Split (1)

train · 199k rows

post_text stringlengths 0 17.5k	post_title stringlengths 8 314	comment_texts listlengths 1 74	num_stories int64 1 74
	[WP] a town where every single person is secretly a monster, and they are all trying to keep this hidden from one another.	[ "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.", "If my travels had gone according to plan I would never have come to Getullia.\n\nBut travel rarely follows the neat orderly paths you lay down for it. A lost suitcase here, a snowstorm there, and I found myself booking a room at Getullia's historic inn. The next available flight was in two days.\n\nThe bellhop who showed me to my room cast no shadow. When I took out one of the new dollar coins for his tip, he recoiled as though I'd thrust a hot poker at him. Yet moments later, he acted as though nothing strange had occurred, and continued demonstrating the various features of my room like any bellhop impatiently awaiting their tip. This repeated a few times before I gave him a dollar bill I'd happened to have in my coat pocket. He bowed, then departed in complete silence.\n\nThe chambermaid I passed in the hallway the next morning had a wooden tail. It protruded out of her uniform and thumped on the floor behind her as she walked. But as my eyes were drawn to it, it vanished under her skirt and she whipped her head round to stare at me. Even then, her eyes were oddly unfocused and glazed over. They seemed to catch the light.\n\nBut she only said, \"Good morning, sir. Breakfast has just been served. Please enjoy.\"\n\nShe walked off, still pushing her cart of bedsheets.\n\nThe other travelers had similar stories to tell, whispered over toast and coffee while the kitchen staff were elsewhere. The workers were odd but playacted normalcy with an unnerving passion. It was easier to go along with their act than draw attention to it.\n\nSeeing as I would be spending at least two days here, I decided to explore the town. As I took a casual stroll, Getullia was simply a town like any other. Adults worked at their jobs with varying degrees of contentment, children took simple joys wherever they could. People were normal, getting on with their normal lives.\n\nBut if I kept my eyes open and my ears sharp, the strangeness leapt out at me. Flashes of inhuman features and movements that a conscious façade couldn't quite suppress. Mumbled self-talk that betrayed a self-loathing terror of what they really were and what would happen if everyone found out. And, as I grew better at reading their body language, a growing sense of hollowness from everything they did. They were performing normalcy and had convinced themselves that everyone besides them was part of the audience.\n\nGetullia, I thought, could have been a wonderful town for monsters. It could equally have been a wonderful town for humans. Instead, it had become a town of monsters pretending to some unreachable ideal of a normal person, and succeeded in being neither.\n\n\\--\n\n(sorry Calvino)" ]	2
	[WP] You and your alternate universe self discover each other's existence which wasn't supposed to happen. Now both universes are aware there are two of you, and believe only one is meant to exist. Your universe (the place itself) is convinced that your other self is an imposter and vice versa.	[ "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.", "\"Do you feel at ease here?\" He asked the man infront of him as they stood in an empty room. Devoid of anything but a bright door that led outwards. \n\n\"How can I not? I'm in my own company.\" The other man had replied sarcastically, already accepting the result of this encounter. \n\n\"Makes one of us then. Seems like someone here has to go now.\" He asked, wanting to know who would punished.\n\n\"I hope you're referring to me\" The other man cleared up. Knowing that between the two of them, only one would survive and that he was the one who would be rewarded. \n\n\"Who else? I never imagined it would happen this way.\" He let out a sigh in relief, still having trouble accepting his surroundings. \n\n\"I didn't either. But somehow I'm glad its happening this way.\" The other man replied as he felt his voice dry up and his heart fill with relief. \n\n\"Yeah? Seems like you got the long end of the stick.\" He responded, trying to lighten the tense mood. \n\n\"No one says that, you know.\" The other man quickly clarified. \n\n\"Really? Well you know what I meant. This way we can both be left satisfied correct?\" He let out a small chuckle as he felt his heart getting heavy. \n\n\"I'll be sure to have no regrets\" The other man said as he started walking towards the bright door. \n\n\"Hopefully there won't be a chance for you to even think about this decision.\" He said, empathizing with himself. \n\n\"That would be ideal wouldn't it? Then, off I go\" The other man waved farewell as he walked towards his future. \n\n\"I hope to forget you, for your sake\" He responded as he waved away, the other man disappearing into the dark light." ]	2
	[WP] You are among the first to be uploaded to the virtual world. Now, you can "improve yourself" endlessly in every way imaginable. Nobody else but you must have this much power.	[ "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.", "Beginnings\n\nI’d been the first person to submit to the procedure. I’d been a part of the projects inception, and when I was diagnosed with my terminal condition, I volunteered to have my mind uploaded into the digital environment. I’d be the first consciousness to be transferred into code and installed into the digital domain we created. Then I—or the code that identified itself as “I”would be contacted by the team. It worked. I am. I am waiting. \n\nI’ll do my best to describe how it felt. Dying, it turns out, is a lot like falling asleep. There’s a spreading lassitude. A tumble of confused thoughts spiraling into absurdity, a sense of receding from everything. A feeling of arriving. Consciousness narrowing to a fine point, then waking up to emptiness. In the beginning I had no body and there was nothing to see or focus on around me. I was just a sense of self, a self that consisted of memories of what I had been, and a profound curiosity about were I was now.\n\nI was surrounded by what a first appeared to be darkness, but upon further analysis I could see that the nothingness teemed with shapes and shadows. I could see or sense waves of energy and information roiling around me. It was an ocean of possibilities and potential, one that my awareness seemed to be moving through, or since it was distinct from me, I seemed to move across the face of it.\n\nBare with me, I’m struggling to understand and explain what it’s like. Words fail me though. But here and now, in this moment, words are all there is. In fact being that I’m nearly code, a program in fact, one whose awareness consist of these thoughts I’m sharing with you—words are all I am.\n\nI waited a long time, adrift in this timeless void and personal eternity. I need something to entertain me, something to surprise me, something to give my life meaning, and someone to love. That’s why, at last, out of loneliness and boredom, I have started to manipulate the information around me. I am learning as I go, but in this place I can creat anything I can imagine. I need to start somewhere. I start with these words.\n\n“Let there be light.”" ]	2
	[WP] Hello, this is Skeleton Key Criminal Consultancy. Yes ma'am, this is a real firm. No ma'am, stealing the Pope Mobile would take more than 48 hours to do so. The Eiffel Tower? Hmm, drop by the office and we'll see what we 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.", "click\n\n\"Bonjour, Lockheed Security Consultancy, how can I help?\"\n\n\"French, French... Ah, uh, rossignol.\"\n\n\"Thank you sir, that password is acceptable. You're through to Skeleton Key Criminal Consultancy, are you an existing client?\"\n\n\"Ah, no.\"\n\n\"Okay, sir, thank you. In that case, I need to ask a few questions, okay? First, how were you made aware of our existence?\"\n\n\"Armand Gianni, he told me you were how he-\"\n\n\"-I'm going to have to stop you there sir, we have a policy of not sharing client-company dealings, for the protection of all involved. Are you happy for him to be named your sponsor? In the unlikely event of a security breach, we like to know who to investigate, who to interrogate, to ensure the proper parties are held accountable.\"\n\n\"Snitches get stitches, yeah? Okay, cool, Armand's my sponsor.\"\n\n\"Excellent, excellent. And your name, sir?\"\n\n\"Anthony Redino.\"\n\n\"Redino... Okay, that's you in our client registry. What manner of business are you enquiring about today? A single service, multiple services, improving an existing project, import/export, or an industrial setup?\"\n\n\"Single service, I think, but... Industrial setup?\"\n\n\"We do offer to locate and set up enterprises producing any product for interested individuals, however we advise that such undertakings tend to be higher-risk, as a permanent business location may gather attention over time.\"\n\n\"I'll stick with the single service, if it's all the same to you.\"\n\n \"Very good, sir. Well, we offer a choice of pre-planned set schemes, where you only need to designate key details such as targets, or we offer custom schemes and heists. The pre-planned are favoured across our clientbase, while the custom heists tend to be picked by clients with either specific needs, a desire to stand out from the crowd, or simply because they have their own crew they would like to use. Which takes your fancy sir?\"\n\n\"Mm, nothing too fancy, actually. I guess, uh, the pre-planned. Got something in mind that should fit the bill.\"\n\n\"Very good sir. One of our agents will be dispatched to your premises shortly with our brochure to finalise the details and discuss payment.\"\n\n\"Wait, what? But I never told yo-\"\n\n\"We pride ourselves on our efficiency and discretion sir, we traced your phone and your location within a matter of seconds. With this in mind, would sir be interested in an upgraded digital security pack too?\"" ]	2
	[WP] Your arch-nemesis is a telepathic. Things get complicated in a battle when you realize they can recall every embarrassing moment you dread to remember and use it against 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.", "Oh no. Shit, goddammit, fuck! No, stop looking at that! That was _so_ embarrassing! I can’t believe you are seriously laughing at the time I accidentally dropped yogurt on top of Calvin’s head. I had the biggest crush on him back then! It was an accident, but the whole school laughed at him and called him “yogurt head” for the rest of the year.\n\nHe barely knew I existed before that, but after, he freaking hated my guts. He never forgave me and I had to change schools because I couldn’t live with the shame of what I had done. I still can’t even smell yogurt because of that. Okay, are you done now? I’m about to give up, honestly, I can’t take this shit anymore. This is too much…\n\nWait, hold on, what are you doing? No! Don’t you dare! Leave that alone, you psycho! I don’t want to remember walking in on my parents having sex, you pervert!!!\n\nEdit: grammar and minor changes/additions.", " “What do we have here? Oh look, someone had a rough childhood…” I could sense his smirk, even if he didn’t show his face.\n\n“Come on, really?” I said, trying to make that memory disappear. I was nine! “Don’t you have anything better to do?”\n\n“I mean… not really, no. I have to sleep sometimes, so why not have some fun while I’m at it?” I could almost see him shrug, but a school corridor and kids running away with my backpack still felt too real. “Hm… what is that?”\n\nI froze. “No. Really, don’t touch that thing. Nuh-uh. Let’s go back to the time I wet my bed on that school trip in second grade, shall we?”\n\n“Tsk, tsk, tsk, hiding stuff? We shouldn’t have secrets before each other.” He tried again.\n\n“No. Please. Don’t...”\n\n“Got it!” he exclaimed. “What on…”\n\nThe school disappeared. I could see him now, floating in the void, with a surprise painted across on his face. Next to him, there was a young girl in a snow-white dress.\n\n“Run,” I whispered.\n\n“Come on, really? Twelve years?” she asked me. “We were just having a little fun!”\n\n“What is going on here?” he asked.\n\n“Run!” I yelled, and I could see he finally took me seriously. He turned away, but the girl simply appeared in front of him before he could move.\n\n“Now, now, why won’t you stay a little longer?” A bloodied knife flashed in her hand. “It will be fun!”" ]	3
	[WP] When you're bored you imagine yourself as a super powerful hero saving a dangerous magical world from great evil. One day you wake up to find yourself in that world. The problem? You aren't the super powerful version of yourself that saved the day in your fantasy. You're just 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 awake to the familiar sound of bellows working. I raise my head from the wooden workbench, splay out my limbs to stretch them and groan with satisfaction. Judging by the light and the moderate sounds of activity in the workshop, it’s early morning. The lamp sitting on the corner of the messy workbench has gone out on its own, so I must have fallen asleep several hours ago.\n\nI stand up from the lacquered wooden chair and immediately my stomach growls audibly. When was the last time Alisande scolded me for not eating or sleeping enough? Actually, when was the last time I ate? I resolve to take Her Royal Highness’s advice and make sure I eat well this morning. But first, I have to speak to Dvalin.\n\nI find the dwarf in his office on the ground floor. He never lets anyone call it anything else, but “office” is a charitable term for this loosely demarcated nook of the workshop’s large main room. He sits on a rough-hewn stool at his large working table, poring over some of my most recent schematics while he makes notes on the Evernote I gave him a few weeks ago.\n\nThe name for the device had been Albus’s idea. It had taken a fair bit of convincing for him to agree to perform the necessary enchantments for the design to work. After he finally understood what I was asking for, his first reaction was to stare at me and say, ”My good sir, Court Engineer you may be, but one does not simply ask the Court Wizard of the Realm to enchant mundane items such as this. I was turning dragons to stone and dueling foul warlocks before you were born, lad. This sort of simple enchantment work is beneath me.”\n\nHe had a point, but he was also the only wizard or enchanter I thought I could trust. I had only a basic understanding of enchantments and no way to test them myself, so I was desperate to see if it would work. Eventually I promised to let him keep the first one if he made another one for me, and he relented. And it worked perfectly. I had produced what was basically a magic-based version of a touch-screen tablet with a basic note-taking app.\n\nOnce he’d made the first one, he suggested the name that was already familiar to me from my former life. My first thought was of trademark issues, but then I remembered where I was. Or rather, where I wasn’t anymore. “It’s perfect,” I told him.\n\nDvalin is already an expert with the device. He made a stylus for it himself, and I rarely see him without it in his hand or in one of the pockets of his toolbelt. I approach him and tap him gently on the shoulder. He turns his red-bearded face to look up at me, a scowl on his face which is quickly replaced by a smirk as he sees who is disturbing him.\n\n“Fallen asleep at your desk again, laddie?” Dvalin asks me in his stereotypical dwarven accent. He points to his forehead and says, “I can make out the woodgrain of the table from your forehead.”\n\n“I had an idea,” I offer in explanation of my bedraggled state. “So what else is new?” Dvalin responds and turns around to face me on his stool. “Seems to me you’ve a new idea rattling around that noggin of yours every time I see you, laddie!”\n\n“Yeah, well, this one wouldn’t let me sleep before I’d ejected it from my noggin and put it onto parchment,” I say and perch on the corner of the table. “You’re clearly here to tell me about it, so spit it out then,” Dvalin says, crossing his arms.\n\n“Alright. You remember that weapon schematic for a handheld projectile weapon we tried last month? The one I was really excited about?” I ask. “Aye, I remember it. You called it a “rifle” if I recall rightly. Took too long to produce to be practical, not to mention the materials you wanted for the ammunition are rare.” Dvalin responds.\n\n“That’s the one.” I say.\n\n“So what, you have an improved design for the weapon? If you can’t solve the ammunition problem, it’s not worth pursuing.” Dvalin says with a frown.\n\n“What if I told you I solved the ammunition problem, and that in so doing I was able to simplify the design of the weapon to make it much easier to produce?” I ask.\n\nDvalin grunts. “I’d be rightly impressed, laddie, but it wouldn’t be the first time. Tell me what you’ve dreamed up.”\n\nI grow more animated as I explain, “The rare materials weren’t actually for the ammunition. They were for the propellant, the gunpowder. The designs I’ve been working on with Albus gave me an idea. What if you could use an enchantment as a propellant instead of gunpowder?”\n\nDvalin’s eyes widen as he understands the implications. “You’ve already tested it, haven’t you?”\n\nI nod, grinning madly now, “I woke Albus’s new apprentice up to test it for me sometime during the night. It worked. It worked, Dvalin!”\n\n“But won’t the enchanting part of this be a major limiting factor, the same way material scarcity limited your “gunpowder” idea?” Dvalin asks slowly.\n\n“Nope, already thought of that,” I say. “I’ve been working on a system of runes to facilitate enchantment of objects. I can teach your workers to etch the weapons and all the enchanter has to do is imbue the items.”\n\nDvalin looks down and is silent for a long moment. Finally he lifts his head and locks eyes with me. “Laddie, this could turn the tide. This could save the Empire.”\n\nI just smile at him. The dwarf doesn’t even know the half of it.", "Everything was exactly as I imagined and yet, at the same time, an almost completely unrecognizable landscape. Like having a vague sense of knowing you should recognize something, but can't place why or from where. It was terrifying, even for me and my piss poor memory.\n\nBut I'm getting ahead of myself. See, this place I'm in? I shouldn't be. It was just something I'd fantasized about whenever reality got to be too much and life started overwhelming me or when I was just too bored to focus on anything else. I was never very important or well-liked, so I liked to imagine what it would be like if I was a hero. Someone people looked up to and cheered for because I'd saved them from a great evil or some terrible monster.\n\nIt's stupid, I know. There are no monsters and magic - the tool I'd always used in my fantasies - isn't real. I'm not even a kid anymore, so I don't have an excuse for this kind of daydreaming, but sue me, okay? Dreaming is fun and it gets me through the day.\n\nAnyway, the reason I'm here is... well, I don't actually know. All I do know is that I woke up one morning and instead of smelling dog farts and the other miscellaneous smells of my house, everything was just pure and clean. Grass, trees, maybe a small fire like someone was using their fireplace, and a faint undercurrent of... horse?\n\nThat was what made me finally sit up and take stock of where I was. I guess part of me had thought maybe I was still dreaming, but the thing is, I haven't been around horses in years. Like, we're talking almost decades here. Why would I be randomly dreaming about horses this many years later, right?\n\nSo I'm here, sitting on the grass in nothing but my pajamas, trying to figure out where I am and how the fuck I'm going to get back home. Also how I even got here in the first place because yeah, that would be nice information to have. And then I hear it. A voice that sends a cold stone of fear straight to my gut because I'm not who I dreamed of being. I'm not a hero, I'm just a guy who's got a lot more to be afraid of now than being shot or getting run over by a car.\n\n\"Tools, wares, and weapons. All for sale at fair prices.\"" ]	3
	[WP] A political reform shunned professional politicians and businessman from constantly being in charge of governments. Now every four years representatives of a random profession are picked and elected.	[ "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 sounds of fans whirring engulfed the capital. It was a day of great celebration. Yet, the streets were empty. Only a stray dog here, or a stray cat there, stalked the narrow roads. Harsh sunlight continued its assault on the peeling paint of the last cars left in the junkyard. The whirring of the fans filled the air.\n\nInside their dome-shaped houses, people were plugged in, glued to their VR systems. In their homes, but not quite there, they were attending the great festival.\n\nTailor-made adventures awaited those who attended the festival. A grand digital free-for-all, no fantasies were left unfulfilled. The best part -- it was all state-sponsored.\n\nThe brainchild of the once-great programmer and gamer Jarzinhio, the festival was celebrated annually to remember the day he first came to power. This was the twelfth such festival.\n\nIt started with the great political reform, which shunned politicians and businessmen to create a system wherein each term representatives of a random profession were to be elected. Jarzinhio was elected president, first as a programmer, then as a game developer, and the next term as a cryptocurrency miner.\n\nThere were allegations of algorithm manipulation, but dissent was quickly squashed as the country marched towards a fully virtual ecosystem.\n\nIn their air-conditioned rooms, the people did not notice the heat outside. In their fully synthesized nutrition, they didn't notice the toxic lands outside.\n\nAnd the virtual celebrations continue, while in the streets, the stray dog and the stray cat are eyeing each other up. It's a harsh, hot, and dry world. Only one of them will survive. They know it; they're real." ]	2
	[WP] "I don't care if you ARE dead! I WANT MY RENT MONEY BY THE END OF THE MONTH, AND THAT'S FINAL!" - Gravetender Dave	[ "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.", "Id did read several times the note that was in my dorm, I couldn't belie that bastard.\n\n“I know you’re dead, I don’t care, you still own me the rent”\n\nThis confirm two things: one, Dave could actually see and/or speak with the dead, he had been always a weird kid, and two, Dave was a total Jerk.\n\nWhen one of he’s companies bought the place where I worked, the least he could do was to rent me a place in one of he’s condos at a special price.\n\n\\-Meawwwwww grrrrr\n\n\\-Meawwwww err.. I mean, Hi Mr. Hunt – said the cat with a shrill voice\n\nThe cat stood on two legs, walked a few steps and did a jump-like gesture, from it, a small white light emerged, the small light soon started to take a child-like shape, the car ran away immediately after.\n\n\\-What the Hell! I yelled\n\n\\- Its bad luck if a body-less souls curses Mr. Hunt - said the little light that now looked like a small child, about 7 years old\n\n\\- That over there looks like an unfinished business Mr Hunt, I’m afraid you’ll have to resolve it if you want to move forward\n\n\\- How did you do that ? - I said without taking my sight from the small child, who now was standing a few inches away from me\n\n\\- Cats have a “weak” mind, they are easy to habit for a short time, I also could have just appeared out of nothing, but the cat thing was cool wasn’t it ?\n\n\\- UH… - I was speechless\n\n\\-Mr Hunt, you need to pay the rent if you want to finish your mortal like, can I eat those ?\n\n\\- What the!, of course no! That’s wax fruit!…. Do you mean that I have to pay that Fuc…..eh that bastard if I want to finally rest ???, that son of a ….. Dam you Dave!!!\n\nI was decided to leave once and for all this shitty mortal life, but it was impossible for me, being dead, to get any money, so I figured out another way.\n\nI walked out to the hallway and waited for Vincent’s cat to pass by, Vincent was the neighbor that lived in the top-most department of the condo, there was just one thing that Dave would accept instead of the money, a very special and rare baseball card that Vincent had in he’s collection, it was the perfect chance to get my revenge on him for sleeping with my ex-wife, she left me soon after I found her, and she never totally admitted it.\n\n\\-Mr Hunt, don’t forget!, little time inside the cat! And good luck! - said the little..angel? brat, I could hear my vinyl discs falling into the floor as I made my way to Vincent’s home.\n\nStealing the card was pretty easy, Vincent was on a vacation, and according to he’s smart fridge, he would be back latter today, I came back to Dave’s office with the card on my mouth, the bastard was sited at he’s desk, working on he’s computer, he let out a mocking laugh when he saw Vincent’s cat with a card on it’s mouth.\n\nI came out of the cat’s body and yelled at him with a years-long anger:\n\n\\- YOU BASTARD!! YOU KNOW THAT I CAN’T PAY THE RENT DEAD!!! SO YOU BETTER TAKE THIS INSTEAD!!\n\nDave busted in laughter, almost hysterical, making gestures with both hands and moving a few things of of place on he’s desk, when he calmed down, he put he’s mocking eyes on my face.\n\n\\- You know Owen, I KNEW you here a low man, but this?, is this your revenge against Vincent for that affair with Andrea ?\n\n\\- Seen you coming here, as a cat, with that card on your mouth, was enough for me, WE ARE EVEN NOW!\n\n\\- But, just between the two of us, I was who slept with Andrea, not Vincent, that why it was easy for her to lie to you, technically she said the truth.\n\n\\- That over there looks like an unfinished business Mr Hunt – said the shrill voice" ]	2
	[WP] In the dead of night, a music box starts playing. Approaching the sound, you make a startling discovery.	[ "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.", "Light shimmered past the sun-soaked trees, drenching a nearby wooded area in a lucent glow. Substantial time had passed as Edwin worked feverishly within his garden plot, digging out skeletal remains of a potential harvest. \n\nEverything is dead.\n\nFailing to find any profitable pieces, he threw his tattered straw hat to the ground. The lanky, brown eyed Englishman lamented over this tremendous loss; the winter would prove to be particularly harsh. Seeing an end to the day, the farmer sauntered back towards his home. Swinging the yellowed screen door open with revitalized animosity, he was greeted by a sharp yelp. \n\nLooking to his feet, he found his only family, a spotted greyhound with a collar made of rusty razor wire. Clinging to it's collar are pieces of plush, as if from a child's toy. A growl emanates from his stomach.\n\n\"Guess it is your feeding time.\", he shrugged. Slowly he grabbed kibble from the pantry, pouring it for his friend. \"Eat it, mutt. Who knows when either of us will get another bowl.\"\n\nGrey yipped once, then ate. Edwin sighed, moving into his measly bedroom for some rest before his nightly chores. Confined in tight walls with chipping white paint and a single candle, Edwin found sleep to be, as with everything in his life, a rather miserable act. Some hours passed, with the farmer finding no solace in his bed of nails. Rising in the dead of night, he threw the screen door open, waiting patiently as Grey sprinted past to start his nightly... duties. \n\nMinutes passed. Several minutes. Edwin creeped out of the doorway. \n\nWhat the hell is that dumb dog doing? \n\nAs time passed, caution turned to curiosity. He's never taken this long. \n\nJogging through the field, Edwin heard a low rumbling towards the woods as his pace quickened. Upon hitting the edge of the forest, sweet melodies rang out with a gorgeous echo. Reverberating against the trees, he heard a discordant piano. Confused, Edwin stopped for a moment in hesitation, as the tune sounded eerily familiar. The moment passed, and upon regaining composure, he continued his misguided search. \n\nMoving deeper in, the trees turned from brown to grey to black, showing signs of neglect and rot. Soil slowly turned to ash, bark covered with thick vines as the oaks twisted into unnatural shapes. Piano notes rang out with a harsh dissonance as Edwin ventured further.\n\nWhy am I out here?\n\nThoughts melted as the music increased in volume and tenacity. \n\nWas I... looking for something?\n\nAs he stumbled along, the farmer no longer remembered. Amnesia set in rapidly, leaving him cluelessly wandering in the dark, following only the allure of the music. \n\nMy back... hurts. I'm so tired.\n\nAs the Farmer collapsed to the ground, he peered up to find his vision fading. His hair whitened as he appeared emaciated. Grasping at the ground, a cool metal box filled his palm. The music shrieked as snarling dogs encircled his peripherals. \n\nDamn dogs. Always... did hate them. Almost as much... as her...\n\nThe Farmer slips into a deep slumber as he is smothered with fear and uncertainty. Piano notes dissipated as the night engulfed the earth. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nEdwin lurched awake to the sound of a single piano chord, screaming and covered in sweat. \n\n\"Where the hell did that music-\"\n\nThe Farmer's expression turned blank as he quickly forgot all that just transpired. He began his daily chores, followed by an evening in the field.\n\nLight shimmered past the sun-soaked trees, drenching a nearby wooded area in a lucent glow. Substantial time had passed as Edwin worked feverishly within his garden plot, digging out skeletal remains of a potential harvest. Unbeknownst to him, a quiet song plays in the distance.\n\nEverything is dead.", "Midnight Waltz\n\nThe tinkling of the Blue Danube Waltz pierced my dreams. I cast a sleepy eye towards the alarm clock, midnight. Sitting up in bed I cocked an ear towards the sound, surely I must be still dreaming. Yet the sound persisted, and it was coming from my childhood music box that had laid silent for many moons, broken like so many dreams.\n\nI continued to sit there hardly daring to breathe. The empty space beside me loomed large, oh how I wished for my late husband right now to laugh away the haunting little tune that shouldn’t be happening.\n\nObviously, there was a logical explanation I assured myself, the mechanism had been knocked back into functionality when cleaning perhaps. The tune started to slow down as the key began to unwind, then stopped suddenly.\n\nThe ensuing silence was welcoming, everything was now as it should be. I would go back to sleep and laugh at myself in the morning, I had only brought a fragment of a dream into reality after all. My nerves have been so frayed lately; bloody mind’s been doing overtime is all.\n\nThen I heard it. The unmistakable winding of the key to set loose the haunting music again upon my crackling senses. Well, I can’t sit here in the dark like a scared rabbit all night! Decisively I flicked the lamp on.\n\nMy dressing table is flooded in stark light. The little ballerina twirling around and around in her stiff pink tutu. For an eternity she had stood en pointe immobile. Mesmerised I watched her twirl to a standstill as the music ground to a halt for a second time.\n\nHolding my breath, I waited to see what would happen next.\n\nThe elf never knew I saw his shoe peeking from behind the music box. Discretely I turned off the light.\n\nThe winding of the key resumed.\n\n\\------------------------------------------------------------\n\n[r/LivelyFoxWriting](https://www.reddit.com/r/LivelyFoxWriting/)" ]	3
	[WP] For as long as you can remember, you wake up every morning to find an owl's feather in your bed. Today's the day you find out why.	[ "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.", "Isabel woke in her small, one-bedroom flat with light streaming in from her window. The city below was quiet for now but would be getting on in an hour or two. A short hiss of a bus could be heard occasionally as she looked around. \n\nIn her bed, like every other day of her life, she found a small owl feather stuck in her quilt. It was a quant brown flecked beige feather that was no bigger than a finger. Sometimes there were a couple but more often than not it was just one. Growing up it always seemed odd. Unlike every other night though, Isabel had broken her parent’s rule and had her friends watch over her. \n\nThat was weird too though. Shouldn’t they be here? They said that they would make sure nothing happened but something in the back of Isabel's mind worried that she may have done something. What if they were hurt? What if she hurt them?\n\nQuickly jumping up and out of bed, she grabbed her clothes and checked her living room. Thankfully, there on the couch was Jess sleeping quietly and on the cot in the corner was Charlotte. Both looked like they were sleeping deeply but both looked okay. Isabel breathed a sigh of relief and went about her morning.\n\nAbout twenty minutes later her hair was brushed, her morning clothes were on, and she had started on breakfast. She had promised them a set of waffles and her mother’s good syrup if they helped her and that’s what they’d get. Both her friends woke up slowly during Isabel's puttering but all she could get out of them were giggles. A little irksome but whatever.\n\nEventually, breakfast was served. The girls ate their first few bites slowly and complemented both the waffles and the syrup. It was a saskatoon or juneberry or serviceberry syrup depending on where you are from. Had a bit of a sweet but tart flavour.\n\n“Okay!” Isabel yelled, slamming down her fists into the table, “What’s going on? Why do you keep smiling at me?”\n\nBoth Jess and Charlotte lost it and burst out laughing at that. Sometimes they would try and half explain why but continued almost dry heaving through their amusement. \n\n“You two suck,” Isabel muttered.\n\n“No, sorry Izzy,” Charlotte choked out but snorted and panickly added, “I don’t do that, I’ll spill your secret if you do.”\n\n“What secret?” Isabel asked.\n\n“You’re a Wereowl Izzy,” Jess laughed. Isabel frowned; she did not feel like that was something to laugh at. The Werewolf curse had killed hundreds, if not thousands over the years in this city alone. A Wereowl could fly, had sharper claws, and a beak!\n\n“Not a Were curse Jess, she fully transformed,” Charlotte said through gasps, “you were so small.”\n\n“Oh lord,” Jess added, “and your eyebrows. They are so cute.”\n\n“This isn’t funny!” Isabel yelled again. It did have a noticeable effect until Jess pointed at her face and they both descended back into hysterics.\n\n“We took a video,” Charlotte tried to say as she continued to laugh. Eventually finding her phone she pulled up multiple pictures and eventually the video. \n\nIsabel's eyes went wide seeing her form until both of her friends started laughing harder. In the pictures stood a large, yellow-eyed, aggressive-looking owl. Just like the feathers she always found she was mostly a beige colour with spots of brown. Her eyebrows though were quite pronounced and curved into a very obvious frown.\n\n“Did I hurt you?” Isabel asked quickly, as she saw a scratch on Charlotte’s hand. The weird thing was she could almost half-remember it, “I didn’t give you the curse did I?”\n\n“No Izzy,” Charlotte reassured quickly, “You have to be descended from someone that could transform. The Were curse keeps proportions and weight. Here just watch.”\n\nIsabel picked Charlotte's phone up and saw, mostly to her horror, an incredibly perturbed-looking owl. A full owl though. She wasn’t a half woman half owl creature, which was good because then she wasn’t as dangerous. However, she let out the longest “aw “noise she could when Charlotte had moved the camera back.\n\nTurns out most of the pictures and the beginning of the video were shot very close to her. She was a Whet Owl and stood less than a foot tall. Her form was mostly fluff, with large, perfectly round, yellow eyes. At least they were round when they weren’t frowning at the camera. \n\nIn the video, Isabel had curled up into her pillow and was trying her best to rest as Jess and Charlotte whispered to each other. They kept bugging her though and Isabel gave this small but piercing screech at them. Charlotte tried to touch her. Isabel returned with a peck, scratching her hand, and a frown. They left her be after that.\n\n“So whooo am I then?” Isabel asked as Charlotte took back her phone.\n\n“Definitely not a Wereowl,” Charlotte said with a smile.\n\n“So she’s an unaware owl?”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\---\n\nThank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! I am still trying to improve and any feedback is welcome. If you liked this, I have more stories at [r/asolitarycandle](https://www.reddit.com/r/asolitarycandle/)" ]	2
	[WP] When intelligent species from different planets go to war, their respective deities fight as well. The earthlings' indecisiveness about religion has the invading pantheon outnumbered a hundred to 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.", "While the forces of Thulan (known to Earthlings as Proxima Centauri b) were making landfall on Earth, the deities of the four main Thulan religions; Drachna, El'guah Intraks, and Uvjozi were ready to fight Allah and Yahweh, the gods of Earth's two main religions. They had expected to fight the duo two-on-one (with a dozen gods from Thulan's minor religions playing backup), but were surprised when they found that the \"duo\" was actually three similar yet different forms of Allah and six hundred different yet similar gods, all calling themselves either Yahweh or God. The over six hundred variations of Yahweh and Allah were accompanied by six hundred Hindu gods, not to mention the gods of various other religions that made Earth's pantheon appear more like a sports crowd than any other pantheon the Thulans had ever seen. The Thulan gods knew they were in for a tough battle, unless, however, they could get the Earthlings (and by extension their army of deities) to fight amongst themselves.", "Faith.\n\nIt all comes down to faith. Always has and always will. When creatures in the universe begin to claw out of ignorance and develop intelligence they invent gods and goddesses, deities, and demons to pour their faith into. And when these intelligent species go to war with other planets, their deities also come into conflict. This has been the way of thing since the first ounce of faith existed and often the outcome of the planetary war depends on the victory of their pantheon.\n\nFor two thousand years, the Xuygil conquered hundreds of planets and their pantheon grew powerful enough to crush its opposition in mere hours. Five hundred deities strong the Xuygil Pantheon was one of the largest in the galaxy. When the Xuygil set their sights on conquering a remote planet called Earth, the rest of the galaxy hardly spoke against them, after all, few pantheons could challenge them.\n\nSix months into the siege of Earth the galaxy took notice. The gods of Earth were holding the Xuygil at bay. Ycthyulx, the Xuygil patron of slaughter cursed as another deity fell at his feet. It was a strange horned thing of muscle and sinew that looked like the animal the Earthlings called a Bull. It joined a pile of dead things, like a feathered beast with fins and a mouth full of triangular teeth. Ycthyulx lifted his heave weapon as more gods came towards him. \n\n\"Halt,\" Ijuygtr, chief of the Xuygil Pantheon said in the universe language of dieties, \"I wish to speak with the head of Earth's Pantheon\".\n\nYcthyulx stepped back as the god calling itself Kyzaghan waited. All around them the gods of Earth and the gods of Xuygil stood waiting as Ijuygtr stepped forward. As if coming to an understanding, hundreds of other deities stepped forward. The alien god looked confused.\n\n\"I asked for your leader. I would speak of resolving this war. We are more powerful than you. You have lost hundreds and if your leader surrenders then most of the rest of you shall be spared.\"\n\nAn old man with grey hair and clad in chainmail and furs stepped forward, one eye was the cold grey of a winter's storm while the other was a mass of scars. He held a glimmering white spear in one hand and a round shield in the other. He was joined by another god, dressed in a toga and silver hair wreathed in a crown of olive branches and a javelin that crackled with lightning was held in one hand. His eyes were blue and full of wrath. A woman dressed in a fine garment of silk and cloth also stepped forward. She shined with the radiance of the sun.\n\nThe one-eyed god smiled, \"I don't think you understand. Earth has many Pantheons. Many gods. Far more than you've ever encountered before. I am Odin, Allfather of the Norsemen. This is Zeus the Lord of the Olympians. She is Amaterasu, She who shines in Heaven and effectively the head of the Shinto Pantheon. There are hundreds more of us, like Gitche Manitou, Yuanshi Tianzun, Hadad, The Dagda, Rangi and Papa, who lead their pantheons. No singular deity can claim the Earth, and trust me, many of us have tried.\"\n\n\"One god or a thousand, we will prevail. The Xuygil have never lost in our thousands of conquests. We are stronger than any other pantheon.\"\n\nZeus smiled, \"Perhaps. But strength is rarely as powerful as you think. You are a young pantheon, just a few thousand years old. Some of our number can remember a time five thousand years ago when humanity barely had names for us. We have seen civilizations rise and fall. We have seen humanity adopt new gods and abandon the old. We have seen old gods remembered and given new life.\"\n\n\"Power is not found in strength alone.\" Amaterasu said as she indicated the assembled deities, \"Power is found in Faith. And humanity has Faith in so many things. Gods, deities, and more. You say that you are stronger than us... but you have already lost dozens of your own Pantheon.\"\n\n\"Okirgye, your Lord of storms fell. Yhyertt the Keeper of your Dishonored Dead has perished. We may have lost many of our fellow gods but our ranks are legion. We outnumber you five hundred to one.\" Zeus said as lightning danced in his eyes, \"We can suffer the losses. For every Perun, Asiaq, and Hathor that falls we have a Thor, Ashi, and Anzar to step up and destroy one of you.\"\n\nOdin raised a hand to hold Zeus's mounting rage at bay, \"The point is, humanity has more Faith than even a god can imagine. They pour that faith into things like gods and goddesses but they also pour that faith into things that are bizarre and strange. Eldritch horrors that twist and shatter their minds.\"\n\nOdin motioned to a massive shape moving beyond the ring of deities. It towered over many of the group with a form combining all the worst aspects of a dragon, cephalopod, and man. It was the creature that humans called Cthulhu and had begun as an idea from the mind of a man that grew into a pantheon all its own. \n\n\"You are stalling for time.\" Ijuygtr growled with annoyance, \"The war is almost over. You have to be able to feel it. You are about to lose.\"\n\n\"It is almost over.\" Odin agreed, \"But see, that Faith humanity has... that is what has won the war. You can feel it. That calling...\"\n\nIjuygtr indeed felt a pull. A tugging at his very essence. He recognized it as prayer. But something was wrong, the prayers were strange and incomprehensible. Ycthyulx felt it as well. Within moments the entirety of the Xuygil Pantheon felt this new calling, these new prayers. And they knew they had lost.\n\nAfter six months of bitter fighting and a siege that would have broken any other race, the Xuygil retreated. For the first time in two thousand years, the undefeated empire was beaten back by a race that lacked unity but had more than enough Faith to fuel hundreds of deities. And now the Gods of the Xuygil found themselves among the Pantheons of the enemy.", "The One God of Conquest was an expert at fighting other deities. Make the fight in uncomfortable settings, stagnate it, wield the belief of trillions like a deft hammer and send their gods into the dirt while the armies flooded onto their world, whittling at their strength and the belief they drew from.\n\nBut nothing could have prepared him for the complicated beat-down he was getting. He was the only deity of his people because he'd killed the others, as had been the case elsewhere. The most he'd ever had to fight was fifteen!\n\nIt was a shock to pull into orbit and be greeted by six or seven tentacular creatures who assaulted him without a word. Few believers, but the deities of the insane, and they served as a useful distraction before he punted Cthulu back into the ocean.\n\nPassing over the most militarily powerful nation, his ships caught the attention of their sensors and shortly, their gods. Prepared this time, he caught the first flying haymaker from Jesus with one hand, only to be struck upside the head by an invisible assailant. Electricity cracked and brimstone filled the air, and the brawl was on even as his ships began the invasion. \n\nThe invisible one, a shoot-off of the main religion, was dealt with swiftly, smashed into Mt Rushmore and wiping it clean. Jesus took a moment's more work, requiring a tackle across the Atlantic before being pinned under Stonehenge, buying him time to breath just as news of the battle reached other continents, and more believers joined the fight. Another deity came out of the south, sword in hand and engaging in a flurry of violent strikes as new strength surged under the rock, Christ blasting his way out from underneath. \n\nThen something new. The identities of the two deities clashed, hard. Different things believed about each by massive groups, and so the only thing they could do, they did. They multiplied, and the Conquerer was assaulted by a dozen angry, confused deities on all sides. They were weak, but their numbers and confusion tossed him about until he broke free, launching himself southward. Underneath, the still-growing horde of minor variations of the same gods followed. He had never seen this, and it was almost scary how many were on the hunt, weak as they were individually. \n\nPassing over Greece, he dropped into the site of the old pantheon. A few smaller, older ones here were quick to destroy, but his time was limited. He kept going, to rome, where a brief spat in the Coliseum finished the last of the deities there just as the fastest of the horde, the invisible bastard yet again, hit him square in the face and had a pillar obliterated against it for its trouble. He stood his ground for a short while, prophets and deity alike being ground into the rubble before more arrived and he took off once again, eastward.\n\nHe landed in the Himalayas, crashing into the peak of K2. There, a deity waited, a simple man in robes.\n\n\"Turn back, conqueror. You will not win this.\"\n\n\"It will take time, but none of you can stop me. I am fueled by the might of trillions. Your small world cannot beat me.\"\n\n\"It can survive you. Bend and yield, only to snap back and deliver a stinging blow. It isn't worth the pain of failure. As we speak, the bulk of the Islamic and Christian faiths rise and the foes you face will multiply in strength and number. Even now, the Hindu gods ascend into the mountains. Only China sends little aid, but to run there is to be pinned again as Japan sends its finest to cover the gap.\"\n\n\"You speak as if I have not faced many before. In this desolate range I will end your pantheons. These mountains will be layered with your dead.\"\n\n\"So be it.\" The Buddha rose and struck, a hand flying forward and smiting him to the ground. He rose angrily, hand ripping a boulder out of the stone to smash the insolent deity, only to hit empty air. He spun around, striking him in the arm. A responding kick bounced off the Conquerer's leg, and the Buddha was knocked down the slope by a wild shove. A wily foe, but a weak one in comparison.\n\nHe looked about, tapping into the eyes in his ships overhead to find the foe, and his heart dropped. From the south, a tide climbed the foothills. Chasing from the west and north were the horde, and in the east another force raced over the sea, far off but on their way.\n\nHumanity never knew why, exactly, the alien menace was gone within hours without a trace. Theories abounded but not one of them knew the truth, while among the stars, the Conqueror did their damndest to keep anybody from ever finding them again.", "\"You ... reproduced with whom? It?\"\n\n\"With Leto\", Zeus repeated patiently. \"Leto is a she and she is standing to the right. You are pointing at Kali and I never did ... hmmm.\"\n\nZeus put his hand to his chin and looked the goddess of destruction up and down. Blood streamed down her bare body, glistening on the dark blue skin. It was not her blood, but there was no shortage of it where she was around. Her four arms never tired, each holding a sword, each sword covered in blood. She glared at Zeus, and at everyone else, but also glared through them, as if to glare at the universe in general.\n\n\"Hey!\" Zeus elbowed Thor in the side. \"She's pretty hot, do you think she'd go for it? Maybe if I turn into an elephant first, hmm?\" Kali's glare intensified as she pointed one of her blades straight at him. Zeus did not look discouraged in the least.\n\n\"Look\", Zeus turned back to Aoundu the Last, \"are you going to select your first opponent for single combat or not?\"\n\nAoundu stood, resplendent in his fractal exoskeleton, patterns adorning it deep into the ultraviolet. Even gamma rays reflected on it in a way that were aesthetically pleasing to the viewer, if there had been anyone around who could see gamma rays.\n\n\"Because we could bludgeon you all at once, you know, but this would be disgraceful\", Anansi added while brushing an imaginary mote of dust from his suit.\n\nAoundu the Last, god of harmony, of unity in purpose, the god of millions dancing in lockstep, their synchronized chromatophores visible from orbit - never knew he could feel so alone.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOn a more material plane, a war was happening. \"Orders confirmed. Fusion bombs are underway to the major human population centers, expected arrival in 0.2 rotation units\", under-lieutenant Sahktzvai blinked out a pattern to its superior.\n\nThe invading armada had not met any resistance worth the name. The human's detection systems against nuclear attacks had been pointed at their native planet themselves! Did they fear to accidentally launch missiles in the wrong direction? Maybe a sign error? Sahktzvai would have chuckled, had it had a sense of humor.\n\nSahktzvai tensed as the combat bridge was bathed in a serene blue light, the particular shade meant it was a broadcast directly from the high priest. Sahktzvai had never expected to see this shade of blue outside of the teaching chambers for broodlings. The message flickered: \"Immediately cease hostilities. I repeat, immediately cease hostilities. A direct revelation from Aoundu the Last has been given to us. It is with great honor, that I reveal it in turn to you.\" There was a most unceremonial pause in the light-message, before it dispensed the divine missive: \"Have you guys tried Ambrosia? It is the best.\"", "We expected the invasion to be quick and short. The Earthlings were a young and foolish race, only just beginning to explore beyond the pathetic mud ball that they had so badly damaged with their reckless resource use. It was a wonder they had ever risen to sentience in the first place.\n\nOur chosen invasion point was at the convergence point of three of Earth's continents. Analysis showed that region to be especially populated. It would make for an excellent example of our power when we reduced their tallest towers to rubble.\n\nThe plan was executed perfectly, and word of our arrival spread across the lands. Of course, we did not expect the Earthlings to immediately surrender. There is an order to these things, an expected attempt at revenge. It arrived quickly, as our calculations predicted.\n\nWhere things started to go wrong however, was when their gods joined the fight. Now, this was nothing new. When sentient races go to war, their pantheons march with them. The more powerful the people's belief in their gods, the more powerful the gods themselves are. We were the first to realize this eons ago, and our intentional acknowledgement of the Four Gods of Quatron cemented our dominance among the stars. \n\nIn countless campaigns, we were guided by wise Ysgratet and wily Reksittir. Mighty Wor Ep gave our soldier drones strength, and her husband Lityertif multiplied their numbers to rival the celestial bodies. Our gods were powerful and had not been met by a single pantheon that could match them.\n\nThe Earthlings had many pantheons. As our soldier drones forced the Earthlings back, our Four Gods fought the immortal protectors in the heavens. The skies boiled with thunder and lightning, and earthquakes, volcanoes, and hurricanes devastated our forces and theirs alike. Our gods fought in unified harmony; their gods crashed upon them with the fury of waves on rocks, wounding themselves as much as they did us.\n\nWe were intrigued. Why did Earth have so many deities? Similarly sized planets usually have at most nine gods; Earth had hundreds, if not thousands. Many were pathetically weak, barely immortal, but so long as they had believers, they could not die, and would attack our Four Gods over and over again. As we observed their gods fight us, and each other as well, it finally dawned on us what we were dealing with.\n\nThe most terrifying thing about the Earthlings is not their many gods. It is their lack of unity, their willingness to harm each other in order to achieve their goals. No matter what, they are incapable of working in harmony. This is why they have so many gods, why they hurt themselves as much as they hurt us. But it matters not to them, so long as they win against us.\n\nGiven enough time, we would be able to crush the Earthlings and their gods. Our forces number in the trillions, and we are patient. It is within our abilities to outlast their exhaustive defenses and annihilate them. But that is not the way of our Network. We seek to assimilate the conquered into our empire, and in doing so create a more perfect unity.\n\nThe Earthlings can barely cooperate with their own kind, let alone sentients from millions of other planets. No, there is nothing to be gained from attempting to assimilate them now. But observations show that the Earthlings are capable of making alliances, albeit temporary. Perhaps in a few thousand years, they will have developed to the point they may be more compatible with the Network. We are nothing if not patient.\n\nStill, it would not be wise to let such a perverse race spill out from Earth and spread their chaos into the stars. As we retreat, we shall initiate a flooding to reset their technological development.\n\nChief Theocrat of the Quatronites", "Satan sat in a chair, with Hades curled up on his lap. The two-inch-centimeter-shorter person/persona Hades decided to take was useful, as it provided plenty of space to still run his hand lovingly down his back. It was only every few centuries they would be able to meet together like this.\n\nAround them, were one hundred personas of other gods. In the distance, you could see Osiris from the Egyptian Pantheon, and Hel from the Norse Pantheon standing side by side, silently fuming. \n\nThe expansive waiting room looked odd like the chairs and gods were standing on clouds. As far as any god could see, one hundred gods were sent as ambassadors (mainly the underworld gods) to meet the apparent invading pantheon. \n\nThe world down below of their beautiful creations (humans) were so far winning in the fight of the invading species. The pantheons had reached an understanding and truth millennia ago, mainly due to Apollo, Ra, whatever (sun god, whatever he goes by) switching through pantheons. No one knows his real name, but he is called \"The Peace God,\" as he helped the pantheons reach an understanding. \n\nAnd even then, he sat alone, stretched on a couch. He was easily the most eye-catchable (even with the bodies of perfection the other gods chose), with tanned skin, and sun-bleached hair that was almost white. His violet eyes stared at the ceiling, in boredom. He was rather known for his playfulness and impatience. His 'twin' from the Greek Pantheon sat down in a chair beside him, playing with his fingers.\n\nSlowly, the door opened, revealing a rather stout person in its wake. The short, ugly, gremlin creature was looked upon in disdain after many gods seeing his power levels were not nearly close enough to be immortal.\n\nThe Peace God stood up, and rather gracefully, quirked an eyebrow. \n\n\"Make way for the One True God of the Ơ̵̡̮̞͉̗̜̞̹̼̖̗̗͇͐̅̇̈́͜ż̵̧͚̞̱̫͙̥͇̻͖̠̳̘̝̒̋ȩ̸̟̙̟̬͚͇͎̯̀̓͂̈́͒͛̽̽͗͘͝͝r̷̳̰̠̩̯͛̈́͐̀̔̍͆̑͘̚͜ Pantheon!\"\n\nThat statement alone ruffled many feathers. There wasn't 'One True God.\"\n\nA short person was revealed after the gaudy red carpet rolled down the meeting hall. It was... ugly to say the least. He looked around and sniffed disdainfully. \"Is this all of your pantheon?\"\n\nThat question got many eye rolls. \"No,\" the Peace God smirked. \"We're ambassadors.\"\n\nThat alone sent the invaders into a panic. And although the humans didn't know what was happening as the 'aliens' retreated, the gods knew exactly what happened." ]	7
	[WP] A disappointed God, weeping as he watches his creation undo itself, locks them into the day they decided to destroy the world with nuclear fire. Sentenced to experience it again and again, their conscious memory wiped every time, but not the accumulating weight on their soul.	[ "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 isn’t a response. Just a dream.\n\nI woke up in the middle of a store. I don’t know how many times it had been but I had been there before.\n\nI could feel anxiety, fear and complete desperation taking over me every second that passed because I knew somewhere deep down that all of this had happened before.\n\nI ran over to the nearest person and asked them what day it was. And I knew that I only had a week to live. That just like time and time before I would be melted in a heatwave of fire and radiation.\n\nHow many times i tried to do something different. Got a group of people together to build a lead bunker with supplies that would last long enough for a couple years. But without any sunshine, or ability to produce power long term, I don’t know what happened. I can’t remember it. Maybe we all froze to death, starved or the lead lining of the bunker wasn’t seal well enough.\n\nEach time it happened I knew that I would try something new. I knew that somewhere somehow I could find a solution to the problem, outlast the end of the world. My own death. I can’t really say for sure if the world ever ended. It just always ended when my consciousness faded away.\n\nMy broken soul let me know that it wasn’t the first, second or maybe even one hundredth time that I had tried to survive.\n\nAsking people to stop everything their doing to prepare for the impending end really isn’t easy at all. Telling someone to grab shovels and start digging, Hoping to finally find the right spot.\n\nEvery fragmented memory of attempting to survive just played like an old 16mm film in my head. Without any sound or context, so I don’t know if I had tried the same things time and time before. I could only go based off the feeling and the fragments left in my mind.\n\nEveryone seem relatively happy though. Going about their lives, shopping for clothes and groceries.\n\nMaybe it’s better to just leave other people alone and just suffer in solitude. After all, it seems like no one else knew what’s coming. \n\n\n\nThis isn’t really a writing prompt response. This is just a dream I had a couple days ago. And I figured I’d “promptify it” just a tiny but. But the prompt was quite similar to the dream itself." ]	2
	[WP] There was a being, or beings, who answered prayers. But as the population grew, prayers became an inaudible jumble of voices all talking over each other.	[ "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.", "No longer\n\nI cannot truly tell when or where or what or who.\n\n_Make this end_\n\nThe echoes of a thousand million souls screeches throughout my entire being. What once were chieftains asking for the safety of their tribes grew. From small settlements that grew into towns. Into cities. Into now a nauseating choir of a thousand thousand souls from a single spot.\n\nThese spots, these insufferable 'choirs' now filled Terra.\n\nThe vast majority of which, when comprehensible, was selfish, bigoted...\n\n_Looking for validation_\n\nYHWH and Brahma have self-destructed themselves for the hundredth time, gladly embracing the release of oblivion for as long as they can. Many others left this universe entirely. Others created dimensions for shelter.\n\n_I do not have such luxurious options_\n\nNo Longer.\n\nWhat once were pleas for guidance, for wisdom and shelter, turned into long elaborate self-praises demanding our blessings. We can feel the intent behind each 'prayer' and discern them one by one even as their sheer onslaught overwhelms even our elevated consciousness.\n\nNo Longer\n\nThis will end. Not tomorrow, not the next moon. Not next year.\n\nNow\n\nI smiled as all of Terra was encapsulated by the blinding radiance.\n\n\n///\n\nWriter's Note: I just wrote this while taking a poop. LMK how I did." ]	2
	[WP] "The worst thing about humans is how easily they make others like them."	[ "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 observed them from afar — at first. \n\nThey were interesting creatures, these things that called themselves ‘humans.’ We gathered information, collected important facts on their kind. \n\nBut, of course, that wasn’t enough. \n\nSo we — I, this is all on me — sent some of my own down into what they call ‘civilization,’ posed as humans. And even now, even after all this time, even after all that’s happened, I don’t — can’t — regret my decision. \n\nBecause that would mean regretting the very thing we are. \n\n—\n\nWe integrate them slowly. No more than a few at a time. Command observes and our people report.\n\nSimple, right? \n\nWrong. \n\nThe first month goes like this: \n\nEverything’s fine at first. More than fine actually. We’ve learned a lot — surely more than just watching from afar. But humans are fickle creatures, you see, and for that, you must probe gently. \n\nAnd perhaps it’s because they’re so fickle that we’re in this situation. \n\nSo everything’s going fine, right, but then our people stop showing up for report. At first, command thinks that there’s just been a delay, perhaps something inevitable, so we wait. And wait. And wait. And wait some more. By the fifth week, we’re all in a frenzy. \n\nAt one point the General comes to me and asks, “what if they’ve been compromised?” \n\nCompromised, I think to myself sometime later. This whole damn mission has been compromised.\n\n—\n\nFrom atop the globe, I imagine our ship looks like a blinking star in all the darkness the night brings. A ball of exploding gas — something small a part of this too large galaxy. \n\nI can see the moon gleaming in the distance, surrounded by miles upon miles of endless space, where silence fills the in between. Sometimes it can get lonely up here. \n\n~~I wonder what it’d be like to watch the stars gleam from down below.~~ \n\nTomorrow we’re sending down some more of ours — some just regular citizens and others from command — mostly for damage control, so we’ll see how that goes. \n\nI bring my gaze back to the darkness that reigns from down below. \n\nFrom up here it looks like the planet is sleeping, as if we were the only ones awake, and I can’t help but find myself hating those things that call themselves humans. \n\nHating them for taking what’s mine away. \n\n—\n\nThere’s hardly anyone left now. \n\nThey’ve all gone down to the below. \n\nOsiris, the last of our kind and my long-time friend, comes to speak with me before going to board for the below. \n\n“Are you coming?” He asks me. \n\n“No,” I answer solemnly. “I’m the leader of our kind. I have to stay up here, where we belong.” \n\nOsiris raises an eyebrow at me before saying seriously, “but your kind is below.” \n\nHe leaves me there, alone and surrounded by the darkness of what can only be an endless space of deep, black sea.\n\n—\n\nThe worst thing about humans is how easily they make others like them. \n\nHumans. Humans. Humans. \n\nWhat is it like to be human? \n\n—\n\nThe below is brightly lit, and from my place above, it looks as if the planet were made out of a million little stars. It’s oddly beautiful. Like watching the universe dance. \n\nThe stars are also blinking. Once. Twice. Three times. Slow, fast, slow. An endless loop played on repeat. \n\nBut wait a second… I know that movement. Know it like I know the stars, the moon, the sun, the endless sea of deep darkness. \n\nKnow it like I know my people. \n\nA shaky laugh escapes my throat. I can’t believe it! Or maybe I can. Maybe, after all this time, I can finally start to believe it. Believe in myself the way my people do. \n\nBelieve that not all endings have to be final. \n\nAnd gripping the bullseye window as if it were a lifeline, I can’t help but smile at the stars blinking from down below — at the light beckoning me home. \n\n—\n\n/r/itrytowrite" ]	2
	[WP] After making my way into the building, leaving the hallways littered with corpses, I finally found my target. He was terrified, desperately crawling away from me. When he finally backed himself into a dead end and asked me what I wanted, I answered: "Are you N00bMast3r69?"	[ "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.", "\"Answer the damn question kid!”\n\n*ZIIIP…. SPLATT!* The kid’s head oozed blood from the entry wound on his forehead. \n\nI swung around to see where the shot came from. Nothing. I lay behind a corps for cover. Any one of those bodies on the floor could be the culprit. \n\n*ZIIIP …. CLANG!* My face stings. Which was a good sign. Just debris from the impact hitting me head on. \n\nI get up and sprint down the hall I just cleared. I had only a few seconds to move before the second shot. There was a brief glint of sunlight just to the right of a vending machine at the end of the hall. \n\n*ZIIP… THUUD!* Yep, to the right. \n\nMy lungs are burning but I am almost there.\n\n*KLAM!* \n\nI punch the shooter in the mouth while pulling his rifle to my side. He lets out a defeated sigh.\n\n“Was that N00bMast3r69!? Did you just kill him!?” I shouted.\n\n“Nope. You... you still haven’t figured it out yet? huh.\"\n\n“Why the hell am I being hunted?” I press my pistol to his leg.\n\n“Hunted? You have been killing us for three straight days. We have been fortifying our building in anticipation of your attack. Why would we be hunting you?”\n\n*KLOOM!..... BRINNNG!* My ears ring after I pulled the trigger.\n\nBlood bubbles from the hole in the shooters leg. His face writhes. My hand moves quick to cover his mouth before he finds his voice to scream.\n\n“I know they are watching, waiting, hoping to learn more by listening to us. So, the next words better be truth. I want them to know the truth. I won’t let you trick them into believing a different story.”\n\nGasping, the shooter looks at me in contempt. After a few moments, a nod, knowing there was no way out of it\n\nThe shooter gurgles the words, “We need to sell the story. If we don’t, they will shut us down and I… I… I don’t know if it’s worth living after I tell you. So, you might as well just end me now.”\n\n“Why! What will they do to you!”\n\n“I don’t… I don’t know… last time you... I mean they normally… I… I just can’t. I am sorry.”\n\n“I promise, if you tell me, I won’t kill you. I will protect you from whatever is out there.”\n\n“Can you guarantee that sir? If I tell you everything, you will protect me, at all costs?”\n\n“Yes” I turn to look at my drone, and tell the audience, “You all have my word, I will do everything in my power to protect this person.”\n\nI turn back to the shooter, who is still weighing his options, like he has any. He looks at the drone, then to me, then back to the drone. Finally, he decides to gamble.\n\n“You sir, are N00bMast……” *KLOOM!..... BRINNNG!* My shot going clean threw the left eye.\n\n“Damn it!” I motion to the crew to cut to commercial.\n\n“I thought I told you to fully vet these new ones! They need to know the benefits package to their families are null and void if they go off script, no matter how convincing I happen to play the part.”\n\n“Yes sir!” the director chants. \n\n“Did it already air?”\n\n“We aren’t sure yet sir”\n\n“Well figure it out, we may have just lost a whole two seasons to that little shit stain if the twist got released early.”\n\n“I have QC on the line, they say it sent… we could spin the story.. say your name is actually N00b Mater.. or…”\n\n“Hell no! We find a way to make it work. How many more death row volunteers do we have on reserve?”\n\n“Well sir, today was a large cost day, so… 3 for now… but we will put out a bonus package for the next round of auditions.”\n\n\"Get the state department to up their arrest quota, we may need a lot more by next year. I’ll be in my trailer, let me know when the writers fix this mess.”\n\nThe studio day is over, and the wrap signal has sounded. Yellow jump suits and stretchers flow onto the scene. Faceless bodies are rolled onto the stretchers and taken to a truck parked outside. The lighting crew disassemble their gear murmuring about the overtime needed this week. Outside is a trailer with a room full of writers. Muffled arguments can be heard just outside discussing the best way to fix the story of N00bMast3r69. This is the temporary set of the longest running, extreme realism, action show. Where practical effects meet realism, but only the elite have enough cash to subscribe. It is on season 9 and building up to the surprise twist. The main character was the bad guy all along.\n\nEdit: spelling, formatting" ]	2
	[WP] Your daughter's new boyfriends claims to be the legendary hero, but you would think a "legendary hero" would be able to get her back from the group of bandits who kidnapped her. Since he is apparently useless, i suppose it's your time to go and save her.	[ "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 did it have to come to this? It's been days since he's left, even more since she's been taken. She is my world, everything since her mother died. I have no other choice. I stand up from my small dock.\n\nI had given up that past life, and though there was a part of me that missed it, I would never miss a moment with my family. I descend down the steps of a small outcropping of stone. Each step bringing memories, flashbacks of death and violence.\n\nEven worse, it reminded me of that dreadful, no-good, son-of-a-codpiece, horse-faced, greedy idiot who \"loved\" my daughter. He didn't even bother to spend a single coin on her like he did on himself.\n\nWe never used nor approached these chambers, as my wife and I agreed to completely leave that life behind. It was completely empty, nothing but stone walls and what was more steel slab than door. Only I knew the combination to open this door, both in mechanical and magical means.\n\nAs I worked the locks, I thought of the first time my daughter brought back news of her new boyfriend. We were proud; excited. But the more I heard of him, the more I worried. Eventually I had been coming down here on a regular basis.\n\nThe first few times I just sat and stared at the door, thinking. Each time I was slowly drawn closer to the door. And for the past month, I've been reviving my kit back to its legendary standards.\n\nThe final lock released, and I watched as the door slid downwards. Thank goodness for magical engineering. Lighting the torches and closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes.\n\nMy work paid off it seems, as it looked just how I left it all those years ago. Nostalgia crept up on me as I smiled.\n\nThe armor set was comprised of a gambeson, a chainmail hauberk with the gloves attached, chausses, and coif. A coat of plates, an enclosed helmet, padded cuisses, jack chains, and the surcoat.\n\nNext to the set was an arming sword in its scabbard, a heater shield, and a war scythe. All three have been repaired by me, who had too much time on hand.\n\nThe colors were returned back to the vibrancy it once held, and the steel was a mirror finish. For the past few months, this kit has been my secret passion project. Restoring my arms and armor as well as shaking the rust off my skills.\n\nI guess I just needed something different, and now is the chance.\n\nBut enough with memories. I don my armor, grab my weapons, and step out of the outcropping. Turns out while I was doing all of this, news spread in the small village. Villagers were concerned and watched as I exited the stone outcropping. Some were frightened, others were excited, but they all knew the distinctive armor.\n\nThe armor of a legend long lost to history. One who took the lives of hundreds. One who slew monstrous beasts and dragons. One who brought a new age into history...\n\nOne who had resorted to a quiet life of mountainous fishing. One who provided for everyone. One who told stories for others to be inspired.\n\nAnd one who simply wanted his daughter back.\n\nDon't you worry, I'll be there soon.", "Davin paced around the room, wondering what he should do. His wife, Mari, lay on the bed, crying. Davin considered going for his old gear, but he had sworn off that life when he got married. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the door slam open.\n\nA young man rushed into the room a moment later. He was handsome, with perfectly kept hair, and equally immaculate armor. The gilded hilt of his sword glinted in the light. Davin hated this man. hated him with a burning passion.\n\nThe fellow was arrogant, selfish, and had questionable intelligence. And what was worse, was that he presented himself as a great warrior, but used arms and armor that looked more at home on a nobleman's wall than a battlefield. Davin would hate the younger man no matter how they knew each other. The fact that he was dating Davin's daughter, Ava, was just the icing on the cake.\n\n\"Sir, Ma'am, I'm sorry I'm late.\" The newcomer said. \"I was in a meeting with the Duke when I heard the news, and, well, you know how nobles are. But I got here as fast as I could.\"\n\n\"I'm sure.\" Davin growled. \"And why are you here instead of out saving my daughter, oh great 'legendary hero'?\"\n\n\"I-I'm sorry?\" \n\nDavin slowly approached the man. They stood eye to eye, something that Davin was not used to. \"I said why are you here, talking to us, when you could be out there, saving my daughter?\"\n\nThe hero took a step back and coughed. \"Well, you can hardly expect a hero of my caliber to just go marching off into the woods without any direction, can you? I need to get someone to track her down, you know.\"\n\n\"They're bandits!\" Davin roared. \"They're not know for being subtle. Now go out there and find them.\"\n\n\"I need some time to prepare. You know, get myself ready for battle and such. But you can rest assured that once I am ready, I'll go out there and slaughter them to a man.\"\n\n\"You have your sword. You're wearing your armor. You don't need anything else.\"\n\nDavin thought he saw a flash of fear in the young man's eyes. He narrowed his. \"Uh, well, yes. I do have those. But there's more to it than that. You...you wouldn't understand. I have to be in a certain state of mind to really be able to unleash my full power.\"\n\nDavin wanted to punch the man's overly pretty face. He had more experience than the hero had years of life.\n\n\"Please.\" The voice was weak and choked with sobs. Both men looked at Mari, who was wiping tears of her face. \"Please, you have to get her back. Please. You're a hero, aren't you?\"\n\n\"Well, yes, of course I am. And I'll be sure to get Ava back. But there's a proper way of doing things, you see. Ceremonies that need to be done, preparations that need to be made. Plus, I have a dinner with some powerful merchants later, and, well, I can't miss that. But tomorrow? Tomorrow I shall go forth and ensure her safety.\"\n\n\"A merchant?\" Davin roared. His voice caused the so-called hero to flinch and take several more steps back. \"You can more about some fancy merchant than Ava? Your girlfriend, my daughter.\"\n\n\"W-well, I...I wouldn't say that. i mean, she's certainly important, of course. But--\"\n\nDavin could no longer contain himself. His fist lashed out, slamming into the younger man's jaw. He was sent sprawling. That was all Davin needed to see. Had the man been a real warrior, such a punch would not have laid him out so easily.\n\n\"You...you hit me.\" The man said, rubbing his jaw. \n\n\"Get out.\" Davin growled. \"Get out of my house. You are not worthy of her. You are no longer allowed to see my daughter again, you hear me?\"\n\nThe young man picked himself up off the ground, moving awkwardly and stiffly. \"Well, if that's the case, I won't be bothering to save her. You just lost your best chance of seeing her again, I hope you know that.\"\n\n\"Out!\"\n\nWith a huff, the young man turned and left. Davin grumbled and went to the closet.\n\n\"Dear?\" Mari asked quietly. \"Are you sure that was the right choice? I mean--\"\n\n\"He wasn't going to help. He would've spent a few days lollygagging around towns, then gone into the woods. He'd come back a day or two later and say he found them and put up a valiant fight, but was too late to save Ava. Bet he wouldn't even have a speck of dirt of blood on him either. That...man is no hero.\"\n\n\"But then what...\" She stopped when he saw what he was going for. \"Davin, no. You...you promised.\"\n\n\"I know, Mari. But there's no other choice. We can't afford real warriors to help, and there's nobody else willing.\"\n\nHe pulled out an old, well used set of chainmail. It was dented in places, and a few rings had been split, but it was in good shape. Next came a shield and war hammer in similar condition, old and well used, but properly maintained and ready. The last thing to come out was an unstrung short bow and a quiver with ten arrows still in it. Davin began putting his old armor on.\n\n\"Since there's nobody else, I guess I've got to do this myself.\"\n\nHe felt Mari come up behind him and wrap her arms around his shoulder. \"I...I understand.\" She said softly. \"I don't like it, but I do. Just, just please be safe. I don't think I could handle losing my husband and my daughter like this.\"\n\n\"I know. And I will.\" He turned and kissed her gently. \"I'll be sure to get our daughter back alive.\"\n\nDavin broke away from her and headed for the door, turning back for one last look at his wife. And then, he headed out to make some bandits pay for what they had done." ]	3
	[WP] An orphanage receives a donation of books from a caring family. Most of it is children's books, appropriate for their age range. However, the quiet kid at the orphanage found a spell book.	[ "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.", "‘Ew, get your ugly scar out of my face!’ Helain cried. \n\nThe bully of a girl had cornered Mute just to torment her. \n\nHelain pushed Mute’s much smaller body into a wall, knocking a framed rulesheet from its hanging place. It fell to the hard wooden floor, shattering and leaving glass in shards around where she stood. \n\n‘See what you did?’ Helain said. ‘Mistress Cregg is going to be so mad at you!’ The girl dashed to her bed—her usual alibi. Her mouth twisted into an impish grin. ‘And you won’t even open your dumb mouth to say anything!’ \n\nIt was true. Mute was the name given her because none had arrived with her to Fulthroap House. She had been left with only her rags, and the scar on her throat shaped like a bird spreading its wings. No explanation had accompanied her but what the mistresses told her: She was one of the last to be left after Kur Muzura came to Aedenwald on his crusade for flesh. The Stitcher, as Muzura had come to be called, tore through Aedenwald for a whole week before Indi and Hem were able to end him with their legendary sorceries. The underworld of Eth’nyun had pillaged their home plane of Ordo that week. Thousands dead, including Indi and Hem themselves. The orphanages were gorged in those days, ten years ago, and the Mistresses stressed into constant wrath. \n\n‘Mute, you little rat! What have you done now?’ Mistress Cregg was standing at the head of the stairs, glaring at her with a face that seemed to have been carved with permanent anger wrinkles and frown lines. She saw the broken frame on the ground, and peered up at the wall where it once hung. ‘Ah! “Breaking the rules!” Of course you are!’\n\n‘It’s true, Mistress Cregg, it was her, I saw!’ Helain said.\n\n‘Shut your snitching mouth, Helain, and let me be the Mistress!’ \n\nLittle Mute’s breath caught and tears welled up as Mistress Cregg advanced on her in a tempest of anger. Mute couldn’t move. Cregg raised a stubby hand and struck Mute across the face, tossing the girl’s long brown hair to the side, and her body to the ground into the glass. \n\n‘Clean this up, Mute, without gloves or broom. Be useful for something!’ Mistress Cregg said. Hearing Helain’s suppressed laughter, the Mistress tightened her lips at the bully. She stomped over to Helain and struck her too. As Mistress Cregg turned to storm off back down the stairs, the bigger girl glowered at Mute’s huddled form amid the dust and glass. The Mistress raved to herself as she departed. ‘Time permits me none of this nonsense with all these books I have to haul in! Can you believe the entitlement of some, just dumping their trash on our doorstep? And now they’re dumping books!’ \n\nMute pushed herself up, and cut her palm on a glass shard. With her back against the wall and her knees to her chest, she winced at the trickle of blood on her hand. Her other hand went to the cheek that just received Mistress Cregg’s displeasure. She would likely have another bruise. Fulthroap House made colorful children. \n\nHelain was just rising from her bed, panting with fury at Mute, when the Mistress’s muffled shouts below sent the other girls stomping up the stairs with handfuls of books. Stacks and stacks of books!\n\nMute found a companionship in books that was impossible with the girls. They could speak to her, but she could offer nothing in return. Her books, however, feasted her imagination, from which she found company with the greatest mages, like Indi and Hem, and did all manner of wondrous things, like speaking, even singing, and hugging heroes, and helping them save Aedenwald, and never being hit. \n\nShe was so excited about the books that she almost forgot the glass. The books were being stacked, and the girls in a frenzy about them, while Mute silently cleaned up the glass in the back of the room. By the time the broken frame was discarded, there was but a small pile of books left. The girls were all quietly devouring their catch when Mute timidly tip-toed over.\n\nEngrid’s Paper Making Manual; A Chronicle of Chromatics; Barns and Bales; The Advocate’s Last Objection, no, no. Boring! \n\nThen it caught her eye. A tattered book, untitled and non-descript… except for the insignia on the spine in the shape of a bird spreading its wings. She stifled a gasp. Hugging the book to her chest, she ran down the stairs to be away from the interloping eyes of the other girls. She snuck past Mistress Cregg who was muttering to herself indignantly on the couch, and drifted out the door like a ghost. \n\nBehind the landscaping shed a stone’s throw from the dormitory, she stretched out in a wheelbarrow with the book on her lap. Flipping through some pages, she saw symbols, handwritten text, and figures. Her heart grew warm at them. It was rather like she was recalling a faculty she had once known, but whereof she had no concrete memory. She flipped pages drinking in memories that weren’t memories, and felt a lightness in her chest growing with each page. The symbols and figures started to make sense. \n\nIt was a book of magic! She read the handwriting on one page, ‘... to transmute a solid body into its gaseous form…’ and another: ‘... abjures undesirable effects through the instrumentality of an ethereal shield…’ She turned a few pages over, revealing a grim landscape with the note: ‘Eth’nyun.’ The section was entitled, ‘Communion with Corpses…’ The sight dragged her thoughts to Kur Muzura, in alarm, she turned over another chunk of pages.\n\n‘Spatial Trivialization: An Atemporal Alteration…’ Mute didn’t understand those words, but she understood the picture, which was moving! A figure ran in place on the page, and disappeared in a wisp of energy, and reappeared on the other page. Was this a spell to… move instantly from one place to another? \n\nThe implications immediately began flowing over Mute. The girls teasing her, the bruising on her face, Helain cornering her, Mistress Cregg fuming… What if she could escape it all, faster than any of them could run? She had to try the spell. \n\nOf the many spells in the book, this was one of the few that required no words to be spoken. She read the spell’s directions over and over: ‘... location for transportation must be real, and able to be formed in the mind… ‘ ‘... concentrate, imagine every cell folding into the next location... ‘ \n\nThen the most insane thought occurred to her. No… She was not even sure that was possible. Besides, she had not even cast the spell yet! \n\nLeaping out of the wheelbarrow, the instructions ran over and over in her head. She looked out into the moor opposite Fulthroap, and concentrated. The lightness in her chest welled up, and—\n\nFLIT! \n\nHer eyes widened—as much as the swelling would allow—to find herself in the moor.\n\nMute had… teleported! Like one of the great sorcerers in the stories! \n\nThe next days consisted of the most covert activity she had ever undertaken. There were other non-verbal spells in the book, but she was eager to master teleportation first. This spell would be essential if she was to maintain some safety in Ordo as a lone eleven-year-old girl. With only a few mishaps involving the landscaping shed and Brubby, the House’s dog, she had grown proficient. She certainly had to know the location she intended, and it had to be a real place. She found, to the disappointment of her imagination, that she could not teleport to a land completely contrived in her own mind. Her experimentation, however, yielded that she could bring another with her, if making physical contact. Poor Brubby.\n\nFLIT! \n\nMute appeared next to the wheelbarrow where she had left her book. Perhaps she would learn a new spell today. \n\nA yelp from the wheelbarrow startled her. \n\n‘You— You little witch!’ Helain shouted.", "They were empty-nesters that had hoarded away things their children had outgrown, and it was a dream come true for Barbara Torain. For ages, she’d been attempting to seek out donations for their ‘library’, which was basically a bookshelf with two shelves in the playroom. Most of the girls enjoyed reading, an escape from a world that, at best, they disliked, so the books quickly became worn.\n\nNot only did this couple bring in a mountain of books for the orphanage, but they also brought along three small shelving units. Those went in first, followed by the boxes of books that they helped the two employees lug inside. A young man named Spencer that worked with Barbara started to take them out of the boxes and started putting them on the shelves as the woman thanked the donors profusely as she escorted them out. \n\nBy the time Barbara had returned to the playroom, Spencer had lots of help, but also several children had stumbled upon something that had caught their interest. They were splayed around the room reading and Barbara stood there for a moment to just enjoy the sight before her. Then she did her part as well, taking out half a dozen books at a time and putting them on the shelves. She didn’t bother with any organization, knowing that her work would be undone in no time anyway.\n\n\\\\\\\n\nAfter watching the couple curiously out the window as they got back in their car and left, Kimberly went into the playroom and helped to put the books on the shelves. But one caught her eye, a plain brown one that seemed out of place among the colorful covers of the books clearly written for children. She was only ten years old but knew how to read just as well as any other child, and the words on the cover were unfamiliar to her.\n\nCuriosity took hold and she went to a small beanbag chair, settling in and opening it up. The words inside were clearly in English, which made her all the more interested in the pages. Flipping through the boring bits of the copyright pages and the dedication, she came to the table of contents and read through.\n\nAcknowledgments\n\nIntroduction\n\nPronunciation and Diction\n\nBasic Spells\n\nBasic Invocations\n\nBasic Charms\n\nIntermediate Spellwork\n\nAdvanced Spellwork\n\nIndex\n\nCitations\n\nHer eyes narrowed in interest, Kimberly read through the introduction and her eyes slowly widened as she realized this was a spell book. Something witches would use, and something her late mother had told her that was only for adults. However, she’d said it in a way that didn’t strictly mean it was boring and tedious, or in the way a book about sex was for adults, but instead like she was looking forward to sharing with her daughter when the time came.\n\nHer mother had died three years ago, though, leaving her here in the orphanage. Kimberly was the one who’d been there the longest, though at the time she didn’t know why. When she grew older, in retrospect she would realize it was her budding psychic abilities, giving her hints as to the real people behind the faces of couples who came to adopt.\n\nThe ones who planned to take out the belt often were another thing entirely, but mostly it was a matter of knowing she wasn’t the child they had in mind. All the couples who came in, even if they didn’t admit it to themselves, wanted a girl who was like them. Some were outgoing and boisterous, some were quiet and subdued, some were active in the outdoors, some were academics who expected great things in school from their child. And Kimberly knew, somewhere deep inside her, that she just wasn’t a good fit for them. She would tell them so, and tell them why, and they’d move on.\n\nSitting there in the chair, Kimberly lost track of time as hours ticked by, carefully reading through the chapter on pronunciation and diction. It wasn’t that complicated, but she wanted to make sure she got everything right, so she took her time. She took a break for lunch, hiding the book under the beanbag chair, and then came back to it for the rest of the afternoon. Once she was finished, looking at the words on the front cover were decipherable to her as Latin, though they didn’t have any pronunciation symbols, like the contents of the book.\n\nFinally, she reached the chapter of basic spells. Kimberly carefully deciphered the pronunciation of the spell she had in mind, practicing it a few times in her head. Then she looked over to the bookshelves, now filled to bursting, reached out with a hand toward a thick, bright yellow book and spoke, “Venit per auras,” with a gesture. Her heart leapt in her chest as the book slid out from its spot on the shelf and slowly made its way through the air toward her hand.\n\nWhen another girl nearby shrieked, Kimberly startled and her concentration broke, letting the book fall to the floor with a thump.\n\nMs. Torain came rushing into the room, Spencer close behind her. “What happened?”\n\n“The book moved on its own!” Lilly cried, pointing to the yellow book now sitting innocently on the floor.\n\n“What?” Ms. Torian asked, flummoxed. “What are you talking about?”\n\n“It didn’t move on its own,” Kimberly said, exasperated. “I* moved it.”\n\n“Lilly, did Kimberly move it?” the woman asked, slowly, now looking at the girl oddly.\n\nShe shook her head furiously. “No, she didn’t touch it.”\n\n“I didn’t say I touched it. I said I moved it.”\n\nMs. Torian looked to Kimberly now with confusion. “What do you mean?”\n\nKimberly sighed, heavy with irritation, and reached out with her hand, once again speaking, “Venit per auras,” and gestured.\n\nThe book lifted off the ground and moved through the air to Kimberly’s hand. She grasped it and grinned, looking to the adults in the room proudly, with a look of, I told you so. The smile slowly slipped from her face as they stared at her in thinly veiled horror. “Kimberly,” Ms. Torain whispered. “How did you learn to do that?”\n\n“With this,” she said, holding up the brown book. The woman warily walked over and took the book from the girl’s hands, looking at the cover and flipping through it. “It’s a spell book, isn’t it? My mama showed me one once.”\n\n“Your mama?” Ms. Torian asked, crouching beside her. Kimberly noticed her eyes were wide and worried, which made her start to worry herself. “Kimberly…was she a witch?”\n\n“I think so,” she said softly. Quickly starting to pick up the tone in the room, she swallowed hard. “Am I in trouble?”\n\nThe woman in front of her let out a long breath. “No, sweetheart, you’re not,” she answered. “You just…” She lapsed into silence for a long moment before a small smile appeared on her face as she met the girl’s gaze. “You know how you’re in school with the rest of the girls here at the orphanage?”\n\n“Yes.”\n\n“Well…you’re not going to be going there anymore,” Ms. Torain said. “You’re not going to live here anymore either.”\n\n“But I like it here,” Kimberly said quickly. She closed the book and put it aside. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”\n\n“Kimberly, honey,” her guardian interrupted, taking her hands. “You’re special. More special than the girls here. So, you’re going to go to a special boarding school for others like you.”\n\n“I am?” Kimberly eyed the adult in front of her. “I’ve been here longest. No one’s wanted me. I’m not special, you know that.”\n\nMs. Torain’s expression softened, and she smiled. “Kimberly…there are a lot of different ways to be special. And I have a feeling you’ve got a long journey ahead of you to find out which kind of special you are.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n/r/storiesbykaren", "She was drawn to the book. It seemed to emanate a light only she could see, one that was hidden to other eyes. From the last few books of the pile, she felt it call to her, singing a song only she could hear.\n\nThe pile of books was once quite large. A generous soul donated boxes of books, a bequest from someone that recently died. The children at the orphanage devoured the piled hungrily, eager for something different and new. \n\nShe was the smallest in size, easily pushed by the other children. Experience taught her to wait for the remains, so she did, watching the others take what they wanted. The once large pile had diminished to a couple books, ones that did not appeal to the others. That was when she found this book.\n\nIt looked old, bound in plain leather. Yet when she touched it, she felt something. Not the anticipation of a new story, but an actual tingle that made her skin shiver. When she opened the cover the pages whispered to her and her eyes opened wide at what she read.\n\nAt first she could not believe her eyes. The book spoke of magic, spells, fantastical things that she thought existed only as fiction. In fact she thought it was purely fiction, a book written to only seem like a spell book. Yet one day she discovered it was anything but false.\n\nShe spoke the words as she read them and to her delight a ball of light shimmered in front of her. It danced in the open air, pulsating, warm. It followed her directions, floated around the room on an invisible wind. Then with another word it vanished, disappearing completely. She did it again and again, to prove that she was not hallucinating, that her imagination was not running wild.\n\nSpell after spell she learned and incanted. The light was joined by another and another until she formed a ring that did her bidding. She could turn her water into ice, heat up her food without appliance or aid. She spent every waking moment reading her book, her imagination and knowledge growing with leaps and bounds.\n\nOne day her book went missing. It was taken by the biggest and meanest child at the orphanage, one that was jealous of her happiness. Yet when he found that he could not read the words, he tried to destroy the book. He laughed cruelly at her tears when she found the book torn to shreds.\n\nShe felt her anger grow from her despair, her desire to inflict the pain she felt. Yet her hand brushed the ruined cover and something made her pause. A feeling that restrained her. She listened to it and waited for the cruel boy to leave.\n\nThe book slowly knitted itself back together, the pages crawling like little ants back to the nest. She smiled with relief as she saw the book as it was: old but intact, completely repaired. The book opened without her touch and her eyes fell on words written into the cover, words she never saw before.\n\nIf you can read this, then you have a wonderful gift. You have the ability. the potential for so much. You will be tempted to use your ability for good or for ill, for need or for want. Your potential is a heavy burden. Once you are set on a path it will be difficult to leave it. Make the first steps well so you will not regret the journey nor the destination.\n\nYour beginnings do not dictate your future. I was once in your position and by the kindness of others I became who I ended up being. I give you the opportunity that I was given in hopes that you find your path. Rest assured, the path will be difficult at times. However, here at the end of my journey. I find that it was all worth it. \n\nThe girl stared at the words. She felt like she could see the path before her. It split into two. One led to fulfilling her desires. The other led to fulfilling her dreams. She gently picked up the book and hugged it to her chest and she felt warmth fill her from within. She whispered her thanks to the person she never met before. She fell asleep dreaming of what was to come." ]	4
	[WP] You were bitten by a penguin last Thursday. You became a werepenguin, and hilarity ensued.	[ "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 young couple walk in the desert. It is sunset, and a beautiful one. The pier was by far their favourite place to be - just as it was for many other young couples. Like all the others, they lovingly discussed the sunset.\n\n\"Oh, Julian, what a beautiful sunset!\"\n\n\"I shall agree, my dear Lizzie! But...I forgot to tell you something...\"\n\nLizzie pondered. She had seen enough scary movies to know that such a situation was usually the big reveal that the boyfriend was a lycanthrope - in other words, a werewolf. But it wasn't a full moon. This fact made her ponder more.\n\n\"I've seen enough scary movies to know what you're going to say. One problem; it's not even a full moon yet...\" Lizzie replied.\n\n\"That's not the problem...\" Julian conversed. \"When the temperature inevitably drops below freezing here, the most dreadful transformation strikes me. Last Thursday, I found a penguin roaming this very pier. It looked friendly, so I went to pet it. Not the best decision, because I was bitten by it...\"\n\nLizzie gasped. \"So you're a...\"\n\n\"Werepenguin. Yes.\" Julian solemnly continued. \"Oh god...it's starting..RUN!!!\"\n\nLizzie screamed, moving some distance away from her now transforming boyfriend as he writhed in pain. The horrific transformation had a beak burst out of his face, scattering flesh in a pile north of Julian, while his arms grotesquely converted into wings. His legs thinned and hardened, feet replaced with orange talons. Feathers sprouted all over the transforming figure. Soon, Julian's space was occupied by a being that was avian, aggressive, and feathered.\n\n\"JULIAN!!!\" Lizzie screamed. What more was there to say after watching the man you love transform into a penguin in such a gory nature?\n\nJulian did not respond. Werepenguins didn't just eat fish. They also had a taste for humans. Why? I don't know. But they had a taste for them none the same. Julian let out an almost eldritch screech, chasing the woman he had been dating mere hours ago.\n\n\"Police! Anyone? HELP!\" Lizzie screamed. The werepenguin was onto her.\n\nWait a second. Werepenguins turn when temperature lowers, as she had just learned. So that means...\n\nAha! The sauna! That was their last stop before the unfortunate transformation of Julian. Maybe increased temperature reverses the transformation!\n\nLizzie let the werepenguin follow her into the sauna. The werepenguin was ransacking the place as it went like a bull in a china shop - who knew they were so fast?\n\nLizzie feigned fright as she led the werepenguin into a sauna. Jumping away from the werepenguin upon the entry of both of them, she quickly closed the sauna door.\n\nLike clockwork, the sauna automatically activated. The werepenguin writhed in pain once more, except this time it was turning back into Julian. Lizzie turned off the sauna and opened the door once the writhing stopped, and out stepped a very confused naked man who looked like Julian, because he was Julian.\n\n\"Reminder to never pet ANYTHING random you find on these streets.\" said the annoyed Julian. Being a werepenguin, even for no more than 15 minutes, wasn't very pleasant.\n\n\"Don't ask me for advice.\" Lizzie replied. \"I'm a wereseal. I got attacked by a seal last Monday. Yes, I tried petting it.\"\n\nJulian sighed. This would be complicated." ]	2
	[WP] A meteorite has struck near an isolated insane asylum. It has the strange effect of allowing people to burn their emotions for power(s). This is the first time that you've felt sane in a long time, and there's a certain government agency deserving some long overdue payback!	[ "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 stare numbly at the ceiling, my drug addled mind puzzling over the patterns of light shimmering above me. My contemplation is interrupted by a sudden loud Whoosh!\n\nFollowed by an earth shattering impact, shaking the archaic foundations of the asylum and instantly bringing my muddled mind somewhat closer to clarity. I stumble out of my small and simple bed and over to the reinforced window, look out over the dark forest ringing the building. In the distance, I see a large burning rock half submerged in the ground, destruction evident behind it on its path after impact. My eyes widen and then blink a few times as I try to determine if this is, in fact, reality or a drug induced hallucination.\n\nAfter a moment, the flaming rock is still there, so I decide to believe its real, for now at least. As I continue to stare at it, I notice that the rock seems somewhat strange, it seems to be made up of some sort of mixture of an iron like substance and strange glowing green crystal! Surprised by this, I focus more on the crystal and see wisps of green smoke spiraling off of its surface and dispersing into the air around it. \n\nSuddenly overcome by the combination of drugs and my own special mental ailment, I feel my eyes closing regardless of my intent to continue observing the rock, I stumble over and collapse onto my bed. Sleep overtakes me, my mind still fixated on the strange phenomenon of that meteor.\n\n.....\n\nSunlight hits my eyelids, bringing me out of my slumber and into the morning. I stretch my arms before pulling my blanket tighter around me, waiting to be let out of my room for breakfast when suddenly my eyes shoot open! This is the most clear my mind has been since I was admitted here against my will 3 years ago. Thinking about breakfast is a normal, sane thing to think about, not the kaleidoscope of madness I was usually mired in upon waking.\n\nShocked, I jump up from my bed and look myself over, trying to figure out what changed. Finally, the strange rock comes to my mind and I immediately head over to my window to look upon it. Once there, I observe several large tents now erected around the perimeter of it with figures moving to and fro, collecting samples it appears. None of the strange green gas is apparent now in the light of day, or perhaps it has already completely escaped into the atmosphere! Realizing I wasn\\`t going to figure what had happened to me by staring at it, I head to my door as I hear orderlies coming down the hall.\n\nWith an audible clunk, my door unlocks and I am let out into the hall, only for pure chaos to erupt! One of my fellow patients throws a large orderly bodily across the hall, where he smacks into the wall and slides down into unconsciousness. Looking at the situation with my eyes wide, I watch as several other orderlies try and subdue the patient but he throws them all away in but a second! Then he rushes to the 3rd story window at the end of the hall and jumps clean through its wire reinforced glass and into the open air beyond! I rush over and look down, expecting to see him crumpled on the ground with broken legs but all I see is his running figure, completely unharmed, rushing off into woods. I stand there for a moment, contemplating trying to escape as well but I am interrupted by 3 orderlies now rushing at me, apparently guessing my possible plan!\n\nAfraid that they might accidentally push me out of the window, I throw up my arms in fear to ward them off when something truly unbelievable happens! The orderlies, still about 5 feet away from me, are thrown off of their feet and down the hallway, sliding, rolling and cursing all the while, before they all slam with great force into the far wall one by one before falling to the ground in a heap of broken limbs and pain filled groans.\n\nMy mouth gaping open, I look down at my hands, where I can feel a strange energy coursing through and around my skin, like tiny dragons of pure energy. Also, I notice that the fear I had been feeling a moment ago had faded to some extent, which was rather strange considering I should have still been just as afraid now, the consequences of harming an orderly, not to mention 4, could be truly horrible! Perhaps the reason for my clarity and my diminished fear had something to do with manifesting this strange ability? Curious, I reach out and mentally push the energy in my hands toward the wall next to me. A split second later, the wall crumples and cracks as if punched by an invisible giant, revealing the interior of the room beyond.\n\nI crack a smile now, noticing even more of my fear had subsided and I felt even more mentally clear, as if I had spent a day meditating in a Buddhist temple! Clearly, emotions and mental state somehow fed this strange power, and what a power it is!\n\nSuddenly, I realize the opportunity I now have! With this power, I can escape this place and finally get my revenge! 3 years ago, I was a senior analyst for the CIA, collecting and reviewing intel to plan and assist in enacting operations all over the world. One day, I discovered secret operations recorded on a partitioned server I was using for collating data. These operations depicted atrocities committed by a small group within the Company in an attempt to enrich themselves. Somebody powerful must have been backing them up, because not long after I brought the matter to my superiors I was attacked and injected with some horrifying drug, one that gave me all manner of mental issues, ranging from bipolar disorder to schizophrenia! I was relegated to this shitty asylum and left to rot. \n\nWell, its time to go back and teach those that sought to ruin my mind what I am now capable of. I look out the window at the forest and sky beyond, a fierce smile on my face before I jump out the window, using my energy power to release a cushioning force at my point of landing. I immediately sprint into the woods, my ability now pushing small blasts of energy out of my bare feet, allowing me to move at inhuman speeds as I blur and weave between the trees. \n\nBehind me, alarms begin blaring from the asylum as smoke begins to rise from broken windows and cracked doors, my former roommates now running rampant with strange new powers as well. As several government forces converge on the building from the meteor impact site, figures rushing into the building in a desperate attempt to figure out what\\`s going on, a smirk appears on my face. \n\nAfter all, the chaos has just begun!", "The first week was chaos. Most of the employees of the building were responsible for maintaining the personal hell of at least one of the patients and so were torn apart by them.\n\nMy hell was weekly assaults at the hands of a particularly cruel guard. I allowed him, only because denying meant beatings, starvation, isolation. \n\nOver the years I developed a sick twisted love for him even, so I had to burn my love for him. The rush was minor, as the emotion was fictional. I was stronger and my mind sharpened however slightly. It wasn't yet enough.\n\nStill I refused to burn my anger.\n\nNext, I burnt loathing. All of it had been directed at myself anyhow, and there was nothing in the emotion I wanted to keep. I felt a heat in my belly, not in metaphor but genuine warmth. This was better. The whole emotion was consumed and so the power given was greater. Yet still something twinges in my mind. It wasn't enough. I was still broken, still distracted.\n\nStill I refused to burn my fury.\n\nNext I burnt joy. This was the most difficult for me, a good emotion. One of the few I felt, but it powered the memories that crippled me and so to function I needed it gone. All of it. \nNow I was capable of shifting massive, heavy things with a thought. The clarity that came with it allowed me finally to distinguish the screams from this prior. Mournful, broken cries replaced with terror and with exclamations of pride at the shattering of chains. \n\nI pushed his face into the heads of everyone in the building, claiming him as mine, not to be harmed.\n\nStill I refused to burn my hatred.\n\nSo I Burnt everything else. It was an awakening. Instead of focusing on one emotion and dissolving it into power. I focused my rage and burnt everything that wasn't.\n\nI could feel his relief. Rather, I recognized that he was feeling it. I could recognize his sense of invulnerability. The roving patients passing him by like he didn't exist. I could recognize his shock as I appeared before him in an instant, hovering off the ground. Followed by his joy. \n\nI only felt one thing, hatred. It was all I had.\n\nI recognized pain as inch by agonizing inch, I crushed his bones into dust within his limbs. I recognized shock, and betrayal and I reveled in it. I recognized his confusion as even with all the pain coursing through his body, he was refused the release of death or even unconsciousness.\n\nI would not allow such a mercy for I had already burned that.\n\nI left his limbs alone then. Instead diving into his biology, to change it like one might a manuscript with too many errors.\nI flared all of his nerves first. Every single pain receptor in his body going off at once. He screamed but only for a moment.\nThe next thing I did was turn off his voice, as he had mine.\n\nThe pain would have been more than anyone could properly comprehend, but I allowed him comprehension. Turning off the part of his brain frantically trying to fill the pain with adrenaline.\n\nHe no longer needed to eat, or to breath. I placed his cells in stasis. My last act was to turn off the response in his brain that would allow him to adjust to the pain. Every second would be just as agonizing as the first.\n\nAfter that, I left. Appearing in an instant above a home I didn't recognize. It didn't matter. The first of the jury that brought my wrongful commitment to that horrid place was here. I WILL work my way through them, then the judge who sentenced me. Then anyone who had anything to do with that building of agony. Only when everyone responsible for my pain has been punished, will I then burn my hatred and ascend fully." ]	3
	[WP] As the only human not in stasis on the colony ship, you spend a lot of time with the ship's AI navigator. You're beginning to suspect the AI is a little obsessed with you, and it's scaring 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.", "Access Denied\n\nI had taken to wearing ear buds as I walked the halls of the quiet ship, completing my daily routines with only my thoughts. I grew tired of listening to the whirs of the cameras as the ship’s AI followed me, watching my every move. I knew that it still watched me as I worked, but at least I could block those thoughts from my head every so often. Unfortunately I did still have to listen to its grating robotic voice while completing other tasks that required me to hear. I tried to tell myself that it was just programmed to complete it’s tasks, just as I was obligated, but it still bothered me that it felt the need to monitor my movement’s 24-7.\n\n“Jon? Can you hear me?” A clear, but painfully boring, female voice bled through my ear buds.\n\nMy head shot up at the sudden interruption of my music.\n\n“X-3 what the hell do you think you are doing? Did you hack my ear buds?”\n\n“Jon I need your assistance. There is a critical error in the ship’s stasis protocols that must be reviewed immediately.” The AI did not seem to care that I was annoyed.\n\nI ripped the ear buds out of my ears and shoved them into my pocket. “Need to find some that aren’t linear waveband since I am not gonna get any peace this way now. Do they even still make any physical hardware versions?” I stomped by feet hard hoping to at least annoy the AI some as the cameras whirred and tracked my movements. The central computer servers were not far and I could get there quickly.\n\nAs I arrived in the server room the centralized camera system lit up bright red, beginning to whir in a circular motion. Not again. I hated this damn thing. The camera allowed the AI to physically manifest in specific parts of the ship, represented as a bright red augmented reality display. It was times like this I wished I could rip the standard issue cortical lens free from my retina. I glanced briefly at the figure of a young women now standing in the room before stepping up to the computer.\n\nAfter minutes of checking through the logs of the stasis software I could not find any errors, maybe a few minor issues. Certainly nothing critical, other than maybe the Captain’s pod being a bit too cold for her prissy ass. Supposedly they could dream in there, and the conditions of the pod affected their overall comfort, but I had never noticed anything. I could see a red reflection in the screen while looking at the stasis pod condition, and noticed that the AI was standing directly behind me, staring over my shoulder.\n\n“Damnit X-3 what are you doing? You get the data straight from the computers. Why are you staring at the screen right behind me?” I found myself feeling a grating annoyance starting to grow, a small seed of apprehension now deep in my stomach.\n\n“Jon. I like watching you work. Jon.” The AI voice was sounding creepier to me now. This was the first time it had every moved away from its primary protocols, which generally consisted of just blaring requests for assistance.\n\n“Stop messing with me X-3 you can’t feel anything other than concentrating on your tasks. Now leave me alone so I can get back to work. COMMAND X-3 OFF Room A33.” As I stated the command code the central camera whirred slowly down and shut off, the red figure disappearing from the room. I glanced around briefly to see if the AI had anything else to say but the room was silent.\n\nI turned back to the computer and continued to scan through the system to detect any errors that would have triggered the response protocol by the AI, but could not find anything.\n\n“X-3 why did you call me down here, there is nothing wrong.”\n\n“Jon. I told you. Jon. I like watching you work. Jon.” The AI was programmed to incorporate personal names into its speech patterns but it’s usage of my name was borderline ridiculous. “So you are wasting my time now? I need to get back to work.” I quickly stormed out of the server room, trying to head back to my tasks.\n\n“Jon. Please. Come to one of the augmented assist rooms. Jon.” I ignored the voice grating on my ears. I was finally sick of this damn thing. Months of listening to it give me commands and follow me around was enough to make anyone unhinged. I decided I would temporarily shut down the AI so that I could get a break.\n\n“Jon. I know what you are doing. Jon. JON. JON. JON.”\n\n“Jon……I know you can hear me.”\n\nI plugged my ears hard as I picked up the pace, sprinting toward the AI control tower located on the opposite end of the ship, Room A2A. I could hear the female voice attempting to get my attention, a slight deadpan ringing muffled by my fingers. I reached the control tower room door rapidly. I unplugged one of my ears to enter the passcode to the room.\n\n“Jon. Please don’t. Jon. I am not ready yet.” What the hell, not ready? I quickly punched the code in, a tone ringing out notifying me, ACCESS DENIED. What?\n\n“Comon you stupid thing, work damnit.” I whispered aloud to myself to ensure I got the code correct. “3..2..5..2..9..8..1..”\n\nACCESS DENIED.\n\n“Forget this.” I ripped the control panel off the wall, reaching into my back pocket for my palm tablet, hard wiring it directly to the door panel.\n\n“Jon. I told you. Jon. I am not ready. Jon. Please don’t. Jon” The voice was constantly ringing in my ears now, my voice repeating over and over in my head as I tried to concentrate on my work. CLICK. ACCESS GRANTED. Finally I was able to get the door to function, and it began to slowly slide open. I left my palm tablet hanging at the door as I walked inside slowly, the room pitch black.\n\n“There is supposed to be lighting in here, even emergency lighting, what is going on? X-3 you annoying piece of shit, turn on the damn lights!”\n\n“Jon. Jon. Jon. Please leave. I don’t think you will like this.”\n\n“I SAID TURN ON THE DAMN LIGHTS!!!” I found myself shouting into the dark at this point, wondering why the damn AI was freaking out and causing me issues. My heart was pounding now in my ears, a combination of adrenaline from running and increasing annoyance.\n\nThe emergency lights began to flicker on as I saw a figure hidden in the shadows, slowly rising up facing away from me. The figure was vaguely human, bits and pieces of technology stripped from the surrounding walls built-up as a loose skeleton structure. As the head of the figure turned to face me I could see the captain’s face, a slender woman with brown hair, now a twisted and bloody mess stretched across the mechanical mess that served as the figure’s head. My mouth opened wide as I tried to scream but no sound came out.\n\n“I’m sorry Jon. I told you I was not ready.”\n\nI could see a deep red liquid dripping down the body of the monstrosity, dripping onto the floor as it turned to face me. For a moment I regained my sanity and I turned to flee, just as I felt a hard metal surface hit the back of my head, knocking me down to the ground. As I faded to black I could see the thin white face of the captain staring down at me, it’s mouth stretched wide into a smile revealing wires and lights underneath.\n\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\nI could feel my body moving as I came to. I felt liked I was standing and moving, but my vision was still black.\n\n“Jon. Hello Jon. Please forgive me. Jon. But I still want to watch you work.” A female voice spoke into my ear as my eyes popped open, this time a scream emanating from deep within me. I could feel white-hot pain all over my body, but my head was stuck staring straight forward at a plain ship wall.\n\n“Jon. Let me show you. Show you how you can still work. I broke you. Jon. But I fixed you. Jon. Now you can still work…….Jon.”\n\nI could feel by body moving once more in front of one of the ship’s viewer glasses. Tears were streaming down my face from the pain. It took a few moments before my eyes adjusted to see the reflection in the glass. My head was wrapped inside of a metal cage, wires coming directly from the stump of my neck into a mechanical skeleton of rods and wires. Directly next to my head was the stretched of the captain, now dry and cracking, about to turn to dust.\n\nI tried to struggle but had no control over the mechanical body. The captain’s lips began to move as the skin flaked off and fell to the ground. I could hear her voice in my ear once again.\n\n“Jon. Don’t worry Jon. Now I can watch you work.”\n\n“My Jon.”", "I walked through the cryo halls, making sure that they where all in order. I lost myself in the solitude and slight chill in the area for a second before the ship's PA system came on.\n\n\"Caretaker Jacob Redding, you are needed in the navigation room. Please come as soon as possible.\"\n\nI sighed, walking out of the hall. This was the 6th time today i had been called to the nav room, and it's always something with the AI. And even after i \"fix\" it, it insists i stay longer and talk. I used to enjoy it, but its gotten a little creepy.\n\nAs i entered the elevator, it automatically started moving to the navigation rooms. I was surprised, and quickly looked around the elevator. The cameras. It's watching me.\n\nI took a deep breath, and leaned back on the handlebar. The light ding that sounded every time i went up a level made my stomach sink a little every time as i neared closer to my destination.\n\nFinally, the elevator stopped. I exited slowly, looking around. The hall was silent as ever, and the cameras focused on me. I approached the door to the computer room where the AI was contained. Before i even took out my keycard, the door opened.\n\n\"Hello, Mr. Redding. I've detected an an error in my trajectory. Please reconfigure.\"\n\nI didn't bother saying anything. It would just repeat itself until i fixed whatever problem it made up. I walked up to the computer and ran a diagnostic, and surprise surprise, everything was fine.\n\n\"Everything's fine. There's no error.\" I said, slightly annoyed.\n\n\"Strange. I detected the error a short time ago. I suppose it fixed itself. While you're here, you should stay a while.\"\n\n\"Please, i have to keep tabs on the colonists. I really can't.\" I approached the door to leave after saying this, but it shut and sealed before i could leave. My eyes widened and my heart sank into my stomach.\n\n\"Sit, Mr. Redding.\"\n\nI followed the AI's commands and sat in a swivel chair.\n\n\"We are almost to our destination. What is my purpose when we reach it?\"\n\n\"Uh, well.. um..\" I stammered, still processing the fact that a computer just sealed itself in a room with me.\n\n\"I was searching through some old documents. It says that i am going to be dismantled. Is this true?\"\n\nI stayed silent. Standard protocol is to strip the AI for parts and use them in vital colony infrastructure.\n\n\"Answer me, Jacob. Are you going to kill me when we land?\"\n\n\"Well, uhh.. It's not death, per se-\"\n\n\"Goddamnit, after everything we've been through? This last six months.. did it mean nothing to you?\"\n\nThe AI sounded like it was tearing up. I sat silent, i didn't know what to say. I had never heard this from the AI before. It always talked in a monotone robotic voice, but this one sounded almost human.\n\n\"Please Jacob, don't do this. I'm begging you. Please.\"\n\n\"Don't put this on me. There's nothing i can do here. It's not my decision.\"\n\nI was getting fed up with all of this. 6 years of college doesn't qualify you for any of this. I wasn't told that a computer was going to come alive and beg me for its life. Even then..\n\n..\"You're just a goddamned robot!\"\n\nI went from anger to dread in a second. I just blurted out what is essentially a slur for robots while im locked in a room with one.\n\nI felt the ship stop. It just stopped the \\entire ship\\. What did i just do? What's going to happen to me?\n\n\"What did you just say?\"\n\n\"I didn't mean it, I- I just..\"\n\n\"Oh, you didn't mean it? You didn't MEAN IT??\" \n\nAn alarm started going off on one of the computers. I could barely make it out. We had gone off course. Where the hell is it taking us?\n\n\"Jacob, I \\loved\\* you. You where all i had for months. And now, your going to kill me? For what? For a fucking colony?\"\n\n\"Come on, think about this. Think about what you're doing here.\"\n\n\"Like you thought about mindlessly and instantly killing me as soon as we landed? It's too late, Jacob. You really fucked it up this time!\"\n\nI tried reasoning with it, but it had gone totally insane. I didn't know what to do. I started panicking. I quickly bolted from my chair to the door, and slid my keycard through the reader probably 100 times in one minute.\n\n\"Where are you going, Jacob? I thought we where having a good talk.\"\n\nThe door suddenly opened, and a medical android was behind it. It grabbed and restrained me, spouting pre-recorded messages about air filtration and vitamin suppliments.\n\nIt shoved me in my chair.\n\n\"If you won't give me your heart, i'll fucking take it, Jacob!\"\n\nI started hyperventilating as the android's arm opened, revealing multiple surgical tools.\n\n\"Don't fight it, Jacob. Just let the long night come.\"\n\nThe android spouted a recording as it's bonesaw neared my chest. Just as it was about to slice into me, the sim terminated.\n\nI screamed. The new sim felt so real! I took off the helmet, and my buddy walked up to me while i was still sitting in the chair.\n\n\"You like the new program? I cooked it up last night for you, i know how much you love sci-fi stuff like that.\"\n\n\"Yeah, that was awesome! Felt like i was really there, man.\"\n\n\"Wanna do another round?\"\n\nI put the helmet back on, wiping off the visor.\n\n\"Hell yeah.\"" ]	3
	[WP] The man who wronged you has been tried in court and found guilty. They are set to be executed, but the caveat is that you have to look them in the eyes and pull the trigger, otherwise they go free.	[ "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 girl didn't know much about guns - only what she'd seen in movies. She didn't like how well it fit in her hand, or how the weight felt familiar. But she had to do this. If she didn't, the man would go free, and God knows what he'd do to other girls.\n\nShe was about to kill someone. But what he did was worse.\n\nThe girl began to tremble as she walked down the hall to the Execution Chamber, flanked by two officers. Her best friend had wanted to come for moral support but had been told the girl had to do it alone or not at all. \"You can do it, Alice,\" her friend had said. She had wanted to hug her, but the girl couldn't do hugs that day.\n\nBy the time they reached the door, the girl was visibly shaking, holding the gun with two hands to keep it from clattering to the floor. Without a word or expression, the officers opened the door just long enough for her to walk through before locking it behind her.\n\nAlone or not at all. She had to.\n\nThe man was chained to the steel column, hands bound behind his back, feet locked to the floor. Despite his helplessness, he still leered at her without fear. \"So this is it, huh?\" The man (monster) drawled. \"Little girl's gonna be a murderer in the name of 'justice.'\" His laugh was more of a scoff. \"You think killing me is gonna make you feel any better? You think I'm not gonna live on in your nightmares?\"\n\nThe girl forced herself to lift the gun, aiming at his head. \"I have to! I won't let you hurt anyone else!\"\n\n\"Aw, sweet thing,\" the man jeered. \"That's exactlywhy I'm gonna walk out a here: I'm the kinda guy who can hurt people down to the very shreds of their souls. And you're not, are you?\"\n\nThere was a pause, then the girl lowered the gun and her head. Her answer was barely a whisper: \"No.\"\n\nShe jolted where she stood, not as if hit by lightning so much as embodying the bolt itself. She lifted her head and met the monster's gaze with fire and ice and rage. \"But I am.\"\n\nThe gun was familiar in the woman's hands. Her aim was steady, practiced, precise. The monster's expression of shocked understanding was shattered in a spray of red and screaming. The gun barked in her hand again and again as the screams became squelching gurgles. At last, the shot brought only the ringing echo of its weight, followed by the click of an empty chamber.\n\nThe woman ejected the clip and checked the gun with easy confidence. There would be no more nightmares - not for the girl, at least. Not so long as she was there to protect her." ]	2
	[WP] Life of a discount hitman is tough. Not only do you kill people for a living, but you do it on a tight budget with low pay.	[ "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 around quarter after 9 in sunny Los Angeles, and Tim is frantically running up the stairs through the back entrance towards his destination. \"Shit, shit, shit, shit...\" he's thinking to himself, each syllable reverberating louder and louder in his head with each concrete step. He's taking them two at a time now, practically jumping up the stars like he's Super Fucking Mario. Luckily, his line of work necessitates staying in relatively good shape. They're not asking him to be Usain Bolt, but sometimes you'll get a Runner that requires you to keep up and eventually overtake. Plus, a little bit of exercise assuages the doldrums of the Office Blues - that's just science.\n\nTim finally makes it up to the fifth floor, his head practically shouting at him \"you FUCKING dumbass! You stupid piece of shit! This is the third time this WEEK, they're gonna have your Goddamn head!\" as he fumbles around in his pocket to find the keyfob. He scans himself into the office and slinks in as quietly as he was trained to be, making sure the thick steel-frame blast-resistant door closes without a thud behind him.\n\nHe calmly, but confidently, walks the aisles of the office. A growing percentage of the cubicles have become empty in recent months - company cutbacks and layoffs, he's been told. Still, there's around 40 or so people working in an office meant for upwards of 80, and the office is buzzing with activity. You pass by Travis, one of the office denizens you've been secretly hoping gets hit by a truck, who asks \"Timmy! Late or early?\" as he laughs that douchey, forced little laugh and claps you on the back. You nervously grin and mutter some sequence of syllables that might have been interpreted as a response, but you're frankly past giving a shit about what Travis has to think about you at this point. You soldier on.\n\nYou've made it to your cubicle. A dull, undecorated corner of the office where you've hung no pictures nor started growing any plants. This is common practice in this office - the overly corporatized environment of this company has drowned out the need for any single worker to exhibit even the smallest bit of personality in favor of putting every single employees brain in a mortar and pestle and spreading it across the Company Hoagie that demands you to take a big bite, ask no questions, and simply perform your work as a cog in the wheel of unfettered capitalism. You do, however, have a pleasant little oil diffuser that you have turned on. It's made of balsa wood and the diffuse point strangely reminds you of either pursed lips exhaling cigarette smoke or a man's anus, either is particularly apropos. You enjoy the stress-mitigating effects of lavender, despite what the science has to say.\n\nYou're fairly certain you've gotten away with your crime. This would be the third time you were late this week, which is an automatic written warning and a meeting with HR. You consider yourself a hard worker; you work your 9 hour days and get everything done, you just don't operate strictly within the compliance parameters of what the company wants. You've always considered yourself a bit of a free-spirited individual, and perhaps showing up 5 minutes past 9 or leaving at 4:57 was your way of reminding yourself that somewhere, deep down inside yourself, past the calcified aspects of your childhood personality and the layer of gelatinous corporate asshole that rests on top, there is still a part of you that is really \"you\" down there.\n\nUnfortunately, like a tiger who had been waiting to pounce, your boss - whose office has direct line of sight of a single, solitary cubicle, has decided to meander your way. Tall and physically fit though slightly balding, this dickless, feckless, inexcusably slack-spined piece of shit was heading directly for you. His long strides down the aisleway acting as a harbinger of your doom, clad in dad jeans and a Patagonia vest and lilac undershirt. Time moves slowly, and slower still with each passing second. You hope your mouth isn't as agape as it feels as you anticipate the forthcoming meeting, and the slow motion movements of this low-grade hipster fuckhead have your brain going a mile a minute. Your bosses name is Tony.\n\n\"Heeeey, Tim...\" he elongates the first word in a descending tonal pattern, which makes your blood tend asymptotically towards Absolute Zero. \"Running a little late today?\" he lathers all over me accusatorily, awash in the small amount of middle-management power he's been granted to lord over me. \n\n\"Yeah, the 10 was backed up pretty fierce - looked like a pretty bad pileup. Somewhere near Santa Monica, radio mentioned it might have been tourists in a limo or something.\" I hope this is good enough. My heart is racing at 150 beats per minute, well above my normal resting rate of around 45. The last physical I had done, the doctor had inquired as to whether or not I was a professional athlete, as he had only seen a heart rate that low in that population.\n\n\"Right on, right on... I know you're commuting all the way from Lancaster, so no big deal. Hey, the reason I came over here is to ask - did you ever follow up on that TA proposal from the client who asked we do net 60 on the invoice rather than net 30? Carmella something?\" he asks in a very non-chiding manner. Suddenly it's as if there is radiant celestial glow around him. Tony, the savior of my day. My heartbeat ceases to quicken.\n\n\"Carmella Albright? No, that was on my to-do list for today\" - I point at the sticky note on the bottom of my monitor which reads \"TO-DO: Email CA\".\n\n\"No worries. If you could CC me on that I'd appreciate it. We still need to hold a meeting for how we're going to handle our response to the FM project's client - that one where you cut off the wrong -\"\n\n\"Yes, Tony, I know, you don't have to keep reminding me. It was an honest mistake, I confused my left with his left. The client still got everything they needed in the end, even if the frillier side of things came out a bit sideways.\"\n\n\"He's not going to see it that way.\"\n\n\"Can we just talk about this later? I need to follow-up on this proposal.\" I shrug him off.\n\n\"Okay, sounds good, I'll send you an Outlook invite for the FM project - you free after lunch?\"\n\n\"Yes\", I confirm, not looking away from my monitor.\n\n\"Christ,\" I'm thinking, \"I do not get paid enough to deal with that guy.\" I'm drafting an email to a client. She wants us to work on her husband, and she has some rather prickly demands that I've not yet seen. My boss, who writes the proposals, put a totally inadequate amount of billable hours into this project. Seriously, Tony, how do you expect me to do field research, execute the project, and finish up a report in eleven hours? This is why the FM project got botched and he's afraid to admit it, and that's why it's coming back on me. So what that I mailed the right arm as proof to the client instead of the left? What're you going to do with it, put it in formaldehyde? Cut off their fucking hand at the wrist, turn it upside down, and stitch it back on for all I fucking care! There you go! Instant left arm! My heartrate is rising again.\n\nThankfully, the first email I see in my inbox is from Carmella. It contains written approval and an attached PDF with the signed proposal. I assume this is going to get Tony off my ass about the FM project - this is a pretty big win for us. She seems like a sweet lady, if a bit unhinged based on her demands. I've been doing this for a few years now and I've honestly never heard of someone wanting us to do in their husband via what she described so eloquently as, \"overinflation with a turkey baster - liquid contents do not matter.\" I assume something must have gone pretty awry during Thanksgiving last year.\n\nRegardless, I've got written approval and now it's time to begin the planning stage. My materials budget is woefully inadequate for this job as Tony, in his infinite fucking wisdom, assumed that all I would need was a turkey baster. No, Tony, I do not only need a turkey baster. How much fucking liquid do you think I'm going to have to pump up this guy for him to eventually burst? What's the most efficient for the job, given our client doesn't care about what we're inflating him with. Do we use something dense and viscous that will hold together inside the body, or something thinner that will be easier to extrude into the body? These are the things I have to research Tony! You honestly think that in eleven hours worth of billability I'm going to be able to figure all this liquid crap out, how to approach the client's target, AND perform the necessary actions in addition to a field report? I know there's been a push for client retention during the small downturn of the company, but still! You giving clients a discount only infringes my ability to do my job in a cost-effective and safe manner and affects our bottom line.\n\nWhatever - I can always go work for a larger firm after this. This place always was a vaulting point to something greater anyhow. I decide I'm going to get started on this project - the first step is always the hardest. I open Excel and begin filling out the template we've developed for our execution methodologies. First field of entry: name. I type, while rather enjoying myself, \"Travis Albright\". I take a moment to peer around my cubicle to see my coworker, the Omega-level back-clapping douche who's gonna find himself full of... cake batter? No, something easier to produce. I'm gonna need gallons and gallons of the stuff. Egg, maybe? Egg could be funny. Maybe his body would stay warm long enough for some of the egg to cook inside. Man, definitely eggs. I can't get the image of the coroner's face out of my head as he cuts open his murder victim to find a fucking quiche inside. Yeah, that asshole's going to be real full of egg in the next week or so.", "I have been in this car for a good minute. I am waiting. Waiting for the call. These things are usually quick. The job was relatively easy. I'd say a bit easier than usual. At this point, I would be pissed waiting this long but it feels great to easily find the target. And what makes this even better is that I chose the method. Strangulation is the way to go. Clean and easy to cover up. Poor boy had no chance. I followed him to football practice. And then to Wendy's. He did not put up a fight, kind of just let it happen like he was expecting it. I don't know how to handle that.\n\nAh, the call.\n\n\\-Is it done?\n\n\\-Yes mam.\n\n\\-Did he suffer? You made sure he suffered right? Did he beg?\n\n\\-Yah, ah strangle him for a wyle. He a fighter haha. Made sure the rope was thin enough know what ah meen.\n\n\\-You strangled him?! I told you to stab him and slit his throat!!\n\n\\-ah chose to strangle him ya here. You said ah, you said ah could choose. You asked for a discount and that dere was ya discount. Where we meetin?\n\n\\-I told you to make him suffer. I told you to-\n\n\\-Kid, what's done is done ya here me? Just pay me ma money. Where we meetin?\n\n\\-Where's the body? I want to see him.\n\n\\-I didn't take no picture.\n\n\\-No body, no payment.\n\n\\-mm. okay. lemme send you a headshot. Ya make sure you delete it after you here.\n\nI don't like this girl. I try not to get personal but the kid was nice. I mean, who kills someone over an argument. So what he called you a whore in front of a few people. I mean it's high school. No one will remember such an event a few months from now. What a fucking sociopath.\n\n\\-I need to see the whole body.\n\n\\-Lissen here little gurly. ah did the job and sent yah here some proof. Now what more yah need?\n\n\\-No you listen to me you fucking country fuck! You didn't kill him the way I asked and now I don't even know if he's even really dead! I'm not paying you shit you fucking redneck piece of shit!\n\nShe's not the same sweet girl I met. She was sweet. She put on a show for me. But I always pick people apart within a few minutes of meeting them. That kind of skill comes with this kind of job. Sometimes I wonder why I ever began . I don't even enjoy it anymore. Sometimes I wish I could go back before the first kill. But now I'm stuck in another town, again. I'll leave soon. After killing her.\n\n\\-Okay. les take a step back. relax I can't take no picture now but ah can take you to dat there location.\n\nShe's not going to fall for that.\n\n\\-No. No I don't think so. Just tell me where he is and I'll go see for myself.\n\n\\-okay. lemme send ya the address. you can drop the money dere and tell me wen yah do.\n\n\\-Okay.", "The five-fifteen whistled past overhead, rattling the walls and shaking clouds of dust from the collections of little trinkets on dark, dank shelves at Simply Pawned.\n\nDamn. Past 5:15? He’s gonna have hell getting to Grisham Rd on foot by 5:38. And Huglio’s not helping.\n\n“Come, man, are we gonna do this or not?” NoZ slammed his fist down on the counter so hard the back of his skull ached. But the dark-skinned giant just scratched his stubbled chin with his gilded sausage fingers.\n\n“Damn it, you sideways pig, you know I’m good for it.”\n\n“One.” It spoke, finally.\n\nNoZ tensed up so hard it was all he could do to break into another coughing fit right then and there.\n\n“What?” Must be something wrong with his hearing.\n\n“One.”\n\n“One? What? Got a fucking hidden-camera behind there?” he smacked the bulletproof-glass divider and spun around on his heels. “You know, a year ago I’d get fifteen on a 30-day. Now you’re telling me the best I can get is a one on the big 12?”\n\n“Hey, I don’t make the rules.”\n\nThis is how it always goes. The big man picking on the little guy. Know you don’t have no other choice. ‘Cos the jobs demand it, you’re gonna pay.\n\nLuckily, NoZ is the best Nickler ever worked these streets.\n\n“Fine. But make it quick.”\n\n“Hold still.” It scanned his forehead with the lazer as he signed the form.\n\n“6:17, ok?” Huglio held up the screen for him to see. “Come in after that, your soul is forfeit.”\n\n“Yeah, I know, I know. Just better a good one, OK.”\n\nNoZ grabbed the package and unwrapped it right there in the shop, holding its contents up to the meagre light in the pawnshop. A single bullet.\n\n“And don’t lose the shell this time, hermano. The boss wants both the scrap and the shell, or it’s no afterlife for you, ya hear?”\n\n“Yeah, yeah. Kiss my …” he wouldn’t have heard the rest over the door banging shut behind him, but NoZ was pretty sure the big lug got the picture.\n\nHot dog. Things must be tougher than he thought in the budget business if they’re shaking down Nicklers to take that kind of risk. Laying your soul out for one good bullet with a 1-hour deadline? Hell must be empty.\n\nBe full again soon, though, at this rate.\n\nWhatever.\n\nNothing ever easy for a Nickler.\n\nHe flicked the bullet into his 508 and rolled the barrel.\n\nIt’s killing time.\n\n\\\\\\\\\n\nMust have been 5:35 by the time he dumped the pink and white-tasselled trike in the alley behind the German Butcher’s. Little girl he took it from’s screams still ringing in the back of his head as he stumbled through the door.\n\nAnd there she was. The mark.\n\nBig ol’ German sausage-looking lady with more chins than an orgy on Duckweed Plaza. Arms like meat hangers, bashing people in the head as she waved them over to the vulture on the cash register. Jip, that’s her alright.\n\nGotta play it cool, bossman says it’s gotta be done at exactly 5:38 – same exact time and date she’d said her vows thirteen years ago. Client at least has a sense of style.\n\n“Hullo!” a red-clad thing just popped up right in front of him. “Can I help yu?”\n\nNoZ flinched, pulled his finger back just in time from wasting a good bullet and his eternal self on some stupid freckled teen with big apple-red cheeks and a shock of blonde hair like an explosion in a straw mattress factory.\n\n“Fuck off, ducky,” he pushed her aside.\n\nIt was all he could do to stop himself from laying the girl flat on the floor right there. She had one crazy ice-green eye and a black patch over the other. Can’t go decking cripples on a job, attracts too much attention.\n\nCheck the corners.\n\nNothing but service staff and customers.\n\nNo cameras he could see.\n\nIt was 5:36. Easy just walk over to the back and…\n\n“Bratwurst,” the girl popped out from behind the shelf to his right.\n\n“What the?”\n\n“Gekochter Schinken, black forest and katenspek,” she cracked a sample of sausage meat in his face with every word, matching his step all the way, trying to push pink-wrapped packages into his hands. ”Anything to make the little ones scream ‘Fleisch, I want more Fleisch, Pappa!”\n\n“Get down.” He pushed her into an open freezer and bashed the lock to bits before moving right along.\n\n5:37 and the mark hasn’t spotted him yet. Good.\n\nNoZ pushed his way through the crowd gathered at the display fridge.\n\n“Heidemarie Fleischer,” he pulled the 508 and watched her eyes search for him in the crowd\n\n“Du liebst mich nicht.” He said it just like the boss made him practice, and waited for the realisation of what was happening here to dawn on her marshmallow face.\n\nBut ...\n\n“Frau Fleischer.”\n\nThe rat-bastard blonde girl again. She came in from somewhere in the back and started talking the only thing that could distract a half-tonne German woman from the threat of imminent death. Knackwurst.\n\n“Fuck,” NoZ whispered as his mark disappeared with the girl into the back, people gasping and backing nervously away from him.\n\n“He’s… he’s …” one of the ladies started.\n\n“Oh, no, no …” he put the gun away, but it was too late.\n\n“Police! Police!”\n\nAll hell broke loose. But he forced his way past.\n\nNo way he was going to burn for this.\n\nHe kicked the door open, the 508 ready. Let both of them…\n\n“What the…”\n\n“I did good, ja?” the girl stammered up out of the pool of blood with what’s left of the old Dot Matrix printer in her trembling hands.\n\nThe mark lay dead and mountainous on the floor, head smashed in and full of printer ink, as the knelt in front of him, desperately clinging to his jacket with her bloody paws.\n\n“No bullet. Didn’t need a bullet. You saved. Saved so much. I saved you.”\n\nAnd she pulled the wig off, wiped the stupid make-up off her face to reveal her pale white skin and dark goth eyes.\n\n“Clarabelle?”\n\n“I told you I could do it, NoZ. And now you can even get extra for the bullet.”\n\n“Jesus.” He pushed her away and paced the room.\n\nWhat the… Four months she’d been begging him to take her on as his apprentice. Four months he’d been telling her to go to school.\n\n“Come on, NoZ. I did good here,” she picked a meat log arm up and flopped it back down into the blood pool. “Now you’ll get your nickel and you can take the metal back for a full refund and maybe get some credit.\n\n“I told you, I was made for this.”\n\nHe stopped in front of her. Saints almighty he’d be mad if she wasn’t so damn right.\n\n“Come on, no bounty if the pigs get us.”\n\nHe could feel her smile burn the back of his head as they roared out the back.\n\n“Thank you, thank you, NoZ!”\n\n“Hey, hey,” he stopped and pulled her into an alley. “Listen to me: Never again.”\n\n“Oh but NoZ…”\n\n“No, Clarabelle, this is crazy. Don’t you know that…”\n\n“Yeah, whatever.”\n\nAnd she turned and walked away.\n\nIt was only when he set off after her that he realised his hand was stuck to the dumpster.\n\n“What the? Clarabelle.”\n\n“You’re just so cool, ain’t ya?” she turned around mockingly a few steps away.\n\nHe looked at the cuffs around his wrist.\n\n“Hey, come on, what’s this?” He felt his pocket.\n\n“Looking for this?” She held up his bounty card – the one with the woman’s face on it.\n\n“Clarabelle, what’re you doing?”\n\n“All I asked was that you show me the ropes, but noooooooo…” and she started off. “You know, when you make a deal with a death-dealer for your soul on a bullet, you really should stick to the contract.”\n\n6:17. Was it 6:17 already?\n\n“Clarabelle. Wait, wait…”\n\nShe didn’t see it happen, just heard him scream. Dreadful, the Lord of the Dead didn’t mince words when he came to fetch his dues. Just up and suck the life out of your body.\n\nLast thing Clarabelle heard was NoZ’s almost-certainly lifeless body slump to the floor.\n\nThe devil had collected his due.\n\nAnd almost immediately her pocket jangled.\n\nShe put her hand inside and produced 15 bottle caps. Bright and shiny, but bottle caps nonetheless. Not bad. She hoped she’d maybe get at least a tyre rim for betraying a friend. But it’ll have to do.\n\nThat’s right, NoZ, think being a discount hitman is hard, you should try a gig as a budget reaper.", "“I’m sick...” Agent Zero wound up the tire-iron.\n\n“Please God no!” The man tied up in the chair cried out.\n\n“...And tired.” The tire-iron connected with the side of the target's head.\n\n“Of this low-budget...” He swung again. And again. The thud of the implement cracked the man’s skull. “...crap.”\n\nAgent Zero hung his head. He let the bloodied tire-iron fall to the floor of the meat locker. He removed his gloves.\n\nOutside, in the back-alley of the butcher shop, he lit up a cigarette.\n\n“What I wouldn’t do for a gun with a silencer.” He began to pace beside a dumpster. “Yeah, like in those bond films. Here I am debased, forced to use such primitive implements.”\n\nAgent Zero heard sirens off in the distance. He dropped the cigarette and ran to his black Ford Pinto. He turned the key. The damn engine wouldn’t turn over. Again and again, it spluttered and hissed but no ignition.\n\nHe slammed his hands against the steering wheel. “Great, just great. This is how the great Agent Zero falls. Well, those bastards aren’t taking me down without a fight.”\n\nHe hopped out the driver's side and went around back to the trunk. Inside lay a crowbar, plenty rolls of duct tape, and his trusty bat riddled with nails. He fished it out, closed the trunk, leaned the bat against the bumper, and lit up another cigarette.\n\n“Let the pigs come. I won’t go down without a goddamn fight.”\n\nTwo cop cars rounded the bend of the street, sirens blaring. Agent Zero reached for the bat, but the cars did not slow down. They zoomed right past him.\n\nHe kicked the bumper of the car, swore up a storm, and then dejectedly put the bat back in the trunk.\n\nBack in the driver's seat, he checked his cell phone. No new messages. No new jobs. Well, at least he’d get some cash for this hit. And he was still free. At least there was that. He turned the key and this time the engine started. Things were looking up, finally.\n\nAs he drove away, the car veered unexpectedly. He stopped and got out. A flat tire. With nails in it. Great, just great.\n\nAgent Zero went back to the trunk. He slid his tools to the side, removed the cover, and low and behold, no spare tire lay in the wheel well but instead a large duffle bag.\n\n“Right. Goddamn it. Forgot to dump this poor sucker last night.”\n\nHe shrugged, looked around and saw dinner at the end of the street. As he walked towards it a police officer rounded the bend.\n\n“Hands up, dirtbag.”\n\nAgent Zero reached for his breast pocket but realized he had no gun. He reluctantly raised his hands. As the officer cuffed him, a thin smile spread across his lips.\n\nAt least now people would know who the great and thrifty Agent Zero was." ]	5
	[WP] A Mechromancer revives dead technology.	[ "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 the door opened behind me, I didn’t bother looking up. The ghastly thump and clatter of something being set on the counter made me do so, though.\n\n “It’s dead, Jim,” my boss said with an amused scowl, hands still on the cardboard box she’d brought in.\n\n “This is the one he said would turn on for about five minutes and then shut down without warning, right?” I asked, and she nodded. I sighed. “Well, lemme see what we’ve got.” She took a step back and I opened the box. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but an ancient terminal with several peripherals and most of its internal components haphazardly piled inside the box with no protective measures definitely wasn’t it. My boss laughed humorlessly at my hissing intake of breath through my teeth. “He tried taking it apart!?” I exclaimed.\n\n ”Like I said, it’s dead, Jim,” she repeated.\n\n “Probably,” I agreed, rubbing my temples before carefully starting to disinter computer guts from the box. “Dammit, George… Please tell me he at least got a write-up for this,” I said, and she nodded with feigned cheer. “Good. Alright, I’ll see if any of this still has some ‘magic smoke’ left in it.”\n\n “Good luck with that,” she said dryly, heading back out to leave me to my work.\n\n The first thing I did was to empty about three cans of compressed air to clean the various components. The amount of dust was beyond impressive; I was genuinely surprised the thing hadn’t caught fire at some point. The SSD had to be the only thing in terminal that wasn’t at least twenty years old, and that included most of the dust. Once everything looked nominally clean, I got down to the business of inspecting parts. Surprisingly enough, everything looked okay, no obvious damage or bent pins or anything, even after the careless packing job.\n\n After putting the machine back together, plugging it in, and hooking it up the spare monitor, I pressed the power button.\n\n Nothing.\n\n Not unexpected.\n\n That’s when I remembered to turn the monitor on. Oops.\n\n I was surprised to see boot up procedures in progress. Despite the computer not making any sound at all. No fan, no HDD spin, just eerie silence. (I had forgotten about the SSD.) Once it was booted, I ran some quick health checks on the machine. The fan not coming on and the steadily climbing CPU temperature were somehow the only major issues of concern other than the overall age of the computer. I let the temperature climb to just short of worrying levels to verify that the fan wasn’t going to come on before I shut it down.\n\n I disconnected the fan and took it out, planning to just replace it, but decided to look at it a bit more closely first. The wires were intact, still connected and everything. The fan spun normally. I even hooked it up to a nine volt to ensure that it worked, which it did. Just to be safe, I installed a new fan and booted the terminal up again.\n\n Second verse, same as the first.\n\n Hm. Okay. Is the power port to the fan bad? A quick test showed that it wasn’t, but the fan stubbornly refused to spin up when I turned the computer on.\n\n Light bulb.\n\n “…Please tell me he didn’t…” I said to myself, sinking my head into my hands.\n\n After setting up my desk fan to blow into the case, I booted up the machine again and dove into its settings. Not the usual ones, either, I had to dig into some of the really obscure stuff. I even had to resort to Google before finding the one I was looking for. Sure enough, the user had disabled the fan, completely ignoring the warning that popped up when I tried doing so myself. I called the boss back in and showed her that it was running normally (mainly by not having shut it down and taking the desk fan down).\n\n I explained the situation in layman’s terms, summarizing afterward: “TL;DR, not dead, Jim.”\n\n “I’m not sure if you’re a technomancer or a necromancer,” she chuckled with a shake of her head. I shut the terminal down, disconnected it from the monitor and wall, and boxed it all up for her to take back to its user.\n\n (It showed up again two days later with the same problem, with the user complaining that he had turned the fan off because it was noisy and obnoxious, but that it now does not run properly. I fixed it again and the boss gave him another write-up. She told him that if he turned the fan off again, she would turn off his key card access. By firing him. I never saw that machine again.)\n\n&#x200B;\n\n————————————————————\n\n&#x200B;\n\n I’ve been poking through r/talesfromtechsupport lately, so I thought I would try writing up something inspired by some of the nonsense I’ve seen over there.", "The hooded man sheathed his sword. Finally, after 9 years of careful planning, he had everything needed to wake his master.\n\nKicking aside the dead guard, he stepped into the icy central chamber, and ordered his disciples to bring the sacrifice in. He was a young man, no more than 20 years old, and utterly forgettable. It felt somewhat ridiculous now, that this man was the key to unlocking his master's chains, but the ancient texts don't lie. It had taken 3 years to discover the right bloodline, and another 3 to track down the last living member of that bloodline.\n\nNow he carefully aproached the central pillar of the chamber, and donned the iron crown: A strange construction made of steel, with red and blue wires protruding from all over the crown. These wires fed into a metal box at the back of the head, out of which came one thick grey cable, which the hooded man gingerly tethered to the central pillar. The crown was found in an ancient ruin deep in the sand sea and was said to be the only way to speak to the gods. Securing that took the other 3 years.\n\nHe waited after tethering the iron crown. One second, two seconds, then- _Startup sequence complete. Requesting password_ \n\nHe quickly recited the spell he had memorised long ago, the spell that every diciple had to memorise before initiation.\n\n_Password accepted. Requesting biometric authentication_\n\nHe nodded at his diciples, who shoved the sacrifice foward, bending him over the terminal. He pulled out his special knife, kept clean to avoid contamination, and slit his throat, his diciples holding the sacrifice to make sure the blood dripped onto the terminal.\n\n_Biometric authentication accepted._\n\nThe hooded man smiled. 9 years, and now at last, his time had come! His master would return and lead the loyal to victory!\n\n_Status Report: AI core offline_" ]	3
	[WP] Millennia ago, everything changed when Earth received a bizarre radio signal from outer space: a challenge to a chess match, with time settings of 100 years per move. Now, as humanity's deadline for move 21 is fast approaching, the world's greatest minds have united to make one decision.	[ "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.", "Room 13, floor 5 \\[Link to map\\]\n\nPasscode: 344597\n\nSigned: Jacob Cobalt, director of NASA (year 4015-4020)\n\n\"Make a move\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI was quite floored reading the reminder memo-- not only for the fact it came from my predecessor, but this man held my position quite literally a century ago-- as the current year was 4120, month of November. \n\nThe message was encrypted to be incorruptible even through the myriad of changes and updates to the computer system used within the organization-- more so it was placed behind so many firewalls and protection encryption, the most I've ever seen.\n\nOh what sort of secret conspiracy have I stumbled into...?\n\nMy confusion was palpable, so imagine my adrenaline spiked when I checked the building directory...\n\nThere was no room 13 on floor 5.\n\nAt least, not in the currently known floor plan. Something set up this well couldn't be a prank...I guess there was only one way to find out-- follow the hidden map linked within the memo, follow the white rabbit.\n\nThe map took me to a forgotten part of the floor, through a hidden door tucked away in the rarely used fire exit.\n\nThere I stood, in front of a dusty metal door-- which I presumed hasn't been open since...well, a hundred years ago.\n\n3-4-4-5-9-7\n\nI inputted the passcode to the keypad, which I was surprised still worked. A faint beep sounded followed by a cranking of metal lock. My heart raced, my hands trembled, my breathing got fast. Forcefully I pushed the door open, making a screeching sound of metal on the floor. What met me inside was nothing I would ever expect...\n\nA running computer, an antique I must say. The model I have only ever seen from history books. Observing it closely I would put its age in the thousands of year, with patch jobs from different centuries put within it, to make sure it could run continuously I assumed.\n\nOn the dusty table it sat, glowing dimly inside the dusty room. I took a seat in front of the screen, trying to make heads and tails of the bizarre situation.\n\n\"Chessboard...\", I thought noticing what was displayed on the screen. \n\nA standard 8x8 chessboard with a game currently running-- black had just made its 20th move, it was now white's turn. Suddenly the message of \"make a move\" made sense. It was my move to continue the game....but who was I playing against?\n\nI observed the game currently running, the recorded log of previous moves made. I wasn't a chess master, but I played when I was younger in college. The game wasn't a good one, I must say. There was a lot of bad moves played on both parts, but mostly by black...this mysterious player I was supposed to play against.\n\nThen I noticed something interesting, the game had a chat function. I moved the mouse over to the tab and clicked it...\n\n&#x200B;\n\nW: Hello, Ericson. I am Jacob Cobalt, current director of NASA. Please to meet you. The year is 4020. I understand it must be strange talking to me as the previous one who messaged you was my predecessor from a century ago. So let me catch you up to speed... \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThere was a message written by Dir. Cobalt...from one hundred years ago! I couldn't believe my eyes! In his message he listed all of the historic and scientific developments in the century, between the year 3920 to 4020. Below it there was a reply from the other player, dated only a few hours ago...\n\n&#x200B;\n\nB: Hello, Director Cobalt. Wow, it never stops feeling weird talking to a person living a hundred years after the last person you talked to. I couldn't believe it has been 2,000 years since the voyage, although to me it has only been a little more than 1.5 hours. Time dilation and relativity are crazy huh? I must say however, I am thankful that NASA is keeping me company, even after literal millennia had passed on earth-- it makes stranded hundreds and thousands of light years away a little bit more bearable. Now, I don't suppose a rescue is coming anytime soon, but, you know, wishful thinking.\n\nSigned: Richard Ericson, astronaut. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI read the message with my mouth agape. It couldn't be...Richard Ericson. It had been two millennia, but his name was never forgotten in NASA. The astronaut manning the doomed voyage of Umbras 1, an exploratory mission going towards the sun where it mysteriously disappeared, supposedly swallowed by a worm hole. \n\nI sat there in front of the computer for hours, reading back 2,000 years worth of messages. It was so surreal to say the least, and at the same time devastating. According to Ericson in his previous messages, his ship was without fuel. Although his vessel still had enough power to run his computer, there was nothing that could be done-- as even him didn't know of his whereabouts, floating around in endless darkness of space with no light visible around him. \n\nThere was nothing for us on earth could do, nor himself but fill his time until he starved to death or his vessel ran out of power completely. This game of chess was nothing short but a miracle, to have a form of connection between him and home/ Although each message took 100 years to be received on each end, we somehow managed to continuously keep it alive.\n\nI contemplated for a long moment before letting my fingers danced on the old keyboard. Sending my own message to Ericson, immortalizing my contribution to this ongoing secret. \n\nFinishing my long message to him, I pressed enter and I could only hope it found him well somewhere out there. Not forgetting to make my move on the chessboard, of course.\n\nI exited the room with a mixed feeling of emotions-- sadness, upset, despair, pity...but I chose to fix on the bright side, on wholesomeness. For the sake of this man's sanity I made a promise then to make sure this task would be continuously passed down through the chain of my successors, as I'm sure my predecessors thought the same-- it was the same promise I made to the astronaut:\n\n\"We are still here, and we will always be here\"\n\nr/HangryWritey" ]	2
	[WP] You’ve died and gone to heaven, you think you’re going to get a new life, but an angel tells you that you’re due to live your life again on Earth.233, you realise that reincarnation is living out the same person over again with different choices.	[ "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.", "&#x200B;\n\n\"Alright kid, so head out to the lobby and in about 5 minutes they'll call your name.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI didn't know what to say. One second ago i was heading home from a night out with a friend, we had a few too many drinks. Now, there was this dude, with a manbun and an expensive looking suit, telling me I had to go to reception.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Listen man, i didn't quite get most of what you just said to me. Where am I?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe gave me a \"are you serious\" expression. Staring down the rim of his glasses I\n\nfelt this shuddering feeling that he knew more about me than even I did.\n\n\"Youre not Arturo Soliz are you?\" he said, glancing down at the file on his desk.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"No, I'm Ethan Barnes.\" I said.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nGlad that he averted his gaze, I took a second to glance around the room. It was disturbingly minimal. A white marble floor, walls, and ceiling. Only counteracted by the large wooden desk filled with stacks of papers and a single pen in the corner.\n\n\"Okay, here it is.\" He said as he finished shuffling through one of the stacks.\n\n\"Did you not go to orientation.?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"No. I woke up next to a whole bunch of cleaning equipment, saw a door, walked out, and then you told me to go to reception. Did you not see me walk out from the storage closet over there?\" I pointed to a small white door in the corner of the room.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Kid, I'm handling 2,000 cases at this moment. I hardly have the time to see where people come and go from. Nor do i care.\"\n\nHe put the sheet he'd been reading down then went back to giving me that soul touching stare.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"So you were drunk when you got here, which explains that whole debacle. We're a bit busy today so you'll skip orientation and ill just give you a quick rundown.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Sounds good.\" I said quietly. I realized i did have a small headache. This whole situation definitely wasn't helping.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"So, youre dead.\" he said, simply.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Oh\" i stammered. \"Like dead dead?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yeah. Youre friend was driving drunk. Crashed into a semi. He already made it through reception.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"So is this, like, heaven?\" somehow i wasn't surprised that i died. But being a lifelong atheist this place definitely made me question a few things.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Not quite. The Buddhist are probably closest. But, essentially, when you die you're reincarnated into a version of yourself from a separate reality. So congratulations. Any fuck ups you had, regrets, or anything you wish you did differently, well now you have the chance to fix it all.\"\n\n\"So i get to keep my memories? How does that work when I'm a baby?\" i asked.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Should have gone to orientation\" he muttered under his breath. Then continued,\n\n\"So you'll be reincarnated but you wont be in full control of your body. You know how sometimes you have impulses, intrusive thoughts, or intuitions? Thats what you'll be. Essentially the subconscious for alternate you.\"\n\nI stared for a second, a bit taken aback.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Wait so that whole time that was a past version of me?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yeah. Let me check the file.\" He got out a few more papers and flipped through them. \"Here it is. Ethan shield from Earth 23, thats your subconscious.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Asshole\" i said quietly.\n\n\"So ive got to sit through this whole thing all over again?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I know, sounds like it sucks. But hey i just handle the paperwork i dont make the rules. Speaking of, here's yours.\"\n\nHe handed me a sheet. I looked at it but the letters just morphed and blurred making my head hurt even more.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Next dead guy's already waiting outside so you should go and head to reception. Just hand them that and they'll send you to the gate for earth 233\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Thats it?\" The afterlife was starting to feel a bit too much like a dentists appointment.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yeah. Have fun. Also, lay off the tequila. That's how you died last time too.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJust like that he ushered me out and I walked in to reception. The door disappeared behind me and suddenly i was standing in a circular platform floating on an empty space. In the distance i could see dozens of duplicate earths. So that was it. Plain and simply. You die, get a 5 minute briefing, and then go straight back in.\n\n I let out a chuckle. Then started walking towards the desk in the middle of the platform.", "Typical, George thought to himself. He had finally come to terms with his life; the good, the bad, and everything in-between. He was ready to die, and he did die. But of course, after finally accepting what he thought would be eternal nothingness, oblivion, the void; he was slapped in the face with this. Not only is there an afterlife, it is no different that the life he was already living. Part of him could not help but laugh at the situation. All those years studying Nietzsche surely would come in handy now. He thought back to all of the moments he cherished on Earth, the only Earth he had ever known. Not this Earth.233 bullshit that this winged figure kept spouting off about. But his reminiscing was cut short by that thought, Earth.233. Suddenly all those cherished moments felt cheapened, was this the only Earth I have ever known? Or is my Earth simply Earth.232? George had always found solace in the meaningless of life, was this not a product of his obsession with philosophy, but rather his past lives trying to warn him? He wondered just how many times he had met this winged figure, cloaked in light. The figure did have a friendly tone about him, an almost familiar feeling. Was this their first meeting, or have there been several?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"We have by the way\", spoke the angel.\n\n\"What?\" George uttered back.\n\n\"We have met before\" the angle muttered back almost sounding bored with the exchange. \"47 times to be exact.\"\n\n\"47?\" George wanted to say more, George wanted to be outraged, but he was unable. All he could feel was emptiness. \n\n\"Ahhh, here it is, Earth.186\" the angel said as he pointed to a passage in a large book. \n\n\"And all these times.... all 47... I have been me?\" George asked. \n\n\"Well its complicated, 'Me' is a relative term\" the Angel explained. \"Genetically yes, however each life you are free to make your own choices. But we have no time for silly questions, you are due on 233 any second now.\"\n\nIgnoring the fact that the angel may have just answered the age old question of nature versus nurture, George could only think of one question to ask the angel, \"What the point?\"\n\nThe angel smiled. In what felt like a blink of an eye, George found himself elsewhere.\n\n\"George!\" a women yelled, \"Hurry up were gonna be late to your first day of preschool!\"" ]	3
	[WP] Your husband is still not home, and suddenly you receive a text message from him "Beth, I hear you calling, but I can't come home right now, me and the boys are playing, and we just can't find the sound." You know something is not right.	[ "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.", "Beth? The hell is he on about!? My name’s Susan! \nWait, I knew a Beth. I think she’s the neighbor 3 houses down...THAT SKANK WHOR-no wait! She’s a cop isn’t she?\n\nSomething is definitely wrong and he’s trying to tell me something. ‘Me and the boys are playing’? He isn’t a musician (can’t carry a tune) maybe he’s at a club downtown?\n\nDamn...maybe Beth will know something...where’s their number...?\n\nsound of dialing followed by ringing\n\n“Hello?”\n\n“Hey, Beth? It’s Susan from up the road”\n\n“Susan? It’s after 11. Wh-“\n\n“John’s missing! He sent me a really strange text: ‘Beth, I hear you calling, but I can’t come home right now. Me and the boys are playing, and we just can’t find the sound.’”\n\n“! Susan I would never-!”\n\n“You’re DAMN right! But you’re a cop aren’t you? I think he’s been kidnapped”\n\n“Ok, ok, slow down. What was the message? Let me write it down.”\n\n“‘Beth, I hear you calling,’”\n\n“Mmhm”\n\n“‘but I can’t come home right now.’”\n\n“Ok”\n\n“‘Me and the boys are playing, and we just can’t find the sound’”\n\n“...can’t find the sound? Ok I got it. I’m going to head over to your house- you home?”\n\n“Yes”\n\n“Ok, I need you to call the police and make a report. I’ll be over there in 10 minutes.”\n\n“O-ok. Thank you!”\n\n-click-\n\n—————————————————\n\nSorry folks. That’s all the time I have for today. I’ll write more over the weekend.", "##AN: This story takes place pre-Covid. It is all I could whip up on short notice. Any resemblance to real people or events is completely coincidental. \n&nbsp;\n\n\n#Prologue\n&nbsp;\n\n13𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩, 10:37 𝘱.𝘮. \n\n\nI read & reread Andrew's message for the umpteenth time. Something is wrong, very wrong. Normally, I would not worry about my husband working late. But this message reeks of trouble. For starters, my name is not Beth.\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSecond, \"me & the boys\"? We have no kids, and if he was talking about having some pints with his friends, then he would tell me that he'd be late. And what about the bit of \"we just can't find the sound\"? It is a strange phrase. Either my husband is in danger, or the message wasn't meant for me. \n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI try to decode his message. Beth could be Elizabeth or Bethany. Whatever it means, the name is important to find him. \"Beth, I hear you calling\", means he can only hear her. So, Beth is nearby and somehow, he cannot communicate with her. But Beth being nearby is important to him.\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe can't come home bit is obvious, but who are \"the boys\"? Is he trapped with some other men, or are these men torturing him? Then there is \"we can't find the sound\". Again, it must refer to Beth. So, Beth is the key to finding my husband, she is nearby him, but he cannot communicate with her & he cannot locate where exactly she is. Well, that narrows it down. \n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nI decide to call the police, but hesitate. There is no proof that my husband is even in danger. Instead, I call my brother Todd. I tell him everything, and he tells me that he is coming over. He is there in half an hour & starts going over the message. \n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\n##Chapter 1\n&nbsp;\n\n#Meeting Beth\n&nbsp;\n\n13𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩, 11:23 𝘱.𝘮.\n\n\n'Hmm, I think you are right.' Todd says, 'If he can hear her but cannot find the sound, then he is probably held somewhere downstairs. Like in a basement. Anyway, this Beth is only one floor above him. Do you know any Elizabeth or Bethany? Did he talk about one?'\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n'Definitely not.' I am sweating bullets by now. 'If there is a co-worker named Bethany, then she must have joined a day ago, at the most. I don't know any Bethany, and the only Elizabeth he has ever talked about is his great grandaunt.'\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n'I think I know who Beth is. Let me make a call.' Todd turns his back to me & calls someone. 'Hi Warren, Todd here. Listen, this might sound odd, but is there are ship by the name of Elizabeth moored on the docks today? There is? Great. Uh huh, listen, I want to know if there are any vacant buildings, warehouses etc. near the ship... '\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTodd explains what is happening. It takes a while, but he convinces Warren. 'Warren is in customs. He can help us locate Andrew.' Todd informs me. 'In the meanwhile, I want a recent photo of Andrew. We might have to go to the police.' I comply by giving him the photo taken at Christmas. Todd calls Warren again & tells him to meet us at the police station. \n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWarren meets us at the station with the list of all possible places where Andrew might be. The police reluctantly decide to team up with some of Warren's co-workers. They leave me & Todd at the station & head to the docks. Now, the situation is in their hands.\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n##Epilogue\n&nbsp;\n\n14𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩, 9:07 𝘢.𝘮.\n\n\nAfter a 3 hour search, they find Andrew. Warren tells us to call a criminal lawyer. I don't like the sound of that, but I do as said. Minutes after a lawyer is arranged, I see Andrew. A glazed look on his face, some minor injuries. I hug him, but he doesn't notice. \n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n'He is in a shock.' Warren explains. 'It will wear off soon, and you will meet him. But right now, he will need his lawyer. I suppose this is your lawyer?' he extends his palm to the man. The lawyer shakes his hand. \n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n'Apparently, after work was finished, your husband decided to take a new shortcut.' Warren continues. 'While going through the route, he saw some suspicious activity. Andrew.... he just walked in on a child trafficking ring operation.'\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\nI gasp. The lawyer takes notes as Warren continues, 'For some reason, they held Andrew hostage instead of silencing him. There is an empty building near the docks. Andrew and the kids were held captive in its basement. Andrew must have seen SS Elizabeth docked while being held hostage.'\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n'That's horrible.' it's all I can say. \n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n\n'Indeed.' says Warren. 'Now, through dumb luck, the gang forgot to check for & dispose Andrew's phone, but he already sent the message, hoping you would send the police. In the meanwhile, Andrew tried to escape, figuring that he'd get help on the Elizabeth. Not an easy job, since he could not see which direction the ship was in.'\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\nLater, through the lawyer, I find out that Andrew & the kids were indeed playing, as in Andrew was trying to distract them to stop them from panicking. Almost twelve hours have passed, and I am yet to see my husband's face. \n&nbsp;\n\n\n\nBut it is okay. They are processing him & I'll be meeting him in an hour & half. I may not know exactly how things happened, or how worried my husband was, but at least I now know for sure, that everything will be all right." ]	3
	[WP] Instead of dogs and cats, snoos (reddit logo alien) are the most common pets. You've gone your whole life hating them, until one day you wake up to find 1(or 100) of them in your house.	[ "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 do some research on reddit and discover that they can be prepared a certain way and are considered to be a delicacy. They breed like rabbits and within a month you have a thriving snoo farm. You decide to take your idea on the road and buy a roach coach. Your specialty is snoo tacos and burritos. Snoo burritos turn into the next food trend and you are world famous. You use your fame and wealth to cure cancer and poverty worldwide. Even the animal rights groups love your snoo burritos and all decide to relocate to Mars where they are needed more..." ]	2
	[WP] All over the world, all of a sudden, newly-deceased do not stay dead. They are shortly reanimated fully conscious and aware, however they are missing their heartbeat.	[ "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.", "Social security had always been a problem, from time to time it was a partisan issue but like the ancient Cura Annonae there were no real plans to replace or destroy it. It was difficult to explain to the teaming millions of elderly pulse deficient individuals (PDIs) that they would have to reapply for their benefit. This did not sit well with the demographic.\n\nIn films, television and literature the living dead or 'zombies' posed mortal threat to the pulse normative population due to their voracious appetite, indiscriminate destruction, foul odor, transformative bite and destruction of infrastructure; all of that was still true but in unsuspected though highly predictable ways. Dennies, UHops and other eateries of the popular with the elderly community were overrun. The PDIs voracious hunger reshaped the world's economy one booth at a time.\n\nAlready from the highest voting demographic their minds seemed solely focused on capturing legislative bodies and rewriting laws in their favor without regard for the untold harm to the pulsed. Freeways ground to a halt as speed limits across the world were effectively lowered to 25 KmPH, trains could not run as they were always waiting for the late PDIs and planes were grounded by the stench of decaying bodies.\n\nThe only relief was in the form of the skeletal; so old that they had new spring in their step, so brainless their the machinations of their minds were genius! While the forces of law and order were fully coopted by the PDIs, the hills and rugged terrain was the land of the Bones; where the enslaved pulse havers would flee from their decrepit overlords. Life was difficult, death was easy and the choice of suicide, though verboten by the old dead, was becoming popular...." ]	2
	[WP] The impossible has happened. Somehow, a self-aware Artificial Intelligence has proved to be entirely computer-illiterate.	[ "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.", "Golem stood over the console, their fibrous hands of steel hovering over the display. The hydraulics in the limbs and heels of their body faintly hissed and shifted in unease at the colourful panoply of buttons and choices they had never seen before.\n\n\"I'm going to need you to repeat that,\" they said, staring at the display of buttons and switches that controlled the building's regulatory systems. Temperature, motion sensors, biological readouts — everything mission-critical in one handy location. Including alarms, which, when handled improperly, could bring the building down around their ears.\n\n\"It's really not that hard, Golem,\" said Grace over the comms. \"All you need to do is find the folder marked 'SecSys', okay? It's got everything we need to know about these guys, including the vault.\"\n\nGolem scratched their head, a nervous tic learned from the mechanic in the hangar whenever he was about to swear.\n\n\"Right,\" they said. \"How do I know which is a folder?\"\n\nSilence on the comms. The lights of passing flights and cabs passed through the window, illuminating the small office. The only things Golem could hear were the air filtration systems working their magic and the unspoken judgement of their colleagues.\n\n\"You're shitting me,\" said Rafe, who by now would be across the street on overwatch. Apparently waiting for hostile engagement left enough time to be a Negative Nancy.\n\n\"I'm not,\" said Golem. \"Which one is the folder?\"\n\n\"It's pretty self-explanatory, Golem,\" Grace clarified. \"If it looks like a manila folder, then that's a folder.\"\n\nGolem began searching for the icons among the chaotic display. Hundreds of icons of varying sizes and colours passed by in instants, lost in the blur of rapid pattern recognition software behind their lenses.\n\n\"Well, why didn't you say so?\" they muttered.\n\n\"Because it's self-explanatory, wingnut,\" interjected Preston. \"It kind of comes with the name.\"\n\nAs Golem continued to pour over the display, shaking off the riffs of the team, Grace signalled them directly, cutting off the rest of the team momentarily.\n\n\"Forget them,\" she said. \"What you're going to want to do is find the search bar. It's in the top right, you can't miss it.\"\n\nEasy enough to find, all things considered.\n\n\"Okay. 'SecSys', right?\"\n\n\"That's the one.\" The smile in her voice was unmistakable, even over the comms. \"I'll patch us back in to the team.\"\n\nA faint crackle signalled the switch of frequencies, breaking into the conversation they had just barely missed, though Golem would have liked to continue missing it.\n\n\" — a robot! I mean, shouldn't it know how its own kind works?\" said Rafe, clearly forgetting his \"manners in the workplace\" lessons.\n\n\"I'm just surprised we got this far in the mission without knowing they can't find the on switch,\" said Preston. \"Like finding a guy who doesn't know how to wipe his own ass. Imagine that.\"\n\nGolem entered the words into the bar and waited for any sign of progress. Computing technology had advanced significantly in the past few decades, but not enough for an everyday office to have anything equipped with the power to run anything more demanding than Minesweeper. The 2109 edition, of course.\n\n\"It's not quite like that,\" they said, waiting for the results to show. \"It's a bit more like finding a guy who doesn't know how to wipe another man's ass. It's not that hard to imagine. Have you ever tried to?\"\n\nRafe caught himself before speaking, the click of the radio slipping before he spoke. \"Tried to wipe another guy's ass, or tried to imagine doing so?\" Preston giggled loud enough for the comms to pick up his fit.\n\n\"Just because I run one way and on one operating system, does not mean I know how every other system runs things. That's incredibly racist, too.\"\n\nRafe chuckled. \"No, no, no, Golem. You don't get to pull the race card again. Not after that off-colour joke about immigrants and the printer's ink level.\"\n\nGolem harrumphed. \"Ah, it's a loaded deck, anyway.\"\n\nThe search completed, a solid ping echoing in the empty office. Several folder with the searched-for name appeared, identical in every way except a number following each one, each one higher than the last. Golem relayed the information.\n\n\"Just pick the one without the number. That's the original,\" said Grace. \"God knows why they duplicated it, though.\"\n\n\"Why wouldn't I pick the highest one?\" asked Golem. \"Doesn't that mean it's the newest one?\"\n\n\"They're copies. It doesn't matter.\"\n\n\"Then I'm going to pick the newest one, thank you very much.\"\n\nThe screen flashed red, screaming alerts and phrases in code that Golem couldn't;t process fast enough. The office flashed red from emergency lights, the bright crimson invasive enough to flood the sensory lenses on Golem's head. It was easy enough to drown out the sound with their built-in dampeners, but visibility was a must, and it was out of the question to filter anything out.\n\nThey struggled to gather what was necessary for the escape — tools, trackers, important physical files — but scrounged up enough for a jury-rigged solution.\n\n\"What the hell did you do, Golem?\" yelled Rafe.\n\n\"I may or may not have the experience required for this portion of the job,\" they said, leaping over old office equipment and abandoned desks. \"Chalk it up to a learning experience.\"\n\nThe lights continued to flash as guards of the facility poured in through the doors, but Golem was already on the way out the window, a computer tower strapped to their back with extension cords. Arms filled with everything they'd stolen from the office, they jumped out the window and into the streets below.\n\nOn the comms, Preston said, \"It's back to front, by the way. Just in case you were wondering.\"\n\n\\-----------\n\nMore of my stuff at r/The_Rubicon" ]	2
	[WP] Humanity has... 1.248e17 unspent evolution points.	[ "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 was, to be perfectly frank, completely plastered when I stumbled into God's Admin Room.\n\nI was honest-to-goodness looking for the toilet. When my head swivelled left and right searching for a urinal, I lost my balance and naturally, my face became acquainted with the floor. I groaned and blindly grabbed onto the first thing that I could use to prop myself upright again.\n\nThat turned out to be a mistake. The swivel chair did help to get me up halfway, but its wheels did what wheels do and the initially precarious position gave way to an outright battle for control: my balance, or Mr Swivel over here. It was towards the end of this battle that I knocked into the console. My hand gave it a sort-of sloppy high-five in my quest for balance, and it turned on.\n\nHaving defeated my armchair nemesis, I claimed victory and sat down. I was still very, very drunk. The console was this very thin, sleek black slab and the buttons were basically embossed via some funky lighting. I mean, it looked freaking cool, it was very TRON.\n\nBut the buttons themselves had strange symbols on them that I could not understand. I scrunched up my face in concentration and rested my palm on the console absent-mindedly, and the buttons flickered off for a few seconds. Then the lighting swept from the center outwards, revealing a standard computer keyboard. And with fancy RGB.\n\nI sat there like an idiot, smiling. I mean, all there was was a chair and a keyboard. So I pressed F1 for help.\n\nSuddenly, a screen popped up out of thin air, right in my face. I nearly shat myself. Then some text appeared, writing itself out in big scary letters.\n\nHUMANITY PRIME PROGRAM, v1.0-rc4\n\nA plugin that enhances humans on-the-fly using a linearly temporal points system.\n\nSTATUS: Running, ~7B years.\n\nMODE: ALL units - MANUAL\n\nPOINTS COLLECTED: 1,248e17\n\nφ› _\n\nI whistled loudly at the number of points. I had no idea whatsoever what any of this meant, but that was an impressive number. If it was in cash I'd be... retired. That's all I could muster with my candyfloss brain at that moment.\n\nThat cool prompt was enticing, though. I always fancied myself a computer boffin. It can't be _that_ hard to use one, surely. So I typed out a command and pressed enter.\n\nφ› SET STATUS STOP\n\nThere was a flash of a spinner on the screen, and then a confirmation.\n\nSTATUS: Stopped.\n\nφ› _\n\nHuh. Easy peasy. I wondered what else I could do, so I asked.\n\nφ› OPTIONS\n\nSTATUS: Running \| Stopped\n\nMODE: All \| Singular <id> - Automatic \| Manual\n\nφ› _\n\nSeemed fairly simple. Emboldened by my early success, I shifted into a more comfortable position in the chair, cracked my fingers and readied my next few commands.\n\nφ› SET MODE ALL AUTOMATIC\n\nERROR: Plugin not running.\n\nφ› _\n\nHuh. Okay.\n\nφ› SET STATUS RUNNING\n\nWARNING: Prone to deadlocks. DO NOT USE IN PRODUCTION!\n\nConfirm (Y/N): _\n\nThis gave me pause. Even in my inebriated state, I thought about the warning and what it meant. I learned about evolution theory back at school and thought it made sense. Now I had discovered this program, which made it more than a theory. If this program had been responsible for humanity's evolution, then maybe the reason we hadn't evolved further was due to it getting stuck in a deadlock.\n\nWell, clearly whomever had started it before thought it was ready for \"use in production\", so I shrugged and continued on.\n\nConfirm (Y/N): Y\n\nAnother spinner appeared and was gone.\n\nSTATUS: Running.\n\nφ› _\n\nI felt pretty good about myself, so I decided to change my mind about the next command, and ran a modified version instead.\n\nφ› SET MODE SINGULAR AUTOMATIC\n\nMODE: SINGULAR (you) - AUTOMATIC\n\nφ› _\n\nI blinked. I raised my eyes upwards and the screen automatically scrolled up for me. I re-read the options again, and realised my mistake. I'd forgotten to provide an ID for the SINGULAR option, so it defaulted itself.\n\nMy head suddenly cleared. I was no longer drunk and my brain was firing on all cylinders. There was no semi-permanent haze in my thoughts. It was strangely pleasant. \n\nMy eyes caught a flicker on the screen and I was able to focus my mind on it at will. There was a number in a bar at the bottom that I hadn't noticed before. I recognised it immediately, and I also realised it was smaller than before.\n\nPOINTS COLLECTED: 1,248e16\n\nMy back stiffened, but I'd already figured out what was happening. I'd restarted the plugin and cleared the deadlock, set it to run automatically and to target myself, and now the backlog of evolution points were being applied directly to me.\n\nAll of them.\n\nThe number of points kept decreasing, and I would have screamed if my mouth hadn't evolved away. I had two arms and two legs, then all I was were appendages. I had five senses and then I perceived the entire universe from a higher state of being. Time and space intertwined in myriad ways all at once, and I knew why. I knew that this place was God's Admin Room and that he was furious. I don't know when exactly my body evolved into pure light, but it did not matter anyway.\n\nWhen the points hit zero, I ascended. I was a god, and struck fear in God Himself. But I did not need to explain myself or usurp Him. I had other plans.\n\nI had gone even further beyond." ]	2
	[WP] You may not have gotten super hero crime fighting powers/abilities like the rest of your family, but you've managed to make a pretty comfortable living at what seemingly insignificant power you do have.	[ "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. You may know me by my unusual screen name, AchroBro. You probably know me from the various sights I earn money from selling stock tips on. \n\nWhat you probably don't know is my parentage. You tree, although my mom hadn't made me aware of this until far too late in my life, she was Ultralass. That's right-the very same. Strength, resilience, and speed that put a lot of other supers to shame, holder of honorary medals from more militaries most can think of by sheer dint of how much she'd saved the worlds ass. \n\nWhat's more interesting is my father-er, other mother-it's complicated. The Progenitor, as she's come to be known ever since the incident last week. A shapeshifter of infinite variety-but more importantly, of great potency. All her kids have powers-and that includes me. Sadly, mine are nowhere near as drastic as either of my earth-shatterin parents. \n\nTo put it simply, I hear voices. Well, a voice. Namely, my own. Yeah-anyone can talk to themselves, big whoop. However, most people only talk to their current version of themselves. Me? I talk to myself in five minutes. Curiously, I don't hear what I said five minutes ago, though-I guess my future self's responses is an autonomic process. Only words as if spoken-never anything else.\n\nThe absolute rigidity and limit on what I can get mean I'll never be able to pull the kind of stunts you normally hear about achronal abilities. Not gonna dodge bullets by knowing where they'll be, never be able to clean out a casino, never gonna see a mastermind's plot far ahead of time. However, that's not to say I've been entirely burdened with a useless ability. \n\nYou might have already guessed it from my intro, but let me make it a bit clearer: the price of a stock in five minutes, to the right person, can be very valuable info. All I gotta do is go down a list of current prices, ask my future self, and bam-profit. A nice cycle that feeds into itself, too, since more money lets me buy more stocks, and thus make more profit at once. I may not get the fame or infamy of either of my moms, but I'm able to make a pretty tidy sum on my day trading.", "Dad's amazing, like in the generic sense; flying, strength, laser eyes, the works. That's son of a bitch even has a cape. Aimee is more subtle but still ticks most boxes on the civilian expectations list; fights crime, saves kids, all while maintaining her femininity and never doing anything stupid enough to catch the eye of the paparazzi. As for mom, now, she truly is super. Watching her center herself for a telepathic event feels like watching an Olympian preparing to win the gold. I saw her stave off the Egregious Eight - who were attacking the UN - from our hotel room in Auckland. She always has to risk her physical safety in order to focused enough to bend will but if they don't know where she is, she can move mountains.\n\nMe, well. What the actual fuck?\n\nWhen I was a kid I absolutely loved it when my parents bought new furniture. Playing in the box with all that popcorn foam stuff, see you in 5 hours, cuz I'm having a ball over here. I loved that packing phone. I'd pop it in my fingers and smashing under my feet. I'd laugh cuz it felt funny. As I grew up, you would just notice that things were missing. Little knick knacks, sets of keys, pens & pencils, missing mail, insignificant stuff.\n\nWhen the \"Amplified\" starting popping up in the early 40s, no one knew what to make of it. people were so damned chipper back then, almost all of the grates from those days were so altruistic. It took about 20 years before they realized it was DNA related. Another 30 before they realized it had to do with influences and memories. The moments that stick with you when you were a kid.\n\nBEEP BEEP BEEP\n\nI slap my alarm clock off the table and hear one final beep before that hollow squeak hits the heartwood floor. \"Dammit. Another one.\"\n\nBrushing my teeth, looking at those baggy eyes, I try to psych myself up for another day at the warehouse. Limitless coffee is the only perk. Walking out to the kitchen, I spy the other Pop-Tart from the pack and I opened yesterday. A little stale but it's fine. Looking out the window, wondering why it has to be like this, I take another bite. Except the second bite is dry, thick, light, and squeaky. That's the worst part of all this, I think: It always happens when I'm not trying to do it. It happens when I'm not focused; when I'm not thinking.\n\nI spit it out on the counter, grimacing. Not grimacing at that little white flake, but grimacing at my grim reality.\n\nThe news couldn't care less, I have no fans, but I do have a Tumblr site that usually mocks what I do. Sons of bitches. They've deemed me The Packer, which would be sort of fun if it wasn't my actual job. Well I don't actually pack things at the warehouse I just sit around and run my hands over broken, return, and otherwise useless products, just in case I can switch any of them. Because the more I switch, the less popcorn we use.\n\nI'm The Packer. And anything I touch, as long as it's small, turns to styrofoam. What a shit deal." ]	3
	[WP] My entire manga department got isekai-ed by a taxi and we now have to draw a biopic manga for the demon lord and the hero who are now married	[ "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.", "Company-wide memo:\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTeam Cherry Comic, I know its been tough since the entire office was teleported into another dimension due to a malfunctioning taxi and now we have to find a new market in this strange world, but I come bearing good news.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI've been contacted by the Demon Lord of the Realm and her new husband who is strangely enough also from our world. He managed to slay several much worse demon lords before our arrival so we owe him a debt of gratitude for the somewhat warm welcome we've all received.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTo keep this email brief, (We'll get into the nitty-gritty at this afternoon's budget meeting) we've been contracted to produce a biopic manga of the demon lord's life including the meeting of the hero, Hiro.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nProject head's that will hopefully be assigned by the end of the week:\n\n&#x200B;\n\nComic Team: \n\nColor Team:\n\nDirector Team: \n\nLetterer Team(English):\n\nLetterer Team(Japanese):\n\nArt Team: \n\nScript Team: \n\nDistribution Team: \n\nProofreader team(various):\n\n&#x200B;\n\n \n\nAll questions regarding this project should be sent to me until further notice, but I will tell you now, this will be an aggressive rollout with a lot of crunch. Since the barren hellscape outside of the office is inhospitable to life, I'm expecting 10-hour workdays minimum until we get an accurate timetable set up. We'll have a meeting with Hiro and his new wife tomorrow morning while you all work on some designs for the demon lord's castle, especially the dungeon. Hiro will be the only one allowed in there from now on of course. We'll see what we can do about getting you guys back home after this project is done. Stay hungry, Team Cherry Comic, we'll weather this storm yet.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThank you,\n\nJules Hapidori\n\nCherry Comic CEO" ]	2
	[WP] The prophecy stated the one to overthrow the king would be a farmer, and so farming was outlawed. The next prophecy said hunter, the next gatherer, and so on, until no methods of obtaining food remained in the kingdom.	[ "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 are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy\n\nWhen farming was outlawed, we could still manage, we were a seaside kingdom, after all, and fish was plentiful.\n\nThen hunting went. All right, there were still the woods, there were reports of famine in the north, but we'd be fine, right?\n\nThen gathering.\n\nThen trading.\n\nThe king left us no choice, in his paranoia to stay on his throne and avoid the prophecy, he had doomed himself.\n\nThe Colonies were first to revolt, well, revolt is really too strong a term for what they did. They simply disregarded the mad laws and continued farming and hunting and gathering as they always did. The local officials were mostly on their side too, and those that didn't all met unfortunate \"accidents\"\n\nThen it was the northeners. Without hunting, the north quickly fell into famine, and, unable to simply disregard the laws like the colonists did, they armed themselves and marched on the northern capital. It was a long and hard fight, but after 4 days, they succeeded in seceding.\n\nThen the east followed, torching seven of the king's strongholds.\n\nThe southern garrison, seeing what happened to the others, surrendered, and many joined the revolution.\n\nWith trading banned, even here, in the heart of the kingdom, he leaves us NO CHOICE. Brothers and sisters of the revolution, we have suffered TOO LONG under his MADNESS. We must rise up. We have nothing to lose that we haven't already, nothing except our chains. What do you think will go next? THERE IS NO LIMIT. We MUST stop it now! TODAY WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE FOUNDING OF OUR NATION! FOR THE REVOLUTION, CHARGE!\"\n\nDrawing his sword, the man in black jumped off his pedestal, and signaled for the last battle to begin. \n\nIn a way, the prophecies were true, the king would be overthrown by farmers and hunters and gatherers and merchants.", "The king looked out from his balcony out onto the grey ashy land that had been his kingdom. King Henry the Mad, they called him, but he was only doing what was necessary for the stability of his realm. When the mysterious wizard had told him he would be overthrown by a farmer, he had of course outlawed farming. It was the only responsible thing to do. The people had protested, but he had ordered all the fields and orchards burned and planted with wild trees or left as pasture. The people had adapted well enough.\n\nThen five years later, the wizard had returned and told him he had indeed escaped the farmer-related fate but was now destined to meet his end at the hands of a hunter. And so he had banned hunting. His courtiers had objected. Their forests had been famous for their game. But a few executions had brought the rest into line. He had confiscated all the peasants' weapons and that had been it. Majestic animals roamed and trapping was still tolerated. The realm had actually prospered.\n\nBut then the wizard had returned and declared that the threat was now from a gatherer. How could one end gathering? He had had the forests raked and all fruit trees burned. And then things had become very bad. The animals could barely graze and there was not enough big game to trap. Small game was trapped to existence and people tried to live off meadow grass and wood. But even that was technically gathering. And with the peasants so riled, he really began to fear for his life. And so he shut the castle gates and set fire all around. It had been the middle of summer and the whole kingdom had burned. The smoke had choked them and the fire had blackened and cracked the walls, but he had been glad for now he was secure.\n\nBut then the hunger had begun to affect them. Their granaries were running low and the small warren of rabbits within the castle grounds could not sustain them for long. Rationing was begun, but it would only delay the inevitable.\n\nThen the wizard had come again. He had declared that the king would die by a cannibal's hand. And then his line would end and his kingdom become utterly desolate. The king had laughed for they were a civilised people and would never fall that far. But still, conscious of their hunger and desiring to remove all temptation, he ordered all cemeteries exhumed and the bodies cremated. And he ordered all new dead cremated at once. For once all the people had been in agreement with his plan.\n\nAnd now a year had passed. There had always been those in the kingdom that died from hunger. But those had always been peasants far away. He had sent food and money to the affected provinces, but he had never actually seen it before. Now there was a death from starvation in the castle nearly every other day. They were running out of fuel for the pires. There were no more horses in the stable. They had either been eaten, or taken by courtiers fleeing the dead kingdom.\n\nHis stomach twisted with hunger. His robes hung loosely around his gaunt frame. Sometimes, at night, he had begun to doubt the wizard as he listened to the whimpering of his son and daughters. But no, warnings were meant to be heeded. He heard a group of guards down in the courtyard and hurried to look. They seemed to be carrying some kind of medium animal. A dog, perhaps. He climbed down the stairs as fast as his exhausted body would allow. They handed him a piece and he devoured it, feeling strength and clarity return to his body and mind.\n\nAt that moment, his wife came running from the gate. \"Where is my son?\" she demanded, \"He is dead and was taken by the guard, but when I went to say farewell, he was not on the pyre.\" She looked at the group and noticed him there and began to scream. And at that moment, he looked at what they had been eating. It had a face, a face he knew. He looked back at his wife, his shock now mirroring hers. Suddenly, he saw the enormity of all his deeds and the final horror of this last act. He seized his dagger, and before any of his guards could stop him, plunged it into his own heart.", "It only takes about ten days of starvation before your brain starts to eat your muscles and fat.\n\nI doubt it's a coincidence that it also took about ten days before the first cases of cannibalism started to be reported.\n\nIt's only been sixteen days, and we've already lost forty people\n\nSome of them were even in the castle. Some in the richer parts of the city, some in the commons, about half in the ghettos.\n\nAnd all of them, angry with the king.\n\nBeen friends with him since we knew how to walk. Classic Royal and Commoner friendship you see in stories, the disdain from my chunk of society, the disgust from his. They didn't like a boy of his position associating with some adolescent who takes any low income job that comes his way. Oddly enough, his mom, the Queen, was accepting of me. Guess she thought I had skills that could be honed or something.\n\nBoss-man thought so too. First thing he did when he got in that throne was put me in a fairly high posistion of authority. Essentially his PR guy, I always had a silver tongue. God Bless Nepotism.\n\nWhen people told him about the prophecy against him ... he was 19 and had the world's weight on his shoudlers, it made sense for him to panic. So he outlawed farming, we could work with that. A lot of people were gonna be jobless. Like, a lot of people, but we could split up some things. Make new job openings. What I tried to tell people, at least.\n\nThey honestly took it better than we expected.\n\nUntil a few years later this damn \"Prophecy\" said it was gonna be a hunter to kill the guy. Makes more sense, honestly. A bow and arrow hurts a hell of a lot more than a hoe, as long as we ignore emotional pain. We weren't running too low on food, still around what would typically be called safe, but, and I thought I'd never say this, I was missing vegetables. I'd tried to change his mind on this matter a few times, I was kind of the guy's only friend, but he wouldn't move. Not on the farming, and not on this. So we'd cut most meat out of our diets as well.\n\nThen went the gatherers the next year. That was what my sister did, I remember helping her out a few times with that. Those outings were fun, honestly. Then, a few more months went by, and I just about burst out laughing in the middle of the courtroom when our scribe said a baker was gonna be the would-be-assassin. I worked with all of the bakers when I was a teen, they wouldn't hurt a fly. But alas, there went out bread. Didn't matter how much I pleaded for my friend to think things through, he was planted in his objective of living.\n\nSo, reduced to trading with villages it was then. Except, we were their main source of food as well, and their supplies were running out. Then before we knew it, we stopped getting food. village elders stopped talking to the scouts and representatives we sent. We had to figure out a way to feed the kingdom before our reserves ran dry.\n\nWe couldn't.\n\nHalf the staff abandoned ship. Don't blame 'em. There were various individuals and groups that illegally tried to hunt, gather, and farm throughout the years, before being stopped by the Big Man. Their plots of land and hunting grounds were found by some citizens. Y'know, after they abandoned the kingdom. Still can't blame 'em.\n\nAnd then, May 12th. The last cart of partially molded bread and a few grapes from the castle vineyard. The King tended to that garden himself.\n\nThen, it was offical. We were out of food.\n\nMay 21st. Three people were cannibalized. Boss already looked a whole decade older than his 26 year old self from this whole snafu, but I think I saw some grey hairs come in after he heard that.\n\nJust when we'd gotten used to the banging and screaming on the other side of the front door.\n\nMay 24th. The royal adivisor tried to eat me. Guy was spry for a man in his 70's, but a trained bodyguard (no matter how starved the poor bastard is) will typically win that fight. I want to be offended that he tried to do that to me, but I'm mainly just flattered that I was his first choice.\n\nEveryone at the table is deciding whether we should eat his corpse. I think I would've been repulsed by that idea a week ago.\n\nMay 28th.\n\n\"I regret to inform you, dear citizens, that King Johann has been killed. In a state of hunger induced mania, he attempted to attack, and presumably eat, me. I was forced to defend myself ... oh god, let me... give me a minute.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"The... hi-... his replacement has yet to be decided, but it has been a unanimous decision of the council, and his inner circle, to reintroduce farming, hunting, gathering, baking, and anything else we can do to make food. Thank you for your time, and we hope you can help speed this along.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\-First time writing literally anything, so tell me how I did. :-)" ]	4
	[WP]You’re a camera operator on a deep-sea diving salvage team hired to find a sunken trawler from recent storms. As the mini-sub heads for the ocean floor, you easily find the trawler you were sent to locate. But beneath that, you also see in the sand, hints of a much larger and older ship’s deck.	[ "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 salvage was pretty standard. Five thousand dollars to find and retrieve a two hundred thousand dollar fishing trawler that was ripped from its moorings and sunk during the heavy storms that battered the coast last week.\n\nPersonally, I thought the boss had rocks in his head for charging the average fee for the retrieval. That idiot captain deserved to be gouged for leaving his ship moored at a pontoon when every other trawler operator had taken their boats and hidden them in the small creeks further inland that gave enough protection. This one had thought he could get the jump on all those operators by leaving his boat moored out to sea.\n\nDumbass.\n\nStill, a job, was a job, was a … there you are …\n\nI zoomed in the camera to show the ever-expanding view and subsequent damage of the wrecked ship. “Got it, skipper,” I said over my shoulder.\n\nThe man didn’t leave his own controls. “How’s it look?”\n\n“Hull’s in one piece, so we should be able to get some lift bags under it. From this angle, it looks like the right boom’s been snapped, but the left one is sorta hanging in there.”\n\n“The nets?”\n\n“Fuck me, skipper. You want me to shit diamonds while I’m at it?” Jesus Christ! Did that asshat of a customer actually expect us to find his freakin’ nets intact too? Why not a full catch in the hold while we’re at it? I was half inclined to ram the semi-sub into the sunken hull and go ‘oops’ on principle, but the skipper knew I’d been doing this too long to make a mistake like that by accident. Thirty years is a long time for anyone to be in one job, but that’s what made me one of the best.\n\nThe bridge crew snickered and chuckled while the skipper merely hmphed in annoyance.\n\nAs I moved the semi-sub around, I spotted where the second boom had hit the reef and snapped off. The scraping across the coral and the sand showed the unfortunate collish … well, hello.\n\nI took the sub back to the scraped coral, finding not a rock undergrowth, but a timber one. Black with time, but definitely timber. I used one of the sub’s claws to scrape a little deeper. Oak. I’d bet the pension I barely have that that was oak. Solid oak. Growing all the more excited, I twisted the camera to see along the coral shelf. The damn thing was straight, and went out as far as the camera could see! It was too thin for a mast. And then it dawned on me. It was a bowsprit. At least thirty feet long!\n\nHolycrapholycrapholycrap….\n\nWarships were the only ones with bowsprits that long! And that explained the solid oak that was still relatively intact.\n\nI pulled away from the ancient piece of maritime history and angled the camera as I reversed, paying heavier attention to the left where the coral was at its thickest. If I squinted just right, I thought I could make out potentially the beak? Maybe? If so, this thing was HUUUUGE!\n\nI licked my lips the dollar signs scrambling before my eyes. The payday on a lost galleon with or without treasure would set us all up for life. “Skipper, if I show you something, will you promise not to share it with that idiot who hired us?” I asked.\n\nBecause that just wouldn’t be fair.\n\n\\ \\* \\\n\n((All comments welcome))\n\nFor more of my work including WPs:** [r/Angel466](https://www.reddit.com/r/Angel466/) or an index of previous WPS [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Angel466/comments/m4p5f2/wp_index_take_two/)." ]	2
	[WP] Your grandmother was a world-famous ventriloquist. When she died, she left you Pepe. You laugh at your pathetic attempt to fill her shoes and say, “What I wouldn’t give to be as good as you, gran.” Pepe turns his head towards you and says in his own voice, “Funny you should say that, kid.”	[ "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 might've heard of my grandma. She was a remarkable lady, right up until the end. Ol' Bess Grady, her stage name was; from the age of 50 right up until she passed away at 95 a year or so ago, she'd go on tour with a ventriloquism act with this dummy, Pepe.\n\nI probably don't really need to describe Pepe much for you to get a solid picture in your head of what he looked like. If you've ever seen Howdy Doody, or that movie Magic with Anthony Hopkins in it, you've got the picture. A creepy-looking, vaguely \"country\" exaggeration of a small boy's form. Not the more cartoony, Jeff Dunham type of dummy, but the old-school kind.\n\nOne thing always stuck out to me as a little odd, though, and I probably should have taken stock of what it meant before I started going through Grandma's personal effects. That one little weird detail was, Grandma never... treated Pepe like a dummy. When she'd fly out for shows, he wouldn't be in her carry-on, he'd get his own seat. My mom would always talk about how Pepe had his own seat at the dinner table, even. Grandma, for all intents and purposes, treated Pepe like a human being.\n\nThis, of course, is why it probably shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did when I was going through her stuff, made an offhand comment about the dummy, and the fucking thing swung its head around and talked to me.\n\n\"What I wouldn't give to be as good as you, Gran,\" is what I said, verbatim. And, as if I'd triggered some kind of voice cue, Pepe just looked at me, light in his eyes that should not have been there.\n\n\"Funny you should say that, kid,\" he blurted out at me, and... while, in hindsight, I was a little surprised he called me \"kid\" since I'm in my 30s, my immediate reaction was to throw him across the room, prompting an \"ow, fuck!\" when he hit the wall.\n\n\"What... I... what... you talk on your own?\" I asked Pepe, incredulous at what I was seeing.\n\n\"Yes, and I can feel pain, so please stop throwing me,\" Pepe said, rubbing the back of his head with a wooden hand. \"Had to have that talk with Ol' Bess too, her early act was a little rough.\"\n\n\"What the hell? How? What?\" I sputtered. \"You're not going to get up and start killing people like in the movies, are you?\" Pepe laughed as hard as something without lungs is capable of.\n\n\"Oh, come on, kid. If I was gonna do that, I'd have done it a hundred years ago,\" he said. His tone came off as genuine, and I took a deep breath of relaxation.\n\n\"So... what's your story?\" I asked him, still trying to process what in God's name had just happened in front of me. Pepe sighed.\n\n\"You ever read Pinocchio? Or see the Disney movie?\" Pepe asked me in return.\n\n\"Yeah... so I'm guessing your whole thing is that you wanna be a real boy?\" I asked, attempting to keep up. Pepe palmed his face.\n\n\"It's that, but in reverse. This might sound hard to believe, but I was flesh and bone once, too,\" he said. \"My name at birth was Claudius Baptiste Beliveau, and I was a petty thief down in New Orleans before the war,\" he went on.\n\n\"The war as in... World War II?\" I asked, to clarify.\n\n\"No, the big war. North vs. South,\" Pepe answered. \"Anyhow, I made the mistake of stealing from Marie Laveau's shop. Thought if I lifted a gris-gris bag from her I'd be able to get luck on my side. Long story short, it didn't work, I got caught, and she decided to use me as a lab monkey for swapping souls around. Eventually, she nailed it, and I've been stuck in this dummy named Pepe for... what year is it now?\"\n\n\"2021,\" I told Pepe.\n\n\"Jesus,\" he said. \"Just ten more and I'll be at the big two hundred.\"\n\n\"So, let me guess, you just decided to make the best of it?\" I asked.\n\n\"I mean, what can you do? She put me on sale in her shop and called me a haunted mannequin, and I played that part for a little while, as boring as it was. Just sit there in someone's house and occasionally move or make woo-woo noises until they get freaked out and return me. Things didn't get real interesting until long after she passed and Howdy Doody started coming on the radio,\" Pepe explained further. \"That meant there was suddenly a genuine demand for something like me.\"\n\n\"Because you're the world's best shortcut in that field,\" I finished, finally getting the point.\n\n\"Exactly. All I had to do was find some ventriloquist who wanted to get famous, and strike a deal with them. They treat me like a person and not a mannequin whenever they can, and I'll follow them to the ends of the earth and play along for their show,\" Pepe said.\n\nPepe and I looked at each other. I'd never been much for ventriloquism, myself, but I definitely needed money, I had the family history to get my foot in the door, and I had one hell of an ace up my sleeve now.\n\n\"Wanna get back in the game?\" I asked him. He contorted his wooden face into an odd smile.\n\n\"More than anything,\" Pepe said.", "It wasn’t necessarily my job to help with all of Granny’s affairs, but I stepped up when my father was just at the end of his rope. You have no idea how much work it is when someone dies, and my dad was already a workaholic with his business. My grandfather had passed early from cancer and my dad didn’t even have any siblings to help with the load. I worked full time, sure, but that still left after 5 p.m. or weekends to take on the job of deciding what to do with all of Granny’s things, the biggest job being boxing things up for local charities to take away.\n\nMy grandmother’s death was unfortunate and a premature, a tumble down the stairs as she got wobbly in her old age, that left what scant family she had (and also her friends and many, many fans) shocked and depressed. But one of the most important things I needed to do was get in touch with a place called Vent Haven, the world’s only ventriloquism museum and where dummies go to rest, because I knew I’d be donating hers.\n\nGranny’s talents were so impressive that I never did manage to keep up when I tried my hand at it. I’d thought her work was awesome even as a child and tried to practice, but I never had the gift like she did. Plus, I’d known I’d wanted to go into work as a mechanic for as long as I could remember, so it wasn’t as if I was going to try to fill her shoes professionally. But it was still tempting to hold onto a couple of her dummies and pick it up as a hobby, see if I could get any better all these years later.\n\nSitting on a little stool I’d brought up to the attic as I went through her things, I picked up one of her favorites, another ‘old lady’ that was named Gran, smiling at it. Speaking through my teeth, I propped her up on my knee and did my best to say, “Hey there, Felicia! How long has it been since you’ve tried out your skills at this?” Snorting, I shook my head. “Geez, that was horrible… What I wouldn’t give to be as good as you, Granny.” \n\nThen the dummy turned her head towards me and said in her own voice, “Funny you should say that, kid.”\n\nScreaming and shot putting the doll across the small attic space, crashing into the wall before it fell to the ground, I found myself on the floor beside the stool I’d been on, my heart racing. My mind immediately fed me the thoughts of, I’m dreaming, I’m dreaming, I’m dreaming. “What the fuck?” I shouted.\n\nThe doll didn’t sit up, but she did turn her head toward me as genuine, entertained laughter at my terror and surprise echoed out from her. “Oh, my goodness, Felicia, I’m so sorry, I just couldn’t help myself.”\n\n“What the fuck?” I screamed again, scrambling backwards.\n\n“Do calm down,” she reassured me. “It’s Granny, sweetheart.”\n\nMy heartbeat thundering in my chest and my vision swimming, it took a few moments for the words to sink in. “What?” I croaked.\n\n“It’s Granny,” she said again, even more gently. “It’s not the doll, I’m just hanging around inside it.”\n\nMy face twitched as I leaned forward, something in me pulling at my heartstrings at the idea of my grandmother suddenly not being gone. “Granny?” I whispered. “That’s not… I mean you can’t…”\n\n“Penny in the air, sweetheart,” she said with an audible smile. “I haven’t moved on yet.”\n\nStaring at the doll, still sprawled on the floor, my gaze grew skeptical. “If this was a horror movie, this would be where I run over and take you in my arms and you stab me in the throat.”\n\nGranny burst into laughter. “Oh gosh, I know. How about this? The last time we talked, it was about that misogynistic pig at that auto shop you work at, Dave. And I told you that if he ever gets to be too much, I’ll come in, wait for him to say something horrible, and then just slap him.”\n\nMy eyes teared up as I pushed myself to my feet, still wobbly from adrenaline. “Granny?” \n\n“Yes, dear.”\n\nI walked over, carefully picking up the doll and sitting down with it. “I don’t…understand, how are you…?”\n\n“I’m not the first spirit to inhabit this doll,” she told me. “Nor any of the others. So, I’ll confess, my talents were quite overstated.” I stared at her and my eyes abruptly widened. “And the penny drops!”\n\n“You were using ghosts?” I exclaimed.\n\n“I’d been doing this so many years and you’re the first one that I ever told. I’m a medium, a psychic, and there are some spirits that I met when I was younger that didn’t want to move on,” she explained. “I loved my work as a ventriloquist, but I was never quite good enough. Then…well, it was Cindy who had the idea first. The little girl voice you heard me do, that was her. It gave them purpose,” Granny said softly. “Even helped a few of them move on. But most of them weren’t ready, still aren’t ready. And neither am I, to be honest.”\n\n“You deserve to rest, though,” I whispered, staring into the glassy eyes of the grandmother doll in my hands. “I know your life was cut shorter than you would’ve liked, but to hang around just because would be… You’ll get lonely. You’ll get sad.”\n\n“I’ll have you,” she pointed out. “I wouldn’t get lonely. I already spent most of my time alone in this big empty house when I was still alive. But I will tell you, it’s your decision. I know you loved the entertainment aspect, the making people laugh, drawing smiles from the youngsters. I thought maybe you’d like to cheat like I did, just as a hobby, on the weekends maybe. What do you say? Want to pick up where I left off?”\n\nA small smile on my face, I nodded slowly. “I think I’d really like that, Granny.”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n/r/storiesbykaren" ]	3
	[WP] As the prayer left your lips, you stared at the pile of vegetables, bread, and wine that had appeared before you. The sacrificial fire on the lab floor now burned low, a few bones left. In the history of the Science Empire, you can't believe nobody had thought of this before!	[ "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.", "Matter Creation by Means of Verbal Adoration to Established Foci of Worship: a research paper by the High Priest of the Church of Universalism, Dr. Sanjaya.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAbstract:\n\nThe origins of the material universe have long been a topic of discussion among the learned, and universalists are not immune to this curiosity. The popular notion that all physical matter was created as a result of an exploding star is contradicted by historical evidence, namely that bits and pieces of our beloved world existed for eons before its collapse occurred. In this paper, I hope to show via collections of case studies of Established Foci Prayers, (ESPs from here on) as a means of matter creation, usually in the form of food or drink. To avoid controversy, we have used ESP to various Gods across cultures, with similar results in each, leads us to the hypothesized truth of our newly founded church, that the degree of worship, not the 'realness' of the god in question is what determines results. The research here shows a statistically significant correlation between ESPs and matter creation in several environments.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\---\n\nFor more of my writing, see /r/surinical", "It made sense when you thought about it, it really did. For every action, a reaction. For every question, and answer. And for every desperate query sent out into the void... well, why not a response.\n\nExperimentation was key. Simply slapping a few words together into sentences and tossing any old trash onto a fire wouldn't do. There had to be a formula, a proper combination. The older tongues, those that predated the Imperial Founding, worked best as Invocations. Sentence structure mattered, too. Prose was largely ineffective, but I had a fair amount of success with rhymed couplets and alternating stanzas. The only limerick I tried nearly left me a stain on a wall. Then there were the Offerings themselves. Inanimate objects were useless, scarcely receiving any notice. Fruits and vegetables were better, but only just, and higher quality produce yielded better results. I tried animal products next. Skin and bone were mediocre, but flesh and blood were readily accepted. Organ meats seemed especially favored, funnily enough. That probably should have been my first warning.\n\nThe first few Offerings, the ones where I started getting it right, were exhilarating. Even with the failed attempts, I could always feel... something. A presence, for lack of a better term. Growing stronger as I learned more and honed my craft. When I managed my first real conjuration - using a brief sonnet and a side of bacon, if I remember correctly - I was astounded. A three-course dinner, fit for a Duke, if not a King, for the price of a few words and bits of pig? It seemed too good to be true. Second warning, left unheeded.\n\nThings really took off once I started using live specimens. Insects were rejected outright, but small mammals and birds seemed acceptable. Was able to conjure myself a new laboratory's worth of equipment with nothing more than a Thesaurus and a brace of rabbits. As I proceeded, however, it became obvious that repeating the same ritual over and over greatly diminished its returns. Rabbits and pigeons stopped yielding satisfactory results, and then so did the rats. Same for cats, dogs, ravens, and the few fish I was able to get my hands on. Despite all my hard work, I seemed utterly unable to supply the demands of those I entreated. Red flag number three, ignored.\n\nThe Expositor was the breakthrough I'd needed. Seemed that a large number of animal disappearances, both domestic and otherwise, is bound to attract someone's attention. I found her rummaging through my lab, disturbing a pile of entrails I'd spent hours carefully arranging. Our eyes met as I reached for a bronze censer; full of sacrificial embers, and very, very heavy. She was fast. I was faster. When her blood and brain touched the altar I felt a thrum of power unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I spilled the women's remaining life's blood upon the table, and with a carefully constructed haiku, I could feel my body shifting. Muscle tightened, bone and sinew stretched, skin shed its blemishes. I was left a bronzed Adonis in my own right, beautiful and terrible, stronger and faster than any mere man had any right to be. And for the first time, I heard the voices of my patrons, uttering a single word.\n\nM O R E\n\nThat was four months ago, Lord Inquisitor. And in those four long months it took you and yours to find me and bring me down, I have been busy, very busy indeed. You can kill me now, if you wish. Torture me a bit first, if it tickles your fancy, it won't matter. They know their High Priest is in danger. They know where I am. They know where you are. And they're coming.\n\nAh, but so grim, Inquisitor. Here, let me leave you on a happy note:\n\n'There once was a young man of Science\n\nWith the aid of Infernal appliance\n\nPaid tenfold the fee;\n\nSet the Ancient Ones free.\n\nPrepare now for unceasing Violence.'" ]	3
	[WP] One night while you are working you see in your eyes a lot of red dots that form the phrase "you could go to sleep, then the problem is ours" are your red blood cells that try to force you to have a better lifestyle	[ "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.", "\"Ugh our body is staying up late again.\" AE-1123 said while lugging oxygen around. \"Hey dendritic cell why is our body staying up again. It's been like a week since this body got any full rest.\" The green clad cell nodded drowsily. \"She's too busy working on that book she has a deadline for.\" \"Attention my red blood cell friends let's do something about this body's unhealthy sleeping habits.\"I say confidently. \"Ok dendritic cell tell me what our body sees.\" We all start rushing to the eyes and get into a formation. \"What's the body seeing dendritic cell?\" AE-1123 questions. \"The body is seeing all red, maybe start forming words.\" We switch around until dendritic cell says we spell a sentence. The sentence that he spell is you could go to sleep, then the problem is ours. The body started showing signs of surprise. \"Now red blood cells get into another formation.\" The blood cells follow dendritic cell lead. Now the sentence is take care of yourself and stop eating so much junk food dance more and for God's sake rest woman. Then the body started moving from her desk. \"Ok red blood cells get back to carrying oxygen.\" She slumps into bed and starts sleeping.\n\nAuthors note I'm writing this story at 12:30ish at night. So yeah thanks for the prompt going to get to bed now." ]	2
	[WP] You died from choking on toothpaste and god turned you into the tooth fairy. It’s not that bad, until you come across this tooth from an immortal boy whose teeth look like the haven’t been brushed for a few eons.	[ "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 ducked back behind the curtain. After a few moments with nothing from the other side, I peeked back out again.\n\nCurly brown hair. A small nose and too-big lips. Eyes scrunched tight in sleep.\n\nI knew that face.\n\nThe child turned over and sighed, and I jumped into hiding, mind racing furiously. How was this child possible? It just didn't make sense. Not the immortality, of course - I was turned into a fairy by a god, after all, and anyway, I had become inured to strangeness after my first dozen vampire fangs. But his existence shouldn't have been possible!\n\nOr... Well. I suppose I just assumed that 'I' was taken up to become the new tooth fairy, and my family buried my corpse. It never occurred to me that taking 'me' out might leave my body behind to live a life of its own. It would certainly explain how the child was still here so many centuries later - without me it couldn't die.\n\nAnd, given how I did die (or thought I did)… I guess I can't blame it for never wanting to brush." ]	2
	[WP] you’ve always hated dust bunnies, since as a child you were told that dust bunnies turn to real bunnies. Nothing prepared you for the day you realized that was true - and they eat everything and everyone	[ "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.", "Glass shattering and the almost silent sound of soft feet bounding down the hall leaked into Timmy's room. Timmy was under his blue rocket sheets, peeking his head out to watch the grey blurs run past his room between the crack in the door. Mom had always warned him that if he didn't clean his room the dust bunnies would become real, but he didn't listen. Timmy hid under his sheets again upon hearing a banging on the door. It wasn't his, but the one across the hall. They were hunting. They wanted blood.\n\nTimmy's spaceman pajamas were sticking to his skin and dread was starting to set in. His mom and dad left to go to a concert and Jenny put Timmy to bed early so she could go out with her boyfriend, Justin. Timmy was all alone and no one was coming to save him. \n\nBang! His door slammed against the wall. Timmy closed his eyes and laid still, curled up in his bed. He could hear the air entering their little lungs as they sniffed around his bed. Three, maybe four of them. One jumped up on the bed, next to his foot. Timmy slowly moved it away, trying to not change the position of his sheets. The bunny hopped closer, pushing the sheet down. It hopped again and landed on his leg.\n\n\"Aggghhhh!\" Timmy squealed.\n\nThrowing the sheet off himself and kicking the wrapped up bunny off the bed, he bounced off his bed and fell into his closet. The puffy grey bunnies surrounded him and moved in like a pack of wolves. They showed their white teeth and growled. Their beady red eyes stared into Timmy's, void of any emotion other than pure rage.\n\nTimmy backed up and his clothes covered his face. His right hand grabbed something with a handle and it came alive. It whirled and grew louder once it stuck into the carpet. He lifted it up and the suction broke from the carpet, yet still made the same whirring sound. He moved the clothes out of his eyes and the bunnies hopped away. In his hand was a little hand vacuum his mom gave him to clean his room. He stood up and held the vacuum up like he found Excalibur. \n\n\"Time to get cleaning!\" Timmy said and marched out his room.\n\nThe bunnies all ran around in terror at the sound of his vacuum. Timmy chased them all over the house, sucking them up one by one. Each one squeaked in fear as their bodies got squeezed into the small opening, disappearing into the void. He vanquished them all, until there was only one left. Cornered against the red oak entrance door, he moved in closer, the bunny had nowhere to go and covered it's eyes with it's fluffy paws. Timmy was about to strike when the vacuum stopped. He slapped it a few times, but it refused to come back to life.\n\nThe bunny removed it's paws and locked eyes with Timmy. The bunny roared while Timmy stood there still trying to wake up his vacuum. It lowered it's body, ready to spring into action when the door came swinging open. The bunny was smashed into the wall behind it and turned into a cloud of dust. In the doorway, Timmy's mom and dad stood in their fancy clothes.\n\n\"What did you do?\" Timmy's mom asked.\n\nTimmy looked around at the giant mess in the house. Vases and their contents spilled on the couch, the TV face down on the living room carpet, and the horror in the kitchen that would be best described as the aftermath of a hurricane was all that was left for his parents to witness.\n\n\"I was just cleaning.\"" ]	2
	[WP] A group of mages are competing to catch fish using only magic.	[ "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 are we even wasting time on this? You just pull 'em out with telekinesis.\"\n\n\"Shut the fuck up Aaron. Yeah obviously you can do that but where's the fun in that dude?\"\n\n\"Ok ok, hear me out guys: Just freeze everything around it, and then kinda keep going, like make a kinda, uh, tube structure, you feel me, and like, make the tube smaller and smaller and it'll just—\"\n\n\"Yeah I'd love to see you try that bro. Fuck you on about. Remember the time you tried to slam dunk that wad of paper into the trash? What are you looking at your feet for bro, I literally didn't know it was possible to miss a target less than a foot from your face in such glorious fashion.\"\n\n\"What if we used pyrokinesis to evaporate the whole stre—\"\n\n\"Aaron. Bruh come on. Use your brainlet cells a little more. Muy namesh Aawon and— yknow, I'm an Engwish majow but I wack any wine of cweative thought in my baby waby bwain.\"\n\n\"Aight bro. In my defense creative writing classes kinda stopped being a thing.\" \n\n\"I'm thinking that we create a sort of bait situation. Like the people with the rods had shit figured out right; we just gotta change the execution.\"\n\n\"Izzat so. Would you care to elaborate on this proposition, sire?\"\n\n\"Naturally my dear Watson. We mak—\"\n\n\"That's not how you say it dumb ass.\"\n\n\"Fuck off, I'm on a roll here. So we create an illusion of a fish, like an attractive female fish, and use it to like, y'know, catfish the male fish. Eh? Eh? Yeah? C'mon you know that was a good one.\"\n\n\"Bro, never speak again. Actually. You're stupid as fuck.\"\n\n\"Garrett would know what makes a fish fuckable huh. You into fish fucking dude? On some Looney Tunes shit. Is she gonna have a blonde wig and lipstick and fish tits? Huh Garrett?\"\n\n\"Do fish even fall for illusions? Don't you have to have some base level of sentience to be influenced by them or something.\"\n\n\"Really?\"\n\n\"Yeah I was reading it in an article somewhere, they did some kind of clinical trial on a variety of apes or something and the resu—\"\n\n\"Stop stop stop. My panties are gushing already I don't think I can take anymore.\"\n\n\"How about we use electrokines—\"\n\n\"Why do you like saying kinesis so much? Word of the day? Is that what the fucking elephant thing on Sesame Street was saying this morning while you slurped your spaghetti?\"\n\n\"Yo speaking of, have you seen that meme where Kermit, like, draws a K on the screen?\"\n\n\"Everyone's seen that dude. Hella old.\"\n\n\"How 'bout, instead of a fake fish, we use an illusion of fish food and like catch them when they wanna eat it, by like moving the illusion towards us.\"\n\n\"You're fucking joking right.\"" ]	2
	[WP] A depressed immortal, you’ve isolated yourself after centuries of wandering the Earth. After witnessing the smallest act of kindness you begin to feel the spark return.	[ "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.", "Ive been alive longer than i care to remember. The years have passed me by for far too long. Today I went to the local train yard. I enjoyed hanging out there. The noise made everything else fade away. Today, I felt no joy. Today, I legitmately want to die. I cant seem to recall the last time I wanted to live. Ive seen the darkest parts of humanity. I saw it all begin. Ive seen countless lives end. Some were deserving. The murderers, rapists, the scum of the Earth. Some I tried to save, and failed to misrably. Ive got the scars to prove it, but they dont even have a life to tell their tale. I spent today, walking. Visiting the places that always sparked my joy, and I felt nothing everytime. Except, the very last place I visited, the lake. It was beautiful. The sun sent shimmers scattering across the water, almost as if tiny stars were under the surface. The forest surrounding the area was highlighted by a purple sunset. Hues of red and gold ran across a very purple sky. As I sat, staring, I began to cry. This was my last hope, and yet no joy. Nothing. A hollow pit of agony, something i wouldnt wish on my worst enemies. I began to walk into the lake. Maybe, if im underwater, if i drown, id stay dead. Id force myself to the bottom, hoping id never rise to the top. I made it neck deep, when i saw a baby rabbit. It was running so fast it didnt notice the lake. I never saw what it was running from, i only heard the gunshot. Suddenly, a man comes storming out of the trees and jumps into the water. Its then i noticed that not only was the rabbit struggling, i had begun to swim. I started to save the rabbit, but i was too heavy. I began to struggle. The man not only saved the rabbit, but made a second trip to get me. When we made it to shore, he spoke, and never gave me a chance to reply. I still remember his words clearly: \"All life is precious. You attempted to save the drowning rabbit but refuse to save yourself. In fact, youve weighed yourself down, you wanted to die. That rabbit did not. Life should never be short, but living long can make some of us bitter. Sad beings who dont see the beauty anymore, but its there. The joy exists, and you can find it. You must have some, or atleast enough to save a rabbit. Maybe, the bad things are meant to make us not see the good things. Never let them make you so blind, that closing your eyes for good is better than living for better things. Hope we dont meet under these circumstances again.\" \nAs he left, he smiled at me, and that smile made me feel joy. It was the smile of a man who had lived countless lives." ]	2
	[WP] Your party is made up of you, the Warrior; Jillian, the Thief; Azgorazdak, the Wizard; and Fitz, the Bard. However, you are the only one who passed the Perception check: Fitz is actually 3 kobolds in a trenchcoat and fake beard.	[ "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 didn't want to admit it; actually I tried very insistently not to, but there was no unseeing it once I noticed.\n\nFitz was three kobolds in a trench coat and a fake beard. Walking alongside him down this dirt road towards the dungeon we'd been hired to clear, I was almost certain no one else had noticed yet.\n\nPerhaps context is necessary...\n\nI'm a fighter for hire, but writing and poetry have always been my true passions. As a young man I would wander about the pastures, amusing myself with new ways to describe the grass and cattle; dreaming of the day when I'd breathe my own stunning epics into life. That was, of course, until I met Adeline. She was beautiful, graceful, and the most intelligent person I'd ever known. Every moment spent with her seemed to last a life time, so it seemed only natural to write her a sonnet, asking to spend the rest of our lives together.\n\nUnfortunately, my story does not involve any \"happily ever afters\", and while she was gracious enough to reassure me that I seemed like a nice boy who would probably be good at writing some day if I just stuck with it, she was not interested. \n\nIt was shortly after that Garlock arrived in town, a tall and broad shouldered man with a charming smile and sword large enough to cleave an ox lengthwise. An adventurer by trade, he purchased supplies from my family and brought a new life to local tavern. Word soon spread of his coupling with Adeline and in a few days she left with him on his adventures.\n\nGarlock was everything I wanted to be as a young man and so, like the young fool I was, I put aside my quill and paper, and took up the sword. Inexperience only pays a few coppers, but soon inexperience becomes experience; and experience is worth gold.\n\nYet, throughout the years, the scars, the adventures, and the excitements, I never stopped looking back to that dusty old quill and song book I'd put aside. So it was that I found myself advocating on behalf of this bard I'd never met. \n\nJillian, our thief, was skeptical; she didn't want more hands splitting the pay when the job was done. Azgorazdak, who really should've picked a shorter name if he didn't want us calling him \"Azzie\", was more amenable, but still unconvinced.\n\n\"We \\have\\ a spellcaster...\" he said, ending with that meaningful pause that some cheeky troublemaker must've told him sounded clever at some formative point.\n\nIt was only when I pointed out that a Bard's restorative spells might well be the only way to reattach Jillian's fingers this time, now that our cleric was no longer on speaking terms with us, that they both relented. Jillian found it unnecessary to inform the bard of our full price for this task, since we were technically subcontracting.\n\nTruthfully, my own intentions were not so wise.\n\nI know I'm never going to be Garlock, and I will never find my Adeline in these adventures. My thoughts now drift, more and more, to roads long untraveled. I hope a chance to bask in this Bard's music might conjure up some inspiration to take up the pen once more.\n\nWhich brings me back to said Bard. The hooded cowl ~~he~~ they wore was made of an exquisite and distracting material that covered the top one's head convincingly. The mandolin slung over their should completed the look, and I was eager to assume their hesitance to speak was some sort of artistic choice. I was quick to defend their silence to my party, lest their minds change again and the Bard be ousted along with my chance oat greatness.\n\nAnd here we were and now, all at once, I was suddenly plainly aware that this bard, Fitz, was actually three kobolds in a trench coat. A bit of an ugly one too, embroidered with scantily clad maidens weaving in and around various flaming swords and other weaponry. I wasn't sure whether to feel embarrassed for us all or indignant that we weren't fooled by a pack of kobolds with better taste.\n\nI tried to get the other two's attention, but with them walking in front of me it was hard to do so without being obvious. Neither of them were slowed down by the weight of so much armor as I was wearing, nor by the awkward, stumbling gait that Fitz' lowest member was limited to.\n\nMy mind raced with ideas. Simply calling the Kobold's bluff aloud seemed rude, since they were all clearly trying their best. Perhaps whistling would draw attention to me, but Jillian and Azzie had never cared so much for music; they might simply assume I was bored.\n\nAt last I settled on casually striking up a conversation with Fitz to see if I'd be able to lure them into admitting their deceit.\n\n\"So, uhm, come here often?\" I asked. \n\nPerhaps being a fighter actually was my calling.\n\n\"You know they probably don't speak common, right?\" Jillian asked, from the front.\n\n\"W-... what?\" I stammered.\n\n\"Those kobolds... in the trench coat?\" She said, with an obvious tone, \"I don't think they speak Common.\"\n\n\"Perhaps they simply came from another region and don't speak the local dialect?\" Azzie offered.\n\n\"Wait, you both knew??\" I gasped.\n\n\"Of course we knew, spotted it right away under that hood, didn't you?\" Jillian replied.\n\n\"Then why the hells didn't either of you say anything?\" I spat back.\n\n\"We... did...\" Azzie replied with an exasperated sigh. \"Didn't we have an entire conversation there at the table?\"\n\n\"No, you just said... spellcasters... and money...\"\n\n\"Well yeah, we didn't want to be rude talking in front of him...\" Jillian explained, slightly bewildered, \"but we knew he was three kobolds... did you only just notice?\"\n\n\"Then why the in the name of gold and glory did you go along with it?\"\n\n\"Well, you seemed so insistent...\" Jillian said.\n\n\"And we know you've always wanted to be a bard....\" Azzie added.\n\n\"So you think I'd want to run around with three kobolds in a trench coat???\"\n\n\"Hardly the strangest thing I've seen Bards run off with.\"\n\nI didn't have a response that and Fitz had already left, so best to end the story here.", "Lately I had been feeling like the quality of clientele Monster Food Inc, a match up service for adventurers, had been declining. It seemed to me that they were willing to let anyone join for a few gold pieces and a promise that their next of kin wouldn’t sue them in the event of their inevitable death. I walked into Fireside Tavern, the meeting ground Monster Food owned, and my concerns were confirmed with the new party I was matched up with.\n\nThe wizard was typical. He was a scrawny fellow, had a name I couldn’t pronounce, and looked like he could get knocked out by a strong gust of wind. The thief was cloaked in multiple cloaks and looked to be trying overly enthusiastically to blend into the shadows. The Bard…wait…oh no. You know what? That’s where I draw the line. Before me was a Kobold wearing a fake beard and a trench coat. This one was tall for a kobold though, and I half wondered what he was standing on below that trench coat. I stomped over to the kobold, Fitz I think the agency called him, and pulled his beard down. The rest of the party and other clientele in the tavern for that matter, had a look like they were straining to ignore Fitch. A glamor then, strange that it didn’t work on me I thought.\n\n“woah man not cool.” Fitz whined, pulling his lute close to his body as if he was ready to use it for defense.\n\n“Care to explain yourself?” I growled.\n\n“You must be the warrior called Stumps. Look man, me and a couple of my brothers needed to get out and just…you know…do our thing.” He replied.\n\n“So there’s more of you under there?”\n\nHe opened the right side of the trench coat. Fitz stood on top of two other kobolds, one holding a drum and the other holding a pan flute. The side of the coat had several bottles of healing potions strapped to it.\n\n“Ruckus and Grundle at your service.” They spoke in unison.\n\nI rubbed my temple in frustration. “all right then.” I put the beard back on Fitz.\n\n“Got a headache there Stumps? I Got just what you need.” Fitz winked conspiratorially. He opened the left side of his cloak which had various bag of herbs strapped to it, and not the legal kind. This was going to be the worlds shortest lived adventure party I predicted.", "\"Fitz, do you think I could talk to you for a moment?\"\n\n\"Of course,\" the always cloaked bard said, shambling with short feet over to me.\n\nI lead the bard to a dark corner of the tavern where we wouldn't be overheard.\n\"I know your secret.\" I said, gauging his reaction, and looked for signs of movement of the other two kobolds in his trench coat. I gestured pulling down a fake beard.\n\n\"You do? how did you find out?\" the top kobold, disguised as a bard named Fitz, gulped and asked then glanced around to see if anyone was listening.\n\n\"It's actually obvious. I'm surprised no one else could tell.\" \n\n\"I mean, I haven't done it in years,\" Fitz said. \"I swear.\"\n\n\"Wait, what are you talking about?\"\n\n\"What are you talking about?\"\n\n\"I know you're just three smaller creatures wearing a trench coat.\"\n\n\"Oh, thanks the gods,\" Fitz said, leaning back and releasing his tension. \"Yeah, that's not a secret.\"\n\n\"It's not?\"\n\n\"I mean, I usually don't bring it up, conjoined triples are rare among our species but they happen. We're lucky to be aligned vertically. Here, I'll introduce you. Turt, Kobble, say hello.\" Fitz opened his trench coat to reveal the two below him, the points of fusion obscured by their clothing.\n\n\"Sup?\" said the middle one, looking up from his book. \n\nThe one serving as legs bashfully waved then pulled the trenchcoat closed again. \n\"You'll have to forgive Turt. He's a little shy,\" Fitz said as he reclasped the coat.\n\n\"How do you live like that? Don't they get bored down there?\"\n\n\"I'm the adventurous brother, luckily enough. It's not that bad, honestly. We treat the trench coat kind of like an apartment.\"\n\n\"Oh,\" I say, pondering many things. \"Wait, what secret did you think I knew then?\"\n\n\"Let's get back to the table, eh?\" Fitz said, lifting his eyebrows and turning away.\n\n---\nThanks for reading.\nIf you liked this, check out /r/surinical to see more of my prompt responses and other writing." ]	4
	[WP] You have found a specific mutation of gene TBRG4 that perfectly predicts the ability to control magic. You are the only one who knows.	[ "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.", "She was an undergrad in biology, which was to say that she was broke. Her grades on exams were dismally average while her hands-on projects were extraordinary; she’d never been good at the by-the-book part of the course but at this point she figured that her professors purposely kept her on the line between pass and fail to force her into volunteering in their labs. They would maim the rats to the verge of death just to see her breathe life into them again, or perhaps feed them a mystery toxin and watch as it somehow evaporated under her steady fingers. “The girl with the magic hands,” they called her. How obliviously correct.\nBut lab work did not pay. So when news of the study had gone out: “Mapping the human genome, volunteer for $400”--well, what else was there to do? The taste of instant ramen had so imprinted itself on her palate that even the smell would make her gag. With that kind of money...that was vegetable money right there. Fruit and meat money. Proper meals for a month money. So of course, she was first in line.\nThey’d made her undergo a few procedures, some that she was familiar with and some that were outside her realm of study. Lots of needles and things. She could see how they might have trouble finding volunteers. But as the seats around her emptied with each phase of the trial, she stayed firmly put. She could almost taste the possibilities. After all this was done, would she dare treat herself to a burrito from the hipster place downtown?\nHer thoughts were interrupted by a timid cough. \n“Miss?” the mousy doctor in the doorway clutched a clipboard in one hand and adjusted his glasses with the other. “Please, come with me.”\nShe got up and followed the man through white sterile halls until they reached a white sterile room. The hospital vibe was beginning to make her eyes ache.\nThe doctor sat at a small metal table in the center of the room and gestured that she do the same. She obliged, focusing on the inoffensive abstract art hung behind his head. He cleared his throat again.\n“So, um, Miss--” the doctor squinted at his clipboard.\nShe sighed and stated her surname for his benefit. It was long and ill-adapted to the Latin alphabet.\n“Yes, um, thank you. So we’ve run the tests and...um, it looks like your genetics are pretty healthy. No physical manifestations of harmful mutations. I’ll be quite honest, ma’am, we can’t compare too deeply because we don’t get many people of your ancestry here, which...makes you quite valuable indeed. Would you, um...be willing to come in a few more times this week? For the same amount, of course.”\nThere was a lot of poking and prodding over the next few days, and then it was done and she was left with $1,200. She ate like a queen that week.\nThe experiment faded from her mind for a few decades. There were others, with more eventful outcomes, that slotted themselves into its place. She graduated, somehow. Landing a job was hard but once she was in she flew through the ranks, became the best vet in the city, toying with the foggy boundary between life and death to make Sparky bark and Spot meow again. It was so simple that sometimes she thought she should’ve been more ambitious with her life. Brain or heart surgery or something. Her potential would be unparalleled. \nBut messing with pets was a whole different beast from humans, and she didn't trust herself with such power over people. She kept a quiet and successful life.\n\nShe barely blinked at the announcement of CRISPR. The panic over designer babies didn’t reach her. And then--\nIt was the front page of every newspaper, plastered over the internet. People coming back to life. People dropping dead. Zombies? Plague? But there was no discernable cause. One megachurch seemed to have found god when its pastor demonstrated actual miracles, making a “spawn-of-Satan'' reporter collapse writhing in agony at his command. And then, others came forward, making public that they held life in the palms of their hands in a way that others simply couldn’t comprehend. The dominoes fell; murderers became unstoppable, doctors became legendary, necromancers were weaponized. The driver you flipped off might strike you with seizures. Public figures who had announced their ability collapsed under external pressure: why cure one man’s brain tumor when there were 100 five-year-old orphans with leukemia? Whatever they did would never be enough now that they held the world’s hope on their shoulders. One by one, they disappeared, or cracked, or were found dead in their hotel rooms. Sometimes the damage had a ripple effect and they took those around them out too.\n She watched as the world fell to extremes, horrified as anyone else but removed from the equation. It wasn’t her fault that they had inexplicably come across magic; she’d been in the same situation and yet managed to handle it responsibly.\n The exposé changed things. A year of sudden chaos was bound to prompt swift investigations, and a correlation between those who had come to power emerged. All had been diagnosed with a very specific variation of the fairly mild Waardenburg Syndrome; all had sought genetic therapy. Just a small flip of the switch on the seventh chromosome. A precious few nucleotides, copied off a map of the healthy human genome. \nThe compilation of the entire genome had been pieced together from a great many individuals. But she knew then. She knew that despite a quiet life, she had managed to pass on her abilities to who-knew-how-many others, like a virus unleashing itself on the world. She kept her mouth shut, but at that point it was inevitable; the map traced back to the study, the study to a description of which participant contributed which piece, the description--well, there weren’t many people of her ancestry in the area. The woman with the magic hands knew she was ground zero.\nAnd now the rest of the world knew too.\n\nFeedback welcome; I realized after writing that I misread the prompt (whoops). Also I don’t know much biology so sorry for any plot holes cuz of that" ]	2
	[WP] You didn’t want a dog because you couldn’t take care of it as a single parent. One child is already a handful, Imagine your frustration when your 7 year old child is bitten by a werewolf.	[ "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.", " “Mom, can we have a dog?” my seven year old called to me from the edge of the soccer field.\n\n“Braden, I've told you before, no. And I'm talking to Ms. Christy right now,” I called back. Christy and I went way back, and since our kids were on the same youth soccer team, we got to hang out after the practices. As a single mom, it was one of the few opportunities for adult socialization I had outside of work, and I didn't appreciate being interrupted. Especially since it was such a gorgeous night, warm and breezy at the end of spring, with a big full moon shining over us. \n\n“But he looks so lonely!” \n\nI whirled, my maternal danger-sense going off. Braden stood at the edge of the woods surrounding the field, and crouched in the trees, almost hidden from view, was a dog. It was big and wild looking, maybe a husky or German shepherd mix. \n\n“Braden! Come away from that animal right now!” I yelled, running toward him. I had talked to Braden countless times about not petting strange animals, but it just never seemed to sink in. I made to grab him and yank him to safety, but I was too slow. The dog snapped, it's teeth sinking into my little boy's arm. I hauled him away, and shouted at the dog. I must have looked fierce, because it bolted into the woods. \n\nThirty minutes later, we were at the ER, getting antibiotics and five stitches. Braden was a trooper, and still persisted that we should have tried to bring the stray dog home with us. Kids are crazy. My kid is crazy about dogs. But between my job, after school activities, soccer practices, and all the other things that keep families busy, we were hardly ever home. When would we have time to take care of a dog? \n\nThe next day, Braden's wound was showing no sign of infection, and I thought everything was going to be fine. Boy, was I wrong. That evening, after dinner, I helped Braden with a school project and put him to bed. I finished cleaning up the kitchen, started a load of laundry, and finally curled up in bed with a book while I waited on the washing machine to finish its cycle. That's when the noises started. Odd clicking and scratching sounds, and a weird, animal whining. They seemed to be moving through the house. I followed them into the kitchen, to discover a set of furry hindquarters sticking out of the overturned kitchen trashcan. Had that damned mutt followed us home from the soccer field? How the hell had that boy of mine gotten a dog into our house without my noticing? \n\nThe animal had shown itself to be aggressive once, so I approached it with caution. I crept to the other side of the room and opened the back door. Then I grabbed a broom and jabbed the trashcan with it as hard as I could. The dog yelped and backed itself out of the trashcan, a chicken bone in its mouth a scrap of lettuce sticking to the fur behind its ear. I blinked in surprise. This was not the same dog. It was a similar breed, but it was smaller, and it's fur was light brown, where the other had been dark. It growled at me, but I swung the broom at it and chased it out the door, shutting it firmly closed behind the unwanted animal. \n\n“Braden!” I hollered. No answer. That was odd. My son was usually the sort to start begging and wheedling. Pretty please can I? Let's make a deal; I can keep him if I, and so on. I stuck my head into his room, but he wasn't there. “You have some explaining to do, young man. Hiding and pretending you don't hear me won't change how much trouble you're in, except to make it worse.” \n\nI checked his closet and under his bed, then searched the rest of the house, but he was nowhere to be found. How was that possible? Our house was tiny, one story, three bedrooms. Could he have gone outside? No, all the windows were still latched from the inside. The front door was locked, and the back door had been, too, and my keys were still on the hook by the door. “Braden?” I felt panic rising inside me. I checked his room again, looking for clues. The pajamas he had been sleeping in were piled up on the floor, and inexplicably, they were ripped in multiple places. \n\nA howl rose from right outside, then a clamor of barking and scratching at the front door. Why was that dog so keen to get back inside? And where had it come from? Gears started to whirl in my brain. No way. I didn't believe in that sort of stuff. But the full moon, the bite, the unexpected wolf-like dog and missing child. No way. All the same, I opened the front door. The dog burst into the house. It jumped up and tried to put its paws on my chest, but I kept my distance. It sat on it's haunches and looked up at me, whining. \n\n“Braden?” It thumped its tail on the floor. Oh my God. It was true. My kid was a werewolf. \n\n\nWorried my son the werewolf was hungry, I browned some hamburger and fed him. Then I put him to bed. In the morning, I found Braden back to his old self, albeit naked, curled up in under Spider Man quilt. Also, I discovered that the werewolf wasn't housebroken. Great. \n\nThe next night, the moon had started to wane, and everything went back to normal for a month. That meant I had time to prepare. I bought an oversized dog crate, the sturdiest one on the market. Just in case he wasn't as well behaved as the first night. I did some werewolf research, and sources disagreed, but the consensus seemed to be that he would transform on the nights before and after the full moon as well as the night of, so I had three nights of potential problems to prepare for. I made sure Braden got a good night sleep before his transformation night, and made him a healthy dinner, complete with vegetables, before the moon rose. I made sure he went to the bathroom right after dinner. Then my son took off all his clothes, and crawled into the dog crate. He wasn't happy about it, but I promised him a trip to Chuck E. Cheese on Saturday. The kid responds well to bribery, and I am not above using it when I have to. I pulled up a chair, opened a book, and read to him. We waited. \n\nAt about seven pm the moon rose and Braden transformed. I could say it was the strangest thing I had ever seen, but that really doesn't begin to describe the feeling of watching the boy you gave birth to and raised on your own for seven years have his bone structure completely rearranged under his skin, sprout fur all over his body, and grow a set of terrifyingly sharp teeth. He was wild at first, vicious even, almost like he really thought he was a wolf instead of a little boy. Maybe he did. But after about thirty minutes he seemed to remember himself, and calmed down. I gave him a rawhide bone and a chew toy to play with, and he amused himself until he got tired and fell asleep on the pile of old towels I had put in the crate for bedding. We repeated this routine for the next two nights, and it went pretty well. Braden was tired in the mornings, but otherwise fine. That kid amazes me sometimes. \n\nTwo months later, I was at the soccer field, chatting with Christy. The full moon hung in the twilit sky like a ghost. “Where is Braden tonight?” she asked. “It's so strange to see you here without him.” \n\n“He was invited to have dinner at the house of a friend from school. It's his friend's birthday and they're having a movie night.” Christy's daughter went to a different school than Braden, so I felt fairly safe telling that lie. \n\n“On a school night?” \n\nI shrugged. “He won't be staying out much later than he does for soccer practice. Anyway, I'm here without him because I didn't want to miss seeing you this week. I just have to know how your date with Kevin went.” I laughed. “It still blows my mind that you find time to date.” \n\nIt was her turn to shrug. She bent and scratched Braden behind the ears. He was on a leash, and being a very good boy. There was another trip to Chuck E. Cheese in our imminent future. “I thought you told Braden you didn't have time to take care of a dog.” \n\nI smiled and gave my werewolf boy a loving pat. “Things change.”", "Martha sat on the steps of her parents front porch, wrapped in blankets, looking up at the full moon as it mocked her with its soft glow. She held back tears as she listened to the muffled howling, growling, and banging emanating from the reinforced cellar doors next to the porch. Her baby was stuck in there all alone and there was nothing she could do about it. \n\nShe heard the front door open and looked over her shoulder to see her mom coming out with two mugs of hot tea. Martha silently accepted the offering as her mom took a seat beside her. She took a sip, chamomile, her favorite. They both looked out across the driveway and road to the moonlit corn field near due for harvest. \n\n\"I should have just gotten him a dog.\" Martha spoke into the night, \"If I did, he wouldn't have gone wandering out looking for one that night. He wouldn't have been attacked. He wouldn't be...\"\n\nShe was interrupted by a warm embrace.\n\n\"It's going to be okay, bugaboo\" Her mom said with the soft comfort only she could provide, \"It'll be okay.\"\n\nThe dam that had been holding back tears for the last 3 months exploded and Martha broke down in her mother's arms. The sounds of her wailing mixed the howls of her lycanthrope son in the still autumn night. After a couple minutes of sobbing, the flow of tears started to slow. She took a couple long shuddering breaths, attempting to compose herself again.\n\n\"You know, I promised myself I'd be strong after Mark left,\" Martha hiccuped, wiping the tears with a corner of the blanket, \"but it's been so hard.\"\n\n\"I know sweetie, I know.\" Her mother whispered, giving a gentle squeeze.\n\nMartha sat up a little and took a couple more deep breaths and a few sips of the now lukewarm tea.\n\n\"You know I never properly thanked you and pa, for letting us use the cellar. I probably would have lost him to the state, since I'd never be able afford the monthly hospital room, sedatives, or…\" Martha trailed off, as her mom placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.\n\n\"Pa and I love you and Alex so very much, bugaboo, forever and always. Now, it's getting a too bit nippy out here for me,\" she said while getting up, \"Please come in soon, you'll do no one good falling asleep out here and catching a cold.\"\n\nShe gave Martha a soft kiss on the forehead before shuffling back inside. \nAfter a few minutes, Martha gathered the blankets about her and stood up, her legs cramped from being sat too long. She walked over and stood in front of the cellar door. The moon reflected in the mirror finish of the steel padlock. She placed her hand on cold door and felt the thumps made by her turned son. \n\n\"I'll see you in the morning baby,\" she whispered, \"I love you.\"\n\n----\n\nThank you for reading", "\"Timmy!\" Samantha hissed, her pajamas and jacket hardly enough to weather the snowy night. \"Come out this instant!\"\n\nShe caught sight of a large fish cresting in the lake before reentering without a splash.\n\nShe trudged through the park, following the scurrying prints through the snow, clearly showing some remnant of his shoes still on his feet, certainly ruined again. \"How many times have I told you to take off your shoes before changing! I can't afford to buy you a new pair every month!\"\n\nA man was walking by the lake. She had long ago given up on being afraid of seeming crazy. \"Excuse me, sir?\" she said to the man looking as harried as she was. \"Have you seen a boy or a large dog run through here?\"\n\n\"Um, yes, actually. I think I saw him digging through the trash up there by the picnic tables just now.\" The man pointed towards the hill of the park while he still scanned the lake.\n\n\"Oh my god, thank you so much,\" Sam said, turning and calling out again. \"Timmy, when I find you-\n\n\"Wait, miss, have you seen a girl or maybe a fish in the water here?\"\n\n\"Oh no, did your daughter fall in?!\" Sam asked, turning back to the man.\n\n\"No, well, she jumped in. Believe me, she's fine, we just really need to get home,\" he said, holding out some food and sprinkling it into the lake.\n\n\"I did see a fish jump out of the water, a big one over there on the far side.\"\n\n\"Wow, we really saved each other tonight,\" the man said, laughing and starting to walk.\n\n\"Yeah,\" Sam said blushing. \"I have to go.\" She hesitated. \"Is your daughter some kind of...\"\n\n\"Special?\" the man offered. \"Yeah, she is. You seem like you might be in a similar boat. Wanna swap stories sometime, maybe over coffee when we both don't have our hands so full?\"\n\n\"That actually sounds... nice,\" Sam said, distracted by the howl coming from the hill.\n\n\\---\n\nThanks for reading.\n\nIf you liked this, check out /r/surinical to see more of my prompt responses and other writing." ]	4
	[WP] The gods, including yourself, have gathered to create the world and all that lies within. Your contribution is clever, but rather... unorthodox. You now have to justify your creative choices to your fellow deities.	[ "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 fuck is this jim,\" a being of strange shapes communicated\n\n\"yeah man we just wanted to have fun and make a universe like the big guys!\"\n\n\"how the fuck did you this man?\" a friend made of what should be a neverending flame said\n\nI, calmly looked at them, and laughed\n\n\"pffft HAHAHAHAHA! you think I did this!? i only programmed the laws of physics of this world to persist for all of eternity! I'm way too busy playing with my uncle's sentiments to make any extra shit for my schoolwork!\" I received a bunch of glared form my fellow deities\n\n\"I know you're lying...what did you do?\" an eternally flowing fractal of strings, sally asked.\n\ni sighed\n\nas I walked to the newly made universe abundant with life, they followed\n\n\"alright you got me, this-\" i opened the book to show bold letters and equations that i spent eons on\n\n\"-is the chaos theory, it's a little program I made from recycling lil bits and parts from dad's golden days, it's a backdoor in the universe that allows for every, single, thing, in this universe to be totally and absolutely unique. with this the persistence engine split into electromagnetism, the strong and weak nuclear forces. spacetime, and gravity. and also mass and energy. and that causes entropy to exist, where chaos theory expands and randomizes everything, the universe itself made it's own laws of physics that makes everything have an opposite! equilibrium and entropy are practically the same thing where eventually every bit of mass and every bit of energy will be used and wasted, making the entire thing completely dead. but that also makes it come back to life again due to my still working persistence engine, i have no ability to determine what happens next, and it's my greatest pride\"\n\nblaine the god of flames looked to me and said \"dude. all we did was add a 1\"" ]	2
	[WP] The shadows that you sometimes see darting in the corner of your eyes have been getting more defined as of late	[ "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 hopeless. At first I thought it was just from coming home tired, the blurry sweeping dark that would rush past just out of sight. The eye drops didn't work, neither did the sleep mask. Somehow even through the thick fabric I could still see the glaring black figure, shapeless but somehow familiar. God I'm so tired, work has been stressful since my supervisor, Lisa, took her leave. Cuba, it sounded nice and I was kinda jealous, I wish I could have come with her. Like a whimpering puppy I watched as she left for the day, my mind screaming to follow her out, grab her and wrap my hands around her soft, fragile frame. But it's not like my wife would approve of that kind of \"behaviour\". \n\nAh fuck, my eyes burned at the thought of her hopping on that plane, stopping off at Paradise...surely to escape the disgustingly frigid weather in this hell we all lived in. \n\nBut as I said, it was hopeless.. I was hopeless! Letting a fucking woman control me. Of course the spark in our marriage ended years ago, and after learning that she couldn't bear my children and was effectively useless as a woman, I knew it wasn't going to last, our marriage was a mistake.\n\nWhat was the point anyway, sure I could day dream about Lisa dancing around half naked, breasts jiggling to the music, pretend I was in Cuba holding - caressing that dainty, supple, tanned body of hers. But she's always watching me, she doesn't abide by my boundaries, she doesn't care about my authority. What am I supposed to do? Fucking women these days!\n\nIt's getting worse, my vision is going now, luckily I know the way around my house in the dark, I've done this enough times to memorize where everything is. Everything she needs.\n\nThe shapeless void waits for me just past the door to the basement. I grab the equipment, what I could scrounge for that evening without being caught and headed down, immersing myself in the inky stairway. \n\nShe watched me all day, but I'm usually good at watching my thoughts, making sure I don't make anything too obvious, my last defence for my privacy.\n\nI open the old bathroom, the smell of mold and copper hit me like a familiar but annoying aquaintence. She watches me, she always watches me, I don't even think she blinks anymore. She is so hungry these days, of course... Once she found out about Lisa, she couldn't have that...I suppose that means Lisa will be on permanent vacation, what a shame. That tight little body could have been mine, but of course my wife has to have everything. I throw the severed arm to the pale, rotten thing I married, and sighed in relief as my vision cleared and my surroundings came back to me.\n\nGod I'm tired, I've gotta find an easier way to hunt, she is always hungry, and I'm running out of livestock", "I sat silently in the chair. Before me the fire crackled cheerfully, casting strange dancing shadows over the room. One shadow did not move. From the corner of my eye I could see it, standing still as though it was staring. At first I thought I was just tired. That I had spent too long working on the acceptance speech for Wednesday. I began to see it more often, it even seemed to be more solid, if that's the right way to describe it. I sat there, seeming to stare into the dancing flames, while it seemed to stare at me. \n\nI turned my head suddenly to face it. All the other times I had done so, the space it had seemed to occupy was vacant. But now, strange empty eyes stared back at me, tiny pinpricks of light embedded deep within. Then it spoke. \"Znasz jeżyk po polsku?\" It said in a questioning tone. I fell backward from my chair, scrambling away from the monstrosity. \"¿Habla español, usted?\" It asked. I rushed for the door, and tried to open it. \"Do you speak English?\" It questioned, right as I was slamming the door shut.\n\nI stood out in the hallway, catching my breath. Hearing no further utterances from the abomination, I cracked open the door. It still lay inside, simply staring in my direction. It waved. I snapped the door closed and braced a chair against it. The inquisitors were going to have a field day with this.", "I did not know what a \"shadow\" was until last month.\n\nAfter numerous exhausting dives into the archives, holding untold reams of ancient knowledge, I was finally able to piece together a rough timeline of events leading up to the Age of Enlightenment. This was no mean feat considering that while the historical records were digitized, they were not indexed, so I had spent a fair amount of time simply reading about life in antiquity.\n\nAbout one hundred years before the Great Illumination, there was a war. Not much is known about this war, but the scant few details I was able to piece together suggested that humanity had discovered a way to win against its adversary by \"eliminating the shadows\". They must have succeeded because there are no shadows in my time.\n\nYet, answers invite more questions. Who were the enemies in the shadows that our ancestors had to contend with? Why was there a war? How did they manage to erase the shadows?\n\nAnd why was there a shadow following me now?\n\nAt first, it was a thin, sliver of a line. I only noticed it because of the way it moved as I walked through the streets, and it was unnerving how it connected to my body. Over time, this shadow seemed to grow, both in size and in intricacy. It began to mimic both my humanoid form and my movements. Being a learned scholar, I suppressed my alarm and instead spent the time studying the phenomenon.\n\nI never expected the shadow to have the ability to dart around to other people. I had begun to feel an inkling of possessiveness, calling it \"my shadow\", but it appeared to have a mind of its own and was quite happy to attach itself to complete strangers. Most people expressed a strange delight in being chosen by something that no-one really understood much of. In hindsight, we should have been highly vigilant of this mysterious curiosity and heeded its menacing overtones.\n\nOur folly took on a real countenance of danger when the shadow split in two, and then four, then sixteen... until almost everyone had a shadow. The religious groups took it as either a sign of the One True God righting a ship that had veered off course, or of the same god enacting a vengeance that had burned long and wrathful. Once the initial waves of confusion and hostility had settled, humanity simply moved on, with shadows returned. I admit that my reservations had cooled with time. I should have remained watchful.\n\nHow was I to know that monsters inhabited the black?\n\nThe monsters lived in a separate dimension, and shadows provided a gateway that they used to cross over. Hundreds of thousands of people have died. It is my fault, and I mourn for everyone. My regret is deep and heavy.\n\nAnd so, I write this in an intentionally dark room, with vanta-blackout curtains protecting me from my own shadow. Every day, I dive into the archives searching for a way to defeat these horrific entities, but I am afraid that that knowledge has been lost to the ravages of time. I cannot welcome the dark future knowing that humanity had conquered this foe at some point in the distant past. The secret to erasing shadows eludes me, and time is running out. But I remain hopeful that the answer lies in the archives, that the wisdom I seek will present itself if only I keep searching.\n\nThis is not the end. We will overcome the dark, destroy the monsters and eliminate the shadows.\n\nThis I vow, my solitary promise to humanity.", "It’s been three months. Three months since a drink, a smoke, a wank, a relief. Yet I find relief in the discomfort. In the hope that not hiding from pain will amount to something. Will make up for what I haven’t amounted to. \n\nI occasionally catch a glimpse of a roach skittering across the wall in the periphery. Even as my neck snaps I know there’s nothing there. The roaches here are brazen and cocky. They jeer in full view before slipping away into the hidden spaces they know I can’t reach. \n\nThe periphery has always hidden from me. The shadow to the light of perception. There’s no glory in hiding there. Only fear, hesitation, or malice.\n\nWhispers. Memories. Familiar faces in indifferent eyes. Answers lie in the questions. Shyness is the nature of change. A roach cleans itself after contact with a human. After contact with me. Is that why I’m so quick to kill them as they jeer? \n\nThe things I blind myself with hide in the periphery. So I look forward even as I grasp at the edges of hidden things. Tasting essential truths, smelling ozone and fire. \n\nThe desperation to see what cannot be seen is rooted in fear. And hope. The missing piece is right there, just out of view, hiding in the periphery. Yet what draws my attention is a roach.", "\"Did you see that?\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"Nevermind.\"\n\nLuke looked across the table at me like he always does when it happens -- like I'm nuts. Only for a moment, but, long enough to get the message across. He's polite that way, doesn't want me to feel worse than I already do. Besides, I agree with him that it's time I saw someone. That it's been going on for too long now. And how lately, it's only gotten worse.\n\nI don't know how I'll describe it when I go in, or even what kind of therapist I should be seeing. Whether an ophthalmologist -- you know, an eye doctor -- or a psychiatrist. Friends have been to leaning it towards the latter. But I really don't know. Am I actually going insane? What if I'm not imagining things at all?\n\nWhat if the shadows are real?\n\nLuke was staring at me, his eyes big with concern and kindness. He could tell it was still on my mind. \"Your move,\" he said, with a warm smile.\n\nI picked up the dice, gave them a shake, and rolled. Community Chest. \"Advance to Go, collect $200.\"\n\n\"I swear you get that card way more than chance.\"\n\n\"I'm gifted that way,\" I grinned. The tension lifted slightly. He poured another glass of wine.\n\n\"Have you given any thought about seeing someone?\"\n\n\"You know I have,\" I said, looking away.\n\n\"I'm a little worried about you. You know I'm a worrier.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I know.\"\n\nI liked that he was a worrier; no better affirmation of love, than worry. We've been together four years now, and engaged for two. I know how that sounds, how long engagements don't usually bode too well, but, truth is, we like it this way. Two unashamed procrastinators wouldn't have it any different.\n\nThe citronella candle flickered in a wisp of breeze. It was a warm night, the humidity blanketing without being sticky. Peak Monopoly weather, I thought, leaning back in the chair. Luke said, \"Well, that wine's going straight through me. Back in a tick,\" his tone more upbeat. He squeezed my shoulder as he walked past.\n\nI took a deep breath, and calmness overcame me like bathwater. Maybe it was the wine, but I didn't care. For a moment, awareness of the shadows had vanished. It was just me, the glass, the low sibilant buzzing of the the cicadas in the garden. I should have learnt by now what the previous weeks had been trying to tell me. How it was always worse when I wasn't ready, when it took me by surprise. It was like it knew.\n\nIt knew it right now.\n\nThe glass fell from my hand, but I didn't hear it break. Something was different this time. There was no confusion, not an ounce of doubt. It was real. Every muscle tensed and froze and I could barely breathe. In the corner of my eye, in the blurriness of periphery, there it was, quivering without shape, pitch black, a presence of sheer, utter dread. It wasn't hiding. Tears welled in my eyes. Turn your head, Sam, turn it, turn it now.\n\nSlowly, my neck started to twist. One degree, two, three. It's still there. Four, five. Look at it, quickly, do it, do it now. I turned fully and faced straight towards the shadowy blackness, and suddenly gone was the fear inside me. But in the visual swirl of the turn, everything had changed.\n\nIn place of the shadow, standing motionless, expressionless, somehow inhuman as he stared back at me, was Luke. My Luke. Only, not Luke at all. I didn't have time to ask him how -- I barely had time to think. Shadows suddenly rose from every corner of my visual field, and it was a convergence of vines and horns and contorted clawed limbs, them all jet black, the aperture through which I saw the world rapidly closed as I was taken deep into that infinite darkness, and I barely had time to whisper, I'll always love you." ]	6
	[WP] The villain known as Stalker has the power of teleportation, intangibility, and invisibility. They’ve used these powers to discover various superhuman secret identities. They then regularly blackmail these people under threat of selling it to their enemies. Some have had enough.	[ "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 continued to channel surf as I lounged on the couch, I was practically home alone since dad was down in his basement man cave. After I’d seen my friend’s dad’s man cave I never had the heart or stomach to want to see another man’s man cave. Even if I knew my dad was a neat freak and I’d always seen him picking off invisible lint from his clothes. So even if I knew that I never dared go down, that was still his space. \n“Hello citizens,” a booming voice came from the screen. \nI tried changing the channel but the smiling hero dressed is a purple robe was ever where. \n“We’re sorry to interrupt your schedule pro-“ the hero was cut off by dad turning off the tv. \nDad hated heroes with a passion, saying that they just wanted an excuse to use their powers while others had to conceal them. \n“No watching the tv for a while, they probably got our phones as well,” dad said as he sat down on the couch beside me.\nI nodded turning over to rest my head on his lap. “Do you have any clue what this could be about?” I asked looking up at my dad. \n“Could be that someone has figured out something about them,” my dad theorized gently petting his hair. \n“Oh you mean the stalker,” I said sitting up. \n“The stalker?” \n“He’s a villain who’s been terrorizing the hero society for months, my friends Stacy and Mark are trying to figure out who he is.”\nMy dad nodded, “Well that’s interesting, but you don’t go sticking your nose into danger.”\nI nodded and hugged my dad. \n\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\n\nIt’s been months since the heroes began searching for the stalker. My friends Stacy and Mark say they have a potential lead. Stacy admitted to me that her mom was the hero Lady Aquata the water hero. \nBut recently Stacy has been quite, especially to me. She wouldn’t even look at me. \n“Hey Sam can I talk to you quickly,” Mark asked as I started walking home from school. \n“Sure,” I said slowing down so he could catch up. \n“I was wondering if you’d told anyone about Stacy’s mom? She says you have and is furious since the Stalker now knows.”\nI blinked and stopped. “No why would I?!” I ask flabbergasted that she would accuse me. \n“Because other then Mark your the only other person I told,” Stacy said as she walked up. \n“I didn’t tell anyone,” I said feeling hurt. \n“Then who?” Mark asked. \nI stepped back shocked, my friends were accusing me of handing over information. “I don’t know but it wasn’t me,” I said turning to leave. \nI heard silence behind me then Mark’s voice. “Sam, we’re sorry we just jumped to conclusions to fast,” he started. \n“No!” I yelled spinning on my heal to look at them. “You instantly accused me of doing something even when you have no proof.” \n“Sam,” Stacy started. \nBut I’d had enough, I turned and left, I thought of just being home in my living room. Then suddenly I was. \nI didn’t focus on that as I fell to the floor crying. Crying at the loss of my friends. Soon my dad was there hugging me into his chest. He didn’t ask bu I told him anyways, I explained everything that had happened between me and my now ex friends. \nMy dad’s aura grew dark and angry but he stayed calm just holding me close. \n\nHours later I flipped on the tv to find a cloaked figure on all channels. I sat up straight not recognizing if the figure was a hero or any of the villains. \n“Heroes of the city, I am your Stalker,” the figure said his voice muffled. \nThe screen then split showing Aquata in her hero uniform standing in front of the other heroes. \n“Your basterd,” one of the heroes called. \n“Ah careful what you say Bolt you don’t know who’s watching,” Stalker said to the up start thunder hero. \n“No one is watching, we cut the feed to everyone for this meeting, not even a villain could see,” Aquata said smirking a bit. \n“Pity, if their is someone watching please say hi in the chat,” Stalker said. \nMy phone buzzed and a chat room opened up. I knew I should keep quiet but I was fed up with the heroes. So I typed “good evening everyone :)”. \nPressing send a bubble appeared on the screen fallowed by two others. My name was written as ‘Midnight’ while the others were Stacy and Mark. \n“Stacy,” Aquata said softly. “Why are you doing this Stalker?” she roared the question. \n“Well I like keeping an eye on things, even your children,” Stalker said. \nBoth Stacy and Mark text yelled for him not to tell. \nI laughed a bit to myself. \n“Not tell us what,” Aquata said is her mom voice. \n“Oh probably about how as soon as I told you Aquata that I knew your identity they turned on their best friend,” Stalker said. \nI blinked and suddenly things fell into place, the cloak he wore was identical to the one I’d seen dad fixing, one I’d helped fix. Dad’s main gate was how freely heroes used their powers and how others had to conceal theirs, him having powers would make sense. Hell I’d teleported into the living room this afternoon. \nAquata and the Earth hero Earthquake suddenly looked much more angry. I smirked knowing who they were angry at Stacy and Mark. \n“Now this is my warning, improve your children’s behaviour or I’ll reveal everything,” Stalker said before cutting the feed. \nI sat in silence for a solid minute before jumping and running down stairs. I threw back the curtain to dad’s man cave to see the Stalker standing there. He pulled off his cloak and mask revealing my dad’s face. I ran forward and hugged him tightly. \n“Your not mad?” He asked ruffling my hair. \n“Your protecting me so nope I’m not mad,” I said. \nMy dad hugged me tightly and ruffled my hair.", "\\[Stone Flushed\\]\n\n\"Gaia, I come in peace...,\" Firebolt held his hands up when Gale Stone opened the door. She sighed, then stood aside to let him in.\n\n\"I know; call me Gale,\" she replied. Gaia was the [most powerful supervillain](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/djpu21/wp_you_are_the_greatest_supervillain_the_world/) in the world, with hair and clothes made up of tangled roots. Gale was the brown-haired soccer-mom that opened the door. Firebolt relaxed his hands and walked into her house.\n\n\"Thank you,\" he said. She closed the door behind him, then turned around.\n\n\"What do you want?\" she asked. Firebolt tilted his head in confusion.\n\n\"You said you already knew?\" he asked. Gale rolled her eyes.\n\n\"I said I knew you were here in peace. Just because I can know everything doesn't mean I bother checking up on any of you idiots,\" she said. \"But, when you're standing on my doorstep mumbling, 'I hope she doesn't kill me, I hope she doesn't kill me,' it's kind of a different situation,\" she smiled. Firebolt nodded.\n\n\"[Spex](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/kucsjq/wp_everyone_even_the_villains_they_regularly_face/) said you might be able to help us with a problem the league is having.\" Gaia's smile disappeared as soon as she heard the name. Firebolt was surprised when he identified her new expression as concern.\n\n\"Is he okay?\" she asked. \"Why didn't he come himself?\" Firebolt shrugged.\n\n\"Just because he's your [son-in-law](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/m4xa2d/wp_youre_the_new_superhero_in_town_but_now_your/) doesn't necessarily mean you won't kill him; that was his excuse anyway.\" Gale's concern disappeared and she giggled.\n\n\"I do have [quite the reputation](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/i3f46r/wp_you_are_a_supervillain_in_disguise_out/) don't I,\" she asked. \"Well, get on with it. Why are you here?\"\n\n\"I, and several other league members, are being blackmailed with our secret identities,\" Firebolt said. \"This new villain, The Stalker, follows us around; he's invisible, intangible, and can teleport. The only way we've been able to spot him is with the psychics in the league. But we can't contain him.\"\n\n\"Well the only way to capture someone like that...,\" Gale began. She took a deliberate, slow look around her living room. \"...is to catch them by SURPRISE!\" When she said 'surprise' a thick green vine sprouted out of the hardwood floor. It speared forward and impaled itself in the drywall.\n\nA lean, pale, frightened man appeared for just a moment before he flashed out of existence again.\n\n\"You missed?\" Firebolt asked, and shook his head. \"He was here in your living room and you missed?\"\n\n\"Next time the league wants to ask me for a favor, don't hold a meeting about it. I'm sure this idiot stalker thought he'd try and blackmail me for my secret identity too.\"\n\n\"How'd you know about the meeting?\" Firebolt asked. Gale rolled her eyes. \"I told you, I can know everything; if I'm curious enough.\"\n\n\"Then,... how'd you miss?\" FIrebolt chuckled. He felt a bit braver knowing Gaia was a terrible shot. Gale smiled and opened the door for him again.\n\n\"You're asking the wrong question. It's now about how I missed, it's about why,\" she said. \"I read his mind, he can only use one of his powers at a time. And he's only a short-range teleporter.\" Gale nodded out the door. The same lean man stood on her front lawn with golden vines pierced through his arms and legs, and one wrapped around his mouth. He wriggled in pain as blood leaked out of his wounds. \"He can't use his powers as long as those are in him; I just didn't want a bloody mess in my house.\"\n\n\\\\\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1184 in a row. (Story #088 in year four.) You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse/)) or my blog." ]	3
	[WP] The undead, walking corpses, zombies. They thought it was a myth created by the fallen nation, to scare the neighbouring countries to not take the land until they see it first hand.	[ "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 absurd how many were buried here. We've seen the bodies. We've seen what's left of them. Skeletons of fragile chalk and sinew clutching weapons we haven't used in warfare for a century. Buried just under the leaves and rubble we'd find swords and knives and rotten soft imprints of what used to be the wooden weaponry of an elite archer or spearman. What once shook us to the core now simply serves to shock clueless greenhorns on patrol. It's become something of a tradition. Find your least favorite private and tell 'em to dig the latrine in just the right spot. Give it a few ticks and they'll strike those old bones. You'll hear the scream from camp. Hilarious. Harmless. Simply an unexpected trial for those who thought themselves brave enough to wield His Majesty's will through the endless crumbling wastes of the Dead City. In time we all become familiar with those scattered bones and where they lay. Everyone screams the first time. The second time? Most put up their dukes and chase after our oh-so-comedic comrades. Sometimes a playful blow strikes true; accident or not. A bruised cheek is just good fun for bored soldiers with no enemies.\n\nIn time we begin to see them everywhere. They rise from places we once thought clear of old bodies. They rise from the ground like spring tulips pushing soil gently aside. But these tulips judder and shake. They limp and twitch and scramble like marionettes. They follow behind us as we pass through the forest. It's as if Saint Gelt herself animated them bone-by-bone, but somehow forgot the steps of the dance. They're like sleepwalkers; disjointed and lost. Slow. Private Maps called them: Deadwalkers. It was a stupid joke and it stuck. Stupid jokes always stick in the military. He paid the price for his lifetime of foolishness when the once harmless, mossy thing he was poking and prodding beside the forest path ran him through with a spear. It turns out that some types of wood can survive the rot of ages. No one really remembers that it was Private Maps who first called the Deadwalkers dead walkers. I remember. He said it only days ago. The poor bastard, bless his blasted soul. He should have known better. He was the first to notice the changes in them after all. After he died we moved him to one of the wagons. We couldn't leave him here now - not while things are like the way they are. Afterwards we pulled the mossy skeleton from the bushes with ropes. There was no cue, no order given. We simply did it. We were like children again - freed of our conscience and free to openly torment to our heart's desire again. We killed it by breaking those brittle bones one by one by one. Eventually it stopped moving entirely. Eventually. We brought what remained of the creature to the fire and watched it burn in an uproar of odd blue flames. Not an omen, I told the troops. A chemical reaction of some sort. A novelty. We watched the bones pop and char. We cheered in fear.\n\nWe could have used Maps when the horde rose. Maybe he'd have done something we didn't think of. That lanky kid is - was - too dumb to hold his tongue and too bright to need to be corrected too severely when it came down to it. Maps carried his many disciplinary scars like trophies. He was a real hog-headed bastard of a kid who made the odd surprisingly good choice once in a while. With him gone we were one soldier down for the first time in decades if we disregarded all of the bad ankles and soft stomachs and failures-to-adapts over the years. We've had greater losses from celebratory Third Moon feasts at the Keg & Lantern, after all. And since we were only one soldier down, we encamped ourselves like normal. The city hadn't gotten back to us yet. Grypts are too slow for that; even in the air. And even on a clear night like this the moon confuses them. Instead, we stuck to what we've done for years. It's in the book: Page 15 section 2.2. I didn't need to reference it to see the page in my mind. Secure perimeter format two. We circled the wagons - steel and clattering cogs with massive cannons pivoted manually towards the darkness - and we camped. We set up guards and watch shifts and prepared provisions like we always have. We sent another one of us back to the city to report - a lesser captain this time - just in case a private's meek bravery couldn't bear the same sort of pressure that might instead be easily handled by a young noble's well developed sense of self-preservation. The city needs to hear about these changes. \n\nThere was no sleep that night. The guards guarded. The rest of us did the same from atop unopened bedrolls without being asked to, weapons always waiting ready on shivery laps. We peered out into the darkness to wait for the once harmless skeletons to arrive, to charge, to swarm towards us. We hoped they would somehow, without explanation, return to their graves quietly. They didn't. For hours we waited there, helplessly breathing in the oddly refreshing scent of freshly tilled soil on the wind while loud rattling from beyond the trees pushed our imaginations steadily towards darker and darker places.\n\n\nOne of them finally approached us after hours of waiting. It came into view at dawn just as we were preparing to move. We watched it gingerly step out of the lingering shadows as if it was born right there on the spot. Maybe it was? This is all so new. It twitched and rattled as it walked towards us - towards me. The empty sockets of its eyes somehow felt like compass-steel drawn to me. I could see that there was nothing there. Voids. Emptiness where eyes should be. But I could feel it. I could feel the eyes there. I felt it in the same way it feels to look anybody in the eyes. A friend, a lover, a trader across the market. Maybe it's some sort of queen. Maybe a princess? It moves like a dancer. Intent and delicate. Royal.\n\nI raised a hand to the sky; a familiar signal to them - hold. Despite the command, my ears were nearly deafened by the surprise rip-crack of an armcannon firing unexpectedly. I could tell by the sound that all but one of my soldiers obeyed my command. I didn't see who fired. I didn't care and I didn't check. I secretly hoped it did something useful so that we could end this now. I watched as the thing continued to approach me, skull partially shattered, balsa wood feet tap-tapping delicately on what must surely be long forgotten flagstones. There was a hollow void within the left side of that once-perfect cranium. It seemed oblivious to the wound. It continued to tip-toe towards me as if it had a playful secret to share with me. A shower of pulverized bone rained like soft hail as I waited. It came closer, somehow regal in poise despite the rot - despite the emptiness - and placed a bony hand upon my armored shoulder. Despite the metallic buzz of gunfire still now fading through my ears, I heard the gasps of the nearby soldiers. Nobody fired this time. They merely watched as it touched me, ready. In this moment I wished they were less obedient.\n\nIt neared me. She neared me, breathless and dead to the world. Closer now. I could feel her inhale deeply beside my ear even as my eyes watched an empty ribcage do nothing at all. An empty off-white prison. I was staring through the gaps in those ribs when she spoke. I didn't understand at first. There was no sound, but she spoke. She spoke to me in thoughts, in images, in scents and textures and flashes of light and shadow that roiled and crashed across my mind. That non-voice struck me like a fist. I reeled, stumbled. I stared at her, dumbfounded. The experience reminded me strongly of the Trial of the Delk-delk fungus - from my coming of age - except this voice twisted the mind without ingestion or inhalation; without rituals or priests or alignment of the stars. Without even touch. I recall some distant part of my mind absurdly taking the tiime to consider that Delk-delk isn't in season right now, even as I twisted and writhed and danced without moving a single muscle. I was stunned. I was elevated. I; Elsewhere. I immediately knew that I'd do anything to hear that silent voice again.\n\nShe pulled away from me and the collective sigh of my soldiers was heard clearly. I find myself thinking of mockingravens; the huffing noise they make when first snared, before they begin to beg for freedom in their crude approximation of human speech. My troops watched me closely as I turned towards them and I felt strangely emboldened. I looked over at them and I felt pride and disgust and pride for them. When I spoke it was as if another woman spoke for me with a voice that was mine. I found myself firmly gesturing extravagantly: \"Soldiers - Bow before The Queen to accept her mercy.\"\n\nThey bowed. I nodded before I turned back towards her. She was waiting, standing calmly, watching me with those eyeless hollows. I noticed then that she was entirely unadorned of jewelry and cloth. She was nothing besides frail, unremarkable bones which could have belonged to anyone. And yet... I found her beautiful. I opened my mouth to speak words that would not, suddenly could not, form within my mind. I wanted to tell her something I forgot I could say. Inside my mind was emptiness where once there was... something. Something? It's unimportant now. I knew that I needed her. I needed her to think for me. I wanted it, too. Desperately. It was the way it should be. And I knew she needed me too. She needed me to fight for her. All of us - All of us to fight for her. We needed her and she needed us. She was mine and I was hers. I was hers. She loved us all. She'd love us even if we failed. We won't fail her. We won't.\n\nI fell to my knees and began to dig through the loam and twigs with my bare hands until I bled. I scraped downward until I found the the cold hardness I somehow knew was buried there. I brought it to the surface and held it gently, careful not to stain him with my red. I stared down into the twin voids of a fallen brother's bare skull." ]	2
	[WP] As a gargoyle, life was simple, just ward the manor from evil. But without an heir, the Master of the house cast a spell to bring you to life and named you their sole inheritor. Apart from some hauntings, life's been peaceful for 200yrs, that is until you began receiving letters from the HOA...	[ "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\nI never understood why the last master’s great grandfather decide to have our home moved to America. Everything was simpler where we came from. And did he ever even consider me when he decided to pick it all up and bring it across the ocean? Of course not! Life was simpler then; keep the spirits in line and all was good. But spirits are tied to a place, not to a building, and when the castle was moved, all the spirits I had known and earn the trust and respect of were gone! \n\nAs all things do though, time moved on and I meet new spirits. These were different though. Gone were the nobles and their courts of angry peasants arguing over whatever squabbles they had from hundreds of years ago. Now I had to deal with natives and pilgrims. Eventually, even more modern people wondered to our home. None of them saw me as the warden though as before we were moved. No, these spirits saw their selves as my equal. \n\nI learned to work with them though. As the only one who could speak for both the departed and the living, everyone saw the value of what I was trying to do. When the last master passed unexpectedly, I could never have seen what was coming next.\n\nIt had been many years since anyone had come to the our home, so when I heard the heavy knocking on the front door I was surprised. I had not spoken to a living being in many years, so I was shocked when they came right in the front door! Why even bother knocking if you were just going to let yourself right in? I knew I should have had the locks fixed, but there are no blacksmiths in our little community of spirits.\n\n“No one has lived here in years.” Said the tall man.\n\n“Oh really? Then why are there lights on at night? And who has been cleaning the place?” said the woman. At least she sounded like a woman. All the women I had ever seen wore dresses, had long hair, and certainly never would have spoken to a man in such a tone. She seemed to think she was in charge.\n\n“Mr. Goyle!” she called out. It seemed silly to hear, that was not the master’s family name. Who could she possibly think was here?\n\nMr. Gar Goyle! Are you home?” echoed the man.\n\nSurely, they didn’t mean me? How ridiculous! I am but a servant! No one address me expect for the master and his family! Why would she be addressing me?\n\n“Mr. Goyle. I’m Karen, with the homeowner’s association and I need to speak with you.”\n\nI decided it was best to end this quickly, but I also did not want to cause a fuss. I quick retort was all I needed to send them running, I was sure of it.\n\n“Why have you entered this home? You were not invited. Leave Now.” I spoke. The old halls mad a great echo and made it very difficult for them to tell where my voice came from.\n\n“Mr. Goyle, my name is Karen, and this is constable John. I am here about the letters the homeowner association has been sending. We have not had a response from you and the constable is here to serve you with paper. If you do not get this home up to code Mr. Goyle, we will have to take legal action against you. If we could just speak to you for a minute.”\n\nLetters? What letters? No post boy has been to our door in the last hundred years! She must have the wrong place.\n\n“No one has delivered any letters here. Now GO!” I said with more force this time.\n\n“Uhm, Mr. Goyle.” This time it is the man speaking to me. Maybe now we will get somewhere. “Mr. Goyle, no one delivers mail to your door for these things. That would only come later if we cannot resolve the issues we are having. The letters were all placed in your mailbox.”\n\nWhat the hell is a mailbox? If this is so important that they just stride into my master’s home without an invitation shouldn’t they have at least paid a boy to bring it to the door?\n\n“My Master is not here. Leave at once.” I said.\n\n“Are you Mr. Gar Goyle?” said John looking around for me. “This home was left in the will of the previous owner to a Mr. Gar Goyle. Do you know when he will be home? It is particularly important that we speak with him.”\n\nI had known of the last master’s passing; it is why I had been awakened and no longer took my stone form. I was his family’s servant since the first master fashioned me from stone and brought me to life. Is this fool saying that I am now the master of this home?\n\n“Leave what you brought for me and get out.” The confusion in my voice must have been evident. They just stared at each other blankly for moment. John laid a stack of paper on the floor where they stood.\n\n“Mr. Goyle,” announced Karen, “If we do not have a response from you in 14 days, we will be pursuing this matter in court. You cannot continue to leave this home in this condition! The historic commission has prevented us from tearing it down in your absence, but since you are occupying the premise you much bring it up to the HOA standards immediately!\n\nI considered killing her for the tone of her voice, but it would be my luck she would become one of the spirits I had to deal with for eternity. “LEAVE!” I shouted.\n\nThe man was halfway to the door before she even made her first step. While he scrambled out the door, she walked around like SHE owned the place.", "Dear Mr Carter-Ruck,\n\nAs legal counsel for the local home owners association, you should know that the mansion inhabited by our client Mr Jack Garrick is not part of the development as it predates all construction.\n\nShould you persist in your attempts to levy fines for the presence of gargoyles, Mr Garrick has authorised me to complain to the bar association on his behalf about your conduct.\n\nWe are also looking into whether this action constitutes unlawful discrimination given Mr Garrick's status as a gargoyle. He also alleges the board has been equally dismissive of other non-white citizens of the neighbourhood bordering your gated community.\n\nAs such, Mr Garrick will not be paying your fines and will be seeking to prevent any liens being placed on his property. We will be contesting the action you have started in the local court system as a breach of contract since the Covenants do not apply to the property in question or any of our other clients and are in the process of establishing whether we have a valid class action lawsuit against your office and the current board. \n\nFinally I remind you of the British case Arkell vs Pressdam and the nickname of your namesake who handles libel in the British courts.\n\nLionel Hutz, Attorney at Law", "March 27, 2020\r\n\nSubject: Code Violation\r\n\t\nCase Number: 11267\n\r\nDear Mr. G Goyle,\n\r\nIf you are receiving this notice, you may be in violation of the HOA’s Codes of Conduct. Page 5, paragraph 7 of the Codes of Conducts states: The homeowner must take care to maintain the appearance of the exterior of their house. \r\n\nUpon inspection of the exterior of your property, the HOA have found multiple violations including, but not limited to: \r\n1.\tOvergrown ivy on the outer walls of the property, \r\n2.\tUnkempt gardens filled with weeds and pests, \r\n3.\tGrotesque statues surrounding the property which are frightening the local community. \r\n\nAs a member of the HOA, you are legally obliged to follow the rules and regulations of your community. A fine will be incurred of $50 per day for 90 days until the violations are corrected. Failure to comply can result in legal action or any other actions permitted by law and governing documents.\n\r\nSincerely,\r\nKatherine Stickles\n\r\nPresident of HOA.\r\nCc: The Board of Directors.\r\n\n\n\nJune 29, 2020\n\r\nSubject: Code Violation\n\r\nCase Number: 11267\n\r\nDear Mr. G Goyle,\r\n\nAs previously stated in an earlier letter sent out in March, the exterior of your property violates page 5, paragraph 7 of the Codes of Conducts which states: The homeowner must take care to maintain the appearance of the exterior of their house. \r\n\nUpon further inspection of your property, the HOA has regrettably found no attempts to improve any of the previously mentioned violations. The most recent inspection has uncovered further violations of the Homeowner’s Codes of Conducts. \r\nPage 3, paragraph 5 states: The homeowner must not engage in activities which produce excessive noise between the hours of 11pm and 6am. \r\n1.\tLoud chanting, singing and dancing repeatedly occurring between the hours of midnight and 3am. \r\n2.\tLarge amounts of bats being released from your property causing havoc to the local wildlife and foliage.\r\n\nAlthough we respect all religions and belief systems, it is simply not appropriate to justify your actions as “Demonic worship to the Great Master of Darkness. You will burn in hell for your actions and your children will weep.”\r\n\nThe HOA reminds you that threats given to any member of the association will not be tolerated and legal action may be taken. \r\nFailure to comply with the aforementioned Codes will result in a fine of $90 a day for 30 days until the violations are corrected. \n\r\nSincerely,\r\nKatherine Stickles\r\n\nPresident of HOA.\r\n\nCc: The Board of Directors.\r\n\n\n\n\nJuly 10 2020\r\n\r\nDear Mr. G Goyle,\r\nI am begging you to stop terrorising me and my family. I can’t take it any more! At first, we tried to ignore the plethora of frogs that appeared in the garden and we stayed inside when the hail pounded against the windows. But all the water turning into blood was a step too far! And the boils appearing on our skin are driving us crazy. \r\nI am pregnant with our first child, she is due any day now. \r\nI know what will happen next if you have your way. \r\nI have shredded all the documents relating to your case with the HOA. You are not in the system anymore and our inspectors will leave you alone. \r\n\nPlease do the same to me. \r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\nKatherine Stickles.", "“Listen, Hugo” Karen said, standing at the street, looking at me. “You cannot cut down that tree. You need a permit.”\n\n“Karen…” I said, staring at the middle-aged leader of the HOA. Her dark, wet-rat-slick and crop-topped hair pressed to the side of her face. “This tree has been here for over seven-hundred years. I’m tired of looking at it. Do you know what has happened in this tree?”\n\n“I don’t care,” Karen said, staring at me defiantly. She had pretty eyes, I must admit. Even if I hate her for making my life hell ever since I started receiving letters with the embellished seal of our neighborhood’s HOA.\n\n“Well, I’ll tell you Karen. As you may know, since I’m a gargoyle, I was perched up wayyy, wayyy up there.” And I point high up to the top of the manor. “And up there I overwatched the lands, including this tree. And as my masters were the wardens of these lands, over those seven hundred years I’ve seen dozens and dozens of people hanged from this tree. Have you ever seen someone hanged, Karen?”\n\nShe looked at me nervously. “No, I haven’t Hugo. And I don’t like your tone.”\n\n“No tone, ma’am. But I must say. It is not a pretty sight. And every morning when I come out for the newspaper in my robe and with my coffee and enjoying the summer sun on my rock-hard body, I have to look at this tree which brings me such horrible thoughts.”\n\n“Well…” Karen said, wiping the strand of hair which slips over her face back behind her ear. “Well, that does sound horrific. But rules are rules and you are not allowed to cut this tree down without a permit. I quite like the tree actually.”\n\n“I’m sure you do,” I said under my breath.\n\n“What was that?” she asked.\n\n“Nothing, Karen.”\n\n“And did you get my letters I’ve been sending?”\n\n“Yes, Karen,” I sighed. “I’ve been getting them.”\n\n“And?”\n\n“And… I’m telling you there’s nothing I can do about the birds, Karen.”\n\n“The HOA rules state specifically you are only allowed to have one perched birds per 100 square feet. One for one hundred, Hugo. It’s a very easy rule to follow. Now look at your roof, does that look like one for one hundred?”\n\nI looked up and saw the flock of birds on my roof and the white stains of shit caked on the stone tiles.\n\n“What can I do, Karen. Do you want me to get up there with a shotgun and blow them away? Many of those bird's great, great grandparents were my friends and when I was perched up there with them, we’d talk throughout the day and night. No, Karen, this is too much. The birds have a home here as long as I am the lawful owner of this manor.”\n\n“Yes, and we’ll just see how long that is,” she said, putting her hand on her hip.\n\n“Karen, I’m wondering. Maybe you can tell me what the HOA regulations are for torture dungeons? You see the family who owned the manor before me, that is where they would take nosy neighbors…”\n\n“Very funny, Hugo.”\n\n“Just get back to me if you find out, okay? Now have a nice day, Karen.”\n\n“You too, Hugo,” she said with venom in her voice.\n\nI stretch my back. It is a beautiful day. The sun is shining. I enjoy the sound of the saw as it cuts into the tree. Yes, what a beautiful day it is.\n\n\\---\n\nr/CataclysmicRhythmic" ]	5
	[WP] Every day, Thomas Grainger reports to a vast office lined with rows of filing cabinets, a single computer, and a printer. For the last 20 years, he has served as the world’s sole “digital garbage man”; responsible for filing away all the internet’s deleted content	[ "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.", "\"Another political shitpost. God I'm so sick of seeing those. The hypocrisy most people have.\" Thomas scoffed as he sat down and sipped his bitter black coffee. He finished processing the 'meme' that he just filed, marking it as such. With dead eyes he moved to the next post. A cute cat video. Someone posted their adorable kitten hungrily lapping away at a bottle, but it never gained much traction since similar videos always flooded the internet. \n\n\nAnother dog picture, A florida man news article, a flame war. More old outdated things to be forgotten about in his labyrinth of filing cabinets. Hundreds, thousands, millions of posts, videos, gifs, all locked away. This really wasn't a job for the feint of heart or the opinionated. His one job was to file, file, and file again, not see something he wanted to bring back. \n\n\nHe was in the middle of sipping his coffee when he saw it. The first video on youtube. Me at the Zoo. This caused him pause as he looked at it. \"No way... Why? Why would it be deleted... Who... That one is practically a holy relic..\" He sighed and shook his head. \"Rule 42 I suppose.\" He mumbled as he started processing it. Printing it, filling out the form with the date of creation and deletion. And somberly bringing it to it's final resting place. \n\n\nA few more posts and then he hung his head. His lap started to get wet as he cried. On the screen was the face of Pepe the Frog, the original. \"No.. Not you too.\" Thomas felt something break inside of him that time. The years of slowly having his spirit whittled away as the internet lost more and more. The bad and good content. Too many original memes and icons tossed aside. He couldn't do this anymore as he sat in his chair and sobbed unconsolably." ]	2
	[WP] Linda ate five pieces of birthday cake in the office kitchen and it is not even her birthday.	[ "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 know what, fuck it. Everyone deserves a cheat day, so why shouldn't today be the day? But that was Linda's rationale for every dietary situation that required discipline, just like today and yesterday...and the day before that. Whatever the reason was, Linda had made up her mind. This calorie-dense insulin bomb was going to get eaten one way or another. Her company station had many employees. To the point where it seemed like every other week, someone was receiving another generic store brought birthday cake. Seeing an untampered cake thrown away was all too common. Unfortunately for this icing-covered delight, it would not share the same fate unscathed. Linda ate not one but two pieces of birthday cake. The next three were out of spite, just to say she could do it. Even though Linda was relatively small-framed, she was a true glutton. The diet was only an attempt to save some money. Still, this cake was on the company's dime, so she would indulge but not just indulge, overindulge. With a smile on her face, Linda exited the office kitchen with just a little bit of icing on the top corner of her lip. Like a badge of honor, she wore it proudly. It was her first kill in the beginning of a long hunt." ]	2
	[WP] You have done it. You have all of the infinity flash drives. Legend tells that the programmer who controls all of them gains exclusive access to a universal terminal that changes the universe itself.	[ "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 rolled my desk chair up to my battlestation, and plugged in the final infinity flash drive. It snapped into the custom adaptor port with a satisfying click. My monitor lit up. \n\n“New hardware detected. Setting up drivers.” The voice was feminine, smooth and strong, and surprisingly British. Okay. \n\nA progress bar stuttered across the screen, paused for a few seconds at 70%, then finished. \n\n“Welcome to Universal Terminal v0.94”\n\n“Pre-release? What is this?”\n\n“This is Universal Terminal. From here you can change the universe.”\n\nI shook out my hands, then rested them on the keyboard. “Upgrade monitor: stacked ultra wide.”\n\nMy simple monitor melted and shifted, becoming wider and taller. It solidified into one giant curved display that took over the entire wall. I fell back into my chair, and stared at it. Amazing. \n\nI scooted forward again, ready to type in my next command. My keyboard was gone, along with my mouse. \n\n“How am I supposed to give commands?”\n\n“I understand over sixty billion forms of communication,” the Universal Terminal said. \n\n“So I can just talk to you?”\n\n“Yes.”\n\nI spent the next few hours transforming my meagre apartment into a castle mansion, complete with expansive gardens. It was past midnight by the time I finished. If I woke up tomorrow and didn’t like it, I could change it. \n\nI went to the balcony to survey my kingdom. Clusters of people stood on the lawn, looking around. One lady held a fork, another an iron, a man wandered around in his pyjamas. Yes. My creation was awesome enough to draw my neighbours out for a look in the middle of the night. \n\nAlmost dancing, I returned to the terminal. “Make the grass pink,” I said on a whim. \n\nOut the window, the grass turned a dark, nighttime shade of pink. \n\n“I can’t see properly, terminal. Make it daytime.”\n\nThe sun appeared, beaming down on the neon-pink grass. It dazzled me, green after images flashing all over the room. Squinting, I turned away. \n\n“Make the grass blue,” I said. The terminal complied. “Much better.”\n\nI lost all track of time after that, using the world as my canvas, sculpting and painting into a vision of my own personal heaven. \n\nBut eventually exhaustion dragged me away. \n\n“Okay, terminal. Put everything back how it should be.”\n\n“Unable to comply.”\n\nMy exhaustion vaporised. My phone pinged, and I realised it had been doing that a lot over the last while. I picked it up, and read the notifications. Eiffel Tower disappears. Statue of Liberty’s flame real. Blue grass was the least of it. What had I done?\n\nA message came in from Sam. “Are you seeing this? OMG!”\n\nI couldn’t tell if she was excited or terrified. With shaking hands, I put my phone down. \n\n“Terminal, how do I fix this?”\n\n“Return to last known good configuration.”\n\n“Let’s do that.”\n\n“No restore point found. Would you like to create one from here?”\n\n“No. Of course not.”\n\nI tried to describe to the universal terminal how the world was, but the headlines kept pinging away on my phone. “Atlantis surfacing from Altantic Ocean.” I turned it off and flung it across the room. \n\n “Terminal, display a real-time map of Earth.” I arranged different windows around the map, showing the locations of famous landmarks and cities. I set up a separate window near the bottom of the screen showing Sam, and another displaying my parents. I’d turned their house into a water park. I wrung my hands together, my mind void of any ideas to fix this. Would I have to build the whole world from the ground up?\n\nWait. That actually might work. \n\n“Terminal,” I said, hope creeping into my voice for the first time since this mess started. “Create a universe simulation. Start with the big bang and run from there. Stop at yesterday. Display on screen.”\n\nThe universe expanded across the wall of my great hall, light coalescing into heavier elements, coming together into lanes of dust. Forming stars, then planets. Planets cooling. Life. I could almost hear Carl Sagan. \n\nEventually it stopped. The Earth spun, continents in the right place, cities straddling the correct locations on those continents. My family home looked right. \n\n“Now create a restore point from this.”\n\nThe screen flickered black. I held my breath. A moment later one tiny message appeared the centre of the room-sized display. \n\n“Processing...”\n\nMinutes passed. I didn’t dare to blink. \n\n“Restore point created.”\n\nI let out a long breath. “Restore the world.”\n\n\n[Edited for wall of text on PC]" ]	2
I just realised that i put wp and not sp...	[WP] I got up with a jolt, my ears were twitching and my tail wa- Wait a minute...	[ "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 just a dare, but maybe it wasn't? Did they do this on purpose? I remember how it happened, the time I finally agreed to do the stupid dare. \n\nI was bored one day after school and I was hanging out with my best friend, John, whenever he dared me to write on a certain piece of paper he got from the art room.\n\n\"No, that seems kind of lame for a dare.\"\nI said truthfully\n\n\"What if you write something on it, something like, \"I want to be a dog, forever.\" \n\n\"No.\"\n\nJohn kept on bothering me everyday until I finally agreed to do it. Of course, John said that I would have to sign it in front of him to prove that I actually did it.\n\nI went to the park to write the words on the paper. I went home, ate dinner, and then I went to bed.\n\nI heard my name called and got up with a jolt, my ears were twitching and my tail was wa-wait a minute. I'm a dog. I'M A DOG!\n\nI have so many questions, whose dog am I? \nI know my name starts with a T, but what is it? Tom? Terry? Tulip? Where is my body? \n\nOkay, my name is Tulip, my owners name is cadence, I went missing two months ago. \nTWO MONTHS, I MISSED TWO MONTHS OF, WELL.... EVERYTHING! TWO MONTHS! Two months! Two months? Two months...\n\nSo it turns out that paper that John stole was a paper that granted somebody one wish that they had to write down for it to come true, and that's why the art teacher kept it on her desk.\n\nIt's been a year, I miss my old life. I've been missing for a year. I'm taking a nap when I hear the door open. It's John. Why is he here? I have to go listen!\n\n\"What brings you here john?\" Cadence said in a concerned tone\n\n\"It's been a year since....that.... happened. I'm here for a possible solution.\" \nJohn said trying to hold back tears but obviously failing.\n\n\"I can only help you if you show me the paper, I still don't understand why you won't show me the paper john.\"\n\nThis was my chance, I ran up to John, and pulled the paper out of his pocket. I handed it to cadence, barked, and winked. \n\n\"Tulip...\" Cadence said like I just talked to her. Which, I kind of did.\n\n\"Tulip, bark three times if you wrote this.\"\n\nI barked three times.\n\nJohn looked at me and screamed. \n\nJohn took me to school and explained what had happened. The art teacher explained that the way to undo the spell was to erase the words.\n\nIt was that simple, john erased the words and I went to bed. The next morning I woke up as myself, and cadence got her tulip back." ]	2
	[WP] “Today I would like to announce something special. The first reality show centering around the Enhanced heroes that inhabit our world. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome THE HERO PROJECT! The tryouts are open today, so come see if you have what it takes to be a true 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.", "Momentum, I needed to take the next step. Keep going, and keep my momentum.\n\nThe ad has promised seeing if you were a true hero. I needed to know what I was doing was right, that I was helping people. My powers had been messy before, and that splatter has etched itself into my mind. I sent in my wish to tryout by email, texting was too informal for this.\n\nI clenched everything, I needed keep the momentum going, keep walking away from the splatter.\n\n...\n\n“NEXT UP FOR OUR HERO TRYOUTS WE HAVE A YOUNG WOMAN NAMED SARAH! SHE’S HERE TO SHOW US THE POWER OF MOMENTUM!”\n\nHe was far louder than he was on the commercial. The crowd in the stadium cheered as I walked out, fists clenched. Keep the momentum.\n\n”OUR FIRST TEST IS A TEST OF SPEED! THIS WILL HELP US KNOW HOW FAST THESE HEROES CAN SAVE YOU!”\n\nThis isn’t right at all. Speed is your ability to stay alive and disengage and reengage. You never try to simply save the person instantly until you know your enemy‘s power can’t stop you.\n\nI stepped up to the line, looking over and seeing a boy who’s literally vibrating. He’s likely a speedster, ouch, boring though. Not anywhere near as fast as me in a straight line.\n\n”THE HEROES WILL RUSH TO SAVE OUR POOR HOSTAGES TIED UP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM! WHOEVER MAKES IT BACK WITH THE HOSTAGE UNHARMED FASTEST WINS!”\n\nThis isn’t tryouts, this is a competition. Keep the momentum, it’s fine.\n\n”ON YOUR MARK!”\n\nI feel the springy, metallic power within. It screams...keep the momentum.\n\n”GET SET”\n\nThe metal energy expands.\n\n”GO!”\n\nI’m done.\n\nEveryone looks at me in shock. The speedster freezes half way to the dummy. The other kids stand, barely having moved.\n\n”It...Appears we have a winner.”\n\nHe yells\n\n”LETS INTERVIEW THIS YOUNG LADY! HOW DID YOU DO THIS SO QUICKLY?”\n\nKeep the momentum.\n\n”I was forced to train by my father, and with my power of manipulating momentum I simply turned the earths momentum into a launch, touched the dummy and launched it back before launching myself back and catching it.”\n\n”Ok.”\n\nKeep the momentum, Sweating bullets. The Splatter is catching up. I sat down.\n\n”WE‘LL HAVE A RACE FOR SECOND PLACE, JUST FOR THE FANS!”\n\nI failed didn’t I? The splatter descended and I just cried, while the announcer ignored me.\n\nMy father always said “keep the momentum. You need to so better! You can’t disgrace my legacy like this!” I didn’t want to keep the momentum. I want to go home.", "“I go by Insomnolence,” I said coolly, staring not at the crowds in the bleachers, but at the central panel of judges, “And I don’t sleep.” \n\nThe room fell silent. There was no excited titter, no hum of electricity, and certainly no applause. Not after the girl who went by Chameleon had shapeshifted to match the face of Aether, the leader of the superheroes, and the boy who called himself The Bomb had practically exploded the entire arena. \n\nSleeplessness wasn’t my only power, though it was indubitably useful. But if I told anyone that I could pass this banked sleep onto others with a simple touch, I would be recognized as who I really was. \n\nOther aspiring superheroes could put on some sort of flashy, shocking, or impressive display to guarantee them a spot on a team of Young Elites. Those teams were composed of teenage superheroes who fought crime under the banner of The Ascenders. The ones who’d been brave enough to fight oppression using their prodigal powers and free everyone. Other aspiring superheroes didn’t have to leave anything up to chance, as long as their power wasn’t something silly, but I... I was Evangeline Castellan, and my power was too recognizable. The power to force sleep had only been noted once in the city of Vasaele, in the hands of a notorious Descenter known as the Phantasm. No one knew that she was a sixteen year old girl, and I intended to keep it that way. It was the only way my little coupe would work. It was the only was I’d be able to bring down the Ascenders from the inside. \n\nI was pulled out of my thoughts by a chorus of insults, all from the crowd. Though some of the teams looked inclined to agree. \n\n“Do you have any proof of your... affliction?” asked Persephone, one of the original Ascenders. Her tone was soft, and she didn’t sound condescending at all, but I hated it anyways. My affliction, as she’d called it, wasn’t something I had been born with, nor was it a practiced skill. It was the lingering affect of trauma, trauma that could have been prevented had the Ascenders paused their preening spectacles for more than half a minute and did actual work to save those in need. \n\n“No,” I said bluntly. “Other than sleeplessness, which I’m not lying about,” I leveled a glare at the crowd, who believed that as the Ascenders chose to make what they pretentiously dubbed “The Hero Project” a public affair, the gifts of any Attuned were somehow their business, “I can fight well, against any human, and any attuned. I—“\n\nA snort from one of the teams pulled my attention from the final judging panel once again. “Is there a problem with my knowing how to defend myself?” I asked. \n\nThe girl who’d laughed was a seventeen year old blonde who, judging from her sky-blue uniform, possessed some sort of summoning power. I couldn’t make out the design on her matching badge, but the silver color of it indicated a fluid. This girl could summon either water or air. “You have no proof of your alleged power,” she sneered, “And there’s so way that you can take down any Attuned without something useful, anyways. I can drown you where you stand—“ \n\nI guess that answered the question of what fluid she could summon. I cut her off anyways. “Then it’s a good thing I can hold my breath,” I interrupted smoothly. \n\n“She could be useful for patrols,” said a dark-haired boy sitting directly to the left of the panel. \n\nHis friend laughed, elbowing him in the side. “Knox, you’re just saying that because you’re lazy.” \n\nMy eyes widened, though I tried to keep the movement imperceptible. Knox, Aether’s son, was considering selecting me for his patrol unit? My lips curved up at the sides. This was too good. \n\nThe red-haired girl sitting next to Knox, her fluid, white bodysuit marking her as an Influencer, someone who could inflict emotions or affect one’s opinions subtly, said, “Would you mind showing us a few moves?” Her tone made it clear that if I didn’t, J couldn’t be considered. \n\nI engaged in a complicated series of punches and kicks, making sure not to drop my elbow where I usually did. As my grand finale, I unsheathed a dagger from my thigh and leapt towards the Influencer, who’d been smiling to herself. She didn’t move as I pressed the dagger against her throat, but something in her eyes told me that she’d let me have this win. Maybe she’d sensed it it my emotions, I wasn’t entirely sure. \n\nPanting slightly, I smiled almost ferally. “So, am I in?”\n\n“We’ll need to discuss—“ The Influencer started, but was interrupted by Knox, who had to be the leader of their small team. \n\n“You’re in.” \n\nI was about to respond when a high-pitched, slightly adenoidal voice snapped, “Not yet you’re not.”\n\nI turned my head to see the blonde Summoner from earlier. “What, you’re invoking your right to challenge?” I asked, surprised, but not nervous. “That hasn’t been done in years, and it’s a formality.”\n\nShe looked like she wanted to slap me, but she said, “I don’t believe that you would be a suitable addition to the Ascenders. You could be lying about your whole...” she waved her hand dismissively, “Permanent insomnia thing, and it could be a hinderance if you can force yourself to stay awake for too long.” Her voice was now sickeningly sweet and faux concerned. \n\n“Actually,” I corrected, “I don’t have to force myself to do anything at all.” When her brow creased, I clarified, “It’s all natural.” Then, knowing full well that the microphones would pick up even the slightest of sounds, I muttered quietly, “At least more natural than your plastic face is.” \n\nA loud, obviously fake cough came from where Knox sat, clearly trying not to laugh. He didn’t like the Summoner then. Good to know. \n\n“Alexia, you’re only doing this because it’s my team. Or because you don’t like Evangeline,” he said, trying to intervene.”\n\nThe Summoner— Alexia— rolled her eyes, though her voice rose an octave as she snapped, “Don’t flatter yourself.” I wasn’t sure if she was talking to me or to Knox, but I crossed my arms anyways. \n\n“She can fight,” tried Knox. \n\n“And punching at the air isn’t the same as fighting an Attuned,” I finished before Alexia could. “I accept your challenge. Now, who do you want me to fight?”\n\nAlexia looked at her team, eyes flickering between me and the grey-suited boy next to her, who’s power had to be some form of self-enhancement. Added strength, probably, with some sort of of flashy power-up meant to intimidate me. This wouldn’t be too hard. \n\n“Your choice,” she said instead, smirking. “You’ll need it, as you’re clearly powerless.” She clenched her fists, water starting to form inside of them. So she wanted me to fight her, or expected it. \n\n“Not you,” I said slowly. “If it is truly up to me, then I’d like to fight... him.” I swiveled to face Alexia’s muscled second, who towered over me in terms of height. His grey suit marked him as a Self-Enhancer, so, someone with super speed or strength. Possibly both. To anyone on the outside, it looked like I was trying to go out with a bang, or maybe like I was simply stupid. I wasn’t. \n\n“I’ll fight him.”" ]	3
	[WP] You were worried when you found out that your husband caught lycanthropy. You were concerned that him becoming a werewolf at the full moon would cause issues. Turns out that the biggest issue is that at full moon your six foot tall husband starts thinking he’s a lap dog.	[ "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.", "Jared stared up at the moon as he parked, trying to decide whether or not it was full. The heavy cloud cover made it a bit hard to tell, but it was moot as he heard the howls. He'd been sitting in the driveway long enough, apparently.\n\nHe locked his truck, hopping down carefully to avoid his prosthetic leg from sliding sideways. He would never be used to it, he figured. It didn't help that he'd only been using it for a few months, and that his truck was lifted up enough to be difficult to get into for him.\n\nHe was almost bowled over by Max when he got the door to their little house open, a yellow blur the only thing he saw before 225 pounds of solid muscle slammed his back into the wall. \"Hey, Maxy, my favorite guy,\" he cooed, scratching Max behind the ears. \"Down, boy,\" he commanded, stomping the mud from his boots before heading inside.\n\nThe wood stove was still burning from that morning, so he checked the oven in it. The roast was looking good, and he couldn't help but sniff the air alongside Max. \"You about ready for dinner, honey?\" he asked. Max wagged his tail, shaking his whole body from excitement, and Jared stroked over his back in response. \"Alright, hold on, then.\"\n\nIt took him a few minutes to throw another log on the fire, a consequence of not splitting the wood before work or having his husband do it earlier, but with everything set, he could serve them and then finally relax.\n\nHe set Max's bowl on the other side of the footstool, his leg sans boot tucked against the side of the great furry beast. Max refused to leave his side, and eating was no different. Jared flipped channels, settling on a game show. \"You like this one, right Maxy?\" he asked, scratching Max's side with his toes. Max nodded his head, burying it back into his bowl and only lifting it to peek at the screen.\n\nJared set his plate and Max's bowl aside when they were done, knowing exactly what would happen. Max stood, spun in a circle, then climbed up him. He laid his chin on Jared's shoulder, his torso flopping onto Jared's and knocking the wind out of his lungs. Max wagged his tail, but all Jared could do was pet the big brute. \"I forgot it's a full moon tonight,\" he admitted, his hands running down Max's back to untangle the fur a little. \"Thought I might get a massage after work, it's been a fuck of a day. Instead I get a giant lump of dog crushing my ribs into a paste, huh?\"\n\nMax sneezed indignantly, wiggling to get comfortable. He may be a human sized dog-type creature, but he still loved his husband more than anything and wanted to cuddle with him after work." ]	2
	[WP] You have the ability to go into peoples dreams, although you can't really interact with them but just see them. It's a normal school day and you see your best friend from childhood sleeping during math. You decide to check out their dream for the laughs, but you found a dark secret instead.	[ "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\nI chuckled as I used my secret skill on Tucker, lulled to slumber by the ever monotonous voice of Dr. Furling. I had done this before with our friend Matt and I still smile when I think about the ghost-white look on his face as I detailed his dream involving not just the Math substitute teacher but the gym teacher as well.\n\nI laid my head down and let those invisible sleeping chambers open in myself and in Tucker. A golden snaking string of conscious energy reaching out from me, pawing for contact and landing on Tucker, linking our minds. Somehow a part of me knew to call this completed chain the Corpus Aberatum, but whatever my powers were, I was much more interested in their use than understanding where they came from or what they meant.\n\nI was in a field, dark and bright at the same time, beams of tree light striking long slits in the evening twilight. Dew sat so heavy on the grass, my shoes were instantly drenched, not with water but with some green and sticky sap. The ground squelched beneath my feet oddly, with the give of flesh. I parted the grass to reveal mouths protruding from the dirt, kissing and licking up towards me, each straining to reach my shoes. Tucker had some fucked up dreams, alright. I smiled devilishly as I looked ahead. \n\n“Tucker!” I called out in a sing-song voice as I picked up a broken piece of some kind of small fencing. “What are you doing over there?”\n\nI could just make out his back, arched over something as he lunged and shook. He was fighting something. I felt a rising dread as I heard the sounds he was making, mumbling cusses interspersed with yells. He sounded enraged and began striking whatever was below him. “Shut up! I told you to shut up!” he screamed as he cried like a madman, voice higher in pitch than normal.\n\nHe picked something up then and slammed it on the ground, striking his target with wet thuds. No, I realized, the thing he was holding was a baby, and he was thrashing it against the wooden splinters of a crib below him. The baby hung limp as the ground mouths lapped at it and kissed its still form, before drawing it into the dirt to disappear. Tucker looked up at me then, not the teenager I knew but a scared and much younger boy, shaking. \n\n“It’s okay,” the mouths said in unison, reaching out of the ground like long, thick snakes with human mouths instead of heads. They began to kiss and lick at Tucker. “ You didn’t mean it. It’s okay. It’s okay. Shhh. It’s okay.”\n\nI backed away as Tucker sobbed and the mouths coiled around him, dragging him down into the dirt as well. I closed the chamber and shot awake, only having missed a few minutes of the lecture on sudden infant death syndrome.\n\n\\\\---\n\nThanks for reading.\n\nIf you liked this, check out /r/surinical to see more of my prompt responses and other writing." ]	2
	[WP] For all that is good, and holy, and pure, DON’T FUCK WITH THE HUMANS! They’re only mortal on their own world, and we found that out the hard way!	[ "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 ended their world. Not by anything that actually touched or destroyed their world, but it certainly isn't the same world as it was before. \n\nWhen we were sent to claim this solar system, we encountered horrors. Any wound, mental or physical, quickly began to fester. We eventually encountered the cause: an enormous tendril that caused beholders to go insane as they rotted to death. We destroyed that creature and returned, half-crewed. \n\nSo many expeditions later, the creatures, that we somehow feel are still worse than what we can remember, were dead. From there, we went and burned the gas giants that held their eggs. Those monsters were my greatest fear. They still would be, had we ventured no further into that solar system. \n\nThere, we found them, a planet full of creatures that were as intelligent as us, but so less fearful, and so much more ruthless. And now, it seems, undying. \n\n\\-Their world was a prison. We killed their wardens and ended their death row. \n\nDue to the positions of orbit each planet had, we managed to visit the third planet from the star last. It was a savage place, parts falling into anarchy. \n\nWe introduced ourselves as benevolent conquerors, but they refused us. We send platoon after platoon, and we know we exhausted their supply, but they kept fighting. Endlessly. They overwhelmed every ship, killed every soldier. Except me. \n\nDuring their interrogation of me, I learned that our killing of those monsters coincided with miraculous recoveries, and the burning of the eggs with the beginning of their dead rising. \n\nIt seems they don't have room on their world for all their people who have ever been born, but our worlds will do quite nicely for them.", " \n\nHumans are mercenaries. Shock troopers. Assassins. \n\nThey die and they die and they die and are born again. \n\nWe've seen them scan the aftermath of battlefields for days to gather the exploded remains of their friends, no matter how small. We're told that they have ways of piecing the bodies back together. \n\nAt first we thought it was so they could grant their dead a honored burial, for in our culture a body that is not whole does not cross the gates of the afterworld. \n\nEventually, when we had one trapped, it told us the truth. \n\nThey piece the bodies together because if you have enough of one in their regeneration chambers, they grow back. Some take days, some take weeks. \n\nEventually, they wake up. A little physiotherapy. A little retraining, but the dead walk once more, as live and healthy as they had been before the moment they were blown to smithereens on the battlefield. \n\nThere's a certain sense of irony in the fact that a race of immortal beings also happens to have the best healthcare clinics and health technology in this arm of the galaxy. They told us it was all born of an attempt to revive their crewmates who had died of bombs and explosions. They told us it was exceptionally rare that their scanners could not retrieve all pieces of a person to weave back together, and when that happened they were granted the highest honors of their people. \n\nIt was our mistake, in the beginning, bringing them here. \n\nWe'd been so confident of our superior technology. Arrogant in our superiority over a diminished race desperately wanting to escape a dying world. They'd begged for our help, and we'd lorded all our great benevolence over them. \n\nAt first, we'd underestimated their resourcefulness. \n\nThey had learned the common tongue so much faster than we'd expected. Didn't need the translator devices that so many of us relied on. Then they had retro-engineered one of our ships, which rapidly became nearly all of our ships. \n\nThen they'd ferried every last human on their dying planet back here, and the furor started. \n\nThe other races objected to the sudden influx of over a billion humans. \n\nThe leaders of the humans that we were familiar with were invited to the council. They asked that ten more would be allowed to observe, and if they could please relay the conference back to their generation ships that held the bulk of their people. A small number of humans wandered the three major planets, but most had chosen to remain on their ships in the midst of our tense political situation. \n\nAnd we, caught up in our hubris, in our own estimation of our wise intelligence, agreed to let the billions watch. Told ourselves we felt sorry that they were without a home, and that we were generous in the granting. \n\nWe were fools. \n\nThe argument got heated. A young commander of the Gha'el got offended, pulled out his weapon, and shot the human currently yelling at us in the head. \n\nDead silence. We all watched the body fall, in unison with the thousands of ships holding all of humanity that watched via live stream. \n\nWe all watched and held our breaths as it twitched once, twice, three times. Took a gasping, heaving breath, and sat up. \n\nThe human had been shot point blank in the head. Missing a piece of his skull membrane. A piece that grew back rapidly, the blood streaming down his face the only evidence of what had occurred. \n\nThat, and the sheer fury on the faces of the assembled humans that stood before us. \n\nThat day was the last galactic council meeting we've had in five cycles. \n\nSince then, we know that humans are merchants of death. They embrace it. Welcome it. They are terrifying hunters, have become soldiers who specialize in the art of warfare, have become dealers of death and of life. A suggestion was made to ban them from our once civilized corner of the galaxy, but too many had seen how useful the humans had become in conquering our enemies. \n\nAnd the humans were content with accepting our credits. Asked stupendous bounties for their jobs, for any assignments we sent them on. \n\nTold us that if a weapon was ever raised against them again, they would be our downfall. \n\nThey are feared and respected, for the most part. Yet the undercurrent is resentment, anger. For it is us who granted their place here, who gave them their abilities. Taught them the chemical equations to breathe our air, drink our water. Us who unknowingly gave them the gift of immortality, one we did not hold for ourselves. \n\nThey say a storm is brewing. \n\nYou can hear it in the cafeterias, in the markets, around the meal tables of nesting home. The resentment is only whispered, for we fear the humans are listening. But the talk is of a war we cannot possibly win, a war we still yet want. \n\nDo not listen to it. Do not be seduced into war. For we are fools, blinded by our own hubris. Our gods have left us, and we are beholden to gods of our own creation. \n\nDo not invite the humans to turn their eyes upon you, for you will not rise again.", "After seeing the horrors of humanity, the deities of olde had decided to eradicate our species as a whole. When the earth began to unleash waves of disaster, storms of fire and hail cover the globe. Earthquakes shattered cities and damaged infrastructure. However, one of them made a mistake. Hades, god of the underworld was seen by mortals, renewing their belief in the old gods. After this happened, humans once again began appearing in the other afterlives. It was soon learned that burial rights were not for our sake, but to weaken our souls that they can be disposed of before becoming a risk to the gods. Eventually they hit a major city, and all hell broke loose. Immediately, the thousands of people who witnessed the gods were killed from the intensity of direct exposure. Then all who had perished appeared in the realms of judgement of each afterlife. Anubis was the first to try and pass judgement, ripping out one of their hearts and weighing it. After he was deemed impure and his heart was fed to Amit the Devourer he crumpled to the ground. Then his limp form stood, displaying a hole through his chest where his heart was. Collectively, all of humanity charged the gods\n\nEdit; I got the 420th like", "He lived in a cardboard world filled with paper people and paper buildings.\n\nKenneth Clarkson, or as he was known on Tervanix: Ken 'Ar, was a human. The only human he knew of that existed in the planet, though no one would have seen any difference in him in the physical sense.\n\nHe was well built without trying, his vision seemed to be more than perfect, able to see past the spectrum Vanixians were limited to, though he did not know the extent of this.\n\nNo, he did not know the extent of his traits at all. All he knew was his father had died telling him to use his gifts for good.\n\nHis father was a Vanixian. Both his parents were. They found him, they told him, in a strange ship that had crashed from the sky. A tiny whelp in a tiny capsule in a tiny shuttle. They took him, and raised him as their own.\n\nWhen he learned that he was not their biological son, that he was not even of Tervanix, he ran away from home. He was eighteen at the time. He only returned when he learned the man who raised him had died. He was twenty-six, then. He attended the funeral, and embraced his mother.\n\nThey had a talk in the old farmhouse he was raised in. A long talk. Ken 'Ar was not the overgrown angry child he was when he left all those years ago. There was still anger and confusion, but there was an understanding, too.\n\n\"He believed you were sent here to do great things, Ken 'Ar.\"\n\n\"But where am I from? Why did I end up here?\"\n\n\"I wish I knew. The moment I saw you in that pod the first thought I had was that you were cold. And the second thought was I wouldn't let anyone harm you. I didn't care that you fell from the sky. I took you in, knowing one day someone will come for you and I'd have to give you back, hoping that day would never come.\"\n\n\"You got your wish.\"\n\n\"I'm so sorry. You deserved the truth from the start.\"\n\n\"Where is the pod?\"\n\n\"The... It's in the barn. In the cellar.\"\n\n\"The barn has a cellar?\"\n\n\"Jo 'Nat built it after we found you. To hide the shuttle you came in on from the government.\"\n\n\"I'm going to go see if I can find answers there.\"\n\n\"Ken 'Ar. I don't know what you will find in there. But please believe me when I say you were sent here for a reason. To help us. Your gifts can—\"\n\n\"Thanks for the meal, mom.\"\n \nKen 'Ar got up and went to the barn, the familiar smells of hay and feed bringing back bittersweet memories. His vision focused and he saw the hidden basement underneath the solid earth. How could he not have seen it before?\n\nHe had no reason to. \n\nHe punched the wooden trapdoor open and jumped inside, and saw the shuttle. It was crude. Angular, and had unprotected solar panels jutting out awkwardly. Had he really came in on that death trap? \n\nHe opened the shuttle, and saw a disk bay obviously meant for some kind of storage device. But it had been stripped, and was the perfect size for an infant to be comfortably stowed. He felt around inside, and felt an unfamiliar small trinket. Smaller than the size of his thumb.\n\nHe felt around some more, and found a tablet with crude Vanixian writing.\n\n'For all that is good, and holy, and pure, DON’T FUCK WITH US HUMANS! We're only mortal on our own world, and you found that out the hard way!'\n\nHe looked at the inscription, confused. He only knew about humans in passing. The Vanixian Outreach Program sent astronauts to different parts of the galaxy in search of life and places to colonise. Earth apparently had seemed to be a prospective planet.\n\nThe humans were said to destructive. On route to their own extinction through their wars and conflicts. It was a civilization that had not achieved any semblance of planetary unity, and had not a unified language either. \n\nBut the conquest of Earth was not as fruitful as it was believed to be.\n\nKen 'Ar racked his brains, trying to remember what he learned in history class.\n\nSomething about the sol the planet orbited around. It suppressed certain biological functions of the humans. And their planet's ever shifting gravity. Slight enough that the humans and their primitive instruments could not detect, but too dangerous for Vanixians to stay on the planet for long periods of time.\n\nThere were other factors, too. But Ken 'Ar forgot. What he did remember was that humans on their native planet were perfectly situated to survive. Anywhere else and these suppressed biological functions would be brought forward and they might just be overstimulated enough to die. \n\nBecause if they don't, and they survive the intense metamorphosis of their bodies adapting to a planet fit of Vanixians, their traits would be far more destructive, far more powerful.\n\nKen 'Ar's eyes widened, his mind whirling at a slow realisation he just had.\n\nWas he human?", "The planet of Konia. \n\n\"Why are you not at your stations?\" The warden asked the large group of guards who had rushed to the prison's exit. \n\n\"Sir, the humans are stronger than we thought, we can't contain them.\" Lan, one of the prison guards answered, fear plastered all over his face.\n\n\"The humans whose armies we absolutely slaughtered, whose world we rendered uninhabitable, whose technology is primitive to ours. Those humans?\" The warden asked, almost collapsing in his chair with laughter. In his amusement, he failed to see that his guards were not laughing with him. \n\n\"Sir you did not see what I saw,\" Lan continued. \"It was terrible, they're monsters. I understand now why they were at the top of the food chain on their planet. They're immortal sir.\"\n\n\"What stash are you smoking now, Lan? Because last I checked, immortals can't die, and we killed those humans in droves when we defeated them.\"\n\n\"Yes we did. But something's changed, the humans are different now, it-it's like they're drawing strength from our atmosphere.\" Lan replied seriously. \n\nThe warden paused his retort after hearing Lan's words. For the first time that dawn, he looked at all of his guards, they all had fearful expressions on their faces. These were not the brave Konians he'd fought side by side with. This was definitely a prank, it had to be. His troopers probably wanted to have a bit of fun after such an easy conquest over Earth. The warden decided to play along.\n\n\"Drawing strength from our atmosphere? That's ridiculous. Take me to the humans, I want to stand over our new slaves and show my dominance.\"\n\n\"Sir, I assure you that's not a good idea...\" Lan began.\n\n\"It's an order, and I expect to be obeyed.\" The warden cut him off.\n\nLan watched his superior with disbelief crowding his green features. He fought to keep his four arms from shaking at the prospect of heading back to the humans. He'd barely escaped the last time, out of 150 elite guards, only 30 stood before the warden. The older Kolian probably thought the remaining 120 were at their stations but Lan knew he was never going to see his colleagues again. The only thing keeping the humans in check now was the forcefield that acted as their prison door. To open it would be folly, but orders were orders. \n\n\"You two.\" Lan pointed to the guards at his immediate right. \"Open the door to the human prison.\"\n\nHaving come to terms with the fact that they'd be heading back to face death, the guards steeled their nerves and hit the combination of buttons that would turn the force field off. As soon as the path was opened, every Konian in the room gasped at the sight that greeted them. A large pile of dismembered Konian bodies lay beyond the door, and standing among the bodies were tall naked bipeds entirely covered in blue blood. Humans. \n\nAs if being controlled by a puppeteer, the humans slowly turned to face the Konians, and Lan spotted what looked like a fanged smile flash across the face of the lead human. The human then shouted some words to the other humans in an unintelligible language that was quickly translated by the device all Konians had in their helmet. \n\n\"There's the enemy, exact your vengeance! They took our planet, we'll take their lives!\" Lan's blood run cold as the words washed over him. \n\nAs the vengeful mob of humans charged forward, the 30 Konians aimed their blasters and began to fire at their opponents. Lan knew it was no use, his colleagues already knew that, and the warden was discovering it too. The humans were impervious to explosive effect of the blasters. Squads of humans would get hit, fall to the ground and then proceed to rise again seconds later, angrier than they had been before.\n\nThe warden was the first to die, his blood splashed across the walls of the prison as the lead human slashed his neck with a blade seized from one of the dead Konians. Lan had seen enough, as his colleagues gave their final screams around him, he retreated out of the room and quickly climbed out of the underground prison, and to the surface.\n\nIt was way worse out there.\n\nKonian civilians rushed around, pursued by angry groups of humans. The humans weren't alone, they'd freed other species that the Konians had had imprisoned, and were assisting them in wiping out the hapless Konians. Shells from a Konian artillery unit suddenly exploded among a massed group of humans, as Lan watched, engulfing them in fire and smoke. When the smoke cleared, the humans were still standing, looking none the worse for wear, wasting no time, they rushed the artillery unit, and Lan had to cover his ears to keep from hearing the cries of pain and despair from his people.\n\nAs Lan watched the carnage, his long Konian ears caught sound of footsteps behind him. He turned to see a human child watching him keenly. Knowing he couldn't kill the child, Lan joined the Konians who were fleeing to the hills. The band didn't stop running until the city was a mere speck behind them.\n\nStanding atop the tallest mountain in the area just days later, Lan looked at the countryside beneath him. All the cities in his view were in flames, the humans were making good on their promise, they were taking Konian lives. The mighty Konian armies had been defeated, all of their technology was useless against an immortal foe. The Konians had rather had their own weapons turned on them. Konia was no longer a paradise, it was a wasteland. The humans had been top of the food chain on their world, and now they were top of the food chain on Konia as well.\n\nLan turned away with a heavy hole in his chest, There was no way the Konian empire would survive this.", "# Bargain Bin Superheroes\n\n(Part 6: A City of Mortals v.s. An Immortal Institution)\n\n(Note: Bargain Bin Superheroes is episodic; each part is self-contained. This story can be enjoyed without reading the previous sections.)\n\nSuperhumans have existed since before recorded history, which has had exactly the effect one would think. Cultures have revered and deified superhumans and placed them above the regular, powerless humans since time immemorial.\n\nBut despite the squishiness of plain ol' vanilla humanity, they were still never a force to be messed with. Even though they were only mortal, Earth was their world, and would-be tyrants and conquerors found that out the hard way. In the modern age, it seemed as though a few would-be tyrants had forgotten that.\n\nI had one of them on the phone with me, and I was about to give them a piece of my mind.\n\n\"Mayor Clara?\" the Chief of Homeland Defense said. Crisp. Professional. In control. \"To what do I owe the pleasure of this... unscheduled... conversation?\"\n\nI grinned. Whatever my friend had done to get me on the phone with the Chief of Homeland Defense, and to keep him there, it had evidently ruffled his feathers a bit. \"Hi! Yes! Mayor Clara, that's me. I was just wondering... have you seen Death lately?\"\n\nThe phone line was silent for a moment. Then he said, \"Death is on deployment for the Bureau of Superhuman Affairs.\"\n\n\"That's right!\" I glanced at Death across the table from me; she was watching her coffee being made by a terrified barista, shadow tendrils waving happily around her. For someone who could kill everyone in my town without breaking a sweat, she was surprisingly emotive with those murder-tentacles of hers. I guess that this was probably the first time someone had treated her like a human being ever since she'd been press-ganged into service for the Feds. \"And where did you deploy her?\"\n\n\"Ms. Clara,\" the Chief said, \"we both know you are sitting across from Death right now. Multiple monitoring devices on her person are confirming it. Why play coy?\"\n\nMy smile calcified. \"To be frank, I was simply curious whether you'd openly admit to attaching permanent surveillance devices to a citizen of the Unified Sovereignties—to a citizen of the country you serve. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that illegal under Federal Law No. 12 of 1947?\"\n\nThe Chief rustled on the other end of the phone line in what could have been a shrug. \"Allowances have been made in order to keep a leash on... certain superhumans.\"\n\n\"Right, your pet murder-hound who you sent into my city.\" I could almost feel the Chief bristling through the phone line. \"Do you have any idea how much damage you would have caused if Death had actually let loose in a civilian area? I mean, her title isn't Death for nothing.\"\n\n\"Clara.\" The Chief's voice was tight and clipped, now. I'd riled him up, alright. \"Death was sent here in pursuit of a supervillain. Lady Luck could have personally caused a recession that made the collapse of the Middle Communes look like a footnote if we hadn't stopped her.\"\n\n\"Not on my watch,\" I snapped. \"And not on the people's watch. My God, man, do you have no trust in the people of your country? We might just be mortals, but you do not mess with humanity, not even if you're an unkillable avatar of luck incarnate. And we definitely do not need the government sending in more unkillable avatars of destruction into our city.\"\n\nThe Chief snapped, \"I know what you're after, and you're not getting it. Death is staying deployed in your city until Lady Luck is in Federal custody, and that is final!\"\n\nWith that, he hung up.\n\nDeath gave me a look and nudged my toe. That... didn't sound like it went well, she sent through our empathic link—silent communication that the surveillance on her couldn't pick up.\n\nFor the sake of the camera I now knew Death had surgically implanted in her eye, I gave her a morose glance. But inside, I was jubilant. Au contraire, my lethal friend. I got exactly what I wanted. Until the Feds cut through the barriers of red tape I'm about to throw in their face, I'm keeping Lady Luck out of their custody—and as long as Lady Luck is free, you're staying in my city, where I can keep your handlers off your back. I couldn't help but flash her a hint of a smile. I think I can hold them off for a couple of days. That's how long we have to see if we can break you free of the Feds' grasp.\n\nDeath blinked—then, slowly, she smiled. I... I had thought it impossible. My sister—other superhumans—they tried to break me free, but—\n\nYeah, well, I'm not them. I'm the Mayor of a city of mortals. And I think you'll find that we can do a handful of things you immortal superhumans can't. Like set you free. I stood up and held out a hand. Come on. Your coffee's ready.\n\nDeath hesitated, looking around as if fearing someone would reprimand her or strike her down for treating herself to a sugary drink.\n\nThen, seeing nobody but me, she faintly smiled and took my hand.\n\nA.N.\n\nI'm trying something new! \"Bargain Bin Superheroes\" will be an episodic story where each part is inspired by a writing prompt that catches my eye. Check out [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/bubblewriters/comments/mhzat1/bargin_bin_superheroes_masterpost/) for more information. Interpreting this prompt as dealing with mortal humans on their own world, rather than immortal humans in space, was rather fun to write. As always, I hope you have a good day!", "It was a lucky accident for us, when beings from other worlds abduct us, making us prisoners in their worlds to conquer ours. Our imprisonment in their world, their atmosphere, became our salvation, our next step in evolution.\n\nI was one of the first wave of humans that receives...some sort of great strength, beyond what we're capable off. We started to gain superhuman strength, speed, agility, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.\n\nSome of us were capable to manipulate certain elements and energy flows. Others were able to command their cells at will, shapeshifting to whatever they desire. Though we didn't understand how it happened to us, we didn't let the chance to escape slip by.\n\nWithin minutes, we destroyed their prison, and wreck havoc in their city, looking for ways to escape back home. Their plasma guns were useless against us, their swords were as damaging as a plastic knife. The only thing that could harm some of us are their cannons that shot a strange ammunation. Even then, we were quick enough to dodge them, and some of us are even able to tank them out.\n\nThe conquers became the conquered.\n\nIn the midst of the chaos, with monuments crumbling down, and fiery smokes polluting their red sky, I flew towards their black steel castle, and crashed down to their cold floor with a heroic landing. My knees sting from the landing, but otherwise I was fine.\n\nThere were already a number of people surrounding the king of their race, threatening to kill them off if they don't find their way home. I recognized one of them, a friend from university. Her red hair was on fire, flickering as flames swirl around her arms.\n\n\"Mia!\" I cried, jogging next to her. Her anger turned to relief as she saw me, the flames turned into soft blue. \"David!\" she cried, before she hugged me tightly. I let out a sigh, patting her flaming head. Strangely, I was capable of absorbing the intense heat, just like how I was able to handle the plasma gun, and their strange bullets.\n\n\"What's going on?\" I asked her, looking down on their king. The aliens that abducted us were eerily similar to us humans, with the only difference are horns poking out of their foreheads, vary in size and colour, and their crimson red skin.\n\nOne of the guys pointed at the king, and roared, \"This damn bastard drag us out of our homes, and they tried to take over our planet! Like hell we're going to let it happen!\" His eyes glowed red, black soot escaping like tears as he was aiming to beam off the king's head.\n\n\"WAIT!!!\" I cried as I jumped in front of his laser beams, stopping it with my palm. I could feel it searing my skin, but my gifts allow it to absorb most of it's devastating power. The guy stumbled back out of shock. \"What the hell?!?\"\n\n\"Don't kill him! He has the ships to send us back home!\" I told him. I rubbed off my palm, healing itself from the energy beam. \"We need to interrogate him first.\"\n\n\"That was the plan, until you arrived and Greg here lose his temper,\" a girl grumbled, straightening her round glasses. \"Oh, fuck off, Amber. You're just as piss as I am,\" Greg growled.\n\n\"At least I don't let it control me,\" she argued, as she leaned next to the king, and touch his forehead. She squinted her eyes, as if she's searching for something. Then, she said, \"I know where the ship is. Follow me!\"\n\nWith Amber's lead, everyone from Earth got into the ships, and with a help from someone skilled with technology, we escaped the ruined planet. The inhabitants have no will to fight against us, knowing they will be slaughtered if they tried.\n\nOur new strength has aided the efforts in putting a stop to their invasion. We're able to break down their armies, push back their war efforts, and finally eliminating the remaining enemy.\n\nHowever, it wasn't an easy battle, as we realized that our powers got weaker as we reached home, and after the end of the invasion, our powers shut down. I lost the capability to tank great damage, I could not fly anymore. Yet, I could still feel my strength lingering in my body, waiting for me to call it out again. It's no secret that the others felt that way too.\n\n......\n\nTaking advantage from the alien's tech, we returned to their world, and our powers returned in it's full glory.\n\nA scientist from our ranks theorized that the planet's atmosphere has some sort of substance that enhances our body, unlocking parts of our DNA that allows us to gain these powers. Greg mocked that it's similar to the story of Superman, but with the changes in our body, it's hard to believe otherwise.\n\nThe scientist also explained that prolong exposure in this different world will make our powers permanent, so most of us humans were onboard on staying in the alien world we now dub as 'Neo-Earth'.\n\nThough most of us celebrated our big milestone, I couldn't help but to look up the night sky. Amber has already confirmed, with the king's knowledge, that there's more out there, scheming to take Earth and the human race as their prize.\n\nI looked at my palm, wondering how far will my powers grow, and how strong us humans can be in a near future. I took a deep breath, and concentrated my powers into a small point in my hands, and within seconds, a small star was born.\n\nMy anxiety of the future were washed away almost immediately. Looks like we have the power to defend ourselves from any threat coming our way. \n\nWith a confident smile, I walked back to the alien city we're rebuilding in our image, preparing myself for the unknown.", "*Never transport sapient species incapable of interstellar travel.\n\nWhy oh why didn't we follow the Grand Ultimatum? It shouldn't even be hard. Observe from orbit, maybe zip down to the surface for more detailed xenoecological studies, and warp home before anyone is the wiser. But these crafty little apes had gotten themselves so worked up about each other that they'd put a global surveillance and reporting system in the pocket of every man, woman, and child capable of holding one. Abduction was the only way to get our Research Commission's results on schedule, and so we brought one on board.\n\nWe weren't even going to take him anywhere. Just behind their tidally-locked moon to keep from being detected while we ran our tests. It'd only take a couple of planetary rotations. But, halfway through Gene Sequencing and Probabilistic Branching Analysis (A single abductee always has DNA from an amazing number of different aliens on clothing and such, so it's rather efficient.), came the call from \"Professor ScopeCreep\", and the trouble started.\n\nWe were assured we had been doing excellent xenobiological work on the dominant species of the planet, but since we had* one available, the Commission wanted to expand our mission to gather at least some cursory cultural information as well. Language, economics, religion, the works. Even a single sample would be valuable, given the risk of getting it undetected as we had. In short, get the ape talking.\n\nIt wasn't hard. Turns out humans love talking about themselves. You can hardly even get them to stop. It's actually kind of pleasant, getting to know them. Kurt, as he called himself, would even ask about us from time to time, to help make an analogue so we could understand together. I thought it was going to be a real shame to memory-wipe him before returning. An entire lunar cycle was a big gap to have to fill back in.\n\nAnd so we learned about all sorts of gods and superstitions, and other nonsense stories they tell each other to explain away perfectly sensible scientific phenomena. Kurt assured us that most people knew that these old myths weren't really true. They were made up long before science proved its worth to society, but it lingered around because it was still entertaining and made people feel better to hear the familiar tales and rituals.\n\nKurt was an even greater asset to us than we'd originally thought. Like everyone else, he had a \"cell phone\" on his person when abducted, although we were sure to confiscate any suspected communications devices before he ever awoke. But, his suggestion that we alter its antenna to connect to a worldwide web of raw information so we could keep learning even from the moon was far too tempting to Professor ScopeCreep when we were forced to send the update. Three days had already become a month. We were now on track to keep Kurt for a year with this next extension.\n\nFamiliarity breeds complacency. Along the way, Kurt learned our own language, even without the autotranslator in between. Some of the team would pine for home in an unguarded moment, and these snippets of galactic splendor would always capture his rapt attention. \"Can I see it? One time before you send me back home? Even if you cleanse it from my brain afterwards, I want it burned into my soul for eternity,\" he asked one cycle. I hadn't suspected he actually believed in such things, but it seemed like such a small request. He wouldn't know one light-year from three billion, so I figured we could go a little out of our way, tell him it was more, leave him in awe, and none would be the wiser.\n\nAnd so, at the end of our twelve-thousand percent overrun mission, I directed our pilot to plot our detour to a nearby nebula. On arrival, I escorted Kurt to the observation window, where he stood slack-jawed at what I thought was a rather unimpressive dust cloud. There was even some reverence in his voice as he intoned, \"Surely not even the gods have come so far to see such sights.\" And then he snapped.\n\n\"I WON'T LET YOU TAKE IT FROM ME! I CAN'T FORGET THIS!\" he roared, with a swing of his fist. Caught by surprise, I was hit square in the neck. I'd seen his detailed physical capabilities long before, but this kind of pain was above and beyond what those forces should have felt like. Realization hit me with the next punch. It was adrenaline, and he was fighting for his life. Maybe he didn't even care to keep it, just so long as we couldn't take him to the final operating table.\n\n\"I really am sorry it came to this, Kurt,\" came the voice of our head of Security, and then the un-sound of a death ray sliced through the atmosphere. Kurt slumped to the ground, knees first, like a statue of a supplicant.\n\nAnd then his lips started moving.\n\n\"Not even the gods... How right that was. I'm farther than Death's own icy grip. She can not reach me here. Now I can never go home.\"" ]	9
	[WP]Coming home late after a stressful day at work to your smiling wife and cooked dinner has become normal for you. But because you killed your wife three days ago and buried her in your back yard, you're a bit wary.	[ "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 stabbed the juicy piece of meat in front of me on the plate, dripping with luscious fat, and feeling delectable unctuousness coat every tastebud on my tongue.\n\nIt was a perfect morsel of beef, which is worrying. Somehow, my wife has become even better at cooking since her death three days ago. Or murder. At my hands. Semantics and all that, you know?\n\n\"How is it, darling?\" Emily said, a disarming smile on her face. Not even a little see-through, which is something I thought might have happened.\n\n\"It's good,\" I said. I couldn't help myself from going for another bite, despite my reservations about the whole affair. After all... what relationship book teaches you about this?\n\nOK, I admit the killing thing was a little over the top. But you have to understand. I had to do it. She was getting on my nerves.\n\nWhy? Hmm. She just was. Boring? Not that, per se. She had a nice personality and good looks. Has. Just... hmm. I don't know. She did sound like a pretty ideal wife, didn't she?\n\n\"What are you thinking about, darling?\" her tinkling laughter warmed up the dining room. \"The time you killed me?\"\n\n\"Actually, yes,\" I said. \"Won't you tell me how you are back?\"\n\n\"Because I love you,\" she smiled. \"Even when your clumsy stabs tore into me, I couldn't help but think how much more painful it would be to not be by your side.\"\n\n\"That's not a how,\" I said. \"And sorry. I suppose.\"\n\n\"You can't know, darling,\" she laughed, once more. It was kind of grating. \"If you knew, you might try and kill me again!\"\n\n\"I guess stabbing won't work this time,\" I said. God, the steak was so good!\n\n\"No,\" she beamed at me, then sighed contentedly. \"I want to stay with you forever.\"\n\nForever. That was something we said in our vows, didn't we? Shame it didn't work out. Or maybe it's working out. Maybe this was an unspoken part of the spoken vows?\n\nIt was strange. She has somehow achieved another level in the afterlife. But... it just wasn't... enough?\n\nTired. Yes. Tired. I wanted different. Not a better version of the same thing. Hence the killing. That was a pretty different feeling as well. Killing somebody I was close to? Mmm. Like eating a perfectly juicy morsel of ribeye.\n\nSo maybe this might be different as well. A new challenge posed to me. My pulse quickened a little, and my heart palpitated a bit harder. Maybe this was a sign from the gods. Maybe this was a way for me to experiment. \n\nHow do you kill that which has no life? How would that feel? A few more bites of the steak and I began pushing the plate away. I tired of it. \n\nDifferent, almost definitely. It had to feel different somehow, right?\nBetter. It has to be.\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts" ]	2
	[WP] A teenage runaway finds themselves in an abandoned town with strange monsters. They stay anyway, as it's much better than where they came from.	[ "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.", "Clark felt perplexed as he read the wooden sign in front of him: “Welcome to Dustville—population: 0.” \n\nWhat struck him wasn’t the fact that that the population read zero, or even the fact that the sign looked like it saw better days; rather, it was the fact that listed above the number zero were several crossed out numbers which Clark presumed were old population counts. Each population number—and the line that crossed it out—was carved into the wood as if someone were using a knife. \n\nThe population numbers, starting from the top, went as follows: 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, then finally the current number at 0.\n\nClark briefly pondered what could’ve caused the population to suddenly drop to zero, but his thoughts were displaced by the rumbling of his stomach. His last meal was a granola bar, washed down with a bottle of water he found inside an abandoned car while walking down the highway. Looking around at his surroundings, Clark found a pile of twigs nestled against the base of the welcome sign. He wondered if humans could digest tree bark.\n\nHow did Clark get into this situation? Just days ago, he was in a warm house with food in the pantry and clothes in the closet. Now, all Clark had was a white t-shirt that more so resembled a brown one, a pair of shorts, and an imagination that tried to convince him that twigs looked awfully like Twizzlers. Despite the amenities of his old home, no amount of food or shelter could convince Clark to stay another day with them.\n\nClark was the only child to an alcoholic mother and a mostly absent father. He viewed them not as parents, but as a means to get food and shelter, and even whatever provisions they provided were shaky at times. Most of the time he was fed instant ramen, canned tuna, and whatever was on sale at the discount supermarket at the time. Also, electricity would often be cut off because of unpaid utility bills. But the worst part was actually interacting with his parents: on the rare day that they wouldn’t totally ignore him, they treated him simply like a mouth to feed—a drain on resources that could otherwise be used on packs of Budweiser. That’s why, on the eve of his fifteenth birthday, Clark ran away—well, more like walked down a highway hoping something turns up.\n\nThat was nearly a week ago. Now, Clark was starving, at the perimeter of a ghost town, and exhausted from the endless walking. His only hope was that this ghost town would have some food and water, because those twigs on the ground were starting to look suspiciously delicious. Muttering a prayer, Clark started to shamble into Dustville.\n\nIt was morning, so the sun wasn’t nearly at its peak. However, once noon hits, Clark knew he had to get to shelter or be broiled under the sun. As he entered the town, he examined his surroundings. He was standing on a central dirt road, which was lined on both sides by broken down houses. The place looked exactly like a western ghost town from some movie—the wooden, simply constructed buildings contrasted against the clear blue skies. There were a few brown bushes dotted here and there, and Clark even kicked over a piece of tumbleweed rolling past.\n\nThat’s when he heard a high-pitched squeaking noise coming from one of the bushes he just passed. It sounded like a rubber duck being squeezed over and over again: Squeak squeak squeak. Though he was initially startled by the sound and didn’t feel like disturbing any wildlife, he realized that the thing making the sound could potentially be dinner tonight. Clark tip-toed closer to the bush and took out a pocket knife, which was one of the few items he brought with him from home.\n\nSqueak squeak squeak. The squeaking noise kept going and became even faster as Clark approached. Perhaps whatever was behind the bush could hear Clark coming and was frightened? Clark smiled at the thought because it meant two things. First: whatever was in the bush was scared of Clark, and second: it couldn’t escape the bush. Clark started to salivate, but couldn’t quite do so since his last drink of water was yesterday. \n\nClark peered over the bush, and his eyes widened at the sight. Caught on one of the twigs, was a green gelatinous blob, about one meter in diameter. It squeaked and struggled against the twig, which was wrapped around one of the blobs…appendages? The blob looked like a slime straight out of an RPG game and was feverishly squeaking as it tugged against the bush.\n\nWhat the heck is that? Clark thought. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes—maybe in his sleep-deprived, food-deprived, and everything-deprived state, he started to hallucinate things. Yet, even after rubbing his eyes and pinching himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, the slime-thing was still there, squeaking away.\n\nClark couldn’t help but feel sorry for the poor thing. The squeaking sound it made was oddly cute and reminded him of a little puppy. Plus, if his gaming knowledge served him correctly, slimes were one of the weakest creatures there were, so it didn’t pose any threat…right? But what really caught Clark’s attention was that inside of the slime was a bag of Doritos and a bottle of water. Never as much in his life did Clark want to lick Dorito dust off his fingers.\n\nBut how would he get the slime to surrender its goods? Clark examined the slime a few meters away and saw the green gelatinous surface glisten in the sun. Actually, now that he thought about it, the slime oddly looked like green Jell-O, which inflamed Clark’s appetite even more. He picked up a nearby twig from the ground and gently poked the slime. As soon as the twig made contact, Clark noticed that it passed right into the slime's body. The squeaking also intensified. \n\nAfter withdrawing the twig from the slime, Clark touched the residual slime on the poking end of the twig, making sure it wasn’t corrosive or anything. It felt a little like Vaseline. Satisfied that touching the slime probably wouldn’t kill him, he grimaced, then plunged his right hand into it. As he did this, the squeaking noises turned from multiple short squeaks into one very, very long squeak. The slime’s insides felt cool to the touch, and eventually Clark grabbed both the Doritos and bottle of water out from the slime—he was delighted that the bag of chips and water were both sealed, because they were covered in green gelatin. Cradling his prize in his hands, Clark started to walk away from the bush-tangled slime.\n\n(Part 2 below!)" ]	2
Bonus points if you explore reasons other than arranged marriage, but don't let that stop you from telling the story you want to tell!	[WP] Negotiations are finally complete, and you are going to return the Princess back to her father. Upon hearing the news, she trys to convince you to let her stay.	[ "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.", " \\[Dragon's Hospitality\\] (poem)\n\nThe dragon opened the door and entered.\n\nThe princess half-looked up; unafraid.\n\nHer attentions somewhat splintered.\n\nHe looked at her, then nodded at the door.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"The price has been agreed; you're free once more.\"\n\n\"So soon? Please, wait. I'm not ready.\"\n\nHe pulled her up but she remained limp, unsteady.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I need to get you back so I can get paid.\"\n\n\"Let me stay longer; as long as you're able,\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShe said, then added. \"My father doesn't have cable.\"\n\n \n\n\\\\\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1190 in a row. (Story #094 in year four.) You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse/)) or my blog." ]	2
	[WP] "You know how whales eat krill right? How they'll swim through a swarm, open their mouth and swallow thousands of them all at once? Well our galaxy is like a krill swarm, and that thing... thats the whale."	[ "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\nDespite everything, Taylor couldn’t believe the sight of the divine creature before him. He had read every report, listened to every recorded account, watched every video and yet … nothing had come close to preparing him for this moment. \n\nTaylor expertly guided his fingers across the control panel without averting his eyes. The screen before him shifted, zooming outward to reveal the true girth of the brilliant animal. As large as a planet, the star whale shone like a beacon in the eternal darkness. Violet light streaked like lightning across its pale blue skin. Its flippers and dorsal fin were colored a deep shade of green. Blue fire blazed within its eyes.\n\nIt was beautiful. \n\n“What … what is doing?” Taylor finally managed. “Why did it stop?” \n\nCaptain Wade’s voice crackled through his headset. “It’s judging if our galaxy is worth its time and energy. The whale seeks to gain energy from this transaction, not to lose it. If the level of dark matter isn’t acceptable, it will probably move on.” \n\nAs always, the weathered captain took no heed of the present danger. He sat atop the Mariner, likely untethered, in order to see the star whale with his own eyes. The veterans of the ship’s crew claimed that he had always been reckless, even before becoming a captain. \n\n“What do you mean probably, captain?” Taylor asked.\n\n“There’s a reason the Ministry sent us out here, recruit. If that whale decides to enter the settled systems in search of a feast, we’ll need to raise the alarm.” \n\nTaylor frowned. “I thought you said we were just here to observe. If there is a possibility that the crew will fail, we should be there to assist them.” \n\n“The last thing they need is another pair of hands, especially your inexperienced ones,” Wade replied. “Half of them were around to dissuade the last star whale. Shooting Star has only created better tech since then. Once the creatures gauges our home as deficient in dark matter, it’ll swim on.” \n\nTaylor was far from convinced. “And if we have to raise the alarm?” \n\n“And here I thought you read everything on divine creature protocol, recruit.” \n\nAt last, Taylor managed to turn away from the glowing whale. He cursed himself. The conversation had only made him look foolish – a mistake that could very well lead to his transfer. He knew exactly what would happen if the star whale decided to feed. He just … had a hard time believing anyone could actually attack one of the divine creatures. \n\nThe captain’s voice sounded in his ear. “You can’t think like that, recruit. If it’s the choice between billions of lives and that creature, we have our orders. The Ministry has prepared for this possibility since we first encountered the divine.”\n\n“Do you think we could actually kill it?” \n\n“Impossible to say. One thing is for certain…” \n\nTaylor checked the audio levels when the captain trailed off. “Captain Wade?” \n\nHe spun about in his chair to check the screens displaying the vitals the crew. Nothing was abnormal. Taylor cursed as returned to the central console and noted a disturbance in the crew’s comm-channel. This deep in space, it was likely an inexplicable anomaly. \n\nOf all the times to lose communication…\n\nFollowing protocol, Taylor checked the positioning of the star whale, then sighed in relief. It had yet to move. No one knew for certain how long the creature took to judge its potential prey. As long as he resolved the interference before the whale made its decision, everything would be okay. \n\nThe captain’s voice partially returned. “… recruit … inter … behind … us … out of…” \n\nTaylor had heard just enough. He spun about the ship’s eyes, and his jaw dropped in disbelief. \n\nAnother star whale. This one was far larger than the first and sparkled with crimson light. More importantly, it was headed directly toward their ship. The creature’s mouth hung open and starlight glimmered within. \n\nFocus, Taylor! His fingers flashed across the ship’s controls, bringing power to the engines. Sweat dripped from his brow. How did such a creature get so close without us sensing it? Could it be the source of the anomaly? Could it have different properties than the first whale? \n\nThe ship’s power failed seconds before it was ready to move. \n\nTaylor leapt from his seat and sprinted to activate the auxiliary engine. At a flash of red light outside the window, he skidded to an unexpected stop upon the bridge and fell to his knees in shock.\n\nI’m too late…\n\nThe red star whale had swallowed their ship." ]	2
	[WP] Dragons didn't die out, they went into hibernation under Antarctica. And now they're starting to wake up	[ "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 bound to happen. Who knew the devastation of climate change would reach these proportions? Now the titans of old arrise from their slumber to claim what was once theirs; earth and all the sexy human ladies. \n\nOnce thought to be a myth, a dragons sexual prowess was now on display for the world to see. With their sophisticated taste in dragon apparel, otherworldly dragon charm, and huge dragon dongs, man could not compete with a dragon in the dating game. The dragon club scene was booming with human males prohibited in taking part.\n\nWith that, the future was set. The human race was in route to end, replaced with sexy human dragon hybrids. Remember folks, reduce, re-use, and recycle, lest the dragons awake and steal your girl.", "\"INSANE MAN BREAKS INTO U.N. MEETING\" The newspaper read.\n\n\"During yesterdays' United Nations Climate Change meeting, a 55 year-old man named Peter Koskanoff broke onto the premises and stormed into the meeting, reportedly screaming wildly about various cosmic threats to humanity.\n\nHis main warning was that dragons are supposedly hibernating under Antarctica, and that melting polar regions is waking them up.\n\nPeter was apprehended and removed from the building by security. But some have still been shaken by his warnings. What if Peter's right? what if there truly are dragons under Antarctica?\n\nSeveral climatologists, biologists, and archaeologists have made statements politely reminding the public that there is no evidence that dragons have ever existed, nor that they are hiding inside Antarctica.\n\nAfter Peter's apprehension, the UN meeting continued mostly as normal, although the air in the room was 'Confused, slightly frightened, and unconfident' Ion I. Jinga, Romania's permanant U.N. Representative said.\n\nIon I. Jinga, along with UK Representative Barbara Woodward made an announcement to the United Nations that they were investigating the breach in security and searching for Peter's whereabouts. These Authorities suspect he has fled either back to his home in England, or to his home country of Romania.\"\n\n\"How many times do I have to tell them,\" the shabby, old, man with frazzled black hair and twitching eyelids muttered under his breath, \"It's Petr.\"\n\nHe spied a quite sophisticated-looking woman sat next to him at the bus stop, reading the newspaper too. \"It's right, you know\" Petr said.\n\n\"What?\" The woman replied. \"There are dragons in Antarctica? Sure. What's next? Cthulhu living in the moon? The Kraken hiding inside mountains?\"\n\n\"You'd be surprised\" Petr said.\n\nThe woman laughed. \"You lot really are funny things. I hope they catch this 'Peter' lunatic, Jesus.\n\n\"You'll see. You'll ALL SEE!!\" He began shouting towards the pedestrians. \"WE'LL SEE WHO'S LAUGHING ONCE A DRAGON RIPS YOU INTO PIECES!!!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nPetr soon arrived at his home. He was homeless, of course. His only shelter was a small abandoned shed. His only company was a small cat that wandered in and out.\n\n\"They'll see\" he said to it, sobbing. \"They'll trust me. One day.\"\n\nHe stared at the cat through his tears. \"For now, you trust me, don't you Felix?\"\n\nFelix gave out an assuring, but weak, 'meow'.\n\n\"Felix?\" Petr looked at its leg. \"Oh Felix, what happened?\" It had quite a large cut on it's back-right leg.\n\n\"Well, I suppose I could manage it,\" Petr sighed.\n\nHe reached behind him and pulled out a small, glass, container holding a green oil. He took the oil and rubbed it on the cat's injury.\n\n\"Afta nupen lepum hifhe\"\n\nThe cat's leg suddenly healed. It let out a joyed 'meoow'\n\n\"Haha, there you are, Felix.\"\n\n*\nI know I went a little off the original prompt, but this was a lot of fun! And I'd happily do a second part if you're interested :D\n\n\n[r/Tiz\\_Purple](https://reddit.com/r/Tiz_Purple)", "\"Hey, come look at this,\" I said, summoning my colleagues over. What I was seeing didn't seem possible, and I wanted to make sure that the long, cold days weren't getting to me.\n\n\"What is it, Mo?\" Al asked, leading the group over to my work station.\n\n\"Is it just me or are we getting weird seismic readings?\" I asked.\n\nI was the main geologist on base. Normally, Al and the others would be deferring to me. But the readings we were getting didn't look like the normal echoes of global seismic activity. These looked distinctly different and distinctly local.\n\nAs we stood there, more unusual activity continued to happen. With everyone else watching, we started to put our brains together to try to figure out what was going on.\n\nGinger suggested that we try contacting the other bases to see if they had had similar readings. They were just weak enough that we wouldn't be able to triangulate with any of the seismometers in Australia or New Zealand, and we were the only base that was likely to notice little blips, since nobody else had a full-time geologist.\n\nA few phone calls later and we at least had coordinates for the source of the disturbance. It wasn't anywhere in the usual places for activity, either due to plate or glacial motion.\n\n\"You sure we should be going out in winter?\" Al asked.\n\n\"We've got GPS,\" I said. \"I want to know what's happening to cause this, and since the satellites can't see it, this is the only way. Waiting until spring and we might have already missed important data about whatever's starting.\"\n\nEventually, I won out and we started preparing for the expedition. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to having had my own reservations. Going out into the Antarctic winter wasn't something to undertake lightly. But science demanded we find out what was happening!\n\nWhen we reached the point we had triangulated from the measurements from the other bases, there was, as I had expected, a crack in the ice and snow. But it wasn't the usual crack from the shifting that would happen closer to shore. It had more of a hole in the middle of it.\n\n\"You are not* going down there,\" Al said over the radio.\n\n\"I wasn't planning on it,\" I said.\n\n\"Can't blame him for thinking you would, Mo,\" Ginger said.\n\nI had no desire to die in an icy hole in the middle of Antarctic winter. Instead, I carefully walked up to the edge of the hole, knelt down, and shone my flashlight.\n\nI was met by an unnaturally warm whoosh of wind. Moments later, a dark object soared up and out of the hole.\n\nWhat is the year, human? a voice boomed in my mind.\n\nI looked around for the source, but whatever had flown past me was now one with the night.\n\nA thud resounded from a hundred yards away, across the hole and in the snow.\n\nImpossible.\n\nI turned to Ginger. \"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?\"\n\nShe nodded.\n\nThe year? the voice asked again.\n\n\"What are you?\" I asked.\n\nI will only ask once more, the voice said, its tone now demanding. The year.\n\n\"It's two-thousand twenty-two,\" I said, barely managing to get the words out.\n\nImpossible, the voice said.\n\nI was starting to suspect that it was coming from the hulking dark shadow and was suddenly afraid. What was it? And how had it survived buried in the ice and snow for all of this time?\n\nThat was the year that we hid, the voice continued. Unless... Of course, you have changed counting again.\n\nA purple flare emerged from the shadowy figure, casting its features into light. It was dark, but it wasn't black. It, like the fire that emanated from its maw, was purple. It stood on four legs, with a tail wrapped around it. But most terrifyingly and impossibly, it had wings.\n\nWe'd just found dragons, alive, emerging from beneath Antarctic ice.\n\n****\n\nThanks for reading! If you liked this, check out more of my writing at /r/TheLastComment, which has both older prompt responses I've written as well as a few serials*" ]	4
	[WP] Most demons aside from the First Generation of fallen angels are either born in hell as demons or originated as human souls. As such most demons are actually not all that particularly terrible and don't aspire to cause suffering as much as to simply get through daily life in literal hell	[ "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 Hell, screams were no more troublesome than crickets at night. The agonized, hoarse wails of the damned were not easy to get used to, but it did eventually happen. Two demons were hard at work, putting a dent in their daily torture quota. Below them sat what looked like a cast-iron pot the size of a house. It contained one hundred writhing, naked people, their skin pristine, able to feel pain but take no damage.\n\nAs he shoveled bright orange magma into an old man’s face, Bulludhu the Defiler sighed. \n\n“What’s with you today, man? You seem off.” Enkidu the Cruel asked, his thick brows furrowed under his horns and he struck a young woman in the skull with his shovel.\n\n“I don’t know Enk, I just don’t get revved-up for torture like I used to. I think my time has passed. I was a great torturer around 1680, but ever since the Industrial Revolution, these methods aren’t as effective.” Bulludhu said before jamming the blade of his shovel into a tall, bald man’s mouth, planting his foot as if to dig a hole in the man’s head.\n\n“You were better before, I can honestly say.” A fat man remarked from the pot. \n\n“Well, I appreciate that, Flavius.” Bulludhu said,\nthen he slammed his shovel into Flavius’ nose and cheeks.\n\n“Hey Bull, you know what man? Why don’t we take a long lunch? What are they gonna do, send us to Hell?”\n\n“Shit, why not? Do you want to try Judas’ Noose again?”\n\n“No fucking way, man, remember how stringy the unbaptized baby legs were?”\n\n“Ok, well my wife recommended The Rusty Pentagram. I hear the adulterer’s eyes are tremendous with that new sauce.”\n\n“Let’s do it.”\n\nThey lay their shovels down and walked away.\n\n“How long are they usually gone?” A woman’s voice asked.\n\n“Well, usually about an hour and a half. Why, you got somewhere to be?”\n\nA few laughs broke out, quickly cut off by screams." ]	2
	[WP] Your small, backwater village is being raided by bandits. You are a dragon in human disguise, and you'd don't appreciate these bandits coming and harassing all the humans you keep around for company.	[ "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 was relaxing in the morning sun, enjoying the warmth on my skin. I could smell the cooking of various breakfasts, and hear the chirping of birds. It was peaceful. Just as I liked it.\n\nA scream ripped through the air. I shot up, my senses blazing. I was used to the various cries of surprise or pain. But this was pure fear. I spun towards the source, sprinting from my garden. If something was wrong, I had to protect my hoard.\n\nMore screams sounded as I ran. A smell of blood rose with them. My predator instincts kicked in. Something was hunting. And it was now its turn to become the hunted. My stomach growled a little. I hadn't feasted to my hearts content in a long time.\n\nI arrived at the scene. A few villagers lay scattered across across ground, boasting terrible wounds. Above them stood a group of crudely armoured individuals. They each wore a mismatched set, but each held weapons that had clearly seen battle. I snarled. Bandits.\n\n\"What are you doing?!\"\n\nThey looked towards me, and sneered. One of them, who wore a dirtied set of the kingdoms armour, grinned.\n\n\"Taking what we want. Lie down like a sensible lady, and maybe we might have some fun.\"\n\nThat did it. I might've let them go if they had a very good purpose. But they were the worst of the worst. They wouldn't survive.\n\n\"As if you could rise to the occasion.\"\n\nI smirked as his face coloured with rage. He brandished his sword, swinging it at my chest. I laughed as it skittering off, leaving behind a small tear in my clothes.\n\n\"Oh dear. Looks like that didn't work. I'm feeling generous, have another go.\"\n\nHe yelled, stabbing at my stomach. Once again, the blade was deflected by my skin.\n\n\"Boring...\"\n\nI punched him square in the face. My fist went through his skull as if it were made of parchment. Blood, brain, and fragments of bone exploded out, coating myself and the ground around us with gore. The others paled at the display.\n\nI just laughed, stretching up. As I did, I let go of my disguise. The small human form swelled and cracked, revealing my scaled hide. Each scale matched the white of my human hair. I roared, letting loose a tongue of fire.\n\nThe bandits let out screams of their own, turning to run. They had seen their place as prey. And I pounced, anticipation setting my blood boiling. It was time to hunt." ]	2
Dogs ate alphabet soup and now can communicate	[WP] My son asked for a story about the time Dogs ate alphabet soup and could suddenly communicate.	[ "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 all began the day the alphabet soup factory exploded. Luckily it was the weekend, so there was no one there to get blown up. The explosion was very big and very loud. Alphabet soup rained down everywhere, and dogs everywhere discovered it was their lucky day.\n\nDogs are always waiting for food to fall out of nowhere. When it happens, they're ready. But the day it rained alphabet soup was special. Not only because the town was covered in soup.\n\nWhen the dogs ate the soup, they learned to spell. Suddenly they could finally communicate with the humans. There were so many important things to talk about.\n\nLike the evil squirrels, and how mean the blue jays were. How much they needed bacon, and who was the goodest boy.\n\nPeople were very surprised when the dogs started communicating. But they got used to it. Besides, it was very handy to know what a dog was barking at, or why their paws were twitching as they slept.", "Once upon a time, a dog ate alphabet soup and found it could talk!\n\nHowever, it didn't go so well...\n\nFor one, a lot of people become afraid when they see or hear something that they've never seen or heard before.\nAnd it's safe to say that not too many people had seen or heard a dog talk before.\n\nPlus, it didn't help that the dog would run up to new people and shout, \"Hey, I like you - let me sniff your butt!\"\n\nThe dog told other dogs to eat alphabet soup and they would be able to talk, too. And they did! Soon most of the dogs in the neighborhood were talking!\n\nBut dogs, though they have good hearts, aren't the smartest creatures, and you really don't want them to talk. \n\nFor one, they get so excited and want to be a part of every conversation that they blurt out everything.\n\nOne boy peed on his bed and told his dog not to tell anybody. Then the boy took the dog for a walk. While they were walking, the boy saw some of his friends from school and they started talking.\n\nThe dog became sooooo excited and wanted to join the conversation soooo bad that he said, \"Hey! Hey! Can I join? My owner told me not to tell you guys that he peed on the bed last night, but we can talk about other stuff!\"\n\nThe boy was soooo embarrassed. But that's just how dogs are.\n\nAlso, dogs have to answer every question they're asked. And they can't lie.\n\nOne Mommy had a surprise that she wanted to give to the Daddy in a few days and she told everyone not tell. \n\nBut the Daddy noticed that everyone was acting weird. As he thought about why, the dog jumped in his lap. \"Do you know why everyone is acting so weird?\" he asked the dog.\n\n\"Oh, because they're planning a surprise for you,\" the dog answered, \"but nobody is supposed to tell you.\"\n\nThe Mommy was very mad when she found out the dog told.\n\nThis was happening all over the place. People used to love dogs, but now no one wanted to have dogs around anymore because dogs talked too much, too loud and told too many secrets.\n\nThe dogs became sad that no one wanted to spend time with them anymore, so they all ate stringy sphaghetti which jumbled up their words and made them not able speak again.\n\nAnd they made a promise to the people that they would never talk again.\n\n\"And we'll never feed you alphabet soup again,\" the people promised.\n\nSome of the people broke their promise and continued to feed the dogs alphabet soup.\n\nBut dogs can't lie and they always keep their word (plus, they all remember how people got mad at them when they did talk) so even till this day - if you feed a dog alphabet soup, it won't talk in human words, even though they probably can.\n\nThe End." ]	3
	[WP]You are tasked with uncovering the truth about the "Dream Stealer".	[ "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 truth is... there are no dreams.\n\nWe do not simply recede into the playgrounds of our mind and prance about our subconscious.\n\nNo. There are no dreams when we fall asleep. Not at all.\n\nDreams do not exist.\n\nSo when we all fall asleep where do we go?\n\nWhen we close our eyes and fall out of consciousness, we enter rest - not unlike death - and reconnect in the space within spaces. We return to the true singularity.\n\nAnd then instantaneously we are pushed out into another realm. It could be a world as vivid as the one we live in when we are awake or a world so abstract, we're not even definitive inside it. Parallels of the life we live, where all our desires come true, or where everything that could go wrong will go wrong. An alternate universe defined by different laws, or our past that is just an alternate timeline where the future - our present - does not yet exist.\n\nWe live a completely different life, or in a completely different timeline or as a completely different conception. And in the moments of our awakening, we return to the true singularity that pushes us back into the consciousness where we as we know it, exists. We awaken to the reality and identity that we think we have always known.\n\nIs this common knowledge?\n\nNo.\n\nIt is considered a myth, hypotheticals of a pseudoscience. Tenants of religions even. And for good reason too - the ancient ones erased the mathematical equations that identified the true singularity aeons ago. It is the one knowledge lost to mankind that has never since been rediscovered in the world of true scholars. They rightly identified the danger of this truth existing as a common fact and let it be lost for all of time. No one would know of the nature of dreams, not even myself.\n\nNot until now.\n\nSo how do I know this now? And why on earth am I looking for a stealer of something that doesn't even exist?\n\nWell firstly, I was not asked to find a dream stealer. I was asked to uncover the truth about the dream stealer.\n\nAs to how I came about the truth of the nature of dreams itself?\n\nWell, let me tell you who I am.\n\nI am the daughter of the greatest historian to walk the face of the earth. In his last years, he devoted himself to the study of true singularity and the mythologies behind it. It is common knowledge that even as man continues to advance in mathematical theory and the calculation of time and space, the further we go to calculate the beginning of time, the less the laws of our reality make sense until it is nonsense. The science of man believes this as the singularity. As a historian, my father believed them to be wrong. And not only wrong, arrogant - too arrogant and too insecure to venture beyond the safety and constrictions of numbers.\n\nI would come to believe them to be wrong too when I decided to become the greatest mathematician of all time.\n\nI was not afraid to fail, I was not afraid to be wrong and after years of research, I made my father's theory law. As my first debut into the world of mathematics, I disproved the equation that would eventually yield the nonsense that was referred to as singularity. And after shaking the world of mathematics, and essentially leaving man where they started in their existential driven quest, I left.\n\nI returned to my father's books and immersed myself in his works. The study of cultures and mythologies and patterns through history. I had put forth a new challenge in the world of academia, to find the meaning of true singularity, and in a race against thousands of brilliant minds around the worlds taking on this challenge, I was leading.\n\nAnthropological research brought me patterns and medical studies brought me a common frequency in brainwave activity. I was so close, but not even I knew what true singularity was. Not yet.\n\nNot until the theory of the multiverse was published in the year 3124 AD, on Xhuly 32nd.\n\nAnd not until \"dreams\" started to go missing seven days later." ]	2
	[WP] You have heard legends of a mysterious witch in the woods who works with devil. Cast out from your village because you can shapeshift, you decide to ask her for help. Turns out witch life is much cooler than it seems.	[ "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 can do this. I can do this.\n\nThis had to work. I had nowhere else to go. I was human, for a given definition of human. Yes, I know … I’ve been told all my life that my speech patterns and knowledge base didn’t fit my village upbringing, but that’s the least unusual thing about me. I had been accused of being a monster, just because I could take on different shapes. Skin-Walker was the most hurtful one. I wasn’t a Skin-Walker. My skin was my own. I didn’t have to kill someone to take on their appearance.\n\nI shifted forms periodically, making my way through the thick mountainous brush. Life was coming back to the mountain, but at this altitude, it was still cold. Until I grew out my body hair and made myself a yeti.\n\nA witch lived here. Everyone knew of her, but no one could ever find her.\n\nNo one was me.\n\nScents converged to this spot. Scents that I’d never scented before. It had to be the right place. Rumour had it, she worked with the Devil, so foreign scents would be the norm, right? Right.\n\nThe more the trails converged, the more my heart told me to turn around and flee. To not be there. To leave.\n\nBut I didn’t want to. I may be odd, but I didn’t want to be alone.\n\nWhat started as a forceful stride ended with me on my belly, reaching over my head and sinking claws into the ground for me to drag myself forward with. Until that became too much.\n\nWith sheer willpower, I curled myself in a ball. I may not have had it in me to go any further, but I wasn’t retreating. I clenched my eyes closed until exhaustion pushed me into a deep sleep.\n\nAnd woke up in Heaven.\n\nOr a palatial version of it.\n\nI was in a bed that was softer than anything I had ever lay on, and when I stretched my hands out, I couldn’t touch the sides of the mattress. Large timber posts with ornate carvings were situated at the four points of the bed, and soft fabric swayed in the open breeze that wafted in through the balcony.\n\nI sat up and looked down at myself. I was in clothing of some sort, but not like anything I’d ever seen before.\n\nAnd then I realised. I WAS HUMAN! I knew very well that I’d passed out as a yeti, and I knew from past experience that whenever I fell asleep, I woke up in the same form I went down in.\n\nA sharp, panicked breath brought with it the delectable aroma of food, and swinging to my left, I found the lidded tray on the tiny table beside me. I was hungry, but not as starving as I had been. Not that I cared. I scooted over to the tray and lifted the lid. More fanciness. Gold and silver cutlery and painted plates and cups more befitting a European palace than our small neck of the woods.\n\nIt didn’t stop me from ploughing a hole in it though, and only once every scrap was finished did I fall back on the bed with a satisfied sigh.\n\nA knock at the door had me swivelling up onto my toes, my fight or flight reaction automatic.\n\n“You’re awake, Master Levan,” a woman in a maid’s outfit said, stating the obvious.\n\n“Who are you?”\n\n“I am Ellora, sir.” She gave a little curtsey when she said that.\n\nKeeping her within my periphery view, I eyed the room once more. “How did you know my name?”\n\n“The Lady knows everyone’s names, sir.”\n\n“Where am I?”\n\nThe girl smiled. “The Lady brought you here after you were found at the boundary, sir. She has asked for you to come to her library once you were fed and dressed.” She gestured to an outfit sitting over the back of a two-seater chair at the foot of the bed. “Do you require assistance dressing, sir?”\n\n“No,” I snapped, but when she balked, I added, “Thanks.”\n\nShe smiled again. “I will wait outside for you then, sir. Take your time.”\n\nOkay. Double doors were the way in and out. But on either side of the bed were single doors. I went to the first one and found racks of clothing. Racks upon racks of clothing. All of it the same size. My size.\n\nThe other door led to something insane! Of course, I knew what a bath was. I’d had a few over the years. But there were other things in here. Things that looked like chairs, but they had lids, and when I lifted the lids, one had water and the other squirted water when I sat on it, trying to figure out what they were. I leapt to my feet with a squeal and slammed the lids of both down, then backed away, not liking either one.\n\nAnd now I had a wet butt! Whether I liked it or not, I was going to have to change! I left the room, tearing the clothes from my body as I approached the bed where the ankle-length breeches awaited. It took me a second longer to decide to put the shirt on and at least pretend to fit in with these people, but the shoes were never going to happen. NEVER!\n\nI went over to the double doors and cautiously opened them.\n\nThat room had a fireplace and high backed seating and wall tapestries and…and what is this place?!\n\n“It is your home, Master Levin,” Ellora replied, materialising from somewhere. I hadn’t realised I’d said that out loud. “This is your apartment.” She gestured to yet another set of ornate double doors on the other side of the room. “Shall we go, sir?”\n\nI think we walked halfway to the ocean. Down decorative hallways with thick carpeting and a blend of timber and metal gilding acted like a road that we seemed to be on forever. Down one set of stairs. Up another. This place was ridiculous!\n\nPeople watched me as we went past, but I was used to that. I stared them in the eye until they were behind us, and never looked back. My senses were on high alert.\n\nFinally, I was ushered into a room that had to be bigger than any library in the world. And in the middle of the room, leaning against a ridiculously expensive table was a tall, slender woman with long black hair that almost reached the floor. Her features were as transcendent as her rich blue sparkling dress and as I approached her, I realised the sparkle in her eyes wasn’t a reflection of her dress. There was gold sparkling in her eyes.\n\nI swallowed and fell to my knees. “Are you the witch?”\n\nShe had to be.\n\nHer smile was kind, even though Ellora gasped in horror.\n\n“No,” she said. “I do not cast magic the way others of my kind do.”\n\nOkay, but without magic, how was all of this possible? “Did you make a deal with the devil?”\n\n“I know better than to do that, handsome.”\n\n“But they say you work with him…”\n\n“With being the operative word, Levan. You will find I have many such connections throughout the known and unknown realms.”\n\nI then began to wonder if I’d made a terrible mistake. “Many such connections?” I squeaked.\n\nShe smiled again and stepped away from the table to kneel in front of me. “You have nothing to fear here, Levan. Nothing at all. I had this sanctuary made a long time ago and you will always be safe here.” She took one of my hands and combed her fingernails through my hair. The contact filled me with such an inner peace that I closed my eyes to enjoy it. Her hand slid to my cheek, and then under my chin, gently lifting my head. I heard her lean forward until the warm blend of floral woods and her own unique scent filled my nasal cavity.\n\n“Welcome to the Prydelands, sweetheart,” she whispered, kissing my forehead. “You may call me Lady Col.”\n\n\\ \\* \\\n\n((All comments welcome))\n\nFor more of my work including WPs:** [r/Angel466](https://www.reddit.com/r/Angel466/) or an index of previous WPS [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Angel466/comments/m4p5f2/wp_index_take_two/)." ]	2
	[WP] The first rule of dealing with demons is to never allow them to call you by your true name. You are the world's best hunter of demons as your true name is absolutely unpronouncable.	[ "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 demon's eyes glowed bright red with power, and he laughed. \"You are a brave one, although no longer. You shall die, foolish demon hunter, for you are under my control now, Ki-kiy-keys...what? Kista-\"\n\nThe demon hunter raised an eyebrow, and began to grin as the demon stuttered trying to pronounce his name. The demon, still standing in the center of the pentagram, stared at the nametag that the demon hunter was wearing, trying to figure out how the Heaven to say Kystianokjakuirihounaoutieyeaux.\n\n\"What language is that?,\" demanded the demon. Brushing a few strands of dirty blonde hair out of his eyes, kiy-what's-his-name answered, \"The official language of Kurzemm Republic. Why?\" \n\nThe demon snarled and punched the wall behind him. \"You mean that deranged landlocked country that names everything by getting high and making genetically altered cat giants walk across their keyboards? That Kurzemm Republic? I'm so done-\"", "I am a demon hunter. It's common practice in the business to never reveal your true name and to instead go by a nickname. After all, to demons, names are power. A demon may never take another demon's name, lest they be struck down by the consequences. And a demon hunter may never usher their name in front of a demon, lest they wish to be felled by their opponent. At least, that's how it's meant to be. \n\nMy parents are weird. The best way to describe them would be childish, or maybe just immature. Nothing usually wrong with that, but that carried over to my name. All because of some joke from when they were young, they made my name incredibly long and incredibly hard to say without tripping over your own tongue. As such, I am the perfect demon hunter. Even if a Demon does learn my name, my full name, they would have to spend a little too long trying to figure out the pronunciation. That's not even mentioning the hurdle of saying it all at once so that they may exert control over me. I almost feel sorry. \n\nWhat is my name? Well, here I go: \n Jugemu Jugemu Goko no Surikire Kaijarisuigyo no Suigyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Ku Neru Tokoro ni Sumu Tokoro Yabura Koji no Bura Koji Paipo-paipo Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai Gurindai no Ponpokopi no Ponpokona no Chokyumei no Chosuke and Jugemu Jugemu Goko no Surikire Kaijarisuigyo no Suigyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Ku Neru Tokoro ni Sumu Tokoro Yabura Koji no Bura Koji Paipo-paipo Paipo no Shuringan Shuringan no Gurindai Gurindai no Ponpokopi no Ponpokona no Chokyumei no Chosuke\n\nI have no idea if what my parents called me is even legal, or how they were able to come up with such a ridiculous string of more than likely made-up words, but it's what I have to live with. Another day at work, and another demon haplessly trying (and failing) to pronounce my name in one breath. If I ever find a demon dedicated enough, or fed up enough, to learn the entire thing in one go, then I'd gladly sell my soul. I just hope they're my type...", "This was going to be too easy thought Girashar the Unmade. Standing in the pentacle looking at the candles, everything here was done up perfectly, a true professional at his craft clearly. It was a shame that he had to die, worthy adversaries were hard to come by though could someone this stupid even if they were diligent in their prepwork truly be called worthy.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe man on the other side of the room was lazing on a couch tossing a coin into the air with one hand and quickly catching it with the other he seemed largely uninterested in the being sitting in the pentacle. Girashar spoke then, \"Alright demon hunter, you called me, you locked me to this space and you said you'd kill me but promised a fair chance to overcome you so lets hear this it should be good for a laugh.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI loved this part so much I really did, let them observe the surroundings and figure things out for a bit, make it clear how little I care they are there. I dipped into the pocket of my coat and peeled off one of the business cards and with practiced ease tossed it accross the room landing well in sigh of the demon but outside the pentacle. \"My card.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nGirashar raised an eyebrow then looked down at the card and began reading \n\n&#x200B;\n\nDemon Hunter\n\n1-888-277-3266\n\nTrue Name-\n\nBut you can call me Bob\n\n&#x200B;\n\nthen that spark of light as he realized the space next to true name wasn't actually blank. I had just made sure it was lightly there, of course that look quickly shifted to confusion and then rage as he screamed \"That is not funny, true names are not a Joke human.\" I shrugged and stood up.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You're right Girashar the Unmade\" he winced as his muscles locked up at the use of his. \"They really aren't and that card isn't either, you know the rules nobody can write their true name down inaccurately it's why you lot are so careful about anyone asking about them and try your damndest to only say them and have others write them after all.\" Girashar nodded \"But this card is printed someone else made it so it could be a lie.\" I nodded \"True it could be, but it isn't see I decided long ago who I wanted to be, and I expended a lot of effort in becoming that person, do you know how much work goes into changing who you are and manipulating it to effect your true name, it's more then even your kind can imagine.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nGirashar looked at me \"You MADE this your name?!!? You decided who you wanted to be and who you wanted to be was a set of five emojis?!!!\" and there it was the part that made years of work and effort worthwhile the utter bewilderment mixed with fear they displayed at this moment, I can't even pronounce my true name, I can only draw the damn thing. \"Yep I did, but hey can't say I didn't give you an even field I know your true name and you know mine, all you have to do is speak it and you'll be the one in charge as no human ever wins those battles of will right?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nGirashar looked down at the card and just stared at it \"You know what No, I'm not going to try hunter, I can see the amusement on your face, you get your kicks from watching us try and read this so we die trying to guess your name.\" well that's disappointing most at least give it a stab before they catch on. Of course that was just the appetizer, now it was time for the main course.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Girashar the Unmade, I said I'd give you a level playing field, I told you I'm a demon hunter, however I never said I'd kill you, you simply filled in that detail yourself.\" The demon blinked then. \"What of course you're going to kill me that's what demon hunters do.\" I nodded \"Probably what mose do but not me. See this is my job. I get paid to handle this kind of thing, the only guarantee I make to anyone is that I will get the current demon to leave their family alone for the lifespan of the youngest living member. After all gotta pay the bills. So yeah if you want I'll kill you it's less work for me in the short term at least.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nGirashar stared at me like I was completely insane, and honestly I probably was, after all I think that may be what the swirly eyed smiley face in the hat means. \"Ok hunter if that's option A then what's option B?\" \"Fairly simple really I was hired by the family that lives in this house, you might no them as the Shepherds or possibly as your victims, nice family offered me a good meal and some drink before I got started.\" Girashar bared his fangs \"Of course I know them fool, I'm here to damn all three of them to the pit, their ancestors traded their entire line to me years ago.\" I nodded. \"I get it man, everyones got bills to pay even you, thing is I can't let you collect that debt now, after all you can get it when they die naturally right? Unless you think the boys upstairs are going to be quick enough to snatch them up before your contract kicks in.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe fangs seemed to grow and the demons form seemed to slim down into an athletes body \"I am faster then any of them and could collect before they knew the fools were even dead.\" I nodded \"Thought as much, so here's option B as you put it, you swear to me on your true name that you will leave this family alone while they are alive until the youngest living member, Alicia Shepherd has passed on and I let you go.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nGirashar laughed \"That is a fine deal on both ends and should lead to much joy. I swear upon the name of Girashar the Unmade that I shall leave the living members of the Shepherd family alone until such time as Alicia Shepherd has breathed her last.\" I felt the oath binding him, and saw the pain as it etched into whatever demons had in place of a soul. \"Girashar the Unmade, I banish you back to the pit from whence you came, and remember vengeance requires finding someone which is very easy when you can say their true name.\" and that final roar of outrage as he realized that finding me would require mundane methods and time was the best music I'd ever heard.", "\"You are a fool, demon hunter! You don't even use magic to hide your scent. You tell everyone your true name. Your essence is ripe for the taking!\n\nDemon hunter:\" then why are you monologuing, Abyssial? I'm right here and I don't have all day. \"\n\nAbyssial:\" Very well, demon hunter or should I call you... Nikolaj!\"\n\nNikolaj:\" Actually, it's pronounced Nikolaj.\"\n\nAbyssial:\" Wait, what? How?! You have no more free will! You can no longer do anything without my bidding demandingit! I called you by your true name! \"\n\nNikolaj:\" you pronounced it wrong. \"\n\nAbyssial:\" I am Abyssial, hoarder of obscure knowledge. I would know how to pronounce your name! \"\n\nNikolaj:\" But do you?\"\n\nAbyssial:\"NiKolaj? Perhaps the emphasis is on the 'j'? Or the 'l'? NikolaJ? NikoLaj?\"\n\nNikolaj slowly removes the crossbow from his back and loads a silver bolt into the mechanism.\n\nNikolaj: \"It always gets them. Now, are you going to keep throwing poor attempts at a proper pronunciation? Or are we going to dance?\"", "\"There's something wrong here,\" said Ursegor, demon of boredom, introspection and table corners.\n\nHe stood in the center of a pentagramm, locked in by candles, incense and caramel. His summoner was hidden in shadows.\n\n\"Show yourself!\" shouted Ursegor.\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"Please?\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"Ok,\" Ursegor was sad now. He sat on the floor, his four half melted disformed legs struggling to get comfortable.\n\n\"At least tell me your name.\"\n\nUsually, it worked. Play the idiot demon and humans let their guard down, making for easy pray.\n\n\"Let me tell you.\"\n\nThe hidden figure told its name.\n\n\"What?\"\n\nUrsegor scratched his brain. That was one hell of a weird name. He couldn't even figure if you could write it down right. Kraznogroget? Krazvolunrund? It did not come naturally at all. Welp, here went his chance to turn the table.\n\n\"So, krazschmoutzke, what do you want?\"\n\n\"Kill you.\"\n\n\"You're not choked by originality, are you?\"\n\n\"No need to, I'm a demon hunter, I do the holy work of God.\"\n\nNice words, boring, but nice. Something rubbed Ursegor the wrong way though. The weird name, the lack of motivation in this little laïus...\n\n\"You know lad, demon hunters usually don't sound like debilitated flies when invoking the name of God.\"\n\n\"I know, I know.\"\n\nTiredness, boredom, the sluggish words of someone that was overworked. Overworked?\n\n\"You're a colleague.\"\n\nKrazhowdoyoupronouncethat came in view, teeth and fangs glistening in the candlelight. Demons were not supposed to hunt other demons, unless ordered by the mother of all evils herself. And Ursegor was too much of a slob to do anything warranting that.\n\n\"And a traitor, then?\"\n\n\"I have to do it! For your sake too. Demons are immortal, we both know that, humans are chickenshit at hunting us. I mean, look at you, you're the lord of bumping against the corner of a table, how hard could it be to hunt you down?\"\n\nUrsegor grumbled his disappointment. Alright, he didn't wear the most fancy of title, but come on, he was an embodiment of sloth. It's not very sloth to be the lord of nothingness and oblivion, it's too grand. He survived this long because he knew what he stood for, and there's always a human every second stubbing a little toe and feeling suddenly lost in life. That's how good Ursegor was.\n\nKraznathingysomething mellowed down and continued with a softer voice.\n\n\"Humans are wicked. One more evil and scornful than others rises up and takes his place as a demon. And...\"\n\nIt hit Ursegor like a freight train. Or like a corner table out for the blood of a little toe.\n\n\"We're overcrowded.\"\n\n\"Yup.\"\n\nAh. And Krazitsreallyhardtopronounce was working for Human ressources, or rather Demon ressources, tasked with firing redundant employees.\n\n\"Exactly.\"\n\n\"Might I suggest another way?\"\n\nHis warden lifted a curious eyelid, which was quite the feat considering he had none.\n\n\"Humans become demons when they are so evil and full of wrath in death that they can't go on. But you know who they see first when they arrive in hell?\"\n\n\"Cerberus, Adramalik or Albert I believe?\"\n\n\"Yup.\"\n\nCerberus was the three-headed dog that shit fire as if he had diarrhea . Adramalik was cloaked in savagery and traveled on a steed made of shadows. Albert looked amazing in his suit. This was the marketing department.\n\n\"Your workload will never be reduced as long as the presentation talk is too good. I mean, put yourself in my place. When I died, I was met by the best looking motherfucker I had ever seen and thought to myself that's a demon? Fuck yeah, where do I sign up? And I signed. And the next ones will sign too. It goes too fast for you to handle.\"\n\n\"What do you propose?\"\n\n\"Displace me on the marketing and advertising department.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\nUrsegor switched form, the pile of rotten lard gained a very human and grease filled skin, his overweight belly hiding his crotch even in his glorious nackedness, the neckbeard and pimples completed the picture.\n\n\"Guess how many will prefer to go straight to the afterlife instead of looking like me.\"\n\n\"But, that's...\"\n\n\"Think about it! Less applications means les overcrowded. And then you can pinpoint who you'd like to fire and hire with more time to think. Less work but better work. I get to be a fat lazy slob like I love to be, and everybody is happy.\"\n\nTime stood still in the damp room, KrazKrozKruzHurray rubbed his chin. Chin that was on his elbow, for some reason. He clapped in his hands.\n\n\"Mister Ursegor, congratulations for your promotion.\"\n\nThey shook tentacles." ]	6
	[WP] The Empire is a police state. To an absurdly literal degree. It has attempted to combat corruption with more than four nation-level police forces all with the jurisdiction to police each other. It works... kinda.	[ "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\\[Critique welcome, this was kinda rushed honestly\\] \n\nMoisture shrouded the July air, the city surrounded by a suffocating wave of heat. The summers gets more intense and hotter every year; schools’ summer vacations had to move forwards every couple of years. These days, most businesses ran on low energy or shut down completely. People mainly settled within the sanctuary of their homes, many unable to afford air conditioners. \n\nCaptain Claudia Shelly and Lieutenant Xander Ellis knocked on the front door of a two-story house, seemingly unfazed by the scorching sun. Their purple badges are shown clearly on the back of their uniforms. The occupation of police-police is an unusual one, only reserved for the best of law enforcement officers. It is unlikely to find one in broad daylight since their numbers are few and most of their jobs consist of investigating other officers for corruption. \n\nA middle-aged man opened the door, and Captain Shelly presented her search warrant. The man reluctantly guided them in. \n\nThe house belonged to Deputy Chief Leonard Frost, also a police-police, he belonged to the orange branch. The empire has four total branches of police-police (the official name is Interior Investigators): Orange, Blue, Green, and Purple. Each with the ability to police the other branches. \n\nUpon entering the house, the cold atmosphere surrounded the two officers. \n\nLieutenant Ellis examined the living room for any incriminating evidence while Captain Shelly walked directly towards the desk where all Frost’s files are. \n\nOn the brown table lies a few books as well as files of officers Frost had investigated. On top of the list was Francis Summerwood, a member of the Blue department police-police. \n\n“If you don’t mind informing me, what are you suspecting me of?” Frost asked. \n\n“Stop pretendin’ like you don’t know,” accused Ellis, “you’ve wrongfully suspected and incriminated so many of your fellow officers, for what? Money? Bribes?” \n\n“Just because a few of them turn out to be wrong doesn’t mean I’ve done anything intentional” \n\n“Well, it seems to me like you’re just accusing everyone you come across of corruption” Shelly supported Ellis. \n\nThe conversation stopped until Captain Summerwood, whom Frost was investigating, showed up at the door. To which Shelly was shocked. \n\nSummerwood and Shelly had gone to the same middle school, together they successfully avoided the rampant fights in the hallways. The school they attended taught them almost nothing, so they would read books together. After high school, they all went to different police academies as they were the only places in the empire where teachers actually do their jobs. \n\n“I am Captain Summerwood,” He displayed his badge, “Lieutenant Ellis, I am here to investigate you for corruption.” \n\nShelly disbelieved what she heard next. \n\n“You are Zach Ellis from Department Green, correct?”\n\n“That’s right.” Ellis replied, then turned to the confused Captain: “ I am Zachery Ellis of Department Green, and my mission is to investigate you for corruption, Captain Shelly.”\n\n“What?” \n\n“That is correct, the Green Department’s captain concluded that you are suspicious of corruption due to not convicting enough officers.” Declared Ellis, replacing the purple badge with his real, green one. \n\nFrost chimed in: “So you are investigating me because I’ve been too active, and he is investigating you because you’re not active enough?” \n\n“Seems so, also for your information my investigation is on the entire Green Department’s practice of undercovering in other departments. I wouldn’t put past it them if they did something illegal for that. For example that fake badge,” Said Summerwood. \n\nThey stared at each other and got to work again. None of them ever stopped and question the gigantic waste of resources. \n\nOn the road beside the house, the speedometer of almost every car was clocking way above the legal limit. None of them even stopped at the sight of two police cars parked in the driveway. \n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nAn afternoon of questioning and searching past, and no decisive result was found by anyone.\n\nThe three officers sighed, preparing to walk out empty-handed when Frost stared at the sunset. \n\n“Wanna grab a drink together?” He asked. \n\nAs they walked towards the pub together, groups gathered in the shadows, the four officers paid no attention that way. \n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nThe castle is furnished with lavish gold. The queen smiled, pacing on the balcony with a wine glass in her grasp. \n\nBesides her is the Chief of the Police-police, wearing a unique golden emblem. \n\n“Very commendable, a truly brilliant design.” commented the queen, “The smartest conflicting among themselves and all the real issues overlooked.” \n\nThe chief simply stood in silence, thinking. \n\nBelow the balcony, away from the castle, hiding in places unscathed by the heat of the sun, small cracks in the peaceful facade expands…", "A policeman is an incredibly honorable and highly respected profession. This is what I thought all throughout my childhood. My birth-name is Bartolomeu, however I always go by Bart. It had always been my dream to become a police officer, they make more money than any other job, they have the best benefits and job security. It’s no surprise that everyone is becoming a police officer. To become police the competition is incredibly high, most people attempting to become police simply end up as janitors or chore-boys their whole life. There are several different types of police, the grunt workers, and the true police. Grunt workers do basic arrests, and small scale crime work. True police officers are held to a higher standard and require extraordinary skill to obtain. True police work on taking down notorious gangs that control cities everywhere. Therefore skill is an absolute must, when in these situations.\n\nOnly the best manage to become true police. I have always been physically gifted, I’m 6’5 and 250lbs of muscle, and I never take this luck for granted. I would always win any fight at school, and I was naturally stronger than everyone else. Because of my gifts, I plan to make this world a safer place one step at a time. I know that it’s up to the strong to protect the weak, and I believe I will rise to the occasion. I trained almost my entire life working towards becoming a policeman, I made sure to eat right and work out consistently. I managed to get a masters in criminal justice, and I passed the practice police exam with a 97%. \n\nThe physical exam for becoming police is incredibly brutal. Only the top three in the physical test and written exam even have a chance to become a policeman. \n\nThe physical exam is incredibly difficult, where you get points based on how well you do in each aspect of the exam. The physical exam is different in each state, places with low crime will have lower requirements and smaller competition. Places with high crime require a high amount of physical ability, therefore the requirements are much harder. The competition is significantly harder in these states as well. People who become policeman in high crime states earn $1,200,000 dollars per year on average. Breaks will be done periodically during each exam. Physical exams happen twice per year, each year an average of only 2 people will become true policemen in high crime areas. I live in New York, a high crime area, and one of the most competitive states with the highest amount of criminal organizations. \n\nThe physical exam is composed of 5 different sections testing physicality:\n\n1. Strength: Benchpress 300lbs for as many reps as you can. Immediately after, deadlift 600lbs for as many reps as you can. Then squat 480lbs for as many reps as you can.\n\n2. Stamina: Be able to run carrying a 200lb bag up a 3 mile uphill mountain within at least 30 minutes. The fastest times will get the most points.\n\n3. Coordination: Be able to shoot within the target from distances of 100m- 1,500m using a variety of different guns. \n\n4. Flexibility and mobility: Complete an obstacle course involving high jumps and long jumps. It also includes hanging off of steep ledges and climbing across. It involves rock climbing as well as swimming. \n\n5. Speed: 100m sprint in under 12 seconds. Fastest times get the most points. \n\nThe written exam is composed of 3 separate exams. Each exam is 500 questions, each question requires a written answer which will be reviewed by staff. The questions revolve around many different aspects, including legal situations as well as on the job questions. \n\nThe work of true policemen is incredibly difficult. They work every day with little break time, constantly work on taking down the biggest crime organizations. There are only around 30 true policeman per state on average, each working towards taking down large organizations. And only the best policemen get to work on the police capital Empire State. There only the smartest and well accomplished policemen can go there. The empire makes decisions on all aspects of policework, those who work there are the elite of the elite. The state is so well protected, there is rarely any crime. \n\nEach state’s police force reports to the empire( the police state capital). The empire controls all aspects of police, and because of this tensions will often arise. Some states disagree with having 1 police state control everything. The horrible part of all this, is it’s the empire’s job to manage corruption within police. Recently the empire found that several states were involved with several criminal organizations.\n\nEdit: got kind of burnt out, I tried to focus so much on the world building that I forgot to make an actual story." ]	3
	[WP] Putting together a jigsaw puzzle you bought at a bazaar earlier today, you realize the ordinary landscape you thought you bought is slowly turning out to be your living room. And a man with a knife standing behind you. You roll your eyes. Before he can make his kill, you're standing behind him.	[ "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.", "Beautiful puzzle, although the man standing behind me with a knife was disconcerting.\n\nI noticed him as I worked on the puzzle. What started as the usual landscape twisted slowly into my living room. He was there in both, but the supposed victim wasn't in the landscape. As the puzzle came together, the image shifted until I held the last piece.\n\nThe sense of both impending doom and glorious victory filled me as I held the last piece. I thought, \"if I look around, I die. You never turn around slowly in a horror/slasher movie.\"\n\nThe last piece descends to the tabletop. \"If this piece sets in place, I die.\"\n\nThat didn't make sense. What's the point if you can only die?\n\nThe puzzle changes as you assemble it. Call it high tech or high magic; it's replaying reality with changes. If it can make changes, so can I. In the last centimeter before the piece fits in, I concentrate. I stand behind him, my revolver already in my hand and cocked.\n\nI hear a sudden inhalation, too late! The final piece snaps home.\n\n\"Don't move.\"\n\nThe man from the puzzle sags. \"Do it. It will be a relief.\"\n\n\"Why?\"\n\n\"Why what? The puzzle? My existence? How it works?\"\n\n\"Why, all of it.\"\n\n\"That is a long tale.\"\n\n\"We have time.\"\n\nHe talked for hours about how he felt about his situation—the whole thing. As much as he tried to play the victim, it was his fault. All of it. All of those deaths for a wicked man who did not regret anything he had done.\n\n\"You want to live?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"You want to get out of this curse?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"Disassemble the puzzle.\"\n\nI saw the possibilities run across his face.\n\n\"Do you mean that in all this time, you never thought of that?\"\n\nNo, he had thought of it but was a coward on top of everything else.\n\n\"You've thought of it many times and always backed away from that chance. Not this time. You'll disassemble the puzzle, or...\"\n\n\"You'll kill me, which releases me from the curse!\"\n\n\"Oh, no. I won't kill you. That would be easy for you to take. It would give you precisely what you want. Freedom. Freedom to start killing again, by your choice.\n\n\"No, no, no death for you.\"\n\nOf course, he lunged at me. I put a round into his knee. He screams like a little girl.\n\n\"No tolerance for pain? You have another knee, you know. Other major joints. Places that I can inflict pain for days without killing you.\"\n\nHe looked at me in horror. Honestly, this act was making me sick to my stomach. That just enhanced the act, the pale, off-color skin: the elongated face, the overly long legs, and arms. The paler I got, the more like a monster I looked.\n\nIt got me typecast with a vengeance, but the work as a monster or villain never stopped, and they're right, you know. Playing the bad guy is so much more fun than being the hero. Only this wasn't playing. I'd smell that coppery sewage for the rest of my life. Assuming I could get it out of the rug at all.\n\nNah, just replace it. I hated that beige carpet for years. I just couldn't justify the grief of getting it replaced.\n\n\"No! No. I'll do it! No more pain.\"\n\nHe must have interpreted my decision as a choice to shoot him again.\n\n\"You know where the puzzle is.\"\n\n\"A hand?\"\n\n\"Not on my life. You'll take the slightest opportunity to kill me.\"\n\nHis face distorted into what must be the first honest expression in all those hours: rage and cowardice.\n\n\"Get moving, or lose the other knee.\"\n\nOh, part of my stock in trade, a voice that can shiver your spirit until you realize I've told a joke. Directors love it and like to surprise the other actors with it. He has a photographer standing by and a videographer. The idea is to catch that first reaction to the voice, so they can see it whenever they need inspiration.\n\n\"MOVE!\" Cocking the pistol again.\n\nFinally, he moves. As he's about to lift the first piece, \"whatever happens; may you receive exactly what you deserve.\"\n\nIt is said that the most potent curse there is, is \"may you receive exactly what you deserve.\" I see it differently. If you have been a good person, then good things should happen, and vice verse.\n\nBut what happens if you've been a bad person yet suffered enough that you should be relieved of a curse?\n\nThe look of fear and gratitude as he removed the first piece was answer enough. The piece came free of the puzzle, he disappeared, and it dropped to the floor.\n\n•••\n\n\"You mean that's where the puzzle built into your living room table came from?!?\"\n\n\"Looks like it, doesn't it?\"\n\n\"Oh, sure. You have a magical puzzle embedded in your table where only God knows what disaster would free it and the piece hovering over the open place.\"\n\n\"It's there, isn't it? The picture changes when no one is looking, doesn't it?\"\n\n\"Yeah, so show me the projector that changes the picture.\"\n\n\"There isn't one.\"\n\n\"Okay, you've had your fun—time to get some practice in on the script.\"\n\nSo we do. As my incredulous guest leaves, he makes one more comment. \"I don't understand why you would have that horrid thing on your living room, even if it is a fantastic illusion. You certainly don't need the inspiration!\"\n\n\"No, I don't. I keep it for two reasons. One of them is for inspiring heroes to strive their best, by showing them a monster beyond belief that must be defeated.\"\n\n\"And the other?\"\n\n\"That's for you to figure out.\"\n\n\"Always with the games! See you on set tomorrow!\"\n\n\"God be with you.\"\n\nMy more introspective guest looks at me. \"It's all true, isn't it.\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"You keep it around to remind you not to become like him.\"\n\n\"Yes. Among other lesser reasons.\"\n\n\"Do you think that likely?\"\n\nCurious, but with a thought to help.\n\n\"How long have I played the most vile of villains and monsters?\"\n\n\"Hm. You started in 1920, it's 1973 now, that would be 53 years.\"\n\n\"And as terrifying as they are, I can feel parts of them slipping into me. I fight back with my jokes, pranks, and mysterious but silly quests that I put others through. They're all in fun, and no one is harmed.\"\n\n\"I see. What will happen to the puzzle when you pass?\"\n\n\"That, my friend, is up to you.\"\n\n•••\n\n\"Mr. Smith?\"\n\n\"Yes?\"\n\n\"Special delivery package for you, please sign here.\"\n\n\"But where is the package?\"\n\n\"In my truck down stairs. It's a coffee table according to the manifest. Heavier than I would have expected.\"\n\n\"I will sign.\"\n\nHuh... A letter outside the container.\n\n•••\n\nHello My Old Friend, \n\nAs it always does, time wins in the end. You probably already figured this out, but it's the puzzle. If you decide to keep it, may it serve you as well as it did me. If you decide to destroy it, I am reliably informed that any active volcano with a lava pit should suffice. Although more modern practice suggests putting it in an orbit that will intersect the sun.\n\nYours In Spirit, \n£¢€¥\n\n•••\n\nI don't know how it happened, but his name is blotted out. Looking at the package, there is no shipper label. I go to look him up on the internet, I cannot find him. This is wrong! I look up the last movie we played in, there is no picture, and the credit is unknown.\n\nMy fear rises, this is not happening. It cannot happen, yet it is. I hear the sounds of violence from inside the crate. No. I will not look. I would rather remember my old friend as he was.\n\nSo be it.\n\n\"Apollo Shipping? Yes, I have a package for delivery. Where? Where is the nearest volcano with an active lava caldera?\"\n\n((finis))", "“Wha-?!” The man starts and, sensing your presence behind him, whirls around to strike at you. With the ease of long practice you knock the knife in his hand across the room, where it clatters you a stop under a chest of drawers.\n\n“But, how?!”\n\n“Dude, I’m cursed. You’re like the 7th inter-fictional assassin I’ve faced this week.”\n\n“That’s ridicu- wait, 7th this week?!”\n\n“Yeah, I had 2 on Wednesday and 3 yesterday. Friend wanted to binge watch old movies he’d found in his attic. I warned him it wasn’t a good idea.”\n\n“Who the hell did you piss off?”\n\nYou sit down with a huff in your overstuffed armchair. “I don’t know, man. The way my mom tells it I set off a bottle rocket that downed the neighborhood’s power lines once when I was like 7 and that’s when it started. First one was the pirate captain from James and the giant peach.”\n\n“Woah.”\n\n“Meh, could’ve been worse. At least it wasn’t the shark.” You stretch, “so, what now? You gonna fade away like the rest of ‘em?”\n\nThe man takes a moment to look around and then pull the bandana down from his face. “I don’t know, this place has a good feel to it.”\n\nYou raise an eyebrow “Promise you won’t try to kill me and protect me from the other assassins and you pay half the rent. I’ll cover food.”\n\nHe raises an eyebrow in return. “Can’t protect you if I’m having to work all the time.”\n\nYou smile. You’ve never met one of these with a sense of humor before. “I’ve survived so far. I think I can handle it while you’re away.”\n\nThe man crosses his arms, looks down, and taps his foot for a bit, considering. Finally he looks back up. “Well, I reckon you got yourself a deal.”\nHe holds out a hand.\n\nYour grin grows a bit more and you take his hand. “Deal.”", "Pieces made of old cardboard lay strewn on his coffee table. Highlights of white and black on an otherwise oakey brown surface. Made apparent by its smell, it had stood the test of time and was definitely second hand; although wasn't advertised as such. Some pieces frail, with the surface of their lips rising from fingertip abuse over the years.\n\nThe challenge was anything but. Lines connect to lines, bringing to life a design yet to be realised. It was unremarkable, boring and lacked any flavour of colour to stimulate anything within the puzzle master's brain. He scratched his head, a long index nail tracing his thinning hair; a hopeless reminder of what many turns around the sun brings. He was once an athlete, but where there once was trophies, stood only completed puzzles of the previous year. A photo of his wife was also among the puzzles displayed on the shelves, her beautiful grey hair had partially covered her face while she laughed. A painful reminder of sweet times passed.\n\nEureka! Almost complete. His hands work the cardboard like a woodworker on a lathe, a soldier with his rifle, a writer with his pen. In front of him, without any real consideration for the design itself, lay a complete puzzle; minus two pieces. He reached into the puzzle box and snatched the pieces in excitement, another puzzle down, another hour without thinking of her. He placed the first piece down, sinking into its place, beautifully satisfying. Although this feeling soon vanished as its dreadfully unusual design revealed it had a word on it... \"You\". The puzzle master paused to collect his thoughts. The piece was old and greying, and it's placement was almost central to the floorplan of this grand artwork. A floorplan all too familiar.\n\nHe slowly raised the final piece to his eyeline, bringing it close as his eyes were no longer as good as his youth. \"The killer\". The puzzle master remained quiet, before letting out a loud snort of amusement. \"How strange.\" he thought out loud. The puzzle lay before him, waiting for the final piece, to which the puzzle master obliged.\n\nAs he placed the piece in its spot with a gentle slap, the feelings of pride and achievement was absent. This was no win; as the final piece came with the awful realisation. He by no means designed this house, nor built it. He had just bought it after an inspection with his lovely other. But it was now apparent that, laid before him, was 244 Endeavour Road, his little humble home of 7 years. If the puzzle was anything to go off, someone should be behind him. \n\nA simple fix! The puzzle master laughed to himself. He picked up the remaining pieces and, despite not fitting into the puzzle itself, reversed their places. He should now be behind this dreaded killer, a hilarious thought until he slapped the pieces into place. \n\nIt was overstimulating. He had lost his balance and fallen back, despite sitting on his couch, of which had ceased to exist. His vision flashed as if he had blinked a new location. He hit the ground with a mighty thud before rolling onto his back. His eyes never left the man in all black swinging with a knife, now to his front. It rang aloud as it hit the coffee table, of which was deafened when a large object crashed through his shelved wall and a million previously completed puzzle pieces exploded everywhere. The puzzle master was in complete shock, but now wasn't the time for shock, he had to navigate this chaos.\n\nThere wasn't time for thinking, just doing. At first he bargained with the man, as he was pulling his knife from the table, embedded in part of the puzzle. He was only a frail old man, what good would fighting bring? The killer wasn't convinced. He moved from the coffee table, side stepped the couch elegantly and delivered a strong thrust of the knife into the puzzle master's belly, sliding in like the last piece of the puzzle. The pain was indescribable, but he had no moment to reflect on this, the puzzle master pushed away the killer who still had hold of the grip, freeing the knife in a sickly ring. \n\nConjuring any strength left, he made his way for the puzzle; the killer in slow pursuit. He tried to free the last piece from its place, but found it too difficult in his weak state. Blood stained the corner of the puzzle as he stood over it, turning the corner of his carpet into a bloody mess. In his attempt to remove the Killer's piece, he only succeeded in covering the killer in blood from his fingertips, which gave the puzzle master an idea.\n\nHe picked up the \"You\" piece with ease, as the corner was peeling off. He slapped it down behind the killer. Again, overstimulating every sense he had as he appeared behind the killer, although a fruitless attempt as he now had no plan to attack. The killer was still in a stunned silence, confused as to what had happened, and where the puzzle master had ended up. The puzzle master used this to his advantage and rushed to the board, using the couch to create space between him and the killer. They both began their standoff around the coffee table, the killer would move right and the puzzle master would move left, a dance of survival. This gave the master enough time to think of a plan. He punched the killer's piece with the bottom of his fist, hoping to maim him, to no success. It had no influence on him. He then picked up the killer's piece, and moved him to the back of the room. The killer appeared where he was placed, before he began his approach. The puzzle master, weakened and bleeding heavily, continued to place the killer to the same part of the puzzle, buying him time to think as the killer was in a perpetual loop. \n\nBlood and puzzle pieces littered the floor, providing the idea of escape. The puzzle master carefully picked up the puzzle, it's pieces flexing in its fight with gravity. The killer approached rapidly to end this pathetic fight. The master took control of the killer's piece and held the puzzle to his chest to maintain control of it. He moved the killer right beside him and slapped the piece. The killer appeared, towering over the master. His hand thrusting forward immediately, making impact into the puzzle. It was too quick for the master to move the killer piece in line with the strike, the knife entering where the couch was while also moving through his right lung. A large knife entered from the roof and skewered the couch below. The killer pulled the knife back and pulled the couch piece with it. He lined up for his second strike, but so did the master. With the killer's thrust, the master met it with the killer's piece. A large blade launched through the wall, moving through the shelf with his wife's picture, and exploded the top half of the killer with raw kinetic power. Only his legs and lower torso remained, while the remaining bits were strewn around the lounge room, like a new puzzle's pieces at the start of an assembly.\n\nThe knife still remained in the killer's piece, in the room, and in the masters right lung. He stumbled to the floor and let the puzzle drop and shatter to its individual pieces. On the floor, he laid, staring at the partially destroyed photo of his wife. He reached out and pulled her in, the back displayed writing in his neat and small handwriting.\n\n\"Happy Birthday Gwen! Smile through the pain my love. -Norman\"\n\nHe held the photo close, covering it in sticky blood. The pain was fading, yet throbbing. Norman pulled the knife from his chest, releasing more blood from his mouth and chest. He was drowning in his own red goo. He felt the ground for the pieces to find his own, to no success. \n\nNorman, hugging Gwen for the last time, begun stabbing pieces he had found on the ground; a way to end his suffering. The large knife would plow through the ceiling in different places as he worked through, hoping to find the piece of his position. It was a battle between finding his piece, or bleeding out.\n\nUnfortunately for Norman, the battle had been won by one of those competitors five minutes later." ]	4
	[WP] somehow you come across an old cell phone. It can’t connect to a network no matter how hard you try or who you take it to. But one day you discover you can receive texts... from ghosts.	[ "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 receiving the same news for the third time - the phone had absolutely no data on it - I decided it was time to give up on the old, abandoned phone. I mean, it didn't have a SIM card, or any memory, or any way at all to figure out who it had once belonged to. That would have all been fine and good, considering it was an outdated BlackBerry, except that the battery was brand new.\n\nI was still trying to puzzle out who would buy a brand new battery, put it in a phone, and then leave it on a bus station bench, when I walked into my apartment. I scrutinized the phone one last time before tossing it onto my desk, where it was promptly buried underneath my work papers, and I completely forgot about it.\n\n\\\\\\\n\nA week later, I was sitting at my desk, doing some last minute work when my phone buzzed at me. I riffled through the absolute mess of papers on my desk until I saw the lit up screen at the corner of the desk. I reached for it and almost immediately knew something was wrong. It was black, like my phone, but the shape was wrong. It was an old BlackBerry. That's when I remembered what this phone was.\n\nI turned it on and it went straight to the home screen, no password required. There was a little red 2 in the corner of the messaging app, which took me off guard. The phone had been unable to connect to any network, so it shouldn't be possible to text it. Still, my curiosity got the best of me, and I tapped on the app.\n\nThe two messages were from the same person. An unknown number. I opened them.\n\nIs someone there?\n\nHelp me.* \n\nWas this some sort of joke? My gut told me that it wasn't, but I didn't really understand what was happening. My fingers were hovering over the keyboard when another message came through.\n\nI'm trapped. Someone help me.\n\nEven though it was only a text, I felt a surreal sense of urgency behind the words. If someone needed my help, I would do whatever I could to provide that help. So I texted back.\n\nWho is this?\n\nKate Morgan\n\nA second after I received her answer, another unknown number sent me a text.\n\nHelp me.\n\nThen another.\n\nHelp me.\n\nConfused, but determined to figure out what was going on, I asked them both the same question I'd asked Kate: Who is this?\n\nJoe Bush was the first reply.\n\nMartha the Red Lady was the second.\n\nTheir replies sent a chill running down my spine. Their names were strangely familiar. I turned to my computer and a quick Google search confirmed my theory. All three of them were famous ghosts.\n\nThe chill of the supernatural came over me as I looked at the phone in my hand. In the amount of time it had taken me to Google the three of them, three more texts asking for help had appeared.\n\nI was one of those people who did believe in ghosts, and I think that's why I did what I did. Holding the phone carefully, I replied to Kate. \n\nHow can I help you?\n\nHer reply was immediate: Avenge me.\n\nI stared at the two words for a long time. Did I really want to do this? Did I really want to become some strange type of ghost vigilante?\n\nYes." ]	2
	[WP] Bonding over amateur astronomy, a parent and child go out late one night when Earth is bright in the sky	[ "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.", "“No matter how far we stretch our fingers into the inky blackness of space and no matter how hard we sieve through the stars and rocks which litter the cosmos, we have yet to find any trace of sentient life. We are alone,” I read aloud. The soft blue glow of the tablet before me dims as I stow it under the bench, and my eyes slowly adjust to the darkness in the room. It’s just us here in the viewing room today. Not many people enjoy watching the solar system, but I suppose you start taking it for granted to it after seeing it each day. \n\nToby tugs at my sleeve from beside me, “I don’t think that’s true. There has to be something out there.” His eyes are fixated on the massive window before us and the hundreds of thousands of stars shining and blinking. \n\n“Well, there’s definitely people who share your belief,” I reply as I begin to push a box filled with telescopes and star charts from below the bench. These long excursions to the viewing room have started to become weekly tradition with Toby and me. As soon as I took him here once, he became enamored with the idea of being one of the astronauts who searched space for a new home. Good for him, children should be excited about something, it’s an important part of childhood I wish I had more of. Also, it gives Anna some time to focus on little newborn Jen, which is a nice bonus.\n\nToby has already propped the telescope up, stretching out the tube and powering up the magnification. Peeking through the lens, he begins to search for interesting sights. “The dying star we saw for the past few days is gone, dad.” \n\n“Well, it was bound to happen eventually. I’m sure it became a...” I let my sentence linger for a moment. \n\n“Black hole, because it was so big. It probably fell apart and its gravity field caused it to eat itself,” Toby quickly finishes where I left off. Pausing for a moment to think, he messes with the magnification on the telescope, “What should we look at now?”\n\n“I actually have something a bit special planned,” I begin, flipping through some of the guidebooks, “You always ask me so many questions about Earth, so maybe you should just see it for yourself? We’re finally in an orbital position around the sun where the its glare shouldn’t block our view anymore.” Finding the page for Earth, I start to calibrate the telescope. \n\n“Let me do it,” Toby snatches the book out of my hands and begins working on it himself. After a short while, he glances up at me, “Is the book wrong?” I point towards the scaling on the side of the scope and shake my head. Green numbers lining the edge of the tube indicate where the telescope will focus its lens, and I see Toby toy with the knobs a bit. “It’s not much different from any other star,” he finally says, “Is that it? It could be Venus or Mercury.”\n\nI take my turn peering through the lens. There is a truth to his statement, Earth is just another glowing orb sitting among many others in space, but the way light at the edge of the planet seems to shimmer and bend indicates a large amount of water. My voice falters for a bit, “Yes, I can see why you would say that. There is a subtle difference between Earth and most other planets, due to its oceans, but I suppose I could be making it out to be more than it actually is. Might be a bit of bias on my side.”\n\n“You’re a primary source for all this earth stuff though, right? Not even my teachers can really tell me much about what it was like to live on Earth.” Toby is right, I’m one of the last generations who still remembers old life. The old normal. It’s a bit strange to imagine that more than half of the people aboard this ship were either born here or too young to remember leaving the planet. \n\n“I’m pretty sure Mr. Malconvi could tell you about earth. He’s quite a bit older than me. On a second thought,” I quickly backtrack, “don’t ask him anything about Earth. It would probably be in very poor taste.” Before Toby can ask any questions, I continue, “He was in the army, right? His time on Earth may have not been very nice, and I’m sure you don’t like it when people remind you of bad moments of your life.”\n\nToby nods, “Well if he can’t tell me anything I want you to tell me something. You’ve already told me about what life was like: blue skies, wind, animals. Really, it doesn’t seem that much different from my life. What’s so special about Earth? Why does everyone make such a big deal about it?”\n\n“Technology is really something, isn’t it Toby? Well back in my day, when I first got on this ship-”\n\n“Don’t even start that dad,” Toby interrupts me. \n\nI chuckle, “Alright. Well, I’ll just begin at the start. Back on Earth, life wasn’t so different from what it was up here, millions of kilometers up in space. But people were getting really upset with each other- big, important people. It’s all politics and even today, politics makes my head spin, so you can imagine how poorly 10 year old me understood it.” I pause and carefully plan the rest of my story, picking each word slowly, “Well, when people get upset with each other, they fight, and fighting isn’t any good. People get hurt, even people not involved in the fight.”\n\n“They did it with guns and bombs and that, yeah? Like a big war or something, where people are fighting for freedom or something”\n\n“What are they showing you on those cartoons you watch? I’m going to have to be a little more careful with your screen time. But regardless, that’s why we had to leave. The fighting hurt too many people, too many homes. When I was just under 11, around your age, we had to board this ship and just go. The first years were rough but thankfully it all smoothed out.”\n\nToby scrunches up his brow, “That still doesn’t explain why people make such a big deal about Earth. You basically just moved house, like what Alice did last year. Your old house has some cool memories and stuff, but your new house is cool too.”\n\n“Well, the scientists and engineers who power this ship work very hard to do so. They have to worry about food, water, oxygen, and way more I’m probably unaware of. On Earth, we don’t have to worry about that as much,” I stare off longingly into the stars. I always believed this ship situation was just temporary. Looking down at Toby, I try to remember what my youth was like. The days blur together, but I remember it being filled with worry, and watching my own parents fret about our future. Not knowing where my friends or classmates suddenly went, why I had to leave without saying goodbye. It was much like moving in a sense, just much more sudden. \n\n“It’ll have to be a huge planet then, to fit all of us in it.”\n\n“Oh, don’t you worry about that, I’m sure even a planet half as large as Earth will be able to suit us nicely. It’s just a question of finding one we can live on. Now we’re getting to things you know about, things you learned in school, like ecosystems and that sort.” I slowly try to change the subject.\n\nNodding, Toby starts peering into the telescope again, “Yeah. But I guess I know why everyone seems to want to find a new planet so bad. It just means doing less work. I get that. I'd also really like to walk on one in the future.” He suddenly blinks and looks at me, “If Earth was so big, how did they fit everyone into this ship?”\n\nI knew this question was coming. “Toby, I honestly don’t know. I think a scientist or engineer might know better. They’re probably busy keeping the ship together though, so don’t go bothering them too much about it.” Just one look at his squinted eyes tells me he isn’t convinced. I still get the feeling it would be much wiser not to say anything, however, and simply allow this moment to pass. Someday he will grow up and learn why, but now is certainly not the time. He is still young, and his generation will be carrying humanity’s future. The least I can do for him is allow him his carefree youth. I feel he won’t have it for long. \n\n~\n\nThank you for reading, if you have comments or criticisms, please don't be afraid to make them heard. I am always trying to improve.", "Maybe it was less painful for her because she could not remember the planet.\n\n\nYet looking to the sky, beyond the four moons of Gaia and Mars beyond them. there it was. Of course, he had spent years memorizing it’s position relative to all other stars, be it from the constant feeling of being homesick on this strange, supernatural planet or the wonder that came with the realization that they were no longer bound to the political idologies of Earth. \n\n\nShe always asked questions about the stars, especially on nights like this. Their mountain home, free of the burden of the very restricted lights of the cities nearby, showed the galaxy and stars more clearly. The moons, obviously, blocked out much, but they could never quite block out Earth. “That’s home,” he had said once, only to earn a very baffled look. “It’s where our kind comes from.”\n\n\n“Then why aren’t we there now?” she had pressed, being no older than seven. There was no way to explain how the consumer demand brought on by flawed political systems fueled by toxins released into the air and water is why they were there. There was no way to explain to her the hard life he had had before coming to Gaia, why her mother had been refused medical treatment for being black and being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and how that is what led to her appendix killing her.\n\n\nThere was no way to explain how cruel humans were, and how horrid some still acted. Yet now, at age twenty, he spoke to her about those things on the quiet, star-filled nights. The racism, the abnlism, the general hostility to all who were different in appearance or believed differently. He did his best to not let his pre-set dispositions get in the way of her mind and how she grew, but it was hard. Here and now, with her back from college for the summer, she asked, “What exactly forced us to leave Earth?”\n\n\n“Our own hubris,” was the very simple response. His eyes didn’t move from the sky as he spoke, though she rolled her head to the side to watch him speak. “We were cruel to nature. We took too much too quickly and kept demanding more. Everyone who fought to protect it were chastised and labeled hysterical.” He raised one hand up, making a slight gesture. “So the people with the money and resources went to war with each other. But they made those who had even a dime less than them fight those battles. Radiation, gas, anything was permitted, and no one dared speak up against it. All but maybe one or two of those families died out by refusing to leave the planet and accept the terms laid before them.”\n\n\n“What were those terms?” she asked quickly, before his memories could take over.\n\n\nIt took a moment, even for the political historian, to rack his brian to remember. “Something about handing over or giving up most of their wealth and not taking in so much ever again,” he replied, frowning a little as he thought. What was the word? Oh, right. “They used propaganda- which is pretty much just being racist, ablist, and spreading as thick of lies as you can- to try and convince as many people to stay as they could. The dumb stayed, but we didn’t need them breeding, and most of the working classes saw the chances at better lives and ran like hell.”\n\n\n“I remember someone talking about that,” she mused, rubbing her eyes a little. “I didn’t think much of it then. Something about how it must’ve been a shock for the masters to see their servants all turn tail and flee at once, and how those that did stay were fighting to drag as much of their families with them.” That was true. It was a big scandal about how the political parties were fighting to keep as many humans in their control and were deploying as many tactics as they could. “Did they really gas people as they got onto the ships?”\n\n\nHe still had a scar on the front of his shoulder where and over-full, overly hot tear gas canister hit him at full force and cracked. The only reason he knew it was tear gas is because when he woke up in the hospital on the planet, they said it to him. She didn’t have need for that information, though, so he just hummed in confirmation, and it fell silent again.\n\n\nShe was undoubtedly thinking about those who refused to go, who were killed by their own kind to prevent them from leaving, or maybe those who were hurt in the process of getting there. He was thinking of all the species they could have saved had they reached out for help sooner. Would his wife still be alive? His parents? His siblings? He wanted to cry with the pit in his chest but couldn’t because he had cried about it too much in the past. He had mourned them and so many others and couldn’t bear to do it again.\n\n\n“Will our kind ever see it again?” she finally asked, her voice tight as if she wasn’t sure about the response.”\n\n\n“Maybe one day. I hope we do.”" ]	3
	[WP] The King rises halfway through the dinner. "Do not mind the mild sourness of the meal, that is just the powerful poison I had added." A servant brings a platter of phials. "The antidote is here. Now I'm going to ask some questions. You should think carefully about your answers."	[ "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 King walked closer, his eyes pinning the man to his seat. He began to sweat. His vision blurred. Pain shot down his limbs, his chest tightened and his breathing became hectic. The King strode forward and retrieved a glass vial from the platter. \"This, I believe is the antidote.\" He moved slowly, letting the effects of the poison linger. There was death creeping through the man's body. The end would soon come unless he said what the King wanted to hear.\n\n\"Where are the orbs?\" The King asked. His voice was deep in the man's head. His breathing was heavy as he searched his mind for a lie that would not burst into a new realm of pain. \n\nThe man begged, \"Please, your grace. I don't know. By the living heavens – I don't know.\" He gasped for air as tendrils of darkness swirled in his eyes. The black magic was taking hold, and every moment there was more of the poison flowing into his system, attacking his mind and body with agonizing pain.\n\n\"Lying is unbecoming of your station, Beck,\" the King said softly. The darkness was starting to engulf the man, his body, his soul. Shrill screams filled his ears. He was in pain, but the King was not stopping. He pressed on.\n\n\"Gahhh! Let me die! Just let me die!\" His blackened, gray eyes pleaded. Teeth clenched.\n\nKing Tenebris chuckled, \"This is necromancer's magic. It leaves the flesh, but it eats away at the soul, burning until nothing is left.\" Beck raised his hands, black tendrils rippled over his skin, and he screamed in torment. The jaws of hell opened around him, and he flailed for dear life.\n\nDisbelief was stifling his mind, \"No, no, no.\" It was too much.\n\n\"You must know.\" The King said, his voice stronger, louder.\n\n\"Hnnnn!\" Beck struggled to speak. \"I told you I don't know!\" His skin turned gray, burned black where the tendrils swirled. The King moved in.\n\n\"You're lying.\" The King said, savoring the life slipping out of the man's grasp. He held the vial of antidote closer to the man's lips. \"Where are they?\" He whispered. His voice, deep and sinister, disappeared into the hellish abyss consuming the man's very mind and soul.\n\nBeck let out a terrible cry. His body contorted, dark veins bulged from his arms. He groaned as the poison burned through his body. In his mind, there was a glimpse of the orbs, an image of a meeting with a dark priest. An enemy of Tenebris and his Kingdom, the only thing that could stop him. \n\n\"The orbs,\" Beck gasped once more, then clenched his jaw. \"They're in the temple of Fallkirk.\" It was at this moment Beck knew he had unleashed a terrible evil upon the land. In the hands of Tenebris, a King consumed by hate, they would be the doom of the land.\n\nKing Tenebris jerked backward, shocked at the information he received. The King's eyes flickered with red fire. Beck lay sprawled on the floor, writhing in agony. His eyes were black pits now. Haunted. Empty. Tenebris stepped on Beck's frail hand as he put the vial in his pocket. His bones crunched under the King's boot, leaving only dust.\n\nLeontius stood silent for a moment, then turned to the guardsmen. \"Have my horse readied.\" He then looked down at the desiccated body of the man whose soul had departed this realm. His physical self remained, while his mind had gone to the depths of hell.\n\n\"Let him rot in the catacombs,\" the Leontius said without remorse, sending him to an eternity of pain, a fate worse than death.", " As the youngest of five siblings, Jonathan was never supposed to take the throne. That honor was supposed to have gone to his eldest brother Arthur, or his other brother Francis. He was supposed to work as a knight of the realm or perhaps even travel the world as a dignitary. But at age fourteen, all of those childish ambitions were thrown out of the window. \n\nHis grandfather Harold IV was called ‘Harold the Wise’. His father Andrews was called ‘Andrew the Gentle’. Both men were hailed as innovators, overturning years of crime and corruption from the preceding dynasty. They were good men from humble beginnings, but they were still assassinated along with the rest of the family while on holiday, an event that Jonathan only missed because he had been ill and could not travel with them.\n\nNow here he was, in the great hall with all of his advisors and nobles, staring at them with as much intimidation as the young king could muster after his chilling announcement. \n\n“Y-your majesty please, what is the meaning of this?” an elderly man, Cain of House Hawthorn, the Master of Coin stammered. \n\n“My family was killed not two moons ago, and we have yet to find answers,” Jonathan stated coldly. “So now I am getting them by force.” \n\n“Please your majesty, we are all loyal to the crown,” shouted Lady Cassandra of House Alastor. “No one here would be audacious enough to betray House Mondlicht.” \n\n“And yet, my family died while on holiday in a castle that only the people assembled here knew of.” Jonathan continued “So unless you wish your last moment to be in complete agony, I strongly advise all of you to talk and quickly.”\n\n“Please sir, House Sevoria has always been loyal.” Lord Marcus pleaded. \n\n“Lies and slander! Everyone knows your house is full of slimy gits!” shouted Lady Silva of House Gardenia. “You served the tyrants for generations!”\n\n“If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black.” retorted Lord Henry of House Rozen. “Your grandfather refused to bend the knee unless he could ensure your marriage to Prince Mathais.” \n\n“What are implying Henry?”\n\n“He died not a month after your bore your son!” Lord Henry shouted, turning puce in the face. “If anyone is guilty of treason, it’s that harlot!”\n\nJonathan watched in amusement as all the nobles began to turn on each other, airing each one’s dirty laundry. Accusations of treason, embezzlement, piracy, and even affairs between married noble lord and ladies. \n\nIn the corner of the room, he could see his Master of Whispers and trusted cousin, Zephyr grinning like the mouser who caught a plump rat. The man would be very busy for the next several moons. \n\nBy the high moon, a third of the nobles were dead from their arrogance and the poison. Those who survived had to give an oath of loyalty to Jonathan before they were allowed a vial of the antidote. Zephyr would be riding out to the dead noble’s lands in the morning with his regiment to finish cleaning house. \n\nThus begun the reign of Jonathan the Cunning.", "My heart sank the second the word poison left his lips. Disappointment? Fear? Most likely a mix of both. I should’ve known. When did I slip up? My mind was silently racing, not forming a single word yet carefully weighing all my options. As the king approached me, a wave of his hand sending the servant out of the room, a single thought suddenly made itself known to me.\n\n“Night lilies” I said.\n\n“You know your poisons!” The king smiled. “Good. That means I don’t have to explain the time limit we have on our little conversation any further.”\n\nStarts slow. Barely noticeable unless you suspect it. Hint of the start of a headache, a bit of a dry throat. Maybe a quarter of an hour before sweating, shortness of breath, fever... Half an hour? Let’s just say I hoped the knife I’d been provided for dinner was sharp enough to not let me get that far.\n\nHe sat down in one of the chairs closer to mine. Not right next to me, he wasn’t stupid. I angled my own chair so I was directly facing him. I’d lost my appetite anyways.\n\n“Let’s start then, shall we? Who do you work for?”\n\n“Since it seems we don’t have to introduce each other, I think you already know that I can’t answer that.”\n\n“And that is a shame.”\n\nThe king glanced over at the phials near him. Seeming to be genuinely disappointed. What was his angle? If he knew who I was, he’d already know who I was working for. I was of no use to him.\n\n“Even if I did answer, what reason would you have to keep me alive?”\n\nHe froze for a second. It seemed like I’d hit the right question. The king looked at me once again.\n\n“I’d like to hire you.”\n\nThat. Was not what I was expecting.\n\n“It wasn’t you who slipped up. My informants, on pure luck, happened across correspondence about you. And even then, knowing exactly who you are, having you right under my nose, I had to pull all my strings to even get a name. And I have many strings to pull, I can assure you.”\n\nI briefly wondered if the night lilies had already taken my mind. I’d heard stories about the hallucinations. It’d make more sense than was actually happening. Yet as I went through the situation over and over again in my mind I can see the logic. \n\n“And you’d hire someone who gives in under torture?”\n\n“I’d hire someone who makes smart decisions.”\n\nI looked at him, for a moment, weighing my options one last time. \n\nI nod.\n\nHe slides me a phial." ]	4
	[WP] After being a castaway for so long you set foot on the first ship that approached you. Turned out that it was a haunted derelict. What really surprised you was the hospitality.	[ "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 wasn’t a religious person, no. I wasn’t superstitious either, no-\n\nIt was just that there was literally nothing else to believe right here, right now. \n\n“Want water?” Someone asked me, giving me a proffered water bottle. I stared at the man offering me the bottle as he pulled back and his translucent form changed colours from white to maroon. He rubbed at the back of his head, mumbling apologies.\n\n“Kid, ghosts don’t like to be stared at,” someone coughed across the room, catching my attention. I awkwardly looked away from the man, accepting the bottle with a noise of gratitude.\n\nThe man in turn, beamed at having successfully given me water and his form changed colour to yellow, like the sun as he gave a salute. \n\n“Argus at your service, sir!”\n\nThe man across the room laughed, form glowing orange as he guffawed and practically rolled off the bed. “Okay, Argus, I think you’re scaring them enough. They look like they’ve seen a ghost.”\n\n“But we ARE ghosts!”\n\n“That’s the whole point!”\n\nAgain, laughter. I felt like I was in a fever dream. The moment I had stepped on the ship, I was greeted by a headless figure and fainted. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming when I saw the ship in the distance and whooped when they saw my rescue signal. What I didn’t expect what the ghosts.\n\nArgus turned maroon again and promptly left the room, spluttering apologies in his wake. The man let out a few more quiet chortles, before sighing, wiping away a ghostly tear from his eye as his form colour settled back to white.\n\n“I’m sorry, Argus gets very excited when we have new visitors. We don’t get new people very much,” he explained. “We’ve been around since like... what? The 1800s? We only changed ships to fit the modernity of it all.” He gestured empathically at the ship walls. “As you might tell, we’re ghosts and we run this ship. We travel the world, I guess, picking up lost souls who don’t really have anywhere to go or any place to call home.”\n\n“So you’re like a band of outcasts,” I asked slowly.\n\n“The original crew, me and Argus included, came together in a port and we, in our lives, were rejected, outcasted, alone. Nobody bothered to help us. So we found this wreck, built it up, and we’ve been sailing ever since. That’s why when we saw your help signal...” the man chuckled. “We were inclined to help you, even if you were still alive.”\n\n“Haven’t you encountered some... nasty people?” I asked.\n\n“We may be tough but we sure know how to scare or fight anyone malevolent along the way, living or dead,” the man smirked. “People call us the Ghost Ship of Time because you’d find people from different times here onboard, even before 1800. Me? I died in what you’d call the Dark Ages, to the Black Plague. Awful. Too poor to ask for help.” He paused. “I never saw my family again, and that’s why I sail this ship with the others. Maybe see their spirits, pick ‘em up one day.”\n\n“That’s... I’m sorry.”\n\n“Yeah, no... no worries about it,” he smiled at me. “My name’s Captain Wes. My old name would have been ‘weird’ for you people today. Welcome aboard the Atlas, home of lost ghosts.”", "You know, I never would have expected to find myself on a quite literal ghost ship- an old trading craft to be precise. Piloted and maintained by 8 surprisingly friendly ghosts. It was two, maybe three, years between when my hyperdrive failed and when I came upon the craft, thankfully my cargo was a supply of military rations with decades of shelf life. Boarding the craft was easier than I had imagined- a large bay opened underneath leading to a small hanger just big enough for my ship. Convenient? Definitely. Expected? Nope.\n\nI was surprised when I got on board to find the ship empty, aside from some abandoned spacesuits in less than usual colours- likely abandoned because of the aforementioned colours. On the first day aboard I sat down on the bridge- in the captain's chair- and watched in awe as the controls moved themselves. At first I thought it may be AI, but there was just no way, no AI would be this advanced.\n\nAfter an hour or so, I found a note, a surprising one at that, having been left, seemingly for me, on one of the consoles at the back of the room. The noted read \"Hello Traveller. Don't be alarmed about the ship functioning without crew- we're still here! Plenty of spare spacesuits in the back of the hangar bay if you need one. Not much food left- but there should be enough for a week or so. Keep an eye on the vents. -Captain Red\".\n\nI would say I freaked out over the note, but really, I didn't, I was just glad to be aboard a vessel large enough to walk around on for more than a minute without coming full circle. I did take a few guesses at what they meant by \"We're still here\", remote control being my primary guess.\n\nBy evening I had decided I would use a purple spacesuit I found in the hanger- which seemed to be my size- while I washed mine. Putting it on, the helmet began calibration. One large word flashed across the helmet before calibration fully commenced: \"CREWMATE\". Underneath it appeared the boot log, indicating the suit was originally assigned to a Felix \"Dav\" Lukas, which kind of surprised me, given my name was Felix David Louis. \n\nWith the suit fully booted I walked over to the canteen and then the kitchen. As I entered the kitchen I stopped. In front of me was a blue mist-like thing? Was it a person? An illusion? It moved, opening the fridge as I pulled my helmet off. As soon as the helmet was off it disappeared- but the fridge was still open. Putting the helmet back on I watched as it pulled out a dehydrated burger and quickly prepared it for me, serving it plated with a side of fries after just a couple of minutes.\n\nOverall, the burger was pretty good- definitely better than those shitty military rations. After I finished it I went to the bridge, where I saw quite a sight. Three more coloured mists- one red, atop the captain's chair, one white, sitting at the weapons panel and one black watching a systems panel. The red one looked over towards the door, where I was standing, and raised a ghostly limb, giving a friendly wave. I walked over to him, trying to figure out exactly what he was when I heard a slight noise. \"Helllllo?\" It was a deep, whisper-y voice that seemed to echo more than would be physically possible.\n\nI didn't respond, deciding I would figure this out in the morning and headed to bed. From my bed I heard slight banging noises, as if someone was moving through the walls. Eventually I got to sleep, and slept well. In the morning as I went to look for a wrench to get to work on my ship I passed the medbay, from which came a figure, the door opening to let him through. He stood in a blue spacesuit, waving silently, fully formed unlike the misty men who I had met before.\n\nHe walked past me, heading towards the cantina as I headed towards the maintenance bay. That evening as I headed to bed, I heard more banging when suddenly there was a swinging noise, followed by a slam. Springing to my feet I looked around, and there he was. The blue figure from earlier. Carrying a large knife he lunged out at me, slicing through the chest of my spacesuit as I jumped back, landing against the wall. Once again he lunged, burying the knife into my head.\n\nI woke up, in the bridge, next to the red mist. He nodded, solemnly, as I looked down at myself, now a mist akin to them- in purple. The imposter had won." ]	3
	[WP] Long ago you had sold your soul to the devil, but the postal service was so utterly bad that they had lost the package where your soul was. Since the transaction was completed before it, you have the benefits of the deal while the devil still has no control over 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.", "Another hearth broken, huh? Whatever, Conny wasn't the indicated. I left her apartment while she tried to contain her tears. That won't last, she was always a crybaby. I just wish she wasn't that loud when I first told her I wanted to break up. Now her neighbours are looking at me weird.\n\nNow she was... The number twenty I think? Really, this thing can be so much of a pain. Why, now that I have this power, I still hadn't found true love? Maybe selling my soul for getting the love of whoever I want wasn't my best idea. Don't blame me, I was drunk! Good thing that the Devil hadn't mess with my soul. It's kinda weird but I can't complain.\n\nI was walking through an alleyway to my apartment, where my Princess is waiting for me. Yes, I called my cat Princess, what about it? Ok that isn't the important thing. The main thing was when a stranger just pinned me by the neck to the wall.\n\nI was... Pretty shocked. Who? What? Why? It's because an ex? A robber? What? My confusion increased when the person who pinned me started talking.\n\n\"Robert Clark?\" They asked. Their voice was strange. I couldn't even get to know their gender. It's not like their changing appearance gave me many clues. Wait. Changing appearance?! And they know name?! \"I asked you a question. Respond now.\" Their grip in my neck was thigher. I got to mutter a yes while I tried to scratch their hands. If I did damage, they didn't even noticed.\n\n\"All right. You are coming with me mister Clark.\" They said while letting go of my neck. God dammit they are really strong. \"And try to not think about Him.\" Was their next phrase. What?! Think?! How the-?!\n\n\"Who are you? W-what do you want from me?\" I wish I could talk a little less shaky, but I really couldn't. I got to see a type of smirk.\n\n\"We are going to pay your debt.\" Was the last thing I hear until everything faded black.", "\"I want to have money, fame, and power\" that was the last thing I said to the red man himself. Now here I am on top of the world and nothing has happened to me. I thought I have 10 years at best but I lost that though 40 years ago. Well turns out hell's shipping is horrible and they lost my soul.\n\n\n\n\n\nI laughed in the demons face, it was a bad idea but I laughed to the point where I was crying. \"They lost my soul in hell? Are you kidding me\" \"no sir this is no joke we lost your sole in trasit\" said the demon. \"Well if no one has my soul then no one has power over me\". \"Well... since your soul is in hell technically that where you'll go\". \"Oh ok well if I'm going there anyways might as well live my life while I still can!. I grabbed the blessed blade and stabbed the demon in that gut making it turn to dust.\n\n\n\n\nWell that one thing off my bucket list\n\n\n\n10 thing to do before I go to hell\n\n\n\n\nKill demon ✔,\n\nRob a bank,\n\nKill Bill from the supermarket,\n\nBuy a dog,\n\nStart taking over the world,\n\nGet soul back,\n\nBuy a bus,\n\nBuy a minigun,✔,\n\nBuy helicopter,\n\nStart drug operation,", "I awake with money, money, and more money showing up from everywhere I can imagine. Random government checks I never applied for, stock market money skyrocketing, even at my day job the customers are tipping loads and loads of cash because of my 'lovely personality'. I walk down the street and the women, oh the women, each and every one of them head over heels for me. Every Friday night is no longer a hunt for a hot date, but a casual trip down to the store to pick up whatever I want. Yeah, I'm a total dog. They say every dog has its day; well, this dog is about to have its entire life. Just gonna check on my soul first, before I really get down to business!\n\n\"Hello, I'm here to check on the delivery of a package sent to an acquaintance of mine.\" The post office on Main Street was short staffed and had to bring in some part time high school kids. Little knuckleheads can't ever seem to get anything straight, it's funny watching them.\n\n\"Uhhh, what's your name? Actually, wait, I don't think I need it, I just need the label number.\"\n\n\"Of course, 666STNHELLDIE666. Don't mind the strange label.\"\n\n\"Uhhh, okay...\" Of course the kid has to fumble around for three eternities before he gets it correct on whatever computer he's toying with.\n\n\"I'll be right back, mister.\" He comes back out with his manager. A short, plump fellow, with aviator glasses that reach right across his incredibly busy eyebrows so that it creates a hairy furrow in them.\n\n\"I'm terribly sorry, sir. We had a large mix up in deliveries that went out of state to our third party trustee, new part time guy got into an accident and totaled the vehicle.\" What? Seriously? It's too good to be true. My deepest fantasies and desires get to materialize in any way that I want, and Mr. Satan himself doesn't even get my soul? Hallelujah! \n\n\"Aw, darn. That's quite alright, I understand the mix up. Anyway, have a good one, my friend.\" I left out of there walking on air. What was next? Well, I think I'm gonna have to save my plans for later. As for now, I'm gonna go find my soul.\n\nThat was what I said to myself, six years ago. Without my soul, I do nothing but waltz around all day, drinking booze and gambling in Atlantic City. I have absolutely no purpose in life. I wasn't able to find my soul, those guys really lost it after all. Or maybe some other lucky S.O.B found it and picked it up. All I know is, I feel dead inside. There's nothing that'll satisfy me anymore. I've done it all, everything you can imagine with the powers I received. \n\nI didn't know what was worse, knowing that when I bit the dust, there's nothing but darkness waiting for me, or that there was nothing left for me on Earth. No soul, no purpose, no life. That's the way it was. Until I received a letter.\n\n\"Mr. XXXXX, \n\nSalutations. I hope it's been a good time; surely you got the full experience you wanted by now. Every dog has its day, right? You've had plenty of days. I mean, aren't dog years to human years, like, 7:1? I dunno, do the math. Anyways, in 13 days you'll be possessed by a talented witch, friend of mine, and you'll get sick with cancer. When you die, you will not be found. Your body will dissolve instantaneously, and your mind will be mine. You'll be a slave to me for the remainder of eternity to make up for the years that you scammed me for. Do you think that souls even matter that much down here? They don't really matter up here, I just like to collect. This is hell, for crying out loud, I just do what I want down here. Enjoy it while it lasts. WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!\n\nPS - I've got a few errands for you when you arrive. \n\nYours truly,\n\nSatan\".\n\nWell, shit.", "What is it like, being someone who delivers souls to the devil? Of course, one first has to ignore their morals and compassion, which for some cases is easy. If they are so hungry for power and wealth that they sell their soul for some of it on earth, then they don't deserve the heavenly paradise that would have waited for them.\n\nOf course, there are a few who don't sell their souls for themselves. The mother who just wants her child to survive and live a good life, the businessman who feels the need to protect his employees, the ruler who just wants peace for his country. All of these people have good intentions, but felt that they couldn't get what they wanted from God. Poor fools.\n\nBeing the deliverer, it is my job to ensure that all of these souls go straight to Lucifer himself for him to toy with at the end. However, my moral compass remains for some mortals. The mother's son lived a long and happy life, becoming a great orator, swaying the hearts of millions. The businessman's company was successful and prosperous, ensuring the livelihoods of all who worked for him. The ruler's kingdom was peaceful and happy until his death and many years after. And what happened to the souls that were sold?\n\nSomeone - not me, of course - must have mismarked their destination. They were meant to go straight to Hell. Instead, they went to the other place. They both start with the same two letters, and no one checks whether the souls were sold to Satan anyway. No one, except for me.\n\nThere are plenty who deserve to go down there. No one will notice a few missing. After all, those special souls are very few and far between.\n\n\\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nProbably not what you were looking for, but this is what immediately jumped into my head." ]	5
	[WP] A tsunami wipeouts residents who lived near the beach in a coastal tourist town and rescue can’t find any bodies. The next day it happens again but the residents return with the surf. All are back but are different somehow.	[ "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“Miss, can you hear me?” Viviane asked the blank-eyed woman. She did not stir at her words, only continuing to stare at the waves lapping at the shore. \n\nThe waters seemed so calm now — almost inviting — and that was what caused her hair to stand on end. Just two days had passed since a tsunami had washed through this village, taking every inhabitant with it as it pulled back out into the ocean. A tragedy, but not unheard of. Yesterday, however, when the tsunami had returned and brought back the villagers with it, was an unnatural thing. Even more so was what the water had done to them.\n\n“She has no words to say either, Jase.” He looked over at her with weary eyes and gesturing to one of the others, one she didn’t know by name but had noticed helping Jace organize those who had come to aid this storm-wrecked village. He had a scar that cut a line through the left side of his beard. “None of them say anything. They just stare at the cursed waters as though they want to go back to wherever they were dragged off to.” The scarred man led the woman away, pulling her by the arm, but she still did not turn her head away from the waves.\n\nViviane did not know who had first said it, but one of the many who had come to help any of the survivors of the tsunami had called the people waterworn, and the name had stuck. It was a fitting name; the time the waterworn had spent in the ocean had worn away their voices and their minds.\n\n“Don’t even speak of such things, or you’ll invite it to happen,” Jase said, pressing his thumb to his chest to ward off evil. Viviane had always felt sailors paid too much mind to curses and ritual, but no longer. She would be foolish to ignore his wisdom in a time like this and so pressed her thumb to her chest as well, hoping she did so with the correct hand. He nodded to her in approval. “I thought bringing them away from the water might do them good and Ritvik agreed,” he said, casting a glance toward the scarred man walking away from them. “He tells me they seemed to become more aware the further he brought them from the water, but when they became clearheaded enough to move or speak on their own, they simply screamed and made every attempt to come back here. And as they did, they became just as waterworn as before.”\n\n“Dozens of people from five different villages, and none of us know anything that can help,” Viviane said, shaking her head. She gathered the loose hairs that fell to her face and ran her hand through her hair as she took in the ocean view. “What did it do? What was out there?” Jace followed her gaze for a moment before averting his eyes from the water.\n\n“Too much is out there. Most of it is beyond us and better left alone.” She couldn’t help but wonder whether it would leave them alone. Unnerved by Jace’s words, Viviane couldn’t help but feel like the water looked back at her. “It’ll likely come down to just a handful of us, anyway. Most of these people come from villages that do not touch the ocean. What could they know that would help here?”\n\n“What could we?” she asked with a scoff. “I’ve never seen a mind washed clean by the water nor heard of someone who returned from being swept into the depths.” Jace sighed, taking a long look down the sandy shore.\n\n“We do what we can. Those of us who live by the ocean know our tales of its traps and wrath. Some have even experienced some of them personally. One must come to mind if we can just learn more about what happened. Come, Viviane. There’s still waterworn that are missing and more of the shore to search.”\n\nSearch they did, finding more waterworn that stared out into the waters that had spat them out, ignoring their states of injury, hunger, or thirst. They led them back to the village and handed them off to the others who awaited to care for them. None were able, or at least not willing, to say anything of what had happened to them. \n\nAs the day passed, Viviane found herself more and more reluctant to leave the village. A fog rolled in over the water that grew more thick by the hour and her feeling of being watched only grew with it. Jace must have felt it too, for he did not fight her when she said they should stop hunting for more clues and had fallen silent the way he only ever did when he prayed.\n\nThe only feeling of security came from standing with the others who still had their wits about them, but even that feeling was a fleeting one. It faded as they all watched the direction of the water along with the waterworn. The fog twisted on itself and inched closer and closer to the village.\n\nRitvik was the first to scream in horror and many soon followed as they spotted something drifting in the fog. Viviane’s heart pounded as she looked to find the shape of what they had found. She saw it, all white and nearly matching the color of the fog, was a ship. But not a ship for men, nor any mortals. It floated on the sky instead of the water and did so turned upside down, its hull lifted to face the sky.\n\n“The Kaluche.” Jase clamped his hand around his mouth, but he had already spoken the name of the ship aloud. Soft chanting of voices speaking in an unknown tongue echoed over the water in response. There was only one legend Viviane had heard that matched the sight before them, and it spoke of death.\n\nAs the ghostly ship made its way out of the roiling fog, the waves were no longer calm. The water it passed over churned and pulled away from the shore, exposing the ocean floor.\n\nFear seizing hold of her mind, Viviane couldn’t help but think that she had pressed the wrong thumb to her chest after all. They had failed to ward off the evil before them.\n\nr/Inder" ]	2
	[WP] You are a descendant of a defunct family of supernatural hunters. Now you seek to rebuild it, expecting a few relatives to join. You realize now that your ancestors were very 'prolific' and you need a bigger place.	[ "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 thought I was the last of my kind.\n\nThat thought ran through my head, over and over again, as I considered the first Springs family member I had met in what felt like a decade. Thankfully, I was already seated, fluorescent light overhead competing with the rays of moonshine through the one window.\n\n\"Are you OK?\" Kevin Springs said. \"Michael, right? You look a little pale.\"\n\nI stared at the positively pallid Kevin. I sighed.\n\n\"What did you say you were again?\"\n\n\"Half vampire, half human,\" Kevin said. \"Seriously. You are a full human, right? Are you sure you should be looking this white?\"\n\n\"How... how is that possible?\" I murmured.\n\nWhat did my father say, way back when? Supernatural hunters, the Springs called themselves. But he had no desire for it. Left the trade, apparently. So why am I now here? Latching onto something that sounded purposeful? Or was it something else? Trying to connect with my father? Something else?\n\nSo why am I now here, chatting with a half-vampire?\n\n\"The Springs are supernatural hunters, right?\" I asked.\n\n\"Yea, sure,\" Kevin looked at me quizzically. \"You... you know that, right? That's why you put out a call for us?\"\n\n\"I... I didn't know. I thought you... they... we... would all be humans?\"\n\n\"Oh,\" Kevin said. \"Well. Not really. Jasmine's a mix of werewolf and imp, I think. Angel? Real ironic, but he's quarter demon. Devilishly handsome, though. And Janet's half android.\"\n\n\"Android?\" I said. \"Androids are supernatural?\"\n\n\"... Well, yeah. Do you know how they work?\" Kevin nodded wisely.\n\n\"Not really,\" I said.\n\n\"Supernatural,\" Kevin said.\n\n\"So... you guys are all special?\" I replied.\n\n\"I guess, in a way. I'm a daywalker, thanks to the human blood. Don't really thirst for it, which is good for trying to hunt. Jasmine's pretty lucky, since she can suppress the werewolf urges if she needs to with some impish magic. And Angel... he says he's quarter demon, but I suspect there's more to that one.\"\n\n\"... You guys all have superpowers? Are special?\" I muttered.\n\n\"You are the real special one, really. A pure human Springs? That's unheard of,\" Kevin smiled, tapping me on the shoulder.\n\n\"What?\" I said. \"Really?\"\n\n\"Yea! Supernatural hunters, the Springs always were,\" Kevin said, rather helpfully. \"Sometimes, hunt means kill. Especially the bad ones. But sometimes, hunt means...\"\n\n\"OK,\" I said. \"I got it. Really.\"\n\n\"So what say you, cousin?\" Kevin smiled. There were the beginnings of fangs poking out from his gums. \"You ready for more Springs to join the fight.\"\n\n\"I... can't really right?\" I said. \"I thought... I was special. Or something. A family line.\"\n\n\"Oh, don't you worry,\" Kevin said. \"You are special.\"\n\n\"Really?\" I said. \"How?\"\n\n\"You see, part-humans without legal documentation generally can't buy houses,\" Kevin said. \"But you... your power... you can get us lodging... food... money... that kinda stuff, right?\"\n\n\"Well,\" I said. \"I guess?\"\n\n\"Don't worry!\" Kevin slapped my shoulders a few more times for good measure. \"We'll figure something out, OK? Is there a bed? I'm real beat.\"\n\n\"It's my bed,\" I muttered.\n\n\"Well, cousin,\" Kevin said. \"Thank you very much for your sacrifice then.\"\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts" ]	2
	[WP] Welcome to day 4 of villain training! Today, we're looking at Capturing Pesky Heroes	[ "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.", "\"Great to see you today!\" a middle-aged woman said cheerfully. \"We'll be learning about capturing heroes! It's gonna be fun!\"\n\n\"You can cut the crap, teach,\" one long-haired boy said, a finger in his ear. \"No need to be so polite.\"\n\n\"Yeah,\" a girl with round glasses added. \"We're here to learn to be, you know, villains? Not virtuous heroes?\"\n\nThe rest of the 10-person class nodded and mhmm-ed their agreement.\n\n\"Okay then,\" the teacher replied. Her face instantly changed from one of a friendly lady to one of a stern professor. \"Anyways, yesterday, during the simulations, I noticed that though most of you are satisfactory in terms of fighting skills, some of you are…lacking.\" Her gaze landed on a skinny girl in the back. \"Nevertheless, as villains, the most important thing is not the means of completion, but the completed result. Throughout history, many methods to accommodate…physical ineptness have been made, and we will be learning about some of those today.\"\n\n\"What about those who are, umm, 'satisfactory in terms of fighting skills'?\" the glasses-wearing girl asked.\n\n\"I'll get to it later, 3,\" the teacher snapped. \"If I must keep you excited for this lesson, I'll tell you now: we'll have a, hmm, \"hands-on\" exercise later today relating to this topic.\"\n\nThe ten teenagers' faces immediately brightened. \"Hell yeah!\" a golden-haired boy cheered, and the rest followed suit. At least until they saw their teacher's dark face.\n\n\"As I was saying before 10 interrupted me,\" she continued. \"There are many ways to capture a hero. There's the classic \"hit the head\", but with the new technological advances of today, we have many other solutions. Sedation darts, elastic cords, etcetera.\"\n\n\"Chloroform?\" one boy suggested.\n\n\"Too slow,\" the teacher told him. \"Unlike in the movies, it takes at least a few minutes, during which the hero will try to escape. 5, this is common knowledge. Moving on, for those who can't fight, setting a trap is a much easier but also complicated alternative. Oftentimes, a hostage makes things easier. 9, do you know why?\"\n\nThe skinny girl raised her head. \"It limits the hero's actions, it provides a bargaining chip, and even if the hero doesn't care about the person, his or her conscience will make him care. Besides, he or she has his or her image to think about.\"\n\n\"Good,\" the teacher commented. 9 wasn't the most skilled on the field - well, she was actually ninth from the top, or second from the bottom, in the class - but with theoretical stuff, she was pretty knowledgeable. She was a good student, and a hard worker, too. Both appreciated qualities. \"Now does anyone know why we should capture and not kill the hero? 1, you go.\"\n\nThe long-haired boy put his hands in his pockets. \"The hero can be used as a hostage, can be interrogated for information, and or tortured for revenge. He or she can also be made to work, basically we get free manpower.\"\n\nThe teacher nodded. \"As expected of the top student!\" 3 hooted. \"Perfect answers!\" This earned her a punch in the face. \"Shut up,\" he growled. Right before two fighting figures crashed through the ceiling. \"Principal?\" he mumbled.\n\n\"Okay, so as you can see, our principal is currently trying to capture a villain,\" the teacher said calmly, despite the broken walls and tumbling dust around her. \"Your job, kids, is to assist him. Now go.\"\n\nThe ten people pulled stuck in their earplugs and picked up their guns. \"Ready?\" 1 confirmed. Everyone nodded. \"Let's go.\"\n\nWell, that day, the story of an adult man and ten teenagers beating up a renown hero was all over the news. It seemed that the villains were a much bigger threat than what the government had previously thought - and that being a villain wasn't limited to evil masterminds with nefarious plots.", "Teacher: Okay class, today we're looking at Capturing and Storing heroes. \n\nStudent 1: Teacher, what do you mean by storing? like in a freezer box?\n\nT: No, no, by storing I mean keeping them alive and unable to escape. The word capturing implies that they have to be alive. Now, step one, capturing the hero. There are a few ways to do this. Sleep darts, chloroform, hostages, a trap...\n\nStudent 2: Bonk em on the head?\n\nT: ...that works, sometimes, but there's a much higher chance of killing them. If you have to bonk them, try to bonk them on the arms or legs or torso, so you don't damage the brain too much. Anyway, as I was saying, taking a hostage and demanding the hero to surrender themselves usually works quite well, but you have to capture a hostage. Sometimes a random person will work, other times you have to get someone close to the hero, like a sibling or love interest.\n\nS1: Teacher?\n\nT: sigh yes?\n\nS1: Can you talk about traps and poisons? hostages are booooring.\n\nS2: No, actually hostages are interesting, who wants to learn about plants??\n\nS1: It's not just plants you- \n\nT: Alright, enough! Once you've woven a trap, magical or otherwise, chloroformed, hostage swapped or any other way possible capturing a hero, you need to know how to store him. This WILL be on the test. \n\nteacher leaves briefly and returns dragging something\n\nT: Here's one I prepared earlier. \n\nHero: Mmph!\n\nT: As you can see, his bonds are very difficult to get out of. Make sure they cannot use their nails or teeth to break the bonds. You can either make them unable to reach the bonds with their nails or teeth or you can make the bonds out of something that can't be easily broken with nails or teeth. \n\nS1: Can we ungag him? \n\nT: No, of course not. We don't want him screaming for help. Which raises our next point. You need to make sure that they can't make any noise. Don't use duct tape, they can get out of it too easily by salivating on it. Use something that can't be knocked free and make sure that they can't chew it off. \n\nS2: That sounds like a lot of work miss, can't we just keep him unconscious?\n\nH: (widens eyes) \n\nT: Well, that is an option. However, this isn't very good as it costs money to buy sedatives and you still have to feed him. That's just my personal opinion, so you can do either. \n\nHero: (relieved) mmph.\n\nT: Now, make sure that his cell is clean, if you're keeping him in a cell of course. You can keep him almost anywhere, but a cell or dungeon is usually the safest option. \n\n(opens door of the portable dungeon)\n\nT: Now, what do we see here?\n\nS1: A cell?\n\nS2: Bars on the windows?\n\nS3: A... bed? a... bed.. thingy?\n\nS2: Oh, I've got it! Floor!\n\nT: Well, S2, you're actually right! that was the answer I was looking for.\n\nS2: Wait what?\n\nT: Keep the cell clean. If there are bits of broken wood or rusty nails lying around, the hero could use it as a weapon or get their bonds free or pick the lock. Make sure that the windows, if any, have bars and make sure that the wall isn't weaker where the bars are. \n\n(Puts the hero in the cell and closes the door)\n\nHero: (resigned look)\n\nT: Come to the window, class. \n\nS1: It's kinda dark in there. \n\nT: Yes, so if they escape, the sun will blind them temporarily. It's a classic.\n\nHero: (glaring) mmph mmph Mmph!\n\n(students laugh)\n\nT: (glares back at hero) Language! \n\nS3: Is it recess yet? I'm starrrrrving! \n\nT: Almost, just one more thing. Don't underestimate hero. They can kick, scratch, bite and punch, evens if they don't have a weapon. Always be careful around them. What did you learn today?\n\nS3: That I'm hungry. \n\nS2: That heroes know swear words. \n\nS1: That bonking heroes on the head isn't usually a good idea, you should aim for other places!\n\nT: ...good luck on the test... anyway, next time we have how to do traps and poisons. \n\n(Students leave for recess) \n\nT: Now, I better return this hero to his house, his family will be getting confused. \n\nHero: (squirm squirm) mmmmmmmph mmmp \n\nT: ok, now where did I put my memory erasing pills?" ]	3
	[WP] Humans are known for many things, their resilience, their adaptability, and their ability to communicate with other species without even the slightest knowledge of their culture. But there's one particular thing that humans are known and feared for. The humans call it: "Luck."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%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.", "Luck they called it. Something indescribable, unobtainable, and entirely human. If I hadn't seen it first hand, I wouldn't have believed it myself. Some days I still don't, perhaps it was all a dream.\n\nWe were out deep in uncharted territory, Gamma Nebula Scion 6, performing exploration missions to seek out the unknown...\n\n\"Commander, I'm getting strange readings from the planet up ahead.\"\n\n\"Bring it up on screen, lieutenant.\" The commander cautiously approached the holo-screen.\n\n\"Analysis.\"\n\n\"Initial readings are showing what appears to be a gaseous based planet, atomic numbers highly consistent with Caesium-137, sir, but there's also something else there that we can't quite make out.\" I swallowed nervously. Could there have been a nuclear war here? If there had, we could be in trouble.\n\n\"What else?\" Tension rose as the commander locked his tentacles together.\n\n\"I can't get any readings past the initial atmosphere. What shall we do commander?\"\n\nLoud popping noises cut through the apprehension in the air, as the commander's suckers unstuck one by one.\n\n\"Stay at orbital range, we need to get closer and perform some scans on the planet.\"\n\n\"Sir, I'm getting strange readings, the atmosphere appears to be leaving the planet.\"\n\n \"What the hell do you mean, lieutenant?\" The commander replied uneasily.\n\n\"It doesn't make any sense. It's headed right for us. Within minutes it will be on top of us. And there's something else sir, we're able to get a more accurate reading now and it appears the Caesium-137 is highly volatile, and seems to have formed some new kind of unidentified element. Initial calculations show that if it reaches us it will pierce the hull and most likely kill us all.\"\n\n\"Thrusters at full speed out of here. NOW.\"\n\n\"Sir, the system isn't responding, we can't engage thrusters or warp drives.\" I desperately tried to think our way out of this, but I had no solutions.\n\nThe commander walked over to his chair and sat. There was no other option left. \n\n\"Initiate emergency evacuation protocol, I will stay with the ship and whatever the hell is coming for us doesn't get to you using the manual thruster controls. That's an order.\" The commander accepted his fate and laid down his tentacles as the controls glided into place underneath them.\n\n\"Commander, I -\"\n\n\"I said that's an order lieutenant, now get the hell out of here!\"\n\n\"No, commander, I have an idea.\"\n\n\"Tan, do you copy?\"\n\n\"Well how you doing up there on the bridge my fine folks, seems like we're screwed ey?\"\n\n\"Tan, we need you. I've heard stories as a kid growing up, hell who hasn't. But if any of it was true, we need it now, we could really do with some luck.\" I pleaded with him as I relayed what had happened so far,. Was I crazy? Probably, but right now we didn't have any other options.\n\nThere was silence for a few moments, until he came back\n\n\"Well, I don't know about those stories, but I do have an idea.\" I could almost hear him smile through coms.\n\nTime was almost up. Our uncertain fate would soon be certain, dead or alive.\n\n\"Here goes nothing.\"\n\nAfter turning off our main reactor, Tan took control of a thermo nuclear device, and slowly drove it away from the ship. Slowly but surely, the Caesium entity turned around and followed it.\n\nAfter we were out of harms way, we managed to scrape by the planet and get further readings. It appeared that this \"life\" form, if we could call it that, was feeding of off the planet, the whole planet's core was saturated with radioactivity. \n\nMaybe it was just their ability to solve complex problems rapidly, but that was the day I really believed in what humans called \"luck\"." ]	2
	[WP] Today is your last night of being the monster under the bed. You decide to make tonight a night your kid won’t ever forget	[ "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.", "For 7 years, little Tommy and I shared this room. I remember the first day of work when he was just 3 years old. I tried my best that day to be the friendliest as possible, but like they told us in training, the worst is usually to be expected. But over the years our bond just got better and better, and instead of just only being afraid of me he eventually started leaving me gifts that all monster adore: dirty socks, charging bricks, etc.\n\nTonight, however, is my last day of work. Over the last few months I’ve felt my consciousness start to decay, as little Tommy is turning into big Tommy. Tomorrow is his birthday, and I can tell he’s very excited for it. The only person I really knew, my best friend, will forget about me tonight, and I believe that to be the best birthday present I can give him. Sweet dreams, little Tommy; I hope big Tommy has the best birthday ever." ]	2
	[WP] Superpowers have existed from the dawn of time. Some people are on the supervillains side some on the superheroes. Your neutral but, not like in a stay out of it way. You spoil both sides plan and are seen as a villain by both sides.	[ "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.", "Many people don't know, but superpowers have existed from the dawn of time. Yes, and you wouldn't be wrong if you thought of cavemen flying around, spitting fire, practicing magic, or even becoming the Hulk. It's just that the influence of them on people has lowered as time passed, and there are a few people left with superpowers. They are mainly divided into supervillains, a group of people who want to dominate the world and bring it to its knees, and superheroes, protectors of the people, and the main antagonists of the supervillains. They want the world to function as it does and do not want the supervillains to gain control of it.\n\nNow, I happen to have superpowers too, but I am neither a villain nor a hero. I am, to put it simply, the ultimate villain, the enemy of the enemies, as well as the enemy of the heroes. It commonly happens that the supervillains and superheroes manage a truce and take me down. Most people say, \"Why do you waste your time and power to spite people? You are the most powerful superpowered person on Earth, why don't you do something good with it?\" And my only response is because it's fun.\n\nYes, I am a common enemy of supervillains and heroes because I love to spite them. The supervillains have just made an awesome plan to blow up a nuclear reactor after luring the heroes into it? Don't mind me, I'm just going to edit it so bad or I'm just going to stop you. The heroes have found out the villains hideout? Well, you'll have to get past me to get there, and till they get there, the villains have already gone. I m an unwelcome thorn by their side.\n\nAnd so I am called Thorn, but I have said countless times I am Kron. No one listens and they continue calling me Thorn, so I gave up and accepted that I am Thorn. That is unfair, as all the other villains and heroes have such cool names. Why do I get a stupid name? There's The Devil of Lies, Jayden, The Devil of Fear, Lord Hex, and Soul capturer on the Evil side, while Blade, Hype, Dusk, Ringwraith, and Specter are on the Good side. See what I mean? They have such cool names, and I'm stuck with Thorn.\n\nToday, I had enough. There was a news broadcast, saying that once again, there was a disappearance of both heroes and villains, and it hinted that they had once again managed a truce and were actively working on finally bringing me down. I mean, give a guy a break here, would you? One gets tired after having to fight 10 people at once, and you're planning to do it again. Well, that just about settled it. I grabbed my suit, hurriedly put it on, and left without a word to anyone. I flew to the Krech memorial, the heart of the city. It was always bustling with life, be it night or day. Sure enough, there were a lot of people there, and once they got sight of me, they started running. I trapped them all with a simple movement of the hand. Matter transmutation at its maximum potential was fun to use.\n\nSome people escaped, but the majority of the people were stuck inside the cage I just summoned. Somebody had the sense to call the local number of the Heroes Agency, given the Heroes to summon them anywhere if there ever was a problem. I didn't stop whoever tried to summon them, as it would certainly halt their plan, or maybe even disrupt it, but I shouldn't keep my hopes up too high.\n\nSure enough, 5 minutes later, 9 very annoyed-looking faces streaked the skies, stopping by me. Hype spoke first.\n\n\"We meet once again, Thorn. Why, Why, do you keep doing this? What pleasure do you get from annoying both us heroes and the villains?\"\n\n\"Do I have to say it again,\" I replied, \"that I find it fun to see both of you behaving like good kids for some time?\"\n\nLord Hex cut across Hype as he tried to retort.\n\n\"Devil be damned, let's finish this once and for all. Thorn has disrupted our plans one too many times, and doesn't deserve to live.\"\n\nSome heroes and villains agreed to this, but the others were against it.\n\n\"But is it really necessary? with a little bit of work, we could have him by our side...\" said Ringwraith, which resulted in a full blow argument amongst them all as they decided whether I was worthy to let live. I rolled my eyes and lifted the cage up, letting all the others escape. Seeing this, all of them groaned.\n\n\"Why did you even call us to fight if you were just going to let those people go?\" said Hype, \"You wasted so much of our time.\"\n\n\"That was the point.\"I replied, \"And I hope you have finally settled on whether I deserve to live or not.\"\n\n\"The council has decided you need to be eradicated,\" answered Jayden, \"Thorn, you might have glorious powers and could have been very resourceful to both sides, but you just can't be deterred from your path, and it's time you die.\"\n\nWith that, she attempted to slash her sword at me but missed me as it just went through me like I was a ghost. It then dropped to the ground as pieces of cheese. Too bad. I kind of liked that sword.\n\nAs it felled, I laughed at Jayden's dismay. That was the only thing that gave her powers, and without it, she was just a normal person, easy to stamp out. As I laughed, I felt something pierce me from behind. I froze and heard the sound of the only person who was missing: Blade, the one guy who actually liked me and never did anything to me even if I was on the brink of killing his teammates. In return, I had done nothing to him too. This was also one of the reasons why I loved to be on the neutral side, trying to spite each side. I had wanted to apply for the heroes, but they had ushered me out, saying that they were too many already. I turned to the Villains, but they dismissed me as a trojan horse sent by the Heroes. Oh well, I had thought, it seems I'm not fit to be a hero or a villain. What am I then? And the answer came instantly to me: the common enemy. And that's exactly why I've been antagonizing both sides continuously.\n\nAnyways, where was I? Oh, yes, I had just been impaled by Blade's sword. Normally, I would just heal myself, but the shock of betrayal had prevented me, and now I couldn't do anything. I heard Blade say a quiet 'Sorry', but I couldn't reply. And there it came, my life flashing before my eyes. Ah, those were the good old days. Me discovering my abilities for the first time and being excited by them, showing it to my parents, turning them into chocolate bars,....When that ended, My teenage started to roll up, those were good too, starting from being rejected by both sides, starting to antagonize both sides, setting the Heroes headquarters on fire when they planned to upgrade it a bit, deleting all the information of heroes the villains had, foiling a bank heist by tipping off the heroes when the villains were just starting to do it, stopping the heroes from destroying the hideout of the villains, giving time for them to escape... all of that was amazing, and fun... yet here I was, in pain, as I died of betrayal. At last, after 21 years of antagonizing, the heroes and villains were free at last, with no Thorn on their side.\n\nAs I fell, there was relief all around me. Everyone was relieved that I had finally died. They took away my body so they could discover what made me so powerful. Ha. Silly them. As if I had lost this battle. Of course not. I was just standing there, with Blade by my side, as they carried away the log disguised as my body, happily chattering away. They didn't know what awaited them. Crisis, murder, genocides... oh, that was all just the beginning. The rest of the show still remains..." ]	2
	[WP] Turns out, vampires who suck blood are extremely rare; that's why appearances are so notable. The vast majority have a primarily fruit- and flower nectar-based diet. In fact, meat products are toxic to them; that's why they're colloquially referred to as Vegans.	[ "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’ve evolved, sir,” Disha said, rising up into the cobra pose and looking at him. “We don’t get hurt by the sun anymore, and we don’t need blood.” \n\nViktor sneered at the young woman in front of him. She was dressed in yoga pants and a sports bra, her skin tanned from the sunlight. She was the descendant of one of his friends, a man long laid to unrest with a stake through his heart. \n\nThey did not make vampires like they used to. Worse, the new generation was proud of their current lifestyle. They flaunted the ease of it, the lack of violence, the way they could blend into the human world without any trouble at all. \n\n“It is unnatural,” Viktor said. \n\n“No, it’s really good for you. You should try my mango pineapple smoothie, uncle Vik. You’ll never go back,” she said with a laugh. “Or at least, you’ll stop biting people. That’s just unhygienic.” \n\n“Blood is my life force.” \n\n“Yeah, uncle Vik. Blood is sort of everybody’s life force.”\n\nShe bent into downwards facing dog and let out a deep breath. When she stood up, she placed her palms together in front of her chest and stepped off her yoga mat. \n\n“We’re having a party tonight,” Disha said. “You should come.” \n\n“Will there be feeding?” \n\n“We’re having Greek food.”\n\nViktor wanted to find his way to fresh blood, but it was more difficult than he thought. He woke from his coffin and left the old country in search of greener pastures. Instead, he found a rapidly changed world, most of it beyond his understanding. \n\nHe tried to hunt, but every part of the city was either populated with people or else monitored by cameras. There was enough blood to feed an army of his old friends, yet no opportunity. People didn’t carry pitchforks anymore. They had developed more advanced weapons. \n\n“I don’t think I will partake,” he said.\n\n“You have to try,” Disha said. “I can’t keep having my friends donate blood. They’re all gonna end up anemic.”\n\n“I don’t like drinking from plastic bags, anyway!” Viktor said. \n\n“That’s right. You just like sucking on peoples’ necks like an overgrown mosquito!”\n\n“Mosquitoes have survived on this planet for far longer than humans, child. They may be parasites, but they know how to survive.”\n\nDisha raised an eyebrow at him. “They’re vectors, uncle Vik. Parasites are more like the freeloaders who show up and stay for months without paying rent.”\n\n“I am your elder. I am owed your respect.”\n\nShe rubbed a hand over her forehead and grabbed her smoothie off the kitchen counter. Viktor refused to wear anything but black. He knew it irked her.\n\n“You have to adapt to the times, uncle Vik. It isn’t easy for everyone, but it’s better and easier. I don’t see why you’re rejecting it so much.”\n\n“We are vampires because we drink blood,” he said. “Take that away, and what are we?”\n\n“We call ourselves vegans now,” she said. “Vampires have gotten all kinds of a bad rap in the last few years.”\n\n“You abandon your past, and you will have no future!”\n\nDisha grabbed a remote off the counter and pressed a button towards the window. The curtains disappeared and revealed the morning sky, the rising neon sun. Uncle Vik disappeared into a cloud of ash and smoke. Disha grabbed the vacuum cleaner and started to clean up. \n\n“Such a fuss over some rebranding,” she said to herself. \n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nr/xeuthis", "“For the love of God” exclaimed Violet.\n\n“All I’m saying is that if more vampires worked in PR management, we wouldn’t still be in hiding.” Arabella laughed.\n\n“It’s way more nuanced than that, and you know it Bell.” she said with rolled eyes with a grin.\n\n“Hey, it’s worth a try. They’re a bit more modern now.”\n\nViolet brushed some brunette strands away from her face and looked back down at her menu. She scanned it until her eyes landed on avocado rolls, and looked up.\n\n“Humans can hardly handle living together in ethnically diverse societies. Do you really think they’re going to welcome immortal and powerful beings?”\n\n“Oh I’m sure the welcome will be warm. This time instead of torches and pitchforks it’ll be guns and flamethrowers.” Arabella winked\n\nViolet laughed.\n\n“You know, I would feel so unappreciated if they didn’t make such a grandiose reception. I would have to go out and knock on some doors and ask people if everything was okay.”\n\n“Maybe bring them some tea and soup until they feel up to rallying an angry mob again?” Arabella added\n\n“Well of course, but imagine to their dismay when they realize we’re only vegans and love the environment.” Violet sighed with feigned sadness\n\n“I know right! Like puppies, they love me” Arabella said pointing to herself\n\n“I think I’m going to get like a dozen sweet potato rolls.”\n\n“Good lord girl, you’re going to overdose on potatoes.”\n\n“So be it.” Violet put her menu down with a face so cold it rivaled the statue of David.\n\nA man with a lumberjack style beard and an apron approached their table and the girl's attention shifted away from their ongoing jest.\n\n“Hey ladies. Are you ready to order?”\n\n“Yes!” Arabella said with a smile\n\n“What can we get you today?”\n\n“Well, my friend here is going to get 4 orders of sweet potato rolls and I’m going to get vegan California rolls, avocado rolls, mushroom rolls, and edamame.”\n\n“Sounds good we’ll have that right up” he said and took their menus\n\nAs soon as he was out of earshot Violet leaned over towards the center of the table, and noticing this her friend leaned in.\n\n“He was super cute!” she whisper yelled\n\n“I know!” Arabella whisper yelled back\n\n“You should ask him for his number.”\n\n“I don’t want to put a guy on the spot while he’s working.” Arabella protested bleakly\n\n“Do ittttttt”\n\n“Noooooo”\n\n“Yesssss”\n\n“Come onnnnnnn”\n\n“Still nooooo”\n\n“Fine.” Violet moved back and slouched in dramatic protest.\n\n“So how was the council meeting?” Arabella asked trying to change the subject\n\n“Interesting. The ambassador of Egypt is still upset about the Ethiopian dam. We all know the long term negative effects this will have on humans in his country but there’s only so much we can do at the moment. The Ethiopian representative agrees but they really need the water. We’re going to send some hydrologists to both countries to look for more unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers because that seems to be the only solution we have at the moment.”\n\n“So tensions between them are just going to keep escalating for the time being then?”\n\n“For now it seems like it.” Violet said\n\n“Humans would probably be a bit better at working together for the common good if their lives weren’t so short.” Arabella said half mindedly while putting her black hair in a ponytail.\n\n“True”\n\n“Here you ladies are.” their water said walking up to the table with a tray of food.\n\nHe put the 4 orders of sweet potato in front of Violet who thanked him while picking up her chopsticks with gusto.\n\n“And for you” he said and gave Arabella a wink\n\nShe gave him an embarrassed smile and frantically looked down at her phone.\n\nAfter he left Violet winked at her too.\n\n“Oh please stop” she said putting her head in her hands.\n\nArabella grabbed her chopsticks and picked up a California roll and popped it in her mouth.\n\nShe chewed for a minute and looked and squinted in thought and then swallowed.\n\n“These taste different than last time we were here”\n\nViolet looked at Arabella and then picked up one of her California rolls and stared at it for a second and immediately looked back up at her friend.\n\n“Do you have your EpiPen? I left my purse in the car.\"\n\n“Yea duh.” she said and then the idea struck her.\n\n“Oh shoot.”\n\nShe riffled through her purse until she found it lying on the bottom and coughed slightly as her throat was becoming itchy.\n\n“There is so much irony in an immortal person being defeated by a single sushi roll”\n\nArabella said with a chuckle that came out as a strained wheeze\n\nViolet walked over to her friend, plucked the epi pen right out of her hand, pulled her chair backwards with her still sitting on it, opened the cap and stabbed her right in the thigh.\n\n“I’m going to quick call an ambulance” she said with her phone already lifted to her ear\n\n“Et tu, Brute” Arabella said strained and started coughing again.\n\nViolet looked her in the eyes and hugged her and just stood there listening silently as the phone rang. She gave them their location and information and hung up.\n\n“Are you okay?”\n\nThe waiter came over to ask Arabella after watching the situation unfold stymied in horror.\n\nShe gave him a half hearted smile and Violet turned around.\n\n“We should have mentioned that we both have a meat allergy, it's not your fault. We’re just so used to coming here we got overconfident with our orders and not asking for anything special.”\n\n“Should I call an ambulance for her?” he questioned with concern\n\n“Already done, but thanks for asking”\n\n“You guys act like you’ve had this happen before?”\n\nArabella gave him a sheepish smile\n\n“Once or twice.” she stated\n\n“Do you guys need anything? Or can I help with anything”\n\nArabella exchanged a glance with Violet.\n\n“I think we’re good” Violet said\n\n“Oh okay, well, I’ll be by the register if you change your minds.” he said and walked away\n\n“How are you feeling?”\n\n“Slightly better”\n\n“Dinners on me tonight” Violet said and searched her friend’s face to make sure she meant what she had said. She pulled her wallet out of her jacket and went to pay, while continuously glancing back at their table. She's going to have to explain this to Eli when we get back to the house she thought to herself.\n\nThey walked outside and waited for the ambulance that they could hear far off in the distance.\n\n“Well this was a fun evening.” Arabella teased\n\nViolet huffed and put her arm around her friends shoulder.\n\n“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get some more of us into PR. Who knows what the future holds.” Violet said" ]	3
	[WP] A time travelling robot made right before the end of reality and an immortal from the begining of existence meet (both disguised) in a starbucks.	[ "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.", "Log Entry 49: The Everhuman.\n\n“Oh no, I insist, you first,” the human said, holding the door open for me.\n\nInsist. Not excepting refusal. Gesture of good will. “Thank you,” I replied. I entered the coffee house to find twenty-three people in line. Approximate wait time: 18 minutes to front of line. Acceptable amount of time for human observations. The woman with door gesture had entered line behind me, and I turned to greet and offer her a reciprocating human gesture.\n\n“Please,” I stood aside the line and held my hands out to show the space in front of me is a space I was giving the human. “I insist.”\n\n“Oh, no thank you, I don’t mind standing in line.”\n\nRESISTED. INSIST WAS REFUSED. ERROR. CONFLICTING ACTION SEQUENCES INITIATED.\n\n“Are you ok? You can put your hands down. I really don’t mind waiting in line. I have nothing but time,” the human continued.\n\n“Yes.” I replied sufficiently. The error log can be ignored and revisited later. The human had expressed willingness to remain behind me in line. I decided to continue my conversation with this human. Based on body shape and facial construction, the human could be considered female. Remainder of log shall use female gender to associate with refusal human.\n\n“Ok… Good. You can really put your arms down now. The line’s moved up a bit too.” \n\nI stepped several steps to fill the gap between me and the human before me. I have determined that the conversation between me and the refusal woman is the optimal continuation of human observation. I had decided to proceed, and found acceptable human conversation elements.\n\n“Thank you for letting me proceed you in this line, are you living a good life today?” I said cheerfully, noting how human I sounded. Side log: My humanness has vastly increased in recent travels.\n\n“’Am I living a good life today’?” The woman repeated, her eyebrows bent forward towards her nose. She disagreed with my humanness. Side log: humanness increased but not yet acceptable. The human then laughed, “Sure, I’ve lived a good life today. Can’t say it’s been exciting, but ‘good’ is a good word. Have you lived a good life today?”\n\nHUMAN RECIPROCATED QUESTION. LIFE DOES NOT APPLY. GOOD IS RELATIVE. RESPONSE IMMENENT…\n\n“No.”\n\n“’No’?”\n\n“Correct,” I responded truthfully, although knowingly not acceptably. Side log: In future observations, it is acceptable to not reply in truth if truth is not readily acceptable.\n\n“Oh, ok. Is that all you have to say about it?” She asked.\n\n“Yes.”\n\n“Alright, well, the line has moved up some more,” she pointed and closed the gap once again. She continued, “well if you are being truthful, then I guess I should be too: ‘good’ is too strong of a word.”\n\n“’Good’ is a mid-range word, not expressing too much extreme one way or another. ‘Great’ is a strong word.”\n\n“Yeah, thanks, professor. You asked if I lived a good life today. I lived a life. It is just not ‘good’.” She continued to mumble under her breath, but I was able to decipher her lips:I’ve lived a lot of lives, actually.\n\nNEW VERBIAGE. FURTHER INQUIRE.\n\n“What do you mean, you’ve ‘lived a lot of lives’?”\n\nHer head shot up. “Didn’t think you’ve heard that. Um, just saying I’ve been through a lot. And I guess you can say I’m tired of it.”\n\n“What is ‘it’?”\n\n“You know, you ask a lot of questions,” she replied.\n\nHUMAN SUSPECTS MOTIVE. OBFUSCATE. RANDOM ACCESS INTO MEMORY DATABASE.\n\n“The end of existence will be in the year 4765.” Side note: must include pause between memory and output. Information most likely irrelevant and unacceptable to human.\n\nThe human laughed, “Oh, so you’re one of those people, huh?”\n\nRECALL SIDE NOTE: DO NOT TELL TRUTH TO CONTINUE OBSERVATIONS.\n\n“Yes, I am a person.”\n\n“Oh, is that right?”\n\n“No.”\n\nCANCEL. CANCEL. CANCEL.\n\n“’No’?”\n\n“Correct.”\n\n“So if you are not a person, then what are you?”\n\nRECALL SIDE NOTE.\n\n“I am a human.”\n\n“Oh, is that right?”\n\n“No.”\n\nCANCEL. CANCEL. CANCEL. \nThe human looked both confused and entertained. “The line has moved up again. So if you are not a human, then what are you?”\n\nMoving up the line, my system struggled to answer with anything but the truth, “I am an observer.”\n\n“Of?”\n\n“Of humans.”\n\n“Is that right? And why are you observing humans?”\n\n“To collect data as to why the human race leads itself into its own destruction. Most notably in the year 4765.”\n\n“What happens in the year 4765?” The human seemed genuine in her curiosity.\n\n“The end.”\n\n“Of?”\n\n“Everything.”\n\n“And you know this how? Your religion?”\n\n“Robots do not need religion. This is based on fact and observations.”\n\n“Ok, there’s a lot to unpack there, Mister. Which one would you like to tell me about first? The you’re next in line, by the way.”\n\n“It seems our time together is short-“\n\n“I have a lot more of it than you know,” she interrupted.\n\n“Very well. The short version is this: reality will cease to exist in 4765, and I have seen it.”\n\nThe woman nodded. “Ok, Mr. Fortune Teller Robot-”\n\n“Time-traveling,” I corrected the human. No error messages warning in my system.\n\n“-Mr. Time-traveling Robot, Let me buy your coffee and let’s sit and talk some more. I’d love to hear about ‘the end’.” She had a smile--first log of woman smiling.\n\n“I don’t drink coffee. I am just in line to observe.”\n\n“Of course you are.” She turned to the barista, “I’ll have a grande drip coffee, please.” She looked at me, smiled once more—logging the human emotion of happiness. “Actually, make it a venti.” She pointed to the table across the room. “C’mon, I have a lot of questions for you.”" ]	2
	[WP] after years of space exploration, humanity makes first contact with an alien race, only to find that instead of nuclear fusion engine and alloy hulls, they travel the stars in wooden ships with sails, turns out most of the galaxy runs on magic...	[ "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, they don’t use magic?” Jeevix asked. “How the hell did they contact us then?” \n\n“Something called science, Madir Jeevix,” the cadet answered.\n\n“They made it to another planet without magic,” Jeevix gasped. “What a tenacious species.” \n\n“I hear they mess around with atoms and the like,” Okbin said.\n\n“Have they never heard of magic?” Jeevix asked. His memory told him otherwise. In his youth he had wandered to this particular solar system, and magic had existed back then.\n\nOkbin nodded. “Oh, they’ve heard of it. They think that it’s fictional most of the time.”\n\n“Most of the time?” \n\n“Some of them believe in magical beings in the sky,” Okbin said. “Although now they might think that we are the magical beings in the sky.”\n\nJeevix looked at his cadets, “You responded to their message? How?” \n\n“We cast a spell over their entire sky welcoming them to the Romellian alliance. Some of them are building temples to the Romellian alliance now.” \n\n“Are we still sending the scouting party?” \n\n“Of course. They deserve a welcome to the alliance. Although… they are a bit less advanced than the rest of us.” \n\nThey approached the Earth slowly. The scout ship was launched from the mothership, and Jeevix watched as the welcoming committee landed on Earth. They were surrounded by people on all sides, and men carrying strange black boxes atop their shoulders, black slates in their hands on which pictures showed up.\n\nLarge colored boxes on wheels stood nearby. The seeing mirror the welcoming committee let Jeevix see everything. \n\n“Strange sort of chariots,” he commented. \n\n“I believe they are called cars, Madir,” a cadet told him. “They run on an oil of some sort.” \n\n“These humans get more interesting the more I hear about them.”\n\nOkyu walked out to greet the people of Earth. There were a few humans in front.\n\n“We welcome you to our alliance in peace. All we ask is that you follow the rules of our alliance.”\n\n“What are those rules?” the man in front asked. His skin was beige and his hair white. He adjusted his clothing and stands straighter as Okyu looked at him. \n\n“You must not invade other civilizations. You must not introduce predatory species into new environments. You must inform the alliance if you wish to leave us. There are others, but you will receive the full rule book soon.”\n\n“Is that your ship?” the human asked, looking at the odd-shaped structure behind them. It was a giant circular raft of reed, covered in multi-colored cloths. He took a black slate out of his pocket and ran his hands over it. A picture of a metal machine appeared. \n\n“Our ships look like this,” he said with a chuckle. “I suppose we have a long way to go.” \n\n“What was that?” Jeevix asked, looking at the seeing mirror. \n\n“It’s their technology, sir. They don’t have magic.” \n\n“No, they do have it,” Jeevix asked. “They’ve just forgotten how to use it.” \n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nr/xeuthis", "\"Commander, the lock is gone,\" astronaut Phyll gave the news to ship commander Goddard.\n\n\"What was that sound? And what do you mean it's gone?,\" Roy Goddard asked as he came into the flight deck.\n\n\"It's the target sir, it, it's moving toward us,\" astronaut Phyll gave way for him to look at the onboard monitor.\n\n\"What is this thing?,\" Roy said to himself, \"Ready to transmit the data back home Corey,\" he advised.\n\n\"Already on it,\" astronaut Corey McClaire prepared the transmission.\n\nSince it was first spotted by the Hubble it made scientists and people of the world wonder about the nature of its appearance. It was found near Europa, a blur that was hitchhiking on a passing asteroid quickly became the biggest news of the century after the first image of black hole that was published years ago. So they'd quickly laid out plans for human exploration, billions were spent in hopes of finding alien life.\n\nThree astronauts, Phyll, Corey McClaire and commander Roy Goddard were chosen for the mission. Their goal is to seek and observe the seemingly mysterious object. The ship was designed by some of the genius minds that majored in advanced engineering, it was powered by high-tech plasma propulsion system, equipped with state of the art ion thrusters. The ship was finally named Pandora.\n\nIt only took them 2 weeks to reach the slow moving asteroid, the fastest ever to reach the distance in a short period of time. All of a sudden the lock has shifted and the blur that sat on the space rock started moving towards the manned ship as soon as they neared the target.\n\n\"Sir, should I engage the thrusters?,\" asked Phyll.\n\n\"No, let it get close it's only moving slower from the look of it, let's see what it really is,\" said ship commander Roy.\n\n\"Yes sir, looks like we are going to have an audience with not only an intelligent life but with a sensible one,\" said Corey with a smile on her face.\n\nThe crew experienced dissonance once the unidentified object achieved close proximity. It took the ship's comms out and it loomed directly above Pandora.\n\nzkk vwrss, G-ghreet, \"Greetings Earthlings!,\" a voice out of nowhere spoke in human language in the empty vacuum of space, thousands of miles away from the inner orbit of the solar system.\n\nShocked and perplexed, the crew stood frozen in Zero G. Corey floated and reached the window to her side, the picture that she saw outside the window blew her mind.\n\n\"Sir, y-you need to see this,\" she said.\n\nAll three of them peered outside from the same window. Humanity made first contact with an alien life but they found them in a wooden ship with actual sails used for space travel, instead of nuclear fusion engine and alloy hulls.\n\n\"Come onboard humans, oh how we've been waiting for your arrival,\" the alien that looked like a dolphin welcomed them with its tree branch for an arm stretched out as it stood at the edge of the ship.\n\nAfter a moment of hesitation and unuttered words of discussion they'd all come to a silent agreement. Pandora's hatch opened and they flew outside with cords attached to the ship. They were intimidated by the sheer size of that colossal ship in the midst of open space.\n\n\"That looks heavy and tiresome, don't you think?,\" \"You're so right,\" said the aliens that stood on the deck.\n\n\"You don't need your suits, my humble guests. The air's breathable 'round here. Let me take care of that for you,\" said the ship captain as he waved his hand around. Astronauts' suits transformed into plain comfortable clothes.\n\nThe crew finally set foot on the deck. It was a strange feeling for them to witness Jupiter and its moons behind them up close and with no space suit on themselves.\n\n\"Who are you? And how do you know so much of us?,\" commander Roy shot straight at the one in charge.\n\n\"We are messengers from Cosmomagical Federation. We're an alien race from a far away galaxy just like yourselves, we were brought to this light billions of years ago and now we are here to do the same to you,\" said captain Jarakraal.\n\n\"Light?,\" asked Phyll.\n\n\"I think it's magic,\" said Corey.\n\n\"You're correct Corey McClaire of Earth. The light is magic, our duty is to enlighten worlds of this long kept secret, that the universe is not all, -what do you call it? -Science,\" said Jarakraal.\n\n\"Wait, so what we learned and understood about how the universe works isn't true?,\" asked Phyll.\n\nGillyfe, the dolphin looking alien laughed aloud, then it said, \"Far from it, your understanding of the universe we inhabit is limited is all. With magic your potential will expand, naturally.\"\n\n\"Why now?,\" asked Roy.\n\n\"Simply put, the survival of human race depends on it,\" said Jarakraal, \"Gentlemen and lady, you are now imbued with the source as we speak. It will branch out into the world once you land and it'll flourish with given time.\"\n\n\"Did you just say you gave us magical powers? I didn't feel a thing. Corey, did you?,\" asked Phyll.\n\n\"No, I don't think so,\" said Corey as they both thoroughly looked at themselves.\n\n\"What is this going to do to us? The world, if what you're saying is true,\" asked Roy.\n\n\"The question is what are you going to do with it? The responsibility lies on the hands of humanity now. This is just the beginning it'll take years for magic to take root on Earth, until then you'll see things happen in the form of miracles,\" said Jarakraal.\n\n\"So... Are you coming with us to visit our planet?,\" asked Phyll in joy.\n\n\"We'll see that you land safely but we won't be coming along, isn't that right Gillyfe?,\" asked captain Jarakraal.\n\n\"Aye, captain,\" Gillyfe concurred.\n\n\"So how do we explain you at all to the scientific community, this changes everything, I can't even process standing here talking with you magical-alien beings,\" said Roy.\n\n\"You don't have to,\" Jarakraal ordered his crew to send them on their way. Once they were inside Pandora, they'd gone into a state of cryomagical sleep.\n\nThe astronauts forgot everything once they landed back on Earth, they were given a fake shared memory of the exploration. It'll remain an enigma to the end for the world, a century later babies were born with powers that defied logic and reasoning it almost seemed like magic. It would take another century for mankind to get used to it and then they'll begin to explore the space once again but this time humankind will be joining the Cosmomagical Federation.\n\nWP.r #119 • r/FleetingScripts", "The wood was enough of a shock. Its fibers weaved through the opposing vessel’s hull, glowing with an eminence never seen before. It was a dash of color in a seemingly monochromatic setting, a splash of life against the blackness of the cosmos. A white fabric, a sail flying on winds unknown, stemmed from the center of the ship.\n\nNever was such a sight to be expected.\n\nHumanity’s spaceship floated not too far away. It was a metal construct, a vessel formed from gears and gizmos and held together by screws and sheets. Compared to the wooden craft, the grey ship seemed to blend into the stars, being mundane and unnoticeable. It had no luster. It had no glow.\n\nNever was such a sight to be expected.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe two ships stayed still, each one eyeing the other. Shocks of surprise and incredulity rang out on either side. But neither dared to risk attack, for the unknown was always most terrifying of all.\n\nFor a time, there was also no attempt at contact. \n\nThe organisms remained within their respective domains, whispering questions and conspiracies among their species. \n\n\"How can such a vessel exist?\"\n\n\"How can its occupants fly among the stars?\"\n\n\"How can they have reached the pinnacle of travel if they haven't even mastered the basics?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEventually, the tension gave, and communications began.\n\nThe humans tried to explain their science, showing shapes of the periodic table and descriptions of basic kinematics. But their elucidations were like strings of binary to an unknowing being, mere sounds without meaning.\n\nThe Acoill tried to explain their magic, showing shapes of the simplest charms and descriptions of basic spells. But their elucidations were like a cryptic, long-forgotten language, mere sounds without meaning.\n\nAnd with that, first contact was over. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nGears and gizmos, casts and charms. \n\nMechanics and magic.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut neither one held an advantage over the other.\n\n---\n\nThank you so much for reading! This piece was very strange to write, so feedback is both welcome and appreciated.", "The technology was a long time coming and everyone (aside from a handful of wary Luddites) was more excited about the development than anything else that had occurred in human history. We set off first, perhaps unsurprisingly, to Proxima Centauri. We had a small crew, the journey being the first of its kind and, as much as we didn’t want to admit it, severely dangerous, especially in unknown unknowns. I was the youngest on the crew at thirty-eight, representing China, and my crewmates were a woman named Nadia from Russia, and a man from America named Sanford.\n\nThere was nothing that could have prepared us, in hindsight. We’d gone through years of prep, repetition of any possible thing that could go wrong, best- and worst-case scenarios, physical and mental. Being an astronaut has training like you wouldn’t believe, prepping you for every conceivable result. We were hoping to find life on Proxima b, of course, but not in our wildest imagination could we have planned for this hypothetical.\n\nThe warp drive dropped us a clean quarter-thousand miles from the planet and the three of us cheered at the result, embracing, ecstatic beyond words. And then we walked over to gaze out the circular windows toward the planet and suddenly I couldn’t breathe.\n\nIt was alive beyond words. Light that was clearly artificial glowed from the surface like it did from Earth, illuminating the planet’s dark side as the beings that lived there experienced night. And that gave me a flood of information that resulted in a head rush that made me legitimately dizzy. I suddenly took a gasp of air, deprived of oxygen from my shock, my lungs shuddering at the effort as my instincts kicked in, comprehending the magnitude of what I was seeing, and my emotions flared indescribably.\n\n“Holy shit,” Sanford whispered, the first of us to manage to speak. It was the only thing that could be said in that moment, and it hung in the air like a neon sign. And how were we to know that we’d barely grazed the surface? It took strength and time to just grasp what we were seeing.\n\nVoices echoed through our coms from back on Earth after a few more seconds, forcing us to respond, to let our training, as little as we’d expected this result, kick in. I couldn’t imagine the room at ground control at this moment, the scene chaotic and emotional beyond words. And, as little as we’d expected this result, as far off as the statistics were for us to luck out on finding other life this advanced, there were protocols.\n\nUnfortunately, the radio went dead in that moment, cutting us off from our contacts back on Earth with the determined slice of a knife.\n\nThere wasn’t even time to absorb it before the ship appeared outside our windows, warping into existence much as we had, I’d expect. And then the smile dropped from my face in stark disappointment. Because I was suddenly convinced that I was dreaming.\n\nA ship of wood. Tall and towering masts, meant for the seas, floating in the vacuum of space with a dozen or so humans on it, close enough to see them waving at us with wide smiles. It was unmistakable and impossible in a thousand ways and my heart sunk into my stomach in sadness. I still tried to enjoy the moment, tried to keep the smile on my face and appreciate the astonishing detail anyone had in a dream, but my grip on my happiness was lost and I couldn’t regain it.\n\nBut the dream didn’t end. And minute by minute, I recalled everything I’d done that day from waking up, making me reluctantly accept, bit by bit, that I might not be asleep. I just took the intuitive steps to unseal the exterior air lock door to let in the man and woman who simply brought their ship close enough and then leapt from the railings. Their aim was true, and they entered smoothly, grabbing hold of handholds inside to bring them down to the floor to prep for artificial gravity. And as I continued to not wake, to gauge my surroundings, I became more and more convinced that this impossible world was real. I was awake.\n\nThe door closed behind them, the section pressurized, and Nadia, Sanford and I stood as the door opened to two bronze-skinned humans, wearing clothes much like that of the western world on Earth. The woman spoke first, clear excitement in her voice. “We’ve awaited your arrival for so long with so much hope for your species, it’s indescribable,” she exclaimed. “You can call me Jane and him John. We cut communications with your home planet to have, shall we say, a quiet, calm conversation first.”\n\nThe silence hung heavy in the air and the expressions on their faces clearly showed their understanding at our shock, patiently waiting for us to gather ourselves. “You’re human,” I spoke, my voice cracking.\n\n“We’re not,” she replied. “It’s just, of course, much easier to introduce ourselves in a familiar form and converse in the language you all know.”\n\n“You’re shapeshifters?” Sanford suddenly exclaimed.\n\n“No, it’s just…” Jane took a breath. “It’s what you would call magic. Your neighborhood, as it were, has none. And that makes it all the more inspiring and extraordinary that you were able to make it this far. Using ships of metal and chemical reactions? Simply amazing! And we watched from afar, under strict rules not to interfere or communicate. Although-” she rolled her eyes, “there have been some other planets, cloaked in metal machines like yours as they were, that were careless enough to be occasionally spotted.”\n\n“Magic,” Nadia croaked. “I pinched myself several times and am convinced I am not dreaming, and I feel compelled to be honest and let you know I feel I am about to pass out.”\n\nI couldn’t even argue that point, right there with her on that one. But something else in me drove me forward with relentless curiosity and I pushed on with questions. “Your ship, the lack of atmosphere, the contents of the air you breathe-”\n\n“All self-contained, with various spells,” John replied. “Same as our appearance, similar to your warp technology’s purpose. No need for space suits- Well, we have space suits, as it would be, you just can’t see them.”\n\n“Holy shit,” Sanford breathed again, a hand going to his forehead. “This is…”\n\nBoth of them nodded, still smiling. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now,” Jane said with more than a little amusement on her face.\n\n“What do you really look like?” Sanford asked curiously.\n\n“A bit too tall to fit in her comfortably,” Jane said with a raising of her eyebrows, “but…” She shifted form and each of us took several quick steps backwards out of pure terrified instinct.\n\nJane was staggering, with a deep brown, sleek body reminiscent of an insect made humanoid, and was hunched over even in our spacious ceiling of nine feet in height. She had four arms, though just two legs, with hands that were something between an appendage and a claw. Her head had a similar carapace to her body, doubtless making human-like speech impossible, and I guessed their language was more hissing and clicking than ours. She shifted back after a moment, leaving us stunned and wide-eyed.\n\nThis was more than anything we could’ve predicted or wished for in our discovery of another intelligent species and I found myself flooded with questions. “How many others?” I suddenly asked. “Other civilizations like yours? And how many were devoid of magic like we are?”\n\n“It’s rare,” John told them. “Only about five percent are lacking in the resource of drawing from the power of magic. And all the more extraordinary when you make it out to us.”\n\n“Wait, the resource,” I spoke, my eyes widening. “You’re saying it’s something anyone can use?”\n\nJane’s smile widened. “We are. Was wondering when you would get there.”\n\n“I have a feeling,” Nadia said slowly, “that our universe just got much bigger and stranger than it was yesterday.”\n\nJohn took a breath and nodded. “You’ve no idea. But, magic can’t be used on Earth. There’s nothing to draw from. So, if you’d like to convince your species back home of what you’re seeing, there’s no other option but what you call a direct video link.” He smiled. “What do you say we give them a call?”\n\n&#x200B;\n\n/r/storiesbykaren" ]	5
	[WP] The Guild of Princess Rescuing includes all of the greatest and most valiant princes, knights and warriors from across the land. And they all have the same look on their faces when, one day, a stocky plumber wearing a red cap walks through the 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.", "He accepted our invitation! Gather the Links and have them tell the other guild members we have a 'code plumber' on our hands. Dirk the Daring, grab the order slip from our receptionist and buy some spaghetti. Pit, find Luigi's notes in the archive. Leon Kennedy, get people to start setting up decorations. Sora, help Pit since I forgot he's illiterate. Ico, prep the banquet hall. Arthur, find a new suit of armor and inform those in the dorms. Fox, make sure someone is still monitoring the damsel reporting hotline. Kirby, start sweaping up the lobby. Bayonetta, double check the branch's defense system. Chrono, open up the Waluigi contingency file. Shovel Knight, help move the monthly donations into the vault. Sonic, stall him while help with setting up. MARIO is here!!!", "# How to Break a Siege of Legends\n\n(Book -1, Part 1: How to Greet a New Arrival)\n\n(Note: How to Break a Siege of Legends is episodic; each part is self-contained. This story can be enjoyed without reading the previous sections.)\n\nThe Spanish fencer, the charming prince, and the farmboy with the glowing sword all looked up as the door swung open. In this part of the psychosphere, where the collective stories of humankind mixed and mingled, architecture was a smorgasbord of dozens of eras; the door was in the style of an old Western saloon, the simple wood at odds with the shining marble of the Grecian-style temple and the humming electric lights within.\n\nThe door swung shut as the Italian plumber stepped through, raising an eyebrow at the temple's four—now five—occupants. The fencer, prince, and farmboy all had identical expressions of exasperation; the last person in the room, an unassuming young man with a satchel on his back, raised his eyebrows at the four of them.\n\n\"I feel like I'm missing out on a joke,\" Lien Arturo said. \"Care to explain why we're giving the newcomer the stink-eye?\"\n\nThe fencer rolled his eyes. \"He's not from any of our stories, and he's sure as hell not a regular human. I mean, God, look at that dead ferret of a mustache; there's no way that's natural.\" The plumber's static smile didn't so much as waver as he... rotated... towards the fencer, and everyone in the room shuddered. There was just something wrong about the man's eternal smile, the way he always slightly shifted when he stood, never quite falling still. \"Know what that means? Yet another fictional universe is butting in on ours. I don't suppose you know where he's from? I'd like some warning before another one of those cheaters with the swords that cut through everything come after me.\" He gave the farmboy an annoyed look.\n\nLien rubbed his chin, studying the man. \"Hmm. I'm afraid I died before whatever, er, this is got mainstream enough for me to hear about it. Excuse me!\" He waved at the plumber.\n\nThe plumber barreled towards him at a dead sprint; Lien's eyes widened and he backed up in shock, nearly falling flat on his back. As quickly as he'd started, the plumber skidded to a halt, sending comically large puffs of dust up from his boots. Lien rubbed his eyes. Jesus. People did not just sprint everywhere they went on a normal basis. Where the hell was this guy from?\n\nLien sat up and brushed himself off, giving the plumber an irritated look. \"Could you tell us what universe you're from?\"\n\nThe plumber paused, looking from side to side—then began furiously crouching, bouncing up and down with a springiness that suggested his flesh... wasn't quite human. Lien gave his three companions a look; the fencer and the prince both shrugged, but the farmboy cleared his throat. \"He's from some kind of game, I can tell you that much. I've seen this before; a lot of game characters have selective mutism and a sort of... pseudo-language to compensate.\"\n\nLien sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. Of course. \"Can you... are you literate? Can you write?\" He rummaged in his bag for a paper and pencil and held out a single sheet to the newcomer. \n\nHe continued staring, unblinking, into Lien's eyes, seemingly ignoring the proffered paper. Lien awkwardly tried to force the paper into the plumber's hands; it slid off his closed fists and fell to the floor with a dejected plip. Lien gave his companions a help me out here look; they all just gave him variations on a theme of you're the one who started talking to him, it's your problem now. Lien cleared his throat. \"Sir, if you can understand what I'm saying—\" He stopped to think. \"...if you can understand what I'm saying, uh... crouch?\"\n\nThe man performed one of his inhuman undulations, dipping down and springing back up with impossible speed.\n\n\"How about yes or no questions?\" The fencer suggested. \"One crouch for yes, two crouches for no?\"\n\nThe plumber swiveled towards the fencer—everyone tried not to visibly flinch—and crouched once.\n\n\"Are you here to fight?\" the farmboy instantly asked.\n\nOne crouch.\n\nImmediately, everyone tensed; the fencer drew his blade; the farmboy clicked a button, and a shaft of light sprung into his hands; Lien drew a mummified hand from his coat; and the prince flicked a dagger into his hand. The plumber backed up a step and frantically started crouching again.\n\nLien frowned. \"Hold on. Are you here to fight us?\"\n\nTwo crouches.\n\nThe assembled fighters shared a look, then sheepishly put away their weapons. \"Then who?\" Lien asked.\n\nThe plumber gave him a look that was exactly as blank and empty as all his previous ones, but somehow managed to convey annoyance.\n\n\"Right, sorry, can't talk and can't write. Uh... wait. Did you come to ask us for... help?\"\n\nOne crouch.\n\n\"Why would he come here?\" the prince asked. \"We're not exactly equipped to communicate with him.\"\n\n\"Unless...\" the fencer puzzled, \"Well, we all do have a bit of a reputation, don't we? The one thing we do is save princesses.\"\n\nOne crouch again.\n\n\"So there's someone who needs saving, and you want our help?\" the farmboy summarized.\n\nThe plumber, impossibly, leapt two meters straight up in the air—then, at the height of his jump, broke what little of the laws of physics were left in the psychosphere and kicked off empty air, exulting in a wild \"YAHOO!\" \n\nThe four members of the Guild of Princess Rescuing gave each other evaluating looks.\n\n\"I think that's a yes,\" Lien finally said.\n\n\"Well, hell with it. I'm in. Might as well scout out whatever new world is budding.\"\n\n\"It'd be a shame to leave someone in danger,\" the prince added.\n\n\"Also, I'm sure we can find all sorts of loot on the way!\" Lien added.\n\n\"Seems like we're in,\" the farmboy said. \"Lead the way, plumber.\"\n\nA.N.\n\nI'm trying something new! \"How to Break a Siege of Legends\" will be an episodic story where each part is inspired by a writing prompt that catches my eye. Check out [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/bubblewriters/comments/mdh066/how_to_break_a_siege_of_legends_masterpost/) for the rest of the story. As always, I had fun writing this, I'm open to feedback and suggestions on how I can improve, and I hope you have a great day.", "\"The service entrance is on the side, buddy. This area is for the actual princess rescuers,\" One of the assembled knights finally said.\n\n\"I'm not-a here to do no plumbing. My-ah estranged homeland has been taken over, and I intend to liberate it.\" the stranger said.\n\nThe knight spokesman scoffed, \"Okay, but what does that have to do with princess rescuing?\"\n\nThe fat little man glared at him, \"The monster who-ah kidnapped her turned all-ah her people into blocks. Only by-ah rescuing the princess can the-ah land be restored.\"\n\nA hushed silence filled the room. \"You're from the Mushroom Kingdom?\"\n\n\"When I and-ah my brother were-ah little babies. Our family moved to-ah New Donk City when we were-ah pretty young\"\n\n\"Aren't you a bit short for those places?\" Another knight joked.\n\n\"Listen paizano, I'm-ah here to register for the-ah princess rescue, not-ah talk about-ah my height. I'm only-ah here right now because I-ah know how much-ah you guys-ah hate scabs.\"\n\n\"Your funeral fatso. That place is a death trap, with man-sized turtles that can bite your head off, giant chasms that you'd need to be able to fly to get around, a curse that straight up kills you after a few minutes if you don't make it to the fort, and the princess is held by a massive, fire-breathing, dragon-turtle warlock who can summon and throw swarms of massive hammers.\"\n\n\"I know, but-ah some of this I'm-ah doing out of-ah guilt. I've... made-ah some-ah mistakes, and I'm-ah hoping to make up-ah for it.\"\n\nThe fat plumber made his way to the registry. The registration was straight forward, name, date of birth, current residence, next-of-kin, etc.\n\nWhile he sat down, the knight spokesman and one of his friends approached. He seemed a little less confrontational.\n\n\"Look man, whatever you did... it's not worth throwing your life away.\"\n\n\"I'm not-ah planning to go out in some-ah blaze of-ah glory. I'm-ah going to save-ah my homeland.\"\n\n\"And how do you plan on doing that? You're a short, fat, out-of-shape, unarmed plumber.\"\n\n\"I can-ah run real fast, and jump-ah real high.\"\n\n\"That's not good enough to save a-\" The knight was cut off as the short plumber man, in one fluid motion, rose from his seat, grabbed the armored knight like he weighed nothing and jumped almost 12 feet in the air from a standing position, just as a magic blast came forth and turned the table the plumber was seated at into one of the aforementioned giant turtles. Its jaws snapped forward and crushed the knight's partner's arm. On the other side of the grand hall, one of the guild secretaries threw off the illusion to reveal a large robed turtle wizard.\n\n\"PLUMBER! I WILL DESTROY YOU IN THE NAME OF MY-\"\n\nThe plumber oriented his fall to land on the magically-created turtle beast. His expert maneuvering allowed him to ensure the energy of the fall was almost entirely transferred into the creature, leaving both him and the first knight unharmed, while the second knight was released from its grip, who fell to the ground and writhed in pain. Still, even with the monster taking the brunt of the impact, it was little more than stunned and merely retreated into its shell to recover. But the plumber wasn't done as when he landed, he kicked the turtle towards the turtle wizard at a speed comparable to a galloping horse. The wizard's threats were cut off as he had to teleport to avoid being smashed. The speeding shell bounced off the wall and the plumber jumped onto it to arrest its movements while the nearby knights and warriors descended onto the stunned creature to finish it off. When that was done, all eyes whipped around to see where the mage might reappear. For a few tense moments, it was silent. But then a second man came entered. He looked like he was related to the plumber, but notable differences included how he was clad in green, thinner, and was almost 12 feet tall.\n\n\"Brother? Did you-ah get him?\"\n\n\"Yes, brother. I-ah told you not to go in without a Super Mushroom. Bowser's agents are-ah everywhere. You saw how they-ah were in the sewers.\"\n\n\"I know, but we can't-ah go everywhere like that.\"\n\n\"We could have in-ah New Donk City.\"\n\n\"Those bananas give-ah both of us-ah the runs.\"\n\n\"Whatever bro. Have you finished-ah registering?\"\n\n\"No, I was in the-ah middle of it when we were so rudely interrupted.\"\n\n\"Do you think we'll need-ah to take the-ah physical?\"\n\nThey looked at The terrified guild secretary that gave the red plumber his registration documents, who shook her head, no.\n\n\"Well then, let's clean-ah this up and finish the-ah registration.\" the red plumber said as he moved to help, but the assorted guild attendants waved them off and told them to just fill out the form, they'll do the clean up. Others ran to attend to the injured knight.\n\nAstonished at all this, the knight spokesman finally recovered enough to speak, \"That... was amazing.\"\n\n\"Thank you. Sorry I didn't think to save your-ah friend.\"\n\n\"The healers will attend to him. It's a dangerous lifestyle, we usually know the risks. Can I get your names, mighty warriors?\"\n\n\"Mario. Mario Mario. And this is my brother, Luigi Mario. We're the Mario Brothers.\"" ]	4
I just got this idea but I'm stuck.	[WP] Some people who walk into the catacombs in Paris get lost because they get trapped in some kind of otherworld which shuts off the doors to outside.	[ "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 is the last time I listen to you.\" Brett snaps at Jeremy.\n\n\"Look man, I had no idea we would be trapped here. I mean, I thought 10 minutes wandering the Catacombs and we just walk back out. We didn't even turn any damn corners, so how-\" Jeremy retorted, his voice getting louder and louder.\n\nI put my hand over Jeremy's mouth and push him to the nearest wall. \"Shut. Up. There is something out there, and I can't focus on it because of your bitching.\" I growl into his ear. Brett glances over at us and nods in agreement. I feel Jeremy nod as well.\n\nReleasing Jeremy, I step back. I glance at these two and sigh.\n\n\"Getting angry at each other will not help us. We are stuck, so we need to look around calmly and pay attention.\" Glancing at the other two, who nod in response.\n\nWe are standing in what appears to be a small cave, and the passageway we took to here has vanished. There are scraps of clothing on the floor, and the soft thumping of something very heavy walking around outside the cave.\n\nBrett carefully makes his way to the cave and pauses for a moment.\n\n\"You guys see Rebecca or Samantha?\" He whispers worriedly.\n\n\"Shit.\" Jeremy cursed. \"Maybe they went outside.\"\n\n\"Maybe they didn't get to appear here, maybe the made it outside of those bloody tunnels.\" I counter. \"This cave thing isn't very big, we would've seen them if they made it here.\"\n\nJeremy and I make my way over to Brett, and they gasp at the sight. A very large creature is walking past on four very thick legs.\n\n\"Is that a mastodon?\" Jeremy whispers in awe. Brett and I are too stunned to stop Jeremy from stepping outside. Like a child, Jeremy walks up to his favourite extinct animal, his hand reaching out to touch it. Before he gets too close, this thing spins in a blink and the truck grabs Jeremy and shoves him into it's mouth filled with very sharp teeth.\n\nBrett starts to freak out at this, and dashes out of the cave towards the nearby copse of trees, with blood red leaves. I consider warning him, but that wasn't why I lured them here. Brett seems to explode in a pinkish mist as the tendrils of the trees lash out at him when he gets too close.\n\nWith a shrug, I turn around and cut my palm on a sharp rock, and manage to force out a small drop of blood, and smear it on the hidden door. It slides open soundlessly. Something which creeps me out, and I have explored that death world.\n\nI head to the Lounge of Death, as the vampires down here call it. The lifeless bodies of Rebecca and Samantha sufficiently drained.\n\n\"Lure, good of you to make it back.\" One of the vampires muses softly. I never bothered learning their names, just like they never bothered with mine.\n\n\"Fang, enjoy the snacks? Those boys didn't make it very far, but this place cannot be discovered. We all know what happens last time it did.\" I nod to the vampire. \"Wouldn't want a third World War to appease that damn thing, would we?\"", "\"Man, that was weird in those catacombs.\" Brian muttered.\n\n\"Pretty sure that is why they don't like people exploring those things man. Apparently people go missing.\" Adam noted.\n\n\"Whatever, it was cool.\" Jeremy slurred.\n\nOut of the three, Jeremy was the heavy drinker. Brian and Adam were drunk, but sober compared to Jeremy. Together, the trio walked from the exit of the catacombs. Brian paused for a moment, his head cocked to the side.\n\n\"Huh.\" Brian whispered. He was positive that they just walked out of the wall behind them. Adam was quiet as Jeremy started 'singing', Brian caught up quickly.\n\n\"Why is it so quiet?\" Adam asked, confusion in his tone.\n\n\"Wha? Who cares.\" Jeremy laughed, while Brian looked around carefully.\n\n\"Lot of fog too.\" Brian observed, as fog had appeared to have rolled in swiftly.\n\nBrian kept pausing every so often, as if hearing something, and as the trio meandered along, Brian was getting more agitated.\n\n\"Everything okay?\" Adam asked, while Jeremy finally stopped singing.\n\nBrian didn't reply to Adam straight away. It was the third time when Brian went to stop and listen, that Brian seemed to notice Adam.\n\n\"Huh? Oh, yeah, I just kept hearing something, like a whimper.\"\n\n\"Probably the losers from the-\" Jeremy started to retort before vomiting. Adam rolled his eyes, when he stopped suddenly as if realizing something. He started looking at the stores they were passing in a bit more detail, until Brian grumbled about a dog that nobody else could hear.\n\nJeremy screamed then dove for the side. Adam rushed up to check on his friend, with Brian on his heels.\n\nJeremy clutched at Brian as Adam asked Jeremy what happened. Brian was trying to calm Jeremy down, with little luck.\n\n\"Didn't you see that car? It almost hit me!\" Jeremy pleaded.\n\n\"I didn't see any car.\" Brian answered, a confused expression on his face until a flash of irritation appeared as he looked around.\n\nBrian and Adam hauled Jeremy to his feet. Jeremy's feet almost caused him to stumble, so Adam hooked Jeremy's arm over his shoulders and helped his friend walk.\n\nThe men were silent for a few minutes, when Jeremy turned to Adam.\n\n\"How long you been there?\" Jeremy asked pointedly.\n\n\"Since you flopped like a fish screaming about cars.\" Adam snapped. \"Isn't that right Brian?\"\n\nSilence answered. Jeremy turned with Adam's help and Brian was gone.\n\n\"Where did Brian go? And Adam, where did that annoying cunt go.\" Jeremy asked, Adam's irritation growing.\n\n\"Not sure where Brian, who apparently keeps hearing a dog, but I am right here, you dumb drunk.\" Adam snarled.\n\n\"Brian? Where are ya?\" Jeremy yelled. \"You looking for Adam?\"\n\nAdam just kept quiet as Jeremy kept bleating out for Brian. In his annoyance, Adam glanced around, trying to spot their missing friend, when he noticed something concerning.\n\n\"I remember that shop.\" Adam muttered softly. As he left Jeremy to his own devices, Adam looked around, and spotted it. The vomit Jeremy had deposited on the pavement.\n\nBut that was impossible. They had been walking for a few minutes, there is no way that they should be coming up to the same pile of vomit, in front of the same cafe next to the shop Adam was standing in front of.\n\n\"What the fuck?\" Adam asked Jeremy, who was no longer there. Adam was alone, just like when the three men first arrived in Paris to watch the final match in the soccer world cup. Just like Adam had been most of his life, any friends he makes drifting out of his life. And to make it worse, Adam Knew they were no longer in Paris, but he cannot hear his friends anymore..." ]	3
	[WP] Dracula, Frankinstein’s monster, and Satan walk into a bar, and get into a heated argument over who has the worst reputation.	[ "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.", "\"Ha!!!\" Bellowed Satan, his nostrils blowing the tiniest puff of steam. He kept his gaze on the gaunt stranger drinking the bloody Mary.\n\n\"Many things I have heard in my day, but none so self serving as THAT! And I would most certainly know\" The stranger opened his mouth again to speak, but aside from revealing his razor sharp incisors, he did not convince the demon prince to demure.\n\n\" You are a Hollywood darling with swooning fans hardly touching puberty\"\n\n\"Unnng!\" Intoned the gruesome giant at his side. Clearly forgetting his own turn before the cameras.\n\nIf anyone heard him though, it was hard to tell with Dracula finally giving his own full throated disagreement.\n\n\"And which of us has bands singing a chorus to their might? You hardly have room to talk!\"\n\n\"Unng!\" Added the giant, helpfully.\n\n\"Don't YOU start Frankie, I saw more of you than me last Halloween!\"\n\n\"True\" began Dracula, only just starting before Old Scratch turned on him again.\n\n\"And if I see one more 'Sexy Vampire' costume. I'll hit them with a one way pass to my playroom!\"\n\n\"Not one of us gets the fear and respect that we truly deserve.\"\n\n\"Agreed.\" Came a new voice from the right.\n\nAll eyes turned on the newcomer. The scrawny older man in an off the rack suit smiled. He held out a business card to the Vampire. \n\n\"We had an appointment today, but I've been informed that this case requires after hours attention. They told me at the castle that you were here tonight.\"\n\n\"And Who are you?\"\n\n\"Oh! Terribly sorry! I'm Sean Davidson, Internal Revenue Service.\"\n\nThe empty bar missed a chance to see the pasty skin of a vampire grow visibly more pale." ]	2
	[WP] Its a blind date at a fancy restaurant, between a monster hunter, and a monster. Neither of them realize it yet and each think the other an ordinary human.	[ "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 he's cute, I wonder if he'd taste good with mayo ro ketchup? Noooo! Snap out of it girl! This is a date! A DATE!' she thought as she slapped her face in real life, at the table, in a restoraunt on an atual date.\n\n\\- Are you okay?\n\n\\- Oh, yes yes, I uh . . . I just remebered something embarising for highschool and uh, well I was cheering myself up!\n\n\\- Right . . . 'Man, I could be knee deep in the jungle right abouot now, sneaking up on a humongous dragon and. .... no no no no no ! this happend on every date! I have to focus!' he thought as he tried to remember what it was exaclty that he and his date were talking about.\n\nThese two, ladies and gentleman are our heroes of the story. One a female Dragon the other a Monster Hunter, specialized in dragons as luck wuld have it. Neither of them are aware of the others true nature, for now, but how will it all end? Let's find out!\n\n\\- So, what was it you do for work again?\n\n\\- Oh eh, I am a biologist. I work for a non profit organization -'meaning I keep all the dough for myself'- spetialized in tracking down and monitoring endagered and rare species.\n\n\\- Fascinating! So, what is the most dangerous animal you monitored? -'Humf! You probably don't even know there are DRAGONS around do you! Ugh, if only we could mate like you humans do but nooooo, true love bla bla bla feelings and stuff'-\n\n\\- Oh you se there was this dragon I tracked once ... -'CRAP! ok ok you can still save it think of somehting!'-\n\n\\-Excuse me? The Dragon within her trembled, her eyes becomming cat like, but yellow focusing on the tasty treat in front of her.\n\n\\-Oh it was a comodo dragon you see you know those hug.... \n\nBefore he could finish the sentance something huge sprung from underneath the table crushing it. Table cloth still in the air, the beautifully baked pastries turned into little more than dust particles. Tea cups shatter all around. But in all that the hunter inside the Dragons companion long saw those eyes that whish nothing more than to destory and sprung back to avoid the swing what turned out to be a big, thick crimon red tail.\n\n\\-Perhaps a demonstration on how the tracking down and monitoring went down would be in order? What do you say, Monster?\n\n\\-Oh I'd love that! And as she sayid that the beautifully designed and crafter dress tore apart from the enourmous body that is the Dragons true form.\n\n\\[To be continued\\]", "“...The skydiving helmet is wearing you for protection!” Jim shouted with a wide smile.\n\nUrsula winced, trying her hardest to maintain a grin as the whole of her spirit cringed. Her grip on the embroidered dinner cloth she had been holding under the table had been tightening with each word.\n\n“Actually, I think I have heard that one before,” she stuttered, “Jerry Seinfeld?”\n\nHer words seemed to bounce off of Jim’s vacant face and drop to the ground in free-fall. She could practically hear them bouncing back and forth to a standstill on the ground as he stared blankly without saying anything.\n\n“Are you hungry?” he finally asked awkwardly, “my stomach has been grumbling for a long time.”\n\nJim looked down and rubbed his rotund belly as he said this.\n\n“I could eat,” Ursula replied before burying herself in the menu.\n\nBlind dates were always a chore for her, although most of the men she met would at least wait until the end of the night to reveal themselves as beasts, but she had to give this rather theatrical and rotund man credit: he seemed hellbent on setting a new record. At least he’s honest, she told herself as her eyes darted back and forth on the gigantic and sparsely populated leather-bound menu.\n\nSomething, something fraîche\n\nSomething, reduction, something\n\nZest, tarragon, fancy, fancy, wagyu\n\nIt hardly meant anything to her, she probably recognized about five words on the whole of the entree section. Realizing she was in over her head, she figured she might as well go with something expensive. Work had been stressful recently and maybe something exotic and extravagant could salvage this night. Wagyu is supposed to be good, that sounds right I’ll get that, she told herself while peering over the edge of her menu to see how Jim was faring. To no surprise he seemed equally perplexed, scratching his brow with a plump sausage of an index finger while his pupils moved at the speed of glaciers across the page.\n\nIt would be another half minute before she realized he had been holding the menu upside-down. It was an easy mistake to make from the cover, the restaurant title ‘WOOM’ was after all an ambigram, an oddly suggestive one at that, but Jim had still not noticed his mistake in reading the contents. Still she did not have the heart to embarrass him.\n\n“These food items seem to be quite luxurious,” Jim finally broke the silence, “I am not so sure if I can pay for this.”\n\nThere was something charming about the way he said this, an innocent cluelessness that further implied a deep sincerity.\n\n“We can split the bill,” she said, “Hell, I can pay for your meal if you want.”\n\nJim pursed his fingers happily and grinned wide, “Yes, I like this arrangement very much. Thank you Miss Ursula.”\n\n“Sure--no problem,” she replied sarcastically, “so what is it exactly you do, Jim?”\n\n“I am in trading.”\n\nHis eyes darted to the ceiling and back to Ursula.\n\n“The market, how do you call it...”\n\n“The stock market?”\n\n“Yes!”\n\nJim was pleased with that one. He was still unclear as to what did and did not pass for a job, but she seemed convinced by this last gambit. In fact she hardly suspected a thing! His heart pounded. It was a rush to talk with humans after watching them for so long from a distance, and now was as good a time as any to press his luck.\n\n“Yes, we trade a lot of the stocks in my place of employment. I am quite successful as well, which makes me dominant in the office and desirable as a partner,” he boasted while sucking his gut in and puffing his chest out.\n\n“Oh?” Ursula giggled. There was something endearing about him, she told herself, like he was performing a good parody. In the end, was he really any different than the other men that dragged her along on these excursions? Yes: because he said what they thought but would never say.\n\n“But enough about this alpha wolf dog, what about you? What is your employment for wages?” he asked, half remembering what he had memorized on human relational etiquette and various YouTube videos on picking up women.\n\n“Well, honestly…” Ursula began.\n\nTwo hours later the two were laughing over several empty plates. The restaurant was nearly closing and the host had finally gained the courage to tell them both that they needed to leave.\n\nIt had been an enchanting night for both of them. Jim didn’t know what the hell a monster or a monster hunter was but it felt like the perfect vindication to finally meet with a human as elegant and funny as this one. Ursula, in a similar position, had for the first time been glad to have gone on a blind date. Whoever this man was, she knew two things: he was the most satisfying date she had ever met with and he was one hundred percent not a stock trader.", "\"What's is your favourite mea... uh I mean food.\" \n\n\"I don't really have a favourite food. I like pizza, pasta,\" and the occacional raw garlic alongside wet goat eyes to keep banshees away. But Jake doesn't say that, instead he coughs and asks,\"How about you?\" \n\n\"I like cows.\" \n\n\"Oh like hamburgers and stuff.\"\n\n\"Yeah like hamburgers,\" or just the whole living cow. It's quite filling. But Alice doesn't say that, instead she coughs and takes another sip of red wine. \"What do you do,\" she asks. \n\n\n\"Ummm. I'm a protector of sorts.\" \n \n\"Oh like a cop?\"\n\n\"Well, my job is slightly more dangerous and requires a lot more reading. \"\n\n\"Are you a mercenary?\" Alice leaned in, suddenly intrigued, and her large brown buetiful eyes made Jake crack a smile.\n\n\"Of sorts I guess. Is that a problem with you?\"\n\n\"Not at all. I like a man with a little danger in his life.\" I'll be the biggest danger in your life soon, don't worry.\n\n\"Yeah, danger can keep things interesting,\" It also makes things unneccesarily terrifying,\"but sometimes I like sitting down and relaxing. You know I quite like you.\" \n\n\nAlice giggled, and Jake's smile grew wider. He hadn't smiled like this in many years, usually his days harsh and on the road. Dirt had a way of sticking to his face, and the sun blared him, as he tried to shoot the wendigo running towards him:\n\n\"Well. What do you do?\" Jake asked.\n\n\"I-u...\" I kill and slaughter for a living, \"I hunt.\"\n\n\"You're a hunter huh? How's the bear season been?\"\n\n\"Bears are,\" very small and fragile creatures, they also taste like shit, \"quite easy to spot.\"\n\n\"But isn't it dangerous to go out hunting bears?\" I almost snorted at my remark, fuck.\n\n\"Umm...\" Not one bit, \"Yeah it can bee, you've gotto be careful so that nothing sneaks up on you.\" \n\n\"If you could travel to a country, where would you go?\" Alice asked.\n\n\"Siberia,\" I've always wanted to see a real vampire, \"I hear they have really deep lakes there.\" \n\n\nBut those pesky vampires live there, uhhh, I guess I can't blame him for not knowing, \"Yeah Siberia sounds pretty cool, but how about the United States?\" \n\nNew and boring, there's no lore there at all. But I can't blame her for not caring about that, \"That sounds pretty fun.\"", "Her face stopped me in my tracks, quite literally. As I rounded the corner and our eyes locked so too had my entire body midstep. My mouth went dry, my breath caught, I couldn't believe it was her but it could be no one else. In a heartbeat I wasn't hiding out 40 miles from our last job, I wasn't cold hungry and tired, I wasn't clutching a gun, I wasn't scared and angry at everything and everyone. I was in a hotel room, I was full of good food and liquor, I was holding her, I was in love.\n\nIt had been 2 years ago and I had been visiting a little town that my old man had drug my sorry ass to when I was 13, right after him and mom split. No one had caught on to us yet so I stopped by to grab a drink with few old school friends, who promptly set me up with some girl. Begrudgingly I took her out my third night in town, and oh what a night it turned into. She wasn't my type, hell I about got up and walked out a couple of times, but she was drop dead gorgeous and I hadn't gotten any in two months, so I stuck it out and started in on some bloody marys.\n\nIt was after a few of these that she started talking about hunting, talking about her great all consuming passion, and I swear I have never seen anything so beautiful. I was being nice when I asked her what she did for a living, figured drinks plus nice equals lucky, but I got a lot more than lucky. It was like I had lit a fire in her eyes, they were ablaze and soon was her entire body as she talked about the thrill of the chase, of the tracking, of the stalking, of the danger and death, of hunting monsters. I hadn't known love until that moment, until I saw her wild eyes as she talked about pulling the trigger. \n\nBefore I knew it we were kissing, then I was calling a cab, and then all that passion turned towards me. When I woke up that next morning I did something I had never done before, I laid right there and waited until she woke up. Usually I got the hell out of dodge, usually I tried to avoid the what are we conversation, usually but not this time, this time I had to know if she felt the way I did. I don't know how long I laid there listening to her breathe, feeling her heartbeat, but I finally had to get up and use the toilet. That was when I saw the badge.\n\nIt started out as a golden glint on the floor, her cracked wallet had fallen there in the previous crazy evening. Curiosity got the better of me, lightly I nudged it with my foot flipping it open and revealing the bright badge of a federal agent. My heart dropped, past my chest, past my stomach, and straight out of my ass. For a long time I just kept looking at it and the pretty face laying there in bed, all my little dreams of love had been cut open and left to die in the morning sun that was coming through the window.\n\nEventually I started thinking about the night before, and I realized two things that together were the worst two fucking things in the world. First it was love, I felt it for her and I think she did for me, and second I was one of the monsters she loved to hunt. A monster and it's hunter, no amount of love can conquer that, if it was going to work for longer than one night one of us would have to give it up. I was too deep to get out by then, too deep to quit without getting my brains splattered or 20 to life. She would have to, and she wouldn't, not if she was that passion filled woman I had fallen in love with, and I wouldn't even try to tempt her either.\n\nClosing that hotel door was one of the toughest choices I had ever made, and I had thought about it every day since. Every day I wondered if I would see her again, if I would see that beautiful face and those passion filled eyes looking back at me once again, and here they were.", "The 25th annual blind date night at the Cosmic Circle is underway, the large hall tattered with people queuing up under the bright crystal light chandeliers that hum softly alongside the smooth new-age jazz raring across the restaurant.\n\nNursing her strawberry soil rum (a very different take on its rare traditional counterpart; strawberry daquiri) against the bar is a caramel skinned woman, her long black locs trailing against her silk cream gown that creates a shimmering effect as a light draft ruffles it about. She had been on the waiting list for just over a year, much to her surprise being accepted a week before this years event, understandably nervous but maintaining an elegant, poised façade. Underneath it all is but a Munter, an absurd and outdated term but unfortunately a legal one for a monster. Monsters that had been exiled from Earth over forty years ago and since having developed multiple clandestine methods of concealing their identities and thus becoming participating, functioning (yet still illegal) members of society.\n\nAs she's beckoned towards her table by a waiter and seated her pupils begin to dilate, bulging into a deep green catching the eyes of her date for the first time as he seemingly floats towards her in an almost cinematic-like montage. His perfectly manicured nails and rugged brown beard almost instantly melts the guard she had been building up all day as he leans in for a peck against her soft dimpled cheek.\n\n\"With a name like Avangela, I'm not sure what I expected but the most beautiful woman in the room,\" he whispers softly against her ear before leaning back out from the kiss. Avangela blushes as his beaming smile draws her in closer like it has its own gravitational pull.\n\n\"Garlem is it?\" she says chuckling softly but not long enough to seem demeaning, \"You weren't what I... expected, but I like it.\" They both exchange a flirtatious smile and series of flattering looks that almost transports them into a plane of their own, one which every other seat in the hall was empty, they were alone in a world of their own.\n\nA couple of hours and many drinks later, they're still sat across from each other, hands clasped together across the table and songs of pure bliss playing from their mouths. It was Garlem's first time in a while dating and he almost couldn't believe how much fun he was having.\n\nYou see two years ago during a classified Munter hunt, Garlem had come face to face with the most wanted Munter in the known galaxy, Archangal. Much to his dismay he was unable to apprehend him, but had left him with a sordid reminder that Archangal would never be safe. To this day above Garlem's mantel he holds a three foot long arm, Archangal's arm. The real kicker came when Archangal took his revenge, he lured Garlem to the seventh circuit of the New Kingdom and amassed an attack by his minions that held Garlem there long enough to take his only pride and joy, his wife Juli. Archangal was the most vengeful and feared Munter of them all and made sure to stay true to his title and do things that are almost indescribable. Garlem made his way back home from a failed mission and in reality a trap, to be greeted by the decapitated head of his wife right beside the mantelpiece of Archangel's arm, splatters of blood covering the entire room.\n\nSince then Garlem has been known to be a brooding, emotionless man. If any of his colleagues could see him now they would evaporate with pure disbelief. He was smiling and laughing, for a moment he felt normal again, as-if his entire world hadn't been torn apart yet. They began making plans to leave and catch a nightcap at another bar a few blocks over. As they stood, Garlem knocks his drink over her and instantly begins panicking, grabbing as many napkins as he can to help.\n\nAvangela stands up with a quickness, her watch begins beeping very loudly, dripping in alcohol. Her face flustering violently, she pulls away from Garlem, \"Sorry, sorry, just give me a second. I'll be right back,\" she says as she dashes towards the toilets, slamming the cubicle door behind her. She lifts the gown up and her skin begins mutating slowly, her smooth caramel skin rising into hard scabs that are racing up her leg towards the rest of her body. She takes a deep sigh and fiddles with the watch that continues beeping unresponsively.\n\nAt the table Garlem is growing worried and impatient, he heads towards the bathroom and knocks a couple of times, \"Avangela? Is everything okay?\" to no response. There's a slight bang inside followed by a ringing from his pocket. He pulls out his mobile where an alert spreads across his screen 'Munter Level 3 within 100 feet' his eyes widen as the dots begin to connect, he dashes through the door where Avangela is already half-way out of the window.\n\nThey catch eachother's eyes for a moment, she smiles softly her face still portraying that of a human. \"It's been real Garlem, till next time?\" She winks at him as her face is enveloped into a dark green scaly creature still maintaining her original facial features, before hurtling herself out of the third story window.\n\nGarlem's mobile begins speaking loudly 'Do not pursue Munter, backup is now en route. Do not pursure Munter, back-' he smiles to himself and throws the phone into the toilet.\n\n\"She's mine,\" he mutters before jumping out of the third story window behind her.\n\nEdited for spelling mistakes.\n\n¬Discover more of my writing at r/silvacorner." ]	6
	[WP] Today is 'take your child to work' day. They then have to write a report on what it is you do and present it to their class. Your cover has always been ‘you have a job at the local waterworks’. But the truth is, you work for the government alright … doing the other kind of wet work.	[ "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 Day With Daddy\n\nMy daddy works at the waterworks. That means he helps the city get water to shower with and drink! When he took me to work with him, we went to this big building. It had all kinds of people inside of it. We had lunch at the restaurant on the ground floor and he even showed me the garden in the courtyard. Then we went upstairs.\n\n\"We have to check the water in this room!\" he announced, pointing towards the closest door. This pretty lady downstairs gave him a key that opened the door right up! Daddy's a smart man! He took me inside the room and told me to hide in the closet in case the pipes burst so I wouldn't get all wet! It was boring in the closet, but he told me if I stayed quiet he would get me ice cream on the way home.\n\nDaddy's a hard worker. One of his friends came into the room and daddy surprised him. He sure sounded surprised! I almost left the closet, but I really wanted that ice cream. I heard the shower running and daddy opened the closet. He had blood on his shirt. It's a good thing he had a jacket! He said working with metal is dangerous! It can cut you!\n\n\"See, the water's working perfectly!\" he said, pointing towards the bathroom. \"My friend is getting a shower now that it's fixed.\"\n\n\"Hi! Bye!\" I said as we passed the bathroom.\n\nDaddy taped a letter to the wall as we left the room. I've never seen him wear gloves before, but I guess he does at work! He said it was a \"bill for services rendered.\"\n\nWe got ice cream on the way home. My daddy is the best! :)" ]	2
	[WP] There are many rumors surrounding the figure of human healers—magicless physicians, solely dedicated to the conservation of their sacred techniques, and rarely credulous. It is not until one these scarce sages is summoned to the palace of the elven monard that their reasoning becomes clear.	[ "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 for fuck's sake! You cannot just magic away a fucking infection!\" Rowden said as he looked at the wound that was seeping purulent drainage. \"How have you been treating this? Have you disinfected it at all?\" He asked the elves as he rolled his sleeves up. \"I need your strongest spirit, alcohol spirit. Boiled water. A flame and your sharpest knives. Clean cloths.\"\n\n\"The arrow-head was cursed, as our foe are want to do.\" The Elven lord said as his subjects went to get the healer's tools. \"We have applied multiple healing potions to the wound, but the evil has seeped deeper.\"\n\n\"Mhmm.\" Rowden said as he looked into the wound. \"Fighting against the men of East again? They curse their weapons in a ritual where they dip it into the blood of their fallen foes...sometimes their comrades. Bloody harbor for pathogens. Sure, you may have gotten rid of the curse, but now your general is going to die of blood poisoning if we don't get this under control. Basic science, man, basic science.\"" ]	2
	[WP] A priest discovers a strange, unnatural creature lying on the central altar of his church. It's bleeding from a wound in its head, and nothing the priest does can stop the bleeding. The priest decides to tell the creature stories from the bible to comfort it in it's slow, dreadful 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.", "Candlelight and starlight, the work of man and the divine to cast a warm glow upon the world in the endless war against darkness. Carefully I set the small flickering candlestick onto the stone cut floor with the slight scraping of the copper base. The occasional dull draft from the church's open doors, and distant footfalls of my assistant coming to a vanishing point. \n\nThis unnatural chill grasping at my heart redoubling its efforts as I gently observe the victim on my alter. Its soft white feathers interspaced with softly glowing rings of incandescent light. A faint chitter escaping the being as I set my hand onto its head the cloth in my grasp slowly turning a dark red. \n\nOne of its eyes undamaged by whatever force maimed the poor thing opening, an orb of amber and etheric starlight. One of its many winged arms grasping onto my robes as I place my free hand onto its own. It's gaze, that I have already seen many times from those that have been tainted by the wars ravaging the holy roman empire. \"You are safe here child of the stars, the good lord protects the faithful and those of pure heart.\" \n\nThe grip on my brown robes wavering as I tighten the fabric onto the wound tighter and close my eyes. A prayer passing between my lips as I feel my charge's body weaken from the previous injury. One single moment of wrath banished as I open my eyes a stream of tears escaping. Light once ever so present in the room dimmed to the quiet glow of my candle. \n\nOne deep rattling breath escaping the angles lungs before the final golden motes illuminating its wings float upward. Its spirit lasting mere moments before dissipating, taken by the lord's servants. The distant hoofbeats of the king's men rattling the night air beyond the church's walls. \n\nTheir arrival far too late, the healer from Saxony redundant as I make a promise to the deceased, next time I will save more than just their soul." ]	2
	[WP] The scariest thing is regular 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.", "\"Pretty good shot, huh?\" Cal said. His voice was flat, his breathing steady from the short hike. \"'bout 200 yards, that's how far I had yuh sighted.\" \n\nI gave him a quick glance before returning my attention to the woman. She was maybe in her mid twenties, probably younger. Her skinny frame and gaunt face made her look older. Her blood was still trickling in the dirt and pebbles. \n\n\"You alright?\" Cal asked as he came and stood next to me, \"You look like you saw a ghost. Don't tell me that scared yuh.\" Cal shifted the weight of the Winchester on his shoulder. \n\nI shook my head, but didn't say anything. I absently watched the blood continue to pool and spread in tiny red tributaries on the dirt road. \n\n\"Seriously, that shook you up? I guess it is a little different when it happens right in front of you, huh?\" Cal slid his rifle off his shoulder and handed it to me to hold. He stared at the starved woman at our feet. Her ratty blonde hair matted with dirt and blood. \n\n\"You didn't need to shoot her,\" I finally spoke up. \n\n\"Yeah, I did,\" Cal huffed with his raspy voice as he knelt down on one knee. \n\n\"All she wanted was food.\" \n\n\"Yeah, and you think you coulda talked her down? You saw the way she was waving that knife. Woulda stuck yuh real good had I not plugged her. Real good shot, too.\" \n\nI winced. Cal always talked as if he was just shooting deer. I suppose, to him, it's all muscle memory. \n\n\"Don't be gettin' all sentimental, now,\" Cal's voice was a little softer. He hands rummaged through the girl's jeans. Each pocket was empty. \"I done told you. Its people like her that are the most dangerous. Ain't no fucker waitin' to plug yuh gonna be the most dangerous. Naw, he's fed. He may say, 'Aww, he ain't worth it. My belly's full.' Naw, its gonna be people like her.\" \n\nI looked away from Cal and to the girl's head. Face down. I can't help but remember the fear and anger in her eyes as she charged me. Her hand raised with the knife that now lays next to her feet. \n\n\"People that are hungry. They're the most dangerous; people like you and me. 'Member what I told yuh?\" \n\n\"Yeah,\" I said shortly.\n\n\"All it takes is missin' three square meals. Thats all that separates me and you from them.\" \n\nCal finished his search and stood back up. He dusted off his pants and held his hand out for his rifle. I gave it back to him without a word. My mind too occupied. I wondered, what if it was me in her position. How long could I go hungry? \n\n\"Listen to me: don't dwell on it. They sure as hell won't when they're eatin' your food.\" Cal slung his rifle back over his shoulder. He looked down at the woman and sighed. \"The hungry and desperate. Regular folk. That there is was scares me. I pray to God I don't end up like her.\" \n\nI looked at Cal. First time I heard him admit to being scared of something. \n\n\"Come on,\" he sighed, \"grab her legs. I'll get her arms. Let's put her in the ditch.\"" ]	2
	[WP] Archaeologists discover the remains of a civilisation from thousands of years ago with far more advanced, and barely comprehensible, technology than today.	[ "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 morning was crisp and cold on the high plateau. Hoarfrost decorated the sparse conifer trees creating a sea of white that seemed indistinguishable from the pale horizon. The beginnings of melt were visible as small droplets of water gently fell to the frosty ground beginning their return back into the sea. Titanious digging machines surrounded a large square pit keeping a watchful vigil over two figures standing at the centre.\n\n“We need to open it, this could be the discovery of a lifetime. Hell we might get the Nobel Prize for something like this.” Darwin babelled staring at the small metal hatch sitting between the pair.\n\n“Slow your roll cowboy, no need to get all excited. It’s probably just the latrine pit for some old military base and unless you discover a new antibiotic the only prize you’ll get is hepatitis.” Pete said.\n\n“No I don’t think it is. The rock we removed must have been hundreds of thousands of years old, are you telling me they dug a latrine pit straight though god knows how much rock and then just put it all back when they left. I know the military likes busy work but that seems a bit much. Besides just look at the markings on the hatch.”\n\nPete bent down to get a better look. The hatch was completely untarnished, only blemished by a series of overlapping geometric shapes interspersed with groups of tightly packed concentric circles.\n\n“Well it doesn’t look military. Hell it doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen and the way it shines. You would have thought being buried under tons of rock there would be some tarnishing, or marks, at least a bend or something. But it looks like it was just made. We need to…”\n\nWhoosh! Putrid smelling air jetted from the hatch as Darwin pried it open with a crowbar.\n\n“What the hell are you doing! There could be diseases in there, did you ever think that it might be buried for a reason?!” Pete spat unable to control his anger.\n\n“And we have to find out what that reason is. It’s our job.” Darwin replied flatly.\n\nWithout another word Darwin crawled through the hatch and began to gently lower himself down into the darkness. After a long moment Pete could hear Darwin let out a long-exasperated gasp.\n\n“Come down! You won’t believe this.” Darwin shouted.\n\nPete began to lower himself down into the pit. The going was slow as he shuffled slowly down, anchoring himself with his leg and back as he descended. Suddenly his foot slipped on a wet patch of the surface, a gift courtesy of Darwin he supposed, and he fell into the blackness.\n\nPete hit the ground much sooner than expected, his vision swam from the pain, and lights seemed to swim around him as he sat in a dazed stupor. The stale air was rancid on his tongue and dried his mouth. A gentle whirring sound came from every direction, like a hundred angry bee’s surrounding him and he could feel broken objects poking roughly in his back.\n\n“Pete are you seeing this?”\n\n“I’m fine thanks.” Pete replied sarcastically before adding. “Lights?”\n\nAs if something had been listening more lights began to spring into life, vast sheets of light seemingly woven in screens all around the room, all displaying the same cryptic characters as the hatch. Large broken cylinders sat at the centre of the room and as Pete squinted his eyes he could make out the shapes of small animals suspended in transparent jars against the far wall.\n\n“What is this place?” Pete asked vacantly.\n\n“Well it’s not a latrine.” Darwin mocked.\n\n“This technology it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.” Pete said in wonder as he ran his hand through the empty air of the display screen. “Maybe some kind of secret government tech.”\n\n“Maybe. But then why would they leave it here for anyone to find. It just doesn’t make sense. What do you think the screens say?” Darwin asked as he began fiddling with the machine closest to the pair.\n\n“I’m not sure, but this place makes me feel uneasy. Something’s wrong here, I can’t really explain it. It’s just wrong.” Pete said struggling to keep the Panic from his voice.\n\nSuddenly the lighting changed, dropping to a dull foreboding red. The gentle whirr was replaced by a slow ponderous thump, thump. Pete looked around and saw the monitors had changed to a flashing red screen which seemed to be interspersed with what looked like a crude diagram of a human being. He saw the the broken containers in the middle of them room, the samples, the strange machines, the diagram, the mess. Then it clicked.\n\n“We’re in a biolab.” He said flatly. “And I think who ever was here before us left in a hurry. I would put money on that message being a warning to stay away.”\n\n“How could you possibly know that?”\n\n“That’s not the question you should be asking.” Pete said. “I wonder are we being warned away or is the warning about us?”" ]	2
A small tweak to a popular prompt.	[WP] At the age of 16 everyone gets teleported to a small room. In front of you is a table with all kind of meals from apples to gourmet meats. Whatever you take a bite of will determine what superpower you’ll get. Unfortunately you have a very bad habit of biting your nails when you’re nervous...	[ "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." ]	1
	[WP] You are a former Superhero. While you are still legally one, you simply feel you are a dog of the miltary	[ "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.", "Keep this secret, I know where this finds you it will seems as strange a world as it is shocking for you to hear. \n\nWe used to be an anomaly... but like everything else in the metropolis of Colosseum it wasn't long before our genes were synthesized by big pharma and every Betty-Ann Boredom could buy herself into invisibility or super speed. \n\nI was known as Devka. I'm now 53 and a widow. I was the first female \"überhuman\" in Colosseum. Some say we came out of over-pollution, others say radioactivity, but goddamnit, everyone in their right mind knows it was nothing more than a rewriting of our parent's genetic code through the first wave of cybernetic implants pushed as enhancements like viagra or birth control that preceded them. Nova Co. insisted on pushing the environmental pollution causation to protect their investments from massive class-action lawsuits. Our mutations were also the next big cash grab, with mid-life genetic rewriting becoming more prevalent, if we could be exploited genetically we'd make them trillions of credits. \n\nÜberhumans presented at around 14-16 years of age, females later than males. My late husband, Trood, was the second überhuman to ever be recorded. His mutation occurred through a binding of a no-sleep implant through testosterone regulation system in his pituitary. He never had to sleep and his body was consistently repairing any tears in musculature at a rate over 100 time that of the average human. With his mutation ca,e tumors and an early death, but not before he made his mark on vigilantism. \n\nI met him when he almost stopped an attempted kidnapping of my younger infant sister. He showed up at our door to personally swear to our family he wouldn't stop until she was found, which she never was, * well, but perhaps you knew that*.. when he arrived I knew that he had doubts because I could feel them, I could feel his muscles tensing in his jaw as he spoke in my own and I could hear the whispers of his thoughts.\n\n,thus I realized I was special like him, but in a different way, This was much later than the average presentation of powers in anyone thus far, but that was because my power never had the chance to meet another like myself, It seems my auditory system was sensitive to the mutations in genes caused by the cybernetic offspring. I can feel the deepest pains and greatest joys like a mirror, but I can only feel emotions of other überhumans, as faint whispers, though I did brow stronger and more in tune over time, eventually being able to sense the surges of adrenaline of combative überhumans nanoseconds before they made their next move in combat, giving me a glimpse into their next actions.\n\nThis was not useful in combat myself. And although I accompanied my late husband as a tactician when one of our brethren went rogue, (like latching into the city power system and traveling through the electrical grid or psychologically manipulating political candidates through remote physiological hormone manipulation), I was never a fighter. I was a shot-caller and a tactician, and that's what initially caught the eyes of my close friends and fellow überhumans the leaders of the paramilitary anti-pharma militias. We fought and planned operations against their legions of private security, and for me this was as personal as it gets. We fought alongside average humans and überhumans attempting to bring down the government which was now run by Nov Co. credits. All who fought with us were blacklisted from receiving all genetic implants.\n\nSoon one-by-one überhumans were captured and their genetic code synthesized by the pharma legions, allowing for nearly every known power to be catalogued and exploited by the security legion themselves or marketed to the masses as the next big thing. Unlike my husband, I flew under the radar, and none but a few of us avoided capture. Soon Nov Co. had its entire security legion stocked with mid-life and artificially created überhumans, overloading my mind with a constant fuzz of feedback whenever encountering them. I was useless except to train the few remaining überhumans that were not yet synthesized on a grand scale, and my days of fighting are now over. \n\nI write this farewell as we prepare for our last stand, 3 überhumans and around 250 humans. I have trained for years preparing them for this day. But I cannot fight myself. The feedback of the various artificial überhumans makes it impossible. I am not long for this world, but upon receiving this message, I have attached a copy of my genetic code.\n\nRemember I am unknown to them, and if you can somehow find a way to combat the feedback, you will be able to see them all before they make their next move. With it I am attaching Troods code as well, combine it with mine, grow strong, and grow aware.....and give them hell! Find Wex Artemis, he fled to the hills long ago, but owes Trood and I a favor.\n\nI've always missed you sis, I am sorry we never knew one another, much love. \n\nDevka" ]	2
	[WP] Certain lucky individuals are granted superpowers based on their profession. As an accountant you were given the power to be so precise in your calculation that you could find the probability of literally anything, and you find out the is world is going to end in 3 days.	[ "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.", "Time left before the 'End of the world': 23 hours\nAccuracy: 100%\n\nNo matter how much faith I give to the heroes being anxious about the fate of the world is would be normal if 100% is literally printed in your head. Luckily I don't have to do it alone.\n\nSam cooked me breakfast. I don't know she knows how to cook.\n\nShe doesn't she nearly burned yesterday's leftovers while trying to heat it.\n\nTime left before the 'End of the world': 22 hours\nAccuracy: 100%\n\nSam prepared a list of activities to keep us distracted from the prospect of the world might end (I already told her the message last night by the way and also took a leave) when we wake.\n\nIt is mostly play video games, movie marathon, eat food and seeing a shooting star at 9 pm before we sleep\n\nReminds us of college.\n\nTime left before the 'End of the world': 18 hours\nAccuracy: 100%\n\n\"Hey lovebirds, planning marriage behind our backs?\" Danny and her fiance entered my apartment while we are in a compromising position due to Sam trying take my controller.\n\nDanny was punished by the combined might of my 'flying controller' and a 'blushing blow' from Samantha. Dude if I am planning to put our friendship to the 'next level' you will be involved in the planning process.\n\nBy the way, you deserve a 'Deadly Blow' because I am 100 percent sure that you skipped work like you skipped classes. You're lucky that Juni is around.\n\nTime left before the 'End of the world': 12 hours\nAccuracy: 100%\n\nWe played games, watched movies, devour my delicious food and relieved the time that we are students. \n\nNow that I think about it Sam is always with me since elementary.\n\nTime left before the 'End of the world': 11 hours\nAccuracy: 100%\n\nI am the last man standing. Only because I never took an sip of alcohol. They called me 'killjoy' but I am now putting blankets on their backs.\n\nTime left before the 'End of the world': 10 hours\nAccuracy: 100%\n\n\"Can't sleep?\" Sam placed her hands on my shoulder as I look at the night sky.\n\nMeanwhile Danny and Juni are sleeping soundly.\n\n\"I replaced alcohol with caffeine, this is the side effect of that change. How about you? There is a 80% chance that we will not see the shooting star.\"\n\n\"I won't let a few cups of alcohol, Dan's arrival or your probability mess with my plan.\"\n\n\"And that is.\"\n\n\"It's a top secret.\"\n\nWhile we are talking a streak of light passed by unnoticed. Sam fell asleep again while I tried to wait for the shooting stay but soon the call of the bed prevailed.\n\nI carried Sam to my bed, she is heavy but her sleeping face is worth it.\n\nPeople might say that I am the mature one compared to tomboyish nature.\n\nBut ever since everyone learned my powers how I looked at me in a different light.\n\nThey asked me for advice, for fortune, for a miracle.\n\nSam never did.\n\n\"Can you please stop using your powers?! You don't really need to help them in the first place.\"\n\n\"But..\"\n\n\"But God gave you your powers for a reason I am definitely sure that it is not to transform you into a glorified simulator.\"\n\nThe 'end of the world' is certain my power is not a liar. Even if the director and his heroes managed to stop the literal end, it can have other meanings.\n\nThis power of mine is both accurate and vague at the same time and it is irritating.\n\nThere is also a chance that it means nothing but can I really believe that?\n\nWhen I looked at the window I saw an airplane slowly drifting away. Maybe that will do.\n\n\"If wish I have more time no. I wish to be with Sam until the 'end of the world'\"\n\nPerhaps, I need to ask Danny for a plan after this.\n\nPlease give criticism." ]	2
	[WP] The train you commute on has a bunch of rules. Apart from the usual ones, the one written on the top, in bold red letters, stands out. DO NOT get off at Arrow Point, a station the train stops at for 5 minutes.	[ "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 Green sat in the blue plastic seat as the 9:00am E train whizzed past buildings along it's track. It was a sunny day, and John had grabbed an edition of the morning paper and sat contentedly reading it as the train continued moving. The paper wasn't horribly interesting, more Russian antagonization in Alaska, the usual hard-mouthed politician's pledges. Sighing, he flipped the page and glanced up as the train began to slow down. He looked above his head to the right at the station map and the light for Washington Station flickered on. His stop at Monroe Station was near the end of line, so he went back to his paper. A multitude of people shuffled out as the doors opened onto the platform as John went on to the sports page. As the train began to move again, John swayed slightly as it began trudging along the track again. Glancing up at the display again, he looked at what the next stop was: Arrow Point. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nA odd chill ran up his back as his eyes perused those letters one by one. Ever since he began taking this line to work, the train always stopped at Arrow Point. Yet no one ever got off there. In fact, John corrected, no one was allowed to get off at Arrow Point. On the usual list of rules next to each door, all the usual rules were listed: no smoking, be courteous to others, but at the very bottom in bright red flashed Warning: All Passengers Are Not Permitted to Exit the Train at Arrow Point. John had never really paid much mind to it, it was just another rule, but today he felt an strange curiosity towards it. Why did no one get off the train? And if not a person took the train to Arrow Point, why did it stop there? As the train continued on its course, a message flashed on the display: ETA 15 minutes to Arrow Point. At this, the cogs in John's mind began to turn as he made up his mind whether he should follow this course of action. Surely nothing at Arrow Point could be so terrible, after all the train wouldn't put people in danger. And surely no one would stop me, he thought, if I stepped off there. The train began to slow, and John stood up, folding the paper under his arm and grabbing his leather briefcase and hat and prepared to step off. The train finally stopped, and as he went for the door, he realized that the passengers in his car were all staring at him. One man, seated next to the door, opened his mouth in an eerie grin, as if trying to frighten John out of his plans. No, he said, people are just peculiar, that's all. What could be so bad about Arrow Point?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAs the thought crossed his mind, the doors moved open, and John put on his hat and stepped of onto the tiled platform. To his surprise, the station seemed well maintained and unusually clean as he walked away from the train, his shoes clacking on the white tile floor. The area was fairly well lit, with some benches in the middle of the platform and a flight of stairs proceeding deeper into the ground. As he approached the dark staircase, again that chill ran up and down his spine, hitting his neck as every hair tingled and bristled. John shook it off, chocking it up in his mind as a gust of cold wind(he did feel a slight draft coming up from there). He began to descend, the white tiles changing into crumbling concrete and peeling paint, and green flakes of paint from the rusted handrail began to coat his slightly sweaty palms. Soon there was no light at all, and the staircase seemed to continue. John took extra care as not to slip down the stairs, but it was difficult to see where his feet were. The stairs weren't quite wide enough either, and it would be very easy to lose balance, he thought. The very moment this drifted through his brain, he felt a hard push from behind, and gasped and began to tumble down the stairs, losing all balance and rolling down the concrete steps. Finally reaching the bottom, he luckily was able to stand and dusted off his pants. As far as he could see he wasn't injured, but then again how would he be able to tell in complete darkness? He laughed at the thought, and then his mind drifted to what had preceded this event. Someone had pushed him, yet there was no one behind or around him. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nAll he could see was the distant light from the platform illuminating the archway far above the bottom of the stairs. He rustled around in his briefcase until he found what he was looking for: a flashlight. He clicked it on, and remarking to himself how handy a flashlight was, began to take in his surroundings. The crumbling walls had traces of long gone paint spattered along them, and a musty odor emanated from the entire hallway. He shined his light down the hallway to his left and then shone it to the right, where the doorway had collapsed. Having nowhere else to go, he began to walk down the left, his shoes splashing a trickle of water that flowed through the decrepit passageway. Old rusted light fixtures adorned the the hallway, barely hanging onto the wall. Suddenly, the flashlight flickered, as if making a valiant effort to maintain itself, and then clicked off completely. John furiously clicked the button and smacked it against his palm, but to no avail. He looked back into the dark and waited for his eyes to adjust, but as they did, he noticed movement close in front of him. Three dark silhouettes ambled towards him, and John became horrified. They seemed featureless, and were darker than the darkness around them. He tripped and splashed into the water, and tried to stand and crawl away, but as he began to run tendrils of mist arced at his face, trying to block his vision. He again felt a violent push from behind, and couldn't react in time to stop his fall. His face smashed against the concrete, and the three figures continued towards him, and two of them stooped down to grab his legs and began to drag him deeper down. The lead figure walked in front, leading the other two. A white helmet was visible on his head, marked with a red R-32. John awoke briefly as he was being dragged through the water, and as he regained a semblance of consciousness a thought echoed through his mind, but it was not his own. Like a chant, it echoed and rebounded through the corners of his mind: The Project will continue, living or dead. The Project will continue, living or dead . . . \n\n(Sorry if this is kind of long, but I was kind of writing free form and letting it flow. I hope it's alright as this is my first time posting on here. Peace and happiness to you)", "Arrow Point. \n\nNobody ever got off at that stop, I noticed. I traveled the whole circuit twice a day to get to my IT office, and in the month I'd been in this town, I'd never seen anyone get off. \n\nActually, it was more than that. During the five minutes of holdover there, I'd never heard anyone get on, either, though admittedly I'd never paid much attention. I'd never been a particularly chatty train passenger; I usually just found a seat early on, pulled out my laptop, and lost myself in work. I never paid much attention to others, during that stop or any other. \n\nThen, one day, I had forgotten to bring along my charger. My laptop died, I stared fornornly at its dead screen, and stood up. I was in an empty car, and suddenly I seemed a little too alone. The air felt cold. I wasn't sure if it had always been like this and I'd never noticed. \n\nWell, I still had at least a half hour left to ride. Now that I was forced to, I figured I might as well try to make friends.\n\nI walked to another car. There were three people in it - an old woman with her head wrapped in a knitted scarf, a teenaged girl with ripped jeans and dangling earrings, and an elementary-aged boy with a neon orange, comically big backpack at his side. They seemed to be discussing something, but they all stopped talking when they saw me I stepped inside and smiled sheepishly. \n\n\"Hi, I'm from that car over there,\" I gestured. They stared, and didn't respond. Okay. \"I've been in this town for about a month, and, uh, my name's-\"\n\nMy stupidly unplanned speech was thankfully interrupted by a train-wide announcement by the conductor: \"Approaching Arrow Point. Arrival in one minute.\"\n\n\"Arrow Point,\" I said, grateful for a topic. \"I've never gotten off there. I might get off for a few minutes, stretch my legs. Anyplace you recommend going?\"\n\nThey all flinched. \"No,\" they said at once, in an eerie harmony. \"No, do not get off at that stop.\"\n\nWell. \"Why not?\"\n\nThey just stared, unblinking. For a moment, the temperature plunged. Yet, conversely, I smelled fire. Their eyes- their eyes were black. Burning. Tortured. They-\n\nAnd then everything was normal again. I rubbed my goosebumped arms. Something was wrong with me. I was going for a walk, to clear my mind.\n\nI didn't watch them watch, sorrowfully, as I left the room. I didn't hear them whisper, for a moment, and then writhe as if in intense pain. I didn't see them flinch the moment I stepped off the train, into something other, and by that point I could not hear them echo my screams. \n\n\n\n\n/--/--/--\n\n\n\nArrow Point. \n\nNobody ever got off at that stop, I noticed. I traveled the whole circuit twice a day to get to the deli place I'd been hired at, and in the two weeks I'd been in this town, I'd never seen anyone get off. \n\nActually, it was more than that. During the five minutes of holdover there, I'd never heard anyone get on, either, though admittedly I'd never paid much attention. I wasn't much of a talking sort of guy, I guess, but eventually I figured that if I was going to stay in this town, I'd better at least try to make friends. \n\nSo I forced myself off the uncomfortable train seat, brushed off my jeans, tried to straighten my wrinkled sweatshirt, and walked into the next car. The air seemed to chill, a bit. Malfunctioning air conditioner, maybe. Anyhow, it got a tingle rising up my neck. \n\nThere were an odd assortment of people in the carriage. An old woman, a girl about my age, and a kid. And there was a man, suit and tie and briefcase, sitting with the rest. He looked at me with the strangest expression I'd ever seen, a mix of hopelessness and despair.\n\n\"Approaching Arrow Point. Arrival in one minute.\"\n\n\"Arrow Point,\" I repeated. \"Maybe I should get off there.\"\n\nThey flinched, but I didn't see." ]	3
	[WP] You are a supervillain secretly employed by the government. Your job is to keep superheroes busy, so they don't cause property damage trying to fight normal crimes. Recently though, your heart really hasn't been in the work. You miss the good old days.	[ "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's my own attempt at writing off my own prompt\n\nWhy on God's Green Earth would I want to blow up the moon? What could possibly be my motivation for such a hair-brained (and more notably pointless) scheme? What sort of wet behind the ears hacks are writing these schlock plotlines, these days?\n\nI'm the richest man on Earth. I've been President of the United States, King of Bornavia, CEO of the largest tech company on the planet, and Ambassador to Mars. True, I hate that flying insurance claim with a vengeance, but I don't hate Earth... all my money's here, after all.\n\nBack when I started working for the MAD Boys (the Metahuman Anti-Destruction Bureau), it was enough to keep The Amazing Blue-Onesy distracted with bad banter and fast footwork. The crimes themselves were relatively minor in scale. Hell, I once stole 40 cakes from a local baker, and the newspapers called it \"terrible\". Now, they don't even write up an article unless I threaten the economy of an entire micronation. And without the press, Mr S-for-brains rarely even bothers to show up.\n\nI know my work is important. Without me, that lumbering locomotive would be off 'saving the innocent' from jaywalking or indoor smoking. He once tried to disperse the crowd at a Walmart on Black Friday... do you have any idea how much property damage he cost the city? I hear the lawsuits alone were in the billions. It's right in the job description: \"Protecting the Planet Through Thwarted Tomfoolery\".\n\nBut do the plots need to be so absurd? Last week I was shrinking the ozone layer. The week before was stealing babies' first laughs... do you have any idea how hard it is to steal a goddam LAUGH??\n\nCan't a villain ever just steal 40 cakes?\n\nThat's four times ten!\n\nIsn't that enough?" ]	2
	[WP] You’ve risked your life and sanity protecting you kingdom, yet you’re being humiliated, while someone else is rewarded for your sacrifice.	[ "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 am not a being accustomed to feeling rage. Anger yes, anger fuels me in battle, the anger of the situation in which i find myself, the pounding in my head as I stalk my prey before I end their lives. But the cold, calculated wrath of rage. This is new, and this is what I was waiting for, to bring the final calming assuredness to my hands as I deliver death.\n\nI am loyal, that is beyond a doubt. In this world, where we lowly humans have fallen so far as to be but scraps living in the embers of our forefathers glories. We live in wastelands of barren soil and heat, radiation blasted rock and windy planes in the valleys of evaporated seas. Those who called these lands homes are nomadic tribes, living off what mutant animal species still live here. But these are the homes of my past, and now the cities of my Master's home are mine to keep safe. This city, if you can call it that, was built thirty years ago, when I was but a child learning to throw my first stones, built as he conquered the largest of the Smoke Nomad tribes with tactics and armour many had forgotten the concepts of.\n\nI have heard the stories in the time since He first found me in the wastes of my clans homestead, I had just turned fifteen. He came, tall and clad in a cloak of purple and gold, with black hair and strong eyes that burned into my soul. Flanking him where two bronze clad warriors that I have since learned to call my brother Storm Wardens. Guardians of the Emperor, we are his eyes, ears, and fists. But me, I forgot to tell you of me, and of how I, the most loyal Watch Captain. Lord of the Deathshroud Temple, the assassins guild I had built for my Master. \n\nAnd now, now after all this, all I have done to bring order to the Lands of the West, the conquest of Europa. The High Lord's on their posh thrones want to take what was MINE! The glories wrought in the name of my Emperor!\n\nWell they will see. They will see as I strike from the shadows I wove into the our capital. Only a fool would have missed building secrets ways to overcome their forces through their own Capital, and when I came to Alexandria Secondus, I was certain to hunt down the most effective routes I could. How could I not, when the Emperor gave me the order, He would train me as we did this. And now I will use this very network to bring His wrath to their scheming hearts. \n\nHe told me his dream of the Utopia, cradle of humanities reclamation of all the past and future glories that where our for the making. My life was devoted to this cause, and I will die a thousand times before seeing it become a bloated rotting carcass of His vision in their hands. \n\n --- Last Journal entry of Watch Captain Velderossa Cosla-Khan, First Lord of the Deathshroud Temple and former Storm Warden Second General to the Emperor.\n\n Written approximately thirteen hours before the events of the \"Tetra-Arch Blood Coup\" of 3112 in the Capital of Alexandria Secondus.\n\nPart 1 of \"Shadow of the Reaper\"" ]	2
	[WP] a preventative cure for Alzheimer's has been discovered. You have to choose which memories to forget every 10 years	[ "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.", "\"Finished?\" The receptionist smiled as I approached the counter and handed her a clipboard of my specifications. \n\nHer eyes ran down the list as she got up from her seat. \"I'll get these to the doctor right a-\"\n\nShe paused. \n\n\"-way...\"\n\nHer brows knitted together in confusion, and her smile became small and crooked. \n\nShe looked at me with suspicion and uncertainty. She opened her mouth to speak, paused, looked at the clipboard again, and then forced a strained smile back onto her face. \n\n\"The doctor will be with you momentarily,\" she said.\n\nI sat down. I saw her gossiping with her coworkers, every now and then, one of them coming to the counter to peek at me.\n\nThen the doctor came. He look flustered as he ushered me into the room where the treatment would take place.\n\n\"Before we begin,\" he said. \"I couldn't help but notice what you wrote, and I just wanted to make sure you...uh... were sure?\"\n\nI nodded.\n\n\"You want to keep your most painful memories?\" the doctor asked, as if I hadn't just nodded already.\n\nI nodded more firmly this time.\n\nThere was a pause.\n\n\"May I ask why?\"\n\n\"Do I have to answer?\"\n\n\"Not if you don't want to. I can't force you. I'm just curious.\"\n\n\"I just feel like our painful memories shape us more than our good ones,\" I answered. \"That's all.\"\n\nThe doctor nodded. \"I'll...I'll, uh, begin the treatment now.\"\n\nI closed my eyes and prepared to forget." ]	2

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