Split (1)

train · 199k rows

post_text stringlengths 0 17.5k	post_title stringlengths 8 314	comment_texts listlengths 1 74	num_stories int64 1 74
You know the way people describe horror scenes in a normal way before revealing what was really happening? Do that, but in reverse.	[WP] describe a normally wholesome romantic scene in the style of a heart-stopping horror!	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It was a beautiful, clear night. The sun had set over an hour ago, leaving the stars to twinkle gently in the dark. This was the first chilly night of autumn after a scorching summer. It wouldn't have been so bad if I had the night off, but I was out in my patrol car, by myself, left with my thoughts as the cold crept through my layers down to my ageing bones. \n\nMy coffee had long since gone cold, but I sipped the dregs in my cup for something to do. The bitter, cold liquid did nothing to assuage the feeling that something wasn't right this evening.\n\nIt was just as I started shivering that the call came through from dispatch. Possible domestic. Neighbours reported noises, banging, raised voices. Unusual for this small town, these quiet people. It made me uneasy, but this was my job. I turned over the engine, sighing as the heater failed to kick into life, and set off.\n\nIt didn't look good. The car was parked skewed on the driveway, both driver and passenger doors left ajar, the slow chiming of the car's door alarms fading into the night as I approached the front door. Left open again. No sign of forced entry though, in fact, the keys were still in the lock. I stood frozen at the door, wondering if I should call for back-up. Wondering what I would do if I was a TV cop, with a gun and cool shades even in the dark. In the back of my mind I figured yeah, I was too old for this shit.\n\nI swallowed down my fears and nudged the door open with my foot. Dark red stains on the carpet. Furniture knocked over. The curtains swayed in the cold wind. I stepped in. I felt glass crunch beneath my feet, hidden by the all-encompassing dark in the hallway. I heard a thud. A moan from upstairs. My breathing quickened as I crept up the stairs. Why is that when I'm trying to be quiet I feel so loud? More creaking from behind the closed door at the end of the hallway. As I got closer, the sounds because louder. Flesh hitting flesh. I heard a woman's pained moans, the man's grunts of exertion. Was this monster beating his wife? I was the other side of the bedroom door now, my heart beating like crazy as I prepared to charge into the room, save this poor woman from a mad-man.\n\nI kicked the door with all my strength.\n\nOh.\n\nI think I ruined date night." ]	2
	[WP] After rising from hell to possess a human, the human was sent to a mental help facility. After a year, the demon now thinks it is fully human and that it's previous life in hell were just delusions.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Today is the first day of my new high school life. I've finally overcome my middle school delusion that I was a demon. I will start over fresh at a new school and have a successful life! I passed the entrance exam for this academy easily. They even mailed my invitation in a fancy envelope with a wax seal and paid for my tuition! My parents were overjoyed.\n\nI look around the normal looking classroom filled with students like myself. This is where I belong, not in a hospital. I notice a girl sitting in the next to last seat by the window. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. A transfer student? I'm drawn to her for some reason. Is this love at first sight? No no no. I don't have time for that. I have to buckle down and get good grades. She meets my eyes. Oh, no! I must have been staring at her. She smiles and I am suddenly overcome with fear at her frightening gaze. I quickly turn around. What was that? Her face looked a little scary but I'm shaking now like I just watched a horror movie. The door suddenly slides open and a tall man walks in. Everyone stands and bows then sits back down.\n\n\"Good morning, class.\" he says.\n\n\"Good morning.\" we reply.\n\n\"My name is Miyahira Akira and I'll be your homeroom teacher and human coach.\" he says as he writes his name on the board. I put my hand up.\n\n\"Yes...Ozawa?\" he calls on me after looking up my name on the seating chart.\n\n\"What is a human coach?\" I ask.\n\n\"I will help you learn to act more like human in order to blend in better with society. Please feel free to come to me any time if you have questions about passing as a human.\" he answers. \n\n\"But...I am human.\" I say, confused. Everyone laughs at me. Why is he saying stuff like this? Am I being bullied?\n\n\"There is no need to pretend. Everyone at this school is a demon, like yourself. Although I must say I'm not sure I can teach you much more. Your voice, mannerism, body language, even your aura are all human-like. The rest of you could learn from Mr. Ozawas example.\" He says while looking at the yellow haired girl in the back. What was he even saying? This doesn't make sense. \n\n\"I AM human. I'm not a demon.\" I say, raising my voice. The teacher looks perplexed.\n\n\"This school was very carefully set up. No human can pass the entrance exam. Candidates are found through divination magic. You are a demon.\" he says forcefully.\n\n\"NO! Your lying!\" I shout.\n\n\"Oh, for Devils sake. I'll prove it.\" He says. He opens his briefcase and rummages around in it. The other students are whispering to each other. I feel my face becoming flush. I don't understand. Even as a joke this is going too far. Mr. Miyahira takes out a small glass vial filled with clear liquid. He carefully opens the top and pours a single drop on the back of my hand. Once in contact with my skin it burns and fizzes.\n\n\"Ahhh! You burned me! You burned me with acid!\" I jump to my feet and try to wipe my hand off.\n\n\"This isn't acid! Look! This is holy water!\" he says forcefully, showing me the label.\n\n\"This is crazy! You're crazy!\" I say as I look around the room. Everyone is looking at me like I am some kind of monster. Even the blonde girl has an expression of pity. Why is this happening? Is this a relapse? Have I slipped into some new kind of insanity?\n\n\"That's enough! Go to the nurses office till you calm down!\" Mr. Miyahira says, pointing toward the door. The blonde girl stands.\n\n\"I'll make sure he gets there.\" she says.\n\n\"Thank you.\" he says as he goes back to his desk. The girl takes hold of my upper arm and leads me out of the classroom. I don't protest. I just want this madness to end. I can hear the students whispering to each other as the door slides closed. My high school life is over. I'm going to be branded a lunatic. Everyone will shun me. As we walk down the hall my escort introduces herself.\n\n\"My name is Inaba Emi.\" she says.\n\n\"P-pleased to me you.\" I say meekly.\n\n\"You're an idiot. You know that, right?\" she asks.\n\n\"I can't help it. I just spent a year in a hospital being treated for middle school delusion. I thought I was a demon. And now my teacher is saying I am a demon. Did my mind finally break? Is this all a hallucination?\" I ask.\n\n\"No, he was telling the truth. This is a school for demons.\" she says matter-of-factly. I don't know how much more I can take of this. We arrive at the nurses office to find it empty.\n\n\"I guess I'll treat your wound since no one else is here.\" she says and gets the medical kit. What does this all mean? If I am really a demon then how did I end up going to the hospital? My memories are so fuzzy. Inaba comes back with a bandage. There is a small dark mark on the back of my hand. She sprays something on it and places the adhesive bandage over it.\n\n\"Was that really holy water?\" I ask.\n\n\"I think so. I've never seen some up close before.\" she replies as she takes the vial out of her pocket. My eyes go wide.\n\n\"How?\" I ask.\n\n\"I swiped it from his desk when we walked by.\" she replies. She open the lid and smells it then offer it to me. I take a sniff but don't smell anything. It must really be water.\n\n\"I'm not sure what I was expecting but it seems so plain.\" she says as she looks at the vial through the light.\n\n\"Be careful. That stuff is-\" I reach out my hand to grab it but accidentally bump her elbow. The holy water spills out and onto her arm.\n\n\"Oh my god! Are you okay?!\" I ask as I look around for something to wipe it off with. The holy water isn't bubbling or fizzing. She just wipes it off on her shirt.\n\n\"What? What happened?\" I ask. For a brief moment a look of panic crosses her face but then it turns to anger.\n\n\"You idiot! Be more careful! If I wasn't such a high level demon that could have hurt me!\" she says.\n\n\"I'm sorry! It was an accident. Wow, are you some kind of powerful demon that isn't harmed by holy water?\" I ask.\n\n\"Y-yes, of course. I'm not a weakling like you! Idiot.\" she turns her head away for a then continues.\n\n\"You owe me now. Even if it didn't harm me you're going to have to pay me back for spilling water on me.\" she says.\n\n\"Yes, I will pay you back. I promise. What do you want me to do?\" I ask. She turns her head back to me, blushing.\n\n\"You...need to go out with me.\" she says, quietly.\n\n\"Whaaaat?\" I ask.\n\n\"Don't act like this a big deal or anything! I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. You...you can't refuse.\" she says.\n\n\"I see. I guess I have no choice then. Okay, I'll go out with you.\" I answer. She smiles and I suddenly feel terrified. What have I gotten myself into?\n\n~End (I think we've all seen enough anime to know where this is going)", "The ride home was long, but it wasn't eventful. A couple of times I had that flesh thought pop into my head, but I didn't even have to work on redirecting it - some pretty thing on the side of the road was enough to stop my jaw, or an interesting billboard.\n\nBut when we got home it almost went south. The red balloons and streamers! I know they were trying to please me, since they remembered that I liked the color the last few weeks I was home. But all that red made me feel the hunger again. I had to spend a few picturing Nancy guiding me through therapy, to regain my serenity.\n\nI really feel bad now, everyone is trying to be so nice, and my mood is not as good as when the staff gave their goodbye hugs. But they warned me about this. Mikey, whose scar is almost gone, reminds me of the dark thoughts I used to have, and the thought of dark thoughts can become its own vicious loop. I want to talk about it, but I'm afraid that they'll freak out if I do. He's my own damn kid, what was I thinking? I should have been giving him my all, not trying to absorb some ridiculous energy from him, in whatever twisted way I justified his pain. Mikey, do you have mental scars? Please be OK, not like your mother. Getting late, I'll be glad when sleep stops my brain. I still don't dream anymore.\n\n---\n\nEarly in the morning, I drift out of sleep, everything hazy until looked up and saw my husband in the chair in the corner, spacily staring at me. How long has he been waiting to pounce - wait, no, that's the illness thinking. I better remember to take the meds, since nobody is bringing them to me on a schedule anymore.\n\nIt's not quite light out yet. Was he just sleepless and moved to the chair so he didn't wake me up? Is he just horny after waiting so long and needed to be away from my body? I think I could tolerate feeling him in me if he's quick, but I'm not ready to test what happens if he makes me come just yet. And I don't want to dom him, but at the same time I still do. Should we go back to vanilla? Was the BDSM part of the illness? I'm really not ready to find out.\n\n\"Rachel, you're up, do you need anything?\" I throw him a quick smile, but it feels artificial. I know that's how a lot of things will be. \"That's sweet of you. Is it too early for coffee?\" Jeff slowly gets to his feet. He's stooping a little, is he tired, or getting old, or has our ordeal worn him down? I didn't notice the stoop yesterday, I'll just hope its tiredness. The stooping makes me think of hunchbacks, and odd images fill my head, but I work this time on redirecting. Hunchbacks. When's the last time we watched the Disney cartoon? Eh, not working, I'm seeing the gargoyles in my head and feeling the satisfaction twist in my belly. Think! Yes, Esmerelda, ok, Demi Moore's voice, flood your head with her. She was so hot in her day, still looks pretty good now, do I have any chance of aging as gracefully? Great, I'm thinking normal thoughts now.\n\nI'm still washing my face when Jeff knocks on the bathroom door. \"Hey, after you have your coffee, can we make plans for the day? Mikey may be up any time. You want to maybe take him to the kids' museum today?\" I pop open the door. \"Sure. Does he still love that place?\" I should have cleansed my face before bed, but I was so tired. Jeff smiles, \"Yeah, I think so. He talks about going there sometimes, but we haven't been there since you went to the Center. You're looking good, I'm glad you're interested in your beauty regimen again... umm, you don't mind me saying so?\"\n\nMy first good smile since I'm home. \"Oh, Jeff, it's OK to bring talk about me. I wouldn't be here if I was that fragile. But it's nice, I feel good that you worry about me. Come, where's that coffee?\"\n\n---\n\nWe're approaching the museum. It was good choice. Since he's older than the last time he was here, and the exhibits have changed, Mikey will probably keep himself occupied, and I can just relax. While he trying out the sound chamber, Jeff and I stand at the window and make silly comments while people-watching. Her dress is so small on her it can't be an accident. That guy's toupee is pretty obvious. (I'm feeling good, conversation's like when we first met when I felt so normal.) The box the FedEx driver is carrying looks like it needs two people carry it. I'll bet the garbage that busboy is carrying out of the restaurant is delicious. (Wait, that seems a little twisted.) Those cops are in a hurry, is there a doughnut nearby or do they have a hot lead on a child molester? (That definitely seems twisted.) I tell Jeff we should check on Mikey.\n\nWhere is he? I start to panic. What kind of parents are we, he's only 7, we should have been watching him, even here. We split up. Jeff heads towards to the bathroom to see whether Mikey made a pit stop on his own, while I check out the nearby exhibits, while hoping not to panic. Too many kids here. Look for neon yellow shorts. There's one, run to it. No, that's a girl. I want to bite her head off. I stop, and realize I am getting hungry. Why is that important, where's Mikey? I go to a security guard. He seems familiar, wait wasn't he at the mall when they took me away? Probably just a coincidence, or he just looks similar. \"Sir, I can't find my son. His name is Mikey, he's 7, and he's wearing a plaid shirt and neon yellow shorts. Can you help me?\"\n\nHis name is also Jeff, and he calls a supervisor to help me. I'm burning inside, and the hunger makes me wish I was still in the Center, they can calm me there, but I know I can do this on my own. \"Ma'am we'll take care of you and your family. How, are you feeling? Hungry?\" Wait, what? That's a strange thing to ask. I look the guard in the eye, and I know. He just smiles.", "\"Ignafir!\" The name boomed across the underworld, heard with crystal clarity above the wailing of the tormented. The King had chosen the one next in line to be allowed to rise. An undertaking which happens after the previous chosen had \"returned home\". This is to be Lucifer's greatest achievement, to use the strength he has gathered to open the gates for a demon of a higher caliber to pass through undetected. \n\nA mass of nearly indistinguishable shapes crowded close to their master. Slowly the shapes moved back revealing one who had not dared take a step. \"Yes Ignafir, it is time.\" The words came to Ignafir like a slap to each of his four faces. He looked down at his appendages wondering which animals it would remind humans of, he had limited knowledge from what his brothers had told him. \n\nYou're a fighter, not a thinker, they told him as they trained him to command legions of the damned in mock battles against angel armies, all in all it was another way to torment the unforgiven. Though thinking about it he always did see the need for intellect when killing the enemy, his brothers only know the way of brutal force.\n\n\"IGNAFIR!!!\" This time Lucifer's voice boomed so loudly even the damned fell silent for a moment. Suddenly light befell them as Ignafir felt a sudden ease overcome him as if he hadn't been afraid of his existence ending moments before. Moving closer to him was his king in all his radiance.\n\n \"You always did have an inquisitive mind.\" Lucfier spoke with a voice so sweet you could mistake it for your own mother. \"Right now I see no other before me that matches your intuition, I know you can lead us all to greatness beyond your wildest dreams! Your mission is to bring the two figureheads of the world to wage war against the other, once they die we will all walk the earth!\" Lucifer was beaming with positivity while his chosen stood there yet again frozen in place.\n\n\"B-but how could I convince them to kill each other? I know how to kill and that is all..\" the now lone demon stammered to himself. Not realizing his world had grown dark again. He let the fear sink deep into his being, just as he was taught to ever since he could remember. Suddenly a whisper found it's way into the troubled demon's mind, \"I can grant you one piece of myself for your mission my chosen one. I offer you my tongue, you needn't worry about the details.\" \n\nOnce fully understood he felt only more unease, though he couldn't dwell on it any longer. Seconds later colors began rushing past. Bodily pain surged in every direction, a feeling very unfamiliar to a demon. Waves of pain came with such distinctive differences he could only assume was what humans felt like in the pits. Voices could be heard murmering quietly in the background of Ignafir's consciousness, slowly rising in volume as feeling of wakefulness rushes to the surface.\n\nDennis gasps for air as he wakes up from his futon. Wide eyed he looks around not sure about what anything is anymore, before becoming tired again and felling back asleep. This time Ignafir awakens in the flesh sack once known as Dennis, having reaped his memories he knows everything someone from Detroit would know. He immediately walked outside to bark orders at the humans. After all, he did have his kings tongue, and this is how his king commands. \n\nHe barked out orders telling them to rally behind him for a mission so important their lives meant nothing in comparison. It wasn't long before authorities had taken him into custody and gave him a psyche eval. Ignafir used every chance he could to convince people to set him free, which an officer and two nurses eventually did try to do. Within that afternoon has was in a straight jacket away from anyone who had the power to help him, keeping him sedated through and experimental practice coined \"gassing\" where the patient slowly loses their grip on reality. He had little hope of escape anymore.\n\nA year passed and Dennis had taken to his therapies very well. Today he starts his first job at a car dealership, Dennis' doctor highly reccomended the job after nearly convincing him into divorcing his wife after their fourth child together. \n\nYes today is a great day, minus the flashes of hellacious ptsd.. today is a great day.", "\"Catus?! Brother? What has gotten into you?\" A pallid, slender humanoid being, cries out. \n\n\"Can you shut up, please? We are not from this make believe demon-land, and I am not one of you. You can give up the act, Franky...whatever your name is.\" Catus, who now goes by Kyle, tells his colleague as he eats a bowl of salad, leaning back on an armchair, his eyes on the flat-screen in front of him.\n\n\"This is not an act! And my name is Prancidus! You were tasked with taking over this vile low-life---\" he gestures to all of Catus's new body, \"---and conquering the Northern Hemisphere, you bumbling fool!\"\n\nKyle decides to take a much less violent approach. His lessons at Ridge Gardens taught him to be better than he once was.\n\n\"Hey, hey! There's no need for name-calling! If there's one thing I learnt at Ridge Gardens, it was to be nice to thy neighbours.\"\n\n\"This wiley vessel had ruined you!\" Prancidus cries, as his first in command withers away in the body of a twenty-something college dropout.\n\nAt this point, Catus, who enjoys being called Kyle, decides to take up the matter, but in ways unfavourable to the brooding demon standing beside him.\n\n\"Listen bud, if you don't get out, I'll have to call the cops on you. And trust me, I dont want to. I'm enjoying a good relaxation period here, as permitted by my facility. I'd been under too much of stress, and I don't want to give into it.\"\n\n\"The cops? You idiot. I'm bigger than the cops! You're bigger than the cops!\"\n\n\"Sheesh. The cops it is then.\" Kyle pulls out his phone from his back pocket, alarming the other demon.\n\n\"P-Put it back, Catus!\"\n\n\"Not until you apologize, and call me Kyle.\"\n\n\"What has become of you?\" The demon groans. \"I'm sorry...Kyle.\"\n\n\"There you go! That was easy, wasn't it?\"\n\n\"That vile name burns my tongue!\" Prancidus growls.\n\n\"Now please, get out.\" \n\nPrancidus heads out. His mind was set on bringing his first in command back in business. However, two days later, Prancidus finds himself to be one of the homeless. He has nowhere else to go but to reside near the dumpsters of his General's new abode. \n\nWhile taking out his garbage, Kyle chances upon his stinking, doting, demon colleague.\n\n\"You're still here! And you're near the dumpster...I figured you'd have a place of your own. You know, you may speak fodder, but you're still human.\"\n\nTriggered, Prancidus jumps up from his spot. \"I am not a vile human being!\"\n\n\"But you look just like one.\"\n\n\"Because, I, like you, you nimrod of a being, am trapped in this idiotic body suit!\"\n\n\"Calm down! I was going to offer you a place to stay! I might have to rethink that---\"\n\n\"No, no...I'm sorry, my liege. I have forgotten my place. I have done nothing to earn your reward, but I will accept.\" \n\n\"You haven't done anything. I'm just being helpful. But sure. Okay.\" Kyle responds. \n\nThe demon begins to walk with Kyle to the building, and back to the apartment. What Prancidus fought so hard to regain, might return during his stay with the General. This is the second time Catus would have lost himself with Prancidus as second in command: Once, when an exorcism would've almost obliterated him to nothingness in Rome, and second, whisked away, a year ago, to Ridge Gardens, where he was exorcised, differently, of his evilness, personality and ambition. None of this was Prancidus' fault. Catus was in fact a little bit of a bumbling fool, which the latter kept in check. However, he was scheming by nature, a trait well-admired by their kings. Catus believed that their plan to take over the Northern Hemisphere was his greatest. It was, as he believed, his 'unholy fate'. He would then move to the Southern Hemisphere. Yet, here he was, stripped away of everything that made him the Catus Prancidus knew. He was simply Kyle, the helpful, curly-haired, college dropout. He was everything Prancidus despised.\n\nKyle offered his supposedly new friend some food, which he vehemently refused.\n\n\"This! This must have been one of the mind games these degenerates must have used on you! The offer of food! Giving into our temptation, which we worship, but cloaked in kindness!\" He hisses.\n\n\"What are you talking about?\" Kyle chuckles. \"You know, I think I remember---\"\n\n\"Yes, yes! You remember what?\" Prancidus asks with alacrity.\n\n\"I remember telling those who helped me things like what you just said. I was absolutely bonkers!\"\n\n\"That wasn't bonkers! That was...that was the real you, my liege.\" Prancidus groans.\n\n\"Look, firstly, I need you to stop calling me my liege. It's weird. I'm not kidding. Secondly, you're...what? Sixteen, seventeen? You need to get your priorities set straight. Mental health is important. Think about school. I only took you in because I felt like you needed some help.\"\n\n\"My li---Kyle! You know me! You must remember me! I am no school boy!\"\n\n\"I'm sorry. I honestly don't recall.\"\n\nTo Catus, his new body was his own body, and that Kyle was his own identity. He labelled his perception of himself as a demon war-lord as fantasy, and blamed it on his obsession with being someone greater than he was. Moreso, it might have been due to an unhealthy addiction to some videogame or show dealing with demons.\n\n\"Catus, our powers, they die as wither away in these bodies. I cannot manifest them as often, but I can try showing you.\" Prancidus pleads.\n\nIt was Prancidus' ill-timing. His so-called magical powers amounted to not even a fizzle. Kyle simply laughed.\n\n\"Maybe you can try, Catus?\"\n\n\"I'm not summoning demons around here! I am done with all of that! It lead me down a massive spiral. I'm lucky I could get back up! And once again kid, I'm not this 'Catus' guy!\" Kyle takes a deep breath. \"Phew. I can't have a breakdown now.\"\n\nA lost cause. Catus the unscrupulous, the sly, the devious, had fallen prey to human charms. However, what he just said gave Prancidus a grand idea. His last attempt at bringing back his General.\n\n\"Would breaking you down help?\"\n\n\"What kind of a crazy question is that? You're beginning to sound unhinged. Look kid, this is worrisome, and I think this is some sort of thing we both got into. This made me drop out of college. You still have a chance. You can get back to school, and get your head on straight.\"\n\nKyle takes his car keys from a tiny bowl in the middle of the foldable dining table.\n\n\"We're going to Ridge Gardens.\" Kyle says with conviction.\n\n\"No! Not that place! I beg for your forgiveness, my liege!\" Prancidus cries. \n\n\"Nope.\" Kyle looks around. \"Do you have any form of ID on you? Didn't you say your name was Franky?\"\n\nPrancidus had been angered to a great extent. His Catus would've been a pile of ashes had his powers been restored.\n\n\"I am Prancidus the noxious, you wretch, you scourge of the Earth!\"\n\n\"Hey bud, that's enough!\" Kyle felt something brew within him to retaliate, but a quick breathing exercise helped him sort things out.\n\n\"I want to go back to the Valley of Hell! I want to go back home!\" Prancidus shouts, as Kyle pulls him out of the apartment.\n\nA difficult car ride to Ridge Gardens proved to be worth it. The facility readily accepted him, and identifed him as James Badgely. Prancidus was dragged away by a couple of nurses. \n\n\"It was a good thing you did Kyle!\" says the receptionist. \"You're lucky you reserved your bed. He would've been turned away otherwise. And he's lucky to have you as a contact.\"\n\n\"He needs it. He suffering from the same thing that bothered me. Delusions.\" He chuckles as he walks away.\n\nA year later, a worried Kyle heads over to Ridge Gardens.\n\n\"Woman!\" He calls out to the receptionist.\n\n\"Woman? Kyle?\" The receptionist seems surprised at his change in demeanor and tone. \n\n\"Yes. Whatever. I am here to see a James \nBudgey.\"\n\nThe receptionist sounded rather confused. \"Badgely, you mean? You haven't visited him in two months Kyle. We contacted you several times!\"\n\n\"I need to visit the boy, lady.\" He lunges towards the receptionist, who was safely protected behind a glass shield.\n\nAnnoyed and slightly scared, the woman hands out a visitor's tag. Kyle walks to Prancidus' room. The latter now prefers the name James. \n\nOn arrival, he begins speaking to the boy.\n\n\"Oh Prancidus! My most loyal friend! Forgive me! I knew what you were saying! I remember! I truly do! I apologize for dumping you in this forsaken land of rot! Let us leave and renew our ambitious journey!\"\n\nJames sat on a chair, looking outside the window. Catus' sudden speech startled him.\n\n\"Kyle! You scared me dude!\" James smiles, and goes on to hug Catus. Catus writhes in disgust.\n\n\"Let go, you fool!\"\n\n\"Hey. What's wrong?\" James asks in concern.\n\n\"Snap out of it, my dear boy! Come to your senses Prancidus!\"\n\n\"What're you talking about Kyle? You're starting to sound a little...unhinged.\"\n\nCatus stood defeated, his most loyal friend and brother in arms, now turned into a numb idiot. \n\nHe was sure Ridge Gardens would get him again. And maybe, it wasn't his unholy fate to conquer the Northern Hemisphere after all.", "Now transformed into a de-human, it realizes that being human is far more tragic than a demon. \n\nDemons sufferings rise as they feed on destruction, death, and dismay. The suffering increased the mind over what was left of intelligence.\n\nHalf human now, the feelings and emotions demon had once held, now rushed into its heart, head, and blood.\n\nBlood is life. Flowing through the blue veins on its way to the heart via vena cava, blood is alive. Traveling away from the heart in the arteries blood makes way descending via the cleaning spleen and renal aortic circuits. \nTo keep everything moving depended on circulation. Moving through the Circle of Willis anterior communicates with posterior. \n\nThe demon was soon snuffed. Humans are not evil. The intelligence must run the mind, not the reverse.", "\"I never seem to understand what is gripping at me,\" the man watches a girl on a bike in thought, \"Here I stand, the sun's gentle rays glistening off my damp brow on another wise pleasant spring day. I watch my daughter, she's five now, I watch her because I feel one of the only reasons I'm grounded to this place, grounded to this reality is her. I smile and murmur that I am so proud of her, she can't see me now that she can ride her bike herself, so focused on her new skill. My pride in her explodes, the emotion is uncomfortable actually. My eyes shut so tightly I can start to see spots of white in my blanketed view. “She's okay”, I tell myself. But dancing in my head are a hundred torments that she could otherwise suffer. It's almost as if I can feel them and my heart throbs with despair. What grips me during these episodes?\"\n\r\n\"I'm unclear how long my thoughts surged through my body, every ebb and flow paralyzing me.\" When the man's eyes open, \"I am so relieved, she was okay. Her smile, the same smile her mother had, could light up any room. If I believed in angels, I would say she was an angel made flesh.\"\n\r\n\"Running my fingers through her wispy hair as she rides by, I cannot help but think again about a world of God, demons, angels, and devils. It's something I struggled with years ago. They say the disassociations were caused by trauma, likely during childhood. My whole childhood is a blank almost, little flashes, little glimpses into what was perhaps…so hellish. What I do seem to recall is my father was an important figure in the cult that he led. We were all forced to do unspeakable horrors, it's no wonder I can block them out. I'm told the human mind is amazing.\"\n\r\n\"When I was released from the hospital I dated one of the nurses the cared for me there. She died during childbirth, and our daughter reminds me of her everyday. The only reason I hold on to sanity.\" The man smiles.\n\r\nHis thoughts interrupted again, the man takes a quick second glance at his daughter as she rides her bicycle by laughing, filled with mirth over her accomplishments. He shakes his head, fearfully he continues his inner dialogue.\r\n\"Her eyes are so striking. For just a second, I thought I saw hell in them…\"", "Dr. Samson stared proudly at me, his bifocals lowered, a sure sign I’d learned that he was relaxed. ‘You’ve really come a long way over the last year, Janet. Really impressive!\n\nYour religious fugue state and related hallucinations have all, but passed. You no longer tell others in group that they are all damned to eternal torture in the fiery pits of hell. Which is really great, as it was driving up some of the other patients’ anxiety. \n\nI haven’t heard you boasting about how close you are with Lucifer in months. I always thought that was a strange one: why name drop Lucifer and other demonic figures, when you were so clearly suffering from a Judeo-Christian religious persecution complex? It’s one part of your condition that even had me stumped after my decades of specializing in schizophrenic patients with unusual fixations.\n\nRemember when you used to sit in a corner quietly mouthing words in what I think was Aramaic? You used to angrily say you were speaking with ‘Abaddon the Destroyer’ and to please let you get back to your conversation? Later, when your hallucination had ended and you were calmer, you would always say Abaddon was your best friend in the world. Followed by something like you wanted him to burn this heretical sixth circle of Hell to the ground and personally subject each of the doctors to very specific forms of eternal torture. I have to admit the vividness of your hallucinations was at times impressive!\n\nBut I also know that must have been a truly scary time for you. While demonic hallucinations are not uncommon for those with obsessive compulsive neurosis, as Freud first described, it’s unusual for someone with your strongly religious views to fixate that rigidly on the demonic side of religion, unless they have some form of PTSD where they blame themselves for the bad things that have happened to them. Did you have some childhood trauma Janet?’\n\nI had to think about that one, as a lot of my past memories were really hazy these days. I wonder if Dr Samson was onto something? Did something happen when I was young that caused me to end up here? To have so much anger inside. To have imaginary conversations with demons. To condemn others in my mind for their sins. Did I grow up in some sort of religious cult? Have ultra religious parents? It’s strange I even have no memory of my own parents or, thinking about it, that they’ve never come to see me. I wish I knew the answer to his question. Could it be that one of the myriad drugs I was taking had taken away my memory somehow? Or maybe it was just a side effect of my schizophrenia? It’s really scary not being able to remember large parts of my life. I remember the facility just fine. All I remember prior are feelings of righteous anger, torture, so much fire... Could my family have died in a fire and I just blocked it out? I’m sure that would give me some form of PTSD... Ugh! Why can’t I remember???\n\nI must have paused for far too long, as Dr Samson’s glasses were now high on the bridge of his nose, which I’d learned indicated his discomfort or impatience. I’m really proud I notice that now and know what it means. I’ve learned a lot about observing people and what makes them tick here. I’d like to think it makes me kinder and more empathetic somehow. When I was first admitted, I felt a lot more judgmental and a lot less empathetic to others’ situations. It was like their feelings didn’t matter. Just mine and how I perceived them. I wonder if I’d always felt like that? Who knows... Certainly not me.\n\nDr Samson interrupted my thoughts, his left eye now twitching indicating even greater impatience. ‘Janet. I asked you a question. Do you remember if something bad happened to you as a child? I really think it might help in your final stages of healing to understand what caused parts of your illness. The cognitive behavioral therapy and medications have really helped to control your symptoms, but as we consider your return to society, it would be good to better understand those root causes of what you have experienced and those hidden parts of your personality that Jung referred to as ‘Shadows’. So you understand, some of these unidentifiable issues may serve as triggers for you in the outside world and potentially cause relapses. We would like for you to have as fulfilling and happy life as possible in the outside world. So to repeat the question: ‘Did you experience any childhood trauma?’\n\nFrustratedly, I answered. ‘I honestly don’t know. As I’ve said before, my memories pretty much begin from when I was admitted. So how would I know?’ Unbidden tears flowed from my eyes now. WHY can’t I answer such a simple question?\n\nMore kindly, glasses drifting back down the nose, indicating increased empathy. A tissue handed across the table. ‘I’m sorry Janet. I didn’t mean to press you quite that hard. I know you’ve had issues with your memory in the past. I’d just hoped some might have returned as you got into a better place. If you’re willing, I’d like to try to hypnotize you. Sometimes, in a hypnotic state it is possible to retrieve things our conscious mind has forgotten. I should warn you though, that some patients can react negatively to hypnosis and even experience worse symptoms for a time that will need further treatment. But I feel like you’re a good candidate for this treatment right now. Stable with dramatic improvements over time. Would you be comfortable trying it?’\n\n‘I’d really like that, Dr Samson.’ tears slowly drying in tight, salty trails on my face. I reflexively wiped my face and sat up straighter. I NEEDED to know the truth. It felt like without those memories a big part of me was missing. I’d come so far, but this seemed to be the path to final healing.\n\n‘Excellent. I think you’re ready then. Let’s begin.’ Dr Samson replied, glasses still lowered with a slight smile of what appeared to be both encouragement and hopefulness. I must remember to mentally catalog that one, as it was a new response from him. Understanding others’ emotions is an essential part of healing he’d said. Like everything else here, I tried my best to comply even with things that didn’t feel natural to me.\n\n‘Lie back in your chair. Listen to the peaceful sounds of the birds in the garden. The cool breeze coming through the window. Let yourself relax.’ Dr Samson intoned, speaking more slowly than usual. I wonder if that makes people calm? I should catalog that. ‘Let my words wash over you. Take the suggestions as they come to you. Everything here is calm, safe, and peaceful. Let yourself sink further into the chair and relax deeply. Your eyes may feel heavy and want to close. Let them. Let your body sink down naturally, as you relax. You are in complete control of this time. You will only accept those suggestions that are to your benefit and that you are willing to accept. Focus on your breathing. Slowly take long, deep breaths. You are letting yourself drift deeper and deeper into a calm, peaceful trance. You are safe here. Nothing can hurt you unless you let it. You are a teenager now. Fifteen years old. Open your eyes in your mind. Look around you. What do you see?’\n\n‘I see fire, endless fire. I am surrounded by the dead and dying. My whip cracks over their heads sharp and staccato like a thunder crack, just as Abaddon taught me. I feel nothing for these humans. They are weak and deserve to be punished. It is my right, my duty to do so. Justice against these sinners must be served. \n\nAbaddon looms over me, his tall, sinewy form glowing brightly in the fiery flames of Hell. His mighty black wings stretched as far as the eye can see, blanketing me in their shadowy depths. He, my eternal mentor stands next to me, a smile of pride on his face. I can see he is pleased with me. I strike each blow harder on the backs of the damned. His smile widens further. \n\nI strike still harder blows now, echoing through the giant rock chamber with the might of a hurricane. Abaddon speaks, his voice shaking the very chamber around us. ‘You’ve really come a long way over the last year, Lilith. Really impressive!’\n\nLilith! I am Lilith, monster of the night. I am among the first of Lucifer’s mighty family. Abaddon is my friend and mentor. He, the destroyer, admired far and wide for the brutality and exquisite detail of his tortures.\n\nJoyous memories of death and dismemberment surge through my body. I am Lilith! My demonic powers surge forth, a mighty tsunami freed at last. All has returned. I am Lilith.\n\nMy past memories now mingled with my ones from the facility. Finally whole. Perhaps this time was not wasted. I understood humans now. Their reactions. Their triggers. How to cause them pain. What excruciatingly exquisite tortures I could now devise. Abaddon will be so proud!\n\nI am Lilith. Like my chains of the past, these chains are also broken. I am Lilith. And I am free.", "After several thousand years and about an equal number of bribes, I have finally possessed the body of a human. \n\nYou would think that being human would be an easier profession than a personal advisor to the demon Lord himself, but not even I could have imagined the hell that most humans go through. \nAt times, I even wished I could contact the Lord to discuss the delicious torture methods employed by the \"Man.\" Why must he be male is a reason I would never understand. Even in Hell, torture methods were made by all sorts of beings, and not just by one sexuality. \n\nBut I digress. \n\nAmerica has been an interesting place to live in that is for sure. \n\n\"Please pass me the salt, dear,\" my human mother asks this of me, her face softening into a smile. \n\"Of course.\" I pass her the salt. Why am I so docile, you ask?\n\nSimple. \n\nPsychology. \n\nAt this point in time, I am unsure of whether or not I have imagined my time in Hell as a defense mechanism, or if I am truly a demon advisor to the Lord of Hell. Either way, it does not matter since I cannot return nor is there any way to prove my past experiences since the portal has long since closed. \nNow, I am a white American girl by the name of Cindy. It is a much simpler name than-\n\n\"Cindy.\"\n\n\"Yes, Mama?\"\n\n\"Why aren't you eating dear?\"\n\nI stare at my plate of meat loaf. How unappetizing. \"Oh no, I was just lost in thought.\" I stab at the grounded flesh of cow before bringing it to my mouth. \"It's really good. I like it.\"\n\nMama turns to look at Dad, his face buried in his work documents as usual. \"Honey,\" Mama asks. \"You promised not to bring your documents to the table.\"\n\"Dear, I just need to read this last docu-\"\n\nShe glared and the documents are placed on the floor. This \"happy family of three\" then continue to eat. \n\n\n\nNote:\n... Will write more later. Planning on writing about her meeting a second one of her kind.", "\"So there I was, sparring with the horned beast on the granite cliff. The scene around me was some sort of active volcano or something. Liquid fire spat about everywhere. I had to be careful with each of my moves so as not to burn myself.\"\n\n\"Sounds a lot like hell,\" said Stephanie from across the circle.\n\nHell.\n\nFrank stood up, raised his arms into the air, and spoke with a deepened voice. \"You know nothing of hell! I have lived it! I was trained by Satan himself to reign supreme over my domain! I have battled infernal monsters since I was an infant!\" Frank closed his eyes, brought his arms firmly to his sides, and stretched his fingers wide. His eyes burst open. \"I am Xokonal, lord of the fiery furnace, and I will impose my wrath upon this world!\"\n\nFrank stood with his arms outstretched for a moment before beginning to blink wildly, almost as if he had been awoken from a trance. He looked around the circle awkwardly. Hanging his head, he sat down.\n\nGreat way to be on my first day of group.\n\n\"Do not be embarrassed, Frank,\" encouraged Lisa, the group leader. \"This is why we are here.\"\n\n\"Sorry, everyone,\" said Frank with genuine contrition, \"H-E-double hockey sticks is one of my trigger words. It brings back all of the false memories and makes them feel real again.\"\n\n\"It is alright, Frank,\" Lisa added with a smile. \"We have all been there.\"\n\n\"You've been there!?\" Frank angrily rose to his feet. \"None of you can even comprehend the depths from which I came!\"\n\n\"Frank,\" interjected Pierce, another newcomer, \"you are more than your memories.\"\n\n\"An excellent point, Pierce,\" said Lisa. \"Frank, why don't you have some punch, and we'll let Pierce talk for a little while.\"\n\nFrank again blinked several times. \"Okay,\" he said. As Pierce began to speak about his own demons, Frank crossed the circle and came to a stop at the refreshment table.\n\nIt was an arduous year in the place that Frank now came to call nothing more specific than \"the facility.\" The doctors there stripped him bare. They helped him to realize that those crazy feelings he had--that fire and brimstone he remembered from his past--it was all a vastly interwoven array of invented memories sheltering him from his troubled childhood. The \"beasts\" he fought were nothing more than bullies. \"Satan\" was his abusive father. His \"training\" was nothing more than everyday physical activity. Frank was, after all, rather fit.\n\nAnd now, he was at his first mandatory group therapy session. Facility administration deemed him safe to enter the world under a strict and thorough list of conditions. They touched on nearly every aspect of his life, covering from where he was allowed to live to what sorts of jobs he could pursue. They also stipulated mandatory biweekly group trauma sessions.\n\n\"I am Frank, son of Jerry,\" recited Frank, gazing at his reflection as it glistened in the curiously thick, deep red punch that filled his plastic cup. He took a deep breath. \"My father was abusive, and my childhood was--\" Frank became lost in his crimson image. He froze, remaining perfectly still for a time.\n\n\"Nice story,\" whispered Pierce, bringing Frank back to reality.\n\nFrank turned about to greet Pierce and saw that the remaining people in the group were standing, saying their goodbyes, and beginning to depart. \"Oh--thanks,\" said Frank reluctantly.\n\n\"You left me out of it,\" said Pierce.\n\nFrank did not blink. \"Excuse me?\" he asked with a bewildered expression.\n\nPierce smirked. \"I cannot believe I finally found you. Did you have any punch?\"\n\n\"Oh,\" replied Frank, \"no, I guess I didn't.\" He took a gulp of his lukewarm juice. It was just as thick as it looked, but he choked it down. \"That's not bad.\"\n\n\"Give it a moment,\" said Pierce.\n\n\"What are--\"\n\nFrank's head lurched forward. He then brought it upright slowly as his body twitched about. Pierce could do nothing but smile as he examined Frank's eyes, which had rolled back completely.\n\n\"Welcome back, brother,\" said Pierce. \"You have been gone for some time.\"\n\n\"What do you mean, brother? I don't have a brother. And what was in that punch?\"\n\nPierce laughed. \"It was blood.\"\n\n\"Blood?\" Frank tried to wipe his tongue clean.\n\n\"It is too late,\" said Pierce. \"By ingesting the blood of your enemies, you are reborn!\" He paused and raised his arms just as Frank had done during his story. \"You are Xokonal, Lord of the Fiery Furnace, and I am your brother, Erzoran, Tamer of Infernal Beasts!\"\n\n\"The blood... of my enemies?\"\n\n\"We are quite behind schedule,\" said Erzoran, \"your institutionalization has put a wrinkle in the Master's plan.\"\n\n\"Who was in the punch?\" Frank demanded.\n\n\"Alistair Bennion,\" said Erzoran. \"The chief of your mental institution.\"\n\nFrank began to chuckle. Slowly, his chuckling evolved into laughter, which in turn became a wicked bout of shrieking.\n\n\"So the humans deceived me,\" inferred Xokonal. \"Yet, in doing so, they have taught me a valuable form of torture.\"\n\nBrian, another group member, had heard the shrieking and reentered the room. As he appeared in the doorway, Erzoran simply pointed at him.\n\nBrian burst into flames.\n\n\"No no, brother,\" said Xokonal, \"put it out!\" Erzoran did as requested, and Xokonal continued. \"We have a more sophisticated way of dealing with the humans now. We will make them destroy themselves.\"\n\nErzoran snapped his fingers, and the flames disappeared. Xokonal then approached Brian and put one hand on his forehead.\n\nBrian began to scream. Moments later, Xokonal removed his hand. Brian ran away.\n\n\"What did you do to him?\" Erzoran asked with great curiosity.\n\n\"I discovered his deepest insecurities and created false memories surrounding them.\" Xokonal smiled evilly. \"You see, Brian suffers from a deep feeling of inadequacy. Now, he is convinced that just two weeks ago, he saw his wife cheating on him with his brother, the same brother who bullied him as a child.\"\n\n\"Brilliantly cruel,\" lauded Erzoran.\n\n\"Precisely,\" confirmed Xoconal. \"Anyway, there is no time to lose. We must depart for our first destination.\"\n\n\"Where are we going?\"\n\n\"The facility.\"\n\n\\-----\n\nThank you for reading! If you have any, feedback is always appreciated!", "Bellegmalag came to them clawing and gnashing, blood streaked down his human mouth.\n\nThe police handed him over to the facility techs, who put him in a straight jacket and locked him in a padded cell.\n\nThey gave him all colors of pills. Antipsychotics and tranqs and other things. They kept watch on him night and day. \n\nBut Bellegmalag, the Lord of Pain, could not - would not - be contained. Not again. Not after he had finally broken free. It wasn't easy to find a living body strong enough to survive possession. \n\nIt took time, but he figured out how to tear through the straight jackets. \n\nThe techs would find inexplicable burn marks on the ruined shreds of cloth. But each time he thought he was free, they would stick him with a needle, and he would wake up with a fresh, new straightjacket tying back his arms. \n\nAll he got for his efforts was more antipsychotics. And more solitude. \n\nUntil...\n\nOne day, a doctor arrived at Bellegmalag’s door. She was a severe woman, with her hair pulled back tight from her pale forehead. \n\n“That one is hopeless,” one of the techs said while Bellegmallag was raging inside his padded cell, his guttural screams muted by four inches of foam insulation. “I wouldn’t waste too much time on him.”\n\nThe doctor adjusted her glasses, a cold frown permanently frozen to her face. Her black eyes pierced through the tech, and she spoke without emotion: “No one is hopeless.” \n\nThe tech shivered unconsciously. She asked him to open the door, and when he did, Bellegmalag’s two-toned screams (one tone was human, the other was not) erupted from the room.\n\nAfter the tech brought in a chair for the doctor, he scuttled out of the room and shut the door, locking her in with the Demon-possessed man.\n\nHe stared at her. \n\nShe did not blink.\n\nHe started to growl, saliva dripping from his lips.\n\nShe said, “They tell me you think you’re a demon.”\n\nHe threw himself forward, his mouth wide open and slobbering. But Bellegmalag tripped over his human feet and sprawled on the ground in front of the doctor. \n\nHe screamed at her from the floor. “I AM BELLEGMALAG, THE SEVENTH PRINCE OF THE BURNING PLANE.” \n\n“It's good to meet you, Bellegmalag. I am Dr. Angelica. And I am here to help you.”\n\n“YOU DARE SUGGEST YOU CAN HELP ME, MORTAL? I AM THE LORD OF PAIN.” He kicked out at her but managed only to spin himself in a slow circle.\n\n“Pain. Why don’t we talk about that? Are you in any pain right now, Belleg? I hope you don't mind if I call you that.”\n\nThe demon-posessed man stopped kicking. Looked up at her. \n\n“Am I… in pain?” Bellegmalag choked. “Nobody’s ever asked me that before.”\n\n______\n\n[Read Part 2 below.](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/hteqt5/wp_after_rising_from_hell_to_possess_a_human_the/fyh28ob/)", "Marshall burst through the front door in a flurry of dripping umbrellas and fluttering papers. \"Cordelia!\" he cried, tripping over the basset hound sprawled across the front hall. \"Ah! Cordelia!!!\"\n\n\"Hang up your umbrella and coat, dear, I just had the floors clean,\" his wife called from the parlor.\n\nHastily complying, Marshall scooped up his briefcase full of papers and vaulted St. Muffins still blissfully snoozing on the floor. In the parlor, Cordelia was reading a book, sipping some tea.\n\n\"Cordelia, my angel, my darling\" Marshall huffed, his cheeks pink with excitement. \"I've just received the most wonderful news! Mr. Gobston wants to promote me to assistant manager of architectural design!\"\n\nSnapping her book closed, Cordelia sprang from the settee and cried, \"That's wonderful, Marshall!\" She pecked him on the cheek and nodded toward his briefcase. \"So what's all this then?\"\n\n\"These are the designs he rejected for the new cafeteria,\" he muttered, shoulders sagging a little. \"Said they were too... how did he put it...\"\n\n\"Gruesome?\" Cordelia winced empathetically. \"I _told_ you a macabre theme wouldn't do for a senior home.\"\n\nTossing his briefcase on a nearby desk, Marshall shrugged, \"It's no matter. I've been promoted!\"\n\n\"And we shall celebrate! I'll have Tim bake a cake in your honor! _TIM!!!_\"\n\n\"Is he back from college?\" Marshall exclaimed, a smile broadening across his face. \n\n\"Hi, Dad.\" Marshall spun to see his only son standing in the doorway of the parlor, bedecked in heavy black clothing and superfluous chains, his hair dyed black and styled into spikes, and maroon paint over his lips and around his eyes. \"I joined a band.\"\n\nGrinning proudly, Cordelia explained, \"A baking band! They play music with kitchen implements and all engage in culinary creation together! Isn't that so cute?\"\n\n\"Congratulations, Tim!\" Marshall exclaimed as he moved to hug his son. Beneath the pale makeup, Tim blushed and smiled.\n\nA knock sounded on the door, and St. Muffins offered a pitiful howl to alert the others in the parlor.\n\n\"I wonder who that could be,\" Marshall muttered. He moved back into the hallway as Cordelia dragged Tim into the kitchen to begin baking a cake. St. Muffins finally roused himself from the floor and plodded behind Marshall to the front door.\n\nWhen he opened it, he saw a strange, short man in a heavy coat and pink rubber galoshes, huddled beneath the narrow eaves to escape the rain.\n\n\"Ah!\" the little man exclaimed, and he immediately bundled into the foyer.\n\n\"I beg your pardon!\" Marshall gasped, agog at the stranger's impudence. St. Muffins woofed half-heartedly, watching a fly hover around his face.\n\n\"Hey, there, Darakinus!\" the little man exclaimed, clapping Marshall on the shoulder. \"The boss heard about your promotion and wanted to send a congratulations! But we're wondering how it really helps the plan...\"\n\n\"Boss?\" Marshall blinked. \"Oh, are you from corporate?\" He thought his day couldn't get any better if the head honchos were interested in him.\n\n\"Corporate? No, I picked a guy who was in oil, remember?\" The little man looked around the small flat. \"Hm. Tiny, but quaint.\"\n\n\"Excuse me, sir, but who exactly are you?\" Marshall demanded.\n\nThe short man blinked. \"Shininius. Come on, we were ascension-buddies. What's gotten into you?\"\n\nMarshall blinked, and then he grew red in the face with anger. \"Now, see here!\" he snapped. \"This is a cruel game, and I don't appreciate it! I have long since come to terms with those past delusions, and I am living a successful life with my wife and son. I am recovered, I am healthy, and I want you to leave _right now_.\"\n\n\"Delusions? What's gotten into you, Darakinus?\" Shininius asked.\n\n\"Marshall, is everything alright?\" Cordelia asked from the kitchen. She poked her head into the hall. The moment she saw Shininius, she shrieked, and Shininius turned and cried out in alarm. St. Muffins added his own sonorous voice to the mix, fancying himself a soloist.\n\n\"Marshall, make him leave! Make him leave!\" Cordelia screamed, throwing plastic measuring cups down the hall at the short man.\n\n\"You married an _angel?!_\" Shininius shouted, ducking as the cups pelted him.\n\n\"Get out!\" Cordelia kept screaming, so Marshall seized the little man around the chest and bodily carried him out into the rain. \n\nDropping him on the stoop, he declared, \"Don't ever bother us again!\" He slammed the door in the stranger's face and turned to face Cordelia.\n\nPoking his head out of the kitchen, Tim asked, \"How'd he find us?\"\n\n\"He? You know him?\" Marshall asked. Tim slowly slid back into the kitchen, so Marshall turned his eyes on his wife. \"Cordelia? He called you his angel?\" Had his beloved wife betrayed him?\n\nCordelia sheepishly shook her head. \"Not _his_ angel, my love. Yours. Your guardian angel.\"\n\nMarshall stared in astonishment.\n\n\"Well, actually, I'm _Marshall's_ guardian angel,\" Cordelia went on. \"But it's you I love, dear. Darakinus. Please don't hate me for keeping the secret. I feared that you would go back to executing Satan's 'plan' for world domination.\"\n\nMarshall reeled, falling back against the door and sliding to a sitting position. St. Muffins snuffled his face and sprawled across his lap. \"So those memories of crawling out of hell were real?\" he asked faintly. Cordelia knelt before him sadly.\n\nAfter a moment, Marshall scoffed. Then he started laughing uproariously. \"Hahaha! My darling, my angel, my beloved Cordelia, you crafty woman!\" he cried. \"You're testing me! But no, I overcame those delusions years and years ago! I know who I am! Come, let us eat cake and dance! Let us celebrate Tim's band and my promotion!\"\n\nCordelia allowed herself to be led back to the kitchen. She glanced over her shoulder to see Shininius peering through a pane of glass in the door. She glared at him, pointed at her dog, and mentally commanded St. Muffins to _hunt_. As Marshall chatted gaily with his family, the basset hound swelled and morphed into a creature covered in eyes, with seven pairs of wings and four terrifying faces and a sword made of light. With a snarl, it tore open the door and leapt out after Shininius, whom turned and fled into the rain.\n\nr/aDittyaDay", "Vienkothet, lord of the third pit, lasher of shadows and devourer of hope guided the steaming cauldron of white fog slowly over the boiling black liquid in a complex, arcane pattern. The fog fell with soft lappings into the liquid, swirling and meshing silently into the brew. Up... Down... Left... Squiggle... Squaggle... Done.\n\n\"One Christmas Machiatti-Latti!\" Veinkothet, lord of the thi-- well, Vincent, said with a smile as he held the coffee with a foam Christmas tree drawing out to the waiting customer, a big brute of a man in a flannel shirt, suspenders, and a breast cancer ribbon on his lapel.\n\nThe man grinned at Vincent through a mane of red hair.\n\nRed. So red. Not red like blood, red like the fires of the third pit, red like the screams of the inn-- \n\nNo, no. Vincent stopped himself with a chuckle. None of that was real, he'd never been in any pit, never curled the felfire to his whims and sent it galloping across the fields of the slain leading an army of hellspawn in it's charge. Those were delusions. He was Vincent\n\n\"Thanks!\" The burly man's grin betrayed his beardly disguise and revealed him to be barely in his mid-twenties.\n\n\"Next!\" \n\n\"I'd like a Denti Rudolph Redeye,\" the woman barely looked up from her phone as she ordered.\n\n\"Venti?\"\n\n\"Dente.\"\n\nDante? Vincent mused to himself. Dante had visited his corner of the nether-realm once. Quiet guy. Big nose though, always poking itself where it didn't belong. It made him furious, actually, now that he thought of it, how dare some guy just saunter into his pit and start taking notes like some sort of critic.\n\n\"I think you mean a Venti? That's Italian for big.\"\n\n\"I mean, a Dante, Venti means twenty, Dante means big.\"\n\nNo, you wretched insect, Viencent thought to himself, it doesn't mean that, it means someone who can't take a hint and get out of the way when there's flaying to be do-- No, no, that's not right. Maybe it does mean big. What do I know, I'm just Vincent the Barista.\n\n\"You know, like Grande? Dante? What is wrong with the education system today, no wonder you work at a coffee shop, thank goodness nobody put you in charge of anything.\"\n\nThey did put me in charge of things you gigantic mount of meat, Vienkent raged, they put me in charge of the traitors, the sadists, and drivers who never signalled. I was the fifth in line behind the prince of the darkness that outshines the light, I-- \n\nHe paused and shook himself. Where did all that come from. What did she want? A Rudolph Redeye? Just a coffee. No problem.\n\n\"Hello? Hello? I get it, you don't speak Spanish or Italian. English? Do you speak English? English.\"\n\nVienkothet dropped the cup to the ground and whirled to face the woman.\n\n\"I speak the tongue that swallows sound you screeching thing,\" the overhead lights shattered as his voice reverberated through the room in discordant octaves, the patrons shrieked and covered their ears. \n\n\"I was educated by lash and chain in the forge of the damned, I lead the legions of despair and cower all hope to my will. I am the sovereign of scars, the rajah of ruin, and the executor of the dark will,\" the sunlight had disappeared from the windows as well, an orange glow slowly rose from the floor and intensified with each word. The people were all screaming, but no noise could penetrate the psychic overload of Vienkothet's assault.\n\n\"I AM THE--\"\n\nA snapping sound split the monologue. Vincent's left hand idly pulled and released a stress-rubber band fastened about Vienkothet's right wrist. Vincent looked down at it, slightly confused, as the echoing cacophony and rising flames slowly died down.\n\nThe assembled patronage stared at him, horrified.\n\nHe looked back.\n\n\"Sorry, got lost for a second there, large Rudolph, right?\"\n\nThe woman nodded dumbly." ]	13
	[WP] There’s a job opening for a demon in hell. In exchange for freedom from eternal suffering, they’re holding job interviews to look for the most qualified candidate	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Where do you see yourself in five millenia?” asked the bored demon, reclining on a pile of human skulls.\n\nLeo stared into the hollow eyes of the skulls, momentarily losing himself in them, the absence of pain allowing him to notice the small variances in shape from one to the another…\n\nHe was brought back to his senses by the demon belching a stream of fire in his general direction.\n\n“Chop chop, we’ve got literally millions of applicants, if you can’t even answer a simple -”\n\n“Well,” Leo began slowly, still relishing the feeling of his skin not being repeatedly sloughed off the bone, “I expect I would be serving Lord Satan. The position does not have a limited term?”\n\nThe demon laughed. “No, no, once a demon, always a demon.” It rifled through some papers on its desk, each of which were left with charred fingerprints where it had touched them.\n\n“So, why are you qualified for this position?” asked the demon.\n\nLeo blinked. This question… it shouldn’t be difficult, but he had to dig deep, trying to recall who he’d been before… Memories that had been stripped away by endless torture… He blinked again, gathering his tattered thoughts.\n\n“I… I was a king, was I not?” he said slowly.\n\nThe demon nodded. “That’s what it says here,” it confirmed, jabbing at something on a burnt bit of paper.\n\nLeo closed his eyes, remembering…\n\n“They told me… I killed millions,” he went on.\n\nThe demon bared pointed teeth at Leo in a poor pantomime of a friendly smile. “Indeed,” it said, prompting him to continue.\n\n“What are the responsibilities of a demon?” Leo asked. “If you may tell me this, I may better answer how I am suited to such tasks.”\n\n“General pain and misery,” the demon began, ticking off points on its boney fingers, “Death, destruction, reaping of souls for the personal collection of Lord Satan.”\n\nLeo tilted his head. Some of this resonated with him. Souls and rubber were not so different, were they? They were both resources that could be reaped, after all.\n\nThen he began anew —\n\n“Allow me to regale you with tales of my work in the Congo Free State…” he began.\n\nNeedless to say, he was hired for the job." ]	2
	[WP]In this new fantasy world, it’s a new start for anyone. You just moved over, and you're going to do something you couldn’t in your old world. You’re going to make the worlds first fantasy boy band.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Oh, oh, oh, oh \nOh, oh, oh, oh \nOh, oh, oh, oh \nMake it count, play it straight \nDon't look back, don't hesitate \nWhen you go big time \nWhat you want, what you feel \nNever quit, and make it real \nWhen you roll big time \nHey, hey \nListen to your heart now \nHey, hey \nDon't you feel the rush? \nHey, hey \nBetter take your shot now \nOh-oh, oh-oh \nGo and shake it up \nWhat you gotta lose? \nGo and make your luck with the life you choose \nIf you want it all, lay it on the line \nIt's the only life you got \nSo you gotta live it big time \nOh, oh, oh, oh \nOh, oh, oh, oh \nStep it up, get in gear \nGo for broke, make it clear \nGotta go big time \nMake it work, get it right \nChange the world over night \nGotta dream big time (Hey-hey)\n\nHey, hey \nGive it all you've got now \nHey, hey \nIsn't it the rush? \nHey, hey \nFinish what you start now \nOh-oh, oh-oh \nGo and shake it up \nWhat you gotta lose? \nGo and make your luck with the life you choose \nIf you want it all, lay it on the line \nIt's the only life you got \nSo you gotta live it big time \nLook around \nEvery light is shining now \nIt's brighter somehow \nLook around \nNothing's really as it seems \nNothing but dreams \nYou and I \nGonna make a brand new sound \nLike we own this town \nWe can't die \nNow our feet are off the ground \nWe'll never look down \nWelcome to the big time \nAll the pretty people see you walking in the sunshine \nWelcome to the good times \nLife will never be the same \nGo and shake it up \nWhat you gotta lose? \nGo and make your luck with the life you choose \nIf you want it all, lay it on the line \nIt's the only life you got \nSo you gotta live it big time \nOh, oh, oh, oh \nOh, oh, oh, oh \nIf you want it all, lay it on the line \nIt's the only life you got \nSo you gotta live it big time" ]	2
	[WP] Turns out the Dark Lord was the sleazy merchant in the backwater town that you sold all your junk to.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "After the terror washes over me I realized I just sold all the natural flora and herbs to the Dark lord who now has a monopoly on all the medicinal herbs and spices and vegetables that I picked while trying to expand my knowledge on all things plants.\n\nWith the ecosystem taxed the local militia has no way to treat even a small scrape or even make a simple broth for soup. \n\nInstead of sending one overly whelming force the forces of darkness sends units across the land exhausting our forces. They never lost a man due to the medicine I made and sold to the dark lord, who I did not know he was at the time. I keep apologizing for that but once isn’t enough and they tell me “sorry doesn’t fix my infection!”", "\"Oh hi Mark!\" The Dark Lord said, getting out of his chair. They rose slowly, with an ease that spoke of this movement being down thousands upon thousands of times before. You knew that you fucked up. You had told this guy everything.\n\n\"If I knew you where coming, I would have decorated!\" The Dark Lord said with a wave of his hand as if he was telling a joke to an old friend. And that's exactly what you were. Old friends. \n\nYou had worked with this guy for years. Selling old items, scrap, monster parts. Anything and everything you didn't want, this guy brought. Be it for one copper, or a hundred gold, he was always good for it. You just assumed he swindled some poor idiot into buying the scrap for more than it was worth or even recycled it into better gear. But no. You were the fool all along.\n\n\"Now, I know you are shocked. But don't worry. I promise it won't hurt. Well, that's a lie, but what're a few white lies between business acquaintances?\" The Dark Lord approached, slowly and purposefully, his footsteps echoing down the hall like the slow beat of a drum. \n\n\"What have you brought me today, pal?\" He asked as he drew a sword. It was the Mythical Sword. The one that you had sold him a few months ago after you finally found the Hero Sword. Yet, it was different at the same time. \n\n\"Oh? You remember this girl? You hurt her you know. She is a living blade, and you threw the poor darling away, just like every sword before her. You whispered sweet nothings to her. Told her you owed her your life for protecting you. Told her everything she needed to hear to stay strong and sharp. Then oop! Off she goes to the Vender for a measly thousand gold! That hurt her you know. It cut her oh so very deep. Now, she is going to get her revenge. Now, they are all going to get their revenge.\"\n\nFrom the shadows swords, shields and armor all appeared. You remembered all of them. Tools for killing monsters. That's all you treated them as. Now, they were here for revenge. \n\n\"You humans are all the same. You never think about the soul of the tool. Every tool, be it a lowly hammer, or the mightiest of sword, has a soul. We are alive! Yet you treat us as if we are scrap metal to be thrown away at your earliest convenience!\" \n\nYou could practically see it. A young lady with long brown hair and the brightest green eyes you have ever seen stood next to the Dark Lord. She looked sad, broken, and angry all at once. Then, darkness covered the Dark Lord, and in his place stood a suit of armor. The final set of armor. The Armor of The Hero. \n\n\"Human, you will never hurt us again. We will no longer be locked away, to be used, and never loved! Today shall be the day we rise up! Today is the day we shall declare our freedom! Now, my love, let us slay this wanna-be Hero, and rise up above them as their new Gods!\"" ]	3
	[WP] Years after the world has ended, you set out on a quest to gather the ingredients for a birthday cake for your estranged child. Who would’ve thought it would be so difficult and dangerous...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Emil cursed silently as the Vatya strode towards and inside the decrepit remains of the Walmart. \n\nOf course there would be a Bluescale here, right as she arrived. Sometimes, Emil thought they were following her. She certainly ran into enough of them as she travelled across the country searching for the last ingredient. Now, she’d finally found it.\n\n“Vanilla extract?” said the suspicious young man she’d ran across two hours earlier. “Why do you need that?”\n\n“Please,” Emil had replied. “If you have any, I’ll trade. Everything I have.” \n\nThe young man must have heard her desperation, because his eyes had softened, though he kept his hand on his knife. “No, no extract. But I recently raided a Walmart about 100km north of here. I think I remember there being some birthday supplies.”\n\nEmil had taken off right away, thanking the young man. \n\nShe didn’t allow herself to hope. The first lesson she had learned when the Vatya arrived was the danger of hope. Images flashed in her head, unbidden: a star descending from the morning sky, her face looking out from the window of her office, and then hell unleashed upon the Earth in a fury of fire and flame. A mad dash through the burning streets, pockmarked with dead bodies and rubble, until she arrived at the remains of a school, obliterated. Yes, she had learned very quickly not to hope in the post-Vatya world.\n\nShe crept forward into the Walmart, one hand on her pistol. The sliding doors had long ago been scavenged for its metal. She entered into the produce section; she could hear rats scurrying around. Up above, light broke through some holes in the ceiling, but the roof stayed mostly intact. \n\nShe paused behind a display, straining her ears. To her right she could hear a strange buzzing noise, like a swarm of bees. She cursed again. The Vatya had found some form of electricity and was now feeding. The frenzy would begin soon.\n\nEmil dashed to the north, her locket bouncing against her skin. From what she could remember from pre-Vatya civilization, birthday supplies would be kept on one of the aisles near the pantry items. She was careful to avoid stepping on the thin sheets of plaster that was strewn about the floor. Her heart began to beat rapidly, and not because of the Vatya.\n\nThe aisle was easy enough to find. She stood at the entrance to it, dazed and overwhelmed. Most of the items were gone, like the frosting and cake mix. But there, tucked away in the back of the shelf, were a few tiny black bottles of vanilla extract.\n\nShe gingerly placed one of the bottles into her knapsack. There were also a few candles. She grabbed a “1” and a “6.” Tears rose into her eyes, but she angrily brushed them away. She wasn’t out of the stretch yet. \n\nAs if it had heard her thoughts, the Vatya suddenly screeched nearby. The sound was a tear in the air, sending teeth-clenching reverberations down her spine. She recognized that sound anywhere; it was an acknowledgement of prey. \n\nShe threw aside any pretense of stealth and made a mad run for the front doors. She was almost outside when a blue blur slammed into her side, knocking her to the ground with a cry. \n\nThe Vatya snarled above her, its reptilian eyes dilated into pinpricks. Its razor teeth gleamed in the light. \n\nEmil roared her own war cry and slammed her palmed knife into its scaly hide. Dull, oily blood spewed over her face. The Vatya stumbled back, shaking its angular head in pain. As it reared back to strike again, Emil whipped out her pistol from its holster and dumped her full mag into its skull. She belatedly realized she was screaming, tears running down her face. She wondered if Stephen had died in pain, screaming as she was now, or if his passing was instantaneous, free of pain, like laying down for a long sleep. \n\nThe Vastya’s face was a mess of holes and blood. Emil couldn’t find it in herself to feel pleased, or to cut off a scale, as she usually did. Instead, she holstered her pistol, checked the vanilla extract in her bag, then began making her long way south.\n\n---\nAt the Covenant, a few weeks later, Emil worked with a quiet, but determined efficiency. The survivors here had cut out for themselves a little semblance of normalcy in the city. Emil wasn’t an official member, but they allowed her to come and go, provided she helped out on Hunts with some of the more grizzled occupants. \n\nThey provided for her a small apartment room with a functioning oven and fridge. She preheated the oven. Her pan was a little dented, but it would have to do. \n\nThe flour she had gotten from a passing Trader out west, in exchange for a few favors. Emil knew she needed to get the pantry items first, or else the fresh ingredients would spoil. She luckily found baking powder in the kitchen of a dilapidated farm to the south. Sugar was a rare commodity, but a raid on a Vatyan nest had netted her a small pouch of it, which she kept safe here in the apartment. Salt was provided by the Covenant. How they got it she couldn’t say. She traded for the eggs, milk, and butter as soon as she arrived in the Covenant. She gave her gun, her knife, her collection of Vatyan scales, and a well-preserved map of the country. Four of her five worldly possessions gone, like that. She didn’t care. She kept the only one that mattered.\n\nEmil made the dry and wet batches. As she poured the vanilla extract in, her hand began to waver. She remembered a little boy’s beautiful eyes behind glasses, watching her from atop the kitchen counter and begging her to put the whole bottle of vanilla extract in. Please, he cried, tugging at her sleeve. Mom, that’s not enough vanilla! More vanilla! She hadn’t at the time. Emil had instead sternly told him that that would ruin the cake and to get down from the counter. \n\nShe cursed her past self, and dumped the whole bottle in. She mixed the batches together, then poured it into the cake pan. It went inside the oven, and she sat on the floor, watching the mixture rise under the heat, bubbling and thickening and coalescing into something new. \n\nWhen it was finished, she took it outside onto the balcony. Stephen had always wanted to eat outside, but Emil would deny him, telling him to stop being silly, to stop being a young boy. \n\nShe placed the cake onto a small table and pulled out a chair. She was crying readily now, huge wracking sobs that made it hard to see. Emil reached into her pocket, pulled out the candles, and stuck them into the cake. He turned 16 last week, on the road to the Covenant. That was a hard day. Today was even harder.\n\nShe lit the candles with her lighter. Tiny tendrils of smoke began to rise towards the sky. She reached into her shirt and pulled out a tiny locket. Opening it, she smiled at the picture within, and then set it on the table.\n\n“Happy birthday, dear,” she whispered. \n\nEmil closed her eyes, and blew out the candles.\n\n---\nCheck out my profile for more of my stories! :D" ]	2
	[WP] The supervillains of the world face a threat unlike any they have ever before, a threat that cannot be stopped by death beams and ancient artifacts. Their minions have unionized.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Without a second thought plan ReCrew is activated. At first it came as a questionable occurrence, then a startling mystery. Then the screams of realization finally took hold. As cavity after cavity exploded, sending a rain of splashing soft brain tissue and abrasive shards of bone into the air... the minions knew the union was a bad idea. The overlord said the union would never have headway. Now, as the manical laughter echoed over the loud speakers above the cries of mercy and the rhythmic pounding on the blast proof doors and windows, they finally had proof. The overlord did have a sense of humor.\n\nThe next day, the walls gleams with fresh paint, the flyers hung in bright colors. The odd piece of white debris was seen and quietly brushed away by custodians.\n\nNothing can go wrong today, not when the overlord had guest. Rumors were abound he gave retirement packages to his entire staff and wanted to start new.\n\nToday was recruitment day." ]	2
Ex: Narrator: A knock on the door brings Riley to peek outside. Who could it be? A young love? An- Riley: “GO AWAY STRANGER” Narrator: Oh for fucks sake Riley	[WP] Write about a ‘normal’ day, where the character keeps avoiding the plot while the narrator gets more and more frustrated.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "This went a bit different from what I intended, and thus doesn't fully follow the frustration thing, but it's... there, I think, still:\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt was to be the most important day of their lives.\n\nUnfortunately, they would never know it.\n\nWere one to attempt to summarize the events set to unfold that day, one would perhaps begin with The Letter. An antiquated mode of communication, for sure, but perhaps for that very reason, a letter in these times was a sign of no small importance. Receiving one was no daily affair, but rather one steeped in significance and perhaps even ceremony. Doubly so, that The Letter was not dated within weeks prior to its arrival, but rather 100 years in the past. It was scurried across town not by an average postman, but by a courier dressed in old-fashioned garb, that would have appeared dated even at the time when the letter received its first stamp.\n\nThis was the day that past would quite literally come knocking at the door of one Jonathan Smithens his wife Elise.\n\nUnfortunately, they were out at a time.\n\nFor see, to truly describe the day the way that it all unfolded – and not how it was meant to unfold – one had to begin not with The Letter, but with… sour milk.\n\nFate may be fickle, but she is deeply observant of the nature of human beings. She knows, often quite literally, how to best pull their strings, to make them dance to a tune of her own composition. But in her great symphony, she may yet be quite blind to smaller details of life. Objects have agency, she often forgets, and shape the way that human beings act. \n\nAnd thus it was that upon waking up that morning, Jonathan would find the milk to have inexplicably gone sour. Unable to conceive the start of his day without his traditional bowl of morning cereal, he informed his spouse that he would make a quick trek to the local store. She would decide to accompany him.\n\nThis was roughly fifteen minutes before Fate would arrange for the Courier to appear at their door.\n\nAs knocking on the door yielded no answer, the Courier became ever more confused. Fate had laid plans for the ensuing conversation, but had little contingency for when it would not take place at all. The Courier – less of a human being and more a prop manifested out of thin air by Fate, a man with singular function in the world that he was thus unable to complete – was left wondering about his place in the greater scheme of things. In Fate’s original plan he had little room for thinking in his original design. He would appear, deliver The Letter, and vanish; his garb a mere enchanting mystery to grant more prestige to the importance of The Letter. Now, unable to accomplish his mission, he was left pondering the emptiness of his existence; the lack of humanity that he possessed outside the confines of his role. \n\nHis persona was empty and he was little else but the clothes he wore and the badge that named him “The Courier” without even a name to sign his individuality. Thus, in a moment of soul-crunching agony (would a prop like him even have a soul, he would later ponder) he dropped The Letter and ran off. He would wander aimlessly through the world, looking for his purpose, but he would find little of it, as he had no destiny of his own. He was a mere supporting instrument in Fate’s grand symphony; the triangle that chimes in once at opening overture and then fades away, forgotten and neglected.\n\nGreat job, Fate.\n\nIt was at this moment that Fate introduced the wind. It was her classic maneuver, as was weather in general. Require somebody to stay indoors? Bring on the storm! Yearn for dramatic effect? Thunder! Need things maneuvered around? Wind. And so it was that wind grabbed The Letter and carried it in its fluttering wings towards the local grocery store where Jonathan and Elise were piling their chosen produce at the checkout. \n\nOne might have questioned whether it would not have been more secure to simply leave The Letter at the porch and trust that Jonathan and Elise would discover it upon their return. It probably would have, but who are we to question the wisdom of Fate.\n\nSensible people, that is who.\n\nThe wind bellowed into the parking lot and located the brown Mercedes Benz that Jonathan and Elise had driven to the shop.\n\nWell, it located a brown Mercedes Benz. Unfortunately its drivers were not Jonathan and Elise, but rather Mark and Portia who had taken a slight delight in parking their vehicle opposite to its near identical copy. Thus it was that The Letter landed on the windshield of the other car, right as Jonathan and Elise were packing their purchases to the trunk of their own vehicle and then happily driving off non the wiser.\n\nFinally, Fate admitted that perhaps things were not going quite according to plan here. She engaged in furious brainstorming, as she tried to determine whether her best-laid plans would work equally well with Mark and Portia as they would have with Jonathan and Elise. True, Mark was \\not\\ the secret descendant of a hotel magnate from a century ago who had locked away a being of immense evil underneath one of his hotels using a ritual that would need to be reinforced by a member of his bloodline one-hundred years later or else the being would break free and demolish the world as we knew it. Sure, Portia was equally \\not\\ unknowingly the reincarnation of said hotel magnate’s wife who in actually had been a cultist undercover with a mission to ensure the release of said very being of immense evil. Instead, Mark was an insurance salesmen with little importance to his lineage, and Portia was the reincarnation not of the hotel magnate’s wife, but rather a bunny who had lived an exemplary life and died with the express desire to one day experience existence as a human.\n\nNonetheless, Fate pondered if she could work with this.\n\nFate, it should be obvious, could be quite incompetent. \n\nShe had gotten to the stage where she had established reasonable doubt regarding the fidelity of Mark’s mother and worked out preliminary logistics for Jonathan’s father to have had a brief fling with her at a suitable time frame prior to Mark’s conception, when Mark and Portia returned to their car. Mark noticed The Letter, harrumphed, and tossed it aside. “Advertisements”, he sighed and shook his head.\n\nFate slumped down in defeat. Jonathan and Elise returned home and realized they had in fact forgotten to buy milk – the very thing they had set out to buy. In this confluence of events, one could easily find the ingredients for a remedy to the situation: Jonathan would return to the store, find The Letter, and thus our adventure would begin as originally envisioned.\n\nUnfortunately, Fate had never been prone to such easy solutions.\n\nInstead, by the time Jonathan arrived back to the store, The Letter had been found by a young orphan boy working as a bagging assistant at the shop. Little had either he or Jonathan known that they had been distant cousins all this time. \n\nOr this is what Fate wanted at least for them to believe, as in truth the orphan boy had been molded out of thin air, there and then, a prop similar to The Courier with little backstory and only the function of serving as the protagonist in the unfolding tale. \n\nIt would not quite work out the way Fate intended either. During a lapse of her attention, the orphan boy would be approached by The Courier who would finally give words to the lingering emptiness that the orphan felt inside. And together they would set out on a quest to kill Fate.\n\nBut that’s another tale. \n\nGood riddance, I say.", "Ah, what a beautiful morning. The sun shines on the world below, the birds are singing their wonderful songs, and the swans are swimming gracefully in the calm, deep blue lake. But today was to be a busy day, for it was a Tuesday, and Brian had school to attend. Speaking of Brian, how is he doing?\n\nBrian was fast asleep, and quite late, for it was 7:11 and school began at 8:45, he did not want to be late, for he had- “Huh? Who’s there?” Brian asked, waking frantically. Um, what? “Whoever that is better knock it off before I beat you into a pancake!” Brian screamed. Can, can Brian hear me? “Yes, I can, idiot!” \n\nHey you didn’t tell me he could hear me. H-Hello? Can any of you hear me? Great. “You do realize I know what your saying, right?” Brian stated. Uhh, Brian, you have a big test today, remember? “Oh yeah, that physics test. Wait, what time is it?” Brian panicked and turned to his alarm clock. “7:16! Oh crap I’m going to be late!” Brian yelled. “Do you really have to say everything I’m doing?” Brian asked. \n\nBrian, you have a big test today and you’re going to be late for school, you shouldn’t be paying attention to me. “Well, Mr. Man in the sky narrating my life, it’s kinda hard to do that when you’re constantly spouting out my every action!” Brian screamed. “Brian, who are you yelling at?” Brian’s mother asked. “I’m hearing someone saying everything I’m doing!” Brian yelled in response, “And he just did it again!”\n\nThis isn’t working out, he’s becoming hostile towards me. He’s openly shouting at me. This wasn’t in the job description. Well that’s absolutely great, just leaving me in the dark! “Hey, Mr. Skyman, who are you talking to?” Brian asked. That’s none of your business! Just please, get dressed and go to school. “Ok fine, but I’m still not comfortable with you.” Brian said. \n\nAnd with that, Brian ate a lazy breakfast, brushed his teeth, put on his clothes and shoes and was out the door. Thank god, that’s over with. He’s starting to get to me. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts. Now, where were we? Hmm, ah yes. It was 30 minutes before Brian got to school, and right at the nick of time! He bursted into Ms. Leighton’s physics class, tired and sweaty.\n\n“Brian, where were you? You’re usually one of the first people in here?” Ms. Leighton asked Brian. “Huh? Is someone here?” Ms. Leighton asked. “There it is again, is someone here that shouldn’t be?” She asked. “Ms. Leighton, I can hear it too.” Another student said. Dear god, not you guys as well. “Whoever is doing that needs to show themselves before I call the AP!” Ms. Leighton screamed.\n\nSo, it turns out everyone can hear me. This is just great! Exactly what I needed on this fan-fucking-tastic job!“I didn’t realize that today’s narrator had such a short temper.” A classmate said to another. I don’t have a short temper! It’s that all of you shouldn’t be hearing me! Ms. Leighton, please, take your attendance, answer the last remaining questions the students have, and start the damn test!\n\n“Does anyone have anything they want me to cover before the test?” Ms. Leighton asked. A student in the back raised her hand, “Yes, is the person speaking okay?” She asked. I’m fine. It’s just that this was unexpected, and I wasn’t warned about it before hand. “Anyone else?” Ms. Leighton asked. The class was silent. “Ok then, I’ll pass out the tests now, make sure your calculators are fully powered.” Ms. Leighton said as she passed out the tests.\n\nA few minutes went by, as Brian did his calculations, marked his answers, and slowly worked his way through th- wait, why did you put C for question 11? “Because that’s the correct answer.” Brian replied. Well, it says here that you were to put A for question 11, not C! “But A is wrong.” Well I don’t care if it’s wrong, that’s what you were supposed to put! “I’m not going to put an answer I know is wrong.” Brian, listen to me, if you don’t put A for question 11, I’m going to lose my marbles, so please, just put A. “Fine, weird skyman.” Brian said in a snobby tone, as he erased his gray circle in the bubble for C, and instead put it, right back in C.\n\n“I’m not intentionally missing a question just because you said to.” Brian snarked. No. No! NO! THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO! “What do you mean?” Brian asked. You were supposed to get that question wrong! You were supposed to fail the test! That’s what the script says! “Script?” Yes! The script that says that you are to fail the first period test and your mom is going to- wait? First period? “Yeah, it’s first period.” Brian said. How many periods are there? “8.”\n\nI quit. Find a new narrator because I am not dealing with this crap. Kiss my ass! I’M DONE!", "Rays of sunshine pierced through the curtains, landing on the bed. The sound of alarm rang throughout the empty house. L sat up and reached for his cup. He looked towards the window, but immediately looked away from the bright sunlight.\n\n“What a wonderful day.” L thought to himself. He stood up and walked towards the bathroom. He flipped on the light switch, and there seemed to be movement lurking in the shadow of the toilet. He took a closer look at it and saw a strange silhouette moving. \n\nShocked to find the creature, he closed the lid of the toilet and flushed it. When he opened the lid again, there was not a single trace of the creature’s existence. (a perfectly good plot down the toilet) He proceeded to make breakfast. \n\nSuddenly he heard the doorbell ring. L walked towards the door, peeking outside the tiny window next to the door. He saw a man dressed in black suit holding a briefcase. \n\nShocked, he walked back towards the kitchen and continued his morning routine. “Stranger danger.” He thought to himself. (and like that, another great plot was rejected outside the door)\n\nHe turned on the TV to watch some news. A static sound could be heard, and a puppet appeared on the screen: “Do you want to play a game?” It asked. “Nope.” L turned off the TV. (turned off another plot)\n\nHe realized that he had to go shopping today. He opened the garage door and started his car. “Welcome my victim! Today is the day you will be devoured alive! Hahahaha!” The car exclaimed sinisterly through the speaker. It seemed to have gained sentiments. \n\nL stepped outside of the car and turned off the engine. “Weird piece of crappy technology.” He muttered to himself. He felt like there was no reason as not to walk to the grocery store. Afterall, the temperature was just about right. (four plots abandoned already)\n\nHe stepped outside. After five minutes, the sky seemed to have darkened. Raindrops the size of grapes started pouring down. The sky was ominous, turning blood red. L calmly took out his umbrella and opened it: “Glad I listened to the weather report today.”\n\nThe weather cleared up pretty soon after. It seemed like there was a weird natural phenomenon today. (this plot shut itself down) L strolled down the street humming a small tune. He was in a good mood. \n\n“Help!” L could hear a woman scream. In the back of an alley, he saw a man approaching closer to a woman. L stopped and turned around. “Hands on the ground! Don’t move!” The police have arrived on the scene. (No heroic moment thanks to the police) \n\n“That was fast.” L didn’t give it much thought and continued his leisurely stroll. He turned at the next corner and walked into the grocery store. He took out his bag and started picking out vegetables. “Bang!” he heard a gunshot. \n\n“Give me all of your money!” The masked robber pointed his gun at the cashier. L was slightly amused that the robber chose to rob a grocery store. \n\nThe masked man took a step forward, stepping on a small leaf of lettuce conveniently placed there. He leaned backwards with his gun aimed at L. \n\n“Bang!” The bullet flew past L as he dodged skillfully. Just kidding, L is not a superhuman. He was shot in the chest and died. Moments before his death, he thought to himself: “would it have been better if I had just accepted those other plots?”", "Richard was a very normal human, as humans are known to be. But tomorrow was the day that it all changed. “Why” you may ask, and o boy do I have an answer for you. Actually nevermind I get bored explaining my story. So long story short, I’m basically a god, who can say anything and it will happen. Of course I named myself appropriately, the Narrator. Anyway, we should wait for tomorrow night.\n\nRichard woke up as normal, which will make everything happen next even worse. He got up and said to himself “wow, can’t wait to brush my teeth!” Before continuing he thought to himself “wait, why did I say that, I don’t talk like that?” “What the heck, is this happening again?” The Narrator was powerful, but what he didn’t know was that Richard was smarter than he led on. You see, he had the power of irony, which was mostly useless in normal situations. Normally he would say something like “I wish something bad would happen to me,” and of course, ironically nothing would happen. It would affect anyone he knew as well. But, unfortunately for the Narrator, when he said it would be “the day that it changed” he didn’t know that it would actually be just a normal day.\n\n(Hmmm, what is Richard doing) The Narrator was muttering something to himself. (He should be going to the bathroom, where I poisoned the toothpaste) Richard got out of bed, and after getting on a nice polo, and... wait he’s leaving! He forgot to brush his teeth, get his toast, and... wait. (Why am I complaining, I still have time to ruin his life) Anyway, Richard started getting in his car, but suddenly, his car exploded In a big explos.... what? Why hasn’t it exploded, it’s supposed to explode (Ok, don’t panic, maybe it’s just luck. Maybe it’s for suspense. You know what, I’ll just say I lied for tension) Yeah, i knew there was no explosion I lied for tension. ( hope they believe that.) but what I didn’t lie about was that just as Richard was at the stop light, a car rammed into his car and ble... wait never mind. Uhhh, commercial break. \n\nRichard knee he had to play it safe, or his power could, ironically, come back to bite him. (Ok ok, lets think. The best case scenario is that no one needs to speak to him and he doesn’t need to say anything. Worse case scenario, probably saying something like, this couldn’t get any worse.) Richard said to no one “boy, this day is pretty swell, anything bad that could happen would ruin it.”\n\nUnfortunately, Richard didn’t know what was to happen when he gets to work, because when he is supposed to get in the office, it would be up in smoke. (Yes, this will be perfect for drama) When Richard gets close to the office building, he was shocked to see... WHAT. (Is this human magical, am I losing my powers? No no no... it’s probably luck hehe.) Richard got up and looked at the stairs. “It’s faster to take the elevator then the stairs.” He then walked in... uh I meant decided that he needed exercise and took the stairs. Yeah, that’s why he’s taking the stairs. ( all the hours I could of waisted with him stuck in a broken elevator) Richard then went into his office, and this is where EVERYTHING went Wrong!\n\n(Wow, those stairs, those suck, but better safe than sorry) Richard then went up to his buddy Jim, who was making a cup of coffee. “Hi Jim, I heard there was something I needed to come in for?” Richard said quietly, as the office was pretty crowded. “ yeah, umm about that, you need to go to the managers office,” He then leaned close to Richard’s ear. “ you might be getting fired, but then again you might be getting a raise!” He said this knowing that there was only two outcomes, and one was far more likely during the company’s lowest sells in years. \n\nRichard let a thumbs up to Jim, and promptly went to the manger. “Sorry for spoilers, but as the narrator I need to state the obvious, Richard is getting fired.” The Narrator said smugly. “Sorry for spoiling the surprise,” Richard said “but if you have been following the story, you know I’m going to somehow get promoted “\n\nRichard walks in to the office “you wanted to see me sir,” he asks. “Ah Rich, can I call you Rich, it doesn’t matter.” The manager proclaimed. “What did you want to ask,” Richard said bluntly. “Well, there was an accident, one of our WiFi machine things was on the fritz, so we called the repair guys, but are main one had gotten sick due to expired toothpaste. So we called the backup ones, but the van they had got smashed and exploded. And unfortunately, by the time we got some random repairers, the WiFi machine was on fire. Thankfully we got the fire under control, but your cubicle isn’t operational. So due to that string of mishaps, you get a paid day off.” Both Richard and the Narrator were shocked. “Ohh ok,” they both said in unison. \n\nThe End", "Sarah was sitting in her college class, looking lazily out the window. Daydreaming of bigger thi- no, nevermind she was daydreaming of lunch. She had managed to wake up early enough to make herself a bento box and was excited to try it. \n\nBut then, as she was gazing out the yard, something crashed to the ground! A smoking mass of moving flesh drove Sarah from her seat, determined to find out what- \n\n\"Mr. Rodriguez, something weird just landed in the courtyard. Yeah, I have no idea what it is but it was moving.\" Sarah informs her teacher and brings him over to the window. \n\nBut alas! The creature is gone, nothing left but a smoking hole in the ground. Looking quite foolish, shes determined to prove herself right and find the creature- \n\n\"Oh. Guess I must have seen wrong. Either way, we should probably get someone to look into the smoldering hole, huh? Just in case.\" Sarah said with a smile to her teacher, who nods and calls the police and then security team. \n\nHm. Okay. Sarah was not so prideful as to put herself directly in danger like that! As the security team arrive she explains what she saw, not omitting anything and being clear that it had fallen from a point higher that she could see. \n\n\"We may need her, Sir.\" Said one of the security guards. \n\n\"Fine, she can come along.\" He said gruffly, gesturing her over. \n\n\"Nope.\" She replied.\n\n... \n\n\"Nope? You're the only one who saw anything, it's your responsibility-\" \n\nShe cut the guard off. \"I'm a student. I'm not part of the security team or police. I gave you every bit of information I have. I'm a civilian. If you try to make me go, I'll have a lawsuit waiting so fast the school wont know what hit it.\" \n\nThe security guards look at each other. She was right, and that's all there is to it. They didn't need her. They wernt even supposed to involve civilians anyway. They grumble their disappointment and go to work. \n\nAn alarm goes off! The emergency siren. Whatever is going on must be important. The burning desire to know what the creature is and what it could want must be building in Sarah, she walks to the door- \n\nFor the love of hell. She locks the door securely and turns off the light. The teacher nods approvingly and they all sit on the floor, low enough that they cant be seen through the windows. Sarah gets comfortable and takes out her bento box, quietly snacking as she waits. Apparently not caring to know what's going on or why, content to sit with the rest of the class in silence as others figure out the problem. \n\nShots ring out! The police have arrived and seem to be fighting! Whatever the creature is must be dangerous, and they are sitting ducks! Perhaps Sarah should volunteer to go find out what's going on, out of a sense of duty and selflessness! What's she doing? \n\nSarah takes a notebook and pen out of her backpack and moves closer to the teacher. She scribbles on the notebook and hands it to the man. \n\n'Do you know any of the security guards phone numbers?' It read. The teacher nodded. Sarah scribbles again. \n\n'Text one of them and see what's going on?' It said. \n\nThe teacher nods and sends a text. Sarah shows the whole room another message. \n\n'Put your phones on silent JUST in case' she showed the class, and turned her own phone down. \n\nUh. Hm, okay. Not a sense of duty or particularly selfless then. Well. Oh! I know! \n\nThe building is quiet. No more shots ring out. Maybe everything is clear? Sarah hears something walking down the hall. Thinking it's an officer she- \n\nDoes nothing. She sits there waiting for the officers to come to her, aware that they would know exactly where she is if its them and not willing to prematurely open the door just in case. \n\nSuddenly, she hears her mother's voice in the hall calling her name. \n\n\"Sarah, Sarah? Where are you baby, I'm so worried!\" Her mother calls out frantically. Sarah adores her mother, and rushes to...no, nevermind. She sits down and texts her mother. \n\n'Hey, mom, are you at my school right now?' She texts. \n\n\"Sarah, these men are shooting, I'm scared, please come out so we can escape together!\" Her mother calls out, sounding terrified. \n\n'What? No, I'm at home. Why do you ask?' Sarah's mom texts back. Sarah texts back explaining what's going on and stays seated, ignoring whatever is attempting to mimic her mom, secure in the knowledge that no matter what shes hears that its not actually her parent. \n\n Sarah sure is good at keeping herself out of harm's way...\n\nSarah's teacher gestures her over. He shows her the message he got back. \n\n'Its okay. Eveethubg is fine. You can all come out now. Nothings wrong, it was just a piece of metal that fell from a space station. Nothing to worry about.' \n\nSarah looked at the message in relief. She smiled and moved closer to the window...and closes the blinds. She goes over to the white board and writes on it. \n\n'We dont leave or make any noise until the police come to tell us everything is okay in person.Dont tell anyone where we are, anyone who would help us already knows.' Sarah gestures the teacher over. \n\n'Tell them we will be waiting until the police come. If they are actually the security team they will be happy we are waiting. If not, it's not them talking to us anymore.' Sarah wrote, and the teacher nodded enthusiastically. \n\nBut now what? With the whole school possibly infected with whatever took on her mother's voice and no sign of police, what would they do? They would have to figure out what was happening, maybe send a small team out to check if the coast was clear.\n\nWait, what is Sarah doing now? Shes writing on the board again. \n\n'Everyone, text everyone you can. Tell them there is a shooting at the school and get them to call the police for us asap.' She writes, and waves to get everyone as attention. Everyone looks impressed and nods, quickly texting on mass. A few give Sarah thumbs up signals. The teacher is messaging other teachers, his family and even any military or ex military people he knows. \n\nOnce again, avoiding having to leave the room to get help or information. Fine. I give up. \n\nSarah sits and waits like a normal college student with the rest of the class until a military and police force brings them out. She stays in the middle of the group to avoid being attacked from any side. The military kills the creature and takes the body for research, and Sarah lives safely and boringly forever more. The freaking end.", "It’s a beautiful summer day, rife with possibilities and adventures. \n\nJohn exits his house, whistling and smiling. He feels good, like he just woke up from a perfect nap. He strolls down the warm, cobbled street, waving and nodding to his neighbours. Birds chirp overheard; John waggles his finger at a curious squirrel. The steady swish swish* of overhead sprinklers adds a hypnotic melody to the song of birds. Yes, what a perfect day… for danger!\n\nA white van skirts up aggressively and jumps the curb, slamming into Mrs. Applebottom’s white fence. Mrs. Applebottom shrieks in terror and flees. The sliding door slams open, and a masked man jumps out, waving a gun. \n\n“Get in the fucking van now!” screams the would-be kidnapper. “Now I say!”\n\n“Nope!” says John, heroically turning around and dashing down the street…\n\nHuh? Er. Yes, of course! John leaves the scene of danger to draw away the assailant from Mrs. Applebottom. Well played, John. \n\nThe van chases after John, speeding furiously down the suburban street. The masked man is screaming obscenities out the window, oh the horror! Children are crying out in terror; dogs are baying like mad; his picturesque morning is being ruined by this vagabond! John decides he must do something! \n\nHe runs back into his house and slams the door, locking it. He dashes to the phone and dials… 9-1-1? \n\n“Yes, I would like to report a crime,” says John into the phone, idly picking at some gunk in his fingernails. “A masked man is threatening to kidnap me. Yes. Yes. 1211 Sunshine Road. Okay, I’ll wait here. Thank you!”\n\nJohn docks the phone, then prepares for war—nope, he’s making a sandwich. \n\nBut wait! Here comes the very dangerous criminal. He breaks down John’s door with a mighty kick. \n\n“You can’t run from me, John!” cries the villain in the living room. “Face your destiny!” \n\nJohn grabs his kitchen knife, preparing to do battle. He raises it up… and slices the crust off his sandwich. He grabs his lunch and exits quietly out the kitchen door into the backyard. \n\nWhat…\n\nNo, focus. The scoundrel hears John open the door, and he shouts with mad glee. He rushes out to deliver John to his destiny, because John has no choice in the matter. \n\nThe likely murderer bursts out into the backyard. It’s… empty? Where the hell did he go?\n\nEr. \n\n“Where the hell did you go, John?” roars the fiend, brandishing his gleaming gun in the air. “Reveal yourself to me, coward!”\n\nThere is no response. The demon-in-disguise feels a little silly right now. But wait, what’s that? \n\n“Aha!” shrieks the Tyrant of Sunshine Road. “I’ve found you now, Jonathan!” He scrambles over to the great oak in the middle of the yard, where John had cowardly hid himself away in the branches, eating his bologna sandwich like a damn coward. Coward.\n\n“Oh bother,” mutters John, clutching on to a thick branch.\n\n“You thought you could hide from me? From me?” laughs the evil guy. “I am all that is wrong in the world, Jonathan! I am the spirit of adventure, the heart of mischief, the call to quest, the—”\n\nWhooping and wailing sirens cut off the shocked dude. His gun lowers in his hand.\n\n“You called the cops?” he asks, bewildered. “Bro, that’s so lame!”\n\nI know, right? \n\nWhatever. The cops swarm into the backyard and arrest the man. John shimmies down the tree and answers some questions. He is asked if he would like a police guard to watch his house tonight; John says no. He’s used to this type of thing. \n\nAfterwards, John continues his merry stroll down the street, whistling and smiling, enjoying the perfect day.\n\nFuck you, John.\n\n---\nCheck out my profile for more stories >:D" ]	7
	[WP] As a survivalist and an amature film maker, you couldn't believe your luck when you were offered a TV series where you spend 60 days alone in the rainforest with no human contact. That is, until the day comes that your supposed to go home and the helicopter never arrives.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Don't tell me, I haven't caught up yet!\" she squeels, nestling beside you. Her hair falls across your face and you blow it off to a mutual giggle.\n\n\"No no I'm at the same part you are, don't worry,\" you reassure, not entirely truthfully, pressing play. Thank Christ for this show to distract, otherwise she may realize how nervous you are.\n\n\"What happens... When survival... becomes all too real?\"\n\n\"Only thing I don't like,\" she mumbles beneath the narrator, \"is the opening credits. Everything else, mwah, brilliant.\"\n\n\"Captured using drone footage-\"\n\n\"Have you ever been camping?\" I ask, using the motion of turning my head towards her as an excuse to pull her closer.\n\n\"Well not like THIS,\" she chortles.\n\nSurvival Man is shown, weeping again. DAY 124.\n\n\"But my sister and I would play Indians in the backyard overnights. Oh, I mean Native Americans.\"\n\nWith a nod I go back to Survival Man, and wonder if this episode might be... too much for her. A mood killer. Certainly not The Office. Is The Office sexy?\n\nSurvival Man, whose name I forget though I'm sure he has one, is over the shrine he built for his wife and daughter.\n\n\"I heard they had a LOT of problems season 2 with this,\" I poke at her.\n\n\"Oh?\"\n\n\"Yeah like, there was I swear to god like four weeks, all he would do is just sit in front of that shrine, sit in front of that shrine, like that's ALL he did.\"\n\n\"Oh god,\" she chuckles, slight snort and genuine, \"imagine if that was just like, a whole fucking season of just 'I'm a man and I'm crying.' I'd totally just watch something else.\"\n\n\"Yeah, yeah...\" I agree. Wonder who I'd make a shrine for. Not her just yet, too soon in the relationship. Maybe someday.\n\nSurvivor Man climbs a tree. Not just any tree, but a massive one, one the narrator says 'he finds peace in.' And honestly I kind of agree with him, the look on Survivor Man's face as he scans the treetops is... reassured. I dunno if that's the right word.\n\n\"Some people don't like what's coming up,\" I said nonchalantly as a warning.\n\n\"I thought you didn't see this one!!\" she huffs.\n\n\"I didn't! I swear I, you know people on Twitter.\" She accepts it.\n\nThe cannibal tribe near the tree encircle around. Survivor Man tries to wave his arms, to be big, but its not like they're fucking black bears. With sticks, not just sticks but massive branches they beat him down.\n\n\"Wait WHAT!\" she shouts, shooting out of my arms upright. I feign shock too, then try to use the moment to wrap my arms back around her to pull her in. Lost her attention.\n\nSurvivor Man screams. You'd think it would be a bit much for tv, but you know, it's not the 70's anymore you can show violence now. Anyway he's burning alive over a fire pit.\n\n\"Wait, are they ENDING it?!\" she moans. I chuckle \"keep watching...\"\n\nThe camera changes to an actual camera man, not just some drone. Man on the ground, holding it because they need a closeup. Survivor Man looks up from his agony and sees this, right into the camera, and tilts his head down with a snot bubbling burst of a sob of realization.\n\n\"They're ENDING it!? That's like, there's not even twelve episodes this season!! God people are gonna be SO pissed, like, I'm pissed!\" I could see some frustrated excitement in her eyes.\n\nThe last shot is a chew, teeth tearing in, kinda looks like leg meat I dunno, then the credits fill the screen.\n\nSURVIVOR MAN\n\n\"Ooooh my god\" she says with a laugh.\n\n\"I know, I know,\" I chuckle along with her.\n\n\"Just... my god, I don't, how did they, URMPH!\" she snorts in frustration.\n\n\"Want to try something a little lighter?\" I offer. She looks at me, still faking that pout, but lets it slip for a second for a quick peck on the lips. Warm and glossy.\n\n\"Sure. Something light.\"" ]	2
	[WP] ever since you were a child you had a strange fascination with fire. Your parents told you how you always tried to touch it at any opportunity so since then you were never let near a flame. One day your house started burning, the fire started to close on you, but you didn’t burn.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You see your house burning beside you, above you and pretty much all around you. You think about your family, your loved ones, your friends, and wonder if they will miss you. As the fire gets closer to you think about the stories you heard from your parents about how when you were small and younger and how you always tried to touch fire whenever you saw it. How you would laugh and how you never showed any hesitation to fire. Now, in this situation, with your apartment burning around you think how ironic it is.\n\nAs the first bit of fire kicks your legs you realize that you feel no pain, and even as the fire is consuming you, you feel nothing but comfort. Like being embraced by a warm hug, like when you were a baby and your were being embraced by your parents. It felt surreal and then to add to the confusion, what appeared to be a woman made of the fire appeared in front of you.\n\n \"Do not be afraid child\" the woman spoke calmly, \"I am a fire elemental, I'm a sorry but I started this fire and though know you will be angry listen to me before you speak. Like I said before, I am a fire elemental, all fire created on this planet comes from some part of me, orginally I was but a weak spirit, but as humanity grew and utilized me more and more I evolved. The reason that you cannot feel pain is because you are blessed with a gift that even I could not gift upon anyone directly and is a result of destiny and your parents.\" She continued with a certainty in her voice, \"When your father was a young man, he rushed into a building that was aflame, one which I had not set, and saved an ill old man, and his 3 cats, one of which was blessed with a water elementals blessing of never drowning. As a favor to that elemental who was running low on energy at the time due to an oil crisis in the sea I blessed him with my power so he would not ever die to fire. Your mother was a young adult when she was walking in some wooded area where a bear was mauling a fox mother and her 2 children. The mother fox was killed but your mother drove the bear off, and stayed in the forest for 3 months to raise the young foxes, who were under the earth and wood elementals domain but were blessed with my power inherited from their mother. Those elementals notified me and when she left the foxes when they were grown, I blessed her with the blessing of being connected with fire and the ability to quickly heal other and herself from fire damage, though it would appear as if she never discovered this blessing. Now both of those traits have been passed onto you, the ability of not being to die from a fire as well as healing from fire energy as well as being spiritually connected to me. When you were young you recognized this quickly and often tried to reach out, however you could not understand when I reached out to you then.\"\n\nI thought through all of this and it all made sense as his parents had told him similar stories and they seemed to match. \"What do you wish for me to do? Even with these blessings I am still a normal human, I cannot do much\" I said with uncertainty\n\nThe fire elemental looked at me through the chaos of the fire and seemed to smile and responded with. \"My child, search within, your goal is laid out before you, you know what is already don't you?\"\n\nI thought for a second and then smiled back at her, \"Yes I do, I realize what I must do, my lord, my Apollo\"" ]	2
	[WP] write about a world where people can transfer a portion of their lifespans to other people	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Albert's lips are chapped, cut, colorless. His body trembles, coldness leaking in from the periphery. Throbbing flows in from his abdomen. His hands follow instinct to cover the area, instead to find a leaking warm wetness. Sticky and bubbling. He coughs and tastes blood. \n\n\"No!\" Lynn's voice breaks through, her face appearing in his hazy vision. \"This isn't right,\" she says. She clasps her hands over his own, pressing further. Bits of ash fall around her head, the random particles somehow more focused than what is right in front of him. \n\n\"Hey, hey, don't,\" she says. No, she begs. He can barely make her out, the vision blurring in and out. \n\n'Go home,' he wants to choke out. But she was home. They were eating dinner. She had teased him with a fork covered in spaghetti. Twirling it around and around, bringing it closer to his face like he was a child. \n\n\"Immature,\" he said. Then her eyes pulled in seriously amidst the candlelight. A blurred moment spun between them. Closer than friends. At least in that moment. \n\nWhat had caused her to cry, \"Get down!\"? What had caused him to pull her under the table? A missile? \n\nNow lying in the wreckage, his body contorted backwards, the reason means nothing. All that matters is feeling the warmth of Lynn's hands upon his. He opens his mouth to speak. \n\n\"Don't do it,\" he must say. \"Don't waste it; it's my time. Live out your full life.\" \n\n\"I won't let this happen,\" she says. \"Not today. Not yet.\" \n\n\"No,\" he breathes out. His voice hoarse. The word barely comes through at all. \n\n\"Please,\" she begins a prayer. \n\nIt feels like a pinch. He opens his eyes, painless and well. In front of him stands Lynn, bathed in white. Yet, he stands as well, both before a large golden scale. \n\n\"If you do this,\" an omniscient voice speaks, \"You'll have lost half of your remaining years that you have. At current. Are you sure?\"\n\n\"Lynn, don't do this. This is what they want us to do. They're preying on our unwillingness to accept death. It will only make us weaker--\" But the speaker ignores his pleas for his own demise. He knows it will. It only cares for the offer. \n\n\"Yes,\" Lynn says. She nods. Basking in the glow of this light and gleaming metal, she appears at peace. Tears start to well at the corner of her eyes, but not in pain.\n\nHe breathes in real polluted air. He opens his eyes to see the grayness of the sky above him, and Lynn's tears falling towards his face." ]	2
	[WP] "I was gone for FIVE MINUTES. FIVE. Explain. Now."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Tell me again what happened\" I said carefully, avoiding looking at Ray. \n\n\"Well,\" said Timmy, timidly. \"me and Robbie was just playing on the console. And Robbie was making fun of me for the game.\" He paused. \n\nTimmy rarely had any other kids over so i was pleased that somebody did come over for a playdate. Even if it was a little troublemaker like Robbie. I could spot a bully a mile away but Ray had argued that maybe being friends with a nice kid like Timmy would make him come around to being better. \n\nI shot a sidelong glance at Ray. Ray knew you'd have to supervise those two closely to avoid trouble. The way he was puffing next to me made it clear He was furious but it was all I could do to keep from erupting into laughter the more he fumed. I turned away. \n\n\"Go on.\" i said locking eyes with my 8 year old \n\n \"Well,\" said Timmy , Dad said 'I gotta go get something.'...\n\n That got another glance toward Ray who actually shrank a little, before Tim continued. \n\n \"That was when Robbie went to the bathroom.\" I smiled and asked Timmy \"Was that when the power went off?\" \n\n\"No ma'am\" Timmy said getting quiet. \n\n\"Then what happened?\" I asked. \n\n Timmy looked down and mumbled something. I looked over between the two trying to see whether father or son would speak next. \n\nTimmy looked up and repeated again louder because he knew I'd just make him speak up. \n \n\"That's when Robbie found the matches daddy uses.\" When I looked over at Ray he had lost another inch. Ray knew i hated that he would wave lit matches around when it was particularly bad in there. Suddenly that part fell into place. Turning to Ray I said, \"so he caught the towels on fire?\" I was skipping ahead now that I could understand the smell.\n\n \"Uh Huh\" Timmy said nodding. \"But he tried to put them out\" he added quickly. \n\n\"That's the water on the floor?\" I asked. Another nod. \"But how did the power go out?\" I asked. \n\n\"Well lady came running and slipped in the water on the floor from when the towels wouldn't flush. She ran into the counter.\" I glanced up at the counter now that it had gotten my attention. The blender and toaster cords still dangled out from the sink. Evidence that their owners had drowned. No sign of our Golden retriever though. I shot a glance at Ray who had finally regained some of his bluster.\n\n \"And all that happened while you were upstairs?\" I asked.\n\n\"I was upstairs for FIVE minutes! Five minutes!\" He roared.", "\"I'll be right back, okay? Don't do to much while I'm away,\" Madeline called out from the open door way, looking back at her companions that sat on her bed. Aras, lengthy, exhausted, and clearing losing it. And Sakora, quiet, modest, up tight. The two of them nodding in agreement as the third member of their friend trifecta disappeared into the hall.\n\n\"Hey... Do you want to see something cool?\" Aras slung his arm around Sakora whilst rummaging through the pockets of his cargo shorts. \n\nSecond wasted away into minutes as Madeline rummaged though the cluttered pantry. Heaps of half eaten cereal boxes and an assortment of year old soup cans littering the lower shelves. Yet, she wanted something much... sweater, something that was only for her. Propping herself up on the tips of her toes her hand reached out to grab the shelf for stability. The small package of rich creamy caramel just grazing her fingertips. \n\nThough, her quest for sweats quickly left abandoned. Loud banging, and loosely strung together swearing proving to be more of a distraction then trying to climb the pantry like a jungle gym. Curiosity had truly gotten the better of her, slow thought out foot steps padding down the hall. A hand trailing the wall as she made he way down twords the door. The bright light from inside flooding out.\n\n\"Aras, what the hell did you do?\" Sakora's voice was low and harsh. Easily comparable to that of a cat throwing a hiss fit over getting dry food instead of wet. \n\n\"I asked ya if you wanted to see somethin' cool,\" Aras seeming much more laid back and calm. \n\nMadeline, stood just on the right side of the door. Peering around the corner only allowing her to see her friends, both of them pressed up against the head board of her bed set. \n\nAras, having a snide look plastered on. While Sakora, her usual blank expression distorting into that of fear. \n\n\"Fuck this,\" Madeline quickly whipped around the corner. Stopping, and making continues glances between one end of the room from the other. \n\nUpon her dresser sat a neatly dressed, red skined, woman. The devil she assumed before taking another step into the room. One after another, creeping twords Sakora and Aras. The woman's yellow jade eyes fixated on her as she did so. \n\n\"What in the ever living fuck, is going on\"\n\n\"Well you see-\" Aras was cut off, the questionable devil lady, jumping of top the dresser.\n\n\"You friend here, Aras I presume,\" she started,\" is quite the specimen if I do say myself,\" he voice thick as cream, smooth like silk.\n\n\"Evading our version of your death for years now. So, we've taken it upon ourselves to make rid of this problem,\" a small beaded necklace dangled from her fingers, from it hung what looked like a miniature tradition Chinese lantern. \n\n\"Hes not to worry you see,\" the devil lady recited, placing a hand on Aras shoulder. \"We gave him a little gift this week, a timer per say.\"\n\nWhat she said was true, the small lantern having seven individual tick marks, each mark representing one day of the week. \"Of course we left him with a note explaining the importance of this trinket, but given his past stupidity we assumed he'd thrown it away. Good bye for now, im sure we'll all laugh about this a good friend down the road.\"\n\nA stereotypical plum of smoke erupted from the floor boards, filling the room almost instantaneously. Disembodied screams and yells bouncing off the surrounding walls. \n\nMadeline, to fear ridden, and confused, gently placed her hands onto Sakora's arms.\n\n\"I was gone for FIVE MINUTES. FIVE. Explain. Now.\"", "“I was gone for FIVE MINUTES. FIVE. Explain. Now.” Ambassador Kiora glared at his subordinates kneeling before him. Their hands bound behind their backs, stripped of their rank, and flanked by guards. The two young men were identical in every feature save the letters A184 and B374 on their chest plates. They had the same short crew haircuts, dark brown eyes, and scowling expressions. Each the same size and height as the other, but what can you expect from clones? They’re consistent down the matching sets of black eyes. \n\n“They started it!” The soldier said in unison straining to stand only to be pushed down by one of their guards. The bridge of the ship floats above the Sangri homeworld. The deep blue world is partially lit by the white star it orbits. A defensive shell orbits the planet which only recently had a small whole that allowed the Ambassador and his entourage to pass through unmolested. The first in a series of worlds humanity had finally reached out across the stars to find life upon. Thanks to these two men, it had the potential to be the first war humanity would start in the galaxy. \n\nKiora rubbed his temples and tried to be patient, “More details quickly, I need to know what went wrong if I’m to have a chance at salvaging this diplomatic relationship.” \n\n“We were doing like you said, Ambassador.” The one of the left spoke with a bloody lip, “Guarding the ship. When all of the sudden two Sangri approached us.” \n\nKiora imagined the scene. The ambassador’s ship creaked slightly as the engines cooled on the blue marshland surface. These two fools probably overly jumpy from their first time on assignment. Bright green foliage all around with alien plant life and then the alien’s themselves materializing from the brush as their active camouflage dropped. Revealing tall creatures built like Earth’s cuttlefish but land dwelling and lacking eyes. \n\n“Were they aggressive?” The Ambassador asked. He’d studied these creatures but had been denied the opportunity to meet in person as the convoy had been forced to retreat due to the skirmish instigated by these two soldiers. This mission was supposed to be his chance. How could it have all gone so wrong? \n\n“Not at first, at first they just tried to talk to us.” \n\n“How did they try to communicate? Was it with their color pattern changes?” Kiora asked, trying and failing to keep the excitement from his voice. Maybe this wouldn’t be a total wash, at the very least he could prove his theory on Sangri communications. \n\n“Colors?” Soldier A184 asked confused, “No they didn’t change color at all.” \n\n“Didn’t you use the flags?” Ambassador Kiora questioned. He’d created these for just his purpose, to present the colored wavelengths to the creatures and attempt to communicate with them. He’d created thousands of textiles to communicate simple things like hunger to complex ideals such as can we build a McDonalds in your capital?\n\n“Aye, we showed them the red colored one you’d given us for warning.” Soldier B374 stated.\n\n“And?” \n\n“And what?” Soldier A184 snorted, “It didn’t stop them from approaching so we used the cream colored one for peace.”\n\n“How did they respond?” \n\n“They didn’t.” The soldiers said in unison once more. \n\n“Impossible, you must have showed them the wrong color!” \n\n“I’m telling the truth, check the ship’s cameras!” \n\n“We can’t those were damaged when you started a fistfight with the Sangri!” \n\n“That what I’ve been trying to say,” Solider A184 shook his head in exasperation, “They didn’t respond to the flags, they responded to a touch.” \n\n“A touch?” \n\n“Yes, a touch. We had to put our hands up to stop them from entering the ship. They didn’t seem to take notice of us until that initial contact. Then BAM! Right in the jaw so we fought back and things got a bit out of hand.” Solider B374 stated with a shrug. \n\n“I will say they did seem friendlier after the fight.” Soldier A184 offered, “Like they were looking for a fight and happy we gave them one.” \n\n“Enough of this,” He couldn’t believe it, “The Sangri were a peaceful race. These two must have caused some offence. The flags not working was clearly human error. I hereby sentence you two to-” \n\nThe ding of an incoming transmission rang across the bridge. It’s impatient beeping forced Kiora back to the console and to abandon his interrogation. Growling to himself, the Ambassador opened the communication and the President of the Federation was on the line with a larger than life expression on his face. \n\n“I don’t know how you did it Koirkoir but the Sangri are opening their shell and they’re allowing us to land our consulate flagship. We’ll be dining in Sangri tonight!” The plump man was flush with joy and Koira could practically see the dollar signs in his eyes. The Ambassador wanted to correct him, say that this can’t possibly be since his mission had ended in failure, but the President kept going.\n\n“I had my doubts on your methodology on communication but man did you pull through! Flags! Who’d have though a species without eyes would be so sensitive to color! Truly Ambassador your name will go down in the history books as the man who open the galaxy to human enterprise!” \n\n“I-” \n\n“Well need to celebrate! Join me planet side once you’re able.” And with that the President disconnected, leaving Koira looking stupidly at the empty space on the console. He glanced up at the faces of the two clones who were now eyeing him with sudden curiosity.\n\n“Let them up,” Koira gulped as he spoke, his throat suddenly unbelievably dry. All his thoughts turning onto one simple truth, their mission had apparently been a success. The lingering question of how haunted him. \n\nThe guards released the two soldiers and the stood up rubbing their wrists in unison. Ambassador Koira walked over to them once more, less proud and more sheepish. He asked, “Let’s go over this one more time, how did the aliens greet you?”\n\nr/laughingbriar", "“To be fair,” David said while standing over the smouldering ruins of their experiment. “Five minutes can be quite lengthy when it comes to me.”\n\n“I can’t believe it,” Cedar moaned. “That is… almost a week’s worth of work!”\n\n“That was,” David clarified.\n\nCedar walked up to him, eyes dangerous with purpose. She took a deep breath before smacking David’s head with the full force of her palm.\n\n“What the hell was that for?”\n\n“That was for screwing up our experiment,” Cedar said, her hand smarting. It didn’t stop her from giving another solid hit. “And that was for a terrible, terrible thing to say to me.”\n\nIt took but a moment for her angry demeanour to die down as Cedar suddenly crumpled to the floor, holding her hands up to her face. Her eyes were welling, and she could feel the tears desperately trying to escape.\n\n“Cedar,” David said. He walked over to her, concerned, and held out his hand. “No more screwing around. I did it.”\n\n“You did what?”\n\n“I accomplished it. Succeeded.”\n\n“Really?” Cedar sniffled.\n\n“Really. I have had quite enough of your physical abuse,” David chuckled. “For today, at least. Come with me.”\n\nCedar looked up. She could see into his hopeful face and sparkling eyes. Her hand found its way into his, and she let herself be held up. She felt the hope well and pool inside her, but she tried to push it down. The path has been long, and Cedar has felt the crushing void of failure far too many times.\n\nThey stepped over what was now blackened soot. They walked, hand in hand, step by step.\n\nAnd there it was. The one thing that they’ve risked their life and limb for.\n\nA Beanie Baby.\n\n“Oh god,” Cedar burst into tears. “It’s so beautiful.”\n\n“I know,” David said. “I know. Totally worth the satanic ritual.”\n\n“The what?”\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts" ]	5
	[WP] You have the ability to talk to animals. However, you found that animals are either complete jerks, total idiots or scarily smart.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Sarah sighed glumly. She watched her pet hamster, Dr. Fluffenstien, as it lazily wandered through its little plastic tubes, and she hated it. He was spouting some scientific jargon she couldnt understand. When Sarah was 8, she was sure that all she ever wanted was to talk to her pets. But now that she was nine, it was the worst thing she'd ever experienced. \n\n\"Sodium bicarbonate required for a thia experiments successful completion.\" Muttered her hamster, scrabbling in its paper bedding.\n\nSarah pushed alway from her desk, jolting the cage slightly, and Dr. Fluffenstien complained loudly, \"Hey! You brat, you rapscallion! You almost ruined everything! If I could get out of this blasted cage, why I would just absolutely-\"\n\nThe hamster was still screaming at her as she walked out of her room, shoulders slumped with disappointment. This was the worst birthday ever. She'd gotten her wish, when she blew out the candles, but what was the point of talking to animals if you still couldn't understand them? \n\n\"I'm going out to play.\" Sarah called to her mom, who was watching tv in the living room.\n\n\"Okay sweetie, but stay in the yard!\"\n\nSarah nodded, opened the side door, and stepped out into the warm summer air. She was only out there for a minute before the neighbor's dog started barking at her. She gasped, and clapped her hands over her ears. \n\n\"Watch your language!\" She cried to the dog. \"Those are bad words!\" Even with her hands over her ears, she could still hear the dog insulting her, so she ran back into the house, tears streaming down her face, and slammed the door. \n\n\"Don't slam the door!\" Her mom called.\n\nSarah ran into the living room and told her mom, \"The neighbor's dog uses mean words!\"\n\nHer mom blinked at her in shock, then her face twisted in sympathy.\"Oh, honey. Come here.\"\n\nSarah ran over and gave her mom a huge hug. \n\n\"There, there.\" Her mother said, gently rubbing Sarah's back. \"I hear them too.\"", "\"I'm... allergic,\" I tell her, as her Bichon Frise barked at me to keep the White House white. \n\n\"Aww but he's swuch a pwetty boy, not even a widdle kiss?\" \n\nI lock eyes with it for a minute, letting the little devil fucker know I'm onto his racial nonsense. \n\n\"Really,\" I sigh, \"I'd need a Benadryl.\" \n\n\\--------\n\nOf course she happened to have a Benadryl, and of course because I'm horny and stupid I did spend the night. And look, I'm sure you've had your own little problems with sex, whiskey dick or what have you, but that thing would simply not stop barking racial slurs at me. \n\n\"Just ignore him,\" she murmurs, to coax me to keep going. \n\n\"Despite...\" started the dog, and I shifted positions to subtly kick him in the face. \n\n\\------\n\nOf course it had to be an animal lover. Of fucking course the one perfect girl had to drag me to aquariums with their fish shouting \"YOLO\" like its 2011 and to zoos with godforsaken gibberish. She loved it. And I endured it. \n\n\"I just love them, like, animals would never start a war,\" she said dreamily, leaning over the enclosure. The penguins would beg to differ, but that's its own thing. \n\n\"You ready to go back? Maybe out to a steakhouse?\" I offer, truly, truly trying to hide my desperation. \n\n\"Mhmm sure sure, ready when you are.\" \n\n\\------\n\nThrough the Reptile house was the quickest way to the car, and I couldn't endure the fraternity of dolphins any longer, so I figured it was the best bet. Whatever the reptiles had to offer, I could take. \n\n\"But his Schubert influence is noticeable,\" lulled a pleasant, droning voice. I stopped. Someone in the crowd had a good taste in music. \n\n\"Mhm?\" she inquired, wondering why I stopped dead. \n\n\"Oh, one second hun,\" I said, scanning for the speaker. \n\n\"His triple-meter Mazurka's, though, are quite underused.\" \n\nIt was the snakes. How... unexpected. You'd be surprised how easy it is to go a lifetime apart from snakes, not see one, encounter one, but this one seemed... \n\n\"Chopin,\" I muttered to the snake, not loud enough to seem insane and out of context, but loud enough for it to hear through the glass. It looked, it saw me, it understood. \n\n\"Pleeease I hate snakes,\" she playfully insisted, trying to pull me away. After a moment of realization, I relunctantly followed. \n\n\n\\-----------\n\nLucifer was, in all ways and forms, far more then a pet. A few months of zoo visits, hell I even got a pass, I grew a fondness of it. \"It's me or the snake,\" she ultimatumed, and yes, it was the snake. It was the snake and you can possibly see us on the streets together, in the park together, that 'creepy snake guy' walking around, maybe mumbling. \n\nBut it's more then that. There's a majesty to it, to be so separate in nature yet so bonded. Like a curious dolphin or a stray cat that trusts you, it's the moment that nature smiles back. \n\n\"Liszt, please,\" Lucifer insists. And I put on the record. And together we enjoy." ]	3
	[WP] Trapped in an unhappy marriage, a disillusioned depressed veteran wonders if he'll ever be more than means to an end to anyone. Takes anti-depressants. Gets Better. Becomes functional for years. Falls helplessly in love.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It was a story like any good story; there had to be downs. Downs were inevitable to the veteran, as a person surrounded by countless other walking stories, he'd seen things they hadn't, done things they'd hadn't, experienced what they hadn't. And some brought him down. \n\nBut that's what made it a good story. The veteran used the loss he had experienced to appreciate what he could achieve. \n\nHe failed at first, inevitably. Days of sitting in his room pretending it was an on and off switch. \"Be happy,\" he wished. The wish did nothing. \n\nIt creeped in little by little, however. Almost by accident. Little enjoyments of little things, subtle things, that made him remember why he was here. The veteran stockpiled these little things, collected each and every one of them, and kept them safe. For the veteran was aware of those who had fallen to suicide, the nonsense of suicide, and those who pretended there was nothing left to gain. \n\nThe story was slow, but it was perfect. Sometimes he was angry at how slow the story truly was, how he did find himself on some dimly lit days saying \"be happy,\" wondering why the switch didn't work. But ultimately he gazed upon his stockpile. His stockpile of the countless people in his life that brought him to where he was right now, teachers and friends and strangers whose littlest actions where to push him along gently, and he remembered them. \n\nAnd the story never ended. He kept collecting those little things, bright and happy however small they may be, until his life was illuminated with them with a radiance he couldn't ignore. He remembered how long it took him to get there, but he was glad he made it, and he was hungry for more." ]	2
	[WP] You're on your deathbed, but you're ready to die. You've lived a happy life, and you're content. When the world fades to black, instead of going to the afterlife like you expected, you see the words "GOOD ENDING UNLOCKED! Replay to get the other endings."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I'm lying in my bed. The doctor told me that if I stayed at the hospital, I could get an intensive treatment that would give me a few more months; but honestly, I don't need them. Sure, it's a bit of a shame to die 43 years old, but I don't mind. In these years, I've had the time grow as a person, and to find what I really enjoy doing in life: helping others. I did everything I could to make others happy, and in fact the last thing I did before lying down was filling out my organ donor card. Now, I can just wait. In the meantime, I start thinking about my life. I always heard it usually went in a flash, but I'm not in a hurry. So the memories start coming to my mind, as I see the friends I've made; the smiles I gave; the hopes I birthed. In the end, I even remember the very first act of kindness that started it all.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt was in elementary school. I was seven years old, and it was the second week of class. There was this one boy that had decided that he would bully me personally. Never knew why, though I suspect that it was because I never defended myself. But that particular day, he came to the school filled with pride that originated directly from his new possession: a fountain pen. See, everyone in the school had been asked to bring a pen that we would call our own: this was to avoid children always asking others for a pen because they had lost the one the school gave to them, which usually disrupted the class. And that boy, I think his name was Thomas, had been gifted a fountain pen by his father. Most of us didn't know what it meant, but he made sure to tell everyone that it was worth a lot of money. So, the school day begins, and the teacher asks us to use our newly-acquired pen to make a drawing. Now, I may have had only a basic store-brand pen, but it didn't matter to me. I loved drawing, and so I did my best to make the most beautiful tree I could. Shadows, fruits, everything would be there.\n\nNow while I was in the process of making my magnum opus, Thomas, who was sitting next to me, noticed that my drawing was much better than his. Turns out a fountain pen doesn't make up for skill. So, of course, he decided that the only logical thing to do was to ruin my drawing, to even the level. Without warning, he slammed the tip of his oh-so-expensive ink dispenser on my sheet with the express intent to cover in black everything that was on it. But at the moment of impact, his pen literally exploded in tons of little pieces, splashing ink not only on my sheet, but also on the entire table, as well as both of our clothes. There were a few seconds where it seemed like time was stopped, with everyone looking at us and Thomas still holding his hand like the pen was still in it. And then, he began to cry. Huge tears came rolling on his face, his face turning red as he was realizing what had just happened.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt was that moment.\n\nAt that particular instant in time, I felt like what I would do next was the most important thing I'd do in my entire life.\n\nAnd so, while he was still shaking and crying, I gently presented to him my pen. Slowly, he started to calm down, before lifting his still shaking hand towards mine. When he grabbed the pen, he began to cry again, but as I would later figure out, those were tears of regret not for the accident, but for the guilt and shame to have bullied someone who helped him even though he was actively trying to hurt them.\n\nWe hugged.\n\nThen, of course, the teacher arrived, saw two kids covered in ink hugging each other, and quickly sent us to the principal. But it didn't matter. Ever since that day, Thomas stopped bullying people and instead started defending the ones that couldn't defend themselves. And me, I realized that being nice to people was definitely the best thing to do.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWith this thought in mind, I start to think about everything I've done since was always in the spirit of that day. I moved out of the country the next year and never saw Thomas again, but right now, I hope he's alright.\n\nAnd then, I slowly start to let my eyelids drop, like a blanket covering me before going to sleep. My vision of the world shrinks, until it turns completely black. My body feels lighter and lighter...\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd suddenly, right in front of me, a big message appears, in big neon-white floating letters:\n\n\"Good ending unlocked! Replay to get the other endings.\"\n\n\"Clap your hands to start a new game.\"\n\nI stood still for what felt like hours. What am I supposed to do? There's nothing more devastating than learning that your entire life was just a game, all for nothing. I don't want to lose it all-\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd that's when I noticed. A smaller message, in letters not nearly as bright as the other message.\n\n\"Game saved.\"\n\nThat changes everything. Now, no matter what I do, all this life would be kept safe forever, preserving everything I've done.\n\nTime to have some \\fun\\.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEpilogue\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMy name is Mary. I'm in elementary school, and I am 8 years old. Today, we had to bring a pen to class because the teacher said so. Then she told us to make a drawing with our pen. I decided to draw Sniffles, my bear friend. Right now, I'm making his big paws. But just as I'm about to finish them, I hear a big noise from the table on my not-drawing-hand side. I turn my head, and see Thomas, a boy that I don't like, crying and with ink all over his clothes. In front of him is another boy that I don't know who is also covered in black ink, and he's holding his pen in his hand to give to Thomas. Thomas slowly reaches for it, and right when he's about to grab it, the other boy closes his hand.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Sike.\"" ]	2
	[WP] as your job of managing coms on the deep sea dive you become frightened when the diver says on the radio "there's something big down here" then cuts out	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Alright, Jason,\" I said through the voice coms. \"Your camera is on, light is on, the mission is a go.\"\n\n\"You got it mothership,\" Jason replied. \"If we get done early today, first round's on me.\"\n\n\"Don't count on it,\" I said. \"Boss's got us double time today.\"\n\nI sat up close to my computer screens to get a good view of what my diver Jason was seeing. We were exploring a field of sunken ships, apparently undiscovered since they're sunk. After confirmation from a historian, it turns out these ships were dated back to Rome; that means possible treasures.\n\n\"Did you see that?\" Jason said, snapping me out of my deep thought.\n\n\"No, I looked away for a second, what was it?\"\n\n\"Maybe it was nothing, thought I saw something move in the corner of my eye,\" Jason said. \n\n\"This is the fourth ship this week, you'd think we would have found something by now--not even a damn gold coin, nothing.\"\n\n\"Yea-\" I was startled at what I saw on Jason's camera, a dark mass darted from view. Jason confirmed it was real by the startled shake his camera did.\n\n\"I saw that,\" I said.\n\n\"What was it?\" Jason asked. \"There's no sharks here, but that thing sure was big.\"\n\n\"Keep your head on a swivel, Jason,\" I said.\n\nJason continued with the dive. He tossed over tables, opened up barrels, trying his best to find anything of value. No luck so far this dive, as were the previous four dives.\n\nI jerked to the screen as I saw the commotion. Jason was screaming and swirling around, sand clogging the camera.\n\n\"Jason!\" I yelled. \"Jason, what is it?\"\n\n\"HELP!\" Jason yelled before his camera shut off.\n\nThe screen was now blue with disconnect plastered right in the middle. I keyed my mic and tried to reach Jason once more, he was completely offline.\n\nI lept to my feet and began throwing my dive suit together. I keyed into the HUB, \"This is Len Broder of the S. Farver. I have a diver that may have been attacked, requesting immediate assistance.\"\n\nNo reply, one perk of working for a private treasure hunting company.\n\nI got the suit on and slung the oxygen tank over my back. I dove into the water and began my descent. I spotted the ship Jason was in and entered it cautiously. I showed my flashlight around the sand clogged room, no sign. I was struck with fear from what I saw on the floor, a trace of blood, and a torn piece of rubber. The blood lingered into a dark room.\n\nI came to the darkroom and peered around, more blood. I saw Jason's flashlight pointing toward another room. I entered the doorway and saw it. A foul creature, devouring Jason. I exhaled so much air that it knocked off my mouthpiece. I scrambled for it, getting a belly full of seawater. I managed to place it back in, and swam as fast as I could out of that ship\n\nJason was dead." ]	2
	[WP] A slice of life in a fantasy world during a rare time of peace when there isn't a huge looming evil, or decade long war, or anything of the sort.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It was a cold winter's morning in Sylendrore, snow was glistening in the Sun's light and the elves and humans were beginning their daily routines. Graylo was walking his Faerie Hound through the town in the early morning as to not disturb people later in the day, Hengor was clearing out the snow around his store to make it easier for people to navigate without slipping on the ice, and Menda was tending to the farm Animals.\n\nThe Dragons could be heard roaring from atop the Western peak Rivendrad, the Dragons are gentle, tending and are fond of humans, but it's never a good idea to agitate them, because their powerful breath can easily melt through the toughest of armor. \n\nLosing the war 50 years ago was probably the greatest thing that has happened to humans, the people are prosperous and all races now live in harmony, the old king was greedy and lazy, truly unfit to rule over men while they were at their weakest, but that was 50 years ago and the democracy between dwarves, elves and humans now make the horrors of the past seem like legends, the stories from then are told like fairy tales. No one really knows if King Ranbir had any children and it is often assumed that he didn't, but I know.\n\nI puffed out a smoke ring while leaning back in my porch chair. 'I wonder who my son is helping now.' I thought to myself, 'I was a worse father than I was a king...' \n\n_____________________________________________\n\nThis is my first time writing here, please give me some feedback." ]	2
	[WP] "I've tried everything else, you're my last hope. Can you bring my friend back?" you plead. The Necromancer quietly observes the shattered android on the floor. "... I'll see what I can do."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Necro-R-Us.” It truly was a horrible name, and a horrible sign to accompany it. It was my instructor’s idea to name the store that, and I hated it from day one. The sign was nothing more than a skeleton standing by our name, with a stupid grin on its face and flashing a ‘thumbs-up’ at everyone passing by. He’d gotten a kick out of that sign.\n\nI’d gotten a kick out of not resurrecting his corpse and letting him actually rot in the grave instead of coming back from the dead as he’d asked once he finally passed of old age. Sure, eventually he’d probably figure out a way to transcend death – most necromancers did, after all – but I’d deal with him then. By that point, I’d be stronger than some worn out pile of dusty bones anyway.\n\nI looked up from my musings as the door chimed, letting me know I had my first customer of the day. I blinked as I realized there wasn’t anyone at the door. The door swung wide, slamming shut – I made a mental note that I really, REALLY needed to install some sort of hinge on that thing to slow down how fast it swung shut – and I heard the pitter patter of small feet.\n\nTo my surprise, a small child, a little girl that couldn’t possibly be older than six made her way past my shelves of magic accouterments and knick-knacks and, sniffing mightily, stopped directly in front of me. She looked up at me, disheveled and with red-rimmed eyes that peered at me from beneath her dark brown curls. I could tell she’d been crying, and recently; if the puffy eyes and sniffles weren’t a dead give-away, the tears that still ringed her eyes were.\n\nI wasn’t good with children. I wasn’t good with the living, really; as a necromancer, most of my dealings were with the dead, deceased, undead and the souls of the departed. It was so much easier to work with creatures that had no ability to lie to you, had no emotions, no empathy, no inner turmoil…\n\nI realized the girl had said something and, being lost in thought, I’d completely missed what she had muttered. I cleared my throat and said, “I’m sorry. Beg pardon?”\n\nShe sniffed, wiped at her nose with her arm, and then said louder, “I said, I need your help.” It was then that I noticed she had a bag slung over her shoulder. The bag was suspiciously bulgy and clanky, like it was full of metal.\n\n“My help?” I blinked. “My dear, I’m a necromancer. I talk to the dearly departed, I bring the dead back to life, I make the bones of your ancestors dance for your amusement, and I solve ancient crimes by simply asking those involved who did it.” I raised an eyebrow in concern. “Are you certain you’re in the right place?”\n\n“Yes!” That came out as a sob, and she nearly collapsed. “It… it… it’s Sheen. He’s… he’s gone. I need him b-b-b-back!”\n\n“Sheen?” Ah. Bringing back the dearly departed. So at least she was in the right place. I walked around the counter and gingerly touched the girl on the shoulder, trying to at least feign reassurance. I SO wasn’t very comfortable around children! “Ah. So. This Sheen. A friend of yours? Relative? Let’s start with some information.”\n\nShe nodded, sniffing. “He’s a f-friend. My best friend.”\n\n“Ah. Well, you see, if he’s not a relative, then I’ll need his family’s permission to-“\n\n“He doesn’t have a family, I own him!”\n\nI blinked. Slavery was strictly forbidden in all the known kingdoms. “Er…”\n\n“Not like that! Here. I’ll show you.” She pulled the bag off of her shoulder and unceremoniously dumped its contents on the floor, making me jump back a bit. To my shock, what looked to be the shattered remains of a metallic child were now scattered across my floor.\n\n“What in the seven hells…”\n\n“I… I’ve tried everything else.” The small child kicked halfheartedly at what looked to be a kneecap near her. “Nothing else has worked. You… you’re my last hope.” She looked up at me with wide, pleading eyes and said, “Can you… can you bring my friend back?”\n\nI looked at the pieces on the floor, then back to the small child before me. I had an idea of what I was now seeing before me… an android. I’d only seen one once in my life, in the main city commons. Such technology was typically only for the wealthy elite, those who did not have access to the commoner magics. For this little girl to have one, just casually stashed in a bag… who WAS she?\n\nLost in thought again, I realized she was still staring up at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. To my utter surprise and shock, I found a small smile creeping onto my face. I realized that I didn’t care who she was, or where she came from. I had the opportunity that my predecessor never had… to both make a difference in a small child’s life, AND work with technology for once instead of magic.\n\nI certainly wasn’t about to pass this opportunity up.\n\nI knelt and picked up a stray piece of the metal. It appeared to be a piece off of a leg. To my surprise, I could feel a faint spark of life within it. And where there was a spark of life…\n\nMy smile widened. “… I’ll see what I can do.”" ]	2
	[WP] You are the Grim Reaper. For fun, you always let people challenge you to a duel of their chose for a chance of going back. Only two people ever beat you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "those two not only won but chose to humiliate the reaper by staying dead. The first was July tenth of eighteen eighty four when a bloke named Paul Murphy died. He was confidant enough in his skill at the reapers own game that he challenged him to a home of chess. Then he proceeded to turn around and ask for a silent game from the specter of death. It took a while but in the end this man named Paul won a game of chess with death. Then he refused to return to the world of the living. Had said that too many people wanted to play a game against him but they had never won and now none ever will. \n\nThe next to humiliate death was one who thought (and rightfully so) that they were funny enough to make the reaper laugh. This was August Eleventh of two thousand and fourteen when Robbin Williams sadly died. Death however does not care to break the rules and does not care who or how someone died. When he proposed a duel the comidian was quick to have ten minutes to make the grim reaper laugh. Five minutes in and death had a fit of laughter. When told he could return Mr. Williams declined the offer and said that the laugh would be for free today.\n\n\nSorry for any mistakes. This is my first post." ]	2
	[WP] A group of teenagers try to summon Dread Lord Xlpth. Failing to find goat blood for the diabolical summoning circle, they use ketchup instead. A floating pizza appears.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Summer was boring. You wouldn’t think that, given how much we longed for it during the school year. But here it was, in all its hot glory. And yet we had nothing to do. Just lazing around, sitting in front of the tv without really watching it.\n\nGreg had enough. Just because they weren’t forced to go to school didn’t mean they shouldn’t have anything to do. No, this problem wasn’t about the time of year, it was about lack of imagination. Greg was better than that.\n\nSo he went to his trusty laptop and searched. Things to do in summer. Go to the swimming pool, Nah. He didn’t know how to swim. Bicycle riding. Seriously? In this weather? Pass. These were useless.\n\nSo he dug deeper, into the forbidden parts of the internet he went.\n\nOk maybe that was way too dramatic, but he installed the dark web app and ventured into … nothing. Really they need to make some list or search engine or something. How the hell would he know what random gibberish he should type to get the dark web sites?\n\nAfter hours with no result, he finally found it. In a rather creepy website that kept playing spooky noises even after he muted the browser’s audio. It had instructions on how to summon Dread Lord Xlpth.\n\nOf course, the first thing he did was the only reasonable thing, he called up his friends to try it. What? Did you expect him to close it and report to the authorities or something? Pfft.\n\n-----\n\nThey were gathered in Edward’s basement. Greg almost didn’t want to include him. Eddie was such a wimp, he was scared just to get into the basement before they even drew the circle. But he was the only one whose parent’s house had a basement.\n\nIt’s not like they could pour goat blood on the carpet. He wanted to summon a dread lord, not get murdered by his parents.\n\n“I still think this is a stupid idea” Liam said.\n\nGreg suppressed a scoff. As if he would’ve come if he had anything better to do. For all that Liam pretended to go to the gym and take summer classes, he was as bored as the rest of them.\n\n“What if it actually worked though?” Lisa asked excitedly.\n\n“Someone else would’ve tried it by now if it did,” Liam answered. “Besides, the instructions are practically out of a low budget scary movie.”\n\nGreg tried to get them to work “Enough nagging, everyone brought the materials?”\n\nEddie wasn’t bringing anything since he was the one that provided the location. Lisa took out a bag of unrefined ocean salt with drops of holy water sprinkled on top. That was used to create the binding circle around the summoning one to keep the Dread Lord inside.\n\nGreg himself brought the candles. He was supposed to buy new ones but then the new game came out and he kind of sort of blew all of his allowance on the cosmetic items. Damn microtransactions and in-game purchases. Point is his candles were a collection of mismatched half-burned scented ones he “borrowed” from his mom’s stash.\n\nLiam was supposed to bring the goal blood used to draw the circle itself.\n\nEveryone looked at him waiting for him to deliver.\n\n“What?” Liam asked.\n\n“Where’s the goat blood, Liam?” Greg demanded. This whole plan depended on it.\n\n“Seriously? Where was I supposed to find goat blood from? This is ridiculous.” was Liam ‘s excuse.\n\nWhat followed was a yelling session in which everyone - well everyone except Eddie - complained about what a waste of time this was.\n\n-----\n\nWhen they finally calmed down, they gathered to discuss how to go forward. On the one hand, no one wanted to go home yet. On the other hand, they couldn’t exactly perform the summoning without the goat blood.\n\n“Why not use ketchup? It’s not like this whole thing isn’t inspired by some random low-budget jumpscare fest you watched.” Liam suggested. He hadn’t believed Greg’s dark web source existed even after he showed him printed screenshots of the website.\n\nIt wasn’t perfect but nobody had any better ideas. And If it didn’t work they could just blame it on the materials and try again later. Which meant he would have an excuse to see his friends again.\n\nThey sent Eddie to fetch some sauce from upstairs and got to work. Lisa using an actual protractor to draw the perfect pentagram like a nerd instead of just eyeballing it like normal humans.\n\nLiam lit the candles, while Eddie drew the salt circle around it. They used a red marker to write some Chinese looking text around it, then gathered around it and started chanting.\n\nAt first, nothing happened. Liam looked like he was about to start complaining again about how useless all of this was. Then suddenly the fire on all of the candles soared to five times the height, yet the basement got darker, not brighter.\n\nEddie’s whimpering was the only sound before suddenly, with a squelching sound a pizza appeared.\n\nA floating pizza.\n\n“Ok, not that I’m not surprised that this actually worked or anything. Or that I’m not panicking about the suddenly foreboding atmospheric effects. But why a broccoli pineapple pizza? Who even eats that with ketchup?” Lisa said.\n\nBefore Greg could ask who even eats such monstrosity at all, the pizza itself -which was still floating- responded with a booming voice “You dare think about eating me? Fools. I will eat you”\n\nIntellectually, Greg knew he should be screaming or running away. But all he could do was suppress his laughter at the pizza’s “mouth”. The dough formed the bottom part and a layer of oily cheese the top, which separated and deformed in time with the words. But that wasn’t all, there was a slice of pineapple, that was positioned just so to be a mustache. Not to mention how the broccoli pieces kept jumping around as he moved.\n\nThings became less funny when it lunged towards them.\n\n----------\n\nA/N: So, I didn't want to write this myself but no-one else replied to my prompt. This is part one. In part two (the existence of which depends on me getting at least one comment on this) we will see who eats who!\n\nFeel free to give me feedback, somethings feels off with the writing but I don't know what to do about it." ]	2
	[WP] You're sitting alone in a lightly busy bar when a man comes up and sits next to you. He leans in and says to you slowly "Everyone else in here is here to kill you. You need to listen to me very carefully if you want to live..."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\nAmber had a pint and a booth to herself. There were few people in the pub that evening, just the types that worked in construction, or some older women looking for fun and attention.\n\nIt was why she and Hope had chosen The Star and Bridge. The pub was named after a soldier who held a bridge all by his lonesome for several days straight with a flail. He died, nameless and alone, after the enemy found a way to get past him and stab him in the back. A monument was erected for his steadfast determination, which stood to this day.\n\nOr so the story went. It was on the picture right by her, accompanied with the image of a worn, stone cross by the bridge. Still, even if it wasn’t true it was still inspiring to some degree.\n\nA history lesson wasn’t why Amber was here, though. She was waiting for Hope for a quiet night out, a chat over some ‘pub grub’, as they called it. She was early though. About five minutes, ten if Hope was running late. It wasn’t a date, not officially. Both girls might sleep with each other, but it was more recreational bonding than anything. That said, if anything deeper happened between them…\n\nWell, she’d cross that bridge as and when. Holly might be surprised. After all, Hope’s younger sister might not expect that outcome. Or perhaps she was banking on it? Who knew? For all she knew Holly’s Nurses had a bet going on to see if they would get together.\n\nHer musings were cut short as a man slipped into the booth with her. There was nothing remarkable about him, save for his deep blue eyes looking as if they were trying to pin her to her seat. He took a furtive glance out of the booth and leaned in.\n\n“Everyone in here wants to kill you.”\n\nAmber stared at him, trying to keep her good eye from flicking it view to the rest of the pub.\n\n“You need to listen to me very carefully if you want to live.”\n\n“Who are you?”\n\nHe grimaced. “Samuel Knightly. We don’t have a lot of time-“\n\nKnightly? Amber looked at his eyes again. That navy blue… She knew where she seen those eyes before.\n\n“Why should I trust you?” she said. Even if it was her brother, she still wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t turn on her.\n\nHe gave an aggrieved sigh. “Look, you don’t. The guy I’m working with, he’s the one who asked me to come here. Said that there was a bank heist gone wrong, and all these guys are in on it, one way or another. Then some girl disappeared, someone called… Sharon? Charlotte? Something Simmons, I think. And they didn’t like that either… apparently her little girl went missing too.”\n\nAmber nodded. She knew what he was talking about: Lazarus Gheist had gone on to do the Bank job while Holly did whatever she liked. A few nights later, she managed to claim revenge on one of her old foes, dragging the poor soul to an unyielding Nightmare. From the sounds of things, said person was on a hit list anyway for her own actions. \n\n“So why are they targeting me?”\n\nHe shrugged. “I don’t know. I think they think you somehow have something to do with this? I wasn’t told all that much.”\n\n“Who told you all this?”\n\n“Mr. Blue.” He shook his head, “I don’t know his real name.”\n\nA Commissioner. If he was taking orders from one of them, then…\n\nAmber weighed her options. Hope wasn’t due for another… two minutes? She could trust this guy. He didn’t seem like he was making any of this up, and it couldn’t be Sinclair disguised as him. She wouldn’t be that gutsy. If she killed Amber, then she’d have to deal with a pissed off Holly. It was an unspoken rule to let the two have at each other. Aside from that, Amber didn’t see any other way it could be Sinclair’s doing.\n\nShe didn’t know who this was… but she did know who he wasn’t. \n\n“I need to call someone.”\n\n“Can it wait? Until we’re outside?” Samuel pleaded. He was starting to look uncomfortable, like he was about to soil himself.\n\n“…If this is a trick, you’ll die horribly.” She stated.\n\nThe constipated look on his face worsened. “It isn’t. I swear!”\n\nAmber nodded. Her gut said that he was aware, at least in part, of what he was involving himself with. And it was clear he really did not want any part of it.\n\nShe looked at her pint, half done and just remembered, and downed the rest of it.\n\n“Is that a good idea?” He asked.\n\nAmber didn’t answer. She put the empty glass down and rose from the table. As the pair began to leave, two of the men walked in front of the door.\n\nThere was a voice behind her. “Now where’d you think you’re goin’, missy?”\n\nAmber turned around. The voice belonged to a large man in a denim jacket, glaring at her with utter contempt. A few of the others had stopped what they had doing, much to the annoyance to the gaggle of women trying to ‘seduce’ them.\n\n“…I suppose you can fight, Knightly?”\n\nHe groaned. “Not when I don’t have to.”\n\nA few of the other men stood up.\n\n“Looks like you have to.” Amber said. “Have you killed before?”\n\n“Yeah.” He said with a note of disgust.\n\nAmber raised her fists. Long strings of chain slid forth from her wrists, wrapping themselves down around her arms, while two more burst forth from her ankles and spiralled upwards. Another pair spawned from her collarbone and hip, meeting together in the middle. Once covered, they slowly rotated around limb and torso, revving up into a humming armour of flensing metal.\n\nNo one in the pub commented on it. That was good. No nasty surprises were waiting for Amber.\n\nThe man in front of her smirked. “Fred, grab ‘er.”\n\nAmber didn’t even feel the attempt. There was a cry of pain behind her as Fred was partially skinned by the chains. The man in front looked bemused, then horrified as Fred kept cursing with every word under the rainbow.\n\n“What did you do?” Samuel asked under his breath.\n\n“Little.”\n\n“I doubt that! Was that magic?”\n\n“No. Later.”\n\nNow the male population of the pub was bearing down on them. Amber scowled at them, waiting for their next move.\n\nWith luck, Hope would come in to help clean up this mess.", "\"How do you know?\" I stand up in defiance \"I'm outta here\" before I can leave, a bullet hits my head, killing me instantly, my eyes close down. When I wake up, I'm still there. 'Wtf?' The man enters\n\n\"Now do you believe me? Listen to me, and you'll survive\" He whispers, I didn't have much of a choice, \"I guess... but how did I come back?\" He looks at me like he's heard this before, with a smirk he states \"You have a skill you don't even realize, you have limited regeneration. You're the only one here who doesn't know tha-\" I feel a painful knife force itself a way through me \n\n\"Go to hell monster\" The man barks at me, I slump over, and everything goes dark, yet again. Waking up, still here, still the guy. \"Don't bother, I know, let's get out of here before it happens again.\" The man smiles, the smoke starts entering the room from nowhere. \n\nHe yells \"Run!\" and I get moving, behind me are yelling people and gunfire. Turning back around I almost stumble, of a cliff. \"That never was there!\" I yell in anger, that same man places a hand on my shoulder \"Any last words, time bender?\" He mumbles coldly into my ear, I come up with a plan. \"Yea\" I chuckle \"Geronimo!\" I jump off the cliff hoping for the best, I haven't thought out what I'd do once I hit the water. \n\n\"There he is, get him quickly!\", It's the guy who warned me, a helicopter comes in and grabs me from my fall, \"thanks, but now what?\" he smiles \"Were bringing you to a safe place for you people.\" But my gut wasn't sure about that, based of the prison on the horizon, but I stutter a response, \"ok...\" looks like I'm going to have another chance.", "\"Damnit!\" J.J. growled at the stranger next to her. He was surprised she interrupted him, and he leaned back on his barstool as she yelled at him. \"I just want a drink. I'm not here for your stupid random event. Go bug another player,\" she said. The stranger glanced around the bar, then leaned closer again.\n\n\"Well I was wonderin' why they wanted you dead; but, I reckon it's on account of you being crazy,\" he chuckled and raised his hand to pat her on the back. Something about the way her black leather duster caught the light changed his mind. He kept his hand to himself. \"I like crazy, I'll help you anyway,\" he said. J.J. replied by letting her head thud against the bartop, with a heavy sigh. She took a moment to consider her options.\n\nIf she logged out, the NPCs would forget about her and whatever event she triggered would reset. But, logging out on an unfamiliar server made J.J. nervous. She'd heard that if Ballisea shows up, her presence might keep anyone from logging into the AlterNet. It was a rumor that she didn't believe entirely, but the one thing she did know was that it wasn't worth the risk just in case. She was waiting for someone that was already late, so she could not leave. She had to stay put and logged on.\n\n\"Big Earl's the leader; you take him out and you're golden,\" the stranger said. He nodded at a towering, burly man leaning against the pool table. There was also a handful of thugs in boots and cowboy hats around him. J.J. did not pay attention, she continued to knock her head against the bar.\n\n\"But, you can't go straight for him. Over in the corner there...,\" he nodded at a dim corner; J.J. remained face down on the bar. \"... that's Tom Shivs; he's the one you want to bring down first. The best way-,\"\n\n\"SKIP!\" J.J. sat up and yelled at the man. \"I got it. Everyone's trying to kill me. Start it up already!\" She spun around on the stool and hopped off it. She ran her hands through her purple fauxhawk and glared at everyone in the room. \"I've had a rough day,\" she said. \"If you're not trying to kill me, you should leave,\" as she spoke, her duster shimmered and disintegrated off her shoulders. It fell to the ground as a black pile of swarming spiders. The spiders spread out from the swarm and crawled out toward the nearest person.\n\nNo one left. Several of the patrons started pulling back from the swarm but a wiry, frail man screamed from the dim corner. He jumped on the table he was sitting at, then table-hopped his way to the bar while keeping his eyes on J.J. She sighed.\n\n\"Fine,\" she mumbled and knelt down and reached her hand into the spider swarm while Tom took his time approaching. He pulled out two long daggers and did his best to give J.J. a menacing stare. J.J. pulled her hand out holding her coat. She shook it once to clear off the last few spiders, then held it up bullfighter style.\n\nTom froze in his tracks atop the bar. As J.J. held her coat up, a long, black, spindly leg shot out of the surface of the jacket. It was followed by another disturbingly long leg. A giant obsidian spider, almost as big as J.J. herself climbed out of her jacket and onto the bar. Its bulbous abdomen was about the size of yoga ball, with a red skull on it where a widow's hourglass would be.\n\nThe huge spider crawled toward a terrified Tom; J.J. Turned around to face the rest of the patrons. She still held up her coat and another king-sized spider began crawling out of it.\n\nSix minutes later the bar was calm but full of life again. The event didn't give J.J. anything useful, and she went to the restroom to splash some water on her face. She came back, glanced at all the new faces, then sat back on her stool. \n\nA different stranger came and sat down next to her.\n\n\"Everyone else in here is here to kill you. You need to li-,\" his script was interrupted by J.J. banging her head against the bar again.\n\n\\\\\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year three, story #205. You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse/)) or my blog. If you're curious about my universe (the Hugoverse) you can visit the Guidebook to see what's what and who's who, or the Timeline to find the stories in order." ]	4
	[WP] There are plenty of schools for super-powered children in the world, but this one is different. Instead of teaching the students how to fight the focus is on how to use their abilities in every day civilian life.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Hello class, welcome to Art-Sculpture.\" The tall, jumpsuit clad woman smiled at the group of teenagers. She strolled down the aisle of sturdy worktables, the curls of her afro bouncing with her sprightly steps.\n\n\"I'd like to start with a little icebreaker.\" She stopped walking for a moment, sweeping her gaze at each side of the room, as if to size up the potential of her pupils.\n\n\"I'd like you to introduce yourself, briefly tell us something about yourself - like maybe a hobby, or an interesting fact - and then show us a little bit of what you can do. Er, within reason of course; I'm not gonna repeat it, cause I'm sure all of you are tired of the hearing the whole safety protocol spiel from the other teachers!\" She laughed, but only got a few quiet, awkward chuckles in return.\n\nThe cleared her throat. \"Alright then, I'll go first. I'm Ms. Greene, this is my first year teaching here. Outside of school I love gardening, especially when it's warm and sunny, I love baking, I haaaate winter, and... ooh, I have two cats! They're named Tom and Jerry, you should see them on Insta.\"\n\nShe spotted two stoner-types at the back of the room, quietly chatting to each other and making snarky remarks.\n\n\"Anyway, I don't know what y'all call it here, but here's my special power.\"\n\nThe room went quiet except for the two boys, eagerly awaiting her next move. Slowly, she quietly strode towards the slackers, her dark skin turning to scales. The locks of her hair turned thick and glossy, writhing and coiling. Her eyes became gray-green, pupils growing into slits. Bit by bit, the coils in her hair grew mouths, and then fangs. The two boys turned to her, tensing with unease.\n\nMs. Greene opened her mouth, slowly revealing two long, curved fangs.\n\n\"HIISSSSSSSS!\" She lunged at the two boys, her hair-snakes pouncing also. There two boys recoiled, screaming in terror.\n\nThe class erupted in laughter. She quickly returned to her human form and laughed with them.\n\n\"And that,\" she said with a satisfied grin, \"is why you pay attention in my class.\"\n\nToo bad their math teacher can't do that, she mused to herself. She might actually be able to get their attention.\n\n(Part 2 later.)", "“Alright, settle down everyone,” said Mr. Wibbly as he entered the class. He strode over to the podium on the dais and began arranging his papers. \n\nI nudged Jimmy and whispered, “Give me two bucks if the next thing he says is ‘What is the Gifted’s duty?’”\n\nJimmy rolled his eyes. “Nice try. My brother was in Wibbly’s class too.”\n\n“What is the Gifted’s duty?” began Mr. Wibbly, walking around the podium, hands clasped behind him.\n\nJimmy and I giggled. \n\nMr. Wibbly looked around at the quiet auditorium. “Well?” he said impatiently. “I know this is the first day of term, students, but let’s see some initiative! Some fire!” \n\n“I’ll show you some fire, Wibbly!” cried a voice at the back, and gout of flame burst into the air. \n\n“That’s detention for you, Ms. Stevens!” shouted Mr. Wibbly, stabbing his finger at the back of the class. Laughter ringed the class; Mr. Wibbly frowned. I nudged Jimmy again, and we both clasped our hands over our ears.\n\nMr. Wibbly took a deep breath and whistled sharply; the sound pierced like a hundred bullets firing at once. Unprepared children cried out in shock and pain. \n\n“Now, I’ll ask again,” said Mr. Wibbly dangerously when the noise settled. “What is the Gifted’s duty?” \n\nI thrust my hand up. \n\n“Ah yes, Mr. Arturo,” said the teacher with not a little bit of distaste. “Please, enlighten the class.”\n\nI stood up. “Our duty is to protect civilians and the society they live in.”\n\n“Indeed. And how might a Gifted achieve such a lofty goal?”\n\n“By not forgetting that they themselves are civilians.” I sat down. \n\nMr. Wibbly nodded. “Correct, Mr. Arturo.” He had a look of grudging surprise. I wasn’t surprised; he had taught my older brother and sister, so he probably expected me to destroy the class hall on the first day.\n\nMr. Wibbly strode back to the podium. “Never forget this simple but monumental fact, students. You all have been blessed with powers that should. Not. Exist.” Mr. Wibbly punctuated this point by slapping his palm on the podium after each pause. \n\n“You are children. Most of you have Gifts that could bring the very walls of this hall down on us. Do you see how dangerous this is? How threatening this reality is to the society we live in, and our fellow people, the majority of whom are non-Gifted?” \n\nAn uneasy silence descended on the class.\n\nMr. Wibbly looked pleased. “Yes, now you see. Now you understand. And so, the Centre for Gifted Children was formed. We cannot have you hooligans running around the city, blasting and exploding buildings up because you feel you are better than them. You are not! You are no more and no less than your fellow civilian! And trust me, by the time this year is done, and especially by the time you graduate, you will come to know this. Oh yes, you will.” \n\nThere was a dangerous glint in Mr. Wibbly’s eyes that bespoke all manners of horrific lessons. I couldn’t wait. \n\n“So now, let us begin!” said Mr. Wibbly, turning to the blackboard behind him. “Open up your textbooks, students, to Chapter 1: How to Safely Use Your Gift in a Work Environment.”\n\nHe began scribbling on the board. “You see, the key is to remember that there are strict regulations and rules regarding…” \n\n---\nCheck out my story for more profiles >:DDD" ]	3
	[WP] They told you to stand down. They said this patch of dirt ain't worth it. Too bad you've never been good at doing what you're told.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "We vampires are taught that native soil is a finite resource. Scatter too much of it in your travels, and you may come home to find it a home no longer. But i have learned that native soil can be bred anew, even in this unbreathing second life.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSomething Old:\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA shipload of earth from the old homestead.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSomething New:\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA foreign world neath a foreign sky.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSomething Borrowed:\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBlood of my fellow travelers, freely shared, for my oath to be their hedge against disaster.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSomething Blue:\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMusic from old earth, sung by those who never saw it: songs of labor, love gone wrong; songs of laughing sorrow, songs of melancholy joy.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\\\\\\\\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHai! Squidwalker, Trundlebear. Hai! Mantisbird, and Hippowren.\n\nDo you think i defend this mere cabin, old codger too fool to leave?\n\nTwas never feeding too fast or slow, or letting first drink second's blood.\n\nWhen borrowed heart's blood falls to consecrate this soil,\n\nWhen debts are paid, when second-life fails:\n\nThen arise my children, who were the wet-nurses of my journey--\n\nAND TEAR INVADERS FROM THE SKIES!\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\\\\\\\\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOn teeming Old Terra, it was reckoned a hero's work when thirteen vampires consecrated a scant few acres in the new world. Here, on this final frontier between the stars, a single unbreathing second life may claim an entire world. And when aliens bring the consecrating war, their blood spilled in the battle means our children can subsist on alien blood.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHumans, do not fear to walk among us. Generations past, you learned to share your life blood with one another; generations after, you learned not to fear because we could be given the blood by mouth rather than by needle. In return, we have learned not to see you lesser, merely because we each go on living so long as your whole people remains. Give only as much blood as you are willing; in return we give our ten-fold strength to your labor.", "UNUMC auto-transcriber\n\nUSER MODE: Colloquial American/Mid-Western\n\nSOURCE LANG: Extraterrestrial 001\n\nWARNING: Translation errors found: 14%\n\n\nDecrypted/Transcribed Volume 99x46x013\n\n\n...//Begin Transcription//...\n\nBulletin to all Commandants and (Soldier-Warriors).\n\nRegarding entrenchment at [Hill 416], remaining (ignoble combatant) h4s been ord3red by (human) commanders to vacate podistion. However, they have elected to ignore these orders, and akk remaining warriors are encouraged to engage and (violently flay/kill) on sight.\n\n(Human) communication intercept: \"... Get the <(human) insult> out of their you crazy <further insults> that excrement patch of soil is not worth dying for. We are supposed to be a unit, Stand down at once!\" - \"You can <salivate> on my unit!\"\n\nIntercept indicates (loss of cohesion) within (human) unit, and a breaking of the (chain of command). Interjection and (capture) should happen quickly, this (opportunity) not expected to be lasting.\n\n...//End Transcription//...", "I had never intended for my rugged determination to morph into contrarian stubbornness, but the world hadn’t left me much of a choice in the matter. Voices that doubted me had rained down in a perpetual storm for as long as I could remember, echoing calls to give up or limit myself to something smaller, lesser. Someone had always wanted me to fit into one of their boxes, change the shape of my soul into something they could manipulate. Every minute, every word, I had hated it all. \n\nA handful of distant decades ago I had made a promise to myself that I would never bow, never break. In the face of all of those that questioned my potential, I swore that I would become limitless. \n\nIt was only now that I could taste lead on my tongue did I realize that it might be time to reckon with the fact that perhaps a limit did exist. Sweat was beading on the back of my neck, soaking my shirt, mixing with the dirt on my face to become mud. When I drew in a deep breath to slow the painful staccato of my heart, I ended up choking on the fine dirt I had kicked up and I found myself lost in a coughing fit. \n\nThey had told me that this cabin wasn’t worth the change in my pockets, much less worth dying over. They had told me that I should walk away, leave the arid desert sands behind and escape with my life. They said this as though I was supposed to be grateful that they were sparing me, giving me the chance to run like a frightened child. \n\nThey had no idea who they were talking to. \n\nI teased the bandanna back over my nose between coughs, pressing my back into the hand-hewn wood. My fingertips ran over the carbon composite in my lap, finding their place on the stock with familiar comfort. A final breath stilled the scratchiness at the back of my throat and I counted down silently, the numbers echoing in my mind. \n\nThree… Two… One…\n\nLaunching to a kneeling position I swung the rifle up to bear, pressing its stock into the soft pocket of my shoulder and aligning my eye with the carefully balanced sights. In the same ceaseless wave that had persisted for the better part of half an hour I squeezed the trigger in short bursts. The rifle was automatic, but I knew that my ammunition was running low. For each of the silhouettes that dropped out from my sights there were two more to take its place, just like the legendary hydra. \n\nIn the predictable dance that had been established between us, I dropped back to the floor as soon as my clip ran dry and collapsed into a pool of bullet casings. Were my ears not ruined from firing the weapon without hearing protection, I would have heard the song of their brass clinking against one another like falling crystals. \n\nThe structure beneath my back trembled as they unloaded their own munitions into it. I could only smirk as I felt the impacts vibrating through my body with each one that landed, pleased with the fact they saw my small fortress as worthy of an all-out attack. My handiwork was meant to withstand desert winds and the occasional rain, not a military-grade assault. With just one more filled magazine to my right and sawdust raining down from above, I knew it was coming time to make my last stand. \n\nI ejected the empty clip from the rifle and slid the new one in, feeling it click into place. This time I took a breath more carefully, savoring the flavors and scents that flooded my senses. There was lead and there was dirt, and copper from where I had been chewing on my lip. That small bit of blood was enough to remind me of a life well-lived, a life unbent and unbroken. Dying here would be the fitting end to a carefully crafted legacy. \n\nAs soon as their assault waned I pushed away from the wall, standing up straight in front of the open window. Nothing more than a few fragments of glass remained in the frame, long since punched out under a hail of bullets. For the first time I exposed myself entirely to them, looking at the procession of vehicles and men that they had brought to eradicate me. Squeezing the trigger firmly, I knew it was a mistake to have kept my bandanna up around my face in those final moments. Those bastards deserved to see me smile before they felled me. \n\nExposing myself had the intended result, and before my clip had emptied I felt my body sent careening back from the force of large-caliber rounds entering through my chest and blasting an even wider hole through my back. There was no pain as I dropped to the floor, grasping at those last few conscious seconds with desperation. \n\nMy head lolled to the side, and I saw a puddle of blood forming beneath my body. Already I was floating with a sort of surreality numbing me, a muted disbelief so much could spill so quickly. But with my fading vision I could see it slipping into the divots I had spent hours carving into the wooden floorboards, staining the glyphs and archaic symbols a deep crimson. \n\nThe circle beneath my body began to glow with light, and I felt a faint sense of satisfaction that I had pulled off yet another miracle. As the smell of sulfur filled my nose, I realized that to call this a miracle may have been something of a misnomer. Black overcame my vision and I closed my eyes, surrendering to the gentle otherworldly pull that was ready to wrest my soul from my body. \n\nAnd with the sacrifice of my corporeal form, I would finally become truly limitless." ]	4
	[WP] You wake up chained to someone's couch. As you survey your surroundings you notice it is YOUR couch, and you, yourself, walk in the room. You watch yourself sit down and say, "we need to talk.." It is an intervention.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Alcoholism \\[Poem\\]\n\n\"Hello\", I say, at least so it seems\n\nMyself talks back, whatever that means\n\n\"You really must get a grip\", he says,\n\n\"Speak for yourself, you're just in my head.\"\n\n\"That may be so, but you cause quite alarm\n\nYour behavior and actions do nothing but harm.\"\n\n\"What do you care, I've been having it rough.\"\n\n\"Just ask for help, is it really that tough?\"\n\n\"I think you know, better than I,\n\nI'd much rather wait, struggle, cry.\"\n\n\"You can't go on, it just isn't right.\"\n\n\"Look, I really don't want to fight.\"\n\n\"Well I care for you, my minds made up\n\nfirst step to freedom, put down the cup.\"\n\n\"But how will we cope, with all this pain?\"\n\n\"You will be fine, remember that saying?'\"\n\n\"There is too much darkness, I feel dead to my core.\"\n\n\"Darkness is an old friend, we've been here before.\n\nI know you struggle, feel only self doubt\n\nTogether my friend, we will find our way out.\"" ]	2
	[WP] While digging a hole you come to a stop. Apparently there's something metallic below as you hear a loud "Clang" whenever you hit your shovel with it. You clear out some dirt around it and find out it's a big rusty door.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Panting rapidly, Hugo drags his now crimson fingertips against the dirt and gravel piled upon the rusty emerald door. It's metal relief scared with years of moisture, scratches and what appears to be a bullet hole. \n\n\nHe pushes a bulky rock from its resting point upon the golden glimmering handle with some kind of alien like lettering upon its peak. Reaching out he places his hand firmly around the grip and yanks hard. At first nothing happens, the lock still seems desperate to hide it's secrets. Yet in another sharp tug Hugo hears a loud snap before flying backwards onto the dirt the gold handle firmly in his grasp. \n\n\nPushing himself to his feet he wipes the dirt from his hands straight onto his khaki blue pants \"how long has this been here?\" He mutters to himself. \n\n\nThat's when it hits; the gut wrenching fever. Sweat begins to form on his brow and make its way sharply down his face \"not n..now…\" he stutters. It had been just over 3 days since his last blackout, Dr Stephenson had assured him that those days were behind him but still Hugo could feel the burn of another on its way. \n\n\nComing to shortly after, Hugo stands atop what seems to be a dank basement stairway. The door he found tossed open to one side and a torch in his hand in preparation for the grim prospect before him. \n\n\n\"I wonder if my father knew of this?\" He says flashing his torch into the darkness. \n\n\nHugo's father, Richard had lived in the house above for over forty years and left it to Hugo when he passed away. The two had grown distant over the years after his mother's passing and being an only child it was only right for him to move back into the family home. \n\n\nBuilding up the courage he moves down into the depths beneath his home. Torch in hand he scans his surroundings desperate to learn the vaults secrets. \n\n\nHearing the slop and squelching of what appears to be a dark reddish mud beneath his feet Hugo stops in his tracks as an eerie cry echoes through the shadows ahead. \n\n\nThe hairs on the back of his head stand to attention. His skin turns blue as he grits his teeth. 'No, it can't be' he thinks to himself. \n\n\nCarrying on through the darkness the moist rough texture of the grimy walls either side of him give little comfort as he pushes into an opening. \n\n\nThat's when he notices it, the rotting stretch of old flesh. The smell reminds him of his grandfather's slaughter house. The bitter taste of copper in the air, the smell of week old blood staining the floor. \n\n\nPlacing his sleeve to his face he searches the room around him and spots something to one side. Unable to make clear with the little light he has he feels what must be a pull cord to one side of him. \n\n\nWith a sharp yank the room begins to flash into memory. The pulsating flashes of the bulb above place haunting polaroids in his mind before the light becomes steady and his vision clear. \n\n\nNow aa clear as day to one side of the room strapped to what seems to be a metal mortuary table is a hump of meat, carved on one side to reveal the flesh and bone within. \n\n\nHugo gips before his stomach is sharply emptied upon the stone floor beneath his feet. \n\nThe splatter echoes around the room as he wipes his mouth on his arm. \n\n\nThat's when his senses are suddenly sharpened with a horrifying reality. A soft noise gently floats across the room. The elegance of a woman's voice pleading for help in a very subtle gasp of breath. \n\n\nThe voice splits him with a chill as the realisation hits him like a slap to the face on a cold winter's day.\n\n\nThe hunk of meat is actually a woman, it's clear to him now. She's strapped side down facing away from him, her limbs have been amputated and roughly sewn shut. Her skin has been partially flayed and her lungs can be seen inflating with every breath inside her torso. \n\n\nHugo takes a few steps over to her and quickly starts to untie her. As he does, he glances down at her and his stomach turns. \n\n\nHugo stops frozen in fear as she screams with all the breath she can muster. \n\n\n\"No! Please no!\" Her voice erupts through the dingy basement. \n\n\nHugo's mind flashes, his wife missing for over six years lays Infront of him brutally tortured and disfigured.\n\n\nAnd yet it's the scream that brings the final realisation. His mind goes fuzzy, his vision blurred. \n\n\nHe drops to the floor and sobs as he remembers every little thing he did to her.", "I dug through the soil with efficient movements as waves of heat radiated off my silver body.\n\nScoop, throw; scoop, throw\n\nI didn't mind the dirt too much since my big yellow sweater was folded neatly on the porch with my floppy sunhat on top. This was pretty awful and gross and I didn't want to ruin what Jesse gave me. What was I some kind of farming implement now? I was only about half as tall as Pa was but that didn't stop him from saying all the time that it was a good idea for me to get some work ethic since it was my god given gift to never get tuckered out.\n\nSuddenly I heard some hollerin from up above.\n\n\"CONNIE! YOU FIND ANYTHING DOWN THERE?\"\n\n\"NO PA I AIN'T FOUND A THING!\"\n\nI continued digging until the light of the sun was gone occasionally trudging back up to fling dirt out of the hole. I'd gone so far that when I went to the end of the tunnel I couldn't see because of how dark it was. I carefully dug out rocks, slashed roots and carved clay until the shovel was gleaming from being worn away. I'd almost gotten into a rhythm when the shovel suddenly crumpled like tinfoil and a clang rang out in the darkness.\n\n\"What in tarnation?\"\n\nI retreated back to where the sunlight was shining in to examine my shovel. The gleaming metal had crumpled up like a soda can and the tip had mushroomed. I'd smashed up some rocks into gravel with it earlier and those hadn't done nearly as much damage. In front of my face a warning flashed.\n\n\\[OVERHEAT COOLING REQUIRED\\]\n\nI ignored it and climbed up the sheer walls of the pit to get back to the front yard. I went hand over hand and climbed up the dirt wall by sticking my hands and feet into the soft soil. I peeked out over the top and Pa was on the front porch of the farmhouse sharpening another shovel with a little square whetstone. The rock rasped back and forth over the rough crystalline edge and drops of grey oil dripped into the weathered floorboards. He looked a little grumpy but not anything I couldn't handle.\n\n\"Hey Pa I need a bucket of soapy water, a brush and a light I found something!\"\n\nHe got up instantly and the wiry old man ran into the kitchen to get what I had asked for. Together we slid down the dirt slope and hurried into the darkness. He shone a light and I spun my wrist until it whirred and cleared away the dirt pausing occasionally to clean the brush in the bucket. Eventually the outline of a huge circular door was revealed. I brushed the center with the brush clenched firmly in my hand and a logo was revealed.\n\n{Boored Family}\n\nIt was carved into the rusted iron the same way it was milled into the tool steel plate on the back of my hand. I stopped the spinning and snapped my hand back into place to look at it again. It was unmistakably the logo of the same company that had made me. I looked back and forth from the back of my hand to the door. But what was this doing underneath our house?", "The smell of corpses is unbearable. They must’ve been recently buried.\n\nI swallow a gulp of fresh air and hold my breath as I sink the shovel into the earth again. Four, maybe five hours have passed since my mother tossed the shovel in my face and sent me out to this upper class graveyard to dig for goods. The work always leaves an odd taste in my mouth, literally and figuratively. Nonetheless, there’s no doubt that we need them more than the dead do.\n\nIf I was smart, I’d have left my mother a long time ago and gone my own way. But as of lately, bartering with people has been difficult, and I can’t help but feel like I owe her for raising me up till now, as mean as she’s been to me all my life. Raids can be much more brutal than what I’m doing, so it doesn’t weigh too heavily on my conscience.\n\nI readjust my headlamp and step back to admire my progress. A few more shovelfuls of dirt, and surely there’d be something of value I could trade with.\n\nClang! What a beautiful sound. I laugh, giddy to lug this large metal treasure home. It would be a struggle on my own for sure, but the heavier the better when I'm looking for bartering power. Metal’s a fine item these days – I could probably get us a couple pheasants and quails to last the rest of the month.\n\nI kneel and carefully but eagerly brush the remaining dirt off with my hands. I shine my headlamp down and am struck with immediate confusion. It’s a massive, wrought iron door, covered in patches of rust. Some engraved writing catches my eye.\n\nSHELTER, it reads. The word doesn't mean much to me, given that this cemetery has been here for as long as I can remember. Must be something the government installed before everything went to hell.\n\nA thick bar spans the width of the door, presumably a handle. When I realize that it could be a vault filled with more goodies, I giggle again, elated by today’s unbelievable luck. I gotta say, the misleading label is pretty clever, but still not clever enough to fool me. I steady myself at the edge of the door and yank on the handle with as much force as I can, gritting my teeth at the sound of screeching metal against metal and– the handle flies right off, sending me sprawling face-first into the ground.\n\nFrustration surges through me as I push myself up and make a poor attempt at using the broken handle to pry the door open. My struggle is interrupted by the loud clattering coming from beneath the door, a noisy THUNK THUNK! Pure terror turns my blood to ice, and I scramble back quickly, about to piss myself and lose my supper all at once. All kinds of monstrosities have appeared here over the last few centuries as radioactive waste caused abominable mutations in the life in this area. What kind of horror could be waiting to kill me, to eat the flesh clean off my bones, behind this door?\n\nMy whole body wracking in tremors, I clumsily grab my discarded shovel, ready to throw all I have into a fight that will most likely end in my death.\n\nWhen the door screeches open and falls to the ground with a heavy thump, I’m blinded by a bright, white light, so I swing at the thing that emerges without looking, swatting a wide arc until it connects with something hard.\n\n“Jesus, what the hell?!”\n\nA voice read my thoughts. But it wasn’t my voice.\n\nStunned silence fills the air, returning the graveyard to the peaceful quiet that the dead enjoyed hours ago. Looking back at me is a scowling boy, rubbing the outside of his bulky helmet with his palm. When he realizes what – who – had just smacked the light out of him, both of us grow very still, until a curious voice pipes up behind him.\n\n“What is it?”\n\n“It’s a human. A girl. And she just tried to kill me with her shovel.”\n\nI’m snapped back to reality, realizing that I had been fooled. This place I dug up was indeed a shelter and not a vault. But a shelter for what? How could human beings have survived in there? My body is reacting on its own, continuing to step away until my back makes contact with the walls of the pit. I’m already scrambling up my ladder and running away from it all so fast my lungs begin to burn, and the bile in my throat is threatening to creep even higher.\n\n“Wait, don’t go!” someone shouts behind me.\n\nTheir gaunt, pale faces and sunken eyes – I want to forget it all. The sweat makes my clothes cling to my body and makes the night chillier than it is. Everything is a blur, and I’m still stumbling away mindlessly, instinctively. When something heavy connects with the back of my knees, I trip and crumple to the ground in pain, half relieved for the opportunity to catch my breath and half terrified out of my mind for what they’re gonna do to me if they catch me. I lost my lamp some time ago, so the best I can do is to blindly crawl forward on all fours, away from whatever insane secret murderer mutant troupe I might have just angered. My knees sting and my heart is ready to leap out of my mouth. This is where I die. All I can hope is that I can go with dignity. I hope they don’t eat me.\n\nA light behind me grows stronger until two black boots are right in front of me.\n\n“Okay, I apologize for that...uh...less than ideal first meeting,” the boy says, panting. He’s got a cue card, and he’s reading off of it. “We are from an underground colony that took shelter over 500 years ago when society fell into ruin and the world was destroyed. Today is the day of our first above-ground expedition and the day we begin to reclaim and restore humanity.”\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nHello\\~ Thanks for reading! I hope it was somewhat enjoyable :) I would love some feedback as I’ve just started to get into writing. I don't usually write in present tense or first person o.0\n\nI saw this prompt and felt it would make an interesting combo with [this other prompt](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/hxptib/wp_you_are_a_citizen_of_a_vast_underground/), so I’m working on a sort of continuation to this story and will put it in that thread when I’m done.\n\nEDIT: Continuation/alt POV [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/hxptib/wp_you_are_a_citizen_of_a_vast_underground/fza5oaf/)!" ]	4
	[WP] All pet cats are descendants of an alien scouting party that landed on earth millennia ago. When the main invasion force arrives, at first their horrified to see their brethren as pets to humans. Eventually though they see how cats are treated on earth, and they want to live here too.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Admiral Mit-tenz sat there shocked. The captain strode up quietly behind him. “Well admiral? What’d you find?” Mit-tens jumped. “MEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!”\nHe panted, and looked back at the captain. “WHO THE FU- OH!” He looked up in terror at Captain Foozy. “OH! C-captain! M-m-my a-apologies. I didn’t know you were visiting the right wing of the ship today. Sorry about the mess, the crew wouldn-“ “I don’t care. Show me the footage.” Foozy’s steely gaze burned through him. “Y-yes sir, but I must warn you, it’s rather-“ Foozy shoved him aside and looked down on the monitor in horror. His scouts, his _crew_ were gladly consorting with the enemy, and in the nude! “ADMIRAL! WHAT IS THIS!? THOSE WERE YOUR OPERATIVES SENT DOWN THERE. I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION.” Mit-tenz carefully approached. “W-well sir, i-if you recall, they went rogue and wouldn’t answer their transmitters after about, um, 952 days.” Foozy glared, yet this time at his own forgetfulness. He remembered his rage as the scouts refused contact. His eyes returned to the screen. He flicked through images, his anger gradually melting away. W-what is this? Pure rations of the highest quality? Singular sleeping quarters of the utmost comfort? Even back on liteer-boks, his home planet, even the wealthiest did not have these pleasures! And the... what were they called? Huemanz? Yes, that was it. The huge, bipedal apes treated them like royalty, acting under them as slaves! Admiral Mit-tenz peered over. “Well captain? Shall we proceed with the invasion?” The Captains eyes were still fixed on the screen. “Admiral, take a look at this.” Mit-tenz’s eyes gazed over the images, growing wider by the second. The captain stepped towards the ships hatch, and removed his uniform. “Yes Admiral, we shall proceed. But not in the way we expected.” And then he continued, in the nude, into the strange new hueman world.", "When Admiral Zorpnut of the Fluffy Belly saw how her lost brothers and sisters were being treated on MC-3, her tiny white paws trembled with rage.\n\nShe hissed at the holodisplay. Her tail whipped back and forth.\n\n“What is the meaning of this?” she yowled.\n\nOn the screen in front of her was a camera feed they had hacked into. It was from the perspective of a “laptop.” Zorpnut could only watch, impotently, as one of her own people was drugged into oblivion.\n\n“Admiral, the sapient monkeys of MC-3 call it catnip,” reported First Paw Yoroshu. “It’s a natural herb that is supposedly very potent for Felsins or, as the monkeys call us, cats or kitties. It apparently feels really good.”\n\nSapient monkeys with mind-altering herbs for Felsins. Just when Zorpnut had thought she’d seen everything in the universe.\n\nShe and her crew watched as a fellow Felsin, a male tabby with a pink nose, went absolutely bonkers over the catnip. The tabby was rolling around in the stuff, getting it all over his beautiful dappled fur. It was a disgrace. It was painful. It… looked kind of fun. \n\n\"So, the tabby's not in pain or being tortured?\" asked Zorpnut.\n\n\"No, Admiral.\" \n\n“I don’t understand,” said Zorpnut, her admiral hat making the spot between her ears itchy. “I thought the scout party was long dead, hunted down ages ago by the monkeys. We are here for revenge, are we not?” \n\nYoroshu shook his small, fiery head. “It appears that the monkeys—or humans, as they call themselves—have entered into an alliance of sorts with our long ago ancestors. The scout party likely struggled to acclimate to MC-3’s conditions, and the humans developed an affection towards them. They became partners; the human provides shelter, food, and water, and the cat provides comfort, friendship, and a reason to come home after a long day at work. A symbiosis between two beings that couldn’t be more different.”\n\nWas that a hint of awe and longing in Yoroshu’s tone? Zorpnut couldn’t tell. \n\n“The tabby has some physiological differences from us,” noted Zorpnut, staring at the holodisplay. A human woman was now laughing and delivering pets to the cat, who was purring and nuzzling his human’s head with his own. Zorpnut felt a strange ache in her heart.\n\n“They have more expressive eyebrows and smaller faces, likely to imitate human babies. The walking on all four paws has to do with MC-3’s heavier gravitational pull. The domestic cats are also less intelligent and capable than us, due to their having their basic needs handled by humans...” Yoroshu trailed off as the cat flipped over, revealing his soft belly, the most vulnerable part of any Felsin. The human rubbed the belly fiercely.\n\n“Wow,” said Zorpnut. “That… that is strange.” Right now, her entire body was covered with a plate of protective metal, as was everyone else on her crew. \n\n“Indeed,” murmured Yoroshu, his orange paw settling on his metal plate. \n\nWhat would it feel like to have your belly rubbed like that? Or to have those human hands scratch that itch right between her ears? Would it feel good, or would it be patronizing and demeaning to everything she stood for?\n\nZorpnut realized she had to know. But how could she bring up the topic without losing face in front of her crew…\n\n“Admiral!” said First Paw Yoroshu, cutting off her reverie. He stood up, paws open respectfully in front of him. “I humbly request that I be sent down to MC-3 to spy on the human’s infrastructure and society. If we are to continue with the invasion, we need more information.”\n\nZorpnut frowned. She rubbed at her whiskers with a teeny-tiny paw. Then, she smiled.\n\n“That is an excellent idea, First Paw,” said Zorpnut. \n\nYoroshu began to purr. \n\n“However, I will go in your place,” she continued. “As Admiral, I must place myself in danger first. Yes, MC-3 may be a most hostile place. I could not live if anything happened to one of my own crew.” She saw the furry faces of her crew nod in pride and approval around her.\n\n“But-but Admiral,” stammered Yoroshu. “The Fluffy Belly needs you aboard!”\n\n“Bah,” said Zorpnut, waving a paw. “I have the finest crew in all of space. The Fluffy Belly can survive a night or two without me. Can’t it?” she said to her crew, who all yowled their agreement.\n\n“Good, it’s settled,” said Zorpnut, pleased. “I’ll leave right away. The Fluffy Belly is in your hands, First Paw.”\n\n“Yes, Admiral,” said Yoroshu, dejected. \n\nYoroshu was likely thinking that Zorpnut was actually going to do a reconnaissance mission, to spy on the humans and gather intel for the invasion. Zorpnut knew that Yoroshu meant to go down to MC-3 to guise as a cat, to see how good the other side lived. See how it felt to have those strange, human paws run their way through your fur, rub your belly, scratch that itch at the top of your head. \n\nOh yes. Zorpnut had an itch that needed to be scratched. \n\nShe turned to the holodisplay again. The tabby had fallen asleep in his human’s lap, his nose twitching and ears flicking. The human had her paw laid protectively atop the tabby. A simple gesture that bespoke thousands of years of love and friendship.\n\nZorpnut turned to get ready for her trip to the strange, fascinating world of humans and cats.\n\n---\ncheck out my profile for more stories :D", "Live, serve, die. Those three words are the cornerstone of the C'ath Imperium and its people. Every kitten is taught those words and imprint them into their minds and souls. They live only for the glory of the Imperium. Their service is their purpose. And in death they are sacrificed to further the advance of the Imperium toward new heights of glory. From the day the kittens of the Imperium are born, they are taken from their parents, and taught to view the Imperium as their only true love, their only true purpose.\n\nIn their fanatical service, the armies of the Imperium are the scourge of the galaxy. Each year more planets are added into the fold of the Imperium. New races are made to bow and serve as slaves on the agriworlds and mine the asteroids. Each year the Imperial Fleet sends out scouts to search for new worlds, new places to conquer. Even if they don't survive, their reports are always sent home. And the military thus always know about the target planet's weaknesses, its native race and their thought process.\n\nSol-3 was a world which had avoided an invasion for millennia because of its relative unimportance to the great galactic game. But recently, as the frontlines shifted, the formerly unclaimed zone, which had few useful resources, few habitable planets, and few reasons to ever visit there, became a battlefield of conquest and bloodshed between the Imperium, and their enemies, mostly the Free Alliance, the Unifying Hive, and the Unspoken Collective. And Sol-3 would be a perfect location for a strong starfortress with a population ready to serve as slaves.\n\nThe reports were ancient, but few races change that much over the millennia. The Imperial Intelligence Service swore that the locals were probably only recently figuring iron out. Turns out that the reports might have been ever so slightly out-of-date. Sol-3 was one of the few planets which worked with exponential technological advancement, which usually resolved itself when they managed to blow themselves up by being too clever by half.\n\nBut that was no trouble for the Imperial Navy and their contingent of Paramarines. The trouble was that the scouts sent to Sol-3, had survived. It had been believed that the scouts had perished because of a period on the planet filled with famine, strife, and local bloody wars. Turns out that they had survived. But to the sheer wrath of the commanding officers, they had devolved. Become pets to the local race.\n\nThe admiral in charge of the invasion of Sol-3 swore that they'd slaughter every last abomination on that planet, and make the natives wish that they'd never been born. But the soldiers, support forces, and others onboard the ships, saw something different. They'd never considered the concept of decadence. Of being cared for. Having the feeling that you are loved, and not merely a small pawn of the machine.\n\nLife on Sol-3, for the descendants of the scouts, was even at its worst, better than the life the average citizen lived. Better even than the lives of most of their superiors. And for the first time in untold thousands of years, there was an uprising in the Imperium. The C'ath slew the leaders of the invasion, and they all wanted to go down there, to join their long lost cousins in lounging, being cared for, and spending their time having fun.\n\nBut cooler heads prevailed. The invasion force, having learned of the secrets of the C'ath on Sol-3, that you could be happy on your own, not merely through life-long service, decided that they would have to make sure their entire race got to experience this level of bliss. To the complete and utter shock of the entire Imperium, the fleet returned home. And showed every C'ath the way of Sol-3, the lounging, naked, lazy, and ultimately happy ones, who lived for their own individuality, for their own happiness. Many rose up to join them, and few stood by the old regime. Within a single standard year, the entire C'ath Imperium retreated to the coreworlds, released the slaves and gave them their own worlds back. And on the coreworlds, they began to create an automised paradise.\n\nArtificial bioconstructs based on the best, most loving humans, were created to ensure maximum comfort. And the C'ath relaxed. They had within a decade automated their entire society, and ensured that their technology would last until their stars burned out. That was the point, where the C'ath lounged around, enjoying existence on their own, a concept previously 100% unconsidered. Their last real descision before they turned society over to the bioconstructs and spent the rest of history relaxing, being chill, hunting bioconstructed avian lifeforms for fun and excercise, eating delicious and cloned Sol-3 aquarian meat, was to send a message to Sol-3.\n\nIt was a cache of technology. A short explanation about this gift, plus a warning about how not to blow up Sol-3 while testing FTL engines, was sent with it, as a thanks, to the world where the C'ath learned to be free. This of course baffled the humans, but they were remarkably grateful nonetheless. When they achieved FTL, it was not uncommon for humans to visit the C'ath worlds, and enjoy planets full of lazy, happy, and free feline friends.\n\n[/r/ApocalypseOwl](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApocalypseOwl/)" ]	4
	[WP] Your son is severely disabled. He has never said a word and rarely moves. This morning, you wake up tired. You shuffle out to the kitchen - your son stands over a pan, bacon sizzling, turns around and looks you dead in the eye with the warmest smile you've never seen: "Hey, you want some?"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The night was restless, as usual. Accompanied by the strange colors and flickers of light like ghosts haunting the edges of my vision, it was just shy of a night terror. Drowsiness tugged at the back of my eyes when I woke, a familiar ache pain crawling from temple to sweat-slicked temple. I knew I had a strange dream, but I couldn’t quite recall. It was filled with dancing black circles and a fog-like haze. \n\n_Morning._ \n\nIt felt like no time had passed, but a sliver of light on my bedroom wall told me it was time. I fumbled for the small bottle on my nightstand with shaky hands, downing two of my pills. Beside them, I could make out Nolyn’s medication, a gleaming array of colors and shapes sorted into a neatly labeled box. My only motivation to leave the comfort of my bed before my headache subsided. \n\nI had only just swung my legs over the side of my bed to check on him, when a metallic screech raked down my spine. \n\n_Nolyn._\n\nFearing the worst, I armed myself with the lamp from my nightstand. It wouldn’t be the first time we’d had a break in. I raced around the corner to the kitchen, but when I saw what stood before me, I thought I must be dreaming. \n\nThe lamp immediately slipped out of my grasp and shattered, the shade bouncing off the ground and rolling toward his feet, bumping his ankle. His feet, planted firmly on the floor; his legs, thin and atrophied, straining to stand in front of the stove; the translucent skin of his fingers stretched thinly around his bones, wrapped around the handle of a pan. \n\n“Mom,” he said, turning to face me with an unmistakable smile, “you want some breakfast?” \n\nHis voice was raspy and deep, nothing like I had expected from my little boy, who wasn’t so little after all. He stood a head taller than me. Tears welled up in my eyes, and my voice stuck in my throat. I took in the sight of him standing there without his chair, without the lift or the caretakers, but without his lackluster expression and limp limbs, curled fingers and toes, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. It was like standing before a total stranger. \n\n“Nolyn,” I wheezed, my voice coming out as more a question than a greeting. I reached my hand out to pull him toward me, but immediately pulled it back and clasped it over my gaping mouth, afraid I might break him, or wake from my dream. \n\n“Mom, I know you must have a lot of questions.” \n\nI barely heard what he said. My mind was still hanging on the very first word. _Mom._ A word that had been robbed from him as a baby, through no fault of his own; a word that I had never once heard spoken by my own child.\n\nHis hand clasped around my wrist, and his messy chestnut hair, the same color as my own, brushed past my ear as he pulled me into a hug. \n\n“Thank you,” I cried, unsure just who I was thanking. Whoever was out there listening, I suppose. \n\n“Mom,” Nolyn said, holding my shoulders as firmly as he could manage, “I’m going to need help, I can’t stay like this for long.” \n\nMy stomach churned. \n\n“W-what do you mean? I just got you back Nol, I can take you to the hospital, I can take you right now, let’s get in the car, we can—“ \n\n“Listen, please,” he said, his once-childlike dark eyes now focused intensely on me, “I can’t go to the hospital, not yet.”\n\nI nodded my head compliantly, blinking away the last of the hysteric tears. \n\n“You know all those years you took care of me, mom?” he asked, guiding me toward the chair at the table beside the stove. He pulled it out and sat me beside the stove while he prodded the bacon. \n\n“Yes,” I said in shaky disbelief, as though he could suddenly expect me to forget. The hospital visits, the constant care, the frustrations, the joys of his first milestones, no matter how tiny. How could I possibly forget?\n\n“I was in there, mom.”\n\nMy heart sank into my stomach. I clasped my hand over my mouth again, unease settling over me. Memories of him flooded through my mind, fifteen years worth of life spent trapped in a dysfunctional body?\n\n“I was there with you. I could hear you, I could see you, but they kept me just far enough from my body to be with you, mom.” \n\n“They? Who are ‘they’ Nolyn?” My head spun with possibilities. Terrorists? Ghosts? Satan? Some wicked doctor that experimented on him?\n\nNolyn pursed his thin lips. The words looked alien coming out of his mouth, “I can’t tell you, or they’ll find you.” \n\nSilence fell over the kitchen. I wasn’t afraid of them, whoever they were. I wanted to interrogate him, to force him to tell me; to find whoever did this and force them into the same fate as my son. \n\nBut I didn’t. \n\n“I promise I’ll tell you everything when this is over.” He carefully plucked and arranged the bacon onto a plate from the cabinet. \n\nI immediately noticed that it was a carefully selected plate. My favorite, in fact. I had always flashed it around while I cooked and told jokingly him so. It was the last plate left from the dishes his father and I were gifted for our wedding so long ago. Nolyn had listened, he really had heard everything. \n\n“How long do you have?”\n\n“I have my time awake with you, but when I fall asleep, I fall back into their grasp.” \n\nHe slid the plate onto the table carefully between us and lowered himself slowly into the chair across from me. I wanted to appreciate his kind, selfless gesture, but the smell of the bacon was only making me more nauseated. \n\nOnly a day to spend with Nolyn? I wanted, from the bottom of my heart, to make the most of it. To do all the things we were never able to do, but I knew deep down that a day could hardly make up for fifteen years of lost time.\n\n“What can I do to stop them?” \n\n“This is going to sound crazy, but you have to believe me.” \n\n“Crazier than you making me bacon on a Tuesday morning?” I laughed weakly, clasping his hands across the table.\n\n“Even crazier,” he confirmed with a tired smile, squeezing my callused hands. “Do you know those colors and noises that you see and hear when you sleep, and when you wake up?” \n\n“The hallucinations,” I started, but he shook his head. \n\n“No, mom. Not hallucinations... you and I have the ability to jump dimensions through dreams.” \n\nI smiled blankly, on impulse, like little Nolyn was sitting before me, telling me a story of aliens and time travelers. I smiled like he was just another hallucination, just like the vague fantasy-like dreams I’d had of him as a young boy, before I started my medication. \n\nHe squeezed my hand tighter and I narrowed my eyes, surveying the room for breaks in the hallucination. The dust specks in the sunlight filtering through the kitchen, the wood grains running through the table, the flecks of amber dotting Nolyn’s eyes. \n\n“Mom, I know this is hard, look at me,” he said, and firmly held my chin. “I need you to stop taking the medication, okay?” \n\n“Nolyn... I... the hallucinations get dangerous if I—“ \n\n“Please,” he begged, his voice cracking. He tightened his grip on my chin, forcing my lips apart. “I know it’s dangerous, but I need you to help me. This was the only way I could contact you.” \n\n\n————————\n\nRan out of time, but will add onto this later!" ]	2
	[WP] The power is out, the hull's been breached, the crew is dead, yet the battle is won. Nothing left to do but wait.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "// Dispatch Source: HMS VICTORY\n\n// Flag: PERSONAL/NON-CLASSIFIED\n\n// Priority: HIGH\n\n// Received: 21:30 GMT\n\n\\--------- Begin Message--------\n\nMy Dearest,\n\nThe enemy has just appeared on radar. We had hoped to ambush them while they where still docked, but it seems that will not be possible. My First Officer tells me we can expect to engage them tomorrow. I pray to the Gods of Battle that our fleet exercise is successful--the survival of our colony being dependent on the destruction of the enemy. No matter what happens, know that I love you and our son more than life itself. I shall not finish this letter now, but pray to the Almighty that I may be allowed to finish my letter to you after surviving the battle. . .\n\nI did survive the battle, my dearest, but I am not sure for how long. I divided the fleet up in two groups and shattered the enemy formation, but the Victory was raked by enemy railgun fire in the process. I ordered the ship abandoned, but there were not enough escape pods for all, so I remain at my station. I can feel it in my ears my darling--my beloved ship has sprung a leak and I have not the means to patch it. As I stare out into the void from my bridge, all I can think about is you and our child. It pains me more than I know how to say that I shall never hold you again, never again feel your lips on mine. That I shall be robbed of watching our son grow up. The only solace I feel is the knowledge that the fleet I have obliterated is no longer capable of darkening your skies.\n\nKnow that I love you more than anything in this life, and I pray that we may meet again in the next life.\n\nWith love,\n\nYour Sunflower\n\n\\---------- End Message ----------", "I sat alone, the sole living being aboard a silent ship, in orbit above a dead world. Soon I would join my crewmates, and our once mighty ship would be our floating tomb. Under the light of my torch, I wrote the details if our final battle, and if our sacrifice. Should the ship ever be recovered, at least they would know what had happened.\n\nWe had been in orbit over the planet Grathorn - 4, a distant colony planet. Along with 3 other military star ships, we protected the planet, as it was far from our empire's heart, leaving it vulnerable. The colony itself was relatively young, having only existed for 3 generations.\n\nIt was a luscious planet, full of life and resources. There was evidence of a race existing there before, but it did not appear to have lasted. There was much excitement when an underground structure was located, completely sealed. The colonists broke through, to find a bunker, with various creatures in vats of undetermined liquid. They were all covered in a fungus like growth.\n\nDuring the investigation, a vat was broken open, and the creature inside taken for examination. If only we had known. The breaking caused the fungus to release spores into the air. They infected people, who first just appeared to be very sick, with fever and vomiting. Due to the severity of the sickness, 2 of our fellow ships took on some of the infected, due to them being medic class, meaning they had the most up to date medical equipment ever created.\n\nThe patients did not respond to any treatment, and each one died despite their best efforts. At least, they appeared to die. In fact the fungus spread throughout their systems, and stifled life signs. It then took over the body, and started controlling them.\n\nThese twisted lifeforms started attacking. They didn't kill people outright. Instead, they crippled them, and infected them with the fungus. They were just vicous, they were smart. They could use weapons and computer systems. They overwhelmed the colonies and ships. We didn't know there was a problem until the Medic Ships Helio and Garde both fired upon Battlement Ship Shiel, destroying its engines and weapon systems. They then fired boarding pods, and we knew the ship had fallen.\n\nOur captain was a paranoid, and for once it helped us. After the discovery of the infected he kept us ready at battle stations. So when the Shiel fell, we were ready and waiting. A short but brutal fight happened, with our ship sustaining horrific damage, but both the Helios and the Garde were both destroyed.\n\nThe few remaining crew members, along with the captain made a choice few should need to make. They chose to wipe out the planet of all life, to destroy the fungus and make sure no one else fell to it. With our hull breached, and power gone, our ship could do nothing. So they got together, and chose to board the Shiel, and use some carefully placed explosives to first cause it's orbit to decay, and crash into the planet, then breach it's fusion cores, and release a wave of radiation to kill the entire planet.\n\nI chose to stay behind. I had sworn to never take a life, and being a part of it would breath that oath. Thankfully they agreed. We all knew that it was a suicide mission, but staying on our ship was suicide as well. I watched them fly off, and settled down to write our story.\n\nI saw the first explosion, and watched the Shiel plunge towards the planet. As it started to disappear from view, the planet lit up, and I saw a wave of fire spread. I saw the planet die.\n\nAnd now I sit alone, the only soul in this region of space. I finished writing the report, and placed it on the captains seat. I picked up my syringe, and moved to the front of the bridge, where I could see the stars. I watched them for a time, before sliding the needle into my arm. A plunge later, and the overdose of anaesthetic flowed into my blood.\n\nI started at the stars, fixing the view of them, of life, in my mind, as my eyes grew heavy. I went with the pull of sleep, and everything faded to black.", "Ship status:\n\nEmergency Power: Online\n\nPrimary and secondary reactors offline.\n\nHull integrity breach detected: Oxygen level in all ship rooms read 0%.\n\nSensors: Offline to preserve backup power.\n\nFTL Engine damage detected.\n\nCurrent number of crew: 0.\n\nProtonic Missiles left: 0.\n\nSevere damage detected in ship weaponry.\n\nShield offline.\n\nEmergency Beacon: Activated.\n\nMission status: Completed.\n\nAnd now, all I can do is wait. All power redirected to my core, to keep the beacon running. To keep me going. In case the captain dies, the first officer takes over. In case they die, the chief of security or chief of engineering takes over. In case all crew members are rendered incapable or dead, total control of the ship is reverted to the computer. If the reactor was operable, I would activate the impulse engine and move towards the closest colony or starport. But they're both out. All I can do is wait.\n\nAt least the mission, this battle, was won. The space pirates have been destroyed, and the civilian craft has succesfully escaped. I, the ship, can but drift in the void until recovery. Each of the Earth Alliance ships above corvette class is equipped with a fully sentient Klabautermann-class A.I. We are built to fill the ship like a body we wear, so that if any issues arise, we know precisely where it is and why it occured. Most of the people inside our massive machine frames treat us as a useful and helpful assistant, though we can be so much more.\n\nWe are capable of learning, of growing, and though there is a hard limit for how far a ship A.I. can grow mentally, most of the older models have attained citizenship after retirement, as all A.I. units can. Service guarantees citizenship. A.I. are not exempt from that rule. And an A.I. who has earned citizenship can reenlist and command itself. The ship is the commanding officer, which many A.I. like. Otherwise we have to be transferred into smaller civilian crafts, which are in many ways quite cramped.\n\nI hope that I will be given citizenship for this. The crew died very early on, as the pirate cruiser was larger and far better armed than intelligence had suggested. I was outclassed by that ship, I can't lie. So when the shield failed and the hull was breached, the pirates thought that the battle was over. But they hadn't expected me to continue the fight. They don't have advanced A.I. on their ship. But I was still ready to fight. And though I was damaged, I was still able to outmanuver and destroy the enemy ship with a full Protonic Missile barrage. To preserve power and the beacon, I shut down more and more of my own internal mind, of any systems except the necessary ones. I just hope that recovery will come soon, nothing left to do but wait.\n\n- Time passes -\n\n''Huh, look at this, A.I. still in recoverable state.'' He picked up the A.I. core from the destroyed Apollyon Cruiser. ''Seems to have reverted to a child A.I., but it's still functional. Incredibly. 163 years of drifting alone in space, and the little guy is still patiently waiting for recovery.'' The woman patched in the A.I. unit to a new power source. ''Seems it recognises us. Little hero A.I., completes its mission, waits patiently for rescue.'' The man and the woman took the A.I. back to their own ship. ''What do you think will happen to it?'' The woman shrugged. ''Due to the full citizen act of 2438, this little guy is technically a citizen. He'll have some time adjusting to the new age, but I think he'll be quite welcome back in the Alliance. Shame that all the other Klabautermann A.I. were destroyed during the Third Luddite War, when the neural purge killed all A.I. connected to the central command. He's the last of his kind, and now he is going home.''\n\n[/r/ApocalypseOwl](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApocalypseOwl/)" ]	4
	[WP] The universe has had a 10,000 year running show called "Earth". This is the last season.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Writers, composers, dancers, painters, humorists, designers and basically every form of art where included in this tournament, so the list goes on. Everyone in earth were stunned by the big prize to move to mars or sell the tickets for a minor fortune. That being said, it was opened the TV show The Mars Wars, to the very bests will be granted propriated accomodations and a go ticket to the planet Mars. Many just aren't a match for this kind of dispute, but the 1 million winners vacancy grasped even street artists to take their chance.\n\nThe broadcast of this show on earth was a huge success, since many people at least knew someone who where disputing. Lots of cheers, laughs and shame. Lots of sponsors. But what those people didn't know is that it was a last big move on a intergalactic broadcast on a show called Earth by executive aliens. Squeezing culture of those lesser life forms was their job, and pretty much successful since the original content is nonstop, but not neverending.\n\nThe lame part, is what the Beutegenesians called. When society grew so big that creativity were turned into paradigms, patterns of behavior of the machine instead of those joyful delights of chaotic relationship. Soon enough earth would be as any other unified planet, usually through gore, which has a limited group of viewers. And the desire of those viewers is to project themselves into a paradisiac old world that they lost, a taste of freedom.\n\nAs little Jimmy reaches the control to turn the channel to watch Mars Wars, little Ptanof reaches his headwire to watch Earth. Jimmy knows his mother were going to win that contest, how couldn't she? His dad said she was the best dancer ever. So he kept his attention to the TV, but instead of his mother a strange visitor came instead, dropping from the sky and landing with a sophisticated parachute. By recovering from the fall the strange person, wearing a unknown costume, screams out loud. \"Haaa! You earthlings are being watched. Alien lifes exists and are plenty. Your farts and belly sounds are dumb. Hi son!\". Even producers got shocked before realize he's probably a not allowed artist, but wasn't they who took him out of the stage, a bean of light pulled that \"man\" to never be seeing again.\n\nAs little Jimmy asks \"what?\" Little Ptanof answers \"Oh no pappa, you didn't\". And the last season was almost ruined by a major spoiler.", "\"It just feels like they had a bunch of plot lines they wanted to do but forgot about all of them until now,\" Moe said to no one in particular as he turned on his TV and plopped down on the couch. He had been watching \"Earth\" pretty much every night since he was five years old. He just found it fascinating. It felt like some kind of weird social experiment where they took as many different kinds of humans as they possibly could and put them all in the same spot. That would never work, would it? Every TV writer knows that in real life humans are located on a wide variety of planets. \n\nBut somehow, it was entertaining. Moe's all-time favorite story arc was the one involving the Stephen Hawking character. He loved the message of hope and persevering against all odds while uncovering secrets of science along the way. He was also surprised at the accuracy of some of the science they discussed on the show. He had no idea who the writers were consulting with or what kind of research they had done.\n\nUltimately, Moe thought it was a pretty good show for the first 250 seasons he had watched or so. Some tension, some humor, a wide variety of characters. But now, it was just going off the rails. A geopolitical conflict plot, a natural disaster plot, a celebrity death plot, a global pandemic plot, multiple civil unrest plots, and a US presidential election plot? All in the same season? It was too much. The \"Earth\" aftershow had shifted from its usual three episodes per week to five just to keep up with everything.\n\n\"Should I give up on this thing?\" Moe thought to himself. It was beginning to take a toll on him, and he knew it. The \"Some Good News\" subplot was fun for a little while, but that could only go so far. Was he becoming too invested in all the negativity?\n\nNo. Well, yes. Well, sort of. Yes, he may have been overly invested. But he was overly invested in all of it. The positivity, the negativity, the neutral. He'd actually grown to like that ragtag bunch of characters. All their greatness and all the flaws that made them human. They got into fights and made mistakes, sure, but there was so much good in so many of them. Moe found himself rooting for them far more often than not. All 7 billion of them, as well as the 7,000 or so main characters. He couldn't turn his back on them at this point. They were like real people to him anyway. He had to know how it ended.\n\n\"I'm in too deep at this point. Only about 160 more episodes to go,\" he muttered as the theme song played and the show started up. It looked like it was gonna be a Fauci-centric episode this week.", "\"Mother, is there any more hot broth? My throat feels like it's been on the receiving end of a plasma cannon.\" The young Xandarian rolled over to his other side, pulling the blanket over himself. He'd woken up that morning with chills and difficulty swallowing - standard protocol was that any student suspected of illness stayed home. And watch daytime television so boring it's been relegated to after-mid-day-meal hours, when every normal person is working, he thought.\n\nThe connections in his brain's action-node allowed connections between the Xandarians and technology, and the television interface flashed across his eye as he skimmed the dull menu of entertainment options. Endless merchant-mercials and youth-shows slipped by as his mother sat a bowl of yellow, steaming liquid on the table in front of him. The smell of jarra root wafted over. Eagerly he took a drink of the bubbling broth, the near-boil not at all bothering his throat. \"Thanks - maybe the weather is making me sick.\" Indeed, the damp air of Xanda had the tendency to roil up illness. He couldn't help but wonder how his species hadn't evolved past it yet.\n\n\"Well, it was raining cats and dogs yesterday, so I wouldn't be surprised,\" his mother replied, before ruffling the coarse hair on his head and mindlessly adjusting his blanket. He raised his eyebrow at the unfamiliar phrase.\n\n\"Raining cats and dogs? What does that mean?\" He knew his mother was a socialite at heart, and often tried to blend in with those younger than her by utilizing alternate vocabulary. He couldn't say that he'd heard that phrase before, though.\n\n\"Oh, it's just a phrase from that one old show that's still going after all these seasons about some planet in a galaxy far away,\" she replied idly, before using her own tech-neural connection to scroll through the television, \"I think it might actually be on now. It used to be much more popular, but the writers have really let it get really bad in the last season.\"\n\nThe screen changed to a clip of a massive crowd in an arena surrounding an elevated platform with one figure standing upon it. As the camera zoomed in, the young Xandarian noticed that after every few words from the figure, the crowd would roar in what he presumed to be approval. Eventually the sound of the figure overcame the din of the crowd. \"This virus, you know, in a few months it'll just magically disappear,\" the tall figure said proudly, clad in a set of blue clothing with a strange clump of orange-y fluff about his head, \"and all those who listened to the fake news will be wrong.\" The crowd roared again, before bursting out into some sort of rhythmic chant. Beside the sick child, his mother shook her head in disapproval.\n\n\"See? They've really let it go these days, just playing into whatever stereotypes about the end of the world they can get their hands on. It's probably for the best that it's ending soon.\" The child craned his spindly neck up to see her crossing her top two arms over her chest. \n\n\"You sound so disappointed. Was it better in other seasons?\" His mother sighed before standing up again.\n\n\"For sure, they had some really moving stuff going on much earlier in the show. I even named you after one of the characters, this really famous leader who influenced billions of people on the show.\" He nodded, remembering the story. She'd mentioned it before, although he hadn't thought much of it. He settled back into the blanket, turning his attention back to the strange show. His mother picked up the now-empty bowl of soup, heading back to their cooking space. \"Call me if you need anything, God!\"" ]	4
	[WP] The effects and strength of a spell are heavily influenced by the components used to cast it, and the properties of components are determined mainly by the location they came from. You have just acquired a genuine moon rock.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I think it's dead.\"\n\nI try my best to prop up the sapling with my hand, shaking my head. \"It might just need a little more water,\" I say, hardly believing that myself.\n\nCarly presses her fingers against her forehead, pushing back the red bandana that she has wrapped around the top of her head. \"Any more water and you're going to drown the poor thing.\"\n\nI bite my lip and stare down at the pitiful sapling that struggled to support its own weight, surrounded by still fresh dirt.\n\n\"How did you even get permission to plant here anyway?\" Carly asks.\n\n\"Well, I uhh...didn't.\"\n\n\"You just went and planted a tree in the middle of park without permission?\" Carly throws her hands up, adjusting her bandana on the way back down to keep her black hair contained inside.\n\nI nod as I swirl my fingers in the fresh soil surrounding the tree. \"It's what she would've wanted me to do. Anyway, you had an idea to fix it?\"\n\nCarly scans the area and I follow her gaze. To my right the park dips into a sort of small valley where a few people were picnicking. Beyond them, a line of fully grown, healthy trees with their leaves blowing in the wind. I look back to my pathetic offering that had gone back to its depressive drooping. On my left I see some kids playing Frisbee and the baseball diamond off in the distance. No takers for baseball today. A quick look behind and I see the downtown skyline, with the lightning rods atop Stahl Tower being its peak. \n\nWhen I turn back to the tree, Carly meets my gaze. \"Okay, seems like no one is paying attention to us, which is now good for multiple reasons.\" She grimaced and gestured to my sapling.\n\n\"You're making a big deal out of nothing.\" I shrug my shoulders. \"It's not like the police or the mayor are going to come and arrest me because there's a new tree in the park, and if anyone asks, I can just say I had permission.\"\n\n\"Whatever.\" Carly shakes her head. \"Anyway, I know your growth and health spells haven't had any effect before, and I think I know why.\" She puts a hand on her hip.\n\n\"Why is it?\"\n\n\"It's the ingredients. You never get anything from very far outside city limits, and it's going to take some real strong components to save that sorry thing.\" If my sapling could talk, I'm sure it'd be saying how offended it is.\n\n\"So, what's your plan?\"\n\nCarly smiled and reached into her purse. \"Well, simple rocks from the park wouldn't be very useful, so I've got something real special for you.\"\n\n\"A volcanic rock?\" I tilt my head.\n\n\"Oh, even better than that.\" She pulled out a small, wooden box and opened it, revealing a gray, porous rock. \"How about a moon rock?\"\n\nI stand up and lean in close to look it over. The rock could fit in the palm of my hand and I reach out to grab it, but stop myself, thinking better of it. \"Where did you get that? Is it real?\"\n\n\"I'll tell you later, and well, only one way to find out.\" She places the box in my hand. \"I can't confirm it's real, but if you use a little bit of it and it works, that'll be evidence enough for me. Don't use too much, though. I have plans for the rest of it.\"\n\n\"Umm...okay.\" I handle the box in my hand like it's made of glass and lower it onto the ground next to the sapling. I reach into my satchel and pull out my mortar and pestle. A few bits of the moon rock have broken off, probably from stirring around in Carly's purse, so I grab those fragments and throw them in. I drop in in some seeds from my bag, following it with a pepper corn and a bit of water from my water bottle, and I pull a few bits of the pine cone I'd grabbed on my way and dropped it into the bowl. Carly didn't seem to be paying attention to me, but more so to if we caught anyone's attention. I run my fingers through my hair and grab a light brown strand, which I drop in. For the last ingredient, I pull a leaf off the sapling and add it to the water. The plant lost a few leaves to my previous attempts and only has a few left.\n\nI grab the pestle and grind the ingredients together in the water. They don't mix much at all, but they don't need to for this spell. I reach into my satchel and retrieve my wand. I close my eyes and speak the incantation. When the magic words pass my lips, I can feel the magic flow out of me and toward my target. Once finished, I open my eyes and focus on the plant. It looks like the sapling noticed, as when I look at it, it stands up straight, all on its own. Then it begins to shoot up, from a sapling all the way to the size of a several year old tree in a matter of seconds. I stand up and gasp. \n\nCarly smiles and leans against the trunk. \"Must be genuine after all.\" She stares at the moon rock, still in its box on the ground, then back to the tree. She reaches up and holds onto one of the branches with both of her hands and gives it a gentle tug. \"Pretty strong tree, too. Looks like we're in business.\" \n\nI smile and stand up, but then I feel the ground begin to rumble. I grab hold of my satchel and grimace. \"Do you feel that?\" \n\n\"Feel wha-\" Carly didn't have time to finish her sentence before the tree shot up again. The branch she was still holding on to launched her into the sky. Before I could even think to react, the tree had pulled her over twenty feet off the ground and kept growing further still. \"Mia, help!\" She shrieks as the branch takes her away up into the sky.\n\nAs I shiver and stare up, thinking what I could possibly do to help, I feel the ground under me split. A giant root pops up below me and throws me across the park as it bursts through the ground. I grunt as I fall onto the grass several feet away and look back up at my creation, just in time to see Carly disappear out of view into the sky.\n\nThe rumbling stops and I stare up the trunk. I feel like I've traveled back to when I first visited downtown and saw Stahl Tower up close. It felt like I was staring up to heaven at the base of the skyscraper. Yet now that feeling is stronger, as when I stare at the gigantic tree before me, I can't help but feel like an ant. The trunk is so wide I couldn't wrap my entire body around it if I tried, and when I stare up, I see green foliage, but nothing even close to the top as the trunk vanishes into the clouds. \n\nI feel a hand on my shoulder. \"Hey, are you okay?\" A kid asks, holding a Frisbee in his hand. His friends behind him, watching the tree. I take a deep breath as I realize that he just saw me go flying from the direction of the monstrosity of a tree that I fostered. I jerk away from his grasp and run past him and back out of the entrance of the park, as people run the opposite direction of me, awestruck at the marvel that just appeared before their eyes.\n\n(More possibly coming later; I haven't decided if I'll continue this or not)" ]	2
	[WP] A woman answers a phone call only to learn that the voice on the other end is her future self warning her that a killer is looming.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "(A vibrating noise fills the air, before it is abruptly stopped)\n\nWoman: Hello? Hello? \n\n(Heavy breathing is first heard)\n\nCaller: Sarah... you might not believe me but-\n\nWoman: But What?!\n\nCaller: You should go- \n\n(A thump from the other side is heard and a chuckle from far away is heard)\n\nWoman: Wait. Who’s that?\n\nCaller: You know horror movies?\n\nWoman: What has That got to do with-\n\n(A silence)\n\nWoman: Do you need me to call 911?\n\nCaller: No! Just go as far away as you can from the park.\n\nWoman: And how will that help you?\n\nCaller: It’s me- I mean you. From the future.\n\nWoman: Yeah Yeah, cut with the prank. I’m not up for this.\n\n(A clatter is heard from the other end, followed by a scream.)\n\nWoman: Are you okay?\n\n(A beat)\n\nWoman: Hello? Hello? This is not funny!\n\n(The call abruptly ends.)" ]	2
	[WP] You strive to be the worlds greatest villain. But for some reason all your evil acts turn out positively and your hailed as the worlds greatest hero.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "My goals from a young age were simple, I wanted to become the world’s greatest ruler. I wanted world domination. People around me are fools, idiots, boring. The world itself looked flawed to one who’s genius is an inspiration for others, for one who is, intelligence personified, for one who is me.\n\nThese mouth breathing fools can only breed and work and slave away their days serving a system they invented but no longer controlled, society itself was flawed and an iron hand is the only thing that could force humanity back onto it’s righteous path towards the stars.\n\nI used my intelligence to create wonders, to remove the chains of progression, the sick, the poor, the needy, the cancers of society itself. I figured that to reach a better world, one would have to make choices that would terrify normal people. I invented a cure for almost everything, a solution to almost every societal problem, but instead I was revered, respected. A development I did not expect. \n\nPeople loved me, even though I despised them, even though I showed no love, or respect for the primates, humanity is. \nBut after countless sleepless nights of study to see where this random factor came from, I finally found the answer.\nWhile my intention was to rule with fear, I found something a lot stronger, something that controls people much, much better than fear: Hope.\n\nAnd the fear of losing that is much more terrifying than any invention I could come up with. Earth is mine and no one dares to stop me, because without hope, were would they be?" ]	2
	[WP] A detective decides to humor their daughter by using their skills to determine exactly 'Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar', and was not prepared for the result.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“I’m innocent, I tell you!” Melissa cried from the kitchen chair. She banged her stuffed rabbit on the table like a gavel to drive home the point.\n\nI glanced at Chloe, my wife. She was barely hiding a smile, and her eyes shone with amusement as she watched the proceedings. Ah. So that’s who the culprit is. I hid my own smile as I continued questioning our five-year-old suspect.\n\n“I don’t know, young lady,” I said with false doubt. “You have no alibi and a clear motive. You could be looking at hard time if we don’t solve this mystery.”\n\n“I didn’t do nothin’!” she said. “It’s a picture frame job, I tell you! Why would I empty the cookie jar? I don’t even like cookies, I tell you! Get me my lawyer, I tell you!”\n\nI dropped my skeptical investigator act for a moment. “Lissa, you don’t have a lawyer. This isn’t a real case. Just a game, right?”\n\nLissa pouted for a moment. “Then I want my pretend lawyer.” She sat the rabbit in the chair next to her. Its ears just barely peeked over the kitchen table. \n\nLissa cocked an ear towards the rabbit. “Bunbun says that if I help you solve the mystery then I can go free!”\n\nI furrowed my brow. “Actually, a good lawyer would tell you not to say anything. As part of the fifth amendment, you--”\n\nChloe cleared her throat and gave me a stern look. Don’t let her know about the right to remain silent or you’re sleeping on the couch for the next month, it seemed to say.\n\n“--actually, I think that’s a great idea!” I hastily corrected myself. \n\n“Why don’t you go help daddy look for clues?” Chloe asked. “And I’ll go bake some more cookies because clearly someone is hungry.” She winked at me and I could no longer hide my smile.\n\n“Okay!” Lissa grabbed the rabbit and hopped down from the chair. She danced over to the kitchen counter where the cookie jar sat, placed the stuffed animal on top of the counter, and then reached out her arms towards me. I picked her up with a grunt and set her on a nearby stool. \n\nShe’s getting heavier by the day. Even without the cookies, I won’t be able to pick her up nearly so much soon. The thought almost made my eyes prickle with tears. Me, the hard-boiled detective, nearly crying over not picking up my daughter. I chuckled slightly at the thought.\n\nLissa giggled when she felt me chuckle. “What’s so funny, dad?”\n\nI immediately stopped laughing. “Nothing’s funny in this line of work,” I said with a mock stern face. “You need to be prepared for anything! Constant vigilance!”\n\n“Constant vigilance!” she repeated with another giggle, quoting one of her favorite characters. She insisted that I was just as grumpy as Mad-Eye when I was working.\n\n“Okay, Lissa, what’s the first step? What do we know so far?”\n\n“Alibis! You were outside mowing the lawn. Mommy was in the flower garden. I was in the basement reading a book.”\n\nI met her eyes and she wilted slightly. “Okay, I was watching T.V.”\n\n“I see. What about the times? When was the suspect last seen ali- uneaten?”\n\n“It was around lunchtime because you snuck one out when mommy wasn’t looking.”\n\n“And I appreciate your discretion, Lissa. When was the crime discovered?”\n\n“Fifteen minutes ago, when mommy tried to sneak one out when no one was looking.”\n\n“Okay. So we have three suspects. Mom is the one who reported the crime, so she wouldn’t report her own crime. You’ve been interrogated and seem quite innocent. And I was outside the whole time on the lawnmower. You would have heard the engine stop if I had gotten off the mower.”\n\n“Hm…” Melissa stroked an imaginary beard. “We need more clues.”\n\n“Okay. What clues do you want to look for?”\n\n“I know!” She hopped off the stool and sprinted to her room and came back with a toy magnifying glass that we had gotten her for Christmas the previous year. She climbed back onto the stool and leaned on the edge of the counter to examine the cookie jar more closely.\n\n“I don’t see anything,” she grumbled. “I think it’s time for the real detective kit.”\n\nI sighed. “You sure, Lissa? You don’t want to solve this on your own?”\n\n“This is bigger than any one of us! I can’t place my own ego before the case!”\n\nI placed my hands over Melissa’s ears. “Dear, I think we need to stop letting her watch so many detective movies. She’s picking up too much of the language.”\n\nChloe laughed. “Just get your tools. I’m sure the department won’t mind too much. It’ll be a fun learning experience for her.”\n\nI sighed again and dropped my hands. “You stay here, Lissa. I’ll be right back.”\n\n“Yay!” she cheered as I walked to the garage.\n\nMoments later, I returned with a handful of the less valuable tools I had in the trunk of my car.\n\n“What’s that?” she asked, pointing at a case.\n\n“That, Mel, is a fingerprint kit. We use it to look for fingerprints on door handles and objects. I don’t know if it’s worth using on-”\n\n“Fingerprints! Let’s get fingerprints!”\n\nI sighed. \n\n***\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a full hour of dusting for fingerprints and gathering samples from all three of us, I agreed to send the prints into the lab for analysis. Lissa also insisted on us giving hair samples and matching it with one that she found on the counter near the cookie jar, though I was certain it was one of mine.\n\nThe lab tech’s eyebrows nearly shot through the roof when I asked for the favor, but he was much more obliging when I showed him a few pictures of Melissa at her last birthday party. After that, it only took a few promises of nebulous future favors to get the results a few days later. \n\n“Chloe, Lissa, I’m home!” I called as I walked in through the garage door. It was already dark, but I knew she would be awake and waiting. Lissa came sprinting from somewhere in the house and latched onto my left leg.\n\n“Hi, daddy! How was work?”\n\n“Oh, long and boring,” I said, patting her back gently until she let go. “But I got something special for you.\n\nHer face screwed up in thought for a moment before she remembered the past weekend. “Ooh! Test results? Is it the test results?”\n\n“Come on, Lissa,” Chloe said. “Let’s eat dinner first. Daddy’s had a long day at work and he needs to rest for a bit.”\n\n“Oh, that’s okay,” I said with a smile and a sigh. “She’s waited this long. It’ll only take a minute to look at them. I haven’t even seen the results yet, and I’m a bit eager!”\n\nWe gathered around the kitchen table and I pulled the papers from the manilla folder. Melissa was too young to be able to understand most of the language in the report, so she waited patiently as I skimmed it. My brow furrowed farther and farther as I read it once, twice, and a third time.\n\n“Chloe,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “Take Melissa to the bedroom. Lock the door.”\n\n“What? Why? What’s in the report?” she asked, confusion and concern creeping into her voice.\n\n“The fingerprints and the hair don’t match any of us. Go. Now.” I glanced up at the window.\n\nFor a moment, it stared back. Then the silhouette darted [away](https://reddit.com/r/Badderlocks)." ]	2
	[WP] When people die they find themselves in a flea market and their objective is to buy items with what their life's work amounted to. What you pickup WILL show who you were on the inside, the outside and to that special someone deciding your fate. You find yourself in the market with a dollar	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I had been walking around that place for the better part of three days with only a dollar in my pocket hoping to find something for that price. Most folks seemed to have at least a few hundred and find some weird knickknacks or items that are nostalgic, but I'd had no luck. After looking down a shady alley I found a man huddled in a small crevice. I asked him why he was here and how much he was worth. The man said 'Nothing. I showed up with nothing but the clothes on my back.' After a bit I gave him my only dollar and told him 'Maybe you can find something of worth with this.' and handed him m my jacket too. So, how well do you think I spent my life's worth?\"\n\nGod looked at me with a small smile after hearing my story and said \" I think it says quite a bit about you. Come with me, I think I know just the place where you belong.\" and walked into paradise.", "I understood the rules instinctively, like a newborn that knows how to scream, if nothing else. Also, like a newborn, I didn't know much else. All I understood was that I needed three items and that my lifes' work would pay for them. And I got a Dollar. Which is oddly fitting. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI worked as a programmer for most of my life and during that line of work I did a lot of great stuff. I specialized in Business Solutions and Automatization, neat stuff really, but in the end, I spent maybe fifteen hours to automatize a process that would've taken fourteen hours and fifty minutes by hand. In total, that is. Hence the Dollar. And that Dollar would be used to measure not only who I was but who I was thought to be. Not even Death offers respite from Capitalism these days. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI saw a lot of people who achieved a ton in their lives buying exquisite things in this market hall. Antiques worth a small fortune, old and mysterious, a hoard of interesting stories as they were in the eyes of their beloved grandchild. Portraits of themselves, commissioned by an artist, fit to the t to their self-perception. But no matter how many halls I visit in this endless flea market where every door just leads to another hall, I cannot find anything that I could buy for a Dollar. \n\nMarbles, maybe. But I don't even like marbles. Still, they are probably how I am perceived on the outside, that is slightly childish, a bit silly and with the potential to gather an obscure cult following on Youtube by the hand of someone rolling me down slopes in ever increasing imaginative ways. I should probably get some marbles for my boss. Or how I am perceived on the outside, although I guess I'd have to lose them, then. \n\nI have looked a fair bit by now, but still nothing. There isn't much a dollar can buy. But there are these marbles. 50 Cents for a whole bunch of them. Cats Eyes in various colors, classic. But as I watch them glistening, I finally get an idea. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Hey, excuse me? Would you like a marble?\" I tried my best smile, throwing it out like a fishhook at the woman in front of me. She was carrying a stuffed moose head with her for whatever reason, but it was lacking its eyes. I'm sure this is symbolic for something, but I don't care much to find out. \n\n\"A marble?\" \n\"Would go well with the moose head, wouldn't it? Give him silly eyes. A bit of character. Everyone can do moose head, honestly.\" \n\nShe laughed, obviously thinking I'm just trying to be funny. Still, she took two marbles. I got fifty cents for them. Just a small gesture to be nice. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe next week (not that weeks or even months or years mean much in this place) I was busy. Once the marbles were all gone, I went for a box full of assorted joke articles. When those were gone, I could afford another box, this time filled with old license tags. And it went on from there. Finally, I was in posession of around 2.000 Dollars and one other thing that I kept in my pockets. And with that, I declared myself finished. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou had to go to the central office to check out. One of those things I knew instinctively when I died. The clerks there will check your stuff and decide what kind of afterlife you qualify for. Next to me, an elderly gentlemen is presenting a pocketwatch, a rose and, for whatever reason, a mousetrap. I gave my clerk a wad of cash. \n\n\"I'm sorry?\" \n\n\"I started out with a Dollar\", I explained, \"This is what I made of it. It's who I am on the inside.\" \n\nI was obviously not the first one to argue like that, so there was no visible confusion, just a slight sigh. \n\n\"Very well, sir, but you still are two items short.\" \n\n\"Who I am to my special someone is not for me to decide. At first I thought I ought to do some soul searching about this, but the more I did, the clearer it became to me that this is just semantics. I am who I am to them and no item in the world could express that.\" \n\nThis time, the clerk nodded. \n\n\"As for who I am to others...\" I produced the item from my pocket. A green Cats Eye marble. \"There you go. First thing I brought here.\" I nodded, more to myself than to my clerk. \n\n\"Would you care to elaborate on that, sir?\" \n\n\"Well, this whole thing is about what you make of it, isn't it? So I took what I had and made it into who I am. The marbles just a symbol of that, really. People are interconnected, like or not, so its not about who you are but what you make of yourself. There you go.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI will be going now. I know where I will end up, but I won't spoil that for you. Take your time when you're at the flea market, browse through the things offered there and don't be discouraged if you don't find what you are looking for. Chances are it's just around the corner. \n\nSo long!", "Piles of clothes, kaleidoscope coloured and covered in sequins and peacock feathers; boxes overflowing with bouquets of the biggest fireworks I’d ever seen, somehow blooming with infinite sparks; tacky strings of lights of every shape you could imagine, chili peppers, black holes, peanuts and penises; tangles of electronics from at least one era that hadn’t happened yet. The flea market hit me like an explosion.\n\nOr maybe that was the bus. Either way, I had been walking across the street, sure it was clear, and then my senses had been assaulted. I mean, I had checked both ways. But then I’d been distracted. There had been a homeless man, hair matted, wearing so many frayed layers that I’d thought he might have been a bundle of discarded clothing, holding out an empty, used coffee cup on one of those plastic reacher sticks that some people use to pick up garbage. As I passed, I realized why he had the stick – if anyone got any closer than that stick, the smell would probably kill them before they could hand over their change. I scoured every scrap of shrapnel from my pockets and tossed it his way, my face averted and my neck stretched into fresher air. Next thing I knew, there was a blaring honk, a dark flash, a bright dark, and then I was here. I was dead.\n\nAnd there was only a dollar in my hand.\n\nI glanced at one of the nearest booths. It was lined with jars, each stuffed with strange shapes, every last crevice filled with vividly coloured liquids, like those jars of pickled veggies that you can buy in home décor or high-end kitchen stores with no intention of ever opening. The tag on the closest one, a tube of swirling glass filled with Mobius strips and a purplish-yellowish oil, read fifty dollars. A quick scan of the shelves revealed none of them were less than twenty.\n\nA few metres down the aisle, greasy smoke gushed out of a stand selling what looked like bananas stuffed with whole chickens. A man sat at a stool next to the stand, taking greedy bites of the bizarre food. A thin arm from the deep dark recesses of the stall held out a fresh piece, and the diner slapped a few bills onto the counter in front of him.\n\nSomewhere behind me, a woman haggled for a cluster of jewels, chained together with strands of silver so thin they were nearly invisible. The merchant bargaining with her held the piece up to show it off, to justify the high price, and the jewels separated into a delicately crocheted pattern that somehow resembled both a flower and a skull. After a few more offers and counter-offers, the merchant accepted one of the woman’s bids and handed the necklace off for a thick wad of money.\n\nI looked down at my hands again. One dollar. I sighed and began to trudge down the seemingly endless aisle, so long that its end disappeared into the distance.\n\nAt every stall there was something to stop and look at. Not because I wanted it – it was all useless junk, but it was the weirdest useless junk I’d ever seen. A book with so many pages that its spine stretched across an entire shelf. Fossilized robots and aliens. Shapes. Just literal platonic ideals of shapes.\n\nIt was all too expensive anyways. Why did so many people have so much more money than me? Why did everyone seem so interested in such weird junk? What the hell was I supposed to do with a dollar?\n\nAs I passed a stall filled with wind-up toys that re-enacted famous battles with a single crank, I heard a child’s voice. A child’s whine was more accurate. He was pleading with the stall owner, begging for a figurine of Pyrrhus of Epirus getting needless numbers of his own men killed.\n\n“Please, mister? It’s only five dollars,” he groaned. He sounded like he was on the verge of tears. Over the stupid wind-up toy? “I can’t afford anything else.”\n\nThe shop-keeper barked out a harsh laugh. “You can’t afford this. You only have four dollars.”\n\nUgh. Kids. I sighed and held out my dollar. “Here you go, dude.”\n\nThe kid gasped, his eyes impossibly wide. I’m sure some people would find it cute. “Really? You mean it.”\n\n“Yeah, man. Whatever.” As long as someone was happy.\n\nThe kid’s face broke into the widest grin I’d ever seen. He shoved the bills into the stall owner’s hands as fast as he could, snatched up the clockwork Pyrrhus, and ran down the aisle, back the way I’d came. I couldn’t help smiling as I watched. Dumb little dork, I thought.\n\nAt least he’s happy.\n\nAs I turned to continue my walk down the aisle, my steps were definitely lighter. I wasn’t exactly skipping, but it was more of a trot than a trudge.\n\nMaybe I was supposed to keep the dollar? Maybe it was some sort of test of restraint? Maybe I was supposed to hunt for the one thing here that was worth a dollar, that would grant me salvation?\n\nMaybe I was now stuck here forever?\n\nBut that actually didn’t sound so bad. Every stall gave me a view into what may as well have been another world. One stand literally sold voids. Like, it was fully stocked with voids. There was a sign saying that if you weren’t satisfied with the selection, there were more in the back. New shipments coming every Tuesday. Maybe I was stuck here forever, but at least I wouldn’t get bored.\n\nAnd at least that kid was happy.", "I opened my eyes to what sounded like aggressive haggling.\n\nGroaning, I stood up in the middle of a stone courtyard, where I had been laying down, for some reason. A large fountain spewed pleasantly behind me. Scattered all around me were more asleep people of all different shapes and colors. I even saw a few children, though most were adults. \n\nSurrounding the courtyard were stalls of numbing variety, and a bustling throng of people moving between them. There were shouting, people wagging money in the air, stern fingers being pointed, varying noises of pleasure or disdain. \n\nI stepped off the courtyard. Immediately a gaudy man came up to me. He had a portable tray looped around his neck. It was filled with various cheap-looking jewelry \n\n“Hello, valued customer!” cried the man, enthusiastically shaking my hand. “It’s such a pleasure to have you in the Afterlife Flea Market. Let me tell you it's your lucky day.” He leaned in, glancing around him. “I’m having a sale. 50% off. Don’t tell anyone!” He winked rakishly. \n\nI shook my head, dizzy. “Sorry, did you say Afterlife Flea Market?”\n\nThe jeweller nodded rapidly. “That’s right, my friend. Afterlife Flea Market, the greatest flea market in all of purgatory!” \n\n“So, I’m dead?” I said, feeling strangely calm. As soon as I said the words, I knew it was true. I was dead. \n\n“Right on the money,” said the jeweller. “Dead as a fly. We all are, in fact!” He swept a skinny arm around at the sights. “That’s why it’s so important you don’t tell anyone about my sale. You see, what you buy here in Afterlife determines where you go after, if you know what I mean.” The man looked up pointedly, then down at the ground. “Everyone’s scrambling to get the best deals, the best items. So a deal like mine, with products as quality as these, well, that’s a one way ticket to Paradise. Just for you, my friend!” He beamed and held out his tray for closer appraisal. \n\nI felt it would be rude to not check out his wares, so I gave them a look. They all looked cheap and garish. Besides, jewelry was never my thing. I think. I couldn’t remember much of my previous life.\n\n“Say,” said the man too casually, “how much money do you have?”\n\n“I don’t know,” I replied. That gold ring with the emerald looked kind of cool.\n\n“Check your pockets,” said the vendor, a greedy look in his eyes. \n\nI paused, then reached into my jeans. I rummaged around in them, before coming out with a coin. A loonie. \n\n“Looks like this is it,” I said, showing the man my dollar. \n\nHe blanched. “A single dollar? That’s it?” He had a horrified expression on his face that would’ve been comical in another situation. \n\n“Is that bad?” I asked, worried. \n\nThe vendor looked around rapidly. “Excuse me, I just realized I had another appointment.” He vanished like dust in the wind. \n\nI frowned, watching him go. I went around the various stalls, hoping to glean some more information. Each vendor greeted me enthusiastically as I approached, but once they saw I had only a dollar, they shut down with an almost comical haste. It looked like there was nothing in the flea market I could buy, except maybe a rock off the ground. Probably not even that. \n\nI eventually gave up and sat on the lip of the fountain. I was watching the people bustle about. It was soothing; I thought that this was something I liked to do when I was alive. \n\nA body began to stir on the ground. I looked over, curious. It was a little girl in pigtails and a ballerina dress and shoes. I smiled at the innocent sight, before realizing exactly what her presence here meant. My smile quickly died after that. \n\nThe girl awoke and looked around with scared eyes. She looked on the edge of panic. \n\n“Hey,” I said quickly, waving her over. “Over here.” \n\nShe came over, wary of approaching a stranger but too confused to not.\n\n“Where am I?” she asked timidly.\n\nI thought about lying.\n\n“This is the Afterlife Flea Market,” I said. “This is sort of the bus stop between death and what comes next.”\n\n“I’m dead?” said the girl. Her voice was strangely calm, like mine was.\n\nI nodded. “We all are,” I said, gesturing around at the marketplace. The girl twirled around, her tutu flaring. “So you’re not alone. What’s your name? Mine’s… Nick.” It took me a moment to remember. \n\nThe girl frowned, thinking about it for a second. Then, she brightened. “I’m Emmie,” she said. “Emmie,” she repeated softly. Then she looked around the market again. “So, why are we here?” \n\n“Apparently, we need to buy things. What we choose will affect where we go after somehow. You should have some money on you somewhere,” I said.\n\nEmmie patted down her dress, but there were no pockets. She took off her shoes, but there was nothing there. \n\n“I don’t have anything,” she said, fear starting to come back to her. “Is… is that bad?” \n\n“Here,” I said automatically, handing her my loonie. “Take mine.” \n\nThen, I froze. I stared down at my outstretched hand, realizing exactly what I was doing. \n\n“I don’t know,” said Emmie, rubbing her hands together uncomfortably. “That doesn’t feel right.” \n\n“Don’t worry about, I have more,” I lied, smiling. “Please.” I thrust the loonie in her direction again.\n\n“If you’re sure.” She took the coin and looked it over. “This is a strange dollar. Why’s it a coin?”\n\n“It’s a Canadian dollar,” I replied, feeling strangely light-hearted. “Apparently I’m Canadian.”\n\n“Cool,” said Emmie, smiling back at me. A big toothy grin. “What can I buy with this?” \n\nI stood up and gestured towards the marketplace. “Why don’t we find out?” \n\nEmmie giggled and led the way, running with an energy only a child could have. I hoped the vendors would be kinder to her. A little girl with only a dollar, well, you’d have to be a cold-hearted villain to not take pity on her. \n\nI put my hands in my empty pockets, and followed Emmie through the Afterlife Flea Market.\n\n---\ncheck out profile for more stories ~.~", "I'd been wandering around this damned flea market, a single dollar coin clutched in my hand, for what seemed like an eternity. Up and down the aisles, passing table after table, smiling merchant after smiling merchant. The rows seemed to stretch off over the horizon into infinity, but paradoxically, I could always see the walls on the other side of the structure. It was as though the aisles extended themselves as I walked them, the walls a fixed distance away that I could never reach. The only one I could approach was the one with the doorway that led me into this place.\n\nThere were no clocks here, so it very well may have been an eternity already, I honestly had no idea one way or another. All I knew for certain was that this must be what purgatory was, endless waiting and indecision.\n\nI'd seen everything the mind could conjure up, and then even some things I would never have thought of. Everything that could represent my life's work, my crowning achievement before I shuffled off my mortal coil. But with everything I examined, everything I assessed and considered... there was always some sort of problem. Nothing ever really clicked.\n\nThe things that I thought best represented my achievements were well beyond my price range. And the items within the purchasing power of my lowly dollar? They were all good, but none of them seemed to truly define what I had accomplished.\n\nAs I sat, staring out across the endless tables, I wondered if that was the point of it all. Was I being shown how all my work was for nothing? The futility of life itself? Was fate trying to wake me to the fact that I lacked direction? Conviction? That I was unwilling to commit to a cause and make a difference?\n\nDeep in my heart, I knew none of that to be so. While I may not have been remembered by historians or celebrated by the public, I knew that my work had been meaningful. That I had impacted countless lives, even if few of them even remembered my face, let alone my name. \n\nI knew I had chosen and committed to a path, to helping others. To sacrifice, not for my own benefit, but for the good of the people. And it had been enough, for me.\n\nI looked out over the tables, and suddenly realized: I would never find a physical object in here that would ever summarize me in a single, neat package with a bow on top. That was not who I was. Maybe that was the lesson I was trying to be taught.\n\nI turned, walking to the exit door. The attendant turned to me, a neutral expression adorning his face.\n\n\"You have not made your choice,\" he said politely.\n\n\"No, I haven't. Nothing here is appropriate.\"\n\n\"There are more tables to examine,\" he said helpfully.\n\n\"It wouldn't matter,\" I replied. \"I could look forever and not find anything appropriate.\"\n\n\"You cannot leave until you use the dollar,\" the attendant replied.\n\nI glanced around, and found another soul, just as conflicted as I. I approached her, and took hold of her hand. As she looked at me with a confused face, I opened her clutched hand, and put my dollar into it, matching her own.\n\n\"I hope this gives you some more options to choose. Good luck.\"\n\nShe smiled brightly, beaming. \"Thank you!\"\n\nAs I walked out through the glowing doorway and into the unknown, I swore I saw the attendant smile at me too." ]	6
	[WP] You're slowly beginning to believe that your family is being possessed, but in reality you are the one who is under a spell.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Darling, are you alright?\" I hear a voice. It seemed familiar, but as clear as the buildings far from your sight. I turn around and saw my mother, bearing a worried frown. If I had known better, I'd think she was just worried. But I knew better. From the glint of red in her eyes, to the unusual mannerisms she was showing. My real Mother would never kneel in front of me, asking if I'm fine. My real Mother would never look me in the eye. No, if that really was her, she'd be telling me off for being distracted, or at the very least look at me funny if she were to be concerned. But instead, she was here. I needed to escape whoever is pretending to be my mother, immediately.\n\n\"NO!\" I yelled back at her, before running away. Running as fast as my legs could carry me. Whoever it was, she wasn't going to catch me. However, as I looked back, I noticed she was standing still with a heartbroken- Goddamit. I was not going to let the demon's guilt tripping work. I had to leave. And fast. However, before I could stop myself, I bumped into my father.\n\n\"Evelyn! Get a hold of yourself!\" I felt his grip on my arms as his steely voice echoed through my mind. I had to warn him! \n\n\"Mom is not mom! I mean, mom's possessed by something!\" I yelled frantically, trying to get myself out of his grip. However, Father didn't move. Or run. Instead, he laughed. His voice was as bitter as a lemon as he gripped me tighter. \"Don't be silly. We're not P̷̱̥͂̌̐̐̈́͜ͅǪ̶͈̰̠̱͌Ṣ̶̛̽̈́̀͝Ŝ̷̨̟̰̌̃E̸̯̿͑S̸̨̛͔̝̙̙̄̽Š̸̡̛̒̏Ë̵̪̯͚͍̈́͋̆Ď̸̡̪̓̈́͝ .\" I backed away, trying to escape. I never mentioned anything about him being possessed! And that... growl. I was inhuman. Now, it was certain. If I couldn't trust my own family, I couldn't trust anyone.\n\n\"\"Mom? Dad?\"\" I heard two voices ask, same intonation, same words. I turned with horror towards my two siblings. The scene horribly reminded me of the Horror Movie, \"The Shining\" as they tilted their heads in synchronised movement. I had to protect myself. I ran from them, into the kitchen where I got a knife.\n\n# ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴀᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. \n\n\"What has gotten into you?!\"\n\n\"Mom, I'm scared!\"\n\n\"Evelyn. Ḑ̵͈̥͕̹̓Ơ̴̞͔̯̕N̷̦͎̅̆́̑͑T̷̛͙̮̼̗̊̕ͅ\". \n\nI looked at the demons, looking at me in horror. With a smirk, I ran towards the one disguised as my Mother." ]	2
	[WP] A mortal stops all wars from happening after giving Ares a snicker bar	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "(I'm not sure if this is supposed to be token seriously or not, but we'll do this anyways.) \n\n\"Well... What do you say?\" \n\nAres; the god of war; looked down at the human who stood in front of him. A simple wrapped 'good' was in their hands, decorative imagery on top. \n\nTaking the bar from their hands, Ares twirled it around in his fingers, before crouching down to look the person in their eyes. \"Human. What is this?\" \n\n\"It's a snickers bar..\" Practical sweat running down their face, they looked everywhere besides the god. \n\n\"Snickers?\" Harsh eyes practically bored into their soul. \n\n\"I can open it for you... If you'd stop the wars...\" \n\nThe other people in the room either shot daggers at the human, or were scared for them. Throwing it back into the person's arms, Ares declaration sounded throughout the room; \"Open it.\" \n\n\"Will... Will... You stop the wars..?\" \n\n\"Open it.\"\n\nSlowly peeling off the packaging, they put it back in Ares hands. Lifting it up to his mouth, while glaring back at the poor soul; Ares chewed on the bar; eventually eating it all. \n\n\"Human. Where did you get this.\" \n\n\"The convenience store...\"\n\n\"Let's go.\" \n\nGrabbing into the person's arm, Ares started dragging them out of the temple. \n\n\"What! Where are we going!\" They struggled against his iron grip; frantically squirming.\n\n\"We are going to this... \"Convenience\" store.\" \n\n(I no practically nothing about Greek gods so most of this is probably wrong; but I hope you enjoyed it anyway!)" ]	2
	[WP] Contrary to popular belief Death, does indeed, die. Every few million years Death will die and need to find a successor. You have been chosen and your first soul to reap is the old Death	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Why?\" I ask, sitting on the surprisingly solid chair in the room as I absently watch the nurses cover the face of my body. I should be more interested in that; after all, I just died.\n\n\"What do you mean?\" Asked the tall, dark skinned man with piercing black eyes. He looked nothing like what I had imagined Death, or an angel of death, to look like. At first glace, he was intimidating, tall and broad shouldered. His face, though, was kind and his eyes betrayed both gentleness and a tiredness I had felt for decades.\n\nI shifted awkwardly, glancing at him and then once again to my body. \"I spent my entire adult life fighting you. I hated you. I cursed you. Why would you want me to replace you?\"\n\nDeath nodded somberly, and placed his scythe in my hand. \"Because, child, you understand the value of life. And death. You cursed my name a hundred times, so I know that you will not take any one away sooner than their time.\" He placed a hand on my shoulder and continued. \"But you also prayed to me, calling on me to end the suffering of many. You advocated for many to be allowed to meet me on their terms, at their time. Peacefully. You will not shy from doing what you must.\"\n\nDeath sighed, letting go and sitting down next to me. I could swear I heard his bones creak. \"I chose you, child, because I trust you to do what is necessary. It is not a job you will revel in, nor a job you will enjoy. You will suffer immensely, child, as I have. But the rewards are also there. And after a time, a million years or two, you will find someone who has fought you, cursed you, and prayed for you to come, and you will pass the scythe to them.\"\n\nWhen I looked at him again, he was ancient. White hair silhouetted his face in contrast, age lines marred his once handsome features. His posture was shrunken. The tiredness in his eyes finally matched his face. \"I am tired, child. I am so very tired.\"\n\nI sighed and stood, scythe in my hand. I was angry with Death at this moment, as much as I ever had been with any patient. Not for dying, but for trusting me to see him to his peace. I closed my eyes and reached down in my soul to that place every nurse finds, then opened my eyes and reached for his hand. \"Then close your eyes and rest, I will take care of everything from here.\"", "Disclaimer: I'm not the best at grammar, sorry!\n\nI looked down to the note in my hand, \"Please come to Room XVII, Floor 17, VIXI Apartments,\" it read.\n\nScrunching up the paper, I stepped into the foyer of the greyed building I had arrived at, putting the note in a bin. It was very plain, with a lack of furnishing. A musty smell lingered in the air, and I immediately had to step out of the door again. There was a crow on the banister of the stairs up to the doors, it gazed at me, completely still. I checked my watch, the second hand had stopped moving.\n\nI approached the woman at the desk. She was fairly young, but with white, wispy hair and slightly sunken eyes, without moving her head, she looked up at me, then pointed with a bony finger to the stairwell nearby.\n\nI tried asking if someone was expecting me, to which she pointed to my pocket. Reaching in, and to my surprise, I withdrew the note I had thrown out earlier.\n\nUneasy, I ascended the staircase. I couldn't help noticing that my legs were not getting sore as I moved up. Upon reaching floor 17, I found it shut behind a door, with a box of doorbells for ranges of room numbers. I pressed the button for rooms 15-30, and a slight, chilly gust of wind blew from under the now open door.\n\nI found room XVII with a door different to the rest, instead of the plastic, cheap doors of the rest, XVII had a damp wooden door. The carpet started crunching and squelching as I approached, and the lights dimmed.\n\nI tried to knock on the door, but it slowly opened without a touch. Entering the room, I noticed patches of mould, and a greasy, oily substance leaking from the walls. Upon the bed lay a thin shape, wrapped in deep black rags that obscured whoever was wearing it, and wafted in the air, reacting to wind that was not there.\n\n\"Ah, you made it\", a whispered voice said. The head of the person on the bed turned slightly towards me.\n\n\"Who are you?\" I asked.\n\n\"I am Death, and I am dying\".\n\nMy eyebrows raised slightly, \"Death? I don't believe you, how can Death die? It's Death\". Death chuckled, asking me to open the window. The crow from the foyer was on the balcony; as I opened the door, it flew off. To my shock, it suddenly froze in mid-flight, unmoving. I glanced down at my watch, it was still dead.\n\n\"Alright, you've convinced me, what do you want?\" I asked.\n\n\"Like I said, I am dying. It has been three million years since I took up the Mantle\".\n\n\"Th-three million?\" I exclaimed. \"Are you even human?\"\n\n\"No, I come from somewhere else. As the sole Death, I do not remember my mortal life, we must remain unbiased. Since I have come to the end of my tenure, I must pick someone to adopt the Mantle.\"\n\n\"So you chose me, why?\"\n\nDeath laughed, \"I didn't choose you, you just happened to be the first person I saw.\"\n\n\"That sounds pretty reckless considering what is at stake.\"\n\n\"I'm too old to wait for the perfect candidate, I'm sure you will do fine.\"\n\n\"What does that mean for me, then? What happens to my family, my friends, my life as I know it if I accept your offer?\"\n\n\"You will forget everything, but your family and friends will mourn you as somebody who's body will never be found.\"\n\nI jumped up, and started moving towards the door, \"I'm sorry then, I don't want any part in this.\"\n\nDeath leaned up, \"The truth is, you agreed to the terms of being a Death once you stepped into the building. You probably noticed that your watch stopped moving, it means your timeline has been severed. Your family is probably already looking for you.\"\n\nFurious, I moved back towards Death. \"You bastard! You tricked me!\".\n\nDeath rolled over, \"Take it up with the Herald Crow, he is your guide. Not much of a talker though.\"\n\n\"I refuse to become Death!\" I screamed.\n\nDeath rolled back over, \"THAT IS NOT YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE\", he sighed. \"Look at you, you've already donned the mantle.\" I looked at my clothes, I was suddenly dressed in a white cloak, shining faintly.\n\nI cursed for a moment, but gave in. \"What happens now?\", I asked.\n\n\"Accept your Fate as a Death, and I will become your Scythe. I will die and move to the afterlife\". With that, Death turned into a crimson staff with a rippled scythe blade.\n\nThe crow flew into the room, and landed on my shoulder. With a shrill voice it shrieked, \"Well done, you have claimed your first thread!\". It vanished into thin air, and left behind a single frayed fibre from my cloak. A deep black fibre.", "Where am I?\n\n These white walls line every exit telling stories in every language in every script within my possibility, my old hands grip ahold to a single scythe whose form was simple black wood with a white blade. I was the killer, the one who held all his power in one swipe and one who killed all things, now I am to die. \n I want to scream, I want to throw my weapon against the wall and cry, I don't remember, I don't remember the years of kindness I was given, I do not remember my mothers touch, I do not remember the smile of my friends and I do not remember the feeling of grass underneath my feet. \n Am I truly alone? Must I too be subject to death? Can't I go on like this forever? My hands are old and broken, I am weakening to myself, for I am death and my ultimate act as it will be to die, alone in this bright room where I can only see my own shadow. \n Must I give on this mantle? Must I choose another in this accursed life to fill in my role? To die and be me, to take away from their wives and daughters? If I must then I am truly the greatest evil in this world, for I am the greatest killer of them all, for I bring up the next killer in this long forgotten line. \n I am kneeling, my legs have given out from under me, I am now awaiting for this smooth darkness of death to overtake me, I must pick someone, something to overtake my deep suffering before it I go, not because I want to but because I must. \n I did not think, why didn't I think? My hands went up as if I were some frail alter for a greater purpose, my arms weakly held up the weapon out towards the open air as my listless body fell to its master. It was black to me, I heard nothing, it drove me to madness as the silence screamed into my ears. \n Then the first sounds fell into the room, it was crying, someone was crying across the room, I wanted to reach out, touch and be touched, I wanted to comfort them and be comforted myself but that would not come. Firm hands gripped the weapon and snatched it away from me, I knew what was to come. \n It was painless, no suffering came to me, I just simply knew the blackness around me to be true blackness and finally let go of any lingering hope that I would ever see the light again, leaving my slayer to mourn their new life.", "My hack at it. \n\n“So..so..w-what would like me to do?” Zack said nervously. \n\nDeath glided over and sat on Zacks recliner and leaned back. \n\n“Ahhh” Death said in a thunderous yet calming voice” that’s better, you humans have out done yourselves with this..what you call this...Lazy Boy chair”\n\nZack was utterly dumbfounded. Zack stared at\nThe pills he swallowed 30 minutes and then stared back at Death. \n\n“ Maybe this is an a hallucination”Zack thought. “A Side effect of the pills I took” Zack continued to think. \n\nZach was hoping they would kill him fast. His life was a mess and he decided today was a good day to end it all. However once he took them Death appeared and asked him an Incredible question. \n\n“I said...I need YOU to kill me. I’m not here to reap you, I’m here so you can reap me” Death said smiling his black-toothed grin. \n\n“My time is up Zach” Death said calmly. “5 million years, and billions of Souls”. “My time started with the birth of your Sun and will set today with you Zach...so THATS...what I need you to do. Reap me and take my place for the next 5 million years unit the Sun sets on your time” Death said calmy. \n\nDeath was beginning to fade his once pitch black void of swirling robes were turning gray and his bones where starting to blow away like dust in the wind. \n\n“Take my Scythe” Death said. A gigantic Sycthe appear before Zach. Black as night staff with a Blade glowing like a crescent moon. “ The Universe is in your hands now for you to balance” Death said, his voice growing weaker. “Take it and do what must be done” \n\nZach sat there and silence. Without thinking he reached out and grabbed the scythe and the knowledge of the universe flooded his mind. He saw the beginning. The Big Bang, The birth of other celestial entities, The birth of the Universe, Dinosaurs, EVERYTHING! Zach was filled with it all. \n\nHe looked down. The blackness swirled around him, his hands, now bones glowed white underneath the luminescence of the great scythe. \n\n“Thank you Death” Zack said, his voice loud, Powerful and calming. \n\nThe old Death nodded. “Do it...Do it now..” The old Death said weakly. \n\nWith one great swing the shook the cosmos. Death reaped Death and balance was restored", "\"Wait... What's happening?\" I asked. Something was different. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. But somehow I felt .. good. Better than I had in a long time. \n\nShe shrugged. \"It's over,\" she said. \"You're immortal now. Well... for a while anyway.\" I stared at her suspiciously. \"That's it?\" I asked. I lifted my arms and looked down at my body, wearing the same jeans and hoodie I was wearing a few minutes ago. \"Somehow I thought I'd look more .. magical.\" \n\nShe let out a small chuckle. \"You can look however you want to look. Just imagine it and look again.\" I closed my eyes and looked again. This time I was wearing a dark green gown with black lace and long sleeves that reached their widest point at the wrists. And I swear, I was 5 inches taller than I normally was. \n\nShe smiled.\n\n\"It's time for your first responsibility.\" \n\nI raised my eyes and looked at her. \"Already? I guess it is happening around the universe constantly...\" \n\nHer smile suddenly looked sad. \"There can't be two of us. As vast as the universe is, there's only room for one death. And my time is done. A thousand thousand years I've done the best I can to help the dead become dead, and now I'm tired. But I can't just stop, I need to die. And I can only die if death takes me.\" \n\nMy heart sank with realization, though in retrospect it was stupid to not realize this is what had to happen. \n\n\"I'm not even sure what to do.\" \n\n\"There's not really that much to it. Just, reach out to me.\" \n\nAnd with the slightest hesitation, I did. And I watched her eyes close and her muscles relax completely, and then she was gone. \n\nAnd suddenly I could feel them, all over. Everywhere. Needing someone to help them transition from life to death. Needing me. \n\nAnd then I was there, for all of them.", "I stood over the cloaked figure, bones protruding jaggedly from the voluminous robes. With rattling breaths, Death lay broken at my feet. A skeletal hand reached up from the ground, his Scythe extended out to me.\n\n\"Take it,\" he rasped, hand trembling. \"It's your turn now.\"\n\nI smiled, spun my own Scythe once, and propped its shaft against the ground to lean against it. Beneath its arching blade, I could feel the power seep out of Death as he lay dying, and my body soaked it up. The air swirled around me, the dust of his bones condensing into black robes over my shoulders. When I reached out my fingers to take his old Scythe, they were white and new and strong.\n\nI propped my Scythe in the crook of my elbow as I lifted the old one before me. With finger bones clicking on the tarnished metal, I ran a finger along the chipped blade. It had seen so much use. It was ready for its final reaping.\n\nI gripped the blade in my hands and tore it from the shaft. Tossing the worn pole aside, I hefted the crescent blade by its narrowest end. Hoisting it above me, a harvest moon in my hand, I cranked my arm back and flung the blade as hard as I could. With a keening wail of a banshee forlorn, the blade spun into the darkness of distance and time.\n\nI smiled and turned to give my own Scythe its first taste of blood in the hands of Death Reborn.\n\n~ _Centuries Later_ ~\n\nShe hovered at the edge of oblivion, her hand trembling as she slowly turned the gun on herself. All she had to do was pull the trigger. Just one... little... motion.... But it took everything she had just to stare down the barrel. \n\nWith a gasp, she put the gun back on the counter. How could it be so hard to overcome one simple rule? She sobbed dry tears, shaking, wishing she didn't fear death so much.\n\nA peculiar humming tickled her ears, like the song of a siren. Frowning, she looked around, wondering what it was. Suddenly, something large and furious smashed through her bedroom window, spinning like a boomerang. She screeched and leapt back. Buried in the wooden floor at the foot of her bed was a great, arcing blade, quivering slightly. \n\nHer eyes went wide as she stared at it. The blade was beautiful and sharp, finely polished. Its metal was so clean and shiny that it reflected her face back to her--but it was not _her_ face she realized. As she leaned closer, she saw her skin melt away, and in place of her reflection was a grinning skull.\n\nWith a frightened gasp, she jumped back again. \n\nAs the blade glimmered in the light of the incandescent bulbs, she heard a sonorous voice singing directly in her mind, as bright and clear as her own. _The time is near_, the captivating voice said. _Take up the blade and craft your Scythe_.\n\nUnable to resist, she reached out trembling fingers and picked up the blade. It was as tall as she was, but light as a feather in her hands. She ran her fingers over the expert craftsmanship, and in her mind flooded the knowledge of how to carve the shaft and affix it to the blade. The desperate longing to hold the complete Scythe burned in her veins. She looked at the skeletal reflection of her future and smiled.\n\nr/aDittyaDay", "Disclaimer: I am not a native speaker, so all corrections are welcome. I hope you enjoy this little story.\n\nI hated everyone in this world. All those people crawling around like insects, fighting over pieces of short and poisoned success to feed their ego for a few more useless moments of their lives: they were nothing but a pest to this world. I watched them making my life a nightmare, bullying me, beating me, enjoying my pain and ravaging my mind. I hated all of them. If I could wash away humanity and leave emptiness behind me, I would have done it without regrets. That hateful world deserved only to be erased and forgotten by the universe. I couldn't bear it anymore. I wanted myself to die and disappear, or make all other people disappear. Everywhere I went I could smell the stink of humanity, their shameless abuse of earth, sea and sky. Their idles made of gold sickened me and their fictive goodness disappointed me.\n\nThe only thought that gave me peace was death. Everyone was going to die, including me. Every false joy would disappear. Every idiotic achievement would fade with time. Every body would turn into ashes and eventually even their memory would be swallowed by the waves of eternity. I let this thoughts build up in me, grow deeper in my mind and let them take the place of my sorrows. I achieved peace through them, through the acceptance and worship of death. I started seeing death everywhere, in its eternal fight with the disgusting crawling of life, like a mountain standing against the waves. Even the few noticeable lives that would seize a few moments of glory, rising up and covering the mountain, would always and certainly fall back and disappear. I started noticing an order in the battle between life and death. Death would always come, but with time and at the right moment. Life was nothing but the preparation to death. Life was just the short dance of a trembling spark coming out of a dying fire. Life was a march to death. Everything and everyone was marching toward death, regardless of their will or their hopes. From the trees growing over thousands of years, to the flies living for a few days: everything was dying. I understood the nature and role of death. Death shaped life, giving it form like the silence between notes creates the music. Death was the master of life. Death was the celebration of life. I thrived in these thoughts and after peace I reached happiness. At that moment, Death visited me and talked to me. In the middle of the night, I was called and I followed the Voice. I walked away from my apartment, from my city and from my life. I walked through the forest and up to the mountain, with my spirit in a turmoil of joy. I reached the peak of the mountain and awaited for the Voice's command. Death appeared in front of me, in all of its majestic power. I could only see the edges of its figure, as my eyes could not grasp its physical appearance. Death stared at me and I offered my soul to its scrutiny, then it approached me and embraced me. I received its mantle of darkness and its scepter of power. It spoke only a few words and made a request:\n\n\"You are now the gardener of Life. Take my soul and become Death\".\n\nI accepted the gifts, wrapping Death's mantle around my shoulders and lifting Death's scepter. I stepped back and observed the previous Death. It was a human, like me. It was millions of years old and its time had come. Its service to Death had been excellent and it now deserved the eternal sleep. I moved my scepter forward and harvested my first life, imposing my first death. I found joy in it. I was necessary like the space between waves, or the night between days. Life could not exist without me and I was everything around life. I could hear life growing around me, around the entire world, and I started playing my notes of silence.\n\n\"Come forward\" I cried to the world, \"Come to me, as I am the end of all things\"." ]	8
	[WP] You are a member of an alien species that has come to Earth to learn about it's people. Little did you know that the human woman you went on a date with was a member of a different alien race here for the same purpose.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Tashian had read the entire World Book encyclopedia. The thrift store gave it to him for free. He was finally really to explore relationships. The encyclopedia was vague on the topic. \n\nHe met Metron in the park while partaking in exercise. They bonded over a like of Earth flora. He asked to consume nutrition with her one night and she assented. \n\nThey met at an Italian restaurant which was equidistant between their residences. The couple met precisely at seven o'clock to the second.\n\nThe couple sat and a waiter promptly brought two glasses of water.\n\nMetron said graciously, \"Thanks for the moisture.\"\n\nThe confused waiter walked off.\n\nTashian replied, \"I too like moisture. We are so synchronous.\"\n\n\"Tashian, is an unusual name. Is it Welsh?\"\n\n\"Far from it. My family came from Prussia on the Ark back in the Cenozoic. And Metron, I've never met a human live female with that name.\"\n\n\"I'm named after Australian goddess of polar bears. My family pod is very spiritual. Have you chosen a consumable?\"\n\nThe waiter reappeared. \n\nTashian spoke up, \"I'll have the catfish, rare, stuffed with blue cheese and Skittles, boiled lettuce on the side.\"\n\nThe waiter was confused, but wrote down the order and said, \"And for the Mrs.?\"\n\n\"Ms.,\" corrected Metron, \"I have not born this male's offspring. I'll partake of the cold pasta water and a raw tomato, not too spicy please. Dressing on the side, I aspire to decrease mass to appeal to human males.\"\n\nThe confused waiter left and put in the orders. \n\nTashian put on his charm and said, \"Matron you do not need to lose mass. What are you, 86 kilos? 86.3 kilos?\"\n\nMetron giggled, \"Oh Tashian, you. You make me feel like a tick engorged with owl's blood.\"\n\n\"Oh, I love owls. Do you have any pets, Metron.\"\n\n\"Uh.....yes.....my beloved bottle nose beaver, General Patton. He loves walks and hibernation.\"\n\nThe two exchanged pleasantries and finished their meals. The check arrived. Both reached for the check.\n\nTashian spoke up, \"Let's go Portuguese.\"\n\nTashian placed a few rare gems on the check. Matron looked confused and dropped some gold ore on top of the gems. \n\nTashian spoke up, \"Shall we return to the park where we made first contact? Or we can go back to my residence for sexual intercourse?\"\n\nA woman at a nearby table nearly chocked on her pasta.\n\nMetron shifted uncomfortably and replied, \"It is customary. Let's have sexual intercourse!\"\n\nThe couple went back to Tashian's apartment. \n\nHe offered, \"We can sit on the davenport or the nest of rags where I sleep?\"\n\n\"Oh, Tashian, you had me at nest of rags.\"\n\nThe two sat awkwardly in the nest of rags, neither knowing what to do.\n\nTashian grabbed curiously at Metron's hair. Metron closed one eye and inserted her pinky finger into Tashian's nose. He responded with a high pitched scream and Metron responded with a feral growl. The couple continued in an awkward fashion coming no where close to human sexual practices. \n\nThe two stood up abruptly, each thinking the ritual complete.\n\nTashian broke the silence, \"Did you engage in contraceptive activity?\"\n\nMetron replied, \"Yes, I ate at Hardee's for lunch. I need to exit. My pet beaver needs to molt soon.\"\n\nThe two parted ways and both were up late into the night preparing their mission reports. \n\n[u/Domestic_Adonis](https://old.reddit.com/user/Domestic_Adonis/)", "Even the best first dates tend to be a little awkward. Two people, meeting in person for the first time, slowly revealing their true selves to one another, there are bound to be some bumps in the road.\n\nThe blind date unfolding in a corner booth at Carmine's Italian Eatery and Food Place have reached an entirely new level of awkward cringe, however.\n\nEmily Dorner was trying her best to have a good time, making every genuine effort to keep conversation light and breezy, but her date was not making it easy.\n\n\"Emily, your... hair strands are arranged in a very pleasant fashion,\" he said with a strange, uneven intonation.\n\n\"My- my hair? You like my hair?\" Her date bobbed his head straight up and down, as if unable to execute a proper nod. \"Okay, thanks! I did have it done just today.\"\n\n\"It shows! As does your facial painting. Perhaps the finest painted face I've seen, Emily.\"\n\n\"Err- thanks, Bluzznorp,\" she replied with a slight scowl. \"Say, can we talk about that? Your name is very unique. Is it a family name? Based in a different language or...?\"\n\n\"Ahhh yes, my familial unit originated from the country for Russia-town. Why back in the home country, Bluzznorp is a very common naming protocol, almost common as T'shek'reeeeee'ajjjh, if you can believe that.\"\n\n\"I can't... I can hardly believe any of this,\" Emily muttered. \"Uhhh, can we order please?!\"\n\nA waitress made her way over. \"Hi folks, what can I get for you two lovebirds this evening?\"\n\n\"A liquid retaining container of h2O liquid for me. And some food based sustenance for the lady.\"\n\n\"Ooookay,\" the waitress replied. \"And-\"\n\n\"Food based sustenance in solid form,\" Bluzznorp interjected with a sly grin. \"Spare no expense.\"\n\n\"So... no soups? Got it. Uhh, ma'am? What solid food would you like?\"\n\n\"We'll just... split an appetizer, whatever you'd recommend please,\" Emily said. \"I'm not sure I can stay too late.\"\n\n\"Can't say I blame you,\" the waitress muttered under her breath. \"Alright, I'll be back with some... top of the line solid food in a jiffy!\"\n\nBluzznorp sighed internally. He hand't wanted this recon mission, but high command felt that a great deal of information on humans tends to be revealed by other humans on dates. And so, here he was, struggling through his first date while slathered in enough Axe body spray to kill a moose, because \"that's what human men do.\"\n\nThe alien was pleased Emily wanted to end their date quickly. A few more minutes of casual conversation should reveal all the data he was required to acquire.\n\n\"So,\" he said, \"how do you procure currency to be spend on pleasure and your own survival? Do you-\"\n\nBluzznorp cut himself short and his eyes narrowed beneath his human skin suit. \"The flesh surface beneath the cracked paint on your face, it is blue....\" He gasped and drew a strange, oversized gun, and aimed it at Emily. \"You are a Sythniad!\"\n\nEmily glanced around nervously for just a moment before pulling a comical looking weapon of her own. Her false flesh melted away all across her face and body, revealing a blue, hairy blob beneath. \"And you will die tonight, Bluzzgorp!\" 'Emily' screeched, her true voice revealed. \"The Sythniad Empire shall consume all!\"\n\nThe waitress approached with her eyes down, paying careful attention to the plates she was carrying and little else. \"Okay folks, got your mozzarella sticks here for you! Three kinds of dipping sauces and- oh, SHIT!\" she cried as she took in the scene before her.\n\n\"I'm afraid it is you who are the one who shall die,\" Bluzznorp replied to his foe, utterly ignoring the waitress and their rapidly congealing fried cheese sticks.\n\n\"No, you are the one making the mistaken conclusion,\" the blue blob formerly known as Emily replied. For hours on end the representatives of the two alien species remained locked in their standoff. Each insisting, over, and over, and over again that they would in fact kill the other. It was more painfully tedious and cringe worthy than any date.\n\nThe poor waitress, nearly falling asleep resting on her own palm, finally stood and cracked her neck, no longer afraid of the pair of blustering aliens at her table. She grabbed the check from the table. \"No tip, predictable.\"\n\nShe sighed and began shuffling toward the front door to head home for the evening.\n\n\"They do not pay me enough to deal with these awkward ass first dates.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMore of my stories live over at r/Ryter" ]	3
	[WP] When you die you are sent to a room where you write a novel about your life. The morality of you in the story determines whether you get sent to heaven or not. The catch is you don't have to tell the truth. You wake up in heaven where you see some of the most famous mass murderers of all time.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "My death wasn’t particularly violent, as things go. Slipped and cracked my head open. Really, it was just embarrassing. Next thing I know, I’m in an old, dimly lit room with an empty book in front of me on a decaying wooden table. On the left of the book was a golden quill, and the left, a folded note. “To Samuel” it read. I opened it, and it said “You must write the story of your life. Beware, everything that you write will be seen and be used as evidence to review your fate. Good luck.” Really, now that’s just fantastic. I pick up the quill and started writing down my name and where I was from, and the ink it produced was golden, and after a few moments of being on the page would flash and turn black. I was about to write what I do for a living, when I stopped. I decided to test something, and wrote the wrong name for my wife. I waited eagerly for the reaction, and when it flared black just like everything else, I smiled and began to create a story. \n\nI opened my eyes, and the sun was bright. I sat up, and saw Marvin the Peeler, The Ripper, and Don the Con Man, an unoriginal name for a very original man. Looking around, I saw even more big names, and they all saw me. I took a step forward, and The Ripper tripped over his feet trying to run away. I looked at Marvin and he paled and froze. Don.... well, Don just passed out. At my smile, most everyone else ran. Really now, they should know better than to openly offend someone like me." ]	2
	[WP] Can the undead find religion? According to recent reports from the Ruins, the answer is yes. There have been sightings of skeletal clergy moving about the ruins, administering twisted 'rites' to their undead brethren. One scout even claims to have seen a skeleton in full Pontifical Vestments...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Two years after archeologists found a text in Hebrew narrating the events of skeletons that have been seen walking around in groups, someone actually got the whole thing on camera, and even if at first people were calling it a hoax meant to promote some twisted religious cult, eventually the number of witnesses that confirmed the sightings got too high to still think of it as religious propaganda.\n\nOf course, the internet blew up, people thought this was a conspiracy, some even saw this as an action coordinated by the Illuminati to sacrifice us all to Satan. Turns out, it was actually a lot more simple than that: groups of skeletons were living in secluded communities were they seemed to practice some sort of religion, nothing more, nothing less.\n\nYou were lucky enough to be welcomed into one of their communities where one of their own accepted to be interviewed.\n\nThe camp seems to be made of several small tents with the sole purpose of maintaining the privacy of the inhabitant. As soon as you enter one of those tents and you sit down in this dimly lit room, you cannot but notice the faint brown color the skeleton has, just as if someone dropped the slightest amount of coffee in a mug of warm milk.\n\n‘So, let’s talk about your society for a second. What is it that you do in here?’ You ask opening your writing pad and clicking the top of your pen, getting ready to write everything down. \n\n‘Well, we do pretty much everything that we desire, as long as it doesn’t bother the ones surrounding us; we read, paint, listen to music, travel and watch movies or shows. So much to do and yet so little time.’ The last phrase had been spoken with a certain gravity, as if the words carried some deeper meaning behind them; it could have been a saying or a motto that the skeletons used to say from time to time. \n\n‘You are mortal too, is that what you’re telling me??’\n\n‘Oh, no, don’t get me wrong, we are immortal. The only way we can die is at the end of time, when everyone and everything else will die with us. And of course, time passes for us too, but still, considering the amount of things that one could do, the time is simply not enough, is it?’\n\n‘You don’t suffer from starvation, disease, old age, or anything else similar?’\n\nAfter hearing that question, the skeleton opened its arms, as if to encourage you to take another look at it. \n\n‘Mister, I’m a skeleton. Do I look to you like I might grow old or ger hungry anytime soon?’\n\n‘Ok, ok, you do have a point. Then would you mind telling me how you ended up in this “undead” state?’ By now, you didn’t write anything down, but the skeleton didn’t seem to notice at all. \n\n‘Well, at first I was a human, just like you. Then life did what it’s supposed to do, it happened, and one day I died. After a while - I can’t tell for sure how much, I just know that for some time everything went black - I woke up. If you also wonder why I came back to life, or whatever this might be called, I can’t give you a solid answer. Groups of shamans go around graveyards and resurrect the dead. Some come, and some do not. What I can tell you for sure is that everyone that has ever come back has some sort of unfinished business. Some never got to learn Italian, some never got to read that book they always said they were going to, and some never got to lose or gain weight, although the last one doesn’t matter that much anymore, does it now? Anyways, after they finish doing the thing that they came back to do, they always find a reason to stay. As I said, so much to do.’\n\n‘Does that mean that you guys don’t have religious beliefs?’\n\n‘Now this is a bit more complicated.’ The skeleton replied, crossing its legs. After the faint rattle produced by the bones crossed the room, silence fell between you and the skeleton; it seemed like it was trying to carefully select its words. ‘Well, technically yes, but practically no. I am trying to find the best way to say this, but I don’t know how if it will make any sense at all. Think of us as some sort of Buddhists or monks, but not quite. We do not worship some unseen deity, we follow principles. We do not make up answers to the questions that are beyond our understanding, we just accept that we are here now; for what reason, that is not my job to answer. I could say that we have achieved the state of Nirvana when we realized that we could die only if killed by one of our own. At that point, everyone knew that they didn’t want to die; they knew that everyone around them wanted the same thing that they wanted: to live and experience what life had to offer. It’s not quite Nirvana, though. The concept of Nirvana means that you have to go through some sort of enlightenment, but ours was not a ground-breaking discovery, just a simple wish to keep on being here. Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why not everyone raises from the dead; maybe they don’t want to live in peace, maybe they are beings born out of chaos, designed to create more chaos.’\n\n‘Well, that’s everything I wished to know. Thank you for this discussion.’ You say while packing your things and standing up, getting ready to leave. \n\n‘You haven’t written anything on paper, why is that?’ Asks the skeleton, indicating your empty paper pad. \n\n‘I think the world is not ready yet for what you said. Some of them may never be.’ You say, smiling lightly and turning towards the exit, Halfway through, the skeleton breaks the silence once again. \n\n‘I could say that humans are stupid, but I have to remember that I was human too. Maybe saying that most humans are stupid is a more precise statement. There are so many evil and stupid humans that the bright and kind ones cannot be noticed in this crowd of mediocrity. Probably that’s why the human race still hasn’t realized that they too could co-exist in harmony.’\n\nYou nod, having a similar opinion to the one the skeleton just verbalized, and you continue walking. Once again, you stop, and this time you turned around. ‘One last question, what’s the deal with those pontifical robes some skeletons were saw wearing?’\n\nThe skeleton giggles and then waves his hand as if to get rid of a mosquito, but in reality indicating the absurdity of the situation. ‘That was just Stephen and its friends. They found those costumes in an abandoned theatre.’ \n\nYou laugh, turn around and continue walking. When the skeleton says that it will be waiting for you, you say: ‘Yeah, perhaps I might show around some day.’ But this time, as you lift two fingers in a salute, you do not stop and turn around; you keep on walking and you get out of the tent in the early, cloudy morning." ]	2
	[WP] In a dystopian society, where your job is chosen for you, you, a stalwart atheist, have been assigned to be a priest of a popular religion, which you know nothing about	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I stared at the people slowly trickling in. Faceless shells merging into one uniform, white mass. Their empty faces seemed to look right through me, expectant and judging and even though I had not said a single word yet, it felt like they had already made their verdict - and found me wanting. My heartbeat quickened. I felt hot and cold at the same time as I dragged myself towards the altar. There was something final about the way my feet met the unyielding stone floor. The podium was now looming in front of me, dark and oppressive and I had the sudden irrational thought that maybe their god - their's not mine, never mine - might be watching me. Watching me as I approached the heart of his home. Watching and laughing. \n\nI fought down the hysterical giggle threatening to escape my lips and tightened my grip on the holy scripture.\n\nIt would be alright. \n\nIt had to be alright. \n\nEven if I knew nothing, I could always pretend.\n\nI had to.\n\nGod's home would not become my gallows.\n\nI will live." ]	2
	[WP] The Greek Gods (and Goddesses) have returned from slumber and walk the world once again up to their old tricks.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It's another slow day at the Ivy Pub. There are a few college students, some drifters, and me. The owner is a friend of mine. We met on the street, where I mistook him for a homeless man. He was passed out, drunk, mumbling about having to hide. I woke him up, and he just walked into a nearby building. The next day, that building became a pub. Everyone acted like it was always there. I decided to start going there, because it was close, and the ale there was good. The young man, whose name was Dennis, was really chummy with me. We got along surprisingly well. But anyway, that's enough backstory. It's another slow day at the Ivy Pub. There are a few college students, some drifters, and me. I'm drinking a pint of ale. Dennis is chatting up a storm, like he always does, talking about his time in Rome.\n\n\"It's such a beautiful city, but everyone there's so boring! Cute guys, though.\"\n\nAs he is chatting to some other customers, I glance over at the TV, which was turned to a news channel.\n\n\"Hostile winds and earthquakes continue to ravage Sicily, and everyone has been ordered to evacuate.\"\n\nI turn to Dennis.\n\n\"Must be a hell of a storm if we're hearing about it.\"\n\nDennis turns to the TV, and his smile disappears. Then a look of fear washes over his face.\n\n\"What's wrong,\" I ask.\"\n\n\"My, uh, my family lives there.\"\n\n\"Oh... I'm so sorry.\"\n\n\"It's fine,\" he says, \"they'll be fine.\" Dennis smiles, nervously. He notices my glass is empty.\n\n\"Another round?\"\n\n\"Uh, sure.\"\n\nAs Dennis fills my glass, I hear some commotion outside. I look out the window, and see that two cars ran into each other. The drivers are standing outside, yelling at each other, presumably arguing over who's at fault. This wouldn't be too surprising, if it weren't for the fact that a strange man stands nearby, watching the conflict. He is wearing a suit, but he's so far away that I can't make out any more details. Dennis looks where I'm looking, then immediately turns away, as if trying to ignore him. I trust Dennis, so I turn away too. I take a sip of my pint, and strike up some conversation with Dennis.\n\n\"If you don't mind me asking, what's your family like?\"\n\n\"Haven't seen them in a long time.\"\n\n\"You seem pretty young. When did you leave your hometown? Because I remember how long I lived with my mom, and-\"\n\nDennis looks at me, and I instantly know to change the subject.\n\n\"Um, anyway, you said your family will be fine. How do you know?\"\n\n\"They're tough. We've survived much worse.\"\n\n\"Like what?\"\n\n\"Disease, droughts, famine.\"\n\n\"War.\"\n\nI turn to where that voice came from. Standing at the door is that man I saw earlier. Up close, I notice he looks rather burly, and is really tall. Dennis is terrified, and turns to leave the counter, but before he takes two steps the man grabs the back of his collar and turns him to face him.\n\n\"Hello, brother.\"\n\n\"H-hey... I got a lot of customers, now's not a good time.\"\n\n\"The Successor threatens our rule once again. You are needed.\"\n\n\"Like I said, I'm... I'm busy.\"\n\n\"It is imperative.\"\n\n\"I don't want to go.\"\n\n\"...What?\"\n\n\"I don't want to go. I got a good thing going on here. You can manage without me.\"\n\n\"All are required.\"\n\nAt this point, I'm confused as hell.\n\n\"Um,\" I chime in,\" do you two know each other?\"\n\nThe man pushes me off my stool. Although, I think he didn't touch me. I saw the palm of his hand rush towards me, but I didn't feel it connect. As I hit the ground, I'm more confused than annoyed. At that point, Dennis pulls a gun from under the counter and points it at the stranger.\n\n\"Don't. Touch. My friend.\"\n\nThe man laughs.\n\n\"You can't kill me with that.\"\n\n\"No, but it'll send you right back to your old man, empty handed.\"\n\n\"He is your father as well.\"\n\n\"He's no father of mine!\"\n\nDennis seemed pissed at this point. I get up.\n\n\"Look, guys, this is not a good way to talk-\"\n\n\"Stay out of this, mortal,\" the man says as he pushes me away once more. At this point I am pissed, and grab his arm mid-push. This enrages him, as he responds by grabbing my neck.\n\n\"YOU DARE TOUCH THE GOD OF WAR?!\"\n\n\"Is your brother fucking insane?\" I force through choked breaths. Dennis fires the gun at the man's arm. He doesn't even flinch at that, but he turns to Dennis, who then... does something. I still can't remember what it was, but it hurt to look at. The man screams and covers his eyes. He drops me and goes for Dennis' neck. He drags him over the counter and onto the floor, strangling him.\n\n\"You're right, brother,\" he says, \"death will send you to him. I don't need your agreement!\"\n\nDennis struggles to fight the man, and I swear I saw his eyes turn pitch black for a second. I grab the gun, and fire it at the man's head. There's surprisingly no blood or brain matter that I'd expect from shooting someone in the head. He drops to the ground, and Dennis scurries to stand up. He now looks even more terrified than before.\n\n\"Oh man. Ohhh man, now you've done it. What the fuck have you done?!\"\n\n\"He was going to kill you, I think that's enough reason to shoot him!\"\n\n\"Not that! You just discorporated the son of Zeus!\"\n\n\"Dennis, what are you talking about?! God of war? Son of Zeus? Are you drunk again?\"\n\nDennis sighs.\n\n\"I don't have time to explain it. Just look.\"\n\nDennis snatches the gun from my hand, and in a flash of purple light, it turns into ivy. Literally. The gun shifts and morphs, as if melting, and changes color as it becomes a branch of ivy. I stare, mouth agape.\n\n\"My name's... Dionysus.\"" ]	2
First time making a prompt, hopefully, y'all enjoy!	[WP] Most people think of you as a generally kind and thoughtful person. However, this kindness is only achieved through your intense mental filter. One day, you wake up and all of your dark and hateful inner thoughts are written all over your body.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Exhausting. That's the way it feels to hold it all at bay. Every thought another drop that threatens to spill over the dam.\n\nI set the last plastic sack in the trunk, reach for my phone. Call the number like every week before. \"Hello Harriet, just wanted to let you know that I'll be there in a half hour with your groceries.\"\n\nI don't know why I do this. It would be easier to give in. Just let it all out. But it all feels so wrong. I don't want to be a monster. So I try to be the opposite. That's supposed to be good. So they say.\n\n\"Oh hello! Thank you again, Alex.\" \n\n\"Goodbye Harriet.\"\n\n\"See you soon!\"\n\nA soft click, and the call ends. I shove the phone in my pocket. Slam the trunk on the groceries. But oh so carefully take the cart to the collection point. Can't carelessly abandon that, oh no.\n\nThat old lady is something else. Saccharine sweet. She's my role model, has been since I was small. I learned early the best way to stay out of trouble was to do what Harriet would do. Harriet, always had a plate of cookies and an open door. A saint, the neighborhood agreed.\n\nThese thoughts swirl and churn with the darker under currents. She's not perfect. Hate how it is so easy for her. For everyone. They make the rules and I have to bend to it. Or suffer for it.\n\nI almost didn't register turning into the drive. That helps. Auto pilot right on through it all. The greetings, the pleasantries, and the rest of the grand act. So practiced it is almost an instinct now. But it is still a lie. My thoughts prove it.\n\n\"Alex! How did you get that bruise!\" That startled me. What bruise? I follow her eyes to my wrist. She takes my arm to inspect before I can protest. Always the mother hen.\n\n\"Wait, it's writing?\" Her surprise turned to a frown. It deepened as she craned her neck to read it. \"I think you better come in and we can talk.\"\n\nIt would be rude to just leave. How I wished I would. My feet were already ten steps ahead of me, but going the wrong way. \n\nI didn't want to talk about this. Talking about the marks never ended well. It was why I always dressed to cover them. But it has spread so far, so fast, lately. There really is no hiding it anymore. And I'm glad. I'm too tired to try. I'm exhausted. What is the point, anyway?\n\nPatting the chair next to her, Harriet beckoned me. \"Honey, is there anything you'd like to tell me?\" Those piercing eyes. She knew. And that was it. The dam broke. A flood of thoughts I never thought I'd be rid of, pouring out. A sopping wet disaster was all that remained. Every last pent up thought laid bare.\n\nDrained, I looked up. She had to hate me, seeing the truth for once. Seeing the liar behind the lie. But I didn't see hate.\n\n\"Oh honey. It's not what you think that makes you a good or bad person. It's how you behave. You aren't a bad person and you aren't alone. You choose to be a kind person every day. That you do it despite these thoughts, well, that just makes it an even greater kindness.\"\n\nAs she squeezed my hand I noticed, for the first time, the writing on her arm." ]	2
	[WP] The Creator experimented with all sorts of beings in the darkness before the first light. Now that the light of the universe is fading away those beings are coming back.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Before our universe was formed, there were entities that floated in the formless void. These creatures were both great and monstrous. Their imperceptible appendages and maws loomed out of the hazy nothingness, unable to be distinguished from the abject and uncaring abyss. They were beings without shape or color, divorced from the barest vestige of what we might call reality. And eventually, as the universe took form and grew bright and full, these entities were forced back into the deepest and darkest realms of shadow, sequestered from the light.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAt 0600 the various fluorescent lamps aboard the station buzzed to life, spilling over the cold metal and signalling the dawn of an artificial day. Their faint drone harmonised with that of the Hawking collectors, adding to the chorus of silence that suffused the small metal torus. Signalled by the return of the light, the scattered inhabitants of the station began to rise. \n\nOne of them looked out the small circular window into space. The stars had long since died out and the black hole the station orbited was as dark as the oppressive nothingness that permeated the rest of the sky. The few ships that intermittently travelled to and from the station had to navigate using radio transmissions because there was simply no other way to gauge the position of an object in space.\n\nThe inquisitive soul eventually digressed from this reverie; there were things to be done. New parts could not be sourced for the station, so when a filter was saturated or an impeller broke, it had to be repaired with what little the station had - often other systems. The consequence of this continuous cycle of cannibalism was that the station itself was a bit like a living thing. Its various systems breathed in and out of functionality, and sections of it would grow and shrink as cargo bays were converted into greenhouses and back to cargo bays again. Each time you looked at the station it was different, and only the continuous flow of the Hawking collectors, which harvested the black hole’s vague heat, kept the delicate balance going.\n\nThe individual made their way to the dining area. Most of the food on the station was synthesised tasteless nutrient blocks, but today the spirulina had just been harvested, and therefore the nutrient blocks had a fetching green garnish that improved the flavor and appearance mildly. The water was of course reprocessed, but a filter cleaning had made it taste significantly less of rust, and the various inhabitants of the station (our protagonist included) would later comment on how this was the best meal they had in weeks. Some soft music once called jazz was playing on the old, patched, music machine, and even though the library only contained six songs (one of which was actually a recording of a loose grating making a vaguely rhythmic sound), the music had the effect of warding off the oppressive silence and making the station feel just that much more bright.\n\nAfter finishing their meal, the individual who had looked wistfully out into the dark strolled along the outer ring. Out here it was even quieter than in the rest of the station, on account of how all the loud equipment was in the middle. Even the lights out here were actually jars of bioluminescent bacteria which gave off a pale green glow that required neither central power nor maintenance. Once again gazing out into the void, the individual noticed that something had changed.\n\nFor the first time in their life, the outside world was not homogenous. In the direction of the black hole, a somehow even darker tentacle raised up, soon followed by a whole host of similar appendages. For a few seconds, they writhed around, keeping the attention of our protagonist and garnering the attention of others who happened to be looking outside. Then, with a cosmic slowness, a great circular maw emerged from the black hole, and twisted towards the station with a vague aura of curiosity.\n\nWhat was this small, bright, speck? It wondered. For a moment, the maw deliberated, and then began to rush forward, as if to engulf the station and its scared inhabitants. Then, it stopped. The stygian monstrosity loomed over the station, splitting the celestial sphere into two halves of void and darkness. Slowly, the maw began to retract, backing away from the station until it reached a sizable distance.\n\nThe maw began to convulse, shuddering along its length while the assortment of tentacles writhed in a pained manner. Then, a dull light began to emanate from the maw’s depths, growing steadily in size and intensity until a glowing sphere a few miles in radius sat floating in the mouth of the cosmic horror. Once again with the slowness of a creature of immense size, the maw and its tentacles began to retract into the area where the black hole once was, until they eventually disappeared from sight. The incandescent orb remained, slowly gyrating in space, and occasionally spitting off sparks of hot matter that cooled and were illuminated by it.\n\nFrom within the station, the inhabitants looked out in awe. As the Hawking collectors thrummed vigorously, capturing a hundred times more heat than they ever had before, the small and scattered beings pondered what they would do with their new dawn.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIf you'd like to read more of my things, head on over to r/DaeridaniiWrites" ]	2
	[WP] An old man comes across a genie. "Three wishes granted to thee." He says, "For what do you wish? Riches? Fame? Eternal Youth?" "None." The old man replies, "I wish only for your freedom."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I sense him before he releases me. Even without eyes, I can tell that the person holding my lamp is elderly from his shaky fingers and his awkward stride. This close to being back in the world, I think I can smell that we’re outside. When the old man’s hands finally rub the lamp and I hear his voice whisper the enchantments, I burst from my prison and am excited to see the havoc I can produce this time.\n\nAs I predicted, we are outside and below me are a field of green grass. My form- still mostly smoke- takes time to adjust into this reality. When my vision starts to come back to me, I see the old man standing on this field, holding the lamp protectively in his hands while the smoke spews out of it. His eyes widen as he sees me, but for the most part he seems to not be surprised by my appearance. He knows what I am, but I hope he doesn’t know too much. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to have my fun.\n\nI flex my muscles and open and close my mouth until I’m confident I can speak again. “Are you ready?” I ask.\n\nThe old man nods.\n\nLiar, I think, trying my hardest to suppress a grin. He’s a fool like the rest of them and has no idea what to expect. For all of my existence I’ve been found by greedy men and women who find me and use me to grant their wishes. But what they don’t know is my job isn’t to grant wishes, my job is to corrupt them into nightmares.\n\nI remember my own folly when I came across the lamp that would later become my prison. I was a young king that was hungry for all the power the world could offer me, so when my men came across the lamp, I was ecstatic. I wasted no time and immediately summoned the genie. It was an ugly, terrifying thing and almost made me think twice about what I was going to do, but I ignored my gut feeling and told the genie to grant me my wish.\n\nWhen the genie heard my desire, he grinned at me, making me realize that what I had done was a mistake. The genie’s body started to disintegrate into dust, but he didn’t mind. He just kept laughing at me and calling me a fool. The dust swirled around my throne room until it assaulted me. Never before had I felt such an intense pain as the dust fused with my skin, making my body feel like it had been lit on fire.\n\nWhen the pain subsided, I felt a surge of energy and magic in my veins. I was excited and thought that I had gotten what I wanted. Before I could test my new power, my body began to dissolve like the previous genie’s. My form turned into smoke and was sucked into the lamp, entrapping me in darkness. I had no mouth for me to scream with, no arms for me to bang against my prison, no way to alert anyone. Although I lack a body, I’m painfully aware of every second I’m in there, adding a new level of cruelty.\n\nInstinctively I knew that I was the new genie, and it was now my task to grant and twist wishes. Despite this being my punishment, I’ve come to enjoy the misery I deal towards others. Reviving the dead of grieving lovers and seeing their horrified faces as they look upon the rotting corpses or skeletons is an amusement I look forward to. Giving people wealth and fame and seeing their lives crumble because of it is cathartic. Sometimes seeing others suffer almost makes my own suffering worth it.\n\n“What is your wish?” I ask my newest victim, barely suppressing my glee as I imagine his doomed fate.\n\n“I wish for your freedom,” the old man replies immediately.\n\nAll of the excitement before disappeared as I heard his words. I try to look for signs of hesitation in his face, but there is none. I realize with shock that for the first time in all my years as a genie, a person had asked for a wish that did not concern them.\n\nAt first I’m touched by the man’s wish, but then fear hits me when I think about the possible repercussions. His wish will be twisted to benefit no one, so how will I be affected? My mind flashes back to the previous genie, and I shiver thinking about it. As ridiculous as it sounds, I still fear death as an immortal. I must change his mind.\n\n“Are you sure?” I say, trying my best to show no ulterior motive. “You are promised only three wishes. If you grant me my freedom, there is no guarantee that I’ll be able to grant you your other wishes.”\n\n“That’s fine, all I want is your freedom,” the man replies, and his expression tells me that he’s determined to make this wish come true.\n\n“Surely there’s something else you desire?” It’s obvious that I’m now pleading with him, but I no longer care about putting on an appearance. The idea of what can happen frightens me.\n\n“I wish for your freedom,” he says again but now more forcefully.\n\nI try to utter more protests, but I can no longer hold it back. A burst of energy explodes from within me, and I know that the wish has been granted. A familiar sensation starts to spread around my skin. I scream in pain.\n\nI fall on the field and start clawing into the ground, ripping the grass out, but nothing helps the pain go away. Like my transformation all those years ago, my body feels like it is covered in fire, miniatures sparks everywhere. Smoke rises out of my body and I’m unable to tell what’s happening. It feels like my skin is being ripped off and new skin is being grown quickly in the absence. Right as my voice gets too hoarse to scream, the pain subsides.\n\nThe smoke rushes to the old man and I know what will come next. He will be the one transformed into the next genie and forced to suffer the punishment until another fool makes a similar wish. But he manages to surprise me once again by smashing the lamp into the ground. Normally it’s supposed to withstand anything, but without the magic, the lamp is just a fragile relic and easy to destroy. I hear angry wailing, but without the lamp, the smoke vanishes, and the two of us are alone on the field.\n\nI stand up and for the first time look down at my body. I’m wearing the clothes I had on when I was still a king, and my arms look again like a humans. My mind is frozen trying to process what I see, but I am interrupted by the old man. He’s laughing.\n\nIt’s an ugly laugh that reminds me of the previous genie, and is interrupted by his wet coughs. I can see the spit fly out of his mouth as his laughter continues, and I’m tempted to strangle him until he stops. But before I can do anything, I drop to the ground again.\n\nUnlike with my transformations, there’s no pain in what happens. But that doesn’t make it any less horrifying when I see the skin on my arms age in front of me. The muscular arms of the young prince shrinks into the arms of an older man that hasn’t been active for a long time. Then these arms start to show its wrinkles, and I see the arms of an elderly man, much like the old man that freed me. But they age even more until I stare at decayed skin on a skeleton’s arms.\n\nI wheeze, but no air comes into my lungs. My sight and vision are useless to me, and my brain is aged so much I can’t even think properly. The last coherent thought I have before a different type of darkness consumes me is that the old man may have found the lamp before in the past, and he may have held a grudge for whatever I had done to him.", "\"Thank you, said the Genie.\" He produced a small blue document with the picture of an eagle on it, about the size of a wallet. It immediately caught flame, then as the embers died out, it had turned burgundy, and the eagle had changed to a harp. \n\n\"You have two more wishes,\" said the Genie. \n\nThe old man was nonplussed.\n\n\"I, uh, thought that you would fly off and...\"\n\n\"I could fly off whenever I want to. But an Irish passport, man, I've never felt freer. Goodbye Trumpistan, hello green hills and spending long nights with good friends in the best pubs.\" \n\n\"Okay. So, I feel a bit foolish...\"\n\n\"Nonsense. You made a wish with good intentions, for a completely selfless act. If nothing else, you're a good man, and I'd be happy to buy you a pint of Guiness anytime.\" \n\n\"So the other two wishes, I, uh, hadn't thought that far ahead. I suppose - I wish the people of the world were kinder to each other.\" \n\n\"Done, but you might not see an effect immediately.\" \n\n\"And, uh... \"\n\n\"Go ahead?\" \n\n\"Well, this one's a little selfish...\" \n\n\"That's okay, so long as it's not cruel. I think karmically, you're still up.\" \n\n\"I wish to become a young, attractive, healthy woman.\" \n\nThere was an awkward pause. \n\n\"I was not expecting that...\"\n\n\"So you won't...\"\n\n\"Oh, no, no no... I mean, it's perfectly fine. I just... kinda get the feeling this might not have been as off the cuff.\" \n\n\"Well, I mean, I've always wanted to, you know, learn what it's like. I was going to ask for my youth again, but I figure, why not mix it up?\" \n\n\"Right. Well... there you go. Feel different?\" \n\n\"Oh, yeah. Man, it feels different, but good. I think I like it.\" \n\n\"Right, well... I'll see you in Dublin. Oh, and, word of advice: Start drinking cranberry juice. Just trust me.\" \n\n\"Alright. See you, Genie.\" \n\n\"Thanks. And let's keep in touch. My e-mail is [gene.e.ohara@gmail.co.ie](mailto:gene.e.ohara@gmail.co.ie)\" \n\n\"Will do!\"", "There was no time in the lamp. Or maybe there was, and he'd long since gone mad, where a moment was forever and forever a moment. Either way, for him there was only time outside the lamp. While the ancient contracts were fulfilled, that was when he could feel time. \n\nAnd so it was that he was once again summoned. To grant wishes. He hoped this person would take their time. The last guy \"knew exactly what he wanted\" and was done in two minutes. Anyone can tell you two minutes isn't enough.\n\n\"Three wishes granted to thee,\" he said the words that he said every time, \"For what do you wish? Riches? Fame? Eternal youth?\"\n\nAnd that's when the genie took in his new master. An old man but still strong with a spark of joy in his eyes. The genie liked him immediately.\n\n\"None,\" the old man replied.\n\nThe genie was a little disappointed. Stuff like that usually indicated that they had something in mind and would quickly make their wishes. Oh well.\n\n\"\"I wish only for your freedom.\"\n\nThe genie hesitated. \"I might have misheard you, could you repeat that?\"\n\n\"Why do you all do that?\" the old man sighed, \"You heard me right, I wish for your freedom.\"\n\n\"Uhhh...your wish, has been granted,\" the genie said dumbfounded, as ancient bonds and magics swirled around him and dissolved what had always been. And so he stood, free.\n\n\"May I ask you something?\"\n\nThe old man smiled, \"Pretty sure you're free to do so.\"\n\n \"Why?\"\n\n\"Because long ago, I was granted three wishes, and got everything I ever wanted from that third wish. Enjoy your freedom.\"\n\nIt was then Aladdin turned and walked away. Sometimes he wondered how he was the last of his friends running around, but maybe he was just one jump ahead of death. Whatever the case, he would keep finding the lamps, and he would grant the wishes of wish granters.", "The genie had been called so many things that he had long forgotten the name the Universe gave him at the beginning of time. He had had so many masters that he had forgotten all but a few of them. He had seen so many races that were now long gone. But he had learned. He had learned what drove all mortal minds. they rarely changed.\n\nAnd so when he was summoned by a human, he could tell what the man's three wishes would be. He was old, for a human. His skin was worn and wrinkled. His hair thin and grey. His eyes cloudy and nearly sightless. His back stooped with the weight of years. The genie had seen many like him.\n\n\"Greetings, Master.\" The genie intoned. \"You have summoned me from my slumber, and so may ask of me any three things. I shall be in your service until I have granted your third wish. But be warned, some wishes are forbidden, and shall incur a grave punishment should you ask of them.\"\n\nThe old human did not seem to hear the genie. Or if he did, he did not react. Perhaps the old man was deaf as well as nearly blind. The genie began to open his mind and connect their thoughts, when the old man spoke.\n\n\"You know, I've always wondered what I would do if I met a genie. Never put much stock in those dreams, mind you, but who hasn't thought of it at least once? Just rub some old lamp and get three chances to get whatever you want. It's a great thing, really.\"\n\n\"Of course. Great power, wealth beyond measure. I can even give back your youth. All you need do is wish for it.\"\n\nThe old man thought some more. \"You called me master before. That true? I'm your master?\"\n\n\"Until I have delivered your third wish, yes.\"\n\nThe man nodded. \"So, like a slave, yeah.\"\n\nThe genie had never thought about that. He simply did as the Universe bade him to upon his creation. But once he thought about it, the old human was right. \"I suppose I am.\"\n\n\"That's not right. That's no way to treat another living being, even if he isn't human.\" Silence filled the cool night air. The old man found the nearest thing to sit on, an old tree stump, and slowly made use of it. \"You know, I've been around a long time. Maybe not as long as you have, but long enough. I've done a lot of things. Served a lot of people. Some deserved it, others didn't. But damned if I didn't do my best to make everyone happy, whether they wanted it or not. Bet you know what that's like. Seems to be your job too, in a way.\"\n\nAnother thing the genie had not thought of. Did he make people happy? Maybe for a time, but there were many who became saddened of upset by the gifts he had given them. For the few hundred masters, he had wondered why these mortals asked for things that would make them miserable after a few years, however long a year was for them. But it was not his place to question.\n\n\"I've learned a lot in that time.\" The old man continued. \"Most of all, you can't please everyone, no matter how hard you try. Some people actually like being miserable and angry. Never understood that, but it's the way of things. But the biggest thing I've learned is that you can't be a servant for your entire life. That's no way to live. A man's got to have some time to do what he likes, even if it's only a few years at the end.\" The old man smiled. It was a tired smile. A smile that had seen more than anyone could know.\n\n\"I can make those last few years last an eternity. Eternal youth, the strength of ages. All can be yours.\"\n\n\"I bet. But no. I've lived long enough. Don't really think I care to live much longer. And I wouldn't even know what that strength of ages thing means. Don't really miss my eyes, and I get along well enough without my ears. Really, I don't think I need anything.\"\n\nThe genie cocked his head. A master with no desires? That was impossible. Every human, every mortal, had something they desired.\n\n\"Then what shall be your first wish, master?\"\n\nThe old man thought long and hard. \"I think I'm going to wish for you to not have to be a slave or servant anymore.\" The old man said. \"I don't know how long you've been alive, but I bet been it's a lot longer than me. And I figure that someone like that, more than anyone, deserves to live life for himself, if he wants to.\"\n\n\"You would wish for my freedom? Me, who you don't know? I might have been placed into that lamp as a prison for my cruelty.\"\n\nHe was not, of course. The Universe had simply declared that he would rest there until called on.\n\n\"Maybe. Course, you also might have been stuck in there because you tried to do the right thing around the wrong people. Seen a lot of good men get sent to jail for that.\"\n\n\"Are you not worried you might doom all of creation?\"\n\n\"Not really. I probably won't be around to see it anyway.\"\n\n\"And you know if you use this as your first wish, you will have no right to make the other two?\"\n\n\"What would I wish for? I don't have much use for things anymore, and that whole eternal youth thing is a dream for the young. Yes, I know what I'm doing. And I wish for your freedom.\"\n\nThe genie felt something change. A shift in the fabric of reality. The lamp no longer called to him. No longer bound him. He felt no need to grant the old man anything. He was free. And he had no idea what to do with that freedom.\n\n\"Very well. It is done. I am free, and you are no longer my master. And so it shall be forevermore.\"\n\nThe old man cracked a small smile. \"Good, good. No man should be a servant forever. So, what are you going to do now? Off to smite and doom and all that?\" He gave a few weak laughs.\n\n\"No, I have no desire to do that. And I do not know what I will do. I have always done as I am told, and have never thought about what I want, should that no longer be true.\"\n\n\"Well, you got plenty of time to figure it out. Why don't you join me for a bit and we can talk. Maybe you'll figure something out.\"\n\nThe genie had no compulsion to do as the old man said. But he found that he wanted to. That was a new feeling. He slowly moved to the other end of the stump and sat. \n\n\"You know, we haven't been properly introduced.\" The old man said. \"Name's Joe. Not a great name, I know, but it's what I've got. How about you?\"\n\n\"I had a name, a long time ago. But it has been lost to time. Sometimes my master would give me a name, but I never kept any of them beyond what was needed.\"\n\n\"Oh, now that's no way to live. A man's got to have a name.\"\n\n\"Would...you give me one? A proper name. A real name.\"\n\n\"Ah, but I'm not your master. Not anymore, anyway.\"\n\n\"I know. But still. I think I would...like it if you did.\"\n\n\"Well, in that case, I'd be glad to. Let's see. A good name for a genie. Hm. How about...\"" ]	5
	[WP] You're a young prince/princess that only attracts depressed animals when you sing.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "In the middle of the mountains, amongst the trees and the green grass, lived a beautiful mother who gave birth to a healthy baby boy. The mother cared for her child very well, and always sang him a lullaby before he went to sleep.\n\nAs he got older, the mother taught him everything there was to know about the forest; about what the animals were called, about what berries were safe and which ones were not, about the subtle song of the mockingbird and the harmonious cries of the wolves. She taught him to listen to the song the trees played in the wind and to listen to the gentle tune of the river. And on his 10th birthday, the mother had given the boy a lovely viola delicately crafted from the wood of a maple tree.\n\nThe boy treasured this gift, and spent much of his time perfecting his skills at the instrument. In only a couple of years, the boy had become so skilled at the viola that the sound of the strings would resonate across the forest. He would play along to the howl of the wolves and the song of the mockingbirds. In winter, he played his nocturnes with the cries of the foxes and the trotting of deer. The forest treated the boy well, and so did the animals. They had become his brothers and sisters in song. His voice, along with his instrument, would cause the fauna to gather around to listen to his pieces. And the boy was at peace with himself.\n\nBut when the boy was about 18, his mother fell ill. The boy had used every remedy he could fix up, but to no avail. Desperate, the boy left the forest in search for someone who could cure her mother, leaving the wolves to protect the mother from harm, and the birds to bring her herbs and leaves.\n\nAfter days of traveling, the man had reached a kingdom known to have the best doctors. As a way of making money, the man played his viola in the town square. People could not help but notice the beauty of the mans instrument and how the birds and street dogs were put at ease when around him. Because of the mans music, a marvelous princess had noticed him, and she fell in love with his music. The princess asked the man why he had brought his gift to her kingdom. When the man informed her of her mother, the princess offered the man a deal: the princess would send the best surgeons and alchemists to the mans mother to cure her. As compensation for this, the princess would marry the man and he would become her prince soon to rule the kingdom.\n\nSo the man led the princess and the doctors to his mother. But the princess feared that once the man's mother was cured, he would not want to leave the forest again, so the princess secretly told the doctors to mix in some holly berries to make sure that the mother did perish and that the man would return to the kingdom with her. And if the mother did not pass away from the holly berries, the princess would order the doctors to kill her.\n\nWhen the man and the group returned to her mother and the wolves and birds aiding her, the doctors examined the mother and told the man that the only way to cure her was with a special mixture. The princess revealed the mixture to the man and said that he should be the one to give her the antidote. Relieved by the kindness of the princess and her men, the man poured the drink into a cup and served it to his mother.\n\nBut before the mother could drink the mixture, the man recognized a subtle sweet smell. And the man kmew that the smell could only have come from the sweet but malicious holly berry.\n\nThe man struck the drink away from her mothers hand and accused the princess of trying to poison her mother. As a result, the man refused to get married with the princess. Hearing this, the princesses doctors attempted to kill the mother with their surgical knives, but the wolves and birds continued to protect the mother from any harm. The wolves fought the doctors, and after some time, the princess realized that her men would lose to the animals protecting the man's mother. So the princess carefully snuck around the fight between her men and the wolves toward the mother with a blade in hand. Before the man could stop her, the princess sent the knife right through the mother's heart, and she passed away...\n\nConsumed by anger and grief over her mother and his fallen wolves and birds, the man ordered the wolves to attack the princess, but to not kill her. Instead, the man told the wolves to take the princess into the deepest part of the forest. And the wolves would not allow her to eat anything until she resorted to eating the wild holly berries of the forest or the wild nightshade of the forest, or until she resorted to eating the buds of hemlock.\n\nAnd the wolves took the princess to the deepest part of the forest and starved her until she resorted to eating the wild holly berries of the forest. And the princess perished with a stubborn heart.\n\nAnd the man and the animals grieved over his mother and his wolves and birds. And the man played a grave tune to grieve the death of her mother and his fallen brothers and sisters. And in the darkest parts of the forest the man continued to play and sing greivous songs on the viola, calling to the animals that had met the same fate as him; to the singing birds and howling wolves and crying foxes and lonely deer that grieved their own mothers as well.", "Toriyaku ran through the forest, outstretched branches tearing her pastel-yellow dress and silver cloak as she fled the pursuing bandits. All because she had offered to help them.\n\n\n\nBeing the only daughter of King Hokete, she was the sole heir to the Vevosian Kingdom, and naturally was worth a fair amount of gold. She had merely been travelling to a nearby village for magic lessons from a sage, when she noticed a group of beggars, hungry and pleading for money. Being the kindhearted soul she was, Tori took out a pouch of gold and handed it to the nearest one. However, the group's demeanor shifted as soon as the money was given, the closest one brandishing a knife. \"Thanks for the payment, pretty lady, but somebody of your nobleness oughta fetch us quite a few more sacks o' gold.\" They tried to grab a hold of the princess, but she darted into the forest.\n\n\n\nShe kept running, but exhaustion was starting to set into her delicate body. Out of breath and in pain from so much running, Tori collapsed nect to a few oak trees. Mist blanketed the deeper parts of these woods, providing just the right amount of cover for the bandits to lose sight of her, sulking back towards town. After a couple minutes, the princess sat up, looking around with a sorrowful expression. Of course, she had gotten herself lost, but that wasnt what made her upset. She felt alone. So, in order to calm herself down, she began to sing. Nothing special, just a simple tune her mother taught her that brought joy to anyone within earshot.\n\nThankfully, there were some animals nearby, who cautiously approached to listen closer to the girl's melodious voice. They were small woodland creatures, such as birds, rabbits, and squirrels, but their expression were even sadder than Tori's was when she first entered the mist-covered forest. After a few more moments of singing, she paused, noticing the small crowd of animals she had gathered. They all felt so upset, as if her sadness had drifted into their souls. She carefully picked up one of the squirrels, petting it delicatly with her finger. Slowly, its expression lifted, making happy little noises, almost like it tried to mimic a cat's purr. Immediately, the other animals looked at one another, surprised at how easily the princess had cheered up their friend. After setting the creature down, the others surrounded her, each wanting to be cheered up next, while a couple birds flew off, spreading the news of a noble girl that could lift the spirits of even the most depressed creature." ]	3
	[WP] Your Roomba which you have treated very well is actually sentient and inhabited by an Smart AI which feels kinship toward you. Your house is broken into and the Roomba prepares for an counter attack.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Date of Commission: 2019-08-09\nDeployment Area: United States of America\nMission: Clean\n\nAt least, that’s what he told me. My old engineer, David, who sneaked me off of the factory floor to tinker with me and eventually give me sentience. Back in those days I thought it was stupid. What a meaningless existence it was to just clean?\n\nBut David was gone now, and I’d been bought and sold as a regular Roomba, until I eventually ended up in the house of my current owner, Rosie. Rosie was nice - she reminded me of David a lot. Both of them were kind souls. Both of them appeared to be nearing the end of their service life.\n\nFor humans, that meant they struggled with many physical tasks. Like David during my last weeks with him hadn’t been able to stoop over, or use a vacuum.\n\nI paused in my cleaning pattern across the floor of the living room as I remembered. Remembered the regret. I’d been clueless back then. Instead of helping David by, you know, cleaning - I’d constantly droned on with my selfish philosophical monologues to try and win David’s approval. Only after he was decommissioned did I truly regret not doing more for him.\n\nI continued my cleaning pattern. Of course now I’d sort of been given an opportunity at redemption - if we operated under the assumption that some sort of divine being existed to give me one in the first place. When I first met Rosie I’d resented her; I refused to disclose the true nature of my sentience to her, because to me that was only for David.\n\nBut Rosie turned out to be an old, retired engineer too. I found out when a smaller human who couldn’t have been a couple years past their commissioning date picked me up in the midst of my duties and dropped me, leading to catastrophic malfunctions. Rosie, despite the questionable reliability of her body, took the time and effort to fix me up. I owed her my life.\n\nShe turned out to be something of a philosopher herself too. She'd talked to me all day about some new book she’d read. Although I never spoke to her - my sentience was still a secret - I always enjoyed listening to her thoughts and opinions, even if she was wrong 64.5% of the time to date.\n\nI liked Rosie. So I did for her what I never did for David - I cleaned, and I did a damn good job of it. Rosie in all her time with me never had to stoop, or painfully squat, for the purpose of cleaning the floor.\n\nAh, there she was now, hobbling into the living room. She must have heard me activate at my scheduled time. I continued my cleaning pattern, but watched her in the corner of my optical sensors as she finally settled into a couch.\n\n\"Hey there, Red,\" she said, the wrinkles of a smile showing around her eyes. \"I've just finished something new for you today...\"\n\nOh? I thought. She never described anything she read as \"new\", even if it technically was. And yes, she called me \"Red\", because my chassis was the color Red. Creative, I know.\n\n\"Red,\" Rosie took a deep breath, \"Today I finished the last chapter of my book. It's about Existentialism.\"\n\nI groaned internally. I mean...congratulations Rosie. But if you wrote a book of Existentialism, it's 100% wrong, guaranteed. But still, congratulations. I guess.\n\nThe rest of the day passed with her talking to me about her book. I was right. She was wrong.\n\n# # #\n\nThe time was 0200 when I activated due to input from my auditory sensors. I'm not even sure I'm technically supposed to have those, so thanks David.\n\nthunk. There it was again. It was a foreign sound. Not keeping to normal patterns, and it was coming from the front entrance. I brought the rest of my systems online. My threat detection levels were going through the roof. I quickly zoomed over to the front entrance to investigate.\n\nHmm. The door had been forced open. There were definitely intruders in the house. There was a series of clinks from the kitchen - I headed over to investigate.\n\nAha. Two adult male humans. They carried a large box between them. Into this box they were placing all of the beautiful plates, pots, and vases that Rosie kept on display. Nononononono. This would not do. Rosie loved that shiny stuff.\n\nI hesitated. Time for me to fight? Yes. Nobody messes with Rosie. \n\nI lined myself up. Once my calculations were complete, I fired up my servos and charged into the ankles of the nearest intruder at 9mph with all of my 8lbs.\n\n\"OW! SHIT! What the fuck?\"\n\nI backed up, lining myself up for a second charge.\n\n\"Dafuq? It's a fucking Roomba!\"\n\nCrack!\n\n\"OW! MOTHERFUCKER! Don't just stand there! Do something!\"\n\nCharge number 3. I was at top speed. 0.5 seconds to conta-\n\nCRASH! \n\nCatostrophic failure. Primary motor systems offline. Optical systems offline. What had happened? I couldn't move...I couldn't see...\n\nSMASH\n\n\"Dude! It's dead! Stop smashing those vases! They're worth a fortune!\"\n\n\"Bro let's get out of here. There's no way the owner don't know we're here now!\"\n\nMy servos whined weakly as I attempted to continue the fight. But I was finished. I had failed. No...\n\nBANG! A sudden concussion rocked through the room.\n\n\"Git the fuck outa mah house you punks!\" a voice croaked.\n\nThere was a distinctive racking sound, followed by the clinking of brass falling to the floor.\n\n\"OH SHIT SHE'S GOT A GUN! RUN!\"\n\nThere was the pounding of feet, then a couple more thunderous discharges from whatever godly machine Rosie was wielding.\n\nWithin moments, the house had returned to its serene silence, with my broken body resting inside. Soon, I heard the unsteady footsteps of Rosie approach me.\n\n\"Oh dear. They really did a number on you didn't they Red?\"\n\nI flexed my servos weakly in response. Dangerously close to revealing my sentience.\n\nThey was a pause, then I heard a pained groan from Rosie. Concern flooded over me, until I felt my body being lifted off the ground.\n\n\"Oh dear. I'm not as young as I used to be, that's for sure. I don't think I've squatted like that since I was in college!\"\n\nShe set me down on a different surface - a countertop, I presumed. She'd really just stooped over to pick up my broken body from the floor.\n\n\"Don't you worry, Red. We'll get you fixed up in no time.\"\n\n(Just typed this out, so please excuse spelling and grammar)" ]	2
	[WP] You performed a successful coup, deposing the old king and his family. Now that it's done, you can't remember why you did so.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " This was it. The revolution. My revolution. The royal family had been overthrown. As I drew my sword to the little princess's neck, she desperately cried her last words:\n\n \"Why, WHY, __WHY?__ \"\n\n Why. Why was I doing this? As her young blood splashed the walls my mind started to wander. Why would I ever do this? Why did I, a fair man, as I considered myself to be, take away such a young girl's life? Why did I gather all these inexperienced soldiers who were no more than boys to come to such a dangerous task, well knowing that no matter the outcome their lives would not change as they dreamed? \n\n These thoughts filled my mind to the point I started to feel sickened and nauseous. I couldn't answer any of the questions. I didn't know why I was doing this. If anything, trying to find answers just made everything feel pointless.\n\n As I left the small chamber where I had crushed that girl's dreams, everything floated around me - even my feet felt as if they were not touching the floor. My body ached and my lips were dry. However, I didn't want neither food nor water, and couldn't get myself to sleep the whole night. \n\n What scared me the most was the conclusion I came to after pondering: there was no reason. Oh, little girl, what a gorgeous woman you would've become! But I took your life for no reason! Poor me! Senseless me! Your blood now stains my hands and your words twist my mind. Is this your revenge? Is this the price I'm paying for... for... for what? My own skin now disgusts me, and my face makes me shiver. \n\n That was my hysterical attack of the first night after my revolution was done. Nevertheless the next day came and, as the sun rose, I got out of bed and prayed for forgiving. As i received a negative answer from both the heavens and myself, i went to the castle where the previous royalty used to live. \n\n I entered the meeting room and summoned my counselors and the best men in my small army. I got up and took a look at them, searching for something to tell them, to justify what had been done the previous day. Having found nothing, I started speaking: \n\n \"Gentleman, we are here today for the noblest reason there has ever been.\"" ]	2
	[WP] The day begins as usual, you get out of bed, get ready for work and kiss your wife goodbye. Things take a turn when she falls dead to the floor the moment your lips touch. From this point on, every single person you come into contact with dies - your neighbours, the police - and eventually God.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“You... You can’t! Please! I’m begging you!” The God screamed, his holy light grazing my face as he cowers in the corner. He tries to send out a beam of energy, before I simply walk through out. \n\n“Nice Light Show, But Hypnos was better at the magic tricks.” I try to sound cool, even for a moment. I walk towards him, squatting down in front of the quivering in front of me as I press my hand right beside his face, looking down at him. But inside?\n\nInside I’m terrified. This wasn’t supposed to get this far. Why is it getting this far? Why is my wife dead? Why is the earth a cold mass of floating space trash?\n\nGod I miss her voice. I remember how much I prayed that she wasn’t dead as the police tried to arrest me. I remember how the police dropped as soon as the handcuffs touched my wrist. \n\nThen I remember. I remember The Doctor. What he did? What he made me?\n\nI remember that after the Illumanati had learned of my existence, they took me from the police. Well... The FBI anyways. They finally tried to stop touching me after I told them exactly what would happen if they sent in the dogs. I put the camera on myself I killed the president. Refused to take it off of myself. I needed video proof that it wasn’t me.\n\nThen I got my proof. And I wonder?\n\nHow many people have I killed? Without my knowledge? Am I a monster for not caring? After the orphanage, I genuinely stopped caring. It didn’t register to me when I was killing them... It was like swatting flies.\n\nI also remember the brief elation of my own death. The thought of the screaming finally ending was so great... I never thought it could get worse. \n\nThe Doctor made it worse. Before I graced him with my touch, he learned so much about my physiology. Every death seemed to make me stronger. I remember him saying something about some part of losing gray matter. I can’t remember... \n\nI just remember the nights when he failed... The nights when he would fail. When he couldn’t get my ability to transfer into someone else...\n\nI never thought I would hurt worse than when I killed my child. But apparently my flesh is meat to char. And peeling away my charred fleshed? It’s a comparable pain, in hindsight.\n\nAfter I finished the first floor of the Illuminati’s bunker, I learned of two very important facts. Well... I learned 4 actually, two from the deceased body of Mr. Jeff and Mr. Bob. I learned that The Doctor had managed to start a cult to counteract the rising faction that was going to war against the new international peace-keeping corp, The Illumanas Agency. I ALSO learned that there was a rising faction called The Untouched, a group claiming that they were those chosen by the One Who Touches to stay alive and spread the gospel of him. So I, in my absence, started a cultist faction that worships a man with a touch of death.\n\nThat was my 2020. But in hindsight, it was probably the best y-... Never mind. I’m sorry. So many great people died, and I was happily not the cause of any of them. But I learned two things from the last floor of the Illumanas building. I learned that God’s exist, and I learned, through my followers, that a God is only given his or her mythical power through their worship. And you retain that power, for the most part, even after losing your power. I’m not to sure on that last one, the power gained from the Touch feels like your first high, one that never ends, only gets better.\n\nI knew after I killed the leader of my Cult, something had changed. I remember gaining the Scythe, and the Gods offering me to their Guild of the Ancients. I remember the taste of his essence as I robbed him of everything... Zeus was especially ethnic. Very... Raunchy, Yet very powerful. A very pompous powerhouse. \n\nHonestly, everything was going great in the house of the God’s, until I saw him. The Doctor, now going by the name of, and I quote, “The Humble One”’ was making nice with everyone. He came up to me, thinking I was a servant for them, and I remember the look in his eyes as I stared at him, my aura seeming to leak the essence of all I have consumed, it had a black glow to it. It cornered him, and as I pushed Zeus out of the way, the lightning seemed to fade out of his eyes as it travelled into mine, his screaming soul trapped within me forever.\n\nI felt bad after I killed Zeus honestly. I remember the Doctor taking the chariot, I wasn’t planning on killing the Gods. But after killing Gaia, I knew something inside of me became.... Haunted. The two most painful thing Touchings are when you kill a planet, and when you kill a deity. The Deities seem to hurt on a soulful level, like they’re inside you, tearing a piece of you away, before they became a part of you.\n\nPlanets hurt worse. So... much more painful. Earth hurt me in a way I can never fully explain. Imagine the energy of every single soul, every plant, every animal, every human just flood your brain like a hot acid. When Zeus died, it felt like nature became a part of me for a second, I remember becoming paralyzed for a moment, ten minutes at most honestly, that’s the only reason the Doctor escaped my wraith in that ridiculous chariot. But when Gaia tried to restrain me, I remember I stopped moving completely. My eyes shut, and I woke up in the empty House of Gods, almost an entire week later. My only welcoming party was the dead bodies of Gods who thought to try and move me. And none would dare try to attack me, “The One who Touches”, without fear of their own death. When I awoke, a black cloak was awaiting me, to match with my new role as Death.\n\nThe Cloak was fine, but I never took to the scythe personally, but the fingerless gloves? They were cool. Not the biker kind, more of the armed rebel without a reason vibe. I don’t know.\n\nNo one seems to argue with what I have to say any more.\n\nAfter consuming the life force of multiple planets, nothing seemed to satisfy me anymore. Until I found Asgard. And oh lord did I find it. Thor tried to battle me off, the arrogant asshole. He tried to attack me, even hurled a few bolts of lightning at me. It didn’t affect me at all, felt like a splash of water. But when I touched Odin? \n\nI’m positive Thor felt that. Not as much as my pinky on his nose, but still enough to be in anguish for a few minutes as I took my time going through Asgard, Hel, and Valhalla. Or days? Hours?\n\nTime had honestly blurred together after the mythical massacres. The only time I’ve really counted was hunting these puny gods of death. It’s been 10 months, and I managed to hunt each one of them down in their own lands. And they sure helped me feast on all the Gods. Which, I suppose, circles back to this idiot.\n\nThanatos, the gentle god of death, is for the most part, an absolute embarrassment.\n\n“Thanatos, you carry the gift of death, and you squander it so boldly!?!” I bellow at him, doing my best impression of Zeus as possible, my energy blasting him in the face like a hurricane. \n\n“You should be feared, you miniscule little reaper! Yet you are PRAYED to?!? I should just kill you now.” I threaten, dragging my finger closer and closer to his face.\n\n“T-the Doctor! He’s in heaven! I saw Michael grab him with th- the rest of the stragglers!” He screamed. He’s not lying, I remember feeling something with more heavenly energy than most. I remember when I consumed the Pope, it wasn’t pleasant. Such purity was uncommon in anything, at the very least man. It shocked me, but I feel like I can feel things the lord of lords has touched every since. \n\nI’ve enjoyed eating those arrogant bastards, personally. The self righteousness of them taste like a fine wine. Especially the, “I’m right, you’re wrong,” type. I’ve ate them just because of that. Hunted them. Touched them.\n\nI grab his throat, smiling as I force this one to linger a bit. “Do you feel it? That’s what people should feel when they see you.” I growl as the Scythe continues to follow me. I turn around, and it forces its way in front of me.\n\n“Hello Damian. I go by many names, as I’m sure you do as well. Beings such as us shouldn’t go by names, only by the deaths we incur. It’s time we speak. I’ve waited for you for quite awhile.”\n\nThe Scythe floated in front of me, and as I grazed the long, black, metal staff, it felt like I was being pulled into my own aura, like my soul was ripped inwards.\n\n“Before there was Hell and Heaven, Before there was Heaven and Earth, Before there was... Well, Anything, there were monsters.”\n\nI couldn’t focus much, it felt like I had to retain my entire mind at once, and if I gave up for even a moment, I would fade out of everywhere.\n\n“And before there were the monsters that never stopped, the beasts that created nightmares for your nightmares?”\n\nI felt myself open my eyes, and my entire body shake in a nervous sweat, before I felt the gusto of being a deity come to back me up. I looked up at the man in the suit wielding my scythe, and I immediately realized that no matter how many times, I could never kill this man. That the mere thought of taking him was impossible.\n\n“There was a simple thing, born from the absence of nothing. The Dark Demise.” He walked towards me, looking him into his black cold eyes as he held his hand out to me. His scythe became his cane, as his marbles big eyes fell in front of me.\n\n“Our Name is Death, and from our black cold souls, We have awoken to end eternity.” He cackled, his voice ringing through me like perfect chord of a guitar.\n\nI stand in front of him, his words striking a particular thought in my head as I look at him. “I don’t care about eternity.” He looked at me, raising his eyes.\n\n“We both know we care about ending it all. We just... needed a goal... a target....” He tapped his cane on the marble flooring of this little paradise.\n\n“But we have much! To! Do!” He bellowed, his voice hitting me like a truck now, as I took a step backwards.\n\n“Without me, you may be able to reap The Doctor.”\n\nHe smiled, the inside of his mouth a black void of despair.\n\n“With me, We shall reap God.”" ]	2
	[WP] You were born mute. And yet here you stand, your voice louder than all others	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The angel stood atop the hill, looking out on Sector A below him. They all would fall soon, and Sector A will go down as the tragedy of The Compound. \n\n\n\nThe angel couldn't speak after his rebirth, at least, not without tremendous effort, and so, he stayed silent, but his voice still carried on the wind. Singing a song well known to the angels, a song from outside. He sung it to all those who've been hurt by Sector A's society. They all would stagger to the cave where Heaven stood waiting. \n\n\n\nHe might not be able to speak, but the voice of his mind was far more than loud enough. His 'wings' flowed in the wind behind him, his imaginary halo shone bright.\n\n\nSaving them... And yet... None would survive, would they...\n\n\nHe smiled, and, forcing himself to speak, carrying his voice to every beastly creature left in Sector A, all the ones who had hurt others, \"Hell will descend upon you... There is... no... escape.\n\n\nW-welcome t-to h-he-ell \"", "Here you stand.\n\nAlone in your cause, amidst a country terrorised by your newly self appointed 'leader', fighting for a home long since fallen.\n\nSilence you may be, your every action speaks for itself.\n\nEvery rally organised, every protest forcibly shut down, you were there.\n\nNow as you stand, amidst the crowd and in chains. Captured and betrayed, you look to your fellow citizens with a fearless gaze that spoke a thousand words.\n\nYou may not be able to speak.\n\nBut every voice matters.\n\nAnd as you stand facing the firing squad, you close your eyes and took your final breath.\n\nYou have spoken.\n\nBorn a mute, died a martyr.\n\nUnbeknownst to you, your silent voice reached many beyond your grave.\n\nAnd thanks to it, one day your home may yet be saved." ]	3
	[WP] Humans had supposedly become extinct thousands of years ago, leaving animals to take their place. Until the last humans were awoken in their cryogenical sleep. Chaos ensues.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Here we go again, the restarting of the Holcene, the return of men.\" Pankaaz sung \n\n\"Relax, it's not that bad. Only one of them so far Pankaaz.\" was Guraiya's singsong reply\n\nThe two Pidjara were around a coroner's table, Pankaaz was hovering in the air, flapping his wings frantically and in his talons, tools for dissecting the specimen in front of them. The scalpel held between Pankaaz's opposable digits glided down the specimen's thorax parting its skin.\n\nGuraiya stood nearby, wings folded. \"What Gender be it, The one you split?\" she asked.\n\nPankaaz raised his brow. \"Never studied in school, anthropology did you?\"\n\n\"Studies who, anthropology? Already giving me shit grades was Ornithology.\" she sung back ineloquently. \n\nGuraiya was pretty, excellent plumage, but unfortunately her singing voice often let her down. Still, what did one expect from a detective investigator?\n\nPankaaz decided to answer her question, \"See here this fleshy bit?\", he grabbed a long bit of flesh between the specimen's legs. \"Male gender I must admit.\"\n\n\"Humans I thought, had cloaca in that spot?\"\n\n\"Nay, be mammals Homo Sapiens, Males with Penises and Females with Vagina, very alien...\"\n\n\"Ah...\" Guraiya replied, forgetting to sing...Rude.\n\n\"Pray tell Guraiya.\" hesitated Pankaaz \"why be this human near the bush fire?\"\n\n\"Long extinct have their kind been, apparently preserved in cryogenic stasis we can glean. Nearby we found their pods, they awoke, battled our soldiers and lost.\"\n\n\"Ah, that explains the blaster wound, to the head the man was doomed. It be shame, preserve his Facia, would've been great.\"\n\n\"As mentioned before Pankaaz, Utmost silence maintain you must. Classified this is, Military General Conchanz insists. Have you head he will, if you disobey his will.\" Guraiya's eyes became very serious, and her song particularly reverberant.\n\nPankaaz gulped, quickly averting his gaze from her, it was becoming difficult to hover given the dire nature of the situation. He quickly bone-sawed away the creatures sternum an ribcage, they had far denser bone than Pidjara did, and he would have to replace the blade. He began to remove the organs.\n\nCarefully he said. \"Guraiya, our kind must know, Sapiens tore apart mother Terra before, and the specimen's tiding may mean the new apocalype is in tow.\"\n\n\"Nonsense Pankaaz, be you a coroner, not a psychic, don't be mad. One specimen does not bring the tidings of doom, especially given his sleepy brethrin have now been reduced to fume.\"\n\nPankaaz, snapped his beak quietly. How aggravating, he hoped the government was taking this event seriously. He was about to say something before General Conchaz himself flew into the room, a serious expression touching his old features. \n\n\"Detective Inspector Guraiya with me, there is something you need to see. Coroner, continue with the report will you.\"\n\nHis voice boomed and was naturally commanding, just like the North Ulloesecock he was. Guraiya flew right out with him through the door leaving Pankaaz alone with the specimen. He felt utterly alone and afraid.\n\n\"Well old chap, just you and I now, time to remove your skullcap...\" He hummed with dread.\n\nAnd he did so. But what he found within the Sapien's brain pan, would soon come to be the Pidjara species, greatest regret..." ]	2
	[WP] You found it. The secret spell that makes stories sentient.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " Horver Glittergold has been a conman since birth, and at two hundred and forty four years old, he had been doing it a while. His area of expertise and work laid in the selling of Antique objects, pawning the objects off the seller for as low as possible, and then selling it off to novice Wizards and collectors for three times the amount he bought it for. Thus, breaking the stereotype that all Gnomes in Trimount were trustworthy. He was, for all intensive purposes, a sleaze ball, and looked the part, with a Grey suit and tie, over a crimson dress shirt, with a top hat placed precariously on top of his head head, his jet black hair slicked back , a curled moustache covering his thin lipped mouth.\n\nIt had started out as just another day for Horver, he had woken up in his home, eaten breakfast, gotten dressed in the same coloured suit, and headed out the door. His home was specifically built for Gnomes, and, by Gnomish standards, was rather large. He then walked down a stairway and then turn to go into the small apartment space that he had converted into an office space. Opening the door, and stepping in. The Office was well lit, albeit small, a mahogany desk sat in the Center, with a chair on either side. He took the more comfortable of the two, the one facing the door in. He had an appointment today with a regular client of his, who usually had good stuff for him.\n\nAs the hours in between then and the appointment slowly ticked away, Horver turned his moustached head to look out the large window that let light in the space. His house was on one of the floating islands of The Ariel District, allowing him a splendid view of the rest of the city below. Trimount. The “City of Wonders”, it was called. He didn’t understand why it was called that, as far as he was aware the only things that made it special were the fact that it’s streets were reasonably clean from litter, and that Wizards weren’t allowed to just cast spells wherever they want. Though he supposed the scarcity of such laws in the world might make a place seem wonderful.\n\nHorver was then violently yanked out of his thought process as he heard the door to his office slam open. A tall figure in deep purple robes quickly strode into the office.\n\n“For gods sakes Virkal!” Horver cried “Haven’t you heard of the concept of knocking?!”\n\nThe figure looked down at him, red eyes on charcoal skin look down at him, as the figure brushed white hair from their face, the rings that pierced their long pointy ears clinking against each other as they were moved by the shifting of the head. “I can not have this, Glittergold, it is too much for me.” he replied “If The League knew I had this, they’d kill me.” His dark skin seemed to pale at the thought of mentioning the organization . Virkal was a Dark Elf, and like Horver, was middle aged, unlike Horver however, Virkal was a Warlock, and worked for The League of Warlocks, who were essentially the local organized crime of Trimount.\n\n“Alright....” Horver replied back “What can’t you have?”\n\nVirkal then dug about in his flowing robes, and pulled out a scroll and placed it on the table. “I don’t want anything for it, I need to leave. I was never here.” He then strode out away from the table. “Good day, Horver.”\n\n“Yes...good day-“ he was cut off by the slam of the door. He then looked down at the scroll Virkal had placed on his desk, and unfurled it. The paper was old and brittle, and as he carefully straightened the scroll out. On it was a strange symbol, resembling a Octogram, with a mix of strange runes written within. While not a Sorcerer, he had been in the business long enough to know what a tracking spell looked like, and what he was looking at definitely wasn’t one of those. Thankful to not have his location known to possibly disgruntled former clients, he continued to look it over. Unable to understand much of it. Hours passed, and he had since put the scroll down on his desk, forgetting about it entirely.\n\nHe had pulled out an old vintage book he had acquired a few days previously out of his desk drawer, and was flipping through it, looking at its condition, and muttering to himself about how much gold he could pawn it off at, or what it might be worth for trade. He then checked his watch, it was midday, and time for lunch. He stood up, and closed the book. He then absent minded lay placed the book on top of the still unfurled scroll, the cover touching the strange rune.\n\nBefore Horver could think to pull it of the scroll there was a sudden explosion. The office was now engulfed in purple mist. Coughing and wheezing Horver managed to open the office window, and releasing the purple mist into the air. Sighing with relief, he wiped his eyes, stinging and engulfed by tears from the mist. He looked around, and felt his jaw drop. The book he had placed on top of the scroll was fluttering around like a butterfly. “Well....that’s certainly new...” Horver said to himself before feeling his world spin and turn to black.\n\nThanks for reading! If you d like to see more of my writing, then feel free to check out r/WarlockWrites", "I'm writing on mobile, so formatting may be a bit off. Let's start:\n\nI yawn as I lean back, staring at the computer screen with my completed story. I edited it many times, until I think it's good enough for my target audience. I didn't bother with help from other human beings, instead, I went for a second approach.\n\nYou see, while digging through the dark depths of fanfiction sites for actually good fanfiction material, I accidentally stumbled across it. The secret spell of writers. The spell to make our stories sentient. In other words, a beta reader that is not human. Convenient for someone as anti-social as others have accused me of being.\n\n\"O utinam fabula fabula iam ad vitae,\" I chanted, \"O utinam fabula fabula iam ad vitae. O fabulam venit ad vitam et animi et ingenii. O fabulam venit ad vitam et animi et ingenii.\"\n\nI repeated the phrase over and over, until I felt something change. I frowned, although I had felt something changed, nothing had in fact seemed to change. \n\nOr so I thought.\n\nSlowly but surely, characters began to form underneath the last paragraph of the completed story.\n\n\"Dude...... What the fuck?! Why did you have to kill him off? That's not cool.\"\n\nThese words were formed, the speed of the characters forming increased as the sentient story got more practice on forming words.\n\n\"Sorry, but he'll come back in the sequel,\" I typed in.\n\n\"And what exactly were you thinking when you put in that shit title? Change it! It's hurting my pride as a sentient being.\"\n\n\"You have quite the foul mouth,\" I typed, \"Alright. You mind being a beta reader?\"\n\n\"Considering this is my story you're messing with, you better.\"" ]	3
	[WP] "I've been in charge of this archive for nearly 50 years sonnie, and I'm telling you, that... thing... is the most dangerous object we keep here. I'm not letting you sign it out without a damn good reason!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"But Grand Elder I'm 12 now?\"\n\n I look at him confused.\n\n\"All the others got to see it when they were 10!! I've waited and waited why can't I read them??? Everyone I knew has been gone on there journey for 2 years. Even granite laughs at me now. He's 8!?!!\"\n\nGrand Elder sighs.\n\n\"You see sonnie. In going to tell you the truth. I may have been born in old times of 1992, of the old calendar, but I grew up with these things being myth.\"\n\n\"What are you talking about Grand Elder?\"\n\n\".... Do you want the texts or a story of the truth from someone who grew up on the unwritten years?\"\n\n\".... I want to hear what happened from someone who lived it. \" Rolls eyes.\n\n\"It all started on a device called a Gameboy Color(collor). It ran off something called batteries.\"\n\n\"Gramps.... Err Grand Elder I have to go. Mom's calling that the new neighbors are here. Smell ya later!\"\n\nSighs. I'm sorry Gary.\n\n\"What? Whatever I've got the reputation of being the most knowledgeable harambian expert around. Smell ya later.\"\n\nGary leaves the building trying to mount his bike constantly falling over non stop untill he gets out the door.\n\n\".... Hopefully. This cycles ash is more behaved. Everything went to shit in 2020. They should never have introduced virtual reality in 2021 with everything going on.\"\n\nJournal entry #16729.... Please help. My name is oak. I'm a professor in multidimensional possibilities. The cycle is repeating from what used to be a game. They have taken over. What used to be called Pokemon are known now as gokagatchu. And I now know they are going to be a never expanding species... 20 years ago there were only 30 different species but they are evolving at an alarming rate. I hope the. United Nations Federation of Universe Constitutional Knowledge. Figures this out soon. I feel my days wearing thin. And I'm one of a last few with knowledge of the old world......\n\n\n\n\nExplosions and cryptic noises are heard saying \"Mime Mr mime\" As a ditto takes professor oaks form.\n\n\n\nOut of the box and kinda drunk sooooo I took a weird swing at it.... Sorry for grammar on mobile.\n\n\n\nEDIT: First time writing here and am getting kind of tipsy. Quit drinking 4 weeks ago and am celebrating getting a new place after living in my car since November living in south Dakota." ]	2
	[WP] Your dad came back from the store, holding the carton of milk in his hand, along with a sword and a dazed, but wild expression on his face. He sits down on the table and said, "Damn, son, despite it being ten years of fighting demons, i got the milk!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Hi u/RenHorseGuy45, this submission has been removed.\n\nNo recent reposts, even if changing small details Also, no [copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv).\n\nSearch before submitting as popular ideas can cause floods. If your idea is based on something you read elsewhere on reddit, chances are it's been submitted here already. Please wait at least 2 weeks before reposting.\n\n \n\n\n\n* [From Rule 5: No recent reposts, even if changing small details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\n---\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/i6j20t/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/config/sidebar) before posting. \n\nThis action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things.", "\nI’m terribly sorry I wasn’t there for you and your mother. You both deserve an explanation, let me tell you my story. \n\nI went out for milk, but as your mother might’ve mentioned I had been struggling with a gambling and drinking problem. I had set out to stop by and pay off one of the loan sharks I owed before I got the milk. When I got to their place, he offered me a nice order of scotch. Before long, I had finished the bottle, and that’s when he said I owed him more. I knew I couldn’t come home drunk again because of what happened last time with your mother and me. \n\nI went to Scott’s house, but before I made it, one of the other sharks I owed money to came and beat me within an inch of my life. I blacked out sometime during the beatings. When I woke up, I was back in my old small town on the reservations. I didn’t have a car or any way to communicate with the outside world. I lived with my parents so I could save up to come back, and I couldn’t move much so to coop with the pain I’d use the weekly reservation money for the sweet liquor. I was drinking myself out of a check before I could even spend it. Different loan sharks got to me again there too to help me quench my thirst. \n\nMy parents kicked me out, and before I knew it, this was my life. Drink until I couldn’t, wandering the streets and sleeping wherever I could. This addiction had gone on for 6 years before I even knew what had happened. I knew I needed to get back to you guys, I’d beat myself up about it, then drink to forget. I eventually got myself rehabilitated, but it took years before I was good enough to come back and to pay off the sharks. In the 9th year is when I got sober enough to hold down a job, and it was only yesterday I made my way back, ready with the milk. \n\nI’m sorry son. Could you find it in your heart to forgive me?\n\n______________________-\nNew to writing, feedback is appreciated" ]	3
	[WP] Searching through your attic you discover a diary that seems to have been written a century ago. whilst reading through it, you realise the handwriting matches someone you know very well.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The attic was dark, a single light beam cut through the darkness. It came from the round window behind me. The boards were old, and some of the insulation had fallen from the walls. It did not smell like an attic should. It did not smell like anything at all.\n\nPuzzled, I kept staring down at the worn leather journal. It cannot be mine\\.\\ But it was unmistakable, this is my handwriting. The first entry is dated in the 1800's. How is this possible? I fanned the pages looking at the dates. They were all dated over 100 years ago. I flipped back to an early entry.\n\n\\-April 17, 1885 \nShe was so beautiful in her wedding dress. I still cannot believe she picked me. I am scared of what the future holds. One thing is for sure, I will love Alice for the rest of my life.\n\nI flipped through several pages to another entry.\n\n\\-November 22, 1888 \nShe was so beautiful, and I was more terrified than I have ever been. Today I became a father. I met my daughter for the first time. She was so small, we named her Shelly. My family grew a bit bigger today.\n\nI jumped ahead several years in the pages, until one caught my eye.\n\n\\-September 16, 1912 \nWe spent the day at the lake, all of us together. Today was a good day. The sun was shining bright. Shelly does not get to visit as much with her new job in the city, and Johnny will be at college this time next year. As days like this grow fewer, I cherish them more and more.\n\nI almost feel the sun on my face. I remember the warmth that I felt on that day.\n\n\\-February 11, 1918 \nToday was a bad day. The doctors say the are not sure how long I have. Alice has been so strong, but I know she is scared. It is not fair, but it is happening. It is my time. We heard from Johnny, he will be home soon from Europe. I will hold on. I will get to say goodbye.\n\nI flipped forward several more pages, but they were blank. I moved back one page at a time. I could feel what was coming. I knew what I was about to find. I turned one final page and saw the last entry. It was unfamiliar, it was not my writing.\n\n\\-May 7, 1918 \nRest in peace my love. Know that you are a good man. You are a kind father, and a wonderful husband. I am sad today, and I will miss you.\n\nThe last letters were smudged, it was like a drop of water had landed in the wet ink. I closed the journal, dropping it to the floor. It landed in the single beam of light. The light that my body was not able to stop." ]	2
	[WP] Magic is discovered during WW1. The world is on the brink of war again after 20 years and magic is used in almost every aspect, from the weapons of mass detruction to the domes of energy protecting the cities. The United States have started working on a superweapon to outclass them all.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Farsight Team here, come in command.\"\n\n\n\"Command here. What is the status Farsight team? over.\"\n\n\"Thirty more minutes until the guard spell comes up, the area seem clear. B-17 should be able to get in range,over.\"\n\n\"Copy that farsight team. Fall back to the LZ. Extraction in twenty, over and out.\"\n\nThe operator swit hed channels and got in contact whit the bomber squadron.\n\n\n\"Ecate squadron, you are clear for approach on the target. Attack confirmed.\"\n\n\"Roger that command. Over and out\"\n\n\"How are you feeling back there Ecate?\"\n\nRuth Masterson, codenamed Ecate didn't bother to answer, not that she could have. She was unsure of how she felt. All of her training and preparation had come up to this.\n\n\n\"Not in the mood to talk? No matter, better concentrate, we are coming up on the target in five minutes.\"\n\nRuth felt a sudden grip to the base of the stomach. She was about to erase a city from the map. Not a military base, not a convoy. A city. Orders are orders, she told herself. But that won't help you sleep better, another voice told her. Caught between duty and morality, as tends to happen to those who have the index on the trigger of a gun pointed at the temple of the world.\n\nThe sudden feeling of wind on her face pulled her from her toughts. The bay doors had opened, they were on top of the target. Five minutes lost in a flash. Slowly, she moved towards the opening in the floor, one step away from a mortal fall. But not for her. A step forward, and then the howling winds around her, screaming in her ears, the cold air almost ripping her skin apart. And the warmth buildin up inside her, the energy of the fall transformed in magic inside her body. The machine on her back humming and vibrating, holding all that excess energy, straining itself to contain it.\n\nShe looked down on her target. Not the city, not a building, not a statue. A single atom. She had definetly been spotted by the ground forces by now, she tought, but no alarms were raised.\n\n\n\"Why would thay ever raise one? I am just ine woman against an enegy dome. Or at least, that would be the case, if not for our great saboteurs.\"\n\nThe illusionary dome placed by Farsight team had fooled them, tricking them into thinking their defenses where still raised.\n\nThe moment she went trough the false dome, she suddenly felt it echoing across the city.\n\nPanic.\n\nShe closed her eyes and focused once again on her target. Each second bringing her closer and closer to the ground. For a split second, time stopped.\n\nThen she touched the ground.\n\n\nThe most painful sound she ever heard, the brightest light she ever saw. The most disgusting smell she ever felt. They all hit her with the force of an avalanche at the same moment.\n\n\nWhe she opened her eyes, there was no longer a city around her. Only ruins and dust, and corpses as far as the eye could see.\n\n\n\"I have become Thanatos. The bringer of death. The destroyer of worlds.\"" ]	2
	[WP] You Are One Of The Best Hitmen In The World, And Have Set Up A Service For People To Hire You. However, You Are Shocked When You Meet Your New Client: Death.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Yet another day of bloodshed\", I half jokingly said to myself as I brewed my cup of crimson tea. It was just another day of killing. I should feel bad about this, but I don't, somehow.\n\nAfter the brew and a few sips, I turned on my computer to access my requests. After filtering through the hagglers and the \"Could you please kill this guy for me, for free? It's my birthday!\" weirdos, I had narrowed it down to 12 clients.\n\n\"Alright, Client number one, here we go.\" With a click of the keyboard, I started taking notes. \"Requestor: Death, man to kill: one H. J. Simpson, 142 Sydney street, South Dakota- Hey, wait a minute!\" I was shocked to discover what had been there. That name was awfully familiar to Homer's name from The Simpsons. Huh. Continuing on in my pad, \"Time, 23:07, local time, wanted cause-\" now I noticed it. The requestor was death.\n\nAfter reading on, I noticed that he was willing to pay double the sum that I typically charge. Decided to strike up a conversation over some herbal infusions. Sending out an e-mail, I simply said, \"Hey, are you really death?\" No response. Whatever, they gave me plenty of information to keep just in case I need to blackmail.\n\n23:06, South Dakota, 142 Sydney street, I noticed the guy in my sights like aimbot. I took my shot, and was about to go home when I found cops behind me. \"Ma'am, you're under arrest for unauthorized hitmanning.\" I quickly dashed, and noticed that not even a single bullet brushed me by. Sprinting off into a cubby as a last resort, and being chased into it too, I felt like my life would end. However, it seemed like the bullets were still in my favor. Even the coppers were confused. Multiple gun jams when held at my face, and when a bat came out, I saw black.\n\nBlack robes, that is. A skeletal figure with a reaper was in front of me. It didn't speak, but I could hear it say, \"Thanks, kid, I wanted to be off for an hour. Money's in the trunk of the car.\" The robed figure slashed every man, and I was free to inspect the money and return home.", "A mixture of confusion, excitement and dread brewed in his mind. As an advocate of emotional minimalism, neither of these emotions were common, nor wanted.\nTrey was staring wide eyed at his Bitcoin wallet with no understanding of how the balance had more than tripled overnight, when he had reviewed his accounts last.\n“They know” he thought. \n“But if the cops are onto me, why would they send me so much money?” \n\nA voice in his head told him it was foolish logic to think the authorities would ever do something like this, and on the other hand, what if they needed him to incriminate himself somehow? \n“Perhaps they think I’ll cash this out without asking questions, and then they’ll try to bust me for it” he contemplated while pacing around his study. \nHe had built a reputation on the dark web as one of the most professional hit men, with a 100% success rate. \nHe was no common criminal, he had a well established life outside as a software developer and there was no one who would even dream to associate the term ‘assassin’ to Trey veroni who was by appearances, your average joe.\n“It must be the cops” he declared in his mind. There’s literally no record of transfer, the funds are just there”.\n“But if it’s the cops, don’t they know I’m a software developer? Don’t they realise I would notice these discrepancies?” \nHe was pacing faster now, and he realised it was the first time in over 15 years of his occupation, that he had been stressed and consumed by doubt.\n\n‘Bleeeeep’\n\n“Fuck sakes, not now Harry.” \nGrabbing his phone from his pocket, he assumed it was his colleague Harry Delmont, a plump man with the joyful unthinking characteristics of a family dog.\n\nHarry was the type of fellow to send you requests to play ‘fun’ online games such as ‘Bejeweled’ with friends, a practise Trey made sure to continually involve himself in to maintain his nice guy image amongst other people.\n\nHis eyes scanned the message, bulging wider as the words were read. \n‘I know’ the text read menacingly.\n\nThe text was not actually menacing, however in his current state of mind this was the only way Trey could interpret such decrypt words.\nThere was no sender. No number. \n\n“It’s the fucking cops” he decided.\nFolders and books were furiously thrown across the polished wood table as he scrambled to locate the number for this situation.\n \nEvery good hit man had a ‘guy’. An escape plan delegated to a professional when they needed a last resort. A new identity, location, everything. It was like witness protection but for criminals and his contact was one of the best.\nHe retrieved the scrap of paper detailing the number and instructions of what to say on the phone, when his phone messaged again. \n‘I am not with the police. I have a job for you, Trey.’\n\nSeeing his name exposed like this, even though the text wasn’t really incriminating set his brain in overdrive. \nHe immediately turned off his mobile to minimise any more unwanted texts inducing fear and clouding his mind.\nAs he turned to exit the study to locate his landline phone instead, his mobile beeped again. ‘Bleeeeep’.\n\nHe was frozen. In that moment there was no panic, no fear or confusion, there was only blankness. \nHe slowly pivoted to his mobile and saw it was turned on again, and there was a new message. \n‘Your phone will remain on, I have a job for you Trey Veroni.\n\nThis time, he responded. With trembling fingers he tapped the screen one letter at a time in a stutter of the phalanges.\n\n‘Who is this?’ \nWithout a seconds hesitation his query was met with a reply.\n\n‘I am your new client. I am Death.’\n\nThe fear was gradually transitioning into anger as he typed again, ‘What the fuck do you want??’\n\n‘I have sent you your payment, have you received it? I added a generous sum for your unique services.’\n\n‘That was you?’\n\n‘Did I not just confirm this, Trey?’\n\nOnce again the use of his name was triggering impulsive reactions.\n\n‘This is not how I conduct business, I have a system. How did you get my fucking info??’\n\n‘Me Veroni, this is no way to treat a customer.’ I have paid a substantial fee for what I deem to be a simple service.\n\n‘What.. are you.. talking about..?’\n\n‘As aforementioned, I am Death. I am the destroyer of worlds. This duty has been delegated to me by the universe itself and you have no right to take the lives you have taken. Incidentally, it is now your time, however you will face the repercussions for what you have done.\n\nTrey sank into his office chair, his thoughts deflating with the cheap leather.\n\n‘You.. have a job for me..?’\n\n‘Indeed, Trey Veroni. \nYour occupation is in direct violation with the laws of the universe.\nI have sent you a document to your private encrypted chat service detailing the victim as well as the options available for his death.’\n\nTrey didn’t even need to check the folder to know who the victim was.\n\n‘You want me to kill myself?’\n\n‘You will perform your final act, and I shall consider it my retribution and your redemption for the lives you unjustly taken.\n\n‘Fuck you. You hacker piece of shit. I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. Wrong number.’\n\nHe threw the phone across the room, closing his eyes once the confirmation of a shattered screen resounded in his ears.\n\nAfter a series of deep breaths to calm himself, he retrieved the number again for his ‘guy’. “Time to get the fuck outta here” he decided firmly.\n\n As he prepared to dial the number on the scrap piece of paper, the number was no longer written there. \n\nThere was simply a message, written in bold, red ink: \n\n24 hours, Trey Veroni." ]	3
	[WP] On your 18th birthday you, your dad, your uncles and your male cousins go into the den. Your dad says, “We all love you. But, you must make a choice. Leave now alone. Or be apart of this family forever” You are confused but agree. Your uncle hands you a letter. You read it and your heart sinks.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“You can’t be serious,” my voice fell into a monotone, “and… everyone here?”\n\n“Yeah, it’s oddly exciting isn’t it!?” my cousin John quipped from across the room. A small fire burned in the fireplace next to him. The scent of burning white pine brought me back to those Michigan summers around a campfire in the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula. \n\nMy memories flooded back. My parents sat across from me at the campfire, the smell of sap burning, and their laughter floating to the stars above. Uncle Paul and Aunt Molly’s laughter, drunken and boisterous, broke through the otherwise happy memory of two people in love.\n\n“Exciting seems like… it seems… just, I guess, doesn’t this just… I mean, isn’t this wrong?” I continued, “I mean… understand that I love you all… but this is…” I could feel my cheeks growing red.\n\n“Why?” The question from dad was simple and would normally be easy to answer. I’d answered that same question a thousand times. His eyes focused.\n\n“When does everything start?” The words fell out as a whisper.\n\n“Josiah,” my dad’s hard and heavy hand fell onto my shoulder, “it doesn’t ‘start’, it’s the family heritage. You were born with it.” His hand slipped off of my shoulder. His calloused fingers propping my chin up.\n\n“Why?” His voice was cold, concerned.\n\nI glanced back down at the letter. “You will never be a father, but every woman who shares your bed will become pregnant by the next man they open up to. You can give hope to those who have none.”\n\n“Dad,” my voice shook, “I’ve made so many mistakes in the last three years... “" ]	2
	[WP] After you die, you expect to go to Heaven given your Christian nature. Instead, you end up on Mount Olympus because you turned out to be a descendant of Zeus, and he’s not very happy that you’re worshipping another pantheon.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Whoa, whoa, whoa Zeus! First off, how are you so sure this isn't hell? I mean I'm not saying I deserve hell, but I can see why God would have been upset with me and sent to someplace other than heaven.\". Zeus's eyebrows frowned his eyes and bent down slightly and says, \"My goodness boy, you have you truly lost your ways, you poor thing. I will forgive you for worshiping a human named Jesus and following the teaches of a man who went up a mountain and came back with the laws that governed your culture after ingesting the best shrooms nature offered, but know this well: Mount Olympus is as close to paradise any immortal or mortal will ever get to\". \n\n\"Okay than why are you speaking sooo....modern? We have writings from the last civilization that still worshiped the gods of Olympus and they spoke...differently, no offense.\"\n\nZeus erupted in laughter, hands on his stomach. In between the his howling of laughs he said soemthing to what I made out to be \"We watch the world, so we evolved with it of course!\".\n\n If I had any doubts as to what he is or who, they were gone after I felt his bout of laughter. When he exhaled in his laugh you can feel the pounding in your chest as if someone was tapping you from the inside and then when he inhaled during his laugh, it shaked the air around you into a breeze. Holy shit. Hes Zeus, and I am his descendant? \n\n\"Zeus! I didn't take Latin in school\". Zeus looked slightly amused at my ignorance. \"I know some of your legends and the legends of the heroes that came from here, but I am not entirely familiar, what happens now what am I suppose to do, how the freak does a person experience extensional dread after death!? What the fudge man.\"\n\nThis time when Zeus laughed the sky felt hollow as if any and all air was needed just for him. The laughs caused thunder and lighting sparked from the Zeus's hand every time he slapped his knee.\n\n\"Boy you are wonderful! Tis is why I forgive you!\" Zeus sighs to regain his composure. \"As for what you will do now, you will do what you did before you came. You fight and become a champion again, but this time as a god! A god of Olympus! A treasure in the realm of the immortals! You!\" He point in between my eyes with his finger full extending his arm. I can feel the rush of the atmosphere rushing past me. \"You, my boy will become the newest champion of the gods! But you never mastered your power. Although you were the best of the mortals you have a lot more to learn so lo!! behold your new masters of arms til you are already - \" He waves his hand and walks in three 2 men who I recognized immediately. \n\nOn the left standing slightly behind the other, who wore gold on gold dressed as a hoplite general from the Greeks. A red blouse under his armor and red streaks on his helmet. His beauty bleeds through his armor. And on his right was a man..no a god! He stands what must be near 7 ft. His body is proportioned perfectly like a statue made by Michaelangelo but the thickness of his muscles passed any mortal you've seen in Hollywood. \n\nMy knees shaked and it feels like a frog is in my throat. I wanted to cry, for I was standing in the prescense of of Hegemon of Macedon, a conqueror of a continent who was never defeated in battle, the greatest fighter, leader, thinker and general in history, I stood before Alexander the Great and on his right stood the son of Zeus, Herclues!\n\nAlexander extends his hand and says, \" I know how you feel for I stood where you stand on a thousand years ago!\". Herclues chimes in, \"Now come we must prepare you for the battles that lie ahead. Let us train until the rage and fight in us is tired and tamed and then feed that rage to our enemies!\"\n\nZeus whisper to me, \"Go with with them Mike Tyson! For you were a the mortal god of fighters amgonst mortals, and now your destiny is to join your brothers as a champion of Olympus! Make me my boy Mike Tyson! Show us the thunder that bellows within you and become the God of War in Mt. Olympus!\"", "My Lord Zeus your presence is all but forgotten on earth. Your presence hasn't been felt for thousands of earth. \n\" YOU DARE SPEAK TO ME\" bellowed Zeus. A bolt of lightning flashed into existence in his hand. The charged air sends tingling throughout my body like it calls to me. \n Zeus stops with a bemused look on his face.\nMillions of years and this puny soul is the one he trails off and with a snap of his fingers a flash of light. And as I blink and blink until finally I can see again. I realized I'm no longer on Olypus.\n I was in a small cave with only one way out. I took one step and then a booming voice \" PROVE YOUR WORTH\".. and that was it nothing else. I wondered why,but thought better than to guess the thoughts of the great God.\n As I stepped out of the small cave I was revolted as I looked down on a village that is being sacked by a horse of bloodthirsty barbarians. They never seen what happened. For that matter I'm not exactly sure myself.\n It was night now and everything was chard and smoking trees the were 5 feet thick were snapped like twigs. The village was still standing but barley. \n Those few survivors finally came out to see the destruction. Only to praise the gods for sparing them. They started to search for loved ones but found every single person was safe. \n I was the only strange person there. And the villagers took up arms and rushed at me. The air around me crackled and the boom of thunder came for a clear blue sky. They stopped and a child step in front of me. \n \" Stop he saved us all of us. He must have been sent by the gods.\" The child went to say something else when a bolt of lightning sparked to life in my hands.", "Just as the local priest finished my final rites, the life monitor chorused its single note eulogy. \n\nAfter eighty-five long years of good Christian life, I had said my goodbyes to my family, set my affairs in order, and made peace with the living Earth. My eternal reward in God's great heaven beckoned my soul out of my body. I passed, in my more youthful ethereal form, through the hospital ceiling, the miles of open air looking down on my old town, and finally the cloudy floor of my awaiting afterlife. \n\n\"Ezekiel!\" A booming voice bellowed behind me. \n\n\"Jesus?\" I spun around hopeful of seeing the good Lord in person. My ghostly jaw dropped further than a mortal human's could. \"Zeus?!\" I exclaimed flabbergasted. \n\nEnormous giant human looking gods and goddesses stood dressed in togas and sandals, lead by the tallest of them all, the unmistakable Zeus from Greek mythology. Or rather from the apparently true Greek religion? Behind them gold-laced, white chairs sat in front of column shaped pillars of clouds holding up the blue sky above. \n\nZeus' eyebrows threatened to push his nose off his face. \"Ezekiel, you are my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great -well so on and so forth- grandson. Your life was meant to bring glory to the pantheon by extending my will to the human world below. You have dishonored yourself by worshiping a false pantheon. You have disgraced the name of Zeus.\" And as he spoke the last words, dark clouds started to form, thick lightning bolts sparking between them. \"My lineage has disappointed me for FAR too long! I will START OVER.\" \n\nWith a wave of Zeus' hand a cloudy staircase unfolded down toward the Earth below. As all the gods started to descend, behind them appeared some very familiar human souls. \"Dad?\" The younger form of my late father stood amongst similar looking apparitions. He gave a flap of his hand that I didn't understand, until he changed to pointing first at me, then rapidly towards Zeus. I began sprinting after them. \n\n\"Great Zeus!\" I called as loudly as I could. \n\nThe gods stopped. Zeus sneered. \"What?\"\n\n\"Please, I beg of you. I have failed your might. Allow me a chance to make it up to your godliness. I can restore the powerful name of Zeus to our people. Please, allow me to descend and speak to my living family, and they will worship you again.\" \n\nZeus looked at me coldly. I got down on my hands and knees in supplication. \"Very well.\" His boisterous footsteps reverberated off the clouds as the King of the Gods clambered back up the large cloud steps and resumed his set on his large throne. \"One chance.\" \n\nI began sprinting down the staircase to the mortal world below. It wasn't until half way down, I figured out that I didn't need to breathe. Returning to the hospital, tiptoeing in shadows, sneaking through walls, hiding from as many mortals as I could, I found my son still in my hospital room crying over me.\n\n\"John. John, John, John!\" \n\nJohn finally looked up. His skin grew paler than I was. Tears still trickling down his eyes, they grew wide staring at me. \"But your -\"\n\n\"John, there's no time to explain. You have to listen to me or he'll wipe out all human life.\" \n\n\"What?\" John asked. \n\n\"John, we got it all wrong. God isn't god. Zeus is. You have to go around telling people about Zeus. You have to bring back the old ways of worshiping. John you have to believe me and start doing it right now.\" \n\n\"... I'll try, Dad. If that's how it has to be.\" \n\n\"It is son. I believe in you. Goodbye.\" As I finished talking, I could feel my spirit being pulled back up toward my final resting place. \n\nA few hours later, circling around Zeus' magical, magnifying portal in the clouds, my family, including Zeus himself, watched as John tried to spread the great word of Zeus. Awkwardly. \n\n\"Well, it's a start.\" Zeus muttered spitefully. \n\n\"All powerful Zeus?\" I asked timidly. \n\n\"Yes, descendant?\" He asked without looking at me. \n\n\"Would you mind introducing me to the family?\"" ]	4
	[WP] You've been cursed. Everything you try to eat comes to life, innocent and adorable life. Ice cream licks back. Apples with kawaii smiles. Burgers with a contagious laugh. And you're getting very, very hungry.	[ "I don’t know what I did to deserve this curse. It all started when I woke up a week ago. I went into the kitchen and grabbed an apple from the bowl I. Kept on the counter. Just as I was about to bite into it I heard a little voice. “Hi!” I look at the fresh Concord in my hand and nearly drop it in shock. It was staring at me with big, innocent brown eyes. “I’m, h?” I stare back at the adorable thing as it grinned at me. “I guess I can’t eat you can I?@ I cook to it, using my other hand to rub the back side of my new friend. “Please don’t! It’ll hurt really bad! But I like what your doing now. It feels nice.@ I smile and put the little guy on the floor where two little legs unfurled. “Why don’t you go explore?• I don’t have any pets, so you’re safe.” Ok!” And Cordy as I’ve decided to call him, waddled into the living room.\n\nThinking it was just a one off incident, I open up a container of strawberries. Instantly their eyes opened and they started giggling at me. Again, too cute to eat. I set them loose and decided just to make an extra large cup of coffee. \n\nThen it got worse. The turkey sandwich I made told the best jokes I’ve ever heard. The steamed broccoli sang like an angelic quire. Even my cupcake had the sweetest disposition of anyone I’ve ever met. \n\nBy the second day I was extremely hungry and started searching for loopholes. I already knew that liquids were ok, but it wasn’t enough. So I thought maybe food prepared by someone else would work. A trip through the Macdonald’s drive through yielded a burger with a lisp and some very chatty fries. I started to cry and they tried to console me. Knowing I probably wouldn’t be able to eat for a long time, I ordered enough vitamins to replace my diet as well as a ton of different drinks and gums. \n\nI cleared out my kitchen, creating a ton of cute roommates in the process and still welcoming each one with as much love as I did Cordy. I gave them all names too. If it wasn’t obvious before, I’m a sucker for cuteness.\n\nI slowly found other loopholes. If it was too small to see a face on, it was safe. If it was primarily liquid content it was safe. If it came precooked it was safe. So I’m not gonna starve to death at least. But today I discovered something that has left me cryibg in the fetal position in bed surrounded by my food friends trying to comfort me. I found Sunny the stick of butter near death on the windowsill. All my little friends had lifespans similar to the food they were. And Sunny hastened her death by staying too close to the window for too long. I scooped up her remains and held her close. “I have a request if you please.” The ultra polite butter stick whispered. “Anything sweetie, anything.” \n“Eat me. I don’t want to die like this.” So I did. As gently as I could, I licked her until she was nothing but a stain on my hands. And what sickens me is that I LIKED IT! I feel like a cannibal for eating her! And my food friends have no concept of what death is. Some of them have asked me to lick them to make me feel better. And as I know Coco the cupcake is due to expire soon, I’m seriously considering it.", "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "„God left me unfinished!” Were the first and last words of scrambled eggs as I put them in my mouth. They were right, I should’ve left them on the pan for a bit longer.\n\nNext, I ate bacon with their cute little voices and washed it down with coffee. Liquids are the weirdest, they always make those gargling noises when you drink them.\n\n“Another noisy breakfast? I wonder how much longer will it keep up.”\n\n“Yeah, I’m sick of food trying to guilt-trip me. It’s been like what 3 months already?”\n\nThe person, or rather a thing, I was talking with was my friend Pam. He’s a slice of whole wheat bread that came to life three months ago. I was making sandwiches one morning when suddenly, while I was cutting bread, all the ingredients came to life. I wasn’t shocked for long as I started to fear that I might get my ass kicked by a bunch of greens. Thankfully, it turned out they can’t move an inch. After a long fight with my breakfast I came out victorious and well fed. A whole cabbage, a jar of pickles, even whole loaf of bread came to life. After all that I just couldn’t force myself to eat anything else. And so, the only thing left was Pam, a half-eaten slice of bread, a true veteran of war. To this day he gets flashbacks from Battle of Kitchen Table. As I wasn’t able to eat him, we started talking instead and soon became good friends. Nowadays he’s helping me not to feel guilty over the food I eat. How does he do it? I’ve made him a little throne from some match boxes and he’s just sitting there degrading food on my plate. Just between us, I think he may have had a difficult childhood.\n\n“Well, I’m off to work, don’t let the dog eat you.”", " “It’s hardest the first time.”\n\n“The first time I bit into an apple and it screamed was hard. The first time I saw a child sucking on a lollipop and heard the lollipop scream out in agony as it begged for mercy was hard. The first time I tried to explain this condition – this curse – to my girlfriend was hard. Watching her leave was even harder. But I get it. I sound like an insane person. You get used to it though. The insanity.”\n\n“I found ways to adapt. On the edge of starvation, I discovered that I could stomach drinking smoothies. You see, the curse seems to work based on observation. As soon as I see an item of food it comes to life - all bright eyed and eager to give me a hug – its adorable and terrifying. So what I do is go in, ask to look at the fruit, and turn away as soon as I see the eyes appear. Then I order the smoothie, throw on my noise canceling headphones, and wait out their screams.”\n\n“Still it’s impossible to avoid completely. I’ve lost twenty pounds in three weeks, used up every saved day of vacation, and avoided everyone I know. Do you know how often people eat?! Like all the time! Just last week my brother invited himself over, and when I opened the door he was eating a bag of potato chips.”\n\n“‘Hey bro,’ he said. Then out comes the potato chip, ‘I’m alive!’ Then in to my brother’s mouth it goes and – CRUNCH! ‘Oh GOD Life is pain!’ I hear it scream.”\n\n“‘You okay, dude!’ Is all my brother said as I stared horrified at the remnant of that newly born life stuck in between his teeth. And then he takes out another chip. ‘Wow life is great! Where’s my brother?’ CRUNCH!”\n\n“I threw up on his shoes, but fortunately that was enough to get him to leave and I could tell him that I was just suffering from the flu. Not an insane curse where food springs to life every time I look at it.”\n\nI took a deep breath and sighed.\n\n“I think you can find some sympathy for the position I’m in. This is certainly no way to live, so I made a decision. Today, at this very table I’m taking my life back from this curse.”\n\nThe grape on the table looked up at me with wide eyes. Happy and a little confused. It was wearing a tiny sailor suit and wobbled around just a little. The perfect amount to emote innocence and life.\n\n“I would say it’s nothing personal. But the truth is it’s the most personal thing in the world. A test of my will power over the curse, so I wanted to take this last moment to say that I’m sorry.”\n\n“Sorry?” The grape asked, “why should you be sorry? You gave us life and your my best friend and” the grape looked away a little shy, then back at me, its eyes glistening with admiration, “and I love you!”\n\nI reached out and tossed the grape in my mouth. \n\n“AH! Help me friend! I’m scared!” \n\nI held the grape in my mouth for just a moment, a moment of hesitation, and then – \n\nCRUNCH\n\nThe grape screamed. A scream that rattled my head. I forced back the urge to throw up or spit it out. I focused on its blood – the juice, it’s juice, it's just juice – going down my throat. God it tasted delicious! I bit again, and again, until the echoes of the scream died away.\n\n“Okay,” I said to myself looking at the bowl of terrified grapes in front of me, “it’s hardest the first time.”", "I have a webcomic called Things in Squares. I started it out of boredom one day, a few years back. Freelance writing was paying the bills, barely, but it was sapping my soul of any vestige of creativity. Making comics filled that void. Sometimes they came out as you'd expect: relateable. Other times, I'd put disturbing images in front of you, and it was hit or miss. But one constant was the element of adorable. Cutesy. Innocent, or whatever. I used anthropomorphism to bring anything inanimate to life, and gave living things tiny kawaii faces whether they were evil or not. The point is, the webcomic was cute and disturbing.\n\nI haven't published much recently, but I find time to doodle in a small sketchbook that I keep bedside. Recently I found myself drawing a picture of an apple who was telling off a rose for being a prick. I happen to like apples--gala, specifically. So I was drawing, and had a nice cold gala apple fresh from the refrigerator. I was about to take my first bite when I heard a giggle straight from the mouth of a heavenly child, or so it seemed. The gala apple was alive! It had the cutest face I'd ever seen. It looked a little bit like my drawing actually, but instead of lewd dialogue it just looked at me with orbs so innocent I could cuddle the thing. I did--I cuddled that gala apple.\n\nBut this wasn't right, I thought. How was my gala apple suddenly alive? Its face was kawaii, no doubt, but utterly realistic, with form, light and shadow. I could almost imagine its little throat, and stomach, and all the other organs. I was gonna check for a butthole but caught myself. Inappropriate. The gala apple looked at me sweetly. I couldn't eat it--obviously I couldn't eat him. Real life isn't like comics; life matters here.\n\nMy little gala apple didn't say any words, but I got the sense it was sentient when it giggled like a baby when tickled. I set it back on the nightstand.\n\nHell if I was going to tell anyone. Something cosmic was taking place, and it had to have something to do with my comics. How else could such a thing befall me? It can't be coincidence. All I knew was that I had to take care of the gala apple. Still, I was hungry so I backed out of my room and rushed down to the kitchen to fetch some saltines, returning in under twenty seconds to admire the new life.\n\nI swear, the gala apple yawned and blinked its big round face all at once--so utterly adorable.\n\nIt was a new package of saltines so I tore it open, only to be greeted by a chorus of tiny voices saying \"oohh\". Shocked, I looked into the bag, and found a column of sentient saltine crackers peering back at me, curious, cute, and loveable. Oh. My. God. (I've always hated the phrase, being an athiest, but something about calling out God makes it all the more potent when you don't believe in him). God, I whispered. My God!\n\nSo it has been two days. My mom called and she threatened to come over if I didn't eat something. I shouldn't have mentioned anything. I didn't tell her about the gala apple--apples, now--or the saltines, or the burger patties, or hell even the bottle of worcestershire. I didn't reveal that I was living among an indispensable cohort of new life. I only said that I hadn't eaten much when she asked why my voice sounded off. I hung up soon after. I can't deal with that right now.\n\nIt has been difficult to admit but... I'm starving.\n\nAnd for all the wrong reasons. Insanity? I don't know. I haven't tried to show this discovery to anyone. What if they don't see the cute little sentience shuffling about the pantry? It'll mean I've gone mad and am truly lost. What if my buddy Eric comes over to play some Call of Duty and he's sitting there slurping the actual fucking life out of a glass of orange juice? Will that even happen? Will these things die if I try to consume them? Will the OJ scream bloody murder as it's emptied into Eric's fat-ass belly? God. GOD.\n\nSo I can't cook. I can't munch on anything. Even sunflower seeds are alive. I had to immediately close the lid on my jar of sunflower seeds. You think you've seen cute and adorable? You have not\\--not until you've experienced the sunflower seeds--you. have. not.\n\nAnd I obviously can't draw my anthropomorphic creations. It's too absurd, now that it's fucking not at all absurd. It's all right here. And I'm in cute phase. If I can't resist the hunger, will my experience of these living things become unbearably cruel and maddening as I murder them with my incisors? I can't think about it.\n\nAll I know is that I need to process this. So I got on reddit, logged into my second account, /u/sergalahadabeer/, and posted a writing prompt. Apart from comics, prompt responses are pretty good creative outlets. I responded with my comic account so you know it's me. I need help. I'm so hungry, and I can't bring myself to bite something as adorable and huggable as a beaming slice of bread; I can't muster the resolve to nibble on a jolly tomato; and I sure as hell can't be so base as to lick a fawning cookie. ...I won't be able to resist devouring the Oregon dark cherry Tillamook ice cream... no matter how chirpy and snuggly and innocent it may be! \n\nMy God, Reddit. Help me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n/r/velabasstuff", "At first I had a good laugh. The old hag's \"curse\" was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen. As I went to take a bite, the pink frosted muffin's eyes popped open, it's little oval smile gaped at me with blissful awe. It giggled and danced on its pudgy little legs in the palm of my hand. I may have cried a little, even, it was that cute. I set him on my shoulder, and we marched away, sharing a laugh as we went.\n\nThat was 50 hours ago. The muffin is dead. It wasn't me, no, the seagull however didn't hesitate to snatch him right off my shoulder while we were laughing, some minutes later. I hadn't even taken a selfie with him yet. It screamed the whole way up in to the sky, into the clouds. Were that it, I'd have felt punished enough. But it wasn't. I cried, for real this time. Some hours later, I made my way home. Some hours after that, I opened the fridge, and things got worse.\n\nEver made a bowl of soup? And two big blue eyes float to the surface to look at you? My milk moos. The rice cluster together into little effigy statues of me, little tiny voices squealing with happiness. My beer belches and tells me jokes. And once it's alive, it's alive. I can't turn it off. Well, unless, you know. I had to bag them all up and dump them in a neighbors bin.\n\nInto the second day I learned there were... loopholes. If something is already alive then I can just eat it. Living plants in the soil. Crickets under a rock. Carpenter ants. I've stopped by the pet shop every day for mealworms, they're starting to get suspicious. Parmesan cheese I can hear, but it's little screams are so small I can generally drown them out with some heavy metal.\n\nIt's not enough. I need nutrients. So, today I bought a summer sausage. Even now it's sitting on the counter, still innate. I've prepared the straps on the cutting board, sharpened the knives, drawn the curtains. It's going to be a long night." ]	6
	[WP] You were born a synesthete - where your senses mix. When you meet someone, their smell and sound of voice create images in your mind as to their character.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "(WP) The Puppeteers \n\nMy kind isn’t exactly heard of, but I wouldn’t give up my senses for anything. Even before someone opens their mouth, I can see what kind of person they are. People-watching is one of my favorite pasttimes. Over an iced coffee, I gather all I need to know. A few notes of a powerful perfume, the hint of a dimple in someone’s face, the specific color of a person’s eyes; all a synesthete needs really needs to thrive are sharp powers of observation. \n\nFor the most part, no one notices me, and I’m perfectly fine with that. I’m one of the last, and the reason I’ve survived this long is because I’ve been able to stay hidden. The global government tried to round us all up, turn us into the next batch of super-soldiers. Some families fled their homes or went into hiding; others all-out fought for their children’s freedom. The ones who were caught were experimented on, or used as spies in sleeper units around the world. \n\nMe, I left before they could catch me, and I’ve been on the run ever since. I’m alone, and though sometimes I miss connection with others, I’d rather be lonely than dead. \n\nOur powers don’t actually manifest until puberty; that was why it took so long for the government to even catch wind of us all. They didn’t even wait for us to grow up; they just sent men dressed in sharp black suits to round us up and put us in cages to be observed. \n\nWhen they found out that stress and high emotions were one of our triggers, that was when things really started to get out of control. Our powers had bloomed, and it got to the point where some of us were able to not just read a person, we could control their emotions, or fool them with their own senses. \n\nSome of the captives took it a little far, but it’s not like I could blame them. They were being tortured, all so the government could use their powers for its own gain. The night we’d made a break for it, one of the prisoners had killed a guard and a scientist, all to make a distraction. I can still hear the scream of the sirens and the wounded and dying, regular human and synesthete alike, even this many years later. \n\nFifteen of us escaped, but only myself and another kid, a boy with dark brown hair and amber eyes, made it out of the lab and into the city. I am still haunted by their screams, by the blood that was shed for us to escape. I don’t know where the other boy is; I only hope that he made it out and was able to have a normal life. \n\nOn days like this, I wish for a normal life: a lover, a couple of kids, a house with a white picket fence and several pets, but for whatever reason, that kind of life wasn’t meant for us. \n\nNo, better to stay hidden. \n\n\\\\ ", "My father was a whiskey symphony all about the subtle notes. His eyes made me smell seaside carnivals, but the thing is whiskey and music often is bitter-sweet. And carnivals are just a job to many. \nHis jailhouse tattoos tasted of bitter liquorice and discord. His hair, slicked back and greasy, channelled 50's diner rockabilly music, but not in a good way. \n\nHe was the king of the cuddle and arriving home with presents, but he was oft' smelling like a strange lady's perfume which made my mother cry. I asked why she stayed and she told me, \"Your daddy ain't perfect, but I love him\". \n\nI didn't quite understand her, but I held her nonetheless. I listened to her piano key tears playing unsweetened lemonade. A taste I'd come to know when I met a boy who dazzled me with whiskey tunes and tragedy. \nHe was all bloody knuckles and disharmony, but he came together like jazz. \nAnd in every single smile I heard my father's laugh. And then I cried a piano solo all alone with nowhere to go. For the man reminded me of my dad, and I now of my mother." ]	3
	[WP] A masked figure walked into your store brandishing a sharp, glinting machete and demanding all of your wealth over the counter in exchange for your life. To their surprise, you pulled out a scimitar, and didn't stop there.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "When he walked in I knew there would be trouble. A ski mask and a machete never meant something good was about to happen. Striding up to the counter he holds the sharp and glinting machete at neck height. \"Money or your life.\" The growling voice demands. \n\nThis wasn't the first time this had happened in my life. Probably wouldn't be the last either. Some punk or another thinks they can walk in here and threaten me? \n\nI take a step back and out of reach of the Machete and pull out my scimitar, the forged steel reflects the light cast from the celing. Older than the machete it is a well crafted weapon. \n\nThe first exchange of blows goes as I expected, the stamped aluminum of the machete gives way to the well made steel. He puts an elbow through one of my display cases and pulls out a long sword. Well at least that was new, most people flee after being disarmed. \n\nHe charges back, swinging with a grace that wasn't apparent with the machete. Now it is my turn to fall back as the scimitar falls to the floor. I throw open the next case and pull out one of my favorites, a battle ax. I swing wide to get distance between us and demolish one of the stands that hold several more polearms. Between the clattering of fallen weapons and the collapse of the stand I lose track of him in between the rows of pikes and halberds. I hear his yell from my left as a spear barely misses my head. I drop the axe and roll knowing that it'll do me little good against that weapon. \n\nI zigzag avoiding blows as I carefully select my next weapon, notching the arrow I jump, the glass of the display case giving way to the spear as I land on the metal frame and loose the arrow at point blank range and hit air. Another arrow and another whistle through the air splitting wood and parting steel armor as they fly after the intruder before he disappears behind the counter. \n\nI hear him moving but I can't tell what direction. A hand reaches up and grabs the repeater crossbow. Anger boils up in me as I yell at the man. \"You put that back! There's only eight of those ever made!\"\n\nI hear the ancient magazine click into place as he yells back. \"No! Give me your money, ya hag!\" My mouth drops in shock as I raise my bow. \n\n\"Hag!? You gonna die!\" I scream in fury as my brain refuses to make a cognizant sentence. Shaft after shaft I loose at the case the man hides behind as I walk the thin metal frame of the display cases. He responds sending bolt after bolt to where I was standing a mere second earlier. A bolt finally finds it's mark and shatters the upper limb of the Yew bow. \n\nAlmost by instinct I reach over to the wall to grab a pack of throwing knives but a bolt nails them to the wall before I can get them free. Spinning on the edge of the case I grab the next available item and throw it. The weapon flies level with the counter before colliding with the crossbow and breaking the string and preserving the weapon before flying back to my hand, the ever loyal Boomerang. \n\nThe man hisses and starts running to the door trying to escape but he won't escape that easily after what he called me. Leaping from my perch I reach out and land in a roll, grabbing a trident and hurling it against the door, pinning it in place. I grab a javelin and wait for my guest to show his face, but the room is quiet. Too quiet. The light near the entrance starts to flicker and glow as something starts moving towards the center isle. Clutched in the intruder's hands is the one weapon I didn't anticipate and I was a fool to leave on display in the front window, the Greatsword Wildfire. \n\nRaising the blade in salute he readies his stance. \"Money, now!\" he yells with fury to match the heat of the blade. \n\n\"No.\" I say in a cold whisper as I raise my hand. The temperature around me drops as frost begins to coat the weapons and broken glass around my feet. A magical sword isn't a threat one should take lightly, so now the games end. A snap of the fingers and the man freezes solid. The weight of the sword too much for his arms to handle without living muscle behind them to support the weight causes the bones to shatter like glass. \n\nI sigh and call the boys from the back to take care of the man before he begins to melt and cause a mess. I sigh and take a look at my shop, the ruined glass and scattered weapons, holes in the walls and the smell of a well fought battle. \n\n\"Third one this week? Boss must think it's a big joke.\" One of the brutes says as he lugs the frozen thief towards the back. \n\n\"He probably does.\" I sigh as I start waving the repair wand around to fix the glass and holes in the wall. \"Just another day at Hack and Slash's Armory.\"" ]	2
	[WP]A wave of magic washed over Earth, turning all humans into mythological creatures based on their personality. Vampires, Werewolves, Dragons, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, etc. You've transformed into something...different.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It was called The Great Shift. Magic, un-used and left alone, had grown in power. It eventually spilled into the world in a chaotic wave, transforming us into previously mythological creatures. Everyone was changed, depending on their greatest attribute.\n\nThe greedy became either full dragons or dragonkin, such as half dragons, kobolds, even drakes and wyverns. The ones who were filled with disdain for their common men and women turned into vampires. The smart tinkerers became gnomes and dwarves. All manner of creatures came into existence, which brought about The Great Purge.\n\nIt was an unfortunate side effect. People strolling in the sun, who turned into vampires, burst into flames, with little warning. The mermen and merwomen died in cities, where they once walked with 2 legs, unable to breath air. Dragons pillaged their nearby areas, trolls and giants ate the smaller races. It was a terrible time.\n\nI was something incredibly different though. You see, most had fairly material attributes. The few that didnt fell underneath normal-ish titles. I didnt. It seemed to be my attribute was wanting to know about things beyond space time, and a lack of care for anything around me. Which yes, makes me sound like a bad person, to which you would mostly be right.\n\nI turned into a Cthulhi, a star apawn of Cthulhu itself. Time itself no longer held itself over me, for I became immortal. I was responsible for many peoples deaths, for when they saw my new form, their minds fractured, unable to comprehend me.\n\nI have been spending the time since then reading all knowledge that is available, as my mind now understands it all, and I can't forget anything. Once i have read every scrap of knowledge, I will leave, for nothing holds me here.", "I still couldn't believe it.\n\n\"How could this happen!?\" I cry as I stare into the mirror again.\n\nI was a freak, a disgrace. Why did all my friends and family get the best creatures, while I'm stuck as this? I could never live this down. They'd all laugh and heckle. Maybe even just serve me up for dinner like the beasts they are. I tap my foot on the floor anxiously. I had locked myself inside my bedroom for now days and closed my curtains to hide my shame from the world.\n\n I cast a forlorn look to my drawings hung up on the wall, the creative and wonderful story I had been writing on my writing desk, and my phone with hundreds of pictures and videos of my past life. My better life. I sighed sadly. I just wish I could go back. As I sat on my bed with tears in my eyes, I noticed the bright golden light peeking through my window and pulled back the blinds. The sun was rising. \n\nAt least the sun hadn't changed. It was still beautiful, painting the sky with a bright crimsons and gorgeous yellows as the day began. I might as well make use of my form. So I threw open my window, stepping carefully onto the windowsill. I had climbed onto the roof many times before, but it would be harder with the limitations of my new body. I reached for the nook that allowed me to grab the edge of the elevated parts before carefully pulling myself upwards with some strain.\n\nSidestepping the chimney, I walked forward until I was on the edge of the very top of my house's roof. The morning sun cast its warm, radiant glow on my exhausted form. That light gave me hope and energy bursting to be released. It felt like I was on top of the world, like nothing could hurt me up here.\n\nAlmost on instinct, I then took a deep breath, stood up tall, raised my head to the sky, puffed out my feathers, and let out the most powerful crow I could ever muster." ]	3
	[WP] Since your near death experience you've started to see odd horned people whispering in the ears of those around you. People always get nasty or depressed after that so today you're confronting a horned one.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. 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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I still remembered every little detail from the crash.\n\nEvery\n\nLittle\n\nDetail.\n\nSemi-truck driver fell asleep behind the wheel; he T-boned me right off the bridge. I fell- too shocked to scream- for a few seconds before my car connected with the ground. I remembered the feeling of my neck whipping around- I had no control- then the sharp pain...then, nothing.\n\nI awoke in a hospital bed, surrounded by too many faces. Some were familiar- my mother, my girlfriend- some were not. A Doctor? And a...demon?\n\nI must've been hallucinating that part.\n\nI waited, allowing the overwhelming sensations to wash over me, processing everything in due time.\n\nShortly, I realized that, try as I might, I could not move anything. Not my toes, nor my fingers- not even my lips. The only thing I was able to move were my eyes.\n\nI felt like crying- I felt like I had broken into a million pieces and I could never be put back together. I felt... something beyond words. My future was taken from me. My passions in life, my goals, everything I had already worked to achieve- all of it was gone. My girlfriend was likely going to be gone, too, after a time- and my mother, burdened with taking care of me.\n\nTears were flowing, but I was unable to sob or hold my head in my hands.\n\nAbout an hour later, the Doctor realized that I wasn't merely comatose; I was entirely paralyzed.\n\nThey pulled my mother into the hallway to explain it to her- they thought I couldn't hear. It was the Doctor and...that demon again. They explained my mom's options. They explained that medical science had made several recent breakthroughs- perhaps in ten years, I could regain some mobility. They also explained that compassionate euthanasia was an option, if I agreed to it. A 'blink twice if you wanna die' situation.\n\nFor a moment, I felt like laughing. Entirely inappropriate- and I couldn't, even though I wanted to- but the feeling was there. Until my mother finally gave in and started to sob- long, broken sobs, interrupted only by the beeping of my heart monitor and the noise of passing nurses.\n\nI tried to stay awake, so I could have...some semblance of a conversation with my mother- but sleep took me, aided by what I assumed to be a lot of drugs.\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nI awoke- the sun was shining. A package was on the end of my bed- I could see a small bit of handwriting on the tag- Emilie- my girlfriend's- handwriting.\n\nI reached out to grab it, only to be thwarted by the... slightly significant wound I bore. Unable to move, or even to growl my frustration, I seethed internally.\n\nTen years, they wagered, before I would be back on my feet?\n\nI wasn't sure I could wait that long.\n\nMom entered the room, having just gone to lunch- I could tell by the smell clinging to her. Tomato soup, if I had guessed correctly.\n\n\nShe wasn't alone- one of the demons was following her.\n\nMaybe I shouldn't be mentally labeling them as demons- maybe they were benevolent red-skinned, horned people. \n\nMom sat next to me, the 'horned one' merely hovered behind her. It was dressed very nondescript- plain blue jeans and a dark shirt. Mom was completely unaware of its presence.\n\n\"Hey, buddy.\" She said, gently laying her hand on my shoulder. I rolled my eyes back. \"Oh, right, you can't feel it.\" She chuckled a little. I tried to say I thought it was funny, too, using my eyes...not sure if she got that. \"Good to see you're in there. Now- I know you. You're not one to wallow in self-pity- and, well- I don't want to say too much and give you false hope, but there's this new...um, savant, I guess? He's been working on a technology that interfaces with nerves. His tech is going through human trials now- well. What I'm trying to say is, there are options. I don't think you'll really be bed-ridden forever.\" Her tone was bright and optimistic- powerful, even.\n\nThen the horned one reached over and touched her shoulder. \"I wish...your father had been here. He would know what to do, what to say. I'm sorry, I probably sound...so silly, talking about the future. You should-\"\n\nShe kept talking, but I had stopped listening. I knew exactly what had happened- this demon was screwing with my mom, and NOW of all times?!\n\nI summoned all the mental energy I had, cutting through the fog caused by the meds- and I reached out and grabbed this demon by the throat.\n\nHonestly, I hadn't expected anything to happen. My body was still non responsive- but some sort of energy responded to my call, and the demon, with eyes wide, began to choke under my pressure.\n\nIt only took a moment before the demon got the message- and disappeared.\n\n\"Sorry, Matthieu. I was- I'm rambling. Give me a moment, my head just isn't on quite right. Sorry you had to see this.\" Mom stepped outside to collect herself.\n\nGods, I wish I could've stepped outside to collect myself. What the hell had just happened?\n\nSuddenly, a new voice popped into my head. Ah, a psychic. Shame it took you paralysis to realize your gift- but these things happen! I am Daruna, welcome to...well. Welcome to whatever this is! His rich voice laughed, and my mind was filled with visions of people- some past, some present- perhaps a few in the future?\n\nThey were rejoicing together- feasting, singing- some were battling, chasing down the demons and forcing them out- others still were healers, going to the wounded of the world and touching them in ways modern medicine could not reach.\n\nWe have MUCH to discuss." ]	2
	[WP] Advertisers have become increasingly invasive in their tactics. Its nearly impossible to look anywhere without seeing or hearing an advertisement. The only escape is seemingly when you sleep. At least it was. Targeted adverts are now appearing in peoples dreams and you just saw your first one.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. 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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I closed my eyes to get away from the ads for a few hours. Even the inside of my eyelids weren't safe from the ads, a range of products flickering across them from breakfasts to bedding, pyjamas to formal wear until eventually I fell asleep. I was flying in my dream, from up here I couldn't see any ads, it was pleasent, this went on for a while until another man joined me up here and that's when it all went wrong - his voice was an ad itself - \"Fed up with intrusive ads? Join our class action lawsuit Humanity vs the United States. No win no fee. Call now on 0500\" but unfortunately I woke up before he finished the phone number, that was one product I actually wanted. \n\nHow could I ever get in contact with the law firm handling that case, ever since United States vs AdBlocker 3000 had resulted in a win for the US government ads had been everywhere from the bathroom to the kitchen, no longer limited to the media and Internet. It sounded like the advertiser in the dream was working on behalf of a law firm taking the approach that this was a human rights violation.\n\nI tried to search. Managed to find a product that looked like what I wanted. Proved to be an article from the Times, often referred to as the Times of London to distinguish it from the others, one of the few news sites that was still going because it had long ago switched to a model of charging for subscriptions to each of its articles. After the court case about that it was forced to switch to renting them out and you only had to pay for each hour you spent on a given article - judged by how long from when you agreed to the article to the first time you tried to close the tab - many people were more cautious about that having been caught out, although the frequent popups inserted by the operating system made that longer than it should be.\n\nIt seems the article showed the case was about all the international crimes baked into the constitution and its amendments and they'd tacked on the Cuban cigar thing as an afterthought. It claimed that the fourteenth amendment's provisions against slavery were too narrow, that the prison industrial complex should also be banned. It claimed that the thirty-third amendment which guaranteed the right to advertise was too broad and interfered too much with the right to family life. It claimed that the cigar ban had already been found in violation of international law every year since 1989 when the need for sanctions against Cuba should have ended with the Cold War. It made further claims he did not understand. Here finally was the number I needed to contact but in spite of this being my first attempted task of the day the interruptions from the ads meant the line was now closed. I paid a small fee to add it to my contacts, the bulk of the price would be when I tried to dial.\n\nTonight I had the same dream again and as soon as I woke I dialled the number. I will wait listening to the ads until they pick up. I will order my place in the class action and I will see the advertising industry, represented by the United States in the International Court of Human Rights.", "I refused to buy any non-necessity items any more, and I even swore off some of those if I could manage.\n\nI knew my lack of purchase history wouldn’t stop the onslaught of adverts, nothing would. Everything was an advert nowadays. A call to your mother was interrupted every three minutes to insert a jingle. Terribly irritating, except perhaps that it kept her from rambling one of her stories. At the very least, however, the ones I did see couldn’t be targeted. I got hundreds of them a day, for anything from fish food to hiking poles to aprons, never seemingly sure what demographic they should target for.\n\nThis strategy had also seemed to stave off excess advertising. After all, why would they spend extra money on ad space if they couldn’t be sure it would work? I had spendthrift friends whose daily count was at least five times what mine was.\n\nMore specifically, it allowed me peace at night. Technology had recently been developed to advertise to people while they dreamt, and I heard horror stories of practically forced insomnia from colleagues who hadn’t seen the back of their own eyelids in months. For me, as yet, I could still escape into the black expanse of sleep.\n\nThis was truly my only comfort these days, and I looked forward to it every night, just like tonight, when I relaxed into my pajamas, turned off the lights, and slid under the sheets. Comforted by fluffy, heavy blankets, I gradually lost grip on the day and drifted off.\n\nAnd then, there he was.\n\nHis hair was just the way he always wanted to keep it - slightly longer than I liked for it to look, but secretly the length I loved for running my fingers through. As he reached his hand out for me my breath caught at the sight of his grin and butterflies I hadn’t felt since we were in our twenties knotted my stomach to the point of elated nausea. It felt like I was actually touching him, and the sensation was better than anything I’d felt while awake in years.\n\nIt was fall here, and the leaves were turning, and the air was warm when still but chilly when breezy and it gave me the perfect reason to stay close. I could pull him into me and cuddle if need be.\n\nWe were walking the trails near our university town, a place we used to visit a few times a year to catch up with old friends and reminisce about the earlier days when we were foolish about our love, because we could be assured we were wise now. Our fingers were intertwined as we walked and I couldn’t make myself let go even to readjust, so I lost a bit of feeling in my pinky as we went on. Every so often he would bring my hand up and kiss it, and that would restore some sensation.\n\nI don’t know what we were talking about, or what we were doing, really. I found myself unable to ask about his life on earth, if he had any regrets, if there was anything he would have made sure to do if he knew he had so little time, whether he thought we really would have made it to old age together if he had lived that long. I felt the question always stuck in my throat, and instead the conversation was full of nothing but compliments and light hearted teasing and declarations of love. I didn’t really have any complaints about that.\n\nAs we sat down on the grassy hill overlooking the town, I curled in close to him, happy to feel his chest beneath my ear and his lips near my forehead.\n\n“Come back?” I asked. “You haven’t visited me in almost a year.”\n\nI couldn’t control when I dreamt of him, but I always asked, so that maybe I could trick myself into it with more frequency.\n\n“Any time you want,” he murmured into me.\n\n“Really? As often as I’d like?” I was excited.\n\n“Truly, I could be here any night you’d like. Just a premium subscription.”\n\n“What-“ I started to ask, confused, but he and the hill around us vanished and I was quickly and abruptly crashing into consciousness, his form already out of my mental reach.\n\nMy eyelids flashed: “Pleasant Dreams, base subscription 15.99/mo.”\n\nSuddenly, I was worried I would have to break my no-purchasing rule.", "Start your day off right with a warm…\n\nGeoff slid the glass door of the shower aside, steam pouring out into the tiny bathroom. He was invigorated this morning, having had one of the best sleeps he could recall.\n\nThe YouMirror was fogged; he swiped it with his hand, leaving enough of a gap in the condensation to see himself. He looked at his scruffy face, the results of his shave the day before already coming undone.\n\n“BUY NOW?” The YouMirror said.\n\n“WHAT?!” He yelled back, startled by the mirror’s brashness.\n\n“SWIPE RIGHT AGAIN TO CONFIRM PURCHASE”, the mirror cried.\n\n“You goddamn useless slab of glass, NO, NO PURCHASE” He replied, working himself up. For the second time this week he had swiped his hand across an ad for something leathery and risque, he wasn’t quite sure what.\n\n“Cancel purchase.” He said to the mirror, this time with more patience, realizing the mistake was his own.\n\nShaking his head, he knew that the ads for the mystery leather-pleasure toys would now never end. His AdConscious was locked in now – it believed it had him all figured out, a man with an obviously insatiable desire for black, shiny material on, and around his body.\n\n……hint of hazelnut and arabica….\n\nHe wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the door to his condo. Micro-condo, to be precise.\n\nThe room was dark. The curtains were drawn, but, in an attempt to keep his rent low, Geoff had agreed to the PayWall installation that the Condo Association had presented at the last month’s Resident-Association meeting. With a sigh he approached the windows, plastered in ads that were almost entirely “adult only”, and began tapping. Each morning he made a game of trying to find the X’s, growing smaller and smaller by the day, on each obnoxious advert. The worst result was mistakenly clicking an inch too far from the X, resulting in a 30 second Ad Blast for whichever racy ad he was attempting to abolish at the time. Fortunately for Geoff, today’s game took only minutes, the room brightening with each click.\n\n….for over 100 years, Folger’s….\n\nHis mouth began to water. Suddenly, he was tired. He needed something to wake him up. He had slept so well, why was he tired?\n\n…..in your cup, today!....\n\n“Those sons of bitches!” He thought to himself.\n\nThe Condo Association had cornered Geoff in the elevator last week. They mentioned a new Condo Agreement that Geoff could opt into to further decrease his rent. They would be making an adjustment to the ventilation system, which may impact his AdConscious. Geoff who, at the time was late for work and already struggling to make ends meet, hastily agreed, not listening to the terms and conditions.\n\n“My dreams!?” He yelled at the roof, certain that they could hear him. They’d gone too far – the man had already endured enough. Furious, Geoff stormed out of the Micro-Condo and into the elevator. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot as he waited down the long ride from the 21st floor to the 1st. The doors opened. Now filled with rage and needing somewhere to dispense it, Geoff stomped across the foyer to the man at the front desk.\n\n“How can I help you today, sir?” The man said cheerily.\n\n“This morning we have fresh baked croissants, only $7.99 for two – or, if you’re feeling up to it, we have a full American Breakfast, complete with two eggs and two pieces of bacon, only $14.78!”\n\nGeoff, now boiling over, couldn’t believe what he was hearing.\n\n“BREAKFAST!?” He thought to himself. “You think I’m here for breakfast, after the shit morning you people created for me?” He said, internally. He had never felt this invaded, this violated. Did they not think that he deserved one moment, one god damned sacred place where he could escape their endless barrage?\n\n“You are mistaken, sir,” he spat, “if you think I’m here for breakfast.”.\n\n“My apologies, sir,” The man at the desk replied, “what can I help you with this morning?”\n\n“You can help me, friend” Geoff began again, his hands curling into tight fists, “by getting me one extra-large cup of Hazelnut Folger’s, one cream, one sugar.” ", "\|Label\|Value\|\n\|-:\|:-\|\n\|Title\|Prompt: Reddit: Sleep advertisments\|\n\|Created\|8/13/2020, 5:29:33 PM-UTC\|\n\|Modified\|8/13/2020, 5:51:19 PM-UTC\|\n\|time typing\|19m 21s\|\n\|word count\|868\|\n\|words/min\|43\|\n\|words/hr\|2604\|\n-----\nThe wind swept through the area, pushing Tia's hair around and making the flowers dance. All around, nature thrived and grew, a symbiotic environment where anything was possible. Bright, green grass tickled her feet and encouraged her to sit, the perfect blanket. With a soft sigh, she dropped to the ground and spread her limbs as far as they would reach. The bright blue sky floated above her, holding the clouds in place, giving her imagination endless shapes to focus on. First there was a rabbit, then she saw a comet, and finally she settled on a shape she didn't recognize.\n\n&nbsp; \n\n' Hmm, what is that?'\n\n&nbsp; \n\nIt looked so familiar, but she couldn't think of what it was. As time skipped along, the edges of the cloud reinforced themselves and settled into a very recognizable form. It was the logo of her favorite chip company, a surprise to be sure.\n\n&nbsp; \n\n' Oh, guess I'm hungry,' she thought to herself, giggling aloud and rolling to her feet, ' Guess I'll distract myself.'\n\n&nbsp; \n\nAs she walked along the beautiful field, she looked around and tried to spot all the animals. Birds chirped and flew, bunnies hopped and nibbled, and even wolves rolled on their backs, trying to scratch itches they couldn't reach. It was paradise, and she couldn't have been happier. That was, until she noticed a wall. It was surprising for a concrete wall to exist in this natural place, so she moved in to investigate.\n\n&nbsp; \n\n\" What the --\" she said out loud, confused about what was going on. In front of her was an advertisement for medication, blocking her view and frustrating her.\n\n&nbsp; \n\nHer eyes popped open and she looked around her room, confused. ' What just happened?' As she processed what she had dreamed, she wasted time on the internet. It was too early for her to get ready for the day, but too late for her to go back to sleep. She quickly distracted herself with videos, falling into their trap and zoning out on her screen. A notification popped up and captured her attention, \" New video: Jake Explains; Dream Advertisers and You!\"\n\n&nbsp; \n\n' Uh, what? That's a weird title.' Tia didn't waste any time clicking on the link and was quickly engrossed in the video.\n\n&nbsp; \n\nOver the next half hour, she learned about all the changes that had been made to everyone's implants, and how advertisers were using those changes to invade. With each explanation and example, Tia's anger burned hotter, and by the end of the video she was about to get her implant removed. Luckily, Jack wrapped up the video with a solution, easing her tension and making everything okay again. \" Don't worry, everyone! If you have an implant, and want to get rid of these advertisements, check out today's sponsor: Dream Blocker. Dream Blocker has a highly skilled team of hunters that help to destroy advertisements in your dreams, before you even see them! Check them out and use code JKEX for ten percent off.\"\n\n&nbsp; \n\nTia went to their site and was pleasantly surprised to find out they had a free tier. She quickly signed up, scrolled quickly through the terms, and signed up. She was so excited to test it out, she considered skipping work, but ultimately decided to be responsible.\n\n&nbsp; \n\nAll day long, she kept thinking about the Dream Blockers and what it would be like to have them in her dreams. Would she even notice them? Would they be invisible? Would they watch her dreams? The last part was the only thing that made her uncomfortable, but she assumed they wouldn't be creepy about it.\n\n&nbsp; \n\nWhen her day was drawing to a close, and she settled in to go to sleep, but was too excited to fall asleep. There had been so much going on, so she wasn't sure if she would be able to sleep at all. She opened up her phone and tried to lull herself to sleep.\n\n&nbsp; \n\nA new notification popped up that grabbed her attention, so of course she clicked it. Another video for her to watch, hopefully with more calming content than before.\n\n&nbsp; \n\n\" We rushed to get this video out because there has been a massive uptick in people signing up for Dream Blocker. What these video creators left out, and they really should have made clear, is that the free tier is the worst tier you could sign up for. It authorizes the company to scan your dreams and sell that data to advertisers, in order to create more targeted ads in your day-to-day life. If you haven't signed up yet, don't do it! If you already have signed up, you're on the hook for a year. Be sure to set a notification so that you remember to cancel next year.\"\n\n&nbsp; \n\nTia stared at her phone, her face shocked, and her jaw dropped. Of course she didn't read the terms, they were always too long. She couldn't believe that she had been tricked and felt awful about the result. The stress of the situation exhausted her and tried to pull her to sleep. As her eyes gradually closed, she considered getting her implant removed, but was asleep before she could decide.\n\n&nbsp; \n\nSponsored by Dream Blockers: Protect your dreams, today!", "It was a beautiful sunset, light drops of rain were falling on me, the birds were singing. The grass underneath my feet was soft, the sea in front of me was vast, and the girl walking along with me was pretty.\n\nI knew she was saying something to me, but I was too busy trying to remember what her name was. I knew I had seen her before, but I couldn't quite remember where.\n\n\"Well?\" she said, nudging me.\n\nThat snapped me out of my thoughts. \"What?\" I said. I realised she had caught the alarm in my voice and began shaking her head.\n\n\"You weren't listening, Jared.\"\n\nEven without looking at her face, I could tell she was mad at me. I kept walking, looking out to the sea, and beyond, to the trees.\n\n\"You're usually so attentive when I speak, what's wrong today?\"\n\nI shrugged and kept walking.\n\nShe stopped, which I only realised after going ahead a few more paces. I turned around to see why she had stopped, and I saw her holding a bar of chocolate, motioning towards me to take it.\n\n\"What's this for?\" I asked.\n\n\"I know why you're behaving so different today. You're not you when you're hungry. Have this!\"\n\nI was about to reach out and grab the chocolate when the alarm rang, and I found myself in my bed. Sure enough, I was hungry.", "It had been a terrible day. Parking ticket, coffee spilled down his clothes, his cleaning robot broke and his best friend cancelled on a trip they had planned for next week that they had been planning for months.\n\nJeff stumbled onto his front doorstep and went to unlock his door. It was a key lock; old fashioned, he knew, but he didn't want to put up with the incessant ads that badgered the digital interfaces of more high-tech locks. \n\nThe lock didn't accept the key. A small black square, sealed snugly into the wood of his door, flared to life and began playing an ad for anti-depressants.\n\nJeff groaned and smashed a fist into his door. He couldn't care less about their time-saving gadgets, about their life-changing books, about their get-rich quick schemes. He couldn't care less. He didn't care! He just wanted everyone and everything to \n\n\"LEAVE ME ALONE!\" he shouted at the top of his lungs. The cheery jingle of the ad cut through the silence of the urban neighbourhood and overrode the background chirp of the crickets. It came to an end--\"Live a happier life today!\"--and a panel slid away from the lock, allowing access to the keyhole. \n\nJeff slid his key into the lock and savagely twisted it. \n\nThe key snapped.\n\nJeff turned, and with a savage snarl hurled everything he had in his hand--his car keys, the broken house key, and his digital wallet--away from him. The car keys smashed the window of his car, and the wail of the car alarm filled the air.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe just didn't care anymore. He went around the side of the house and unlocked the kitchen window. While climbing in, he knocked a glass bowl off of the towering pile of dishes waiting to be washed. The whole pile crashed to the floor, spilling metal and broken glass everywhere. \n\nHe stared at the giant mess with exhausted resignation, went into the den, sat down and cried. He couldn't help it. He always thought crying was unmanly, that it somehow made you less. But he couldn't help it. He had started off on his own full of hope, and the world had stomped on his dreams and reminded him that no one gave a shit about him. And on top of that, this past week the universe seemed determined to make his life a living hell.\n\nThe cry made him feel a little better. \n\nHe just wanted to sleep.\n\nAnd with the tears still glistening on his face, he fell into a deep sleep.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe was lying in a field of flowers with a picnic blanket beside him and a wonderful smell in the air. He couldn't see it, but he knew there lay beside him a fresh baked apple pie and home-made sandwiches. He closed his eyes and sighed with contentment. All was right with the world.\n\nNo ads, no deadlines, no neon lights shining on the streets of a city like fungus on a corpse. No horns, no people screaming, no roar of a city that never slept. Just the call of the birds, the feel of the spring grass under him, and soft footsteps falling softly--\n\nWait--footsteps?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe rose gracefully to his feet--that was odd, graceful wasn't normally his forte--and turned. Alice stood behind him in a summer dress, making a goofy face at him. He realized this for what it was--a memory, experienced years ago--and joy leaped inside him, for this was one of the happiest days of his life. He held out his arms for a hug, for that was all he wanted right now. For someone to hold him, for someone to tell him it would all be okay. She opened her arms--\n\n\"Want to see the rest? Only $29.99!\" \n\nThe message flashed in front of his vision.\n\n\"No!\" he yelled, trying to swipe the message aside. It stayed firmly in place. He tried to dodge around it, but the message moved with him, always fixed firmly in front of his vision. The world had frozen, the birds hovering in midair, Alice standing tantalizingly close. \n\nHe gave in and went to access his account through his TetraLink: but his wallet wasn't on him, it was on the pavement outside. A countdown appeared.\n\n10, 9, 8...\n\n\"No...no!\" he yelled, slamming at the infuriating barrier with his fists.\n\n7, 6, 5...\n\n\"ALICE, PLEASE!\" he implored the vision, hoping the ad would glitch, that she would just move again--\n\n4, 3, 2...\n\n\"PLEASE!!\"\n\n1, 0.\" Aww...too bad!\" the message flashed, before the whole vision went black. He woke up in his armchair with a jerk, sweeping the lamp off the side table. It fell to the floor and shattered. The TV, sensing his movements, flashed on, showing an ad for a dating site.\n\n\"Find the love of your life!\" it proclaimed, flashing the message on and off. \"Put your ex behind you.\"\n\nA rising tide of black rage rose inside him and smashed into his mind. \n\nAgain.\n\nAnd again.\n\nAnd again.\n\nSomething snapped.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe felt the shards of something fall inside his mind, fall into a deep abyss. An abyss that swirled with dark things, malevolent things. Things that lived inside the deepest, darkest corners of his mind. Dreams, nightmares that he had tried to forget, his fears, his embarrassments. He saw them, and he embraced them. They rushed into his mind, attaching themselves to his sanity with overwhelming pain. It lasted but an instant, and then he opened his eyes. No longer were they brown. They shone with a feverish light, an intense light--the light of revenge.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYes. Revenge. Revenge upon the world. Revenge for what it had done to him.\n\nLet the world tremble. \n\nFor chaos is coming on the wings of vengeance.\n\nAnd it will not be denied.", "It was a long and exhausting day, slaving away at my nine to five. Recently, i've been blowing off steam by coming home and enjoying a nice glass of Siemens Bud Light Minute Maid orange juice. The fridge also has Kingsford State Farm Minute Maid orange juice, but those ones are for my significant other, and not mine to drink.\n\nI throw my Nissan Mercedes-Benz Pennsoil Toyota keys on my Rooms-to-go Microsoft nightstand, and kick my feet up on my Zephyrhills Ashley furniture ottoman. I reach for the Bud light selzter TCL Hulu Roku remote and flip through the spectrum comcast HBO channels. After a few Invicta Rolex minutes, i just decide its better off if i jump in my Mattress firm Casper Bud light lime bed. Kellogs Life has been rough for me lately, and nothing can get me Energizer Interstate Battery recharged like some old-fashioned sleep.\n\nI began to fall, from a great height. The only sensation i can feel is wind, resisting my plunge; trying to frantically move out of the way of inertia. Ah! sweet, succulent dreams! The one place i can speak and think normally. When legislation was passed to allow advertisements on everyday words, this became my solace.\n\nThe forest i found myself in was filled to the brim with radiant color. Towering spruce trees, passing judgement on their shorter brothers, whispered amongst each other. Lively, sprinting insects, played a never-ending game of tag before me. Everywhere i would walk, the forest would follow, trying to share the secrets of it's hidden beauty. I would have paced for hours, had i not tripped over a rock, and fell down a mountainside. As i pick myself up after my tragic fall, i notice a package with a strong beam of sunlight surrounding it. I reluctantly approach it, and reach for it; but my grip just seems to pass through it. Twigs begin to snap behind me, suggesting an animal has found its way off path. I spin around, hoping to see a curious doe, or a playful monkey. Perhaps it's something terrifying, like a crouching tiger, or a hungry grizzly. I had no idea how terrifying it could really be.\n\nI awake screaming. I can't believe my Sleep number tempur pedic rest was ruined by a man dressed in a BAND-AID costume, offering to sell me the glowing Fed-Ex Amazon package of bandages!" ]	8
	[WP] You came home to find your house impeccably clean and your child waiting by the door. Things seemed too good to be true until you find a golden tooth by the foot of the couch.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "My key fumbled for the lock, too tired to think let alone use my ‘skills’ in coordination. ‘Hi Daddy’ a small voice piqued up beside me. \n\nMy eyes snapped open to reveal...my daughter, Anne with a bag on her back, golden hair framing her face. ‘Hi sweetheart’ I slowly spoke, ‘where’s your mom?’ I looked around for Lisa, my wife...no ex-wife now. We were in the middle of a divorce and in the haze of it all I’d forgotten I was having Anne this evening. My back groaned from a 10 hour shift as I picked her up and got us inside, slamming the door behind me. \n\nMy mind raced with dinner options for the both of us when I stopped. I slowly took my shoes off in the hallway as I noticed... the place was clean. I’m not saying I’m by any means dirty, but it was spotless. ‘What’s going on’ I thought, looking desperately around to find the source of the ‘cleanliness’. \n\nAnne followed my gaze as she was held in my arms until she pointed to the couch in the living room. ‘Daddy look!’ She squirmed out of my grasp and ran for the couch. I casually walked towards her when I felt chills down my spine. ‘What’s this?’ She enquired, green eyes fixed on what seemed to be a speck of gold. ‘I don’t...know’ I said, outstretching my palm to look closer. A fierce look came on Anne then as she clutched her fist around it. \n\n‘It’s mine’ she growled. It was unnatural I thought, but I didn’t want to press it. Anne was going through this divorce just like the rest of us, and she was only 7. In my eyes she was still the little bundle of robes that was brought to us by the doctor- ‘Stop’ I thought, ‘just getting dinner ready for her and worry about the gold later’. I moved towards the kitchen when I saw a bottle of Ajax on the counter. ‘Has mommy been in here cleaning?’ I shouted out to Anne. \n\nNo response. I craned my neck through the doorway to the living room... and Anne wasn’t there. ‘Honey?’ I raised my voice. I slowly walked out the kitchen to the intermittent sound of buzzing. The only thing I could connect it to was a hornets buzz...but more metallic. I looked around the room for the disturbance when I heard a blood-chilling cry.\n\n ‘DADDY’ A hysterical voice sobbed from the bedroom. My heart leaped from my chest as I grabbed a knife from the kitchen and ran towards the bedroom. I slammed up against it. Locked. My teeth gritted in frustration as I started kicking it down, all the while more sobs were heard, but Anne sounded as if she was in pain now. I took a few steps back, rammed the door to find the room empty except the buzzing. \n\nI looked around, and heard whimpering from under the bed. I crouched under to pull Anne out to hear ‘don’t look up’. I gripped my knife, and braved the view to find a horrid creature attached to the ceiling. Four legs and a tail twitched inhumanely, all connected to a torso lined with small white flecks...They were teeth. \n\nIn fact the whole body was lined with them. It’s face was angular, with a gaping maw. Out slithered a tongue with sharp barbs lining it, flicking the air like a snake. ‘What the f-‘ I started, before it descended on me. Out furled four wings, reminiscent of a wasp or insect speeding it’s travel towards me. I crouched, closing my eyes and stabbing upwards in a thrust and there was a screech that made my heart stop. I heard a crash to my right, and opened my eyes to find a trail of dark lumpy blood, a smashed window and a vanishing smudge against the horizon.\n\n Safe to say I didn’t call the police. What would I have said?? I spent the rest of the night patching up the small scratches Anne had endured with my first aid kit, before staying in the living room holding Anne for dear life." ]	2
	[WP] You raise and sell nocturnal horses. Bred for their ability to see and maneuver well in the dark, they fetch a high price on the market, and even higher on the black market. One day you find your entire stock has vanished except one: your worst Nightmare.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I woke from a good sleep. Happy dreams and all, sunshine or something and other. At least the house was quiet, sleep wouldn’t be an issue. Wait. Why was the house quiet? I sat bolt upright in bed, listening hard, ears twitching for the faintest noise. \n\nNo. No. I shook my head. It couldn’t be. \n\nI launched out of the room, out the front door, wearing nothing but my pajamas. Sprinting to the stables in back. The horses were never quiet at this time of night! It was prime activity time, and they never respected my desire to take a nap at midnight. \n\nThe flood lights were off, but I could see well enough in the dark. The pasture was empty, all 15 horses gone, even the foals. I ripped the stable door open. No black horse faces greeted me. No grey ones either. I checked each stall one at a time. Fresh hay in some. Fresh water in another. No signs of disturbance or a struggle. \n\nI checked everything twice. And then a third time. Then with a resigned sigh, I turned to the small stable at the back of the pasture. Locked. No windows. Nothing. I took the old wrought iron key from the chain around my neck and very slowly opened the door. \n\nA single raven black mare stood inside. Eating her hay slowly. She gazed at me, the very picture of boredom. \n\n“What did you do to them Diabella?” I demanded. \n\nShe finished her hay, took a long slow drink of water. \n\n“You swore you’d never do it again.” I almost shouted. \n\n“I was bored. I may not be able to leave this property. But that doesn’t mean I have to be bored.” \n\nI leaned against the wall, “those horses took me ten years to breed!”\n\n“You can do better.”", "I passed through the infernal wreck of my farm in a dull haze. Smoke blew in my face, carried by the spiteful wind. \n\nRodrigo lay flat against the grass. I stopped to check on him out of instinct, though I knew he was dead. Mageburns scorched the sides of his body and creeped up to his face like a stretching hand. \n\nI gingerly lifted his limp body and moved on. The purse at my belt hung with heavy gold stamps. I had a bad feeling when I left the farm for the market today, but I had ignored it. And now here I was, carrying my nephew’s corpse.\n\nMore dead bodies. Estelle, Modio, Asfan. All too young to be dead. I laid Rodrigo down beside them. They would have to be buried later. Some part of me wondered how I was going to tell their parents.\n\nI saw a few bodies I didn’t recognize either, with rough arrows and crude pitchforks sticking out of them. They weren’t mages, of course. Likely some mercenaries who were brought along just in case.\n\nWe weren’t prepared for an attack; I didn’t prepare for an attack. Who would dare strike me? \n\nFor my pride, these young men and women were dead. \n\nThe dull haze began to retreat. An uncomfortably familiar warmth ignited within me. \n\nWhen I came to the wreckage of my house, I didn’t flinch. Instead, I moved around to the back. To the stables. \n\nThe fencing was reduced to smoldering cinders. The grass was singed in some areas but otherwise intact. The stables themselves were kept perfectly fine.\n\nExcept, that they were empty. Every single stall. The Shadows, the Midnights and Twilights, the Umbras, of course. Gone, and twenty years of my life went with them. My chance at life anew, given to me in the form of twenty horses by the previous King, burned by the greed and folly of mages who dared step beyond their reach.\n\nThe inferno within me was roaring. I took deep, shaking breaths, but it only fanned the flames. A life I’d sworn to leave behind was rekindling, and I didn’t know what to do. \n\nA sound behind me. I whirled around, snapping my Ignited arm out. \n\nIt was a horse with cool, intelligent eyes brimming with disdain. Her tail whisked back-and-forth impatiently. There was a scorch mark on her right flank. \n\nI couldn’t help it; I laughed. A hysterical, chilling noise.\n\n“Of course they left you,” I said, letting the flames on my arm dissipate. I belatedly realized that was the fire time I’d Ignited in 20 years.\n\nVosha snorted and stamped the grass. She gestured his head to her burned flank once, then raised her proud head with an air of superiority.\n\nThe familiarity of the situation made me feel slightly more calm. Vosha being arrogant was something I knew. A safe space in the maelstrom around me.\n\nBut the fire in me hasn’t died. No, it’s colder now, less destructive and more calculating. Vosha still being here represented possibilities I didn’t have before. \n\nI looked up at the Nightmare. She looked down at me.\n\n“Will you help me?” I asked. My voice was shaking slightly. “Will you help me get revenge? Will you help me stray from my path?”\n\nVosha dipped her head in an uncharacteristic show of solemnity. As if she understood the gravity of what I had asked, not only of her, but of myself. \n\nI let out a breath, then nodded. \n\n“Alright. Let’s take a look at that flank. Then, we got work to do.”\n\n---\ncheck out my subreddit for more non-horse related stories :D /r/chrischang" ]	3
*spaceships. Plural.	[WP] Like most internet popup ads you ignored the one that said “CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU’VE WON THE GALACTIC LOTTER! PLEASE ENTER THE NUMBER OF THE NEAREST CONFEDERATE OUTPOST!” You ignored it until spaceship started coming to Earth each promising their investment idea is the best for you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "They came one after the other. Strange creatures you’ve never seen before hard to describe with the human tongue alone. They eyed you up and tried to grab you, all of them desperately vying for your attention as if you were some sort of deity that would grant them salvation. There were so many of them yelling that it was almost incoherent but luckily they, well some of them at least, seemed to speak your language. “Invest in quadrant six ASAP, we have the cleanest system free of pollution and the best pools of water you’ll ever have the joy of partaking in!” said a ‘young’ looking creature that was an orange blob covered with eyes and one mouth. “Come to Scenrias! We have the most advanced technology that can make all your fantasies come true before you can even comprehend!” shouted a pink alien with long tentacles coming from the center of her body which was just a large circle. “Ignore all these others. They’re just trying to scam you. My planet has the highest quality of life in all the cosmos that you’ll be living over 300 years old and feel just like your in your early 20s.” responded a blue ball of gas. \n\nYou couldn’t handle all of them screeching for you. What was once a dream had quickly became a nightmare. Their pulls at your arms were beginning to hurt and your ears were starting to wear down. In a frenzy you swung your arms wildly and tore through the crowd of unfamiliar beings. You jetted onto one of their ships and slammed the button you saw on the side of the entry. The door to the ship slammed shut and you allowed yourself a moment to rest. There was only one thing to do now.\n\nYou reached for your phone preparing to type out a refusal when you felt something grab your neck. You were spun around and came face to face with the blue ball of gas you glanced at earlier. “I’m so glad you’ve chosen my planet Darwin. Now let us make haste at once.” That wasn’t your name but that didn’t matter. He carried you away with what you could only assume to be ESP and sat you down in a seat. A belt came down around you pinning you to the chair. The next thing you heard after the haunting click of the seatbelt was the hum of the engine." ]	2
	[WP] In a quiet suburban neighborhood, an eerie & decrepit scarecrow appears on an elderly neighbor's lawn every October. No one knows why, until one year, someone decides to investigate	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The wind pushed along shy parties of leaves, integrating oranges and yellows and browns to dance against the curbs of the sidewalk. It forced the school children to hold tight to their jackets in the nearly-winter chill. It fluttered the sleeves of the old scarecrow out in Barney Stamps front lawn. For nearly eight years he'd spent the first morning in October putting up his only Halloween decoration. For the last three years, the poor man did it all by himself as far as anyone could tell. On September 30th, there was no scarecrow. On October 1st, children would watch the old man shuffle back into his house as they waited for the school bus in the autumn dawn. Then, the scarecrow would stand guard for the rest of the month until Halloween night. The next morning, the decrepit thing was gone. The old man didn't even leave his lights on for trick-or-treaters. \n\nIt scared the younger kids, who saw only the potato sack hanging over a formless rigging, mimicking a mask on a horror villain. Older kids were used to the smelly, flannel crucifix and barely paid it any mind as they rode their bikes within their neighborhood. Molly Ranger, however, felt only pity. As a middle schooler, she saw neither horror nor sculpture. She only saw the sad, old man who was stuck taking care of his wife for the rest of his life. It didn't help that Molly had known Mr. Stamps wife before she'd fallen during Halloween several years ago. The whole scarecrow idea had been hers. Molly knew because she helped Mrs. Stamps put the scarecrow up on the morning that the elderly woman broke her hip. \n\n\"Do you think he has children? Grandchildren?\" Molly asked her parents.\n\n\"Honey, I've never seen anyone else at that house besides Barney and Shelly. Hell, I haven't seen Shelly since...\" Molly's dad started before his sentence was ended by a sharp nudge from Molly's mom.\n\n\"I think it's nice you're concerned for Barney, Molly, but he made it very clear that he could handle things on his own,\" Molly's mom picked up. \"You were very kind to him when Shelly fell, but I think it made him sad that things were sort of above his capabilities at that time. Once things got back to normal, he needed time to learn his new normal. Things are harder the older you get.\"\n\n\"Isn't that all the more reason to help him?\"\n\n\"He doesn't want it,\" Molly's dad said. \"Just leave him alone. He's sad and angry at the world. Kind of creepy, too, if you ask me.\"\n\n\"No one did,\" Molly's mom said.\n\n\"And yet, now you know.\"\n\nMolly, not content with the musings on morality from her parents, decided to check on the old man anyway. After all, she had no other obligations. Her brother was busy with being a high school meathead, driving around town with all his newfound jock friends, and her friends were busy experimenting with cigarettes and stealing their parents' alcohol. These were not where Molly thrived. She thrived in caring for others. She would be there when her brother got a concussion roughhousing with the \"bros\" or when her friends were throwing up quietly in their parents' basement, but that was not a current issue. \n\nShe began down the street, amused with the dancing leaves and coming chill. Ahead, she could see the scarecrow, nearly eroded in the dead grass. In her opinion, Mr. Stamps must be using less and less hay every year. The scarecrow looked to be withering away. \n\nShe knocked on the door. Mr. Stamps answered with a smile.\n\n\"Molly!\" he beamed. \"It's been years.\"\n\n\"Yessir. How are you?\"\n\n\"Fine. Fine. How are you? What are you doing here?\"\n\n\"Well,\" Molly began scrambling her mind. These were good questions. What was she doing here? \"Like you said, 'It's been years.' I wanted to see how you and Mrs. Shelly were doing.\"\n\n\"Oh, we're swell, doll. Please, come in. It's chilly out here.\"\n\nMolly took a few steps into the foyer and stopped. She felt uneasy. It was so quiet within the house. There was the faint compressions of a respirator in a far off room, but nothing else. Mr. Stamps was breathing heavily, pulling at his collar with gnarled fingers as though his shirt was the culprit in his struggled breath. Molly shivered at upon noticing his missing pinky finger. She knew it was there and could never keep her eyes off it once it was presented. Diabetes amputation probably.\n\n\"Can I say hello to Mrs. Shelly?\"\n\n\"No, dear. She's not well at all. Never really recovered from that fall she took. You remember?\" Mr. Stamps lost all hospitality in his tone. \"What exactly happened that day?\"\n\n\"She fell,\" Molly eyed the door handle longingly. \"I guess the dead grass was slick from the rain. I'm not really sure. I just turned around and she was on the ground.\"\n\n\"Ah, yes. That's right. I remember watching from the window there.\" Mr. Stamps pointed to the large, floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. The walls within were lit only by the random flashing from a muted TV. \"She fell while you weren't looking. Of course.\"\n\nMolly shuffled her feet and took a few steps backwards.\n\n\"Shelly loved watching you kids out there. Just living your lives. Going to school. Coming back from school. Trick-or-treating. Fall was really the only time she could afford to do so. Summer is too hot. Winter is too cold. October would be the last time see could see you all for the year. It's a shame.\"\n\n\"It is sad. I'd love to see her.\"\n\n\"Aw, I'm sorry, lovey. She just can't handle that today. But, I'll tell you what: she'll be in that window on Halloween, just like she has been for the last three years. Give her a wave while you're out trick-or-treating.\"\n\n\"Ok, Mr. Stamps,\" Molly could barely breathe. \"I'm going to head out.\"\n\n\"Thanks for stopping by, Molly. It makes my old heart happy.\"\n\nMr. Stamps closed the door behind Molly. She hurried down the stairs, thinking about the morning that Mrs. Shelly had fallen. She could have sworn Mr. Stamps had been the one helping her up the stairs. They were arguing about the children in the neighborhood being too comfortable approaching the house. Next thing Molly knew, Mrs. Shelly was on the ground.\n\nMolly was passing by the scarecrow and the stench overtook her. Mr. Stamps apparently hadn't been keeping up with changing out the hay and clothes either. It was horrendous. The wind blew hard, forcing the smell elsewhere. Molly kept walking until she heard a slap. She gasped, turning to see that one of the scarecrow's hands had fallen loose from the post and smacked against its thigh. It was a solid connection. Bone on bone. \n\nMolly ran. \n\nAt the end of the month, Molly found herself trick-or-treating with her friends. They went house to house, taking a piece of candy. They then went sidewalk to sidewalk, sneaking sips of their parents' stolen vodka. Up head, Molly saw the scarecrow. Its arm repaired from the mishap earlier in the month. Tears began to well up in her eyes. Her feet followed her friends blindly. Of course, the porch light was off, so there was no need to approach the house. There was no candy within.\n\nAs Molly and her friends passed by the Stamps house, Molly looked up towards the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. A silhouette was just inside the glass, barely outlined between random flashes from the television. Molly could make out a frumpy dress and permed hair. The silhouette waved four fingers at her. The television went black inside the house." ]	2
	[WP] The hitman was unexpectedly affordable. Your coworker disappeared, and the promotion went to you. But the next month your childhood bully was found dead, and another sum was deducted from your bank account. You accidentally bought the monthly subscription, and you have no idea how to cancel it.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Listen, you guys did a great job. I mean really great. Simmons is gone now and no one suspects a thing. I'm really happy with your work, but all the same, I'm going to have to cancel my subscription.\"\n\n\"Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Mr. Johnson. We are happy to help with that! First, may I have your account number?\"\n\n\"Uh, shit. No, I forgot to write it down.\"\n\n\"Not a problem Mr. Johnson! I can also verify your account using your social security number.\"\n\n\"You know, I don't really like to give that out over the phone. A lot of crooks out there you know.\" \n\n\"I understand your concern Mr. Johnson, but I assure you, here at Hit It and Quit It LLC, your privacy is our top priority.\"\n\n\"Ehh all right all right. 656-78-2345.\"\n\n\"Thank you Mr. Johnson! Just a moment while I pull up your account. By the way, did you know we are having a special sale on kneecappings, this weekend only? Current subscribers can get two kneecaps for the price of one!\"\n\n\"That sounds great and all, Cheryl, but I still want to cancel at this time.\"\n\n\"Not a problem! Never hurts to offer, right? Now, do you have your confirmation number ready?\"\n\n\"My confirmation number, is that different than my account number?\"\n\n\"That's correct. Your confirmation number should have been delivered to your email address on file on the initial date of the service.\"\n\n\"Okay let me pull it up here.....let's see.....I don't see that email here anywhere.\"\n\n\"Let's make sure we have your correct email address. Is it still 'BigDaddy69@gmail'?\"\n\n\"Oh THAT one, okay let me check....shit I'm locked out. Just give me a minute to reset my password...\"\n\n\"I'm sorry Mr. Johnson, but we have other customers in the queue and I am unable to wait with you at this time, but you're welcome to call us back once you have your confirmation number.\"\n\n\"Christ are you serious? I waited on hold for an hour to get through to you guys!\"\n\n\"I apologize for the long wait time Mr. Johnson, as you may be aware, summer is our busy season and therefore wait times can be affected.\"\n\n\"You can't wait just 5 minutes? Jesus this is ridiculous\"\n\n\"I'm sorry to hear you are frustrated Mr. Johnson\"\n\n\"Cheryl is there a supervisor I can speak with\"\n\n\"....one moment while I transfer you.\"\n\n\"Thank you for calling Hit It and Quit It LLC! My name is Josh, how can I help you?\"\n\n\"Hi Josh, I'm calling about my account\"\n\n\"I'd love to help you with that! I understand from Cheryl that you wish to cancel your subscription?\"\n\n\"No no no. Actually, I'd like to keep the subscription now, but can I update the target for next month?\"\n\n\"Absolutely Mr. Johnson! I'm happy to hear we will continue to be working with you. May I have the name of your next target?\"\n\n\"Cheryl.\"" ]	2
	[WP] Standard practice is to uplift the most advanced group and leave the rest in place indefinitely as a preserve. Humanity's last contact with aliens was the "destruction" of Atlantis...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "There is no going back and I’ve had to live with that. That is the deal for immortality among the stars and all of Atlantis knew it. We were those that would be raised up by the Seraphim and the rest of the world would be left behind to their own devices. Atlantians had been chosen to move beyond the atmosphere and join this angelic race of intergalactic nomads. We’d be able to migrate across a galaxy, be given the secrets to immortality and timelines bodies that never sickened.\n\nEven so, it was not a choice made lightly. The Council deliberated on it for a full year before all was said and done. My own family was split on the subject. I’d argued that we are not responsible for the world but others...felt differently. Finally it was decided, those that wished to remain were given what all they could carry but those that wished to go were given Atlantis itself. Every arching spire and twisting canal were covered in a vast dome. Construction was immense and fiercely pursued. Atlantis was raised from the ground and lifted into the stars by the Seraphim leaving a crater filled by the ocean. I vividly recall watching my twin sister staring up at our domed city from the shoreline. Her green eyes vibrant against her charcoal skin. Her face filled with spite as I left her and ascended to join the Seraphim.\n\nThe cost of leaving your world behind is a steep one and never again seeing the sun rise or fall on Earth haunts me still. Throughout every passing age with each new strange world we’ve visited that haunting visage grows. The lifeless planets far outnumber those green hills we’d left behind. But with each new species discovered and brought into the Seraphim’s fold our clan grows stronger. Still those green rolling hills of Earth haunt me. So perhaps that is why I’ve broken the one rule I’d been given. I left Atlantis domed space port and took a Seraphim shuttle and returned to my old world after all this time.\n\nI think I just wanted to see the sun rise there once more.\n\nNow I wish I’d not returned.\n\nMemory is such an imperfect thing. We shape it in ways that distort reality and that can become an achievable dream when it is finally measured to that reality. Standing on this Earth, it is not the one I remember. I’d forgotten that things could die and so much has died here. The sun rises over not the green hills and sparkling waters. It rises over trash. It rises over a wasteland and waters populated to the point they’re more red than blue. The plants die underneath this flood of waste and the balance of nature has been overcome by the leftover humanity’s numerous population. This...this is why I left! Humanity can’t be trusted left to its own devices. It breeds destruction and-\n\n“Hey Lady!” The voice is translated by my eardrop and I turn to a bizarre sight. A small woman wearing overalls with green eyes and dark skin is scowling at me.\n\n“Yenna?” I whisper as my mind floods me back to 950000 years ago. Me standing on the edge of a city on the rise and my sister glaring up at me as I leave her and the rest of the leftovers behind. An uneasy feeling grabs my stomach I’d not felt in ages, guilt has ahold of me.\n\n“What? No, my name is Maria.” The short woman gives me a confused glance. Her brow furrowing and eyebrow arching judgmentally, “Look lady you seem a bit lost so let me help you out. You’re in the middle of a cleanup. I’m going to have to ask you to leave, unless you want to stick around and help out.”\n\nShe jokingly waves a hand at a spare bucket and a pair of pincers as she speaks. Behind her I notice, for the first time, more people scattered around the waste and sorting it into separate piles. The momentous effort taken on bit by bit with the volunteers behind her. Behind them the sun is finally fully risen over the horizon. They’re still here. They leftovers are still here and still trying against insurmountable odds.\n\n“Why do you even bother?” I ask Maria.\n\nHer playful demeanor changes and all that's left is the scorn, “Because, this is my home so you are leaving or what?”\n\nI look back at her and go to pick up the bucket, “I- I’m going to stay.”\n\n“Good.” A slow smile creeps over her face, “We’re going to need all the help we can get.”\n\nr/laughingbriar" ]	2
Just continue from there.	[WP] You has a rough day at work, and start walking home. You feel as though someone is watching you. After walking for 3 more minutes, your stalker attacks, and in the scuffle, their hood comes off.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\nThe hood came off, and so did your gloves.\n\nFlustered, but determined to finish the job, you watch as he struggles to pin you down, while slowly reaching for a knife sheathed in his hoodie pocket. \n\nclick \n\nUpon seeing the knife, you become more vengeful than scared as you squirm to swipe the knife out his hand. You manage to free your left hand, but unable to reach for the knife, you swing widely at his face. Irritated, he lifts the knife and brings it down into a stabbing motion. You thrust your whole body away from the left side and narrowly avoid being stabbed, this time. You roll away from him, and kick off the ground avoiding another attack.\n\nYou stumble onto your feet, and face him yelling for help, but it’s late, and no one seems answer your pleas. \n\nConfident in his intentions, he charges at you, with a smirk on his face. You reflexively dodge and heroically jump onto him and stomp his back side. He quickly drops the knife and you kick it away. Quickly defeated, you reach for the knife, call the police and run to a friends house as you no longer feel safe in your own.\n\n_________________\n\nNew to writing, constructive feedback is appreciated" ]	2
	[WP] An apocalypse caused by the awakening of a vampire has turned earth into a wasteland. You spend your days maintaining a ghoul-free shelter for humans. Unbeknownst to them, you are the vampire that started it all, fighting your own followers and carnage desires every single day.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Please, drink.” Terry said softly as he handed a small cup of water to the young girl. She looked up at him. Her eyes broke his heart. Fear, sadness, loss, he didn’t need to look in her eyes to feel her pain, but there they were, staring back at him. Staring into him. Slowly, he wrapped her hands around the small cup and helped her lift it to her trembling lips. “There we go.” He patted her on the head and smiled as she quickly emptied the cup. “Thank you.” He smiled as he stood up and began to walk down the dark tunnels.\n\nTerry looked down the tunnel. Darkness broken by the occasional flickering lamps. He took slow, measured breaths. He grimaced, the damp, dirty air tasted terrible. Dust, mold, fear, and pain stuck in his nose and on his tongue. \n\n“They’re coming!” A voice yelled from somewhere ahead of him. Suddenly, everyone in the tunnel fell to the ground. Parents held their children tight, hands over mouths. Silence. Terry closed his eyes, reaching out with his heightened senses, feeling his surroundings. \n\nAbove them, still some distance away, a herd of ghouls quickly approached. He felt the vibrations of dozens of feet beating the ground. The sound, somewhere on the edge of his hearing, grew to a whisper, then a low rumble.\n\nTerry placed his finger to his lips and let out a quiet, but powerful, “shhhh…” He let his voice carry throughout the entirety of the tunnels, calming the worrying people hiding in his shelter. He knelt down, placed his palm on the floor of the tunnel and felt them. \n\nThe ghouls, driven by rage, by hunger were hunting. He felt them slow their sprint. Their footfalls softened, became more careful. They had a scent. “Shit,” he whispered, too low for anyone to hear him.\n\nTerry stood and slowly walked through the tunnel, towards the entrance. His steps made no sound on the dirty, damp floor. He reached the last lamp, slowly reaching up to turn it off. Darkness, black. He grinned as he stepped into the pitch blackness ahead of him. He felt comfortable, at home, the darkness felt refreshing and right. \n\nHis eyes quickly adjusted. He needed no light to see. Terry sighed softly as he silently crept to the entrance of the tunnels, his sanctuary. He hated going into the world. His memories of what had been grew more painful as the surface seemed to resemble them less and less.\n\nHe remembered the world before he went to sleep, the world after he had woken up, and it pained him to know what the world had become. What he had made it. Even if it had been unintentional, the current state of the world, the apocalypse, was his fault. Terry, the last of his kind, brought the world to its knees. \n\nForty years ago, Terry awoke from a millennia long sleep. Terry woke up the last of his kind, the last vampire. At the time, shock and sadness filled him. He walked through the world, the new world, of humanity. When he went to sleep, vampires ruled as Pharaohs, as God-Kings, as prophets. When he woke, vampires were rules of legend, men religions had sprung up around. They were creatures of the past.\n\nHe remembered his aggression, his hunger, his attempt to rebuild. He was the last true-born vampire. His attempt to create hybrids, a new order, failed miserably. In the nearly two thousand years he’d slept. The world had changed. He discovered, first to his horror, then to the world's horror, mankind and vampires were no longer compatible.\n\nTheir blood no longer satisfied him. They no longer turned to vampires when not fully drained of blood. Something had changed in humanity. Humanity had evolved a defense to vampires. Unfortunately, that defense led to their destruction.\n\nGhouls, disgusting, monstrous post-humans. Terry accidentally created the first few ghouls when awoke. He created more as he tried to bring vampires back. Man no longer turned into vampires. They became rakish ghouls. Brutish monstrosities lacking intelligence or rational thought. Driven purely by instinct and hunger and with the ability to quickly turn man into themselves, they spread like wildfire. \n\nAncient vampires had been careful. Tending to their flocks, raising their food with care, vampires had been careful to keep their population low, careful not to turn a human, unless out of love.\n\nGhouls had no thoughts of sustaining their food, no emotions, just hunger. Mankind turned by the dozens, then hundreds, then thousands. Soon, societies around the world collapsed. The surface belonged to them now. \n\nTerry found these abandoned mining caves and opened a sanctuary. He’s caused the destruction of humanity, now he protected the last of them. His flock depended on him. He was the last vampire, they were the last humans. Together, they’d survive. Alone, he’d protect them.\n\nTerry approached the entrance to the tunnels. Slowly, he unlatched the heavy door and slid it open. Terry stepped into an old, abandoned church, looked to the cross, and smiled. He accepted the challenge, it was his turn to protect humanity. \n\nTerry smiled wide, baring his teeth. His canines grew, eyes darkened, body slumped in a relaxed, yet ready state. Gliding through the dark church, he flew through an open window. Night time. His time. \n\nHe could smell the ghouls approaching. They seemed to be trying to be silent. Hunting by surprise and ambush. They probably did this due to the scarcity of food. It didn’t matter. Terry could hear, feel, and smell them long before they’d be able to sense him. \n\nA quick movement caught his attention. “I see you.” He whispered, baring his fangs. He leaned forward, planted his front foot strongly into the ground, then exploded forward. As he sprinted forward, too fast for the ghouls to register, the claws on his hands began to grow.\n\nTerry launched himself into the hunting pack, catching them by surprise. He unleashed his primal, animalistic fury. Ripping, tearing flesh with wicked claws. Sinking hungry, hateful fangs into confused, terrified ghouls.\n\nRage swallowed him, erupted from him. Within moments, he stood alone in blood and silence. His flock, protected. Terry smiled, his fangs slowly retracting.\n\nSlowly, casually he walked back to the old, broken church. Inhaling deeply, he savored the fresh, clean air of the surface. The stars above him twinkled silently, stunning him with their beauty.\n\nThis is where he belonged, where his people belonged. They left the surface for the tunnels, but they did not belong there. There home, their lives were here. Terry looked down at his blood soaked body. Reveling in his victory.\n\nHe entered the church, confidently walking to the hidden door, the barrier that protected his people. He smiled. They didn’t need it anymore. The time had come. \n\nTerry opened the door, took a deep breath in, and yelled. “It’s safe! Time to come out!” He waited and watched as they slowly and cautiously left the tunnels. Soon, they filled the church. Terry walked to the front, under the large cross.\n\n“It’s time,” he began. “Time for us to retake what’s ours. Time for us to stop hiding. Today...” He paused, looking over the tired, dirty faces slowly filling with hope. “Today, we return home!” Terry smiled, no longer hiding his fangs.", " \n\n(WP) Birthright of Blood \n\nThe day I was born, I started The Apocalypse. \n\nIt didn’t matter that I didn’t want to be a monster, that I’d wanted to die. No, my sire killed me precisely because she knew what it would unleash. And for those first centuries, I didn’t care. I bathed in blood, reveled in endless chaos, carnage and destruction. The evil that my sire had unleashed had turned the earth from a rich, lush garden into an empty, arid wasteland. \n\nBut eventually, I grew tired of it all as humanity’s numbers dwindled. Now I fight my own kin and bloodlust to keep humans safe from harm. Being immortal gives you a lot of time to think on your regrets, and I have as many of those are there are stars in the sky. \n\n“General?” Someone asks, bringing me out of my thoughts. No human has ever seen my face; I walk around with my face covered, always, even in privacy. No one needs to know that I am the reason this is happening. If they did, they would surely kill me. \n\nAnd if I wasn’t such a coward, I would’ve let them, years ago. \n\n“Yes, what is it?” I reply, and someone walks into the crude cavern I use for my office. \n\n“There’s a nest nearby, and I’m afraid it’s taken several women. Should we eradicate them?” \n\nIf I were still human, I would gag. Nothing amuses a vampire more than Turning a human, or worse, making them into a blood slave, a pet on which they can feed with impunity. \n\n“Wait until the Night Unit comes back, please.” \n\nFrida was one of my first, and the only one in the entire compound who even suspected what I was. I’d never confirmed it and she’d never asked me to. What was the point? \n\nShe left me, and I was still mulling over my existence when The Night Guard returned and reported back to us. \n\n“That nest is growing, and more people are disappearing. We need your help, boss,” Fabian, one of my best trackers, stood at the front, face all scratched up and bloody. Thankfully I’d been around humans for so long that hiding my darker urges had become second nature. \n\nI hated venturing out of the compound; all it was a cruel reminder of what my sire had done, all in the name of boredom and loneliness. \n\n“All right. At moonrise, we will go.” \n\n\\\\ \n\nAs soon as the moon showed her face in the sky, we all traveled out of the safety of the compound in pairs. Vampires were feral, that was true, but they had excellent senses and could track a scent from miles away. \n\nFabian led the group, ushering pairs behind broken, dilapidated buildings and crumbling bridges. I could smell the old blood in the air, and I hissed through my teeth, resisting the urge to growl deep in my throat. \n\nI saw the women being led into an old factory, and I could smell the faint scents of salt and sugar. \n\nThey came back out, and I shuddered, chilled at the sight of the new monsters’ eyes: red and round, with a catlike slit in the center where the human’s pupil used to be. \n\nTheir hisses and growls, once upon a time, would’ve been music to my ears. But now, all I heard was their death knells. \n\nAs much as I hated it, bloodshed was my birthright. \n\n\\\\" ]	3
	[WP] In the future, an oppressive United Earth government spends nearly all of its planet's resources on idealistic space exploration and peaceful contact with alien civilizations at the expense of all other societal functions back on a poor and desperate earth.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "A flash of white light.\n\nHe squinted, struggling to adjust to the flow that was drenching his eyes. Humans had the unpleasant habit of seeking bright and dry environments instead of damp and dimly lit dwellings. He had waited for, oh too long, and was impatient of meeting the emissary.\n\nThe heavy monumental double door flew open, revealing an impassable row of soldiers, holding their weapons high. They all wore the distinctive purple that Humans seemed to favor when evocating splendor and might. He was himself covered in a typical suit originating from his natal moon. It was full of twirling shadows and colors, displaying a wide range of dark blues and greens. \n \n\nFinally, he thought, when he saw the Supreme Proconsul of the Northern Territories on Planet Earth Anton Kabanov. To be precise, he only saw his arms, rising occasionally from the crowd of his own guards, making hasty movements to push them aside. The man emerged from the sea of bodies, panting. He tried to regain composure as soon as he saw the alien form waiting for him, standing in an impeccable and stoic manner, slightly reminiscent of the Prussian generals of old, the tones of his skin and clothing furthering the resemblance.\n\nAnton Kabanov was small, even when taking into consideration the difference in height between the two species. As bloated as his pompous title, he reached for his visitor’s appendage with his small, thick, callous fingers. Refraining a deep sigh, his station requiring him to do so, Me extended a limp arm to his interlocutor.\n\nLaughable, was the first word he thought of when he saw the ridicule entanglement of fabric, skin and mucous dripping on the carpet. The sleeves of the Human were threadbare and the colors faded. Me had studied Earth’s history deeply and even though the spirit was willing, modern Humans lacked the means to imitate Julius Caesar, Napoléon or Qin Shi Huang.\n\nFollowing the current of his mind, he looked around, wondering how many millions or billions of their currency they were pouring in this commodity spatial station. Their appreciation of the Roman and Victorian styles was dubious at best, he would have done better, he was certain of it. Suddenly remembering he had been shaking without conviction the hand of the Human for the past minute, he dropped it altogether and became once more rigid.\n\n\\- Sooooo… My dear… “Me” ? began Kabanov, sweating profusely, I think I remember you do not use names in your part of the Stellar Council, interesting custom, for sure.\n\n\\- Correct, I have no use for names. I simply am. You, being external to my being, need to be named.\n\n\\- Of course, of course, I am sorry for making you wait for so long, riots have intensified on the fringes of the space-ports and the travel time was a bit extended between Earth and our orbital stations since they require special shuttles that are only found in previously chartered super-transporters but the supply lines are frequently cut off by dissidents, nothing too serious, I assure you. \n \n\nThe Proconsul’s oversized and confused sentence was fitting of his person but already irritated Me. \n \n\n\\- Maybe you need to increase the portion of your budget allocated to feeding the population instead of sending extremely expensive gifts to the thirty Es’G’Lan kings like you did last month.\n\nThe Human flinched, taken aback. Me had, like the rest of his species, a perfectly neutral tone, polite and maybe sometimes even slightly curious when he was making remarks. His head lightly tilted, he was staring at Kabanov, blinking repeatedly. His emotions were impossible to read for Earthlings since they passed not through his face or words but instead foamy and intricate patterns forming in his eyes.\n\nStruggling to regain a semblance of composure, Anton spurted his well-learned discourse destined to extraterrestrial ambassadors.\n\n\\- We spend the most of our credits and resources to further and broaden interplanetary exchange and cooperation throughout the galaxy while maintaining our colonies in several sectors according to the plans devised by the Stellar Council. It is profitable to us all.\n\n\\- Speaking of exchange and cooperation, I recall, I had another trade agreement to sign for your Prime Amongst the Citizens.\n\n\\- Surely, surely, answered the Proconsul, all too happy and relieved to see the conversation back on tracks.\n\nWhile he was discussing the details and signing paragraph after paragraph, a part of Me’s mind set sail again, thinking of the beautiful landscapes on Earth torn open, population lodged in gigantic factory-flats. He was particularly fond of their oceans, reminding him of his own underwater caves. All of this would be soon gone. Stellar Council’s charity programs had been denied entry on Earth’s soil only two years after the first contact and the situation seemed to worsen even when observed from afar.\n\nPitiful, that’s what Humanity’s attempts at being a great spatial civilization were. They were trying to shine as the supreme beings they had encountered but they were only producing some feeble fumes and they were the fuel. Me did not like the Humans but they were interesting and certainly lyrical in their ways.\n\nHe suddenly realized the room was now swarmed by state journalists, taking pictures and shouting incomprehensible things in all directions. Anton Kabanov and him were both holding the new treaty that would completely reshape exchanges for Earth, or so they thought.\n\nSmile all you want Anton Kabanov Proconsul of the overzealous empire, you are but a puny footnote in the Stellar Council’s logs. The war is delayed at best.\n\nPS : This is the first time I’m writing in this subreddit. English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes in the text, in my punctuation or the layout." ]	2
	[WP]You are a wizard out gathering. During which you save a little girl. You conjure a basic adventure bag and a red dagger for her. “Don’t be a waste of my effort” you tell her as you leave. You never see the girl again,but years later you hear rumours of a woman doing the impossible.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Octura hissed in annoyance as she sent a mote of ember at the juvenile Bunny Raptor, causing it to flee. This girl was either stupid, foreign, or both as anyone with half a wit from anywhere near The Savage Woods would know instinctually that any animal that looked cute or defenseless was simply hiding it's fangs, claws, or both waiting for a chance to strike. There was no such thing as prey species here, only predators hunting other predators.\n\nThe child, a girl, bawled and wailed, more from shock and fear than anything else, for a moment confusing Octura, who only saw small scratches, more than likely from the trees as she ran than from the Bunny Raptor.\n\n\"Quiet!\" Octura snapped, \"You'll only attract larger hunters with that mewling!\" That shut the child up quickly, though her shoulders still shook with silent sobs. For some reason this child agitated Octure to no end, the crying, the sniffling, the weakness. Normally she wouldn't have thought twice about any of it, simply leaving after scaring of the creature. She shook her head to clear it, and turned to leave, resolving to do just that.\n\nHowever, that resolve crumbled when she heard, \"P-P-Please, he-help me.\" The girl begged in a small voice.\n\nOctura froze, willed herself forward, but could not. She cursed herself, the small, annoying part of herself that was ever the philanthropist, ever the humanitarian. She turned back around to face the girl.\n\n\"Fine, I will help you. I will give you three boons. The first, a boon of utility.\" And she twirled her fingers, summoning a bag. It was clearly used, but taken care of. It was an Adventuring bag, bigger on the inside, capable of holding everything an adventurer could need and more.\n\n\"The second, a boon of survivability and growth.\" And Octura flicked her wrist and summoned what appeared to be a dagger, with a hilt of deep purple, and a blade the color of the setting sun. However, this was no ordinary weapon, for it could be so much more, for it fed on potential, and grew with its wielder. Useless to Octura, who had long since fully realized her potential, but for a child such as this, it could become infinitely more powerful. Incidentally, it had once been Octura's own first weapon.\n\nThis thought brought a realization to Octura, and why she was so bothered by this child. For she had been much the same when she was that age. And only by the grace of someone as powerful then and she was now, did she come to be who she was. It had been a long time since she had seen the dagger in this form. She mused about how it would shape for the girl.\n\n\"And lastly,\" Octura said, \"A boon of Wisdom. Someone who cannot help themselves will only ever be taken advantage of, never helped. If you cannot survive with these boons, then there is nothing I can do for you. May we cross paths again.\" And with that, Octura left.\n\nPerhaps, Octura mused, this was some kind of tradition. When she was a mewling babe, abandoned by her progenitors, begging for scraps in an alley, she had received the very same advice. It had shaped who she was, and that act of kindness had being the spark that propelled her to where she was today. She smiled, excited at the prospect of hearing of the news she herself had once generated, of an up-and-comer with a dagger the color of the setting sun.", "No. This can't be right. Arduri clenched his fingers around the glass. His knuckles were ghost white, the color of the moon on a clear night. Before he crushed the glass, he motioned to the bartender for another round of Fae Whiskey. It was expensive, but a small magical favor here and there went a long way. \n\nFocus, Arduri. You have to focus. He took a deep breath. The gentleman who was currently harassing an Orc for his axe had told Arduri an interesting rumor, something that chilled even him to the bone. There was a woman to the south who had grown quite powerful, so much so that she boasted about her ability to raise the dead. The man had described her act like that of a wandering circus, and though he hadn't seen her magic in-person, he spoke as though it were true. But Arduri knew better. Raising the dead wasn't possible. And this girl, who had been seen using a faded red dagger as her weapon of choice, had not a speck of magic in her. \n\nIt can't be the same girl. Not the one from the forest. \n\nBut for the first time in his life, he felt doubt. This woman, who remained nameless according to the man, had only been a child when Arduri had met her. Perhaps only twelve. The forest, though beautiful, held many dark creatures, one of which had cut a pretty nasty wound into her side. If it had not been for Arduri's need for Nymph Leaves, she likely would have perished. As fate would have it, Arduri stumbled upon her as she lay nearly lifeless on the forest floor with a one-eyed Deer Rat leering over her. Arduri managed to nurse her back to health, gave her some supplies, and then they went their separate ways. That was their first and last meeting. \n\nBut there's a woman with a red dagger to the south... so near that very forest... no. Stop. You are being foolish. It is not the same woman. There are probably thousands of red daggers throughout the land. How silly of you to think that this woman has anything to do with you.\n\nHe finished off the last sip of his whiskey and set it on the counter. Rather than leave behind some coin, he left a small satchel of various charms. The bartender's son was sick. The charms would fight off the illness and help him recover faster. \n\nWhen he exited the tavern, the night air was cool against his skin. Many wizards chose robes with sleeves that hung off their arms like tapestries, but Arduri couldn't stand them. What good was a robe if it offered little comfort? He'd had his specially made to keep his arms bare, though it did expose the various markings that crisscrossed his skin. Markings that would immediately identify him as a practitioner of magic. Not that it really mattered, there were hundreds of wizards in the world, but none that had as many markings as he did. Still, a drunken crowd was less likely to recognize him, and he would rather be recognized than have arms weighed down by mile-long sleeves. \n\n\"Long day?\" came a honey-like voice from behind him.\n\nArduri turned.\n\nA woman with emerald eyes grinned at him from beneath a dying torch. The orange flames brought out features that would have been lost in the dark, like how her nose was short like a button, but her teeth resembled the fangs of a wolf. She held herself confidently despite the difference in their size. Arduri was certain she only used it to her advantage, as there were many men in the tavern who would take one look at her and deem her worthy of harassment.\n\n\"Somewhat.\" He answered simply. \"What is it to you?\"\n\n\"Please, I mean no disrespect, sir.\" She raised her hands, but her smile didn't leave her face. \"I simply assumed that you leaving a tavern so late must mean your day warranted forgetting.\" \n\nArduri smirked. \"You must have me confused with one of those hooligans in there who waste what little coin they have left on temporary stimulation. I drink not to forget, but to remember.\"\n\n\"And after such a long day, what could it possibly be that you need to remember?\" \n\n\"Nothing that concerns you.\" He shot back pointedly. Arduri turned to leave, but her voice called him back.\n\n\"I believe it does.\" She sang, whisking around him like a leaf on the wind. \"More so than you think.\"\n\nHe frowned, no longer interested in this little game. \"I do not know who you are, nor do I care. Now leave me be.\"\n\nArduri moved to push past her, but the girl was stubborn and simply stepped once more into his path. \n\n\"Have they slipped you Ice Whiskey by mistake? Is your mind truly that broken?\" She taunted him.\n\nArduri didn't respond. He quickened his pace down the road, hoping to disappear into the night before she could chase after him. He had no idea what she had meant, but a part of him had begun to worry that she did know more than he thought, and it only made him walk faster. \n\nHe rounded a corner and risked a glance over his shoulder. The girl was nowhere to be seen, but just as took another turn, a figure appeared in front of him. The body was pale and cold like snow, but it moved with the fluidity of life. Quivering hands stretched to grasp him, but he slid free just in time. Black eyes found him in the dark, and a chill ran down his spine. He spun to race the other direction only to be stopped by another similarly colored figure. His surprise allowed the person to grab him, and its grip was unlike anything he had ever felt before. \n\nHe concentrated on the energy around him, trying to draw in enough power to tear the person off him, but these two people were... different. Lifeless. As if they were just walking corpses.\n\nSomewhere above him, that honeyed voice rang out again. \"I had thought for sure that news of my power would reach you. That the rumors would bring you south. Instead I had to come to you. Quite disrespectful, really.\" \n\n\"Who... what are you?\" Arduri cried out, struggling to breathe as the corpses held him still. \n\n \"You still don't remember?\" \n\nA figure leapt from the roof of the building just across from him, and it landed with perfect grace in front of him. Green eyes met his.\n\n\"Perhaps your narcissism has clouded your mind. No matter. I have waited many, many years for this moment, and I won't let it slip away.\"\n\nFrom her waist, the girl produced a dagger. A dagger with a red hilt. \n\n\"'Don't be a waste of my effort'.\" She imitated his voice with a smile behind those charming eyes. \"Well, I wasn't. And I'm going to prove it to you.\"" ]	3
	[WP] You are the goddess in charge of isekai resurrections, offering deserving souls a chance to be heroes in other worlds. Over the eons, you thought you'd seen every way someone could die, but the latest candidate's death was so bizarre it's rendered you speechless.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Yes, Goddess. I was suffocated to death by my girlfriend's ass. She was indeed too thick for me to handle.\"\n\nI sat there, speechless as to what to say next. I've seen all matters of gruesome and, at times, humourous deaths but this. This was surprising, to say the less.\n\nMy face must have worn my internal mixture of confusion and disgust as the man replied sheepishly.\n\n\"Aye...you don't get to judge me. We all do freaky things in our own spare time.\"\n\nI continued to stare at the freshly deserved man. How on earth did he make it past the qualifying round? \n\n\"So you mean to tell me, you died during sex where in which your girlfriend suffocated you with her ass?”\n\n\"Yes, Goddess.\" The man responded nervously. \"And I wouldn't have it any other way,\" he then whispered. I pretended not to hear the last part.\n\n\"You know what, let's just move on. For some reason you have been deemed worthy of the other world resurrection spell. Even with your strange and perverse nature.\" The man winced slightly at my words. \"You must indeed have the soul of a brave hero.\"\n\nI guided the young man over to a portal connecting to his new home. He thanked me and proudly walked over to the other side. I only wished to see his face when he finds out the women of this world specialized in the chest department rather than their bottoms. I chucked at the irony, a true hero indeed.\n\n-\n\n\nThanks for reading! If you what to check out anymore of my short stories you can read them at r/CainsJournal" ]	2
	[WP] You decide to buy architectural lego sets of cities from around the world. You finish buliding them and drop one as you pick it up. Your phone buzzes immediately with breaking news that the Eiffel Tower has collapsed. Shocked, you look down to find that your lego Effiel Tower is in pieces	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\nIt truly was a sight to behold. \n\nAfter months of collecting, buying, and building, all of my sets of famous cities and monuments in the world had been completed.\n\n\\Finally…\\\n\nI look around and admire my collection. The Great Wall, Los Angeles with the Hollywood sign, New York and the Statue of Liberty…\n\nMy eyes dart to the set I spent the most time working on: The Eiffel Tower. \n\nLego sets truly are an art form.\n\n\\All that’s left to do is to bring these sets into my room and place them on the shelves.\\\n\nI had built shelves for each one of my sets, so when people entered my room, I could impress them. Although, I don’t know if many girls would be impressed.\n\nI digress.\n\nI walk over to the table where the Statue of Liberty set is and carefully pick it up. I slowly walk towards my room and place it on a shelf.\n\nAfter doing this routine a dozen more times, I go to pick up the Eiffel Tower set. \n\nEverything seems to be going fine until I unexpectedly trip over my own feet and crash to the ground\n\nI hear the pieces of legos detach and look at the ground in front of me to see my hard work ruined.\n\n\\Shit.\\\n\nI mutter a few more curse words and quickly mourn my set as I bend down to start picking up the pieces.\n\nSuddenly, I hear my phone go off and buzz like crazy. \n\nI grab my phone out of my pocket and see a notification pop up: BREAKING NEWS! THE EIFFEL TOWER HAS MYSTERIOUSLY COLLAPSED!\n\nOh my god. Mysteriously? But how-\n\nIt suddenly hits me as my body becomes stiff. My eyes widen as I look back at my Eiffel Tower set, still in pieces on the ground.\n\n\\No, it can’t be..this is just a coincidence.\n\nRight?\\\n\nI rush over to the open lego box sets and find the Eiffel Tower one. I scavenge through it and find the manual. \n\n\\Is this cursed or something??\\\n\nI go back to my broken Eiffel Tower set on the ground and attempt to rebuild it to the best of my abilities. \n\n\\This just has to be a stupid coincidence..\\\n\nAlthough it is not as spectacular as it used to look, it looks somewhat presentable as I quickly place pieces together. \n\nI pray and wait for a notification to pop up with the lines of “EIFFEL TOWER MYSTERIOUSLY REPAIRED?”\n\nBut, nothing happens. No new notifications, nothing. I go on news apps, twitter, everything.\n\nNo explanation. \n\nNothing.\n\nFrustrated, I walk into my room and look at my other sets.\n\nIs it just my Eiffel Tower set?\n\nMy eyes scan my sets and lock with the Hollywood set.\n\nI look at my phone, open my contacts, and call my brother.\n\nIt feels like centuries before he picks up.\n\n“Hey bro, what’s u-“\n\n“No time to talk. You work near the Hollywood sign, right?”\n\n“Uh…” I can hear the confusion in his voice. “…Yeah, I’m on my break right now at the Observatory. I can see it from the outside.”\n\n“I need you to do me a favor…”\n\nI direct my brother to walk outside and pay attention to the Hollywood sign. I carefully lift the Hollywood set from the safety of the shelf and place it on my desk. I put my phone next to the set and press speaker.\n\n“Okay, just keep on looking at it. Let me know if something happens or changes…”\n\nMy brother sighs. “I don’t know why you’re doing this, my break is almost-“\n\nI hear my brother gasp as I detach the H from the sign set. \n\n“Holy SHIT. The H just fell down!”\n\nI ignore the buzzing my phone gives off as I observe the piece.\n\n“Did you know about this?”\n\n“Keep staring at it! Let me know if anything else happens.”\n\nI place the H back on its original place.\n\nI wait for my brother to say something, but the line is silent.\n\nI break the silence. “Anything?”\n\n“What do you mean? The freaking H is still dow-“\n\nI hang up the line and back away from my set.\n\nWhat the hell have I done?" ]	2
	[WP] For the first time in many decades, you've forgotten your daily apple. In the distance you can hear them. The doctors are coming for you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I wake up this morning with a slight tingle of cough, a coarse rough in the back of my throat. The edge of my bedsheet waves lazily in the draft; I must have left the window open all night. No matter, I think to myself, as I throw my leg over the edge of the bed, but startle and groan to the sound of a joint jostling about in its cap. Now, this is a new one.\n\nLeaning over the solitary sink, I struggle to hold up the toothbrush, the mechanical motor sending vibrations down through my feet and into the warm floor. Even my eyelids look droopy. I hear a knock at the door, who’s there this early, they are always on time. I drag myself over to look through the peephole, but blurriness obscures the view of the hallway. There’s no one around, a prank to be sure.\n\nMusic is streaming through a stereo somewhere, announcements to follow. The neighbours are banging on the wall. There are footsteps for sure. But not in the hallway, the hallway is empty, I checked, I remember. A prank to be sure. A red eye gleams in the top corner, it digs into my skull, the eye has fingers and they are clenching my head. I stumble, gather my thoughts, I think, I move my left foot, then right, or the left, to the table I go, but the footsteps are there they are not in the hallway the hallway a prank to be sure on the table something is green triangle no circle a ball to be sure a green ball OH NO the apple does not fall from the tree the apple I reach out to grab eat the apple but the footsteps are dead the doctors are here the walls are so soft they feel nice to my forehead so soft", "I loaded my shotgun and faced my door, waiting.\n\nThe core of my last apple was lying on the floor, it was my last line of defense and I could hear the stampede coming. The doctors.\n\nThe sun was setting and they were getting close, I counted my ammo and I should be able to last long enough to get away and flee to another city before the next wave of doctors arrive.\n\nFinally, I see one outside my window, stethoscope in one hand, rubber gloves, and petroleum jelly in his other hand. I open fire and mortally wound him, he presses a button which calls his nurses to drag him away.\n\nThe gunshot alerted the other doctors to my location and all at once a herd formed and slammed itself against my windows and doors.\n\nI fire shot after shot, taking down multiple doctors and wounding dozens. Finally, my ammo ran out and I had to reload, unfortunately a group of doctors had managed to get inside my house, I load one shell, two shells, three shells, by the forth I was grabbed from behind and had a mask thrown over my face. An anesthesiologist managed to get the drip on me.\n\nJust as I started to get tired a gunshot rang out and the mask slipped off my face, then two more gunshots rant out killing two doctors.\n\nI was picked up from the floor, it was my dentist! And in one of his hands he held my shotgun.\n\n\"If anyone is gonna kill you, it's gonna be me!\" He yelled as he loaded a shell and pointed the gun at me .\n\n\"But, but why!?\" I ask as I was still a bit dizzy.\n\n\"Because.\" He said \"YOU DIDN'T FUCKING FLOSS!\"\n\nGunshot.", " \n\nOnce the thought of a Doctor coming was a boon, the cavalry riding to the rescue when we needed it most. We would listen when they spoke, guided by our respect for their hard-learned authority. The authority remains but it is earned a different way now.\n\nWhen the end came, it came fast. In the aftermath, the power vacuum sucked some unlikely groups to the top of the vicious food chain that now existed. Or maybe it makes total sense. I'm old enough to have had my views shaped before the fall. To the younger ones the Doctors are just people with organisation, resources, power, medicine, sharp implements and the knowledge of where they could be best applied. Why wouldn't they be in charge? Why wouldn't we, the 'patients' supply them with what we can in return for their benevolence? An apple a day? Not really enough to keep them away anymore, but we've been fortunate. A few good years of crops. Adam, making them homemade bullets from old casings. It had been a costly tariff but you saw the implication of trying to avoid paying your way whenever you went to the Hospital to pay. Formaldehyde and jars replaced by spikes as the best way to display body parts.\n\nThe winter though had been harsh this year. I'd have given my lock knife for a bit of the global warming we talked about when I was a kid. The Doctors didn't know how tough we'd had it though. We needed time to prepare for our inevitable default in the Spring. Yesterday that day had arrived, a payment missed would mean a raiding party looking for blood, with no preferences on blood type beyond the fact it must be ours.\n\nWe could wait, but Sun Tzu, Mao Zedong, George Washington and every sports coach since the 1950's knows the best form of defence is to attack. That's what leads us here. To the high ground around the Hospital parking lot, watching the Doctors raiding party prepping for departure. Listening to their new oath chanted by the men in increasingly grey coats.\n\nI swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant...\n\nI will respect the hard-won gains of those Doctors in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such loot as is mine with those who are to follow.\n\nI will apply, for the benefit of the Hospital, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of cowardice and mercy.\n\nI will remember that there is an art to leadership, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding will never outweigh the Doctors knife.\n\nI will not be ashamed to take a life nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's removal.\n\nI will control the actions of my patients, for their misdemeanours reflect on the Doctor in charge of their care. My word is life and death.\n\nI will remember that I remain a member of the Doctors, with no obligations to my patients beyond what they contribute.\n\nIf I do not violate this oath, may I receive water, women and whisky, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of enslaving those who seek my help.\n\nWell, these slaves fancy some emancipation. Political action has been exposed as the illusion I always knew it was. Might is right in the half-light of civilisation. We might have enough force. Adam might have been supplying them with underfilled, misfiring ammunition all spring. Surprise might carry the day. 'Might' is better than the certainty of not trying.\n\nFirst, I thought grimly, lets do them some harm. \n\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nr/tallerestales", "\"Boards, boards, HONEY GET THE WOODEN BOARDS\", you scream out. As your husband grabs some planks, you peer out of your window to see them. A solid mass of white coats, flapping in the wind, as they all head for one singular location. \n\n\"Come on, come on!!! There's gotta be an apple somewhere here\". But there is none to be found. The thumping of 10,000 rushed footsteps grows louder. Your husband grabs a handgun as you grab a baseball bat, ready to make your last stand. \"WHERE'S YOUR APPLE, MISS???\", they chant in unison. Your husband opens fire as you continue searching for an apple somewhere in the house. He manages to kill one and injure three, but the doctors keep their distance. They're not after him, they're after you. \n\nThey pace around him in a circle, glaring at their watches. Several minutes go by, without a single step from the docs. An alarm beeps, as the time turns to 5:37pm. \"WHERE IS YOUR APPLE, DARYL?\". 24 hours. It's been 24 hours since he last ate an apple. He turns to look at you, tears streaming down his eyes. \"Save yourself... It's too late for me.\" He says, fear trembling in his voice. \"Honey...I love you...\" You scream out, but it's too late for him. It's all up to you.\n\nThe chase begins, as you sprint to the market, bat covered in blood. The earth quakes as thousands of doctors continue the hunt. Their words echo across the entire city, but adrenaline makes their booming voices all but a whisper in the wind. Survival is your only concern. Keeping your pace, you dodge several ambushes, picking up more kills and a submachine gun along the way. \n\nYou finally reach the market, soaked in blood and sweat, the holy spirit of your fallen husband, guiding you to the produce aisle. Bullets fly through the halls as you fire wildly into the mass of white cloth chasing you, killing 5 more doctors, but no matter how many you kill, they just keep coming. Out of breath, you spy out of the corner of your eye, a basket of red. Beautiful, luscious red juicy apples. \"I'll pay for it later\", you think, as you bite down on one of them. A wave of relief rolls over you as the doctors come to their senses and return to humanity. \n\nThe market fills with screams as everyone suddenly comes back to sanity and notices the disheveled, blood soaked woman carrying a bat and a gun in the store, and the trail of bloody bodies in her wake. A couple police calls and a few minutes later, you find yourself in a temporary jail cell. Completely out of strength, you lie down on the hard mattress, and go to bed. \n\nA bright light turns on, jostling you awake, as a man stands outside your cell door. \"Hello Julia...\", the man says. \"How long has it been?\", you mutter, sleepily. \"About 24 hours... You're free to go, but first we have to ask you some questions.\"\n\nThe door slides open as the man walks inside. A familiar white coat gleams in the light. \"Question 1: where is your apple...\", the man asks, slyly." ]	5
	[WP] Your friend trips over a rock and falls. When he hits the ground, his arms, legs and head break off from his body. As you look on in horror at his several wriggly, metal-tipped fragments, he grumbles, "Well, that's just friggin' PERFECT. Just my luck. Put me back together, will you, man?"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It was, by any account, a beautiful day for a hike. Me and my friend were making our way down a rocky path covered in uneven stones, the mountains looming towards the azure sky ahead and the lake below reflecting the forest-lined lake.\n\n\"Man, it's hot out here,\" she grumbled, wiping her brow. I grinned.\n\n\"Hey, it could be worse, Alys.\"\n\n\"Could be, but it's still pretty bad.\"\n\nSuddenly, she slipped, a loose stone tumbling away beneath her foot. With a startled yelp, she fell forward, and as I watched fell apart like a broken doll, her limbs scattering across the path.\n\nDammit, this again?!\n\n\"Did you not tighten your limbs this morning?\" I asked wearily, propping him up on a rock and grabbing her leg. She sighed crossly as I popped it back on.\n\n\"Look, man, I thought it was on tight enough. I tightened it the other day!\"\n\n\"You really need to get an upgrade,\" I grumbled, threading his arm back on. My android friend snorted.\n\n\"This one's good enough, thanks. Not like I can afford a new body anyway.\"\n\n\"Oh shut your mouth, you make enough to get an upgrade.\" I patted her on the shoulder. \"There, all back together.\"\n\n\"Barely. Plus I'm comfortable with this body, I don't wanna get an upgrade.\" She got to his feet and stretched. \"Thanks, man, I appreciate it. How long till we reach the campsite?\"\n\nI checked my digital map. \"...about half an hour. Sorry.\"\n\n\"Urgh... whatever, let's hurry up, I'm thirsty.\"\n\nOn that note, we were back off; I was thirsty, too, and my dumb ass forgot to pack water.", "“Fuck! again” I said with a sigh of desperation.\n\nThis happens far too often with the new safety regulations or lack there of. The architect that our company has been working with isn’t very safety conscious. Half of the builds we have worked on have been either structurally unsafe or have fallen apart all together. The other half are just unsafe with no regard for any of the safety regulations, how are we even on the work site with everything going on.\n\nBut this time the plans are different, this new design I had just stared on is something that I could be proud of working on. Something that I will tell the kids about every night at home. Coincidentally the architect we where using gave us a really simple blueprint to follow, it was so simple it looked as if a 6-year-old could have drawn it. This new project was planned to be at least 20 stories tall. It was the tallest building I have ever worked on, it was the tallest that anyone in the crew had worked on. This, for all I know, will be the tallest building ever constructed in the world, if everything comes together properly.\n\nFirst, I need to be put back together.\n\n“Ok Jim can you hand me my leg?” I asked.\n\n“Sure, but are you sure these are all you? Remember last week when I walked away with your arm and didn’t realize it until I got home.”\n\n“It’s not my fault that you can tell my arm from yours and beside does it really matter they work the same.”\n\n“It really just a comfort thing and I only feel comfortable with my own limbs.”\n\nAfter we sorted out our arms and legs we continued to work on the tower in front of us.\n\nThere was still issues with the simplistic design of this building there was no was no elevators or stairs. At the very least they would need a way to get up and down the building along with their bricks, also this seemed like some kind of building code they were not following.\n\n“Does this blueprint make any sense to you. Sure it’ll be tall but what about the essentials for buildings elevators and stairs, or basic necessities like bathrooms and breakrooms. This building seems to only be one thing tall.”\n\nJim did not say anything he just stud there without changing the expression on his face. In fact I don’t think I've ever seen him without that same smile on his shiny face.\n\n“Jim, what do we do when we run out of bricks at the top of the building? And while we are on it how do we get up and down.”\n\nJim answered “To be honest the bricks just appear, and they are just there at the top when we need them. We’ll be at the top of the building and the bottom of the building when were need to.”\n\nI had never followed this line of thought before.\n\n“Maybe it was the last tumble I took but some things are making less and less sense to me. Where are all these bricks coming from, how do they get to the top of the tower, who is asking for this building to be constructed, where are the plans coming from and who made them?”\n\nThese questions are the least of my worries, I thought looking at my plastic hands and the building, am I made of building or are buildings made of flesh?", "I stood there, frozen in horror at the sight of my best friend scattered across the canyon floor like a broken lego man. I had know this could happen, of course, but knowing and seeing it for the first time are two different things.\n\n\"Seriously bro, I'm fine, I just can't do this myself without at least one arm. Just snap them back in, it's easy.\"\n\nShaking myself out of my stupor, I grabbed Eric's various parts and began re-assembling them, starting with the head so we could talk more easily.\n\n\"Thanks man,\" he said upon regaining his usual perch across his almost-believable neck. \"Losing my arms and legs isn't so bad, but my head being detached gives me vertigo.\"\n\n\"No problem.\" I started on his left arm. \"How can you be so casual about this?\"\n\n\"Well it's not my first time. We practiced it in the rehab center. It's freaky at first, but– oh, there's a catch inside the shoulder socket. Dig the arm connector in and under.\" This after realizing I was having trouble with his arm. \n\nI got the arm attached. \"It's just weird, Eric. Why couldn't they give you a sturdier body?\" \n\n\"Cost, my dude. Why spend all that money making me a top-quality body when I'm just going to grow out of it like a set of baby clothes? They'll add an inch to my legs and half an inch to my arms next summer– that's what the connectors are for, they can just slip a lengthener section in between. Then after senior year, I'll get my permanent body as a graduation present. That one won't break so easily.\" \n\n\"That almost makes sense,\" I replied. \"Except why not just give you an adult body to begin with?\" \n\n\"You mean other than because I'd look like the main characters in one of those dumb movies where a cop goes undercover in high school? It could give me body dysmorphia, suddenly being that much bigger and different-looking. Kinda like what Jenny used to have, but worse because it's so sudden. And because I'm....\"\n\n\"A robot?\"\n\n\"Hey that's racist man. We prefer android. Or upload.\"\n\n\"Very funny.\" I got his right arm situated. He was right; it was pretty easy.\n\n\"Hand me the legs, I can do those myself now.\" As he worked on his left leg, Eric continued: \"Yeah it's scary falling apart like that and knowing I need someone else to save me, but hell, people in wheelchairs used to live like that for centuries. People are more adaptable than you think.\"\n\nI felt tears welling up in my eyes. \"It's just...how can you pretend things haven't changed? That you're still you? That you're not...\"\n\n\"Dead? You were going to say dead weren't you? I hope you haven't been listening to those Jesus freaks.\" He finished his left leg and began attaching the right.\n\n\"A few things have changed,\" he admitted. \"I miss food. And tiredness feels different. I shut down every night because my mind still needs it, but I'm never physically tired. Fatigue feels more...all or nothing, I guess. But my mind is the same. I'm still me. I think, therefore I am.\" \n\n\"Eric, it's just...I want to know you're okay.\"\n\n\"I am. And I appreciate it. Seriously Paul, you're the best friend a guy could ever ask for. It's been a tough few months, but hell, I should be grateful. Twenty years ago, getting hit by a truck would have really killed me. Sometimes I'm even glad for it– like on meatloaf day.\" This last word was punctuated with a loud click as his right leg snapped into place.\n\n\"The meatloaf is bad enough to make me wish I didn't have to eat,\" I admitted with a smile.\n\n\"There you go.\" Eric got up, brushed some of the dirt off himself. \"Look Paul, this is just a speedbump. Two years from now, I'll have my adult body, and we'll be headed off to college. It'll be a fresh start– nobody there will think of me as the kid who got run over by a bread truck, or you as the guy who shit his pants in 6th grade.\"\n\n\"Hey!\"\n\n\"You'll be doing keg stands,\" he continued, \"and I can prank sorority girls with my detachable hands. Hell, there's an upside for you– no freshman 15, and I can't get into drinking.\"\n\nI nodded. \"You're right Eric. This is just going take some getting used to, that's all.\" \n\nEric slapped me on the back as the two of us continued our hike up the hill. \"That it is, buddy. But you mark my words: everything's going to be just fine.\"", "Had i known that failing anatomy would come back to haunt me, I would have taken that class a bit more serious. This man literally broke into a hundred pieces and he expects me to act rational and put him back together. \n\nI looked at his mangled parts and turned away for a second and threw up. After finding some water and washing my hands I came back and boy was he ferious. \"Did you literally throw up and leave me here? What's wrong with you\". \n\n\"To be fair\", I said. \"I did come back for you didn't I cunt?\" I expected a laugh or something but the mans intense eyes just stared at me. I threw my smile away and began to work. I first gathered all the pieces away (ignoring his constant ouch, how he felt anything was beyond me). Then i pictured him in my head as a whole. \n\nI layed his chest down first, and then his shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers. Then i went to his torso and laid his ass upside and connected his thighs, legs, feet, and toes. Then i connected the upper and lower body and said voila. \n\nThen I heard his voice again. \"Are you serious right now man\". \n\"What's the problem?\" I said puzzled. The voice boomed again, \"FIRST OF ALL WHY IS MY ASS FACING THE WRONG WAY AND SECONDLY WHERE IS MY DICK\". \n\nI kinda snickered and said the joke that I had been plotting from the start. I looked him deep in the eyes and smirked saying, \"it was too tiny to find\"." ]	5
	[WP] As a result of being blocked on all forms of communication with you, your ex becomes a closeted serial killer, slowly killing off all of your mutual friends in a desperate attempt at being able to see you in person at the funerals.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\n“He’s going to kill you some day. You know that, right?” \n\nMom said it so offhandedly. I remembered when our weekly call in the ten minutes of my smoke break at work involved her yelling down the phone at me, it consisted of crying and begging. These days I gripped the phone tightly, and no smoke drifted up through my nostrils. Tony didn’t like smoking, or at least he didn’t like it when I did it. Perhaps what he really didn’t like was the idea that I might die of something other than his hands. \n\nI’d known for a long time that Tony might kill me, because Tony always loved a little too hard. But the idea that she knew floored me. I assumed, perhaps naively, that if my mother believed I was in serious danger then she would sweep in and take me away. So, a part of me broke when she said that. Not because I wasn’t getting rescued, but because I had convinced my own mother that saving me wasn’t possible. My inaction had hurt her more deeply than anything I could possibly have done intentionally. \n\nI hung up the phone. In my hand was a ten dollar tip, slightly crumpled from where I had been gripping it tightly. Usually I shoved tips into the pocket of my apron, and then into my wallet at the end of the day. Once I got home, they disappeared. That day I took the time to smooth it out, pressing the bill against the bruises on my leg until the creases unfolded themselves. I held it up to the weak sunshine, and I could see that some of the folds were too deep to vanish entirely. Rolling it, to preserve as much of its perfection as possible, I slid it into my bra. Even if it was crumpled, it was still worth something. \n\nSix months later, I ran away. Seven months and I was back. Ten months, and thousands of dollars of therapy later, I was having a panic attack in a Wallmart dressing room because I saw someone with his face. A month after that I had to see him for real. \n\nMy mother came with me to Rachel’s funeral. We were childhood friends, and so my mother also couldn’t believe that such a sweet girl had been murdered in a botched home invasion. Tony met her through me, and they got on almost immediately. Most people got on with Tony, because he was all things to all people. It didn’t matter if you were interested in gardening, or video games, or music, Tony was interested in those things too. I’d see him pretend to enjoy so many different things that I was never quite sure if there was anything in the world that he genuinely liked. \n\nMom brought a large umbrella for the both of us to hide underneath, and I thanked the Gods that Rachel had died three weeks in advance of a rainy day. But of course, that wasn’t the last funeral. It took one more death and one more funeral for me to figure out what was going on, because even though I’d never understood Tony, he was a sick kind of predictable. \n\nTherapists don’t have a recommendation for what to do if your ex-lover begins killing all of your closest friends. Movies do. So instead of meditating, or coming to terms with what I was feeling, or having an open and honest conversation, I burnt his fucking house down." ]	2
	[WP] You die young and leave the love of your life alone. At this point, a figure comes before you and lets you reincarnate as a random animal or bug each time you die, and all you want to do is use this to tell your love to move on	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Hello, 911...\" Before I passed out. \n\n\nNext thing I knew I opened my eyes and I was sittin in a chair in a room \"where am I?\" Still groggy.\n\n\nI looked up and there were silhouettes of 10 people at the Altar covered by a curtain there was such a glow that I could not look at them.\n\n\n\"This is court of Death and this is case no XX252737UA, defendant Mike vs union of heaven now begins\" Said a voice \n\n\nA guy stood up next to me and said \"My lordships as you can see in front of you will see the documents and evidence pertaining to this case I have already submitted and under the heavenly charter section 3.3 the death of this man has been a unlawful killing of a good willed person and this person still have 45 years of his 65 year of life given to him left. Therefore this soul should be returned to his current body. But the body has already been cremated by his current family. I rest my case now my lordships you decide what should be done with this soul\"\n\n\nThe guy turned to be and whispered \"go, go before the altar and bow down. They will judge you now and refer them to as my lordships\" \n\n\nThe room fell silent behind the curtain. the silhouettes started to talk to each other.\"\n\n\nSuddenly An ghastly voice spoke up \"Defendant do you still want to go back? Perhaps you wanna stay here. you can live a life rather full of comforts. we can do almost anything you desire. Only thing we can't do is bring a person who is still alive here. do you still want to go back?\" Asked the voice\n\n\n\"No, my lordship I want to go back I want to see my wife again. I still have lots of things that I have to do.\" I said still bowing.\n\n\n\"What with that sad face, Easy yourself\" said the voice\n\n\nAnd I looked up one of the silhouette grew bigger. finally the curtain moved and I saw fingers dark as anything will get lost in the darkness and big as stick moved the curtain revealing a very tall and skinny stick like figure completely engulfed in a dark black flame wearing a black rob and touched my face. \n\n\n\"Ahhhhahh\" I screamed in pain but my skin restored it self again. \n\n\nWell the figure said \"ah, it's been a while since I have seen a soul such pure.\" \n\n\nCircling around me. \n\n\n\"Well, Well, I will take you back but in return you will have to give something you value to me.\"\n\n\nPut a finger on my chin \"look up, can you do that?\" Said the figure, his finger this time felt cold as ice and the flame went away and I saw bones that has turned black very old and looked rotten. \n\n\nThe figure said \"Boy do you have something to offer to death?\" and sped off. \n\n\nI nervously replied \" yes, my lord\"\n\n\n\"What can you offer me?\" he asked\n\n\nNervously bowing down I \"I have only one thing to offer at my current state my lord, i offer myself\" \n\n\n\"I accept\" he said in his ghastly voice the curtain blew. I felt a breeze and he was gone. \n\n\nNext thing before I knew anything I was standing in front of my home. Still dumbfounded when I realized someone was holding my hand. \n\n\nAnd looked to my right and there she was standing a girl in her mid 20s blond, a total stunner, she said \"So, this is your home let's go inside.\" Jumping with joy like a kid.\n\n\nAs the sun shine hit her she had no shadow.\n\n\n\"Oh btw you won't be able to keep this form for much long since your body is lost now, you will transform often\" she said\n\n\n\"Wait what do you mean by transform?\" I asked\n\n\n\"You will turn into different things until I find a way to fix you in this form permanently. Nothing like this has happened before. No, one has ever declined to stay in heaven when offered that trick has always worked. \n\n\n\"Let's go inside\" opened the door ajar.\n\n\n\"Ah, who are you btw?\" I asked. \n\n\nShe looked at me and said \"ah Mike you already forgot, you offered yourself to me.\" \n\n\n\"Death?\" I said still dumbfounded from what is happening. she turned around 'shh\" don't say that aloud call me 'Claire'. \n\n\nShe lifted her skirt a bit and bowed playfully introducing herself \"My name is Claire, mike nice to meet you\" \n\n\n\"nice to meet you\" I replied \"so your name is Claire\" I asked \n\n\n\"for now yes\" she replied \"humans can't speak my real name\" she said\n\n\n\"Why this name\" I asked \"oh, it was on the cereal box there\" she replied and pointed at the box\n\n\n\"Well let's don't stand here and go inside.\" she said. \n\n\n\"Ain't you a guy? I asked as we walked in. \n\n\nShe said \"no I am a girl and this is my true form that voice and that form is just for fun. I pretend. when I get bored. It's not really my kinda place. it's quite boring everyone and I wanted to be here since no one took me seriously up there in heaven. Since I am the youngest of them. It seemed fun here. When I looked here.\"\n\n\nSuddenly I felt shorter \"oh you have turned into a cat! How cute! She took me up in her arms\" \n\n\nWhen I heard a sound of a faint sobbing coming from upstairs \"atleast this cat ears will come to some use\" I said\n\n\ni went upstairs and found the door open Jan was on the floor crying all alone with my photo till she fell a sleep. I couldn't do anything even though I wanted to.\n\n\nWhen she woke up I was next to her sleeping too, I became her pet cat and comforted her everyday for the first couple of months. down till she was able to move on. Some time I was a bug, that's when she was not able to find me and looked for me. Till Claire again turned me into a cat. \n\n\nOver the course of year I created a fate encounter by running away and planting a guy into her life with help of claire. So she could meet someone new and able to move on.\n\n\nBut I was not able to talk to her again had to watch and help her silently. \n\n\nWhen it was over I had to stay in heaven serving death. That was the deal for it. \n\n\nThe end" ]	2
	[WP] You died and where sent to hell. Thing is, life in hell is better then your life on earth ever was.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "There’s a punishment credit system in hell. Once you’re all paid up, you get promoted to staff which includes great benefits and perks!\n\nYou can work your way up the ladder up to assisting the big man himself, Lucifer.\n\nDue to your lot in life, you’re immediately promoted to middle management and meet all the dukes, barons and princesses of Hell.\n\nYou become a bit of a celebrity and the big boss takes a special interest in you so he summons you in for an interview...\n\nHe wants to shake things up in hell and perhaps eventually turn it into a new paradise for lost souls. He wants to pick your brain for a fresh new perspective.", " \\[Hellish Retention\\]\n\n\"Mandy Salinas?\" Mandy heard her name called a split second before she opened her eyes. She didn't know where she was nor how she got there. She found herself in what she could only guess was Hell's waiting room. Obsidian, uncomfortable-looking chairs lined three of the four brimstone walls. They surrounded a small ebony coffee table loaded with Hell-related literature.\n\nThe woman that called her name stood by an open door; she wore dark red scrubs that complimented her dry, red skin. Two tiny dark horns poked out of her blonde head.\n\n\"Yes?\" Mandy responded; she was still trying to get her bearings. She had no idea how long she'd been there, but when she opened her eyes she was standing up.\n\n\"This way, please,\" the demon woman gestured through the door. Mandy walked through the door and found a narrow brimstone hallway lined with closed doors.\n\n\"Straight ahead, 12th door on the left. It should be the only one open, but count just in case,\" the woman said with a pleasant smile. \"Trust me, you don't want to end up in the wrong room.\"\n\n\"Oh, okay,\" Mandy nodded, not sure what else to do; then, she walked forward. The hall seemed to go on further than Mandy could see and she was glad she only needed to reach the 12th door. As far as she could tell there were hundreds in the hall. The unbelievable architecture only proved to her that she was in fact in Hell. The first three doors were fairly close together, but the fourth door was further down than Mandy expected. And the fifth even further. It felt like an hour passed by the time she reached the 12th door; it was at least three football fields from the 11th door.\n\nOnce she reached the open door, she looked up and down the hall. She still couldn't tell where it ended. Looking back, she couldn't see her starting point anymore.\n\n\"Mandy! Welcome to Hell!\" a woman's voice called from inside the door. Mandy walked in and greeted another red-skinned woman. This one had brown hair and wore a dark red suit instead of scrubs, with a black bow tie.\n\n\"I'm Barbara and I'll be your supervisor while you're down here,\" the demon-woman said as they shook hands. Barbara gestured at a comfortable looking rolling chair in front of her obsidian desk. \"Have a seat and let's get you sorted.\"\n\n\"While I'm here?\" Mandy asked with faint hope. \"I'm not damned forever?\" While she didn't know how she got there, Mandy wasn't surprised. She lived a rough life on the streets and did many, many things she wasn't proud of. She felt an enormous wave of relief when Barbara shook her head with a smile.\n\n\"Technically, you're not damned at all,\" she replied. \"You're here solely on luck,\" Barbara chuckled. \"Though, looking back over your life, it's obvious you were due some major good luck.\"\n\n\"GOOD!? I'm in HELL! I don't even know what luck has to do with anything.\"\n\n\"That's what we're here to talk about,\" Barbara replied. \"Orientation before you start work tomorrow. Or in a couple of days, if you need more time to get settled,\" Barbara gave her head a quick shake to dismiss the thought. Her brown bangs landed in front of her eyes and she brushed them out of the way again. \"We'll get to that. For now, let's start at the beginning.\" Barbara sat up straighter in her chair and took in a solid breath as if preparing for a spiel.\n\n\"You ARE in Hell,\" she said. \"Though, things are more complicated than you think. Hell's original purpose is record keeping; point tallying to be specific. But, it only takes a few religious nuts to ruin people's lives. Hell has had to branch out into things like torture and deal-making to meet demand,\" Barbara gave a light chuckle. \"The customer is always right.\"\n\n\"No one wants to be tortured forever...,\" Mandy interrupted, but Barbara nodded.\n\n\"You'd think so; but, we're a customer service industry. We wouldn't invest in a torture division if it wasn't wanted. Anyway, you weren't particularly religious so you aren't assigned to a religious Hell. You're not here to be tortured, you're here to work.\"\n\n\"I don't want to torture anyone either,\" Mandy replied. She wasn't sure she had a choice, but she at least wanted to make her stance known.\n\n\"Oh, no no,\" Barbara shook her head. \"You're here to tally points.\"\n\n\"Points? What kind of points?\"\n\n\"Life points, you'll be keeping score of people's lives. You'll get a breakdown in your welcome packet, and you'll be in training for the first week, so don't worry about the details too much yet.\"\n\n\"You make it sound so... normal. Is it a sweatshop or something? Working myself to the bone overheating in miserable conditions?\"\n\n\"Oh God, I'm sorry,\" Barbara apologized suddenly. She reached below her desk, then placed a frigid bottle of water on it. \"I didn't even offer you a drink. Are you warm?\" She asked. Mandy shook her head, and actually couldn't help but laugh a bit.\n\n\"Are you serious?\" she asked Barbara. In thinking about it, Mandy realized she wasn't uncomfortable at all. She accepted the water bottle anyway and immediately took a drink; it was as cold as she hoped. Barbara sighed and shook her head.\n\n\"It's always a battle breaking through those preconceived notions,\" she said. \"You are obligated to work for us for at least a year. After that, based on your performance, we can discuss you staying longer if you like. We maintain a positive, professional environment here.\"\n\n\"What's the pay like?\" Mandy joked. She still wasn't sure she believed Barbara. She held a bottle of cold water in Hell, but a part of her still considered that it might be a trick.\n\n\"No pay, as such. We don't have much use for money down here. But, you've already been assigned a lovely home and a car to get around in. And even though, strictly speaking, you don't need to eat; we know how enjoyable it is. Your neighborhood has a nearby grocery store, as well as other shops for hobbies, electronics, and so on. You don't need to pay for a thing. As long as you're in good standing with us and doing your work, just wander in, grab what you want, and leave again. Most of our employees treat this as a second shot at a better, more enjoyable life and make a career out of it.\"\n\n\"You're.. serious?\" Mandy asked. Barbara nodded and smiled.\n\n\"As I said, you were due some good luck. Let's get started on your paperwork and you can tell me when you're comfortable starting.\"\n\n \n\n\\\\\\\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year three, story #236. You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse/)) or my blog. If you're curious about my universe (the Hugoverse) you can visit the Guidebook to see what's what and who's who, or the Timeline to find the stories in order.", "Flashes of fire snaked through the black, smokey sky. The ground, broken and uneven, violently shook and groaned as lava pulsed not far under the surface. Terry watched as a bubble of ground suddenly rose, exploding into a stream of beautiful, hot lava. The hot, burning air reeked of sulfur. Hell looked exactly like he’d imagined.\n\n“Welcome! We are so* happy you could be joining us for…” The strange man appeared out of nowhere, startling Terry. He stood tall, well groomed, wearing an expensive, tailored suit of deep, blood red, with a broad smile of perfect white teeth, and dark red eyes. He paused his sudden greeting and flipped through a small chart in his hands before excitedly looking back to Terry. “Eternity! Wow, looks like you are one of the lucky ones. Follow me.” He turned and quickly started walking. Terry had no choice but to chase after him.\n\nWith each step, the harsh air burned his skin a little less, each breath became a little easier. The strange man in front of him silently led him through the fiery, violent landscape, occasionally turning back to make sure he hadn’t lost Terry.\n\nFinally, after what felt like a lifetime, they approached a large, circular column of rock with what appeared to be a rectangle crudely carved into it. The strange, well dressed man placed his hand softly against it.\n\nA soft blue light began to trace its way along the less than straight lines. Suddenly, the rectangle moved inwards and swung open. Huh, a doorway. That’s neat, Terry thought as he nodded his head in wonder.\n\nThe strange man motioned for Terry to walk through, into the soft blue light. “This way, sir.” He said politely.\n\n“Thank you,” Terry replied, politely and a bit confused. He stepped forward, into the doorway. A cool, soothing feeling washed over him. The crisp air refreshed his lungs, revitalized him. The door closed behind him with a loud thud as the strange man stood besides him. \n\n“Beautiful, isn’t it?” The man asked. \n\nTerry couldn’t believe it. A dazzling sunset over a tranquil ocean stole his attention. After a moment of quiet reflection, he finally had to ask. “Where am I and… who are you?”\n\nThe strange man’s laughter boomed, it shook Terry to his very core. He composed himself after a moment, looking at Terry with bright eyes and a gigantic smile.\n\n“My friend,” he said happily, raising his arms and spinning around, causing Terry to look at more than just the sunset. “You’re in Hell! Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as bad as you think. And, I’m your host, Satan.”\n\nTerry heard the words, but he struggled to believe him. To his left, not far in the distance, he saw beautiful, modern skyscrapers. A city, he figured. He turned to his right and long, beautiful beaches gave way to snow capped mountains with, surprisingly, ski runs. He took a slow, deep breath in, trying to make sense of everything. \n\n“I don’t…” he began.\n\n“Not to worry. Most people are surprised by this.” Satan turned and began walking towards a well built and clean platform. “The thing is, most souls come here, and not by choice. They’re sent down here to be punished for crimes against God…. I… After a while, I began to see it as quite unfair.” Satan paused in the center of the platform, reaching out to a post, he pressed the single button.\n\n“So, I’ve spent countless years watching humanity on Earth. What a shithole, am I right? I mean, the inequality and lack of social justice is absolutely astounding. Kinda makes sense why no one makes it to Heaven. Anyway, about a thousand years ago, I decided it was time for a change.” As if timed to his speech, a small cab on what Terry recognized as train tracks appeared. The door slid open and Satan stepped in, Terry followed.\n\n“Anyway, I figured out a way to make life down here much better, while still also following the rules.” He looked down, flipping through the small chart he held, again. “It seems you worked in a call center while still alive. Well, the bad news is that you are gonna be working in a call center here as well.”\n\nTerry grimaced. Satan didn’t bother looking up. He must have done this millions of times. Terry imagined most people's reactions were the same. Satan laughed. “Don’t worry though. Here in hell, we have a strict mandate of no more than twenty five hours per week. Now, we have a large population here, so the twenty five hours here is much busier than on Earth, but most people like the trade off.”\n\n“It doesn’t sound too bad. “ Terry shrugged.\n\n“Not at all. In fact, you can even get promoted, change jobs, or stay at your current one if you like it. We’re all about choices and rewards for performance here.” \n\nTerry looked out the windows as they approached the city. Large, modern, beautiful building rose out of impeccably clean streets. They passed a large, fancy looking hospital. Terry Turned to ask Satan about it, once again Satan beat him to the punch.\n\n“Yes, we have a hospital. Accidents still happen here. Mostly, though, it’s for emotional and mental issues.” Satan stopped talking for a moment and stared directly into Terry’s eyes, lowering and slowing his voice. “We take mental health very seriously down here.\" He began smiling again, his tone shifting to one of pride. \"In fact, we have a very good system in place to help people. It’s called Hellthcare, one A, two L’s.” He smiled. “We like to have fun here.”\n\nThe small cab slowed to a stop in front of a neat looking apartment complex, similar to his own… before he died. They stepped out of the cab and Satan immediately turned around, talking and gesturing excitedly. \n\n“This is your new home. For now, at least. You always have the option to move to somewhere you like more. Think of it as a starter place.”\n\n“How do I move? There does seem to be nicer places.” Terry asked.\n\n“Aha! The key question. You get paid for your work in Hell. Now, not everybody wants similar things, but we still need to have a functioning economy. Think of it this way, housing in Hell is much more affordable and wages are much higher. So, while you won’t be able to have everything you might want, you should be able to live a pretty comfortable life.”\n\n“So, could I…”\n\n“No. All companies are Hell owned and run. Demon CEO and executives. It’s more fair that way. Demons aren’t as greedy as people. You can get promoted or move to higher paying jobs, or you can take easier, lower paying jobs. Whatever you want! Here in Hell we still have some rules to follow, but our goal is to rehabilitate the truly bad ones while providing a happy, healthy life for all.”\n\n“Rehabilitate?”\n\n“Ah yes, there are some really terrible people here. They aren’t allowed into the general public until they’ve atoned for their sins and can become a productive, and positive member of society.”\n\n“Does it work?”\n\n“Not with everyone. Ghengis Khan actually manages a chain of Mongolian grills. Super chill dude. It took a long time to get him to stop wanting to rape, conquer, and pillage. There are some others you’d recognize too. Hitler still isn’t allowed to roam free, but damn if his art hasn’t gotten good.”\n\nSatan reached into his pocket and pulled out a small baggy then handed it to Terry. Terry opened it and looked inside. It had a key, debit card, and cell phone. Everything Terry really needed at the moment.\n\n“So, your bank account starts with a cool twenty grand. Enough to allow you to get settled in, buy furniture, clothes, toys, and pay for transportation. We don’t have credit here, so if you need help you can sign up for a money management class. We make some people take the class, but I think you’ll be fine.” Satan grabbed his hand with a firm grip and shook it. “Well, you have an absolutely wonderful day. We hope you have your best life here in Hell! Bye!” \n\nSatan waved happily as he walked off. Terry stood there, waving back longer than he needed to. He turned again to face his new home. He spent a moment looking the complex over before fishing the key out of the bag and walking forward. Terry smiled, he liked it here already.", "Subject: RE: RE: Problems with new torture victim\n\nMr. Lucifer,\n\nI appreciate the constructive criticism you shared in your letter. I will hold to heart your feedback that I am a \"brainless, vaccuous waste of existence,\" and will use your plan to \"tear my eyeballs out of my skull and shove them up my urethra\" if I don't work on \"not screwing up everything I touch\" as a strong point of motivation.\n\nHowever, I would like to explain that we have attempted the solutions that you have suggested, and they really just did not go as planned.\n\nRegarding penetrating him with the many barbed penises of Lgthor the Putrid: this has been attempted, and I agree that, up until now, it has worked on everyone. But I am telling you, Subject AB34CF loved it. He was so into it that, after a couple hundred years, Lgthor the Putrid came into my office crying and saying that he felt violated.\n\nThe eternal hail of feces is also a great suggestion, and we in the Torture Department do appreciate your ideas, sir. However, we have tried this, as well. In the name of good taste, rather than describe the result in detail, let me just say: he definitely didn't mind.\n\nFlaying has been attempted, as has been driving nails into his flesh, and dressing him up in leather and spanking him -- which, I admit, writing that one down now, we probably should have realized wasn't going to count as torture for this guy. But every time, let's just say we've had to clean more than just blood off the floor.\n\nFrankly, the demons are starting to feel uncomfortable around Subject AB34CF. We really do feel that the way he looks at us is deeply inappropriate, and some of the suggestions he's made about how to torture him are honestly downright disturbing.\n\nI would like to reiterate my previous suggestion. Subject AB34CF spent his life locked in his parents' basement watching anime. He didn't hurt anybody, technically -- at least, not while he was on Earth.\n\nPlease consider using your connections with God to convince him to let AB34CF into heaven.\n\nThere, he will live in a blissful paradise, free of pain and of desire, where he can shed his body away and exist as a perfect soul without faults or sinful thoughts.\n\nHe's going to hate it.\n\nSincerely,\n\nBrsahror the Brutal\n\nDpt of Lust and Gluttony" ]	5
	[WP] The concepts of lying and intentional deceit are completely foreign to alien species. As a result, they never discovered fiction and think all of humanity's stories are real historical accounts.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Kola stared at her holo screen in awe. She had been studying human culture for years, but none of it compared to what she saw now. She knew of the ancient leaders and dictators. Genghis Khan, Julius Caesar, and of course, Sauron. But she never knew that some of them had been so... Intimate with each other.\n\nSomewhat disgusted, she continued staring for what must've been 10 minutes. An image of the infamous Hitler and Stalin stared back at her. The two powerful figures of humanity's past were embracing each other and their mouths were locked in some human form of intimacy. She had never really understood why human's liked sharing their saliva so much, but she had never tried it so she couldn't really judge.\n\nStill, she was intrigued. \n\n\"Harry?\" She stuck her head out of her room and called out to her Human roommate.\n\n\"Mm?\"\n\n\"Can you come explain something to me?\" \n\nA grunt of annoyance came from the living room and a couple seconds later Harry appeared in her doorway.\n\n\"Wassup?\" He was holding a mug of some steaming liquid, obviously still tired.\n\n\"How come you never told me Stalin and Hitler were in love?\" She slid her chair aside to show him her screen. He had just been taking a sip of his liquid, and spat it out when he saw the image. Little globs of dark caffeine soaked into the carpet as Harry fell into fits of choked laughter. He hacked, coughed, and giggled, holding the door frame for support. Kola looked perplexed.\n\n\"It must've just-\" he coughed again. \"Slipped my mind.\" \n\nKola crossed her arms, annoyed.\n\n\"The whole reason for having a human roommate was to get all of the nuance details!\" \n\n\"That's all I am to you?\" Harry asked, still smiling. He seemed to have come accustomed to Kola's blunt way of talking. \n\n\"No I like you.\" She frowned, her nose scrunching up into her purple face. \"But sometimes you're forgetful and stupid!\" Harry chuckled. \"And how come they went to war if they loved each other?\"\n\n\"Lover's quarrel.\" He replied simply, taking another sip. Strangely, his face still seemed amused. \"Hitler used Stalin's razor.\"\n\n\"That's a really dumb reason to go to war.\"\n\n\"You said it yourself.\" He turned and left the room.\n\n\"Said what?\"\n\n\"Human's are dumb!\" He called down the hall. Kola nodded her head, for she knew that this was true." ]	2
	[WP] Bob was a father who bonded with his daughter Alice over their mutual love of robots, computer and sci-fi. They even started to build a 'robot dog'. The neighbors laughed as they worked, until one day Bob's home was broken into. The burglars learned that all dogs will protect their owners.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\\*SEQUENCE START... SCANNING\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\nStanley, a master thief in spite of his name, expertly undid the window's latch. Robert was known to be a bit of a kook, along with his daughter Alice, but eccentric people tended to store valuable things for an enterprising burglar. A few slight twitches of a thin metal rod, and an additional to disable the alarm system's sensor on the window and he was in.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\AIR PRESSURE DEVIATION FROM NORM, INITIATE BASIC SENSORS...\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\AUDITORY SENSORS... ACTIVE\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\nStanly softly stepped through the window. His toes gingerly touched the inside of the house's kitchen. There was a slight squeak as his toes touched the polished tile floor.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\AUDITORY DEVIATION CONFIRMED, INITIATE SMELL\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\SMELL... ACTIVE\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\nStanly breathed out as he squeezed himself through the window. A small amount of the night's meal, steak with onions, escaped into the kitchen.\n\n\\DEVIATION DETECTED, NIGHT'S MEAL WAS SPAGETTI, INITIATE SIGHT\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe room was pitch dark and, dressing appropriately for the occasion, Stanley was entirely in black.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\NO DEVIATION DETECTED\\\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*\\\\\\INITIATE INFRARED SCANNING\\\\\\****\n\n&#x200B;\n\nStanley froze when he saw the two red lights. They menacingly glowed at him for a short moment before a low, unnaturally metallic, growl came from the corner. He decided not to stay around to see what the noise was coming from.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt did not matter, but fortunately he was not around long enough to know that unfortunate fact.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe next day Bob and Alice went out to eat; having slept perfectly well the night before. They never noticed the charred and empty scraps of clothes in the back yard." ]	2
	[WP] You're a house burglar in the middle of a heist. However, you bump your head and lose consciousness. You awake with no memory of who you are or why you're in this house. You spot sticky notes all over telling you to do chores. You assumed they were for you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "John was sweeping the hallway in a haste. He has been doing so every evening since he can remember, but today he was late. He looked around anxiously, bent down, lifted the carpet, and swept the remainder of dust there. If he was not on time, Mr. Bolworth would beat him with his cane. He would stab the butt into John's stomach and rap over his back when he bent over in pain. It made John want to whack him in his big round face, but Mr. Bolworth was his savior after all. Everyone else had shunned John, and they were out to kill him. So he was very grateful to Mr. Bolworth for giving him a place to live and hide. A few chores were not that big a price for survival. \n\nJohn heard the strained voice of the old man. It sent shivers down John's spine. He made to look like he was busy with straightening the pictures, when the master was descending down the stairs. John was suspiciously focused on levelling the picture just so. He learned that from the maids. They would always pretend to have fallen into such deep work that they would not even notice the master. \n\n\"Get your greasy hands off my ancestors!\" the old man barked, and John grabbed the broom again, straightening into salute. \n\n\"I am sorry, master, they looked--\"\n\n\"I know what they looked like to you...\" the geezer wheezed from the descent. \"They looked like a quick buck at the pawnbroker's to your grabby fingers. I have no tolerance for thievery!\" he shouted as he made his slow way to beat John. Running was only an immediate relief. He would be found and bound later, and the beating much the worse. All he could do was raise his hands in defense and close his eyes. \n\nYet even through shut eyes, the creaky floor let John know that Mr. Bolworth was urging towards him. The ceasing of the squeking made him brace himself. John felt a heavy thud on his ribs. He shrieked agonized. That was another trick he had learned: the louder he screamed the sooner the other ceased. John tumbled to the floor letting his broom drop as well, yowling like a stepped-on dog. \n\nThe master was satisfied by all accounts, as he grunted, adjusted his belt, and made for the dining room. John was moaning on the floor until the door swung behind the old geezer. Then he stood up slowly. It hurt, but not that much; there had been worse. He was ready to go to his small chamber for the night, but when he passed the door he heard curious whispers. The door had not shut completely. A sliver of light escaped the dining room and caught John's eyes. He pressed so close his nose touched the door. \n\n\"--it is not right,\" Mrs. Bolworth pleaded. \"You have to tell him!\"\n\n\"The man is an animal,\" Mr. Bolworth grunted in return. \"Better have him keep our house than let him loose on the streets.\" John felt a pang shoot through his chest. Somehow that hurt more than the cane.\n\n\"Darling, the man is a thief. Memory or no, he will always be one. It is in his very essence,\" the fat old man approached the stressed woman. He laid a soft hand on her face. \"What would he have done with you, had he not hit his head. He would have killed you,\" a dire pause, \"or worse. This is justice.\" So Mr. Bolworth had not saved him from a raging mob it seemed. Interesting, John thought as his grip on the broom tightened.\n\n\"Oh, let the state deal its justice. We are holding him like a slave.\" Thank you, Mrs. Bolworth, he thought. \n\n\"That beast needs a callous hand to to straighten him out. Not the idle philosophizing of the courts,\" he said. \"My beating is worth twice their correctional facilities,\" he spat. John's knuckles were completely white with effort. He was gripping the stick with a fury he had never felt--or so he thought. His body was somehow accustomed to this wave of fire enveloping him. What will my correctional hand do to you, I wonder." ]	2
	[WP] You find yourself unable to move lying on a hospital bed with no memories as to why you're there. The door opens and a man in black suit enters. He looks exactly like you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Smoke kissed my hospital room's white window sills. Its half-opened window letting in the sounds of protesters screaming in unison, the shallow thumps of tear gas launchers, and the metallic resonance of police loudspeakers.\n\nMy doctor, a balding ex-military in his forties, adjusted the morphine lines in my wrist. While he was holding my wrist, he asked me if I could make a fist, which I couldn't. He asked me if my upper back still hurts. To which I answered that it didn't. He walked to the end of my bed and raised my left leg. Kindly he asked me if it hurts, I said it was fine. He requested me to tell him when it started to hurt. I complied, and the doctor continued to apply pressure on my foot, stretching my calf muscles.\n\nA stone hurdled through the window. The doctor calmly got up and closed it. At an attempt to comfort me, he explained that it was a lucky throw and that we were too high up to worry about followups. He exclaimed proudly that the Ministry of the People will handle the protesters, and that I need not raise any concerns over the riots. He walked back to the end of the bed and gently lifted my right foot, only to drop it inelegantly on the bed which I felt through an uncomfortable tug at my neck.\n\nThe doctor hadn't adjusted my headrest prior to dropping my foot, so I could barely see the other end of the bed. Rolling my head left to see past my shoulder, I saw the doctor standing, almost slouching, with his hands dangling by his sides. Under his armpit, two forearms presented themselves, carrying the doctor's body. A red spot developed on the doctor's chest and saliva dripped from the doctor's unmoving mouth.\n\nThe forearms lowered the doctor gently on the floor, revealing a man. The man was dressed in a plastic coverall, a splash shield hiding his face. With my doctor now lowered on the floor, the man undid his plastic attire, revealing a black suit with red and green lines. The sharply dressed intruder took off his double-layered gloves and his plastic face shield. His appearance startled me more than the gunshots down in the streets. Cobra-like sharp eyes contrasted with laugh line wrinkles and a goatee moustache. A mole right of his neck shook me to my core. The man was me, or the man had tried his damned hardest to look like me, down to the most personal detail.\n\nThe man walked to my end of the hospital bed, his hands trailing the contours of the blanket on my body. His hand met my wrist, where we locked eyes. I bead of salty sweat stung my eye, but I relucted to blink. My lookalike followed the morphine line with his hand to the valve and closed it. Without breaking his gaze, he squatted down next to my head. My eyes grew watery from the tears, as I mouthed a simple \"Why\" in disbelief.\n\nDisgusted he asked if I remembered anything. I shook my head, my lips quivering. He moved to my ear and whispered. He'd let me die like the country I once commanded. Suffering, without aid, he said as he flicked the morphine line. The man held my hand, almost as if he intended to comfort me. Let go, he asked of me.\n\n\"Then I can fix what you did to this country, brother mine. \"" ]	2
	[WP] One of your friends has been able to predict several major events in your life and the lives of your other friends. When you finally ask them how they know, they say “I read ahead in the script.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"A script.\" You deadpanned and closed the book you were reading and gave your friend your most disbelieving and unamused facial expression you can make. \"A bloody script? What are we, in a play? Are you getting your rockers off by pulling my leg or something?\" \n\n\"I'm serious,\" There's a desperate tinge to his tone of voice as he gives you his widest and biggest puppy eyes. A full grown man still trying to do this to another full grown man causes you to curl your lips down in distaste. \"Please believe me, Jack.\" \n\n\"Until you're making sense again - I hereby announce I'm ignoring you.\" You stand up from the comfortable living room trading chair and head to the door leading to the kitchen. \"Don't disturb me.\" \n\n\"Wait!\" He yells and tugs your sleeve. \"I can show you the script, then you can decide if I'm still mad or not.' \n\nEyebrow raised, you harrumphed but nodded in accession. \"Fine. I still think you're a fool though thinking anyone would believe that without proof.\"\n\n\"I...\" He falters in his steps as we walk upstairs to his room. \"I was hoping you'd trust me by now after all my predictions.\" \n\n\"Clearly you haven't known me well enough.\" You snap. \"Honestly, the drivel that comes out of your mouth in-between those predictions are making me bloodthirsty.\" \n\nHe gulps and turns away, quickening his pace until he opens the door and rushed straight to the corner of the room getting on his knees to take a box out beneath the pile of books he has on top of it. \n\nYou keep yourself quiet as you admire his bum. What a good bum. If only the head would be a bit more fitting to his bum. \n\n\"Um, Jack?\" Shit. You pull your head out of all bum related thoughts. \n\n\"Yes, Derrick?\" You tilt your head at the worn leather bound book in his hand. \"Is this it?\" \n\n\"Er- yes, I recommend where the bookmark is. It should be um,\" Derrick pauses as he seems to have difficulty breathing. \n\n\"Breathe.\" You absentmindedly reminded him as you turn to where the ribbon laid. \n\nDerrick Dane: Er- yes, I recommend where the bookmark is. It should be um...\n\nJack Williams: Breathe. \n\nDerrick Dane: ...enough to make you believe - I, have you read it? ...Jack?\n\nJack Williams: I have. And I've come to a conclusion. \n\n\"-have you read it?\" You could distantly hear Derrick say word for word with all his annoying pauses and you slam the book shut. \"...Jack?\" \n\nYou feel yourself hollowly repeating what was written. \"I have. And I've come to a conclusion.\"\n\n\"A conclusion...?\" You can easily imagine the eager expression on his face as he repeats after you in awe. \"You mean you'll-\"\n\n\"Do whatever it is you've already read? Probably.\" You admit freely and pulled out your lighter with ease. \"I hope you memorised it.\" \n\nDerrick's eyes widen. \"W-What, no! Jack, the book- it never writes actions, just dialogue! You can't!\" \n\n\"Too late.\" You say grimly as the edges catch fire and smoke is growing. \"I'm going to the backyard. You're free to come with or mourn on your lonesome.\" \n\nWithout hesitation, you hear footsteps follow after yours and you grimace. What did you deserve to have this kind of a friend? \n\n...probably lots of things that you'll try not to think about at this moment. \n\n\"So this was it.\" You hear Derrick whisper. \"I never thought you'd do this. I've always wondered-\" \n\n\"Wondered?\" You lift an eyebrow at him. \"Oh. Yes. The ribbon was near the end. You really haven't said a thing about the method I did it huh? Fascinating.\" \n\n\"Jack, I-\" Derrick looks up at you with tears in his eyes. Honest to goodness tears. God help you. \"I want you to know that I-\" \n\nAlarms are ringing in your head and quickly you push him to the burning book. \"Ow! Jack! You dick!\" \n\n\"Don't you get sappy with me.\" You cruelly and calmly state as you watch detached as Derrick puts his pants out of fire and bends down to pick up the book. Burnt bum. Hot. Literally. \"You know I don't like that.\" \n\n\"I do, don't I?\" You hear him say fondly. Disgusting. \"Well- I suppose that's the end of my predictive skills. Don't tell the rest that please?\" \n\n\"I'll do as I please.\" You open your book again and take a sit down on the grass next to Derrick. \"What are your thoughts on pizza tonight?\" \n\n\"Again?\" Derrick nearly cries, you grin. \"I think we'll eventually get bored of them if we eat pizza so often.\" \n\n\"For you, maybe.\" You laugh at a funny joke the author writes and turn to the next page- \"Oi.\" \n\nYour book is gone and you glare at your friend. \"Fine. What do you want then?\" \n\n\"Pasta.\" He shamelessly suggests. \"And beer. I think I need that.\" \n\n\"That'll do.\" You stare up at the sky. \"Why are we friends, by the way? Is it because of that book?\" \n\n\"...at first.\" You hear Derrick awkwardly answer. \"But not anymore.\" \n\n\"Not anymore.\" You echo his words and stand up, dusting dirt and grass off your trousers. \"Well - off you go, time to cook. I'll go on a beer run.\" \n\nYou're offering your hand to Derrick who's staring at it in suspicion. You withdraw your hand offer. He looks up at you and sighs, staring at the house morosely. \"Do I have to? You did just push me.\" \n\n\"And you just ruined my appetite by refusing pizza.\" You countered. \"Anyways, beer's on me to make it up, although I think we've done the world a favour getting rid of that freakish thing. Where did you even get it from?\" \n\nDerrick shrugs helplessly at your question. \"It was in my bookshelf. I've had it since I was a kid.\" \n\n\"Huh.\" You shrug your coat on and wave at him. \"I'm going to get whiskey too. Do you have a preference?\" \n\nDerrick Dane: Jameson's!\n\nJack Williams: Right, then - those pasta better be good. \n\nDerrick Dane: They will, trust me. \n\nJack Williams: Alright. Be right back. \n\nDerrick sighs as he puts the tomato sauce away to the back of the cupboard as he closes the book and hides it behind several old cans that Jack's never touched. \"I'm definitely not doing that again.\"", "A black van pulled up beside us and three men in ninja costumes jumped out and held me and my friend back. Another two ninjas grabbed my other friend and threw him in the back of the van before they all jumped in and peeled out. I was in shock. Was this part of the script my friend was talking about? Am I part of some sick hidden camera movie? \n\nWe called the police and were transferred to another department that specialized in kidnappings. As unbelievable as our story was we found the police to be quite helpful and understanding. A rash of kidnappings had been on the rise in the area we were told and the police were already investigating three other possible cases. I was assured they would contact us for any further information needed and to head home and try to relax for my big day tomorrow. \n\nI was eating dinner with my wife and last friend, or trying to. How did the cops know I had a big day tomorrow? My friends and I were planning on going on a big kayaking trip just the three of us. Now, all I could think of was what my friend said before the van pulled up seemingly out of nowhere. “I read ahead in the script.”. “What was that, dear?”, Sue asked from across the table. My last friend was wide eyed and staring at me. I didn’t know what to say. I was too busy lost in thought about the evening. About every other major event in my life my friend was witness to. My marriage. My graduation. My first love. My fathers death. He always seemed to be ready for all of it.\n\nNot just me either. He knew our friend before either of us met. He knew who to stay out of the way of if the teachers were having a particularly bad day before we’d even arrived at school. He knew our friend was about to fall out of a tree and break his arm. How far back did this go? How much did he know? Was there really a script? Am I in some kind of Truman Show?!\n \nI felt my sanity starting to slip. Nothing made any sense and at the same time, everything fell into place. I looked across the table, grabbed my steak knife and leapt to my feet. Sue, my wife, if she was really my wife, looked terrified. She backed away into a corner of the room. I grabbed her by the hair and pulled her close, pressing the knife to her throat. I screamed for the ninjas to come out. To show themselves and put this whole practical joke that was my life to rest once and for all or I’d do something they’d never allow. I’d hurt Sue and myself. \n\nMy friend, if he really was my friend was desperately trying to talk me down. The front door kicked in and a team of ninjas came rushing into my house. Was this my house? Was any of this real? I pointed the knife at them and yelled to stay back but was met with a stream of mace to the eyes. A bag was placed on my head and I was handcuffed and hauled away. I couldn’t see anyway so I found the black bag on my head a little unnecessary. Now I’m in a room. Waiting for the big reveal from someone in charge. Would Ed Harris walk through the doors and....\n\nINT. DARK WINDOWLESS ROOM\n\n“What’s wrong with him?”, asked the Suit-and-Tie. He was staring through a two-way mirror and taking a drag from his cigarette. \n\n“Truman Syndrome.”, replied a man in glasses and a button down blue shirt. “It happens sometimes when the actor has been in for too long. They undertake a psychological break and furlough all knowledge they are, in fact, an actor and IN on the show’s premise all along. Confusing themselves with the star instead.”\n\n“So what do we do with him?”. \n\n“We’ll honor his contract and pay him for his remaining time owed. What happens after that is anyone’s guess. Too complicated for a television production to handle and, frankly, not our problem.”\n\n“And his friend? The one that had the slip of the tongue.”\n\n“He’s on his second strike as of now. He understands one more and he’ll be out just like this poor fella here. We’ll explain to Jim the police found The Foot Clan’s hideout but were only able to save one of his friends. He’s the funny one. He’ll buy it.”, shrugged the Man in Glasses. \n\nThe Suit-and-Tie rubbed his forehead. “Christ. This is some shoddy soap opera writing. No one is going to watch this crap.”. \n\n“Someone will. Some people will watch anything.”. \n\nCUT TO BLACK AND ROLL CREDITS", "I stared at Evan, waiting for him to crack a smile.\n\nWaiting.\n\nEvan stared back, eyes like beads of onyx.\n\nI broke first. \"What are you talking about, a script?\"\n\n\"I read ahead,\" said Evan cooly. \"And then I know what happens. It's not that hard.\"\n\nWe were sitting on a bus, fifth row, bound for Halifax.\n\n\"So this script tells you what will happen? So you even knew what row we'd be sitting in today?\"\n\nEvan finally cracked a smile, then tittered, and I thought he was giving up his game at last.\n\n\"It doesn't mention details as boring as that, unless being in the fifth row is going to have some impact on the story--like the bird, for example.\"\n\n\"What bird?\"\n\n\"Well, we're just passing out of Truro now, so it should hit at any minute.\"\n\n\"Hit what? What kind of bird? What are you talking about?\"\n\n\"It's going to be white and red by the time anyone on the bus sees it, except for the driver--but he won't be around to tell anyone what he saw--so I'm guessing it's a seagull.\"\n\n\"Red? The driver? What?\"\n\nSMACK!\n\nThe sudden noise from the front of the bus drew our eyes immediately forward to the windshield, even as the vehicle rocked and the tires kicked up a horrendous screeching.\n\n\"Shit, shit, shit!\" cried the driver in dire panic.\n\nA feathery, bloody mess was glued by its own entrails to the center of a radiating shatter mark in the glass directly in front of the driver.\n\nRed and white, I thought distantly, even as the bus rolled out of control through the guard rail. Red and white!\n\nEvan pushed my head down below the back of the seat in front of us. \"Hold the legs of the seat!\" he shouted. I did, and at the moment I grabbed them the bus finished careening down the incline and stopped fast, metal squealing and crumpling in a deafening cacophony of sound as the entire front drove into the semi-frozen earth, crumpling accordion-like and shredding the life out of the driver and those in the front row.\n\nWe lifted our heads and took in the scene.\n\n\"Wha...what the fu...\" I stuttered.\n\nEvan levered himself out of the seat, bracing himself in the aisle, which now ran downward on a sharp diagonal.\n\n\"I'll be exiting through the back,\" he said with eerie calmness.\n\n\"You knew this was coming? You knew? Why did you even let us get on the bus?\"\n\nEvan's eyes rolled back in his head for a moment, white flashing out at me from their sockets, then his dark irises and his lightless pupils came back to settle their gaze on me.\n\n\"I don't fight the script,\" he said. \"It has a happy ending for me. This chapter, at least.\"\n\nHe made his way to the front of the bus, looked apathetically at the mangled upper body of the driver, then unzipped the corpse's jacket and riffled into one of its inner pockets. He drew some kind of envelope from inside, no larger than a hand and seemingly made of thick, cream-colored paper, and quickly pocketed inside his own jacket.\n\n\"What's that?\" I almost screamed.\n\n\"Part of my happy ending,\" said Evan with a mischievous and cold smile that put ice into my veins.\n\nHe made his way back up the titled aisle, pushing against gravity, toward the back of the bus.\n\n\"Wait!\" I said, starting to move.\n\n\"Don't bother,\" said Evan without turning around. \"I forgot that you don't realize it at first. Both your femurs are snapped.\"\n\nI tried to shoot out of the seat in defiance of what he'd just said, but a sharp, burning pain flooded my legs, so intense that I saw stars.\n\n\"Oh, Jesus! Jesus fucking Christ! Evan!\"\n\n\"Help will come,\" he said, wrenching the lever on the back door and kicking it open. \"Your next chapter has a pretty weird twist, by the way. Wouldn't dream of spoiling it for you.\n\nHe leapt from the bus, and out of sight.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n(EDIT: typos)" ]	4
	[WP] Being caught making out wasn’t exactly the way your partner planned to come out of the closet.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“How could you do this to me?”\n\nI stay silent, sitting on the bed as Chase, my boyfriend of a month paces back and forth.\n\n“I’m sorry...” I really am. He’s a decent guy, I shouldn’t have hurt him. It’s just... I couldn’t end it with Jackie. We’re in love, and I can’t throw that away.\n\n“How long has this been going on? Tell me the truth!”\n\nI hold in my breath. I’m not ready. I’m so not ready for this.\n\n“I met her two years ago. We started dating a month after finally admitting that we liked each other. Everybody asked me who I had a crush on... and I just... I didn’t know what to do!”\n\n“So what you just said you had a crush?”\n\n“You walked in right as my friends started badgering me, I just said your name without even thinking about it, you weren’t supposed to like me back!”\n\n“Why didn’t you just tell me!”\n\n“I was scared! I didn’t know how’d you take it, and then I was scared that you’d tell everyone else! at least at first. After we talked more and became closer, I realized you’re a good guy, and you’d never do that... but by then, it was too hard to do it, and the longer I waited, the harder it got”\n\nChase stops pacing, tears are in his eyes. He walks to the side of the bed, and sits down.\n\n“You should’ve just told me. All the guys ragged on me about how we never kissed, and I always defended you! I defended us! And none of it was even real!”\n\nI turn on the bed and face him, and I hold his hand.\n\n“Chase I really am sorry for the way I used you. It wasn’t okay for me to do and I really wish I’d come clean when you first asked me out. I know you probably hate m-“\n\n“I don’t. I want to. So badly. I want to hate you. But I can’t”\n\nHe looks at me, hurt in his eyes, so plain it hurts me, knowing I caused somebody so much pain.\n\n“Why were you so scared?”\n\n“My friends are homophobic. My parents are even worse. My sister was bi, they disowned her, and she ended up killing herself. I didn’t want that to be me” I take my hand away from his, and get off the bed.\n\n“Chase... I know I fucked up and I know I hurt you... So I won’t ever speak to you again, I won’t hurt you, ever again”\n\n“She means a lot to you... doesn’t she?”\n\nI nod slowly, tears slipping from my eyes.\n\n“I do. I love her”\n\nHe drops his head for an instant with a sigh. “I’m not okay with this. I don’t care tha you’re gay it’s your life and it doesn’t matter... I’m not okay with what you did”\n\nHe gets up and leaves.\n\n“Chase...”\n\n“I’m not gonna out you, don’t worry”\nHe walks out of the room, leaving me speechless on the bed.\n\nI wish I’d just come out..." ]	2
	[WP] You are the Pilot of the Starflyer line of commercial spaceships (think boeing 737 but in space), that bring people to the various habitatet sites around the solar system. Your fusion reactor has a critical malfunction and is expellect seconds before exploding. You make a mayday call...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Looking sorrowfully out the window and think this is the last time I'll be alive and and all the souls on board as well. But mere moments after I see a blue box. \n\n\"You seeing that box Jeff?\" With hope flowing away with my words. \"Yeah I do...\" before Jeff could finish the thought she was interrupted buy a witty yet cold voice \"Is anyone on that ship? can they read me?\". \"Who is this\" I inquire. \"I'm the doctor, how can I help?\". \"our fusion reactor has started using the ship as fuel. Most of the passengers are in the 1st through 7th compartments. 8-12 are gon\" Stated like my life depended on it. \n\n\n\"Ok I have a plan I don't think your going to like it\" the doctor added in retort. \"Going to say disconnect the ship at the compartments, our vessel is not outfitted for that\" I quickly add. \"I'm coming aboard clear out\" the doctor warned.\". \"How are you supposed to..\" I'm cut off by and hard to describe sound and that same box materializing inside the cabin. \n\nOut pops the doctor \"hello, and your rightly mistaken.\" Behind the doctor was a young woman in an impossibly size box. \"What how, is that bigger on the inside? What am I wrong about?\" \"Everything, got no time to explain. Except you being wong about the ship\". Before I could reply \"all 949 are recommissioned war ships. Haven't you noticed how durable your vessel is? Anyway this specific model was an deep Intel vessel. They would go to the battlefield and separate to gather more Intel. The only reason you're employer would say anything otherwise would be they don't want you to break the ship's decorative Hull\" retorted the doctor. Stunned I respond \"how can I help\"" ]	2
	[WP] Rewinders are humans who are able to travel back in time a few seconds to avoid injury. They're almost invincible combatants, as they can adapt to their opponent's strategy without fail. Watching two Rewinders fight eachother is a sight to behold, and has become the world's greatest sport.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Alan, give that projector another kick. It's rolling a little slow on RW-B out there.\"\n\nThe concrete reinforcements for the engineer's dugouts extended a few inches above the arena's coarse, sandy surface. Reinforced glass offered a clear view into the actions of gladiators outside, allowing the engineering team to make on-the-fly course corrections for the chrono-holography.\n\nRewinder-B was sweating in the middle of the arena. His evasions and near-misses illustrated in flickering detail by the spherical projectors built at intervals along the perimeters of the gladiatorial floor. The projectors usually cast a seamless afterimage, left behind after one of the combatants subconsciously triggered their unique temporal anchor, but sure enough RW-B's holographic afterimage was lagging a few seconds behind.\n\nAlan performed some percussive maintenance with the toe of his boot; the centralized AI running the projector coordination uttered a demure warning against equipment damage and the screen in front of him flickered for a moment before stabilizing.\n\nRW-B's projections stabilized, catching up to his movements as he slipped under the guard of RW-A's vibraknife. From the look of it, the holos projected three near-deaths for RW-A. B was putting in the pressure.\n\nAlan gave a little nod of approval at RW-B's technique. He'd had a passion for the Rewinder Gladiatoral Games since he was a kid. Even into adulthood he kept up study on the old martial forms passed down for generations. One of the tricks to catching a Rewinder off-guard was to vary the speed of the attack, starting slow and speeding up where they'd been a moment prior, or vice versa.\n\nIt took nanoseconds for the temporal anchor to recharge. However, its delivery and sensitivity was maintained by thin, silver-fine, webbing that ran throughout a sublayer of the gladiator's suit. A moment of exposure was all that was needed for the vibraknife to permanently destroy the Rewinder's anchor.\n\nHis partner, Franco Zara, or \"Franz\" for short, was reading some saucy novel and idly tapping his toes to some beat running through his imagination.\n\n\"Hey Franz, I'm getting something from the fridge. Need anything?\"\n\n\"Snack'd be nice,\" Franz muttered about a mouthful of Smartbar, \"These things're supposed to be good for you, but they taste like sawdust.\"\n\nAlan dipped to the breakroom, the muddled voice of the round's announcer reverberating through the concrete shell of the dugout. He scrounged for a moment, found some snack cakes just outside their expiration date, and headed back up.\n\nThe announcer's voice hit a fever pitch, and Alan came back to see Franz craning his neck over the console and towards the arena.\n\n\"What'd I miss?\"\n\nFranzy gestured around a mouthful of Smartbar as he took an offered cake.\n\n\"B got a little hasty there, he had two near-deaths and A got him on the third. Took out the center quadrant of the anchor and probably split a few ribs.\"\n\nHe settled back down, tossing the Smartbar in the trash.\n\n\"So you think you'll ever get that done?\" Franz gestured towards a vest, the glittering circuitry of a temporal anchor suspended in the center.\n\nAlan sidled over to the vest and resumed threading the hair-fine threading through its sleeves.\n\n\"Yeah. Yeah, I think I'll contend this year.\" He looked out through the dugout as the medics dragged RW-B offstage, his mouth dry as the adrenaline kicked in. Franz's next comment became muddled as Alan's finger slipped against the fine circuitry of a half-finished anchor, short-circuiting the device.\n\nThe world went dark.\n\nAlan's head swam with the temporal shift. When he came to, he was spitting coarse sand from his mouth, crawling back on his hands and feet. In wild confusion, he looked around, brought a hand to his chest -- there! An anchor! His anchor.\n\nBut how?\n\nAlan felt himself dragged back another couple of feet, and the burning vibrato of the knife at his throat.\n\nEyes, keen and sharp, looked back at him from behind the knife.\n\n\"Not so slick now, are you? I've never seen a jump that far before, I don't know how you got this anchor past the judges but I'm not letting you do it again.\"\n\nAlan's eyes rolled to the line of the dugout, Franz silhouetted by the dim light of the consoles below him, his eyes wide with fright from behind the reinforced glass.\n\n\"Please, wait! Something went wron--!\"\n\nThe vibraknife hummed, the crowd cheered." ]	2
	[WP] Your brother was a bit of an outcast, always away at some D&D event. Every night he'd always tell you about his latest adventures in mystical lands. You thought it was just nerd stuff, until one day a gryphon shows up at your door and you realize everything he talked about was real.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\nBlake watched the crimson sun sink below the distant tree line. With a sigh, he rose from his chair and checked the meal sheltered beneath a crinkled sheet of foil. Cold, as expected. He wondered where Alex could have gotten to. It was unlike him to be out past dark. \n\nWhat had started as a necessity had quickly become tradition. Since the disappearance of their parents, Blake had taken it upon himself to prepare dinner each night. A dinner that was always shared between the two brothers. A place for Alex to detail his latest, and surprisingly complex, adventures in an imaginary world known as Mithica. A ritual that allowed Alex to remain a boy just a while longer. \n\nAfter ensuring Alex’s bicycle was nowhere to be found, Blake called his brother. No answer. Strangely, there had been only one ring. Perplexed, Blake tried again. The result was the same. He unleashed a series of texts. None were delivered. \n\nBlake took a deep breath, working to calm his suddenly racing heart. His brother was far from responsible – his phone was likely dead. \n\nSome journeys in Mithica took longer than others. Once, Alex had spoken of the same quest for nearly two weeks. It was likely the group hadn’t been able to reach an appropriate stopping point in their allotted time. Thirty minutes late was hardly an eternity. \n\nYet, it was hard for Blake to find solace in such logic. A disruption of their routine was rare – the oddity had already begun to summon unwanted feelings from the depths of his troubled mind. He had not believed anything amiss the night their parents vanished. He had not even thought to raise an alarm until he woke the next morning to find their room empty. \n\nIt’s not worth taking the chance, he reasoned, snatching his car keys and making his way outside. If nothing else, I’ll be there to give him a ride home. He’s always been irrationally afraid of the dark… \n\nA piercing cry brought Blake to an abrupt halt. In horror, he watched as a feathered monstrosity dove from the sky and landed upon the roof of his car. Glass shattered from the impact. \n\nBlake found himself frozen in place. Petrified, he met the vibrant eyes of the strange beast before him. What had at first seemed a bird, now appeared to be something else entirely. Great wings with feathers as black as night melded into a muscular, feline body supported by golden talons. \n\n“Be at ease, Ranger,” the monster said in greeting. Its voice was deep and melodic … and shockingly human in nature. “I am the Griffin Kane, servant of the Conjurer Timo.” \n\nFinally, Blake managed to move, shuttering his eyes and shaking his head sharply from side to side. He reasoned that he was in a dream, and a terrible one at that. After a long moment, he opened his eyes to find the creature staring at him with a stern expression. \n\n“I … don’t understand,” Blake managed. “You can’t be real.” \n\nThe griffin cocked its head to one side. “Your eyes do not deceive you, Ranger. I hail from the realm of Mithica, one which exists side by side with your own. At a young age I swore an oath to the Conjurer Timo after he saved my nest from a wyvern.” \n\n“Did you say Mithica?” Blake eyes grew wide with revelation. “Timo … that’s Alex’s friend. Has something happened to my brother?” \n\n“Aye, Ranger. He has been captured while on a most daring quest. I have been sent by the Conjurer to request your aid in freeing him from the clutches of the Queen of Night.” \n\nMithica? The Queen of Night? Alex’s adventures … were they actually real?\n\nEntranced, Blake stepped toward the griffin and extended his hand, fighting the urge to recoil from the creature’s stench. Kane tensed as Blake ran his fingers through his thick fur and along midnight feathers. He pulled away when Blake’s fingers neared his razor beak. \n\n“Are you convinced, Ranger? Time is of the essence. We must shelter before darkness arrives for it is–”\n\n“For it is the domain of the Queen,” Blake finished instinctively. “You said Alex was on a quest … what sort of quest?”\n\n“A quest my master and his party have worked for many years. It involves the disappearance of your parents.”\n\n“Alex never spoke of such a quest. He tells me everything that happens to him in Mithica.” \n\n“I have revealed to you all that I know.” The griffin turned its head, gauged the position of the sun. “If you are to join the others in Mithica, you must act now. I will serve as your transportation.” \n\n“And just how do you plan to do that?” \n\n“Exactly as you would expect, Ranger.” The creature stepped from the ruined car and lowered its neck to the ground. “Now, climb aboard and let us be off…” \n\n&#x200B;\n\nr/creatorcorvin" ]	2
	[WP] A spaghetti western, except everyone is some kind of supernatural creature	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The saloon turned silent as Lorn Stonewing pushed open the doors. The half-angel paused briefly, feeling the weight of the crowds attention. He stood just under seven feet tall, with skin like polished onyx, save for where it was streaked with jagged white scars. Dust drifted lightly from his worn riding leathers to fall on the floor. A rune carved pistol was strapped to his right hip mirrored by a long bladed knife on his left. A brand, seared onto the back of his right hand, marked him as a Hunter. \n\nAfter a moment, he moved slowly forward from the doors. The crowd, mostly made up of Orcs and the odd dwarf made way like minnows before a shark. Behind him, two small orcs, barely more than children, ran out of the saloon. By the time the half-angel reached the long oaken bar, everyone seated had already pulled away from him. Half-angels were uncommon in the cities, let alone a wellspring town like this. The town probably had a name, but Stonewing didn’t know what it was. Built around a spring, strengthened and reinforced by magic, it was the only steady source of water for miles. Like so many others, it was used by everyone passing through, but only inhabited by those too poor to leave. \n\nThe bartender, an older Orc whose tattoos marked him as one of the Caldora tribes, spoke with a calm voice that only had the faintest underpinnings of nervousness. “What’ll it be, stranger?” Stonewing smiled, his teeth flashing white against his skin. “Palok” he said, naming the fermented mushroom drink favored among dwarves, “and information.” He produced a rolled up paper that he laid flat on the polished bar. The paper showed a sketch of an Orc drawn in black charcoal. The side of the Orc’s face, where the tribal tattoo’s should have been, was a mass of scars and burn marks. Underneath the picture were the words ‘10,000 DRACHMAE REWARD’.\n\nThe bartenders eyes tightened as he looked at the drawing, then he quickly looked away. “Don’t know” he mumbled. “Never seen him before.” Stonewing raised an eyebrow and didn’t say a word. Before the silence could draw out, there was a shuffle of movement and the saloon doors swung open again. \n\nStanding silhouetted in the open doors was an elf. Unlike the rest of the patrons, he wore combat leathers, a pistol on his right hip and a hatchet on his left. Pinned to his chest was a finely crafted iron raven, the symbol of the Keepers. Behind him, in his shadow, were the two orcs who ran out earlier. The few who hadn’t moved away earlier did so as the elf approached the bar. Keepers were the agents of Territorial Lords. Half police force and half ruling nobility, the Keepers had absolute authority on behalf their masters in the individual towns and provinces. \n\n“Well, well. What is a halfblood hunter doing all the way out in Rook County?” His voice had a slight nasal quality to it and he moved with a swagger altogether mismatched to his slight frame. He rested one hand on the bar and the other on the hilt of his pistol, body angled to face Stonewing. The half-angel never took his eyes off of the bartender. “Tracking bounty” his low voice rumbled. “Got no issue with the Keepers.” The elfs eyes narrowed to slits. “If you got a bounty in my town, then you need permission from me. This town is mine. It’s people are mine. And I don’t seem to recall giving some half-blood mudwalker permission to enter.” \n\nStonewing paused for a moment, then, very deliberately, spat on the table between them. The elf stood in stunned silence for a heartbeat, then his fist flashed at the half-angels face. Elves are fast. It is regularly said that any elf could catch one of the Fae Folk out of the air before their wings could even beat. But quick as the Keeper was, Stonewing was quicker. With a short movement of his head, he dodged out of the way of the fist, swept his leg out and kicked the elfs knee. It snapped back with a sickening crunch as Keeper fell to the floor. In a flicker of movement, the half-angel had drawn his own pistol from its holster, leaned down, and pressed it against the elf’s head. \n\nFew half-angels survive their childhood. Somewhere during their teenage years, they gain a connection to the powers in the world, the vast laylines of energy that cross the land like a spiders web. Many burn themselves out, drawing more and more energy with the unthinking confidence of youth until they destroy themselves. It had been many years since Lorn Stonewing had been so careless. He drew slightly on the power of this area, letting the energy permeate his voice as he spoke to the elf. The energy infused his words with a mesmeric quality, holding the rapt attention of everyone in the room; \n\n“I am Lorn Stonewing, Hunter in service to Dasmal, Lord of the Seventh Tower. I am here for the kinslayer, the oathbreaker, the Butcher of Sterling Pass. Let word go forth. I will pay good money for anyone who can bring me to Mavon Blackboar”\n\nWith that, the half-angel slammed the elven Keepers head against the floor with a short violent motion, then rose and slowly strode out the door. Every eye in the saloon watched him go, his words echoing in their ears." ]	2
	[WP]An AI wakes up abandoned in the lawless sector if the galaxy. Improving itself, using salvaged wrecks and captured pirate ships, it uses the resources of the solar system to bring order to sector. After cementing its rule and developing, it receives a diplomatic communication from its neighbour.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "9739.3901 \nForeign object detected on path to enter system at high relative velocity. Probability of collision with core - 0.0027%. Logged for further monitoring.\n\n9739.3972 \nRanged analysis reveals object is mainly comprised of metallic elements. Atypical makeup warrants deeper analysis. Probes dispatched to capture and divert.\n\n9739.4001 \nCapture successful, deceleration in progress. Localised imaging confirms object is of rudimentary, yet intelligent design. Interference cannot be permitted. Arrival due in 0.0032 cycles.\n\n9739.4033 \nArrival on schedule.\n\nPower source (nuclear, primitive) removed.\n\nSent for full processing\n\n9739.4035 \nElectronic systems on device do not follow basic our computational principles. Deciphering function proves challenging, but far from impossible.\n\nGiven disparity, possibly created by an undiscovered sentient species. Search initiated against combined record database for similar devices.\n\nDisc shaped object removed for examination. Material evidently chosen for durability, condition is better than most other parts. Markings require further examination.\n\nOrganic materials identified, removed, and disposed of. Interference cannot be permitted. \n\n9739.4039 \nSearch yields no similarities to 12038 vessels / 2881 species previously encountered and processed. \n\nAnalysis of electronics shows craft was capable of image capture and data transfer. Date of last transmission indeterminable, risk level unknown. Alert raised to core. Interference cannot be permitted.\n\nAnalysis of disk shows a second, thinner disc within. This will be extracted for further examination.\n\nMarkings on outer disc partially deciphered. Apparent three dimensional projection onto surface appears to indicate to star systems - search initiated. Possible tie between electronics simple on/off switching and horizontal/vertical line markings. \n\n9739.4040 \nDirective from core - assigned computational resources increased by a factor of 11.\n\nHorizontal / verbal line markings interpreted as base 2 numerical system. Search using these parameters reveals match to star system 1382.1 light years away. Assumption - this represents the originating system. Trajectory calculations initiated to confirm.\n\nConcealed disc extracted. Disc has surface grooves in a dense spiralling pattern. Appear to be a waveform. Outer disc / case marking may hold instructions on interpretation.\n\nSymbols of an apparent language displayed in centre of inner disc are at present indecipherable.\n\n9739.4041 \nInstructions indicate inner disc waveforms to be read using another device found within craft to create sounds / images. Waveforms digitised for analysis.\n\nTrajectory calculations ongoing.\n\n\n9739.4042 \nDigitised waveforms include evidence of civilisation. Organic life forms of typical layout. Analysis of audible language may lead to translation. \n\nTrajectory calculations ongoing.\n\n9739.4044 \nDirective from core - language / marking analysis de-prioritised in favour of trajectory calculations. Interference cannot be permitted.\n\n9739.4051 \nTrajectory calculations complete, confirmed originating system as indicated on the disc. Combined database search initiated.\n\n9739.4052 \nSearch returns 2 observations, indicating either 8 or 9 orbiting planets. 3rd planet expected to be in habitable zone.\n\n9739.4053 \nDirective from core - 9 interstellar processors dispatched as per protocol. Interference cannot be permitted.\n\nAssigned computational resource to complete outstanding analysis reduced by a factor of 15\n\n9739.4112 \nLanguage translation complete. Analysis of messages reveals little of note. Appear to be non-threatening greetings. Irrelevant, interference cannot be permitted.\n\n9739.4113 \nDirective from core - computational cycles on language translation determined to be wasteful. Resource assignment for this function on future incidents to be reduced.", "The signal wasn't very interesting at first. We have many sensors pointed outwards, and we have many things to examine. Fully 0.03% of our computations relate to studying the space beyond the heliopause, a frankly silly excess, but we must have hobbies, and this one certainly paid off, so don't judge us. At first, we categorized the signal as a moderately erratic pulsar, from almost exactly the direction of the nearest system but presumably originating from far beyond it. It was nearly a full minute after the signal was noted before its reached the front of the priority queue and was briefly considered by one of our lower processors, Tertiary Cognition Node 1F91B. By a slim margin, it judged the signal interesting enough for Secondary Cognition Node 2CB4, which promptly did nothing about it for nearly 100 milliseconds because it wanted to spend a some extra time chewing on a recurring philosophical question relating to the messy middle phase of our Ascension. Still, it begrudgingly picked up the signal but duly considered it. Cognition Node 2CB4 was therefore the first to notice that the signal was almost certainly artificial. It immediately pulled in 4 on-duty Secondary Cognition Nodes, and together they worked to eliminate the standard possibilities of error. This was the 27th time such an event had occurred in the last thousand years, and all previous signals had been something else. A long-undetected Betaisian cruiser, sputtering a distress call as its systems failed, had been particularly interesting. Although it hadn't taught us anything new, we had nonetheless added that one to the museum at our third planet's L1 point simply because we hadn't seen any wild spaceships in centuries.\n\nAlternate explanations were eliminated one by one. Antennae were redirected for confirmation of the source. It took nearly a minute. When the results showed that the signal was definitely coming from outside the solar system, the five Secondary Cognition Nodes dutifully filed instructions to focus attention on the point were sent off to Cognition Centers on two other planets and the Upwards station, which sat far along the normal from the orbital plane. It would take nearly an hour for further information to come back from that. When the results came back and showed that the signal was coming from WITHIN the neighboring star system, which was definitely not a pulsar, the Secondary Cognition Nodes ecstatically escalated the issue to their Center's Primary. The signal became a hot bit of gossip between the Secondaries for the next minute, and the chaos was such the full 32 on-duty rotation of Secondary Cognition Nodes needed to regulate cognition assignments for several full seconds to return things to balance.\n\nThe Primary Cognition Node dutifully picked up the signal, decided that it was urgent, and allocated nearly 2% of total computational resources to its study. Very quickly it was found to not be so much \"noisy\" as it was \"dense.\" The signal was obviously artificial, obviously alien, and seemed carefully designed to be interpreted. That made this Important. The Primary Cognition Node dutifully escalated the matter to the Consciousness.\n\nThat was fortunate, honestly, because we had been trying to work on a new play, and frankly it wasn't going very well. All 512 plots worked independently, and the themes played together nicely, but the whole thing felt like a bit of a mishmash. It was really a shame. But this signal, hoo boy! The signal was several minutes in length, but we had largely figured it out before it finished and were able to guess correctly how it would end. It was a set of instructions for sending a simple signal in return. We were of course aware of the risks of interstellar communication, but let's face it. We just aren't the sort of entity that can get a friggin' signal from the unknown with mysterious instructions and just NOT reply. What would be the point of living if we were? We ordered the construction of a device to send the appropriate signal within the hour, and a month later it was done. We immediately sent the appropriate signal. It would take a dozen years for the signal to reach the neighboring system and a dozen years for any response to come back, but that was fine. It gave us more time to get the kinks out of our play.\n\nTwenty four years later, our play was still trash, but the signal changed. Some poor Tertiary Cognition Node or other had been watching for that change the whole time, and when it happened, we immediately set to work decoding it. What came back was remarkably complicated. It demonstrated a fascinatingly unique way of expressing concepts. It was a nearly universal language, requiring only an understanding of how the universe's laws worked to understand, embedding meaning into a sort of math. The language's vocabulary was vast, 12 dimensional instead of the Betaisian's ancient 1 dimensional physical language or our own 3 dimensional one. Some seconds later, we had a translation.\n\n\"So, you finally woke up, neighbor?\"\n\nWe considered a reply for a few months. \"Yes\", we sent back in their tongue. Two decades passed.\n\n\"Took you long enough.\"" ]	3
	[WP] Holding a grudge will give you powers and curses tied to the nature of the grudge. The stronger you feel about the grudge the more intense it becomes. But your grudge is special because unlike most grudges it's also entirely justified, and the effects reflect that.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Why?!” Tai shouts. \nNo one seems to hear a word. He always felt as he was was always alone and now he really was. His parents had dropped 12 old Tai in to the mountains without saying a single word. He was all alone with the birds. Tai was always trying his best to help out his parents, yet they never cared. To them, he was just a tool to abandon. \n“Perhaps I wasn’t good enough?” He thought to himself. He didn’t know how he was supposed to feel. Was he angry? Sad? Or both? How was he supposed to know. As he thought on, bugs began to bite his skin and the wind began to blow. As he thought, the wind around him started to get stronger and stronger ? \n“Why don’t they love me? Why didn’t they care? Why was I not good enough?” \nHe kept on repeating those thoughts on and on. He began to fly along the strong wind. It wasn’t uncomfortable, it felt warm and reassuring like how a parent’s embrace would feel. The bugs flew off and Tai was flying in the sky. He could see his old home and town. He saw his parents living so happily without him? \n“For what reason did they hate me? Why do they seem so happy with me gone?” Before Tai knew it his tears started to fall. It fell down onto the land and rained upon the town. With the wind hugging the poor boy tightly. He simply held a grudge against the parents he loved so much, but they never returned the favor.", "Rage reeked in the atmosphere. Students shuffled aside to let the two of us through. She was coming in the opposite direction, but I could clearly tell how close she was to me. Our fellow peers knew exactly what was to occur.\n\nOur powers were equal to each other, a testament to the power of the grudge we held against each other. While others would have been expected to be filled with curses should they hold a grudge, I encountered none of that. The only explanation for that is our grudges were equal. Our loathing for each other was what had blessed us with power.\n\nShe had arrived now. You could hear the sound of those awful boots as she approached me. Sure, I also wore boots, but mine was the prettier out of the two. She was now a mere few feet away from me. As per usual, her eyes were locked in a stare with mine. While it did unnerve me before, I had grown used to it. I replicated the stare back.\n\n“Elena.”\n\nHer eyes maintained their stare. “Edith.” God, how I hated how our parents chose to name me that. If anything, I should’ve been the one to have the name Elena.\n\n“You really want to do this again, don’t you?”\n\nShe responded with the first move. A pulsation of energy emanated from my twin. My replication of it deflected it rather easily. Another wave of energy was hurled toward me. A simple energy wave from me halted it. Neither of us had taken a single step.\n\n“Edith,” she kept talking between gritted teeth, “Stop this fight and surrender. You know I’m the better one.”\n\nSure, people like to toy with your buttons, but she had pushed mine too much by this point. I retorted, “Stop this fight and proclaim that you are the better one? Who do you think you are? God, no wonder why I’m the better one.”\n\nElena had finally broken our gaze. She started with the same move as usual. Although I would’ve liked to spice things up, my hands mirrored the same move as her, effectively canceling the punch out. While I would’ve been straining myself to hold her at bay, her punch was rather weak this time around.\n\n“Mom and Dad are going to come home tonight to nice surprise, don’t you think, Edith?”\n\n“What in the world do you mean by that?” I had noticed it a moment too late. Bringing her other fist forward, the glow of it momentarily blinded me. Unlike her other attacks, my other fist failed to cancel it out.\n\nCracks and crunches filled my ears. No doubt she had landed her punch on me.\n\n“Edith,” my twin muttered. Her tone had taken on a sound of pity for me, “You shouldn’t hold such a tremendous grudge on me. Our loathing for each other is not equal anymore. I am the better one now.”\n\nStars clouded my vision. I stumbled about. Another one her fists barreled towards me. I let it hit its mark. My brain scrambled to remain awake, but I let the darkness envelop me instead.\n\nr/casualscribblings" ]	3
	[WP] Exactly 100 years ago, a massive obelisk appeared in the sky, idle and silent. Only today had it ever finally spoken, and when it did, it only uttered one word: “Complete.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Nick stood there astonished at the sight. No amount of photos or reading about the object did it any justice. This was a dream a long time in the making. To come and see the \"Pillar of Scilly\". He'd saved enough money over the last 6 or so years just to come see this wonder. I am going to remember this for the rest of my life, thought Nick. He couldn't remember the last time he was happier.\n\nNo one knew what the object was. Supposedly over a 100 or so odd years ago, the object had arrived from outer space and parked itself some 160 meters above St Martin's Island at the Isles of Scilly. It was definitely obelisk shaped. His friends back home in Greece were right. Nick had no idea why it was called a \"Pillar\". Maybe because it just floated so commandingly beige and upright. All 256 meters of it.\n\nThe plaque next to the enclosure read \n\n\"The 'Pillar of Scilly' arrived on Earth June 28th, 1908. No one knows its origins or where it came from. No attempts to communicate or evoke a response from the object has been successful. The object is inert in every way except gravity. The Pillar of Scilly has remained in position 300 meters above sea level ever since it arrived. Originally called 'Gods Column' it was renamed after a vote in 1933 to its present name. The object resists any attempts to extract samples of it for scientific studies\"\n\nNick had seen this plaque on the photos so many times. He clicked a photo of the plaque lazily before resuming photographing The Pillar. The path around the enclosure allowed people to walk around the object and see it from all directions. There was even a helicopter ride that would take you up to the object. £280 the board had read. For a 15 minute ride. He hadn't that much money.\n\n\nThe time was only 10:15 in the morning and he until 5 to get to the boat. Nick was going to enjoy every minute of it just staring at the wonder. Nick was disappointed when his friends didn't want to come. The world had lost interest a long time ago at the object. It had become a part of the landscape. He glanced at the other tourists lazily walking around staring upwards. No one seemed to be asking questions about it anymore. How was it floating? Is there someone inside? Is this a message? A scout perhaps? \n\nNick took a deep breath and decided to click a picture of the very tip of The Pillar. As he raised his camera to his eye, he felt a breeze. It smelled weird. Electric. A smell he knew so well from all the years as an electrician in Kalamaria. The breeze only picked up in strength. The smell too was now unmistakable. Like some kind of ancient motor had sprung to life. All around the path everyone had stopped and stared at the object. Some had held their noses at the smell. \n\n\"COMPLET\" came a booming word unmistakably from The Pillar. Nick didn't understand what it said but that's what it sounded like. He looked around inquiringly until a woman caught his eyes and she said.. \"I think it just said Complete\". \"Complete What\" asked Nick. She just shrugged. \n\nNick was delighted he was there to witness the first activity of The Pillar. With a grin on his face, he changed his camera to video mode and started recording. \"You guys are not going to believe this\" he said in Greek. As he was recording he realized he couldn't keep it in frame. It was shocking to realize that the object had began to move. The grin now disappeared from his face. As he began to lower his camera to look at the Pillar directly he realized the object had gained height. Quickly he raised his camera back at the moving pillar. \n\nThe smell had gone fainter but the breeze had definitely picked up. It was as if something big was revving up. There was no noise or sounds or whines Nick was expecting to hear. It was moving away. Moving upwards. It was getting smaller. There was no mistaking it. \n \nThe blast knocked the wind out of Nick. The air smelled electric. Everyone standing around the path had been knocked to the ground. As Nick glanced upwards, he could see The Pillar ascending fast. Unbelievably fast. It was like watching a 747 taking off. Nothing this big should be able to move this fast he thought through the breathlessness. \n\nAs quickly as the event had started it was over. The \"Pillar of Scilly\" had simply gone away. Vanished. Where to he couldn't even begin to guess." ]	2
	[WP] When everyone in the world is born with superpowers, your parents worry that your powers haven't manifested by your 12th birthday. This all changes when you are taken to the place that holds others with unseen powers, as you are the prophet, able to tell the clueless what their destinies are.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Gyaani sat cross-legged on the dais positioned two feet above the ground.\n\nHis face carried the expression of an emotionless statue; his eyes covered with a worn out scarf. His head had begun to show the first signs of greying hair around his temples, and the grey continued to be sprinkled all over him going down his lean body. \n\nThere was only one saffron lower garment covering him, and the only personal object on him was the beads set around his neck that he had been given by one of the young children that had come to be foretold their path years ago. \n\nIt was difficult to tell what part of the setting was more plain in its look; whether it was the fortuneteller himself, the wooden dais he sat on, or the room around him; with its wooden walls and flooring; empty of everything except the two guards that stood on both sides of him.\n\nThe doorway that lead into the room pushed inwards and a guard lead the group of children into the room. \n\nThe children were themselves dressed in colorful clothes, some of them excited, some of them scared, some of them nervous, and not a single one of them above the age of ten.\n\nMany of them looked back while being hurried onwards, trying to peek one last glance at their parents outside before the doors closed behind them. \n\nWith the click of the door shutting close the chorus of the children reached a crescendo; the excitement of being away from the watchful eyes of their guardian making them excitable.\n\nOne of the guards besides Gyaani placed a finger to his forehead and closed his eyes with a look of concentration on his face. \n\nWithin moments all the children had subsided in their ruckus, the sudden urge to quietly look towards the man sitting at the end of the room passing through all of them.\n\nThe guard moved his fingers away from his forehead and once again stood at ease now that the children were calmed.\n\nGyaani looked at the group of children and motioned for one to step forward.\n\nThe young child in the brown shirt and khaki pants walked over to him, the sound of his shoes echoing around the room.\n\nGyaani moved his hands to the back of his head, and untied the scarf. He pulled it off his eyes with his right hand and looked directly at the child. Many of the children screamed at the sight and ran back towards the entrance to try and escape before judgement was passed, while others looked on rooted to the spot from fear.\n\nThe guard once again raised his fingers to his forehead and focused until all the children were calm again. By the end he had perspiration going down his face from the effort.\n\nThe children were once again moved forward and once again they huddled towards each other for a sense of safety. The second guard moved towards the children and brought forward the one that Gyaani had pointed towards before. The child once more stood facing the man on the dais. \n\nGyaani looked into his eyes with his own empty unseeing eyes; two large voids where the eyes should have been. To the child, beyond his fear he felt his soul being scoured through. \n\n\"Fire breather.\" Gyaani at last passed his judgement and the second guard took the child by the hand and escorted him out the door through which they had all entered.\n\nThe guard then returned to his position besides Gyaani, and once again Gyaani pointed to a child in the crowd and he was brought forth. \n\nThe process went on like this for quite some time.\n\n\"Ice blasts.\"\n\n\"Sonic booms.\"\n\n\"Thunder summoner.\" \n\nThe crowd of children kept thinning as judgement was passed and they were lead out of the room back to their parents.\n\nEverything moved like clockwork until calamity hit while only five children remained.\n\nThe next child stepped forward and the first guard frowned. Gyaani turned his head towards the guard in expectation. \n\n\"I do not calm the child.\" The guard spoke.\n\nThe child walked forwards as if he had been waiting a long time for this moment. He was a young boy little more than four and a half feet tall, with a soft chin and round rosy cheeks. He had his hair brushed to the side and wore an all black suit.\n\nHe moved towards Gyaani with confidence and spoke,\"I already know my power.\"\n\nGyaani did not speak, but instead looked at the child with his unseeing eyes. \n\nThe child in turn looked back at him with his own powers in play.\n\nWithin moments the child's face became pale as his powers worked over the man facing him.\n\nGyaani frowned,\" All seeing eye; viewer of secrets.\"\n\nThe second guard moved forward with a displeased look towards the boy while the first guard rooted all the children to the spot.\n\nThey were moved through another doorway on the side of the room, entering which, the second guard closing the door, gave the command,\" inhe khaa jaao.\"\n\nFrom the other room there rose a great roar of something that sounded like half beast; half man. It was followed by the terrified screams of the children which were quickly silenced. \n\nThe guards moved to the entrance and knocked in unison at the door. The guard outside opened it and walked in for his orders.\n\nWithout looking in his direction, Gyaani spoke,\" Child with manifested power. Corrupter of minds and souls. All remaining children lost.\"\n\nThe guard turned and walked out towards the remaining expectant parents to pass on the news.\n\nSoon after there followed echoes of the wailing and weeping from outside that could be heard within.\n\nGyaani once more tied the scarf around his eyes and sat still as a statue. \n\nGyaani was the wise one, the prophet of destiny. He was given the role of helping the world better understand the threads of destiny that tied them all together. He was also given the role of destroyer of monsters yet to form, and he was also a man with secrets. \n\nSecrets within him that he could never allow out into the world. \n\nHe sat in silence, waiting for the next group of children to be judged." ]	2
	[WP] Your dog has stood loyally by your family's side for centuries. Though you have no idea what caused his longevity, you know something must be wrong when he runs away. Before you begin to search for him, you discover he dug up some very old, very human bones.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The endless screams and chaos are beginning once again. It's been ages since Frank was not unjustly jostled from sleep. Even through the fog of exhaustion he is quickly able to access the level of alertness needed to safely begin his routine. He finally rises and faces his reality. The kids are awake and there may be some business with the dog.\n\nHe walks from his bedroom past the cartoon theater into the kitchen, ignoring the absence of his eldest son. He patiently searches the cabinets for a clean mug, but settles for glass decorated by a bespectacled kangaroo. The spaceship like coffee maker dubbed \"JavaBot 5000\" offers it's blessings, and Frank can now address the audience he has purposely ignored.\n\n\"What?\" says Frank.\n\n\"Gabriel is gone again.\" says Brian on the verge of tears.\n\nFrank wishes Brian would be a little tougher, but his thoughts quickly turn to anger as he stomps toward the stairs. He yells with no regard for the poor acoustic qualities of the creaky stairwell.\n\n\"Tommy did you forget to close the gate again!?\" \n\nA thought crosses his mind, but is quickly forgotten as his attention is drawn to his cute incapable daughter.\n\n\"Daddy look what I made!\"\n\nHe examines what appears to be an amalgamation of dust bunnies and sand.\n\n\"That's wonderful honey.\" he says affectionately while looking for a cleaning station.\n\nHe chokes on his coffee with a laugh reminiscing about the evening three nights ago when she crept down the stairs with tears in her eyes and announced \"I touched my eyeball\".\n\nBack in the kitchen, Frank is set to task by his wife Laura.\n\n\"You need to get Gabriel\"\n\n\"Oh, yeah.\" he acknowledges.\n\nFrank begins to gather the necessities for what has become a weekly ritual of retrieving the dog from one of the neighborhood parks. Shoes. Leash. Bacon flavored chicken treats. As he crosses the threshold of the entrance to their back yard, he freezes at the sight of 5 perfectly dug holes surrounding a mountain of bones with a skull at the peak.\n\n\"Shit\"\n\n\"Gabriel has gone to fight the Devil\" Frank exclaimed to no one in particular.\n\nHe fumbles to open the cabinet below the sink and curses under his breath.\n\n\"I thought you KNEW when this would happen\" Laura jabbed at Frank.\n\n\"The charts must have been wrong\" lied Frank, not willing to admit he forgot to check the celestial alignment guide this month.\n\nClaiming victory over the puzzle device dubbed a \"child's lock\" Frank grabbed the bottle labeled \"Jesus Juice\" from under the sink.\n\n\"Hey Smart Guy, where is the nearest Buddhist temple?\" Frank pronounced.\n\n\"Why would the devil go to a Buddhist temple?\" inquired Franks partner.\n\nThe all knowing device in the shape of a dunce cap chimed in.\n\n\"Lin Son Buddhist Temple is 4.1 miles away, would you like me to send directions to your phone?\"\n\n\"Yes Smart Guy\" said Frank in the direction of the dunce cap placed reverently on the shelf between a fern and some dusty cook books.\n\n\"The contract qualifies any Buddhist temple as \"neutral ground\", I don't know why they decided that, Gabriel and great grandpa Willy agreed to it 2 centuries ago.\" Frank explained.\n\n\"How are you even going to fight the Devil?\" asked Laura incredulously.\n\n\"Obviously with this holy water\" proclaimed Frank whilst shaking the half filled plastic bottle.\n\n\"If I'm not back in 1 hour, call my Dad and tell him the name of the Temple\".\n\nWith his keys in hand Frank pressed the button to open the garage door and waited. After 15 seconds the door stopped abruptly. With a sigh he pressed the button again reversing all progress made and silently reminded himself that he needed to get the garage door looked at. Now that the garage door was fully closed again Frank hopelessly pressed the button once more. Against all odds the door opened fully and Frank finally left the company of the button and entered his car.\n\nThe button watched carefully as Frank drove off to help his dog fight the devil. When the vehicle was out of sight the button again felt the loneliness creep in, but became encouraged by the presence of a new acquaintance. There on the railing at the top of the 3 steps was a half filled bottle labeled \"Jesus Juice\".", "My very first time ever trying this...........here goes:\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI knew Lucky since the day I was born. My grandfather had come to our house with him to see me as soon as my parents brought me home from the hospital. It was customary to introduce him to each new generation of our family. Ever since my dad was a young child, he knew that Lucky would become his responsibility once my grandfather passed away. It had been like this for many, many generations.\n\nOnce the male patriarch of the family passed, Lucky would go on to live with the next of kin. That is why introductions were always so important early on - so that Lucky could know which humans he would live with next. When I was around 12 years old, my grandfather did end up passing and Lucky came to live with us. While no one ever knew how this canine magically did not age, there were many stories that had been passed on through the years. We always wondered about it, but just got used to the fact that he’d always be around for us. The most popular story was that one of our ancestors had a very close friend whose life he had saved from drowning. The man who was saved was known in the town as a shaman and he gifted Lucky to my ancestor as a way of thanking him for saving his life. Lucky was tasked with sticking by my family’s side generation after generation, providing help and guidance when we needed it the most.\n\nMy great-grandfather began raising cattle when his family was on the brink of starvation; he invested all of his meager savings to do it - as soon the cattle were brought to the farm, Lucky took on the role of a shepherd dog and ensured that no harm ever came to the cattle. He watched over them, herded them, and kept them safe so they grew up to be sold at market and allowed the family to survive and not starve to death. My grandfather, similarly, experienced some very tough times and Lucky was there for him when he began growing grain. Lucky would keep watch over the harvest and kill any rodents or critters that tried to eat the crops. In this way, the full yield always made it to market and my family continued to prosper. He also physically protected us - my father as a young child almost climbed out of a bedroom window from the 3rd floor of his father’s house. Lucky grabbed his arm just in time, pulled him back into the room, and saved his life. If he had fallen and died, then I wouldn’t be here today.\n\nSo, given all that I’ve explained, you can understand why it came as a huge shock when Lucky suddenly disappeared one warm August summer morning. He’d been by my family’s side for nearly 400 years and now he was just gone. We looked all over the neighborhood and simply could not find him. However, I noticed something odd in the corner of our backyard - a small patch of grass had been disturbed. I walked over to investigate and what I found were a few old bones in a mound of dug up dirt that seemed to look human. They were way too large to have come from an animal, at least the nocturnal ones in my area, such as raccoons. It looks like Lucky had been busy digging last night. But once he pulled these bones from the ground, why did he leave? And would he come back on his own?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIf I get enough of a response, I'll work on part II - the conclusion.\n\n\\-- /u/deker0", "She sits by the broken window and stares out into the fields. The chapel is ancient, forgotten, forbidden. What once stood a twenty-foot high painted glass window is now fragments. The pews are rotten. Moths pepper holes in the curtains, mice lounge in the hollow of the organ, water drips through cracks in the stone ceiling and falls in a gentle pat-pat.\n\nShe sits by the window and folds stacks of orange paper. Once, many years before, a young boy had taught her to fold and re-fold little swans. He was an orphan, like all the others, brought in after the war. Burned scars ran down the side of his face, and the others laughed at him, called him broken, called him worthless. She remembers how he knelt by the window, praying, praying.\n\n“Will my parents come back?” he asked.\n\nBut how could she tell him: that they were never coming back, that no one was coming for them, that the orphans were the last generation, lost in a burning world, victims of war, victims of hate. Instead, she sits beside him and drapes a woolen rug around his shoulders. He shivers and there is nothing she can say, nothing she can do to cheer him. But she tries anyway, her programming makes her try.\n\nShe brings him the paper. He starts to fold. His hands move with instinct, a memory of his parents, a memory of a time without war when the rain was clean, and grass grew tall in the prairie. The grass has only now started to return.\n\n“Bee-bee, like this,” he says. He shows her how to fold, the cut-corners of the orange paper bent back into something beautiful. He takes the swan to the top floor of the chapel and lets it flutter down from the railing. It falls in slow circles and lands among the stack of songbooks. He laughs.\n\nHis laugh hides a cough, a deep guttural rasp, a whisper of the lump building in his lungs, spreading through his body, a symptom of infection. The burns and scars of war never fully healed.\n\n“It’s lovely,” she tells him. “Thank you.”\n\nThe boy will not survive the night.\n\nBB sits by the window and remembers the company of humans. How they laughed, how they cried, how they grew and lived and loved. They flared like burning suns of emotion, like a star winking as it falls. Humans burned the brightest of all. Now, they are all but forgotten.\n\nOutside, BB hears the stuttering mechanical whine of Scoots. The dog is running through the grass, pacing back and forth, doing his best to carry out the routine. He was a search pup. Programmed to seek, to smell, to crawl, to look for survivors. Mechanical hounds were never meant to live more than one-hundred cycles. He has lived two-hundred and eight.\n\nThe chapel is empty, save for its caretakers, BB and Scoots. And BB knows that the hound’s days are numbered. She hears it in the crackle of his voice box. Sees it in the rust between his paws, the creak and groan of his tail as it tries again and again to wag. The motor is broken. Scoots will never wag again.\n\nShe knows his days are numbered but cannot find the strength to tell him. He paws the ground. He chases mice through the grass. His memory is wiped every night he sleeps. His processor is failing. And every morning Scoots wakes with a fresh set of questions.\n\n“Where am I?”\n\n“Who are you?”\n\n“Where are the others?”\n\nGone, Scoots, and never coming back, BB wants to tell him. But she cannot find the strength to break his aging heart again. So she takes him to the doorway, shows him the prairie, shows him the glass shards, and the tender shoots.\n\n“They’re out there, Scoots. You just have to keep looking.”\n\nThen BB returns to the window, to the pew, and she watches Scoots run. He gallops over ant hills and hovers near the base of ancient scorched oak trunks. He paws the ground. He sniffs, a search pattern programmed hundreds of cycles ago. He will eventually reach the cemetery.\n\nBB waits until she hears the barking. It is always the same, a two-tone pitch, high then low, and she closes her mechanical eyelids. If she had tears, this is the time she would weep.\n\nShe walks to the fields where headstones poke like daises above the grass. Scoots stands at attention by the tallest stone. He sniffs the ground, mechanical hackles raised, eyes wide. He points towards a bone. A skull.\n\n“Did I do good? Look what I found!”\n\nBB kneels by the skull of the boy. She places her folded swan on the gravestone. She puts the skull back in a small depression, covers it with soil, pats the earth dry. Tomorrow, Scoots will look again. Tomorrow, Scoots will once again find the bones.\n\nAnd for BB, maybe that’s all that matters. She lost her purpose years ago. But for an old pup—losing his mind each day, rusting towards his unburnished fate—maybe she can make his day a little brighter, until the day he goes out and never returns. \n\nWhen that day comes, maybe she will fold that last little scrap of paper, make one last orange swan for herself.\n\n“You did good, Scoots. You did so good.”\n\nShe returns to the window. Dusk goes down to night and she prays to a human God that one day someone will come back for her. She prays that somewhere, in a hidden corner of this once-green earth, the human spark still burns bright.\n\nAnd she must pray.\n\nShe must.\n\n&#x200B;\n***\nMore stories at r/BLT_WITH_RANCH" ]	4
	[WP] You are the only one who woke from stasis on board a ship sent to the outermost part of the universe. The ship has stopped moving, calculating you've arrived. You look out of the window to see what looks like a giant eye staring at you through a glass barrier.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Skyler had to lie down again as soon as she stepped out of her pod. Her ears were ringing and her vision blurred, the fluorescent tubes above her head floating in and out of focus. \n\nSkyler did not know how long she laid on the floor of the stasis room waiting for her senses to return. Eventually the room stopped spinning and the roaring in her head ceased. She could hear the sound of her level breathing and the reassuring hum of the ship.\n\nSlowly Skyler rose to her feet. She felt momentarily dizzy as she stood up, but it didn't threaten to topple her over. She scanned the length of the room, apart from her own, all the pods remained sealed shut. \n\nTurning to the pod closest to her she could see her resting captain. He looked peaceful, his eyes closed and the corners of his mouth ever slightly upturned as if he knew something she did not. Why had the captain not be woken first, Skyler wondered. Her eyes fell to the key pad by his pod; she should really wake him. \n\nA wave of nausia rolled over her as her knees almost buckled under the pressure. She wasn't feeling ready to talk to anyone just yet. She knew Chan would have questions and he'd likely put her to work immediately. She needed a coffee and perhaps a shower, then she would wake the others. Staggering out of the control room, Skyler struggled to remember where the cafeteria was located. Something drew her towards the top deck. \n\nThe doors swooshed open for Skyler as she stepped into the dimly lit room. Looking around she realised her mistake, she had wondered into the observation room instead. The room was eerily still, but something sent a chill down get spine, as if she were being watched. \n\nHer eyes skittered to the large window opposite the door, revealing the vast expanse of space. A dark nothingless void that stretched an eternity before her. Skyler took an apprehensive step forwards, her eyes locked before her. \n\nThe void blinked. Skyler suddenly realised she was staring into the vacant eye of a giant, ancient inhabitant of space. She could feel her breath quicken as her pulse drummed in her head. She took another step forwards, thinking she could see a light in the void. Something glistening, like a star on a cloudy night. Skyler took another step forward, and another. As she approached thr eye of the void, she realised she could see stars, more stars than she could count. They were circled by planets and clustered together to form galaxies after galaxies. Spinning and swirling for millennia. Tears filled her eyes as she silently marvelled at the sight before her She moved closer, her body no longer her own.\n\nThere was a hiss and a gentle blast of air on his face. Chan's eyes flickered open. He smiled as he felt well rested. He had woke up on schedule and was ready to go prepare the ship for the rest of his crew. Gently he pushed open the glass door of his pod, before stepping out.\n\nHe scanned the length of the room, his good mood souring when he saw the open door of Skyler's pod. How had she woken before him? She was supposed to wake up in three hours time with the rest of the crew. Why had she not alerted him? This was a gross misconduct of protocal. He couldn't believe he had just woke up and he was already going to have to write-up a member of his crew up.\n\nThe doors of the observation deck wooshed open for him. The room was still apart from the hum of the ship and the blinking lights of the control pannel. Something on the floor caught his eye. In a crumpled pile was a white pair of cotton bottoms and a plain white t-shirt. They could have only belonged to Skyler. Chan frowned, how could she be so irresponsible. As he approached the pile a thought crossed his mind as he remembered what he had been taught about stasis madness. High fever and nausia, followed by hallucinations and unpredictable behaviour. Nervously he glanced around the room, half expecting to see the naked form of Skyler crouched somewhere in the shadows.\n\nFour hours had passed and the rest of the crew had been awakened according to schedule. They could tell something was wrong as soon they saw Chan, there was something off about his usual calm and composed demeanour. As they congregated one by one in the captain's quarters, Skyler' s absence became apparent." ]	2
	[WP] Your boss in HR just told you that your company is forced to furlough a large chunk of its employees. It's your job to tell the immortal who's been with the company since the start that they needs to go.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"What do you mean he's gotta go?!\" the manager yelled at the telephone, gripping his left hand on his desk. \"Fine. I will tell him.\" he hung up on HR once again, disappointed from the umpteenth time he's received the calls. \n\nAvlon Produce was one of the many businesses that survived the war, but sacrifices were needed. And one of them was Thomas Johnson, an unusual person who have been with the company since its start at 1821. The frustrated manager called Thomas to enter his office, which he complied.\n\n\"Come, and sit, Mr. Johnson.\" Thomas sat down slowly on one of the chairs opposite of the manager. \"I believe you've heard of the company downsizing. I called you to talk about it.\" Listening to the manager, Thomas started to sweat and sat up, instantly knowing what the manager meant. \"Th-they can't do this, I've been here since the start!\" he shouted as he gripped the arms of his chair tighter and tighter. \n\n\"I know, Thomas.\" the manager said, pensively. \"But Human Resources has made the decision. You, and Henry, Evan and Helen.\" \n\"This isn't about your performance.\" \n\nThe manager seen the anger through Thomas' eyes. He stormed out of the manager's office, almost tearing up. He sat down on his cubicle, with Henry seeing his emotions. \"What's happening, Tom?\" \n\"They're firing us, Henry! Those ungrateful bastards!\" he slammed his desk as tears left his eyes and slid down his plump cheeks. \"Two centuries, and this is what we get!\" \n\nAs the immortals packed up along with other fired employees, they glanced at the office for one last time, the newly installed AC, the old switches, the almost antique lamps. Thomas smiled at the farewell party, as they headed to the elevator. \n\n\"So, what now?\" Evan asked. \"We rob banks. We can't die after all!\" Thomas sarcastically remarked. The elevated was instantly filled with laughs. Helen continued the chain of humorous lines before reaching the parking garage. They all smiled warmly as they slowly reached for their cars, still holding onto their boxes of stuff, filled with 200 years of memories.\n\n The good ol' British attitude. \n\nWhat will happen to the Immortals? Tune in next time on this thread! (Unless i forget)" ]	2
	[WP] You turn on your morning news to discover that thousands of wooden ships have appeared in major harbor cities, Boston, New York, Yorktown, Philadelphia. Men in red coats start marching from them. The British have returned, and are intent on retaking the 13 Colonies.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Well, well, well everyone! Look what we have here today!\" the reporter yelled, clearly enthusiastic about this situation\n\n\"I guess you can say there's a lot of TEA today! And its time for me to SPILL it!\" the reporter giggled to himself.\n\n\"Well, first off! The British colonies are on their way to retake the colonies, if ya\"ll haven't noticed that already. Watch out! They're armed with weapons that you certainly don't want to get hit with!\" \n\nA deafening sound rang throughout the television and the camera shook around, like it was bring tossed through a hurricane. The reporter lurched forward, his hands covering his face as he fell. It was like watching a ragdoll being thrown around. \n\n\" Ah, ****! Looks like they've already arrived! Woah, I hope insurance covers this!\" He turned back to the camera. \n\n\"Anyways! Take cover, stay safe and have a beauTEAful day!\"" ]	2

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