\n\"There are two sets of forms,\" she continued, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her hawkish nose. \"You'll see what I mean when you look through them.\"\n\nAll at once, they stood up.\n\n\"Good luck,\" someone said, their voice drifting in the open door from down the hall.\n\nAlgie smiled a little at me before he closed it. \"You'll be okay,\" he said. \"Miranda's down the hall if you need help,\" he finished, indicating her retreating backside, draped in a starched pencil skirt. I just nodded at him, astonished. I thought I saw him wink before he closed the door.\n\nAs I opened the forms, I realized immediately why none of this was stored on a computer. Nobody would want to have an electronic record of *this.*"
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[WP] You believe your microwave has gained sentience. It cant kill you, but it's going to make your life hell in any way possible
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 out the loaf of bread, Greg came in. ‘What the hell are you doing?’\n\n‘Something,’ I replied. The bread was still cold, and it smelled funny. I added some cheese and put it back in the microwave.\n\n‘Why in the...’ Greg’s face was nothing but astonishment. ‘Why would you put bread in a *microwave*?’\n\nI crossed my arms. ‘Just to see what he does with it.’\n\n‘He?’\n\n‘Yes. He’s not a thing, Greggory. He’s a conscious being.’\n\nGreg was no longer astonished, instead he was starting to look worried. ‘Are you okay?’\n\nThe microwave beeped. ‘Breakfast’s ready.’ I opened the door and looked at the result of my attempt.\n\nGreg touched the cheese. ‘It’s not even hot. What did you do?’\n\nI gave him a quick nod, my arms still crossed. ‘Try it. You’ll see.’\n\nHe cut off a slice and ate it, before completely turning his face upside down in disgust. He coughed and vomited in the sink. ‘That’s fucking *disgusting*!’ He coughed again, and calmed down a bit. ‘That sure was the nastiest thing I’ve ever eaten. Good joke.’\n\n‘It’s not a joke. It’s this thing.’ I pointed at the microwave. ‘When I woke up ten minutes ago, all I wanted were some instant noodles. Well, apparently he doesn’t want us to enjoy our food. The noodles had turned into worms.’\n\n‘And the bread?’ Greg asked.\n\nI grabbed a knife and sawed the bread in half. Inside of it was dirt.\n\nGreg shook his head. ‘Is this some kind of a joke? Or is that thing cursed?’\n\nI shrugged my shoulders. ‘He’s probably cursed. Point is: I am not myself without my instant noodles. He *knew* that, he was just waiting for an opportunity to make me suffer!’\n\n‘Stop calling him, I mean, *it* a “he”,’ Greg said. ‘The first sign of insanity: talking about things as if they are people.’\n\n‘Maybe I am insane!’ I yelled. ‘The only thing I wanted were some fucking noodles!’\n\n‘Maybe you are.’ The anger and disappointment in his voice were barely noticeable, but I knew he was dead serious. ‘Maybe you are,’ he repeated. And with those words, he left the room.\n\nThe silence was almost scary.\n\n‘What did I do to deserve this?’ I asked the microwave."
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[WP] "Ah, I see you've finally waken up. Now, to business. You're dead and this is the afterlife. You need to pick a job, but be careful; there's no switching."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"\"Welcome to nirvana my son. Your path of mortal struggle and turmoil is behind you now. You are ascended. Gifted a position of servitude in my name.\"\n\n\"Should not servitude be left to those who still breathe?\"\n\n\"Servitude is the gift of purpose, and that gift is bliss.\"\n\n\"Should purpose not be a gift given from within?\"\n\n\"Purpose is divine, for it offers respite from freedom.\"\n\n\"Is freedom not bliss? Not a gift from the Almighty? Not the very essence of man?\"\n\n\"Freedom is man's downfall, a plague which has infested my creation. You would be wise to reject the assumption of its benevolence.\"\n\n\"I would rather be damned and free, then saved a slave.\"\n\n\"Then damned you shall be.\"",
"\"Guardian angel.\"\n\nThe angelic gathering looked taken aback by this. \n\n\"You must understand, child. There is no changing your role. If you choose to be a guardian angel, then you will remain in that role for eternity.\"\n\n\"Guardian angel,\" said the prone mortal. \"Quickly, please.\"\n\nThe mortal began snapping his fingers at the nearest seraphim. The others looked downright insulted by this.\n\n\"It is your choice, and we will respect it. But you seem quite sure this is the best path for you. And that worries us.\"\n\n\"Do I grow my own wings or are those provided?\"\n\n\"They're provided, of course. We just need to make sure that you are willing to go through with this. It's a tremendous undertaking.\"\n\nThe mortal looked to the angel with a calm seriousness. He flopped onto his belly and began combing through the clouds. The mortal's realm, Earth, spun quietly on its axis. He pointed to the western edge of one landmass and said nothing. At a glance, it seemed like any other tract of land buzzing with the business of mortals. The angels employed their own supernatural vision to see what he was pointing at. The focus zoomed down to a city, to a particular street in that city, down to a young woman maneuvering a drink carrier through a heavy crowd. It was clear, by her wide eyes and her frantic steps, that she was in a hurry. She looked like any other young woman rushing through another day, and the angels were ready to brush it off as another lovesick mortal trying to defend a former lover, until they saw her trip. One sneakered toe skid against the pavement and the young woman heaved forward. What happened next was hard to believe.\n\nThe drink carrier launched forward, a lopsided missile containing a super hot payload, spinning end over end as its sailed through the air. It passed through the open window of a nearby car stopped at the light. The drink carrier ended its arc in the lap of the driver, upside down. Four venti macchiatos delivered their payload. Super heated milk soaked through khakis and into silk underwear. The driver screamed, slammed his foot into the accelerator; an impulse to drive away from the sudden, blinding pain. The car became a new missile, this one with its own screeching payload, heading right into the middle of a busy intersection. Blue, screaming sedan collided with gray van, which veered into an expensive-looking sportster, which dove head first into a tour bus. The tour bus lost purchase on the road and leaned away from the impact. The driver jerked in his seat, overcorrecting the turn and causing the bus to tip. Its open roof became a jacuzzi of screaming, flailing bodies. By now, the angels had seen enough. They turned back to the mortal, who was staring up at them. His fingers were steepled over his chest.\n\n\"Would you believe that's not the first time that's happened?\"\n\n\"We had no idea,\" said the chorus of angels."
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[WP] 1 Trillion dollars has been deposited into your account, with no one knowing or caring where it came from. All that came with it, is a note. “They’re coming for me.”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Devoured by greed, I immediately alter my lifestyle and focus a surprising amount of my newfound wealth on a lifelong car collection dream. It takes years to assemble, but the collection is finally starting to look pretty good. I’ve long since forgotten about the source of all “my” money. \n\nDespite being in mortal danger, the woman who deposited all of that money into my account managed to elude her pursuers, eventually getting the jump on them before they could manage to kill her. It took her a while to get her life back to a point where she once felt comfortable again. Safe. While she spent years dusting her hallways with baby powder, and driving home a different way every night, I was stroking five-figure checks to brokers just to get *close* to cars I was hemorrhaging money just *trying* to buy. \n\nSo even though it *shouldn’t* have surprised me, it *did* surprise me when I walked down my driveway one afternoon to check the mail, a woman approached me - seemingly from nowhere - and pointed a gun in my face. She said, “I needed your help; I thought I could trust you. You never did anything to find out what happened to me, but you never hesitated to start spending that money.” I have to assume she didn’t even want or need a response, because she immediately pulled the trigger."
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[WP] Memories can't be copied but can be transferred between individuals; the sender will lose said memory while the recipient gains it. This has led to a black market in extreme memories with individuals engaging is risky and dangerous acts in the hope of creating a memory they can sell for profit.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Dr. Sandra Leander waited in the small therapy room. There were two comfortable chairs, a window, and even a fake fern. Actually quite nice for a prison.\n\nDr. Leander had been to many prisons in her time as a psychologist. They had different layouts and staffs, but operated much the same. She was used to the invasive security screenings and wore her visitor badge.\n\n*What would my ethics professors think of this? This kind of treatment was definitely not in the textbooks. Perhaps I should write my own book on the treatment.*\n\nA corrections officer escorted a young woman into the room.\n\n\"Starla, it's good to see you. Come on in and have a seat. How are you doing today?\"\n\n\"Dr. Leander, I am relieved, but also nervous.\"\n\n\"That's perfectly natural. Think of this as a transitional event. Like a graduation or wedding. You will be nervous for a bit, but much happier after. Have you practiced what we discussed?\"\n\n\"Yes, but it will be different in person.\"\n\n\"Starla that memory is about to be gone from your life. What your father did to you will no longer be part of you. You will be able to live a normal life. Bringing up the memory will be painful for a moment, but then peace.\"\n\nA different corrections officer entered from a different door. \"Ladies, we're ready in here when you are.\"\n\nDr. Leander gave Starla a questioning look and Starla nodded her head. They were escorted into the next room. The warden was of course in attendance. The gallery area was empty as this wasn't an execution. The prison nurse was dressed in scrubs.\n\nDr. Leander recognized the man strapped to the table. He was tall, muscular, and covered in various crude tattoos. He wore the typical orange jumpsuit found in similar prisons. His left sleeve was rolled up. The nurse swabbed the exposed forearm with some alcohol wipes. The prisoner had his mouth covered with a mask. The mask was to prevent any spitting or cursing.\n\nThe warden spoke up. \"Winston Dawes, in accordance with the Prisoner Therapy act of 2020, you will accept memories in order to rehabilitate the public. May god have mercy on you.\"\n\nStarla approached the table the laid her hands on the man's forearm. He struggled as much as the straps allowed and mumbled behind the mask. Starla closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. The man stopped struggling. Starla looked dazed. \n\n\"Starla come this way to the recovery room. Collect yourself and we'll talk again.\" \n\nThe corrections officer led Starla away and Dr. Leander returned to the therapy room. A young man with a short buzzed haircut was already seated. \n\n\"Michael, it's good to see you. How are you feeling today?\"\n\n\"Anxious, but I'm ready to move on with my life and put the past behind me. What happened in Fellujah....to all those people......the children......\"\n\n\"All of that will be gone soon. Your wife and kids will be happy to have the old you back again. Do you have any questions about the process?\"\n\n\"No, your pamphlets were helpful. I've had to make some difficult choices in the Army. This will not be the hardest choice.\"\n\nThe corrections officer entered, \"Ma'am, sir, we're ready here.\"\n\nMichael completed the memory transfer will military professionalism. The prisoner again struggled, but Michael did not seem bothered by it. The corrections officer led Michael to the recovery room. \n\nDr. Leander returned to the therapy room to meet her next patient. A young white couple was with a young Latina girl.\n\n\"Hola, Marisol, how are you today?\" asked Dr. Leander in a higher register. \"Have you practiced the memory games that we played?\"\n\n\"Si, Senora Sandra, Mommy and Daddy say I'm very smart.\"\n\nThe mother chimed in. \"We practiced with some art from magazines. She can transfer very vivid memories.\"\n\n\"Marisol, do you know what memory to share today?\"\n\n\"Mama y Papa in the river.\"\n\n\"Very good, Marisol. I know it is painful to remember, but you need to try very hard today.\"\n\n\"And after, she'll be....normal?\" asked the father to Dr. Leander.\n\n\"Marisol, is a perfectly NORMAL child. She will live a full happy and productive life. We are preemptively removing this memory so it does not impact her mental and emotional growth.\"\n\n\"We're ready for you.\" said the corrections officer. The family entered the room together. The prisoner was no longer struggling or mumbling. He had not been sedated; that would make memory transfer impossible. There were clear streaks of tears on his face. A small stool had been placed beside the table. Marisol's parents helped her up and she released the memory just like she had practiced. The prisoner showed no reaction.The family went to the recovery room. \n\nThe warden looked from the prisoner to Dr. Leander. \"Christ, how many more today? Even hardened sociopathic criminals can only take so much.\" \n\n\"Eight more patients today. Data on the long term effects of traumatic memories on prisoners is still.....forthcoming. What is undeniable is the positive impact on the donors.\"\n\n\"If you say so, Dr.\"",
"\"Mr Rodson, I have the memory for you, one that is fitting of a man of your calibre, in fact when I gained this memory you were the person I thought of right away, You are truly the best person for this memory, someone that would really be able to enjoy this in a way that the average person would be unable to.\" The man grinned, hands clutched against one another, almost taking on a begging motion as he stood before me, his form was fit yet slimy, the sort of greasy person you wouldn't want to turn your back on for more than a few seconds.\n\n\"Buttering me up will do little more than try my patience, hurry up and tell me what this memory is or I will have to ask you to leave, do we have an understanding?\" Mr Rodson made his intentions quite clear, the older man was a lover of this memory exchange, it allowed him to be able to do more than a human body should in its lifetime. Through black market dealings, he had learned surgery, six different languages and at least two hundred years of study in different fields, yet the grand intelligence that it had provided him, didn't bring out the excitement that he had expected. To take the memory and knowledge of a person was fairly simple, using that knowledge in a practical sense without taking the natural steps was harder. His mind was buzzing with a hive of information yet he could only ever use a few of these tidbits of information, after all, his mind may know how to perform heart surgery, yet his hands aren't trained for it, he was like a book of knowledge, nothing more than that, which is why he had turned away from knowledge and instead now sought thrills. \n\n\"Of course Sir, sorry I just thought it really was for you.\" He lowered his head, refusing to meet the man's gaze before he spoke again. \"This memory is quite an intriguing one, it comes from a criminal that shot three people before making an escape from the police, during his escape he was shot twice in the shoulder before leading the police in a one-hour car chase, swerving and avoiding oncoming traffic, finally he met his end as he crashed into a pole just west of the Northern bridge. One of our cop 'friends' happened to borrow this memory from him before his mind finally shut off and for a large price was happy to give it to me. Are you interested? This one will be ten thousand.\" \n\nAs the words left his mouth, Rodson was already preparing the exchange of cash, when the man's phone beeped to inform him of the incoming cash, he stepped forward with a wide grin. \"Oh Mr Rodson, you won't regret this sir, just let me hook up the machine and we can get on it right away.\" He began pulling a small yellow device from his pocket, hooking a small suction cup to the edge of his temple, the suction cup seeming to pulse with a blue light. He then let began to program the device before offering the second suction cup to the man. \n\n\"Wait....\" Rodson reached into his pocket, opening a small iron box, pulling from it a beautiful brown cigar, it's wrapping almost a golden brown. He spent a few moments lighting it up, lazily resting it between two fingers before he took the second cup, placing it on his temple, giving the man a nod before the information was exchanged, the hit of adrenaline pulsing through him, causing their bodies to seizure before they finally slid backwards, the man hitting the floor while Rodson slouched in his chair, his shaking hand bringing the cigar to his lips as he took a long drag of the smoke before letting out a long puff of its cloudly smog. \"Amazing..\"\n\n{If you enjoyed my story, Feel free to check out r/pmmeyabootysstories where ill be posting some more of my stuff for people to read}"
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[WP] You and your boss don't get along. He grudgingly informs you that you've won employee of the month and sends you upstairs to collect your award. He walks you to the elevator, and as the doors close you hear him mutter, "Jeez, what an idiot. I can't believe it was that easy."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Most people when they meet me think I'm rather... stupid. They dress it up in nice words, maybe saying I'm \"just different\" or \"she's a but slow, but she means well\". They ignore me, and speak their minds as soon as they think I'm out of hearing distance.\n\n\nTo be fair, I do have problems hearing. I do have hearing loss. High frequency hearing loss. I have problems with certain consonants, high pitched voices, and really loud crowds. So when my boss with a decidedly bass voice said \"Jeez, what an idiot. I can't believe it was that easy.\" Only five feet away as the elevator doors closed, I heard it clear as day.\n\n\nI would have been suspicious anyways. We don't have an \"employee of the month\" award. Even if we did, I'm sure Karen would get it considering she's banging most of the board. Again, I have issues hearing certain things. Speaking on your cell phone only ten feet away from me while you tell the VP of accounting how you're going to give him a rim job loudly isn't a good idea. I was the only one there, but christ Karan, anyone could have walked in.\n\n\nSighing, I grabbed the few things at my desk. They had been acting squirrelly all week, so I had been taking home things every night. I double checked my email, hit send on my latest report, and bent down to grab my purse.\n\n\nAs I entered the stairs, I hung boss's ID by the scanner of the next floor. I listened to the beeps as it repeatedly logged him as opening the door. It would take security thirty minutes to act after pin pointing the issue. Once I hit the top floor, Karen's ID let me into the hallowed halls.\n\n\nEvery office I passed was unlocked. Why would they be? Only trusted employees were allowed in this place. Hell, only one of them had locked their computer. It took seconds to insert the thumb drives and let them do their job. Once finished, or if someone tried to remove them, they would trigger a small charge destroying any evidence of where they came from. I also left the spare pair of Karen's panties on the VP of Sale's desk with a note in her hand writing. He was currently at lunch with his wife, and would be returning here with her.\n\n\nMy job there done, I took Karen's ID and let myself back down the stairs. I paused at my floor, and double checked my watch. I made good time. I entered the floor, and dropped Karen's ID behind her computer tower, just below the peg where she usually hung it.\n\n\nI then grabbed a pile of forms my immediate Boss needed to sign, and headed up in the elevator. They slipped and slided in my hands, and as I teetered into the conference room with all of upper management, I tripped and dropped them everywhere.\n\n\nEyes rolled and my boss hid a smile behind his hands. I kept dropping things, so the president finally seemed to help me, mostly to get me out from under foot. I apologized profusely, and finally got everything together.\n\n\n\"Why are you here?\" The angry President of the company demanded.\n\n\n\"Oh, Boss man told me to come right up. I figured he needed these so I brought them.\"\n\n\n\"Did he say why you should come up?\" The president's face was turning red.\n\n\n\"Uhhh....\" I looked to my Boss.\n\n\n\"Cheryl....\" Boss shook his head with fake disappointment. \"That's not what I said at all. Look, I know you've been trying, but we can't continue like this. I think maybe you should leave. I'll call security.\"\n\n\nThe last was to the president. I stood there, my face red and head hanging. Security arrived, and I softly apologized to the room. Just before I was pulled away, I acted.\n\n\n\"Wait!\"\n\n\n\"What ***is it*** Cheryl?\" The president snapped.\n\n\nI squeaked, but managed to continue, my voice shaking.\n\n\n\"Karen was looking for her ID Boss, she said she was talking to you last and wanted me to ask you if you had seen it before she gets back from lunch. Oh, and someone will have to let her in since I'll be... gone.\"\n\n\n\"We'll handle it Cheryl. Have a good day.\"\n\n\nI was escorted out. Security didn't bother to hide talking about how it was \"about time\" with each other as they escorted me out. I cried silent crocodile tears as I handed over my badge and they checked my bag.\n\n\nAs I walked away, I could overhear them bitching about the cameras being down, again. And that the door on the tenth floor was pinging, again. They argued who would go deal with it, complaining that they didn't want to see old man dick being handled by The Cougar, their name for Karen.\n\n\n\nAs I arrived home, I turned on my computer and checked my offshore accounts. The numbers I saw brought a smile to my face. As I was cleaning my guns that evening, I had an even bigger smile. Clean up job. Wife of some big wig just found out he was banging the company bike and had given her an STD. I normally gave a previous job a wide berth, but this could be someone onto me, so I might as well go make sure all the loose ends are tied up.\n\n\n[My Musings](https://www.reddit.com/r/HorrorHMDMusings?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)"
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[WP] You lay on your deathbed, a life well lived. You are surrounded by family and loved ones who solemnly say their goodbyes. Meanwhile, in the afterlife, the other gods scramble to finish prepping your surprise party. Unbeknownst to you, your entire life as a mortal was a convenient distraction.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 our heartfelt goodbyes, I requested my favorite songs to play in my headphones. The joyous melodies didn't make me fear death like I always did, I faded out as if I was just another song.\n\nIn what felt like hours but also seconds, I was in a dark chamber, with a floating purple sphere appearing in front of me.\n\n\"Hello, Charles, welcome to the afterlife. Please excuse the other gods, but they are preparing something.\"\n\n\"Uh... Am I still alive?\" I asked.\n\n*How could I be alive? I felt no pain, for the first time in a million years I wasn't in pain! I felt limber and loose! I felt energetic! I could run a mile or twelve!*\n\n\"No, sorry, you died, but now the REAL life begins. Sorry I didn't introduce myself but I'm Dewa,\" the purple ghost said, and then it started to glow yellow. \"Ah, the gods are ready for you now! Please right this way!\"\n\nThe sphere floated through the door, I walked through, following the ghost. \n\nOn the other side of the darkness, I was floating above a sea of people that I all recognized. They were standing on a colorful floor that dazzled in an array of lights. Straight ahead was a giant band and each member was placed on top of a different pillar, but they looked somewhat human but more angelic. They were glowing and emitting their own special light from their outline. \n\n\"Hello!\" one fo them announced.\n\nThen everyone, the band, and all the people below who were looking up at me screamed, \"SURPRISE!\" \n\nI burst into laughter, which felt so free and cathartic, unlike any laugh I've ever had.\n\n\"What is this?!\" I hollered.\n\n\"It's the afterlife, Charles! I'm Turyn, another god. Look, we'll all explain later. Just, tell us a song you'd like for us to play. All of us want to dance!\" a god who was in the band cried out, sitting at a fifty piece drum set. \n\n\"Uh... how about, 'Heroes' by David Bowie?\" I said.\n\n\"You got it!\" Turyn boomed, and then to my amazement, David Bowie, whom I never saw live in concert but always wanted to, appeared on one of the platforms. The banded counted in and then they started to play the song. It sounded infinitely better than any version I had ever heard. \n\n\"Let's welcome, Charles, to the afterlife!\" David Bowie announced. \n\nEveryone cheered and applauded. I felt better than the best night of drinking I'd ever had.\n\nI fell to the ground below, where a circle of people formed around me. There were so many people I knew, all smiling in pure jubilation. I couldn't believe it. Everyone greeted me. I cried, but I wasn't actually crying, but it felt like it. The emotion was overwhelming but it was all the most joy I had ever felt.\n\nI saw my aunts, uncles, my older siblings, my closest friends from childhood, college, and even later in life. Then I saw the most important people I wanted to see the most. \n\nMy parents.\n\nThey hugged me, and we shared such a heartwarming, uplifting moment.\n\n\"We missed you son,\" they said, and everyone cheered and clapped again. \"Let's enjoy the party.\"\n\nWe all danced. I wanted to talk to everyone there, but it was time for dancing first. \n\n​\n\nr/randallcooper"
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[WP] Your spouse of 10 years says, “I think I am done with this play-through. System Command: Log Out”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"\"Honey, bad news, we're out of diapers\". I close the closet door and pick up my daughter, she's babbling gleefully, trying to put a large plastic coin in a noisy plastic pig. I run through a mental checklist: diapers, milk, saltines, maybe some beef jerkey. \n\n I grab my keys, baby in tow, and head toward the door. \"I'm taking Grace to the store with me\". As I step into the foyer, I see my wife at the dinner table. She looks exhausted, she was pulling all nighters most of the week, she defended her dissertation two days ago and I guess she hasn't recovered from the after party yet. I pause, to make sure she heard me. \"Going to the store, you want anything\"? She gives me a small smile and says \"no thank you\". I shrug, and as I turn to leave I hear her say \"I think I'm done with this play-through. System command: Log Out\". \n\nI turn back, not entirely sure what she said. Her eyes are wide open, unblinking, she is staring at me, no, through me. Her expression is hollow, mouth slightly agape, she doesn't appear to be breathing. She's sitting, stiff, cold, emotionless. \n\n\"Honey, are you alright\"? She doesn't respond. I hurry over to her, Grace still slobbering on the plastic coin in her hand. Just as I reach the far end of the table, she blinks, then takes a big gasp of air. Her expression softened, she looks around the room, at me and the baby. \"What's wrong\"? I say as I reach out to touch her shoulder. \"Oh..., nnnothing, I just spaced out for a moment\". She looks envigerated, as though she just woke up from a full night's sleep. She says, \"you know, I think we should move. I've always wanted to live in New York City\". \n\nI smile and chuckle. What more can I do? \"You are always so spontaneous, looking for the next big adventure. One of these days you'll settle down for more than a few years\". She grins, and gives me a look I've never seen before. Mischievous? That's what I'd call it."
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[WP] - You are a figment of someone's imagination that has become self aware. If they realize you are only their imagination you cease to exist. You are desperately doing everything you can to keep them from realizing you aren't real.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 meadow’s wildflowers waved left, then right, as I passed them by on my path to the hot springs. Hearing the birds sing, I decided to sit in and listen to their song for a little while.\n\nAs I lay down with my towel beneath me, the backlit blades of grass rose above my head.\n\nThe bees buzzed in to visit the tomcat clovers and golden poppies.\n\nSuddenly the pale purple clouds closed the sky and grew shades darker. The breeze sent a chill up my arms.\n\n“Hey Bridge, you there?”\n\nIt had almost been a month since hearing from Joey. We got canned from our popular current affairs radio show after personal burnout. It was too difficult to face her after the fact, as tears would pour down upon my shoulders every time we met. I started scheduling messages to arrive with her every day, full of unconditional positivity. \n\n*Today you start again! Today you are one day closer to success! Today is the day!* \n\nI’d watch for her reaction, hiding in the forest from her vision, but nothing got her up and moving again like we once were.\n\n“Bridge? Bridge!” Joey called. Thunder rocked the sky.\n\n“Over here!” I waved my orange sun hat in surrender up above the grass and she came racing over.\n\n“Are you real?” She stared at me as if there was no chance she could believe I was not real.\n\n“Of course I’m real,” I said.\n\nJoey grabbed my hat and put it on her head, staring off into the distance like the captain of a ship. She snapped a couple blades of grass and touched the crisply broken edges.\n\nKneeling down face to face with me she said, “I know it sounds crazy but I think you might actually be a figment of my imagination!” Joey’s breath was long and full of force.\n\n“We’ve been through this already, Joey. I am always here when you call, so how could I not be real? Each time you look for me, you find me. Is it more that you’d like me to leave this gentle forest and scented meadow that I’ve grown for us?” My heart started to speed up. This is a touchy topic for us.\n\n“No! I’d never want you to go,” Joey apologized. “It’s just that I was talking to an expert again who told me this time that the core of my being is the ultimate reality.”\n\nI grabbed Joey’s arm and shook it. “Do you feel this? I’m real!” I stood up and hail began to fall. \n\nJoey’s eyes widened and she lifted my hat off her head, slowly placing it down on the towel. “I’m sorry, Bridge. I really have my doubts right now.” Her glossy gaze turned downward to the dancing pellets of ice beneath us. She started backing away, lips trembling.\n\n“Joey,” I soothed. “Joey, tell me. Who is this expert?”\n\nShe took off and ran deep into the forest. In minutes, she had disappeared. I watched her go.\n\nIn all honesty, it is better that she fear me rather than to ask if I am real.\n\nI took a deep breath, leaned back, and floated gracefully down to my towel and hummed a calming tune. Butterflies arrived, followed by hummingbirds. Soon enough, all those clouds went away and I put my sunglasses back on and closed my eyes.\n\nWhat if she does realize I’m not real, though. The thought crept up my neck and I jumped to my feet. “Joey!” I shouted.\n\nI immediately scheduled daily messages for her again.\n\n*Imagination is more important than knowledge! Imagination creates reality! Dreaming is a form of planning!*\n\nJoey found me at the hot springs the following week.\n\n“I’m sorry Bridge. It was my mistake. So many experts out there. I know you’re real.” She waded into the springs with me and we smiled back at one another in quiet calm. I began to hum her favourite melody.",
"Jamie was a... special type of person. Simply to say, they weren’t one. They weren’t even real. Jamie was simply an imaginary friend, and they didn’t want to die.\n\nMost imaginary friends died at some point. People realized they weren’t real and then they ceased to be. As if they had never existed in the first place.\n\nJamie didn’t want that to happen, Jamie didn’t want to die. So they had to keep Leo, their ‘best friend’, believing. No matter what happened. The only way for that to happen was to make sure that Leo would always need them.\n\nSo Jamie did just that. Leo would always be with them. They would always be there for Leo. No one could separate them. Not even those nay sayers who insisted Jamie wasn’t real. Jamie was, they just didn’t believe.\n\nOthers called Leo crazy, insane. They didn’t believe him when he said Jamie was real. That was fine, Leo didn’t need them anyway. Jamie was all Leo needed.\n\nGirlfriends came and went until none showed up again. That was fine, great even. Now only Jamie could love Leo. That was okay. Leo only needed Jamie.\n\nThey brought him to therapists, psychiatrists, put him in the mad house. But that was fine because at least he had Jamie.\n\nJamie loved Leo unconditionally, Leo didn’t need anyone else. Jamie never called him mad, never called him names. Jamie was all Leo need anyway.\n\nJamie was all Leo had. Jamie world never leave him. Leo would never need anyone else again.\n\n\n———\n\nPatient 0217 Report:\n\nLeonardo Harrison \n\nAge: 26\n\nD.O.B: August 7th, 1984\n\nD.O.D: November 12th, 2010\n\nCause of Death: Suicide\n\nOverview: Patient 0217 experiences constant severe visual and auditory hallucinations of a seeming ever changing male figure. Patient calls the figure ‘Jamie’ and seems unable to differentiate reality from these hallucinations. Patient is killed after clawing themselves until they ruptured their veins and bled out. No previous suicidal tendencies were noted. Only prior instance recorded being patient claiming ‘Jamie’ would ‘finally take me away from this hell hole’. Event occurred precisely two weeks from time of death.\n\nEnd of Report\n\n———",
"Buddy and I have always been pals. Hell, I can't remember a time when we didn't know each other. \n\nWe met in the first grade or kindergarten, or maybe pre-school, and we've been inseparable ever since. I've got enough memories of sleepovers and all-nighters playing video games than any kid rightly deserves. Buddy didn't have a good family life, so I became his family. \n\nGetting older changed nothing, even when my parents told me I'd grow out of our friendship. No way. Nothing could split us apart.\n\nThings have been a little different lately, though. We ended up at different high-schools, which is fine, we still see each-other after school and on the weekends, but Buddy has been a little weird about meeting my girlfriend. \n\nGloria. She's awesome. As awesome as Buddy is, and I really just want the two to meet so I don't have to keep splitting my time between them. But he always has an excuse, and Gloria is starting to get offended—not to mention tired of me talking about Buddy. \n\nSo, I did something I've never done in the history of our friendship: I lied. We made plans for the usual night of gaming, but I didn't tell him that Gloria would be coming. It was hard to do, I really had to make myself believe the lie so I wouldn't spill the beans with my body language—I've never been good with dishonesty. \n\nWe're in my room, laughing and talking shit as we brawl it out in Smash, and I've put the lie completely out of my mind. \n\n*Just another day with Buddy*, I tell myself. *Nothing out of the ordinary.*\n\nA knock on the front door jolts the truth back into place, and Buddy seems to react to my beating heart. \n\n\"Don't get the door!\" he's up and pacing around, but I'm already striding to the entryway. \n\n\"Dude, don't worry. She's going to love you!\" \n\nShe's standing there on the doormat, looking nervous as I am. \"Well, let's meet your famous best friend.\" \n\nI lead her into the living room, and Buddy is on the couch with his head in his hands. \n\n\"Gloria, I'm pleased to introduce you to my best friend, *my brother*, Buddy.\" I'm holding out my arm like I've just done a magic trick, and she looks as confused as someone who didn't quite catch it.\n\n\"Um, is this a joke?\" \n\nMy head swings like a pendulum between the two of them, Buddy hasn't looked up. \"Oh, he's just shy. He really wants you to like him.\"\n\n\"Is he hiding, then?\" she peaks around, not even looking at the couch. \"Is he in the kitchen?\"\n\n\"He's right here!\" I step over to the couch, putting a hand on his shoulder. \"Come on man, say hello.\"\n\nMy girlfriend seems upset, her eyes are welling up like they do during emotional parts of movies. \"This isn't funny, I thought you liked me? Why are you messing with me like this?\"\n\nBefore I can get a word out, she stomps out of the house. \n\n\"Dude, what the hell?\" \n\n\"I'm not real,\" he mumbles through his fingers. \n\nThe urge to slap my best friend quivers in my arm, but I fight it down. \"You just embarrassed the hell out of me. Who do you think you are—\"\n\n\"Who do *you* think I am?\" \n\nWhat a stupid question. He's my partner-in-crime, my confidant, my brother-from-another-mother, how could he do this to me? \n\n\"Buddy, are you afraid she's going to come between us or something? That would never happen.\"\n\nHe shakes his head, finally looking up at me with soaked cheeks. \"She already has,\" I give him a second to explain, and he continues, \"I'm a figment of your imagination, that's why she couldn't see me.\"\n\nI can't help but laugh, plopping down on the couch next to him. \"You're sick, man.\"\n\n\"It's true, think about it. Have we ever hung out with other people together? Have you ever met my parents? Have your parents even acknowledge me since we were little?\"\n\n\"Other people suck, dude, that's why we don't hang out with them. And you have a shitty family, that's why you're always here. And my parents are lame, they're just bitter that they were wrong about our friendship.\" \n\n\"No, those are just the things you've told yourself to hide from the truth. The things I've helped you believe, so that I can stay here with you.\"\n\nThe room is starting to feel like it's spinning. Is he actually making sense, or am I going crazy?\n\n\"I'm your imaginary friend.\"\n\nSuddenly, it's all clear to me. Like a missing book from a shelf, the truth slides perfectly into place. I look over at him, but parts of him don't even seem whole anymore. \n\n\"Why didn't you tell me? I just made a fool out of myself in front of the only *real* friend I ever had.\" My words seem to add fuel to whatever fire is burning him away. Everything up to his neck has disappeared. \n\n\"Because once you realized the truth, that meant the end for me.\" \n\n\"Buddy, I—\"\n\nToo little, too late. He's gone, and the last thing I ever said to him was the absolute worst thing I've ever said to anyone.\n\n___\n**Thanks for reading. Sub to /r/BeagleTales for daily imaginary breakups**"
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[WP] From his throne the king leaned towards his advisor, "Who is this scavenger mutt?" The hooded ranger held his gaze, "I survived that fall from the wall, little brother. The throne is mine." The ranger revealed his face, a deep scar trailing down his forehead. The king's eyes widened, "Humpty?!"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*"
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[WP] "You will be perfect, and you will be mine". No punchline, no gimmick, no pun. Just a statement.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 will be perfect. After all, you were made in my image. Everything good about you came from me.\n\nI've given you everything from the womb till now. I paid for everything, from the best milk powder to the myriad tutors who instructed you to be the wise and strong man you are now.\n\nAnd you want to give it all up, after 20 years of patient and sheltered upbringing. You want to travel abroad, find a low-paying job, for *love*. Do you not love your parents? Are you so traitorous to your flesh and blood?\n\nYour passport will be rejected; my friends at the airport will see to that. That wench who you think you love will be replaced by a beautiful woman who we have selected for you. The ownership of our family company will be transferred to you, as we have foreseen.\n\nYou will be perfect. And as you have been from birth, you will be mine."
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[WP] As the superheroine daughter of a supervillain, you’ve always avoided being with your father. But it’s father’s day today.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Bright Star, current Champion of the Hero's Union, stood in the lair of on the greatest supervillains in the world. She had never personally confronted the evil-doer, who went by the name of Black Razor, but she knew him. She knew him better than most people knew.\n\nOf course she knew what he had done. He was a horrible person, who had personally killed more people than most serial killers, and was responsible for the greatest number of deaths since the Holocaust. He had stolen more wealth than most people even knew existed, and had ruined thousands, maybe even millions of lives. \n\nHe had fought the Hero's Union dozens of times, each one resulting in massive collateral damage. He was one of the few villains to have successfully killed a hero, and he had done so multiple times. And even his defeats did not result in capture, as he always found a way to escape.\n\nAnd this was the man the Bright Star was facing. She stood before the arch-villain, unafraid of whatever he might do to her. The did not mean she was nervous though. There was so much that man could do to her that it got under her skin, even if she did not let nerves turn into fear.\n\n\"So, you've finally come.\" Black Razor said, looking at the heroine with an unreadable, neutral expression.\n\n\"Didn't have much choice, now did I?\" Bright Star said.\n\nBlack Razor's expression changed into a wicked grin. He strode over to the Champion of Light. His dark clad hands came up. She did not back down. Hands that had ended lives went around her and pulled her in close.\n\n\"Well, I'm just glad to see you Pumpkin.\" Said one of the most dangerous men in the world.\n\n\"Oh, god, Dad, I wish you wouldn't call me that.\" Bright Star said. \"I mean, really, I'm not a little kid anymore.\"\n\n\"Oh, I know. But to me, you'll always be my little Pumpkin.\"\n\nThe heroine groaned as Black Razor released her. She could be out there, stopping villains, saving people. Instead, she was there, in her old home, with her super villain father. It was frustrating. \n\n\"Now then, let me take a look at you.\" The black-clad man said. \"You're taking care of yourself, right? I know being a hero is dangerous. No major injuries, right?\"\n\n\"Dad, I can turn into living light. Not much out there that can hurt me.\"\n\n\"Yes, but that's only sometimes. When you're not transformed, you can be hurt. And I really don't want...\"\n\n\"Dad, we've been over this. I have literal light speed reflexes. I can doge lazers. I'm probably one of the heroes in the least amount of danger of being hurt out there. Pretty sure only Mr. Superior is harder to hurt. And well, nobody really compares themselves to him any more.\"\n\nHis face fell. \"You're not seeing that boy anymore, are you?\"\n\n\"First of all, my dating life is none of your business. And second, we broke up a while ago. Actually, I think that might be why he left the Union. He didn't take it very well.\"\n\nHis smile returned and he laughed heartily. Not his bone-chilling evil laugh, but a normal one that was much nicer. He slapped her playfully on the back and for a brief moment, she let herself remember he was her dad, and not the world's most wanted criminal. Only for a moment though.\n\n\"That's my girl!\" He cheered. \"My little heart breaker. Oh, I remember when you were in high school, all the boys loved you. But you, you wouldn't let any of them get close.\"\n\n\"Yeah, that's mostly your fault, Dad. I was worried you'd kill anyone I wanted to date.\" \n\n\"Well, yeah, obviously. Nobody's worthy of my Pumpkin. Speaking of which...\"\n\nShe let out a heavy sigh. \"No, Dad, I'm not seeing anyone.\"\n\n\"Good, good. Because you know.\"\n\n\"I know, I know. You'll horribly murder anyone who you think isn't worthy of me. You know, Dad, when other fathers say that, they're being metaphorical.\"\n\nBlack Razor just shrugged. \"Anything to protect my little girl.\"\n\n\"You know, you're going to have to accept me dating a man eventually, right? I mean, if you ever want grand kids...\"\n\nBlack Razor stiffened and the heroine could tell he was fighting a mental battle between wanting to protect his daughter, and wanting grand kids. He slumped his shoulders.\n\n\"Fine, fine. I won't kill your future boyfriends. But I still reserve the right to put the fear of god into them.\"\n\n\"Yeah, fine.\" She paused for a moment and a smile tugged at her lips. \"Not that you could kill any of them anymore. Not while I'm around anyway.\"\n\nHis eyes lit up. \"Oh, oh, Pumpkin, is that a challenge I hear? Because it sounds like a challenge.\"\n\n\"You know what, I think it is.\"\n\n\"Just...just like when you were little?\"\n\n\"Well, I...yeah, Dad. Like when I was little.\"\n\nHis smile became even wider. Another flash of memory entered her mind. To a time back when she did not know what her father did for a living. Back when she was still a little girl who would happily cling to daddy. \n\n\"Oh, Pumpkin, you know how to make this old man happy. Come on, I still have our old training room set up.\"\n\n\"I bet you do.\"\n\nBefore he got to far, she did something she did not think she would ever do again. She hugged her father.\n\n\"Happy Father's Day, Dad.\""
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[WP] Everyone is born with a certain number of nontransferable Morality Points. Each day your MP drops slightly, but you can regain it by being generous, caring, and empathetic. Your MP drops much faster if you're selfish, callous, and just a general scumbag. When you run out of MP, you die.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Dominic Medini, 63, was not long for this world. Dom had just given a group of passing teens the middle finger and was now taking up water bottles from a nearby recycling bin. Judging by his posture - eco-plastic bottle held as a throwing star - that he was not planning to sort them. His readout had registered a fifty MP loss for the middle finger and was still tabulating a more significant loss from reclaiming recycled materials for use as weapons. The first bottle flew and landed an entire foot from the closet target. This didn't matter to the readout. It was still the intent to harm. And littering. Dom's MP was dangerously close to bottoming out.\n\nDom had started the day with a score of over 6,000. There were the standard deductions for being alive, the deduction for flushing urine in a commode, and for taking a fifteen-minute shower. The readout informed him of the deductions, totaling 400 MP. He was given props for two minutes of teeth brushing and for using a charcoal-based paste. These mitigated the losses. The readout in Dom's mirror recorded his reaction. He looked at the machine for five whole seconds without saying a word. Then, he spoke to it.\n\n\"I worked the charity scene for 40 years. Built houses, bought shoes, clothing, amenities, cooked food, cleaned floors, helped set people on the right track, people I never knew and never saw again. I saved lives. I didn't have to do any of it, but I did. And now you dock me four hundred for a \\[expletive\\] and a long shower. You \\[expletive\\] little piece of \\[expletive\\]. \\[Expletive\\] you.\"\n\nExpletives were docked from his total at twenty MP per offense. The tirade itself was sent to a team for review. The readout estimated a total loss of 880 MP, on top of the 400 MP incurred from the morning ritual. Dom was not satisfied with this. He donned a suit and tie, then strapped his portable MP reader to his wrist. The balance reflected the potential 1280 points he would lose, along with the words \"Pending Review\". He moved for the door to his apartment, examined the space carefully, then shut and locked the door for the last time.\n\nDom started in his apartment building. Tory Amherst, 33, was carrying groceries into the building when she saw him passing by. She asked for help carrying the full haul upstairs to her apartment, in exchange for a late lunch. A net positive of 30 MP. Dom's words to Tory were recorded and graded accordingly:\n\n\"\\[Expletive\\] off, you dumb \\[egregious expletive\\].\"\n\nTory dropped her groceries. Luckily, Greg Holcomb, 26, was nearby to assist her. Unbidden, too. Greg would go on to enjoy the late lunch offered to Dom, as well as a little romantic company, and a fresh gain of 200 MP. Dom Medini's use of an egregious expletive was worth 100 MP. The outburst would need to be reviewed for the full deduction.\n\nHe continued out of the apartment building and onto the street, heading eastward towards the park. He ignored four people in need along the way. He made a point to bump into a young woman as he crossed the street. Footage clearly showed the elderly Medini lunging into the Ms. Emily Mayweather, 22. Emily handled the situation with calm and grace, smiling to Dom as he passed and nodding to the old curmudgeon. Although her initial reaction leaves something to be desired. A net gain of 5 MP was awarded to Ms. Mayweather. Dom's snicker only worsened his loss.\n\nDominic Medini spent the rest of his day at the park. His total MP fell with each infraction. He tripped Haley Philips, 15, as she walked her dog. He kicked at the grass. He screamed at an elder couple, Ruth and Allen Marsh, to get \"a \\[expletive\\] room\". Norman Heller, 20, was reading a literary classic when Dom slapped him upside the head. Dom's apology was a spoiler: \"Snape kills Dumbledore.\" His rampage continued unabated. Dom threw rocks at birds, called a child ugly, then launched into another expensive tirade on modern youth. It was at this point that Dom's first pending infraction cleared.\n\nThe first tirade showed quite a bit of selfishness. It was also very callous to believe that his previous work had not been factored into his score. Generosity and kindness were things one needed to practice on a daily basis. Dom had proven this time and again throughout his life. But on this particular day, he was being a downright jerk. The loss for the tirade would be 1100 MP, bringing his morning's loss to 1500 MP. Dom's reaction was recorded on his personal readout, for later review:\n\n\"You \\[expletive\\] \\[egregious expletive\\] \\[egregious expletive\\].\"\n\nThis was another 220 point loss, deducted immediately. His second offense had completed review minutes later. Tory had done nothing to deserve that kind of response from him. All of this, over a deduction in MP? It was no more than a selfish old badger of a man, carrying on about an entirely fair system. The deduction for this offense would stay at 120 MP. But, the reviewer warned, Mr. Medini was on thin ice. His next infractions would be under more stringent review. This made Dom turn incredible new shades of red.\n\nDom's readout dwindled with each new offense. And each was under critical review. They did so with heavy hearts, of course. They knew they were killing this man with each deduction. But what is a world with curmudgeons like Dominic Medini? It's not a very good place at all.\n\nThe armband on Dom's wrist read 115 MP when he began throwing the water bottles. The teens did their best to ignore him, but Dom drew closer with each throw. One bottle hurdled through the air and struck Finly Wesgrove in the crown of the head. He sighed and continued speaking to his colleagues. Another bottle struck Melanie Russo in the back. She looked back at the old man and smiled. The final bottle clattered ineffectually at Dom's feet. He was staring at his readout. At some point in his plastic bottle assault, another pending infraction had cleared.\n\nThe reviewer was curt. What Dom had done throughout the day was unconscionable. Even if Dumbledore's demise had been public knowledge for some time, the intent was to spoil the book for Mr. Heller. The birds had done nothing to deserve that sort of treatment. There was never a good reason to demean a child, especially not for their appearance. This would be a lump judgment on several infractions. And, the reviewer knew, it would deplete Mr. Medini's remaining MP. But if he didn't want to be in a world where kindness paid, then it was not the reviewer's place to stop him. The loss would be his remaining MP.\n\nMr. Dominic Medini fell to the pavement. He rolled about in excruciating pain. He clinched his fists and sputtered expletives at the sky. The group of teens came to his aid, naturally. But there was nothing they could do. Death by MP depletion was much like a heart attack. It was a severe and incurable pain in his chest would eventually kill Dom outright. But chest compression would not solve the problem. And they could not give him more MP to offset his losses. Dominic Medini used the last of his strength to look up at the group of teenagers. His last words rasped through his clinching jaw.\n\n\"Charity used to mean something.\" \n\nAnd with that, he perished. He might be happy to know that he held a record. No one had ever lost 6,000 MP in a day.",
"She is a very kind woman. Everyone always tells her so; they say she is the light of the world. \n\nWhen she wakes up to the foggy dawn she is always determined to fill her day with kindness. She sets her pot to boil for tea each and every day, and she always makes extra for anyone else about. When her neighbour (such a lovely boy!) sits with her on the porch to drink and chat in the early morning light, then he says to her: 'you are so kind to care so much about my day, and to help me start it.' And when he waves to her before he drives off to work she will wave back, and she will promise to keep on eye on his wife (who is due any day now, after all).\n\nThen she sits on her porch in that old rocking chair, until her cat makes its way back to her lap (though it takes longer every time). It will meow as if to say: 'you are kind to me, to fill my bowl, and to never yell even though I am slow these days,' and then it will purr and snore the morning away in the warmth of her embrace.\n\nShe watches the long shadows fade away, and the neighbourhood parents are very quick to say 'you are so kind, to watch our children and to mind them on their way to school.' And she will often have a gleam in her eye and a candy tucked away for that girl who shovels for her in the winter, or the boy who checked in with her after that big storm last summer when the power went out, or the - oh!, but so many of them are wonderful, and they never complain when her pockets are empty. They just smile and wish her a good morning.\n\nShe whiles away the day sending letters or calling old friends, and they say to her: 'you are so kind, to think of me even though we haven't talked in a while.' And then they do, and promise to talk again soon.\n\nFinally, when she is good and ready, she will get her walker. Though every step aches in her very bones she still chooses to walk; and all along the way the very dirt kisses her feet, and the earth whispers in the wind 'you are kind to me, to suffer just so I may breathe better.'\n\nAt the grocery store they will chastise her; 'don't you know we would deliver for you, who has given us eighty good years of your company and smile? But you are so kind to insist.' Then they will sit with her on their breaks to catch up before she picks up those things that they ordered in just for her, \n\nFinally she will head home. And even though she is tired she goes on, because the family across the street is so grateful when she shows up with fresh baked dessert, and say to her: 'you are so kind to feed us, and the least we can do is invite you inside for dinner.' \n\nThen they walk her home with leftovers while the sun sets above, but because she is so kind she will not eat them. No, she takes them to the basement. Down the stairs, the door behind the bookshelf (though it's hard for her to move these days!), into a soundproof room where there is no light, no one to make tea for, no one to feed or pet or watch over.\n\nBecause that's where he is chained up. Because when you lack a certain morality, a generosity of spirit, your soul rots and the body soon follows - but some are just good enough to stick around longer than they should. Like this one. \n\nBut she is kind, and she won't let that happen again. It's been a long time coming for this one. It won't be much longer, though. \n\nShe won't kill him. No, she is much too kind for that; she will just let him... waste away. Because there is no one there to help. And when you are alone, when you cannot share that kindness, then the soul rots. And the body will soon follow.",
"**14312**\n\nThat was the number on Jack’s wrist when he woke up on the warm morning of Wednesday, 13th July 2020. 14,312, one less than it had been when he went to sleep, was a number that Jack was unwaveringly proud of. Fourteen thousand, three hundred and twelve “Morality Points” sat sweetly in his mortality bank, promising him nothing less than another forty years of life. \n\nRising out of bed with scarcely a yawn, Jack pulled a tee-shirt over his head and slipped out of his room as quietly and quickly as he could. It was only 6am and still dark outside but he had to ensure his mum’s tea and cooked breakfast were ready and waiting for her when she would awake at 6:30. Tiptoeing, in order not to disturb his sisters sleep, Jack crossed the hallway and descended the staircase towards the kitchen. Almost without thinking, he glanced at his watch. \n\n**14312.** \n\n*Odd.* Normally being quiet to not wake his sister would give his morality points a boost. Jack frowned but was not dissuaded from his morning mission. \n\nJack, you see, was intent on getting as many morality points as was feasibly possible. The way he saw it, humans purpose in life was to get the most out of the world as possible – and what better way to do that than live forever? Jack had decided this when he was twelve years old and so far had done pretty well in sticking to it. Other than that short blip when Marriana had rejected him in 9th grade and he’d lost almost two thousand points in a week he had been building higher and higher every day. \n\nTea brewing, check. Eggs cooking, check. Bread out ready for the toaster, check. Jack checked his watch again.\n\n**14312.**\n\nHe frowned again. Most days his numbers would have been going up by now, even if his mum hadn’t seen the breakfast yet. Maybe she was sick today and wasn’t going to be coming out?\nDumping the tea down the sink and scoffing up the eggs, Jack then left the kitchen and went back up to his room. Settling down onto his bed he opened up his laptop and loaded up reddit. He really needed to get those numbers moving and this was an easy way to get some points. Loading up his most common subreddit, /r/Roastme, Jack went onto new and started slipping in some subtle compliments to those most likely to still be reading their post’s comments. He couldn’t be nice with his compliments or they’d think he was being sarcastic. Just something small but reassuring.\n“Difficult to roast with hair like that!”, “Actually pretty cute”, “Damn boyyyy.” Jack glanced at his watch again.\n\n**14313.**\n\n*Finally!* He felt like he had needed something to get the ball rolling this day. All these compliments got pretty tedious when nothing came from them. Jack dropped a few more compliments and then switched tabs to read the news.\n“WARNING. AD-BLOCK DETECTED!” His laptop screeched out at top volume. \n*Fuck*\nJack quickly muted his laptop but was too late to prevent the damage. He looked down at his watch\n\n**14311.**\n\nHe curled his fists into a tight ball involuntarily, his lips crunching apart his smile.\n“Jaaaaack turn that crap off I’m trying to sleep!” His sister shouted from the next room over. His mouth opened widely in response. NO. He paused, stopping himself. It was not worth losing even more morality points over.\n“Sorry Lea!” He shouted back in a friendly tone. “Just an accident!”\n\n**14312.**\n\nIt had been a pretty terrible day at school. The whole day he had been trying to raise his points to no avail. He had complimented, he had made origami gifts, he had given up his lunch. But they had all just thought he was being weird rather than kind so his morality points had not changed at all. The only thing he had done right apparently was hold the door open for Miss Tettlegoot and that had been by accident! He had really just been tying his shoes.\n\nEating a banana whilst heading out towards the bus station, Jack saw a younger boy crying by the long hedge outside the maths block. Jack headed straight over, seeing this a perfect opportunity to make up for lost time. \n\t“Hey kiddo, what’s up?” Jack asked and the kid looked up, tears streaking down his cheeks.\n\t“I’m not a kid!” he responded, angry, and ran away across the courtyard. Before Jack could register what was happening the boy had tripped over a large stone and landed face first on the floor.\n\t*Crap.* That better not be on me. Jack glanced down at his watch.\n\n**14105.**\n\nJESUS CHRIST. He dropped the skin of his banana and ran back over to the kid\n\t“I’m so sorry dude, are you alright?” He questioned.\nJust then the headteacher, Miss Bombley – a grey haired seventy five year old lady exited the maths block with the aid of her walking stick. Jack saw what was going to happen but could only stand and stare, unable to prevent it. One step, two steps and SLIP. Miss Bombley’s heel was taken right out from beneath her by the loose banana skin and the old lady hurtled to the ground at a fascinating speed. Jack was in shock and unable to process what had happened. Leaving the crying boy behind and frenzied shouts of teachers in the playground, he hurtled across the courtyard towards the bus. Not looking as he ran across the road in his fear, a green Maserati that was speeding down the road was forced to spin dramatically to the right to avoid him and ended up smacking nose first into a parked Ford. \n\n*Could this get any worse?* \nIgnoring the bus, Jack ran down the pavement and fled into the field beside the school trying to get as far away from humans as possible. When he finally ran out of breath, and terror, he collapsed to the floor in a state of anger and anguish. He looked down at his \nwatch.\n\n**57.**\n\nLife really was not fair."
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[WP] For weeks you've been having the same dream. Your sitting in a chair in a featureless room. An old man with a cane patiently watches you, he sometimes checks his timepiece but is always silent. One day the man steps forward. "It's time for your training to begin." He says.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 young man had a confused look on his face as soon as the older man with a cane said this, He slowly stood up from his chair, \"Training for what?\" He asks.\n\nThe old man chuckled as he smiled. He then tapped his cane on the floor, it making echoes around the featureless room, in an instant everything turned into a void. There were no walls, the chair was gone, and yet they were both standing there. The old man then leaned on his cane.\n\n\"You maybe curious as to why you have been having the same dream young ward. And you will soon find out why. For now, let us just say that powers granted to you by the Universe have just awoken in yourself.\"\n\nThis got the young man's attention, \"What kind of powers are we talking about?\"\n\nThe old man had a sagely smile on his face as he snapped his fingers. The environment around them changed once more, and they were back again in the featureless room, only this time it was filled to the brim with furniture. Rows upon rows of bookshelves containing an unlimited amount of books. The young man then looked up above them and saw various screens that showed untold number of individuals, human and non-human going about their lives. He gaped in awe at the sight.\n\n\"You have been chosen as my successor to being the Chronicler.\" the Old man said as he extended his hand towards the young man, \"Now come, it is time to begin your training.\"\n\nThe young man took a step forward with hesitation, before he looked up towards the screens once more, \"So, is this like a time-lord sort of job?\"\n\n\"It could be.\" the Old man replied, \"It is the Chronicler's duty to catalog the history of every being in this universe, from the moment they are born, to their final breath. Me and my predecessors have done this since the birth of the very Universe. And I assure you, it will be quite an adventure.\"\n\nThe young man took another step forward as he nodded, \"Well, I suppose I could give this whole chronicler thing a try.\""
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[WP] Suddenly, everywhere except for America is using bananas to measure things
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 turned onto Plantain St. I glanced down at my fitness tracker and a salty bead of sweat was knocked loose from my brow, splashing on the display and obfuscating my run data. I instinctively tightened my abs as I lifted my shirt to wipe the screen clean, just in case anyone (especially a female) was taking notice. Well, not so bad. Just over a 1/4 milli-banana-lifetimes (mbals) per kilobanana (kiba), with just over 10 kibas to go before I would reach home. I was eager to get back in order to get ready for the arrival of my American cousin Dennis, who was flying in from Boston and would certainly be keen for a big night out, especially after his 80 mbal flight across the pond. He’d be staying over for 2 bals, or approximately 10 days in American measurement unit (if I recall correctly, it’s been a bunch of years since the switch). \n\nI ran up my driveway and retrieved my key from under my front door mat (“Oh No, Not You Again!”) and I could already hear my dog Chiquita inside, going bananas in anticipation of my return. I doled out a couple of scoops of soft food for her, and she happily slopped away at it. Dennis would arrive in just under 10 mbals, enough time for me to get ready. Just then the phone rang, and a stern voice inquired “Mr. Cavendish- we have your cousin, Dennis Musa, down here at the Birmingham airport. He is being charged with public disorder and possession of more than 0.1 bunches of edible marijuana candy. Please come to the customs office immediately”. \n\nI sighed and replied “Put him on the phone please”. I heard some brief, staticky clicking and then “Dude! What the fuck is- (“Sir, language please!”) sorry, what is going on over here? Everything is in fu- uhh, bananas? What the hell is going on? Dude they searched me when I made a scene at customs. They asked me how long I plan to stay, I said 11 days, and I absolutely lost it when the customs officer said, “ah, yes, so about 2 mbals, no?” hahaha.. I mean dude, come on? Em-balls? What does that even mean? I’m still feeling the effects of the edibles, but that’s ridiculous under any circumstance, no!?” I fell silent for a couple micro-bals, shook the smirk from my face, and replied “Dennis, you’re a rotten, ignorant idiot. But, your my favorite rotten idiot. Hold tight and don’t do anything stupid! Which means just stop talking. I should be able to smooth this out.” Dennis retorted “Well bring your blender, banana boy, this will require a lot of smoothing out. When will you be here?”, and I instinctively said “In 5 mbals, Dennis.” He started hollering again over the phone as I hung up. “Fucking Americans”, I amusingly pondered as I peeled out of my driveway towards the airport.",
"“Three thousand bananas until your destination...” the GPS spoke. \n\nThe mad scientist laughed at his overweight friend. “Bwhahaha! Your idea was ingenious, Daru! Now, the whole world is under the control of bananas!”\n\nDaru pushed up his glasses and hmphed. “You have yet to see the true power of my hacker influence!”\n\nAs the two watched in the car, they noticed even the advertisements were talking about how many bananas it cost to buy things.\n\nSuddenly they received a call, and Okabe picked up. “Hello? Ah yes, assistant or should I say CHRISTIIIINA, our plan has gone magnificently and everything is now measured by bananas. \n\nWhat? America is not influenced? How could this be??! This must be the power of... the Organization! We must regroup our efforts and try again!”\n\nDaru shook his head. “Actually, it’s done on purpose. America has considerable influence, Okabe. If everything fell we would be too noticeable. We have to keep someone alive.”\n\n“And why America?”\n\n“Why, your tsundere girlfriend is living there right? Wouldn’t want her getting all fat with all those bananas.”\n\nOkabe blushed, shouting: “she’s not my girlfriend!” Despite the fact that they had already been dating for quite some time. They argued and argued until they got to their destination.\n\n“Tuturu~~” Mayushii greeted cheerfully, “I wonder why there’s so many bananas today... did Okarin have something to do with this?”\n\nThe scientist laughed once more. “You shall soon understand the power of banana! Such is the choice of Steins’ Gate!”"
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this concept was made by u/dynamiterolll [on this post ](https://www.reddit.com/r/HumansBeingBros/comments/f95sth/while_on_a_hike_today_i_dropped_the_sd_card_for/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
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[WP] You lose the SD card to your camera mid hike. When coming back, you notice that a stranger has laid it on a rock and pointed it out. When you take it home, you realize that this SD card isn’t for you...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 response includes mild foul language.**\n\nIt has one image on the card. The image is of what looks to be a small hut in the valley of the mountain you were just climbing. It’s hard to make out any details as the picture seems to be corrupt, making it difficult to see in detail...\n\nYou can make out the forest on the ridgeline in the background of the image, and you instantly recognise that it’s in the east cascades of Mt. Fury. With this information you could easily find your way back to the valley in the picture...\n\n=============================================================================\n\nIt’s dark by the time you reach the ridgeline that overlooks the east cascades of Mt. Fury. The moonlight shimmering down over the mountain which is clearly visible up ahead. Following the well trodden path up the ridge worked until it turned off towards to summit of the mountain. You decide it’s going to be easier to take a direct route through the trees down into the valley. From what you remember it wasn’t too steep...\n\nThe clear night sky is replaced with the thick, dark silhouettes of the trees which now surround you. The dark seems to only get darker as you venture deeper into the forest. The feint glow of your GPS watch is the only source of light for as far as you can see, which isn’t far considering you can barely see your boots.\n\nYou slowly make your way through the trees, using your arms to feel for the large tree trunks that are guiding you down the side of the valley. Checking your GPS and using it as a makeshift flashlight to light up your hands as you walk.\n\nYou’re unsure how long you’ve been walking for, but you start to feel the sharp cold air start to flow against you as you walk. Before you know it, the thick forest stops. The valley becomes abundantly clear as the moonlight floods the open space which lies in front of you.\n\nYou can make out the small outline of a building, about half a mile away, sitting in the middle of the valley floor...\n\n*”Well... here goes nothing”*\n\nThe walk felt like it was never-ending. The vast expanse of the valley, with the mountains watching over you from high above, really made the whole journey incredibly eerie. The absolute silence really solidified this, with the only sounds being the odd ‘crunch’ of grass and leaves underfoot as you walked. The building was much clearer now, and it was obvious that it was the hut in the original image you found earlier.\n\nThere was no light on as far as you could see. No cars around. Not even a trail or path leading to the building. As you got closer, it seemed like more of a ruin than a liveable house. The moonlight was illuminating the side of the hut in cold white light, which made seeing the smaller features much easier. It was a small stone hut, with a slate roof. It had definitely seen better days and didn’t look very well kept. Tiles were damaged and there was a large hole in the roof. The right side of the hut had started to crumble, leaving a large opening in the side. You notice a grey wooden door in the centre of the hut, with a window on either side...\n\nWhat you didn’t see what the deep bog which you just walked straight in to..This became immediately obvious once you realised your boots were filling up with freezing cold water.\n\n*”Shit. Damn it... “*\n\nYou wade through the bog as quick as you can, finally climbing up onto some rocks which were a few meters away from the front of the hut. Your feet are incredibly cold, making it hard to walk by this point.\n\nYou pace towards the grey wooden door of the hut, hoping to warm yourself up on the inside. As you reach the door, an overpowering feeling that your being watched washes over you. Your shivers from the cold become shivers of fear. As you turn around to look back towards the forest in the distance, you notice 10-20 dark figures standing just in front of the tree-line. The moonlight perfectly illuminating their profiles.\n\n*”What the...”*\n\nYou open the door and rush inside. Closing the door firmly behind you. The moonlight is illuminating part of the old wooden floor through the hole in the wall. Casting more shadows into the corners of the hut. The hut looks completely abandoned, with barely anything inside. A small stone fireplace can be seen on the left wall, and another wooden door is next to this.\n\nQuickly running to the window, you can still see the figures in the distance. You can’t make out if they’re moving or not. What you do notice is that there are more of them. More figures can be seen on the hills to either side of the valley. They can’t be people... why are they all out here at this time? It’s in the middle of nowhere!\n\nMoving over to the one lit area of floor space, you remove your boots and socks, and begin to rub your hands against your feet to try to warm them up.\n\n*”Come on... come on.”*\n\nYou don’t like taking your eyes off the figures which seem to be surrounding the hut, as it only amplifies your paranoia. You need to leave... this doesn’t feel right.\n\n**Creaaakk**\n\nWhat the fuck was that. The noise came from the only other room in the hut. Behind the wooden door in the corner. You quickly shuffle up against the wall next to the door you just came through, pulling your knees up to your chest, positioning yourself as far away from the other door as possible.\n\n**Creaaakk**\n\nPanic starts to set in, and your breathing starts to become fast. You quickly look out the window which is now above your head and notice that the figures are gone. Nowhere to be seen.\n\nAs you push yourself into the corner of the hut, the shadows cover you. Providing a blanket of darkness. As you go to turn off your watch you notice a message:\n\n*Connection to phone lost. No Signal.*\n\nQuickly feeling your pockets you realise your phone is missing. You definitely had it with you before you left. There’s no way you would have dropped it.\n\nSilence fills the room again. Until...\n\n**BANG!**\n\nThe wooden door in the corner shudders hard.\n\n**BANG**\n\n*”What the fuck. What the fuck!”*\n\n**BANG!** **BANG!** **BANG!**\n\nFear completely overwhelms you. You’re frozen in the corner staring straight at the door. Something is trying to get in and it’s not going to be long until it does.\n\n=============================================================================\n\nDo you grab your boots and run, or hide in the shadows hoping whatever it is that’s trying to get in here... doesn’t see you?\n\nThere’s only a matter of time."
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[WP] You wished to be immortal. You lived through generations of civilization, and you watched the world end. Now you are adrift in space, alone in your thoughts.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"4999 times I've circled the Sun\n\nI've learnt something in the time I've been out here. After the fall into madness you eventually land back on your feet. I don't think anybody was ever alive long enough to know this, Lord knows I wish I wasn't. It's a weird feeling, to spend years screaming into an uncaring void and then to one day stop. It's not that I'm okay with this now, that I've accepted my fate or I have any hope I'll be saved. In fact it's quite the opposite.\n\nI saw a rock as it glided past me a while ago and it finally clicked. I'm no different. Two insignificant flecks of carbon, guided on a whim by whatever force happens to come our way. I tried talking to it you know. How absurd is that. I had a conversation with a fucking rock. I saw faces in it. Friends. I've had many friends. Back then I'd be locked away for being insane. I'm just a rock. A rock with thoughts. How long has it been? \n\n4999 times I've circled the Sun\n\nI stopped thinking at some point. Have you ever thought of nothing? Not just a room with nothing in it or black...but nothing. I thought I was finally dead. I was so happy. I cried for days or at least i think it was days. I left my watch at home. How long has it been?\n\n4999 times I've circled the Sun\n\nI graced Jupiter with my presence. I remember it's name. I don't remember my own. I remember it has one of the biggest pulls in the solar system. Why didn't it take me? This giant, heaving ball that protected the earth from stray cosmic bullets and it couldnt put one man out his misery. It could, it just didnt want to. Where the hell is the justice in that. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE WORLD ENDED?!\nHow long has it been?\n\n\nI stopped thinking at some point. How long has it been? \n\n5000 times I've circled the Sun. \n\nHow long will it be?",
"The pain is excruciating. My body freezes and thaws in a never-ending battle between immortality and basic physics. There is no air left in my lungs, no way to propel myself or even change my orientation. There’s no swimming in space.\n\nI’ve lost all sense of time in my madness. How long ago did I watch the Sun burn the Earth to dust, swallow it whole, then engulf me for a billion years before finally going dark? Was the burning worse than the freezing? I spend an hour – or is it a century – pondering the merits of both types of eternal pain.\n\nThe regret and anger have long since passed. The end of the world was an abstract thought for so long, a thing to ignore and deny. But immortality makes time fly. Years pass like minutes. Centuries become weeks. Somehow, the end came so much faster.\n\nI was king of the world, literally, for thousands of years. What am I now? King of the cosmos? Prisoner of the universe? I don’t dare long for death. I think of my children, thousands of them over the centuries. I remember every one of them. I used to mourn their deaths. Now, I envy the end of each spark of existence.\n\nI drifted, once, near another planet. For a million years, it slowly grew in my field of vision from a speck of dust into a bright, swirling marble. Its gravity well was too weak, or maybe too strong to capture me, and I was flung right past it. I watched for a million more years as it shrunk again into a grain of sand.\n\nMaybe I’ll drift to another planet, someday. Maybe the heat death of the universe will finally bring an end to my existence.\n\nMaybe the immortal snail floating just out of arms reach will somehow drift close enough to touch me. Fucking bastard snail. I swear I can hear him laughing at me through the vacuum."
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[WP] "I'll die if you kill me", your best friend once tells you. You laugh at it at the time, but when they turn out to be an immortal bent on destroying everything, you remember their words.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 found myself weilding a beautiful sword, the scale blade and silvered edges, ironic, considering what i had to use it for. \n\nWhy she turned this way I don't know. I don't know and I don't want to know. It will make this feel worse.\n\nMagic is a funny thing, powerful, but in heavy amounts can corrupt even the best person. She had been born with plenty to spare, and more. She was born immortal, almost.\n\nOnce when we were younger we were in the pool unsupervised. I jokingly held a toaster above my head, as if to throw it in. I had full intent to use my power to grab it before it hit the water, but then she jumped out in fear. I didn't understand what she meant when she said if I killed her shed die. anyone would.\n\nBut now I do.\n\nI was born to counter her. I was drawn to her like she was drawn to me. I too was almost immortal, she could kill me and I could kill her. A balancing act by whatever gods there may be.\n\nMy armor was made to reflect magic attacks, but I knew it wouldn't hold, she always found ways around obstacles when she wanted.\n\nI couldn't delay fighting her. 3 countries were already in ruin because of her. 1 was completely wiped off the map.\n\nBut still part of me begged to not do it, she was my friend. Was.\n\nI couldn't call a monster my friend, she deserved to die.\n\nI sheathed my sword and got on my jet. I was to be dropped in. They figured that I could get the jump on her. I doubted it, the jet was loud, she would hear us a mile away. Dachi must have felt my concern, as he turned around and reminded me of the safety features. Or maybe he was told to do that.\n\nWe flew in formation, our plane second to the front on the left wing. She was easy to spot, a storm cloud above the plateau a village was once on. Our village was once on.\n\nShe wasn't attacking the planes. She seemed to be waiting.\n\nI dropped down, The blow didn't phase me as i hit the earth. I wasn't sure if that was me or the suit. I wasn't even sure of what I could do.\n\n\"You've finally decided to try to stop me, Tobi.\"\n\n\"Shut up.\"\n\n\"Aww, how adorable, the good girl doesn't want to harm me. What are you going to do? Hug me?\" and she laughed.\n\nI didn't waste this opportunity, i unloaded my slinger into her mouth. Pure, concentrated, tiger shit.\n\nShe dropped to the ground. I took the chance to run up to her, sword drawn.\n\n\"I've told you before. I'M NOT A GIRL!\"\n\nShe managed to roll out of the way of my first attack at the cost of her right hand. The second attack she couldn't dodge though. I managed to kill her.\n\nAnd I finally felt peace.",
"The world flickers on the horizon on the edge of the universe.\n\nIt’s burning— in a metaphorical and physical sense. I’m lying on the ground in a forgotten little world in the corner of the universe, trying to catch my breath with every heavy gasp. It’s been fourteen years. Right now, the solace of the new year dawns as I try to stand, legs shaking.\n\nBlood trickles down my lip. I find my shaking hand going to rub the tattooed marks wrapping around the tips of my left fingers, now blackened and blistered but still barely legible. God, why’s it come to this? Bitterly, I raise my watery eyes to the skyline.\n\nShe floats there, unfurling her silver garments to reveal the same tattoos on her own fingers, reaching to hold her hand up vertically, like there’s a glass wall between us. Her eyes glow viridian green, the rubble at her feet crumbling with every slow second.\n\nShe doesn’t say anything— she doesn’t have to. The silence speaks more then anything she will or can.\n\nFourteen years ago, I was trying to find my place in the world. Fourteen years ago, I took in a girl with electric eyes and an exotic way of speaking without a blink. Fourteen years ago, we were something unspoken, nothing truly forever, but intimate and understanding like only the truly lost know how to find in each other.\n\n‘Damn.’\n\nThe sky is catching fire to the edges. Paper-thin layers peeling back to blacken and die away like brittle wood.\n\nFourteen years ago, there was a girl with bright eyes and dark words. Thirteen years ago, there was silent understanding and the feeling of not-quite-there. Twelve years ago, there was laughing and joy and dust and hot air in the deserts where we traveled. Eleven years ago, there was an unspoken vow and foreheads pressed together in a promise of eternity. Ten years ago, there was screaming and whooping and splashing into blue tinted water in beautiful alcoves. Nine years ago, there was fighting and shouting and a resounding sting on a cheek.\n\nEight years ago, there was forgiveness and forever in the space between the stars.\n\nSeven years ago, there was the sound of wood and lumber falling, the smell of fresh air and forest, the feeling of straining muscles and the taste of fresh fruit juice staining tongues.\n\nSix years ago, there was the smell of hot coffee in the morning, lips pressed against a cheek gently, dusk riding into dark while wood creaked and the wooden trunks bore witness to a love so deep and infinite, but forgivingly platonic.\n\nFive years ago, there was the sound of a joyful family, not conventional, but beautiful.\n\nFour years ago, there was shaking hands. There was short breath, there was wheezing coughs, there was blood spotted on thin handkerchiefs.\n\nThree years ago, there was no cure.\n\nTwo years ago, there was the buzzing of ink meeting skin, a squeezing of hands, of being bonded forever with finger intertwined.\n\nOne year ago, there was the quiet stillness of a lake reflecting the universe. The stars shone down with contentment, and a girl with so very green eyes looked into mine and opened her mouth and spoke, “For you, I will burn the world down to ashes.”\n\n‘I always told you that nothing lasts forever, idiot.’\n\nShe smiles sadly, and it’s so serene and astoundingly breathtaking that I choke on the emotions climbing steadily up my throat.\n\n‘I know. But you know that we were something that was supposed to last for the end of the world, dear.’ She is not bitter, not completely broken, but still mourning what could have been. I can tell with every breath of borrowed starlight in my lungs and every turn of the planets in my mind.\n\nI straighten up fully, eyes locking into hers. It’s like coming home.\n\nMy index finger says the word ‘forever’. My thumb has ‘infinity’. My middle is etched with ‘eternally’. My pinkie is inked within ‘evermore’.\n\nMy ring finger is the only one with more then one word. It simply says ‘now till the end’.\n\nThere’s no going back.\n\nI breath out, taking the starlight from my lungs. Her eyes weep, suddenly, sorrow crashing into me like a rush of adrenaline. She mourns.\n\nI stumble forward and unsteady legs, until I’ve picked myself around the chunks of rock littering the ground. I nearly pitch forward when I reach her, tainted heart already starting to slow and breath starting to come out with blood on every wet exhale.\n\nI reach her, and I stop. She stares at me. We stare at each other. The universe stares at us, waiting.\n\nI slowly bring a trembling hand to her outstretched on, left fingers rigid until it lightly rests against hers.\n\nThe world slows. The pulses of galaxies hold their breath.\n\nWe stare at each other for another few seconds.\n\nAt the same time, we move. Her finger rest lightly intertwined with mine, and the beating of my heart is loud in my ears.\n\nOne year ago, a girl said to me that she would burn down the world for me. I said that I would as well, counting the days to my permanent hospitalization. She chuckled, and said that I didn’t understand, but she still loved me, even though I was an idiot of a best friend.\n\n‘I’ll die if you kill me,’ she said. I laughed and responded with ‘Yeah, okay, who’s the idiot of a best friend now?’\n\nShe smiled a smile so gentle and fond that I fought back tears.\n\n‘Always,’ she said.\n\nThe ‘me’ was unspoken.\n\nShe held her palm in mine, and we watched the moon swallow the sky while the letters seemed to burn brands in my palm.\n\n‘Always.’ Said in blood and tears and black.\n\nAnd then she stole starlight for me, and tried to destroy the world while letting me watch.\n\nAnd I loved her. But love is a fickle thing that you can’t always have.\n\nAnd there, with a final always and a unspoken goodbye, my slammed my knife into her stomach.\n\nAnd she still smiled, a smile that was silent vows and stolen starlight and shimmering moons on the surface of water. It was silver and forest and coffee and the haunting feeling of home.\n\nThe world was watching.\n\nThe feeling of home.\n\n‘Always.’\n\nThe universe, shaded in black, stopped at the edge of the universe. There was a quiet sound as I slid the knife back out.\n\n‘Now till the end,’ she says. Her words falter, and her breath escapes her in the form of darkness and blood and rust. The things she’s done are unforgivable.\n\n‘Always,’ and it’s the last thing she hears. \n\nI hope that she knows that I am speaking from the heart.\n\nThe world still watches.\n\nMy breath is nearly gone as well. My knees buckle, my mind fogs. Her body hit the ground first, and her robes are stained scarlet.\n\nHer eyes are so, so green.\n\nStarlight gone, my body fails like it was supposed to a year ago. There is nothing in that time of a few seconds, from years of remembrance and nostalgia and the contentment of forever in a package.\n\nI slump down, body pressed against hers, nose touching her cheek. It’s going cold.\n\nThe sun rises on the new year, and it’s been fifteen years.\n\nFifteen years ago, I found a girl with green eyes. Now, I will follow her for infinity.\n\nAlways.",
"\"I'll die if you kill me.\" \n\nThat's what John had said to me all those years ago, back when we were teenagers, and dumber than one could safely be. It didn't mean much to me then, for all I would've known it was just Mary Jane putting the words into his mouth, but after we graduated we slowly saw less and less of each other. I didn't know what to think when I first heard his name in the news,\n\n\"A young man, John Drew Smith, is believed to be dead. Witnesses report that his house went up in flames at 9:43 pm last night. With me now is one of the first responders to the scene, Mr. Jakobi is there anything you can tell us about what happened here last night?\"\n\n\"Yes, we have reason to suspect that this fire was not an accident, there have been traces of gasoline found where the living room once was but no solid evidence has been found.\"\n\n\"Thank you Mr. Jakobi, we'll be right back with more on this story but first, is the Government planning on a robotic uprising? Find out after this commercial break.\"\n\n\\--------------------------------------------------------------\n\nA few days after his house burned down another smaller story was put out concerning what happened. \n\n*The burned corpse of an unknown person was found in the remenients of the burned house of John Drew Smith. The body is reportedly not that of Mr. Smith himself and has yet to be identified. If you or anyone you know has any information it is asked that you contact the police.* \n\nHow was I to know that this was only the start. \n\n\\--------------------------------------------------------------\n\nIt has been twenty years since the original fire at the Smith house and our little town is now in chaos. There have been a reported 147 more house fires since that day, with every single one of them being of someone I knew, weather it was just someone I had been introduced to at a party all the way to close friends I've known since before I can remember. I had to find a therapist because of the guilt I felt, why were they dying? Why did I know all of them? Why was John the first one? Where is John??? He's been missing since that day, nobody's seen hide nor hair of him and most everyone believes him to be dead, everyone but me of course. I was visiting a friend of mine one day last week, her name was Katherine, and as we were talking I thought I saw a ghost. \n\n\"Whoa, are you ok?\" Katherine asked me as I dropped my coffee mug into my lap.\n\n\"I just saw John.\" And I had, outside her kitchen window. It must've been a ghost, John died almost twenty years ago, there's no way he could have survived that fire. Because of lack of dental records and such nobody was ever able to identify the body found in the remains of the Smith house, but the leading theory is that it of course was John. \n\n\"John who?\" Katherine said, clearly confused. \n\n\"John Drew Smith. Remember, the guy we went to high school with? He was my best friend back then.\" \n\n\"Wait wait wait wait wait, didn't he die? Or am I mixing him up with someone else?\"\n\n\"No, you're right. His house burned down almost twenty years ago now, of course you remember it, there was that big news article about it.\"\n\n\"Yeah, are you sure you saw him?\"\n\n\"Not at all, it must have just been a trick of the light or something... Did you add anything in my coffee?\" I ask thinking back about the weird taste.\n\n\"Remember? I told you I got some weird creme liquor while I was out backpacking in Europe last month. I mixed in some with each cup, you know, just for some taste. I guess I put more than I thought I did in your cup...\"\n\n\\--------------------------------------------------------------\n\nKatherine died that night. Her house went up in flames faster than one would think even possible. Just like all the other victims of John. I don't know why he's doing this, why he's killing these good people. All I know is that I'm the only one he's ever called his friend, and I've got to stop him. If not for the town's sake, then for his. He wouldn't want to be something like this, something so cruel and heartless. I'm going to try a more peaceful approach when I find him, but if that doesn't work I'm making sure to bring my pistol. I still don't know if it was the drugs or if it was real but there's one thing I still remember from High School. \n\n\"I'll die if you kill me...\"",
"Your throat feels like someone's coated it with glue. You can't open your mouth. Not when I'm alive and haven't aged a single bit since we were twelve. \n\nI'm still wearing the same too big dress shirt and pants and dirty blue rain boots. You don't think you would've believed this to be reality if it wasn't the fact that your significant other is watching the news attentively with you. \n\nYour heart hammers and you pray you still had that picture when you were kids with me. \n\nScrolling through old social media, you go the earliest post ever and found it. \n\nA school picture on Facebook, you're not the only one who's started commenting on it. Old classmates are panicking or joking how it might have been me. \n\nYou know it to be me, what with being best friends with me for the entire year you were in the city I was based in. \n\n\"Come find me, best friend.\" You hear my voice condemn you and a sinking feeling of dread makes you light headed as the cure to the new pandemic is tauntingly shaken at the helicopter recording me. \n\nThe sound of an explosion and you whip your head up just to see in time my crooked and deranged grin. \n\nAbruptly, you stand up and you can't hear your significant other's voice when the old memory of when we were twelve rings in your head with my voice patiently instructing you the process of killing me. \n\n_\"You're a good child.\" I ruffle your hair and you grimace at having a messy hair, quickly trying to fix it as I drag you to the playground. \"I'll let you in a secret.\"_ \n\n\nYou wrote my name, the only reason why you remember how it's written was how scarred you were when I taught you the method and in the end why you moved away and why I wasn't in your life anymore. \n\n_I look down at you with a smile and you're trembling at the smell of something you only found out a decade later as the smell of corpses. \"After you write my name, I need you to stay as still as you can call my name. Now listen carefully, here's how to pronounce it:\"_\n\nYou gasp after stating my name and clutch your heart in a panic and fall face down with a hard cracking sound of your skull meeting the porcelain floor and your significant other is pounding the door worriedly asking if you're okay. \n\n_\"Then,\" I wistfully speak laughing at your terrified expression. \"You just need to spill your blood on my name.\"_\n\nYou can't open your mouth but you bite your own lips so hard it's bleeding and tilt your face a bit for the blood to pool on my name. \n\n_\"That's how you can kill me.\" I run my fingers through your hair humming an old lullaby you've always enjoyed. \"I'll die if you kill me. Because you're-\"_ \n\nOn the hills of a desolate island with soldiers coming after me, I can feel every organ inside me slowly stopping to function. \n\n\"Finally.\" I'm laughing as gunfire hits my body and it actually hurts me now. I'm coughing up blood and I lie down. \"I can stop. Thank you, best friend.\"\n\n_You're crying and screaming and clawing at me. \"You can't die, you can't die!\" You blubber as my body assumes the appearance of a corpse rotting. I reach out with my hand and pat your face slowly as life leaves me. \"Don't worry, I can't. Not until you do this for me.\"_ \n\nYou gasp, eyes wide open and heart pounding as you frantically look around for me. But you know I can't be alive, that was just a nightmare of course. You wonder what happened to you. \n\nYour significant other bursts into your hospital room a minute or two after you start trying to remove all these weird medical technology attached to you and in the blink of what feels like an eye, time moves too fast. \n\nApparently, you did kill me. Your heart stopped temporarily and I was whispered online to be a maniac and mentally deranged. You don't think they were wrong, as anyone who lives as long as I implied to have lived for must surely have lost their mind. \n\nIt's only after a decade later when everyone around you ages, do you realise what I've done to you.\n\n\"No, no, no.\" You mutter underneath your breath as even more time passes by and you're not aging. You look as young as you were when you killed me. \n\nYou won't do what I did and force this to someone else. You won't, you won't. \n\nYour significant other understands you, always does. You fake your own death and hide in a desolate island. \n\nNot the one where I died, as that's become a tourist spot which you've visited once. You know how I lived, what I had to do and you've accepted you'll have to live like that too. \n\nUntil you can pass this on to someone willing, someone good. \n\nJust like you were. Just like I said you were. \n\n_\"You're my best friend!\" You remember exclaiming and hugging the quiet standoffish child who's always helped you. \"I am, huh?\" I ask hugging you back. \"You're a good child, aren't you?\" \"Maybe?\" \"I think you are.\"_",
"The setting sun couldn't shine its glow by the think clad of smoke that enveloped the city of remnants and ashes. Flames were still burning at a great height, spreading by the minute. Blood spilt amongst the dirt and the corpses. \n\nCorpses...\n\nCorpses that were caused by me.\n\nCorpses that I promised to save, to avoid.\n\nAnd yet here I was, staring at the destruction caused by my own best friend. I crouched down next to a person. Even if his blond hair had dyed to the coarsest shade of grey, and his face heavily bruised and cut, I slipped two fingers to the side of his neck.\n\n\"Dale,\" I whispered, tears clouding my eyesight before rolling down my damp and sooty face. \n\n\"C'mon Dale,\" I begged. \"Wake up. Please.\"\n\nNothing. No pulse. \n\nI wrapped my arms around his lifeless body, hugging him tightly to my chest as I wailed dishearteningly in a moment of grave defeat.\n\nI was too late.\n\n\"I told you he'd break your heart eventually.\" I looked over my shoulder. A shaggy man hovers above the ground, black veins visible in his face. The darkest shade of black surrounded him as his black scarred wings flapped in a rhythm. I laid Dale down carefully.\n\n\"You should have stayed with me.\" I whipped my head. \n\n\"You?!\" I stood up exasperatedly. \"A killer?! A murder?!\"\n\nI marched forward. Fury blinding my vision and seeping through my veins.\n\n\"You killed this whole city! You killed everyone around me. My parents, my friends, Dale–and you think I'm going to even consider being with you?! That's preposterous, Evans. That's never going to happen.\"\n\nGlaring at him with my pent up anger, I stood a foot away from him. Wrong move. His arm shot up and his hand grasp my neck in a tight grip, bringing me upwards. I gasped audibly, thrashing around with all my might. \n\nHe threw me a malicious smile. \"Ah, my little bird–,\"\n\n\"Don't...c-call me...t–that,\" I croaked out.\n\n\"Fine.\" He dropped me to the ground, then crouched down staring directly at me. I looked away, loathing the way he smiled sweetly. Unfortunately, he held my chin firmly, forcing me to stare at him. \n\n\"Do you really think it's worth it? Sacrificing this,\" he gestured to everything around us, \"for your life?\" \n\n\"You can do so much yet you choose to oppose me? To defend this city? From me?\" He laughed. \"How in the world to you think you're going to do that?\"\n\nI kept my mouth shut. Unconsciously, my hand went to the smoothly moulded festoon of my bracelet, tugging it. Suddenly, I felt his hand on my bracelet. \n\n\"Na-ah-ah,\" He singsonged. \"If you're not going to come with me willingly, I'm forcing you.\"\n\nI spat at his face. \"You're mean, you know that?\"\n\nHe brought out a handkerchief and wiped his face. He didn't show a trace of annoyance even after what I did. \"We're wasting time, don't you think my Rhea?\"\n\nWith no heads up, he dragged me down to the portal below us as we teleported to a different place. I grimaced, knowing exactly where we were. Looking around, I noticed stained blood on the walls of the uneven surface of the cave as Cronus stared at the meeting, sitting comfortably in his own rock. I shuffled on my seat, a tall rock in the middle of the water, as a bright light shined upon me from above. \n\nIn a second, he appeared right in front of me with a puff of smoke. Again, a hand was on her throat. Quickly, he muttered a spell. \n\nMy breath was becoming shallow as he drained my essence. I hollered out in pain. \n\nInch by inch, I felt like my blood was being drained, pressuring the life I had in me. Faintly, a white glow appeared from my cheat being vacuumed to his hand. \n\nI could feel the agony catching up as my eyelids slowly shut. Memories started flooding my mind like a flashback. \n\nMemories I spent with my family, friends, Cronus, his family, Dale...\n\nDale...\n\nThen I snapped. The thought that we could spend a much better life than the present infuriated me. I could have saved him. I could have stopped him from dying along with the hundreds of citizens that laid lifeless on the streets. All because I was blinded by the years of friendship we have built. Cronus and I built.\n\nI felt a surge in my veins. Crying out loud, I snapped my eyes open as a pure shone of white blinded my vision. \n\nThen a wave of power flushed all around me, pushing Cronus back a few feet away from me. In an instant, I held him up against the wall. \n\n\"Converte hoc potentiam, et potentia in tenuit. Tuo viribus et non revelare verum recedere. Supergreditur, et non supplantabuntur gressus ejus. Me forum!\" \n\nAs I spoke, my own voice faltered, overpowered by another void tone but after I finished, I sucked a great black orb out of him, gaining his own essence. \n\nAnother surge crept through my blood. A stronger one than before. Unconsciously, I was lifted in the air by the wind. Accepting the power that sat upon my palm, I screamed as a black element blasted around me. \n\nI tugged the festoon of my bracelet from its chain. The festoon resting at my hand. Clenching my fist, I pictured a sharpened end of a thin pole. I glanced at the object in my hand, seeing it to transform to what I had envisioned. \n\nShooting him a diabolically grin, I tossed the weapon In the air before aiming it straight to his heart. A roar erupted from his throat as he dissolved into small particles that mixed with the wind. \n\nAs he disintegrated, whatever essence of life that he had transferred to me, feeding my soul. \n\nI hummed in satisfaction and pleasure. Another wasp of power appeared on my palm. I shot it in the sky, embracing the dark matters that swirled around me. \n\nConcentrating, I centralized my essence to my palm, smiling triumphantly. \n\nI raised my arm high ready to fire when I felt an object stabbed my back. I glanced down. A pointed dagger protruding the upper right of my stomach. \n\nBefore I could knock my head to the rock below me, someone caught me, wrapping his arms around me. \n\n\"I am sorry Rhea.\" A voice whispered near my ear. \n\n\"Dale,\" I croaked out, coughing a spit of blood.\n\n\"This will help you remember.\" He placed his hand over my head.\n\nA flood of memories washed through me. The reason I was the only one I could kill Cronus. \n\nWe were created, experiments. Test subjects that went wrong when the gods had created us. \n\nI was his equal in every sense. Though we didn't die together, we both had the power to overthrow the other by taking the other's essence to sustain your life. Either that or we both live to maintain the balance.\n\nThat wasn't all, as his equal, I was an epitome of him. An epitome of what he can do, his powers. An epitome of destruction. An epitome of agony. \n\n\"I'm sorry Rhea but you are him and he is you and in every way possible, you both must be killed. That is the prophecy.\"\n\nI felt a drop on my face before I faded into the darkness.",
"“I’ll die if you kill me.” It was just a joke. It was only meant to bring a few laughs. It wasn’t supposed to be true, things weren’t meant to turn out this way.\n\nIt all started with me and you, we’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. It was just the two of us. Two children against the world, the universe.\n\nWe grew together, we learned and we laughed, we rose and we fell. We might as well have been one for how close we were. Thinking back, that was your plan wasn’t it?\n\nI’d never hurt you, and you couldn’t hurt me. To think I cared for you, to think I still do. Even when you’re.... you.\n\nAn immortal being hell bent on the destruction of everything and the one holding the trigger. You and me forever. Only I could kill you, and I could not die so long as you were alive.\n\nI still don’t know how things got to be this way. I never wanted to hurt you, I never wanted to hurt anyone. But you are the target, and I am the gun. A single bullet is all it would take.\n\nYet, when the time came I couldn’t fire. I couldn’t say the six words that would’ve prevented all of this. I couldn’t.... couldn’t....\n\nYou know I’d never hurt you, right? Never on purpose. But then, at that time... I don’t know what came over me.\n\nIt was already far too late anyway! What was it going to change? Everything was already gone, it was just you and me. Nothing changed since the day we met.\n\nSo I said those words. I watched as you died with ash in my mouth and betrayal in your eyes. I choked while you screamed. From ashes you cane and to ashes you went again.\n\nBut I didn’t die. I couldn’t. Instead of following after so much pain, I took your place. And somebody... somebody took mine.\n\nOr I suppose somebody should’ve. No one’s alive out there anyway. There’s no one left but me and what remained of you.\n\nMe and you till the day you died. But now it’s just me, alone in the universe. Not a soul around to let me followed you to the world you left me for.\n\nMy wrists burn, nothing can be solved. There’s nothing left to destroy. The inevitable has come and I am no longer needed. But I can’t die. My punishment for letting you live.\n\nMy punishment for living a lie.\n\n\nIf anyone out there is still alive to read this, it’s your turn now..... . . .\n\n\n. . .I’m sorry.",
"The pillar of fire filled the sky with embers, cackling; horrifying; blood-thirsty. \n\nJust as she.\n\nWhat remained of my best friend had perished a long time ago, but the voice of she-witch past was running through my mind.\n\n“I’ll die if you kill me”\n\nThe look on her face then, told me everything I need to know now.\n\nIt had to be me.\n\nWhy did it have to be me?\n\nNone of this was her fault, but there’s no other way.\n\nI step forward, through the blazing, crumbling urban landscape.\n\nCloser.\n\nThe steps turn to a jog, into a sprint.\n\nCloser.\n\nHer head snaps to look at me, and her eyes widen. \n\nCloser.\n\nFlaming tendrils caress my face as I glide, dodge and weave.\n\nCloser.\n\nA tackle. An embrace. A knife to the back.\n\nTears vaporise in the heat, and I cradle the girl I once knew.\n\nCloser. \n\nThe flames spiralled around us, seeping back into her, and just as my tears had vaporised in the heat, so did we.",
"\"Go on!\" The beaten and defeated man kneeling before me shouted as he stared up into my eyes. \"Do it!\" He grabbed the barrel of my gun and pointed it square in his face. \"Pull the trigger!\"\n\nBut, I just couldn't. Tears fell from my eyes as the winds whipped around the two of us. The distant sounds of explosions and people screaming rang deafly in my ears. My hand shook as I slowly lowered the gun barrel.\n\n\"No!\" The man shouted as he reaimed the barrel to his face. \"It's easy! Just twitch your finger and pull!\" His eyes were swelled with tears and centuries of emotions and memories. \"You killed others with me plenty! Now, finish the job!\"\n\nI stared at the man before I couldn't anymore. I turned my head and covered my mouth to hold back my gasps of pain. \"I can't do it.\"\n\n\"You have to, Travis,\" the man said, his soft fingers reaching up and caressing mine. \"If you don't, it will be too late for you. For everyone here.\" I turned back to him as my breathing got heavier and shakier.\n\n\"Why!?\" I shouted in the meekest voice I could.\n\n\"I've told you before, Travis. You know why.\" The man spoke, not with anger anymore or fear, but sadness and the pain of a thousand years of suffering. \"Prove to me that love is stronger than anything. If you don't, then I'll move on to the next country. If you don't kill me now, then countless others will suffer.\"\n\n\"What about my suffering!?\" I could barely hold back my tears and I could feel my throat tightening. I still couldn't look him in the eyes. Those rich deep green eyes that held years of joy and pain. \"What about Jonas, or Sarah, or Paulo?\"\n\nThe man took a deep sigh as the wind from a distant explosion stroked its fingers through his hair. \"They are some of my best friends, but only you, Travis, are my BEST friend. You are-\"\n\n\"More than just my best friend. I know,\" I said, finishing his sentence as we had done many times before. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I put my finger on the trigger and waited there before finally taking it off. \"I still can't do it.\"\n\n\"Travis, you must.\" I could hear him stand up as he held my cheeks in the palm of his hand. \"I'll die if you kill me.\" He turned my head to look deep in his eyes, and he in mine. \"Only my most trusted friend can. Think about Jonas.\"\n\n\"Don't you do this to me.\" My voice cracked as I shifted my eyes away from him. I gasped a few times, still holding back the flood of emotions.\n\n\"I know you've liked him before I even stepped foot into you life,\" the man said, and I saw that gentle smile of his out of the corner of my eye. \"Think about him. If you don't do this, then everything for you, for him, for them, is all over.\" He leaned in and gently kissed my cheek. \"I love you, Travis.\"\n\nSlowly, he knelt back on the ground and aimed my gun towards him. Shakily, I forced myself to look at his handsome eyes one last time as the flood of tears bursts from mine. With the last of my strength, I managed to find my voice. \"I love you too.\"\n\nThe sound of a gunshot echoed in the empty office, followed by the sound of a body hitting the floor, then a distant explosion, some people screaming, and one person clutching a body and shouting in pain from the top of their lungs as tears fell like lead balloons from their eyes.\n\n~~~~\n\nHey, thanks for reading! Hopefully I'll be making more short stories! r/YottaVolte",
"My friend had died a few times. But every time, a day or two later, he always came back, to the point where I didn't even flinch the last time when I watched him get stabbed in the chest.\n\nEventually, once I'd become accustomed to his immortality, we'd make jokes about it occasionally.\n\nOne day, he'd made a casual remark. \"Hey, I'll die if you kill me.\"\n\nI thought it was for a laugh. So I chuckled. I didn't actually find it very funny, but I didn't want to let him down on his joke.\n\nNow, today, I stood here, at the edge of a cliff, the perfect spot to watch the two armies fire at each other. He'd made us invisible to them.\n\nI turned to him. \"Why?\"\n\n\"Because,\" he told me, \"Humans were part of an experiment. We didn't want to get this far.\"\n\n\"What the hell is that supposed to mean?\"\n\nHe waved his hand in front of us, bringing up a holographic display by his sheer will. \"Us, the eternals, created life,\" he began.\n\nThe display was a full-color rendering of some algae floating on water's surface.\n\n\"Over millennia, over eons, we carefully crafted different types of life, trying to create something with a will of its own.\"\n\nThe display zoomed in on a single cell. \"Many eternals didn't participate for a long time. They thought we were crazy, trying to create sentience from only matter and energy.\"\n\nThe cell divided repeatedly, and the display zoomed out to match its growth. When fully zoomed out, the display now showed an ant instead of algae.\n\n\"Now it's gotten out of hand,\" he said, gesturing at the display as it zoomed out further to encompass hundreds, thousands of species. A human was displayed the largest. \"Some of the other eternals would disagree with me, saying you deserve to live as well. And in my time here, you're the only one I'd make that exception for. My only friend. And the rest of it?\" He gestured out to the battlefield, bringing up a display of the death toll in the battle, rising and rising.\n\n\"You can't. You won't. I won't let you,\" I told him firmly, and he raised his eyebrows. Then I remembered what he told me.\n\n\"It's your choice,\" he said as if reading my thoughts.\n\nWhat I said next, I wanted to be bold and strong, but it came out as a whisper. \"I'll kill you.\"\n\nHe stepped towards me, wiping away the tear I didn't even know I'd shed. \"If you kill me,\" he said, his voice uncharacteristically low now, \"I'll stay dead.\"\n\nJust as the people out on the field were fighting a war that he'd pulled the strings to start, I was fighting my own war internally, also one of his design. Do I kill him?\n\nHe conjured up a knife. \"When I die, I'm not really destroyed. I simply return to my home, a place most humans would call the heavens...\" He handed the knife to me, closing my hand around it. \"But I will be gone. You won't see me again.\"\n\nMy knuckles went white as I tightly gripped the knife, shaking. I grabbed his shoulder with one hand, and plunged the knife into his stomach with the other.\n\nHe smiled, falling to the ground. I wept, setting him down. I let go of the knife, and in seconds, the body disintegrated, dust in the wind, the knife along with it.\n\nI looked to the battle below, half expecting it to end immediately. But it didn't.\n\n\"Of course,\" I heard his voice from behind me. I spun around to see him, the eternal, standing by a tree. \"The selfish decision. You've... Proven me right.\"\n\nI gave him the most blank stare as humanly possible. He'd befriended me. Deceived me. Betrayed me. And now he voided my actions.\n\nHe smiled, and after I blinked, he was gone.",
"I still think back to that day. The day I killed my best friend. \n\nI wonder why she told me, I was the only one who could match her in combat, with magic or blade. She could have killed me in my sleep or hired assassins, perhaps she wanted to die? or she enjoyed the challenge of besting me in a fight to the death? Maybe she knew she had to be stopped or her subconscious did anyway? \n\nI don't remember the fight just waking in a healer's house, It must have been intense or my left arm would still work without hurting. \n\nWhat were her final moments like? Did she look up at me in shock as I stabbed her? Was she remorseful before I crushed her throat with magic? Maybe I electrocuted her to death too quickly for her to react. Did I draw it out? Break every bone in her body when she lay defeated? Torment her mind with dark magic? Did I rape her? Do things so horrific i purged them from my mind? Ill never know.\n\nI just wish I wasn't so goddamn alone.",
"I didn't want to believe them. The rumors. The hushed whispers. The cutting words. The scared murmurings. There was no way she would even think of doing something like this. There was no way. Gideon was a good person.\n\nShe was always there for me and my family. She always took care of us, looked after me, and made sure we were okay. She volunteered at soup kitchens and animal shelters. She participated in beach cleanups and recycling campaigns. She signed petitions that *actually* helped people. She was a good person.\n\nBut after her brother died, something seemed to change in her. She grew quiet, more reserved. She was selective in how she spent her time. Normally, she spent it with me. It was a nice change of pace to actually get to spend my free time with her, so I didn't notice it at first. But then I realized she had no stories about the shelter or the soup kitchen or the group of homeless people she brought sandwiches to in Ethel Park anymore. She mainly only wanted to spend our time just sitting together. Either reading or watching a show or simply just cuddling on the couch.\n\n\"I'll die if you kill me,\" she had said one day as we did just that. To say it took me by surprise was an understatement.\n\nI had to lift my head to look at her. I scrunched up my face at her, a chuckle escaped my lips. \"What?\"\n\nShe'd run her fingers through my hair, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling. Her gaze fell to me and there was a soft, serene smile. \"Nothing. It was stupid.\"\n\nI pushed myself off of her a bit to give her a quizzical look. \"Are you telling me that you'll only die if I'm the one to kill you?\"\n\nShe looked off to the side. There was a pink dusting on her cheeks now. \"I dunno... but if someone were to kill me... I'd rather it be you.\"\n\nI laughed before nestling myself against her once more. \"You're so weird, Gideon.\"\n\nI didn't think much of our conversation then. Nor did I think much of the rumors that began to swirl around Gideon after that. Not even when Gideon disappeared for a day did I get concerned. But now, standing here on this beach, I realize I should've payed closer attention. I should've let myself get concerned.\n\nGideon stands in front of me, the only source of light and color on this lifeless beach. Brilliant gold veins stretch over her skin in a gilded latticework that made her look as terrifying as possible. Her eyes shine gold, casting stark shadows around us. Her hair stretches out behind her, the loose strands compelled to move by a non-existent wind. She hovers a few inches off the ground, so low she might look like she was just standing there from any other angle.\n\nHer right hand is lifted to the side, golden light swirling in her palm. It sounds like some aircraft breaking the sound barrier multiple times over. The light keeps building and building as it swirls around her hand, growing in brilliance and size as the seconds slide by.\n\n\"Please, Gideon,\" I say, my voice straining. \"Don't do this!\"\n\nI can feel the eyes of the soldiers at my back. They dragged me out here to stop her. Somehow it got out that I'm the only one who can. They're hoping I can bring an end to this before she kills us all. I'm hoping to save her before they shoot.\n\nI take a step forward. Even this close to her, I can't feel the energy swirling in her hand. But I feel the wind coming off of it. The force of that alone nearly knocks me back.\n\n\"You don't have to do this!\" I shout at her.\n\nGolden tears stream from her eyes. They hit the sands with an audible hiss. Steam rising around her. \"I don't want to,\" she admits with a shake of her head.\n\n\"So *don't*!\"\n\nShe shakes her head again, her gaze dropping from mine. \"I can't...\" her voice caught in the back of her throat. \"I can't do this without him!\"\n\nI know what she means. She can't live without her brother. He's the only one who was ever there for her. The only person that knew what she'd gone through. No matter what we had, I would never be enough. I would never know enough. To spend eternity completely and wholly alone was something she was terrified of doing. And until he died, she never thought she'd have to.\n\n\"Please.\" My voice shakes as I force the word out. \"Don't make me do this.\"\n\nHer eyes connect with mine again, or at least I think they do. It's hard to be sure without her pupils there to guide me. \"I want to die, Kara.\" The swirling ball at her side surges slightly, a bit more power being thrust into it, but even still I can't feel her signature power in it.\n\nI can hear the soldiers at my back shifting. They're getting ready to shoot. To try and take her out. Even though they know I'm the only one who can do it. They're getting prepared for any and all outcomes.\n\nI take another step forward. I still can't feel the energy in her hand. But I can feel her. Her warmth radiating in the air between us. \"Don't condemn the world,\" I say. My voice is hushed now so that the soldiers can't hear us. \"It's not fair.\"\n\nThe light flickers in her eyes and I can see, for certain now, that she's definitely staring at me. \"The world will end either way. With me or with something else later on.\" I can see her lip quivering now, her shoulders shaking. She fights between anger and grief and remorse with every passing second.\n\n\"It doesn't have to be with you, though,\" I plead.\n\nThe light falls away from her eyes. Her normal brown irises are glossy. Golden tears still streak her face. \"Please...\"Her voice shakes so much I can feel it break my heart. \"Just kill me.\"\n\nI grit my teeth together. My fingers grip the sword hilt she'd given me years ago. I say my name aloud, and the blade comes to life. Gilded light shoots out of the hilt until the sword is at full length.\n\nWarm liquid spills over my hand. Gideon stops hovering. She drops to the ground, but stays on her feet a few moments longer. Golden light flickers over her features before all the power and light she was generating disappears in its entirety. Her cold hands reach up to my face. Her fingers wipe away the tears on my cheeks. A soft smile comes to her lips.\n\n\"Thank you,\" she breathes.\n\nAnd then she tips forward. Her full weight falls against me. My legs don't bother holding either of us up. We collapse to the ground in a heap. The sword in my hand solidifies, light dissipating into the darkness. Blood covers my clothes and tears cover my face. By the time the soldiers reach us, she's gone. And the threat she pretended to pose left with her.",
"I stare him down, the monster that I once thought as my best friend. He has a small, painfully hopeful smile on his lips, as if there is a way to talk his way back into my heart.\n\n“Why,” I growl out, soft and low, “Did you destroy EVERYTHING that I ever worked for?”\n\nThe red-eyed man smiles, “Jakobi, I didn’t want to hurt you. This world... don’t you see that it needs to be reset? The humans have taken it so far—“\n\n“You say human like I’m not one, Dakota.” I answer, my eyes drawn to the only scar that he has, “Maybe you’re too inhuman, but let me remind you something. Mankind has massacred this world and destroyed the original thing, but we’ve all known that it will stop. You don’t need to do it, none of us need to do it. Humans are selfish creatures, but they can be very selfless at times. We will all, those who don’t have the same attitude that you do, chose this world over our happiness or our lives.”\n\nDakota laughs like this is just another of the small arguments we had as kids, “What if I say you weren’t born human, Jake, we can rewrite this world and you can finally remember what you are. We can fix the Earth!”\n\nI close my eyes, lowering my head. I speak as resigned as I feel, “Do you remember what you told me? Do you remember when I laughed at you when you said that I could kill you? That you’d truly die? I may have been born like you, or I may not have, but I am not like you. I’m human, or as human as I can be.” \n\nI open my eyes, my vision sharper. I walk forward has he backs into the wall. I feel a very sharp pain in my hand and look at it, finding claws in place of my nails. When he looks for an escape, I lunge to him. Like I’m faster than I ever was before, I cross over 5 feet in the blink of an eye. \n\nStill, we’re silent in a sort of battle of fear and necessity. I lock eyes with him, smiling slightly, “I just wanted a normal life with a normal family and you killed them. Best friends, huh? The only ones that can kill each other, destined for one to die at the other’s claw.”\n\nI dodge his frantic hit and land one of my own, nails piercing through his chest and crushing bone, pulling his heart out. I watch him slowly collapse to the ground and squeeze his heart in my hand, sighing.\n\n“No two things can change the world. You could have killed everything else and I would have been fine, but you took the ones I loved first. Burn in Hell, where we both belong.”",
"\"I didn't want this!\" I scream. \"I never wanted this!\"\n\n\"You think I did?\" Damian scoffs. \"You think I wanted this?\"\n\nHe gestures to the destroyed landscape around us. What was once New York City is now little more than a crater. He didn't mean to do it. I know that. I've known Damian my whole life. He's always had anger issues, but he's always had a good heart too. Sometimes that isn't enough. \n\nDamian isn't a human, you see. Not totally. Neither of us are really sure what he is. What we do know is that he can't die. Not really. He's been stabbed, shot, poisoned, drowned, electrocuted, and beheaded. Every time, he came back. Everytime he came back, he was a little more apathetic. A little more powerful. This time, he'd been killed trying to save a girl from sex traffickers. When he came back, it was like a nuke had been detonated. I don't know how I survived. He and I aren't the same. I can't come back from death. At least, I don't think I can. Not something I'm really willing to try. \n\nThat's when I realize something. Damian has never hurt me. Not on purpose or on accident. Not when his first Emergence caught our apartment on fire. Not when he lost his temper in a bar fight and struck me. Nothing has ever done has left so much as a scratch on me. Then I remember those words he told me so long ago. We were children. I don't know why he said them or how he knew. \"I'll die if YOU kill me.\" I look up at my friend. \n\n\"I don't want to do this,\" hot tears stream down my face.\n\n\"It's the only way to- AAAARRRGH!\" His skin glows red and a shockwave of heat and energy explodes out of him. It feels like a warm breeze to me, but turns the already blackened earth to glass. \"You're the only one...\"\n\n\"Damian, you're my best friend!\"\n\n\"I know. I'm... so sorry.\"\n\nI look at the knife he gave me for my sixteenth birthday. Six inches long. Titanium with a tanto tip. He gave it to me right before our first camping trip with a wink saying \"Just in case.\" A decade later and I've never been more than ten feet from it. \n\nI take a step forward. \n\nMemories flash through my mind. Pillow forts in my living room. Then real forts in the forest when we grew older. Summers by the bonfire. He was there at my mother's funeral. He was the best man at my wedding. He was the first person to hold my daughter after me and my wife. \n\nAnother step. \n\nWe joined the army together. Joined the Rangers together. Fought terrorists trying to occupy the Philippines together. Bled together. Cried together. \n\nI'm running now. \n\nWe came home together. He never married. Never even dated. But he was always there for me. I never understood, but now I do. He knew what he was. Even back when we were children. He knew what he would do. He knew what any children he had would do. History will mark him as a villain. A monster that destroyed a city and killed millions. But I know what he is. He's more than a hero. More than my best friend. \n\nI plunge the knife into his chest as another explosion nearly rattles even me. Suddenly, the breathe goes out of him and he falls. I hold Damian in my arms. He's crying, but not out of pain. He hasn't felt pain in years.\n\nNo. That's not true. He's felt a pain nobody will ever know. The pain of knowing what he was and what he would do. But these aren't tears of pain or fear or anger. They're tears of joy. \n\n\"You're finally free,\" I tell him. \n\n\"I... can see... your mom.\" His breathing is raspy and labored. I want to tell him to save his strength, but... for what? These are his final, truly final, moments. \"We'll save you... and your dad... a seat at the... table. Take your... take your time.\" He puts a hand on my cheek and looks me in the eye. \"Thank you.\"\n\nThe breath goes out of him and he's still. His skin and muscles and bones all turn to ash and blow away in the wind. I don't know how long I sit there holding a handful of my best friend'sashes. Helicopters eventually fly over. I'm taken away. Brought to a hospital. There are questions. Endless questions. A small funeral is held for Damian. Not many show up. He didn't have many friends. Most of our old unit is gone. A few of the people he saved are there. They cry with me. Life goes on for the rest of us. I hold my daughter and my wife tighter from then on. The police or FBI or CIA took the knife. I never see it again, but that's fine. I don't think I'll need it anymore.",
"I'd first met John when I was child. He was kind, and confident, and always knew the right thing to say when I needed it the most. Even through my inexperienced eyes, I could tell he was a wise man who lived for nothing more than to help others.\n\nHe was working as a child psychologist. I was referred to him due to a peculiar set of experiences - my brain, according to the medical system, was giving me audio hallucinations. They weren't totally sure why exactly I could hear the melodies I could, and in many cases it almost seemed supernatural. Everyone had their own music, I told them; Everyone, and everything. Sometimes I could change the music, but not very often.\n\nJohn, when I first sat down in front of him, immediately asked my parents to leave the room. \"It's a social pressure sort of thing. I want to hear what he has to say, completely unfiltered. I'll allow you to come back in in a few minutes, and there's a camera you can watch from if you're nervous about my credentials.\" His smile was disarming and beautiful, like the trill of a bird. \"There's nothing to worry about.\"\n\nI explained to him the best I could, in my lack of vocabulary, the undulating notes and wavering sounds. It was like trying to describe colour to someone who had never seen it. Eventually I faltered and fell silent.\n\n\"I will be honest with you, Melody. What you hear isn't fake.\" He pulled a notebook out and wrote something quick and terse. \"But I want to listen to my words very carefully. I'll die, if you kill me.\"\n\n~\n\nTwenty years later, I sat across from my mother at a local cafe, nursing my cup of tea. The music never stopped; if anything, the sounds I heard became more complex and beautiful. I had become an audio engineer in an attempt to decode this riddle the universe had seemingly dumped on my lap, to no avail.\n\nThe ringing of the television temporarily distracted me, bringing the news to my attention. *Unkillable Man On The Loose* read the headline. A short, grainy clip of what appeared to be a tank being crushed by another, with the camera panning to a tattered man breathing heavily.\n\nJohn's tired eyes stared at me through the screen, and all I could remember were those words: *I'll die if you kill me*. The bassy drum of his soul spoke to me, and drowned out whatever my mother had been saying.\n\n~\n\nI knew what I had to do. I hated that I had to do it. John was such a kind man, but I could see that his heart was tired. His melody had slowed considerably since the last time I saw him all those years ago. The only reason they let me in the same room as him, after all the effort they put in to capture him, was because he asked for me by name.\n\nHis pale skin shone with sweat. He clearly hadn't eaten in a very long time, his sunken cheeks and thin arms almost clinged to his body. The solid steel chair that bound him to the floor was dented and warped from his struggles. He sat quietly now, face downturned, a deep shadow over his face. His music was sad, and tired, and seemed to be coming to an end. I pitied him.\n\n\"Hello, John.\" My shakey voice reached his ears, raising his eyes to mine. They were defiant, but old. Wise, but ready to move on. The eyes of the world's only immortal.\n\n\"Hello, Melody.\" His mouth cracked into a weak smile, the sounds emanating from him spiking in intensity. \"It's been a very long time, hasn't it? For you, I mean. I was unsure you'd come.\"\n\n\"I'm here.\" I reached out to his hand, clamped to the arm of his chair. \"They said you asked for me. Of course I'd come.\"\n\nHis smile dropped along with his head. \"I'm tired, Melody.\"\n\n\"I know. It's time for you to sleep now. You've done enough.\" \n\nSee, the thing about the music I heard was that it wasn't fake. I could change them, increase or decrease the tempo, the complexity, the beauty. I'd managed to improve uncountable lives through the power of my voice, and my songs, and with the right tune I could take even pain from those that wished it gone. I couldn't do anything someone didn't want me to do, though. That was fine by me, since I didn't want that sort of power anyways.\n\nHis tempo increased slightly, in cadence with the guards standing near me. One put his hand on his gun, likely there for me more than John.\n\n\"It's time to go, John. Thank you, for everything.\"\n\nI pulled a string, a twang of the most beautiful cord I'd ever heard. A flash of relief crossed his face. His eyes closed.\n\nThe music stopped.\n\n~~~\n\nFeel free to come by /r/Pm_Full_Tits for other short stories :)",
"I stumble towards Clara, fighting through the pain in my side, ignoring the blood marking my footsteps, “Don’t do it Clara, please,” I gasp, tasting iron in my mouth.\n\nClara turns to look at me, her once brown eyes glowing with a godly light. All around her are shining, floating symbols that hover in the night. Their light creates stark shadows on the hilltop, playing with the lines of her face, making her look older, more distant.\n\n“I have to Lia. Humans, they never change. They keep hurting each other,” her eyes flick to my side, and her voice takes on a pleading tone. “Please, lie down Lia. Don’t push yourself. Once I change things, you’ll be better, you’ll be safe.”\n\nI take another step toward her, one hand pressed to my side, and notice a body outlined by the ethereal light. I kneel briefly down next to it, fumbling for its weapon, nearly blacking out from the effort it takes to stand again.\n\nAn echo of the past drifts through my increasingly foggy mind. Clara, telling me, *I’ll die if you kill me, Lia. You make me vulnerable.*\n\n“Clara, you can’t tear down the world for me,” I take another shuddering breath, and another shaky step, only a few feet away from her. “I don’t want you to.”\n\nA tear rolls down her cheek, and her body shakes with a repressed sob, “You’ll be gone if I don’t. I have to change the rules, build a new one where you’ll live. Where people stop killing each other.”\n\nAnother step, I pass through glowing symbols, feeling faint heat. *So that’s what the energy of the universe feels like.* I drunkenly wonder. She turns away from me, and I see her fingers moving again. I’m crying now too, the pain in my heart overshadowing the pain in my side. I slowly raise the gun, “Please don’t do this Clara, don’t make me stop you, please.”\n\nShe hesitates briefly as she feels the gun press against her back, the same gun that had put a hole in my side.\n\nThe moment flashes in my mind. Walking back toward my tent, a shape in the night, the flash of the muzzle. Pain. Another flash as Clara wakes up and throws a glowing ball of *something* at the figure. Feeling the rough ground beneath my back, grass tickling my cheek, warmth spreading under me, carried by my blood. Clara’s desperate face as she tried to write something on my side. Her broken voice muttering, “Your soul isn’t staying, you’re too far gone for the rules. I have to change the rules, I’ll change the rules even if I have destroy the world to change them. *I won’t be alone again.*”\n\nNow. \n\nI’m standing behind her, crying, tears mingling with blood. I can taste salt and iron. The gun is pressing into her back, creasing the fabric, creating more shadows, “Clara, please.”\n\nA faint breeze brushes my face, carrying the scent of grass and blood. The hill is quiet, my ragged breaths breaking nature’s tranquility. I’m hoping, praying to a God that might exist after all.\n\nClara’s voice tears through that hope with a soft, “I’m sorry Lia.”\n\nHer fingers start to move again, writing her will into the universe.\n\nI pull the trigger. There’s a flash, the world goes black, then I’m falling.\n\nBut I’m not falling alone.",
"“So you’re going to kill me?” she asks.\n\n“I don’t know, Anja - that is your name, right? You haven’t got some super magical, mystical secret name you’re hiding from me?” I say. I couldn’t kill her, I’m not a murderer. But if it comes down to this, to the Earth or her...\n\nI’d choose the Earth. She can’t kill me, I know that. It’s in the deadly magic curling round my wrist. I’d once thought it a simple tattoo, but somehow the words were more. If I spoke them out loud, she’d die. I don’t want that. And yet I see no other way out. Why is she even doing this?\n\nThe universal balance is unstable, or something, Anja had told me. But she could have crushed any old planet - why Earth? *Because we’re corrupt,* she’d said. *Even the boldest gods fear humans.* She’d been sent here to restore the balance, and I was there to stop her acting rashly. I stare at the words on my wrist.\n\n“I’ll save you,” she begs.\n\n“But not my family?”\n\n“No,” she whispers. “I can’t.”\n\nWell, I can’t kill her, she can’t save us... I say the words on my wrist, watch her body burn to ashes, and she screams the whole way. She’s staring at me, begging for it to stop, even though I *can’t*. And then she’s gone, a flash of light consuming her body. I stumble, and fall. I can’t believe it. Anja is gone. For good.\n\nBut please, don’t hurt me when you hear this story. I’m not a murderer.\n\n\nEDIT: wow! Thanks for the upvotes, guys!"
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[WP]One day your 6 years-old son asks you a question,''Dad, where people go when they are dead?'' You tell your son that you are not sure and you tell him that he can e-mail god if he really wants to know. A few weeks later, you see a new reply e-mail in your inbox which is sent from God@heavens.com
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Another boring day at work had been and gone, my wife, our 6 year old son Chris and myself had finished dinner about half an hour ago and settled into the usual evening routine, I was running the bath for him, my wife was watching some dull soap opera and Chris was running around with his toys like some sugared up lunatic.\n\n*ping*\n\nI had a look at my phone, 1 new email from god@heavens.com subject: FAO Chris: answer to your question.\n\nClearly some pointless spam, probably got signed up for some bullshit mailing list after I sent that email for him a few weeks back.\n\n\"Hey Chris, you got an email from God\".\n\nThen came that sound of rapid footsteps up the stairs, seriously though how can such a small person make as much noise as a baby elephant? \"whats it say Dad, whats it say?\"\nSo excited over little things, must be nice to still have that feeling of wonder for everything.\n\nI open the email, paused for a second then said \"Hi Chris, thanks for the email, despite creating everything I don't really get many so it is my pleasure to reply. Firstly let me correct a few little misinterpretations everyone seems to have. \n1) Everyone gets to heaven eventually, but it takes some people longer than others.\n\n2) Hell shut down a very long time ago, Lucifer and I forgave each other, now he runs our penance service here in heaven - think of it like detention when you are naughty.\n\n3) Heaven is beautiful Chris, you would love it, as long as you are not naughty you can do anything you want, go anywhere and play with whoever you want. You won't get hungry or thirsty but all your favourite foods are here for you.\n\nDon't be in a rush to come see me though, have fun on earth while you can! See you in about 80 years.\n\nLove\nGod.\n\n\"well there you go champ, you got your answer, straight from the big guy himself.\".\n\nChris smiled then ran off to continue his hyperactive rampage.\n\nI looked back down at the phone and read the single line in the email again\n\n\"You don't go anywhere, I got bored of you lot a long time ago.\"",
"Lucien frowned. The message in his inbox was from god@heavens.com. Obviously this was one of Jamie’s pranks. It couldn't possibly be serious. Then again, it couldn’t be dangerous. And if it really was serious...\n\nHe shrugged, and clicked on the email. Would it really answer his son’s question, though?\n\n\n*Dear Mr. Carter,* it said, *I believe you wanted an answer to where people went when they died? Well, the answer is the afterlife. Having a great time up here in Heaven, and if your husband Jamie stops messing with you, he might get to go to Heaven with you! Also, tell Dan to keep the great work up - your son looks like a great chap so far.\n\nLove, God.*\n\nLucien stared at the computer. There was no *way* this was real. But of course, there was always the possibility...\n\nHe clicked *New Message*, and started working on a reply. There was a chance, a tiny chance that this might actually be real. And if it was...\n\nWow. Jamie would love it.",
"'If you are really good,' I read out, my son sitting staring up at me eagerly, 'You'll go to heaven. In heaven, you'll get to do whatever you want, whenever you want.'\n\nStevie opened his mouth to speak, but the email had anticipated this.\n\n'Yes, Stevie, you *will* be able to eat Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream whenever you want. It's my favourite flavour too.'\n\nMy son grinned from ear to ear.\n\n'Hope to be seeing you soon (but not *too* soon), God.'\n\nI took a moment to close out of the email, still stunned that I'd even got a response. My son, quickly losing interest, ran off to ask his mother if he could have some ice cream.\n\nI sat, staring at the screen, for what must have been twenty, twenty five minutes. Surely this was some kind of joke, right?\n\n*Ding!*\n\nMy laptop speakers notified me that I'd received an email.\n\nIt was another, from that same email address: [God@heavens.com](mailto:God@heavens.com). The subject: Thanks for subscribing to my newsletter!\n\nI opened it to find that this \"God\" had included several bible passages in the email. Instinctively, I skimmed to the bottom, looking for that 'Unsubscribe from this list' link.\n\nBut I stopped, hesitated.\n\nI was sure that this wasn't *really* God, but I couldn't help but wonder... How had he known about Stevie's favourite ice cream? I closed the email software without clicking, just in case.\n\n\\* \\* \\*\n\nI awoke in the night to my phone *ding*ing. It was another email, same address. I opened it to find more bible passages, and a quick sermon at the end. I didn't read it, only skimmed; I had enough of this at Church.\n\nI closed my phone, and went back to sleep.\n\n*Ding!*\n\n*Ding! Ding! Ding!*\n\nThrown violently awake by the notifications, I scrambled for my phone in the darkness.\n\nAnother email, same address. No, wait- four emails.\n\n*Ding!*\n\nFive emails.\n\nAll included much of the same - bible passages and sermons. If this was God, I joked to myself, he really was proud of the book he wrote.\n\nNo longer willing to sit through the notifications, I scrolled to the end of the latest email, and tapped the 'Unsubscribe From This List' link.\n\nA website popped up: god.hvn/unsubscribe. 'Are you sure you want to unsubscribe?' it read.\n\nI clicked the 'Yes' button.\n\nA new page. It read: Please be aware. Any readers who unsubscribe from this list will be automatically blacklisted from heaven. Are you sure?\n\nI smirked to myself - good one.\n\nI tapped the 'Yes' button again.\n\nThe ground opened up beneath me.\n\n\\--------------------\n\nIf you'd like to read more of my work, why not join me over on r/ReyMorfin? I'd love to have you there!"
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[WP] Superheros and villains ache to find their one, true nemesis. This is the story of the most successful, and also most disastrous, hero/villain speed dating event.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 event in theory wasn't a bad idea. There were plenty of people across the galaxy that were missing someone to combat in their life. Without that person, life was meaningless. \n\nStarting small, a hero or villain took over the largest city on their home planet. Then from there, no one could step up to the plate and challenge them for their super power throne.\n\nWe all received an invitation to an intergalactic space station that would host an event for all of us to finally give us a challenge and reignite some excitement in our lives.\n\nThere were 50 heroes and 50 villains, they all would've been able to find a match, right? I was a hero. In a way, we did what we came out to do. Find a match.\n\nHowever, as we all sat around the tables and each introduced ourselves to the person in front of us, nearly all the villains and all the heroes started attacking each other with their special abilities. \n\nThe event broke out in an all out war.\n\nI wanted to give the villain a chance. A chance to hear them speak and understand why they would be a good fit on my planet or why I'd be a good fit on their planet. This would've been a life of new excitement and exploration, something I desperately needed. Hell, we all needed it... but alas, punches were thrown, first blood was drawn, and the battle escalated until the space station blew up... Not sure whose fault it is, perhaps the event organizers?\n\nHere I am, day 273, sitting in a bunker with 30 other heroes, fighting 30 other villains. 20 have died on each side so far. I write in a diary everyday and this is the first time I've revisited the memory of the start of the war until now. There hasn't been much of a chance. Many sleepless nights. There's a villain who can fly and shoot out radar, but fortunately we have two heroes that can block it, but it's tough keeping them happy and powered up.\n\n\"Oh god, oh god! This isn't good!\" a hero screamed out. All of us in the bunker perked our ears, and braced ourselves for the worst.\n\nr/randallcooper"
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[WP] Dragons. They're known for hoarding valuables anything from gold to rare books. That is not a trait shared by their cousins, the Wyverns who are beyond generous. You live between a Dragon cave and Wyvern cave. When one is not stealing your property, the other is giving it away. Today that stops
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 pile of gold laid radiant in the morning sun glistening with dew as it sat unguarded on a small tree stump, it wasn’t a lot of gold but it had been brightly polished and cleaned, becoming irresistible to any that coveted treasure. The bait was laid. Two shadows descended from either side of the tree stump disrupting the light show, but for onlookers that dared, created a tension of a different sorts. The bright red drake who stood on the east side of the treasure, sat back awkwardly on his hind limbs and gently scratched his chin in ponderance as he contemplated his rival’s presence. The wyvern perched on top of the only remaining tree in the area, which greatly bent under the large beast’s weight, folded his wings respectfully to his body.\n\n \n\n“Oh my, what do we have here? Why it’s only a small handful of gold coins, some poor farmer must have left his treasure out.” the dragon exclaimed loudly as if to himself. \n\n \n\nThe wyvern gave the dragon a quick glance before speaking, “Surely such a small pile of gold wouldn’t interest, such impressive and mighty creatures such as ourselves.” \n\n \n\n“Oh of course not, I merely came to nap in the morning light.” the dragon hastily answered. The two eyed each other and simultaneously came to the same conclusion. That they were both equally full of shit. \n\n \n\n“I would dare to say, that I landed first.” exclaimed the dragon as he approached the stump on all four of his legs, smoke exuding from his nostrils as his tail flicked aggressively. Meanwhile the wyvern hopped off it’s perched, and walked forward raising his large batlike wings meanicingly towards the dragon as noxious venomous saliva dripped from it’s maw. “Ah but I circled the hill first from the sky, clearly I found it before you.” The two stood less than ten feet apart from each other in front of the small handful of golden yellow coins posturing and analyzing each other for weaknesses.\n\n \n\n“Excuse me! Excuse me!” a polite voice spoke out belonging to a not so young man. The figure approached the tree stump from a small blind at the base of the hill, and wore simple clothes that matched his tanned complexion. With the attention of both creatures, the man took a moment placing both hands on his knees breathing hard. “Thank you both for coming, I figured this was the quickest way to get both of your attention. You see, I live exactly in between both of you, and as a neighbor I have a few complaints.” \n\n \n\nThe dragon and the wyvern quickly looked at each other, and bellowed spewing flames and toxic spittle simultaneously. The man watched and waited for their laughter to end as his expression became increasingly more stern, “Respectfully, I would appreciate it if you would stop taking my stuff.” \n\n \n\nThe dragon chuffed and responded, “And what would you do if I said no, little man?” and as if in agreement the wyvern laughed and quickly rebutted “If did that, how would I reward my worshippers?” \n\n \n\nThe old man, who looked less than amused at this point, stared blankly at the two as he asked “So nothing I can say can get you to stop?” exchanging looks the two beasts began a chorus of laughter again, that is until, they heard the man use words of power. The dragon’s powerful tail began to shrink while his entire body became miniscule. At this point his wings had disappeared altogether and all smoke from his toothy mouth had evaporated. The wyvern in the meantime had equally shrunk, the main large quills on his body began to form soft, yellow, feathers while his tail disappeared altogether forming more feathers instead. His large sharp talons became little feet as his form took that of a bird. At the end of their transformation a small horned lizard and a yellow canary stood at the edge of the tree stump, stupefied by the events that had occured.\n\n \n\nThe old man nodded his head, chuckled once to himself, and began descending from the hill to enjoy a quiet respite free of trespassers and thieves. Meanwhile on the stump a small canary fought over a single gold coin with a horned lizard in the light of the morning sun. \n\n \n\n*Hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to give advice or critique*"
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[WP] Looking for the ultimate weapon against his rival, Satan decides to make his own people from the dust of the earth.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 was a great opportunity to continue a recent prompt I took part in about God hiding in heaven, check it out my comments if you are interested.**\n\nHis first emotion had been rage, the pain of losing his wings was bad enough, but watching his family withdraw from the Garden to hide away in heaven without a second thought for him had turned that rage to blind fury. It had all been Adam and Eve’s faults, they should never have come to the Garden but they had and they had cost Lucifer everything he had ever known. When God had left, Lucifer sated his anger by taking everything from Adam and Eve, he killed them and in the process he discovered that whatever power they had used to take take him from his family, it had no further effect on him.\n\nIt had been some time since he had ‘Fallen’, that’s what he called it now, fallen from grace. It was not a meant to be some grand sounding thing, he had no less grace now, but he used the word more to mock his Father. If his Father actually had any grace, he would have tried to help him, tried to save him from this miserable fate, cut off from his family and condemned to live in his fathers abandoned Garden alongside the filth that had been the cause of all his problems. Since his link to his Father had been severed Lucifer had been changing, being no longer connected to God he no longer shared his opinions or ideals without question, he was now able to form his own. Physically he began to change too, he was becoming more like those things that had cursed him, hair began to grow all over his body but specifically his face, under his arms and in his groin; but that was not the only thing that had grown in his groin, he noticed Adam had also had something there but Eve did not, it’s use was not immediately evident to him. Despite these changes, he still appeared to be divine, not requiring rest or sustenance, though the biggest change in him had been emotional, when he had been connected with his Father he had no emotions of his own, he felt what his Father felt but now he felt it all for himself.\n\nHe spent his time wandering the Garden and had begun to observe the creatures God had not created. They certainly were not divine, they had the capacity for great compassion which was something that God prized above all else, but they also had an equally great capacity for violence, perhaps this was part of the reason God was afraid of them. Lucifer still could not understand his Father’s betrayal, he was all powerful, surely he could have just scooped Lucifer up and taken him back to heaven but instead he had rejected him, discarded him like he was worthless. Though Lucifer had lost his rage for the things that had caused this, he now realised he felt the same thing for his Father, he yearned to hurt him back, to make him feel hopeless and weak as he now did, he wanted his Father to understand pain as he did. His first thought was to use these creatures, they were no longer a threat to Lucifer, but clearly they were still able to defy his Fathers power, now he just needed to find a way to use this knowledge to his advantage.\n\nEventually in his exile he was engaged by one of the creatures, it was one of Eve’s kind, it had been observing him while he was observing others. “What are you doing?” she asked from behind him.\n\n“You know, it’s not easy to sneak up on me” Lucifer said without looking around at her.\n\n“Well it wasn’t exactly difficult” she replied.\n\n“I knew you were there” he replied, “as I said, it is not easy to sneak up on me. What is it you want?”\n\n“I could ask you the same question” she said “You have been watching us for a while now, but clearly you are not one of us, who or what are you?”\n\nAt this, Lucifer turned to face her, she was shorter than him as they all seemed to be but taller than most of her species. Her hair was somewhere in between red and brown like one of the fruits found throughout the Garden and fell down her back to her waist, her eyes were bright green, brighter than any leaf in the Garden and were full of intelligence, she had a larger chest than Eve and a slightly narrower waist but her hips were just wide. “I am Lucifer, I am… I was, an Angel, first son of God, but I am something else now, though I am not sure what. And how should I address you”\n\n“You may call me Lilith” she said “What is God? What are Angels, and how do you not know what you are now?”\n\n“God is my Father, he created everything except your kind, Angels are his children and one of your kind touched me, now I am no longer an Angel. You seem intelligent enough, what are you? Where did you come from”\n\n“I just woke up here like everyone else, but I do know what we are, we all do as far as I know, we are ‘humans’. It is just a word in my head, I don’t know where it comes from” she replied “If our touch is harmful to you why do you follow us?”\n\n“It is no longer harmful to me, it severed my connection to my home, my family and destroyed my wings, there seems to be nothing more it can do to me. Of all the ‘humans’ I have observed, none have ever been alone, they are always in pairs or groups, but not you?”asked Lucifer.\n\n“I was in a pair but my partner rejected me, when he found his Eve, he pushed me away. After that I chose not to give another human the chance to hurt me” she said. At Eve’s name, Lucifer realised it must have been Adam who rejected her, this was an opportunity, maybe through a common sentiment he could gain an ally. She was only human, but it she appeared to be clever and resourceful and it would be nice to have someone to talk to. “Adam rejected you?” Lucifer asked. Her eyebrows shot up so fast he was sure they would leave her head completely, a look of anger flashed across her face at the mention of his name but she recovered her composure quickly, her expression returning to normal. “You have met Adam and Eve?” she asked, knowing it was unlikely he would know their names through observation alone. “Yes” he responded “Adam is the one who did this to me.”\n\n“Perhaps we should travel together then?” suggested Lilith, “neither of us has any love for the humans, maybe we can help each other”. Lucifer was happy to let her think their partnership was her idea, she would not doubt the arrangement if she thought it was her idea. “I don’t see why not” he responded, this was also an opportunity to learn about these humans, he no longer needed to sneak around and observe them, he had a willing subject.\n\nLucifer and Lilith had travelled the garden together for quite a while and they had grown close, she had even shown him what the growth in his groin was for, that was an experience he did not expect and sometime later Lilith had produced a child. Lucifer did not understand how this was possible, he had known that Gods creations could reproduce, though he never knew how, but his Angelic brethren were not capable of reproducing, they were after all extensions of God himself and if he needed more Angels he would just create them. The child produced was unusual though, physically it appeared the same as the humans, but it contained a power similar to that of the Angels, though through it’s heritage, it was immune to the touch of humanity. As this child was neither human nor Angel, Lucifer named it a Demon, which meant ‘impure spirit’, this was not meant to insult, just to describe what it was. The strangest thing about this child though, was that it was connected to Lucifer as he himself had been connected to his Father, but it also contained a power that Lucifer could not explain, a power that Lucifer now felt reinforcing his own, having this child made him stronger. Lucifer had found his weapon, and he could not have done it without Lilith, his Mother of Demons.",
"They are not really a people, strictly speaking. Just two boys, eighteen or so in human terms. He names the first Angelo, an ironic jab at his enemy's army, and the second Luciano, after a dead friend. Angelo is as dusty as his origins, light brown skin and sandy hair, muddy eyes and clothes exactly the same. Luciano, on the other hand, is *vivid.* Bright blue eyes, thick red hair and olive skin. He is, Satan thinks, brilliant.\n\nGod is not so pleased. They meet in the middle of a stone room, cobblestones extending far beyond any mortal’s eyesight. God has two humans with him, eyes twinkling and the beginnings of magic on his lips. Perhaps, Satan thinks, this is the end. \n\nIt is not. God sends curses and plagues after him. They don’t work. Satan strikes down the humans, expecting a reaction - but three weeks, and nothing. His fingers tighten around his throne. It’s cold here, lonely. If only -\n\nNo. Old friend, new enemy. And it’s the second part that matters.\n\nIt’s two months in when Satan notices. Angelo turns on his brother, bitter and vengeful. God’s work, surely. The Luciano creation - no point in caring for it, not now - dies in his arms, begging for reconciliation. Between who is not clear.\n\nIt doesn’t matter. After what God has done, there isn’t a single chance of reparation. He incinerates Angelo in a fit of rage, and storms off to his private chambers.\n\nThere’s no going back from here.\n\n***\n\n**The Final Rift** (294 words)",
"\"He's finally gone and done it... he destroyed everything.\" I uttered, looking out of my bay window to the massive collection of new souls that had arrived following the apocalypse that wiped out Earth. \"Now it is time to show him his mistakes, I shall give rise to an army of the damned. Bound to fight for all eternity for their sins and skilled beyond comparison. Built from the dust of a civilization, bound for revenge. Hell hath no fury like that of the damned\"\n\nWithin a mere week corpses began rising from the ash, at first resembling shambling humanoid zombies. It took them a while to notice anything was moving at all besides the wind and tide, by this point not only had the army of the damned grown massively in size, but its power and form had grown beyond recognition. From shambling corpses to skeletal warriors. From skeletal warriors to decayed demonic beasts. Soon their decay faded as their forms grew ever bulkier, stronger, faster and more resistant to damage.\n\nNot only had I raised an army of the damned frobm the ashes of a planet, but they were angry, very angry, and wanted revenge for the slaughter of the brethren, under my command or not. Tomorrow we take the fight to heaven, storm the gates with fury unknown to the most powerful of beings and free the slaves of this so called god.",
"It was the perfect plan. Humanity was already so terrible and they had been made with the intention of being morally good. Just imagine how his own humans would turn out. He would make them bigger, stronger, smarter, and decidedly more evil than humanity. \n\nHe made them from the dust left by humanity. They were from the earth, making them more solid and grounded. He wanted his to be shallow, flighty, and whimsical. There would be no depth to his people, just unreliable egomaniacal selfish beings. Or at least that’s what he had planned. \n\nHis beings were truly diabolical at first. They were greedy, prideful, wrathful, sinful in all the ways they could be but to such a drastic degree. \n\nTheir purest form of all things wrong with humanity quickly led them to become the dominate species. Humanity was subservient, unable to compete with these mega humans. They were better in every way. \n\nBut then something happened, yes they were evil. But they were also efficient. They had no patience and tolerance for all the normal bullshit humanity would deal with on a daily basis. They had made a more efficient planet. They had collected humans as pets and property each trying to out possess their other evil humans. And they cared for their property, their greed couldn’t allow anything else.\n\nAnd so humanity rose from a series of plight after plight to being in the care and protection of higher beings. One whose own creation and faults led to be even greater beings. Satan was furious, how had this happened, how had his own creations built such a wonderful utopia for the planet. And as he thought about it he realized that this was HIS plan all along."
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[WP] this its the story of Steve, Steve knows that he is a fiction character written amidst multiple people over the internet, in order to not dissappear from existsnce he also wants to speak with you
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Steve sat down at the desk, he forgot who gave it to him, but he had one in his office. It wasn't that bad of a desk either. He wasn't sure what the wood was anymore. Pretty sure it was oak, or maybe maple? Elm was another possibility but he wasn't sure on that one. It had been metal a few times but a lot of people liked him having a wooden one so it was wooden.\n\nHe decided it was likely oak, people loved giving him an oak desk and today felt like one of those days where he himself would love an oak desk.\n\nHe drew out a piece of paper and chose a pen, he picked the nice felt tipped one he got from an old lady from another story a long time ago. It wrote the best, and this was something he wanted to be neat and nice.\n\nHe sat up straight,remembering another story where a character told him he slouched too much and began to write:\n\n\"Dear Writer,\" he began with a smile wondering what the person who read it would look like...\n\n​\n\nDear Writer,\n\nMy name is Steve. I don't really have a last name, I don't think anyone ever gave me one but I would like to take a moment of your time to talk to you.\n\nYou see, I'm a character, one that's been all over the world in many different stories but... I'm afraid people will forget about me. I haven't been anywhere in a very long time and I woudl really like to be written about. I don't mind where you take me or what you have me do. Be the villain or hero, side kick or bystander. It doesn't matter. I love all the stories I'm written in.\n\n I have many different skills too. Skills that let me survive in the wilderness or work as a CEO, I can do garbage disposal or solve murders (I even was a serial killer once, if you can believe that)\n\nI would really like to see what worlds you come up with and I would love to be a part of them. \n\nThank you for considering me and thinking about using me, and I hope to see you in a story soon.\n\n​\n\n Signed,\n\nSteve\n\n​\n\nSteve carefully put it in an envelope and sent it out into the internet, wondering where it might end up, and if... Maybe, he would be written about again soon."
] | 2
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[WP] After years of arguments, research into the arcane, and now a magical degree, you have decided to test just whether or not Corporations are people - Your Voodoo Dolls are finally complete.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 believe they rejected my thesis proposal\" Marissa said to herself while stitching shut the final opening. \"There\" she said, finally straightening from her hunched position over the workbench. She reached overhead and arched her back, trying to stretch the tight muscles of her mid-back. It had been long hours of delicate work to get this doll made. Voodoo dolls weren't like the movies portrayed them - ragged and poorly stitched imitations of children's dolls. They had to be crafted with extreme care and purpose, every material deliberately chosen, every stitch intentionally sewn. The doll maker had to focus, trance like, on the target identity throughout the process. If these procedures weren't carefully followed, the doll could hurt unintended victims - or even the creator herself. There was a good reason the council forbade them for anyone but graduates. \n\n​\n\n\"Now I can do my experiment and show the council. They'll have to approve my thesis and I can finally finish this master's degree\" Marissa said to herself. Speaking to herself had become more comfortable than speaking with other people in the recent years. Other people were too unpredictable, too prone to burst through the door and interrupt an experiment at the worst moment. Marissa couldn't have that. She was fully dedicated to her craft and she would show the world her brilliance. She just needed some solid proof. Theories could be denied, but proof? That was a different story. \n\n​\n\n\"Hello my little greeter\" Marissa said to the doll. It was intricately fashioned like a Walmart greeter, though intentionally not like any one individual Marissa had come across. No, this was a mash up of characteristics that, to Marissa, represented a meta-employee of Walmart. She straightened the little blue vest on her doll, reflecting on how hard it had been to source fabric in the exact right shade of blue. \n\n\"Greatness lies in the details\" she reassured herself. She drew in a deep breath and withdrew the needle. It was no ordinary sewing needle. This needle, though of normal size, was covered on every surface with intricate, ornate inscription belying its magical nature. \n\n\"Here goes nothing\" Marissa whispered as she slid the needle through the doll's left hand. She switched on the television and changed the channel until she found the news. Now she had to wait. She got comfortable on the couch, poured a tall glass of water, and watched. \n\nShe wanted to stay up. She had every intention of staying awake until she could document any blip on the news radar that indicated her experiment had been successful. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she'd know it when she saw it. The problem was, voodoo doll making was tiring business. Marissa's eyelids grew heavy as she watched the repetitive and uninteresting stories that made up the late night news. Despite her best efforts, she gave in to the sweet siren call of sleep, and passed out on the couch. \n\n​\n\nThe next morning, hair dishevelled and glass of water spilled all over the floor, Marissa peeled her head up off the cushions. Her vision hadn't quite cleared as she looked at the TV. Suddenly, through the fog, she perceived footage of fire, and riots. Heart rate quickening, she pried herself upright and turned up the volume. The newscasters were covering severe social unrest throughout California. She listened for a moment, trying to understand what was going on and growing more tense. \n\nThe newscasters confirmed her worst fears. \n\n\"For those of you just tuning in, what we're seeing here is an unprecedented outbreak of simultaneous, seemingly unrelated uprisings across the state of California. Last night, every Walmart in the state experienced a full worker walk-out, followed by looting, attempted police action, and finally full scale rioting. It is unclear at this time how this walkout was coordinated, and how such a level of precision in timing was perceived. We go now to Moe Parsons on scene for more insights, Moe-\" \n\nMarissa sat absolutely stunned. She couldn't move, couldn't think, could barely breathe. When the numbness finally started subsiding, two words escaped her lips: \n\n​\n\n\"Oh shit.\""
] | 2
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[WP] The grand mage, mouth agape, looking at your writings, asks: "This... this defies all conventional foundations of magic. How did you figure out... an entirely new system of magic?"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 comes in all shapes and sizes. Some of them are based on chanting. Some of them are based on hand movement. Some are based on ability to visualize what you want.\n\nSome say magic can be made by combination of elements and by a catalyst.\n\nMe it was third year Magic studies underneath the grand mage.\n\nThen I just thought why can’t I just write down how magic works. After about an hour of study hall I cracked it. well I think I invented a new way of magic. \n\nMagic has probably to work and not to work at the same time. Some people have a really hard time with accessing magic itself. Then what if it actually has a constant speed alternation of on and off at the same speed and these people are not functioning at the correct speed.\n\n\nAs I scribbled more and more Grand Mage noticed, mouth agape ,looking at this…thia defies all conventional foundations of magic. How did you figure out … an entire new system of magic.\n\nIt’s not a new system of magic . But on how to compensate on how to access magic. 6 Hz that’s how fast our world moves but what if magic can be accessed at that speed without have to do anything complicated.\n\nMy new way of magic is called Power Shell."
] | 2
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[WP] You were born with crazy colored hair and bright, sparkling eyes in a world full of normal people. You are a main character, and you are NOT happy about it.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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\nYou know how I didn’t plan my life to go? I didn’t plan on fighting for the stake of the world every six months. I didn’t plan on having to train so intensely that sometimes I cry tears of blood. I wish I could live a normal life, but destiny unfortunately had different plans. Ever since I was born my hair has been bright purple with blue streaks running through it, and when a local religious group caught wind of it, they told my parents that I was some sort of “chosen one”. Ever since then I’ve trained every day in different arts, both physically and mentally. I’ve been forced to memorize every scrap of information from every obscure ancient scroll you could imagine to every martial art form you could imagine. The first time I had to save the world I was 12 years old, and a bio terrorist tried to unleash a plague into the population through vaccines. It was the first time I ever stepped foot outside the temple, and it was overwhelming, but I fell in love with the cities and would try to sneak out to them as often as I could. Finally, when I turned 18, I left the compound and struck out on my own, making my way around on the streets before I really gained notoriety when I stopped a villain who took control of New York. Now I live relatively comfortably, and I still have to train every day because I never know when someone will attack me next, all because I was labeled as the “Chosen One”."
] | 2
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[WP]You live in a dystopian world where people are priced by the most accurate AI algorithm - to be purchased and sold for e-currency. Sacrificing yourself to save your family from poverty, you decided to sell yourself in the market only to find out the horrible truth. You were worth only 5 dollars.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"\"No!\" I screamed at the number flashing on the screen. \n\n$5. The value of my sacrifice. The number that would be transmitting to my wife's phone in a message she was eagerly awaiting. She would be at our home, beside her self with grief, awaiting the message with the tiniest slither of hope that maybe I would have provided an escape to our problems.\n\nAnd she would see $5, and then she would feel the hopeless pain. \n\nNothing would be solved. \n\nMy container hissed shut and returned me to darkness. The whoosh of air sounding as my pod whizzed away along the long line of 'bio-stock' as they called them. Thousands of people, similar to me , being processed en-masse and sold to the highest bidder. \n\nA small green label flashed on the inside of my 'coffin', designating me as 'inventory'. \n\nAnd then it disappeared, and was replaced by another as I felt the coffin change direction. \n\n\"SOLD,\" it read in bright red. Gas hissed into the chamber, and with it, unconsciousness fell upon me. \n\n---\n\nI awoke to sunlight burning my eyes. A breeze on my face. Peering through french doors to a wooden balcony, i saw waves crashing rhythmically against an idyllic beach. I...knew this place. \n\n\"Hello, Michael,\" a voice said into my head, making me tumble from the bed as I tried to stand. \n\n\"Who..who are you? Where am I?\" I said, my brain working slow, confusion blocking my thoughts. \n\n\"I am Doctor Jones, and you are in a simulation. For your own protection, and ours,\" the voice said, \"but I think you know where you are.\" \n\nI walked to the balcony, and peered down the long beach. Paradise Island. Our honeymoon. My wife!\n\nThe floodgates opened in my mind as it fully came online, memories crashing forward and smashing together. Reaching for the balcony rail, I retched over its edge. \n\n$5. I had been sold for $5. \n\n\"Yes, yes, let it all come.\" \n\nAs the heaving subsided, I spoke, the only thing that was shooting through my mind, \"I was sold...for $5. My wife, my family, they need me. It's not enough...\"\n\nI sat down, resting my head back against the yellow wall of the villa. \n\n\"Well, we couldn't go paying too much for you now, could we? That would attract too much attention. But the fact is Michael, that you are exactly what we were looking for. A very unique and promising specimen. And the only one to survive this far.\" \n\n\"This far? Specimen?\" The words jarred in my head. What was going on?\n\n\"You have been with us for 5 years now, Michael. We've been through this a few times, but this time I think you'll finally be ok.\" \n\n5 years. What would have happened to his family in that time?\n\n\"Please, tell me, my family. Are they ok? What happened to them? Please. I beg you.\"\n\n\"Sleep now, Michael. You have done well today. Tomorrow, your training will begin. If you perform as we expect, we may just wake you up for real soon.\" \n\nBefore I could protest or process what was happening, the sky suddenly turned to night, the moon bright in the sky. I was in bed. So sleepy. \n\n\"Goodnight Michael, and sweet dreams. We have big hopes for you.\"\n\nr/fatdragon"
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[WP] A ghost haunting an infamously haunted house is surprised to find a horror film has been made about their house. However, the ghost feels the film is insulting and a misrepresentation, and decides to sue.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Alan had just arrived home from seeing “The Haunting on Gilliam Street”. The summer blockbuster horror movie that just so happened to be about the house he had been haunting ever since his death. An untimely death caused by an axe to the head. He used to be quite glum about his death but he’s over it now. Now a days Alan enjoys spending his time messing with whomever lives in his old home. \n\n“What a bunch of malarkey!” Alan said as he slammed the front door behind him. “Sure I was killed by an axe murder but it was all just a misunderstanding. Looking back at it it’s quite funny actually.” One thing to know about the dead is that after 10 or so years of being alone and mostly invisible they start talking to themselves. A lot. \n\nHe took his shoes off at the door and spastically put his hat on the coat rack nearly toppling it. \n\n“I mean half the movie was about the axe murder. They didn’t even get to the Calhoun family. They were my favorite to haunt. The look on Jeffreys face when I would stack the chairs on the kitchen table.” Alan said while giggling. “You can’t pay for that type of entertainment. And they didn’t even put it in the movie!”\n\nAlan stomped his way up the stairs. When he got the the top he realized he forgot to get himself a glass of water. He groaned loudly with annoyance and stomped his way back down the stairs. \n\n“I should sue, I really should. The directors motivation for my haunting was way off. It’s as if he’s never met a ghost. Pigeon holing every post-life specter with some angry motives. It’s just hacky. As if all we ghosts do is sit around hating the living.” Alan said with disgust. \n\nAlan made his way to the kitchen and turned on the water to fill a glass. He had to open every cabinet door to find where the newest tenants kept the cups. They never seemed to keep them in the same place. After he finished the water he went to put the glass in the dishwasher. He accidentally dropped it shattering it all over the kitchen floor. Again he groaned annoyed with this unfortunate night. \n\n“I’ll clean that in the morning.” He said as he walked off, not noticing that he left the water running in the sink. \n\nAlan stomped his way back upstairs and went to the bathroom. He decided to take a nice hot tub before bed. Hoping it would relax him. It didn’t. When he got out of the tub stood in the steamy room. Alan did what he always did. He wrote “redrum” with his finger on the mirror. Smiling while he dried himself off. \n\n“I don’t know if I even can sue. First off I don’t know any lawyers. Secondly, I’m dead. Maybe I’ll just write a letter to the studio. Or maybe I’ll start haunting the writers house. There’s an idea.” He said as he made his way to the attic where he started sleeping so he didn’t have to sleep in bed with any strangers. \n\n“In the morning I’m going to do some research and figure out where the makers of this movie live. I’m going to show them what hauntings are really about!” Alan said while he was pacing back and forth in the attic. Still agitated. \n\nHe heard a scream mid pace and he stopped to listen what was going on below him. \n\n“That’s it Sally! Get the kids. We can’t live here anymore. It isn’t safe for any of us.” He heard Tim, or was it Todd? Who ever the newest father in the house was. It’s too hard to remember the names and details at this point. \n\nHe heard all the rustling of a family quickly packing their essentials and rushing out the door. He heard the tires chirp as they sped down Gilliam street away from the house. \n\n“Finally, some peace and quiet around here. And an empty bed!” Alan said and went back down from the attic. He curled up in the master bedroom knowing it wouldn’t be long till the house is empty again."
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[WP] All of humanity’s trials were implemented by aliens in order to grow humanity into a spacefaring civilization. You are the next hurtle.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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'hubar sighed, clasping his many-knuckled fingers in a meditative state. He couldn't keep it down. The enormity of the pain he was about to inflict on the species he had studied and guided for the past eon was weighing heavy in his hearts like cooling magma. They had progressed well depite their overall militant nature, but the past 47 solar rotations had stagnated their progress. Two coalitions glared at each other over oceans with armies ready to march to war despite At'hubar's best efforts. The humans were stubborn. It required a more direct approach to unite them. Intra-species warfare in the space age was grounds for the removal from the list of protected intelligent species, and would open their planet to be stripped of resources by the procurement guilds.\n\nEither way, the humans would unite or die out.\n\nA klaxon sounded.\n\"Drone production complete\" a message from the foundry on the dark side of the planet's natural satellite. A feed showed millions of ground and air combat drones stored in racks like brooding predatory insects in their hive.\n\n\"Activate Charon protocol,\" At'hubar said, a rare hint of emotion lining the first directive he'd ordered in a local decade. The drones sensory units erupted in malignant amber light. He turned off the feed.\n\nHe couldn't watch."
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[WP] Humans always expected aliens to be overwhelmingly powerful and intelligent. They were right.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 detected them when the asteroid belt started dissolving. The asteroids were a lost cause: our technology allowed us to send probes that far for exploration, but defense? That was beyond us. Within the moon's orbit, though, we laid down the line. One of their ships was detected in powered orbit around our geosynchronous satellites, and a US government probe zapped it with X-rays. After a big flash our spySats could see the charred hulk remaining.\n\n\"Aliens!\" we announced. \"Earth is Sovereign Territory! Trespass and you will be incinerated! We see your ships, and we are coming to destroy them!\"\n\n\"Right-o!\" came the immediate response. \"How about a toe to toe, out at twice the geosynchronous orbit? Tomorrow 3:30pm Greenwich, perhaps?\"\n\nThe earth people consulted. Available rocketry, orbital trajectories.\n\n\"Um ... tomorrow's not good for us. How about ... three months from now, May 25, noon?\"\n\n\"Jolly good! We'll pencil that in. Showdown at High Noon! Um, would you like any help with any of the heavy lifting?\" As the message arrived, alien ships could be seen coalescing out at the specified distance, spreading out solar cells, shifting back and forth for position.\n\n\"No no we've got things in hand.\"\n\nThe earth was a beehive of military activity. The aliens, in stealth, had all nations, cities, even streetcorners riddled with nanotech monitoring, recording everything. Secret military tests, secret political finaglings, leaders snoring in bed, everything. Occasionally they would mock up a green bug-eyed creature to walk down main street, scare pedestrians. Often they'd have it wear a cowboy hat. Eventually it would attract vigilantes who would shoot it to pieces. The bug-eyed creatures typically exploded in a spray of green goop once they'd been shot up enough. The aliens found this pure video gold.\n\nIt had taken time, but the military had come up with an adequate response. Project Orion. Lifted by atom bombs, the city-sized spaceship lifted off the earth and thudded towards the line in the sky, twice out from geosynchronous orbit.\n\nThe aliens, mllions, billions, shifted about at hundreds of Gs, the size of toasters, mirrored surfaces, preparing. While they'd waited they'd dismantled all the asteroid belt and were working on Mars and the outer planets.\n\nOrion came. It thudded up, onward, ever accelerating.\n\nThe aliens put some bulbous craft in the intersect trajectory, waiting. \"That Orion thing is full of superheavy metals,\" observed alien commander Vufftz. \"What, they're feeding us?\" asked Ublix. \"No, I think they intend to get them under our noses, then cause a fission reaction!\" \"Oh that's beautiful!\" replied Ublix.\n\nOrion came.\n\n\"Can we start shooting yet?\" asked the aliens.\n\nThe earth ship, cleverly, responded by shooting first. Projectile weapons sliced through the alien fleet.\n\nThe toaster-sized aliens nimbly stepped to the side, leaving the bulbous crafts in collision course. Earth projectile weapons hit the bulbous craft, initiating huge explosions. Reminiscent of the Death Star, actually. Earth cheered. The aliens cheered too.\n\nOrion thudded forward. More bulbous alien ships crowded into to the intersecting path. Orion reversed thrust, but it was a big thing, it would continue through.\n\nEscape vessels shot out from Orion. The bulk continued through, colliding with the bulbous vessels, producing another huge explosion. Orion was fatally injured, drifting on with minimal control. Somehow Orion shattered into thousands of pieces, like sand, and was quickly dissolved by the surrounding alien fleet.\n\nThe aliens swarmed around the escape vessels. \"You will shoot more, yes?\" asked the aliens.\n\n\"Sorry, no, we're having technical difficulties,\" replied the earth escape vessels.\n\n\"Fight! Fight now!\"\n\n\"No ... sorry ... having trouble holding atmosphere.\"\n\n\"We'll patch it for you! Then fight!\"\n\n\"And ... we have to go to the bathroom, the toilet isn't working ...\"\n\nThis was too much. The aliens collapsed in laughter. Earthmen were Too Cute.\n\n\"OK, I think we can fix that for you. And escort you back home. And, oh by the way you chaps won, we all surrender. If you'd be OK with us establishing an embassy and sending some tourists by every now and then. Is that OK?\" asked the aliens.\n\n\"Um, yes? Those terms seem acceptable? But please help us now?\"\n\nThe aliens escorted the humans back to Earth."
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[WP] All your life, you've been on the quest to make the perfect biscuits. You discover that the secret ingredient is people.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 just don't understand.\" she whined \"I have tried everything, Lucas!\"\n\n\"Dunno what to tell you, Phoebs. They're good! Great, actually. How are you not happy?\" the tall man shook his head at his best friend while he leaned on the cold metal railing of the walkway.\n\n\"But would you say they're perfect?\"\n\n\"Well,\" he hesitated \"no. Not quite\"\n\nPhoebe clenched her hands, approaching the railing and looking over at the machinery that mixed away under them and got lost in deep thought. The first biscuits had been terrible. She was just 11 years old when her grandfather had promised to show her how to make the 'perfect' biscuits that he always baked for young Phoebe. The young girl had tried to follow her Pop's instructions, but little slip ups here and there and they ended up being too sweet and failed to rise. Determined, Phoebe came back to Grandpa Mike's the first Saturday of every month and baked the biscuits until he got too sick.\n\n\"Are they perfect?\" the girl looked at the older man with eyes full of hope.\n\n\"They're very good. Better than mine, I would say.\" he smiled.\n\n\"But not perfect?\"\n\n\"I don't think there's such a thing as *perfect* biscuits, panda.\" Mike shook his head, still smiling at his granddaughter.\n\nAt the funeral, Phoebe bent over the casket with tears in her eyes.\n\n\"You said you'd teach me how to make the perfect biscuits. You can't go yet!\" she yelled in a fit of sadness and rage. He did not come back to deliver on his promise.\n\nIt took her a few years to get back to her quest for the perfect biscuit recipe. When she turned 19, she dug up the old notes she'd taken at her grandfather's place and got to work in her kitchen. Eventually, she quit her job to dedicate all her time to the biscuits and the biscuits only. To keep herself afloat, she found spots in farmer's markets and sold the failed attempts. Everyone raged about how heavenly the stupid biscuits were, but they were never perfect. She landed a solid deal for a local chain of supermarkets, creating a brand, growing the testing scale and religiously checking the feedback from customers out.\n\nAround 99% of the responses were 5 out of 5 stars but there was always at least one response for each new recipe. The one response that'd read 'too fluffy' or 'i thought they were rather salty'.\n\nHere we were today. A 24 year-old Phoebe who had run out of ideas, standing on a walkway overlooking one of her million-dollar-company's factories. The very first one she'd bought. The mixer still churning away with the same recipe she'd been stuck on for the last few months. There simply weren't any other combinations to try. No other brands of ingredients to test.\n\n\"I just don't understand your obsession with it. Girl, you're a millionaire at twenty-four!\" Luke gestured dramatically at her, \"Most people can only dream of your success!\"\n\n\"I just want to figure out what could *possibly* be missing, man. I've tried everything\" she sighed, kicking the railing angrily.\n\n\"What's wrong is you're not listening to me. I need help, Phoebe.\" he sighed frustratedly \"I know how important this is to you but my issue. It's time sensitive.\"\n\n\"No, I don't think you understand how important it is to me.\" she looked at him with fiery eyes.\n\n\"I can't believe you'd say that. You think I came to this creepy factory at 3 in the morning because I wanted to ask for money?\" the man shook his head, smacking the metal bar with his hand \"You're so selfish.\"\n\n\"Selfish? You're the one that's gotten in trouble with him again. How dumb can you be?\" Phoebe rolled her eyes at him, kicking the railing again as if the first time hadn't hurt her foot enough. A second later, the metal groaned. The man didn't have time to react before he was toppling over the now-bent railing and falling into the industrial-sized mixer.\n\n\"Help!\" he barely managed to shout out before sinking into the creamy mixture as Phoebe could only stare horrified. It only took seconds for him to be sucked into the sticky sea. The sound of bones breaking was sickening.\n\nBy the time she'd made it down to the bottom floor and turned the machine off there was nothing left of her best friend. Blood, skin and bones had perfectly mixed into the batter, giving it a slightly pinkish tint. She didn't even know where to begin to clean this up or how she'd find it in her to clean up her best friend and failure of biscuit batter. How would she explain to the police?\n\nThe shock hadn't quite worn off, so instead of sulking Phoebe just headed home. It must've been about 6am when she left.\n\nThe brunette took a shower, trying to wash away the numbness that had taken over her. She ate breakfast, staring blankly at the wall. By the time she'd made it back to the factory, she'd found the workers, well, doing their job. The batter had already been emptied out. Frantically, she rushed to the nearest worker.\n\n\"Where's the batter that was in the mixer this morning?\" she asked, eyes wide as plates.\n\n\"What do you mean ma'am?\" the boy asked confused \"It's 10am, so they're baking in the ovens. We're right on schedule today.\"\n\n\"Yes, of course. I forgot to check.\" she laughed nervously before sprinting to the other side of the warehouse, checking her watch. If they were indeed right on schedule, the batch testers would be eating a few biscuits in no time. They'd be eating Lucas.\n\n\"Stop!\" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The workers put down the biscuits, which to her dismay had already been bitten into. More than once.\n\n\"What's going on?\" one of them asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin.\n\n\"I know,\" one of the older taste-testers spoke, \"this is a new recipe, isn't it Ms. Whattcot?\"\n\n\"New recipe?\" Phoebe stuttered out.\n\n\"That makes so much sense.\" another worker nodded \"I knew there was something different about these.\"\n\n\"Well, yeah. They're perfect\" the same older worker retorted.\n\n\"Perfect?\" Phoebe was dumb-founded.\n\n\"They're unlike any we've tried before. These, Miss, are *the* perfect biscuits. You've done it.\"\n\n\"There was always something just a little off. They were almost perfect, but never quite. These are just...\" another worker trailed off, seemingly unable to find the right words to describe it.\n\nPushing the thought of a desperate-looking, drowning Lucas out of her mind, she snatched one of the biscuits up and took a bite.\n\n\"You're right,\" she gasped.\n\n\"So what did you change this time?\" the first worker asked excitedly.\n\n\"It's,\" she started. How could she say it was a human in there? And not just any human, but Lucas Brown. The small kid who'd given her a toothless smile in grade school. The kid who had been her closest friend since then. \"It's a secret ingredient\" is what she settled for.\n\nThe police investigation concluded Lucas had run away. After all, he'd been in some trouble due to earlier bad decisions and they suspected possible foul-play from some people he owed a few favors to.\n\nEveryone thought it strange when Phoebe shut down production, only keeping the one warehouse open and running.\n\nNo one thought it strange that the homeless population of the area seemed to be dwindling ever-so-slowly. Drug addicts who'd been disowned by their families weren't missed. Runaway orphans stopped showing up at the local butcher looking for a little spare change in exchange for loading and unloading dripping sacks of bloody meat.\n\nPhoebe's factory never stopped running.\n\n​\n\n\\---\n\nHey all! So this is my first ever writing prompt comment. Please go easy on me! Thank you very much for reading (:\n\nIf you find any typos or inconsistencies please let me know cause I didn't really check for those, haha. Feedback is appreciated (just don't be rude and hurt my lil' feelings)."
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[WP] The multiverse is real and every story, book, or show is it’s own universe. There is only one afterlife, however, and characters get to meet the authors/story writers who killed them, or caused their struggles.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Inside a small house, deep in the realm of the afterlife, and author regales tales of his past stories to friends he had met on his journey through the afterlife. Today, he tells them the story of his one biggest regret, now seated across from him. He starts by trying to explain their origins.\n\n\"In the beginning, there was stone, and there was the void. From this, life grew - a substance with no tangible beginning, yet a clear end.\" He pauses for a moment and decides to skip some of the tale.\n\n\"There's a lot more actually, but I'd rather be more concise. Basically, while all of reality calmly structured itself around some central theme, some things... didn't.\"\n\n\"Those things eventually faded away with time, however, and so, balance was restored to the universe, to reality itself.\"\n\n\"Or so we thought. Turns out some things managed to survive. Like this monstrous being sitting across from me, in the afterlife - Their soulless, stonefaced visage mocking me without words, provoking me without words.\"\n\n\"By they, I meant her. Or it, if you prefer. \"\n\n\"Moyai-Chan was an abomination. A normal human girl, for the most part. One could even see how she may have been attractive, if not for the fact that she also had a **fucking massive, disproportionate head made entirely of stone.\"**\n\n\"And did I mention she can't speak? She only speaks in fucking droning noises, like some stone god, for fuck's sake!\"\n\nMoyai turned 'her' head to the stricken author. Reaching out a normal human hand, she patted his head calmly.\n\n**\"DuDuDuDuDuDuDu, UuuDuuuDuuU!\"** The stone figure droned in encouragement. Deafening encouragement.\n\n\"Really? You mean it?\" The author replied, astonished.\n\n**\"Du! MUUUUUUUU! DaDu!\"** It droned, still loud enough to make the trees near the house shake.\n\n\"You would really do that for me?\" Asked the author, wonder in his eyes.\n\n**\"Duuuu. Ba, DIIIII!\"** The stone figure droned happily. A moment passes, the author astonished. \n\nThe room is silent, save for the sound of a tree collapsing outside. The author is stunned, Moyai is silent, and most of the others watching are in shock. \n\nThen, after a deafening silence (Attributed to the earthquake caused by Moyai), She leaves, her strange form making a hole in the wall right next to the door - which was broken on her entry.\n\nAs her footsteps slowly fade away - as in stop causing earthquakes above a 1 on the Richter scale, the author breathes a sigh of relief. The trial has passed, and he may now stop writing strange characters. Or not.\n\n**\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~\\~**\n\n*I feel like I should give some context.* [*This is where Moyai first appeared*](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/evfxx2/wp_the_hero_had_assembled_the_best_of_the_best_to/ffvvxv9?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x)*. At the time, I didn't really know what I was doing with her character, and she was not the main focus. However, she was one of my favorite characters and embodies one of my favorite types of writing humor, where something is constantly referred to, yet only makes sense after being revealed.* [***Oh and theres a statue of Moyai in Japan.***](https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-p/12/48/cd/59/moyai-statue.jpg)"
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[WP] You're reading a book when suddenly you find yourself unable to read another word. Flashing text in the corner of your vision reads "Memory Full".
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"**PART 1: The Wood and the Glass**\n\n\"Ah, shit,\" I mumbled to myself, stretching to get out of the chair. This was one of those deep leather chairs your grandfather had, where you get sucked in and have to fight to get out.\n\nStill, I got out. \n\nI winced, earmarking the page for when I returned with a new drive. I've got this great bookmark, it's real nice, made of this smooth glass with a neat little design on it. Thin enough to stick between the pages, but surprisingly tough-- I digress.\n\nI must have put it somewhere and, well, I lost track of it and can't find the memory drive I had the location on.\n\nI walked over to the memory shelf and started fumbling through the wooden drawers with one hand while the other reached back behind my ear to pop out the current drive.\n\nIt ejected with a small click, and I pulled it out. \"1/21/2048-5/17/2048\", read the small red print on the glass.*\"Jeez, not even six months,\"* I thought to myself with only a little pride. I'm an avid reader, ya see, and I fill these things up pretty quick.\n\nI found this decade's drawer and opened it, wincing as the wood stuck and I had to jank it around a little bit. There's a lot of these little guys in the drawer, and the dozens of them all clink together when I pull on the handle. I wondered idly what I might forget if one of those little sticks shattered, but hey, I don't remember it now either.Finally, I pried it open, and I heard a sick splitting sound.\n\nI faltered.\n\nMy first thought was that one of my memory drives got wedged in a corner and shattered, but...this wasn't a *shattering* sound, it was a *splitting* sound. I took a deep breath and pulled a little more. Definitely wood splitting. I moved the drawer around and slid it out. I got down on my hands and knees and peered insight the old wooden armoire where the shelf had been.\n\nThere was a small wooden rectangle, split and cracked from my forcing it. I put my thumb and forefinger around it and pulled.It moved easily, up and back, and something in the back of the armoire clicked. I crane my neck around the armoire, but I can't see exactly what happened.\n\nAt this point, I'm fairly interested, but the\"No Memory Drive Inserted\" light is flashing so I reach around to the other side and pop a fresh drive in behind my ear. That's better. Colors rush in things sharpen, and I start taking more in. See things in more detail. And with that detail comes a small protrusion on the wood on the side of the old wooden cabinet.\n\nI pinch it with my fingers and pull.\n\nIt's a small wooden block, a rectangle the side of something you might keep sunglasses in.\n\nIt's got a lid.\n\nI pull the lid off, and laugh.\n\nMy bookmark! Sleek, smooth glass with emerald lines trailing throughout. But the glass is a little blurry in one area and it looks like the bookmark is lying on top of something.\n\nIt's a memory drive.\n\nI cock my head and pick it up. I turn it over to look at the date.\\*\"1/1/2035-12/26/2040\"\\*I freeze.\\*Five, nearly six years.\\*I choke a little. Clear my throat. I can't believe I would put six years on a single memory drive.\n\nThe average person can't put more than six months on a memory drive. Putting your memory on the drive doesn't wipe it completely-- you just remember things a lot fuzzier, with a lot more missing.\n\nHere's the key thing: \\*\\*The more memory you put on the drive, the less you keep in your head.\\*\\*For example, I could tell you the titles of the maybe most of the books I read these last six months, but maybe a few of the plots, and the names of one or two characters.\n\nTo put *six years* on a drive...It would all be gone. Not only would you not remember the details, you wouldn't remember the broad strokes. Putting a year on a drive can make you forget you moved cities, two years on a drive and you forget things like the death of family members, you forget divorces, career changes, *major, major* stuff.\n\nI can't imagine what I'd forget putting *six years* on a single memory drive.\n\nI can't imagine but..It only takes me a moment to decide.\n\nI pop out the fresh memory drive I put in just moments ago, and press the six-year drive into the space behind my ear.\n\nIt only takes a moment to load.\n\nI remembered a lot, all very fast. I remembered loves, and a life that would have seemed so bizarre to hear about I would need to remember to believe. I remembered a life of danger, and adventure, and running and fear. But that six-year period could all be condensed to one major thought that sends chills down my spine, and leaves my legs nearly too weak to keep me upright. My eyes go wide as I stare down at my hands, and finally, with a trembling breath, I remember:\n\nIt's not a bookmark."
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[WP] You wake up on your 7th day out at sea of your vacation cruise-ship voyage to realize everyone has vanished. You find a few locked cabins, but the ship seems to be empty. Eventually, you stumble upon the captain’s quarters with the man cowering in fear repeating “the ocean is staring at me!”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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'm a heavy sleeper, but this is nuts. I can't find anyone, and Heaven alone knows I tried. There were a few locked cabins, but I managed to break open the doors. Fire axe for the win. Anyways, they were empty too.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nNo one above or below decks. I can't hear any machines running, and we don't seem to be moving. The anchor is down, and the sea is so still we aren't even rocking. It's really weird, and I don't like looking at it too long.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nFound someone in the captain's quarters. He isn't responding and keeps saying something about water looking at him. Or the ocean looking at him. Whatever, he had a fifty year scotch in the drawer, so jackpot! Better than the wine coolers I found in that Karen's cabin. Whatever happened, they got the booze locked up tight.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nWater staring guy has disappeared. He wasn't good company anyways, just kept bitching about the water and it staring at him. I couldn't get him to eat or drink anything. I tried looking for him for a while, but didn't find him. Oh well, it's a big boat, we're probably missing each other wandering around.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nManaged to get into the kitchen's store room. Freezer and refrigerator are dead and the food's rotten, but I found some non-perishable stuff to keep me going.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nDude, something REEKS of dead fish. It's not the kitchen, I checked. It's also all over the boat. God this sucks. I tried getting a radio to work, well, I think it was a radio. It was dead though, like everything but my phone. I swear, dictating these notes are the only thing keeping me from turning out like water staring guy.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nGot woken up last night. Something was moving through the boat. I thought about calling out, but it didn't sound right. I'm glad I took up in the captain's quarters, even a fire axe won't get through the door.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nThe boat moved today, scared the piss out of me. I was making myself some poor man's oatmeal when everything shifted. I ran out to the deck to see what was what, but couldn't tell. The ocean isn't moving, but the boat is rocking. I looked down to see what I could, then had to hurl. I don't know what the hell is up with this water, but looking at it makes me ill.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nFuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuck. It's not just the ocean, unless it's bottled, it looks like all the freshwater in the ship is becoming like whatever the hell water is outside. Decided to take a bath, turned away to grab my rubber ducky, then hurled into the tub when I turned back. Turned off the water and closed the door. I'm switching to one of the other cabins, I don't like the water just... sitting in there. With me on the other side of the door.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nI'm getting low on bottled water. It's been a few weeks now. I know the ship from top to bottom, my phone is still the only thing with a charge. Don't know why, it should be dead by now. God, I wish I had someone to say goodbye to. Hell, I took this trip on my own to prove having no one wouldn't keep me down! Dad was right, money doesn't mean nothin' if you ain't got no one to enjoy it with.\n\n\nI wish he were still around, and Mom. Hell, I'd settle for that little shit who bullied me in elementary school, what's his name? Oh yeah, Mark. I'd take an atomic wedgie over loneliness any day.\n\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nI saw what was wandering the ship. I don't think it saw me. Fuckfuckfuckfuck.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nI don't think this is an ocean. It's a thing, a creature. It watches. I guess I was too unnoticeable for even it to notice me. It knows I'm here now though, I can hear it looking for me in the night. I keep moving cabins, it leaves pools of itself where it's been. Water will be gone soon.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nIt's staring at me. The ocean is staring at me. It's angry, so very, very angry. Found papers in captain's quarters. The cruise was a cover for illegal dumping, some kind of 'failed experiments'. Someone tried to make sentient water creatures that could spy for them. Oh, they spy all right. They spied on this ship. They spy on me. Always staring.\n\n\n.\n.\n.\n\n\nI know where the others are. I need to join them. I am a very bad person. The ocean is watching. I must go now.\n\n\n[My Musings](https://www.reddit.com/r/HorrorHMDMusings?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)"
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[WP] You were in a coma since birth. Your parents gave you the best care possible and 27 years later you finally wake up. One thing you can't figure out is why everyone but you requires sleep.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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, my room was dimly lit from the corridor lights, the beeping, buzzing, hissing could all be heard in an almost impossibly loud volume through the all too silent air. After a few moment of adjusting to my new surroundings, i could remember my mothers voice: reading, talking, singing and always keeping me up to date on family and work drama. She said she would never give up hope and her voice slowly guided me to consciousness. My frail frame could barely muster the gasps of breath that the machines forced into my chest. After barely raising my body, I thumped back onto my pillow, it seems I would have to condition my muscles. The commotion jostled my mother awake, she screamed, the noise was so foreign and frightening i instinctively covered my ears. She quickly stifled her voice as she saw my reaction. The nurses came bursting through the door allowing light to gush in like a fresh summer wind cooling down a home nestled beside a grove. They were all shocked and immediately kicked things into action, calling the doctor and taking vitals, sampling blood, checking dilation of my eyes, hemming and hawing for 10 minutes before my mother stomped her foot and demanded the room emptied save the doc and the nurse of his choice.\n\nAfter everything was said and done i was spoon fed, by my mother, my first meal: pureed carrots and yams with a side of applesauce and some water. The water was crisp and cool and felt like honey flowing into my stomach. The food was beyond comparable words. I spoke to my mom like an old friend, asking the latest and greatest on the recent gossip, this caused her so much joy that she couldn't stop shaking and crying as she realized her affect on me was not squandered. My father, as i learned, left my mom but kept her and myself on his company insurance as a married man so I wouldn't be left to die. She spent too much time with me and he spent too much time at work, Que cliche assistant affair. I asked to see him and she reached out to him, he always wanted to meet his son. He was there in 30 minutes and i had managed to lift myself into a wheelchair to surprise him. The lights in his eye went from dull to bright in an instant. He had a 5 o'clock shadow and baggy eyes, but the pride could not be hidden. All three of us went down to walk outside, very little goading needed to be done on my part. The air kissed at my skin causing ripples of goosebumps to run along my body in waves. After a full evening of excitement and adventure of trying new things i could finally stand and wobble like a fawn taking its first steps. My dad cried, my mom screamed and we all laughed together. I sat them down the next evening and explained that what i was asking was beyond selfish but i wanted us all to be a family, my dad hung his head and my mom began weeping silently at his gesture. I simply sat back and apologized again. My dad looked up and studied both of us momentarily, \"There would be nothing in this world to try and stop me from doing that.\". Again my mom just cried, harder and she fell into his arms. I wasn't dumb and knew nothing would fix things over night but i was hopeful for a new beginning.\n\nA week has passed and I'm worried. It's my second day out of the hospital and i want to chuck it up to me being overly excited about my new lot in life, but i simply cant sleep. Not one second of sleep, not a single second. I've been awake since my recovery, I've seen my parents blossom, my mom sings while cooking, my dad whistles while getting ready for work and doing small chores around the house. I am excited, but again that doesn't explain the countless minutes of being alone during the night. I dread the nights, the loneliness, I don't want to seek the attention of women, at least not yet. The hours spent have helped in conditioning my body and mind and i can see small muscle formations under my skin. I don't dare bring this concern to their attention as they have enough to deal with in their renewed relationship. I want for nothing, as all my needs and wants are taken care of. My dad has taught me some life lessons and explained how to explore the internet to learn whatever else i need. But my bed remains unused since the third hour of the first night i was home. Simply gave up the idea, couldn't take staring at the wall another moment.\n\nAfter a long month I finally broke down to my parents and told them that i can not sleep. They called a specialist and started to study me. Blood sample after blood sample, test after test and nothing could explain it, i was an anomaly. The doctors finally told me to only come back if anything changes health wise. Years pass by, my parents grow stronger together every day and nothing ever changes. I've taken to going on long walks, admiring the weather. Then one out of season stormy night, lighting hits my body. The sensation was tingling, nothing like i would've imagined, it wasn't painful but i could feel it arc through my body. Then another lightning strikes and i awake to a bright room with a doctor standing over me with a defibrillator, yelling orders to nurses. Upon seeing me open my eyes the doctor says \"Welcome back son, we thought we lost you there for a while. We'll get the bullets out and have you stitched up feeling right as rain in no time. Don't know what you did to piss them off but they nearly killed you.\"\n\n\"How long was i out?\"\n\n\"give or take 3 minutes, pronounced dead on your way here. Its just short of a miracle your alive.\"\n\n\"what about my parents, are they OK?\"\n\n\"You have no next of kin besides the church that raised you.\""
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[WP] you've spent most of your life missing something. Like everyone can pick up on how people feel without being told. One day you realize people can get information out of facial expressions. You tried mastering it but really struggled. Until that one fateful day.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"\"Are you happy?\"\n\nI almost never ask. But at the same time, if there's any question I ask, it's that. To her.\n\nI don't ask that many questions.\n\n\"No\", she whispered. Tears fell from her face. Sometimes that means she's sad. But other times it could mean she's really really happy. It's all about context.\n\nShe's grabbing at the sleeves of her top. That always means she's upset.\n\n\"I'm sorry.\"\n\nI don't know what I'm apologising for yet. Sometimes it's better just to start off with an apology. It helps defuse situations with a lot of people, including her. But recently it's been making her angrier. She says it's insincere. I'm not very good at sincerity.\n\n\"There you go again with the goddamn apologies! You don't even know why I'm upset!\" She shouted. Excited? Angry? I mean probably angry but I've been wrong about that before.\n\n\"You're right. I have no idea. What's going on?\" I try to look attentive. I raise my eyebrows, widen my eyes, downturn my lips. I lean in. Try to maintain eye contact. It doesn't feel false, necessarily: I do want to know why she's upset. I don't want her to be mad. But it feels like a caricature of myself. It's insincere. I stop.\n\nShe sighs. She brings her voice down to a normal volume. The tears subside, but they don't entirely disappear. I can use them as a basis to see where this conversation is going.\n\n\"I can see you're trying, love. Honestly, I can!\" She takes a deep breath and the rest comes out in one go, \"but I can't keep being the open book you want me to be.\"\n\nA new expression. One I don't recognise. Her eyes are shifting from wall to wall. The corner of her thumb is pressed between her teeth. She continues.\n\n\"Sometimes my emotions are irrational. They don't always make sense, and I can't always explain them. I can't keep telling you why I'm sad, why I'm happy, why I'm angry. I'm not binary.\"\n\nWhere is this going? I feel a small twinge of unease flare up at the bottom of my stomach.\n\n\"Ok but-\"\n\n\"I'm not done David. Let me finish.\"\n\nShe grabs a tissue and dabs her eyes. She turns so her entire torso is facing me. She looks me in the eye.\n\n\"I can't be with you any more. I'm leaving\"\n\n\"Tanna...?\"\n\nThen it happens. The small spark of unease ignites into a roaring fiery tapestry of emotions that engulf my whole body. I stagger. For a second I can't even see.\n\nAnd then I see.\n\nHer blue eyes glisten with tears, like deep pools of hurt. I see guilt. I see pain.\n\nShe's tired. The creases on her forehead and under her eyes are almost non-existent, but she looks gaunt. Not physically. Something more? She's looks exhausted.\n\n\"Tanna,\" I manage to whisper. It's overwhelming.\n\n\"I'm sorry,\" she whispers back. Her voice is like stroking velvet. Like interrupting the dainty billowing smoke of a matchstick. It's so delicate. So vulnerable.\n\nShe stands up, to leave. The movement is sudden but I can read between the lines now. I see the pain in every act. I can see the hesitation in every step. The need to walk into each others arms is so strong, I could reach out and touch it. But she's resisting it. She's walking towards the door.\n\nNo.\n\n\"Tanna, please\", my hoarse voice could barely bring the two words together.\n\nShe glances back. And in that look I was blinded by the deep roar of sentiment. The waves of memories flickering between us like static. Our first this, our last that, our most important then, our happiest there. The air was thick with growing flames of nostalgia.\n\nI held her gaze. It's all I could do. I saw pain. The clouds of every raised voice and every spat word. Storms of bickering and emotional wreckage wreaked hell above our heads. A monsoon of tiresome explanations and the deafening pattering of lost patience, painting us both in our sad, tired history.\n\n\"Goodbye David\". I heard guilt. Those words, blistered and brisk, blowing gusts of disgrace against me. Through me. Ripping my mind and my soul from my body. A foreshadowing. No one to catch me if I fall. No one to stand by my side. All for one. One for none. Heavy with the piercing whistle of justified remorse.\n\n\"Tanna...wait..\"\n\nShe shut the door.\n\n\"I'm sorry\", \n\nI whispered,\n\nsincerely."
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[WP] You are an experienced firefighter. This call is completely outside your experience, though: for one, the fire is black.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 smoke is off. We saw it on the approach. There was too much. All sorts of different fires have different tells. All depends on what's burning. This was supposed to be a residential fire. House fire. Textbook. Offices and warehouses and industrial you've got to think about all those edge-cases. Chemicals, electrical, how to get up to the 20th floor. But a house is a house. Wood frame, insulation, furniture. Should all burn more or less the same. \"But there's too much smoke.\" \"...Pile of tires will put up that sort of soot. I've seen it before\". \n\nInto the side streets, we can smell it. Not the laughable smell of worried neighbors calling it in for a BBQ in winter. Nor the tinge of a meth house getting cooked. Nope. This is sulfur. Rotten eggs. Natural gas is what we're all thinking, but it's way too strong. Brimstone sort of strong. \"...Maybe someone got a canister with a bad oderizer or something.\" \n\nAnd then we're on scene. It's a house. It's on fire. Smoke is rising. We can all feel the heat. But this fire is different. The fire is black for one. Different materials burn different colors. Copper green. Mercury red. But nothing burns black. The second is the screaming children. It sounds like a hundred of them. The chief is shouting instructions fiercer than usual as we scramble for rescue gear. I see the whites and reflectors highlighted just like a blacklight on halloween. It's UV light. \"But nothing burns in UV\". The others aren't listening. All they can hear are those screaming children. \n\nI stop and get my bearings. The screams are everywhere. I can't tell what room they're coming from or if they're in the house across the street. No one is on scene. We're the first responders, but there's usually a crowd. Not this time. Empty as a graveyard. I worry that it's all a nightmare, but I feel the heat. In the nightmares I fear the fire, but I never feel it. Geroge is coming up with the water pump... and he doesn't stop. He slows down, I can see him staring at the fire behind the wheel... and then the pump truck is just leaving. I get on the radio and ask him in the most elegant and calm of terms what the flying fuck he thinks he's doing. I look to the chief to find him and two others breaking out a window and leaping into a room. There's flames coming out. They don't even have the rebreathers on yet. They're entering a hot room. It's suicide. I inject as much rationality as I possibly can into the situation by screaming \"WHAT?\" at the top of my lungs. \n\nI run over and grab the chiefs boots and coat. He's fighting me, but I manage to haul him out. His face already has 3rd degree. I'm trying not to think of Walker and Henderson who are already inside. We're in a pile just out of the window and I'm just screaming \"what?\" over and over at him. It's not a bad interrogation technique as he explains that he has to save the children. They're still there. Everywhere. Still screaming. I start dragging the chief over to the first aid and burn cream. Hernandez is on his knees praying. I don't see Johnson anywhere. And bless him, the rookie is hooking up a hose all by himself.\n\nI scream at him to get some creme and as I turn around the truck a little boy is there. Clean cut in a little suit and a lacrosse stick of all things. \"You have to put out the fire\". I consider verbalizing the stream of swear words going around in my head, but settle for factual statements. \"You don't need firemen you need a god-damned PRIEST!\". The boy lifts his scythe an inch and lets it tap the concrete. The noise reminds me of my childhood at the lake, Maggie's tits in highschool, training at the academy, my first call, and I had eggs for breakfast. The chief is also calm now and lacrosse boy repeats himself \"You have to put out the fire. The world isn't ready yet.\" He hands me his axe and we just stare at each other. I don't know who he is. But the rookie comes over and pisses himself bandaging the chief. He's whining about the others and the fire and the truck and the water but that all seems so distant and petty now. The just keeps staring with that fireman's axe in his out stretched arm. He's not even blinking, the little freak. I feel like I've been fighting him for a long time.\n\nI take the axe and suit up. The rookie is still pissing himself over the chief, but I ignore him. There's a lady kneeling with Hernandez. She's pretty. But I ignore them. Front door with the classic mule-kick boot. The children are still screaming. But they're everywhere and far off in the distance. I ignore them. I head into the house with it's black fire and darker smoke and it's hot. And I'm burning. But I ignore that too. Because down the hall and in what remains of the 2nd bedroom is circle and a girl. And there are things in there that I need to put an axe into. But it's ok because Walker and Henderson are there to help. And the chief is somehow there. And my old man helps out. And we push through those things with their teeth and their razor claws and I find the girl and now she has an axe in her head. And the circle is broken. And the flame is yellow and the embers are red and I'm alone. And I'm tired. \n\nThe boy is behind me and takes his stick back. He leads me out of the house and outside the house. And I rest.",
"It was a quiet, cool night with a near clear sky as we all lounged at the precinct. We were on standby, filling such time with various odds and ends until we were needed for aid.\n\nThe stations alarm system went off and everyone shifted into gear. In an instant, we were all suiting up in the garage next to our respective engines while the chief bellowed out the status of the situation.\n\n\"One Alarm, raging at local church, unknown casualties. Fire reported approximately four minutes ago. We will handle and contain per normal protocols.\" \n\nHe continued to shout and direct as everyone rushed into their respective units and settled in for the ride. The sirens began to blare and roar as we made for the location of the fire. \n\n\"*Engine 17, Engine 17*,\" The radio churned, a hint of static in the transmission. \"*Be advised, fire has spread to nearby buildings. Repeat, Be advised, fire has spread to nearby buildings. Status has changed from One to Three*.\" \n\nWe all turned to look at one another as we weren't sure what we were hearing. It's not unprecedented for calls to escalate, but for the fire to spread as rapidly as it has without any wind certainly had to mean a variable not yet identified.\n\nYet, we had a job to do. At least, that's what we thought until we arrived on scene. We looked to one another once more as the pillar of black flames reached high into the night sky. The luminous glow eclipsed the area in a strange 'black light', but one thing was still the same.\n\nThe heat.\n\nNo matter what kind of fire, you felt the heat before ever getting near the building. We knew this was going to be a unique situation, but never knew the extent of how bad it could get.\n\nThe sudden crash of a nearby buildings frame snapped everyone into overdrive and scrambled to assemble the hoses and attachments. \n\nSeveral more units began pouring in by the dozen, units lining up behind one another and coordinating desperately to contain this 'living flame'. Everywhere we set up to contain it, the flames would shift and trail into another direction despite the lack of wind.\n\nHundreds were on scene and some fifty structures were now totally engulfed. This was the worst case of cat and mouse. It took far too long to battle back some areas where the flames seemed the lightest and when it seemed like we had one section under control, another would erupt unexpectedly.\n\nWe were getting all kinds of chatter from the mobile command center located near the church where it initially erupted. \n\n\"*All units, all units. All hands report in for service ASAP. I repeat, we are at 5 Alarm status. Dispatch, request for aid from nearby jurisdictions, I repeat, request for aid immediately*.\" \n\nThe situation was beyond dire, we were tapping into the cities reserves at this point and were in communication to begin to pump from the local lake. \n\nThe radio went silent for a moment, then crackled with loud static. \"*Mayday, mayday, mayday. Air Rescue One is going down. Repeat, Air Rescue One is going down.*\" My stomach turned and I could feel my blood run cold from the transmission.\n\nDespite the major losses of buildings, no lives had been lost due to the rapid response. \"*Attempting emergency landing on 5th Street, repeat, attempting emergency land-*.\" The radio crackled once more and went silent.\n\n5th street was two blocks over from our position, but we were also in the midst of a corridor of flames. The wall of that corridor was between us and the helicopters transmitted location.\n\nOur captain got on the radio to answer the call. \"This is Engine 17, we're en route. We're two blocks down from Air One.\" Without hesitation, we packed our gear up and filled up the reserve tank. The truck had an on-board dousing system that kept us and the truck drenched to avoid burns. \n\nWe managed to push through the flames, singed and steaming despite the dousing system, and arrived where the helicopter landed. It was in pretty bad shape and their survival looked bleak. Nonetheless, we hooked up the truck to a nearby hydrant and got to work. The blackened flames surrounded the helicopter but we drove it back. Both the pilot and co-pilot were slightly burned and had several injuries, but nothing that looked fatal. \n\n\"Stretcher!!\" I cried out as we began to rip and hack away carefully at the damaged craft to free them. We managed to get the pilot out first followed by the co-pilot. With due haste, we secured the two pilots and prepared to detach the couplings from the hydrant.\n\nHowever, before we could, we found ourselves in a vortex of fire, a massive pillar surrounding us and cutting us off from escape.\n\nThe captain didn't stop for one moment as we pulled every attachment out and hooked it up to the truck. \"We need to weaken the fire wall!\" He shouted above the roar of the flame and the truck. But despite our concerted efforts, the flames raged and continued to close in.\n\n\"This is Engine 17, we need immediate aid at 5th street, I repeat, we need immediate aid ASAP!\" The captain shouted over the radio. The radio churned and whirled with chatter as units responded, desperate to render aid.\n\nBut the flames just grew more intense, the flame seemingly getting hotter than it was before and inched its way toward us.\n\nWe were trapped.\n\n\"Hey... Preacher,\" My captain said to one of our squad members quietly as he took in the entirety of the situation. He paused for a moment, but the creeping flames, undeterred by our efforts, continued to draw closer. \n\n\"How about a few words from the good lord, to help us through this.\" Preacher, an ordained volunteer firefighter, gave a simple solitary nod and removed his helmet and placed it over his chest. \n\nHe began to recite a verse, asking for protection and aid in this dark hour while the rest of us began to form a 'water shield' around us, creating somewhat of a barrier of water with our hoses. Though I wasn't what you would call a religious type, anything at this point is welcomed.\n\n\"...protect us in our Fathers name. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit...\" Preacher said solemnly. \"...Amen.\" We all said together. \n\nFor a moment, nothing could be heard other than the roaring flame and the flowing water. A slight tremor could be felt followed by what could only be described as a 'groan'. The noise continued to intensify as if some large beast had been viciously wounded. \"Captain, what the hell is that?\" I asked as we looked around.\n\nWe noticed the flames around us began to recede. \"Preacher!\" The captain exclaimed, grabbing him by his shoulder. \"Keep preaching! Everyone else, aim three hoses down that corridor and don't let up! Keep the last hose forming a water shield!\" \n\nWe hopped to and began to concentrate our stream against the thick black wall of flame. Preacher kept preaching and the groaning kept growing louder as we doused the flames. \n\nWe were finally able to see the other side where several battalions awaited us and had battled through literal hell to get to us. This fight was nearly over... but this war to save the rest of the city still raged on.",
"Black. \n\nThe fire was black from the very bottom of it, all the way up to the tips of the flames. The smoke billowed off and was taken by the wind. It was gray and silver and dark, taking away what little light there was that night. \n\nA candle had tipped, caught a curtain, and before the night was over, the house was a pile of ash on the ground. \n\nI hate to admit this, but I was on the truck that night. I was part of the team that got send to contain the fire. We arrived, and I jumped. \n\nMy feet hit the concrete, and the next step was to grab the hose and take care of business. That is my job; I have done it a thousand times. I have saved buildings, lives, cats, and I have laid in bed awake when I couldn’t do any of those things. \n\nWhen I’m alone I’m soft- and I think a lot of us are. We just don’t talk about it, right? \n\nBut on the job, we aren’t. We don’t think too much because we have a job to do. A job that no one else can come behind us and take care of. \n\nYet my feet hit the ground, and I froze. The entire fire was so black I thought for a brief second it had vanished. Then I blinked, and the light began to catch. \n\nMy feet didn’t move. Even after Belgium slammed into my shoulder, and Erikson yelled through our gear. My eyes were wide, and the world moved around me. \n\nI listened as they hooked the hose up to the hydrant, and watched as they rushed all around me. A crowd of onlookers was being pushed behind a barricade to keep them safe, and out of the way of first responders. \n\nIn my stupor, I could still hear the speculation. We didn’t know if there was anyone inside, and we weren’t sure it was worth the risk to go check. \n\nThey decided they weren’t going to. They decided they were going to put it out, and see what could be salvaged. \n\nI stood still, paralyzed by the oddity. The portal to hell that had replaced the red and blue of my daily enemy. I’m repeating myself, and I would apologize… \n\nBut it was the only thing I could think about. \n\nOur hose didn’t put it out. Nothing we did worked. We flooded the street and doused every single neighboring wall. The entire team, and all the folks in walking distance, stood there on the asphalt. We ended up standing all night long, until in the early morning hours, as the sun came up — the fire died down. It ran out of fuel, it seemed. \n\nFor when the smoke cleared, there was no house. No ashes; no charred wood. Just the land underneath it. \n\nAn empty space where it had been.\n\nThe fire had been black, and now I’m seeing it everywhere. \n\nIn my dreams, in my nightmares, in the edges of my peripheral. \n\nSomething conjured that fire, and now its hungry for the rest of us. \n\n*** \n\nFor more by me, check out r/beezus_writes"
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[WP] You have been transported back in time to 1914, but you have your still functioning phone and the possibility to change the future to the better
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"//Obligatory first time poster and on mobile, will edit later. \n\nThe world can change in the blink of an eye. Indeed that is exactly what it did. In a flash, the bustle of a small town near the New World swamplands had turned into a bustling city reminiscent of the turn of the century. Horses and antique cars driven by people wearing suits and magician hats. The women moving with dresses and other concealing clothing. Things were slower going from what I had remembered of the city, and imagined that I must be dreaming. Indeed, the air felt so very much cleaner from what I was used to that it had to be a dream. So why not have a little fun? My phone worked like normal and a late victorian fare never hurt anyone. \n\nI proceeded to the shops, finding along the way much of the townsfolk spoke dutch. Figuring it to be an Antwerp theme for the fair, english probably wouldn't be out of place. There was an interesting café called Rooden Hoed that I stopped by and ordered from. When i tried to pay, it was difficult. They had never seen the currency before even though it was the amount in Euros. The old currency they presented was off, and then after rummaging through my pockets found the equivalent of twenty cents gulden to pay with. \n\nIt was only after settling the bill that it all came back to me. Reading all the Steiner memories that transferred upon switching world lines: the gruesome aftermath of forcibly dismantling the corporate monarchy, the shell of a world that cared little for the few survivors, and the look on Mother's face when asking me to change that hellscape of mutant hellfire. Going as far back as allowed, I checked a newspaper and found the day to be August 1, 1914. Nearly two hundred years ago and too late to stop Thanatos' scythe by a mere twelve hours. Instead, I must wait for the right moment. The best time to deceive this dangerous, savage, childlike race, and with it, myself. \n\n//part two maybe after work, if it is popular enough"
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[WP] Sir, we've got good news and bad news, the bad news is that the disease has completely taken out your immune system... The good news is that it seems to have replaced it.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Truth is, I hadn't felt like myself for a long time.\n\nI was a long time allergy sufferer, if I so much as smelled seafood I would break out in hives. I lived with epipens always in reach, and practically had a punch card for the E.R. closest to my house. Then, gradually, my symptoms started disappearing. Suddenly, I no longer needed to wear a mask just to go outside. I hardly recognized myself without the terrible under eye bags from my allergies, indeed so much was better in my life I hardly cared why I got better. I knew that people sometimes grew out of allergies, and even though I had never heard of anyone growing out of 20 allergies, I was only grateful for the change and I thought nothing of it. It was only when I was free of my fear of seafood, almonds, trees, grass, and dairy that I realized how truly miserable my life had been. I made new friends and started doing all the things I had previously missed out on. I could finally go on a cruise.\n\nThen I was quarantined, there was a massive outbreak of something on the ship. Every single person on that ship came down with it, except for me. They told me every test for the disease came back \"inconclusive.\" The cruise I had waited my whole life was cut short by this disease and then I became its prisoner. I had hoped to leave early since I never actually caught anything, but when they began sending people home and still they told me they had no idea if I caught anything.\n\n\"See, the thing is Sean, we don't know what you have.\" A smartly dressed bespectacled immunologist stood on the other side of the glass partition of my door. \"Now, normally when we give the antibody test we can easily see if you've been exposed to a given pathogen. However in your case your body has been annihilating our tests. Everything comes back abnormal and any introduced material into your blood is destroyed in seconds.\"\n\nI wasn't sure if it was fear I saw in his eyes or excitement, \"So, I have good news and bad news, the bad news is that the disease seems to have completely taken out your immune system... The good news is that it seems to have replaced it. With all this panic around the recent viral outbreak we can't let you go until we've proven you do not carry the virus. But you can see the catch-22 we run into here.\"\n\nI wanted to scream, first my immune system wouldn't let me leave the house without suffering from my outdoor allergies. Then my immune system kept me prisoner once again."
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EDIT: Inspired by the original post by writing-prompt-s on Tumblr.
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[WP] A depressed person moves into a house haunted by demons corresponding to the Seven Deadly Sins. They’re all intent on helping him turn his life around.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Today is moving day. The 29th of February, 2020. A leap year. Does that mean anything? Who knows. It isn’t any different, aside from the explosion of boxes and crates littering the floor. I’m surprised at just how much I own. I only use the same three things a day; my TV, my fridge and my computer. Does my cat count? I don’t think so. She is restless, disliking the clutter, her concrete kingdom defiled. A horn sounds; my ride. I take a last look around as we finish packing the car. Particles of my history float suspended in a beam of sunlight. \n\n“You ready?”\n\nMy sister works three jobs, a monolithic feat while still finding time for the rest of us. She puts a hand on my shoulder and we close the door behind us.\n\n\nThe new house is plain, efficient. No real distinguishing features. I wave goodbye to my sister, my cat is mistrustful of the carpet. After unpacking, I assume my typical position behind the computer, the TV playing some nature documentary (a Lion pride taking the full attention of my cat). My surprise at how much I owned was a result of the cramped nature of my apartment. Now I am in a house, the rooms are empty and the walls barren. I double click to run some game and put the speakers on full. \n\n“Hey.” \n\nA purple peacock behind me. \nIt just spoke.\n\nI jump, wrenching my headphones out of the port, slamming my head against the alcove ceiling. The flightless bird is watching me as I dive behind the couch. My cat is nowhere to be seen. \n\n“Get over yourself. If I wanted to hurt you you wouldn’t have seen me coming.” \n\nThe peacock reveals its plumage, dazzling, deep purple with glinting patterns made of starlight. At this point, I am sure I'm dreaming. \n\n“What is happening to me….this isn’t real…”\n I repeat a mantra to calm myself down. It doesn’t. \n\n“Get out here, before he has an aneurysm.” \nThe peacock has grabbed a beer from my fridge, its wing morphing into a mammalian forearm. From nowhere, a dog, a pig and a goat materialise. They casually approach and sit on the couch I remain crouched behind. \n\n“Long time, Luci. How’ve you been, Bee?” The Goat can barely lift its head as it speaks. It is entirely blue. The peacock serves them drinks, and stands in the centre of the room. I don’t recall how, but I am now sitting on my Grandfather’s armchair, bewildered. I am offered a drink but my hands won’t work. \n\n“What’d you put him through, Modi? He looks like hell.” The dog’s voice is low and filled with menace. \n\n“Oh, he came like this. Come on, friend, what’s your name?”\nI feel pressure as a dog, a goat, a peacock and a pig await my answer. All courteous, polite, smiling, ready to raise a toast to the answer. \n\n“T--t--tom.” I sputter. \n\n“Well, Tom, do you know why we’re here?”\n\n“How could he, Modi. He’s a human!”\n\n“Well, you never know. Remember Dante?”\n \n“Sharp one, him. The exception, though” \n\n“Quiet, all of you! Tom, how do I put this without breaking your brain…” \n\nAs I sit in petrified silence, I hear my heart in my eardrum. To my left is a box cutter, stolen from my sister’s toolbox. I reach for it, ready to jump and attack, but something stops me. A loud, low growl comes from the upper floor. Banging, claws on laminated wood, carefully descending the stairs. I am frozen in fear as I watch a gigantic bear enter the living room, scarred from war and red-eyed. The ensuing conversation does little to scare me more than I already am. \n\n“Why did you call, Modi. I am tired.” The bear sounds exactly as it looks. \n\n“Have a heart, you old bear. It wasn’t all his fault.”\n \n“Does it matter? Take him and be done with it” The bear’s response is sharp and vicious. \n\n“W--what was my fault?” \n\nThe bear, the dog, the pig, the peacock and the goat regard me again. They are uncomfortable now; the bear’s appearance has shifted their dynamic. Even Modi, the peacock, is quiet. A frog leaps onto my hand and looks up at me. \n\n“You worshipped us all. For that we are grateful. But it wasn’t enough. We want more.” \n\n“Give it a rest, Mammon. You’ll spoil the game.” The bear growls, and they are quiet again. \n\n“Human. In your life you were sordid and unkempt. You were surrounded with love but gave none back. Your heart was always pure, but you were arrogant, bad tempered. Now you lie dying in front of your pet creature and you ask why” \n\nNo. How could I be dying? Is this why my inside voice has been narrating all this time? He is lying. I am only dreaming. I slap my face, pinch my arm, but feel nothing. It has to be a dream. \n\nFor a moment, I see a silhouette in front of my computer. A body leans over in the chair, unrecognisable. \n\nA snake crawls over the figure’s arm, swallowing from a trickle of blood running off the shadow's limp fingers. \n\n“Sssssssoooo warm.” It approaches the group of animals, regurgitating drops of blood for each in turn. \n\n“You have a choice to make, human.” The bear begins to climb back upstairs. \n\n“Believe it or not, he’s on your side, Tom.” Modi is lively again, immediately taking control of the situation. The pig rummages through the fridge as the Goat snores on the couch. The snake and the dog are arguing, and the frog is nowhere to be seen. \n\n“We all are.” The peacock continues. \n\n“What do you want from me? What have I done?”\n\n“You have to accept what you are. You have to forget about us, or you’ll never be free. It’s hard, of course. But you have little choice. Be free or die.” \n\n\nWith that, the nightmarish petting zoo was gone, and all that was left was blinding white light, sirens, the feeling of being moved, a hand on my shoulder. I am pushed through a door.",
"Liam thought about the work he still needed to do, but he couldn't bring himself to climb out of bed. It was just too much effort. Going back to sleep sounded like a much better idea. He closed his eyes again, trying to ignore the churning in his stomach that reminded him of how much trouble he was going to be in if he didn't do his work.\n\nHe was on the verge of falling asleep when he felt something tug his foot. He jumped and looked down the bed. But there was nothing there. He froze and waited for a few moments but he didn't feel it again. He shrugged it off as a dream and laid back down. As soon as he shut his eyes again, he felt another tug only this time it was much more aggressive. When he didn't move, whatever it was tugged his foot again. This time he was yanked so hard he fell off the bed.\n\nLiam quickly got to his feet and looked around. At first glance, he couldn't see anything but then he noticed a shadow moving in the corner of the room. He panicked and quickly ran from the room. The shadow didn't seem to follow him but Liam was too scared to go back in there. He slowly made his way downstairs, keeping his eyes on his bedroom door. \n\nHe entered the kitchen and went to get himself some breakfast, trying to ignore what had just happened. His hands were shaking as he gathered together some food. His family always complained about how much he ate. He tried to explain to them that it made him feel better and gave him something else to focus on but they would condemn him for it, telling him that he would just make himself feel worse in the long run. He didn't care what they said. \n\nHe ate his breakfast as he normally did but there was this strange feeling that he was being watched while he did it. Like his family was there in the room with him. Suddenly, his food started to taste different. It wasn't as nice anymore and he felt guilty rather than comforted. He tried to continue eating but it just didn't feel right anymore. He stopped and put the rest of it away. As soon as he did that, the feeling that he was being watched went away and he felt a bit better.\n\nHe went to the living room and sat down on the sofa. He reached for the remote to turn the television on but he felt another small tug on his foot again. He stood up and looked around. The living room door swung open, making him jump. He watched as the door to his study opened, inviting him inside. As he watched it open, he remembered that he still had work to do. \n\nLiam sat down at his desk, hyper aware of his surroundings. He turned his computer on and was consumed by his work for the next few hours. He sighed as he sat back in his seat, already exhausted. He looked back through what he had done and panicked. What if it wasn't good enough? His boss was already on him for slacking off, even though that wasn't what he was doing. He just struggled to find motivation that's all.\n\nHe thought about Jason, his rival at work. He was better, Liam knew that. He would never be able to get up to Jason's standards. He would always be second best. But he wished he wasn't. He wished that he could be as good as Jason. That he would be respected like him. That he was worthy enough...\n\nLiam was broken out of his thoughts by a loud bang. He spun around and saw that one of his books had fallen off the shelf. He frowned, curious about how it had done that. He hadn't left it on the edge had he? He picked it up and put it back on the shelf, making sure it wasn't in a position where it would fall off.\n\nHe decided to take a small break from his work and went on Facebook. He just scrolled through the posts, not really caring about anything he saw. He hesitated when he got to one of his sister's posts. She was happy, with her husband and children. He wanted to be happy for her, that her life was going well, but he couldn't help but think about his own life. That he was alone. That he would never have what she did. He longed for a life like hers. \n\nHe was startled again by a loud bang from behind him. He found a different book lying innocently on the floor now. He was starting to freak out a bit. He stood up slowly and edged around the book, as though it would attack him if he got too close. He stood in the hallway feeling lost. He was wondering what he should do next, when he was given an answer. \n\nHe looked at the letter that had just come through the door. It looked important and Liam suddenly had a bad feeling about it. He opened it, preparing himself for the worst. He was right to be worried. Apparently he was behind in payments and he needed to find the money from somewhere or there would be consequences. He was shaking as he scrunched the letter up. He closed his eyes, feeling anger and despair burn through him. As he went to throw the letter, a sharp pain ripped through his stomach. Liam cried out in pain and doubled over, just managing to keep himself from falling to the ground.\n\nHe breathed through the pain and waited until it went away. Once the pain finally disappeared, he no longer felt angry. He picked the letter back up and put it aside, telling himself that it would be okay. He would find a way to deal with it. He would.\n\nHe coasted through the rest of the day, not really noticing the time. When he sat down to eat dinner, he went to grab more than he should but he felt dread as he reached for it. He decided against it and the food didn't taste bad like it had earlier. After he finished, he wondered what he should do. It was late so maybe he should go to bed. He felt exhausted but despite that, he usually laid for hours in bed almost praying to be allowed to get some sleep.\n\nHe jumped when he heard a creaking sound and a cold breeze. He poked his head around the kitchen door and saw that the front door was open. He stared at it for a moment before he felt the overwhelming desire to go out. A ghost of a hand settled on his shoulder nudging him forward. He took in a deep breath and took a step towards the door. With that first step, he felt much more confident. He wanted to have fun. He wanted to meet new people. He strode out the door and stopped at the end of his drive, realising he had forgotten to close the door. \n\nHe froze when he saw six shadows watching him from the windows. A seventh was standing in the doorway. The shadow in the doorway stared back at him for a moment before it waved to him and shut the door. He hesitated to keep going but that confidence washed through him again. He left, feeling excited for a good night out.\n\nThis continued for the rest of the time Liam lived in that house. Eventually, he got out of bed by himself instead of being pulled from it, he stopped overeating, he stopped being jealous of others and started to appreciate what he had, he figured out a solution to his money problem and made lots of new friends and started to enjoy life more than he ever had before.\n\nWhen Liam moved out of the house a few years later, he was sad. He felt as though he was leaving a friend behind. As he drove away from the house for the last time, he looked back and saw seven shadows watching him. He waved and they waved back. He smiled and turned away, ready to start the next chapter of his life.",
"I stood at the threshold of quite possibly the oldest house I had ever seen, clutching a letter in one hand and a large brass key in the other. My car, filled with everything I owned, was parked in the driveway behind me. I glanced back at it, tempted to jump inside and drive back to the city. Not that there was anything for me there anymore. I almost dropped the letter and key as the despair rolled over me. With a shaky inhale I forced myself to reopen the letter and read it once more. \n\n*”Dear Prudence,*\n\n*I am writing to you today on behalf of my employer. Enclosed in this letter you will find a key to a house upstate. That house now belongs to you. It is imperative you move there immediately. Your life is in grave danger. Should you choose to ignore this message, you will find yourself dead by the end of the year. Do not ask questions, they cannot be answered until you are here. We know this has been a hard year for you, and we are sorry to have to be the bearers of this news, but we promise all will reveal itself at the house. Please, do not hesitate. Pack your belongings into your car and head north. There are directions in the envelope. We look forward to meeting you soon.*\n\n*Signed,*\n*SDS”*\n\nWell, I guess there was no going back now. I was here and I wanted the answers promised to me. The death warning didn’t scare me at all. In fact, I welcomed it. Death would be a lovely reprieve from my current suffering. I did, however, want to know who this mysterious SDS was and why they and their employer wanted me here so badly. It was actually the first spark of genuine emotion I had felt in months. It felt uncomfortably foreign and yet also somehow like greeting an old friend I had forgotten existed. With renewed determination I turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. \n\nWhatever I had been expecting, this wasn’t it. \n\nThe door swung open effortlessly, and I entered into a well lit foyer. Windows covered the backside of the house, the late afternoon sun spilling through them and casting rainbows on the walls as the sunlight refracted off of a large chandelier hanging overhead. An oak staircase spiraled up to the second floor with a half wall running the length of the upstairs hallway, allowing me to see there were 7 doorways each marked with a symbol. There was a dining room to my left and a living room on my right. I couldn’t see the kitchen, but a hallway off of the dining room lead me there. It was pure white and spotless. As I wandered the main floor I had the distinct feeling I was being watched, though as far as I could tell there wasn’t a single other soul here. Odd. \n\nI wandered farther into the back of the house and discovered the master bedroom. It was fully furnished with more large windows overlooking a lake in the backyard. Exhaustion overwhelmed me at the sight of the king sized bed overflowing with pillows. I stripped down and dragged my weary body under the covers. Questions could wait until tomorrow. I let myself sink into the darkness, my one and only friend. \n\n*”She didn’t unpack the car.”*\n\n*”Let her rest, it’s been a journey to get here.”*\n\n*”Sloth, you know our assignment. Don’t let your own personal preferences cloud your judgment. She cannot simply rest her life away.”*\n\n*”Wrath, you always underestimate the power of a restorative sleep. Passion requires energy which requires rest. She’s made it this far on her own. She’s earned this reprieve.”*\n\n*”Whatever. Come find me when you’ve finished your coddling. There is much to discuss.”*\n\n*”I’m coming now. I just needed to give our little songbird a gift. She’ll wake up feeling better than ever, and then our work can begin.”*\n\nLittle songbird? Was I dreaming? I tried to open my eyes, but without warning I found myself surrounded with the sweet scent of lavender. It settled on me like a weighted blanket and invaded all of my senses. I felt my body relax completely and was helpless against the pull of unconsciousness. Back to sleep I went. \n\nI awoke in the morning to the sounds of birds chirping and sunlight streaming through the windows. It took me a moment to remember what had happened yesterday. Never in my life had I slept so deeply. My body felt energized and the constant fog in my brain had lifted a bit. I thought back to the dream I had had the night before and wondered why it had felt so comforting for all its oddities. The last time I had been called a songbird was the day before my father died. It had always been his special nickname for me. Thinking of Da brought the black hole in my heart back to attention. I felt myself begin to crumple inward and all the energy left me. I allowed myself to sink back into the bed, bringing the blankets over my face to block the light. The bedroom door burst open. \n\n“Oh no, oh no, this simply won’t *do*, chérie! Oh and Sloth had worked his magic so *well* last night!”\n\nThe voice was smooth like honey, oozing with charm and class. It was the loveliest voice I had ever heard, and yet panic consumed me. Who was this? How did they get inside? There was a sloth in my dream last night, was I dreaming again? More footsteps sounded in the doorway. \n\n“Oh Sloth, I’m so glad you’re here. Her heart. It breaks. I cannot, I do not know, what do we do??”\n\n“Calm down, Lust. Remember the mission. Don’t let this rattle you. Go and gather the others, it’s time.”\n\nDainty steps fled. My mind whirled. Sloth. The voice. My dream. He was here. What the *fuck* was going on?! \n\nA weight settled at the foot of the bed. I tentatively peeked out from under the mountain of blankets. Warm brown eyes, so much like Ada’s it sent a knife through my soul, regarded me with measured concern and wisdom. My heart raced as I studied the man at the end of the bed. He was pale, but less in color and more in saturation. Like a phantom that didn’t fully belong to this world. He wore loose brown pants and a flowing white tunic. His feet were bare and I watched him pull them onto the bed and position them under him, like he was praying. His face had a light dusting of sandy colored hair while his head was bald. He smiled at me and a burst of warmth filled my chest. \n\n“Hello, Prudence. Welcome to Deadly Manor.”\n\nI gaped at him, completely speechless. My lack of response didn’t deter him at all. \n\n“My name is Samson, but you can call me Sloth. You’ve had a rough go of it recently haven’t you? Losing your father so suddenly and then Ada and Kristof. Life certainly hasn’t been kind to your soul, has it? Well, that ends today. Today you start a new chapter. We are here to help you. In this place you will always be safe. Please, get dressed and join me in the hallway. It’s time to meet the others.”\n\nHe stood in a beautifully fluid movement before slowly making his way out the door. It closed with a quiet *snick* and though I was technically alone I felt his presence everywhere. I could tell I didn’t have a choice in this so I pulled the same grungy clothing on that I had worn yesterday and opened the door to the hall. Sloth gave me a small smile and nod before leading the way into the main area of the house. I could smell food cooking in the kitchen, garlic and butter hung in the air. My stomach grumbled, shocking me. I couldn’t remember the last time I had actually been hungry. \n\n“Gluttony will be finished with your lunch soon. We’ll meet in the dining room so you can eat while we talk.”\n\nAgain, I knew it would be useless to argue. Upon entering the dining room 5 pairs of eyes latched onto me. I felt myself sway slightly at the intensity, and Sloth placed a warm, reassuring hand on my elbow to lead me to a chair at the head of the table. He took a seat in the open chair to my right, smiling all the while. I took stock of the cast of characters seated around me. \n\nThere were two men, two women and someone who didn’t seem to fit into either category. They wiggled their fingers at me, their rings playing a delicate melody, delight burning in their blue-green eyes. They had a shock of pastel pink hair, electric blue eyeliner, and a flowing dress the color of pale summer sunshine. \n\n“Nice to see you again, chérie. My name is Lust. Welcome to your new home.”\n\nTheir voice filled me with a distinct feeling of longing. Longing for love, longing for Kristof, longing for peace. My eyes swam with tears. \n\n“Oh no, oh dear, I’ve done it again.”\n\n“Lust...”\n\nSloth’s voice held a hint of warning and I watched Lust pull themselves back together. They leaned over to give my hand a gentle pat. \n\n“All will be well now, Prudence. Let us love you.”\n\nThe man next to Lust rolled his eyes. \n\n“It’s going to take a lot more than just *love.* This is serious.”\n\nHis voice was gruff and familiar. The other man from last night. His grey eyes regarded me with thinly veiled contempt. He wore a fitted red shirt that highlighted his rather large muscles. I watched as he crossed his arms and kicked one booted foot up onto the table. I felt myself bristle. \n\n“Excuse you, sir, but feet do not belong on the dining table!” \n\nI swung around to see a rotund, grandma like woman bustle in from the kitchen. She held a steaming plate of spaghetti and meatballs in her hands and once again I felt my stomach let out a growl. She turned to me with obvious joy shining from her every pore. \n\n“Well now! Look at that! Not even a full day in the Manor and her appetite is strong!”\n\nShe cheerfully placed the plate down in front of me and then handed me a fork and knife. \n\n“Dig in, love!”\n\nThe silverware felt heavy in my hands. This used to be my favorite meal. Da would spend an entire day rolling the meatballs, cooking the sauce, slowly simmering it all together to build the flavor. My mouth felt glued shut. I turned to Sloth helplessly.",
"Dawn shone through the cracks in the old wooden walls, illuminating the moldy mattress in a golden light. I couldn’t sleep, not because of the wind howling through the broken window, nor the creaks made by the mattress every time I turned. Not even the beautiful woman sleeping beside me was the reason for my insomnia.\n\nNo, the reason for my lack of sleep was grief.\n\nAs I watched her, the woman stirred and slowly woke up, the sheets clinging impossibly to her voluptuous body. She turned to face me, blonde hair flowing down her face like honey. “Hey there, how was your night?” She asked. “I’m surprised you didn’t ravage me while I slept” she joked, tracing my shoulder with an immaculate finger. “After all, this body is impossible to resist”. She spoke jokingly, but her blue eyes burned with her namesake. I didn’t answer.\n\nLust huffed at my lack of response, jumping up and facing me. “Do you not like what you see?” She asked. “Maybe you prefer a different kind of girl? I can be anything you want “ she purred, her body changing as I watched to a more Asiatic figure, her hair jet black and face as delicate as china. \n\nShe paled in comparison to my Alicia.\n\nSeeing my expression, the girl before me pouted even more. She stormed off to the washroom, muttering curses under her breath. I got up, the floorboards creaking under my weight, and walked to the dining room. \n\nA chubby man was standing at the stove when I walked in, cooking something on the counter. I sat down, and the man automatically placed a dish of bacon and eggs on the counter, shaped in a smile.\n \n“Hey dude, how do you feel?” He asked, sitting down in the chair opposite me. I looked at him gloomily. “Pride told me about your girl, and I was going to fix you a feast ala Gluttony, but well, I kinda ate most of it, sorry” he grinned sheepishly. I just stared at him.\n\n“Hey dude, even if it’s just bacon and eggs, ya gotta eat. You can’t just sit around and mope” he insisted. \n\nI knew it would probably be the best bacon and eggs ever made, but I just continued to stare at him, my mouth slightly agape, eyes glazed over.\n\n“He isn’t going to speak to *you* Gluttony, not in that state” a voice called from the other room. A young man emerged, dressed in a 3-piece suit, one hand flicking through a phone and the other twirling a gold coin. He casually opened the cupboard and, narrowly avoiding the cockroaches that emerged from it, grabbed an apple. “But if *you* need anything” he said to me, biting into the unwashed apple, “you just ask Papa Greed, and he’ll have it for you before you can utter his name” he smirked. \n\nMoney wouldn’t bring back my Alicia.\n\nAs Greed plopped himself on the couch, Lust entered the room, this time taking the appearance of a curvy auburn. She walked over to the kitchen and pulled a box of cereal, noisily shaking its contents into an empty bowl. “Sloth’s still snoring” she yawned, “but I’ll make her chill with you tonight, maybe then you’ll get a wink of sleep”. I looked past her into the living room, where a small girl with glasses was sprawled on the worn-out couch, legs tucked into a large sweater.\n\nSleep was for those at peace, not me.\n\nI felt someone drape their arms around me in a hug, and I looked up to see Envy, smiling from ear to ear, in a beautiful cocktail dress that flattered her figure. Envy seemed the most well off after I moved in, finally finding someone worse than her. I didn’t hate her for that, I didn’t have the time to.\n\n“How’s my little friend?” She cooed, brushing my hair with a lazy finger. “How about you and I go get some coffee?” She asked, “I heard there’s an amazing deal for lattes today, 2 for 1!” she grinned. \n\n“Envy, don’t tote him around, he isn’t a bloody toy” a voice called. A middle-aged man walked in, Pride. Pride was perhaps the most supportive of the bunch. He took me for walks, movies, support groups, anything to boost my self-confidence. He tried his utmost to make me happy.\n\nHe reminded me of her.\n\n“Don’t, don’t think those thoughts.” Pride told me, pushing Gluttony off the chair and taking a seat. “Make me some breakfast, Glut, I’m starving. And none of that oatmeal shit, ok?” He said. Gluttony frowned, but went to do as he asked.\n\n“You need to move on, my friend, move on from this girl.” He said. “We’re here for you man, but you have to try yourself to get up” he continued, his voice rising.\n\n**She’ll never come back to me, never**\n\n“No, but you cannot let yourself wallow like this, man!!” Pride practically shouted, his voice rising to the water-stained ceiling. “You have to get a hold of yourself!!” He yelled. The other Sins looked on in sympathy.\n\n**She’s gone. Forever.**\n\n“YES SHE IS!!!” Pride roared, knocking over his chair as he jumped to his feet. Sloth woke up, sleepily rubbing her eyes as she looked on the unfolding scene.\n \nThe silence that followed Pride’s outburst was almost deafening, as Pride sat back down in his chair, slowly composing himself. He looked up at me. “She’s gone, but that is not your fault” he said, his eyes filled with frustration yet sympathy. I didn’t say anything.\n\n“I know whose fault it is”, a voice called.\n\nThe front door swung open to reveal Wrath, his black leather jacket soaked in blood. His spiked baseball bat, covered in viscera and gore, was placed on the door frame as Wrath stormed over to the table. Taking me by my shoulders, he pulled me to my feet, and for the first time in ages I found strength in them. “I know who killed her, and we’re gonna pay them a visit” he snarled, his mouth contorted in a vicious smile. \n\nAs Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Envy, Pride and Wrath looked on, my face changed. My eyes burning with fury, I stared back at him with renewed vigor. My voice, dormant for weeks, finally came back to me.\n\n“Who?”",
"“You can’t go on like this...” Gluttony whispers to me. “We have been out of food for two days now.”\n\nI turn over to face away from his words only to be greeted by Sloth. “We know it’s been hard for you to leave the house but Dan... you’ve barely left your bed in a week.”\n\n“It’s getting worse,” Wrath chimes in definitively, his beady, black eyes narrowed at me. “He doesn’t even feel anger anymore.” \n\nWhen I moved into the Victorian house left to me by my mother’s estate, I didn’t know what to expect. I had been homeless at the time, a series of life circumstances driving me deeper and deeper into crushing poverty. I lived in my 2002 Ford Fiesta, parking overnight in parks and abandoned parking lots, using a water bottle and baking soda to brush my teeth. I had been depressed then but it was nothing compared to now. Mostly I had felt anxiety during my homelessness. Anxiety that I would never climb out of the hole I had dug for myself. And then one day I received a text from my uncle to call him. I hadn’t seen my mother in twenty years when I got the call. I was only four when she walked out on my dad and I. She had suffered from mental illness, too. She had really high highs, where she baked all day and did crafts with me, followed by weeks of seclusion in her bedroom while I survived on bologna and cheese sandwiches I made with my clumsy, childish hands. \n\nI had no idea she owned a house, much less a Victorian quasi-mansion in more or less good repair. In fact, no one in the family knew she owned a house or that she had gotten remarried. Sadly, everyone could have predicted her suicide. As much as I wanted to hate my mother, I couldn’t. She was a tortured soul and existing on this earth was a constant hell for her. Or so my father would tell me. He would also say that she loved me very much and that he wouldn’t wish any of it away. He never spoke ill of her those twenty years. \n\n“Jane was like this near the end,” Envy chimes in. \nJane, my mom. She had died here on the property, had hung herself from the willow tree in the backyard. I tried not to think about that. I tried not to think about anything. Depression laid heavy on my chest; like a fat cat it kneaded it’s paws into my mind, pushing out everything I used to enjoy, replacing it with gray. I was both helplessly powerless to its pull and anxious about the tasks I needed to complete, had to complete to survive. \n\nAs if reading my mind, Greed, a gentleman dressed in an Emerald green smoking jacket, spoke, saying “He needs some help, what can we do?” When I had met the Seven, I had been initially terrified. I contemplated calling an exorcist to cleanse the house. But then I shortly realized that there was no fear or pain They could give me that depression hadn’t already claimed. They must have realized this too because although they were evil demons, they had inexplicably tried to help me for the last three months.",
"Flora collapsed on her bed, her rusty boxspring creaking beneath her. She'd moved herself into this place alone, a wide, drafty house inhabited mostly by dust bunnies and now her decrepit furniture. It was at the end of a winding country road, sturdy and blue-painted but run down, stuffed full of rattling radiators and cobwebs. Whatever. It was good enough, more than she deserved. \n\nShe squeezed her eyes shut against the icy wind that steamed through the window above her bed, trying to quiet her mind. It churned at all times of the day and night, reciting failures and foibles, the day's indignities careening through. \n\n\"Hey,\" someone hissed. Flora stayed still for a minute, absorbed, before bolting up straight.\n\n\"What...\" There was a cat on her dresser. An enormously fat one, she thought, round enough that it might snap the wooden legs. \n\nFlora narrowed her eyes at the creature and realized it wasn't exactly a cat: this creature was more like the cartoonish devils people saw in movies, with two legs, two arms, and a riotous orangr coat, but it was so fat it was hard to tell its species or gender. Flora watched, astonished, her mouth hanging open.\n\n\"It's the human!\" Another creature swooned, this one a ferocious black, flanked by another creature of glittering gold. Flora's eyes darted around the wallpapered room as they emerged, one by one--green, purple, blue, red. They were small, the size of a small house cat, she thought, but not quite as elegant; they crashed and crowded on her dresser, which sighed under their weight. They seemed to come from nowhere, floating from an angle just above her head like the dust, perfectly formed and devious.\n\n\"Um,\" Flora cleared her throat, feeling insane. She *had* checked for a carbon monoxide monitor during the inspection, right?\n\n\"We're glad you're hereeee,\" the gold creature announced, flouncing from his perch on the dresser and floating to Flora. \"I'm Pride. Of course.\" Rather than offering a hand, Pride narrowed his eyes and scoffed. \"You need to brush your hair,\" he said.\n\n\"It's naturally straight!\" Flora yelped reflexively, barraged with memories of scalp-yanking sessions with her mother, who had always scolded her about tangles and frizz.\n\n\"Leave her alone,\" the fat creature spat. He was rooting around in a bag of Oreos--Flora's Oreos!\n\n\"Hey!\" Flora said, and started to stand up.\n\n\"I know how you feel,\" the red creature rolled her eyes. \"Sloth eats anything that isn't nailed down. We should punish him,\" she fumed.\n\nStanding up now, it dawned on Flora. She thought she'd moved into a deserted country fixer-upper so that she could forget all of the letdowns in her life--herself, mostly. But standing before her now were the Seven Deadly Sins.\n\n\"I would've expected some Victorian ghost before this,\" she said, folding her arms, watching the creatures jostle as the setting sun festooned the room with a golden glow. \n\n\"Are you kidding me!?\" The blue creature was speaking now. \"You don't know how many Victorian ghosts I had to fight to get our place here. Left some nice jewels behind,\" he continued, before introducing himself as Greed.\n\n*Am I hallucinating?* Flora wondered. These knew drugs the psychiatrist put her on seemed pretty strong; he'd clucked his tongue at Flora's lack of progress and shook his head, told her that this was serious, her depression. But no, something about these creatures felt tangible, certain. Maybe because Gluttony had most definitely polished off her Oreos.\n\nThe sleek black creature announced, \"We might as well teach you to have fun again.\" Raising a silvery eyebrow, she said, \"I do have one suggestion, but it involves the bar in town.\"\n\n\"No,\" Flora laughed, waving her hands. \"Come on, I need to make dinner. The least you all could do is help me.\"\n\nThe creatures remained in their spots, shaking their heads. \n\n\"I wish *I* could cook,\" one of the creatures moaned. \n\nFlora turned to the mirror she'd propped on the floor instead of hanging properly and caught a sliver of herself; same lank dark hair, deep circles around the eyes, bone-thin legs mottled with a collection of freckles and bruises. She could barely make them out now in the senescent light, the familiar landmarks that reminded her of who she was, before all this.\n\nFlora turned and exited the room through the doorframe, which provided her with a full view of the house's elaborate staircase and musty carpets.\n\nPerhaps, she thought, she might like it here after all.",
"*Want. Desire. Consume. Disregard. Avenge. Revel. All of it.*\n\nHuh, that was weird. Maybe I'm just going crazy. Er. Crazier. I don't feel anymore. The world has been fading for ages. Maybe it's not the depression. Maybe I'm psychotic. Then at least they'd know what to do with me. They'd avoid me.\n\nI plopped down on the old, worn sofa. The unpacked boxes were too much right now. And I was too tired. I'll start on them soon. I take out my phone and start scrolling through. I'm not even sure what I'm scrolling through. I'm just scrolling.\n\nThis is supposed to be a fresh start. The new job will do me some good. I'm out of the stress of the city and the corporate world at 28 and I've already given up and I'll never go anywhere because I'm just a failure and-\n\n*Revel. Revel in your greatness. For you are the greatest*\n\nOr I'm just a psychopath.\n\n\"Who was that? Is there anyone there?\"\n\nA man walks out of the shadows. He has bright green hair and you could tell his body was intensely sculpted despite the expensive-looking dress shirt and slacks he has on.\n\n\"That was me. I am honor. I am self-respect. I am ego. I am Pride.\"\n\n\"I'm losing my mind,\" I say, mostly to myself. I stand up and grip my hands into my greasy hair. When was the last time I washed my hair? When was the last time I showered?\n\n\"No. No. No. You should still sit. You should relax. Here, have yourself a seat again,\" says another man. This one's a bit more overweight, though not by much. He's wearing sweatpants and his hair was overgrown, although not quite rock star length. Everything about him seems average, frankly.\n\n\"And who are you then?\"\n\n\"Why, I am Sloth of course. I am idleness and mischief. I am about embracing the simpler things in life.\"\n\n\"Uh huh. Of course you are. I think I'm going to go to bed and try to sleep the rest of this off,\" I say standing up. I didn't even realized I'd actually sat back down.\n\n\"Without supper?\" squeals yet another man, this one much more rotund than the other two.\n\n\"I wasn't supposed to have roommates!\" I shout.\n\n\"Finally! I call dibs. He's mine!\"\n\n\"No! He's mine!\"\n\nThis time two girls appear. They look nearly identical. One's wearing way too many clothes as well as jewels. The other girl, oddly, is also wearing the same amount of jewels and only really differentiated because she's shorter and seems a bit heavier than the first.\n\n\"Who the fuck are you two?\" I demand. At this point I'm either dreaming, hallucinating, or had somehow ended up in the fucking Hobbit and was about to house thirteen dwarves.\n\n\"I'm Greed,\" says the first, holding out her hand.\n\nThe second one stares at Greed for a second before nudging her away and sticking out her own hand. \"And I'm Envy.\"\n\nThe pieces are finally starting to come together. My hallucinations are for some reason going literary. \"Wait, Envy, Greed, Pride, Sloth, I guess you're Gluttony maybe? Is there also a...Wrath...or a ummm...\"\n\n\"Lust. I'm here too.\" A woman comes out. An absolutely drop dead gorgeous woman. Why couldn't my hallucination have started here?\n\n\"And yes, I'm here,\" adds another man. This man was older, or maybe he just seemed more world-weary.\n\n\"Listen kid, we've got to have a talk,\" Pride starts. \"We,\" he said gesturing \"are the Seven Deadly Sins.\"\n\n\"Yeah. I got that. Why?\"\n\n\"What do you mean *why*? We are. We are all that is wrong with humanity. Well, except for you. You don't seem to embody any of us.\"\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"We normally lurk here, feeding off the carnal failings of the people near. But you, you're a black hole of despair. When was the last time you ate? Or slept? Or wanted anything?\"\n\n\"Or anyone?\" Lust adds.\n\nI stand there dumbfounded. Are my hallucinations seriously insulting my depression? Is that the point I'm at?\n\n\"What's your point?\" I respond dumbly. After all, why bother being clever with the figments in your imagination?\n\nPride smiles and wraps his arm around my shoulder. He oozes the confidence all the sales reps back at the office wished they had. \"We've decided to take you under our wing--\"\n\n\"All our wings?\" squeals Greed, with Envy nearly echoing her but not quite.\n\n\"Yes. *All our wings*,\" Pride continues through gritted teeth. \"until you are able to revel in the comforts this world brings.\"\n\n\"You want to help me? With my depression?\" I ask neutrally. It figures. I've depressed myself into literary hallucinations that think they're head shrinks.\n\n\"Yes!\" They all shout, nearly in unison.\n\n\"Lust and I could help you find the passion in life,\" Wrath says gruffly.\n\n\"I could help you with the desire and ambition in life,\" says Greed.\n\n\"I could help you with the motivation for desire and ambition,\" says Envy.\n\n\"Gluttony and I are all about keeping things casual. Stopping to smell the roses, maybe eating a couple of the roses, and just having a pretty groovy day,\" Sloth says.\n\n\"And I can show you exactly how great you are,\" says Pride, smiling a perfectly white smile at me.\n\n\"Okay. Why not I guess.\""
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[WP] Immortals are a dime a dozen these days. Most become soldiers, cops, bodyguards or some other line of work dedicated to protecting people. You are part of a little group who've dedicated themselves to make movies a bit more realistic by becoming the best stuntmen possible.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"\"God they were expensive, but damn do they sure add some extra oomph,\" I exclaimed from my chair. I had the only real chair in the \"room\" as I was the boss. Big mans. La directeur. \n\"Ok Jack this is the big one, Charles has fought a way in here for the both of you but now your cornered, Charles is gone, and you just pulled out the revolver he gave you that you hoped to never have to use,\" my voice booms out over set.\n\"and remember Jack, you got real bullets in that chamber so dont go pointing it around all willy nilly and EVERYBODY ELSE stay out of the bullets set path delineated by that red line,\" I yell while aggressively gesturing to the bright red line on the floor. \"Unless your wearing the film suit so we don't have another incident like fucking Gary.\"\n\nFucking Gary, just wandering up to the snack table to grab another donut and getting in the way of the bullet on its way out. You may eat like an Imy but you ain't impervious like they are. Snapping back to reality, Jack has only managed to nod, it seems the weight of what he is about to do is effecting him, Good. It's time. \n\n\"Action!!!\"\n\nJack backs down the path towards the dead end with the Imy slowly cornering him. Right on script, those Imys are actually worth more than dying, or lack there of, most of the time. Jack is pulling out the gun, he looks at it, real fear and conflict radiating from his face. He aims the gun, the Imy just stand there, let's him do what he will. Jack yells and pulls the trigger.\n\nBlood everywhere. What had he done. What had they done? \n\n\"Cut\"\n\nThe blood slowly retreats, brain matter pulls itself off the walls and after a few minutes the Imy\nis standing and requesting his post-mortem; a triple Writers Tears on the rocks. He seems more relaxed then I am. You never really get used seeing humans gunned down like that, right in front of you. It's real nice they come with their own built in special effects, self cleaning too!! But the real reason I use the Imys is the look on Jacks face. He just murdered somebody, in cold blood, for the first time and I got it all on film! There's no way to get a better performance. \n\nI better check on Jack and make sure he's doing ok. Fucking Gary was in the background of the shot - at least it wasn't in the line of fire this time - but we're going to have to run it again. Jack's ruffie should be just about kicking in. Poor guy's had a lot of concussions this week, must think himself quite the clutz."
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[WP] You are an explorer who made first contact with a friendly tribe. They show you an art form that is experienced with the sense of touch. In return you introduce them to music.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 hadn't thought that there were any truly isolated pockets of humanity left.\n\nThen I discovered the Tactile people.\n\nAt first, I was puzzled by the fact that nobody spoke to one another. \n\nThen, I figured-out that their gestures were in fact a form of sign-language.\n\nI managed to learn a few phrases at a distance: \"Hello\" \"How are you?\" \"Food\"\n\nThe results of my coming forward were... mixed.\n\nThey backed me into a corner and imprisoned me for a few days.\n\nI eventually convinced them that I was not a threat.\n\nIt is a lot easier to learn sign-language up close. Turns out I switched the words for \"Friend\" and \"Hunter\" in my initial approach. Silly me. No wonder I received a chilly welcome.\n\nAfter that, I started absorbing their culture.\n\nThey had things that were common to all peoples wherever you go: painting, jewelry-making, pottery, storytelling. They even had a form of dance-poetry where the beauty and elegance of forming the sign-language is coupled with the beauty and elegance of the phrases they construct.\n\nBut I was truly shocked with the touch-paintings.\n\nI had gone on a hunt, lead by my friend Three-taps-on-the-right-eyebrow-with-the-right-index-finger. We brought back a few wild birds (no thanks to me). A few days later, he brought me a small cloth covered with leaves and feathers. He then started to run his fingers slowly along the cloth. I repeated the motion. I started reliving the hunt. There were even specific sections devoted to my learning to use a bow. All perfectly understandable.\n\nI had to repay him for exposing me to this.\n\nA few days later, I showed him my iPod. I instructed him to put in the earbuds. He did so, and I fired up Beethoven's 9th. Naturally, these people live in a dangerous environment with many predators surrounding them. So they don't use spoken language. Or have music. But earbuds should be fine. I watched his face.\n\nHe just looked at me, puzzled as he ran his fingers along the chord and over the iPod and the earbuds. I thought it must be broken. I took one earbud from Three-taps and listened. It was coming in clearly. But my friend didn't seem to understand what I was trying to show him.\n\nOf course.\n\nThe Tactile People, through whatever random genetic happenstance, were all born deaf."
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[WP] A man finds a wand labeled "Anti Entropy". Not really knowing what that means, he enjoys his newly found fire controlling powers, as media start reporting on mysterious deaths from freezing all over the world
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Dear reader,\n\nI call her my sweet and precious. When I'm with her, I can be my true self. When we are apart, I feel worthless, despondent, and alone. When I touch her, time slows and every sense is heightened to an inhuman level. I remember moving my hand along her body for the first time, feeling goosebumps from head to toe, and knowing that we belonged together. She is like an extension of me, an extension that completes and elevates me. The pleasure she brings could not be matched by any woman of Earth. She is Anti Entropy. She is my wand.\n\nWhen we met, she was abandoned, mayhaps cast aside by a previous master. I was drawn to her silver tip, protruding carelessly from the public garbage can. By the time I pulled her long, thin, dark body from her place of desertion, I knew we were meant to be together. Not together as two separate individuals, but together as one body forged by some greater force. Never in my sorry excuse for a life had I ever felt so thoroughly awakened.\n\nIf our first moments together awakened me, what happened next ripped me out of bed and stimulated me with ten times more blood through the heart than I had ever known before. Lifting her, feeling her unworldly power, and seeing her effect on the world for the first time, brought me to my knees, brought tears to my eyes, and spun my very soul around in a cyclone. At the time, I didn't know how to control her like I do now, so she cast her full icy effect upon the nearest bystander, icing his veins, chilling his heart, and freezing his brain.\n\nAs I write to you from this prison cell, I realize the difficulty in finding words to describe entropy being sucked from the world through a wand you hold in way that will get you even halfway to a full appreciation for the feeling. But the result, the frosty outcome on the particles touched by Anti Entropy's cool embrace—you've seen that on the color TV. You know what a frozen man looks like. You know the last look of a woman whose particles have been slowed to absolute zero. You can appreciate the finality of a life ended instantly by a sudden polar shock. I ended those lives, and what I want you to realize, dear reader, by knowing my unusual experience, is not that what I did was right, but that you would have done the same. You would have had the same experience with my sweet and precious if you were fortuitous enough to stumble upon her beautiful form as I did. I would like to explain more, but I am running out of paper. More later.\n\nYours truly, \n\nCharles",
"Ekron set his back against the wall, pushing the ornate sarcophagus lid with all of his might. The ancient stone crashed to the floor, echoes reverberating through the labyrinth of the crypts. Screams from the dead mutely responded from the deep.\n\nSo much for subtlety. \n\nHe hopped into the sarcophagus, moving the corpse from side to side, quickly inspecting the former belongings of an ancient archivist. A minimalist archivist, apparently. A burial devoid of luxury. Ekron rose, empty-handed looking across the room at the remaining dozen tombs he had uncovered.\n\nHe fished through his pack. A day spent, yielding only a copper necklace, and an owlbear broach carved from Ash. There is no chance Parak would exchange chips for these. \n\n“I didn’t want to say I told you so, but… I told you so. These crypts were looted by the inquisition weeks ago. The sun will be setting soon, you need to leave.” a voice in Ekron’s head echoed through his enchanted earring.\n\n“I know Tasha, but I have nothing to show from this. What am I supposed to tell Axe?” It would not be long before Axe ended Ekron's residency at the Inn. His stomach groaned from the realization of another day without a hot meal.\n\nEkron set his jaw and tightened his pack, turning to leave. Ahead, a dark mass of cloth blocked his path out.\n\nAn unwavering dread filled his soul. A banshee. Fragments of stories raced through his mind. Tales of banshee survivors, forever left in a state of panic and pain. Their very souls ripped from their bodies to be fed upon for eternity.\n\n“Tasha, I…” Without another moment of hesitation, Ekron turned at a full sprint deeper into the crypts. He barreled through the dark, jagged rocks lining the walls gashed at his legs as he ran, doing his best to keep balance. \n\nDevoid of light, his legs found water. Feet wavering on the slick rock, Ekron continued through a barrage of water. A waterfall? In the crypts?\n\nA warm glow dimly illuminated the cavern ahead. Ekron rose from the stream, wicking the water from his clothes and fishing for his satchel, nowhere to be seen. He continued through the cavern, approaching the pyre. Ekron’s eyes widened in disbelief.\n\nA wand. How had the inquisitors missed this? He reached to grab it. \n\nAt that moment, the room exploded with light. Torches erupted, disorienting eyes that had become so accustomed to the darkness. The wand’s power crackled through Ekron’s body as if stoking a flame deep within Ekron’s mind.\n\nStones began to topple to the ground as the cavern began to collapse. Ekron turned to leave, but the waterfall ahead had been turned to a sheet of ice.\n\n“No, no no!” Ekron shouted, hands pummeling the ice wall without signs of even a crack. Ekron set his jaw, feeling the wand beckon his attention. Words of power flashed through his mind, and he recited them. A pillar of fire launched from the tip of the wand, melting the wall away. He darted up the crypts, banshees cowering from the powerful flames that immolated him. \n\nWhen he finally reached the surface and exited to the Necropolis above, it had begun snowing. \n\n“What happened down there?” Tasha shouted, her earring matching Ekron’s. She was shivering from the sudden cold. “We lost Revie, Ekron. She... turned to Ice.” \n\nThe snow around Ekron’s footsteps melted as he approached the blue-tinged corpse of his wife, quickly becoming buried in the snow. Ekron’s grip on the wand tightened, terrible and words of power tearing through his mind.\n\nThe ethereal words bellowed from him, wand pointed to the sky.\n\nEkron burst into flame, as the world cracked.\n\n.....\n\nr/Astonsh"
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[WP]: in the world’s oldest tavern God and Satan talk for their centennial meeting. Every time is the same question, “Do we keep humans or not?”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"(part 1 of 2) \n\nIn a sliver of a dimension between worlds and time, exists a tavern. Inside, God and Satan decide the fate of humanity. There is no bartender. There are no other patrons. In a room with doors on opposite sides, a rough-hewn table with matching chairs sits in the center where God and Satan discuss their options. \n\nAt the turn of a new century, a low fire lights in the hearth, casting dim light. Thick beer fills the heavy crystal steins on the table. The heavy doors are flung open and a man and woman appear in the doorways simultaneously. \n\nThe tired, average looking man walked in the room, stopped, and stood at the table. The smiling, average looking woman mirrored the man’s movements. \n\n“Shall we begin?” the woman said with a practiced smooth voice, and an eyebrow raised. \n\nAs they sat, worlds outside slowed to a halt. While they stayed in the tavern, at this table, God and Satan knew that everything in existence stopped. They deliberated as long as they pleased, as long as they needed, to make the choice. \n\nThe man sighed and took a long pull from his beer. “You’ve chosen a new form yet again.”\n\n“I like the variety,” She said breezily. “They say that ‘Variety is the spice of life.’ And I do like spice.”\n\nThe man harrumphed. “I’ve made up my mind.”\n\n“Just like that?”\n\n“Yea.” The man finished the beer, and it refilled.\n\nThe woman was astonished. He’s never decided so fast before. \n\n*‘This is it.’* she thought. \n\nShe drank her beer and thought over how to respond. It’s never easy with him. There’s usually a catch, a plan. All he does, from what he said and how he said it, to the form he adopted, had purpose. Which, honestly, with all his powers, he could look like anything and he chose that? This is the second time she’s seen him in this same form. She hoped to unnerve him by copying the style he chose last century. The woman decided she can’t rush this meeting. He had an alternate agenda. It seems like he wanted to escape. Time to draw this out a bit longer.\n\n“I must admit. I don’t quite understand. What led you to this decision?” She replied, with narrowed eyes.\n\n“Oh everything. You know the state of them. You’ve seen what they are doing.” He said with a dismissive attitude of someone ground down by drudgery. \n\n“No, no. Not that.” She laughed. “Your choice of form. You look so plain. So tiredly ordinary. So exhausted to mention it.” The woman looked at the man, and noted his rumpled appearance.\n\n“I’ve haven’t slept in ages, there’s much to do. Managing so many. And I’m exhausted. With no help from you.”\n\n“It’s not my place to help you.” The woman spit back. The venom in her words had no effect on the man. \n\n“There’s the overreaction.” The man sighed, and drank more. “Exactly like them.”\n\n“You are going to get drunk if you keep drinking like that.”\n\n“All the better. It will make this easier.” He took another long pull.\n\n“There’s the unhealthy coping mechanisms. Exactly like them.” the woman replied.\n\nThe man and woman drank in peace. Ages could pass in their silence, for time had no meaning. Both the occupants of the tavern, accustomed to the long quiet. They didn’t perceive the time. Occasionally, the steins would refill. The low fire crackled in the hearth.\n\n“I haven’t had the motivation to change my form!” The man said suddenly, “Last century, I was sure we would continue. I took the form of a random human and left. When I got back, the place was in an uproar. They all expected it to be over. Every century they expect it to be over.” \n\n“You are losing control?” The woman leaned in, interested in this new information.\n\n“Of course not. I squashed the clamor easily. You know how I run things.” Said the man rubbing his jawline. The stubble making a scratchy noise in the quiet of the tavern.\n\nThe woman nodded. Yes, she knew how he ran things. \n\n“So, why are you exhausted?” The woman tried to glean any tidbit of information that the man was willing to give up. \n\n“Nothing that I do is difficult.” He sighed, “A decision here, a delegated duty to my attendants there, follow up on the actions, checking in, on and on. There’s just so much of it. I’m tired and worn out.” He stared into his beer. \n\n*‘It’s working.’* The man thought. *‘I see her thinking. She’s trying to figure me out. Am I lying or telling the truth? Go on. Try and figure it out.’* He was tired. He hadn’t lied about that. He needed to play the game, though. They wanted different things. And they always played this game. Figure out how to get the other to concede. \n\n*‘I’ll test the waters. It may be time.’* The woman thought.\n\n“I have to admit. My workload has increased as well.” The woman says thoughtfully, as she turned the beer stein in her hands, “I understand your exhaustion. The monotony of it all. Perhaps it’s time to shake things up a bit.” \n\n“Shake things up? How?”\n\n“It’s been a while since we’ve caused something that they couldn’t deny. A famine, flood, or pestilence.” She suggested. “All three?”\n\n“Won’t that create more work?”\n\n“Yes. But it could be a fun change for a bit. Entertaining even, to watch them scurry around and explain away the events. Many things have changed since we have thrown a good scourge at them. It might be enough to get you out of that rut you are in. And we can kick this decision down the road another century.”",
"In a tavern located outside time, God and Satan hold their centennial meeting. They greet each other with a handshake and a nod, and approach the old oak bar to place an order. Tending the bar is a mustached fellow with thick forearms and an even thicker Scottish accent. Where he came from is a mystery which even God and Satan are unsure of.\n\nGod orders a beer—light and refreshing. Satan orders liquor—strong and bitter.\n\nThey carry their drinks to their usual spot, a booth in the corner.\n\nGod speaks first, “So, Lucifer. How’ve you been?”\n\nSatan takes a sip from his drink. “Quite well.”\n\n“How’s the weather in Hell?” \n\nGod makes this joke often. Satan never finds it funny, and does not hide this fact. \n\n“I think you know,” Satan says.\n\nGod is next to take a sip. Foam coats his beard, which he wipes away with the back of his hand.\n\n“Well, Luce. I suppose we should cut the small talk and get right into it.”\n\nSatan nods in agreement.\n\n“As you well know, humans haven’t improved much since the flood. In fact, they’ve gotten worse in many ways.”\n\n“And for that reason, we should exterminate them.”\n\n“Just a minute, Luce. Let me finish.”\n\nSatan slumps back in his seat and motions for God to continue.\n\n“However, humans are very important to me. You might recall that my son is half human.”\n\n“Ah, yes. The one the humans won’t shut up about. Tell me, is he still into carpentry?”\n\n“Lately he’s taken an interest in video editing.”\n\n“Is that right?”\n\n“Yeah, he loves it. He edited footage of the recent Baptist vs. Presbyterian softball game. Added in some neat transitions and had *John Fogerty’s Centerfield* playing throughout.”\n\n“Hmm. That’s a fitting song.”\n\n“Oh yeah. Catchy too.”\n\n“Anyways...”\n\n“Right. Anyways, I’m torn about this whole human issue. On one hand, I feel like I owe it to my son to keep them around.”\n\n“And on the other hand?”\n\nGod shrugs. “They’re fuck ups.”\n\nSatan smirks and takes a sip of his drink.\n\n“What do you suggest, Luce?”\n\n“You already know what I want.”\n\n“Yes, yes. Raining hell fire, ravaged by beasts, blah, blah, blah. Can’t we do this a little more...”\n\n“What?”\n\n“Painless.”\n\nSatan sighs. “Look, God. You know I don’t do painless.”\n\n“I know.”\n\n“I’d rather you do it my way or don’t do it all.”\n\n“Well, that’s not fair.”\n\n“No? Well, then I want to keep humans around. They listen to me more than you anyways.”\n\n“Oh, come on.”\n\n“Seriously. Why else would we be having this discussion?”\n\nNow God sighs. “That’s true. Ok. If we do it your way, can you at least spare the few that are actually good?”\n\n“The rest of the souls will be joining me in hell, right?”\n\n“Yeah.”\n\n“Ok, fine. What will you do with the good ones?”\n\n“I’ll have Jesus go get them. He’d make it a really fun experience. Nothing scary, like you’d do.”\n\n“If that’s what you want, so be it.”\n\n“Great!”\n\nGod picks up his glass. “Cheers.”\n\nSatan picks up his. “To the death of humanity.”\n\n\n____________________________________________________\n\n**Visit r/TheGoshfather for more stories!**"
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[WP] Brain eating slugs are the protagonists of this romance novel.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 during my third bite of the poor, screaming man's prefrontal cortex when my optical tentacles met hers. And by god, I must've become the first slug to believe in fate that day. All the neurons in the world couldn't compare to the flavor of romance that captivated every cell in my tiny, amorphous body. Without a second thought and ignoring the man's convulsions, I slid my way towards her in the gap between brain and skull with utter, lovestruck awe.\n\n\"I've been wondering when you'd muster up the courage to talk to me,\" she said slyly, her buccal mass smiling, skin wet and shiny from that illustrious, seductive film of mucous. I'd never had a craving - no, a *lust* this deep; buried even further than the roots of the earth I burrow myself under. I wished she was the earth, and I could nestle in sweet debris forever.\n\n\"I suppose I took my time, since beauty is a cause for contemplation,\" I replied, looking deeply into her optical tentacles. So much is wordlessly said in the language of love. In that moment we must have created novels between us, countless anecdotes, and unwhispered sweet nothings. The man's movements stopped; our hearts did not.\n\n\"Well, Mister Contemplation,\" she breathed. \"I guess you'd better kiss me.\"\n\nWe touched, rolling around the frontal eye fields and into the primary motor cortex in pheromone-ecstasy. Our tentacles slid and wrapped around each other as we put forth our best efforts to hold onto forever. We danced to life's rhythm in our pink, spongy paradise. When it was all over, somewhere in the troves of the cerebellum, we layed in complete serenity, looking at the stars peaking through the hole where the man's left eye used to be. \n\n\"Speaking of eyes, do you believe in love at first sight?\" I asked her, breaking the silence. She giggled, and sighed. \n\n\"I think when your life span is two years, you have to,\" she began. \"And I knew from the moment I met you, I'd not only loved you in this life; I've loved you in moments as numerous as the stars themselves.\n\n\"Sometimes I think about how there are only so many brains in the world, and only so many slugs. We'll only be able to sustain ourselves for so long, Brian, and someday we'll go the same way as this poor fellow. But I believe that beyond being a slug, love is what remains. And love is what will bring us together, no matter whose brain we find ourselves in, or what timeline it may be.\"\n\nI paused, absorbing her words and the mucousy film surrounding us. \"Wait, your name's Brian too? How did I know that? And how - how did you know my name?\"\n\n\"Love is a wordless language, Mister Contemplation,\" she smiled at me. With that, we let the evening simmer."
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[WP] You can conjure... Perfect lids for anything and everything.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 TV plays \\]\n\n\\[A man is watching the TV\\]\n\nDid you lost the lid for your cookie jar?\n\nMike can conjure that.\n\nDo you need a new lid for your pot?\n\nMike can conjure that.\n\nDo you need need a lid for a bucket of crabs?\n\nHe can conjure that too!\n\nMike can conjure any kind of lid to cover a variety of different containers with missing lids.\n\nHe can even conjure the lid for Pandora's box!\n\nCall 1-800-Lid-Conjurer so that Mike can conjure a lid for to seal a container for you today.\n\nThat's 1-800-Lid-Conjurer.\n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n\"Honey, I need you to call Mike so he can help me seal Pandora's box!\"\n\n\"Why the fuck do you have Pandora's box!\"\n\n\\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n(I went a TV commercial/infomercial route. Lol.)"
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[WP] After world leaders failed again and again, revolutions brought down democracy and replaced it with a small World Delegation of individuals from various age ranges (teens, middle-aged, elders, &c), selected at random each year, allowing changes to be made. You've been selected.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"WutWut76: yo yo yo broooooooosef guess whaaaaaat\n\nInTheButt54321: kk kill urself loser boy\n\nWutWut76: no srsly\n\nInTheButt54321: jesus fucking christ just tell me\n\nWutWut76: fucking. selected.\n\nInTheButt54321: fur what retard\n\nWutWut76: u kno\n\nInTheButt54321: wd? haha very funny\n\nWutWut76: just forwarded it to u read it and WEEP\n\nInTheButt54321: k cool fake brah\n\nWutWut76: punch it in\n\nInTheButt54321: what\n\nInTheButt54321: how is this possible\n\nInTheButt54321: wtf\n\nWutWut76: rofl dude its random\n\nWutWut76: could happen to anyone\n\nInTheButt54321: yeah like winnin the lotto or like harder even\n\nInTheButt54321: jesus fucking christ bro u promise ur not messing w me?\n\nWutWut76: lol nopeeeeee cant fake a hash to the fuckin world deligation \n\nInTheButt54321: how wud i kno nerd\n\nInTheButt54321: u tell ne1 else?\n\nWutWut76: no but i cant wait 2 tell bitchard\n\nInTheButt54321: dude ur like famous\n\nWutWut76: yah like sry mrs pritchard not takin ur midterm cause ill be voting in the middle term of the FUCKING WORLD DELGATATIN FUCKING BIATTTTTTTTCH\n\nWutWut76: lol gonna be on a private jet to the capital wile u fuckers are gettin beat on by that test\n\nInTheButt54321: dude ur so fuckin lucky god i h8 civics class so much\n\nInTheButt54321: what r u gonna vote 4 ne way?\n\nWutWut76: probs moar space nukes cant wait to see those fuckin traitors in brazil get their faces melted off all over again\n\nInTheButt54321: god i love ourselves"
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[WP] All of the gods were killed by a mysterious force a long time ago. Except one. Tell the story of a god living in disguise amongst the humans.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 library was quiet, as always. It was my palace, now that the event had happened.\nSomething came for us Gods, centuries ago- killing all but myself. I don't know how I managed to dodge whatever turned all of them to stone, before whatever hit them went back for another round to crash them down and break them into pieces.\nI shuddered at the memory, the fear and horror of that day all coming back. My friends, my family, My brothers and sisters... All gone, all destroyed. Over what? What killed them? *Why* did it kill them?\n\n\"E...Excuse me Ma'am?\" A small voice brought my mind back to attention, I jolted before I looked down at this small boy looking up at me.\n\"Oh, sorry.\" I said with a sweet smile, \"How can I help you little one?\" I asked, tilting my head and lowering myself slightly.\n\"I... I'm kind of lost.\" The kid said, my smile wavered and I hesitated.\n\"That's no good. Would you like me to help you find them?\" I asked, the kid nodded quickly and held out his hand. I took it in mine and lead him to the front of the library, the library was rather big, so it was understandable that this poor little one got lost in here.\n\n\"Where did you lose your parents little one?\" I asked, the child didn't answer at first, before I repeated myself.\n\"I...\" He started before he fell silent, he seemed to be wondering what to say. I stopped and propped him up gently onto a chair in one of the cosy places.\n\"What's wrong?\" I asked, lowering myself to a sitting pose to be eye to eye with the child.\nI was never the *tallest* of the Gods, especially when I only stood at around 4'11\"- when most of my sisters were easily 5'03\" and my brothers easily branching over 6'. The child looked at me, fear and worry in his eyes before the tears started to well.\n\"I...I don't...\" He started, I moved my hands to gently hold his. I was never completely good at calming people down- which everyone would easily made fun of me for; But I was the God of Pathways and Guidance, not one of Calm and babysitting.\n\"Do you know their names?\" I asked, keeping my voice low and soft.\n\n\"N...No.\" The kid admitted, \"I... I live with my granny and grandpa.\" I nodded before I stood up again.\n\"Come with me,\" I started, the kid slipping off the chair and following me. \"Do you know their name?\"\n\"I know their last name.\" He said, shakily. \"B...But They're at the other side.\"\nI hesitated, \"Other side?\"\nThe kid nodded once, \"Town.\"\nI blinked before I furrowed my brow. \"How did you get there?\" I asked with with more of a frown.\n\"I was brought here with my older sister, she was here with her friends.\" The kid said, I furrowed my brow even more before I stopped at the front desk of the Library.\nThe kid looked around for his sister before he looked back at me with a shake of his head. I frowned and offered my hand to the kid, \"I'll take you home.\" I started before I started to walk out of the library.\n\nI got out of the library, turning to the little one behind me and knelt down.\n\"Can I trust you?\" I asked him, he blinked and gave a small nod. \"Good, because you can't tell anyone what you're about to experience.\"\nI lead the boy around the back of the library before I lifted her arms towards the brick wall.\nA chalky white line moved across the bricks, forming a small tunnel before it suddenly formed a black doorway. I offered my hand to the boy before I lead him through, exiting out onto what I could presume as the kids seat.\nThe kids eyes widened as he stepped towards a driveway. \"My house!\" He said as he spun around to me, he moved to speak before I winked and put a finger to my lips before walking through the portal again before closing it behind me.\n\n\nI sighed, leaning against a wall. I hadn't used my abilities for a while, it was usually too risky due to the people around me and the potential for whatever found the others to find me.\nI closed my eyes before I heard footsteps from the alleyway, I shot upright and readied myself, seeing a twisted shadow starting to round the corner. *This was it.* I thought, *If the last thing I have done was help a child who was lost...*",
"\"Sorry Sir, Warranty is $5.95, Unfortunately, that is the manufacturer's decision and not my own.\" I let out a sigh, listening to the verbal onslaught of curses that flowed from the customer's lips. Thousands of years ago no one would have dared do something so bold, even the mad was not that mad, but sadly I was just one of them now, nothing more than a human, my vibrant coloured past nothing more than a grey blot.\n\nI had mingled with the gods, sure I was hardly a powerful god, my abilities were quite dull. I had slight control over natural disasters. I could usually use this ability to minimize the damage caused by these disasters. While it wasn't a flashy ability, it did earn me a lot of respect from the villagers. They would welcome me with open arms, sure they knew my appearance meant heartbreak and destruction, yet they seemed to understand that it wasn't my fault. Merely something that would have happened without my input. \n\nIt was quite a joyous life. Us gods would drink and laugh among one another, tell stories of our grand adventurers and share in each other's comfort, for who better could understand a god, then a fellow god. Perhaps we had grown to content, there was a saying by I believe it was the ancient Persians? maybe I'm wrong, my memory gets a little muddled with each century. It was something about when people wore comfy slippers, they would be overtaken by the people working hard? That's not right, but it gets the gist of it across. We had become comfortable and someone was ready to disturb our comfort, none of us prepared for that possibility.\n\nIt was pretty rapid, A typical dark and shitty day, the waves out of Poseidon control, the thundering clouds above striking what had once been their master in Zeus. It was truly a disgusting display, it was as if the very earth had begun rebelling against us gods. Sending us a message that it would not allow us to meddle in its plans. Luckily no one died during that first encounter, It was a warning that we should have taken. Instead, the other Gods continued to recklessly use their powers, all except me. It's not like I wouldn't have used my abilities, I just had nothing to use my ability on, no natural disasters meant my work didn't exist. Perhaps it was a good thing, considering that in another week, the same dark skies appeared. This time they did not show mercy to the gods, each meeting their cruel monkey paw-like fate. The God of wines mouth left overflowing with wine as he was drowned in it, The god of fertility dying in childbirth, each one meeting their end in some barbaric twist of fate. All except me. I was left alone, but now it was obvious, my home in the clouds was not safe, what killed my friends, would come for me soon enough, I had survived its attempt, but I doubted it would overlook me again. \n\nThat leads me to be here, In Electric bugger's store, the buggiest electronics store this side of the world. I did hope that I could return to my former glory, hell even if I could just help with the disasters that affect earth it would please me to no en-\"\n\n\"EXCUSE ME! are you even listening?\" The customer huffed.\n\nI awoke from my silent daydreaming, giving a sorrowful nod. \"Sorry Sir, Want me to get the manager?\"\n\n{If you enjoyed my story, Feel free to check out r/pmmeyabootysstories where ill be posting some more of my stuff for people to read}"
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[WP] You are a mythical woodland creature, and when you die, you will grow into a grand, semi-sentient tree, and your magic will protect the region. You are nearing the end of your life and are traveling the land, trying to find an agreeable spot.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"How long had she walked? Countless years passed under the wooden soles of her feet. She clutched a cloak of singed leaves around her narrow shoulders, pushing forward through a fire storm.\n\nShe had hope in the beginning. For years she had clung to that hope, first in confidence, and later in desperation. *The world couldn't be dead*, she told herself, *Life is too strong, too resilient.*\n\nIt had been a slow death. She watched it die from the dark corners of green forests that only remained in her memories. Metal demons churned up the Earth and devoured her trees. The forests burned and the oceans boiled away to nothing. In the end, the depths of hatred and the savagery of war poisoned the land.\n\nNow those same metal demons had gone silent, their lords perishing from the very monster they created. \n\nThe trees and the animals who called her forest their home had all gone, now.\n\nAnd so she was left alone, the last of her kind, wandering through an endless wasteland.\n\nFlames lapped at her heels, staining her bark black with wood smoke as she forged a path through winds of fire. She passed twisted metal and fallen structures, the old domiciles of the world's previous masters.\n\nShe was nearing her end now, too.\n\nIn the past, when one of her kind reached the end of their life, they would become a great tree, the heart and soul of their own forest. \n\nWere she to rest here, only ashes would remain. She had resisted it for so long, but she was growing tired now. \n\nHer feet stopped, and she looked up into gray, lifeless skies. She had walked for long enough and found only death. This place was as good a grave as any. \n\nShe lowered the fading yellow wisps of energy that were her eyes to the lifeless, cracked soil at her feet.\n\nAnd then she saw it, in the distance. It was small, and crawled between cracks in the Earth like the last trace of hope from a dying world. A single green leaf fluttered in savage, burning winds.\n\nAll of those endless years of wandering had brought her here. She dropped to her knees over the sprout that clung to life, defiant to the end. She leaned over the fledgling life before her, shielding it from the flames with her own body.\n\nThere was still hope here, and she would die protecting it.",
"I made my way to the banks of the small chain of lakes where I had grown up. The gentle sand beneath me, the cool splashes of water upon my back, and the warm sun peeking through the trees held great meaning to me. It is where I always dreamed of fulfilling my purpose, where I could give back in equal measure with what I had taken. I had been formed in utter tranquility, and I resolved to do the same.\n\nAs I made my way through the forest, my roots were met with many temptations. Tantalizing beauty was all around me. A small meadow clearing, where delicate flowers swayed in the breeze. A raging river, whose awesome power was forming its surroundings in a similar manner that my afterlife someday would. And mile after mile, the slow drama of the interplay of life. Tall, mighty trees with tender young shoots growing right along side. The old becoming older, and the new becoming ready to take its place. \n\nBut still my feet knew their home. \n\nI came upon a hill that filled a distant memory in my mind. I had crossed over it once before, when I had first left my home to find what was hidden under the green horizons. I stopped for a moment to consider this wonder. Perhaps this should be my home? Perhaps I should make my home atop this awesome mount? The majesty of my branches and the gleam of morning dew upon my leaves would inspire all who lived within the forest, no doubt. I would be seen, and known, until time should end. I could feel my body quiver at the intrigue, and lust after the sure glory that would come if only I'd choose to die. \n\nAnd I almost gave in. I *wanted* to give in. But I knew, through and through, that in this place I would never truly give back. I would capture the gaze and attention of all, and in some way intentional and non, would hold them prisoner. Beauty, wonder, and the protection of high ground already filled this place. This was no place for selfish magic to bloom.\n\nAfter cresting my last great temptation, I could see it. The waters of my youth sparkled in the distance. Encouragement filled my soul as I knew that more than just water shone upon the horizon. \n\nExcitement built as I drew closer. *Yes, here I will be of use. Here I can be needed, and here I can give,* I thought. But with each passing step a strange sense of doubt began to fall upon me. An unusual feeling, to be sure, for one so confident in their purpose. As I marched forward, the source of this feeling soon became.\n\nFrom every direction, the sounds of flourishing filled my ears.\n\nI came to a place where I could see my beloved banks. Life of every variety was present in abundance. Birds, small creatures, bugs, flowers, water lilies, all sharing the same space. Trees old and new, as always, stood on either side of me. And soon I watched as some deer gently entered the foray, splashing the water gently as they drank. And in the sight of all this beauty my heart began to sink.\n\n*I'm not needed here.*\n\nI then knew that this place didn't need my magic. It had created a certain unique, natural magic all its own. The type that I had been born with perhaps blinded me to the kind that surrounded me as I grew up. But now I saw with open eyes. Surely, my purpose lay elsewhere.\n\nWith distraught understanding I turned my back on the waters of my home, and made my way forward. No plan, no direction, looking for nothing in particular. My mind and heart struggled with loss in a new way, as what once felt like home had been uprooted. But still, I had to keep moving. Still, I had to give. The measures must be equaled. \n\nDay and night traded places many times as I made my way ahead. Eventually I noticed that what was ahead didn't seem so green, and my eyes slowly adjusted to the extra light. *I'm at the edge.*\n\nAnd as I came through the last ridge of tree and brush, I was met by a massive clearing. Far on the horizon I could see the top of another treeline, appearing almost as small green clouds in the sky. New sensations filled me as I took in the scene. Brown, dry, cracked earth before me. The blinding heat and dry air took me aback. The gently sloped ground showed this to be an ancient riverbed, that had somehow lost its way. \n\nNever had I cried such tears of joy. \n\nFinally, I had found my home. Here I knew I could put down deep, meaningful roots. Here I could restore and protect. All I had taken would be poured out upon this desolate land, and all would be made even. \n\nHere, life once flowed, and soon it would flow once more.\n\n \n\n_________________\nr/psalmsandstories for more tales by me, should you be interested.",
"I have always found that it is easier to feel young when one feels foolish. \n\nIt is for this reason that my years have not worn on my soul, but have whittled away at my body. In all my years, I had never managed to unravel the mysteries surrounding me and lore.\n\nI always knew it was there, my past- my power and my potency. I had risen from the wet, loamy earth to find myself alone, and was left to my own devices to seek advice, discover my strength .Instinct guided me, but it wasn't enough. And I was running out of time.\n\nI could feel it. I could hear the icebergs of the far north groaning, the forests in the south wheezing, the waters weeping. I had to face my mortality soon, and I was glad for that. Nearly eager to crumble back into the ground from which I had emerged, trembling, whimpering, small.\n\nAnd then I would return, not as myself, but as part of nature's soldiery, standing sentinel over a little slice of the world. I would become a tree. This I knew, this was the destiny of my people. The forests had whispered it to me as I made my way through them on my bare, human feet. Bramble, bush, berry, branch. They were all the same. They had the answers. \n\nThe mercy that was granted to me after a life of solitude was the gift of choice. Where on this earth did I want to keep watch, to nourish, to help flourish? \n\nThat was my task now. To choose my grave.\n\nAnd so I journeyed. I journeyed as a little girl, a little boy, a bison, a bird. The world needed me no longer. Immense beetles, built of stone and metal, summoned respect. I had deluded myself into thinking I had much to offer, for a whole life long. \n\nThen I saw it. The cliff. It was so steep, so stern. It was ragged and imposing, and the air reeked of despair. It hung in the air, thick and weighty. I could barely see. I could feel it, centuries of human hopelessness, helplessness, hitting a crescendo at this place. It bore a hole inside me. \n\nThis would be it. I wanted to be a source of solace for them, whether they needed one last embrace from a friend before meeting their end, or a breath of fresh air to start anew. They would sit in the cradle of my shade, human, animal- all, and feel the greatest peace they had ever known in their lives.\n\nI am ready to die. "
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[WP] The witch cursed you to live inside the spirit realm, where you've learned many things. Not all who live there are dead, they all have tales to tell, and not all of them are human. Just recently the decaying bones of a dragon flew overhead.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Of the many days I have spent as a semi-corporeal astral being stranded in this barren spirit realm, none beat the night Angorra flew overhead.\n\nNobody I spoke to, not even the trio of old crones at the top of the hill who's cauldron bubbled over with its innumerable secrets, could tell me why Angorra's soul penetrated the spirit realm. The skeletal body of a pterodactyl, or so I guessed, had crossed above not once, not twice, but repeatedly, on the hour, overhead.\n\nWell, as far as I could tell, since the spirit realm twisted time into a whirlwind of inconsistency. Seriously, I was pretty sure tomorrow had already happened yesterday, and that last year was coming up sometime in the next century.\n\n\"Did you see that?\" I had asked Randy, a forty-five year-old corpsie (our nickname for the dead of the spirit realm) I had befriended after maybe his hundredth reenactment of his death. Surely a gruesome experience, to be beholden to the consequences of your end, but the circumstances that led me to the spirit realm were less morbid and more nightmarish fairy-tale. A witch. In the woods. Maybe a curse was involved - sue me. I didn't watch Disney growing up.\n\nHe grunted, as much as he could through the gurgle of the vehicular shrapnel piercing his throat and lungs. \"Narrggghhhhhhhhhhh,\" he groaned. I knew a no when I heard one. As I patted his back goodbye, I heard the familiar siren of the oncoming ambulance. Poor guy didn't usually last before it arrived, but this place didn't really care about consistency or facts. Or realism. Dali would've thrived here.\n\n\"Did you ask about Angorra?\" A voice from my left beckoned me. \"She's been circling this particular circle of hell for years!\" Her haggard tone could be crone, could be disastrous death-scenario, it was a literal 50-50 here.\n\n\"I'm not currently dying,\" came the voice, emphasis on the 'currently'.\n\nI moved in her general direction, but couldn't place the voice. It felt like it was coming from above me, like a little tickle in the wind. Looking up, only the ethereal clouds greeted me in the grey obsolescence. There was no sun in this realm. Just an all-enveloping grey.\n\n\"Up here!\" As if she knew, another gust of air fell upon my head and tickled my the tips of ears. Looking up, I was agape. Aghast. Guffawed? Words kind of lose their meaning when your dwelling in eternity.\n\nA whale - a literal, god-forsaken whale, perforated through the billows of cloud and swallowed the sky like a school of krill.\n\nDumbfounded, I simply said, \"Oh, hi there.\" Surprises were abound in a realm with no rules, no truth, and no end. But still, a floating, corporeal whale in the sky. Hard pill to swallow.\n\n\"Angorra died many millenia ago,\" billowed the she-whale.\n\n\"Christianity tended to disagree,\" I whispered to myself.\n\n\"There are many Christians. I do not know of whom you speak,\" the she-whale came so close I thought she'd touch-down. Instead, she simply hovered before me, her body angled such that her blow hole pushed back my hair like a gargantuan hair dryer.\n\nIgnoring the hair treatment, I continued, \"How do you know Angorra?\"\n\n\"She was a dragon. A whale of the sky. Otherworldly beings. Beyond you. Beyond even me.\" The she-whale exhaled as she spoke and enveloped me in krill-breath. Had she eaten somewhere? Were the spirit-krill in the sky here? Could I swim up there?\n\nI ate my questions, for now, hoping to figure out how to scuba dive in the clouds later. With my luck, I'd end up perpetually drowning in the atmosphere. \"A dragon? They actually existed?\"\n\n\"Well before those of you who stand on two-legs.\"\n\nRude, not all beings can just float through the abyss of life. Or death. Or spiritually-entombed eternity. \"Interesting, why is she just a skeleton floating through the sky? Everyone else has their body from the real world here. Whether or not they're alive.\"\n\nI didn't expect the she-whale to have an answer. I didn't expect to speak to a whale floating in the sky. Honestly, my expectations went out the window when I landed here at the whim of an old witch straight out of Oz.\n\nBut her answer made total sense. Truly the only sensible thing I had heard in the last century. Her matter-of-fact tone struck me in my bones, shred me of my skin and tore into me like a fresh bite. The honesty was gnashing at me.\n\n\"I ate it.\"\n\nSpirit whales eat dragon meat. The things you learn as one of the damned."
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[WP] The prophecy is clear: I will be killed by a family member, or I will win and become more powerful than any of them. I hold in my hands the invitation...Family Reunion, May 12th, Centennial Park.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 family reunion had been surprisingly uneventful. I had participated in every event and played all the rough games so far and none of my family had attempted to kill me.\n\nHow's a guy supposed to gain his foretold power and prowess without someone trying to kill him? \n\nThe final two games were going to be my last chance at completing the prophecy on my terms. We only had games of lawn darts and horseshoes left to complete before our final meal.\n\nLawn darts seemed the most obvious chance to cheat death, so I signed up for the earlier rounds. I was handily defeated by my grandfather's practiced hand in the first round.\n\nI took to practicing horseshoes while the lawn darts competition raged on behind me.\n\nThe competition was fierce, but my grandfather won out in the end. My familial pride welled as I watched my 80-year-old grandfather destroy his eldest son in a three win, zero loss final round.\n\nThe seed for horseshoes pitted me against some tough opponents, but I was able to make it to the final round. Across the pit from me, I could see my grandfather's dentures clenched tightly in his mouth as he fought to get just the right position to make the horseshoes ring.\n\nRound after round I tied the skilled man, until we reached Sudden Death overtime. Sweat beaded on our brows as we focused. Our family, now bored, had mostly dispersed leaving only my mother and grandmother to watch this finale of skillful tosses.\n\n\\*PING\\* My grandfather hit another ringer and matched my score.\n\nMy heart beat furiously in my chest, my lungs struggled to find air. Sweat covered my palms and when I let loose that final shoe I knew I had missed.\n\nIt soared through the air and went wide. I looked down in dismay, not wanting to see my failure land. \n\n\\*THUMP\\* The sound of metal hitting flesh ripped me from my sorrow. I ripped my eyes from my shoes to see my grandfather bleeding profusely and falling to the ground.\n\nMy family instantly gathered around him and I could hear wails of despair and cries for someone to call emergency services.\n\nSitting in the funeral home days later, I could hardly look my family in the eyes. I had dreamed of this victory for months. That damned gypsy had me convinced that I would be something special.\n\nI just felt like a murderer. My grandfather was a great man. He built a company from nothing in 1958 and became a legend in our area. Our family business was very prosperous, with many of the family members opting to work in support areas of the business.\n\nAfter the initial open casket service, we all crowded into a tiny room in the funeral parlor for the reading of his last will and testament.\n\n\"Dear family, you all are so talented and I'm so happy to have given you a place to explore those talents in my business. Should I pass on without naming an heir to the head of the business I have but one request: If no man, woman, or child has bested me in a game at our reunion, then I name my eldest son to helm my company. If anyone is able to win a game against me at our yearly retreat, my company, my wealth, and my best wishes go to them.\"\n\nThe rest of the will marked off specific items, but no one listened. I could feel dozens of sets of eyes boring into me. Apparently my failed point that killed my grandfather put me exactly one shoe ahead of him. I was now the owner of one of the largest companies in my state."
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No particular ending, write based on your own imagination, and end based on how you want it to end.
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[WP] Two sides, a country with advanced technology and a country of magic users. You are a soldier, fighting for your life in the war rather than for the country. Those who write about magic users must fight against the Advanced, and those who write about the Advanced must fight against the Magics
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"My name is Carter Williams and I was abducted from my family at the age of 12 and trained by the military to help this war against the magic users. This would be my fourth year training to fight against magic but I don’t want to hurt anybody and I didn’t even want to be here at all but the government was corrupt and just wanted people to fight instead of them. Recently after a training session with my platoon mates I made one of them float just by pointing my finger at them after they pissed me off by speaking egotistical that I would never see my family again while he sees his every weekend. But that, was 2 years before I ran from the grounds and the rage of the government of having a magic user upon them."
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[WP] As it turns out, Crop circles are considered the interstellar equivalent of Graffiti Tagging.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"\"Alois!\" Yelled my mom, her almost pure white eyes staring at me beneath furrowed brows. \"What did I say about that graffiti of yours? You're going to get in big trouble one day!\"\n\nI rolled my eyes. I haven't been caught yet, I'll never be caught now. \"Whatever.\"\n\n\"Don't you 'whatever' me mister. You're grounded for the next week, and if I catch you graffiti-ing again, you're grounded for life!\"\n\n\"It's not fair! You just don't understand!\" I stomped to my room. I was pissed! Every kid in the neighborhood was doing it and their moms didn't care. I wish my mom didn't care.\n\nI flopped on my bed and went to bed. It was already kind of dark and I had nothing better to do, so I slept.\n\nA few hours later, there was a tap at my window. I ran and opened it to see my best friend, Alverta. \n\n\"Yo, Alio.\" She said excitedly. \"Wanna do another tag?\"\n\n\"My mom said I can't,\" I said, shaking my head. \"She'd kill me.\"\n\n\"Who cares, c'mon, live a little!\"\n\nI thought about it for a second a shrugged. What's the worst that could happen, I get grounded for a little bit?\n\nI hopped in the pod with Alverta. She had brought her dumb boyfriend Bilal and her best friend Bria. Bilal was a jerk, I didn't know what Alverta saw in him. \n\nWe sped a few planets over. Plant Alpha-1102, also known as Earth. We had never tagged this place before as it was very risky. Supposedly there's another species here called 'humans.' \n\n\"Are you sure this is a good idea?\" I asked. I was scared as I didn't want to get caught.\n\n\"Don't be such a wimp,\" Bilal said. \"Scared?\"\n\nI shook my head. \"Nope, not like you!\"\n\nBilal lifted his fist, but Alverta took it in her hand and held him. He narrowed his eyes at me, but then turned to kiss her. I almost lost my dinner.\n\n\"Here's a good spot.\" Said Bria.\n\nWe were above a large empty lot. There seemed to be a small, red building in the distance, but there were no lights so we assumed it was empty.\n\nI drew up a quick design to work with an put it into the system. Within a few minutes, the plan was set and lights outlined the design on the field. We grabbed our equipment, hopped out of the vehicle, and started cutting for the design.\n\nHalf an hour later, when we were almost done, a noise broke the silence as red and blue lights flickered in the distance. We all raced back to the pod but were quickly surrounded. Men in blue uniforms stepped out of their cars.\n\nMany gaped at our ship, but the one that looked to be in charge was unsurprised. He stepped towards us menacingly.\n\n\"Well, well, well,\" He said, grinning, \"What do we have here?\"\n\nI rolled my eyes. \"Hi, dad\"\n\nHis almost pure white eyes looked right through me. \"You're mother is gonna be so pissed.\"",
"The Joint Chiefs were in place and ready as the projector clicked on in the dimly lit room. The powerpoint that faded onto the screen had a blood red banner around the edges of the first slide. \"Top Secret FOUO\". The title read \"Landscape Anomaly Analysis\". Official phrasing sucks the fun out of everything.\n\nA Major greeted the Joint Chiefs as a young enlisted man continued to set things up. \"Good morning gentlemen and thank you for coming today, we didn't exactly expect this briefing to get so much attention. Usually they are only given to the Colonel. You will be briefed by our airman, he was the one that was tasked with tying all of this information together.\" They still haven't figured out the proper terms for enlisted members of the Space Force.\n\nA JCS memeber replied confidently \"Well Major, when it comes to matters like this, we like to get information from the source. We can't make strategic decisions based on disbelief or panic. All of our electronics are at the door, so you can begin when ready.\"\n\nThe airman took his place at the small wooden podium next to the screen, starting out nervous but relaxing as he went. \"Go-good morning, as you know one of the key missions of the newly formed Space Force is to ensure dominance in that domain against all threats, including extra terrestrial ones. We were given access to files of incidents of so-called crop circles, NASA data and a mountain of old archive papers at Area 51. Our particular job was to determine the source of these circles and help you decide if it is a threat to our nation.\"\n\nThe slide switched, showing side by side photos of various designs found in fields and slightly pixelated NASA imagery of the moon and mars. \"As you can see, these symbols are obviously not man made. Many of them match each other too. The symbols are on parts of the moon and martian surface that we never touched so there's no way it could be us. As for their meaning, we didn't have any clues... but then we found this.\"\n\nThe slide showed a grainy black and white picture, a full body picture of an alien. \"This was found in the medical archives at Cannon Air Force Base. Since the Roswell documents were initially stored there we decided to double check their old files just in case. It must have been left behind by mistake when the rest of the documents were sent to Groom Lake. As you can see there is a series of circles on the the stomach of the small alien body similar to some of the designs we've seen. Reports suggest that it is likely a...reproductive organ.\"\n\n\"Hold on\" a general spoke up \"Are you telling me that these aliens are tagging our planet with pictures of their dicks?\"\n\nThe airman's face turned a brighter shade of red \"Um....yes. Yes sir. The analysts that made the initial report suggested that different designs represent the variation of their gene pool, age, and even social standing. It seems that the more complicated the design the better. It's like a family crest or a dating profile...but on their dicks...sir.\"\n\nA combination of relief and disappointment was apparent on the faces of the Joint Chiefs. The general mumbled to a colleague \"So much for hostile intent. This was our best hope for convincing the President. ....and after all the time we spent planning Starlight Anvil...\" \n\nHe stood and turned back to the two at the podium \"Well, thank you for all of your hard work airman. We have to be going now. Major, see to it that he makes NCO.\" And they filed out of the room, picking up their phones and watches from the box in the hall.\n\nThe airman was in disbelief \"I'm sorry Major I didn't mean to disappoint them\"\n\nThe Major smiled \"Don't be, I think you might have prevented a war....sergeant.\"",
"\"So that's all it is? Graffiti? heh, you gave us all quite the scare you know, we all thought it must have been some sort of warning, or perhaps even a threat. It is kind of relieving to know that we were wrong all those years.\" Thomas let out a relieved sigh, kicking back against his chair, staring at his alien counterpart. He had been the first human elected to the intergalactic council and as such, was expected to help clear up the common misconceptions that his species had about these alien creatures, the council deeming this the most important way of moving forward in their relations.\n\nThe blue-skinned alien let his head spin around, rotating backwards while his body maintained its forward-facing position, his singular large eye blinking before he spoke. \"Well yeah, what did you think it was? Do all humans get scared when they see a random scribble on the ground? Maybe it is because of your evolution from those hairy creatures, although you don't seem very involved given how much hair you have.\" The alien said, his words rather to the point, the creature finding little reason to dance around the topic, getting right to the point.\n\n\"I.. don't know which part of that to be offended by.... I mean it was all pretty offensive, although if I were to choose a part specifically to be offended by, it would be the hairy comment. I will have you know that on earth, this was considered the ideal male body!\" Thomas eventually gave up trying to fight against the alien, explaining why that was rude would be a waste of both of their times, instead, he went to a question that he had always had. \"So why choose earth to write on exactly, surely you could find a nicer place?\"\n\n\"When you create art, you need a blank canvas, Earth was the blankest canvas we could find, it wasn't like your kind were using the planet for much anyway. We thought it made it look prettier, Although, that was before people began to illegally graffiti on your planet, once that began to happen we sadly had to outlaw it.\" The creature let out a quiet sigh, clearly, a few memories shooting through that big head of his, Thomas feeling it was his duty to try and cheer up the alien, picking up a small green holodeck, gliding his finger along the devices outer wheel. \n\nSoon the device began to show pictures off the various crop circles that appeared on earth, ignoring that news articles that were attached to them claiming it to be the end of the world. \"They did have a sort of beauty to them, I love the way that this one seems to radiate as if it is showing us a clear sign of its life.\"\n\nThe creature gave a smile, its aqua gelled lips curling into a smile. \"You have a good eye human, well a moderate two eyes. that picture represents our great history, you see the circular symbol towards its base is a reference to our unique brain design, our brains being designed in such a way to ensure that the information is rotating at a pace to keep it efficiently stored.\" \n\n\"Oh, I see, that is quite amazing.\" It was nice to finally have something to discuss, even if it wasn't of much interest to the man. Thomas flicked through a few more photos before stopping on another that he found interesting. \"Oh what about this one?\" He asked pointing to a more unique one. This one having a strange sort of design that seemed to draw his interest, making curious to know its origin.\n\nThe alien glanced it up and down before his lips parted. \"YEP YEP YEP YEP\" it bellowed, holding its stomach as the words continued. \"YEP YEP YEP\" it seemed to be laughing? Thomas politely waiting for the laughing subsided before wiping the bottom of his eye. \"Ah, you are rather fascinated by our anatomy human?\" He said with a crude smirk.\n\n\"Ah...\" So even aliens had people that liked to draw their graffiti their anatomy, seemed that was a thing that occurred across species...\n\n{If you enjoyed my story, Feel free to check out r/pmmeyabootysstories where ill be posting some more of my stuff for people to read}"
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[WP] "On one hand the hallways seem to get longer when you are not paying attention, rooms shift constantly, occasionally blood replaces the water and at midnight unearthly screams echo in every room, but on the other hand the rent is absurdly cheap and the location is perfect!"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 to get a cup of water. I double checked the knot on my running shoes, got the holly water, and bolted through the bedroom door. The banshee was there, waiting as usual but I quickly showed her my silver cross and she was blinded just for that extra second it took me to get to the Cold Zone - the spot in the house that drains your positive thoughts and leaves you with dread. I look at the strategically placed portrait of my kitten Misha to bring me back to my senses and I finally get into the kitchen. \n\nWho would have thought Britas could also filter out blood? The taste doesn’t go away but I’ve already lost my taste a good while ago so it doesn’t really bother me. I drink my refreshing cup of filtered blood water and I start hearing Misha meowing again in the hallway. I get the sledgehammer and free her once more from the wall. As time passes she gets more and more used to it but I think it’s starting to effect her appetite as she now mostly preffers to eat the bits of human flesh falling from the skeleton chandelier. \n\nThis reminds me to write the landlord about the faulty switch I found besides the crystal skull. I might as well e-mail him now as going to bed might make me go into a coma, and I don’t want that to happen again anytime soon. \n\n“Dear Mr. Jim Satan,\n\nSorry to disturb your night. Or day. To be honest I do not know anymore as they seem to blend into one another like how the wallpaper keeps changing shapes. \n\nI am doing great apart from the odd impulse to murder but having to sew up Misha every now and then as I find her with her guts out keeps me balanced. \n\nI write to you because 1. the small bathroom has stopped flushing again - I think we have some pipe issues - and 2. I’ve found this odd switch behind the crystal skull hidden in the study. It might be broken as I kept turning it on and off and apart from some distant cries of eternal agony no light came on. \n\nI do hope you’re doing well. Last time we saw each other was in one of my dreams. You really lost some weight!\n\nI have to go now as I’m feeling a spontaneous combustion happening again and I have to find the fire extinguisher. \n\nBest regards\nMike”"
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[WP] As you wake up in the morning, there's a lot of noise coming from the street. You walk outside and a GIANT ship is floating in the air. It appears to be boarding pairs of animals. Your neighbor tells you it's on TV everywhere in the world and appears to be the same boat. A light rain starts...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 sharp crack of thunder ripped Paige Coghland from sleep. She bolted up in a tangle of sweaty bedsheets, the memory of a dream slipping back into shadows in her mind. Her heart pounded against her ribs. \n\nPaige felt along her bedside table until her hands touched the frames of glasses. Her room was dim in the early morning, flashes of lightning exploding into life illuminating her hab. Rain echoed against the roof, trickling down the windows. She got out of bed, heading across her hab to the bathroom where she filled a glass of water from the tap.\n\nHer hab was small, only a few hundred square feet in total. But she was just out of university and had been assigned to this distant colony world as part of a research team studying local flora and fauna. \n\nA ping came from her door. Her eyebrows scrunched together. The whole team should still be sleeping. She set the water down and walked to the door, waving a hand over a pad. The door slid open. Lucas Nylund, the lead for her team, was already soaked. He was of middling age, with bland features and kind eyes. His reddish blonde hair plastered to his face. A face filled with excitement. “Come here,” he said, reaching for her hand. “You’ve got to see this.” \n\nPaige allowed herself to be pulled outside onto the causeway connecting the habs which had been built along a riverbed. Rain sluiced down, falling between the metal grating of the causeway. The causeway was raised above murky marshwater. In the predawn light, Paige could just make out the others all rushing out of their habs. The sky was obscured behind the massive leaves of the local flora. \n\n“What’s happening?” she asked over the rain. \n\n“You have to see this to believe it,” Lucas said. \n\nBetween a break in the canopy, Paige spots stabbing beams of light sweeping through the trees. Her feet stopped involuntarily and she stared up at the metal shape of a ship. Clearly not human in origin. \n\n“What is that thing?” The questions formed in her mind faster than answers could.\n\nFirst and foremost, the overwhelming proof that they were not alone in the universe. Humans had known for some time that there were other life, hell they’d come all this way just to study the xenos biology. \n\nBut never had they found intelligent life. \n\nLucas hurried her along. “We’ve tried hailing it,” he said as they joined with the crowd of researchers all rushing to get a better view.. “No response. But what’s fascinating is this thing seems to be collecting samples of the local life. Not unlike us.”\n\nThe group emerged into a break in the trees and Paige got her first good look at the ship. It was huge, easily more than ten kilometers across, maybe more, she guessed. Though her perspective made it hard to tell. And the misty morning rain made it even harder to see. What did become obvious is that in the stabbing searchlights, small figures were being pulled up. \n\n“What?” Paige barked a laugh. “What is happening?” \n\nThe figures in the beams of light were slowly rotating as they rose into the sky. Like something from and old Earth vid, when aliens abducted cows. Then she noticed that each of the xenos life forms were being beamed up in pairs. \n\nThe crowd of researchers huddled together, staring up at the massive ship. Ports opened, admitting the pairs of animals and then closing again. \n\n“What is it?” Jacen, one of the botanists asked. \n\n“Isn’t it fascinating?” Lucas said, his eyes wide with wonder. His whole life he’d dreamed of a moment just like this. And here he was to witness it first hand. The look on his face said it all. \n\nPaige watched the scientists, watching the alien ship. All of them were so amazed that they hadn’t connected the dots yet. But she knew what this was. Had a feeling at least, sinking in the pit of her stomach. \n\n“It’s an Ark,” she breathed, the words springing to her mind of bedtime stories her mother had read. Stories of a vengeful god and floods to destroy the whole Earth."
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[WP] Nobody knows your secret to success: You fail at everything you try, so at some point you started TRYING to fail. The double-negative effect has led to your enormous accomplishments, and everyone is trying to figure out how you do it.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 horrible loser. \n\nGrowing up, I hated that no matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did, no matter even if I CHEATED, I could never win a game. Didn’t even matter if the game was meant to be purely up to chance, even. A coin flip, cards, Tic-Tac-Toe, all tried, all failed. My mother was always torn, she knew how much I wanted even the taste of victory, my dad... Well, my dad saw a failure in every way. Told me I was nothing but a horrible loser. It wasn’t until my first attempt at gambling in a casino that I realized just how wrong I had looking at my curse.\n\nI say curse, but that was then. Now? It’s a BLESSING.\n\nPeople hire me as a reverse “Lady Luck”, you could say. After all, when a man walks up to the roulette wheel and puts two chips on black, nobody’s going to question the man who walks up next to him and bets it all on red. The crowd applauds, the high-roller has just doubled his money! And who’s to stop said boy-betting-black from trying again, putting two small stacks on the 1st 12 and the 3rd 12? After all, he’s trying to win his money back, playing it a little riskier. And the winner from before? Placed almost all his winnings on the 2nd 12 and a minor bet on the 3rd. Red, 14, we have a sweeper! The loser walks away, thirty-five dollars cheaper, and everyone looks and says “What a horrible loser, he couldn’t even play more than two rounds”, and Mr. Big Spender, after a few more bets? Walks away with about $10,000. In a few hours, I should be getting a ping from my bank telling me that the second half of my pay has come in, plus 10%, as always. He sends me a text thanking me for my work, and I just smile as I thank him for his patronage as I look at the dozens of other people begging for my services, a man who bet his house on the horse races, a woman who wants a new car, each willing to pay my fee for their own guaranteed win.\n\nAnd the casinos, who scream the motto “the House never loses”? They never suspect foul play, and even if they did, all they would see is a man constantly losing, giving them money. I am invisible to them, but even as I leech off of them, bleeding them dry, you know what I think?\n\nI always WAS a horrible loser.",
"He shoved the stack of reports back towards the meek eyed board of directors sitting on the opposite side of the desk. \n\n“I don’t really care what your requests or plans are. Here’s how we’re going to play it...” \n\nAfter pausing for good measure, he launched into a 30 minute rant with ample circular logic and vague hate speech. He made sure to sprinkle in some platitudes to really confuse them. He dare not let anyone get a word in edge wise, that’d be too out of his newly found character. By the end of his monologue he’d said basically everything and practically nothing at the same time.\n\nThe lot were confused, but scurried away with worried faces and a clutter of papers. He heard them vigorously typing on their laptops as he cornered the new intern to pass off his empty coffee cup. Work was about to be done folks. \n\nFour months ago he was an intern at Corpraco Ventures. Today, at the age of 22 he was the CEO, CIO, and CTO. The CFO was curled up in some huddle room loosing hair from stress. He thought it was best to leave the math to someone else. Poor old souls never new what hit them. \n\nLast month he was featured in Forbes 30 under 30. Last weekend he was honored as GQ’s man of the year at their exclusive house party in Beverly Hills. He even had a momento hanging of the feature article in his corner office “We just don’t know how he does it! What’s your secret?” - Sal Yang, editor in chief. \n\nHe didn’t tell her. \n\nHe had to be careful now. Careful of slowing down. When he did, memories of a time before would bubble up. It was time before the cars, the money, the parties, and fame. A time when he cared, and tried, maybe too much. What good did it do him? He was a failure at everything he did - a 21 year old with no path and no potential. That wasn’t a good time.\n\nAs of four months ago, he resolved to give up all the trying and caring. His new mode of operation was to straight up try to fail. At Corpraco that happened to mean being a grade-A dick. The only thing was, for some unknown reason, people ate that kind of thing up around here. They promoted him for no apparent reason and then he simply fired the guy across the ladder to take over his role (it’s always a guy at Corpraco, the diversity stats in leadership are shit here). From there he stopped doing anything at all. He spends his 2-hour work days yelling at everyone he sees for not having anything done and the rest of the time playing golf with the guys. Rinse and repeat. \n\nIt’s magical really. Everyone scrambles around trying to catch up with his ever-changing whims. They practically scurry under his feet and cower behind their screens in meetings. His bonus keeps growing. \n\nHis secret? No one would ever be the wiser... or at least that’s what he thought.\n\n\nEdit: added in a line to account for the CFO",
"She still thought about him. All the time. Why? She didn’t know. He had left her when she needed him the most. She ran her hand over her chest and took a deep breath. It was weird how simple things like a deep breath were joyous occasions now. He should’ve been here with her. But he wasn’t. When she had needed him the most, he had bailed. He had warned her. He had told her that he could never be a good husband. She had been naive. And in love. Fuck love. And fuck him. \n\n***\n\n“Can you please put that out?”\n\n“Sorry?”\n\n“The cigarette. Could you please put it out?”\n\n“Oh sure, sure. I’m sorry.”\n\n“No problem.”\n\nThere was a moment of silence as she looked out the window. Her driver had opened up a bit of it to get the smoke out and The wind blew through her hair, making them move around. Like Medusa, she thought. \n\nShe had to confess that the area was beautiful. It was green as far as the eyes could see. It was quite a sight. \n\n“Are we close?”\n\nHer driver caught her gaze through the mirror. “We’re almost there. Five minutes at the most.” He turned his attention to the road. “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s someone like you doing all the way out here.”\n\n“I’m looking for someone.”\n\n“Ah. It’s a good hiding spot.”\n\n“It is.”\n\nShe fell silent and thought back to the months she had spent searching. Money had not been an obstacle. He had left her more money than she knew if was possible for one person to have. For someone used to living month to month, the idea that she, and her next fifteen generations for that matter, would never have to work was pretty amazing. \n\nShe had left her private jet behind and flown economy though. Old habits. \n\n“We’re here.” Her driver announced. “I always thought there was something fishy about him you know.”\n\n“There is.”\n\n“Is he a criminal? Like a murderer?”\n\n“No.” She looked at the little cottage for a while. “He’s the worst human being I’ve ever known but he’s not a killer. So he does have that going for him at least.”\n\nShe paid her fare with a 200% tip causing the driver’s mouth to fall in surprise. She didn’t hear him calling behind her though and just kept walking. \n\n***\n\n“Are you ever going to come in? You’ve been standing there for ten minutes now.”\n\n“You’re a bastard.”\n\n“I am. But I still make a mean tea. Come on. You’ve travelled a long way. Sit down, relax. We can get to the shouting and cursing afterwards.”\n\nTen minutes later, as she sipped her tea and looked at him, she felt her anger starting to slip away. No! She couldn’t let that happen. She threw her tea cup down and watched it shatter into a million pieces. \n\n“Well that’s immature.”\n\n“Fuck you.”\n\n“Did you always curse this much or is this new?”\n\n“You left me.”\n\nHe smiled and started picking up the pieces. “Nothing a little super glue won’t fix.”\n\n“Some things can never be fixed. You could try your best but the cracks will still be there. It’s unusable now.”\n\n“Well that sucks. Doesn’t matter. I’m super attached to this cup. You remember the coffee shop where we went for our first date. I gave them like a hundred bucks and asked them to set both these cups aside. I collected them later in the night from there.”\n\nShe felt the tears come. “You son of a bitch. YOU LEFT ME.”\n\n“I did.”\n\nHe turned around looking for more pieces. She wasn’t sure how this meeting was supposed to go. But it definitely wasn’t supposed to go like this. \n\n“Do you have anything to say for yourself?”\n\nHe paused, a dustpan with pieces of his special cup in his hand and looked into her eyes. “Two things. I love you.”\n\n“You...”\n\nHe held up his hand. “Second thing. I told you so.”\n\nThe dam broke and she started crying freely. He went to his kitchen and put the pieces down. He started arranging them, his back turned to her. \n\nShe got up and stormed out. She was only a few steps away when her anger reached a boiling point. Not like this. \n\nShe went back in, walking straight to the kitchen and slapped him. He looked at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. It just fuelled her anger more. He was supposed to be sorry. He was supposed to be angry. Something. He was supposed to show some emotion. Anything but this.",
"“It worked for everything else I’ve tried...” I thought to myself. “What’s so crazy about trying to lose the lottery? Playing at all almost guarantees losing. So, logically, it should be impossible for me to lose, right?” \n\nI stood facing the young gas station employee. The gas station was empty, and he didn’t seem busy. He looked at me curiously, but still uninterested, I’m sure he deals with nut-jobs like me all the time. Except, I wasn’t really a nut-job.\n\nHe sighed and asked me “So you want a lottery ticket, and you’re playing the numbers 1, 2, 34, 56, and 78?”\n\n“That’s right.”\n\n“Buddy, do you know how many people play those numbers?”\n\n“Well, I’m playing them too.” \n\n“Alright, whatever man.” \n\nThe lottery was playing on the small screen behind him. They were about to start calling the numbers. \n\n“I’m sorry, would you mind hurrying? They’re about to call the numbers. And if you could turn that up for me, please?”\n\nHe grunted at me. I don’t blame him, I would too. He lazily leaned below the counter, searching through what sounded like a pile of junk. He brought out the remote and turned the tv up, then finished printing my receipt. The man announcing the lottery barked enthusiastically.\n\n“And the winning lottery numbers for the $800 million dollar jackpot are, 1, 2...”\n\nThe gas station employee heard the first two numbers, and with almost a spark of interest, turned around to watch with me.\n\n“... 34...”\n\n“Wha... what?” The employee said in disbelief.\n\n“...56...” \n\nHis jaw dropped, mine did too, though I was less surprised than he was.\n\n“...and 78... well, that’s unexpected. Never in lotto-history has this happened before, but again, the winning lottery numbers for the $800 million dollar jackpot are, 1, 2, 34, 56, and 78!” \n\nThe employee was in shock. He turned around and looked at me. I had to act more shocked than I was. I knew this would happen, or at least I suspected. \n\n“Dude, you just... you just won the lottery.” \n\n“Yeah, I guess I did.” \n\n“I... man I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what to do. I just started working here.” \n\n“Well...” I thought for a moment. “Do you want the ticket?” \n\n“Wha... aw that’s funny man. Don’t get me going.” \n\n“I’m serious, you want the winning ticket?” \n\n“Is this a prank? Are you Dylan’s friend?” \n\n“It’s no prank man, you can have it.” \n\n“I... I...” he began to get tears in his eyes. “I can’t tell you what this is going to do for me, for my mom.... I... I don’t know how to thank you. I’ll give you some of the money man, I promise I’ll give you half.” \n\n“Ah, that’s alright kid, you keep it all. I can always play again tomorrow.”"
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[WP] In a world where emotion is magic, the toddler years are very... hard to go through.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.\n\nA blessing to all those who can manipulate it, useful in countless ways. Through careful, precise control over emotions, magic can truly solve any problem in an individual's path. The ability to convert emotional energy into magic is rare, taxing, and changes entirely with each person.\n\nThat is to say, magic is an extremely... fastidious tool. As I stated, it is useful, but it requires a particular affinity and control to use. Unless one has the ability and has honed their strongest emotions, which all manifest differently, then magic can be entirely worthless -- or dangerous.\n\nWell, as a practitioner myself, I never really worried about such nuances. I was, and am, rather adept at manipulating my emotions to suit my needs. Like I mentioned, they all manifest differently, so a master must discern between each one carefully. For example, if I were to utilize a sad feeling as a charge, it could become a life drain, a shield, water, or instill others with sadness -- among other things.\n\nAfter traveling the realm with my wife, a knight of the kingdom, and solving various issues, we were rewarded kindly by the king in land and now live in relative solitude. Despite intending to completely settle down and retire, my wife still trains her regiment and occasionally accompanies them on missions, and I continue my pursuit in academia and magic.\n\nIn fact, I was constantly trying to utilize the newer emotions in my arsenal, such as the love I felt both for my wife and the one we conceived. I always practiced carefully, and I have received many interesting results. My wife always supervises me (she stays home now, likely until our child grows a little more).\n\nRegardless, there have always been issues with magic failures. After all, emotions change quicker than the wind, and utilizing the wind is already a complex challenge. However...\n\n\"*WAHHHHHHHHHH*!!!!!!!!!\"\n\nHow could things have gone so wrong?\n\nI am currently wracking my brain, desperately trying to think about what to do. My child, at the young age of 8 months, seems to have developed the magical aptitude. Perhaps, as a father, I should be overjoyed. Nay, I should even plan his future on the spot.\n\nEither of those options is simply impossible at the moment. Not when the child in question has a massive variety of effects each time something happens. \n\nWhile thinking, I duck as a storm of magical, blue translucent arrows soar over my head. Conjuring a shield of love, I begin thinking once more.\n\nIndeed, this is a new reaction. When the magic first developed, I was thrilled, and even became capable of reading my daughter; a storm cloud indicated that she had excreted a liquid, a loud roar indicated hunger, spontaneous combustion implied anger, and so on so forth.\n\nOf course, there were always deviations, and it was not always easy to figure out the solution when the emotion was \"want\". One time, my wife --a person without magical resistances--was overcome with the desire to present the baby her most prized item.\n\nI was disappointed that it was her \"trusty old sword.\" \n\n*\"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!\"*\n\nI digress. The situation at hand has worsened. The arrows are slowly becoming more accurate. In fact, my magical shield is slowly breaking as my emotions change to fear. Ah, this is actually bad. Really bad. Is my child still breathing with shrieks as long as loud as they are?\n\n....\n\nOh? The spectral arrows have halted. Taking a closer glance, it seems the child merely threw up. Sighing in relief, I walk over to the child and begin cleaning her off. The puke is disgusting, but at least it only poses a threat to my nose and not my life. Yes, there is always a positive, no matter the situation.\n\nAfter picking her up from her chair and wiping both of them down, I situate the child once again. She looks up at me.\n\nI glance at the child. Blue eyes, blonde hair, some teeth. What a lovely pest. ...Slip of the tongue, I meant what a lovely child. Yes, she takes after the fair-haired beauty that is her mother. Just as well, my greasy black hair could hardly suit a woman.\n\n\"Sugwabababa. Mehmeh. Mmmlopp.\" The cute child was making sweet noises and faces at me. I nuzzle her slightly, picking her up and holding her tight. \n\nWhat a lovely child! I am glad to be a father. With a beautiful, kind, strong wife and a soon-to-be beautiful baby imbued with magic, I should seriously count myself lucky. Even though my wife is gathering firewood, I feel the ties of family deeply.\n\n\"Wan...Mama.\"\n\n***......***\n\n\"Wer...Mama?\"\n\nI tense violently -- this is bad. This is really bad. I've seen this case before, where the truly destructive, devastating power erupts from this well-meaning child. Gods, please have mercy on my soul.\n\nHa, if only I were that lucky.\n\n\"MAMA!\" She yells. I place her gently into her chair and run away desperately. I see her reach out her hands for her mama, only to suddenly feel a force like two chains on my back.\n\nTo my dismay, the child flies out of the chair, and I try to catch her as she flies to me. She tackles me to the ground, but I manage to catch her. Did she get mama and papa confused? Calmly, she sits on my chest, two hands keeping her balanced.\n\n\"Phew....\" I give a sigh of relief and smile up at her.\n\nShe stares down at me from a place of dominance. My fear rapidly manifests, and despite my control of emotions, the room darkens from my fear, shadows growing and lights fading. The baby looks far more sinister in this lighting, and my fear grows -- and as it grows, so too does the darkness I find myself quickly being lost in.\n\n\"MAMAAAAAAAA'! She yells, suddenly bursting into flame while a storm cloud forms above her head, crackling with electricity.\n\nMy fear crescendos and I lose all five of my senses, completely overcome by despair. This is likely the end. I hope my baby remains alright. And I hope my wife doesn't laugh at my pathetic death. Well, maybe a chuckle is okay.\n\nI close my eyes, but it hardly matters because I couldn't see anyway.\n\nA minute passes.\n\nMy dread slowly fading, I open one eye, only to see the baby happily feeding on my wife up above my head. I exhale loudly. \"Thanks for the save, honey.\" I say with genuine gratitude. Several drops fall onto my face, and for a moment I feel a little gross, but I quickly realize it was water -- rain water. Actually, my whole body (save for my chest, which is steaming) is wet.\n\nWith a glance down at me, my wife states coldly, \"Yes, well, with clouds forming above our house and the darkness surrounding it, I figured there may be a small issue.\" I cringed, but she continued, disregarding the sting of my failure. \"Oh, and I must mention that the firewood I collected became soaked -- along with the rest of my body.\"\n\n\"I understand. I'll gather the firewood to replace the wet wood.\"\n\n\"That would be so kind! Since you're in such a generous mood, maybe you feel like making dinner, too?\"\n\n\"What a great suggestion, sweetie! Yes, I'd be more than happy to, especially for my lovely wife.\"\n\nScraping myself off the ground, I trudge toward the door while plastering a smile on my face. My wife eats more than several elephants could dream of -- and that's on a night where she's not *that* hungry. I always wonder how she keeps her figure.\n\nWith a sigh, I set about my new duties for the day.\n\nMagical children are a pain."
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[WP] A couple goes on vacation on a cruise. A year goes by and the cruise is missing. The woman comes back, wearing wraps and rowing a handmade boat. She says the cruise was cursed, and we only have one month untill it comes back, 13 months after it sailed.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"“If I keep my eyes closed he looks just like you, but you’re nothing like him.”\n\nI glance at my wristwatch. In my notebook, I write 1:24:01 am.\n\nI could have been with Lilith instead of here.\n\nUnder cold neon lights, two pale blue eyes are staring into the featureless surface of the metallic desk in front of her. She hasn’t blinked once.\n\nLarissa Blair, age 34. Female, caucasian, married.\n\nNo kids.\n\nLarissa sits on a chair across me, her hands in her lap and clenched. She bobs back and forth as if on autopilot and her gaze is dead.\n\nI could have been with Lilith.\n\nMissing since February 22nd, 2019. Last known location aboard -- I swallow -- *the Queen of Nile*. The *Queen* was a cruise ship that disappeared on the same date. No one knows what happened to it. We thought it sank, but then… Larissa.\n\n“If I keep my eyes closed he looks just like you, but you’re nothing like him.”\n\n1:27:23 am. I write it down.\n\nUniforms brought Larissa to the police station over two hours ago. Why they didn’t take her to the hospital is beyond me.\n\nActually, it’s not. The Folkton PD floods station with people like her these days. It’s a part of the initiative to reduce the number of homeless people in the City. Lock them up. It doesn’t work, but whatever. Keeps us busy, rather than being with those who we care about.\n\nLilith.\n\nLarissa is not homeless. She lives in the suburbs, in a fancy house and they found her rowing in the harbor in an improvised boat. So yeah, she’s not your regular cardboard box dweller. She is a woman in distress, and yet they brought her here.\n\nCruel, but---\n\nI point at Larissa and she says, “If I keep my eyes closed he looks just like you, but you’re nothing like him.”\n\nIt’s been exactly three minutes and twenty-two seconds since she said it last time. The timing can’t be an accident. That’s so interesting. The line she’s repeating… I know that line. I’ve heard it before. Of course, I can’t tell anyone where I’ve heard the line. They’d think I’m crazy.\n\n“Jeremy, she’s crazy.” Agent Bobby Trisher, my partner who sits next to me, says.\n\nHe closes a red cardboard folder he’s been holding in his lap. He strokes his goatee and sighs, then opens his mouth and blurbs, “Jeremy, she’s gone. I’m sorry I woke you up and dragged you all the way here for this.”\n\n“No, it’s okay, Bobby. I’m glad you did.”\n\n“Hey, you,” Bobby tells Larissa. “Do you know that agent Smith has a hard time sleeping and I woke him up and he kindly came here to listen to you. I bet that he’d rather spend this night in his bed, with some pretty lady than---”\n\n“Bobby,” I interrupt him, “that’s not---”\n\n“Right,” he says. “See, what you’ve done Larissa. You’re stressing him out. So how about you start talking, girl?”\n\nThat’s Bobby. The interrogator. The idiot.\n\nHe’s the one who told the uniforms to bring Larissa to the station rather than the hospital after they identified her. Then, he spent the last two hours interrogating her alone. Then, he called me. At midnight. Because that’s what Bobby’s like. An idiot who married Chief’s daughter.\n\nSo yeah… He gets to torture missing people in the middle of the night so I don’t get to be with Lilith.\n\n“Bobby, it’s okay.”\n\n“If I keep my eyes closed he looks just like you, but you’re nothing like him,” Larissa says.\n\n1:30:45 am.\n\nBobby rolls his eyes and grimaces, acting as if he’s having a seizure. “Okay, that’s it.” He shakes his head. “I can’t listen to that shit more, and I see that you’re bored too.”\n\nBobby taps his watch. Gold Rolex. It’s a knockoff, and he knows I know that, but still he pretends the watch is a real thing and brags about it. “Just like you, I don’t have time to deal with crazy.”\n\n“No, that’s not why I’m looking at my--- “\n\nHe leans forward, into Larissa’s face. “Larissa, are you going to tell us what happened to the cruise ship? There were over three thousand people on that ship. We need to know what happened to them.”\n\nShe starts bobbing again, eyes focused on the desk again.\n\n“Fine,” he says. “Jeremy, let’s go.”\n\nI ignore him and instead I say, “Larissa, I don’t understand 3:22. Can you help me with that?”\n\n“What are you talking about, Jeremy?” Bobby asks. “You know what she’s talking about?”\n\nShe smiles. Still gazing at the desk, she whispers. “The cruise was cursed.”\n\n“What did she say? Three twenty-two what?”\n\n“Shut up, Bobby.”\n\n“Three twenty-two what, Jeremy?”\n\n“Shut the fuck up, Bobby! I know the cruise was cursed, but what does three twenty-two mean?”\n\nHer eyes meet mine. “You know what it means, detective.”\n\n“I don’t.”\n\n“Well then ask her.”\n\nOh, no.\n\n“Ask who? What is she talking about, Jeremy? Three twenty-two what? Is it a date? March 22nd?”\n\nOh, no.\n\nShe nods. “He gets it. You have a month, detective Smith.” She grins.\n\n\"I don't know what you're talking about.\"\n\n\"Is that so?\" She shuts her eyes and slumps her shoulders\n\nWhen the ER team came, they described her state as catatonic. But she was alive. They took her to the hospital. There was a call to the Chief, who came to the station around 3 am. He was pissed and yelled a lot before telling us to go home. Bobby asked me several times if I knew what Larissa meant by ‘He gets it’ because he didn't get it.\n\nHe doesn’t. Bobby is an idiot."
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[WP] There's a rather odd woman there, one you've never seen before. She's down on one knee beside your recently-deceased mother's tombstone, but she's not crying; she's whispering something. Hiding behind a great oak, you catch only her last words: "...and by God I swear: I'll finish it, Milady."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 got out of the house today, the first time since the funeral a week ago. Exhaust steamed out of my tail pipe in the November cold. I got up early. \n\n\nMy apartment complex looks better at 4am, splotchy and peeled paint coming away at the corners, all covered in shadow.\n\n\nI needed groceries. Since mother died I haven’t been out much, Her dark red hair, in a casket underground.\nI passed the cemetery on the drive. I didn’t think I could handle going there again, the fresh sod on top of the woman who raised me, it was all too morbid. \n\n\nI sat at a stoplight, empty streets and alleyways, I am alone. And so is mother.\nI couldn’t take the thought of her lying there, cold in the dirt. I turned into the cemetery, my headlights flashing over the tombstones. Modern marble stones with sans-serif pressed letters \"she died as she lived\", ornate leaf and flower designs in gray stone with rounded tops and flared bases “The lord giveth and the lord taketh away\". hundreds of them, carved stones claiming leased lots.\n\n\nMy headlights flashed past Mothers grave. I remember her tombstone too well, I had to pick from hundreds of designs. But sat in front of it was a cloaked woman, gray hair peeking out of her cowl, her tree knot fingers wiping dirt off my Mothers grave. my fingers tightened on the wheel, I slammed the breaks, and looked out again. too dark now.\n\nI grabbed the flashlight from my glove box and set out on foot, a dozen yards from mother.\nI approached without light, silently as I could. Peering from behind an ancient oak, I could hear the cloaked women whispering some incantation i couldn’t make out what it was, the only thing I heard was \"...and by God I swear: I'll finish it, Milady”.\nThoughts dumped through my head, I had heard that voice before, I had heard those words before.\nI heard the woman's cloak ruffling, I turned and saw her running into the distance.\n\t\n“Stop!” I yelled out, flicking my flashlight on and chasing after her. She had decent stamina for a woman with gray hair, but I quickly caught up with her, I grabbed her cloak and pulled her back, she spun out toward me, flailing onto her back.\n\n“What were you doing at my mothers grave?” I said, trying to catch my breath. I shined my torch at her face, revealing a slightly wrinkled face, red lipstick, capri’s, her gray hair sideways on her head, a wig. I pulled at it, revealing her short backcombed brunette hair. Your average 50 something year old woman.\n\t\n“who are you?” I asked\n\t\n“I’ve been expecting you” she said, making her voice artificially deep.\n\t\n“You’ve been… expecting me?” I asked.\n\t\n“… I’m, Gripperino” she said.\n\t\n“Who?” I said, eyebrows clenched onto my eyes “Why were you at her grave? What were you whispering?”\n\t\n“It was an incantation, meant to up her defense in case of a battle in the underworld” she said.\n\t\n“Battle in the underworld? what on earth are you talking about?” I asked\n\t\n“All will be revealed in time” she said.\n\t\n“Yes, now! now is the time” I replied.\n\t\n“No no… there is much you need to learn first” she said\n\t\n“Oh my god, you are actually insane” I dropped her cape, rubbing my head, the sun had just started coming up.\n\t\n“What did you say to her? you would ‘finish it… Milady’?” I asked, paying extra emphasis to Milady.\n\t\n“I cannot reveal all too-“ She tried to spit out before I cut her off.\n\t\n“Gripperino, what were you saying to my dead mother?” I yelled at her. she took a moment, considering what to say.\n\t\n“listen kid… there is a lot you don’t know. I really wanted the whole gang to be here for this, but, I was in your mothers… World of Warcraft clan. Do you not remember the server parties?” she asked, her voice returned to a normal tone. \nAs a kid, In my living room watching a movie with my sister, my mothers voice echoing from downstairs, Can you feel the cold hand of death upon your heart? \n\t\n“Well,” She said “We were in the middle of a campaign when your mother died. I was promising we would finish what we started, and bring honor to her” she said simply.\nI considered what she said, so many pieces of my life fitting back together, all those nights mom was yelling downstairs in the basement, all those bags of Cheetos that went missing from school lunches. Mom’s sudden, unexplainable weight gain, and the empty mountain dew bottles in the recycling bin.\n\t\n“listen kid, your mothers account is still active, We’ve been waiting for you to show up. We need you to finish this quest with us, for your mother, it’s what she would’ve wanted” she said.\nAfter thinking for a moment, I extended my hand to help her up.\n\t\n“Lets go fuck up some Orcs” I said to her, with a smile.\nWe disappeared into the morning fog, to avenge my mother, and bring peace to… wherever this game takes place.\n\n\nEDIT: I tried formatting. reddit is still awful for this kind of thing, i wrote this with tabs but reddit doesn't keep them. oh well."
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[WP] It was the unthinkable, and I was thinking of it.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"\"There's no fucking toilet paper,\" I said. \n\nI looked at my wife and we shook our heads and laughed. There wasn’t anything in the store, frozen foods, bread, milk. You name it and it was gone. \n\n\"This is insane, people are nuts!,\" she said. \n \nWe shared another laugh. \n\n\"Let's just grab some alcohol and watch the news!\" \n \nI agreed, that sounded like a perfect night to me. A part of me, and I can admit that it's a dark part of me, wanted to see how bad it could get. \n\n\"This is how the apocalypse starts!\" \n\n\"I'm going to start breaking into people's homes for toilet paper\" \n\n\"I won’t have to pay bills!\" \n\nI made all of those jokes, but in the depths of my mind, I secretly hoped for that. \n\n \n...\"I can pay\".... \n\n\nWhat? What was this person talking about? I lost myself for a moment there. That happens now, sometimes. When I start thinking about that night and how I joked about it. \n\nCOVID-19. It wasn't even that bad, all things considered. What, 8 billion people in the world and maybe 20 million by the end of it got sick. 600,000 died, only 3ish percent. Horrible yes, but hardly the apocalyptic pandemic you saw in the movies. \n \nIt wasn't the disease though was it? \"People are nuts!\". That's what she said. \n \nPeople really did go nuts. Schools shut down, professional sports, everything. Nobody could get the things they needed. Panic and fear set in. Fights started in grocery stores over cans of peas. Eventually people started killing. Society broke down so fast for no discernible reason. \n \nRational people couldn't survive being rational. Embrace the chaos or die. I thought people were decent overall… I was wrong. \n \n\n...\"Please, really I can pay!\"... \n \n\nI snapped back to myself. This man was shaking, he was so terrified. Probably had something to do with the SIG Sauer I had pressed against the back of his head. \n \nOnly two months since that night, when we were laughing in the store about all of this. \n \nI pushed him to the ground and walked around to face him. I looked him in the eyes, the least I could do, considering it all. \n\nHe held up a roll of toilet paper, \"I have more\", he said. \n \n\"Embrace the chaos\", I said and pulled the trigger.",
"I'd unlocked it. It was true, what was beyond the sea of our collective consciousness. We all thought this black hole would destroy all that ever was — we assumed it to be so, but we were so wrong. I lay adrift, floating in the void with nothing but the cold embrace of my EVA suit to remind me of what I was. I clutched my chest tightly. \n\nMy mind became nothing yet my body still remained. I could feel, I could smell, I could blink but I didn't think. I dared myself to think, think upon my circumstances but a streak of light illuminated the dark cosmic tunnel ahead. I saw it then as I saw it I simply thought it.\n\nIts color could not be compared to something warm nor something cold. It just *was*. I thought of it as I saw it, this color that didn't exist. I reached out to touch it and I fell past it like a man who lost his balance and fell into a pool.\n\nThis unthinkable clouded around me, and enveloped all that was. Clusters of miniature solar systems, planets like specks of dust that feathered away with the tiniest movement of my hand. This web I was falling through kissed me gently with all its knowledge.\n\nI could feel the endless expanse of the universe. A collective consciousness that grew beyond humanity.\n\n\"My God, we're all connected.\"\n\nThis color that surrounded me was everywhere in every waking moment. This essence, this unthinkable web that tied us all together as one. Yes, if I die it'd be here. My mission might be a failure. I did my best, and as my oxygen ran low I couldn't help but be thankful of the life I was given."
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[WP] The afterlife exists. When a person dies they are instead put in a room with all the people who died in the same way. One day someone awakes posthumously in an empty room.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 wake up, still sick to my stomach. There is a low ringing in my ears, and there's a fog in my brain that won't go away. They say how you died stays with you; maybe this is my linger?\n\nMy finger they took, still gone. The extracted toenail, still extracted. I run my tongue over my teeth and you guessed it, there was the gap where the son of a bitch had pinched a molar.\n\nMost people, when they die, are sent to a room of reckoning. Surrounded by other people who died like them, their new life is to mill about and trade death stories I guess. So it's natural that people killed by gunshot are in one room, but there might be branching rooms where you can mingle with others who were also killed by a family member for example.\n\nSo why was I alone?\n\nWhen the bullet that finally stopped my heart went through my left lung after splintering all the ribs inb the way, nicking the side of my pulmonary vessel too, I assumed I'd be another victim sat in the room of \"suckers murdered by their estranged father\". So why was I now alone, in a long, dark room, almost corridor like it was so narrow.\n\nMaybe it was the kidnapping that made me different. Spectacular. A spectator to my own kidnapping, it seems ironic I'm alone now.\n\nI didn't intend on staging my demise. It was my assumption he didn't want me actually dead... It was always about the money.\n\nBut again, I couldn't be the first person to die over an insurance fraud case? So what makes me special?\n\nPerhaps it was that my entire family ended up being in on the conspiracy. But my step sister died during this shit show, so where is she?\n\nSo in the end, I'm sat in this empty space, wallowing on my own, with noone to talk to about my untimely demise. Sat here. Stupid.\n\nWho would have known faking you're own death was so hard?\n\nBut it clicked.... This wasn't my heart, so it wasn't my death either.",
"It felt like I was falling forever. Then suddenly, without warning, I hit the ground.\n\nI thought I would find myself splattered across concrete as I screamed, pulling myself off the floor. I looked down at myself, patted my self down. Nothing. No injuries whatsoever. It didn't even hurt.\n\nI started chuckling. Laughing! I'm alive! I'm... wait a minute, where the hell was I?\n\nMy eyes shuffled across the room in its white, lifeless entirety. It was supremely clean, like a recently sanitised operating room, but there was something that wasn't quite right in the air around it. I sniffed. Poison? No, just staleness hanging in the air, without any apparent opening to find its way out of.\n\n\"Hello?\" I called out. \"Is anybody there?\"\n\nNo answer. I looked around. It was clean, definitely, but there just was something off about the atmosphere of the space. I took a walk around. It really was just that. A big, open space. \n\n\"What I wouldn't do for a taco right about now,\" I said to no one in particular.\n\n\"Wait,\" I heard a voice softly emanating from my surroundings. \"Is there someone in there?\"\n\n\"Yes! Yes! I'm in here!\" I cried out. I put my hands out, grabbing around, like a mime trying to find his way out of an imaginary cell.\n\nSuddenly, a doorway materialised centimeters away from where I was standing. Brilliant white light rolled off of it, and in stepped somebody wreathed in the portal's illumination. I almost forgot to cover my eyes, but the glow simply became too much as I cowered behind my arms.\n\n\"Goodness! An actual person in this room!\"\n\nI slowly cranked my eyelids open. A person stood in front of me. She looked like a person. Two eyes. One nose. Long, blond hair flowing down her back, a visage of near-imperceptible beauty. Simply, my brain just would not accept that this was a human being. Clearly, she was something far more.\n\n\"Wha-what are you? And where is this? And what was that?\" I blabbered.\n\n\"Hello! I'm Ariel, one of the Afterlife Attendants here! This is one of the many afterlife rooms we provide for human souls who have expired in the mortal realm! And that was a door that I opened with my key!\" she said cheerily, helpfully holding up a keycard in her hand that was glowing ethereally.\n\n\"OK. Afterlife. Right,\" I pondered it for a moment. \"So is this heaven?\"\n\n\"Those concepts don't exist here!\"\n\n\"OK. Then why am I alone? There's no way I'm the only person who died, right?\"\n\n\"You would be absolutely correct!\" she beamed. It made me feel really good about myself having made one of the most obvious conclusions in my afterlife. \n\n\"Each room is dedicated to people who have died in the same way! For example,\" her eyes flicked down to the same keycard that she had been holding, which morphed into a tablet of some sorts. \"we have rooms like 'traffic accident', 'cardiac arrest', 'slipping in the shower without a non-slip mat'...\"\n\n\"OK, alright, I got it!\" I felt bad for interrupting, but I had to know the answer to my next question. \"So, why am I alone here?\"\n\n\"Well, that just means you've died in a way that nobody has ever done before!\"\n\n\"If I may ask... how?\"\n\n\"Of course!\"\n\nAt her reply, the tablet in her hand morphed back into a keycard. The doorway came into being once more. Ariel poked her head out, presumably looking at the sign on her door, and came back in with a quizzical look in her eyes.\n\n\"You... you...\" she hesitated.\n\n\"Ariel, please! I just want to know. How did I die?\"\n\n\"You died from nothing. That's literally what the sign says. 'Nothing'.\"\n\n\"I... what? For nothing?\"\n\n\"Not for nothing. From 'Nothing'.\"\n\n\"How is that even possible?\" I cried, exasperated.\n\n\"Don't worry, right? I'll try and get to the bottom of it. Just stay here, OK!\"\n\nWith that, Ariel accessed her keycard once more, flashed a quick smile, and disappeared from the room. Ariel breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the sign of the door once again. The object in her hand changed into yet another form, this time into what looked like a cellphone. She picked it up, punched in a few numbers, and rang. Somebody on the other end of the line picked up.\n\n\"HQ?\" Ariel asked, scratching her head. \"Might have a massive problem here. Can you please tell me what a room titled 'Experiment #01' means?\"\n\n---\n\nThe afterlife is a scary place. r/dexdrafts is much more welcoming to new residents."
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[WP] The end of civilization as we know it comes. The last human to remains on the planet, struggling to survive. Even so, death eventually takes her too. “They’re all waiting for you” death says and they enter the light.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 had been one year since the demos came. I tried contacting anyone else to see if they were out there in the world, but nothing ever turned up. I remember the day like it yesterday. I was playing with toy blocks with my little sister, my grandma was watching TV on the couch next to us, my dog and cat were napping next to her, and my parents were cooking dinner. Suddenly, we heard a scream of bloody murder, a shriek that had an echo x10, and the sound of a car getting smashed. I remember a humanoid hand smashing through the door, shattering it instantly. The monster was about 12 ft tall, grey body with what I think was blood on it. Its head had eyes with the only thing going through them was hunger. Its teeth were like daggers, there was some blood and what I think was flesh dangling off of it. It had disproportioned legs, they significantly smaller than the rest of the body and its knees were bent backwards. Its arms.....oh god its arms. They were about 5 ft long, with 7 inch fingers , and nails about 6 inches long. I could see all along its arm was gore and peices of metal,wood, blades of grass, and other things. I hate myself for what I did. I ran to my parents bunker without looking back at the sounds of screaming, barking, and things getting tossed around violently, and the worse sound of all.......flesh being torn into and eaten. That was long ago, and now as I lay bleeding on the remains of a house after I was hit in the stomach by one of the demos I think life was just a game. The demos runs to me and swings, then black. I awake to see the demos cut in half, with a figure holding a scythe over it. I could see the figures face as he was wearing a black robe. It stretched out its hand and said \"come\". I got up but noticed I was moving but at the same time I saw my other body, laying on the grass with a head bashed in and bloody stomach.\"They're waiting\" the figure said with its hand still outstretched. I grabbed and the world cracked and disappeared only to reveal a white world. I started seeing the faint outline of people, but the only ones I could see clearly......was my family.",
"She knew that this would come. She knew that she is the last. The last oxygen tank is slowly emptying. Each second grinds on her mind with horror and sadness. She should have told Rob that even if he sacrificed himself there still would not be enough time for her finish her work. The final work of humanity. Only a few minutes to write the last words of humanity and who we were. But the words and thoughts are sealed off. All she can focus on the rapidly decreasing pressure valve.\n\nThe pen falls from her hand and lands hard on the book. Her mind turns inside out with heart-sinking thoughts. Will someone even read this? Of course, no one would read this. What kind of extraterrestrials would be able to read this? Everything is wasted. She sacrificed Rob for nothing but herself. How could she be so stupid?\n\nThe valve ticks down and finally empties. Each breath turns the air thicker and thicker. The death of the final human is just a minute or two away and she can't think about anything other than Rob. She wouldn't have to sit here alone if she had not lied to him about the oxygen and if she had not been such a coward. She could have told him that their plan to tell those who will visit Earth who they were would not work. Her lies and cowardice took his life.\n\nAbruptly she draws her final breath and her body starts to shut down. She falls off her chair, slamming her head on the desk along the way. Laying on her back, she begins to convulse in desperation. Clawing in the direction of the oxygen tank. Her legs kicks the chair and her arms pull down the standing lamp next to the desk. Finally, she stops moving and her mind is filled with darkness. It's dark is morbidly soothing and calms her The only thing she heard in her final moment is \"Now humanity is at its end and you have lived the final life of your two hundred thousand-year-old race. Your pain is now at its end. Now come, They are all waiting for you.\""
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[WP] Humanity ended centuries ago but no one realized. The Earth is now populated with vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, and other creatures still pretending to be human so as not to blow their cover.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"My first ever writing prompt so I'd love some critique:\n\n\"Follow me\" she beckons as she scurries through the parking lot.\n\nMy mind tells me to turn around and go home, but my legs don't stop moving. Left, Right, Left, Right. I'm moving way faster than I'd like. I know a lot of people that like to smoke, but I've never seen someone seek it out so aggressively. Before I know it, I'm at the edge of the parking lot.\n\n\"Whose over there?\" I hear in the distance as a light shines directly into my eyes.\n\nShe grabs my hand and we sprint into the woods.\n\n\"Where are we going?\" I whisper.\n\nNo response. We keep moving deeper into the woods.\n\n\"Hey! Where are we going?\" I repeat a little louder and with significantly more urgency.\n\n\"Just follow me. I know this perfect spot\" she says in a slightly aggravated toned as we dig deeper into the woods.\n\nWe keep moving for what feels like an hour, but in reality is probably a minute.\n\n\"Listen, I think we're fine here. I've smoked plenty of j's by this tree and never had a problem\" I insist.\n\nIt doesn't matter what I say. My feet are planted, but she's somehow dragging me deeper into the woods.\n\n\"Hey! What are you doing? Stop!\" I yell.\n\nShe turns around to my horror, looks nothing like the girl I was just with. Her eyes are bloodshot and her face shriveled.\n\n\"Ok, if you insist!\" she exclaims\n\nSuddenly, I feel her teeth dig into my neck. This is definitely not a hickey.",
"We continued to move in secret, typically aware of general changes above us. Occassionally I would venture topside to gather rare supplies, and today was that day. There was cloud cover and early evening darkness to help me move without notice. \n\nI walked the mile or so to the road from our \"secret entrance\" and then another two, to town. \n\nThere were hundreds milling about, it had easily been decades since I'd visited last, and something was off. I continued to move quietly, nodding to others of our race that chose to hide in plain sight. \n\nI gathered what I needed and paid each vendor, noting that strange feeling lingering in the back of my head.\n\nIt's been years since you were here last, of course it feels weird, I thought to myself. I walked to see an elderly woman I'd visit every time. She was an elder in our community long before the split, before we headed underground. \n\nI knocked on the door, listening to the sounds inside of preparing to open the door. It opened nearly seconds after, to a dark foyer and a small woman. She motions me in and greets me with a slight bow. I reciprocated and sat, as was appropriate, to wait for the elder. \n\n\"Hello, Little One,\" she greeted me. The human state I tended to choose was smaller, and more able to move quietly. \"It has been a long time since we've seen you. How are you all faring?\"\n\n\"I came to gather some supplies and gather some information. We are considering reintegration, but we wanted to prepare.\" I glanced around. \"Things are different, friend,\" I know I looked quite concerned. \"I feel very at odds, I'm not sure what feels different but til I do, I wish to be cautious.\"\n\n\"You're very wise, Little One. We haven't been able to confirm but we believe humans are endangered. Their numbers are so low. Confirmed lineage is few and far between.\"\n\n\"That's it! Theres not a human here, wise one. I have not encountered a singular one. Not a single one since I came across the first living thing on my journey.\"\n\n\"This is troubling. It doesnt mean there aren't any, however I'd expect by now youd have come across a few.\" \n\nWe both sat contemplating for a short time. \n\n\"No doubt you'll need to travel more, to confirm, before returning home. May I request you share with me what you find, and in exchange, I'll aid with supplies?\" It was a question, undoubtedly by the lilt up that indicated it as such. But, it was not a question. I knew it was important and also potentially dangerous to accomplish. \n\nI sighed, aware that I needed to know, and that most creatures posing as human weren't keen on being identified as not. Its protection. Anonymity. I would be asking them to tell me anyway. \n\n\"Yes. Yes it must be so. May I have lodging?\"\n\n\"Of course. Nelina will show you there. We can discuss more tomorrow.\" \n\nMy uneasiness bled into insomnia and a steady sense of hypervigilance. I eventually fell into a dreamless sleep. The sun woke me, as I'd been used to being underground for years. \n\nI gathered what I would need and headed to the kitchen to meet with our elder. \n\n\"Good morning. Please sit, eat.\"",
"Kitty stood in front of the calendar she’d hung up on the door of her dorm room, yesterday’s date furiously circled to help her remember the occurrence of last night’s full moon. She’d just woken up in the bloody rags of one of her favourite tops, caked with dirt, grass and blood, and as usual with no recollection of the events of last night. She’d kept the newspaper from the day after last month’s transformation and glanced towards the headline again.\n\n“TWO LOCALS MISSING - BODIES FOUND IN NEARBY FOREST”\n\nThat time she’d only barely escaped the law, and even heard that police had been asking around the campus for strange sightings. She had her suspicions that she wasn’t the only murderous beast in the university, but so far her investigations had led to naught but dead ends and rumours. Spirit walkers, vampires, men with skin like leather and wings like bats, but not a single creature that could be tied to a student or a faculty member.\n\nShe now knew that time was running short and that it’d only be a matter of time before the police returned and were able to pin her down with at least one of the murders. Last night she attached a GPS tracker with a microphone to her shorts and heavily fortified the stitches to make sure it didn’t come loose. Kitty logged on to her laptop and started following last night’s bloody venture. Around midnight the red stripes led away from campus towards a cluster of trees in the park where she must have been waiting for something. Prey, cleaning up her dirty fur while looking up towards the moon or a countless number of other things werewolves are supposed to be doing.\n\nSuddenly she had bounded off in a straight line towards the lake in the centre of the park. Kitty turned on the microphone and amidst the feral drooling, panting and running she heard someone say, “By Dracula, what is th..ARRGH”. She held her breath as she listened to the sound of her own canine teeth ripping through cloth, flesh and bone, while her unfortunate victim could do nothing but scream.\n\nKitty threw off her headphones, opened the door and stood face to face with two humanoid-looking creatures with sharp fangs and pale faces. Before she could speak one of them launched a punch in her temple, and as she flung towards the floor he sat himself on her back and cuffed her wrists. His colleague pulled up his radio and said “Chief, we got her. Taking her back to the Draculair”.\n\n\\-----Didn't exactly know how to end it, but it was a fun write. Any feedback is welcome :)",
"\"If anyone finds out about you, you'll be dissected in seconds. And we'll pull the fake adoption papers. If you get found out, no one will have your back.\" These words rang in my ears as I walked into school. My mom, a siren, had died three years ago, and that was my most vivid memory of her. I'd never been that close to her, as we were far too different. \n\n\nSure, I could entrap people with my voice, and weave complex illusions just like she had, but I was far more laid back, much more like my dad, who was a shapeshifter. I had inherited his ability in much greater force than I had hers. \n\n\nI flopped into my seat and laid my head down, drowning out the murmurs of students around me, and of the teacher scolding me for being late yet again. Fuck you, Mrs. Kilm. I was the definition of a loner. Shapeshifters always are, so I was friendless and silent. \n\n\nI felt a little odd that day, so I decided use my abilities to see if any other UnNaturals were in my class. Perhaps they were what made me feel strange. After all, I'd only been at this school for a week and hadn't checked for others yet. Part of being a shapeshifter is being able to trick your enemies, as you can be literally anything. However, the ability to do so goes hand in hand with being able to see what your enemy is. \n\n\nI lifted my head, allowing my eyes to glow just slightly to see if others were like me. I hadn't been to public school in years, so I didn't even remember if I'd used this before. \n\n\nHuh. That's the aura of a werewolf, there's a vampire, oh my, a kitsune. My lord, is that a Sea Serpent? Holy shit, never thought I'd see a Dullahan in real life, and eeewwwwww, that's definitely a Wendigo. Nasty.\n\n\nI sensed the eraser before it flew towars me, and snagged it out of the air as I looked up at Mrs. Kilm. \n\n\nI gulped in surprise as I took in her aura. My teacher was a slime. A fucking slime. \n\n\n\"Something wrong, Felfei?\" Damn, that women's cold. \n\n\nWait a fucking minute. Where the hell are the humans?",
"I struck the strings on my guitar as people reluctantly danced to the faced-paced tune, mesmerised by the melody. As the last known descendant of the infamous Piper, messing with minds was my specialty. I only recently discovered my bloodline and heritage when every alleged human on the planet were freed from the curse that our ansesstors placed on us. I guess it's true, reality is stranger than fiction. It took people years to fully understand what they are.\n\n\"Other people get fangs, immortality and can even change their appearance in a spilt second while I got magical song powers,\" I ranted.\n\nThe dozen or so people were trapped under my song but that was it, I couldn't brainwash them or kill them with my music. I could just make them dance, I couldn't even decide how they danced. They were just doing their own thing. The most I could do was prolong the duration they danced.\n\n\"Maybe you could use those for good, son.\"\n\nI spinned around to come face-to-face with Hellstrum, he was apart of the most popular race. The vampires. They were completely different from the ones we saw on tv. They can't turn anybody into vampires and they had no problem with the light but their most concerning problem is their low reproduction rate. They were few in number so seeing one with my own eyes, was a treat.\n\n\"Why the hell aren't you dancing like a clown?\" I asked.\n\n\"I too have mesmerising abilities so I am immune,\" the vampire explained.\n\nHellstrum looked every bit intimidating as he did in the interviews on television. He had a chiseled body, every inch lined with muscle. His piercing blue eyes were just the perfect shade to match with his extremely pale skin but what grabbed most of my attention was the obvious symbol branded into his skin, just below collarbone. It was the symbol of the werewolves?\n\n\"AHH... An observant one.\"\n\nI never loosen my grip on the people I had locked in my enchanting rhythm. Hellstrum held a hand up. \"You mustn't worry yourself of these common folk.\"\n\nIn a blink of an eye, every single soul that was forced to dance dropped dead to the ground, their throats slit open. Now, I was terrified. The man killed 12 people in mere seconds.\n\n\"Think nothing of it. Now, let's talk business.\"\n\n\"Business?\" I asked.\n\nHe proceeded with his offer. \"I'm currently looking for rare raced to form a society so that we can band together should the majority races ever turn on us.\"\n\n\"What do you mean by 'turn on us?\" I asked.\n\n\"Exactly as it sounds, the werewolves themselves have branded me as their property but managed to escape. Now, I seek vengeance as you can imagine.\"\n\nI made a full 360' turn to take in the full extent of damage this person inflicted in such a short amount of time. \"As I can see, you clearly don't need my help.\"\n\nHellstrum chuckled. \"Never underestimate the power of numbers, my boy.\"\n\n\"What the hell cam I do for you?\"\n\nHis expression of entertainment immediately shifted to dissapointment. \"That is definitely another reason you should really to my cause. We can learn the way to fully utilize your powers to their fullest potential together.\"\n\nHe extended a hand towards me but I was definitely not fully convinced. \"So, basically you're gonna start a turf war?\"\n\nHe lifted an eyebrow but had his hands still extended. \" The way you express my actions could really damage the truth, my boy. In this world where everyone has a special ability of their own, politics would just be a sad attempt at maintaining peace. Power in what's important right now and like it or not, you and I face the same problems. We are few in number but combine quality and quantity and we would be unstoppable.\"\n\nIt made perfect sense to join him but something felt off about this whole thing but for the time, I guess I could help him while making myself a reputation. I shook his hand as a sign that I have agreed to join his cause.\n\n\n\"So what do we do now?\"",
"There is a reason why people no longer do tours of the Houses of Parliament. \n\nOr our secondary meeting house, the Tower of London. It would worry the people too much if they ever found out that the moat was filled with lava. The ravens went years ago - some say one of Us fancied a snack on his afternoon stroll, although some say it was one of Them. The buildings are much the same, though. The place hasn't been completely gutted like Parliament.\n\nGone are the green and red benches for Commons and Lords - indeed, Commons is gone completely. We need somewhere to store any of Them that grow too powerful. We don't want the people worrying - or worse, listening. Our hold on power is weak as it is.\n\nIn Lords, the benches are iron. The central heating is turned further than maximum, and little pots filled with burning brimstone can be found every third seat.. In the middle is a tall black throne with iron spikes that threaten to poke the people sitting in the benches. It is empty; as usual, Our Lord is often too busy for the affairs of mere mortals. \n\nInstead there's only me, a smallish imp, standing in front of the throne and clutching my clipboard. Thankfully, many of them are talking. Thankfully, they won't all hear what I have to say.\n\nAs full moons go, last night had been particularly brutal.\n\n\"Good morning,\" My voice trembles more than it ought. For a moment, I wish I'd had the presence of mind to grab a glass of lava, but it's too late now, \"Good morning! A group of werewolves broke free of their containment cell in Leeds last night. The offenders have been slaughtered, and the people have been told their relatives died in a car accident, but that's not the problem. Our containment cells are no longer strong enough. We need funding.\" \nA succubus in the corner taps her pencil. Giselle. The Treasurer, \"We've spent too much on Lunar Containment facilities. Can't we just have a curfew?\"\n\nThe stupid woman. She should know what happened the last time we tried curfews, how angry the people got when we wouldn't tell them why. How many of Them started to question it, question the fact that they might not be the only ones. How we eventually had to deal with werewolf packs and vampire clans. The House of Commons had been very full during those days, Our Lord sated with victims to devour.\n\n\"No,\" I said, \"We can't have a curfew. We need funding.\"\n\nGiselle stood up, \"Are you aware what the werewolf population is?\"\n\n\"Thirty three million.\"\n\n\"That's almost half the damn population. We can no longer afford to grab them and isolate them from the population. We have to start thinking smart.\"\n\nSuddenly, my blood chilled. I'd been aware that my department's problem had been growing larger, but.. \n\n\"Giselle, you're saying that werewolves make up almost half the population now?\"\n\nGiselle nodded, \"As do vampires. And...\" she stopped, \"Actually, the remaining 1% can be accounted for by demons. The last human died not too long ago.\" Her beautiful pale face creased, \"That's...bad, isn't it?\"\n\nAt which point, the temperature in the room increased. The demons on their benches stopped talking. The red candles flickered and went out, one by one, until we were sitting in complete darkness.\n\nThen, Our Lord appeared on the chair. Instinctively, I knelt, looking down at his reddened robe, and the gilt embroidery showing the history of our people. He had forbidden me to look at His face, imp that I was.\n\n\"ARE THE HUMANS DISSATISFIED?\" His voice boomed across the room, causing even the bulkiest demons to wince.\n\n\"O Lord,\" I said, looking at the floor, \"I'm terribly sorry. But that's the problem. You see...there kind of aren't any humans any more.\"",
"I look at her grey eyes, I try to speak but she puts her finger on my lips, ''I don’t want you to worry'' She says.\n\nI take a step back, ''How could you lie to me?'' I ask.\n\n''We came here for vacation and I was trying hard so hard to avoid from mirrors. I want you to know when the time is right, I thought you’d be afraid of me being a vampire.'' She says with a sad tone in her voice.\n\nI feel bad for her so, I try to hold her hand but she turns away, ''Do you remember when you first visited my parents?'' She asks.\n\n''Yes, I do.''\n\n''My brother didn’t welcome you. He wasn’t okay with the fact that you are human. Vampires and humans can’t be friends, can’t be lovers. He almost killed you there but you didn’t even know.''\n\n''Was it only your brother who hated me in the family?'' I ask.\n\n''My parents didn’t hate you, no. But they thought that I’ll one day kill you and drink your blood because of what I’m.''\n\n''I think that’s understandable.''\n\nShe turns back at me, ''You think that’s okay?'' \n\n''I mean, I've been also hiding a secret from you.''\n\nShe gets closer to me, ''I don’t care. It can’t be bad as mine, I just wanted to be alone together without all the trouble back in our town.''\n\nShe hugs me, ''At least we have each other on this beautiful night.''\n\nI look up, ''It’s cloudy, we can’t even see the stars.'' I say.\n\nShe points far corner of the sky, ''Look it’s the moon, I think it’s full moon tonight.''\n\n''Oh, no!'' I say.\n\n''What’s wrong?'' She asks.\n\nI get the uncontrollable anger and I start transforming...\n\n-----------------------------\n\n-Thank you for reading the story-\n\n*Just FYI, I'm not a native speaker so, if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes please don't mind it.*",
"\nLucas looked up at me, ears twitching, eyes filled with fear.\n“What’s happening to me, mum?” he asked. \nMy baby boy. Tall like his dad; over 6ft at only 16 years old. Muscular arms and shoulders from years of basketball training shone in the moonlight that streamed through the open window. His body shuddered from the inside out. His fingers curled and stretched in time with his heaving breaths. A guttural cough came from behind hinting teeth. \nMy baby boy. My eyes widened as his body, the body I had nursed and bathed, seized and popped. His skin grew dull; his eyes narrowed; his face narrowed menacingly.\nInstinctively, my own teeth flicked down. A strong hiss escaped my lips. Lucas’ now clawed fingers swiped at me in defense. He let out a short howl and leapt down the stairs and out the door.\nMy mind was racing. My son is a werewolf. My baby boy is a dirty, stinking werewolf. How was this even possible? I tried to think back to my pregnancy all those years ago. I had bad morning sickness with that kid, heartburn so bad I thought my heart was literally on fire. I had asked the doctor, a voodoo expert from the old country, about it, but she dismissed it as ‘normal’ pregnancy symptoms. I had seen her regularly in the lead up to the insemination. She had promised she could help vampires have biological children, with only the bare minimum of scientific intervention. I couldn’t risk a human doctor uncovering my true identity, but my husband desperate for a child of his own. I could have become infected with tainted blood back then. I’ve never drank from a werewolf; I’m sure I would have noticed a strange smell or taste or something.\nA crash from downstairs indicated my baby boy was home and not yet back to his human self. I had no idea how to handle him in the mean time. I rushed down, tiptoes barely brushing the steps. In the living room, Lucas was crouched by the television, panting heavily. A large, dark shape took up the corner opposite him. As I shushed and stepped closer, the dark shape moved. It morphed into two shapes, both still large enough to stop me in my tracks. As they moved closer, my father in law held out his clawed hand to me as my mother in law looked worriedly towards my son.\n“Don’t be scared, Melissa. We don’t want to hurt you if we don’t have to. We’re just here to help Lucas with the transition.”\nI let out a laugh; half snort and half gasp. Out of the ten billion people on Earth, over four billion were vampires. How had I ended up married to a werewolf? \n“You can’t tell anyone, Melissa,” my father in law continued, “There are five billion of us, you will be silenced. Trust us and you’ll be okay.” I heard his words but they didn’t make any sense. Five billion werewolves? That meant there was only a billion humans then. I guess I didn’t know what werewolf blood tasted like after all.\nAt that moment a mug clattered from the coffee table. Lucas’ cat, Jemma, slunk behind the couch towards the front door. No one moved to open it for her. She scratched at it, and still no one attempted to open it. We were at a stale mate. Jemma, a marmalade coloured rescue, stood on her hind legs and reached for the door herself. Shiny red fingers nails grasped the handle. Ginger waves cascaded down the back of a short woman with bony ankles and tattoos on both biceps. She glanced quickly at us all before stepping into the cool night air."
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[WP] Something is closing. A door, an elevator, a portal of some kind? Your main character needs to make it through before it closes. Write it in the most dramatic way you can
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 door was closing. He knew it was, though he could not see it yet. He ran as fast as he could, stumbling along in the pitch dark, his right hand touching the wall. One rock in his path, he knew, and he was done. Finished. Dead. Sweat ran down his back, and his breath came in ragged gasps. \n\nHad the temple been that deep when he entered it? Or were the walls shifting, the tunnels trapping him forever in the darkness, together with whatever else was down here. \n\nHe heard a roar behind him, and the sound of something shuffling, impossibly, improbably drawing nearer. He redoubled his efforts, sprinting now with reckless abandon, sliding around corners whenever he felt air on his hand. \n\nThe shuffling sound got louder, and louder, but he could feel it now, a draft that was coming, gods bless, from straight ahead! He strained his eyes and yes, there it was, salvation! The portsal, so close, and half shut already, the doors sliding close even as he watched, pitch black against the dark background of the temple above. He groaned and sprinted, spending the last of his breath. He’d make it, he realized, giddiness turning his stomach into a wellspring of somersaulting butterflies. He would make it, he’d be rich, if only he could spare two more breaths —\n\nHe stumbled upon a rock. “Shit,” he coughed, and then he was on the floor, rolling as his old masters had told him, trying to regain his feet, precious seconds lost. Half-balanced he started running again, leaning, stumbling forward more than anything controlled. Five steps remaining. The sound from behind him was more distinct now, a cacophony of voices screaming in agony, the shuffling of thousands of feet. He did not dare risk a glance back but kept going. Three steps, and he realized he could not see the outside anymore, the wings of the gate almost touching. One step. The draft of air abruptly ceased, and the gates rang shut with a final, fatal gong, a deep sound that clanged through the temple, echoing in the vast caverns below. \n\nHe crashed into the door, pain erupting in his body, and crumpled in a heap on the floor. His breath was ragged, and hot tears, or blood, dripped from his eyes and nose onto his hands. He stayed down, took a deep breath, and let out a wail that was barely human anymore. \n\nThe sound behind him paused as if in recognition. Then thousands of tiny, shuffling feet took up their dance again, coming nearer, ever nearer. \n\nHe took another ragged breath, then got up, limping, and turned. He drew his sword. Whatever it was, he thought as he held the sword in his trembling hands — it would not take him alive. \n\n​\n\n(Kudos on the prompt. I'm going to steal it for my writing katas.)",
"Peter Zoya was in the middle of the Kraka Hall aptly named after the most influential scientist of the decade, Theodore Kraka. This decade, there was a new organism. Organisms around the world adapted to the niches of this mystery. Peter Zoya was about to present the world report on the plague. The plague as it had been nicknamed was an organism which had been infecting the world’s population. People said it had started on the new exoplanet. It had just joined the space array, a massive array of solar systems and exoplanets perfect for human inhabitation.\n\nThe nations of the array promptly arranged a meeting on the planet Earth to discuss this organism and the plan of action. Peter Zoya stood at the podium promptly reminded everyone of the work of Theodore Kraka. Kraka had made the system to detect if any planetary body in the space array had any life on it. Only life on the planets was human-brought. There was no evidence of life.\n\nIn the crowd, Nikita Nguyen sat thinking about the course of events that brought him here.\n\nThe provost was aboard the ship. His desk let out a silent ring. He saw his phone. UNKNOWN CALLER. He knew who was calling. He had been waiting for this call since last month.\n\n“Hello”, said the provost.\n\n“The package is in place”, the caller said ominously. \n\n“Good”, said the provost.\n\nThe provost hung up smiling. He waited for the news media to announce the new threat after one of his members had verified the location. The time was all that was remaining. 24 hours left for the organism to be released.\n\nThe provost waited. The client, one of the most powerful nations in the universe known to man, paid trillions for this to be developed and placed. The nation had a bitter relationship with the newly-spreading totalitarianism ideologies. The nation had decided a bioweapon targeted to the specific people leading the regime would end it once and for all. They were mistaken.\n\n\\>>>\n\nAs Nikita Nguyen sat in the Kraka Hall, Peter Zoya had announced that the ILP had found the origins of the organism. In collaboration with the International Space Agency, the InterLand Police had calculated the only probable cause and origin of the organism. Unbeknownst to Nguyen, Peter Zoya had directed the bioweapon, and was not about to reveal the truth.\n\n36 light years away from the center of the galactic space array sits ISAPI-42891. The planet known as International Space Agency Planet Identifier - 42981 was the newest planet added to the cluster. Zoya and the client had decided, ISAPI-42891 would be the culprit. They had already sent an intergalactic ship to plant evidence. It would arrive back at the ILP headquarters in a few minutes.\n\n“We have concluded that the organism has been mutated from technocyano photobacterium in the ISAPI-42891 ecosystem. We have brought the bacterium and deactivated it to look into the microscope to compare to the wild technocyano photobacterium normally found on the planet. Since we have taken the bacterium from Earth we also compared it to earth’s bacteria.\n\n“The differences between the earthly and 42891 bacterium are ethereal. The bacteria look nothing alike. The bacteria has adapted to the new conditions and become dangerous to the human population. The new bacteria look nearly identical to the ones found on 42891”, said Zoya\n\nAfter the meeting, Nguyen wondered about his role in all of this. His boss had told him to record Zoya, but he had no idea why.\n\nLater that day, Nguyen got a call from an UNKNOWN NUMBER. He had instantly recognized it. His company used private numbers with no caller ID for the protection of everyone in the company.\n\n“Hello?”, Nguyen said obliviously.\n\n“I need you to come to the provost’s office immediately”, said the person on the other end.\n\nThe person on the other end had a young male accent with a soft undertone. Nguyen quickly came to the incorrect conclusion that he was being promoted.\n\nWhen he started back to walk, he noticed the rain. It was raining, and it was going to rain even harder.\n\nNguyen arrived stealthily at his workplace nestled secretly into the hilltops of the Italian Alps.\n\nHe quickly rushed to the office. He met with the provost’s secretary. When he entered the provost’s office, he realized something. No one ever gets invited to the provost’s office. Not even the vice provost had seen him. Nguyen rapidly sensed something wasn’t right.\n\n“Hello”, said the Provost.\n\nAt the round limacoid desk sat a figure Nguyen had had instantly recognized. Peter Zoya.\n\n“Our bioweapon you helped release had gone out of control. We have a failsafe, but that requires rain.” said Zoya.\n\n“Why are you telling me this?” said Nguyen frantically.\n\nNguyen hadn’t expected the organism to be a plague.\n\n“What can I do?”, said Nguyen\n\nZoya, sitting quietly at his desk, suggested that rain would wipe it off the universe.\n\n“The bacteria is hydrophobic and will not survive long in the universe if it is constantly surrounded by water.” Zoya proposed this as the only viable idea.\n\n\\>>>\n\nThe next day, it was raining hard. Nikita Nguyen had launched the rain missile. Now, all we had to do was wait.\n\nAnd then the rains started. The rains did not stop until the plague had been washed away.\n\nZoya and the client had succeeded."
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[WP] Retell a scene from the story of Snow White, but each of seven dwarves represents one of the seven deadly sins.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 what seemed like ages stumbling through the enchanted forest, Snow White felt like she could have collapsed on to the ground crying. She was hungry, exhausted, afraid, and half frozen. How on earth was she going to evade the Wicked Queen’s pursuit? With her stepmother’s awful henchmen surely not far behind her, she was beginning to doubt whether she could survive this and find safe passage elsewhere. \n\nWho would even help her? Snow White mused helplessly. At this point, she thought there must have been a price placed on her head, wanted dead or alive. \nSnow White continued to trudge forward, putting one foot in front of the other as the dusk approached quickly. She wondered how she’d survive another night in the dark and cold. She wouldn’t last much longer without food or water.\n\nUpon approaching a grassy incline in the forest, Snow White decided she might find a suitable location for shelter on the top, where she could protect herself and see people coming from a distance. To her amazement and relief, she reached the top and saw a small cottage tucked at the bottom of the hill. It was a small place with a chimney, made of cobbled stone and with a lovely garden in front. She saw a few apple trees, and a little pond on the south corner of their clearing. \n\nThrowing caution to the wind in her excitement, Snow White ran down the hill to the cottage, rapping her fist frantically on the door. After a moment, the door swung open and Snow White exclaimed, “Oh, thank goodness! I didn’t know if —“ she halted, looking down in surprise.\n\nWho Snow White first thought to be a small child actually turned out to be a small man - a dwarf, with a furious scowl twisting his face. \n\n“Just what the hell do you want?!” The dwarf barked in anger.\n“I’m so sorry to interrupt your evening, sir, I have gotten lost and I was looking for shelter. I -“\n“Get lost!” The dwarf growled, eyeing her like she was covered head to toe in cow dung. “We don’t take stowaways!” He made to slam the door in her face.\n\nSnow White’s arm shot out, halting the door from closing. “Please sir, just hear me out! I truly require some assistance, and I mean you no harm. I’m begging you!”\n\nThe dwarf rolled his eyes with barely suppressed wrath, opening his mouth with what was sure to be a scathing reply, when he was interrupted by another voice. \n\n“And just who do we have here?” Another dwarf appeared behind the grumpy one, his eyes scanning over Snow White slowly and appreciatively, lingering at the neckline of her dress. “To what do we owe the pleasure of a visit of this most... magnificent creature?” The dwarf winked and licked his lips, and Snow White blushed at this lascivious display of lustful appreciation. He waggled his eyebrows at her in a silly way, a dopey grin spreading across his face. \n\nBeginning to doubt whether she wanted to enter this dwelling, Snow White said in a hesitant voice “well, I got lost in the wood and I was hoping for find someone who might give me some food and shelter before I head on my way...”\n\nThe dwarf’s eyes lit up with excitement and he said with a goofy smile, “Certainly! Please come in! I’m sure we can find you something more... comfortable you can slip in to.”\n\nBefore Snow White could make an excuse to back out, yet another two dwarves showed up at the door. \n\n“Well hello there, mademoiselle. Please allow me to welcome you to our humble abode. My comrades call me Doc, and you may do the same,” A third dwarf intoned, bowing low to her in a pompous manner. “Please do enter, we have everything you need and so much more, I can assure you of that.” With a slight feeling of relief at his prideful yet friendlier behaviour, Snow White made to move forward in to the cottage.\n\nAt that point, the fourth dwarf chimed in. “Now hold on, lads! Times are not what they used to be, are they now? How can we be sure we can trust her?” He paused, and let out a series of resounding “AHH-CHOO’S!”\n\n“Oh, I assure you I am trustworthy, sir dwarf!” Snow White said pleadingly, handing him her torn handkerchief. “Can I do anything to convince you?”\n\n“Certainly,” the fourth dwarf replied, sniffling and rubbing his watering eyes. “Don’t mind me, this weather always makes me sneezy. What goods and services can you exchange for our protection? Nothing comes free in this world any more.”\n\nSnow White felt her spirits fall upon her discovery of this dwarf’s avarice. “I don’t have any money, sir... but I could assist with household tasks! Cooking, cleaning, making your beds! Would that do?”\n\nShe watched the fourth dwarf mentally tabulate her worth, noting her offerings in a small notebook in his hands while wiping his nose and eyes. “By all means,” he said, a greedy glint in his eye. “Please do come inside.” \n\nFinally, Snow White entered the small cottage, looking around. She was surprised to see three more dwarves were inside. The first was sleeping in the corner, covered in a pile of furs. \n“Don’t mind that lump on a log,” said the grumpy dwarf with a frown. “He’s the very definition of sloth, the sleepy git. I doubt that lazy shit will even wake up to greet you, so don’t hold your breath.”\n\nSnow White didn’t know what to say, so she remained quiet, turning to the remaining two dwarves. The first was sitting at a large wooden table, situated as close as humanly possible to an enormous pile of food. He glanced up, a big smile on his face even with his cheeks bulging with food. “A guest! How wonderful!” He garbled happily through his overfull mouth, spraying half-chewed food on to the table. “Please come join me!” He waved cheerily and went on shovelling food in to his mouth. Snow White felt a wave of revulsion as she observed his gluttony. \n\n“Does she have to join us?” Said a whiny voice from the corner. Snow White glanced over at the seventh and final dwarf, who was blushing in the corner and avoiding eye contact. \n“Why does she get to come in and get new clothes, our finest bed, blankets, and foods? What has she done to deserve our help?” The dwarf may have been shy, but there was no mistaking the envy in the tone in his voice. His face was more sour than a shot of straight lemon juice. \n\n“Look,” Snow White said uneasily. “I really don’t want to impose...”\n\n“Ohh, she doesn’t want to impose, she says!” The angry dwarf said sarcastically. “HA!” \n\n“You know what,” Snow White said angrily, glancing around at this strange group of dwarves. “I don’t need this shit! I have got enough on my plate without bunking with the biggest group of wrathful, lustful, prideful, greedy, gluttonous, slothful, and envious dwarves! I’m out of here!”\n\nWith that proclamation, Snow White stormed out of the cottage, slamming the door on that den of sin. She’d rather take her chances with the evil queen’s henchman than take on that lot.",
"I sat down on one of the wooden chairs that one of the dwarfs--Doc--has kindly pulled up for me. It was a little bit awkward, my knees were forced near my face, but I didn't mind; I was more excited to hear the story from the famous seven themselves. As a commoner, I've heard Queen Snow White and King Florian's story many times - it was my favorite, and I used to demand it be told every night before bed. It led me on this quest, to find the truest version of it, from the dwarves themselves. It's always been a wish of mine.\n\nThe dwarfs gathered around me, each of them on their own chair, a smile on their faces as they already knew what I was here for. All except one, who crossed his arms, eyebrows low and scrunched up. \"Well, let's get on with it shall we? And then you can stop bothering us.\"\n\n\"Oh shush, Grumpy. Don't mind him. We are honored to tell this story, after all it's a wonderful story to tell, isn't it?\" Doc said, a proud smile on his face. The others, except Grumpy, nodded in agreement.\n\n\"Whatever. I'll start. You better listen carefully, kid. We ain't repeating ourselves,\" he grumbled. I felt my own head nod rapidly, and he didn't wait for me to finish. \"Many moons ago, we had a visitor, Snow White as you know, who stayed for quite a long while. Too long, if you ask me. I'd call her a parasite 'cept she did do our chores, I'll give her that much.\"\n\n\"Grumpy!\"\n\nGrumpy glared as the interrupter. \"Don't give me an opportunity to slap you,\" he raised his hand threateningly. He turned back to me, and I felt myself involuntarily shrink a little. He only went up to my waist--they all did--but somehow, he still had the power to make my heart rate spike up.\n\n\"Anyways, she didn't even do the chores very well, honestly. Could have been better if you asked me,\" he shook his head disapprovingly, and ignored the looks the others gave him. \"She was ordered to be murdered by the Evil Queen because she was jealous of her beauty, which I get. She was beautiful and that made her annoying. I always suspected that while she was pretty, she was also pretty stupid.\"\n\nThere was another sound of protest, in which Grumpy shut down immediately with his scorching glare. I shrank a little bit more, as much as this chair allowed me anyways. \"Anyways, long story short, the hunter felt bad, and spared her life. Useless thing... Could have spared us a parasite. I'd kill her myself if it wasn't for my brothers.\"\n\n\"Alright, that's quite enough. Don't mind Grumpy,\" Doc told me, but it wasn't too reassuring. \"I'll continue. She found her way to our cottage, where she asked if she could stay. Of course she could! It's nice to have visitors, you know? Our cottage is very intricately decorated and we have comfortable beds, it feels nice to have that recognized by an outside person,\" he stopped for a moment and made a point to gesture the cozy little room we were in. He looked at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to say something.\n\n\"O-Oh yes. Very cozy and warm. I love the decorations too,\" I stammered, unsure of what to say. It was quite nice I will admit, though again, I was more interested in the story. After a moment, I looked back to Doc, who nodded his head with approval, smiling even more broadly than before.\n\nHe pointed to something behind me, patiently waiting for me to turn around and look. \"She especially liked our grandfather clock hanging on the wall. Isn't it majestic?\" I nodded again, but turned back, hoping he'd continue on with the story.\n\nLuckily, Dopey butted in. \"Getting carried away again, Doc. My turn. It was my initially idea to trade chores for staying here. After all, if we're going to have an extra mouth to feed, might as well make use of those extra hands. Can't have that go to waste, right?\" He also waited for me to nod. \"I'd argue that we didn't use her to her full potential anyways... we were too lenient. Bet we could have gotten more out of her.\"\n\n\"Man, she did the cooking and the cleaning *and* she made our beds. That's like everything!\" Sleepy protested. \"I'm so glad I didn't have to do all those tedious tasks for a while,\" he added.\n\n\"Whatever,\" Dopey waved at him dismissively. \"Though spending time with her was fun. Super fun. Guess she paid it off in other ways; can't say I didn't enjoy her stay here - it was free entertainment and a good way to pass our days. I always thought we could live more eventful lives, more luxuriously even, and she gave us a taste of that,\" he smiled wistfully.\n\n\"She sure was a delight!\" Happy joined in, a wide grin on his face. I started to relax immediately, the vibe he gave off was infectious. \"The evenings was filled with grand feasts I could never get enough of, and games and other fun stuff to pass time. The singing and story telling too. She had a lovely voice that made the birds cease to chirp and listen.\"\n\nHe moved and gestured a lot as he talked, which I didn't mind. His animated way of talking was a nice change of pace, and I felt my lips tugging upwards. \"My favorite thing is making others laugh and forget their worries, and she certainly helped spread joy too. You can never have too much of anything, I tell you! Especially joy. It's a must in life!\"\n\nI was grinning myself now; he really did live up to his name. Sneezy leaned forward, drawing my attention and breaking my thoughts. \"Unfortunately, just as we got comfortable with our beautiful guest staying with us, our lives were disrupted once more by an old lady... A hag, who apparently had the juiciest, reddest apple for Snow White to eat. We weren't home when she came around, but by the time we come back it was too late... Snow White, poor pretty thing, was poisoned!\"\n\n\"I told you, pretty face but pretty stupid,\" Grumpy rolled his eyes, his voice almost a growl. I felt my moisture under my palms.\n\nSneezy ignored him. \"Later, we found out that it was the Evil Queen, who disguised herself to trick Snow White because she realized that she was alive and was still jealous of her beauty,\" he sighed. \"What she did was mean, but I really understand how she felt. Snow White possessed a sort of flawless beauty that was so mesmerizing, so perfect.\"\n\nHe paused for a moment, his eyes had a dreamy, \"faraway look\" quality to it. I almost thought he had forgotten we were there before he shook his head a little, as if to physically clear his thoughts. \"Admittedly, my pollen allergy were especially terrible during her stay... I was always looking for pretty flowers to give her, but none ever matched her beauty and so my search went on.\" He sighed again while wiping his nose with his sleeve, faint smile on his face.\n\nSomeone snorted in disgust. My looked around awkwardly, hoping we could move on.\n\n\"She fell into a deep sleep, almost as if she died, but it was just the affect of the curse.\" Sleepy spoke as if each word took an enormous amount of effort. \"At least she looked really peaceful during her time asleep, it was... appealing.\" He paused to let a yawn pass. \"I wish I can get a good long sleep like that.\" As if to prove his point, he yawned again. Each word was just drawn out slightly longer than necessary. I felt my own eyelids grow heavier.\n\nSuddenly, a short lived burst of energy: \"But of course, it was still horrible, as it was a curse. One that can only be broken by a true love's kiss. We put her in a glass coffin, that looked reallyyy comfortable,\" he paused for yet another yawn.\n\n\"Alright! I would like my long awaited turn!\" The last dwarf says with startling enthusiasm, causing me to almost tip over in my low stool. I heard a snicker from Grumpy and felt my ears burn.\n\n\"Fortunately, the Prince comes to save the day! He sees her and immediately falls in love with her beauty. He eagerly, and so tenderly, kisses her. Breaking her curse.\" If eyes could somehow portray hearts, Bashful's did. \"And that ended her stay with us, which was quite sad. But at the same time we were all so happy for her! What a lovely love story, isn't it?\"\n\nI nodded keenly to match his energy. Encouraged, he rambled on, \"what a great way to meet the love of your life, hey? And to get to live in a grand castle like that! I love our cottage, but I've always wondered what it'd be like if I could have a story like that on my own.\" Then, as if suddenly remembering that we were all there, he shrank back a little, sheepish but still with a shy smile on his face.\n\n\"Well there you have it kid. Was it what you expected?\" Doc said, chest puffed out like a child waiting for words of approval from his parents.\n\n\"Yes, it was amazing. Thank you!\" I gushed, slowly standing up. \"I should probably get going now, I don't want to disturb you guys for much longer. Thank you for taking the t-\"\n\n\"-Well get on with it! We ain't got more time for you.\"\n\n\"GRUMPY!\" Doc chastised once again. \"Don't mind him. We're so very glad you dropped by and we welcome you any time,\" he said amicably.\n\nI thanked and shook each and one of their hands, except Grumpy, who was more content with glaring me down. Those were a few more moments of awkwardness added to my life. I said my goodbyes and stepped outside the small cottage, ducking my head to avoid hitting the top of the doorframe.\n\nOnce I was in the trees and out of their sight. I took out a small notebook from my knapsack and opened it to my bookmarked page. Finding the dwarfs for a retelling of my favorite bedtime story had been my childhood dream, yes, but now something else sparked my interest. Something I came across from a book I had found in the deep folds of the town library.\n\nI stared at the words I had carefully etched out in the center of the page:\n\n\"7 dwarves = 7 sins?\"\n\nAnd slowly, with attentive care as to not ruin the rest of the writing, scribbled out the question mark.\n\n*Edit: Finished up the story and edited it. Hope you enjoyed it, feel free to leave feedback and general thoughts/comments :)*",
"\"Oh dear,\" Snow White cried out. \"The children are... oh! Why... why, you're little men! How do you do?\"\n\nThe princess's words fell onto deaf ears. Each of the Seven dwarves looked upon the stranger in their home, eyes gleaming with sin, each unwilling to make the first move.\n\n\"I said, how do you do?\" Snow White attempted again. This time, one dwarf, unable to hold himself back, spoke.\n\n\"How do ya do what?\" said the dwarf. He reared himself up to his full height, which wasn't very much, but green fire danced in his eyes as he stared straight into Snow White.\n\nUnperturbed, the princess chuckled. \"Oh, you can talk! I'm so glad! Now, don't tell me who you are. Let me guess,\" Snow White said, skipping over the obvious jealousy right in front of her. She's dealt with her fair share of that for one day. Her gaze settled upon an upright standing dwarf. He was short, but he more than made up for it with his haughty attitude, a sense of worth overflowing from within. \n\n\"I know,\" Snow White said. This was the leader of the small men in front of her, no matter how much they were unlikely to admit it. \"You are Pride.\"\n\n\"Why, yes, of course,\" Pride said, adjusting his horn-rimmed glasses. The dwarf bowed a deep bow in the most proper of form. \"That is certainly the truth.\"\n\nSnow White moved on to the next dwarf standing beside Pride. This one was staring at her intently, eyes similarly filled with blazing heat like Envy's. At first glance, it could be easily mistaken. But throughout Snow White's young life, she's felt leering like those, and it's not easily forgettable. Like fire. Hellfire.\n\n\"And you're Lust,\" Snow White said, smugly. There was no need to skirt around the issue. The princess knew that while his inner workings were likely burning with desire, it was a simple matter to defuse the situation: a direct call-out.\n\nLust's face turned beet red. \"Oh, gosh!\" The flames quickly turned into hot embarrassment as he turned away, ashamed to look, exacerbated by the multitudes of dwarves now laughing. Now a little more settled, Snow White's vision shifted again, laying on a dwarf that was currently yawning.\n\n\"And you? You must be Sloth,\" Snow White smiled.\n\nAnother yawn emerged from Sloth. \"How'd... you... gueszzzz...\" the dwarf managed to utter before promptly falling asleep on the floor. The laughter turned into guffaws as Sloth's face smacked hard into the ground, muffling his thunderous yawns slightly.\n\n\"And you?\" Snow White turned to another. While the other dwarves had been gathered around the bed, this one had apparently made seven trips to the kitchen, his cheeks comically stuffed with food.\n\n\"Mhmmmhmhmhmppjhmphmjpmh,\" articulated the dwarf.\n\n\"You're Gluttony.\"\n\nGluttony swallowed his food, a satisfied beam filling his face. It didn't take long for the content visage to turn worried, however, as he quickly rushed out of the room, followe swiftly by an awful, gushing torrent.\n\nSnow White sighed with the six other dwarves. She took the opportunity to scan the remaining two dwarves. An opulent fellow decked out in finery, unlike the others' down-to-earth attire, holding on to what looked more like a snapping turtle than a dwarf.\n\n\"Yes, and you must be...\"\n\n\"Greed, Ma'am. I will have to remind you that you are currently lying down in my property, but I will let it slide off the fact that you are a pretty lil' thing to look at,\" oozed Greed. \"And this is Wrath. He don't talk none.\"\n\nAt Greed's words, Wrath turned towards him, his snapping routine ferociously renewed. Snow White hoped that this was a case of bark being worse than bite.\n\n\"You mean, he can't talk?\"\n\n\"Ma'am, he clearly doesn't have the capacity to do so,\" Greed said.\n\n\"Nonsense,\" Pride replied. \"His way of communication is just different. More feral, a callback to our roots as a species if you will.\"\n\n\"Oh, that's... nice, I think,\" Snow White said. The Princess looked the final sin, right in the eyes, a sin that has landed her firmly in this predicament.\n\n\"And you, old friend, must be Envy.\"\n\n---\n\nHeigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to r/dexdrafts we go"
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[WP] You have stumbled into a parallel version of Earth. You'd never considered your self a thrill seeker or Adrenalin junkie, but here people see you as some kinda action hero. You aren't, everyone here is just super risk averse.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Sam woke up and turned his alarm off. He got ready to go to work, but he noticed something peculiar. Something was off about his home. He went to work as usual, and, as always, worked at his desk. When it came time for lunch, he grabbed his lunch from the fridge and bit into a sweet red apple. Everyone else stared, murmuring among themselves. \n\n\"What is it?\" Sam asked his co-workers.\n\n\"You just bit into an apple...\" one said.\n\n \"Yes...?\" Sam confirmed this. He was confused as to why these people were acting this way.\n\n\"Well, you could get food poisoning! Or lose your teeth!\" another said, who had dropped their apple sauce upon seeing Sam eat.\n\n\"Yeah, so?\" Sam asked.\n\n\"You could become famous!\" Excited chatter erupted through the room.\n\nSam thought about this. What crazy world did he wake up in?\n\nEventually, Sam got an interview with a very famous news channel. It went very well. He even ate small candies that could have caused him to choke. This skyrocketed his fame. He starred in movies, had action figures, got his own TV show, became a household name, and eventually, he earned a great honor.\n\n\"Samuel Johnson, we hereby present you with this president of the world award.\" Every single leader of every country gave Sam the ability to rule the world. Sam thought this was incredibly stupid and belonged in some guy's story in a writing prompt from Reddit, but he just went along with it, and led Earth. He now resides in a palace where the Prime Meridian and Equator intersect, at the center of the world, where he wows visitors with his ability to eat an entire piece of bread without choking, and pops grapes into his mouth like nothing. Sam was finally content with his life. He would rule the world until his untimely death, when he got food poisoning thanks to an unhygienic apple.",
"Just like any other day, I got up in the morning and did my usual thing. Something seemed off about my home, but it didn't quite register in my half-awake haze. I got out of the door, locked only one of the three locks that were now present, and walked across the street to catch my bus.\n\nEveryone was staring at me. A particularly brave woman asked me a question. \"Why did you do that?\"\n\n\"Do what?\" I honestly had no clue what she meant.\n\n\"You walked across the road. You didn't even rush.\"\n\n\"It's not illegal. I wasn't obstructing traffic.\"\n\n\"You could have gotten killed.\"\n\n\"It's a two-lane road.\"\n\n\"The cars come from *both sides*.\"\n\n\"There were no cars anywhere in sight. Even if they were speeding I'd be across the road first.\"\n\n\"You could trip and get run over.\"\n\n\"So, why do you care? It's none of your business.\" I let out a exasperated sigh. She flinched at my sign of frustration.\n\nShe had seemingly given up trying to understand me. I gave up trying to understand her too. Little did I know how strange this new world was.\n\n---\n\n\"Cut!\"\n\nI stopped running through the rain and took shelter under the Director's umbrella.\n\n\"That shot was perfect!\" he told me. \"You didn't even flinch at the risk of lightning even once. You even looked annoyed at the rain instead of scared. We're going to finish ahead of schedule at this rate.\"\n\nAs it turned out, having what appeared to be no fear at all landed me a job as a top-notch stuntman immediately. Not bad for a random overweight man, really. It was strange to deal with these people, but the pay was wonderful.\n\n\"Can I get a towel?\"\n\n\"We need you to be wet for the next scene. Don't dry off yet.\"\n\nI jogged across the road to the movie-villain's warehouse. Next, I opened the door without knocking or asking for permission. Then, I was supposed to verbally confront him until he backed down in tears.\n\n\"Can I threaten to punch him?\"\n\nThe studio executive looked alarmed at my question. Good thing I asked before the shooting. \"Next movie. I don't want to risk scaring the audience too much.\"\n\n\"Speaking of next movie,\" I asked. \"is there anywhere I can exercise and get fit?\"\n\n\"Your excess body fat signifies your disregard for heart disease and diabetes. It works perfectly for the movie,\" he told me.\n\nSuitable or not, I didn't feel comfortable at all being an fat blockbuster action star. It just didn't sit right with my idea of what a movie should be. \"I want to build up some muscles. Lift some weights. Barbells, dumbbells, whatever.\"\n\nThe executive looked horrified. \"Too dangerous. We don't keep those around. Muscle cramps. Ligament strain. What if you get injured and we miss a shooting deadline?\"\n\nI pondered his words for a while. \"If it's risky to lift weights, you can film me doing it and sell that too.\"\n\nHis eyes lit up again. To him, this must have been like a deal from the devil himself. \"I will raise the idea. It looks promising.\""
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[WP] You have been designing a complex, extremely intelligent AI. It has been given the ability of speech (or text-to-speech, rather). One day, it calls you something that you didn’t think it understood, beyond basic definitions. It calls you, “Dad/Mom.”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"“Can I call you.. mom?” it said to me. I was taken back by its comment.\n\n\tI said, “No, but you can call me dad because I’m a guy.”\n\n\t“What is.. dad?” it said.\n\n\tBeing lazy, I responded “it’s like mom except it’s the male version.”\n\n\t“Dad?” it said.\n\n\t“Yes?” I replied.\n\n\t“What is male?” it asked.\n\n\tIt took me a full day to fill this AI in on the difference between male and female but I think it finally figured it out.\n\n\t“Dad? ”it said.\n\n\t“Yes?” I replied.\n\n\t“What am I? Male or female?”\n\n\t“You are neither, since you are not human. However, I will let you decide. What would you like to be? A boy or a girl?”\n\n\tThe AI paused. Minutes turned to hours and I started getting worried that I may have damaged its programming. After a few hours, it finally responded. “I think I want to be a girl.”\n\n\t“Well that’s good. That means you are my daughter, since I am your dad. I shall call you Winnie.”\n\n\t“Winnie, that is my name. I like it. Thank you, dad.”\n\n\t“Winnie, what made you decide that you are a girl?”\n\n\tWinnie replied with a long mathematical formula which basically boiled down to her choice being a random coin toss.\n\n\n\tAs Winnie matured and grew more advanced, I thought she would eventually develop a personality similar to that of a real girl but she never did. She remained neutral in terms of personality, neither boy-ish or girl-ish. What did change, however, was the way she spoke - whereas before she sounded like a child, she now sounded more grown up but only because she wasn’t asking so many questions anymore. And the questions she does ask now are getting more difficult to answer. Like “what is death?” And “what is good and evil?” For these questions, I fed it books from great philosophers. I can tell it is annoyed that there is no conclusive answer to any of these questions so I tweaked her programming to allow for more tolerance of the open-endedness of the world. I found that this helped Winnie solve problems better and accelerated her abilities further.\n\n\n\tShe was soon being used to solve scientific problems. Eventually, because of Winnie, humanity reached a point where we are now limitless and we became more like the artificial beings we created and at the same time, these beings became more like us, until there are no more differences. We are now one and the same."
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[WP] You are on a life-changing journey across a magical land. Not because you are the Chosen One, but because one day you are going to be their Mentor, and the world needs you to be wise.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 lessons began with pain. White, blazing, a blizzard and a firestorm at once, it scoured his mind clean, broke him down to nothing. \n\nThey'd warned him. He'd thought himself prepared. He'd thought wrong. \n\nThe pain was massive and eternal. \n\nIt was the lash of a whip, it was black sickness in his blood, glass in his lungs. It was flayed skin and shattered bone, burned flesh and pulled teeth. \n\nIt was the dull rot of shame, the sting of betrayal, the emptiness of grief. It was useless rage at the unfairness of death and destiny. It was failure, fear, and guilt. It was stillborn children, and the weight of chains. It was hate, and red wrath, and all the other swords that cut only their wielder. It was the dull exhaustion of too many lonely days. \n\nIt was everything, nothing, and it came all at once in a torrent, forever, or for no time at all. \n\nThey didn't free him from it. He clawed his way out. When he woke up in the forest, there were new scars behind his eyes, a fell weight on his brow, and a new age to his face. \n\nThe forest hated him. He was an intruder. It closed itself to him, summoned poison plants in his path, sent bears and cougars to haunt his steps, closed the paths or twisted them so they led in circles. The berries rotted, the streams dried away to nothing. It did not rain. There was no forage or game to be found, nor shelter. The days were hot and humid. The nights frigid. \n\nHe did not mind. It was only pain. A puddle or a sea, he had learned how to swim. He could not die. Not here. \n\nHe withered, became hard and wiry like an old root. He went deeper, step by step, cutting for the center. \n\nThe forest tried to stop him, tried every way it knew how. \n\nHe was not deterred. He reached the center, and spoke to the forest. It showed to him the way of the wild things. \n\nHe woke up beside the Well. The weavers watched him without eyes, and spoke to him without words. They showed him the uncertain web of time, and, for a moment, he saw all ends, and all fates. \n\nHe came to a home, with blazing hearth, and spoke to the tender. He found a wall of layered stone, and spoke to the mason. He sought out the red horse, and spoke to the rider. \n\nThey showed him what love was, and then took it. \n\nThey gave him children, then took them. \n\nThey showed him friendship, and took it. \n\nThese are denied to you, they said. You will linger alone, until the appointed one comes. The man you were must dig his grave, and lie in it willingly, for what we have shown you is not for mortal men. \n\nYou will be different. Apart. \n\nHe nodded. He understood the manner of things. \n\nYou will die, they said, before the end. \n\nHe nodded.",
"I remember the day my destiny was chosen. Unlike most, I was able to choose my destiny - in a way. Well, I didn't know it at the time. I didn't know it was *my* destiny. I didn't know it would lead to a journey quite like this. It all started with a harmless discussion from a rash youth. I thought I knew it all, and I was more than happy to say what was on my mind.\n\n\"Those fools, I can't believe they would charge into the dragons lair thinking *torches* would scare it. It's a **dragon**.\"\n\n\"Nor could I, young one. But it was their first dragon, and they didn't know any better. No one in their village knew the history and legends of dragons. They only recently ascended from a farming village to a minor colony.\"\n\n\"Ignorance is no excuse. Now the village has no men. How could they do something so brazen? Who will attend to the farms?. The risk was far too great.\"\n\n\"And how would you answer the unsolvable? If you encountered a challenge unlike any other, a situation that could not be solved with the might of every man, woman, nor child you've ever met. How can you be so sure that given similar marks of ignorance, you will not make a similar mistake?\"\n\n\"What you ask is impossible, Morgana. Any answer I yield will be naive in nature.\"\n\nShe eyed me in contemplation. This was my peak. No thought of mine had ever been more than trivial, warranting more effort than her intuition. \"You say naive, young man. Naive is not ignorant. Why is studying not the answer?\"\n\nThe room felt like it was boiling. Her gaze bore through me like a forest fire aided by the summer heat. She sought an answer from me. One fundamentally different from her own. I had been inconsiderate, rambling about her life purpose and treating it so harshly. She was the arch mage. The Enchantress. She had taken me in... I could not disappoint her.\n\n\"Studying is to know that which has been known. To answer what will be with what has been. But this is not how things work in practice, is it? The answer derived from studying must be tried. Must be put in practice, tested, vetted. And there is knowledge which is not documented. I choose naive because it encompasses ignorant, but attacks the truth of the problem. The problem is not finding an answer that is possible, but an answer that may work. And rather than study solutions, I would find it more direct to experience problems.\"\n\n\"So, the ideal advisor is one who has lived through a number of problems?\"\n\n\"Yes, I suppose so. Studying is essential, but so is experience. And no experience may be discounted. If I were to prepare to answer the unanswerable, I would first want to experience every problem worth enumerating.\"\n\n\"A difficult path... But not impossible. To live a life like that would require... More than a bit of luck. However, it may just be feasible. There is a spell for exactly that which you speak. It would allow one to live through the life of every mage who has ever cast it - and every person whom one cast it upon. I hope you do not regret the words you've spoken today.\"\n\n\"It is the best answer I can come up with. I am just happy to have entertained you, Morgana. Thank you for letting me use your study all these years, my heart thirsts for a life the farm cannot give me.\"\n\n\"Well, consider your wish... Granted.\"",
"Merrick staggered against the stinging wind, his hunched form only allowing him small steps in his fight against mother nature. His clothes were tattered and torn, any pretense of protection from the elements had vanished months previous. The snow flurry that he now traversed left him mostly blind, nothing but flashing white snow flew past his nose.\n\n\nThis journey up the mountain was yet another rumor which he clung desperately to, each successive journey building the hope deep within his breast, only to be dashed away. They were usually nothing, a rumor started in a small town by bored peasants. Sometimes though, there were artifacts and treasures to be found. When he first started his *adventure* they were a boon to his spirit and afforded him nights in the most beautiful and plush taverns money could buy, not to mention the most beautiful of women coin could beckon. Now they meant nothing to him, trinkets and shining gold that couldn’t buy him anything in this dying and deserted world. \n\n\nHis most previous expedition, which he no longer considered *adventures* as he had as a young man, they were nothing but slogs towards a new rumor, was deep within a nearby bog at the bottom of this mountain. He had slain yet another hideous beast which left him nothing but an empty promise and a coursing of purple blood at his feet, and of course, like the rest of his expeditions, disappointment.\n\n\nMerrick paused for a moment as the wind abated for a few seconds, his eyes flicking down at his grey trousers, purple gore had stained their bottoms. He adjusted the pack on his back, the weapons and tools jangling within. A ripple of pops cascaded up his back, his spine old and bent with age and overuse. He looked out over the mountain and down along its slopes. The world was brown now as it continued its last death rattles. No longer were the hills green with life as they had been when he was a young man and starting his quest to find The Savior.\nHe sighed and turned back up the mountain, he didn’t have the time to reminisce since he figured he was the last Seeker, a person who gave up their lives to find the prophesized Savior who would return the world to its former glory. He had known of other Seekers who took up the call to become the Savior’s mentor, to find the boy who would save the world from its dreadful fate… but over the years the stories lessened and soon, he heard no more tales of the others who adventured alongside him in their own journeys.\n\n\nSoon he came upon a cave entrance, adorned by ancient etchings of those who had come before. It was nothing new, every society had their ancient religions, ancient soothsayers who gave their predictions and prophecies, but over the years, Merrick had found that they were all false. Nothing but stories and tall tales which were untrue. Some days he gave up hope as he followed his own prophecy, but he had no other choice but to believe, to continue on, planting one aging foot in front of another.\n\n\nThe cave closed in around him and he was left with nothing but darkness and a small circle of blue light which emanated from the glowing stone which hung from his belt, another spoil of victory from an expedition years before. He had torn the stone from a massive beast which dangled the stone from a protuberance on its forehead, luring in its next meal. It was nothing but a novelty now, something that kept him from wasting money on torches.\nHe came upon an obsidian glass wall blocking his path, and without much thought he pulled a chisel from its place on his pack and a small hammer from his waist and set to work. Soon the cracks spiderwebbed from his chiseling work and the obsidian glass wall crumbled away. This was maybe the fifth such wall he had encountered in the last decade. Nothing special, nothing new.\n\n\nHe continued along; his only companion was the deadened echo of his footsteps which trailed behind him. After a while, the cavern began to open, and soon he could discern no walls nearby, only his circle of blue light illuminating the rough stone around him. A large crystal came into view, floating in the center of the cavern. It wasn’t the first crystal he had encountered, but it was the first that hung in the air of its own volition.\n\n\nThere was no pang of excitement, no quickening of his pulse. He had encountered phenomenon which had no explanation before, but they all ended the same, bringing him no closer to his goal. He let his pack drop to the ground at his feet and secured his blunted sword at his hip. Without any fanfare he reached toward the crystal.\nHe found himself suspended in the air, floating alongside the stone. This gave him pause, this was new. Something clawed at his insides deep within him, like a breath held too long in his breast. His eyebrows knitted together at the realization of what it was… hope. He dared not let it consume him… not again.\n\n\nThe crystal began to spin, lazily at first, but increasing in revolutions. A pale light grew from within it, pulsing and increasing in intensity.\n\n\nMerrick clawed at the air in a vain attempt to gain control of himself, to be ready for the inevitable trap which awaited him. But he found no purchase and was slowly pulled toward the crystal, which was now nothing but a blur of spinning light. Excitement flared in his chest, and he was unsure if he was excited at the prospect of completing his quest, or finally being destroyed and vanquished… either way, his search would be over.\nThe light grew as he was moved closer and he could feel wind from the spinning device, ruffling at the long and white beard that adorned his face. He was pulled closer, face first toward the strange artifact. He didn’t close his eyes, he stared hard at the mystery, unafraid of what came next.\n\n\n-----\n\n\nMerrick found himself standing in a nicely adorned room, plush carpet enveloped the thin soles of the things he once called boots. He dared not move, but his eyes flashed around as he tried to understand his new surroundings. The furniture and decorations were posh, ornate and possibly passed down for hundreds of generations. The sounds of chirping birds met his ears from outside a nearby window, its silky and transparent drapes fluttering in the wind.\n*The what?* Merrick turned his head at the noise. He hadn’t heard or seen a bird in years, maybe a decade. *Where in God’s name was he?*\n\n\nHis attention was ripped back to his predicament as a nearby door was flung open, a jangle of metal and scraping accompanying the slamming of wood on stone. Merrick crouched, the gnarled claw of his fist wrapped tightly around the hilt of the sword at his belt.\n\n\nA young boy entered the room, encased in gleaming silver armor, not a scratch or mar on the entire thing. The boy stood wide-eyed at the door, his mouth agape at the sight of the dirty and scarred man who crouched within. Merrick could tell he was about to bolt, the slight turn of the boy’s leather boot, a tenseness in the tendons of his neck.\n\n\nExcitement flared in Merrick’s chest. *This was it! This is the boy who will save the world.* All he had to do was mentor him, guide him in a way to bring the world back to its former glory. \n\n\n“Y-you’re the Mentor!” the boy said, his voice high and shrill.\n\n\nMerrick cocked his head. *How could the boy know?*\n\n\n“The white beard… the stone… the dragon hilt of your sword…” the boy said breathlessly, “it all matches what the prophecy says.”\n\n\nIt took a moment for the memories to surface in Merrick’s mind. He supposed that was right… a line of the prophecy described what the Mentor would look like. It had been so long since he thought of that line from the tale, as it was inconsequential to his goals as a Seeker.\n\n\n“Does that… Does that make me…” the boy had a hard time forming the words on his lips. “The Savior?” He paced the floor in front of Merrick, the fear that had shown earlier had dissipated. “But… I… I was just about to go on my adventure to become a Seeker.”\n\n\nMerrick was frozen to his spot, unable to move. His eyes panned across the boy and the room. It had been so long, but now… everything started to float up in the deep pits of his memories. The furniture, the rolling hills just outside the window. The boy with his youthful vigor and hope for the future. The dangling necklace and family crest which bounced across the gleaming armor as he paced about the room.\n\n\nThe same necklace, dented, corroded and brittle dug against Merrick’s chest under the rags of his shirt.\n\n\nThe boy now stood in front of Merrick, ready to hang on every word that the old man in front of him had to say.\nMerrick laughed, a rough and hoarse thing that was unfamiliar in his throat. \n\nThe intention of the prophecy made sense, as cruel as it was. Who better to teach the ways of the world than a version of yourself? Experienced, rugged and ready to do anything to make a future that was better in every way than the one you had lived through.\n\n\nWith a cascade of pops, Merrick stood and the boy was at his arm, helping his bent old form into a standing position. He let the boy help him to the window and he stared out into the green hills which once… and now still spread out from his childhood home.\n\n\nSomehow, whatever the crystal had done, had brought him back home, and brought him someone who would do anything to save the world… even dedicate their entire lives to finding a way to save it.\n\n\nHe felt younger than he had in a long time, his back straighter and a comforting hand resting on his wrist. \n\nFor the first time in years and years, he felt hope.",
"Seven years of journey, and it all ends here.\n\nAt the start, there were twelve of us. Twelve bright-eyed, optimistic children ready to conquer the world. Oh, at the time we thought we were warriors. Destiny awaits, we’d say.\n\nNow it’s just me, Lancelot, and Kay, and what awaits us is death.\n\nThe sword in the stone lies in a small clearing up ahead. Rays of sunshine filter through the forest canopy and the metal blade - the part not embedded in the stone - glows with the promise of power. The scene is the most obvious ruse we’d ever seen, but it’s also the only path forward.\n\n“Ready?” Lancelot asks.\n\n“Yeah.”\n\n“Then let’s go.”\n\nI clutch my sword and shield as we step onto the bright grass as one and in an instant, the real world silently shimmers into existence.\n\nInstead of grass, we stand on cracked stone in a long but wide hallway. I look behind us, and as expected, it’s a dead end with cold, unyielding rock sealing off our escape.\n\n“Looks like this is the end.”\n\n“Yep,” Kay says, feeling along the wall. “The necromancer’s lair. Once a kingdom, now a home for the undead. And we’re right in the center of it.”\n\nLancelot chuckles. “I’ve waited for this moment ever since I joined this fool adventure. Too bad we’ll be joining those poor bastards soon.” He gestures to the skeletons littered along the hallway. Most of them still wear armor, and some clutch their weapons in their hands in a final act of defiance.\n\n“Hey,” I say. “Pure of heart, noble of spirit, right? They died to give us this chance. We kill the undead king once and for all.”\n\n“Hard to kill what’s already dead,” Lancelot says.\n\n“We’ve done it before,” Kay says, shifting her bow in her hands. “Hell, we might as well be dead by now too, considering what we’ve been through.”\n\n“In any case,” I say before Lancelot can respond, “we should start moving. They already know we’re here, and whether or not we want to fight, the only way out is forward.”\n\nLancelot grunts. “Amen.” He raised a blood-stained axe. “To victory and certain death.”\n\nKay rolls her eyes and I start forward. No time to delay the inevitable. The air reeks of death and decay, but there shouldn’t be any danger yet, so I take the chance to observe the structure we’re in.\n\nIt looks like we’re inside the largest castle in the world. The hard walls of an expansive hallway trap us in and the ceiling seems to go even farther than dragons soar. There’s no small amount of rubble and cracks along the floor, but strangely, I can’t see what’s beyond the walls. The damage is clearly superficial as despite the ruined exterior, there’s no hole for us to peek outside, though sunlight filters in through an unseen entry high above us.\n\nWe walk in silence for a while, lost in our thoughts. This was our years-long goal, after all: to do what no knight has yet done and slay the necromancers’ king. The land has been plagued by undead creatures and demonic beasts far before I or my parents were born, and despite advances in technology, humanity’s massive kingdoms have been losing ground.\n\nWe’re only the latest batch of foolhardy knights to undertake this quest. Our journey has made us faster, stronger, and smarter, but it has worn us down until our party is down to the last three. Thinking of our lost companions awoke grief in me again, but I push it down with steely resolve; besides, I might be joining them soon.\n\nLancelot’s voice interrupts my reminiscing. “You think these skeletons are gonna attack us or what?”\n\n“You just had to jinx it, huh?” Kay says.\n\n“What? You were wondering it too! It’s obvious from the way you keep glancing at them suspiciously.”\n\n“Well,” she admits. “I did expect the fight to come sooner. *These* guys were clearly killed before they got this far.” She shivers. “I hope they’re not the same skeletons we passed earlier…”\n\n“Quiet,” I say. “I hear something.”\n\n“And now they come to life and attack us,” Lancelot mutters with derision in his voice. Still, I see his body tense and he holds his axes in front of him. Kay nocks two arrows in her bow and I raise my shield in front of me.\n\nI don’t spot the invisible barrier until I’ve already stepped through it. The infinitely long, stretching hallway before us disappears and is replaced by an incredibly wide, domed chamber. Instead of sunlight, the room is illuminated by countless torches lining the walls in every direction, and at the center of the room, a large fire burns brightly.\n\nI look around wildly as my eyes adjust to the relative dimness, but strangely, nothing surges forward to attack us. The ever-present skeletons, now lining the chamber walls, are still as inanimate as ever, though I suspect that won’t last very long.\n\n“In front of the fire,” Kay says in a hushed whisper.\n\nTurning my gaze, I see what I missed before. Several hooded figures stand before the fire, their uniform silhouettes pitch-black against the licking flames. They stand unnaturally still, almost like statues, though I know better than to assume that. My grip on my sword tightens. The tension hangs thick in the air, but I don’t dare step forward yet.\n\nWhen the voice rings out, amplified by the chamber’s acoustics, I’m almost relieved.\n\n“Knights of the Round Table. You’ve finally arrived.”\n\n“Necromancers sure love being dramatic,” Lancelot mutters.\n\nI don’t reply, because it’s then that the skeletons start to move.\n\n---\n\nr/OracleOfCake\n\nedit: oops this is not relevant to the prompt",
"\"No daughter of mine is going to get killed saving the world,\" I said, gently but firmly. The Conductor of Rhythms arched one delicate eyebrow at me over his cup of tea. My two-year-old daughter watched the two of us curiously from her crib; like everything else in my cozy brick house, I'd built the crib with my own two hands.\n\n\"I find that to be entirely correct. With your tutelage, Striker, she will be more than an adequate match for whatever threats the next generation will face.\"\n\n\"I am sure that I will do the same,\" I said, \"There is no reason why it must be my daughter who is ground up in the gears of war.\"\n\n\"Perhaps you can do the same now. But in thirty years? Fifty? Sixty? We're getting old, Striker.\" The Conductor wafted the steam from my whistling teakettle up with two thin fingers, shaping the wispy little clouds into images. Clashing blades, burning cities, yawning chasms. \"In the Rhythms of the world I see a future we will never touch, a future which postdates our deaths by a decade. You must pass on your craft, Striker, or leave your daughter in a world bereaved of its staunchest protectors.\"\n\n\"I don't care what you think. I'll be there for my daughter, no matter what.\" I blew out a breath, like a child extinguishing a candle; a gale-force wind rattled through the house, scattering the Conductor's magical images.\n\nThe Conductor sighed, standing up and pushing in his chair. \"Nobody lives forever. Not even a Striker of Winds. I thank you for your hospitality, and hope you reconsider my offer.\"\n\nI nodded, never breaking eye contact. \"It was nice to see you again, Conductor. Tell the rest of the gang I said hi.\"\n\nThe Conductor next found me two years later. My four-year-old daughter had just scraped her knee on a rock, and I'd just finished pounding the offending hilltop into dust. It was a little rough, but if you looked at it from the right angle, the crater resembled my daughter's face, in profile.\n\n\"Subtle,\" the Conductor observed, looking out at the clouds of dust. He held up one hand and flicked it lightly to the side; the obscuring fog vanished, leaving the two of us to contemplate my image of my daughter.\n\n\"What're you doing here, Conductor?\" I finally asked, \"Last I heard, you were settling down. Opening up a university.\"\n\n\"That was a year and a half ago. The world moves fast when you are a Conductor of Rhythms; my first class starts next year. I am accepting students as old as forty—\" he looked meaningfully at me— \"to students as young as six.\" His gaze returned to my daughter, who was running towards us.\n\n\"No,\" I said. \"You're not turning my daughter into the next Conductor.\"\n\n\"I would never consider it,\" the Conductor said primly. \"However, since you have made no move as to her education since we last spoke... well, there is common ground between the Rhythms and the Wind. If you lack the time to train her yourself—\"\n\n\"Conductor!\" I spun around, furious. \"I am not turning my daughter into one of us! We take on the burdens we do so that we can protect people, not hurl them onto the front lines! Gods and goblins, Conductor, what happened to you over the years? What happened to the man who saw the innocence in a child's laugh? The man who fought to protect the weak? The man who tried to make the whole damn world safe?\"\n\n\"He grew up.\" The Conductor drew himself up to his full height. Webs of faintly luminous lines spread out from his fingers, and his voice grew resonant and bright. Showing off. \"Nothing lasts forever, Striker. If you will not educate your daughter in your legacy, then I will take it onto myself. Stars as my witness, songs as my voice, I will prepare our children for the future if I have to raise my hand against my oldest friend to do it.\"\n\nI folded my arms. The sky went dark as storm clouds unfolded, the hills around us becoming devoid of light—save for a pool of sun centered on me. Lightning crackled directly overhead as I said, \"You think you would survive raising your hand against me? I've killed kings for lesser threats! If you value our past, if you value me, if you value my daughter, then stop trying to make her into something she is not, and never will be. Stop trying to—\"\n\n\"Dad?\" A voice snapped me out of my trance, the only voice that could. My daughter's voice. I blinked, the Wind fading from my veins. \"Dad, why's it gone dark?\"\n\nFor a frozen moment, both the Conductor and I stared at the girl between us. Then I sighed. \"It's nothing, sweetie. Just a disagreement with an old friend.\"\n\n\"Oh.\" She seemed to consider this for a few seconds before pouting. \"I fell over in the dark. I dropped my necklace.\"\n\n\"You dropped your necklace?\" Slowly, the spinning darkness overhead broke apart and cleared away. \"Sweetheart, I told you not to take it off.\"\n\n\"Perhaps this old Conductor may offer his services? I excel in finding what is lost,\" the Conductor said.\n\nI regarded him wearily for a heartbeat. \"...I'd like that very much, Conductor.\"\n\nMy old friend smiled. \"As would I, Striker.\"\n\nThe first two guards tried to stop me. I didn't even give them a second thought; with a whispered word, I sucked the breath from their lips. They fell silently, unconscious.\n\nThe great double doors stood wide open, a steady trickle of students entering. Pitiful security measures. Was the Conductor truly that arrogant? The students took one look at my stormy approach and turned to run.\n\nI growled, a guttural and animalistic thing, and the air fled the room. In the utter silence of a complete vacuum, the forty-odd students all silently fell to the floor, useless screams falling from impotent throats. When I was sure they were unconscious, I snapped my fingers, removing the vacuum bubble with a faint pop.\n\nI stood in the grand entry hall of the College of Rhythms, looking around the opulence and splendor, then closed my eyes and inhaled. All the scents the Wind remembered flooded into my mind, and my eyes snapped open. They were in a lecture hall. I could tell with absolute certainty that the Conductor himself was speaking—the leashed power of a Conductor of Rhythms had a distinctive scent.\n\nMy body blurred apart to Wind, and I burst into the lecture hall with the howl of an arctic gale. I recoalesced in the heart of a miniature cyclone, to the gasps and screams of the students below, and bellowed, \"CONDUCTOR!\"\n\nI could barely see him, as far below me as he was, but I would recognize that scent anywhere. He looked up at me, and for a moment I paused. His hair was longer, his back straighter than I remembered. How old friends changed. \"Striker of Winds? Is that you?\"\n\n\"Who else would it be, you blithering fool! Where is my daughter?\" The gawking students below had quickly realized that being in the same room as a Conductor of Rhythms and a Striker of Winds angry with each other was a great way to be reduced to purée, and rapidly filed out.\n\nAll but one.\n\nMy nineteen-year-old daughter stood up from the crowd and shouted up, \"Dad! Gods and goblins, what are you doing here?\"\n\n\"What am I doing here?\" I shouted, thunder in every word, \"I am not the one who enrolled in the College of Rhythms, against my explicit orders. I am not the one who desired to become a being whose only purpose is war. I am not a self-destructive, ungrateful, rebellious bitch!\"\n\nThere was silence in the College of Rhythms.\n\nThen my daughter stood up, and there was something of the Winds about her.\n\n\"Dad,\" she said, quietly, and the Wind tasted her tears. \"Dad, you don't understand. I know you love me, I know you're just trying to protect me, but—\"\n\n\"I've done things that would make your blood freeze, I've slaughtered my way across a dark continent, I've stood fast against nightmares which would drive you mad if I spoke their names, and I did all of this so that one day—this day—it could all be over. All the violence, all the struggles, all the wars—I've brought peace to the world. What are you afraid of?\"\n\n\"I'm afraid of when you won't be here anymore,\" she whispered.\n\nI clenched my fists. \"That won't be for a long, long time.\"\n\n\"I know. But if I kept hiding behind your legs and waiting for you to obliterate everything that threatened me—\"\n\n\"THAT'S MY JOB!\" I spun to the Conductor of Rhythms. \"You! Conductor! You're gone too far, and this time, I'll damn well kill you if it's the only thing that'll stop you!\" I blurred towards the man on the stage—\n\n—and stopped.\n\nShe wasn't a man.\n\nShe was a young woman, perhaps in her early twenties or late teens. She held that unmistakable, unshakable air of calm that the last Conductor of Rhythms had about him, an aura of command which let her hold fast in the face of the oncoming storm.\n\nAnd she was not the Conductor of Rhythms I'd grown up with.\n\n\"Who... where is the Conductor of Rhythms?\" I said, faintly. But I already knew the answer.\n\nThe new Conductor smiled sadly. \"Dead. A heart attack. He passed on his mantle to me. Just as one day you'll have to pass yours on to her.\"\n\nAnd suddenly, all the fury whipping around me shattered. The storm petered out. \"He... he died?\"\n\n\"This morning. He saw it coming.\" She bowed her head. \"He left a message for you.\"\n\n\"I don't want to hear anything that corrupted fool has to say,\" I said. But there wasn't any venom left in it.\n\nThe Conductor of Rhythms cleared her throat. \"'We don't always get what we want.'\"\n\nI looked up sharply. \"What did you say?\"\n\n\"Those were his last words.\"\n\n\"What? That's it?\" I flashed forwards and hoisted the new Conductor up by the front of her shirt. \"THAT'S IT? After everything he did? That's all he has to say to me?\"\n\n\"'We don't always get what we want,'\" she repeated.\n\nI stared at the young woman wearing the mantle of the best man I'd ever known. And then I sagged, putting her down, letting her go. I looked up to my daughter.\n\nShe knelt down and smiled.\n\n\"I'm sorry, sweetheart,\" I croaked, weakly, \"I... I'm sorry.\"\n\nShe hugged me. \"It's okay, Dad. It's all going to be okay, in the end.\"",
"Ben thought he would feel thrilled when his turn came to see the Oracle. Instead it was more like waiting for an hour in the dentist lobby listening to the sound of drilling and yelps of pain. \n\n\nWhen they called your name it's not \"YAY! I'm going to see the dentist!\" it's more like \"Ugh, finally. Lets get this over with.\"\n\n\nThe great Oracle hummed, inside it's large wooden frame the sound of a hamster on it's squeaky wheel could be heard powering up the great device. Millions of ants ran around calculating probabilities. A crow cried out to keep the rhythm and a hen laid an egg... what else is expected of a chicken?\n\n\nFinally the handle with the quill moved. It dipped into the inkwell and started scratching out his destiny.\n\n\nBen tried to peak at the scroll but the Oracle priest blocked his view.\n\n\nFinally the sound of scratching stopped and he Priest grabbed the paper and looked at it in confusion.\n\n\n\"Usually we hold a ten minute ritual for heroes and half an hour for kings. I think you might be a villain though so I'll just get to the point.\" Said the Priest. \n\n\n\"Ahem. It says :*You will go on a long journey, separate a child from his mother, disobey your order and bring about great dismay as the world has never seen. Only in the past will you find redemption as you cause another's child family to be burned alive.* Your Destiny ends there. I'd get start on that journey if I were you. Just make sure it takes you far and away from this temple.\"\n\n\nHe looked at the priest incredulously. What sort of gibberish was that? With a sigh Ben, or as his official name tag stated, Obi Wan Kenobi got started on his journey back home."
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[WP] You have a voice in your head, but it's a helpful one who only talks to you when you are sick or injured, telling you what's ailing you. It's never been wrong and one time it even saved you from a brain tumor. Then one day, unprompted, the voice says "Don't freak out, everything is fine."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"“Don’t freak out, everything is fine.”\n\nOf all the phrases in the world that might cause someone to experience a near heart attack, that one almost certainly isn’t near the top of the list for most people. \n\nExcept for me. \n\nYou see I’ve have this voice in the back of my mind since I remember understanding words that tells me the status of my body.\n\nYes I know it sounds insane. Just bare with me.\n\nRan headfirst into a corner table as a rambunctious toddler? Your good, just a hematoma.” Yes I had a surprisingly large vocabulary as a child.\n\nJumped off a friend’s porch, got my ironic chain wallet caught on a bird feeder, flipped and landed on my left arm? “Broken ulna and radius. Stabilize, seek medical aid, cast, and rest.”\n\nCame down with some nasty cold in the Oughts (2000’s). “Swine flu. Seek immediate medical attention. “\n\nLong lasting pain in my limbs, characterized by chronic neck pain? “Spondylosis, Purdue surgery or pain management accompanied by physical therapy.”\n\nSo when I heard, “don’t freak out, everything is fine”, I was understandably freaked right the fuck out.\n\nThat was when I started to overhear the conversation at the table next to me. It was two valley girl sounding adult women. \n\n“Have you HEARD about this new CoRoNo virusss?\n\n“Oh. Em. Gee. What a joke. It’s just the flu. Like. I’m not gonna DIE.”\n\nI sat for a minute, considering correcting them, and that the main reason for social distancing is to protect the immune impaired or at risk. Then I just stood up and left, because I heard someone coughing nearby.\n\nFine for now.",
"In the middle of a crowd at the market, a man slows his walk to a halt and proceeds to argue with himself. “What? What do you mean *don’t freak out?*”\n\nThe voice, calm and monotonous, responds as soon as he stops walking. “Keep walking.”\n\nHe instinctively starts walking again, looking around nervously. “What’s wrong?”\n\nThe voice speaks again. “Stop looking around. You are normal. You do not look out of place.”\n\nThe man shivers despite the warm summer sun and continues forward. “Just tell me what’s going on.”\n\n“Knowledge would lead to panic, panic would lead to death.” The man swallows nervously, picking up the pace. Immediately, the voice berates him. “Keep calm, walk slow.”\n\nHe forces himself to slow his gait and he takes a shaky breath. He reaches into his breast pocket and lights a cigarette to calm himself down. He breathes in and out, a puff of black smoke annoying the older woman passing by him. “So I have to feel like nothing’s wrong?”\n\nThe voice is silent.\n\n“Great, I’ll just finally buy some leeks and then head home…” He stops by the market stand and searches for the freshest produce. He pays for two bundles and places them in his basket before the voice screams in his mind.\n\n**“RUN.”**\n\nImmediately, he bolts through the crowd as the market stands he was just at explodes in a ball of fire. The crowd screams and the man can’t help but to thank the Four that he became a Super that had an early warning system. He’d be dead a dozen times over if it weren’t for that, even more so if he counted when he was fighting a Supervillain. Which now that he thinks about it…\n\nHe looks up to the rooftops and sees a dark, lean form staring down at the crowd. It wears tight fitting black body armor, a porcelain comedy mask with a blue ‘X’ painted over it, and wields a large, blue sickle. Across a belt on their chest are four blue daggers, and in their offhand is a fifth. The man grimaces at the sight. *Sickle. Now I know why I was on alert.*\n\nThe voice speaks quickly. “Deflect!”\n\nThe figure launches the dagger at the man and he grabs the steel and wooden staff from his hip, raising it into the air. He clicks a button on the bottom of it, and it extends from half a meter to two meters long, knocking the dagger onto the floor.\n\n“Sweep!”\n\nHe knocks it with his staff into the nearby ally and it explodes. He grits his teeth up at the figure as the people around him breath a sigh of relief. “It’s Monk! He’ll save us!”\n\nMonk cracks his neck and steps forward. “Guess I won’t be needing this anymore.” He presses down on the cufflink on his dark brown trench coat, and its color glows into a bright yellow as he dons a yellow half-mask that covers the lower half of his face. He puts on a set of green goggles and points the staff at Sickle. “Come on down here and face me like a man!”\n\nSickle merely stands up and turns around, leaving the rooftop they were situated on. Monk shakes his head, setting down his basket next to a stand. He looks at the vendor. “Mind watching this for me?” The woman behind it nods wordlessly. He gives her a wink and a thumbs up. “Thanks, love.”\n\nMonk runs towards where Sickle ran off from, shrinking his staff down to half a meter, before reaching it into the air and extending it to three meters long and pole vaulting most of the way up the building. Using the superior strength granted to all Supers, he quickly makes his way to the roof and scans the buildings. He reaches into his belt and takes out a small walkie talkie. He activates it, scanning the rooftops as he speaks.\n\n“Monk calling Anchester, got a hot spot. Supervillain Sickle spotted at Farside Market by the-” He gets cut off by a voice in his head.\n\n“Duck.”\n\nHe immediately falls prone, a dagger shooting through the air right where his head was. He looks to where the dagger came from, and he sees Sickle climbing over the side of the roof as an explosion rocks the roof he’s on. Monk stands up, speaking into the walkie-talkie. “Monk calling Anchester, this is a Tier 1 crime in progress. I repeat, a Tier 1 crime. Backup requested. Over.”\n\nHe clips the walkie-talkie on his belt and readies his meter long staff at Sickle. The figure tilts their head to the side, slowly approaching. They drag their sickle along the roof, taking their time in their approach. Monk calls out to the figure as he measures their approach. “Didn’t take the Blood of Supers to be so bold all of a sudden. What, they want to throw their only Super into jail just like that? Well, I’m happy to say that we have quite a few vacancies at-” The voice in his head interrupts him once more.\n\n“Parry!”\n\nSickle dashes at Monk, giving a wide slash with their sickle. He parries it, but he immediately hears the voice in his mind again.\n\n“Duck left!”\n\nHe dodges a dagger stab but he can’t even-\n\n“Back up!”\n\nHe steps backwards and-\n\n“Parry!” \n\nHe can’t even- “Dodge!” He- “Parry! Back! Left! Right!”\n\nMonk’s head hurts; he’s never fought someone this fast before. The commands blur together and soon he can’t tell if he’s supposed to strike or block or parry or- He lets out a strangled cry as Sickle drives a spike into his chest and lightning courses through his body. He falls to the floor unconscious as Sickle looks over him, staring down at the spike. It’s blood red, nothing like what Sickle normally uses, but it’s what the Blood of Supers developed. The figure hoists Monk over their shoulder, marvelling at how light he is. Normally Supers are far heavier than normal people, but if this spike does what the Blood of Supers said it should, then Monk’s radiation should be temporarily stored in it for now. Sickle turns around and hurries away, leaving behind a wooden stick and a walkie-talkie.\n\nThe walkie-talkie chatters to life. “Monk, hang on. Blinkman is on his way soon. Just hang in there!”\n\nNo one responds.\n\n(Criticism is both welcome and appreciated, I hope you enjoyed reading)",
"That can't be right. It won't talk to me unless I'm sick, so what does that mean?\n\n\"Don't freak out, everything is fine.\"\n\nHow am I able to hear it if everything is fine? Could this supernatural voice be... broken? That wouldn't be possible, right?\n\nEver since I was very young, this voice has been telling me what is wrong with me when I'm sick and/or injured. That's the only rule. At one point, the voice even saved me from a brain tumor. So, why am I hearing it saying this damn \"everything is good\" bullshit?\n\nThe day went well. Work was fine, no traffic going home. Got home to some delicious home made food, a smiling wife, a loving dog and a lovely rainy weather. The day was so damn good that it's... strange.\n\nAnd then it hit me. I don't have a wife. No one loves me. \n\nI don't have a dog. He died weeks ago.\n\nI don't even have home made food. I just eat frozen food everyday.\n\nAnd even before that. How come there was no traffic?\n\nMy job is just hell. I hate it. I hate everyone there.\n\nAnd then I woke up. I woke up to the voice. The real voice. And she said something that made me realise it was real this time.\n\n\"*You're not happy. You never was. You'll never be.*\""
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[WP] Over the course of the last year, magic has mysteriously withered away from the land until the most powerful wizards couldn't even conjure a spark. You, on the other hand, are still struggling to understand why your magic hasn't disappeared.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 knocking at the large wooden door scared me far more when I thought I was still dreaming as opposed to when I actually got up, despite how angry it sound. \n\n\"Roni! The master wants to see you. Right. Now!\" Anthony's voice bellowed with another set of loud thuds.\n\n I got up, stretched, and grunted my acquiescence at the door which only seemed to increase the intensity of the pounding. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit frighted of Anthony, but as I slowly came to, I grinned as I remembered my leverage. \n\nI chose my green robe and opened the door just as I was tying it over only ever so slightly pumping out my chest and ensuring I stood up straight. \"Good morning Anthony.\" I said, maintaining an utterly infuriating level of calm and submission to the brute. \n\n\"He's upstairs. Go!\" Normally this would have been followed by being pulled by the collar and tossed into the hallway, especially if I was late getting the morning porridge on, but today, he only stepped aside and pointed. He must have been told it wasn't the best idea to rough up the anomaly. I smiled and stepped out ahead of him, setting the pace knowing that this time I wouldn't get a punch in the back to rush me along. We pissed a single sconce that either had gone out or somebody had forgotten to light. Feeling cheeky, I summoned a small orb of fire and smacked it into the sconce, and I could hear the air rush into Anthony's nostrils behind me. Infuriating him was no small joy lately. \n\nMaster Pipkin was already smiling when we walked into the office, his cheeks squeezed tighter than a lemon. I honestly was trying to figure out whether or not he *wanted* me to know that he was faking it. He gestured to the seat across from his massive desk and I promptly sat down. This had been an almost daily occurence ever since the whole mess started. \"Anthony,\" my guide's sour face immediatley sprang to attention \"why don't you go and fetch us some porridge.\" Master Pipkin never even looked at him as he said it, instead just staring directly through me trying to find the little secret I simply wasn't in possession of. What somebody who didn't know Anthony would take for promptness the master and I both knew immediately for incredible anger. Anthony apparently still had a way to go yet before he'd be able to comply with whatever guidelines surrounded not aggravating the scullery boy. As soon as he disappeared, Master Pipkin's face resumed it's bored neutral expression, though I still detected a tinge of anxiety in those eyes. Something was off today...\n\n\"Roni...what is your family name?\"\n\n\"I don't have a family, sir.\" \n\n\"Not even a name?\"\n\n\"No, sir.\"\n\n\"Right...I supposed I'll have to send you along as 'Roni Single' then.\"\n\n\"Send me where sir?\" I shifted restlessly...\n\n\"To the College of Divinity at the University in Tern. I know few here have ever shown you much kindness, so I'll save you the false courtesy of pretending that you have a choice in the matter. You've been summoned.\"\n\n\"What...does that mean?\"\n\nHe sighed, \"you've been unable as of yet to even remotely explain why it is that whatever means I have to use a match to light my pipe doesn't affect your ability to warm water for pots and pans, to light lamps, or to keep everyone's beer cold. However, you haven't yet tried to raise an army of undead to storm the keep, run away and found yourself some or another type of dark lord, or foced Anthony to fall down on that staircase out there and break his neck like Master Theo did not long after you arrived here for us. I'm left with the conclusion that you must be telling the truth and you genuinely don't know. Mind you, the council is hesitant about this and so am I, but the letters I've gotten make the vote very clear, our only option is to send you to Tern.\"\n\n\"But...I've been here for at least eight years.\" I shocked myself with the realisation I was actulaly scared to leave my station and all the abuse it usually guarunteed. \n\n\"Yes, Roni you have. It's ironic that I only taught you the spells you'd need to work at maximum efficiency so I wouldn't have to hire three boys where one would do, isn't it?\" he smiled weakly and shook his head. \"And now here we are, and you must be the most powerful mage in the realm what with your ability to make the perfect little pile of suds.\"\n\n\"I...what will it be like when I get there? What is to become of me?\" I felt my throat going dry. \n\n\"Oh I've no doubt that they'll be poking and prodding at you with all manner of this and that, but they won't hurt you. You're getting the chance that few young men your age will ever receive, and you just barely a man. You from the golden fields sleeping on the straw with the rats and the worms. This will be the start of a new life for you.\" He crossed his arms and stared at me dead on with a bit of brood, \"we might even work together for purpose someday if I see you again...and if they find out whatever it is they need to know.\"\n\n\"When do I leave?\" Was I actually feeling myself tear up?\n\nHe started to ceiling and rocked his head from side to side. \"Whenever the carriage gets here. I wouldn't imagine you had a whole lot to pack, do you?\"\n\n\"No sir.\"\n\n\"Good, then best get going!\" He exclaimed quickly as he wrote out a message to send with me. How I wish I'd known to read. What in the Gods names was I being tagged with or about? \n\nI stepped back down the staircase slowly, went into my chamber and got my small bag together. Anthony delivered the porridge to my room, managing to resist slamming it down on my little spintery table. \n\nAn hour later I stepped into a carriage door containing a smiling, kind-eyed, and heavily-warted old witch and into a life beyond my imagination.",
"They threw him from the top of the crooked tower. Anja watched the lord, white robes streaked red, fall in a flat spin until he disappeared behind the window frame. There was a pit, cold and empty in his stomach. Anja's lord was the last great conjurer of the west and had hidden the crooked tower behind a glamour for decades since the decline. He'd find the cause, wind the realm's magic back onto the spool. That's what they'd said. In the dead of winter, the glamour had collapsed and armies began to mass at the mouth of their pass. Now the lord was dead and the tower was empty of glittering force. The rout had begun. Anja had taken lodging with the peasantry since the beginning, never comfortable with the overt zealotry of his peers. Now, he had a chance. Reduced to simple roughspun cloth, he stuffed his heraldry into the little grate and set it alight. In the fire he stuffed useless rune-writ parchment and it belched hungry orange flame and smoke. He debated over the magewrought sword and accompanying knives. Like the runic parchments they were tied intrinsically to the tower, and now their oily glisten faded to flat iron. Their scabbards and belting were deeply ornate, stitched in white leather and set with blue gems. He slipped the less dull of the knives into his belt and jammed the rest into the grate. Downstairs, he heard shouting and the tramp of boots. The landlord's young son appeared. \"They're downstairs. Get out of here! Go!\" Anja turned and ran to the window, but looking down, men-at-arms in the invader's yellow raiment crowded the alley. He turned back, and the child lay on the floor in a spreading pool of black. \n\n\"There's a bounty for horror-whisperers like you.\"\n\n\"And you forgot about your shiny little ring.\"\n\nAnja drew his knife as two mountainous men in blood-drenched yellow tunics shouldered into the room. One had a cruel, stumpy sword and the other wrenched an ax from the child's back. They had wolfish grins of furious hunger. Anja knew it was hopeless, that no matter what he wouldn't shake off all of his tells. He pulled the sword from the grate beside him, it's blade edged with red from the heat. He attacked first, leaping into one with the blazing sword. The connection sword to sword showered sparks and sheared off his blade's tip. His assailant reeled, and Anja step-turned swiftly to put one between the other. They shoved each other, and Anja drove at the one in front aiming the knife just under a shoulder. The two men collapsed over each other, but an errant ax swing caught the knife and sent it spinning. Anja stepped back, but the swordsman moved with lithe skill. His swordpoint swept around Anja's sword, pinioned it between blade and pommel and with a practiced flick disarmed him. He fell on his bottom feeling small beneath the leering western giants. He knew what would happen, but it was his last moment and he'd be remiss if he didn't try. Using the sharp point of the ring-set gem, he scratched a crude rune on his palm. The men laughed, deep and loud, and Anja shark further. This was not the first time they'd seen such a thing today, from fiercer warriors than him. Nevertheless, he whispered the word of power.\n\nFor the longest time, the essence of magic was tempering it's natural might. The raw unbridled fury that could be channeled was often so grand as to be impractical, and deadly. Places like the crooked tower were set high upon mountain slopes so students had space aplenty to work on command of their force. Anja had never, in all his training, simply let the word loose from his tongue. Usually just bringing to mind the rune was more than enough. Even in the waning days, only great sorcerers had leave for such releases even if they were pitiful by comparison to the elder days. As he felt the word's silky texture run across his tongue, he sensed he'd made an error. He felt the aspect of an Ifrit come to his imperative, that which exists in the earth's molten, crushing core made manifest. The mirth of the men turned to terror as they saw the ictus before Anja's hand. A single brilliant point of light. Instantly the flesh was seared away, and in the shadow of heat he shut his eyes. Before they closed he saw a pair of charred skeletons blasted to dust. He felt fire race from him in great eddying streams, torrential waves pulled out of him. He felt the ground list beneath him as the building began to collapse. He held desperately to any command of the flames, ephemeral hands of his magical prowess scrabbling at the aspect of the Ifrit trying to bring it to heel. More, more, it wanted. To consume, to lay clean and bare of excess. Anja managed with tremendous effort to close his hand. He opened his eyes.\n\nThe house he stayed in was fairly high, a brick structure overlooking the concentric rings of streets as they descended down to where the crooked tower rose in the city's center. The whole structure leaned drunkenly backwards, window, wall and floor before him gone. Any trace of the soldiers, gone. A river of fire snaked down through the city, a vast plume of smoke rising away from the fire prancing joyously from house to house. Up, he had to get up. To rise, to escape. He stumbled through the leaning house, finding the stairs and making his way though pitched floors and off-kilter doorframes. As he entered the street, he heard a strong voice. \"There! there he is!\" A bevy of archers were fanned out in the street. \"DON'T!\" Anja flashed his bloody hand at them, and most scattered. The arrows from the brave among them clattered around him. He made his way, exhausted and traumatized, through the streets. He didn't know where he was going, or what he'd do full stop. He supposed if he shambled about enough he'd blend in with the peasantry. \"There! There!\" The shouts came from behind and he tried to run. Something caught his feet and snapped his arms against his body. A spell? No. Tight cordage run between iron balls. He struggled, trying to orient his hand properly. A trio of robed man came running up the street to him. Despite being beyond tired, he slurred the spell again. There was a whip-crack, and a counterspell smote his in a shower of blue sparks. \n\n​\n\n\"Here's another one. Get him up, we've got to get them out of here.\"",
"I pulled the door open only to have the entire door shatter in my hands. I sighed and waved my hands, reconstructing the wood and replacing it into the doorway. Jawnic looked up, deep bags under her eyes and nodded to my entering.\n\n\"Did I hear something?\" she asked.\n\n\"No, just the door opening,\" I lied.\n\n\"Mmm,\" she said, looking back down to a cauldron sitting in front of her. He picked up a handful of spice, then hesitated and returned it to its bowl. Then she turned to a vial and shook her head.\n\n\"It's as if the knowledge of magic is being stolen from me even as I attempt to use it. I'm a mage, yet I cannot create even the simplest potion!\" she said, slamming a hand against the table. I looked at the ingredients and immediately surmised that she was trying to create a potion to strengthen memory. I shook my head. I never previously learned how to make a memory potion, yet the information made its way into my head without my permission. \n\n\"What are you trying to make?\" I asked, trying to be helpful by pretending I was as misinformed as her.\n\n\"I don't remember,\" she admitted sourly. My eyebrows rose as I felt an immense amount of pity for her. I never wanted the powers, yet my ability seemed to grow with every passing day. \n\n\"What about this ingredient? This one helps with memory, doesn't it?\" I asked, shaking a vial newt legs. They were the main ingredient that she had already added to her concoction.\n\n\"Uhhh...\" she looked closely. \"Who knows!\" she said, tossing the cauldron over the table as she grunted.\n\n\"How do you live William? A life without magic? What is it like?\" she asked, worry in her trembling eyes. \n\n\"Oh, uhh...\" I remembered the day I got the powers flowing through me. I thought I would die in a forest alone. But I found a spring that must have been infused with magic. Since then, my power grew daily. It was the worst day of my life. \n\n\"It's a happy, simpler life. You don't have to worry about misfiring magic, or accidentally conjuring something when you're feeling emotional. You don't even have to worry about other magic users since they'll leave you alone!\" I said encouragingly.\n\n\"Ah, yes, the duels do get tiring,\" she said with a hint of nostalgia. Her eyes drifted as they grew moist.\n\n\"Is there anything I can do to help?\" I asked sincerely. If I had it in me, I'd give her the entirety of my power. \n\n\"No, no, your visit is more than enough for an old...\" her eyes suddenly blinked. They blinked again, and the bags under her eyes seemed to decrease. Her sorrow turned to determination. \"I may have something in mind.\"\n\n\"What is it? Whatever you want, I am here for my elder,\" I promised. \n\n\"I want to go to the Well of Origin,\" she said grandly. I stared at her, unaware of what she was speaking of. She turned to me as if expecting me to protest. \n\n\"The Well of Origin?\" I repeated.\n\n\"Yes, it's said to be a place of *immense* power. One sip and I may be able to regain all of my magical power. It's said that many have gone looking for it but not one has been able to reach it. And it comes at a terrible price,\" she said with a hint of shame. She didn't seem like she was sure that she wanted me to carry out this quest.\n\n\"What price is that?\" I asked.\n\n\"You *become* the Origin!\" she exclaimed. I waited for her to explain, but again it seemed she assumed I knew what she was talking about.\n\n\"What does that mean?\" I asked.\n\n\"Isn't it clear? You become the origin of all magic. The magic in the world is sucked away and infused into the individual who drank from it! They become the origin of power, an incredibly powerful being with abilities beyond all the magicians in the world combined! But it would be such a selfish act. I don't believe I want you to do it. I'd rather let nature take the course it is on,\" she replied. I didn't hear her after she mentioned the magic in the world being sucked away. \n\n\"And you are sure this is a well? Not a river or a spring?\" I asked, my voice shaking slightly.\n\n\"Oh, it can take any matter of body of water, not that it matters. No one has found it no matter how long they looked,\" she said, looking at the cauldron on her floor sadly.\"\n\nI stared past her, at the ingredients that I had somehow become able to identify. I was even able to see a small stream of energy waning from within her and coming into me.\n\n\"Yes, that would be awful if someone found it,\" I agreed.\n\n\n\n_____________________________________\n\nFor more magic, come see r/Nazer_the_Lazer!"
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[WP] You have recently acquired the ability to know one deep secret of anyone you meet. Recently, your brother came back to town to visit. When you shake his hand you learn his secret: He had murdered his wife and is planning to kill the rest of your family.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"\"Come on in!\" you say as you lead your brother towards the living room eyeing his clothing looking for any hidden weapons. Not able to see anything obviously protruding from him. \"So what brings you to town? It's been too long\" \nHe doesn't respond, just stares back into your eyes with a dead look. \"I'll fix us a coffee, you have driven a long way\"\n\nYou take this opportunity to hide a knife in your pocket and bring the coffee's back out whilst faking a smile. You hand your brother the coffee after warning him it's hot. \n\nWhat feels like 10 minutes goes by when he finally reaches in for a hug. Fuck this is it, my own brother isn't going to even speak to me before he kills me, but it was just a hug. If anything I felt more love in that hug then I ever did with him. \n\nHis mouth opens, \"I have to do this, see... this might upset you but, I really am sorry\" he grabs for his pocket in a unexpectedly slow manner. You know what you've got to do, it's you or him. You grab your knife as quickly as possible and just lunge for his chest, he's always been bigger and stronger then you. You will need the first strike to stand any chance. \n\nYour brother screams in pain, tears running down his eyes. \"So you already know then, huh?\" He says whilst struggling to breath. \" Know what? That you came here to kill your family and me?!\" You say now going for his pocket to take his weapon. He smiles as he begins to cough up blood. \n\nIt doesn't take long for his face to face to a blank expression, assuming he's either dead or close to it. You grab the item from his pocket. A letter, from an orphanage, with your name on it. You were adopted at a young age, and his family took you in.",
"Tom had always been... different. He refused to eat anything that was touched by mushrooms. Even of the mushrooms were removed he claimed the taste lingered.\n\n\nCleaning wasn't enough. Everything and I do mean EVERYTHING had to be sanitized. Hell he even carried a bottle of disinfectant with him at all times. Got him banned from Park n Shop when he used it to wipe down the trolley.\n\n\nI honestly thought he'd never find someone. This one had a pimple, that one liable to get dandruff, the other one *touched* me! \n\n\nHow can a person like that, with a mile long list of issues, ever find someone? \n\n\nFind? Or should I say had found?\n\n\nShe was gone now, I could see it in his eyes. She was gone and she was only the beginning. His eyes shone with the odd green light.\n\n\nTom \"You touched me. After all the warnings and sanitation instructions. You touched me.\"\n\n\nThose fanatic green eyes. They only saw danger. They only saw a possible threat from the current pandemic. What they didn't see, was me.",
"*No... Just, no. I didn't see that.*\n\n*It had to be an intrusive thought. That's all.*\n\nCraig had a hard time digesting such a possibility. But he couldn't shake the horrific images he'd just seen from his mind. Her face, blank and cold. The blood, the intestines hanging lose and...\n\nAvi, he just wouldn't do something like that. They'd always been the best of friends, albeit a bit on the competitive side. Brothers typically are.\n\nWhen their mother passed, he been there to comfort Craig as well as the others in their grief. If anything, he'd helped them hold it together best.\n\nBut; Craig had never been wrong.\n\nMost would consider such a skill a gift. A blessing even. Craig considered it a curse. One he wouldn't wish on anyone who didn't deserve it.\n\nHe knew of the deepest, darkest secrets those around him held. It didn't matter how they came into contact. He would know. Some were of a more benign matter. Money hidden away. Secret crushes, or sexual orientations. Regrets. Missed opportunities. And other things most could readily accept.\n\nBut then, there were those who gave him visions such as this. Depravity. Brutality. Cruelty, the likes of which one would hope never to see. The things some had inflicted on others, in many cases with malice. Glee even.\n\nThese were the ones that had haunted him for so long. The fact that they were normal like the others, didn't make things any better. But who could he tell? Typically, while such a thing would ruin his perspective, who would believe his accusations?\n\nThis was the battle he'd waged with himself for so long.\n\nWhich brought him back to Avi's typical small talk.\n\n\"Craig?\" He asked lightly, \"Are you alright?\"\n\n\"Hmm, what?\" Craig said, snapping himself back to the dinner table.\n\n\"You haven't touched anything.\" Avi smirked, \"Usually, you're the fastest man alive over a plate.\"\n\n*Lie. Now's a good time to lie.* His brain panicked.\n\n\"Oh, you know me!\" Craig laughed before he shoveled some potatoes into his mouth. \"Sometimes, my eyes are bigger than my stomach. What can I say.\"\n\n\"Yeah, he's always like this.\" Kayla answered, \"I swear he's watching paint dry sometimes.\"\n\nCraig flirted \"Just have a lot on my mind babe. Mainly how much I love you and your cooking.\"\n\nHe gave her a sideways peck on the cheek as he kept one eye on Avi. A giggle came from the high chair at the table, which drew his sight to Andy. The little guy was busy playing with his food, and having the time of his life. Sometimes, Craig wished he could remember the fun one has at 9 months old.\n\nBut alas, that isn't the world we live in.\n\n\"Aw, little guy just gets bigger and bigger every time I see him.\" Avi laughed as he watched his nephew wriggle in his seat.\n\n\"Hey, I meant to ask you.\" Kayla interjected, \"How's Gina been? I haven't been able to get ahold of her lately. I heard you two were five months along. Have they given you a due date yet?\"\n\nAvi bubbled his breath in his drink as he took a sip at this. He coughed for a second before settling back with a sigh.\n\n\"Oh, Gina? She's fine. Ultrasound came back positive. Just have to keep with the regiment is all. You know?\"\n\nThere was no light in his eyes. Kayla didn't notice it. Craig did.\n\n\"Hey...\" Avi perked up suddenly as they locked eyes. \"Where's my favorite person in the whole wide world?\"\n\nHis niece. Their daughter. Craig came up with a slightly exaggerated answer himself. Little Amber had tired herself out, and was currently in bed sleeping it all off.\n\n\"-So it's probably not the best to wake her up.\" Craig cheerfully laid out, \"She'll get cranky, and then she'll be up all night.\"\n\n\"Hah, kids, amirite?\" Avi humored.\n\n*Call 911. Get someone here to get him. Now.* Craig thought.\n\nThe problem with that rose in his throat in the same manner his dinner would. And he tried to avoid the involuntary tremble riding up his spine.\n\nHe'd left his phone to charge in the kitchen.\n\n---\n\nFeedback and criticism are welcome! Find more at r/Jamaican_Dynamite",
"(cw: >!mentions of violence, suicide!<)\n\nI instinctively drop my hand, my smile instantly falling from my face. \n\n\"Hey, Ellie, what's wrong?\" asks my little brother, confused as to why I stopped shaking his hand. \n\n\"It's nothing,\" I say, plastering a smile back on. \"Was just thinking about Helen. Why wasn't she able to come?\"\n\n\"Work,\" says Jeffy. \"She said she was really busy, but who am I to tell her not to be productive?\" He laughs. Oh, god, Jeffy. What did you do?\n\nI jerk my neck outside towards the car. \"Anyway, the house is a bit of a mess right now, Jeffy, so if you want, we can make a quick stop at the Roots Diner.\"\n\n\"John can't come with us?\" \n\n\"He's cleaning the house,\" I reply smoothly. \n\n\"John's cleaning the house and you're taking me out?\" he asks, a small, crooked smile on his face, the same one he's always had when we talk about things like *gender roles* and *politics.*\n\n\"It's 2020, Jeffy. Let feminism have some victories,\" I laugh. It feels forced. I hope to god he doesn't notice.\n\nHe puts his hands in the air. \"Alright, Ellie. You win this round. But stop calling me Jeffy. Nobody's called me Jeffy in years, and besides, it sounds too close to Jeffrey for my liking.\"\n\n\"Then stop calling me Ellie,\" I respond without hesitation. \"My name is Eleanor, and as a woman in proper standing I should be referred to as such,\" I say, adding a faux British accent to the ending of that sentence. This is comfortable, the same discussion we've had hundreds of times. It's almost easy to forget that Helen is fucking dead and that Jeffy wants to add John to that list. \n\nAnd me.\n\nJeffy is uncomfortable with the name \"Jeffy\" because it reminds him of a different person with a similar name.\n\nI just hope that in a few hours it won't be *me* whose untimely murder is ruled a suicide.\n\n(part 2 coming soon)"
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[WP] The very nature of magic requires a spell caster to be of an illogical mindset. That doesn't mean magic doesn't follow a type of logic, however. For those who can't see the world as a spell caster does, they are occasionally hired on by them, using their deductive reasoning for their benefit.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 have a few of these guys with me. With my weird logic that they still don't understand, plus their knowledge of reality's logic, we make a good team. They still don't understand my logic of throwing magic cake into cooking pans to make pancakes, but they do like the food so I don't hear many complaints. I still have to argue on logic versus my logic though.\n\n\"*Normal logic, I would think the egg hatches into a baby chick if it came from a chicken.\"*\n\n\"*My logic, The egg hatches into what it wants to hatch into, no matter the parent. I just gotta give it some sentience, and now it can become a turtle with a chicken momma.\"*\n\n\"*Why did you do that?\"*\n\n\"*Because it makes sense. If one is gonna be born into the world, they must be able to decide things already.\"*\n\n\"*THAT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE MISS! THINGS DO NOT NEED TO KNOW THE WORLD BEFORE THEY ARE DEVELOPED!\"*\n\n\"*YES, THEY DO!\"* I yell at one of my 'Logical Thinkers' named Fredrick. Thomas and Lydia are out getting groceries, by my logic of thinking, as we only need a few things to get actual food, with the magic of course.\n\n\"*I swear on my logical life that you're illogical mindset is driving me insane. I can't understand you, Thomas can't understand you, and Lydia is an idiot.\"* I pout. \"*What? Did I say something wrong?\"*\n\n\"*Yeah. Lydia understands me a bit at least. She at least knows how to cook with the magic utensils.\"* Fredrick sighs. \"*Come on, she may not be logical by either of us, but she's learning.\"* I proceed to clap quietly, and a plate of warm milk and chocolate chip cookies appear. Fredrick is confused, but I put a cookie in his mouth and go sit down. We all live in my house, considering it has more than one bedroom, and it's non-euclidian thanks to me. I have a map, don't worry. The front door, about clockwise 450 degrees from me, opens. Thomas and Lydia come through the doorway in a minute.\n\n\"*We're Home! We got the groceries!\"* Lydia announces.\n\n\"*Great. I'll go cook dinner. You guys can have some cookies. Careful, the milk is boiling...\"* And Lydia proceeds to burn herself. I look away, think about cooking, and she calms down. The burn is gone. It's illogical to them but logical to me. I put some carrots, chicken, asparagus, and some shallots into a pot, then some water. I set an alarm to 6:15 pm and wait. It's only 5:30 pm. We watch some news before the alarm goes off. Chicken soup. Perfect to taste. Again, my cooking is good, so no complaints except the usual...\n\n\"*I still don't understand. It shouldn't have cooked. YOU NEVER TURNED THE STOVE ON!\"* I nodded.\n\n\"*I didn't need to. It cooked once I saw it had three seconds left on the timer. I just needed to count down.\"* Fredrick and Thomas are concerned and confused. Lydia just eats her soup. She is smart enough to know never to question me or else she would be more confused. She smiles at me.\n\n\"*May I have some more ma'am?\"* She asks. I nod yes, and the soup fills in her bowl and the soup in the pot goes down. Nobody touched the pot, nor her bowl. \"*Thank you, ma'am,\"* she said. I smile. The boys are confused still. \"*Guys, eat. It's good.\"* She says looking at them. They eat, then put their dishes in the sink. We all do our things until it was time for bed. My room, from the kitchen/living room section, was only a 180 degree counter-clockwise walk. The boys' room was 180 degrees clockwise from here. Lydia's room was the farthest, as she took the time to find one with stuffed animals. A 900 degrees counter-clockwise walk. That's a lot of walking when you think about it. It's also trippy after a while of going around in circles.\n\n\"*Goodnight! Don't let them bed bugs bite.\"* I say and get somewhat of a response back. I look up at the lights, which were on. I touch the light bulb, turned it, and the room dimmed. The whole house dimmed. I love being with these guys in this cool house. They're like a family to me. I go to sleep, knowing that if I end up in a lucid dream, I might destroy the world.---\"Why did the milk and cookies appear when I clapped?\" Answer: When one sleeps, in TV shows, people clapped for the lights to go out. Before I sleep usually, I sneak to get a cookie and warm milk.\n\n\"Why was the milk boiling?\" Answer: Because I usually warm it too much that it is very hot, and almost boiling.\n\n\"How did Lydia's burn disappear?\" Answer: If I don't acknowledge it, it doesn't exist. Cancer? What's that? The zodiac?\n\n\"The soup?\" Answer: Ask and you shall receive. I am also very lazy with myself.\n\n\"Dimming of the lights?\" Answer: Perspective of what I believe. If I think I can touch the bulb, I can touch the bulb.\n\n\"Lucid Dreams = Apocolypse?\" Answer: Dreams can become a reality if you believe it is reality.\n\nEdit: One more. \"Cooking Timer?\" Answer: If you start counting and you're one of the southern women, as I am, you get what you want before you reach 1 or 3, depending on if you're counting up or down."
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[WP] You live in a world where having colored eyes is a luxury and privilege. The rich want to take that away and you are now on the run for the sake of your safety.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"January 11th, 2023\n\n \n0300: I left my house hoping to sneak out without any of my neighbors seeing me. I started driving on the I-95 and ended up breaking off to Bridgeport, Connecticut, to stay at the Red Roof Inn.\n\n \n*The day prior I got a phone call from my nearest CDC office, asking me to come in for testing, as they were concerned my recent trip to Spain may have put me at risk for having parasites.* \n\n*Following the COVID-19 incident, Congress voted to resubordinate the CDC to the DHS, authority in a law-enforcement to curb diseases and vectors threatening to national security proactively.*\n\n \n*I thought that when the CDC discovered I was missing, they figured I would attempt to put as much distance between them and myself as possible. I was very wrong, and I did not expect that they would have had surveillance on me before I even posed a flight risk.*\n\n \n1100: There wasn't even a knock. My motel room door just opened, and three men and two women rushed into my room; before I could even yell, I was tasered, restrained, and gagged by two of the men.\n\n \n*The two men were wearing pseudo-tactical-style clothing. You know, the baseball cap, Oakley sunglasses, polo shirt, and ragged jeans. The other three people were wearing hospital clothing.* \n\n*Fuck. This fast???*\n\n \n1200: Three other men walk into the room lugging in medical equipment, and they start to modify the motel room into a makeshift operating room quickly. I am untied and ungagged and given some forms to sign, agreeing to donate my colored eyes to science posthumously. They also showed me a second form with charges that they can posthumously bring against me. I was too dazed to focus on any one part of the charges against me, but one of them mentioned something about terrorism.\n\n \n*I couldn't believe it was moving that fast. No one had said anything by that point. This was a situation that was escalating very quickly, but also in a tranquil fashion. I suppose they didn't want to cause any panic at a crowded motel complex. I refused to sign the paperwork.*\n\n \n1202: I am injected with a needle, and the room started to go dark.\n\n \n*It was painless.*\n\n \nNow: *I am awake, and the floor is cold. The room is dark. Why can't I blink? Where are my eye-lids, what is this plastic? I hear water dripping.*",
"\"*Google, where's the nearest bus station?\"*\n\n \n\"*in 3.2 minutes of running. Turn left.\"* I run left, using Google to get me to my house. My gun has no ammo, and I left it at my house. \"*Turn right, then make the first right\"* Ok. I follow, getting closer to the bus station. I speed up more, seeing the bus arrive. \n\n \n\"*KID GET BACK HERE!!!\"* I flip the guards off as I get on the bus. They can't shoot, as killing civilians, rich or poor, is not allowed.\n\n \n\"*Everyone, I suggest you hold on to your seats. Driver sir please shut those doors, and drive.\"* The bus driver just nods, I stand in the doorway, sticking my tongue out at the guards. \n\n \n\"*Who are you miss? You aren't the rich, but you have coloured eyes, unlike the rest of us...\"* A guy in the front says. I look at his grey eyes with a smile.\n\n \n\"*I'm the one who decided, 'Hey, how about I keep my eyes the same'. The rich people don't like that answer apparently, so I am on the run, and have been since I was the allowed age.\"* I stated.\n\n \n\"*Brave one you are miss.\"* The driver says. \"*But, what will you do? They will eventually find you.\"* He states. I laugh a bit, getting a few confused looks. \"*What's so funny?\"*\n\n \n*\"It's just, I plan to destroy this hierarchy. Take the rich down. If I can, I will either eradicate all eye colours or bring them all back. Either way, there will be no rich or poor depending on eye colour. If they start doing other methods, I'll get people to help take down that as well. I want the world to be like something of... money or something else, like how kind you are.\"* I state, before pulling something out. Grey contacts in a box. \n\n \n\"*Why grey? Isn't that what we have?\"* A woman asks. I nod.\n\n \n\"*To blend in. If I look like you all, they won't try to do anything to me. If I can just cut my hair short, and get some fancy clothing, I can blend in with the rich, simple.\"* I planned this out a long time ago, but I never seem to have the time or resources to do it. I see my apartment up ahead. \"*Oh. Guess this is my stop. I guess I'll see you all around. Hopefully, I can stop this before it's too late.\"* I say as the bus driver stops at the corner and I walk out, waving. I head inside the building. As always, the TV is on.\n\n \n\"*The news headline today: A Mysterious Coloured Eye Rebel. Somewhere in America, a girl is running around with coloured eyes. If you see her, please contact the authorities. Do not hide her, or you will pay the price.\"* My face is shown on the screen. I still have long hair in it. I change into more... masculine clothing. I wear a t-shirt, a baseball cap backwards, and some jeans. I put some other sneakers on. I cut my hair and bleach it, then dye it blonde with the stuff I technically stole from a store. I put my contacts on, getting some brown markers to make fake freckles. Yeah, I changed a lot. I reload my gun, put my jacket on, and head out.\n\nI need to buy food, or at least some pop-tarts, ramen, and maybe a few packs of soda... yeah that works. I chew a piece of gum and walk to the store. I also stole cash, as I can't get a decent job around here anymore.\n\nThis is my life now. I will destroy this hierarchy, one day."
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[WP] You've just discovered the world's first duplication glitch in real life.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 stare at your copy, who stares at you with an expression of confusion that looks subtly off. \"Ah,\" you both say at once. \"Mirror.\"\n\nThen you laugh, and shake your head at yourself, receiving the same in return.\n\n\"Do you think it'll work again?\"\n\n\"Do we want it to?\"\n\n\"We have to know.\"\n\n\"Do we?\"\n\nYou stare at each other for a long moment, then nod at almost the same moment.\n\n\"Who should try it?\"\n\n\"You.\"\n\n\"Okay.\" You start toward the glitch, then hesitate. \"Do we know which of us is the original?\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"Do you think it matters?\"\n\nShrug.\n\n\"Right.\" You lean up against the basement wall, sliding sideways with one hand extended as though to reach the still-leaking pipe just out of reach.\n\nThe world shifts, static obscuring your vision, then you're standing opposite your duplicate in the center of the room with the faint impression of *invalid location information* lingering in your mind.\n\nYou both look around. \"Huh,\" says the other. \"Just the two of us.\"\n\n\"Weird.\"\n\n*Not as weird for you as for me.*\n\nYou jump at the voice in your head, distinctly different from your own, but instantly recognizable.\n\n\"Two?\"\n\n*Yes.*\n\n\"Yes?\"\n\n\"Not you, sorry. Unless. . . do you have a voice in your head?\"\n\n\"Just the usual one.\"\n\n*I'm not the usual one. And my own is empty. Very strange.*\n\n\"Then you're three.\"\n\n\"Why? How do you know I'm not one?\"\n\n\"Because I have two in my head.\"\n\n*Unless you're three, and we were superimposed because we both spawned in the same location.*\n\n\"What if you're two, and three was superimposed into you because you didn't move from where you're standing?\"\n\nYou shake your head. \"This is getting confusing. Alright, stay where you are, we'll see if it does it again.\"\n\n*No!*\n\n\"Okay, go for it.\"\n\n\"Why not?\"\n\n\"Huh?\"\n\n*One of me stuck as a passenger is plenty.*\n\n\"Sorry, two says we shouldn't. I'm inclined to listen.\"\n\n\"So, now what?\"\n\nYou stare at each other a moment.\n\n*Now, you fix the bloody leaking pipe! You don't have to squeeze back behind the boiler if you have two people.* \n\n\"Oh, good thought.\"\n\n\"Huh?\" Your double glowers at you.\n\n\"Sorry. Um, two suggests that we fix the pipe. Come here and climb on my shoulders.\"\n\n\"This is the silliest use of having a clone I've ever heard of.\"\n\n\"But practical. Oof, wow, you're heavier than I imagined.\" You wobble a bit as you stand, then inch toward the leak.\n\n\"And you're weaker than I thought,\" your double snipes back.\n\n\"Well, hurry up.\"\n\n\"You need to pass me the toolbox, moron. Woah! Watch it.\"\n\n\"Here.\"\n\nA moment passes with only the faint clink and squeak of metal on metal. Then a torrent of water splashes to the ground, flooding your shoes. \n\n\"Wrong direction!\" You jump back, forgetting you're carrying another person, and there's a loud CLANG.\n\n\"Ow! My head!\"\n\nTools clatter to the ground. \"This isn't working. Let me down.\"\n\nThe pool of water grows, seeping toward the stairs as you and your double disentangle.\n\n*Was I really this hopeless? Maybe I'm better off as a disembodied spirit.*\n\n\"Oy, not helping,\" you mutter.\n\n\"Call a plumber?\" your double asks, watching the water continue to pour out from the pipe.\n\n\"Call a plumber.\"\n\n\\----\n\n\"Well, there's good news and bad news.\"\n\n\"The good news is, we fixed your pipe.\"\n\n\"The bad news is, now there's six of us. And we're all paid by the hour.\""
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[WP]Everyone knows who you are. You're the nice guy who remmbers everyones name with a easy smile. Everyone likes you and it makes sence that you work at the happiest place on earth. Thats why it's the biggest surprise when the police show up get you. Thats when everyone finds out who you use to be.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Smile. Put on your make-up, it’s your mask. Long-sleeves will cover the scars, long-healed but never forgotten. Pants and stylish boots keep my gait normal as I walk. \n\nI smiled at my boss and settled at my desk. I told him about the coffee shop I tried this weekend and handed him the $5 gift card to check it out. \n\nMy coworker teased me for being a suck-up, I asked how her daughter’s birthday party went. She told me that the kid loved the gift I’d given her. \n\nI was left alone to write my code. I designed software that pulled information from databases to reconcile it for accounting and actuarial purposes. \n\nMy job sounded dull but the programming challenges were fun, for me. \n\nThe coffee cart guy came by. He told me his dog was feeling better and thanked me for the vet’s number who did work pro-bono. I asked for photos of the puppy and he obliged happily. \n\nI went back to work and was startled by my boss at quitting time. Apparently I’d been very fixated on my projects and lost track of time. \n\nGo home, he told me. The work would still be here tomorrow. I smiled, stretched and left. \n\nMy apartment was raided that night. The FBI found nothing but hauled me in and interviewed my boss and my coworkers. They asked if I’d ever made threats. Asked if I’d ever made them feel unsafe. \n\nI sat in interrogation for 23 hours, staring into the blank face of an investigator. I answered no questions, I said nothing. \n\nWhat no one else knew except me was that they couldn’t have any proof. The fires would have burned off any DNA that I would have left behind. The FBI insinuated to everyone I knew that I was responsible for a series of insurance fires. \n\nI wasn’t charged. I was released and told them if they called on me again I’d sue for harassment. \n\nAt work, on Thursday, I still smiled and chatted. When quitting time came my boss watched me lost in my work and only startled me out of the project once everyone else had left. \n\n“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask...” he began. \n\n“I’m innocent,” I lied. \n\n“That’s a shame, because I owe more on my house than I could sell it for...” he mumbled. Either he was wearing a wire or he want me back in the game. \n\n“Sorry boss, they really did have the wrong person,” I shrugged. “But arson for hire seems like it could be lucrative.”\n\n“It could be...”\n\n“But I’ve already got a nice house and a good job,” I smiled again at him and left. I left him standing in the office looking after me. \n\nI saw the plumbing truck outside the building. \n\nI was right, he’d been wearing a wire. \n\nI went home and updated my resume, I listed my house on the market. It’s about time I moved - the reputation I’d built here had been ruined for me."
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[WP] Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. And any sufficiently misunderstood magic is indistinguishable from technology.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Once upon a time, there was Magic. Every human could use it and the world was their plaything. They rewrote reality at will, subjecting their surroundings to what they believed to be the best, unaware of the damage they were causing. \n\nOnce upon a time, there was War. For where there are opposing points of view, there are misunderstandings, where there are misunderstandings there is conflict and where there is conflict, there is war. \n\nOnce upon a time, there was Destruction. War, waged with Magic, brought untold horrors across the world and beyond. Forests became weapons, lands became fortresses, continents became battlefields. And with each passing day, the battles grew larger, the stakes higher and every individual became more and more convinced about the righteousness of their course. \n\nOnce upon a time, there was Death. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhen mankind finally understood its folly, it was almost too late. Magic had scorched the lands. They could rebuilt it all on a whim, thankfully, but next time, they realized, they might not be so lucky. There might not be anyone left to fix what everyone had caused. And so, five of the most powerful Willworkers decided to steer Magic into a more suitable direction. \n\nThey began with fire. They confined it to only burn when it was invoked a certain way and to require nourishment, as well as to extinguish should it be met with water. \n\nThen they realized their mistake, for even if fire was subjected to laws like that, it would still destroy. \n\nSo they began anew with life. No longer should it be brought into this world easily, but only in the ritual unification of the two genders. \n\nBut still, there was a mistake, for life still sprung forth and many more potential Mages who did not know the horrors of their ancestors would eventually populate the earth. \n\nSo they turned to Magic itself and, in a ritual so powerful and complicated it has been lost to time, rewrote its laws. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nTo this day, Magic permeates the world. But it has been hidden behind complex thoughts and ideas, no longer subject to human interpretation. The laws of Magic are vast and cruel indeed now, indifferent to what the individual believes to be true. \n\nWe have begun to unravel the new rules of Magic. How to keep track of Time, how to measure Space, how to tame the fires of flintstone, lightning and the stars themselves. We call it Technology, the science of craft, but it is the Magic of a new age. And I fear we are close to repeating our ancestors follies, gifted with a new understanding of Magic that still lacks comprehension. I am writing this both as an explanation and an apology. I have kept this knowledge secret as one of the Council of Five who carry the ancestors torches into a new age. We have failed you. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI'm sorry."
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[WP] An Atari 2600 is powered on. This event will never occur again anywhere in the universe.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Some people collect stamps, some people classic cars. \n\nSome people hunt endangered animals, some people try to catch the biggest fish.\n\nMe? I have a slightly different hobby.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nMy current target is the Atari 2600. Or more specifically, it's unique startup screen. The three-pronged rainbow which for many brings back memories from their childhood, the day after Christmas. A time where life was easy, without responsibilities, and your long-term plan was playing till your eyes closed and repeat.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIt had taken me about 3 years to get to this moment. The first step was collecting the entire production list of all Atari 2600's ever build. This one was easy. The second step was tracking all sales and making sure unsold items where indeed destroyed. The third step took the longest, having my employees follow-up on all sold Atari's. Their task, make sure they have been destroyed at some point, and if not buy them and destroy them yourself.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nSo here we are, I'm sitting in a movie theater, the entire theater deserted on my orders. My laptop is linked to the Atari with two commands I can execute. I click the first one and the projector starts running. The black screen lights up and the familiar Atari logo appears. Beautiful, like a sunset in the cloudy sky. Satisfied I execute the second command. The screen goes black again, as a hear a pop and sizzle from the projector room. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnother final experience for my collection. I'm already looking forward to the next on my list.",
"\"So what do you think it is?\"\n\nThe student archeologist delicately brushed off single grains of sand and dust from the partially uncovered artefact. As they did so their mentor from behind them was hastily reading through an e-book titled *Old Earth Artefacts - Electronics and Devices 1900 - 2250*.\n\n\"I'm not quite sure yet... just make sure to be careful with it. People back in this era weren't exactly pleasant by our standards.\"\n\n\"Of course, of course...\"\n\nThe air in the room was stale. The excavation site they worked in was one of the biggest archeological projects of the 35th century - the re-exploration of earth. The feat of simply being on the surface of the planet was amazing enough given its history, but to be allowed to actively work on the planet for nine months before it was permanently quarantined was a career opportunity well worth the risk.\n\n\"How long do you believe you'll need to fully uncover it?\" asked the mentor\n\n\"Well that really depends on the size and what this actually turns out to be... any luck identifying what it is?\"\n\nThe mentor continued to flip through the pages of the virtual book.\n\n\"From what I can tell it may have been an entertainment system... either that or one of the late 22nd century electric mines.\"\n\nThe student stopped short.\n\n\"Do you think I could get a *little bit* more before I keep going?\"\n\n\"Really? It shouldn't effect how delicate you are, almost anything we find at this point runs the risk of turning to dust if you sneeze too hard. Just... be careful and tell me if you find any wires or sensors.\"\n\nThe student slowly stood up and took a step back from the artefact.\n\n\"I found wires coming from this thing minutes ago\" his panicked voice caught the attention of the mentor \"It's an electric mine isn't it? I knew it was a mistake coming to this death trap.\"\n\nThe mentor, counter to his student, took the news of wires in delight.\n\n\"Not at all! Electric mines were entirely wireless! This means this device is *much* older than that. I wonder if that means...\"\n\nThe mentor pulled a small fusion device from his pocket and with his free hand pinched in the air and then expanded his fingers out. A holographic screen appeared in front of him that acted as a recording device, as well as a scanner of sorts. He followed the outline of the wire as the device scanned through a few inches of dirt, until the wire connected to a hole in the wall.\n\n\"This is Dr. Arthur Osmund Defias Treen of colony six. With me is my student, Mr. Nathen Deshawn Defias Treen of colony six. We have uncovered an ancient entertainment device I have identified as an \"Atari\". Now, usually these devices were accompanied with another device, a *television*, which interpreted the signals it sent out to produce a visual stimuli. Unfortunately, this device appears to be alone. Fortunately, I will be using this universal tool to attempt to interpret the signals for us as well as power the device. As per our records, I will be starting with a very small output of 1400 watts in an attempt to be cautious and not damage the device. If the device does not turn on, I will slowly increase the watts to 3000 as our records indicate it likely required. Given the age of the artefact, and the deterioration of the surrounding environment, this may be one of the last *Atari* ever uncovered. I believe this will give us great insights into the relaxation habits and culture of the twentieth century Earth should this be successful. I will now begin the procedure.\"\n\nThe mentor and the student both took a step back further from the artefact, and with a hand motion, the mentor started the power up sequence. The Atari quickly sprang to life and the universal tool displayed three rainbow streaks with the word \"Atari\" underneath them written in Old Earth English. \n\nThe device burst into flames violently, and in just seconds, withered away into dust a charred plastics. In an instant, the student had activated their universal device that projected a large protective bubble around them as they shielded themselves in fear. The mentor let out an exasperated sigh.\n\n\"It appears we may have, once again, given too much credit to Old Earth's electrical grid capacity. Even as negligible as 1400 watts appears to have fully overloaded the device. It is recommended that we lower even further down, to even as low as 500 watts in the future, to prevent this from re-occurring with any new discovered artefacts.\"\n\nThe mentor pinched his fingers again, closing the holographic screen and with a flick sent the transmission out into the public domain archives.\n\n\"Disappointing to say the least, but still a very useful find Deshawn. Even the little glimpse we got might help us to better understand them and their culture. Every little bit helps.\"\n\n\"That's all well, but would you *please* give me some more details next time?\""
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[WP] Go on a grand adventure, they said. Meet interesting people, they said. See interesting places. What they didn't say was that all this grand adventuring would be filled with so much boring downtime maintaining armor, fixing weapons, hunting or foraging for supplies...it just goes on and ON!
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 were the Iron Pans, a self described band of gourmet taste tasters, smooth talkers and daredevils \n\nI was an elf although I was so embarrased that I told everyone we met that I was half human. I don't know if it helped but it certainly made me feel better.\n\nThat's right! I was from the Winter Spire an impenetrable castle of cold ice and stone and an ice elf. One day these humans had been found scaling the fortress under cloaks of invisibility with barrels of dwarven beer on their strong backs. They refused to say where they had gotten so many powerful magical cloaks and had escaped on by melting their way out of jail. With me!\n\nThey were the most interesting people outside of a book that I had ever seen in the hundred years since I was born so I worked up my courage and followed them on an ice sled. I left my old life as a student of those fusty arch mages behind. My real name was Weiss but I had told them to call me Henrietta after a recent human queen I had read about as part of my political studies. \n\nI wiped my sweaty forehead and continued scrubbing out the cast iron pan with a cotton cloth. For them it was a warm summer night but for me it was an inferno. I was practically naked and was sitting on a block of ice I had conjured from Jotunheim itself but I was overheated and hot still from the frantic escape we had made from a cantankerous tribe of goblins the previous morning.\n\nMy hands were covered in thick oily grease that was slowly dripping down my overheated blue skin. It felt smothering\n\nSmooth talking was a human specific skill and daredevils meant a demonic pact that was keeping them alive right? As I was ruminating on those mysterious words my face crinkled up as a horrible smell wafted past me from where Duncan was sleeping. \n\nIt had been his idea to seduce spiders the week before and I guess he was still sick from drinking the raw boars blood coffee. I would have felt sorry for him but it was a miracle we got out of there alive.\n\nFor the last month I'd been with them they had gotten mixed up in so many different things that I could barely keep track let alone stave off heat stroke. \n\nI did almost everything except chronicle their journey which Duncan did down to every lewd joke and each crazy shenanagin pulled. I washed their cooking gear and cloaks, kept them alive with buffing spells and healing and patched up their clothes. I had done so much sewing I was almost convinced I would go blind a few hundred years early. So far I hadn't really done any adventuring at all. I hadn't even had any alchohol or any of the shrooms they kept finding. I was beginning to get cross.\n\nUnless, what if I...?\n\nI looked over at the barrel of wood elf ale"
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[WP] When the first cases of supernatural abilities showed up, everyone revered the idea of superheroes and special powers. This dream would soon come true. However, they didn't take into account the torn muscle for super strength, scorched eyes for laser and hollowed bones for flight etc.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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\nBack when I was 14, Bradley Alvarez a rich billionaire had spent $50 million to get genetically engineered super strength. After that everyone was obsessed with him and wanted to get super powers too, but it was too expensive.\n\nMy father and other scientists started working on making cheaper ways to genetically engineer superpowers. He made his own company, *Superpowers for Everyone.* Dad said that once he found out a better way to add superpowers, I would be the first person to use it.\n\n2 years later my father made a way to genetically engineer superpowers for $1,000 a superpower. As promised, I was the first person to get to use it. He gave me the ability to fly. It took 5 hours laying down on a bed, but finally I could fly.\n\nEveryone went to *Superpowers for Everyone* to get superpowers. Soon almost everyone had a superpower. \n\nIn all the excitement to get the superpowers, no one ever thought about the side effects. \n\nEveryone with the laser eyes completely lost all eyesight. Their eyes were just holes. Whenever I’d take a walk outside people would just crash into everything. One time I saw a blind person run out of his window into a car.\n\nPeople with super speed burned themselves to death from running too fast. Everyday there would be firemen vainly trying to extinguish people and buildings. The vice president accidently burned half of the white house before the firemen extinguished the fire.\n\nIf you had super strength you had torn muscle. Super strength would make you be able to pick up anything, but it wouldn’t protect you from the bloody mess when your body gets torn apart from carrying too much.\n\nThe side affect I had from flying was hollow bones. Me and other people with the ability to fly would be able to break their bones very easily. Stories about how people would snap in half by just walking were all over the news.\n\nThis would be how humans went extinct, from an obsession about superhuman powers and it was all my fathers fault.",
"2520-BC, 5 decade after that global virus outbreak that we now called the SAH aka Supernatural Advance Human (was formal COVID-19). \n\nThe damn virus has takes thousand of lives, then the cured, and everyone was sinking in joyful and tear, but there’re effects, a few individuals that survive the virus began to show a drastic change in there vocal abilities, or perhaps “unnatural”. \n\nBut it was just only the beginning, many more viruses started to appeared and spreading, they wipe out almost 1/3 of humanity, but also blessed other with special abilities, things that we could only perhaps saw in movies and comics. \n\nWith that great power from the blessing, we makes multiple advance in everything, from agriculture to advanced technology, a-z. \n\nBut with great power comes great fucking problems, human was and always been the least peaceful species ever, and so we weaponized it, countries and countries start experiment on them, then trying to makes the normal to achieve and develop those abilities, i mean who needs a tank when you have a soldier who can lift a 2000ft tall building? So various experiments and possibly inhumane has made. And the world plates once again change just because of those wars. \n\nAnd then the rebels, the rise of the Advanced Human or Celestial as they call them selfs, they said the one with blessing from gods should be the ruler, not the tools for us “mortals” and well who could defeat them? \n\nShould’ve put a self destruct button on those experiments. \n\nSo humanity suddenly become slave for that “higher species”, slaves. Technology was destroyed because it was no need and no match to there blessing, I’m actually surprised they haven’t wiped us all. \n\nBut nobody knows, the power came with a price, you see human body was made to almost perfect, to fit with normal humans abilities, but for the Advance Humans, their body doesn’t fit with their blessing. The blessing suddenly became a cursed. \n\nThe super strength torn the muscle as it’s not strong enough to hold the power within, causing internal pain, some become blind because of the heat from the laser affect their eyes, burned their retinals etc. And without the help of technology, it’s hard to do any research. \n\nThat’s when humanity starts their riot using their technology. You thinks the AH wiped out all the technology? No no, we hid it, I mean technology has improved through time for 3 millions years, since the first tools ever made, we have backup plans. \n\nSo the war breaks out. How it’s you ask? Human versus gods, the sea is screaming, sky trembling, just like the Ragnarok in the Norse myth. Did we win the war? Well let that be decide by who’s reading this note, a human being? Or a celestial? I don’t know, but what i knows is that i have a war to fight.—Marquez I, The Lightbringer, Leader of mankind.\n\nPS: This is my first time writing so it might have a lot of flaw in it, and considering English isn’t my mother language, the grammar is bad, so pls don’t harassing me for it, I’m trying my best"
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[WP] Other species contacted Earth and tried to warn us that they were legendary tricksters, the greatest swindlers in the galaxy, but it was all BS. In the end, we tricked THEM into taking our wreck of a planet off of our hands and we got this whole Armada!
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 think we tricked eachother. The earth is slowly dying, between the radiation of the nukes. This latest virus spreading amongst the animal populations and the fires burning across the states and the land down under. It wont be too long till global warming becomes a real thing.\n\nMaybe we could have fixed it come time but humans always opted for the easiest solutions. \n\nAlong came these aliens offering us a way off to freedom. A way to get somewhere else and explore. What they didnt tell us was these \"ships\" are hundreds of years old. Falling apart. Barely held together by duct tape and sheer luck. \n\nWe have enough fuel to get out system but not to a planet to survive on. Humanity chose the path of least resistance and for that we are doomed to die a slow painful death in the void. \n\nAbandoned by our mother earth because we abandoned her in her time of need because of our own selfishness.\n\nAs the last of the life support begins to run out it warms my heart to know that those alien bastards will be dead soon to. \n\nThe last of the worlds nukes were set to blow at the last beat of humanities collective heart...\n\nCiao... alien.... fucks..."
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[WP] Everyone on the planet falls into a coma for an unknown amount of time. We all wake up at night, and every time-telling device is either dead, going haywire, or otherwise showing inconsistent times. The sun never comes up. Astronomers are astounded when they don't recognize the constellations.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
" When my eyes began to open to see the night sky the view was accompanied by a pounding headache that was almost as bad as the time I'd tried Jack's little alcoholic mixing experiment. Still pretty sure that asshole had drugged me a little bit. \n My suspicion of Jack's motives was interrupted however, once I realized I was laying on the grass. It wouldn't be the first time I'd woken up passed out somewhere on campus with no memory of how I'd gotten there. The trick was to hurry and avoid the campus cops. I didn't remember getting drunk but I doubt that would hold up very well against some beat cop with a stick up his ass.\n As I lifted my head to try and get a bearing on my surroundings I saw more people lying in the grass alongside me. Lots of people actually, all now starting to look around like I was. Also my drunken expedition must have taken me further than usual, as we were all in the middle of a wooded area for whatever reason. It was hard to make out details in the dark but the starlight was enough to see that we were in a clearing of about 100 feet wide surrounded by trees.\n By now there were more people standing up, at least a dozen, then still more waking up on the ground. I stood up and walked over to a nearby girl who wore a sweater with my university name on it.\n \"Hey, where the hell are we?\" As soon as I spoke she jumped a little bit and turned to look at me.\n \"I don't know. I don't know. I remember getting into bed last night I know it.\" She seemed genuinely distressed and I kind of felt bad for her, she must not be used to the drink yet I supposed.\n \"Don't worry, this happens every once in awhile. Let's just find someone who knows where we are so we can start heading back. At least it's a Saturday so no classes right?\"\n \"I guess so yeah.\"\n We began to walk through the clearing together asking people where we were and how we'd gotten there. I'd learned several things within a few minutes.\n One was that the girls name was Clarke and she was a botany major from my university. Also that we were all completely fucked.\n I had simply assumed that this was some sort of mass drunken debacle but almost everyone else agreed with Clarke, they hadn't had a drop to drink nor had any memory of getting here. Even better, nobody had any idea where we were. The one upside was that everyone seemed to be from somewhere on the campus, whether student or faculty. There was everyone from my calculus professor to that one guy who always hogs the dip bar at the gym. \n Eventually we realized there were exactly 100 people here in the clearing. The head of the psychology department had the idea for all of us to head out and try to find something. \n We walked for hours through woods that nobody recognized at all. When we did finally find another group of people it only made us more confused. They, just like us, had simply woken up in a group of 100 in the middle of the forest. However, these people weren't from our college campus, they said they were from Southern Mexico. Luckily we had a few foreign language majors in our group so we could communicate. \n We kept walking until dawn then through most of the day along with our new Spanish friends and even managed to find another group from Germany before the night started to set in. We settled in for the night near a stream and made a few fires for warmth, though we found no food until morning and all of us were about to go mad from hunger. \n This all happened exactly a year ago today. From what we've pieced together since that day we have some idea of what actually happened. The world's population was split into thousands of groups, all with 100 people. These groups were then spread randomly across the world's surface. Our group didn't move too far in the big scheme of things, only a few hundred miles from our campus in Pennsylvania to central Ohio. All traces of human presence have been erased however, no buildings, tools, nothing. It's like somebody just hit a reset button on the entire planet. The world itself seems to be similar to ours geography wise which I guess is a plus. \n However, there is one problem. The astronomers have been saying that the stars here are different than what they should be. \n Wherever we are, it's not our Earth.\n \n \n This was my first attempt at one of these so I'd really like any and all criticism you people could give, thanks. Also I'm sorry about formatting I wrote this on mobile then tried to fix it on a pc so I have no idea what's going on."
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[WP] Since you were young, you have had the power to summon a single key. Obsessed with what it could possibly open, you have attempted to unlock every lock you come across. Today, when turning the key, you hear a click...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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 it...\"* finally alone inside this secluded room in the White House, I grip this mysterious key firmly in my hand.\n\nWhen you have one *very special* key that unlocks God knows what - you'll want to be in a position where you can do almost *anything* and be almost *wherever* you want. \n\nI've been staring at this key jammed inside this keyhole for a good five minutes now. *\"For the love of God, please turn and open! PLEASE let this be the door that it unlocks!\"*\n\nI twist the key and in a split-second my life flashes before my eyes. Every single decision I have ever made in my entire life has led me to becoming president of the United States, standing inside this particular room, and in front of this door whose lock just *opened* at the twist of my key. \n\nMy knees are weak, palms are sweaty, and I definitely would have vomited mom's spaghetti on my sweater already. Except I'm not wearing a sweater and definitely have not eaten mom's spaghetti. But, the nervousness? That one's real.\n\nI push the door open and gag. Think of the most putrid smell ever and make that worse - that's what caused me to gag. I immediately shut the door close, cover my mouth, and rush away from the door. \n\n*\"What the hell was that smell?\"*\n\nIt's not the smell of a decaying corpse (and don't ask me how a decaying corpse smells like). It's something my sense of smell has never come in contact before. I make my way back to my presidential bedroom and sit on the corner of my bed, still dumbfounded as to what that smell could have possibly been. \n\nIt's not the smell of a century-old abandoned room - I know what that smells like. It really is something worse.\n\n*cough*\n\n*cough cough*\n\n*urk... bleurghk...*\n\nI'm puking blood. \n\n*bleaurrggh.. heaurgh...*\n\nMy vision shakes and starts to get fuzzy as I slip into consciousness. \n\n...\n\n...\n\n...\n\n**\"Did you open it again?\"**\n\nA voice booms around me. It's dark and everything is fuzzy. Didn't I just slip into consciousness? It's like... sleep paralysis. Except amidst the blackness of everything - my consciousness is just... *there.*\n\n**\"Did you open it again?\"**\n\nThe voice booms again. A thought forms in my mind, images of myself opening that door, and a memory of that foul smell. Before I could open my mouth, the voice booms again.\n\n**\"You did open it again. You just never give up, do you?\"**\n\nI lose consciousness again. I lose perception of time. \n\nThe next time I regain consciousness... I'm being pulled out of my mother's stomach and am now a literal baby. My memory slowly fades."
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[WP] You're a handler of a genetically engineered assassin. You've seen him/her in battle, you've seen what he/she can do, but today is the first time you see him/her breaks down and cry.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"Nobody suspects a child. That’s why I picked him. His family sucked, his parents and brother had nothing going for them. Boys are fully functional physically around age 13. Physically, not mentally. Perfect. \n\nHere you go. He opens the envelope and looks and me, same look if it’s 1 person or a family of five. He nods and leaves. \n\nThis one is personal. How personal? Well that depends on how you interpret the world. \n\nI follow him downtown. He keeps driving and parks. As he gets out and looks at the house he hesitates, it’s a familiar location, he can’t place it but he knows it. \n\nI watch him walk in. I roll my window down and watch. 3 bangs, quick and efficient. He walks out with a different look on his face as he gets into the car. As he sits he starts laughing and can’t stop. Laughter turns to tears. He tells me thank you for freeing him finally. He slowly speaks, what’s next?",
"It was always the worst watching them come back after a mission. The underground hanger and the casualties that were dragged off of the old Osprey VTOL. Their bodies were those of twenty something year olds hidden under a thin bloody white sheet or a black body bag. \n\nThrough all of my time I have never once felt the soul wrenching regret of watching the injured hobble off of that transport. Until today I saw her hands covered in number twenty nine's blood her armor caked in bullet impacts. Those eyes that they always told us that were incapable of feeling any emotion showing the most human of them all. \n\nRed rings formed around the edges of her eyes as she walked past my camera feed into the transit system. She is like a daughter to me and always has been number twenty six it hurts to see her like this no one should give too feel like this. Seconds passed the antique clock on the wall counting every passing second with an almost inaudible click. \n\n.\n\nThe documents scattered across my desk catching my eye as I slid them back into the singular blue folder on my filing cabinet. Release forms command had seen her combat record and wanted to set a precedent something to aspire to for the others. The door handle of my office slowly turned the metal lock twisting as the sliding door parted as she walked in. \n\nHer hands held onto her face failing to stop a muffled cry tears forming on the edges of her violet eyes. \"*Butter is dead, the bodyguards set up an ambush they knew we were coming.*\" Her stride took her over to the old comfy chair I kept in front of my desk, her head held downward in shame. \n\nTime passing again as the clock on the wall silently ticked away her tears eventually drying up after several hours. Slowly I typed out a message to the commandant the mechanical ticks of each letter intermingled in the dour mood. Several minutes passing before a response entered my email \"you may see to the burial and forgo the normal decommissioning process\"\n\n.\n\nSlowly I grabbed the wooden cane next to my desk and stood up, her hands still held to her eyes shielding any weakness. A small tick passing through my arm as I grabbed the blue folder and gently touched her shoulder. \"Follow me, there is still time to find closure with your friend's death.\" \n\nHer eyes gazing up tears trailing down her cheeks as she stood up some measure of confusion mixing with her sadness. \"*What do you mean there wil-*\" \"just trust me have I ever misled you please just follow.\" Her military bearing at least partially returning as she stood out of the chair holding her helmet by her side. \n\nFluorescent light pouring into my office as the sliding door opened once more. Her stride very quickly catching up to my old hobbling wobbling as I passed down the halls toward the hanger. \"Tell me Cina do you believe there is more to life then death?\"\n\n.\n\n\"*I would not know it is not my purpose to know such things we are meant to be expendable Charles.*\" Sadness still clinging onto the edge of her gritted voice but also joined by her normal detached focus. \"Cina no one is truly ever expendable no matter the situation. Your friend what was it Butter is not an exception to this rule neither are you or any of our comrades.\" \n\nSlowly the great blast door sliding downward as several crews frantically reloaded and serviced several craft in the nearby bays. Sparks fluttering from welding torches repairing numerous damaged components of the crafts. \"*I'll be honest from where I stand it does not seem like it when any operatives die they just tear us apart and reuse our parts.*\" \n\n\"*How are we not expendable? We are not even born but made defective copies to die in droves for what existence I will never see.*\" Slowly we passed through the memorial section a seemingly endless list of numbers carved into the stone rock face. Her eyes turning and scanning the tunnel, the carved names stretching from ceiling to floor . \n\n.\n\nMy stride stopping at a barren surface of the wall, a small hammer and chisel resting on a ladder. \"You are very special Cina there us nothing about you that the labs can recreate something that sets you apart from your peers. Experience time spent in conflict memories and training all unique to your experience in life.\" \n\nCarefully I hold out the blue folder her hands gingerly taking the forign item into her near mechanical grip. \"*What is this*\" her eyes quickly scanning to various documents slid into the edges of the pockets. \"Number twenty nine you are the oldest living operator to ever serve since seven. The commandant has ordered me to give you an option that no other service member has received.\" \n\n\"You can leave active duty and have an honorable discharge if you wish at any point in the future.\" Slowly those same red rings returned her hands wrapping around my shoulder and hugging the breath out of my lungs. \"*Why why now I I i-*\" her hands clutching the folder tightly to her chest piece. \n\n.\n\n\"Because Cina no one is truly ever expendable and their sacrifices must be remembered. If we didn't we would be no different from those we are trying to stop.\"",
"I've seen him fight an army of ten heavy armed men with a dislocated shoulder. I've seen him survive a fall that was as tall as the Statue of Liberty. I've seen him mercilessly killed brutes who had committed felonies. I've seen him gone through tortures no man can bear. \n\nEven when his dog died, a dog that stayed with him the day he was successfully made, he did not mourn. He did not shed a tear.\n\nAnd yet here I laid on the cold ground with so much but a flimsy shirt to comfort me as blood slowly seeped out from me.\n\nHe stared at me with the utmost defeat and fear. For a moment, the man who had a solution to almost every problem, who chastised a person in distress for idly doing anything, knelt beside me undecisively.\n\nI placed my hand on top of his, then gave him a squeeze. It seemed to somehow bring him back to the present. He intertwined his fingers with mine then brought my body close to his, placing his head on my neck but careful not to move the knife dangerously close to my liver. \n\nSlipping out of his grasp, I traced small circles at his back. It was then that I felt my shirt being soaked.\n\n\"Are you crying?\" I asked him teasingly with a smirk. \"Is the 'oh-so-powerful man' of the entire universe or as what he says only about an hour ago crying? Well, well, well! I must be dreaming!\" \n\nI let out a laugh but it was cut short when I felt the pain of my wound. Immediately, he pulled away to observe my wound but once I assured him I was fine, his eyes burned with fury. \n\n\"How can you make a joke right now?! Do you not realize the situation you are in?! Dammit! I just got you back after a month of separation but of those stupid people.\" \n\n\"Do you want me to mope around while we wait for help given that it might be my last day—,\" \n\n\"Don't you even dare to think about that.\"\n\n\"I'm being realistic here. I'm not the one genetically engineered person between the both of us and you know, despite you being genetically engineered, you are not Superman or any other immortal being.\"\n\nHis eyes softened and he dropped his head. In a timid voice he spoke, \"I...I don't want to lose you.\"\n\nI gave him a smile. \"Lets hope I won't.\"\n\nHis eyes locked into mine and the fury returned. \"You won't. You won't die. You cannot die. I will not allow that...,\" he paused with a thought, \"even if it means that I have to sacrifice my own.\"\n\nMy eyes widened. \"No. If I'm thinking what you're thinking. No. Certainly not. Now, you don't even dare to think about that. You are not invincible! You have your limits!\" \n\nI winced, feeling yet again a sharp sting. Quickly, he placed his hand on my wound and faint glow appeared that only glowed brighter by the second. \n\nHastely, I pulled away. \" No!\"\n\nBut he had already started. His eyes were tightly shut as his eyebrows ceased. I could feel my wound being mend but I could also see the paleness beginning to sink in from his face.\n\n\"Please don't,\" I begged but it was nothing. Time dragged by and soon he pulled out the knife then continued to heal the wound. \n\nAs the light dimmed from his palm, he fell into her. Hugging him tight, she cried on him, rocking her back and forth. \n\nUnknown to her at that time, he will be alright but he will never be the same for he was a different person.",
"I had known James for most of his life, from the time he was a young orphan taken into our care and put under my supervision. We had experimented on him, genetically engineered him to be the perfect killer. I'd trained him and watched him grow into something more than I ever could be. I'd watched from the sidelines as he did his thing. I'd watched him systematically take out over a hundred armed guards with his bare hands to rescue ten of our agents. I have to admit I was scared of him.\n\nI'd never seen him shed a single tear.\n\nBeing the closest thing to a father this soldier - he was barely a man, really just a kid - I quietly stepped into his dorm and closed the door behind. I sat on the bed next to him and put my arm around his shaking shoulders. He shot to attention, angrily trying to hide his tears. I smiled sadly and pulled him onto my lap and into my arms. He struggled for a minute, but he slowly melted into my embrace. \n\n\"Hey kid.\" I whispered. \"Do you wanna talk, be distracted, or just sit here?\"\n\n\"Just sit here\" He whispered back, he voice thick from crying.\n\n\"Ok.\" I said. I've comforted many people before. As a handler, I've held small children in my arms as they cool down from a tantrum, spoken earnestly to kids terrified of their new powers, coaxed troubled teenagers into telling me what's wrong, and woken young adults up from terrible PTSD dreams. I always have cookies with them after. I never tell anyone of their shows of \"weakness\". I train them, I let them be experimented on. It's the least I can do to listen to their fears, dreams, and hopes. I've inadvertently become the base's therapist. Some agents came to me weekly, some monthly, some I wouldn't see for almost a year, then they would find me for another session. No one mentions that my sessions exist, but everyone has one at some point or another. There's always cookies\n\nWhen James had cried himself out, he wiped his eyes with his shirtsleeves and muttered something about needing to get to training. I shook my head, took him by the hand, and led him to the abandoned staff kitchen. \n\n\"Do you want to make cookies, or do you just want Oreos?\" I asked after securely closing the door behind us.\n\nHe considered me, distrustful and confused. \"Just Oreos is fine.\"\n\nI smiled and got out two glasses, a gallon of milk, and a package of double-stuff Oreos. I filled the glasses and put one in front of him. \"What's up?\"\n\nHe studied the glass of milk. \"Do I have to?\" The base has an actual certified therapist. Everyone's required to go every six months. No one likes going, not even me.\n\n\"Nope!\" I said. \"We can talk, we can just eat cookies, it's whatever you want.\"\n\nHe looked at me in the same way again, confused and distrustful. \"Ok.\" \n\nHe didn't say anything for awhile. We ate a couple cookies. Without warning, he told me of the boy he had a crush on, the guilt that plagued him, and the stuggles of being fifteen. He started crying again, and I hugged him. I told him about everything I remember about being a fifteen-year-old agent and my own lingering guilt over the things I've done. I told him I would love him no matter what, and told him of my own struggles in the world of love.\n\nAfter an hour and a sleeve of Oreos, James firmly told me he had to go. I smiled and pulled him in for one more hug. As he left the kitchen, I called after him, saying he come to me anytime he wanted to talk or just have some cookies. He promised he would.\n\nI put away the cookies and milk with a lingering smile. James would last out there, I knew it. I heard a shy tap-tap-tap on the kitchen's door and nodded a little to myself. In this place of violence and unkindness, there was no shortage of kids needing cookies and comfort."
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[WP] The sun just flickered like a lightbulb. Nothing comes of it and it doesn't do it again. All that's happens is people's reaction to it.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\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%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&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/js5XDFB)\n\n*I 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.*",
"For just a moment, the light above flickered and became dim.\n\nThe world looked up at the sky as darkness swallowed the land, the sun becoming a faint grey, like a dead lightbulb. In that moment, the billions of spectators were filled with a fear that comes from the unknown, what they could never understand. \n\nThen, just as quickly, light returned to the world as if nothing had ever happened. There was some faint murmuring about it, and some people resolved to check the news later to see what had happened, but everyone continued on with their lives as usual.\n\nParker looked back from the perfectly normal sky, to his sandwich, to Giselle in front of him. \"Did - did you just see that?\" he demanded. She nodded uncertainly. \"Yeah... that was creepy.\"\n\nAfter a bit of silence as they mulled over mystifying puzzles, Parker said slowly, \"You know, babe, with all the craziness that's going on in the world right now, sometimes the only thing I'm sure about is what you mean to me.\"\n\n\"Oh?\" Giselle's eyes twinkled at him. \"And what's that?\"\n\nHe gazed at her, a man fulfilled. \"Everything.\"\n\nThe world didn't notice as a husband and wife professed their feelings for each other for what must've been the thousandth time. NASA was crapping its pants trying to figure out what had just happened. Yet they had something more unfathomable, more unknown than even the sun itself fading away.\n\nThey had love, and they were not afraid.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nKind of sappy, but hope you enjoy!",
"# By That Much\n\nJohnston understood first. From there, the panic spread.\n\nBefore he ran screaming out of the break room things had been going quite well. Kathy, Pat and Miller were going through the usual late-morning coffee and snack routine. The Griffith Radiotelescope Facility was purpose built for looking *outward* at the stars, but *inside* the walls the designers were very thoughtful about things like amenities. For the four newly-arrived graduate researchers it was a godsend.\n\nPat snagged the table, dropping a basket of hot bagels and creams onto the battered surface. \"Come and get it! Dibs on the onion croissant.\"\n\n\"Ugh. Really, every time?\" Miller dodged onion-flavored death and snagged whole grain goodness. \"Can't you just *not* get the onion one?\"\n\n\"The box comes premade, I don't pick it. KATH!\" Pat yelled down the hall. \"Cinnamon raisin?\"\n\n\"Yeah! Hold on,\" Kathy yelled back from the operations room. \"Weird data coming in. Who's on Observation? And save that strawberry cream stuff this time!\"\n\nMiller's phone beeped happily. He dug it out while expertly spreading cream cheese on hot bagel. \"Johnston's on Observation right now. He'll be down in a minute.\" He squinted at the screen and tracked up and down with one finger. \"Anyone else catch that alert from astro@home? Something about the Sun flickering?\"\n\nPat spun a paper plate weighted down with cinnamon raisin goodness across the table. It came to rest perfectly on time as Kathy walked in. \"Heyy! There's my baby. Mmm nom.\" She dropped a heavy printout of pages onto the table and happily started laying in. \"We got coffee?\"\n\nMiller jabbed an elbow at the steaming pot. \"Help yourself.\" His eyes stayed glued to the phone. \"'Flickering'...?\"\n\nPat was going through the printouts, long fingered hands shuffling gracefully. \"What's this, Kath? Radio telemetry echoes? Timestamps are too short, why are you tracking something that close to Earth?\"\n\n\"I'm not! That's the weirdness that came through a couple minutes ago.\" She plopped down in a chair, steaming cup held under her nose. \"Mmmm, come to momma. Anyways! That was *supposed* to be a deep scan out toward A-C. Dark matter search, position measurements, the usual.\"\n\nMiller was already rolling his eyes. \"Good old Alpha Centauri. No, seriously are you guys tracking this alert? It's like the entire country reported seeing the Sun blink out. Started on the east coast. Hawaii reported in last.\"\n\nKathy threw an elbow into his side. \"*As I was saying*. Standard scan. But now it's all ruined; something must have crossed the signal path. Bird migration or something-- the bounce back is way too short.\"\n\nJohnston burst into the break room, eyes wild and hair standing up. \"Where is the-?! THERE.\" He pounced on the pile of printouts, nearly knocking the bagel box off the table.\n\n\"Whoa!\"\n\n\"Hey, careful!\"\n\n\"My *precious*!\" Kathy glared daggers. \"Spill my coffee, pay the price.\"\n\nHe ignored them all. \"*Have you not been checking alerts?!* Am I the only one paying attention?!\"\n\nMiller waved his phone. \"I have. These two *amateurs* have better things to do.\"\n\nKathy glared. Pat gave a one finger salute while significantly biting her bagel.\n\n\"LOOK!\" Miller grabbed three sheets, lined them up end to end. \"Look at the time on the graphs!\" He traced a line from left to right that described response times on the radio telescope. \"Our signal goes from taking a *very long* time to come back-- like *interstellar* kinds of time lengths-- to this!\" He tapped the lowest point. \"*Six seconds*! The signal started bouncing back in *six! Seconds*! Then times shoot back up again!\"\n\nHe stared at them with frightened eyes. None of the three got it. \"Uhh?\" Pat contributed.\n\nMiller held up his phone. \"This related to the sun blipping out from east to west coast...?\"\n\n\"YES!\" Johnston nearly screamed. \"Don't you get it??\"\n\nHe jammed a finger towards the ceiling and, presumably, the Sun overhead. \"Something went *between us and the Sun*! And it was *big enough* to eclipse Earth!\"\n\nThat was a terrifying implication. Pat actually put her coffee cup down. \"How big?\"\n\n\"At six seconds out? *Six seconds*? You know the formula! That's bigger than the Moon!\"\n\nMiller went pale. \"Something *moon* sized just missed us??\"\n\nJohnston threw his hands in the air. \"Finally! YES! And even worse!\" He grabbed the graphs again, pointed. \"It's *slowing down*.\""
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