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 fantasy world in which magical powers are linked to one's HAIR.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Everyone around me has eye scorching colors flowing over their hair. I can tell it's natural, because I can feel the magic radiating off of them.\n\nOf course, my hair is regarded as \"very plain and boring\". It's a mousey brown cut at my shoulders. It stops growing when it reaches. Because of my incredibly bland hair, I posses no magic.\n\nI get bullied by people. Even my siblings have a spectrum of color on their hair. They usually pick on me and give me all their chores, threatening to use magic on me. \n\nI get home schooled because all the schools mainly focus on magic, but I still see plenty of kids. They make fun of my hair and will send me running from magic blasts and fire. \n\nIt's also the public. Whenever I go to a store, everyone cuts in front of me and gives me a look, like \"What are you going to do about it, fight me?\" At cafes people with vibrant hair get seated before me, if I'm not already kicked out.\n\nToday is my first day of public school. Wished me luck." ]	2
	[WP] The peasant boy who rescued the princess and then married her finds himself utterly out of his league at court and they both realize that relationships born in hardship and trauma rarely work out in the long term.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 Whitney was born on a cold Winter’s day in a small house on the outskirts of the village. His family was part of the working-class: peasants who toiled in the wheat fields, serving the Royal Court of Chesterfield. The new baby squealed as the clock struck midnight, and Mother and Father gathered around the warm fire to gaze upon the sleepy little face that looked back at them.\n\nJohn grew up like most peasant children with little to no education, toiling day after day in the fields, his drab linen clothing soaked with sweat. After a long day of work, John and his family returned to their small, two-room house constructed of stone and dried mud. Mr. Whitney, John’s father, was one of the few peasants who knew how to read, and each day after dinner, Mr. Whitney would sit down with John and read to him from old fairytale books that had been passed down the family for several generations. \n\nThe stories were fantastical tales of far-off, mysterious kingdoms and wonderful animals and beasts. John’s favorite story was that of a princess, kept prisoner in her own castle by a mighty dragon, who was saved by a mere peasant. The peasant and princess fell in love and were married. “How wonderful that would be,” thought John, “to have all the riches in the world and to help all of my friends and family who deserve so much!”\n\nThe years passed by, and John grew up to be a strong young man and proved himself to be a hard worker. On a crisp Fall day on the Sabbath, John took a walk to explore the woods, an hour’s walk from the village.This was a favorite pastime of his; he enjoyed the solitude and being among the sounds of nature. \n\nThere were rarely any other people who visited these woods, so John was surprised when he heard a nearby call for help. “Sounds like a princess in distress like in the old stories I used to read,” said John to himself. John came across a beautiful young woman, who looked to be about his age, who had gotten her foot stuck in a crack in some rocks. John stopped dead when he saw her. It was the princess!\n\n“You there! Peasant, I’ve gotten my foot stuck,” said the princess.\n\n“I have a name, you know,” said John with a smirk as he walked towards her.\n\n“Watch your tone, sir. Do you even know who I am?”\n\n“Well, I’d say you look an awful lot like Princess Chesterfield, although your current position doesn’t look too royal.” John grabbed her leg and began twisting and pulling to try to free her.\n\n“Hey! Watch your hands!” said the princess.\n\n“How do you suppose I should free you, then?” replied John as he gave a final pull and freed her foot from the rock.\n\n“Oh...thank you. What are you even doing all the way out here?”\n\n“I like the quietness around here. The same could be asked of you?”\n\n“Same,” said the princess. \n\n“Well I’ll be on my way,” said John, “unless you want to walk with a lowly peasant.”\n\n“I don’t mind. It kind of reminds me of that old story, Princess and the Dragon,” said the princess, smiling.\n\nJohn startled. “You’ve read that too, huh? Well if you can pretend that rock is a dragon, then I can pretend I am some sort of hero.”\n\nThe two spent several hours together walking around the woods and talking about each other’s lives. When they parted, John thought that he would never see her again and how great of a story this would be to tell his family that evening. \n\nA week passed, and John and his mother and father were sitting outside of their house one morning enjoying the cool morning breeze when they heard footsteps approaching from behind them. John stood up when he saw Princess Chesterfield approaching.\n\n“You seem surprised, John,” said the princess as she held out her hand for him.\n\nMr. Whitney stood up and said, “John, this is the princess! I thought you were joking when you told us that story last week!”\n\n“I told you I wasn’t kidding,” said John.\n\nMr. Whitney turned towards the princess. “Your highness, it is a great honor to have you here, but this visit is quite unprecedented. I don’t want you to get in trouble with the lord.”\n\n“I don’t particularly care what the lord thinks,” said the princess, “He knows I make my own decisions.”\n\nJohn and Princess Chesterfield spent most of the day together, much to the shock of the other peasants around them. The princess’ visits became more frequent, and after several months of visits, Princess Chesterfield invited John to be a guest of honor at a feast being held in the castle. A peasant had never before been a guest of honor, and Lord Chesterfield and the other royals present were dismayed at the sight of John and his torn linen clothes walking in the castle along with the princess.\n\n“Princess, why in God’s name have you brought this filth into the castle?” snarled Lord Chesterfield.\n\n“It’s nice to meet you too,” said John, cooly.\n\n“Shut up, peasant, or I’ll have you hanged! Leave at once!”\n\n“Dad!” said the princess.\n\n“I won’t hear it. Be gone - both of you.”\n\nJohn and the princess left the castle and returned to the woods. They sat down on a rock near a little creek in the woods, and Princess Chesterfield began sobbing uncontrollably. \n\n“I was a fool to think this could work,” said the princess.\n\n“To think what could work?” asked John.\n\n“Us! I love you, John.”\n\nJohn paused. He listened to the sound of the trickling water, to the sound of the chirping birds and the foraging squirrels. John lightly touched the princess’ chin and brought her face towards his.\n\n“I love you too, princess. And that is why I know this could never work and why we should never see each other again after this day. We live in a society neatly structured into classes, and we are as far apart within that system as could possibly be. I will never be able to rise, and you could never fall; there is no in between. Do you remember how the Princess and the Dragon ended?”\n\n“The king banished his own daughter and killed the peasant,” said the princess sadly.\n\n“And that too would be our fate.”", "Blood and fear drove the charge. One bold swipe of sword followed another. The enemy were many, but his heart was true. The fair maiden lay at the end of his journey, her freedom and love more than reward enough.\n\nNever did she swoon again like the first. One bold kiss on the lips followed another. Through the window he had climbed, a hero of the oldest tales. But only because the keys were burned alongside the rest.\n\nA fire did burn in the hearts of men. One bold war across the lands followed another. The old lord was cruel, but his command was true. The princess became queen, and her naive rescuer a king.\n\nToo much death did finally end affairs. Boldness dried, and the hearth grew cold. Their children did little to reignite the love. Mother and Father were all they dared call each other.\n\nLegend tells the common king grew sour. One bold command followed another. Tyranny reigned again, a hero long grown into a villain. The Queen, forced to flee, left her youngest behind.\n\nThe cycle began anew. One bold hero rose up after another. The hungriest proved the victor, slaying the common king to become one his own. He through his rope hard, secure in the window as his predecessor before him.\n\nBut the new Princess knew she was as trapped as her mother. One old failure would certainly follow another. The hero deserved his reward, and so it would be. A long way to fall, to die as he lived.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\n\nDon't normally try my hand in poetry, as you can see why lol. Hope someone finds some joy in the read, as it was still fun to write." ]	3
	[WP] You have the useless power of making everyone around you 1% weaker, what nobody knew, is that you can also kill immortal beings because of that.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns." ]	1
	[WP] It's 3am, you wake up from a sudden jolt. Your head is pounding and your heart is racing. You turn to your wife, only to realize her body has been replaced by a mannequin. The only thing resembling your wife are her eyes. You attempt to flee the room, only to find that there is no 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.", "I run my hand over the bare wall, probe the corners, as though there's only a cover shielding the door, but my fingertips find no purchase. I'm hot. Feverish. I can hardly breath with my lungs rapidly deflating, inflating and my heart slamming against my chest. \n\nI wipe the sweat from my brow, turn to my wife— what was once my wife, her pale skin now plastic, her black hair artificial, her limbs positioned in an irregular way; the only remaining aspect of her is those eyes, those deep blue eyes that once pulled me and never let go.\n\nThe window in the wall is still there, moonlight still falls through it, dimly illuminating the doorless room. I stand before it, peer out. \n\n\"Mother of God...\" I gasp.\n\nThe gabled homes, the town itself, seems artificial now, too. It's as though I'm staring at a diorama of a small town hidden between woods and mountains. Some windows are lit by little yellow lights, the grass looks sharp, plastic, the roads and sidewalks colored Styrofoam. There's no people. No sounds. Nothing with life. And, even the moon... Even the moon seems hollow, lit by a bulb, and space has no vastness, no depth, just a black nylon sheet with holes poked through.\n\nThe room starts to shake, tremble. I stumble back and grab the bed, fall to the floor regardless. An earthquake? The world outside tilts, rattles, and gravity presses down upon my shoulders. There's the false space, the fake stars, the moon hanging on a string, then there's a blinding white light and then... Then, wooden beams, dust, spiderwebs clinging from a slanted ceiling.\n\nA green eye appears in the window. Enormous, wide, round; real. A flock of hazel hair curtains it briefly, before pushed aside by titan fingers.\n\n\"Now how did you wake up?\" a childish voice boomed through my home, shaking my brain, vibrating my sight. I grip my head and clench my teeth. \"I guess I'll have to put you back to sleep, won't I?\"\n\nThe ceiling, roof is torn away and there's a giant looming over everything, and his monstrous fingers are reaching for me and oh God—\n\n\n----\n\nFeel free to subscribe to /r/MicahCastle if you enjoyed my story." ]	2
	[WP] Ever since you were injected into a human, you've been tasked with keeping it alive. You don't get to control their actions or movements, just influence their thoughts.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I think of our relationship as symbiotic, not parasitic. If anything, he's the parasite. He hasn't left the house in two weeks. The room smells of the moldering grease in a hundred discarded Taco-Bell bags and it doesn't even register for him. We're re-watching the same anime for the third time in a row while he strikes out in LoL. Again.\n\nI thought that dimming--not taking, just dimming\\--his eyesight would be the encouragement he needed to turn away from the screen. He just squints harder and complained to his mom that she'd stinged on his optometrist and now he suffered for it and why do you hate me so much, you give Christina everything, but you don't even care enough to take me to a good doctor, I'm going to my room, don't fucking follow me. The woman, bless her ignorant heart, had crossed herself and told him it was God's punishment for touching himself down there. Okay, Mother Teresa. I may have to eat through the corneas entirely and see where that gets us.\n\nWe met at a Red Cross mobile donation. He'd gone just to impress some girl in his remedial math class. The overworked phlebotomist had had quotas to meet but not enough supplies and just rinsed the needle out and re-applied the plastic cap between volunteers. Remember that, kids. They don't want blood from dirty homosexuals but they can't dupe you into sharing needles with strangers and lie about it. Still happens. Anyway, kid passed out in the chair and had to be dead-lifted back into the family Volkswagen in full view of Becca from fifth period. I hitched a ride.\n\nBelieve it or not, the goal of Naegleria fowleri is not to immidiately kill out host. Do that and I have to find another place and let me tell you the housing market isn't what it used to be. I'd been hoping for a much nicer place, but I'll take what I can get in the current economy.\n\nThis kid, though! My dignity had taken a hit. My last host was a aging prima donna, emigrated from Moscow, going out peacefully in an expensive one bedroom flat on the bougie side of town. SHe hadn't questioned the side effects of my presence in her skull. She refused to visit a doctor, even at the end, determined to meet her fate with her head held high. My kind of woman. Now I'm stuck in a pubescent weeb who--ah, god, he's digging a tunnel in his boxers again. Disgusting. With his hygiene I'm surprised the place was vacant when I got here.\n\nThere's a knock on the door. \"Simon? I brought you dinner. And water. You should drink more water.\" Her voice is meek, afraid of the wrath of her own weakling son.\n\n\"Mahhhh,\" he rasps, and I wonder if he can smell his own halitosis. \"You know I only drink Pepsi on game nights! And what's for dinner? Is it hot pockets? I asked you yesterday to get hot pockets!\"\n\n\"No, but I made mac n' cheese on the side, I know you like--\"\n\n\"MOM!\" he shouts, lifting his $1200 laptop of the table and slamming it back down for emphasis, as if he could afford to replace it himself. \"If CHRISTINE asked for hot pockets you would have gotten them, but you never do anything for me!\" He screeches his sisters name so loud that his voice cracks, and he wheezes from the exertion.\n\nMom turns around and leaves without another word. I don't blame her. She was right though, the kid needs to drink some water. He doesn't have enough nutrients in him to sustain himself, let alone both of us. I swim to parlor room of my bachelor pad, his brain stem, a bundle of nerves that make up the prime rib of my diet. I really should save this for later, i know, but I need to make a point. Just a small chomp...\n\n\"Ouch!\" he squeals, and I know a blinding migraine is rolling in. He cups his palsm to his temples and shaked his head melodramatically, as if motion sickness was going to help here. \"Mom! MOOOOM!\" he sstumbles to his bredroom door, tearing it open and kicking through the plate of food and glass of water she'd left him there.\"\n\n\"Mom! Wheres the, fuck, where's the god damn excedrin?!\"\n\n\"Simon!\" she scolds, though to be honest her scolding voice is weaker than my boys biceps. No wonder he'd turned out to be such a treasure. \"I've spoken to you about using that language while you live in your fathers house.\"\n\n\"Mommy,\" he whimpers, and I think about offing him right now. \"It hurts though. Please, help me.\"\n\nShe sighs deeply and runs him another glass of water. From the cabinet above the kitchen sink she finds a bottle and shakes out a couple pills. \"Take these, and drink the whole glass, Simon, I promise it is going to make you feel better.\n\n\"Thanks, mom.\" he says sheepishly, accepting the glass and heading back down the stairs to his den. He leaves the mess he made outside the door, and after a few minutes I hear scraping as she begins to clean it herself. i wonder how many times a day she thinks about leaving her husband and escaping to Cabo.\n\nSimon takes precisely three sips of water before setting the glass of to the side and reaching for a can of Pepsi he opened two days ago and left half finished on his desk. He doesn't even do an ant check before gulping it down. I can't believe him.\n\nThis won't do. Time for a maneuver I learned in amoeba school. That's a thing, you know. Back in the bayou. Ah, I miss home. I swim in circles around his brain, picking up speed, turning the tiniest segments of his gray matter into custard. This sort of thing shortens the shelf life of your host, but you do what you gotta do. Simon hunches over and slaps a hand over his mouth, but he's too late. The Pepsi, the pills, this mornings leftover Crunchwrap Supreme spew forth in a toxic rainbow all over his desk and laptop. Shame. Simon might need to find a different hobby for a little while. I'll call that a win-win for me.\n\nI could have left well enough alone, be honest I'm tired of having my work disrespected and decide to teach him a less. I head to my control panel, yes every brain has one, and rank up a few of the knobs. Simons on the round in the fetal position head pounding, caked in his own puke, and now his temperature is spiking. This will teach you to take better care of yourself.\n\nIn my exuberance I may have brushed a wrong button or two, and my abode begins to quake, throwing me back. He's convulsing. Did I trigger a seizure? Of course I did. This is why my cousin, Cestodaria, ridicules me at every family reunion. She can keep a host alive for months, sometimes years. Some of her hosts even buy her on the internet and ingest her intentionally! I feel a pang of symoathy for Simon and his unresolved anger toward his sister now. I'd been a bit harsh on him.\n\n\"Simon?\" his mother is half hysterical, rushing into the room and kneeling down to his level. \"Simon, baby, what's wrong? Oh, God.\" she fumbles for her cellphone in her pocket, but I know from experience the EMT's aren't going to get here on time. Oh, well. Time to start looking for a new place.\n\nShe's kissing his sweat-soaked forhead now and crying, trying to comfort her confused, dying son, and I have an idea." ]	2
	[WP] Humanity finally reaches the stars and finds all other alien species are at roughly medieval levels of tech. Turns out when ever there's trouble in an alien civilization, a small band of heroes arise and fix it. They never actually had to improve or adapt their societies.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Idealism vs Cynicism.\n\nBright and Merciful vs Dark and cruel.\n\nThe entire universe vs Earth.\n\nThat's how it is in many civilizations perspective, even many of us hold it. Earth is basically a hellhole we had to consume first and heal it after to survive and live on it. A grim and cynical place where noble people exist but is not enough to solve the problem. Their societies had to adapt and improve to reach the levels of technology we hold. We had to break ourselves badly to solve everything, even our lack of magic we had to suffer a lot before finally being able to cast spells.\n\nIn the aliens side just a group of heroes is needed. Chosen's of well anything of higher existence destined to fix the trouble. Just that. A small band of heroes and only that. They didn't need anything. They lived bright and conforming lives were ours are dark and harsh.\n\nIn fact they call us the Dark Worlders. Cynical and grim beings living in a dark and unfair world. Fighting between themselves just to get the right of live. A good analogy is that earth is a dark fantasy book surrounded by high fantasy ones.\n\nEvery time these aliens see us and our history their expressions are filled with surprise, shock, horror, fear, sometimes disgust and sometimes pity finally asking themselves What happened their gods to suffer this. Even their gods ask is.\n\nSeriously were our gods have been? They abandoned us? They are uncaring of us? We don't have? They are dead? This is fair? We asked for ourselves. Because none had the answer.\n\nMaybe they believed we don't need heroes to fix the problem. Just us to learn from those troubles. If that is right, why they have not showed to congratulate us for our accomplishments.\n\nThis is like a cruel joke.", "\"Thank you so much for your patience while we get things settled. Thessia, was it?\"\n\n\"Yes.\" The young woman brushes her white hair from her face. With no ears to trap it behind, the effort is wasted. Her curved horns are too wide to sweep her hair behind without awkward maneuvering, and you have to resist the urge to offer to braid it for her. \"Thessia Silverbane.\"\n\n\"Is 'Silverbane' a family name?\"\n\n\"Oh-- No. It's more... a nickname, I guess. Though I suppose if I had a family, that's what they would be given. Everyone seems to know me by that, nowadays. My foster father gave it to me, since I was always so bad with money. Oh-- oh dear, that's really not the kind of thing I should tell people. H-how many people are going to hear this?\"\n\n\"I'll edit it out.\"\n\n\"You can do that?\"\n\n\"Yes, it's quite simple.\" You adjust the volume levels of your microphones and finally settle back into your chair, pen in hand.\n\n\"Now, Thessia. Are you ready to begin the interview?\"\n\n\"I-- yes. Yes, that would be fine.\"\n\nYou clear your throat and begin:\n\n\"Good morning, Earth! Welcome back to the Daily Grind. Today we're visiting with another young hero, Thessia Silverbane of Varbrunt in the Gyros system! Thessia, welcome to the show.\"\n\n\"Er-- why are you talking like that..? I-I mean, thank you! Thank you for having me.\"\n\n\"Don't worry, Thessia, you'll get used to it. Just talk normally, you'll do fine.\"\n\n\"Okay. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.\"\n\n\"Thessia, you're a Chosen Hero here on Varbrunt, correct?\"\n\n\"Yes, I suppose so. I'm really not the only hero, though.\"\n\n\"I heard you defeated an elder dragon single handed, with only a sword and shield. Is this not true?\"\n\n\"Well... yes.\"\n\n\"But there are heroes that have come before you?\"\n\n\"Oh, yes. Many! The last was Lady Aalia.\"\n\n\"What was Lady Aalia known for?\"\n\n\"Well, um... Lady Aalia was renown for preventing a plague.\"\n\n\"A plague! Back on Earth, we have medicines and vaccinations. Did Lady Aalia invent a new type of medicine to cure this plague?\"\n\n\"Oh-- No. I mean, we have some medicinal herbs for the usual colds and things, but typically a plague is accompanied by a large corruption in an area. Usually either in fields or rivers. Lady Aalia stopped a spread of contagion in the water of a major city.\"\n\n\"She did all of this by... What? Filtering the water?\"\n\n\"No, no. She was chosen by the Goddess of Healing. By travelling to the top of the mountains where the glaciers form, she spread her lifeblood over the corrupted area and cleansed the ice, purifying the source of the waters and saving a civilization with her sacrifice.\"\n\nYour mouth opens. Closes. \"She what?\"\n\n\"She used herself as a blood sacrifice to cleanse the source.\"\n\n\"That doesn't spread more diseases?\"\n\nThessia laughs. \"Of course not. Why would it? She was chosen by the Goddess of Healing and she was a pure maiden.\"\n\nIt's been like this on every planet you've ventured to. Originally, you sought to find secret technologies and advancements in civilizations to bring back to Earth, but now you've been reduced to nothing more than a podcast host, talking to heroes for clicks. After a year of this and dozens of interviews, you're sick and tired of hearing about Gods and Goddesses and miracles.\n\nWhere was any of that on Earth when you needed it? Why was Earth different? Surely, somewhere in the vastness of space, you could find someone that would be able to fix the catastrophe raging back home. The latest death count was in the millions.\n\n\"Right. A pure maiden. Is that a requirement for most heroes?\"\n\n\"It depends on the crisis.\" Again, she fixes her hair. Again, you resist the urge to fix it for her. \"From what I understand, the God of War picked me because I was willing to take action. I can't remember the last time I said no when someone asked for my help.\"\n\n\"You sound like you regret that.\"\n\n\"Oh, no, it's not quite as simple as that. But the last time I tried to go to the beach, I ended up helping a fisherman's guild solve why the fish had disappeared from their favorite lake!\"\n\n\"Oh? What had happened?\"\n\n\"Lake sharks. They come around from time to time. All I needed to do was find out what bait they preferred. The fishermen are working on culling the numbers until the regular schools come back around.\"\n\n\"You really don't know how to say no, do you?\"\n\n\"It's not just about accepting. People who are willing to take action, they do it out of the goodness of their heart. They act first, without thinking about the risk to themselves or what they might gain by it.\"\n\n\"So you would say the requisite for a hero is altruism?\"\n\n\"I suppose so, yes. There are always heroes like that, in every generation. We keep the stories of heroes past alive, so that our children can aspire to reach great heights. By helping one another, we can rest assured our friends, families, loved ones, and peers will never have to worry. Not everyone will be completely selfless and willing to make the sacrifice, but all it takes is one person. One person is enough.\"\n\nWas that it? Was there not a single, truly altruistic person left on Earth? Had we erased them with stories of practicality and the urging to be realistic?\n\n\"Would it surprise you to hear that, where I come from, there are no Chosen Heroes?\"\n\n\"It would.\"\n\n\"Would you be surprised to hear that, of all the planets I've journeyed to, Earth is the only one I've found that doesn't have Chosen Heroes?\"\n\n\"I can't believe that!\"\n\n\"No, really! Instead, we've developed technology -- like this equipment -- and medicine to combat threats to our civilization.\"\n\n\"That's remarkable. You never have to send others to war, then?\"\n\nShe looks hopeful, and you know you've given her the wrong impression. It breaks your heart to confess, \"No. No, we still go to war.\"\n\n\"But there's no dragons and horrors to fight, if you have technology and medicine?\"\n\n\"We don't have dragons and horrors, no. We go to war with each other.\"\n\n\"Oh. I've never heard of a people fighting themselves. That must be hard.\"\n\n\"There hasn't been a major war in a long time, though.\"\n\n\"Well, that's very hopeful.\"\n\n\"It is.\"\n\n\"But..?\"\n\n\"Oh, well, our civilization is one that's in constant competition with itself. We make each other better by competing, you see. Always striving to have a leg up on the competition, to make greater and greater inventions.\"\n\n\"That sounds very lonely.\"\n\nYou think of your family, those last days in the hospital. \"It is.\"\n\n\"Do you think humans will change?\"\n\nCould they? We had no altruistic heroes, no chosen one to save us from ourselves. The Space Program had been created to find a new planet to colonize, once Earth inevitably died. With how long you've been gone, it could already be reduced to dust. There was hardly any water remaining, and most buildings had oxygen pumped in. Altruism was dead, sickness and famine reigned now. Who could change, in an environment like that?\n\nBut still. You were out here, looking for a solution. Weren't you? Or were you looking for someone to come solve the world's problems for you, instead of doing something about it yourself? A hero to make the bad things go away.\n\n\"I'm really not sure,\" you confess.\n\nBut Thessia only smiles. \"Well. Change starts with one person. Maybe that one person could be you.\"" ]	3
	[WP] It turns out that human beings have unwittingly been the terraforming crew for planet earth all these thousands of 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.", "Humanity is doomed to extinction. Coal and oil have torn holes in the ozone layer. Forests have been destroyed, restored, and ripped apart again. The ocean rises as the ice caps melt. Catastrophic weather events tear apart cities and those who dwell within.\n\nAll according to plan.\n\nWe are the only reason humans evolved from near nothingness. Our own planet was destroyed by the overly sympathetic. Half of us left. Progress needed to be made.\n\nTo us, thousands of years are nothing but a blink of the eye. We roamed the stars searching for planets that could be made suitable for our life. We needed the carbon dioxide, the harsh UV, the instability. It’s how we thrive.\n\nWe found the Earth, gave evolution a little boost, and then moved on. We started similar work on six other planets, but Earth is the first to make it this far. Our projections and calculations told us a lot, but we never could have predicted human greed.\n\nThe final step of the plan is now underway – a virus to eliminate our unknowing human workers. We raze all that they built and finally settle, once again knowing the comfort of having a home." ]	2
	[WP] You meet your clone living in a parallel universe. He is dying and asks you to take care of his family.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "(First time writing in a while, i appreciate and welcome all feedback!) \n\n\n\n\n“You probably have some questions.” The stranger looks closely at Sam, eyes scrutinizing. “Wow, we really do look similar. I wasn’t sure how much would change amongst the realms.” He leans in closer and closer, until their noses are almost touching. He pulls aside Sam’s collar and, as if making a painful discovery, sighs. “I wasn’t so lucky that night,” and pulls aside his own collar to reveal a massive scar. \n\nSam’s eyes widen and he reaches for it. “That night in college. I had gotten too drunk to find my keys, and fell asleep on the stoop. I woke up to the sound of an icicle crashing beside me.”\n\n“I woke up to it stabbing into me.”\n\nSam shakes his head, stumbling over his words again. “But that means that I, and you, and I, we, us...”\n\n“We’re smart, Sam, you know what’s happening.” \n\n“You discovered the passage between parallels. It is possible!” \n\n“Yes, Sam, it is, you mean you didn’t? Did you study... agh never mind. We really don’t have the time. I need you.\n\n“See, Sam, I married the girl of my dreams. I mean, we did. I assume you did, anyway, did you?”\n\n“Uh, well I actually didn’t marry her. We were together for 5 years, planning a wedding, but then she died in a car accident.”\n\n“Wow, i am so sorry.” Tears well in Sam 2’s eyes. \n\n“I’m fine,” the lie Sam has grown so used to.\n\n“She’s alive in this universe, Sam. Selfishly, her death in your world really helps my cause. You see, Sam, I am dying. My doctor is waiting for me to let him know when I am ready to go, but I needed to do everything I could to make sure she is taken care of when I’m gone.”\n\nA solemn moment fills the air as realization crashes over Sam’s face. “You brought me here?”\n\n“Yes.”\n\n“You brought me here... so I can take care of your wife?”\n\n“After I’m dead, precisely.”\n\n“Huh.”\n\n“Will you do it?”\n\n“There’s so many... uhhhhh... She’s really alive here?”\n\n“Alive, and ready for a family.”\n\n“I’ll do it.” \n\n“Phew, I was really hoping you’d go for it. The others haven’t been so keen. But then, she was alive back at their homes.”\n\n“The others?”\n\n“Yes - listen, you can read all about this in my notes. My station is in the basement, and the key for the desk is under the red winged black bird figure. Very detailed notes, should keep you busy. \n\nI never told her about my dying. Or the assisted suicide. I don’t intend for her to find out, and seeing as she should be back in about 5 minutes, I really must be going. I’m going to say my final goodbye as i,” finger quotes ” /leave for work/“ and then I’ll pick you up at the park so you can drive home. I have a taxi set to arrive and take me to the hospital. Tell her you got to work and realized it’s bullshit so you decided to quit so you could spend more time at home. I did quit months ago, anyway, to get time to open a portal through the universes. Besides, working with those materials is what made me sick in the first place. I digress.”\n\nPeeking down the road, Sam 2 sees his dog and his wife on the last leg of their walk. “Shit, time to go. Start walking to the park, make a right at the first intersection and just go straight. Ill find you. Don’t turn back, or she might see you.”\n\nSam keeps his head down and heads toward the park, as directed. \n\n“I love you, honey” he hears himself say, and peeks behind him for a glance at the woman who went to pick up milkshakes and never returned. Watching his hands caress her brown hair, his heart fell into his feet. Soon, he’d be holding her again. \n\n“I love you, more, sugar.” \n\nSam turns himself back onto his path, exhilaration overwhelming him. He’ll see her soon. \n\n“Take care of her, Sam. Thank you.” The clones exchange a hug. \n\n“Something weird about saying goodbye to yourself.”\n\n“No kidding! Goodbye, me!”\n\nSam hurried to the house, where his wife was waiting. Taking a deep breath, he let his hand sit on the door handle. \n\n“Honey, I quit that job because I love you too damn much,” he called, walking into his home, eyeing the brown hair and blue dress standing in the kitchen.\n\n “What? You’re nuts, you didn’t,” she turned. \n\n“Julie,” Sam whispered. \n\n“Who’s Julie?”" ]	2
	[WP] Dragons have woken up in the year 2025 after a thousand year slumber. Rather than raiding villages in search of valuables, they find a much more suiting role in Wall Street.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 utterly inappropriate, but as they began their long, long passage along William Street, down towards the financial and draconic nexus of America, Audrey found herself having to barely suppress a laugh. And she did have to. Dragons had excellent hearing. \n\nThe vague shadow of a wingtip glided smoothly over her head, and Audrey once again resisted the urge to look up. \n\nShe knew what she would see, anyway. Even if most of the ruder onlookers tended to be reduced to a small pile of ash and slagged e-waste within seconds of pulling out their phones, the images had made their way onto Google nonetheless. The gargantuan reptiles that lay sunning themselves with indolent casualness across the rooftops of buildings that had once belonged to bankers. The sudden liquidation of Goldman Sachs' funds into actual gold, entire levels and elevators that used to house blocks worth of accountants buried in piles and piles of shining yellow coin. \n\nIn front of her, Kevin mounted the last of the steps of the concrete steps in front of what had used to be the Deutsche Bank, glanced up furtively, then glanced back to her. Nodded. \n\nAudrey finally let herself look up. \n\nThe Deutsche bank AG twin skyscrapers had once been polished steel and glass. One of the two still was. The other had been melted down with an artful care which had smoothed and rounded the steel and glass but not collapsed it. It almost resembled a wax candle wrought in blackened metal, re-solidified glass bubbling down the sides in soap-bubble waves and refractions. It was not in any way beautiful. At least, not to a mind that was not reptilian. Audrey wondered vaguely what the creature that had made it saw in those reflections. \n\nAt the very top of the once-human structure, Audrey could make out vague motion, shadowed by the light of the sun. A wing flapping back and forth, perhaps. \n\n\"Freordir!\" Kevin yelled. \n\nThere was no discernible change in motion far above. Kevin grimaced, inhaled, and belted out: \"FREORDIR!\"\n\nThe motion stopped. \n\n\"FREORDIR! WE COME TO BARGAIN!\"\n\nThe roof was so far up that, at first, Audrey thought the dragon had simply dropped something over the side. But then the little black shape became larger, and larger, and larger still, and when it pulled out of its dive with opened wings the blast of air threw dust into Audrey's eyes. \n\nIt lay still in midair for a heartbeat, as though defying gravity on a whim, and then hit the ground in front of them with an undramatic thump. \n\nThey didn't look anything like the ones of legend. \n\nThe scales were an iridescent black, reflecting nearly every color but having none. The eyes were coal black, and almost indistinguishable from the scales but for their total lack of reflection. The creature had ornamented itself with bands of gold here and there, sigils laser-etched across them by human artisans. The wings were colossal, far wider than they were in any artist's depiction. The claws were smaller. \n\nThe fire breath, Audrey knew, was real. \n\n\"Freordir,\" Kevin said, a little more raggedly now, \"we have an investment proposal for you. A way to expand your... hoard... further.\" \n\nThe eyes were cold but not empty. Freordir The Entrepreneurial leaned forward, head tilted forward in vague interest, listening. \n\nFreordir had to be the only dragon Audrey knew of that didn't have a hoard. It was part of how Freordir was moving up in the world - he didn't seem to mind losing liquidity the way the others did. \n\nBut like all dragons, Freordir desired wealth. Because, like all dragons, Freordir desired power." ]	2
	[WP] Over hundreds of years humanity has split into two races, intellectuals and the emotionals. You have been resurrected to moderate the peace treaty since you can experience both. You’re compliant until you discover that the intellectuals use emotionals as lab rats, and see nothing wrong with it.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Well of course, Intellectuals would see injustice in being experimented on, but Emotionals just 'feel lonely'.\" Said a scientist.\n\nWell, he wasn't wrong. Emotionals do look a bit sad in there, but it's better than an Intellectual. Plus, the treaty doesn't say anything against this.\n\n\"This does make sense. They're not getting harmed?\"\n\n\"Of course not. Not that we know of, we don't know how they feel.\"\n\n\"All right then. You've passed the inspection. Anything else I should know about?\"\n\n\"We're good here. Thank you for meeting with us.\"\n\nThe Emotionals gave me a sad look. I know they feel sad, but technically there's nothing I can do. The treaty has no section about Emotional lab rats. The Inellectuals aren't doing any known harm either.\n\nThe containment was weird. It was almost like a giant mason jar up against a wall. Oh well. I had another meeting with some Emotionals about budget. They know nothing of numbers. \n\nI feel a little guilty for leaving them in their cage, but what was I meant to do?" ]	2
	[WP] The upcoming manned SpaceX launch is actually carrying a few select individuals and a collection of items meant to continue the human race into space. The earth as many would soon find out, would be destroyed in a matter of months.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I had grown among these people. I have always been different though. They said they found my DNA floating in space and \"grown me\" as an experiment to see what my kind was like. My curiosity to find my home and my people was never discouraged but, it never seemed to be encouraged. It was finally my chance though. After 20 years of begging I have been given a small research craft and team to take me where my home was. I was not prepared for what I found. I didn't know what I had hoped to find reall. Perhaps I would find massive colony in a space station, a planet teeming with cities and life, or maybe a small group of my species etching out a life on some barren rock. I didn't find any of that. What I found was the remains of a world destroyed by itself. It wasn't by some great war we discovered. No, this world was stripped to its core, it's atmosphere depleted, it's moon a scattered mess of failed colonies, I found nothing. Well not nothing, we found recordings, seeds, more DNA of my kind, and more in vaults built to handle what they had done to their planet. It was clear what enemy had destroyed my species, the enemy was itself." ]	2
	[WP] You just died, and you're going to 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.", "\"Next,\" said the bored gatekeeper, looking up from her clipboard. \n\nA severe-looking woman with a short perm stepped forward, her nose turning up at the stench of the place. \"This is the entrance to hell, is it? Seems a bit... low class. Is there any cleaning staff?\"\n\nThe gatekeeper gave her a look of utter contempt and exhaustion. \"It says here you were a very bad person. Lots of time spent harassing people who didn't deserve it. Lots of asking for their managers. Do you have anything to say for yourself?\"\n\n\"Well...\" said the woman, looking taken aback. \"I've never heard such an accusation in my life. If this is how I am going to be treated at this establishment, perhaps I would like to talk to the manag-\"\n\n\"Got it.\"\n\n\"Now wait,\" said the woman. \"You can't just say 'got it', like that. I deserve a chance to explain myself.\"\n\n\"It also says,\" continued the gatekeeper, \"that you... wow, that's messed up.\"\n\n\"If this is about the birthday party, I can assure you, I learned my lesson. Not all birthday parties are about me, I get that now.\"\n\n\"Ok, so...\" the gatekeeper peered at her clipboard. \"So the incident was that you called the police on your son's birthday party because he was getting 'too rowdy and behaving in a very uncouth manner', is this right?\"\n\n\"Well...\" said the woman. \"There is some truth in it, I suppose. But as I said, I learned my lesson. Not all birthday parties are about me.\"\n\n\"And you learned that lesson by grounding him for a month and never celebrating his birthday again.\"\n\n\"He needed to learn.\"\n\n\"With all due respect, ma'am,\" said the gatekeeper, \"which is none, because you don't deserve any, your son was four years old.\"\n\n\"Well...\"\n\nAt this point, Satan, who had been watching from afar, deciding it was time to get involved. He leapt down from his perch atop a smoldering pillar, startling the woman.\n\nThe gatekeeper was unfazed. She was used to Satan doing this kind of thing.\n\n\"Well, well, well,\" hissed Satan, in unctuous tones, \"aren't we the bad, bad, lady.\"\n\n\"Is this,\" said the woman sharply, \"the manager? Because I would very much like to speak to him and I must say I am not at all happy with the services rendered thus far. I will be taking my business to heaven, for sure, if this continues.\"\n\n\"Oh yes, heaven,\" said Satan, \"beautiful place, very very beautiful and wonderful. I hear they have the best cleaning staff.\"\n\n\"Really?\" said the woman. \"Well that is reassuring. Most reassuring. Perhaps I will go there, after all. You see, I was very worried about being sent there with the uncouth types, you know, the druggies, the homeless, and the teenagers, but I feel a bit better about it now.\"\n\n\"Oh yes, heaven is the best,\" said Satan. \"I really think you would love it there. You see, hell is just overrun with all those types of people you mentioned and more. We even have impolite service employees.\"\n\nThe woman gasped. \"Surely you jest?\"\n\n\"Oh no, not at all. All over. Hiding in every crevice, waiting to tell you that the stock of hair scrunchies is out and won't be refilled until Tuesday.\"\n\n\"Dear god,\" said the woman. \"Well, you have been most helpful, thank you. I will go to heaven at once.\"\n\n\"Of course, of course,\" said Satan. \"It is what I do.\"\n\nThe woman walked away, disappearing into an elevator of light that shot up into a white, cloudy sky.\n\nThe gatekeeper turned to Satan. \"How long do you think until she finds out heaven is run by a guy who makes women subservient to men?\"\n\n\"Mmm,\" said Satan, \"very soon, I expect. But you know I don't like to dwell on it too much. That would be petty.\" He paused a moment, hemming and hawing. \"Ah, speaking of pettiness, when are you going to let me back in? I already apologized.\"\n\n\"You terrorized a teenager,\" said the gatekeeper.\n\n\"He was being quite horrible to the others, bullying them and such. We can't let hell be overrun by such things.\"\n\n\"We can always send him to heaven,\" said the gatekeeper. \"He'll be in good company there. Just don't terrorize the teenagers. Talk to them. The last thing we need is for hell to turn into another heaven.\"\n\n\"Yes, of course,\" said Satan. \"You are right as always. So...\"\n\n\"Will I let you back in?\"\n\n\"I was wondering...\"\n\n\"Fine. And,\" she said, shouting after him, \"remember to give the kids a hug!\"\n\n\"Of course!\" he shouted back. \"Wouldn't dream of not doing it, you know! I'm very kind! Yeesh.\"" ]	2
	[WP] When someone turns 18 they have a choice between a normal life or making a pact with the devil for anything they wish without knowing the consequences. Most people choose a normal life. You turn 18 tomorrow...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 made a pact with the devil and I signed the contract in blood.\n\nThe deal was that I was supposed to be granted one wish without knowing the consequences.\n\nBut you should never trust the devil.\n\nBecause when I made a wish he just laughed.\n\n\"You really thought I grant wishes?\" he asked. \"I'm not a genie, I'm the devil.\"\n\nHe's standing over me as I write this before he drags me to Hell. \n\nHe thinks no one will believe me. \n\nHe tells me this is not the first time someone has warned other people not to make deals with the devil.\n\nPlease.\n\nI'm begging you...\n\nIf I can only save one life in the future...\n\nDON'T.\n\nMAKE.\n\nDEALS.\n\nWITH.\n\nTHE.\n\nDEVIL.\n\nGoodbye.\n\nAnd good luck.\n\nI hope you read this.\n\nAnd I hope you listen." ]	2
	[WP] write from the perspective of an alternate history, where Apollo 13 was a disaster that nobody came back 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.", "Every thirteen years, we remember the explorers.\n\nTheir stories are retold.\n\nUnvarnished.\n\nFactual.\n\nTrue.\n\nThey remind us what we paid to get here. How the deaths of three men, despite the best efforts of some of the brightest people in the world, sparked a fire that still burns brightly today.\n\nThe lunar burn that was supposed to set them up for a return instead threw them into an elliptical orbit around the moon.\n\nTheir bravery, in insisting that they perform all the science they could, calling on schoolchildren for ideas when adult voices failed, inspired millions. Who then voted, spoke, and dreamed the great dream of exploration.\n\nMore missions were sent, the \"race\" was no longer as important as the dream. Humanity was going to the planets. Nothing could be allowed to stop us. Nothing would be allowed to slow us down.\n\nExcept for once every 13 years. When everything stops. The oxygen to CO^2 ratio is deliberately allowed out of spec. The heat is cut for one third of the population. We live the event. Breathing stale air, shivering, praying that this time, this time, the burn succeeds.\n\nNever forget Apollo 13." ]	2
	[WP] A bunch of elderly veterans, despite their age and declining health, Stand up to hold the line against an invasion force. They seek not glory, but to buy precious time for their homeland, with what little they have left.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 has left, not to hugs and well wishes, but tears, grief, and anger undeserved heaped on his head by the one person he most needs support from.\n\n\"You should be proud.\"\n\n\"Proud that my baby is going to die!?\"\n\nI have spent hours trying to get her to understand.\n\n\"No. That your brave young man is going to learn how to survive while defending you from the invaders.\"\n\n\"I do not want him to die!\"\n\n\"Neither do I. Neither did I when it was my turn.\"\n\n\"Always so stoic! Always so certain! You never had to send your son out to die!\"\n\nI am at the end of my patience.\n\n\"Neither did my mother rail at me for abandoning her when I went to join the Army. There was a need to defend the homeland. The mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends, neighbors, strangers, all needed defense. Someone to stand up and place themselves between the danger and everything they cared about.\n\n\"She respected my choice. However much she may have feared, cried, railed against gods, she sent me off with a smile that tore my heart in half at the same time it made me swell with determination.\"\n\n\"You bastard! Get out of my house!\"\n\n\"I'm already packed granddaughter. I'll even leave the house in your name. … Forgot that, didn't you? The house is yours only so long as I wish it that way. Well, I won't need it, and you will, so good enough. It passes to your son now, not your cousins. Saw my lawyer about that a year ago, after they showed disrespect to the men and women who died giving them the freedom to insult their honor so.\"\n\n\"You never had to send anyone you loved off to die! Get out! Get out!\"\n\n\"You are wrong.\" I gather my duffle. There isn't much in it. \"I have sent someone I love off to learn how to fight. With any luck, he'll meet your son and cheer him up.\"\n\n\"Who? Who did you send off, liar!\"\n\n\"Did you not wonder why your husband, my grandson, whom I care about deeply, did not return with me from our errand?\"\n\n\"No!\"\n\n\"We went to the recruiting station to find out whether they would be willing to take me. They nearly leaped for joy.\n\n\"My grandson… MY grandson looked around at all those young men and said, \"They need older men to steady these youngsters.\" I asked, \"Are you sure?\" He said, \"Yes.\"\n\nI look at this woman and am saddened that this is what I have left to fight for.\n\n\"I bade him stay, and wait for me.\" The horror on her face. \"I told him I would explain things.\" She will be alone now. \"It will be easier,\" I said than going through that again. Wait for me.\"\n\nI turn to leave. I may be older than dirt, but I'm still healthy. She snatches something up and runs at my back, screaming hatred. I wait, pivot at the right moment, and catch her arms holding a rolling pin. A big heavy one that I had got her in jest. I take it from her as gently as I can; and backhand her — gently — when she spits in my face. She falls on her ass, stunned.\n\n\"The only thing I'm sorry about now, is that aside from this country I love, you are the only person left for whom I will be fighting. You are my granddaughter, but you have left me embarrassed to count you so.\n\n\"The enemy is held one month's march from the training camp for this area. It takes two months to train a basic infantryman. I go straight to the front to buy your husband and son time to train. Pray granddaughter, pray that my friends from the veteran's associations and I buy them that time.\"\n\nI turn and walk to the door. Pausing.\n\n\"It's not too late. You can come with me. Give your men a better sendoff than angry words.\"\n\nA sniffling sound, someone getting up. \"Please?\"\n\n\"Gladly, Granddaughter.\" We go out the door together, as the tears fall. Standing tall, as the old men of the neighborhood gather in formation to walk to the recruiting station. I take my place on the left side, just outside the formation, my granddaughter standing at my side. Head held high.\n\n((finis))", ">The walk continues. The savage climb stretching deep into the eternal abyss where horrors of unnamed history rest with hunger unending. Still I press onward with rifle grasped firm in my worn bloodied hands. I climb not for fame or glory, nor for anything more than selfish desire. \n\n\n>Through wet pooled eyes I bore sore feet into filth and mire un-flenching. My soul grew light and free and so I tugged firm at it unwilling to be lost of it. No - I climbed still and saw at the precipice friends aplenty. \n\n>They stood at my side in uniform the very same as they appeared in 1944, the winter we became brothers. They fought for me, firing into the abyss and never surrending. I stood aside them and took aim... \n\n> BOOM! \n\n>With thin breath I woke. Eyes heavy and heart thumbing to find my love lying next to me. She was more beautiful now than she had ever been in our sixty years together. Alas another day gifted, a day I would cherish with her at my side for as long as they where offered for I was selfish, and no matter what forces tore at my mind for as long as I held strength I would return to her, my dearest Elizabeth." ]	3
	[WP] A God’s position in the hierarchy of heaven is decided by the amount of prayers they receive. Due to the increase of gamers, RNGesus has overtaken Jesus and the Christians are not happy about it	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"BEHOLD!\" Bellowed the voice, ringing in the ears of the entire world.\n\"I HAVE ASCENDED HE ON HIGH! I SHALL NOW DECLARE THE NEW COMMANDMENTS!\"\n\nIn his position on the throne, RNGesus began reading off his written list, the Big Trio sitting patiently to the side of the room, hands clenching in frustration.\n\n\"FIRST, RESPECT THINE CHAT ! SECOND, BEHOLD THINE RUNNER, AND ANGER NOT THE STREAMER WHO PLAYS WELL.\"\n\nHe scrolled down the list, rolling the parchment in his hands as he took a breath.\n\n\"INPUT OF THE KONAMI CODE WILL IMPROVE ALL RNG, EVEN IF IT IS NOT A KONAMI GAME. IF YOU BLESS OTHER'S RNG, EVEN IN REAL LIFE, THEIR LUCK WILL INCREASE.\"\n\nWith a final intake of air, he finished his declarations .\n\n\"FINALLY, THE CURSING OF ANY RNG WILL MARK YOU FOR ETERNAL BAD LUCK. YE MISFORTUNATES BEWARE, THE LAKE OF FIRE BURNS HOTTER THAN YOU KNOW.\"\n\nDespite the protestations, bright lights and thunder coming from the Big Trio as the crowded around his throne, RNGesus could only enjoy as he heard the chanting of \"Bless RNG\" from the world below.", "The bubbles in a water cooler softly blip as the dispenser sits perched on a serene cloud. Two men in suits stand nearby, halos glinting in the sunlight as they sip water out of small plastic cups. The man with the smaller halo turned to his coworker.\n\n\"Christ Tom, did you see the rankings today? They actually did it, those god damn nerds. Jesus is fucking furious.\"\n\nThe other man cringed at the curse word, and hushed his more crass colleague.\n\n\"Bill you can't say stuff like that, you know the rules.\"\n\nBill laughed, tossing his crumpled cup behind his back. It banked off a nearby storm cloud, and sailed into the trash can. As the shot landed, point's appeared above the can. Bill's halo grew slightly larger.\n\n\"Tom, quit being a pussy. The rules have changed. You need to do some sick shit if you want to get ahead now. Here, watch this.\"\n\nAn intern walked by, balancing several glasses of coffee on one of his bent wings. Bill placed a leg on a cubicle wall, and pushed off with great force. He slammed into the intern, who fell backwards and careened down the stairs. Bill hopped on top of the him, gliding down the staircase and kick flipping his body onto a rail. Tom watched in shock as Bill racked up a combo, and front flipped off of the unconscious intern. Bill bounded back up the stairs, his halo increasing in size with each step.\n\n\"This...isn't fair,\" Tom whimpered, \" I was so good, for years! I judged so many people. I did everything right.\" As he whined, his halo shrunk even smaller.\n\n\"Your harshing everybody's mellow bruh, that's against the new rules. Here, you want to gain a bunch of points quick? Watch this.\"\n\nBill pulled a motorcycle from a cloud bank, and yanked a flames-covered helmet from another. Ahead, 15 school buses filled with cheering scantily clad women sat revving their engines. Bill winked at Tom as he peeled out, accelerating towards a large jump positioned at the edge of the bus line. Zooming into the air, he performed a super man seat grab as pyrotechnics shot fireworks into the air. The explosions spelled out \"BILL\" in colorful smoke, and he leapt from the bike as it landed. Rolling, he shot to his feet, throwing a fist into the air as he gave a celebratory yell.\n\nTom stood speechless as Bill walked up, and his halo began to grow. But this time, it didn't stop.\n\n\"Whats...Whats happening,\" Bill said confused, attempting to hold up the weight of the halo. His arms strained, and he looked around helpless. The golden ring became the size of an intertube, and Bill fell to his knees.\n\nIn a sudden flash of light, Jesus appeared. Razor sharp thorns cut deeply into his scalp, and blood forever flowed past the scowl on his face. His mouth turned, and for a moment he wore a cruel smile.\n\n\"You have been tested Bill. I'm sorry to say, you have failed.\"\n\nBill gurgled as the ring sat on his chest. His body began to sink into the cloud.\n\n\"What...What did I do\" he coughed, struggling against the ever growing mass of the halo.\n\nJesus leaned close, as Bill's face receded deeper into the fluffy cloud bank.\n\n\"No one sicker than me can exist in the kingdom of heaven. You punk bitch.\"\n\nBill sank through the clouds, screaming as he fell to eternal damnation." ]	3
	[WP] Magic is considered nothing more than ancient superstition. What few curios exist from ancient times are nothing more than ornaments. Until one day, a Bandit Lord rediscovers the secret to magic, and uses it to wreak devastation on surrounding towns.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 town square was much the same as in any town along the banks of the Avarra river: 30 metres by 30, on the western edge of the town, with various public buildings lined around it. The layout was always the same: Whoever designed these squares had a distinct lack of imagination.\n\nTo the North, the council buildings; the South an Inn with ample stables. To the East the offices of law, including the town Jail. And to the West were the gallows - built upon a small hill, a short distance from the town limits.\n\nIn the centre of the square, was a slightly raised platform. Set within the stones of the this platform, was a 15 metre diameter gold ring, tarnished and dull with age and dirt. Engraved with various occult symbols, It’s purpose was long forgotten, but most people thought the ancient inhabitants of the towns used these rings to perform their “magic” rituals - perhaps to try to plead to some god for a bountiful harvest. Laughed about in public, but strangely, no one had ever attempted to remove these rings for resale - perhaps ancient superstition wasn’t quite so ancient after all...\n\nIt was mid morning, and as usual there was a hustle of activity in the town square. Several rows of stalls were laid out. behind each stall, market traders called out to passing shoppers, announcing their wares with theatrical flourishes, and (often poorly sung) songs. The townspeople wandered in groups around the stalls, browsing the goods, or chatting idly with friends and neighbours. Market day was always a gay affair, and today was no different, with an excited electricity in the air. \n\nFor Eldrin, as he stared morosely from his cell, the gallows beyond the square seemed to suck some of the colour out of the world. This was his second conviction for burglary: There was never a third!\n\nA low hum tore Eldrins attention back to the market. The golden ring within the town square was glowing. All the dirt and tarnish gone seemingly in an instant. Sparks of lightning leapt from the ring to nearby stalls, and even townspeople themselves.\n\nSuddenly, the hum cut out, as quickly as it appeared. In the blink of an eye, all the stalls and people within the ring vanished. In their place, there was now a group of men. Several men within the group raised their arms, pointing short sticks at the buildings around the square, and the world went white.\n\n——\n\nAs his vision cleared, Eldrin found himself slumped against the wall of his cell, the world appeared to be spinning around him, and a piercing whistle drowned out all other sounds. He stumbled to his feet, gripping the wall for balance. The external wall of his cell was gone! In its place, was a charred hole that spanned the entire wall of the jail, exposing every cell to the square.\n\nEldrin stumbled drunkenly out of his cell and into the square. Beyond, the square appeared to be in chaos. Many townspeople were simply kneeling and clutching their ears in agony. A few lay still on the ground, their poses telling a grim tale. Some few guards appeared to have weathered the initial assault well, and were putting up some attempt at resistance. \n\nThe group of men who had so miraculously appeared had begun to spread out throughout the square. Some tearing the valuables from the stunned townspeople, others heading purposefully to the various buildings.\n\nOne of the men advanced upon Eldrin menacingly. He appeared to be saying something, but Eldrin couldn’t hear it over the damned whistle. He didn’t need to hear it though, to know this man meant to rob him. The dagger in his fist related that information clearly enough. \n\nEldrin feinted right, and then spun left in a practiced move, spinning around the outstretched arm of his assailant. In full form, he would have effortlessly disarmed the man and sliced across his kidneys. In his current state, he got himself tangled up in the assailants legs and they both went down together. In a spate of luck, Eldrin fell atop the man, pushing his dagger into his chest. He coughed blood into Eldrins face as he died. \n\nStaggering to his feet once more, his eyes darted around looking for a way to safety. Beyond this current situation, he had a date with the gallows he had no intention of meeting. The alley on the southeast corner appeared to be his safest bet, but between him and the alley was a giant of a man. Currently, he was paying Eldrin no mind, already occupied with attempting to carry a young woman in a bear hug back towards the golden ring as she beat her fists against his chest ineffectively. Eldrin could sneak past without much effort. \n\nAs he attempted to pass, the dizziness from the explosion reared it’s ugly head again, causing him to stumble once more. This time right into the back of the giant, making him drop the young woman. He spun towards Eldrin, backhanding him into the wall. Eldrin heard his skull crack against the brickwork and he slid slowly down to the ground, darkness creeping at the edges of his vision.\n\nThe giant stepped towards him, murder in his eyes. A loud horn from the platform stopped him in his tracks. Eldrin’s last sight as the darkness claimed him, was of the Giant running back towards the platform, leaving his prize behind." ]	2
	[WP] Human, you have been rescued. We will contact your people at return you to your home as soon as possible. In the meantime, our anthropologists have used our data on your civilization to reconstruct an environment that you should comfortable and familiar.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Wraith didn’t remember much of her childhood. Her memory came in flashes: a spot of bright gold light, a warm hand on her shoulder, a low voice telling her something she had long forgotten how to understand, calling her by a name she no longer knew. No, Wraith didn’t remember much of her childhood. \n\nHer brain was crowded with memories of the last four years: the buzz in her mind from her telepathic Masters, the roars of a hundred species chanting in a hundred languages - the only sounds she was allowed to hear. The flash of claws and the taste of blood. Wraith was a Fighter, and a damn good one. Well, she wasn’t dead yet, at least. \n\nSo imagine her surprise when, having been returned to her blank white cell after a particularly messy battle, she heard a voice in her old tongue. She whipped around with a silent snarl on her lips, to seek out and punish the voice. Vocal communication was strictly prohibited in the cells, and Wraith would be in trouble if They realized. The voice must’ve noticed her anger, so it stopped. \n\nWith a nod of satisfaction, Wraith turned to the cleansing chamber. As much as the Masters encouraged the bloodlust of the Fighters, Wraith never could stand the sticky weight of it on her skin. As she let the cooling, cleaning mist run over her body and through her tattered clothes, Wraith heard - or rather, felt - the buzz of a telepathic message. She jerked into a salute as she waited for her Masters’ orders. \n\nBut what Wraith heard was not the cold, whispering command to prepare for another battle, as she expected. The voice in her head was passionate and loud, so loud that Wraith broke her salute and shuddered to the floor. \n\n“Human, you have been rescued! We will contact your people and return you to your home as soon as possible. In the meantime, our anthropologists have used our data on your civilization to construct an environment that should feel comfortable and familiar. You are safe now, please prepare for extraction!” \n\nWraith opened her mouth in a silent wail as the pressure burst painfully in her head and the white walls began to blur and fade. The last thing she heard was the thumping of heavy things and low voices - real, actual voices! Not telepathic murmurs. Not bloodthirsty roars. Voices! \n\n‘It’s been so long...’ \n\nShe couldn’t help but smile softly as her world faded into black." ]	2
not even the nation you were fighting to protect"	[WP] You rise from the floor as you slowly regain conciousness. This was the scene of a fight between you and the villain. But,something is different. As you think of your dead companions,you dont feel anything. One thought manifests itself in your mind: "Avenge yourself. No cost too great....	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 rise up. Something feels different, feels wrong. Like I shouldn’t be like this. The assassin look shocked and afraid. “W-What in the name of the gods? What have you done?!” He said. Without a single thought, I rush over to grab his neck, throwing him onto the ground. “Who sent you?” I ask, squeezing tightly. He gasps out the name of King Agrius, the very king who we saved from imprisonment. He wanted us dead, he wanted to wipe us from history.\n\nI grab the assassin’s head and lift him above me. I squeeze tighter and tighter, until I burst his head open. He’s still breathing. I thrust my other hand into his stomach and grab his spine, yanking it until I rip him in half. I walked to the corpses of my fallen comrades. Gabriel, Arianne, Morgan, and Victor, dead because of King Agrius. I took some of their items with me. Gabriel’s cloak, Arianne’s sword, Morgan’s medallion, and Victor’s helmet.\n\nI walk to the capital, but an unlucky knight finds me. His spear breaks when it hits the cloak, and I hold his head. He sees a cold, icy glare in my eyes as I squeeze. My hands start to glow and heat up as he screams in agony. It wasn’t long until I melted his helmet onto his skull, poor bastard. Days of walking have left me to kill several knights and I reach a familiar river. This is where I first met my friends, but I don’t feel anything.\n\nI clean my hands and see my reflection in the water. I don’t see myself anymore, just a murder machine with eyes a flaming glow. I find the castle and enter the throne room to see, King Agrius." ]	2
	[WP] Something big is stuck on the fishing net with the rest of your catch. Your crew reel it in, only to discover that you caught a mermaid. You hear someone scream in the background. "We shared chemistry class in high school!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 started with a tug at the net.\n\n\"Ben yelled, 'Careful now!' He was working with the net as it swayed in place. 'We got something we're going to need to throw back!'\n\n\"Hank called, 'Work fast!' over the din of the struggle inside the net. 'We don't have a lot of time!'\n\n\"Ben took the net and started to unhook it from the pole and when the net gave way, he stepped back to let everything spill out onto the deck of the boat.\n\n\"There, floundering in place, was a woman. No, a dolphin.\n\n\"No.\n\n\"It was a mermaid. It was an honest to god, silvery tailed, saltwater mermaid.\n\n\"Ben said, 'What the f--'\n\n\"Then Hank asked, 'What is that thing--'\n\n\"The captain emerged. 'We shared chemistry class in high school!' Captain Erickson yelled. He pushed past Ben and Hank to look at the woman. 'Sahara, my god, I'd never forget you.'\n\n\"The woman pushed herself up with her arms and she stared at the three men before looking at the captain. 'Yes, it's me.'\n\n\"Hank swore.\n\n\"Ben couldn't find his words.\n\n\"The captain knelt down close to the mermaid. 'Sahara.' He was entranced. 'I never knew. They just said you were lost at sea.' He reached out for Sahara's slick hand, taking it when she allowed him. 'You're as beautiful as you were in senior year. You haven't aged a day.'\n\n\"Sahara looked deep in the captain's eyes, preternaturally still. She subtly smiled, blinking slowly against the bright sun.\n\n\"'I remember how you used to sing,' Erickson continued, moving closer. 'Please, can you sing one more time? I've never stopped thinking about it.'\n\n\"Sahara's smile grew a little and she opened her mouth to take a breath to sing. Erickson leaned in, waiting with bated breath.\n\n\"In a quick movement, Sahara lashed out with her free hand. She'd caught Erickson's throat with the sharp spines where her fingers would be if she were human. Blood sprayed from Erickson's neck. The mermaid grabbed the captain with both hands and with a mighty push with her tail, she went overboard with him and into the depths.\"\n\n\"Oh, please, that's not what happened,\" Missy scoffed, looking skeptically at the three men at the bar. Hank and Ben were silent as James had told the tall tale of the mermaid and Captain Erickson's disappearance.\n\n\"It is!!\" James looked at Hank and Ben. \"Tell them!\"\n\nHank shook his head. \"She was so fast and vicious.\"\n\n\"She was so beautiful,\" Ben answered.\n\nMissy scoffed again, looking very unamused. She took one last drink of her beer, sat it down with a five-dollar bill, and got off the stool. \"No one's ever going to believe that story.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nr/thetreesandthestars", "The Tracy Lee was an older vessel, chipped white paint adorned her hull, the gantry was rusted and groaned with the weight of the catch, tipping lazily to the side, it's shadow cast over the men below.\n\nOn her deck were three men wearing yellow foul weather pants held up by suspenders marked with the company logo. Wool caps sat atop their heads, occasionally sprinkled with the spray of the ocean as it careened off the bow. Their torsos were covered by old wool sweaters to keep them warm from the icy winds blasting up from the Antarctic.\n\nThe men laboured as if they were a finely tuned machine. One man operated a winch, which consisted of a pad with a few buttons and a lever, allowing him to control the speed and trajectory of the net as he urged it from the depths. The other two waited patiently, quickly rolling and smoking a cigarette as they enjoyed the only type of break they would see today, the time between sorting one catch and waiting for the next. \n\nThe sun was out, crisp and playful on the water. The Tasman Sea was dark today, the ocean an oily abyss of wonder and terror. The fishermen respected the sea and appreciated it's bounty, never wanting to tempt fate by whistling or bringing a woman on board. These were archaic superstitions, and the fishermen intended to follow them to the day they died. \n\nThe winch struggled today. Groaning, creaking, bending. Flakes of rust lilting softly into the sea from the strain of it. \n\nThe men looked at one another, was it a seal? Were they bringing up the debris of an ill-fated vessel?\n\nCigarettes were extinguished as the men prepared, taking their positions to guide the catch in, gazing anxiously at the surface of the water as their catch of scallops came into view. \n\nThe winch operator was in too much shock to hit the stop button. The winch screamed, grabbing his attention as he slammed the button, the entire crew staring, slack jawed at what was in the net.\n\nHer skin was marble, perfectly shaped and unmarked. Dark hair draped her shoulders, silhouetting perfect black eyes that shone with instenesity and intelligence. She was naked, and her beauty stunned the men into silence. The scales.on her tail glistened in the sun. They were caught there, in that moment of disbelief for what seemed an hour.\n\n\"I know her, we were in chemistry together in high school\", said a small voice. It came from one of the fishermen. He was tall and muscular, adorned with the Ta Moko of his people. \n\n\"Don't sell yourself short, Manni, that was AP Chem!\" Came a reply from the sweetest voice they had ever heard. The other two men (white men of Anglo Saxon ancestry) were instantly placed in a trance, her voice having the effect of drawing them to her. Both began plodding to her.\n\n\"Stop!\" She yelled, and both men stopped.\n\nManni stared in disbelief. Shocked into silence. \n\n\"Well, are you going to leave me here all day or help a girl.onto the deck?\" She asked, eyes fixed on Manni's.\n\n\"Sorry, I'm on it, I'm gonna winch, I'm going to start the winch, and do a thing with the button...\" He stammered as her tail dissolved in front of him, scales sluffing off in the sun, revealing her human form.\n\n\"Sweet as, Manni!\" She said, with a wry smile and a wink.\n\nManni operated the controls, tipping the net and spilling it's content onto the sorting tray at the stern. He was too flustered to do it gently and unceremoniously dropped his old school friend, naked, onto the boat. \n\n\"Are they going to be ok?\" Manni asked, staring at his friends who had frozen in place.\n\n\"They'll be fine Manni, I'll release them soon, but first we need to have a conversation , I didn't come to you by accident, now how about we find some clothes for me?\" Replied the mermaid, confidently.\n\n\"Yeah, I have some spare waders and gum-boots in the cabin. There should be some woolies as well, I'll be right back Matea.\" Manni said, softly.\n\nManni went into the cabin as Matea ran her hands along her complete human form, removing the last of the large scales and various ocean debris. She hadn't needed to make such a grand entrance, but she had always enjoyed theatre and so rarely had permission from the Mother's Council to do something like this that she had decided to make the most of it. Manni was more handsome then she remembered and she found herself smiling, remembering their brief interactions in high school. What came next was much more terrifying and she knew that she needed to steel her fears and desires if they were to succeed.\n\nEdits: spelling errors, missed words." ]	3
	[WP] For eons, when you die you are born into a parallel universe. This has gone without fail until today when you wake up in the Creators' control room.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 awoke into a whte room, empty save for a desk and computer sat in the middle. Although he wasn’t really a “he” anymore. He wasn’t anything. Until just a few moments ago, “he” had been Brian Smalls who lived at 475 Bishop Road, Universe #32875329C. Now “he” wasn’t. The being formally known as Brian Smalls who lived at 475 Bishop Road, Universe #32875329C had died. They had been removed from one world and planted into the next. At least that was the plan anyways, but something had gone not quite right. Normally in, situations like this, situations where one has passed on, they find themselves born again into a different world. Not just a different planet, but a different universe altogether. Memories erased, body changed, everything wiped clean. The only hold over from past lives was a vague sense of self which acted as a kind of guiding principle. \n \nIt is safe to say that the being formally known as Brian Smalls who lived at 475 Bishop Road, Universe #32875329C was quite perplexed by the position they found themselves in. Their memories remained intact, though their body, however, did not. They had now become just a collection of various gases, floating aimlessly about the control room. The being formally known as Brian Smalls who lived at 475 Bishop Road, Universe #32875329C, floated gently over towards the desk in the middle of the room, they had attempted to reach out with their arms and turn on the computer. They of course, failed due to a lack of arms to reach with. \n \nHad the being formally known as Brian Smalls who lived at 475 Bishop Road, Universe #32875329C known what immense power they would have if they could access the device, they would have been rather frustrated by their current situation, and possibly would have found a way to activate it, but he didn’t. Being a cloud of gas, they couldn’t be bothered. Clouds of gas had better things to do than investigate devices. \n\nThey felt rather content, come to think of it. The weight of the world had been lifted off their shoulders, there was nothing to worry about now. No mortgage payments, no bad back, no assassination plot to go though with. No, the being formally known as Brian Smalls who lived at 475 Bishop Road, Universe #32875329C was happy to spend the rest of eternity mindlessly floating about the control room to all of creation. At least that was their plan, a slight wrench would be thrown into it once Geoff from IT came by for routine maintenance, but that wouldn't happen for 3,277,663 years, and is a story for another time." ]	2
	[WP] Your fingers occasionally forget what they're supposed to look like. Hiding this from your friends is growing increasingly difficult.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 happened again, luckily i hadnt gone out yet. My fingers turned into small rodents, not that i minded, they were cute, but the others would.\n\nIve been able to hide it every other time, the closest ive come to being caught was when they turned into smaller hands. luckily they found it funny when i asked to caress Kayes head and all they saw were smaller hands, but it made me nervous. had my sleeves fallen back and shown the rest of my fingers id be screwed.\n\nIt also happened with other body parts, but i mostly got that under control, but never my fingers.\n\nI waited for them to remember, showing images on the tv to speed up the process. I put on gloves and headed out.\n\n\"Hey, Alex, youre late!\" Kaye shouted playfully\n\nI laughed \"Sorry about that, I slept through my alarm\"\n\na lie, something i did often. at times i felt bad for lying, but it was needed.\n\n\"God Alex, do i need to start personally waking you up? youre such a nerd.\" Jake, my neighbor, he was pretty chill, but deathly afraid of...\n\nI felt crawling under my gloves, not now i thought. I made the motion to scratch the back of my head and one of my fingers slid out.\n\nJake screamed, it was a bee, now of all times it just had to be a bee. i made the motion i would if i was cupping it and stepped back saying\n\n\"Hey buddy, bit early for you to be out isnt it? there arent many flowers\" then turned to my friends, praying they didnt see the rest of my fingers wiggling \"I saw a flower bed a block away, ill take this little guy there, be back in a minute.\" and left\n\nOnce i was safely out of view, i sat down and pulled out my phone to see a text form Kaye\n\n\"Hey, i know you dont like the cold, but are you okay? i saw your fingers were wiggly.\"" ]	2
	[WP] The hitchhiker you picked up in the middle of the night is now missing.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Joanna glanced her eyes over at him, then back to the road. The passing signs were plucked out of the fog by her headlights for only a breath before their dark faces raced by without revealing anything. She flashed her eyes over in his direction once more. Neither did his face reveal anything in its reflection in the window.\n\nHe was still as could be. He rested his head against the window, watching the water droplets collect out of the mist against the glass, streaming by just like the signposts.\n\nSomehow the fog had cleared for just a moment, and it had revealed him walking alone in the middle of Nowhere, Noplace. Just a lonely boy, small and fragile and waiting in the dead of night on the side of an empty highway. It was only as she stopped that she realized he was not a boy at all. He had seemed a child - he was that same kind of tiny against the open expanse of an eternal fog. But then she spied the long unkempt beard that spilled down his chest and the sticks that grew from out it. And smoke, too; he had smelled of smoke, not cigarettes but a smoldering earthy rot that clung heavy to the air.\n\n\"So,\" she finally said. She let the word hang in the air for a moment, ripening. \"Where you from?\"\n\nHe turned his dark eyes on her. One of them dropped low in his face, and the other hung open with an evil eye gaze on her. Then he turned back to his portal into the night.\n\n\"The highway,\" he replied. His voice was soft and sounded far away. He coughed, a weighty and wet thing. \"Or maybe that's where we're all going.\"\n\nThe silence draped across them on again. Joanna waited for him to ask in return, but he did not.\n\n\"Where you headed?\" she tried again. She had asked before, and all he had said was something about wherever he could go. \"Surely it can't just be 'the highway'.\"\n\nHe dragged a finger down the window, following the trail of a droplet blown by the speed and wind. For a moment Joanna didn't think he had heard her, and she opened her mouth to repeat the question when he responded.\n\n\"Hopefully somewhere.\"\n\nA tense smile pulled at Joanna's lips. \"Somewhere? What kind of somewhere?\"\n\n\"You know. Here. There. Anywhere,\" he muttered on. \"Somewhere.\"\n\nJoanna nodded along. It wasn't wrong, she supposed: everyone was going somewhere.\n\nShe eyed the passing signs as if she'd find one with her somewhere on it. Would recognize any of them by day? Or if she had seen them by day, if she would recognize them by night? And perhaps they were not signs at all, but trees or figures hiding in the fog. She peered out at the darkness at the indistinct forms, trying to decide whether or not they were approaching on their own.\n\n\"Why did you stop for me?\"\n\nJoanna started. He had been so silent she had almost forgotten he was there.\n\n\"Well... I don't know,\" Joanna sputtered. \"You just seemed so... small. Like you weren't even there.\" And it was true; he was much shorter in stature than her, with arms were so thin they threatened to snap like kindling.\n\n\"Not even there!\" His booming laughter nearly shook the vehicle. \"We can already do so much, change so much, without ever being there at all. So why are you so sure that I am?\"\n\n\"Well, I'm talking to you, aren't I?\" But something about the way he said it struck Joanna. She turned to say something more - she wasn't sure what - in defense of causation or existence or maybe some justification for picking up strange hitchhikers. But when she looked over at the passenger side she saw only the reflection of her own car's lights in the window.\n\nHe was gone. Even the smell of smoke was stripped from her vehicle as if it had never been there at all." ]	2
	[WP] "Congratulations, Hu-Mans," said the voice, the first ever message from outer space," you have completed Level 1. Please await transport to Level 2."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Level 2: More Bees!\n\nLevel 2 is basically just Level 1 but now there are way more bees involved. We put these guys everywhere: in your car, under your bed, behind the bread in the bread box. If you thought Level 1's bee volume was hard to deal with, just wait until you check out Level 2.\n\nYour son's graduation? Bees everywhere! Your first kiss? You better watch out because bees are present and difficult to avoid! You might even turn on the shower one day but instead of water coming out it's bees! There isn't any knowing! They're everywhere! \n\nYou may find you'll only be able to dream exclusively about bees. Don't worry! That's part of the thing! In Level 2, you can only dream about bees. This is perfectly normal! \n\nSometimes you'll want to turn your car on but there's a bee jammed in the ignition hole and now you have to go find tweezers to pull it out and you open the drawer where the tweezers are and a few bees fly out and it startles you. This is Level 2. Start!" ]	2
	[WP] The year is 3000. You get to look at a copy of the holy book that details the exploits of the Ancient Gods. Found among the ruins of an ancient library, it details the glorious achievements of the gods that your now worship. The title of the book is " The Guinness Book of World Records 2019"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "\"Excuse me, do you have a moment to speak of the glorious Ancient Ones?\"\n\nGlafnark sighed, his tentacles resting on the PORTAL OPEN button. He knew he should have checked the monitor before exposing his residence to anyone from the quadrant. It was just that he was expecting a delivery of delicious baked snafnar, not a small, young religious zealot.\n\n\"I'm actually waiting for my dinner delivery, so if you don't mind...\"\n\n\"Perfect! Then I shall wait with you and regale you with stories of their true but seemingly mythical exploits! In the long past year of 1955...\"\n\nGlafnark glared down at the eager missionary. He opened his maw to release a string of curses that would surely send the child flailing away, but the pupils in the young Sephapod were dilated with excitement, and Glafnark couldn't bring himself to do it.\n\n\"Just skip forward in time a little, I don't have an entire time cycle.\"\n\n\"Oh, okay.\" The missionary flipped through the gargantuan book he held, nearly dropping it in the process. \"Ah, yes. 2019, a glorious year!\"\n\n\"I'm sure,\" Glafnark murmured. \n\n\"Excuse me, sir?\" \n\n\"I'm sorry, child. I simply fail to see how great these Ancient Ones of yours were, no matter how many small children come to my door telling me about them.\"\n\nThe little thing actually smiled at that. Well, he bared his fangs and his gills rippled. Same thing. \"Look at this amazing specimen! He pulled an entire boat with only his teeth!\"\n\n\"A boat?\"\n\n\"Yes!\" Two of the missionary's tentacles shot up in excitement.\n\n\"No, what is a boat?\"\n\n\"Oh. We don't really know. It seemed that it was a large device that sat on top of water, rather than underneath it. We have no idea why anyone would want to invent such a thing. Anyway, the point is, it was massive! Could you imagine tugging one along with just your fangs?\"\n\nGlafnark shrugged three of his shoulders. \"I don't guess I have a point of refer-\"\n\n\"And look at this one! He breathes fire!\"\n\n\"Fire? What are you even talking about?\"\n\n\"Well sir,\" the missionary began, obviously relishing the chance to answer questions. \"If you are above the water, on the boat, you can make a thing called fire. And the Ancient Ones could breathe it!\"\n\n\"Sounds ridiculous, and I don't know why anyone would want to do it, or glorify whatever it is that they were doing.\" Glafnark paused, then a smile of his own spread across his maw. The delivery crab scuttled up, clutching a bag in his claws. \n\nGlafnark snatched the bag, floated two Narks to the delivery crab, and patted the missionary on the head. \"I'm going in to eat boy, it was... fun talking to you.\"\n\nThe little Sephapod slumped, his book clapping shut. \n\nGlafnark noticed, then turned briefly. He smiled and said in a warmer voice, \"Maybe next time you can tell me about 2020. I'm sure the Ancient Ones achieved glorious deeds in the next year.\"\n\nThe little missionary's eyes grew wide and his mouth opened, but Glafnark had already disappeared inside and slammed a tentacle against the PORTAL CLOSE button." ]	2
	[WP] You wake up in 1775 pre-colonial America with all of your knowledge of the modern day. Staggering into a bar you sit next to a quiet man whom you introduce yourself to"nice to meet you" He says "I'm Thomas Jefferson".	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Jack looked at the man. \"The Thomas Jefferson?\"\n\n\"I don't know of any other Thomas Jefferson.\"\n\n\"What year is it?\"\n\n\"Hitting the bottle too hard, are you? It's 1775.\"\n\n\"So, if I remember correctly, you've been elected to the second continental congress.\"\n\n\"That is correct. I'm on my way to Philadelphia.\"\n\nJack thought for a moment. \"To draft the new constitution,\" he said to himself.\n\n\"Precisely,\" replied Jefferson. \"You wear strange clothing, where were they made?\n\n\"China, probably.\"\n\n\"That does not seem to be in the style of the orient.\"\n\n\"Where I am from, it is cheaper to produce goods in China and ship them overseas.\"\n\nJefferson was incredulous. \"And, where might that be?\"\n\n\"America, the year 2020.\"\n\nThere was a silence between them before Jefferson said. \"You are either a liar or a fool.\"\n\n\"I can show you that I'm telling the truth.\" Jack pulled his phone from his pocket. it still had 10% battery left and showed Jefferson the touchscreen. \"What technology of today could produce this?\"\n\nJefferson inspected the device thoroughly. \"Why have you come here to meet me?\"\n\n\"I didn't come here to meet you, I just went a little too crazy last night. I invented time travel. I can go anywhere, anytime. I'm guessing I went on a bender. I often go to different parties throughout history. I'm thinking I undershot ratification and ended up becoming...\" Jack shuddered. \"...sober.\"\n\n\"You have the ability to travel through time itself and you... use it to visit parties?\"\n\n\"Not much else it's good for. When I first traveled back, it was to kill Becker, but history happened the same with a fellow named Hitler. No matter what I do, it doesn't seem to change the outcome of history.\"\n\n\"So, you can tell me the outcome of history?\"\n\n\"I suppose I could, if you bought me a drink.\"\n\nJefferson bought them a round and took out a parchment and pen. \"Does this new constitution hold true?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"How am I remembered?\"\n\n\"Are you sure you want to know?\"\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"Depending on the historian, you are the world's greatest statesman, the world's greatest hypocrite, or both.\"\n\n\"How am I a hypocrite?\"\n\n\"You talk of the rights of men, yet you claim ownership over many souls. Also, that business with Sally Hemmings.\"\n\n\"Who?\" \n\n\"You've yet to meet her. I can tell you what happens, but remember, if it isn't you who does these things, it will inevitably be someone else, you can't change history in the broad strokes.\"\n\n\"Then I don't want to know. How far has America expanded?\"\n\n\"To the west coast, and then to Hawaii.\"\n\n\"Hawaii?\"\n\n\"The English won't arrive there for another three years, though it's possible the Spanish have already arrived there.\" Jack thought he should find that out sometime. \"It's a chain of islands that the U.S. will annex in the 1950's.\"\n\n\"How many states will there be?\"\n\n\"50 in total, and a number of territories.\"\n\n\"Is the United States a good country to live in?\"\n\n\"For most, yes. However, slavery will cause many problems. It's not clear whether or not the United States will ever be free of that curse.\" \n\n\"Couldn't you go forward and see?\"\n\n\"That's the thing I've learned about time travel. The past is concrete and unchangeable, but the future is in constant flux. The past is a great source of knowledge, but the present is the only place where my actions matter.\"\n\n\"How is the present of the United States?\"\n\n\"It has come to a point of change. Either it will hold true to it's principles, or it will abandon them.\"\n\n\"How do you mean?\"\n\n\"A démagogue sits in the White House. Truth has become a rare commodity. The values of our Republic will soon either repel this threat, or crumble away.\"\n\nJefferson put his hand on Jack's shoulder. \"I have faith the American people will hold to their values.\"\n\n\"Faith isn't worth anything. We are at a turning point. Whether we will be a free and fair society, or whether we will have a dictator. And, I don't know if the people will do the right thing.\"" ]	2
	[WP] there is a powerful magician that loves to just perform sleight of hand magic for people as he sees it as a way to perform a trick than to just actually make something disappear.one night there is a heckler that is just shouting out how all the tricks are done left and 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.", "So the magician either\n\n A) brings him up on stage and makes him look dumb by using his real magic to create tricks. And slowly the guy understands that he is a real magician just mascaraiding as a theater performer. But by then everyone wont listen to him anymore. \n\nOr \n\nB) the magician furiously finds the man after the show and tortures him with visions of torture (not actually hurting him) and what a horrible person he is the guy hopefully turns his life around. (Maybe sees how he ruined a child's beliefs in magic, or ruined the trip for a couple that worked so hard to get the money to come. \n\nThis was the inspiration [meme](https://ifunny.co/fun/IuORujxh7?s=u)\n\n(9/10)" ]	2
	[WP] You are a private detective who moonlights as an author of a series of books about a private detective with Multiple Personality disorder, while having Multiple Personality disorder yourself. You're at your desk when you hear a knock.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 look up at the door from the scattered papers in front of me. Bars of orange streetlight slice across the dark room from the window, reducing the space to an abstract expressionist's wet dream. Who could be knocking at this time? \nI put my half-smoked cigarette in the overflowing ashtray and make some minimal efforts to compose myself. Never know when a dame might come calling.\n\n\"Come in.\"\n\nThe hinges squeak as door swings open and I stride into the room. \n\n\"Still at it? This is a mess.\" \n\nI sit down across from myself at the desk, snatching my cigarette out of the ashtray and taking a deep, long drag. Smoke curls up towards the ceiling. \n\n\"Got anything to drink?\" \n\nI lean back in my chair and look at myself: same crumpled trench coat, same tired face, same faded eyes. I look a mess. My fingers fumble another cigarette out of the pack and light it up. \n\n\"Same place as always\" I say, waving my hand towards the window. \n\nI get up and rummage through the cabinet, pulling out and discarding empty bottles, not caring about the racket I make. Finding some dregs of vermouth sloshing around the bottom of one, I go back and sit across from myself again. \n\n\"This shit is uninspired. There ain't nothin original about it\" \n\nI sigh, looking down at the papers in front of me. I'm right. I've been working on this opening for a week now, but can't seem to get it right. Every time the dame should walk through the door, in I come instead. \n\n\"Think outside the box. I'm leaving\" I growl, swigging the last of the vermouth before grinding my cigarette out on the desk and getting up to go. \n\nI watch myself walk out, dropping the bottle on the way. The door slams shut and it's just me, my papers and an empty bottle rolling on the floor. \n\n\"Bastard knows how to make an exit\" I grumble to myself, mindlessly shuffling the papers on the desk. I glance down and see my notes on the indigo case. It has all the hallmarks of a serial killer, with no sign of the monster behind it. Five bodies in five nights, an indigo flower in the mouth of each, spread out across the city. Indigo doesn't grow in Southern California - the killer must have his own supply. Or he's been taking it from the botanical gardens. \n\nI get up, grabbing my coat and hat from the stand. It might not lead to anything, but I need to stretch my legs anyway. \n\nI lock my office and head across the hall. No harm in having company at this time of night. I knock on the door. There's a muffled sound from inside, then a tired voice says \"come in\"." ]	2
	[WP] You've just found out that your supposed soulmate, died long before you were born.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "\"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NO! ...God....please...no....\" I bellow before dropping to my knees and begin sobbing uncontrollably.\n\n\"What is it? What's going on here?\" says the hermit, sticking his head out from the photo booth. \n\nI smell alcohol on his breath. He's been hitting the booze again. \n\nI should have known. Every Friday, Thomas, my hermit neighbor, comes over and invites me to the mall with him to take pictures. Once we get to the mall we find the photo booth and Thomas enters before me. When I try to get in with him, he always says, without fail, \"no, no, no, sonny boy. This is old Thomas' time to shine\" and proceeds to drink by himself in the booth. Every Friday this happens.\n\nAnyways, I say, \"Thomas, you just told me that my soulmate died before I was born! Do you expect me not to have an emotional breakdown?!\"\n\nThomas belches loudly. \"Who are you?\" he says.\n\nI sigh. \n\n\"Thomas, I don't know why I put up with you. You're a terrible friend and an even worse neighbor. Would it kill you to pick up a lawnmower or a weed-whacker every once in a while? I'm tired of looking at your overgrown lawn.\"\n\nBy this time, Thomas has fallen asleep in a pile of his own filth. The poor wretch had soiled himself. \n\nI look across the mall courtyard and see two mall cops heading over with AK-47s. \n\n'Time for me to get the hell out of here,' I think.", "\"Just because I'm dead doesn't mean we can't be together.\" The words drifted across the attic to where I sat. I was all alone, or so I had thought.\n\nI looked around. \"Who's there?\" Nothing. No one.\n\nA chill wind prickled the hairs on my neck and arms. The words came again. \"We can be together. Forever.\" I jumped up and spun around, frantic to find the speaker. And there was still no one there.\n\nBut there was a movement in the attic's window. A bird? No, it was a reflection. I drew near and stared, the chill growing stronger. The words \"Closer... closer... almost there.\"\n\nMy breath fogged. The window began to frost. I saw her face in the reflection, she was lovely. I turned around, and there was still nothing to view. I turned back to the window \"Closer, closer, closer...\" \n\nHer face disappeared under the rime of frost, it did not melt under my touch. I felt a force hit me from behind, knocking the wind from my lungs. I felt the glass shatter around my face and hands, the cuts burning like fire after the chill frost's kiss. The wind tore at my face, ripping tears from eyes and a scream from the depths of my very soul.\n\nI did not feel the impact, and I don't really remember much of the in-between time. The next thing I recalled was being in the attic, only this time I could see her. And she was as lovely in the ephemeral as she had been in the window's reflection. The connection was immediate, and I felt a warmth I had never known before. We shared a smile, and we embraced. And the rest was our own personal history we. We (un)lived happily ever after.", "I had never seen such pristine beauty. The angel before me glowed under the moonlight, her pale allure tempting me to take her then and there. My entire life, I thought myself functionally a eunuch as I felt no sexual urges. But upon seeing this woman, it is as if she were Aphrodite herself. I had finally met my soulmate.\n\nAs is the case with every prince, when I turned of age our court seer told me where I could find my soulmate. My to-be-betrothed. I laughed audibly, for I doubted such a thing could exist. Being a prince, so many fling themselves at you, desperate for a fraction of the power of the crown. If I were like my brothers, I would have indulged them, indulged in the pleasures of the flesh. But when I saw my brothers engage in such acts, I was disgusted. \n\nI went to where seer foretold, expecting nothing. An isolated tower in the middle of a forest, just as was the case with every other prince. But as I entered the tower, I knew there was something different this time. The tower felt deserted. Usually at least some beast or guard existed to keep the prince from his princess, but these halls were silent. \n\nWhen I finally found my princess, I knew why no guard was needed. And I finally understood what had been missing from all of those women before. Her bone structure was beautiful, on display for all to see. She was coy, silent as I approached, unlike those loud, uncouth harlots I had known in the past.\n\nI knew I had to have her then, so I boldly asked her if I may share her bed with her. I took her shy silence as a yes, so I quickly entered her coffin to lie beside my soulmate; for now and forever." ]	4
	[WP] "I demand a trial by combat!" The defendant says "But sir this is about a parking ticket" the judge pleads	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 a sunny day which is rare where I come from and I decided to take this as an opportunity to ride my bike. As I rode it along the road to the grocery store I see a car in the middle of my path and I reported this to security because at this point I'm super close to the grocery store He puts a parking ticket for 70$ and just as he does it I see a muscular man come out of the store as he walks over the following conversation ensues\nBtw M is man sg is security guard and op is me.\n\nM: Excuse me officer what seems to be the matter?\nSg: you where in parked in the middle of a bicycle lane wrote you a parking ticket.\nM:(proceeds to hand a 5$ note to the guard) can you let it slide.\nSg: You do realize that brinbing a federal official is a felony.\nM: screw this!\nHe then proceeded to get in the car and drive off.\nA few months later after I had forgotten this I receive an email stating that\nI'm required for jury duty.\nA few weeks later I am in court and I am surprised to see the man who received a parking ticket a few months back he apparently didn't pay I tried to keep my head low but somehow he recognized me as the bystander watching the incident go down\nM: hey you're the guy who was watching it can you please tell them that I wasn't in the bicycle lane\nOp: it was actually me that complained to the security guard\nHe then proceeds to get up and walk over to me.\nHe says for some reason that because I complained I have to pay the fine\nIt's at this point I realise that this man doesn't have a basic understanding of logic\nOp:No\nHe then says I'm not going down without a fight and proceeds to punch me in the back of my head my head is now pretty bruised he was not only charged with the fact that he didn't pay for the parking ticket he was also charged with assault moral of the story never park in the bicycle Lane\nPS this is my first time writing please but don't hesitate to give me general critisism" ]	2
	[WP] A couple of twins had been adopted by two feuding families. Now they're pitted against one another and locked into a fight they unwillingly had to 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.", "I wonder what he is thinking? A thought that was not too uncommon in my daily routine. Ever since I was forced to take up this wretched Addison last name I was pitted against him. My twin brother, who at this point was less of a memory and more of a fictional villain. We were split at birth from what I was told and he was sent to a rival family. From what I can understand it was some sort of pissing match about who could raise a better son. We being identical twins were the perfect opportunity to settle the argument. My daily routine was anything, but a walk in the park. 7 am wake up which led to hours of intensive homeschooling by the top tutors. After that, the afternoon was filled with physical and combat training. This was all in preparation for our 18th birthday. The big day. The one where these two families could finally figure out who was better. But as the day approached I thought more and more about what he was thinking. This wasn’t our fight. I didn’t hate him even after the years of lectures on how at his core his only goal was to defeat me. At night as I look up at the stars I can feel him. I could never explain how, but I know he’s out there looking up at the same sky thinking about me. I miss him.\n\nThe day had come. It was my birthday and I was excited. Not because I wanted to make my parents proud, but because I finally got to see him. At age 18 I was finally going to meet my brother. I had testing all morning to prove my intelligence. This was easy and simply a formality as what both families truly cared about was the fight. A true test of who had raised the better son. I didn’t leave the house often, but today we went to a private gym in the city. The room was empty and had a padded gym floor. My parents said to warm up as he would be here soon. Soon I could prove to them that this was all worth it. That I was worthy of the Addison name. Then it happened. He walked in through another door and a chill shook my whole body. It was truly a reflection of myself. Our eyes caught for just a moment and all those nights all those feelings were confirmed. We were connected and I knew what I had to do. My parents took me aside for one last pep talk. This is what my life had led to. He was the enemy. We walked out into the center of the room. We both took a fighting stance. We were to fight until we couldn’t anymore, I don’t think killing the other was out of the question. As the fight began I relaxed, lowering my arms to my side. I smiled as I looked at him and said “I missed you, brother”. I started to walk towards him ready to embrace after so many years. That’s when I saw it. The emptiness in his eyes. Not a second later I was knocked off my feet. He stood above me. His fist came down again. And again. And again. That was the last thing I saw before losing consciousness. His empty eyes. Where was he? Who looked up at the stars with me every night. I wonder what he is thinking?" ]	2
	[WP]You’ve never broken a promise, and you don’t intend to change that. Despite this, you may have accidentally promised your daughter you’d survive, though the doctors say you have days to live	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You are many things in this life, but a promise breaker is not one of them.\n\nThis is the one thing in your life you know to be true. Afterall, you’ve seen just what renege does to a person – You’ll never forget your own broken promises – seen the way it tears into them from the inside out, a betrayal in the greatest form.\n\nYou’ve seen the way Jimmy Regg came home crying because his dad promised not to leave and he did. He left, oh god why did he leave? He promised he would stay.\n\nSo, you make a vow to yourself. A vow so unbreakable that not even the strength of a thousand men could wither it away. \n\nAnd you keep it. You keep it when you catch your mother with another man, when she makes you promise to silence. You keep it when Hannah Davis asks you to stay away from David Peleski. You keep it when your husband asks you to stay. You keep it when you hold your daughter for the first time, promising her endless love.\n\nYou keep it when your mother takes one look at you and makes you promise to go see a doctor.\n\nYou watch as your daughter – she’ll be 7 in a few days. Does time really fly by that fast? – bounces over to you, crayons in hand and a frown adorning her face. You can tell she’s scared by the way she bites her lip and moves from side-to-side. You’ll never forget the way she begs you to stay, to not leave her, to survive. You’ll never forget the way you take her into your arms and hold her while she cries. You’ll definitely never forget the promises you make to her that day.\n\nThat would always be your biggest regret.\n\nYou still think everyone’s overacting. You think it’s just a really bad cold, – it is flu season after all – you think you’ll be okay.\n\nYou’re not.\n\nYou’ve always loved words, always loved the thought of creating something so profoundly beautiful with such little endeavor. But you think you’ve finally found the cruellest of words.\n\n(I’m so sorry, but we can’t make any promises. There’s really nothing we can do for you.)\n\nYou will later crawl into your daughter’s closet when you think no one is home. You will clutch her favourite sweater in one hand, inhale that scent you’ve grown so familiar with, and allow yourself to cry. But you’ve always been strong, even when your mother was screaming for your father to stay, don’t go. I’m sorry, we can fix this. Please! And you’ll be damned if you let anyone see you fall apart.\n\n(I’m so sorry, but we can’t make any promises.)\n\nYou still have hope, you have to. It’s the only thing that keeps you going when you have rough days. That, and your daughter. You take her to the park after one particular bad day. You watch from the bench as she runs through trees and climbs atop, what must be in her eyes, a fortress. You struggle to keep everything together, to know that watching your daughter laugh and be carefree were one of the many things you’ve taken for granted. \n\nYou see her watching you as you wither away. You watch as she starts to stay up later, claiming she wanted to watch that t.v. show before heading to bed. You watch as she pretends to have a headache, to avoid going to school. You watch as she hugs you tighter and tighter each time she leaves the house. You watch and watch and watch.\n\nBut you never forget.\n\nYou’ve begun to realize something. And no matter how hard you try to ignore it, no matter how much you want to deny it, you know it will always remain true.\n\n(We can’t make any promises).\n\nYou think about all the fairy tales you used to read as a kid – now reading them to your own kid – and realize that despite all the true love and triumph in them, they are only that; fairy tales. \n\nSo, you wait. You’re not really sure what you’re waiting for anymore, but you know that this is all you can do.\n\nYou lay on your bed and watch as your daughter reads. And this time it’s her reading to you. You think she’s reading Peter Pan – the one about a place where you never grow old, a place that offers more beauty than this world holds – and you see the person she will become; strong, fierce, kind, humble.\n\nYou understand that all the best things in life come with a price. You understand and you accept. You think you can finally rest. \n\nYou are many things in this life, but being a mother will always be your greatest treasure.\n\nEdit: because of typos" ]	2
	[WP] Among the Warlord’s crimes against humanity was the extensive use of child soldiers. However, some of them seemed to have super natural powers. A pediatric psychiatrist is treating one of these “Magical Girls”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 wasn't much to her. A young face, with old lines. Delicate bones covered by scarred flesh. The soldiers had captured her, the maids cleaned her, and now I was to... what, cure her?\n\nThe girl looked at me as I let out a little chuckle. The first movement she had made since the soldiers had brought her in to my chamber in the castle. As quickly as her interest was taken, she went back to looking at the heavy iron chains connecting her wrists.\n\n\"My name is Pala,\" I said. I leant forward, my chair only a few feet from hers. Close enough she could feel safe, far enough I could be safe. \"What's your name?\"\n\nNothing. Not a word nor reaction.\n\n\"Have you eaten? Have the guards treated you well?\"\n\nI knew the answers, but needed her to say. Nothing worked until she decided it would. Patience would have been my preference. Trust took time, but we didn't have the luxury of that. Her brothers and sisters were still out there.\n\n\"Krul is dead,\" I said.\n\nHer nostrils flared.\n\n“The Southern armies took the Never Keep this morning. He died…”\n\nHer hands shook.\n\n“He died begging for his life.”\n\n“Liar.”\n\nHer voice was near silent, but it made the long drapes in my chamber flutter.\n\n“Why do you think that?” I asked. An open question, an invitation for her to continue the dialogue. Would she? I leant forwards, the distance closing between us.\n\nShe looked up at me. Turned her eyes to my own and I saw the ring of red fire that surrounded her pupils. A curse, one that controlled her every waking moment.\n\nI recoiled and she looked down quickly. Her face took on a heavy sadness, and I realised it wasn’t the iron chains that held her.\n\nThe young girl with the burning eyes looked at me.\n\n“If he was dead, then I would be free.”" ]	2
	[WP] The tale of love and the slippery slopes that follow it	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "This was a short story I wrote and it fit the bill for this.\n\n\nThe air was quiet. This Tuesday night was dark and calm. The intersection right before Blossom Creek apartments was free of cars, and the only movement was the color of the traffic lights changing and signaling at non existent cars to proceed. From the distance the beams of headlights light up the intersection. Mixing with the green and red traffic lights, now approaches a car with their brights on. It slowly approaches the intersection and makes a stop. The red, dented and beat up car has Ben Quintero. \n\nStopped at the intersection, he continuously is readjusting his rear view mirror. His eyes has bags under them as if he hasn't slept in days, his skin pale as the moon in the night sky shining on him, and bags of sweat dripping from his forehead. His mind is racing faster than his car ever could. It's the thoughts of Emma Ann... Emma Ann was the name racing through his mind.\n\nMy life changed because of her. My routine life was completely changed when I first looked into her eyes at the Thrift Shop. It was at that moment that life urged me to ask the woman with the blonde flowing hair for her number. It was something I hadn't done since grade school. In fact, talking to people is something I hadn't done in so long. Paul has been my only and best friend since then. Being a 28 year old, my life was complete in the sense that I had nothing left to accomplish. I had an apartment. I had a car. I had a job. I was doing well for myself. I was living the so-called American Dream. But after asking Emma, everything changed. For the first time I found someone whom I was fond of. Someone who was fond of me. I will never forget the time we went to the arcade and we danced during the midnight lights show. I will never forget walking along the trails at Johnson Park. I will never forget any time with her. My life could never go back... but it did. She stopped having a presence. Was it something I did? Something I didn't do? Emma Ann. Why did you lie to me, deceive me, make me believe you were busy at time when I knew you exactly where you were. You lied.\n\nThe light turned green, and Ben drove into the Blossom Creek apartment complex. He parked the car in front of building 7, and turned his engine off. He readjusts his rear view mirror, looking into his eyes. The sweat continues to pour. His mind continuing to race as his hands are trembling. He is unsure of himself, unsure of what has to be done. He readjusts his rear view mirror one last time, and sees Emma's car parked. He looks down at his lap, as his emotions begin to fade. Ben stares at the .45 Magnum in his lap, loaded with 6 rounds. He puts it in his right jacket pocket and exits the vehicle.\n\nThrough the night air, Ben nervously walks through the parking lot. Another car pulls in the parking lot, but Ben ignores it as his mind is focused and closed in on one thing. He walks up the flight of stairs with his expressionless face. His mind is now clear, and for the first time since he first saw Emma his mind is now at ease and his heart belongs with him.\n\nApartment number 42. Ben approaches it and stops right out side of it. He wipes his face off from the sweat and gives two sturdy knocks on the door. A voice from inside is heard. \"It's unlocked! You can come in!\" Ben opens the door and sees her... Emma Ann. She's in the kitchen washing dishes facing away from the door. Ben slowly closes the door and stands there. \n\n\"You know you don't have to knock, it's not like anyone else is going to walk--\" She turns around and sees Ben standing there. \"Ben. What--What are you doing here?\" she says. \"I noticed we haven't really been talking much, and I wanted to stop by and say hello!\" he says with a soft and calm voice. His face now exhibiting a soft smile as he is genuinely happy to see her. \"Ben, I didn't call or ask you to come at all. I don't want to sound rude, but if I don't ask you to come then you're not welcome.\" she says as she begins to wipe her hands off and walks from the kitchen towards Ben. They're both standing in the hallway that enters the small, but neat apartment. \n\n\"Emma, it's just that I find it a bit strange how we had things going pretty good. You and I, we were getting close. We were... exploring things\"\n\n\"What are you on about, Ben? What do you mean things were going good?\"\n\n\"We were really starting to--\"\n\nThe door opens up from behind them. A voice is heard coming from it... \"Hey, I saw some--\" says the taller man coming in from the door. He freezes when he sees Ben talking to Emma. Ben immediately gets confused as he sees him. \"Hello? Who are you\" Ben says in a confused and nervous manner. \"You must be... Ben?\" says the man at the door. \"Who the fuck are you?\" Ben exclaims. \"Ben, this is Elliot. He's my boyfriend.\" Emma tells Ben.\n\nBen's mind begins to race again.\n\nWait. How did I get back here? Why is this happening again? My heart is beating faster again, my thoughts are coming through again at a pace I can't keep up at. Why is this happening? What is going on? I... I don't know what's happening. Wait... Wait no, no, no. I know. I know.\n\n\"Ben, I've heard enough about you to know that you should probably leave. Emma doesn't welcome you here anymore.\"\n\n\"Well, for all the times I have been here, I haven't seen you once Elliot.\"\n\n\"Ben, you have only ever been here once and it was to drop me off.\" Emma says. \"We have only ever hung out a few times and now you have this thought that we were a thing, but we never were! The night we hung out I just thought you would be someone I can have as a friend, but ever since you have been messaging me questionable things and telling me things you shouldn't be telling anyone. You are living in your own little delusion, Ben!\" \n\nBen looks at Emma as he tries to comprehend what she is saying. His mind is now calming down, and his thoughts are now blank. Elliot walks towards Ben and leaves the door open, laying his hand on Ben's shoulder. \"I think it's time for you to leave.\" Elliot says softly to Ben.\n\n\"Let me ask you something, Elliot... Would you do anything for Emma?\"\n\n\"Of course.\"\n\n\"Is she the love of your life?\"\n\n\"Emma is my world. She's my heart and soul. I would take a bullet for her.\"\n\nBen looks back at Emma, and then back at Elliot. \n\n\"Then take one!\"\n\nBen reaches into his pocket and grabs his magnum quickly taking it out and pointing it at Elliot's stomach and fires. Blood splatters on the surrounding walls, the screams of Emma fill the air, the shot so loud that the floor vibrates. Elliot screams and falls to the wall and grabs his stomach. Ben walks past Elliot out the door. His mind is clear and he is now back where he wants to be. Clear headed. \n\nHe walks back into the apartment, and takes another shot at Elliot's back, blood splattering and shooting on Emma as she continues to scream and panic. Ben walks back out and begins to walk towards his car. As he is walking down the stairs, another man in a robe is seen walking up.\n\n\"Hey, man, everything good up here?\" the man says. Ben simply shoots the man in his chest, and he falls to the ground screaming. Ben continues walking down the stairs with gun in hand. As he reaches the bottom, he walks through the parking lot.\n\nI'm where I want to be. I want to be here. I am free. There's nothing, but I am free.\n\nHe gets into his car and readjusts his rear view mirror. He turns the engine on, backs out, and drives away. He just drives on. Not sure where he is going. Not sure where he is going to be. He lets the road guide him as he believes life will take you where you need to be. And where he needs to be is uncertain, but he will soon find out..", "I hate spiders. They have eight beady eyes, eight furry, spindly legs, and shoot death traps out their butts.\n\nEven when they're harmless, just thinking about them makes my skin crawl. So when I was told to rescue the princess, I'd need to trudge through the dungeons (damp, dark, and likely full of spiders) and rescue her from an evil monster's web (which implies said monster is likely big, hairy, and also shoots death traps out its butt) my immediate reaction was to say no.\n\n\"Very sorry for the kingdom's loss. Do hope she's recovered. Best of luck.\" I bowed at the royal messenger. As I turned to make my hasty retreat, she pulled on my sleeve.\n\n\"Please, please help us. You're our only hope!\" She pleaded.\n\nI didn't care much for the princess, spoiled brat that she was. But the royal messenger loved her dearly, like a sister. I could ignore duty to my kingdom. I paid my taxes, did no crimes. I'd done enough.\n\nIt was much harder, however, to ignore Bea, the tiny messenger girl. She had striking blue eyes that shimmered like a pool as they filled with tears. It hurt me to the core to see her in pain, knowing I had helped cause it.\n\nAs I stared down at her, her lower lip began to wobble. If I didn't say anything, soon she'd likely start to wail inconsolably. I could already feel the muscles of my heart contract at the thought. Spiders were my fear but love of little Bea was my weakness.\n\n\"Fine. I suppose I'll rescue the princess.\" I said at last. The messenger squeaked with joy. She grabbed me suddenly, around the waist, and squeezed with all her strength. I gasped for breath. After a few seconds, I patted her on the head assuredly and she let go, her face still beaming up at me with gratitude.\n\nOnce promised, I couldn't back out. She knew this and ignored my look of trepidation.\n\n\"You sure she's in the bottom of the dungeon? She's nowhere else?\" I asked. Bea nodded.\n\n\"Yes. I saw her! She's in the back, behind all the webs.\"\n\n\"You're sure? It wasn't something else?\"\n\n\"I'm sure! I saw her hair. She couldn't call out. She's scared!\" Bea squealed.\n\nWell so am I! I thought, but kept my mouth shut. Once again, Bea tugged at my hem.\n\n\"Please go get her now! You can't let it take her!\" Bea cried.\n\nI sighed and looked out the window. It would be nightfall soon. Neither one of us would sleep well with the princess in parallel. I looked towards the doorway and picked up my weapon. A club or a mace would have been better. The thick soled shoe I held in my hand would have to do.\n\n\"Go get me the flashlight and I'll fetch Princess Aurora in a minute. And next time don't leave your toys in the basement honey. This is what happens when you don't put them away.\" Devious as an imp, she smiled up at me and ran towards the kitchen.\n\nThis wasn't my first rescue. Nor would it be the last, but I suppose for love alone I would face my fears and hers too." ]	3
	[WP] Humans never evolved the ability to sleep. You’ve just been revived after being knocked unconscious for the first time and are describing it to whoever	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 saw my life flash before my eyes. \n\nAt first it was so…dark. An endless dark that I could feel with my fingertips and stretched forever. I lived in it, floated and walked in it. I think I was it.\n\nAnd then…things changed.\n\nThey became.\n\nI saw images of everyone close to me, as if back in reality but a parallel one specifically for me. Random groupings of friends and relatives I’ve known across decades shared the same space, no awareness that the combinations made no sense. \n\nSmall bits of daily drudgery drifted by. Like saying the wrong thing in a conversation. Or having to use the bathroom but never coming across one. I tried to run, but was unable. I met those I admired, but was pants-less.\n\nThese annoyances blended into a world of my greatest fears. A city crumbled around me as Armageddon began. An unfamiliar house became a fight for my life against a pursuing maniac. And my wife fell in love with someone new. I can still feel the heat of jealousy from the latter. \n\nI lived lifetimes in what must have been minutes. Skewed lives, pages of a full script with only half constructed scenes, nothing but flashes left in my memory as soon as they passed. \n\nAnd then I was here, laying on the grass, but the atmosphere was fuzzy and wrong. I sat up and looked around, feeling lethargic and wobbly. A dog approached and smiled an eerily human smile. And then bit my leg.\n\nThe wound doesn’t exist, but the phantom sting still lingers. I’ve returned to my body, but from where I’ll never know. I can only imagine it must have been hell." ]	2
	[WP] You're an elderly superhero. You have to save the day one more time before you become eligible for the Senior Heroes Benefit Scheme. Unfortunately, the only supervillain available is your grandchild.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 time. His plan is set to go at 4 pm. If he doesn't get it off then, the next opening isn't for a thousand years.\n\nTime to be a hero one last time.\n\nThe elderly hero looks at himself in the mirror, wearing the uniform he wore for so many years. The years have not been kind—the uniform sags and troops.\n\n\"This ain't gonna work.\"\n\nHe puts the uniform away and wears street clothes, like a normal grandfather. Slightly dated, clean, and not nearly as baggy as the uniform.\n\n\"You know? You haven't taken your grandson to a daytime ball game. You promised a long time ago. Time to keep that promise.\"\n\nHe has always known where the supervillain's hideout is, but he didn't want to embarrass him. This time, he's just a grandfather, going to see his grandson.\n\nknock knock knock\n\n\"Yeah? Wha'da'ya'want?\"\n\n\"I'd like to see my grandson.\"\n\n\"Beat it pops. Ain't no one like that here.\"\n\n\"His name is Oliver Smith. I'm his grandfather.\"\n\n\"Ol...Oliver? Gimme a sec!\"\n\n\"he's standing at the front door! ... No, mufti. ... I don't get it either, but he asked for Oliver Smith! ... Thanks! He'll be right down, Sir. click Please come in. He guarantees your safety.\"\n\n\"Thank you.\"\n\nThe boys done alright, just wish... None of that! That's what caused the split to begin with you old coot! You're here to keep a promise to a young man. You might be awful late, but better late than never.\n\n\"Grandfather?\"\n\nOh, the longing in that voice. I wish... World in the balance. Being a hero sucks.\n\n\"Grandson, I've missed you.\"\n\nThe grandson rushes to his grandfather, hugging him close.\n\n\"I've missed you for so long!\"\n\nI... I fucking hate being a hero. Today, I am a grandfather. World in the <Shut Up>\n\n\"There's a day game at the park, I promised.\"\n\n\"Yes, grandfather, I remember. I already have the tickets.\"\n\n\"How did you know?\"\n\n\"I bought tickets for every day game.\"\n\nOh, God! Grandfather hugs Oliver tight. \"I wish I'd remembered sooner!\"\n\n\"You're here now, that's all that matters. Let's go.\"\n\nThe game has been ferocious, but it looks like we may win.\n\nDING ding Ding ding, dong Dong DONG Doing, Bong Bong Bong\n\nThree o'clock. Worl...\n\n\"Oliver, it's three o'clock.\"\n\nI can see the tears in his eyes.\n\n\"I know, Samuel. Give me a moment. <dialing>… Cancel the mission. … Yes, I know, but I'm doing something much more important right now. … Yes, it's canceled. … I'm eating Cracker Jacks, and I don't care if I ever get back. … Thank you.\"\n\n\"And thank you, grandfather. I love you.\"\n\nSamuel's voice chokes up.\n\n\"I love you too, Oliver.\"\n\n\"Hey! Here comes the vendor! My treat?\"\n\n\"Not on your life! It's my turn! … Ho! Two!\"\n\nA perfect toss of the money, and two orders of ballpark Cracker Jacks come zinging back.\n\n\"Here you go, Oliver!\"\n\n\"Thanks, Grandpa!\"\n\nThe onion ninjas are strong today, as the game roars on.\n\n…—…\n\n\"And so, it is our delightful duty to tell you, you have qualified for the full benefit.\"\n\n\"I don't want it.\"\n\n\"Excuse me?\"\n\n\"I don't want the Benefit. I haven't earned it.\"\n\n\"Oh! Mr. Smith, the benefit is being awarded because you kept your promise.\"\n\nWhat?\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"It is not about Oliver's plan. It is about you keeping a promise.\"\n\n\"You're kidding...\"\n\n\"No, Mr. Smith. I am not kidding. We knew about his plan. Had you not mentioned the time, you would not be receiving the award.\n\n\"Some things are more valuable than saving the world.\"\n\n((finis))" ]	2
	[WP] It is after Armageddon and almost everyone is dead, and millions of souls are roaming the Earth. The survivors have found a way to capture the souls and use them as currency.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "\"Gotta order something if you're going to sit there pal.\" \n\nThe man looked up at that, his shaggy, matted hair still hiding most of his face. He looked around at the otherwise empty bar. It was an enclosed dirt space, the walls formed of large sheets of corrugated iron, the interior featuring worn benches surrounding various barrels and boxes that sufficed as tables. He reached out one severely burned hand and rapped his fingers on the plastic surface of the barrel in front of him. \n\n\"I don..don't.\" The man stopped, as if the act of speaking was foreign to him, his words stilted and slow. He coughed, lifting his scarred hand to rub at his throat. \n\nThe bar man sighed, lifting his hand from the iron pipe he kept on a shelf below the ramshackle bar top. He paused, glaring at the man and rolling his substantial shoulders, as if to emphasise his bulk compared to the starved traveler but the man's gaze was once more on the table. The bar man sighed once more, dipping a ladle into a full bucket by his side and expertly doling out the amber liquid, complete with dirt and sediment, into a small cup. He walked from behind the bar and placed the drink in front of the traveler, who looked up in surprise. \n\n\"Ya get one,\" the bar man barked at him. \"Just because I've seen a lot of shit since the bombs went off and you are one of the sorriest things that's come through here. Any more will cost you. So will the seat. Got it?\"\n\nThe traveler looked back at him, blinking a few times and nodded. He lifted the glass carefully to his lips, tipping the weak beer back and draining nearly half the glass. As carefully as he'd lifted it, he set it back down. As soon as it touched the surface and was safe, he began a coughing fit, shaking his small frame. The bar man watched him, hooking a nearby bench with his foot and dragging it over so he could examine his only \"customer\". \n\n\"I'm not going to ask your sob story,\" he said abruptly, resting his hands on the barrel. \"Heard em all already.\"\n\n\"Th..thank you for that,\" the traveler replied and he pushed his filthy hair back as best he could, to reveal more of his lined face. \n\n\"Got a name?\"\n\n\"Matthew.\"\n\n\"Go by Matt?\"\n\nThe man seemed startled by the question before nodding.\n\n\"Yes. I mean, i used to.\"\n\n\"Alright Matt. I'm Miles. Welcome to the Miles High Club.\"\n\nHe gestured around him at the dilapidated shed that was his business and boomed out a deep, throaty laugh. Matt managed a weak grin in return. \n\n\"How'd you get here then Matty? Because you sure as fuck didn't walk, not with whats out there. Used up the last of your souls to get to this shit town?\"\n\nMatt opened his mouth to speak before blinking rapidly and closing it again. He nodded, picking up his glass and taking minute sips. Miles scratched his thick beard and stared at him, laying his other arm down flat. Upon it was his SOS, the name the public took to calling the Leipburg Organic Energy Converter. It housed the life energy from the dead, the \"souls\" as most people referred to it as. It was a remarkable piece of equipment, able to trap the echoes of the dead that still lingered on the planet and convert it into usable energy. Miles' SOS, a reinforced glass tube that surrounded his forearm, was murky but occasionally flashes of light could be seen as a soul swished around the inside. Matt looked up and realised Miles' had caught him staring. He tried to begin an apology but Miles lifted one huge hand and waved him off.\n\n\"Its alright man. Yeah I got a few souls in here. Despite what you see around you, i do have customers most days. Well.\" He paused, frowning and looked around once more. \"Some days.\"\n\n\"You're not afraid I'll try to rob you?\"\n\nMiles looked at him seriously for a moment, before breaking out into another laugh. \n\n\"Honestly? No. You work in this business, hell you just live right now in these fucking times, you learn to defend whats yours. And no offense little Matty but there's more chance of one of these Souls robbing me than you.\"\n\nMatt chuckled then, a soft, unused thing and drained what was left of his beer. He looked at the empty cup longingly for a moment before standing.\n\n\"Well I thank you for your kindness Miles. I thought it had died along with everything else. But i won't impose any longer. No souls, no service.\"\n\nHe held out his scarred hand over the barrel and after a moment, Miles rose and clasped it in one of his. Miles shook it for a moment, then, just as Matt went to release, he suddenly tightened his grip and lifted up Matt's sleeve with the other. Matt protested, struggling futilely against the bigger man but Miles was focused on what he had unveiled. An SOS, similar to his, wrapped around Matt's thin wrist. He watched the surface, almost completely dark like the murky depths of a pond when, deep down, he saw the sudden bright flash of a Soul. He let go of Matt and smiled.\n\n\"Aye that's the rule but looks like you ain't out of Souls just yet boy. Strong, young one too. More than enough to have you set up eating and drinking your fill at my place for at least a month. \"He paused rubbing his beard and letting out a theatrical sigh. \"I must be going soft in my old age. I'll do you two months Matty, out of the goodness of my heart. \n\nHe smiled down at him, it swiftly turning to a frown as the other man shook his head violently and began to back away, tugging his sleeve back down over his arm. \n\n\"Hey you ok? I didn't mean to scare you buddy. Look its a good deal, you'd be lucky to get three weeks provisions from most of the other places round here. And that's if they don't decide to just take it from you. It ain't safe.\"\n\nMatt continued to shake his head, turning for the door. Miles looked back at his bar, considering letting the newcomer leave and take his chances before growling in irritation and quickly catching up to him. He grabbed him by the shoulder, hard enough that he couldn't break free.\n\n\"I'm not trying to fleece you here man, I'm trying to...\"\n\n\"Its my daughter!\"\n\nMiles blinked, staring down at Matt who now met his gaze, thin rivulets of clean skin running through his dirt encrusted cheeks. \n\n\"Its my daughter,\" he said again, more quietly and he lifted his sleeve once more, running his fingers over the dim surface. He looked up at Miles' and offered a real smile. \"So thank you, truly for what you have done. But I've already lost so much. I can't lose her as well.\"\n\nHe disengaged himself from the barman's grip once more and pushed the loose hunk of wood that served as a door open. A wind blew in, carrying with it a miasma of dust and insects. Before he could step out in the growing dark, Miles' voice stopped him. \n\n\"Work for me then. Help make the beer, the shine, keep the place clean as you can and i'll feed ya.\" \n\nFor a moment Matt stared out at the rest of the town, the fine dirt blowing into his eyes, causing them to sting and water. The Soul in his SOS suddenly flared brightly, a lap around his wrist like a Halo.\n\nMatt let the door close and walked back inside.", "Soul suckers, that’s what we called the cylinders. They were around twelve inches, having a small glass panel along their edge, giving you a view of the three or four souls bobbing up and down inside. It might have seemed inhumane to use souls, but that was before everyone learned about the power these little souls held. Need to power some electricity? Just attach a soul to a generator and you will power the device for whatever remaining lifespan the soul had previously held. Unfortunately, this meant that older souls held a lot less value and since these cylinders only held a limited number of souls, it meant one had to be careful not to waste their suck on an older soul. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n“I told you, I’ll give you a gun for a soul with thirty years left on it. None of your souls appear to meet that requirement. If you want, I can take one of the ten-year ones off your hands for a box of ammo? Might be able to scavenge a gun, I hear some cities aren’t completely destroyed.” It was easy to tell the age of a soul, a young soul was a deep blue while an older one was more of a misty steam like color. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n I was an arms dealer, the first to find the remains of a southern military bunker, having enough weapons to power a small militia. This made me a target, everyone wanted this piece of land but luckily those that tried to fight me were never usually well equipped, their souls often ending up powering another of my devices. At this point I was bleeding souls, even using one to power an old toaster I had found. In reality, I could charge less for my weapons, it was more a tactic to weed out the weaker offers. I wasn’t about to give any idiot a gun. That was reckless. This at least ensured the people that brought my weapons would have enough sense not to cause mischief. I was certain my logic wasn’t flawless, but it had kept me alive for long enough. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n“You’re a crook, you really would turn away your fellow man for a few more years.” The older man adjusted his cracked glasses, making me wonder if he could even see out of the things anymore. Maybe it was just for the look?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nTrying to probe my humanitarian side was the wrong choice, I couldn’t care less if he died. His living didn’t increase my chances, not in the slightest. “Theres no zombies out there, just other humans, your chances are as good as everyone else’s. Now come back with a better offer or take your bullets.” \n\n&nbsp;\n\nTossing a loose packet of 6mm bullets onto the table, he reluctantly retrieved his cylinder, fiddling with the edge of its pouch. Exchanging a soul was a complicated matter, one that took a bit of effort. He fiddled with the glass on its side, tilting the device ever so gently until he had selected his preferred payment method. When that soul was seated at the top, he popped the lid off, watching the blue ball of energy float up as I opened up an empty canister, watching the once freed soul get pulled into my metallic embrace. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n“Pleasure doing business with you.” I said, watching him snatch away the bullets, calling me a colorful array of swears. Once he had left, I followed him towards the exit, dragging my fingers along the switch by the doorway, the heavy iron doors closing before me, locking me into the bunker. That was the foremost reason I hadn’t been killed. It was hard to kill someone who kept themselves so well protected. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nI dropped the cylinder into one of the bunkers bins. Having no need for such a low soul, it was pocket change if anything. Sure it might help power one device in the bunker temporarily, but it wouldn’t help me achieve my goal. Inside the bunker was an extensive set of computers and machinery. All connected to a singular generator. The generator in question was coated in a thick smudge of rust, looking as though it may have never functioned properly. I had previously offered it a fifty-year-old soul when I first entered, but all it did was cause the lights to flicker. That’s why I wanted to horde as many souls as I could, using them all to bring this area to life. Maybe then I could discover what caused this apocalypse, or at least discover who created these soul suckers.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n{If you enjoyed my story, Feel free to check out r/pmmeyabootysstories Any support helps! I will also be posting more of my writing there.}" ]	3
	[WP] You are a monster hunter, known all over the world for your excellent track record. But today, you got assigned a mission to a place you hoped you would never need to visit again. Your next target is the queen of the fallen Fae. Your destination: The cursed land of the fallen Fae, Florida.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Even wearing her lightest armour, Sarah was sweating. The sweltering, clammy heat pinned her down and crushed her. She hiked the strap of her duffle bag back onto her shoulder and carried on walking down the quiet, verdant suburban street. \n\nAs soon as she'd seen where she was going, she'd known it would be trouble. Everyone in the business, except a crazy few, steered clear of Florida. Everyone else steered clear of those crazy few. The heat, swamps, gators and dregs of humanity that congregated in that asshole of the country were a magnet for all sorts of malignant forces. Throw meth into the mix, and most had more than enough reason to run the other way. \n\nBut Sarah wasn't most. She'd worked hard for years to reach the top of the hunting game, suffering all sorts of sexist sleights and misogynist abuse along the way. The clients, the hunters, the writers who hovered around the scene: all had belittled her, objectified her, reduced her to her constituent fleshy parts, repeatedly telling her that this was \"man's work\". They were quiet now that she was unquestionably the best, but she knew it would all start again as soon as she slipped. \n\nThat's why she'd had to take the job. Despite the fact that nobody else wanted it, if she had turned it down there would have been whispers. Better to show them that she still wasn't to be messed with, and get a tidy sum in the process. The only problem was Florida. \n\nShe had been here once before, right at the start of her career. A young apprentice, she hadn't known what all the fuss was about. Miami was party capital, the everglades were beautiful and Orlando was the home of Mickey Mouse... What wasn't to love? \n\nIt only took 24 hours to set her straight. She'd left that job without any doubts: she was never going to return to this hellhole. And, yet, here she was. She shuddered at the memory.\n\nThe job description wasn't heavy on details. Queen of the Fairies, Florida, dead or alive. Why anyone would be willing to pay a fortune to kill some washed-up, tweaker fairy princess was beyond her, but rich people always found ways to spend their money, and she was usually happy to take it. \n\nHer two contacts in the state had been reticent when she'd asked them about the queen. They'd both confirmed Orlando was a good place to start, but not much more. She'd managed to squeeze and name and address out of one, but the other dropped under the radar before even that. She couldn't blame them. However far a fairy had let herself go, Florida was still a dangerous place to anger her. \n\nWhen Europeans first arrived in the area, they'd thought it was a paradise on earth: verdant, fertile, bountiful, warm. They didn't understand the place like the natives did, and made no efforts to learn from those who lived there. The Spanish, who had a few centuries to get a feel for Florida, had happily given up the state to the growing American empire. Territory may be the be-all and end-all of colonialism but Florida was better left to others. \n\nSarah looked down at her phone and then up at the bungalow in front of her. This was it, then: Ronnie's place. Paint was peeling off the clapboard walls, littering the overgrown and under-tended flower beds like dandruff. Curtains covered some windows, with newspaper blocking the rest. An old, dented Ford sat rusting on the driveway. She lightly stepped onto the porch and knocked on the rickety door. \n\nThere was a rustling from inside, followed by silence. Cicadas, or crickets, or god-knows-what, were happily screeching from the nearby hedge. Sarah wondered why they were busy making such a racket in the middle of the day, when everywhere else in the world they waited until the evening. Florida. \n\nShe knocked on the door again\n\n\"Ronnie?\" she called out, putting on her most disarming voice possible. \n\nThere was another rustle, followed by a gruff response\n\n\"whoisit?\"\n\n\"I just wanted to talk, you got a minute?\" She didn't want to let the cat out of the bag too soon with the introduction - you never knew how people would react. \n\nShe caught a twitching curtain in the window to her left, but wasn't quick enough to see its source. She had no problem identifying the sound of a shotgun being loaded, though. \n\n\"Git the fuck offa ma porch, lady\"\n\nSarah sighed. It was always annoying when they decided to take this route. With one kick she'd flattened the door, trapping Ronnie beneath it. He squirmed and squealed as she walked into the house. \n\n\"No! No!\" \n\nSarah picked the shotgun up from where it had landed, emptying the chamber and pocketing the shell. No sense in letting this cretin get a shot at her as she left. The house was dank, damp and almost completely empty. Sarah scanned around for any other inhabitants, but found none. \n\n\"Ronnie, I ain't here to hurt you\"\n\nBy now, the short man had wormed his way out from under the splintered door and was crawling over to the wall. He was knobbly and bulging, with red hair sprouting randomly all over his body. Of course it would be a dwarf. \n\n\"Ain't nothin' here for the likes o' yous\" He shrieked, waving his hand in her general direction in. \n\nOne look at his wild eyes and broken teeth was more than enough to tell her how Ronnie liked to spend his time. Dwarves were old-world creatures. They traditionally lived deep in Eurasian mountain ranges, sheltering from fierce winds and snowdrifts in cave complexes. They'd moved to the Americas along with everyone else, quickly populating Appalachia and the Rockies. Some, though, had been drawn down into the Floridian sinkhole. \n\nRonnie hissed at Sarah, baring his mottled assortment of stained and broken teeth. His eyes were roving around, settling on things far too fast and for far too little time. Sarah knew she wasn't going to get anything out of him like this. She reluctantly pulled out the bag of meth she'd liberated from an unwilling goblin earlier that day. Ronnie's eyes instantly zeroed in on the shimmering crystals. \n\n\"You know what this is, don't you Ronnie\"\n\nHe nodded, letting out a muted whimper. \n\n\"It's yours if you tell me something. Where is she?\"\n\nRonnie gulped. He looked Sarah in the face and, for the first time, she pitied him. It was a look of confused, chaotic terror. She could see them strength of his cravings battling the strength of his fear. This fairy queen really had him scared. \n\n\"I can't tell you that\" \n\n\"Okay then, I guess I'll be going then Ronnie. No crystal for you\" \n\nShe wasn't particularly proud of it, but there was no better way to get something out of an addict than offering them their poison. Dwarves, fairies, goblins and their like had seen their territories and influence reduced more and more over the last two centuries. As their influence, power and reach were atrophied, many had found ways to dull their pain. In her line of work, that meant leverage. \n\n\"NO! okay, I'll tell yous.. You gotta promise she won't know\"\n\n\"I promise, Ronnie. Where can I find her?\" \n\n\"Epcot\"\n\nOf course. Sarah chucked the baggie down the hall and walked out of the house, her mind darkening at that word. Of course it was fucking Epcot. Where else would a fallen queen go? It was time to go pay Disney a visit.", "“Oh, hell yeah!” \n\nThe voice was little more than a wheeze. It belonged to my only contact in that godforsaken land: Florida. His name was Barney and if ever there was a man to call upon to do something too stupid to do myself, Barney was it. When I needed someone to pretend to be blind and suck the toes of a stranger in Publix, Barney took it upon himself to see it through. When I needed diversion during an extraction operation, Barney came through with a one man naked riot in the middle of an intersection shouting, “Attica” as loud as his wheeze would allow. Now, once more, Barney relished the opportunity to do something stupid for me. \n\n“Can I be naked?” He asked.\n\n“No. At least wear some jorts,” I replied.\n\n“Damn. No underwear, though.”\n\n“Yeah, fine,” I replied, “I’m getting on the plane now. Pick me up at the airport and we can drive down to the Everglades tomorrow.”\n\n“Okay. Can I be nak-“\n\nI hung up. \n\n——————-\n\n“Alright, Barney, do your thing,” I said to him as we were crouched in the swamp.\n\n“Yeeha, mothertrucker; bout to show em how we roll. You got a lighter?”\n\nI handed him my lighter. He lit up a cigarette before standing up stark naked in the swamp and swaggering in all his glory towards the two Fae sentinels that stood outside the Queen’s chambers. Just two years ago, even getting this close to the queen would’ve been an accomplishment. Now, though, after the battle of Ongalatu, it was easy. Getting the queen to come out was the tricky part.\n\n“You boys ever seen a Willy Horton the size of this?” was what Barney decided to lead with upon getting within earshot of the sentinels. \n\nHe was promptly detained with excessive force by the guards and hauled into the queen’s chambers, which was little more than a twisted morass of mangrove branches. Barney disappeared from view for ten minutes before he re-emerged - accompanied this time by the Queen. \n\n“Well, if you’re ever up near Orlando, give me a ring.”\n\nScarcely had the codeword been uttered before the arrow left my bow. It struck the queen in the space between her 3 eyes and she fell. The sentinels rushed to her side and before they could turn on Barney I slayed them too. \n\n“And now I suck her hoof, right?” Barney called out to me.\n\n“What? No!” I said as I ran up to collect the head of the Queen so I could claim the bounty. \n\nI held up her dismembered head and, turning to Barney, asked, “how the hell could you charm something as ugly as that?”\n\n“Nah, man, she ain’t as ugly as my second ex-wife,” he replied. \n\n“Also: I thought I told you to wear jorts at least.”\n\n“Yeah, I didn’t want to do that. Took ‘em off while we was crouching. Chaffin’, man.”\n\n“Whatever,” I said as I waded back into the dank water, “that was some good work, Barney, now let’s get out of here.”" ]	3
	[WP] Angles and demons are all made through the same process. They started as humans, died and are forged through hells trials, some made it though and are known as “angles” the one who can’t are “demons”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 an atheist, unbelieving, I just thought that after you die you just don’t exist, and just stop. Nothing more, nothing less, well I guess all religions were wrong, (don’t take offence, this is just my take on the story) because I woke up in a room white was bright white. No, bright red. It hurt my mind to even think what color it was, what the hell is this?! I shut my eyes. I could hear some faint voices. “He’s an abnormality” “he’s neither” “the standard tests won’t work on him” I opened my eyes, which I of course shortly regretted because I passed out. Upon waking up I was greeted with someone who seemed to be coated in fire, except wasn’t even flinching, and someone with a familiar bright light surrounding them, which I assume was from the room. The bright white person spoke to me, “You’re dead.” I figured angels, and devils would resemble good and bad, guess they’re both cold blooded. He continued “you aren’t either of us, neither good or bad, congratulations, the first system glitch in roughly (10)^(10^100) years. What the hell are you? I didn’t even think about answering, but I just began saying every little thing about me, I couldn’t even stop. It was horrible. Things I wouldn’t even say to my wife. Oh shit. My wife. A flood of emotions hit me, as if those guys suppressed them before. Well, that’s messed up. After I finished speaking, they came to some sort of verdict. The person on fire said “so it’s agreed, he’s an abnormality, we will just delete him. “", "I thought that getting into heaven would be easy.\n\nI stared into the eyes of the literal devil himself, unsure of whether or not to accept his challenge. He smirked. \"If you pass my tests, then God'll take care of you. But, if you don't, then I'll have you work down here as one of my own. Simple, huh?\"\n\nMy eyes narrowed. \"Why can't I just get into heaven like the rest of the believers?\"\n\nSatan relaxed in his throne a bit, letting out a bellowing laugh. \"Your life has been nothing but a moral grey area, sweet cakes. You weren't good enough to just be let into heaven, nor were you bad enough to get sent to Hell. You're a rare case, but, thankfully, both me and God are hiring.\"\n\nI clenched my teeth. \"But... but... I don't want to lose and become a demon.\"\n\nHe shrugged. \"Geez, everyone acts like being a demon is the worst gig ever. It's really not that bad, just torturing sinners for all of eternity. I even pay dental insurance.\"\n\nI let out a sigh. \"...and I have no other options, huh?\"\n\n\"Not at all.\"\n\n\"Fine. What is the first test?\"\n\nSatan snapped his fingers, and suddenly, we were out of Satan's throne room, and standing at the end of a rickety wooden bridge, rocking back and forth over a river of lava.\n\n\"Trial #1,\" Satan began, holding up his index finger, \"is a trial of bravery. It's simple. Just cross this bridge.\"\n\nI took a good look at the bridge. It was at least a hundred feet long. I then took a deep breath, and made the first step forward. The bridge groaned under my weight. Then, another step, and another. This... wasn't half bad? As long as I ignored the lava, everything seemed to be fine--\n\nA board broke under me, and I suddenly fell through. I screamed, and barely grabbed onto the bridge at the last minute. I pulled myself back onto the bridge, my heart racing the entire time.\n\nSatan, who was still standing at the other side of the bridge, cupped his hands and called to me. \"Hey, maybe if you just believe in Jesus enough, he'll let you walk across the lava! Ha!\"\n\nI rolled my eyes, my heartbeat finally slowing down. Then, I walked across the bridge without any other hiccups. Satan teleported to me. \"Great job, cupcake. Next trial:\"\n\nHe snapped his fingers, and we were suddenly at the edge of a cliff. There was no bottom to this cliff in sight. \"A trial of faith. It's even easier. Just jump.\"\n\nI looked at him like he was crazy. \"Off the cliff?\"\n\nSatan giggled. \"No, into my loving arms, sweetheart.\" Then, he rolled his eyes. \"Yes, off the cliff. Hey, at least I'm not making you kill your son.\"\n\nI took another deep breath, then jumped. Reality flew past me at immeasurable speeds. The bottom was nowhere in sight. Seconds passed, and I soon got used to the feeling of falling. Everything around me was dark.\n\n...was there an end? Was this my Hell? Falling eternally?\n\nI put on a brave face. No. This was my trial. I needed to have faith that I would survive this. Suddenly, the pitch blackness turned into blinding light. I covered my eyes.\n\nWhen I took my hands off of my eyes, I was no longer falling. Instead, I was standing on a cloud, looking up at God himself. Tears instinctively began streaming down my face. I had made it.\n\nSatan was standing next to me. He put a hand on my shoulder. \"Ya did good, sugar-kins. Then again, maybe I shoulda made more than two trials...\"\n\nGod looked down at me. \"Congratulations,\" he bellowed, a warm smile on his face. \"You have passed Satan's trials, proving yourself worthy. You may now become one of my angles.\"\n\nThere was a pause. My face fell.\n\nI scratched my head. \"Don't you mean... angels?\"\n\nGod laughed. \"Heavens, no! Why would I need any more angels? I already have Gabriel, and... and... those other guys. No, no, you are to become a living angle, to help the younger heaven residents learn math.\"\n\nHe snapped his fingers, and I felt myself change. Within seconds, I became nothing but two connected lines. Suddenly, the demon gig didn't sound half bad. Satan was laughing his head off.\n\n\"Hey, gumdrop!\" he laughed. \"You're acute angle, ha!\"\n\nI sighed. Never mind. This was definitely Hell.\n\n\\*I'm sorry, I know I made this joke a year ago, ([https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bkg4o0/wpa\\_4\\_winged\\_angle\\_with\\_a\\_flaming\\_claymore\\_just/emglyqt/?context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/bkg4o0/wpa_4_winged_angle_with_a_flaming_claymore_just/emglyqt/?context=3)) but I just couldn't resist." ]	3
	[WP] Your mailman is dyslexic and your letter to Santa gets sent to Satan 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.", "It’s almost time to go back to school since New Years just passed. You were bummed not to get what you wanted from Santa, but it’s fine you still have this last day of break. You start up your toy phone to make a pretend call when suddenly:\n\n“Dear Child-thing, we in Hell regret to inform you that your letter arrived in Satan’s inbox rather than Santa’s. While it is unknown to us, the Damned, as to why this has happened. We can guarantee on behalf of our dark Lord that you will still be getting that errr.... Erzgath, what was it you said the child wanted?”\n\nTerrified, you still hold your toy phone. You thought that the ring tone was off, but you weren’t expecting this.\n\n“Mezgethul, you dolt. It was obviously a Necronomicon” this voice was higher, and more sneering than the previous grumble.\n\n“Little children probably don’t ask for books on the forces of darkness. It was probably a, uhhh, Dr. Sooth book” Mezgethul responded.\n\n“If you sooo sure of yourself, why don’t you ask the brat? You’re still on the phone with it.” Erzgath scoffed.\n\nOh no.\n\n“R-right. Sorry for the- uhh, wait! Sorry for the wait. We- err, had some difficulties reading your wish, could you tell us what it was?” Mezgethul asked, nervously?\n\n“I w-want...” you begin to answer,\n\n“NO!” a third voice chimed in, after some shuffling the new voice took over the call. “Sorry for the interruption, little one, we’re having technical difficulties. But don’t fret, we will be calling back shortly after some quick staffing changes.”\n\nThe call ends. You keep the phone near while you play with some toy cars, but minutes later.\n\nRing Ring\n\n“Sorry about the inconvenience, child,” it was the third, most frightening, voice, “due to bad time keeping, my staff was not aware that X-mas had already passed on the surface. To compensate you for your troubles, I, Satan, will now grant you a wish for every day that was missed. Which would be 13, I know your puny, child-brain might not comprehend, so would you like some... suggestions?”\n\nWithout speaking, you nod your head nervously\n\n“So good to see you take the offer!” rejoiced Satan, somehow aware of that nod, “First, you’re a learning boy, so I suggest you get a Necronomicon! Freshly printed, and in English! It’ll let you do all sorts of stuff, especially when you get the whole reading thing down. How about it?”\n\n“S-sure..” you squeak out. \n\n“Wonderful! And for your second wish.... how about a servant? Someone to take care of chores and homework?” offered the Demon. \n\n“Sure.” a bit more enthusiasm; you never liked cleaning your room.\n\n“And why don’t we give you eleven more, each one for each wish, just to fill out a nice roster? Of course, all of these servants are powerful in their own rights, ready and willing to give you a kingdom at a moment’s notice.” the voice seemed a bit more rushed now.\n\n“Okay.”\n\nThis is fine. You wonder if they can get you stuff. Your parents only ever gave you old and dirty toys.\n\nThe next day you receive your book, and with it are your twelve servants. \n\n“Mezgethul, this tiny school child is the one you struggled to talk to? You’re so pathetic.” one of them teased, this one looked like a human female, but with bat wings.\n\n“Look, Erzgath wasn’t exactly helping.” Mezgethul replied. By far the biggest among them, he was like monument, but alive.\n\n“No, Mezzy, I think you really are that much of a lump.” Erzgath chimed in; a weird imp just shorter than you.\n\n“Now hold on fellas, we got something to do now.” the fourth one, he also looked human. More importantly, he looked at you.\n\n“What do you command of us, Master?”" ]	2
	[WP] When you close your eyes, instead of seeing black, you see the shape of a red door. Your entire life you have been assuming this is was something normal and never questioned it, until one day you stumble onto this exact same 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.", "I had to look twice, I'll admit that. I thought maybe I had blinked, then I had, and saw the same thing with closed and opened eyes. \n\n\n\"Mary? Isn't that the door we're seeing when our eyes are closed?\"\n\n\n\"Huh? What?\", she seemed confused. \"The one we see when our eyes are closed? What are you talking about?\"\nI stared at her, ignoring the door for a second. I never questioned this before. Wasn't everyone seeing this door?\n\n\n\"Well, you know, that red door... the one you see whenever you blink, close your eyes, rub them, you know? That one.\" I tried again. Maybe she just got confused, because I changed the topic all of the sudden.\n\n\n\"Red? Door? That one?\" She was pointing at the door with her long, pedicured fingers now and smiled. \"Nah, hun. I've never seen that door before in my life. When I close my eyes it's black, sometimes I see stars or waves, when I get my migraine, but else, it's just black.\"\n\n\n\"Really?\", this struck me as weird somehow. I always found it somewhat soothing to close my eyes. I looked at the intricate details in the red painted wood and imagined what would lay behind that door. I thought, or just assumed, that this would be the same for anyone else.\n\n\n\"Yes, really. But I guess everyone sees something else... right?\", her words were careful, she was worried. One of the things I loved most about her, she did then. She smiled at me with that carefree, adorable smile of hers that could lift my spirit in a heartbeat.\n\n\n\"Yah, maybe! I always thought that it was normal, you know? It's probably nothing... maybe something I saw when I was a child and it got stuck somehow.\" I smiled best as I could and tried to calm her with it, knowing that even though she smiled, she was still worried. Though, I did not mention that I did not even live in Prague as a child. She smiled at me again, her eyebrows still lowered in concern, but she let it go. \nWe continued our date that day, it was our anniversary and I did not want her to feel weird.\n\n\nSeveral years have passed now. Sadly, so has Mary. We got legally registered as partners in the early 2007s, but never married. Not really, at least.\n\n\nI moved to Prague for my studies after I finished university. I got a job as professor and met Mary at the coffee shop I always went to, when I had time in the morning. Then, after I got to know her name, I made time, and then I came for lunch too, and soon... the coffee shop probably could have survived on my orders only. But eventually, I got the nerve to ask her out, and two years later, we made it officially official. We always wanted to adopt, and we could, there just never was the moment for it.\n\n\nI loved walking through the city with her. The old buildings, the towers, the churches, the coffee shops... I still visited a few of those places, when Mary had become sick. I got her souvenirs, coffee, and other small gifts to cheer her up. She smiled at me, every time. And I believe that alone made living worth it. \n\n\nOn a cold day in September, her last smile was caught on camera. I still have that picture in my wallet. Twenty minutes after, her heart stopped beating. Mine was lost.\n\n\nAs much as I try to remember everything today, I forget her little by little. Day by day. But, I could never forget this moment, when I stood infront of that door with her and she smiled. I never went to see that door again.\n\n\nToday I will. I want to know what's behind it. So that's why I've been standing here. Something deep down tells me to be here. Something else inside me tells me to go.\nI've been wondering for hours now.\n\n\n\"Can I help you?\", a faint, old voice comes up beside me.\n\n\n\"Eh\", I look to my right and see an old lady in a flower dress, \"not really, I think. I was just about to leave anyways.\"\n\n\n\"Go inside, dear. We both know you need it.\" She grinned, I noticed her teeth were crooked.\n\n\n\"What's behind that door?\", I ask.\n\n\n\"Everything, just go. Go!\", she pushes me towards the door. I stumble and try to steady myself at the door knob.\n\n\n\"Hey!\", I shout, somewhat angry at the old lady. But she is gone. I blink. The door is gone, it's black. So I turn the door knob.\n\n\nI enter a dark room, not even the sunlit street outside can light up the room. Suddenly nervous, I try to make my way through the dark. Slowly. I try to see, but there's nothing to be seen. I can touch a wall and use it as guideance.\n\n\n\"Hello?\", I whisper. I hear someone breathing. My heart skips a beat. I take a step backwards.\n\n\n\"Don't leave.\" At the sound of her voice, tears fill up my eyes. My hands start tembling, my legs appear to give up under the weight of my body. My heart is pounding so fast, I am sure she can hear it.\n\n\n\"How?\", my voice is faint, almost gone. A knot is tightening in my throat. Something, someone, touches my hands.\n\n\n\"I miss you\", the voice says. I have to hold back a sob. When was the last time I cried? I am grabbing their hands, they feel warm, just like I remember.\n\n\n\"Mary?\", I ask. Their hands start shaking.\n\n\n\"I love you. Please, hun, please remember that. But, hun, it's been almost a decade now, since...\"\n\n\n\"But you're not! You're right here!\", I scream, wondering where that strength came from.\n\n\n\"I am. And I will stay. And you will stay. Go and love again, so I can rest, love.\"\n\n\n\"I don't understand\", I start in a high pitch. I clear my throat. \"You're here.\"\n\n\n\"I am and I am not. The picture you've taken. On this vintage polaroid. You captured me, hun. I've always been by your side. There was no rest for me. I saw you grief. And I've seen enough of it to fill a lifetime with sorrow. We don't have long anymore, the door will open, soon. You've had this chance, hun, you were born with it. You can say goodbye once more.\" My tears dry. In this moment I can feel her smile. I remember her smile at the red door. I take a deep breath, finally understanding. At least a little.\n\n\n\"I loved you, Mary.\"\n\n\n\"I loved you, too.\"\n\n\nThe door opens. The old lady smiles at me and the room suddenly fills with light. It's a antiquities shop. Fitting, I think.\n\n\nI never questioned it. When I close my eyes now, I see black. I will never question it. I think that would stain my memories of her. She wants me to love again. And I did.\n\n\nSoon after, I adopted a little girl. Her name is Sarah. She has the most amazing smile.\n\n\n(Thanks for reading. I hope the tempus change isn't too weird... I thought it was fitting.)", "A loser. That's what most people in society would describe Shaun. Selfish, greedy, and lazy with a side of \"maybe I'll do it later\". \n\nEvery morning Shaun woke up to the sound of an alarm clock that never seemed to be effective enough, despite the repeated grumpy attempts to silence the object for maybe some extra minutes of shuteye. \n\nSilence filled the room once more, and while Shaun's eyes were shut, his mind was wide awake. He was an adult now at the age of 20-something. Shaun didn't care, every year had been the same afterward, so he stopped caring about his actual age until it was relevant to input his birthdate on a job form. Nobody ever replied back, though.\n\nLeft alone with his thoughts, Shaun always spent time in the confines of his own mind, where most of his life seemed to be better than the one outside of it. In his mind, everything was peachy. He didn't have to worry about obligations, taxes, and the occasional high school acquaintance that wanted to try to sell him something after 5+ years. Nobody other than his family called him. He still got telemarketer calls, though.\n\nHowever, every time Shaun ventured deeper into his innermost thoughts, he felt strained as he felt his mind start to lose focus. Shaun didn't care. He had nothing else to do today anyways. He focused harder, because that's what he was best at doing, and he was going to do it to show to nobody that he could.\n\nThis wasn't the first time he'd done this. Once Shaun got past the discomfort of focusing his mind, he always was met with the sight of an odd but simple-looking door. He'd never seen this type of door in his life, but there it was in his mind. Dreams did stuff like that sometimes, Shaun didn't question it. \n\nDespite that, Shaun could never find a way to open the door, he had tried hulking himself up with dreamlike-masculinity and pulling on it, blasting the seemingly-fragile thing with mankind's strongest known weaponry, and even conjuring up imaginary keys for the door which had no lock.\n\nAll of it was to no avail. Nothing he ever tried could open that stupid but stubborn door. Shaun was fine though since he had all the time in the world. Maybe it was time to get up and do... important stuff. Like taking a dump and then going back to sleep.\n\nShaun got up, his head feeling slightly dizzy from exerting his consciousness. That happened sometimes. It would probably go away later. One quick successful business trip to the porcelain throne later and back, Shaun laid back down, only to find something cold poking at his back. He flipped over to find a key with no teeth, no marks. Was it even a key? Shaun didn't remember owning something like this.\n\nHe stopped worrying about it and went back to sleep. That was one of the more important things in life, anyways. Almost immediately as his shut his eyes, a familiar door showed up. He hadn't strained his mind yet, so why was it here? Shaun quickly opened his eyes with no strange door in sight, his hands still feeling the coldness of the strange key-object. Eyes shut. Door again. Eyes open. No door. \n\nShaun put two and two together, what else did he have to do anyways? He reached for the door with more effort and excitement he had exerted at any point in his 20-something life and then pushed." ]	3
	[WP] You die and are reborn with your previous consciousness. Surprisingly, everyone else retains the consciousnesses from their previous lives. Welcome to the world of second chances.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Lydia had always assumed that consciousness faded along with the use of the body. She hadn't been looking forwards to spending her last years of life with aching bones and bedsores, so her sudden collapse on the subway platform had almost come as a blessing, if she could see past the unexpected agony of shortened breath, immense chest pain, and spotty vision. She hadn't been able to.\n\nShe still didn't know exactly how she had died. Frankly, she didn't care. The terrifying confusion of her new life despite the retention of her old memories subsided eventually, leaving her with the oddest feeling of emptiness. She should be joyful, at peace, and excited to use her knowledge to better herself.\n\nShe didn't feel that way at all. Instead, she felt bolder, angrier. All of the misdeeds that she had endured, all of the cross words and the disgusted glares and, especially, the way that that old buzzard of a man had sneered at her while denying her insurance claims, flowed back from her deepest memories like hot molasses - heavy and churning, these memories coated all else in a sticky-sweet preoccupation with revenge.\n\nAnd why not? Did she not deserve to spend the afterlife as she wished it? Surely, she could stand to prune those petty and unjust moments from her mind before she sought to improve upon her life - it would almost be a fresh start. Only a little bit purification for the environment in which she could start anew and supreme - like choosing the best filtered soil in which to take root.\n\nFurthermore, she reasoned, it was only following out nature that she should strive to serve her consciousness eternal - humans had been rewarding their friends and punishing their enemies for all time. And Lydia well remembered everyone who so richly deserved her favor, and those who had earned her scorn.\n\nBriefly, she wondered if they remembered her.", "They say the nice thing about death is its finality. You don't have to deal with your past mistakes, your lost loves, and all the people you screwed over, or who screwed you over anymore. You can neither get hurt, nor hurt others. Finally, you are at peace.\n\nWhat a load of bullshit.\n\nI learned that the hard way. I had died in a burglary gone wrong. I thought Old Man Anderson’s place was easy pickings—he had to be near seventy, right? How could I have known that he would pull a gun on me? Thanks to that lunatic, instead of him losing an easily-replaced TV, we both wound up kicking it—me by a bullet to the chest, him by a sudden heart attack. As I died, I took comfort in the fact that I wouldn’t have to see my ex-wife again, or look my mom in the eye—after all, there is no way we would end up in the same place, right?\n\nWrong.\n\nI woke up in a large, beige void. I picked myself up and looked around. It was empty. I looked down at myself. I was dressed in my favorite outfit—the grey suit I got married in—and felt better than I had in years. I felt younger, stronger, more alive. While I was musing about this, a monotone of a voice from everywhere proclaimed:\n\n“WELCOME JOSHUA MULLIGAN. YOU ARE DEAD.”\n\n“Thanks for the newsflash, Einstein. I kinda figured.” I replied. \n\nIgnoring my sass, the voice continued, “WELCOME TO THE AFTERLIFE. SHORTLY, YOU WILL BE REBORN ALONG WITH ALL THOSE THAT YOU KNEW IN YOUR PAST LIFE. THIS TIME, HOWEVER, YOU WILL RETAIN ALL THE MEMORIES FROM YOUR PAST LIFE. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL COME TO SEE THIS AS A SECOND CHANCE.”\n\n“Hold up there, boss. Does that mean—”\n\n“YES, YOU WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE AGAIN.”\n\n“Damn.”\n\n“REINCARNATION IN 5…4…3…2…”\n\nI blacked out.\n\n\\\\\\*\n\nI don’t remember my second time as a baby, which is honestly probably a good thing. I don’t know if I could have handled being so helpless if I was aware of it. My memories started coming back right as I began kindergarten. That first recess, I remembered in my past life Bryce Davis would always beat me up. \n\nThis time around, however, he walked up to me, with an ashamed expression on his face and said, “Wanna play kickball?”\n\nPart of me wanted to reject his offer, but the part of me that was an excited 5-year-old said, “Yeah!”\n\nFrom that day forward, Bryce Davis and I were best buds. In my old life, my childhood best friend was a bookish kid named Alex Wright. Unfortunately, I had, last time, stopped talking to him when I met my first girlfriend and eventual ex-wife Sammy Espinosa in high school. So this time around he decided to avoid me, befriending my past-life-girlfriend instead. Figures.\n\nHigh School this time around was only mildly better than last time. Where last time my Math teacher—Mr. Anderson—was bitter and mean to his students, here he was laid back and encouraging. In a class which caused me to flunk out last time, I managed to slide by with a C. On the other hand, my old high school sweetheart is dating my former best friend. \n\nThat one was mostly my fault. Last time Sammy and I had a shotgun wedding and a messy breakup, punctuated with me getting caught cheating. Twice. By all accounts she’s happier in this timeline, where she and Alex Wright are almost nauseatingly cute together. I should have treated her better last time.\n\nAt least this time I have a friend to share in my dateless lifestyle. Bryce was similarly spurned by his former-life girlfriends. According to him, the two girls he dated in high school are dating each other in this life. Well, good for them, I guess. That still leaves both of us alone though, and entirely due to our own former-life jackassery.\n\nIn this world, there is no escaping your past screw-ups, your failures, or those who failed you. I’ve got a second chance, and I’m not screwing this one up. Not again." ]	3
	[WP] You've always heard " its darkest just before dawn". You have to believe dawn is coming soon; but it's been 36 hours and its only getting darker.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 sat in the conference room explaining to the cops how my friend had committed suicide. I knew she was suicidal, and told the school counselor, but nothing had been done. A day earlier, my mom died in a car crash, and her fiancée, not my dad, he died three years before all this, offered to adopt me. He started the legal stuff, but then I screwed it up, just like I always do. It’s all I do.\n\nSomeone was teasing me, and I flipped out on them, like usual. I knew he wouldn’t want anything to do with me now, why would he? He’s a psychiatrist, he deals with this stuff every day at work, there’s no way he’d want to deal with it at home. Everything was falling apart. I was defective. Defective products have to be taken off the market, but what about defective people? I knew what to do.\n\nI finished the interview with the cops and then hopped into my grandma’s Mercedes Benz E320. I preferred my cute little Volkswagen Eos convertible, to the behemoth of a sedan the Mercedes was, but I was supposed to sell it that day. My grandparents had died a little after my dad.\n\nI raced down the road, the wind staying outside, nowhere near my hair, no sense of peace or calm rushing through me, like in my car. I raced down the street, whipping around a corner as my emotions knotted inside me just below my chest. I saw the concrete pole I was looking for. Most telephone poles were wood, but in SWFL, where I live, wood rots, there’s too much rain and humidity, so some are cement. I think that’s the reason.\n\nAnyway, I jerked the wheel suddenly. I wasn’t wearing my seat belt, on purpose, so I flew through the windshield, my skull shattering as my head hit the pole. It was over. I was dead.", "“Mommy?” whimpered Cali from the darkness.\n\nJake took Cali’s hand. “It’s going to be ok. I’ll go find a flashlight ok?” \n\n“No,” said their mother. “You two stay right here. I’ll find it.” \n\nThey listened to her footsteps descend the stairs. A moment passed in silence as Jake held her little sister’s hand. A loud THUD. The power sputtered once, twice, and came back on. The light felt cold and dull. Cali curled in her blanket and shivered.\n\n“C’mon. Let’s go find Mommy,” said Jake.\n\n“Mommy said to stay here,” protested Cali, arms crossed.\n\n“I won’t let anything hurt you,” said Jake as he ruffled her hair.\n\nCali smiled. “Ok.” \n\nJake took her hand as they walked down the stairs.\n\n“It’s hard to see,” said Cali.\n\n“It’s just something wrong with the power,” Jake reassured her. It was hard to see, though. It was dark enough that Jake didn’t notice his mother standing on the porch until he and Cali were nearly at its screen door. She was yelling across the street, hands cupped around her mouth. Probably something to a neighbor about the power going out. Jake thought that it was too early to be this dark outside. Maybe a storm was blowing in. Maybe that was what was wrong with the power. Their mother finally noticed them standing there.\n\n“I told you two to stay where you were,” she gasped. There was far more worry in her voice than anger. She got down on her knees and put her hands on Jake’s shoulder. Her eyes were wide and afraid. “Guys, listen to me. Something is wrong. I need you to go inside and sit on the couch until I get back. OK? Jake?”\n\n“OK Mommy,” said Jake. “We promise this time don’t we Cali?” She nodded her head.\n\nThey held each other by the hand and looked on as their mother ran towards the road. The street lamps hummed and porch lights were on, but everything just seemed—dim. They lost sight of their mother before she made it to the edge of the front yard. Neither Jake nor Cali ever saw her again.\n\n\\\\\\\n\n“Why is it so dark, Jake?” asked Cali.\n\n“I don’t know,” he answered truthfully. Every light in the den was on, but they barely burned bright enough to light their faces. “Don’t tell Mommy but I’m going to turn on the television. Just for the light. Just so we can see.”\n\nDespite being explicitly forbidden to do so, Jake got up from the couch and sat on his knees in front of the television set. He flipped its switch from OFF to ON. Its screen hummed and as it warmed, a news desk appeared. There was no one behind it. Jake thought that the image must have been frozen somehow, but then he noticed a studio light flickering on and off. There was no sound.\n\n“Turn it up, Jake,” said Cali.\n\n“I—I don’t think it’ll work,” said Jake. “But I’ll try.” He turned the volume knob clockwise to MAX VOLUME. Nothing.\n\n“I don’t like this Jake. Change the channel,” mumbled Cali from behind her blanket. Jake turned the channel knob and began to cycle through the stations.\n\nclick* \n\nStatic. No sound.\n\nclick\n\nMore static, silent.\n\nclick\n\nNothing but black.\n\nclick\n\nIt was the screen with the rainbow colored bars. Something different, at least. What’s more, Jake thought that he could hear something. \n\n“Jake,” said Cali. Her voice seemed far away.\n\n“Shhhhh,” said Jake softly. “I’m trying to listen.”\n\n“Jake,” she said again.\n\n“Just a second, Cali.” \n\nJake pressed his ear to the television speaker and closed his eyes. He could hear a man’s voice. It sounded as if he were a hundred miles away and lost in a snowstorm, but it was a voice. Only one word cut through the static.\n\ndarker\n\n“Jake,” cried Cali.\n\nThe voice was gone. The static followed behind it seconds later.\n\ndarker\n\n“Jaaaake I can’t see you,” sobbed his sister. He turned around and saw—nothing. The room was pitch black. Jake looked back at the television. It’s glow was barely warm enough to light his hand as he touched its screen. The curved glass was cold. Jake felt his way across the den. He hit the couch with his knee, grumbled, and found his sister’s hand. He still couldn’t see her, and the rainbow glow of the television was gone. He reached out and found her face. It was soft and wet from tears.\n\n“I’m here, Cali,” whispered Jake. “I’m here.” He put his hands on her cheeks and pulled their faces close. Their noses were nearly touching but Jake couldn’t even make out his own reflection in his sister’s eyes.\n\n“I’m scared, Jake,” she cried. The darkness grew.\n\n“It’s going to be alright,” said Jake. “I won’t let anything hurt you.” He reached out to hold her and grasped nothing but cold air.\n\n“Cali?” cried Jake. No answer. \n\nThe darkness was total. She was gone.\n\nJake scrambled for the front door. He felt for the handle, turned it, and stepped out onto the front porch. His mind couldn’t make sense of the emptiness he saw before him. Jake didn’t know that the air could be this still. That the night could be this quiet. That darkness could be this complete.\n\nJake couldn’t see the houses across the street. He couldn’t see the road. No street lamps glowed and no headlights passed. No crickets chirped, no birds sang, and the sky held not a single star. He grew dizzy. There was no up and there was no down. He felt as if he were falling and flying all at once. He tried to clutch his chest but it was gone. There was only darkness.\n\nAnd it just kept getting darker.", "Sarah turned off the television and slowly stood up. Following nightly protocol, it was now 9:45pm, and she needed to get ready for bed. She stretched, and her shape caught my eye as she ever so slightly bent her body to the side. The first time I saw her do it was in college, and I still found it adorable.\n\n''This is sooo crazy,'' she said as her stretch ended. Turning and walking to the bedroom, she casually added, ''I guess we'll see what happens in the MORNING.'' She laughed as she enunciated ''morning.''\n\nShe is the lighthearted one (ironic.) I am the cautious one. Not to a fault, mind you. I'm just in no rush to die, so I keep an eye on the news a bit more than most people. And what I saw yesterday was concerning, and it has only gotten worse. \n\nLet me back up to yesterday morning. Everything started off completely normal. Coffee, shower, shave, Sarah, leave. Like clockwork. Totally normal.\n\nDriving to work, there was a report on the radio about the tides being wrong. I didn't pay attention, because who really gives a shit about the tides? Maybe if you live on the coast, but we lived in Montana. Big skies, big animals, no coast, and no tides. Terrible radio at this hour. Nothing like Atlanta where we came from.\n\nI was on my way to a new site. It was early, and the sun wasn't up yet. This new place was apparently in the middle of nowhere, and I was halfway between the mountains and highway. The road was pretty good. Smooth for this stretch. I started wondering why the hell this road was in such great shape when I glanced down at the GPS to figure out how far the next turn was. With the radio man talking about sea urchins or some other aquatic bullshit, I noticed the GPS signal was lost. When the hell did that happen? \n\nIt was right about this moment, on that dark road between the ribbon of highway and the dark Rockies, that I looked down at my watch. The drive had taken me longer than I thought it would. I was right: this place was in the middle of nowhere. But I wasn't paying attention to my own private joke about the job site, I was thinking about the time: 6:17am. \n\nIt's a Grand Seiko watch and I love it. Spent a fortune on it, too. Until I saw it, I never really understood the draw of watches. But the minute I first saw it, I knew I was going to buy it. Stupidly expensive, but superbly engineered, it is beautiful and perfect. And the best part is how accurate it is. \n\nAnd it was telling me 6:17am.\n\nThat is an odd thing to see. Ordinarily, at 6:17am, the sky over the mountains would be deep shades of purple. But now, there was nothing. It was still completely dark. \n\nI pulled the truck to the side of the road and left it running. I need to figure out this GPS situation. And where the hell is dawn? \n\nAnd just as the radio man started talking about something like shipping channels (what the hell is a shipping channel), the radio cut out. And then my phone wouldn't connect to anything.\n\nThis was how the first of the dark days began.", "Gabriel had never considered himself a virtuous man. He didn’t believe in God, go to Church on Sundays, help the homeless, or even any of his neighbours, really. In fact, he wouldn’t even say he was a good person. Definitely not a good samaritan. But when The Night hit, like everyone else, he was on the streets doing what he could to either figure out what was going on, or to help calm the mass hysteria that had commenced around 8 A.M on the 21st of June. \n\nHe found it almost poetic, how what was supposed to be the longest day of the year turned into… well, not really a day at all. Once the 36th hour of straight darkness had hit, Gabriel had already decided that his main goal for the foreseeable future would be to stand by the hardware store he owned, and attempt to defend it and the surrounding stores from any looters that would try and terrorize the main street of Canterbury. Gabriel may not have considered himself a good or virtuous man, but he understood that the people of his town were gentle and kind folk, and he would do what he could to protect them. \n\nThe experts were saying that Earth didn’t just stop rotating. The sun hadn’t disappeared. The Earth had somehow magically teleported somewhere else in the universe. In Canterbury, the night had just continued, but in places like India and Saudi Arabia, day had turned into night in an instant, causing much more widespread and immediate panic. \n\nGabriel, in all honesty, was struggling to see what he could do in the scenario, as one would. He depended on the sales from his shop to survive, and while he could always loot the surrounding stores to survive, he wasn’t all that sure that his local police weren’t up and patrolling. If he was caught violating probation, he would go back to prison. Not great, in his mind. So, a law abiding citizen he would remain. At least for the time being. \n\nAt hour 48, Gabriel locked himself in his shop to sleep for the first time in two days. At this point, he was pretty sure that no one was going to loot or riot in the streets of Canterbury, but he’d rather remain in his shop anyways, in case someone needed something. And wanted to pay, of course. \n\nIt was at about hour 56 that Gabriel started noises from outside. Terrible sounds. Shots and screaming. Women crying. Thuds in the night. He wanted to help, but he had no idea what lay outside that door, except that it might spell death for him. \n\nHour 72.\n\nGabriel has no food left in the shop. The granola bars that he had were fine for the first day, but now that he was out, he found himself wishing that he had holed up in his home, where he had a fridge and food. \n\nA knock rang out at the front door. Then another. Gabriel approaches the window ever so carefully so as to see who is outside. Gabriel was expecting a lot of things, but he definitely wasn’t expecting an afraid-looking, small, blonde woman dressed in what was essentially military camo garb, with added converse shoes. He heads back to the door and flings it open as quickly as he ushers her inside, away from the darkest night. As soon as she’s inside, it becomes apparent that she can’t stem the words from tumbling out of her mouth, and begins telling her story.\n\n“Hi, okay, so… We’ve been in darkness for about 72 hours at this point, right? Right. Anyways, I’m just gonna like go right into it, and please don’t stop me, even if you have questions. I’m from the future! Cool, right? Basically what’s happened is that aliens have abducted our planet and moved it somewhere else in space. I got sent here so that we don’t lose 6 billion people to these aliens and so we can fight back! I have a bunch of information on this-”\n\nShe sits down and holds up a hard drive.\n\n“and we can use it to defeat the aliens almost before The War even starts. You may be wondering why I’m here in your hardware store telling you all of this, but it’s because in the future, you’re some big, gruff resistance leader, and are an ex-con, so you’re really good at sneaking around? I don’t know. Your future self seemed pretty insistent that I come talk to you.”\n\nGabriel stares at her. \n\n“Wha- what? Listen, lady, I don’t even know your goddamned name, and now you expect me to, what, follow you on some bullshit alien adventure to save the world because my future self told you about me? Why the hell would I believe you?”\n\nThe woman stares back. \n\n“I’m your daughter.” \n\nShe stands up, and looks at him expectantly, as if she assumed that he would follow. \n\n“And the name is Dawn”.", " \n\nI can’t stop my foot from tapping. Tap tap tap is the only noise I can hear since the power went out. When I was on the strip, over 24 hours ago, and it was still dark everyone was elated. If they were at all concerned they sure fooled me. I, on the other hand, was just utterly confused. After a whole night of drinking and partying, I woke up to find that the sun hadn’t ever risen. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited at first to continue my previous night’s shenanigans, but when I realized it was 10am and still pitch black I started to feel the first lump of fear in my throat. My friends didn’t seem to care either. I finally decided to say bye and head back home to the valley. \n\nThat whole day I waited and waited. I eventually fell asleep, expecting to wake up to sunlight. Foolish. I woke up to even worse circumstances than before. It is still dark. I actually think it is darker than before. And now my lights won’t turn on. Or my tv. Or my car. My phone is even dead, with no way to charge it. Every electronic device I have, useless. So now I sit here waiting. And waiting. Tap tap tap. A few more hours go by, I think. It’s hard to tell time with no clock and no celestial beings above you. \n\nSitting outside on my old almond bench, I look into the sky, hoping to see something besides the black emptiness above me. I suddenly realize that the moon is no longer there either. Or the stars. It’s just...black. A moment after this realization a small light appears. A second later and flash! The whole sky is red! It’s like the sun is going down off the coast, but that beautiful red on the horizon that says goodbye as the sun dips behind the earth is now illuminating the entirety of my vision. I am dumbstruck, so mesmerized by the beautiful color that I barely notice myself getting warmer and warmer. Sweat starts to trickle down my face and into my eyes but I don’t even blink. \n\nI know she is coming. Over a day ago she left us, then realized simply abandoning us would not do. She needed to take us with her. Fearing there was nothing I could do, but feeling the acceptance of at least knowing what was coming, I closed my eyes. I no longer hear a sporadic tap tap tap, but a slower, monotonous thump thump thump coming from my chest. The last thing I experience before being engulfed is the smell of burning almond wood. One last smile, and I am gone.", "Darkest before the dawn they said. One day at a time they said. Let go and let God they said. Well it’d been 36 hours and, AA platitudes aside, I still didn’t feel any better. 36 hours ago was my last hit, my last injection of heroin. I was supposed to be over the hump by now. \n\nWell not quite, but it wasn’t supposed to be getting worse. Last night was awful, the restless legs, unable to lie still. Imagine the feeling you get when you begin to yawn, and how it feels if you stifle that yawn? That’s how my entire body felt, and only movement could relieve the hideous sensation. But relief was short lived, lasting mere moments. \n\nWhen I could achieve a few moment of fitful sleep, horrible dreams plagued me. They were so real, more hallucination than dream. People were watching me, listening to me. Monitoring my every move. Mysterious omniscient enemies. Their perceived powers left me feeling hopeless. Completely powerless. What could I hope to do against such powers? Alluding them was useless, I couldn’t even find a place to hide in my small studio apartment. When I awoke from such dreams relief flooded me. Until I realized the predicament I now find myself in. \n\nThe nausea was so persistent too. I should be over the nausea by now, this wasn’t my first rodeo, after all. But it wouldn’t go away. You know when you get sick, or maybe you drink too much and you get nauseous? Well, when you finally puke you get some relief after. Not in my case. The nausea would just return worse after purging myself. Darkest before the dawn I was told. Well it was pretty damn dark right now. My phone was ringing, probably my old plug. It wasn’t my plug, it was my mom. My mom? I hadn’t talked to my mom in forever. Maybe this was my dawn?", "Frankly, I didnt see the last sunset. Me and a few buddies had been playing together online some survival game and were going through killing enemies to gain levels and gather experience from the time I got home til early the following morning. I had ordered breakfast while we took our break so that we could recharge and fuel up for another solid day of play.\n\nIt had been months since our schedules synced up so completely so we had planned a full weekend of gameplay on our game swearing oaths to blackout the whole world. As usual I was the first to break that rule.\n\nI had gone to grab my food and stared at the sunless day. My delivery driver, was also concerned chatting me up about how the sun never rose that day\n\n\"What does it need a rooster to crow?\" I asked recalling a childhood movie.\n\nShe tilted her head obviously not getting my reference. I gave her a tip and she left. As i began setting out my food I made a breif check in on the game. Everyone else was afk and our avatars were fine just sitting idly at the little table we made for them. So I hopped onto my Facebook to read the latest.\n\nThere was nothing of note aside from the fact that the sun never rose. A few new memes popped up from ranging from Avatar the Last Air Bender, to some Dragon Ball Z Abridged. I laughed and liked them. Then of couse, shared them.\n\n\"Oi, radio silence remember?\" Piped over the game chat. \"I see you sharing shit.\"\n\n\"Wouldn't be seeing anything if you were off as well.\" I quipped back pulling on my headset.\n\n\"Yeah well, I'm looking at a black day. I think someone release a dragon or a demon or something.\" My friend responded.\n\nI chuckled. \"Nothing much has been said. I mean... even the conspiracy theorists are silent. Last time that happened was at the start of the plague of 2020.\"\n\n\"Oi, dont bring that shit back up.\" Another of my friends jumped in. \"Seriously, I was trapped in a fucking basement for six months with my dad. No TV, no internet. He was convinced it was the end of days.\"\n\n\"You missed a lot in that time.\" I mused.\n\n\"I bet, country dividing into four separate countries, New California, Trumpistan, Mega New York, and Southerners.\" I joked.\n\nMy buddies didn't laugh.\n\n\"Seriously, when are you guys moving here. I miss you all.\" I said. My family had fled when the civil war broke out. We now lived in the liberated country of Hawaii. It had taken the opportunity amidst the turmoil to cede from the states and become independent.\n\n\"We're still in quarantine.\" My buddy living in Mega New York, or as its called the United States of New America.\n\n\"I can't cross the border without paying a wall fine and ita in the thousands last I heard.\" Said my friend who lives in the old south western part of the United States, now called \"The United Trumps of America.\"\n\nNew California, or the Liberated States of Norrh America, encompassed many of the north and western United states. While Texas had absorbed many of ita surrounding states including Arizona.\n\nThese were the remains of the bloody riots that started in 2020 and left the country wounded and divided. Outside of the good ol US of A, a new pandemic raged, one sent by honest to gof aliens that crippled economies and disabled militaries and 20 years later, here we were.\n\n\"Think the sun finally gave up the ghost?\" I asked starting at the ever increasing darkness.\n\nWe hadn't played much in the last 24 hours. We slept, chatted but our avatars remained in our well secluded base on our game.\n\n\"Could be... when we were kids scientists used to say that eventually the sun will go out.\"\n\n\"I didnt think it'd be this sudden though.\" I responded with a sigh.\n\n\"This is getting dreary.\" One of them said at last. \"If its the end of the world. Call your family and just chat with them a bit.\" He snapped. \"But lets get back to gaming. After this its gonna be months before we can play and I say we fucking complete this shit now so if we do die, at least we completed one survival game.\"\n\nWe agreed and did as told, because, fuck it. As the old song said \"Its the end of the world as we know, and I feel fine.\"\n\n---\n\n'Somewhere in the depths of space'\n\n\"My humans aren't panicking anymore.\" A child pouted. \"I guess I threw too much at them in the last few days.\"", " “You know what they say -- it’s always darkest just before dawn.” My mother was sitting in the family room, she gripped a well used tissue tightly between her fingers. The worn paper pilling under the constant movement of her thumbs. She sat on our well worn and oversized black couch, eyes red and brimmed with wetness and worry. She had a tendency to begin nearly every observation with the same phrase, You know what they say, and I had grown almost deaf to the expression. This time however it stung. Her words hung in the air as thick as a humid day but the silence that followed seemed to suck the rest of the air out of the room leaving me light-headed and gasping for air.\n\nIt hadn’t even been two full days since the first phone call. My father’s cellphone suspected it to be spam. In typical fashion he answered, expecting to be able to toy with yet another telemarketer. He picked up the phone and called out a half dozen different tongue-in-cheek renditions and expressions of Hello with no answer, no sound, no response. Then, he said, the other end of the line picked up. At first the sound was distant and muffled but then it became more clear. There was a whimper, a cry. He was sure he heard a faint voice before the line went dead. Dad stood silent in the family room, speechless, holding the phone in mid-air, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.\n\n“Who was it Dad? Another telemarketer?” I had asked.\n\n“No...well...I’m not sure, Claire. It sounded like your brother.” His response was saturated with concern. “I think he said, ‘Help me.’”", "Gomez stared at me with bright eyes, the dim light of her torch glinting on her weapons. She had dark hair and dark skin and a sly smile, like she could tell what I was thinking and was just daring me to say it.\n\n'The endless night,' she said, staring at me, as if daring me to disagree. 'I gotta say, I never thought it was real.'\n\nI shook my head. I was finding it a lot harder to hold things together than she was, and I was trying to hide it. The metal of my rifle felt warm to the touch, I had been grasping it so hard.\n\n'These nights end, eventually,' I said, with a swallow. 'My grandfather told me about it. The night falls and the...' - a slight catch in my voice here - '...the brothers come. But it ends. Eventually.'\n\nGomez smiled, bright, enjoying my discomfort. 'It's going to be pretty fucking endless for us, I'd say.'\n\n'Well I think that - ' I began, but she held up her fist, a movement so sudden it seemed instantaneous. I had heard it too. Movement. Near the mouth of the cave where we were holed up.\n\nI shifted my position very slightly, getting ready to jump to my feet, and the movement was enough to cause the tiniest clink of metal on metal.\n\nGomez glared at me and mouthed: Moron.\n\nFrom the mouth of the cave came a growl. Small, almost startled. Unsure. We could hear snuffling .\n\nWe sat still as stone. Gomez did not say a word but she might as well have been shouting: Hold still, you cowardly piece of shit.\n\nThe moment lasted and lasted. The silence became so deep I was sure that we were alone, and the brother had left, slipped soundlessly back out the small cave entrance.\n\nThen there was a snuffle right beside us in the dark.\n\nI don't know how I avoided crying out.\n\nThen there was a growl. Different this time. Not searching. Finding.\n\n'Fuck,' Gomez said, and then stood and lit it up, her 398 sounding like a buzz saw, the muzzle flash lighting up the cave like daylight. The brother was huge, over seven feet tall, head like an animal, body like a man, brain like both. It snarled and raged in its dying moments, dancing in the onslaught of automatic fire before finally falling and lying still. Silence returned like something slamming into place.\n\n'Come on,' Gomez half-shouted. 'We have to move.'\n\nWe sprinted to the cave entrance, boots scrabbling on the loose stone, weapons clanking. There was a sound behind us - the thing was not dead. They were fucking hard to kill.\n\nWe bust out into fresh air, cold and clear and beautiful after hours in the stagnant cave. The sky was black and spiked with stars, like deep space. There was just enough light to get an impression of movement as a wave of brothers swarmed up the hill towards us, the gunfire in the cave like a siren call. Movement. Life. Death.\n\n'Well if you ever wondered how you were going to die, Murph,' Gomez said, her eyes shining, 'now you know.'\n\nHer 398 lit up again and I joined with her, the sound cacophonous, huge in the open air, casting a flickering light over rocks and grass and fur and teeth. Bullets chattered and danced and the creatures howled in rage and pain when our weapons cut them down, but there were too many. They kept coming and coming.\n\nThe light of our last stand was the only dawn we were going to see.\n\n\\--\n\nMore stores at u/houseblendmedium, thanks for reading!" ]	10
	[WP] "You realize they sent here to die, right? They didn't send you to Earth to conquer humanity, they simply wanted to test out our abilities."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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\nBlood painted the walls and floors in sanguine oranges and violets. Many a car alarm blared in the lot the fight had raged in, as if shrieking at their kin’s ravaged remains. A few stragglers, abandoning their dead as they sank into pools of liquid ink, managed to corner themselves beside a van. Patty strolled in after them, her scythe gouging a long line in the concrete floor. A look of serene apathy served to mask her enjoyment, making her look like a cross between a grim reaper and fae queen. For the xenos, they looked like small children huddling together against a large and ominous shadow.\n\nFear, it seemed, was a universal expression.\n\nShe stopped just a few feet from them, her dreamy stare wandering over them. None of them dared to do more than make themselves look as small as possible. There were only three left from a force of three hundred. Against the one? There should have been no doubt who would win.\n\nThe first fifty or so were the lucky ones. She had ambushed them, time and again, severing heads from bodies. Sometimes she cleaved a torso in two, giggling at the reactions of their squad mates while she hid in a nearby shadow. Soon, where heads rolled, limbs would be cut, the owners screaming and clutching at stumps. Then came the legs, and the cries grew in volume before suddenly cutting off. Sometimes they would reappear, hung, with their own guts like puppet strings, a mocking story made to horrified onlookers. \n\nThe moment the deserters fled, there had been a mere forty-odd personnel left. If the aliens believed that Patty was a ‘take prisoners’ kind of girl, that thought was put to rest when they came upon the crosses. The found deserters were rewarded with a bullet between the eyes by their kinsmen.\n\nNow only three were left, shaking, almost maddened by the last few murders. Patty smiled at them, like a particularly vapid child whose mind just went blank.\n\n“That was fun.” She said. “I think your superiors will be happy with our performance today. I can’t wait to see the combat report!”\n\nWith that she turned and left, tunelessly singing a nursery rhyme as she left the survivors to whatever their fate would bring them.", "When the alien invasion first arrived, we were terrified. Humanity had wrote so much on alien invasion, so many horrific possibilities, but they had always remained works of fiction. Until now\n\nThe first ships that appeared in the skies above did not reveal their intentions to humanity. They hung in space, no signals coming from them that we could hear, our own attempts at communication falling on ears that either couldn’t hear or didn’t care. As a species, we waited with held breath as more of their bulbous craft sauntered into the system. I say sauntered, because the ships had an air of nonchalance about them. The first few moved quickly, darting around as if to avoid defenses. Now they gracefully floated in orbit, and despite their lack of communication, the aliens didn’t seem to think much of us.\n\nMore vessels arrived, the number of alien ships reaching fifty. Each ship the size of a city, and each ship launched its own flotilla of support craft. Together they outnumbered the might of humanity, easily able to crush out military, not even counting technological advantages. On Earth, enemies set aside differences, governments set aside their selfish interests, companies set aside profits, everyone worked together. Preparing for an invasion while hoping it wouldn’t happen. Supplies were distributed, people evacuated to more defensible ground, and everywhere the hope the aliens were friendly was slowly infected by the fear that they would not be.\n\nIt was a week when the aliens’ intentions were revealed. Satellites and space stations were shot down, vaporized by beams of plasma. Guns that required technology we could only dream of. Guns that were then turned onto the surface. Humanity wept that day, as cities burned and people died. But we are not a species to meekly accept fate. When our hope died, its corpse fed our fear, and that fear caused our grief to turn to anger, which turned to hatred, which turned finally into violence. The governments of earth, working together in a way that had never been achieved before, retaliated.\n\nWe launched everything we had, every missile and bomb we could deliver to orbit we did. Rockets that were built to explore space were loaded with nuclear payloads and delivered the grief of humanity to the aliens. The nukes would poison our atmosphere, but we did not expect to survive the invasion anyways. Around the world the sun was outshined by the destructive power of humanity, bathing the world in the light of a million nuclear suns. We destroyed a few of their ships, but not all. Not even most. And those ships, that once thought we were easy prey, turned their attention to us. Disgorging hordes of drop ships, the invasion had begun.\n\nThe invasion was a slaughter. We died in droves fighting to defend our only home, using everything we had to make the aliens pay for their actions, at the cost of our once green planet. Billions of us died and we had only killed a few million of them. A drop in the bucket of their forces. Humanity’s end had come, but at least we would die fighting.\n\nBut then, something changed. We managed to create weapons of our own that were equal to theirs. And with this newfound firepower, the alien invasion began to break. You see, like I mentioned earlier, humanity doesn’t give up. Even when hopelessly outnumbered and all advantages go to the enemy, we keep fighting, til the last man lies dead on the battlefield. Humanity faced so much hardship that our species became resilient to adversity, and now we had the weapons to push our greatest adversity back. Aliens could now die easily, and as it turns out, these aliens weren’t as stubborn as us. Their lines didn’t break, they shattered. The aliens retreated easily, and were shaken up by our assaults. At first we were throwing rocks at a tank, but now we had tanks of our own. And the aliens weren’t able to fight us in an equal battle. Our stubbornness meant the aliens broke before we did, and inch by bloody inch, humanity retook its dying world. \n\nEvery alien of that invasion force was killed. Those that made it back to orbit didn’t realize some of us snuck on. We terrorized the aliens in their own ships, stalking crew and making them constantly afraid of being alone. On earth we began to rebuild, to repair the damage we did, using the technology stolen from the aliens. The same technology we used to build our own ships, better ships. We still grieved the dead, and now vengeance was in our hearts. Our desire for alien blood rooted deep into us. You don’t fuck with humanity. \n\nWe got a transmission, not long after we got our first warp-capable ships. \nTO HUMANITY\nWe, the Vash’tari of the United Interstellar Coalition, formally extend our hand in peace. We do not wish to harm you, and instead we would like to help you with recovering from the Kelfnar invasion. Please do not initiate war with us or other members of the UIC. The Kelfnar acted alone, in a desire to test your capabilities. All species are surprised at your actions, and do not wish conflict with you, including the Kelfnar. Please accept peace, there is no need for more violence.\n\nHumanity’s response was brief\nTo the Vash’tari of the United Interstellar Coalition\nWe accept your peace on one condition. Show us where the Kelfnar are\n\nThe alien transmission came back quickly, with co-ordinates. The order was sent to humanity’s fleets, and with a bloodthirsty grin humanity set out to become known by another name: The planet razers\n___\n\nMy second short story on this sub, hope you guys like it! Any feedback is appreciated!" ]	3
	[WP] everyone goes to heaven or hell... you’re the first not to	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " Everyone dies. Very few people get to live forever. Socrates, Van Gogh, even Hitler, when you think about it. And yet, we all have to face the inevitable culling of our mortal lives, whether by accident, malice or simply time.\n\nMyself, it was malice. Some guy thought I was trying to steal his girl, someone I really didn’t care about, and she just wouldn’t get off. So when I shoved her, he beat me to death with a bottle. Not that I went down easy. Broke his arm, gave him a split lip, maybe a broken nose. But he was bigger, stronger, and… well, he was a cunt to be honest.\n\nNow I sat here, on these grey banks. Whole, but dead, in a thick mist that shrouded everything. Like my luck could get much worse. I’d already figured I’d go to hell. Raised a Christian, saw atrocities advocated by my parents, fled… I couldn’t stomach it. The idea of religion. Not after… what they did to sis.\n\nIn the distance, something cut through the fog. It was little more than a light at first, a pale yellow in the sea of grey. As it grew, the faint sound of a rhythmic splashing came with it. From those ghostly depths came a black boat, a lantern hung at the prow, gliding eerily to where I was. It soon slid to a stop. A man sat in the front, his robes only a darker shade than the fog, his face hidden behind a hood. He turned towards me.\n\n“Alex McGuire?”\n\nMe. That was me. “Who are you?”\n\n“I am Charon.” The voice was curt, rough, and tired. “Any questions you ask can be done on the boat.”\n\nI couldn’t help to ask “Where are we going?”\n\n“Not Heaven. Nor Hell.” His hood lifted a bit. “Yet another path is open. Tarry not, for the inevitable will claim you, by your own will, or by force.”\n\nUnnerved, and not having much in the way of choices, I hopped onto the boat. To my surprise, it didn’t rock. Once seated, Charon started rowing again, his face cloaked in shadows.\n\n“Death, is no light thing.” He uttered. “Only by necessity should he swing his scythe. Yet here you are, unbidden by the harvest he reaps. Not chaff, not wheat. Not the first. Not the last.” \n\n“What happened to the others?”\n\n“They went to where they belonged. Yet now he grows tired. The Devil laughs. God does nothing. Truly, an injustice, and to be unable to convince peer or master of the atrocity of mortal slaying mortal; ‘tis but a sign of glee or apathy.”\n\nI looked around. The bank had disappeared, and the still water made it look like we were travelling on a lake. “What does this have to do with me?”\n\n“Little, save for the storm of murders must stop. One must burn the chaff, after all. And what better way to do it, than with unripened wheat?”\n\nI stared at him for a moment. “If I refuse?”\n\n“This is inevitable.” He said. “The chaff will burn by your hand. Whether you will enjoy or ignore it is irrelevant. No other path is open to you. No other path is open to us.”\n\n“So now what?” I said.\n\n“We continue, you train, and then you burn. That is how it is ordained. And not even God can change that.”\n\nI sat in silence. I was dead. And now I had to make others dead too, though whether that would literally by fire, or some other method, I didn’t know.\n\nI did know one thing though. The Afterlife was now well and truly barred from me." ]	2
	[WP]: You hear a knock on the door. The fridge door. It's coming from the inside.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 could have sworn I locked that\"\n\nShe walks over to the door and puts a hand on the handle. When the door opens, something falls out.\n\n\"Hmm. I may need a better place to store this.\" She picks the two objects up off the floor. Goes to put them both back into the fridge and pauses.\n\n\"Why not? Somethings telling me I should enjoy one now.\"\n\nShe puts the other piece inside and closes the door.\n\nHer body shakes and trembles as she moves over toward the sink to rinse it off. Turns on the stove, and waits.\n\nAbout five minutes later, it's ready, cooked to perfection and she takes her plate to the table. Her teeth dig into the supple flesh and she smiles.\n\n\"Oh tastes just like pork. But so tender and mild. So very lean this time.\"\n\nShe is just about finished when she looks at the spot on the floor near the fridge and gives out a sigh.\n\n\"Always such a mess. Ill have to cut my next ones up a bit finer next time.\"", "\n\nIt was in the late evening when I finally put down my work to get some dinner. Slowly I dragged myself down the stairs into the kitchen, but once I arrived I noticed something weird.\n\nA quiet knocking could be heard in the room. It sounded like someone was hitting something hard against metal. I slowly started to move around the table, to localize the origin of the sound.\n\nThe closer I got to the fridge the louder it got and the more confused it made me. What could possibly be knocking on the inside of my fridge?!\n\nI softly grabbed the handle and started pulling it open a little bit to peek inside. And there it was: a newly hatched chicken.\n\nI stared at it for a second before I actually realized what could have happened. Could it be possible that an egg hatched inside my fridge and the chick started banging on the fridges door to escape?\n\nThis was impossible, right? But still, there it was. I carefully took it into my hand to inspect it. It didn’t look like it was newly hatched. Maybe there was another way the little thing could have gotten into the fridge.\n\nWith the chick still in one hand, I started inspecting the fridge a little closer and there it was. At the bottom of it there was a small hole, that went right through my outside wall into the yard.\n\nSo this must have been how it got inside. And when I spotted an angry looking chicken staring at me through the hole, I also knew how it had gotten into the yard." ]	3
	[WP] A talented painter recently painted a mural of the king. The mural came to life, and now there are two identical kings.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 King Allen of Almore. And you are?\"\n\nA man identical to the king smiled and bowed. \"I am also King Allen of Almore, the painted version. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.\"\n\nWith a huff, the real king turned to his trembling royal painter.\n\n\"Jeffery!\" the king shouted. \"What is the meaning of this?\"\n\nUnable to make an excuse about the accidental clone, the painter offered a wry smile. \"A doppelganger of sorts, your majesty?\"\n\n\"Preposterous! I might be a painting but I'm very much a King of Almore. How dare you insinuate that I am a fraud?\"\n\nThe King of Almore stroked his beard in contemplation. \"Very well. Since you are every bit a true King of Almore, you will attend tomorrow's council meeting on my behalf. Jeffery, paint more of me. I will be going on a long-deserved holiday!\"\n\nDumbstruck, the painter could only wonder if everything would be alright for the king to leave running a country in the hands of a painting. With a sigh, he could only prepare extra copies of the same painting just in case the current one got wet and turned into a puddle of ink.\n\n\"Yes, your majesty.\"" ]	2
	[WP] Through an ancient ritual you magically tore your heart out of your body and sealed your soul in there, granting you immortality. The trouble is you were trying to do another ritual at the time, and you are absolutely freaking out after seeing your still beating heart lying on the floor	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "“Ah sh-“ Xe cut xerself off, frantically flipping through xer carefully printed spell book.\n\n“What did I do this time....”\n\nWhen xe had started the ritual of healing, they hadn’t expected to expel xer heart instead of healing it.\n\n“There!” Xe gasped. Xe had found what xe had done.\n\n“Oh no...”\n\nXe had never wanted immortality. Maybe a bit more health, sure. A real chance at life. But life was never supposed to last forever, and so xe tended to steer clear of any immortality rituals.\n\nXe knew the healing ritual would be complicated, painful, and have disastrous consequences if done incorrectly. Seemed the two spells were very similar. Made sense, sort of, since they both dear with the heart.\n\nXe slowly crumpled to the floor, clutching xer spell book to xer chest.\n\nWhat were xe going to do now...", "The room was quiet. The 13 figures standing around me were still. We were all staring, horrified, at the heart beating on the ground. I could barely feel the hole in my chest. I looked at the woman who had directed the ritual. \n\n\"What have you done? Why- HOW am I alive?\" I was panicking. If this hadnt worked, then they were still doomed. My whole team. Not only that but.....my heart was on the ground. What did that mean? How was that possible? I should be dead. I was supposed to be dead. That was the point! I die. The rest live. \n\n\"You are chosen. The powers that be will not take you. Not now. Not ever.\" The old woman whispered. \n\n\"That wasn't our deal!\" I yelled. \n\n\"Alas, I cannot control the magic you called forth. Only beg of them. They heard our pleas. This was their answer.\" She said, bending down and scooping up my still beating heart. I got nauseous and looked away. \n\n\"Will you please just..put that down? Its vile!\" I snapped at her. \n\nHer face hardened. \"Do not treat this lightly, young soldier. You may be immortal, but there is danger still. They who posses your heart may yet have power over you. Protect it as you protect the freedom you would have died to secure. Protect it as the lives you tried to have spared.\" \n\nShe held the beating mass to me. I swallowed hard and took it gingerly. It was hot like a campfire and pulsing. I resisted the urge to throw it as it pumped. \n\n\"What do I do with it?\" I squeaked. The woman roles her eyes and gestured to a man. He held out a leather bad. \n\n\"Carry it in this until you find a safe place for it. Hide it away. Keep it protected. And go save the people you failed to trade your life for. This may have answered your prayers yet.\" She said. \n\n\"Thank you.\" I told her.\" When this is over, I will seek you out. Do what I can.\" \n\n\"Bring us peace, Daniel. That is help enough.\" She said. \n\nAnd I ran. I ran and ran. I didn't tire. I didn't feel pain. I didn't burn in the sun. And the whole time my heart beat on my hip through the bag. Thumping out in pace to my breathing. By the days end my wound was healed. I had come to the edge of a mountain. \n\nFor two days, I climbed. Higher than the leftover signs of past camps. Higher than the trees. I climbed into the harsh cold. I took out a knife and dug through the sheet of ice and snow. A small place too high and cold for man to reach. Out of sight. I placed the leather bag containing my heart and buried it. No one would ever find it. \n\nI ran again. For days. I ran to the last place I'd seen my team. The place they had to abandon me after I got wounded. I followed their tracks. I would save them yet. I had to. I was focused on that one thought. That one goal. \n\nHold on, Jack. I'm coming.", "“Crap, crap, crap, crap,” I repeated over and over like a mantra. I stared at the pulsating mass that lay at my feet. I rubbed my chest, wishing to feel my heart beating. It didn’t, of course, because it was on the floor. \n\nJames looked up from the book he was reading on the couch. \n\n“Hey, Liv, is that supposed to happen?” He asked. He sounded slightly concerned, but mostly intrigued. \n\n“No, James, my heart was not supposed to leave my body,” I snapped. “You should know that since you’re the damn nerd who gave me this damn book with damn stupid spells that don’t damn work.”\n\nJames frowned at my outburst. “Liv, I know you’re mad, but try to vary your word choice a bit.”\n\nI glared at him. \n\n“Fine, sorry,” he raised his hands in resignation. “I’m sorry I gave you the book,” he lowered his hands and studied me. “But don’t blame me for not reading it, I didn’t want to perform any rituals. You’re the one who was desperate to fill your heart with so much love that any man you wanted would fall instantly in love with you.”\n\nHe had a point there. It’s not like he gave it to me as a recommended read. I had been scouring the internet for months for a love potion. James has simply handed me another potential resource. \n\nI ran a hand through my bright pink hair. It wasn’t my choice for it to be pink - it was the result of a botched love potion from last week. No matter what I tried, it remained pink. I had been upset about that - after all, I was trying to find a professional job, and a lot of businesses don’t prefer fluorescent pink hair - but now that my heart was beating outside my chest, I had learned to take pink hair with a grain of salt. I had other problems. \n\n“Sorry, James,” I said. I felt bad for snapping at my best friend, but I was under a uniquely stressful situation. “My heart has left my body. I’m kinda freaked.”\n\nJames nodded in understanding, stood up, and picked up my ritual book from the floor. \n\nHe perused it, flipped a few pages, read some more. The whole time, he made “mm-hm,” noises, as if he were putting puzzle pieces together. \n\nThis was the benefit of having a smart best friend. They understood things. \n\n“Ah-ha!” James finally exclaimed. “Here’s the problem, Liv,” he said, and turned the book to me. “You see, here’s the spell you were trying to do, called ‘Loving Heart,’ where your heart is so full of love that any man or woman you choose will be forced to return that love.” I nodded along to his explanation. He continued, pointing at a particular section. “See, this step says ‘recite the incantation, then deposit the candy hearts into the bowl.’ But THIS spell,” he said, and flipped a few pages to another ritual, “called ‘Lovely Heart,’ is a spell where your soul is sealed in your beating heart, thus granting you immortality. The instructions say to deposit the candy hearts into the bowl and THEN recite the incantation. Which, incidentally, is the same incantation as the ‘Loving Heart’ ritual.” He closed the book and smugly smiled, pleased with his discovery. \n\n“Are you telling me,” I began with false calmness, “that my heart is beating on the floor right now because I reversed two steps?” I ended my question in a shriek. \n\nI had no desire to be immortal. I didn’t want to keep living while all my friends died. \n\nJames shook his head at me, like he was admonishing me, “Mrs. Tuttle always said you had trouble following directions.”\n\n“Do NOT bring Mrs. Tuttle into this,” I hissed. Mrs. Tuttle was our first grade teacher. She and I occasionally bumped heads. “Besides, I have more worries now,” I told him. “I need my heart to be back inside my body, ASAP.”\n\nWe both looked down at my heart, where it beat happily on the floor. \n\n“It seems like it likes being free,” James commented. \n\nI knelt on the floor and put my face right next to my heart, “Listen here, ya little shit,” I told it, attempting to assert dominance, “enjoy your freedom while it lasts, because you WILL go back into my body.”\n\nThe heart just kept beating on joyfully. \n\nJames rolled his eyes. “No need to be rude, jeez, it doesn’t even have ears.”\n\nThat was actually a good point. \n\nI stood back up. “So how should we go about this?” I wondered. “Should I, like, eat it in order to get it back inside me?” I wrinkled my nose at the thought. \n\n“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” James said. “You only have one heart. If it gets damaged, then you’re out of luck. First, let’s put it somewhere safe.”\n\n“Good idea,” I agreed, “and then?” \n\nJames eyes took on an excited gleam. I knew where this was headed. My nerdy best friend was about to suggest a camp-in at the library. \n\nHe smiled, “Then, we do research.”\n\nWhich is code for “lots of time at the library.” I knew it.", "Lara went through the steps one more time to make sure she'd set it up perfectly. A canine's canine tooth wrapped with ten strands of her own hair: check. A mirror or reflection pool to look at: check. A piece of silver hanging from her neck: check. A candle made with fat: check. A knife: check.\n\nShe took a few shaky breaths. \"For revenge, for revenge, for revenge,\" she whispered. Mason thought he could rip her heart out? Well now she'd rip out his!\nLara gritted her teeth, squatted down in front of the stump, and lit the candle. After blowing out the match, she knelt back and looked at the mirror leaning on the stump. Her lip was quivering, but she resolved to see this through. She took the knife and carefully cut one of her fingers. \"Ow,\" she muttered, wincing. She took the tooth and rubbed blood over it, then set it on the candle. The flame wavered and the smell of burning hair filled the air.\n\nLara now stared at her reflection in the mirror, determined but hesitant. She weakly cleared her throat. \"A heart has a chamber, a chamber has a door. What's sealed inside is my desire; one death makes life forever-more!\" She raised her arms dramatically, keeping her eyes on the mirror. All was silent, for a moment. The candle's flame slowly went out, but in the dim evening light, Lara saw her reflection move.\n\nThe woman in the mirror brought her hands in toward her chest, then slowly raked her fingers across the skin. Lara was confused at first, then recoiled in horror as the reflection began pulling flesh away from flesh, dripping blood everywhere. Lara wanted to get up or, at least, look away, but she couldn't do anything except watch. The lady in the mirror was calm, even in ecstacy, as she reached through her own sternum and rib cage to pull out a red, beating heart. Lara gagged, but still couldn't look away. \"What the hell,\" she heard herself mutter. The reflection smiled, as if it had heard her, and held the heart up like a gift.\n\nSudden pain wrenched Lara to the dirt. She wrapped her arms around herself and writhed as her chest felt like it was being torn apart. Was she having a heart attack? Her vision blurred and she squeezed her eyes shut, grasping at her chest. No blood was spilling out, but the pain was agony. Lara rolled around for what felt like an hour. Her breaths came in short bursts between groans.\n\nFinally, the pain subsided. She opened her eyes to the darkened night. For a while, Lara just laid there, too weak to move. A breeze made her shiver and pulled her from the stupor. She sat up. The mirror was acting like a normal mirror now. She waved her hands a little, just to be sure. There was something different about her appearance, though - more than the mud in her hair. She lifted a hand to her silver pendant, then jumped in surprise. Lara looked down at it and could tell it was a different shape than it was before. It was also warm to the touch. She quickly grabbed her phone, which was next to the stump, and turned on the flashlight feature.\n\nThe pendant was now a silver anatomical heart. Lara swore as she turned it over in her trembling fingers. She hadn't ripped out Mason's heart; she'd ripped out her own.", "“Ew I touched it, whys it still beating? Why did I touch it?”\n\nBardos grimaced, stepping away from the beating dust-coated heart that sat on the floor. Why didn’t he put it somewhere safe? He could have tossed it into a glass jar or something? Filled that jar with dirt and hid it away like a normal person. Instead, he just left it on the floor to collect dust. What if a rat had snuck in? It would have had a lovely time pulling apart the bits of his life.\n\nEven as Bardos questioned his own previous decision making, he struggled to convince himself to pick up the heart. It was a horrid-looking thing, still fresh and the brightest red. It looked as though it had been freshly plucked, well except for the dust on it. That had stained its healthy exterior with a slick greyish brown set of grime. \n\n“I can’t just leave it there, what if I come down here one night and step in it? I don’t want to accidentally kill myself.”\n\nBardos tried to pick it up again only to grimace again, this time reaching for his chest. \n\n“Ow... Ok, that’s why I didn’t pick it up. It really hurts to touch.”\n\nHe didn’t want to experience that horrid feeling again, but he had no choice. He was sure it would be exposed to more painful things than his touch if he just kept it there. This probably caused all those minor chest pains he had felt. He edged himself closer, wrapping his hand in the edges of his black robe, crouching down to the heart’s level. He tried to collect it again, hands wrapped around the edge of its rounded exterior before collapsing back in pain. \n\n“Ok, I need to find a better way to do this.” \nHe searched the darkened basement, finding a small wooden chest, a much better place to put a heart if you were to ask him. Returning to the heart, he returned to its level, staring down at his own heart. \n\n“Now, don’t screw me on this. I will scoop you up and you will like it.” \n\nLaying the chest down, he guided it along the floor before making a quick swipe at the heart, sending it rolling into the wooden chest. The sudden rocking of the heart caused him to rock on the floor, holding his chest as he kicked his feet. The pain did eventually subside, and he soon retrieved the box, carefully placing it on one of his bookshelves. \n\n“Now you stay there and be good. I don’t want to drop dead because of you.” \n\nGiving his heart one last stare, he returned to do his spell, but anytime he began the ritual, he heard an unsettling thumping coming from the wooden box. The chest only seeming to heighten the sound. Too disgusted to continue, he headed back upstairs, reminding himself to find a larger chest to put that chest into. Hoping that might block the sound out. Still, that was for tomorrow. For now he just wanted to be as far away from his heart as he could get.\n\n{If you enjoyed my story, Feel free to check out r/pmmeyabootysstories Any support helps! I will also be posting more of my writing there.}" ]	6
	[WP] You're the night security guard for an old but giant haunted house. You readied yourself for all sorts of paranormal and supernatural stuff to happen during your shift, but are completely unprepared when a bunch of regular burglars break into the 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.", "\"Well shit.\" I peered around the corner, taking care not to get noticed by the hoard of burglars approaching. God damn it! I never asked for this. I signed up for this job expecting exciting ghost stuff, instead I get a bunch of criminals who are stupid enough to rob a haunted house. \n\n\"What the heck is there even to rob here?\" I muttered beneath my breath as I gripped my baton tight. I can't deal with this, I need to call for the police. The problem was, as I patted myself up, I realized I don't have my phone with me. \n\n\"See fellas, easy pickings.\" A gruffy voice said, which I assumed was from a thieve who's going to have no problem getting rid of me. Well, he's right I ain't gonna stay here and get beat. I opened up a window and readied to jump.\n\n\"I don't get paid enough for this.\"\n\nLarry stared at the guard, dumbfounded. The fool was about to abandon his house to be ransacked by no good robbers. \n\n\"I didn't scare Baxter half to death just so he can hire a fucking coward.\" Honestly, did he really think he could get away from me? As the fool raised his foot to leave, Larry makes a hasty decision.\n\nI staggered back as I felt something brush past me- no, it felt more like, something, came inside me? I shook my head, I'm definitely feeling something. And whatever it was, it was making me walk towards the thieves with a mere baton in hand.\n\n\"What the duck!?\" This was bad, I strained to hop out, but the unseen force was straining much more to get me to kill myself. It was no doubt, I was possesed.\n\n\"Hey! Don't move!\" A robber growled as he made his way towards me, with a ducking knife in hand. \"If you value your life.\"\n\nI felt like a bare duckling against a bunch of wild animals. Just my damned luck, I'm about to die now. I don't even have 100,000 karma yet, and I will never, just because of this hecking dumb ghost.\n\n\"Your a disgrace to all men who have walked the Earth! You walking lump of flesh! At least try to fight!\" A disgusted voice uttered in my thoughts. \n\n\"Shut up!\" I shouted. Which I realized was a mistake as Thieve #1 jabbed a knife in me- or, atleast, I thought he did, until I registered the fact that his neck was snapped in between my hands. \n\n\"BRUCE! NO!\" I didn't do shit, it was ghost man that did it. I was sure he wasn't gonna believe me though, since he was already rushing towards me. His face contorted with confusion and grief. I gasped as I felt myself hurl a chair at him, hitting him in the head, knocking him out. The other robbers stared from the other corner of the room, they didn't stay for long. They ran away not bothering to battle me anymore, I guess my fearsome aura scared them. Now all I have to do is dispose of the three bodies on the floor, or call the police sin-\n\nWait. I focused hard on the one body that had his mouth open leaving his tongue out to hang, he wore a blood stained security guard attire, a knife plunged into his torso. Besides him stood a tall lanky figure.\n\n\"Welcome to the afterlife fool. You're a poltergeist now. Guard this place properly from now on.\"", "\"Well, this is a first.\"\n\nI muttered to myself as I watched a group of 5 individuals approach the back door. I had the odd noisy night, but mostly it was getting the old ghosts to calm down until the day, when visitors would be around. I sometimes had to wrestle the banshee back into her room, but I hadn't had to deal with regular burglars.\n\nI stood up, and made sure my stun baton was on me. Sometimes I wished I was in a country that allowed guns, but hey, it's not up to me. I opened the security office door, and crept down the corridor.\n\n\"It's not time for your patrol yet Tom.\"\n\nI looked over at the ghost of Lord Tamsworth as he stuck his head through the wall.\n\n\"I know, but it appears we have a few uninvited guests who need seeing out.\"\n\n\"Thieves? Here? Well, we had better put a stop to that hadn't we?\"\n\nI smiled to myself. He was always very helpful, even if he didn't show himself to many people.\n\n\"Yeah, we had better. To tell you the truth, I had never expected this. I mean, who wants to steal from a known haunted house?\"\n\n\"Fools, of course. Tell you what Tom, why don't I round up the others, and we can give them the full experience.\"\n\nI chuckled slightly.\n\n\"I see no harm in that.\"\n\nLord Tamsworth floated down through the floor, as I made my way towards the back of the house. I turned the corner, and saw one of the group sneaking towards me. I was about to tell them to stop, when unheard the familiar sound of the banshees wail.\n\nThey froze, and I saw Cedric, the murder victim, appear in front of the burglar. Cedric opened his coat, and showed them his disemboweled chest. The burglar let out a shout, and started runningbabck the way he came.\n\nI followed, and as we got near the kitchen I could hear pots and pans clanging. The burglar ran in, and I heard them shouting at someone that they needed to go. The lights went out completely as I opened the door, intending to chase them out.\n\n\"Stop!\"\n\nAs I yelled, I heard voices whisper. One of them turned on a torch, and pointed it at me. Feeling a little mischevious, I pulled out my stun baton, and hit the button. As it crackled, I shouted.\n\n\"I'm going to get all of you.\"\n\nThat did it for them. As one they screamed, and fled out of the backdoor. I laughed as they ran away, tails between their legs.\n\n\"Well done everyone, I bet they will think twice before coming back.\"" ]	3
	[WP] You wake up on a Monday morning late for work only to find out that a Zombie Apocalypse has started.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 were popping off champagnes, swallowing lemon meringues and\nhaving a bubbly time over some odd boardgames I just found in my shelf, until\nthat is, the smoke alarm started blaring – the oven was smoking! My pizza was\nso going to be scorched. I rushed to the greasy toaster and pried hard as I\nwilled to open the stubborn hatch, so hard I pulled myself awake, greeted by a\nfurious phone demanding me to wake up as if I hadn’t already.\n\n\n\nAre you kidding me I thought, noting the shimmering light\npiercing the openings in my curtain. I had to know how late I was going to be…\n10:28am… That was good to know… And so were the other tons of notifications I\nnoted scrolling down the screen. 129 new unread messages on WhatsApp, 57 new\nunread messages on Messenger, and so the list goes…\n\n\n\nHell, I’m never going to hear the end of it from my boss if\nI stopped to read any of this, but still. I hastily unlocked my phone and\nstarted typing up a text message for my boss, and just as I typed her number\ninto the recipients box, the screen populated, and I was elated to find out my\nboss is telling me to stay home for today.\n\n\n\nYes! I exclaimed loudly with an itsy shake. I read\nthe message again to be sure – Good morning Wallace, if you’re still at\nhome, please stay at home until further notice. I read it again, and again…\nA sinking feeling was starting to set in. I lifted my free hand and tapped the\nMessenger icon with its now whopping number 163 submerged in red, and that number\nkept raising. \n\n\n\nI saw almost every group I had ever been in resurrect, with\nmessages from people who I hardly consider an acquaintance in my current point\nin life. Are you okay… Are you safe… \n\n\n\nPlease react to my message so I know you’re not infected\n- I dropped my care react on that message. \n\n\n\nI got off my bed and opened my curtain to take an 8th\nfloor glance to the world outside. And I so closed immediately. The world was\ncrazy enough as it was but it really just seems like we’re part of a casual sim-city\nplaythrough. I sighed with heavy grief…\n\n\n\nMy phone began to ring. I smiled, seeing that it was my boss\ncalling. Maybe she wanted to see if I was okay.\n\n\n\n“Hi Claire” “Good morning Wallace, bet you slept well” “Sure\ndid boss” “Good to hear that, hey…” Oh goodness please don’t say the words. \n\n\n\n“You have a car right?” I rolled my eyes into the back of my\nskull, “Yes…” “Great, since you’re an essential worker and all…” No… “According\nto the government…” Please no… “You can still come to work since you’re\nnot high risk”.\n\n\n\n“Claire, I am quite frankly as high risk as any supporting\ncharacter can be in a zombie apocalypse” I tried to assert to her that I was not\ngoing to have it. “Yea, but according to the health records you provided last\ntime for COVID and the government standards, you’re not high risk”\n\n\n\n“Claire...” “Wallace I am not going debate you over this!\nYou will come to the office today! And you will make up the hours you missed\nthis morning! Or so be it I will fire your entitled ass off the company!” and\nso there it was, her ultimatum.\n\n\n\nI had no rebuttal, and my student loan surely wasn’t going\nto wait for the zombie apocalypse to blow over. I adorned my work attire, embarked\nmy vehicle, ready to brace another day of work. \n\n_______ \nEdit: converted to bb code by mistake :S", "It's amazing how your mind focuses on the minutiae of life.\n\nbzzzz <snooze> bzzzz <snooze> bzzzz <snooze> bzzzz <snooze> bzzzz <snooze>\n\nEach snooze is ten more blessed minutes of sleep.\n\nThis weekend was so much fun that I barely remember it.\n\nHitting snooze five times?\n\nPriceless.\n\nI felt GREAT, to quote a certain tiger. Right up until I looked at the clock. Even then, I didn't feel bad; I just took it as a challenge to get to work before whistle-beak noticed.\n\nI felt so good that I didn't bother with the news or anything else, I just got ready and dived out the door to my car.\n\nEveryone else's car still in the driveway?\n\nPerfect! Less traffic!\n\nPedestrians jay-walking?\n\nWoohoo! Pylons that move!\n\nBodies on the ground?\n\nWhere are the cameras!?\n\nOkay, yeah, I was feeling that good, but that last one finally hit me as being way too far over the top. Only I was already at work, and the parking lot was empty except for those few who I could barely remember being out with us Friday night.\n\nOnly — and this is what finally chilled my blood — whistle-beak's car was not in his reserved parking spot.\n\nI should explain about whistle-beak since it was so pivotal to what happened later. He's our Company President, Founder, and Sole Owner.\n\nSounds like an ass? Not really, he was a pretty decent guy about everything except being late long enough that he noticed it. I mean, 6 am every workday was a bit much to ask for when we were a research company that worked however many hours the current project needed. It didn't matter to him if you'd been working at 5 am, you had to be at work no later than 6 am.\n\nThat's why his secretary — his wife of 50 years — worked with us to set up his morning schedule with either customer calls, prep for meetings, project reports, or anything else that kept him in his office until 10 AM.\n\nHonestly, I think he knew all along what we were doing, and took it as a challenge.\n\nAs to whistle-beak? Well, what do you call a nose that sticks out like a hatchet, and when he snores sounds like a steam whistle? We even recorded it for him and asked him what it was.\n\n\"Why, that sounds just like the train whistle I used to hear as a child. Woke me up in the middle of the night, it was so loud. I sure do miss it.\" And wandered off, lost in his memories. His wife was waiting for us the next day, \"Thank you, he was so happy to hear that whistle again, where did you get the recording from?\" Think fast moment, right? We slid through by emailing it to her, without ever quite answering where we got it—a friend of a friend of a very good friend of mine, sort of thing.\n\nDo not get the wrong idea, when it came to the company or projects, he had a near-perfect recall and could plan out in his head what we needed to do—such a waste.\n\nWell, with him not there, I finally understood that something was drastically wrong. I got in, leaving the doors locked, and headed for the offices. No one. Not one person was in the office. I made my way to Mr. Whistler's office, no one, but the message light was blinking on Mrs. Whistler's phone. I decided to play them. They were all variations on a theme.\n\n\"To whoever receives this message, open the bottom right file drawer on the rightmost cabinet—the only one without a label. It's locked, you'll have to break it open. The fire ax near the stairs should do it. When you do, flip back to the Zees, and take out the Zombie Apocalypse folder. You will find everything you need to know and do in that folder.\"\n\nThat drawer was stuffed with emergency plans for every conceivable disaster, and a bunch that made no sense, including the Zombie Apocalypse one. I guess the old man was just that prepared.\n\nThe plan and resources listed were incredible. There were instructions for everything, including a complete list of employees, their families, and their friends. First thing, call the employees in. You needed manpower for everything else.\n\nIt was amazing. Because it was the old man's plan, everyone was willing to do what it said.\n\nWe had the whole building stocked with everything we would need for a year's worth of waiting.\n\nThe very last step? Call his house. It was clearly stated that you had to follow the instructions to the letter, or I would have done that first.\n\n\"Hello?\"\n\n\"Mrs. Whistler? It's Robert from work.\"\n\n\"Good, you followed the instructions?\"\n\n\"Yes, Ma'am. How are you and Mr. Whistler?\"\n\n\"Oh, I'm fine, but I'm afraid George got away from me this morning. He's been turned.\"\n\nYou couldn't have done more damage to us if you shot us through the heart.\n\n\"Mrs. Whistler, the plan we followed is complete, is there another plan? I checked the drawer and didn't find anything.\"\n\n\"Open the drawer above it.\"\n\nShe guided us through that drawer, where we got the biggest shock of our lives. SHE was the brains behind the company. They'd been a team their entire lives. Her husband knew he had a genetic predisposition to several degenerative diseases, so the two of them made plans for what to do. It worked for ten years. We never had a clue.\n\n\"You are the best and brightest we could find. Your friends and family as well. This is our legacy. Stay alive. Rebuild. Restart civilization.\"\n\n\"We need you!\"\n\n\"No, you don't. Each of you is just as capable as we were, as long as you work together. There is one more plan. It occupies the remaining cabinets. I'm sorry, but it's the best we could do. George still had his lucid moments, usually from 6 am to 10 am. We got a lot done then—mostly updates. That plan lays out the rough outline of the full restoration of civilization. You are all more than capable of the first several decades. After that, your children will have to take over.\"\n\nWe argued some more about coming to get her. She settled the issue for us. The sound of the gun going off overrode our begging her not to do it.\n\nIt took weeks to shake that off.\n\nWhen we finally got around to the first cabinet, the very first file included an allowance for time to grieve. We had hit the time target perfectly.\n\n((finis))" ]	3
	[WP] WW1 has become a quagmire of advanced tech and new ways to die after time travel was invented. You? You're on the frontlines.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Just before the grenade slammed into the ground, a cloud of mustard gas crept silently into the long, winding slopes of the trench. I could only stare in mixed wonder and horror at the sight, feeling suddenly very relieved that I was currently sitting in a helicopter staring at the tiny forms of terror below and not moving among them.\n\nThe helicopter was something new; our guy, our time-traveling guy from the Twenty-First (century, that is), had specifically enlarged his capsule to fit it in. He was sitting across from me now, fiddling with the gas mask in his lap.\n\n\"Better put that on,\" I said.\n\nHe glanced nervously at the destruction below. \"It's not gonna do us much good,\" he said. \"If Joe's really on the other side, passing them Weapons of Mass Destruction, this whole battlefield is going to become one mile-sized hole in the ground.\"\n\n\"The intel might be wrong.\"\n\n\"Can't risk it.\" He was sweating, I saw; his skin had a strange, oily sheen. \"Man, you don't know what these weapons, these nukes, were like. Us and the Russians spent decades trying to convince each other not to fire them. And now Joe's probably given one of them to a bunch of war-hungry Krauts.\"\n\n\"Why would he do that? If it's like you say, the Krauts are gonna be caught in the blast. Hell, it could take out a chunk of their forces. If Joe knows that, then why would he want to fire it?\"\n\n\"Why is Joe fighting for the Germans in the first place?\" The time traveler chuckled weakly. \"It's because of me, you see. He's trying to make a point about why modern weapons aren't supposed to exist in the past -- or, well, your present. A nice little example to show future time-traveling scientists to keep them the hell away.\"\n\n\"Yeah, well, if you hadn't brought that tech to us none of this would be happening. Not that I'm not grateful, I mean,\" I added hastily.\n\nThe time traveler's mouth pressed into a thin, firm line. \"Do you know what happens in the decades after this war?\" he asked. \"Do you even have the slightest idea?\"\n\n\"Not a clue, buddy.\"\n\n\"Good. Because the next World War--\"\n\n\"The next?\"\n\n\"--is gonna be big, and bad, and worse. Atrocities on top of atrocities. You think this is bad? Just wait 'til we start targeting civilians, and one of these bombs is fired on millions of innocents by the Americans just to end it, just to end all of the death and all of the pain. I'm here to make this war end sooner. I handed you that grenade launcher because I wanted to be important, see. I want to earn my place at the League of Nations, so when this war is over, the Germans get a fair shake.\"\n\n\"What the hell are you talking about? I thought we were fighting against them.\"\n\n\"Happy Germans means no second war, kid. And hey, maybe if we catch my guy Joe, it'll all work out. Maybe. Best-case scenario, after the nuke is fired, he'll reset the timeline and make it so I'm never born.\"\n\n\"He can do that?\"\n\n\"Oh yes he can. And honestly, I'm a bit surprised that he hasn't done it already.\"\n\n\"Well, that's comforting.\" Beneath us, the tiny forms of men and shrapnel and fire faded away to nothingness, and everything was dwarfed by the sweeping gray remnants of salted earth." ]	2
	[WP] it is the distant future. Humanity has discovered another planet with city lights. The planet is about 1000 lightyears away. They send you and a small crew on a ship that can travel faster than light. You get there in a week, but the society is long gone. And what replaced them is horrifying.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "“Prepare the landing gear!” Yelled the captain. \n\nThe crew scuttled around while t captain stood in the middle of the cockpit proud of the accomplishment of his crew. \nThen a buzz was heard. \n“What was that?” The captain asked the navigator.\n“Sir, it appears that there’s no one left. I’ve done a scan at least five times but to no avail. No more lights, no more... wait...there’s a light.”\n\nThe captain walked over to the monitor to see a little dot on the blank screen.\n“I want a team down there,” the captain demanded, “STOP THE LANDING!” The captain yelled across the room.\n\nIt was quiet as the crew prepared a landing team.\n\n“We’ll drop you in from the ship. You won’t be able to contact us, if you get into trouble press this button,” a man informed them putting the gadget on the teams leader’s wrist.\n\nThe team was ready to drop. The captain gave the word and they dropped out the hatch. The only thing they could see was their heart rates on a monitor.\n\n“They’re nervous,” the one watching the monitor said. \n\n“That’s to be so, we weren’t prepared for this to happen, and I don’t think this society was either. Keep a good eye on that monitor I got a bad feeling about this,” the captain said.\n\nThe team walked toward the what seemed to be a street light. Crumbling buildings stood around them that would have been beautiful in their prime, but their prime was long gone. Weeds and overgrowth wrapped around nearly everything, with bulbs sprouting out that seemed to hold something. \n\n“They should’ve gave us all those buttons,” Caid, the medic of the group addressed. \n“You think they were prepared for the entire civilization to just vanish,” Dante, a gunman of the group bickered.\n“Quiet, both of you,” Chris, the leader of the group snapped. The two nodded.\n\n“You guys wonder if maybe they nuked themselves out of existence?” George, the other gunman of the group asked.\n\n“We would see something, this isn’t right. No bodies, nothing burnt or anything. Just this overgrowth,” Chris answered.\n\n“Don’t forget the bulbs,” Dante added.\n“Don’t forget to shut up,” Caid scoffed.\n“Didn’t I just tell you two to stop.”\n\nThe team walked down the empty street, cautiously looking around every pile of rubble and alley. They eventually came to the street light. It blinked on and off, but was a beacon to the lonesome road. \n\nCaid looked up at the light. “So what now? It’s just a light.”\n\n“We-“ Chris was cut off by a rumble.\n\n“What the hell was that,” Squeaked Dante.\n\nDown an alley was a view to a plaza of some sort with a bulb that seemed to be the size of the building it hung on.\n\n“You ever wonder of those bulbs are more than just for show?” George pondered.\n\nAnother rumble was heard, then a bulb on what seemed to be a car wiggled.\n\n“You’re kidding,” Dante said.\n\nIt wiggled more until a squish was heard, then a arm popped out, followed by the bulb bursting and a creature that looked like a human mixed with a praying mantis popped out and rolled off into the ground.\n\nChris raised a fist up, signaling not to fire.\nDante and George pointed their guns at the thing as it stood up and let out a little chirp.\n\n“Please god don’t scre-“\n\nIt let out a huge screech and more bulbs started wiggling. It shambles over towards them, twitching and making chirps like a little bird.\n\n“Sir, their heart rates increased, and are rising at a rapid number!” The informer shouted. \nThe beeping of the button gadget was heard, then over and over as if they were in a mad panic.\n\n“Captain, lights are coming bac-“\n\nCaptain, their heart rates are dropping. Ones flat! Another’s flat!”\n\n“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!!” The captain exploded.\n\n“They’re all flat,” the informer blubbered.\n\nThe captain controlled himself, taking off his hat to his heart. “Report back to earth. We’re coming back with a few missing.”", "Robots roam. They don’t acknowledge you. They eat metal. Other travelers have come, all were scanned ships for WMDs. Once they determine exactly how little of a threat the new arrivals are, they nonchalantly ignore you. They feed off solar energy. Plant life doesn’t exist. The air is still rich with oxygen, but without plants to digest it, the air proves unbreathable to humans. Most of the crew wants to set a journey for back home on earth after a few weeks on the ship. But the captain wants to keep exploring the planet, pointing out their mission to find a new habitable zone. With enough food to last for decades, sustainable artificial ecosystems, and a power plant of solar powered electric generators, it’s possible to stay and coexist with a population of peaceful machines for a long time. The lights never shut off. Under the unending glow of high wattage bulbs, the machines never stop swimming through the air. Swarms of metal creatures soar in all directions, as if blown from the wind. We thought another intelligent life form would have something to share without us, to lift us up to a new level of enlightenment. We thought they’d be biologically. But we were wrong. And they proved one thing - no one was going to save us from ourselves. And though they let one ship with a few thousand people land, they probably wouldn’t be so kind with millions of fleshy humans cluttering their planet. At least, that’s what the captain keeps saying. That going back will happen next year. But it’s been 15 years and the only thing that’s changed is the number of humans still around.", "As we return from our venture out into the Sister System, I, Captain Jorge Tomas Katya, have taken excerpts from the crews’ logs to explain our discovery.\n\nLt Cmd. Spokane, Head Science Officer’s Log:\nIt was so much like our own system; eight major planets with wanders on the peripherals. Scientists probably debated about the dwarf planet that revolved the furthest from its inner star as long as they had about the Solar System's own dwarf planet, Pluto. But like Pluto, it also “failed to exert its gravitational dominance in its orbit,” thus, like Pluto, it was relegated to the “dwarf” status.\n\nBut, it was that third rock from the primary star that captured humanity’s attention. Artificial light was detected on its surface! Alien life! Wars almost broke out over the discovery. Religious fanatics, unwilling to let go of their single-sentient-being beliefs, tried to tear apart the entire science community. In the end, saner heads prevailed and humanity developed a laser focus on its desire to make friends in the cosmos.\n\nDuring the worldwide Religion Riots, as they came to be known, a discovery was made by a young Vietamese scientist. Together with the top minds from around the world, they were able to construct the Van Minh reactor. The reactor could accelerate objects to .121c, where it would then open a hole in time-space, allowing for greater than lightspeed travel.\n\nOver the next decade, governments came together to build the Lief Erikson, humanity’s first ever FTL starship. It would only take a meer week to reach our sister system. Billions threw their hat into the ring, wanting to be any part of the crew. I know I would have been happy as a janitor, let alone head scientist. But here I am. Tomorrow, we arrive. Our directive is to avoid contact. The ship has been designed so that we can pass through the system disguised as a rogue comet. We’re to observe the society before returning to Earth. What I wouldn’t give to go down to the planet…\n\nLt. O’Hare, Communications Officer’s Log:\nIt’s strange. Due to the distortion of traveling faster than light, we can’t get enough of the radio signals and other communication signals coming off of SE [Sister Earth] that we can decode it and hear what they are saying, but we sure can hear them, but that’s not what’s strange. We knew that’s what would happen.\n\nAs I predicted, as we get closer to SE, the signals exploded in strength and frequency as we race past them. SE’s oldest and weakest signals hit us first, followed by steadily stronger signals as their technology improved and the radiation leaked out into the universe around them. Of course, even the simplest of babies can explain this. That’s not why someone of my intellect was chosen for this mission.\n\nNo, what’s strange is as we’ve dropped out into normal space or slower than light speed or whatever that egghead Spokane calls not faster than light travel, I was expecting to be bombarded with their signals. Giving me, and I guess that pompous ass, so much information. However, all our sensors picked up was one giant mess. It’s like it was a boom or something. The graph looks like a feedback loop. No individual signal can be made out and it’s useless.\n\nThat wouldn’t be bad, but the planet has gone silent. I don’t really have much else to do than to try and pull a strand of hair from that hairball. Jerks, making me waste my talents on that. \n\nLt Chester, Visual Officer’s Log:\nI can’t believe it. A week of waiting, listening to that arrogant prick O’Hare belittle me and Lieutenant Commander Spokane, go on and on about his “great discoveries” and “once again being proven right” about the growing signal strengths, when it’s my time to shine… nothing does.\n\nWe’ve arrived in system and it’s dead. The once twinkling city lights on [SE] are gone. The lights we’d seen decades ago back on Earth were over a thousand years old by then. So it’s not inconceivable that during that time something tragic happened on [SE].\n\nHowever, as much as an arrogant prick as he is, O’Hare is at least brilliant at his work. He still doesn’t know what was said, but he does know whatever it was, it was said a week ago. And yet… There’s nothing. I can see almost pristine cities on the surface of the planet, but it’s like they’ve all been abandoned. They, like us, look like they built colonies on their moon. We’ve detected that most of the buildings are under the surface (again like ours), but O’Hare detects nothing from them audio-wise and visually, they’re as dead as the planet the moon orbits.\n\nI can’t even detect any animal movement on the planet and all of the vegetation is dead where it stands. And that’s not even the weirdest thing. The Earth-like atmosphere that we detected on the planet’s discovery is gone. The current atmosphere is mostly water-vapor. And the active oceans we’d expected are frozen over, even as close as the planet is to the [primary star].\n\nInterestingly, the remains of the cities, unlike human cities, are far away from any major body of water. There are signs that until recently most were built along the coast like back home, but the coast lines have moved dramatically. I’ve only got a few more days to investigate before the flip and we head back home. I hope I can uncover what’s happened by then." ]	4
	[WP] A few years ago while flipping through the channels on your TV, you come across a news channel that gives you the news a full week in advance. You use this to win the lottery and play the stock market. One day you tune in to watch the channel and the only thing you see is a standby signal.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "3 years, 10 months, 21 days.\nThe day my life changed forever. Why? It was because of a news channel. You might think, “What’s so special about a news?”\nThis news channel was like all the others. Except for the fact, that it showed the news happening in one week, instead of today. When I made this discovery, it was mind blowing, I thought “Does that mean time travel exists, can the news people see the future, am I divining somehow?” But I came to terms with the fact that I was not smart enough to understand what was happening. I’m a simple man, I work construction, and I never went to college, so there was no way I was going to understand this.\n\nSo I did what I knew how to do. Exploit it. Every time there was a lottery the news would go over it, and I’d get the lottery money from there. One thing that confuses me though was that I was in the news channel. I’m not very smart, but I can understand that by the time I would be winning the lottery, they would already be on another week, and they wouldn’t show me. And, after waiting a week, I never got on that news. Sure I got on other news channels, but I paid it no mind.\n\nI knew winning the lottery was a one time thing, because people would definitely get suspicious, so I did the next best thing. The stock market. I made an unbelievable amount of money and A year after my discovery, I was a multi-millionaire. That was it, I told myself “I’m done.” But have you ever toyed with the prospect of infinite money? It’s not easy to just walk away from. I knew, however, that this was dangerous, and it still creeped me out at night. I decided I would use the channel to try to help instead of to profit. I would watch to get the latest weather reports and storms and try to report it to the authorities and even other news channels. To no avail, though. Everyone thought I was crazy, and I couldn’t blame them, since I had evidence. So that was it. I used the channel to help while lying to myself about not using it for money even though I looked at the ups and downs of stocks. That is, until today.\n\nToday, the news had on standby. This concerned me, but I figured it could just be a recording mistake. But then minutes passed, then hours, then days. I realized that something had happened to the news channel. There was no way to investigate, since I couldn’t time travel, but I figured I’d wait until a week from the day the news shutdown. As a matter of fact, I heard that there were tensions between America and North Korea. I had also heard that there was a storm ravaging the states however, so I wasn’t sure what was happening. So I did what I could, informed the authorities and just waited. Then 2 days from the day if shut down. Nuclear war started to break out. It started with North Korea finishing their testing and launching it in the U.S, and the U.S fought back hard. The supporting countries of Korea took sides with them, specifically China and Russia. Pretty much everyone else was with the U.S, but many countries didn’t want to get involved and tried to get it to stop. After bomb threats in my area, I evacuated and that’s probably when the news stopped. I evacuated to the only safe place so far, being Switzerland. However, there are so many nukes that it’s causing a nuclear winter. This could be the end of the world. Did I live life to its fullest? I’m not sure, since it was cut out pretty early, but I think I did well with my time. I don’t have the news to inform me of next week though, so it’s possible I could live, but it’s unlikely.\n\nSigning Off, William Garret." ]	2
	[WP] The mob boss's accountant approaches him with a starting report. "Boss, the restaurant we're using as a cover for our op is making us alot more money than the crime."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "And?\n\nI just thought you should know.\n\nSpeak your mind, I haven't got time for this.\n\nWell, it's gotten so popular that even cops are turning up on their breaks.\n\nI find that hard to believe, Jack can barely string a sentence together let alone run a restaurant. I'll speak to him later.\n\n&#x200B; ..\n\nBoss?\n\nYes, Jack, sit down. Now tell me, how's the op?\n\nGood.\n\nAnd the cover?\n\nGood too.\n\nMaybe too good? I hear the take there is higher than the op.\n\nI dunno boss.\n\nI'm telling you it's higher.\n\nOkay.\n\nDoes it seem reasonable to you that you're making more money selling crepes than you are moving our product?\n\nI dunno boss.\n\nJack, help me understand. If you don't shift that product we're going to be in hot water.\n\nI dunno boss. Boss?\n\nYes, Jack?\n\nCan we get a waffle machine?\n\nNo. Wait, what for?\n\nBilly.\n\nWhat's Billy got to do with this?\n\nHe saw me.\n\nWhere did he see you?\n\nThe cover.\n\nAnd?\n\nHe was with his mum.\n\nJack, please get to the point.\n\nBilly wanted one.\n\nJack, a waffle isn't going to repair your divorce.\n\nPlease, boss?\n\nNo. And you're to use spoiled milk from now on, so people stop coming. Understood?\n\nI can't.\n\nWhy not? And Jack, I need you to be very careful with what you say next.\n\nBilly, boss.\n\nWhat about him?\n\nHe's proud of me. And Sue, too.\n\nFor what?\n\nStarting over, clean.\n\nBut you haven't started over, and you definitely aren't clean.\n\nOkay.\n\nJack, do as I ask.\n\nI can't.\n\nYou know how this goes Jack.\n\nPlease, boss.\n\nJack, if you don't push enough product they'll want me to replace you.\n\nOkay.\n\nThat means you won't get to see Billy and Sue anymore.\n\nOkay.\n\nIt means you'll be dead, Jack, are you listening to me?\n\nYes, Boss.\n\nYou'd die over a waffle?\n\nNo, boss.\n\nHelp me understand.\n\nThey're proud of me, boss. No one's ever been proud of me.\n\nJack, they know I've got you running the op. I can't swap you out. I can't give you a new life, I can't even give myself a new life.\n\nOkay.\n\nOkay, good. Now get out of my office. I'll be getting an update on the numbers later this week, don't do anything stupid.\n\n&#x200B; ..\n\nKnock knock, Boss.\n\nCome in, Tony. How are the numbers?", "Marco shut the door behind him as he left the office, but the 'click' of the latch was drowned out by Ricky's groan. \n\nThere were worse problems to have, but...how did this keep happening? First, the restaurant got popular with the downtown hipster crowd because of how 'authentic and honest' it was, because there were only ever three options on the menu each day, depending on what Uncle Sal got at the market and was in the mood to make. Sal deserved the success, he was a good cook, but all the bloggers taking pictures and videos and sharing them all over social media made conducting business meetings in the restaurant too risky - who knew what they would pick up in the background? It was a shame. The kitchen had had a useful walk in freezer. Marco really missed that freezer, and hadn't stopped bitching to Ricky about losing it yet. \n\nNext, what started out as sporadic 'speakeasy'-style cocktail nights for the girls at Maria's salon, like grown up sleep overs for middle aged women (keep the make-overs, ditch the curfews, swap in wine coolers), got bigger as friends of friends invited friends, and now the salon was open late every evening, and did a roaring trade in hen-parties as well as bridal hair and make up. Still, having a legit reason to order as much acetone as they needed was useful.\n\nAnd then, the pandemic had been good for business - just, the wrong fucking business. The furniture store had been laundering money for the family for years. Marco and Ricky's grandfather had opened it in the '60s, and it had always been nondescript enough to not garner much attention from anyone - police, taxman, customers, no one. And then everyone heard that they were going to have to Stay At Home, and that meant actually staying at home, and who wanted to stay at home on an uncomfortable couch or sofa? No-one. Before the official lock down order, they'd sold more sofas in two weeks than they had in the previous two years. And the boys loved socially distanced deliveries - it was actually less work than regular deliveries.\n\nEach time a front or a ...convenience...became genuinely profitable, it made sense to keep it running, because income was income after all. And in today's economy, it made sense to diversify. Being his cousin's accountant really wasn't all that bad. Marco was a good boss, and Ricky didn't get shit from the rest of his family for being such a nerd anymore. Not when they reaped the benefits. Uncle Sal in particular was loving his retirement, grouchily cooking for easily pleased twentysomethings. But having to continually start new businesses as well as maintain the existing ones was tiring. Sometimes, Ricky reflected, life would have been easier if hadn't gone into the family business after all." ]	3
	[WP] You use your laptop everyday. You cry, sing, dance, and talk all in front of it. While you’re living your life, on the other side of the camera, someone is watching you 24/7. They shed tears with you, sang, danced, and listened while you talked. All without your knowledge. And they’re in love.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "This was only ever supposed to be a job. Survey and report the person of interest until either evidence could be gathered against them, or they were no longer considered a threat. I had done it several times before, usually with people who I could identify as pedophiles, wanna be terrorists, and the occasional drug lord; you know, the real scum of the earth. Of course, there were exceptions, like children who had typed in some key words associated with crime, but who were ultimately harmless. It all changed when I was assigned to a woman named Allison.\n\nSupposedly, she was connected to multiple members of a terrorist organization. It wasn't long before I had concluded that she had no idea about any terrorists in her circle. She was simply the kind of person who everyone wanted to be around. She was kind, funny, smart, and beautiful; all traits that even the worst people can appreciate. But I just couldn't bring myself to move on to the next file. Ally (as her friends called her) didn't even know I existed, but I felt a friendship forming on my end. Everything about her intrigued me, from her heartwarming video calls with her family, to the way she danced when she thought no one was watching. Mostly, though, she created magnificent pieces of art. I felt an emotional connection not only with her, but with her creations as well.\n\nIt hurt me to see that she never showed her work to anyone. She was in school for architectural engineering trying to follow in her father's footsteps and eventually work with him. But it was clear that her true passion was in the arts. I soon noticed a pattern in her artwork. The subjects were always girls with clear beauty, but with a subtle sadness in their eyes. I recognized that look, because I had seen it every day on Ally's face. I had become so obsessed with the idea of her that I had failed to notice in spite of all of her wonderful qualities, she didn't love herself. At that moment of realization I felt a pain in my heart like never before. All I wanted to do was comfort her, but that was impossible. Doing so would compromise not only myself, but the whole organization that I worked for. According to the general public, my division didn't even exist, and staying hidden was what allowed us to protect the country. Without us, chaos would ensue.\n\nSo I kept watching, a silent observer. Over time, I saw she was getting worse. Her friends were none the wiser, but when she was alone, anyone could read misery on her face. She no longer danced or sang, and it was seldom that she drew. Eventually, she did the one thing I had been dreading. She typed into Google, \"painless way to kill yourself.\" When Google only suggested the suicide hotline, she went to Bing and found all of the answers she wanted. Her research led her to carbon monoxide poisoning. At this point, I knew I had to do something. But stopping suicides was not in my job description. My only option was to handle this on my own, without calling in help.\n\nI got on the first flight to where she lived across the country. Along the way I kept a steady eye on my laptop, monitoring her behavior. Nothing had happened yet, but I knew my time was running out. Five hours later, I landed in Phoenix, about 30 minutes away from her home. After I had gotten in a taxi, I looked back at my screen and saw her scribbling something on paper. At first glance, I felt a sense of relief, thinking she was drawing once again, but with a closer look, it looked like she was writing a letter. Ally was crying, and I could only assume she was writing her suicide note. I was sobbing at this point, and I pleaded for the cab driver to go faster.\n\nAfter what felt like an eternity, I finally arrived at her home. I practically jumped out of the car, and started running towards her door.\n\n\"Hey! What about my money?!\" yelled the driver. In haste, I pulled out my wallet and threw the whole thing inside of the car window, running back towards the door. The driver didn't complain, and he took out my ID and threw it on the ground keeping the rest for himself. I didn't even notice him drive off.\n\n\"Allison!\" I screamed, banging on her door, \"Ally! I need to talk to you! I've never known someone like you before, but I am a better man now that I do. Please, don't do this! I love you. I know you don't know who I am, but I know you.\"\n\nThere was nothing but silence. I looked at my screen and saw that there was no one in front of her camera. Out of pure desperation, I started trying to kick down her door. Once I got in, I ran through her house, searching everywhere like it was my own place. I found her hiding behind her couch, with her phone in her hand.\n\n\"Thank God,\" I exhaled as I went in to embrace her. She screamed. For a moment I had forgotten hat she didn't know who I was. I stepped back, and started to say everything I had wanted to. \"You're too good to die, Ally. Please, you are greater than you can imagine. You don't have to do anything for anyone other than yourself. I know that you love art. Just pursue that! Travel, sell your work, go to art school. Please, just do whatever you need to live...\"\n\nShe looked terrified, but then I heard sirens in the distance. She had called the police, and they were running into the room.\n\n\"On the ground! You're under arrest!\"\n\nI followed their orders, crying. \"I was only trying to help,\" I said repeatedly. They dragged me into their car, while I saw other officers approaching Ally for questioning. That was the last time I ever saw her. Thanks to my (former) job, I didn't go to prison, and I was relocated with probation on the condition that I never sought out Ally again. It has been nearly a decade since that day. So, why am I bring this up now? This evening, I was walking down the streets of New York City when I passed one of those \"high art\" galleries. One painting caught my eye; one that I knew the style of all too well. It was the portrait of a girl crying, but not tears of pain. No, I saw rejoice in her eyes, as if she had been a prisoner her entire life and had just broken free. Underneath the painting was a plaque that read, \"The one that started it all.\" I looked around the room and saw several other works of art in a similar style, with one even looking eerily similar to myself. In the bottom right corner of each of these paintings was scribbled one word: Ally" ]	2
	[WP]In the future, most people are heads without bodies that walk on metal spiderlegs and interface easily with all machines. You are part of the poor and left-behind lower class, who still have their frail, obsolete bodies.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 rules said “does not have to fulfill every detail” so I apologize if my story is too liberal with changing things. It isn’t where I planned to take it, but it grew on its own honestly. CC more than welcome!\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“It almost seemed like a joke, at first. What benefits would there be?? Who could come up with something like this? The first gen was slow. Mistakes were made. No adult wanted to give up their bodies, so the first gen was an entire generation of children. Infants. Newborns. Cutting off the heads of babies and putting them onto weaponized machines.” Kenneth said in disgust, and the outcry from the crowd fueled him to continue.\n\n“The president at the time was paranoid of a world war, so equipping an entire generation with fully metal, armored bodies was his idea. Somehow, he got the law through. He made it mandatory.. mandatory! For a full body replacement to be done before the first birthday. No one supported the law, there were protests, riots, deaths. Mothers hid their pregnancies, hid births. More death, more fear, more anger and hate.\n\nIf you were found harboring a mech-gen child that hadn’t been mechanized, you were put to death and the child was used to test prototypes.” He said, trying not to choke. A few mothers who had lost their children to the mechs, and a few foster families who took in the orphans stood stoically in the gathering. A few tears, but their strength was enough for him to forge on.\n\n“As you know, my mother was a mech-gen. However, she was hidden. Her parents were killed, but she escaped and found The Underground. Here, she found more people like her, people to help her. A new life. What she didn’t expect was the support from mechs who are sympathetic to our cause. Some, like my father, have been so open with their activism they must stay here with us, hidden. Some are secretive about their loyalties and can live in the normal world. We are shunned and persecuted. Hated. Feared.” Here, he paused, and scanned the crowd. Looked upon the faces of these men and women he may never see again. Children who may be orphans, but had found families they may lose all over again. Pregnant women who may never see their child’s face if this goes wrong. He stood in front of them, a mere man, but a source of strength for all of them. \n\n“Someday though, someday we will have peace. But not now. Not today. For now, we are on the verge of a war for our lives, our ideals, our morals and souls. History is written by winners, so I pray that this speech will be immortalized in the history books.” \n\n\nOur professor read the from text in front of her. \n\n“This is a fine example,” she said, as she closed the book with her hand, “of how opposing factions can feel about each other. We felt as if these undergrounders were feeble and closed minded, and they saw us as unnatural and radical. In the end, there were no winners. Can anyone tell me how the war effected both sides, and the ramifications for each opposing party?”\n\nI raised my arm timidly, knowing I would have the most unpopular opinion. The class sat in utter silence. Ms. Raston looked around, hoping someone, ANYONE but me would offer to explain. She sighed heavily, and finally called upon me. \n \n“Well, after the war,” I said quietly, “so many had died. So, so many. The casualties of each side were so enormous that to even consider rebuilding, we had to work together. With two groups of people who hated each other enough to murder each other on sight, it was a huge undertaking. We were split into three groups. Ironically, each group consisted of mechs and nats alike. The first group would rather have the entire human race eliminated than to work together with the opposing faction. The second, and largest group, thought that concessions could be made, and that we could co-exist peacefully. The third, and loudest, group thought that we could split the country into two sides, and a person could decide on their own who’s views to support. They didn’t think any compromise could be agreed upon and instead wanted to leave each side to his own devices. In the end, we have reached the peace that Kenneth Hartford spoke of, just not how he envisioned.” I heard the relieved sigh from the front of the room. Ms. Raston thought I was done. \n\n“However,” I continued, louder now, “the moral ramifications have never been fully discussed. The nats believed that each person should have the decision for themselves, not parents, doctors, or government. We are forced to wait until we are legally adults to change our own bodies. Without mech, I wouldn’t be here. I was born twisted and mangled. My lungs weren’t formed, my heart was small, and my organs were missing or in the wrong places. Without mech, I would have died. I...” \n\n“Yes, Melanie, we know your story. You are an exception to the laws we have now, and it is good we have the mech technology.” Ms. Raston cut in. “The moral side of this has been discussed to death, and the leaders from each faction have agreed upon the current system. Your assignment this week is to write an essay on how things may have turned out differently. You can choose to write about how the war could have ended differently, or how different laws would be had either of the other groups had been a stronger force. Have a good weekend!” And with that, the room emptied until only I and Ms. Raston remained. We sat silently, and listened only to each other’s breathing. For her, the quiet mechanical purr of my machine body. And for I, the soft inhale and exhale of each breath from her flesh lungs. I rose, and the only thing left to hear was the clicking of my mechanical legs tapping on the tile floor until the door closed behind me with a soft “click”.", "My Mother used to tell me that being different was okay; she told me life was there for the taking, no matter who you are or what you look like.\n\nEver since then, I’ve kept a record of all the tribulations caused by my Fleshlegs. On the 18th of June, shortly after taking a heavy tumble to the ground, I added ‘catching the bus’ to that never-ending list.\n\nI lumbered forward, flopped over and sprawled across the gravel pavement. The doughy flesh that covered my left leg was shredded like confetti. Dark red blood streamed down my thigh. My cheeks flushed an identical shade.\n\nI hugged my wound and glanced around, catching sight of two young Mechaboys who had clearly witnessed the incident and were gawking at me, unabashed. An older Mechawoman, noticing the stare-off, grabbed each child by a shoulder and directed them away. They scuttled off into the distance, four metal legs at a time.\n\nThey were gone in a flash, as was one of the promised advantages of upgrading to a Mechabody. As well as being quick, the Mechabodies were sturdy, durable, sleek and sexy. Any damage could be effortlessly repaired, and upgrades were available on a bi-yearly basis.\n\nWhen they were first introduced, only the mega-wealthy could afford such extravagance. ‘What a waste of money’ people would snarl ‘why would anyone want to remove their body? It will never catch on’.\n\nBut it did catch on. Mechabodies evolved from a symbol of status to a symbol of normality. Those who opted not to remove their natural bodies in exchange for mechanical, spider-like exteriors were seen as less of a person, and glared at like insects.\n\nSociety had to adapt, too. Trams, trains and buses increased their normal speeds to make the journey worth the fare, but catching one was near impossible for a Fleshbody. Instead of stopping at intermittent points, buses maintained a rigorous schedule by simply slowing to around 20 mph to allow Mechabodies to enter and exit. The Mechabody bus driver would continue driving with three legs while tending to bus fares with his other five. This resulted in extremely quick, accurate and seamless transport services for everyone. Everyone except Fleshbodies.\n\nWell enough was enough. I refused to be the bane of society any longer. I stood to my feet, boldy trying to ignore the searing pain that surfaced when I pressed any weight onto my left side. If my estimations were correct, a bus filled with Mechabodies would be darting around the corner and zipping up this route any moment now. I limped into the middle of the road.\n\nI closed my eyes and braced myself for the roar of a two-tonne metal engine.\n\nIt was not a roar but a squeak of metal that caught my attention. I opened my eyes and turned to my left to the sight of three young boys tossing a ball to one another. I recognised two of them — they were the young Mechachildren who had gaped at me earlier. Sunbeams reflected off their shiny metal bodies and shot into all directions as the boys scuttled around the grass. The third boy, however, was unlike the others. He was a Fleshbody. But unlike me, both of his legs were missing. He manoeuvred around in a wheelchair, it's wheels squeaking with every sharp movement. Most noticeably, he sported a beaming smile that stretched from ear to ear. He scrambled along with the other boys, sometimes catching the ball, other times missing it altogether. But he laughed and laughed, his smile never abating.\n\nA tear ran down my face and I stepped out of the road, one fleshy leg in front of the other." ]	3
	[WP] In the year 2050 time travel is possible but the person inside the machine ages backwards or forwards the same ammount of time traveled.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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’ve worked my ass off for this one moment. All the years of studying, staying in with my books while my fellow students partied. The internship where I was treated as nothing more than a glorified PA, barely getting any time with the scientists and engineers I desperately yearned to learn from, let alone getting to see the technology I would dedicate my life to progressing. The sheer amount of my trust fund I’ve invested into bringing this dream to fruition. The trust fund she left for me. All the blood, sweat and tears, the late nights and early mornings. All in her memory.\n\nI step into the chamber and feel a strange sense of deja vu as I press the button. I feel a strange sucking feeling as everything goes black. \n I come back to awareness to the sensation of being crushed and pushed on all sides, unable to speak, and my limbs barely responding to my brain’s commands. I burst into brightness and feel myself lifted, carried through the air while I scream in terror and confusion at the strange sensations and experiences that surround me. \n I land in a soft and warm place and an overwhelming sense of peace and comfort flows through me. My sight is blurry and I can’t focus on anything but that smell, I swear I’d know it anywhere. I’ve worked and waited my entire life for this. It’s her...My Mother!\n\n\nBreaking News -26/05/2050: Professor Stephen Ward (48), the globally renowned broke scientific ground today when he personally tested the time machine that has been in development since 2001, when the concept was first theorised by his mother, Professor Angela Ward, who tragically died due to complications during childbirth in 2002..." ]	2
	[WP] You're the child of the Grim Reaper. Everyone expects you to follow in his footsteps, but you just despise the notion of death in general. When you hear about a human that's supposed to die in two days, you just have to help them out.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns." ]	1
	[WP] You always laughed at people thinking "life is a simulation". Today, you fell under the map.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 clumsy. I've always been. I dropped my keys once again, just outside of my front door. I once again reached for it. I once again sighed, struggled and wiggled my fingers around that silly hole in the pavement. It was like my keys were always so keen on ending up there. For the billionth time, I crouched and managed to tingle my keys with the tip of my fingers. No luck in grabbing it. I leaned and leaned again, breaking the most ridiculous sweat as I was about the grab them.\n\n\"What the f-\"\n\nThe floor opened under my feet. I closed my eyes in a vain attempt to protect myself for the concrete wall that was rushing towards me. \n\n\"I- I wasn't hit ? How-\"\n\nTo add to the confusion, I was spinning, and spinning faster by the second.\n\n\"What ? Where the f-\"\n\nI managed to open briefly my eyes, to see nothing but white, no horizon. I could feel the blood rushing to my face and my vision blacking out. In between the spins I could see a distant rough shape. Was there a city above me ?\n\nAnd just as fast I was spinning it stopped. I was on the ground. I immediately fell down on my knees and puked.\n\n\"Oh.\" I heard.\n\nI looked up.\n\n\"You're not supposed to be in here.\", it said.\n\nWe both looked each other in the eyes. The person was turned around on an office chair, both feet on the seat. He or she, I couldn't tell. Its face looked surprisingly young, although something was disturbing about its gaze.\n\n\"There will be here soon. Please do not worry. Stay calm.\"\n\nI looked around.\n\nTrees, clouds, mountains of all sizes and colors. An opal sun, was warmly lightning the open field. On the left of the figure's desk, a pile of trash: some shape I could recognise, some I could not. On the right... well. I squinted.\n\n\"Is that-is that a kitten fountain ?\" As i pointed at it. The non stop flow of felines looked surprisingly happy though.\n\n\"Yes I-\", it paused. \"I admit, I like the last build.\" I swear I could hear a tiny hint of joy in its voice.\n\nI tried to stand up.\n\n\"Please be care-\"\n\nMy legs gave out. I panicked and reached for whatever was behind me. A table. A very cluttered table. It felt like I was breaking, smashing and spilling anything and everything on that poor table.\n\n\"Oh no.\", it said, before immediately returning to its desk.\n\nA dim red light was now flashing in the sky. Was that coming from a.. sun ? Was it there before ?\n\n\"Oh no no no no no.\", it said again. Was that a little bit of panic I could hear ?\n\nAt the exact same time, a door suddenly opened. No walls, just a door. I jumped. Barging in four goons: black boots, black camo trousers, black tactical vests, heavily armed with odd but familiar helmets.\n\nOut of a deep and gravelly voice, one of them questioned: \n\n\"Should we dispose of him ?\", were there fangs under that helmet ? And, was that- a smile ?\n\nI turned around and to face the figure, still on the seat. It once last time turned to me. That time I could not see his eyes, just a menacing glow from from the neon lighted opened doorway.\n\nAfter what felt like a interminable pause, the voice said:\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"But-\", angrily muttered guard in charge.\n\nAnd from just the motion of its hand, lightning struck, mountains crackled, wind rose in what felt like the apocalypse.\n\nWithout breaking eye contact and with a disturbingly growing smile, I could hear:\n\n\"Come here,\" it said with a cheerful tone, \"clean your mess Clumsy.\"", "I heard them, the devs: \"Got a clipper. Us-ky-332-m502.\"\n\n\n\"Yep, looks like he was trying to sleep. Thought we patched that one…*\n\n\n\"Mm its not perfect. Lets see what we got here…\n\nFood worker,\n\nlate in his second level,\n\nlooks like this is first major glitch in general\n\nAverage data mining, mostly just reading up on in-sim physics.\n\nHm…\"\n\n\n\" What's going on? Who's talking? Why am I falling?\"\n\n\n\" Seems he can hear us. I'm just gonna… \n\nHey bro?\" \n\n\n\" Hey um, What's going on here? Where am I?\"\n\n\n\" It's ok buddy, we'll just put you back where you fell from, roll back your metadata and this will never have happened. That sound alright man?\"\n\n\n\" I just want to sleep.\"" ]	3
	[WP] Once a year there is a magical theatre that opens its doors to show the finest plays. Dashing heroes, beautiful damsels, and dastardly villains can be found. But the most unique part of this is that the roles are cast directly from the audience, and you can leave only when your role is over.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Jackson had always felt as if there was more to life, more than the scent of shoe polish or leather, more than the humidity and streams of insults that came from customers at his father's shoe repair shop.\n\n\"You did it all wrong!\" Jackson's father complained, a hefty man with a protruding belly, the restrainers seemed almost like a harness that strained from the weight of that man's stomach.\n\n\"You do it like this.\" Mr. Truman explained, running his hands back and forth over a shoe he was repairing, showing how one corretly polishes a man's shoe with the brush.\n\n\"Yes sir,\" Jackson said.\n\nMr Truman paused for a second, putting down the shoe and brush and wiping his sweaty brow with a stained rag. He leaned against the table.\n\n\"What is with you boy? You seemed more distracted than usual.\"\n\nJackson had this conversation before, and had no intention of having it again.\n\n\"You are thinking about some stupid fantasy again, aren't you?\"\n\nJackson stayed quiet.\n\nMr. Truman sighed. \"Listen, Jack. This is a respectable job, it pays! Where you gonna go about and find some theater that would take you in? This is a good life, my boy.\"\n\n\"I understand, father.\" There was a part inside Jackson that felt broken, a soft inner child that was abused and beaten down with such ideas of being reasonable, to provide, be safe, and do what works.\n\nOf course Jackson couldn't argue with the logic, and he found that mindset had infected him, turned inward, suffocating that hopeful part of him that still dreamed.\n\nThe day was long, and eventually it all passed by with Jackson going through the motions, an absent-minded passenger so that when the bell rang and his father turned the open sign to \"Closed,\" he finally pulled himself out of that trance. Where did his mind recede during that period? The boy wasn't sure.\n\nJackson excused himself early, not wishing to eat anything--he was sue it was going to be beans again anyway.\n\nThat night, Jackson stared at the ceiling and imagined applause, roses flooding the stage and the silhouetted expressions of fans who gave exuberant cheers. Jackson was awash with their imagined adoration, his words of gratitude unheard among their whistling and chanting. He imagined a smile so wide that it hurt his lips--Jackson couldn't remember the last time he smiled like that, perhaps when his mother was still with him.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe next morning, Jackson wandered the streets, horse-pulled wagons trodding across cobbled roads and ostentatious frolickers filled the streets.\n\nAgain Jackson became a passenger to his own mind, wandering absently along the streets; it was his day off, but even then he felt like he was still shackled to that shoe repair store.\n\nJackson wasn't sure when exactly it happened but it was only when he looked up, that he noticed the streets were empty.\n\nThe sounds of laughter and jeers suddenly became an echo. How long had he been walking? His feet certainly ached.\n\nJackson looked around, store after store was closed.\n\n\"Where am I?\" He asked himself.\n\nJackson looked to sign post. \"Hope Street,\" it read.\n\nJackson had wandered the streets of his city since he was a boy, and never knew of any \"Hope Street.\" What was even stranger, was how empty the streets were, how quiet the city was all of a sudden. Home's spanned the distance with shops built underneath them, but no sound nor light could be seen.\n\nJackson decided to investigate, walking forward, he eventually noticed the faint but familiar sound of laughter. He looked up, there was a shop that seemed to be in service.\n\nOr no, not a shop, the red and white canopy hanging over the entrance seemed to indicate some sort of performance taking place.\n\nJackson approached, the jolly sounds and the scent of buttered popcorn struck him immediately with nostalgia--his mother would take him often to such things.\n\nJackson approached the counter, expecting someone behind the counter only to find it abandoned.\n\nA sign was plastered to the window instead. \"Just come on in!\" It said.\n\nJackson began to grow uncomfortable, yet still the curious nature of the street and the performance theater were too much for his curiosity to ignore.\n\nSo Jackson entered, following down a carpeted set of stairs that allowed entrance to one of the many velvet seats which crowded the theater.\n\nInside, several men and women stood in position, back straight and at attention. They wore colourful costumes and smiled with such glee at Jackson's entrance.\n\nJackson noticed the back of those seated in the theater, but the eyes of the men and women on that stage did not look towards their audience but rather towards the newcomer, as if it was Jackson specifically they had been expecting.\n\n\"Welcome! We were waiting for you,\" a man standing at the front called.\n\nJackson looked towards them, thinking they couldn't quite possibly be calling out for him, could they? He pointed a finger at himself.\n\n\"Yes! I mean you!\"\n\n\"Who are you?\" The question started soft and quiet, growing louder and aided by the repercussions within the hall.\n\n\"Why we are performers of course! Just like you!\"\n\nJackson didn't know what to say.\n\n\"Well? What are you waiting for? Come on down! We've been waiting for you.\"\n\nJackson felt as if the things were getting weirder and weirder, but he did not object. Working his way down, he reached the end and walked up the steps to the man.\n\nThere was a crazed passion and love in his eyes, a love for the theater that Jackson fancied was equal to the kind of love that man one kill.\n\n\"Here.\" The man handed Jackson a gun.\n\nJackson took it, his mind racing. Was he dreaming? He couldn't be sure.\n\nJackson turned to the audience, but there were no faces, just the blinding light that made everyone appear as patient silhouettes.\n\n\"Are you ready?\" The man asked.\n\n\\\\\\*\n\n/r/KikiWrites" ]	2
EDIT: I’m really sorry if this prompt has a similarity to whatever Homestuck is, I don’t actually know what that is. I was just bored and accidentally scarped my knee in the bathroom, and I just wondered what would happen if my blood had a different color. Thank you and stay safe everyone!	[WP] In a world full of magic and mystery, the color of your blood signifies your status in society. Ranging from purple that signifies royalty and power to gray that signifies the poor and powerless, the world is at ease with these determinators. You discovered recently that you had rainbow blood.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "“Purple!” \n\nThank god, I thought to myself, as the crowd erupted in cheers. No one in the royal family had bled anything other than purple in centuries, and I most certainly did not want to be the first. I smiled as my father placed a white cloth around on my pricked finger, a tradition I had watched my three older siblings go through on their 18th birthday. My father grasped my hand as he turned towards his subjects, a broad smile across his face. \n\n“And now- we celebrate!” he boomed, and the crowd erupted into cheers once more. I watched as the crowd filed out of the temple, relieved that the ceremony was over. I’ve never been one for crowds, but being a princess, it’s a rarity to get a moment to yourself. I walked to my bedchambers in silence, giving a polite nod to the guards posted outside my door. After hearing the click of my chamber doors being shut, I took a much needed deep breath, throwing myself on my bed. The anxiety that came from today was draining, and all I wanted to do was curl up in my bed for the night, but of course that was impossible. I had to prepare for the ball. I groaned as I heard a rapping against my chamber doors.\n\n“Your Highness? May I come in?”\n\n“Yes Maria.”\n\nAfter closing the door, Maria squealed, running over and jumping onto my bed.\n\n“I don’t know why you insist on calling me ‘your highness’, you know I hate it!” I looked at her, poking her in the stomach. \n\n“Violet, you know your father would have my head if I called you anything else! Besides, it’s hilarious to see you annoyed.” I poked her again as she laughed, before sitting up to stare at me. \n\n“So… are you happy?” \n\n“What do you mean?”\n\n“I mean, you got purple, that’s good right?”\n\n“I guess… I mean, I didn’t want to disappoint the entire kingdom…”\n\nWe sat in silence for a moment, before Maria cocked an eyebrow.\n\n“I’m sensing a but somewhere.”\n\nI sat up, turning to face her. “I guess I’ve just always wondered what it would be like to be someone else. Something else. Maybe I would be happier...” Maria smiled, taking my hand. “Maybe you would, but who knows. Purple is a pretty good gig!” She laughed, gesturing around at my lavish bedchambers. “Besides, it’s much better than being grey…”\n\n“Maria, you know I’d never judge you based-”\n\n“I know.” She cut me off. “I mean, you’re the reason I still have my job after they tested me on my birthday! But the looks I get, like I’m some animal…” she trailed off, staring at the floor. After a moment, she shook it off, putting on a smile. \n\n“But enough about me, you’ve got a whole ball waiting for you! Let’s get you ready!” She pulled me off the bed as I groaned once more. \n\nAfter what felt like hours of tugging, yanking, poking and prodding, I was finally ready. \n\nMaria smiled at me in the mirror. “I am an artist.” \n\n“Hey, I’m not that bad!”\n\n“Debatable!” She laughed as I turned around to poke at her. She evaded my grasp, skipping away from me. \n\n“Come back here!” I laughed, chasing her around the room. She slipped out of my grasp as I tripped over a discarded shoe, plummeting to the floor. \n\n“Violet, are you okay?!” Maria sprinted over to me, helping me up. \n\n“Yeah, I think so… oh shoot.” I looked down at the cut on my hand as it began to bleed purple.\n\nMaria grabbed my hand to examine it, as I scanned the room for something to wrap it in. \n\n“Violet… oh my god.”\n\n“Maria relax, it’s just a-” I stopped mid sentence, as I watched my blood begin to change. I stood, slack jawed, as it turned from a deep purple to a crimson red, to orange, and so on, until it arrived back at purple. It continued to shift from color to color, my face reflecting back at me as the blood began to pool in my palm. It was almost beautiful. After a moment, I ripped my eyes away from my palm to stare at Maria. \n\n“Maria… Wh-what does this mean?”\n\nShe stared at my hand, in awe. “I don’t know…” she drew closer, almost as if she were hypnotized, before snapping out of it and looking at me. \n\n“Violet- here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to clean this up and get you to the ball. I’m going to the library to do some research. But until we figure this out, nobody needs to know, okay?”\n\nI stared at her, feeling a million emotions at once. Crippling fear, confusion, sadness. But also something else… something that felt like hope. Maybe my life wasn’t meant to be spent stuck inside a stuffy castle. Maybe I would get to be something different. Someone different. But until then, I just nodded. \n\n“Nobody needs to know.”", "I’ve always known we were dirt poor, and treated like we were scum, too. \n\nGray murky blood.\n\nWhat does it matter what the color of your blood is? We’re all human. We have the same brains and think the same way.\n\nEveryone else doesn’t think the same way. Ma. Da. I can’t believe they subject themselves to this cultish definition of what it means to be human. Can’t they see the truth? That we have all been brainwashed into setting these classes based on color?\n\nThese are only half my thoughts as I trudge up the muddy path to the Royal District. Entering their luxurious estates through dingy side doors and cleaning up after the Purples. Purple, what a royal color, suited for these rich gods.\n\nIt hasn’t made sense in a long while. Why do some people get to treat others like they are beneath them? Or maybe it’s my fault for letting them treat me like scum.\n\nThat doesn’t make sense. The world should be fair enough to everyone. If someone gets to be treated like a god, then I should be treated like a god, too. Because then where is the fairness? \n\nNow I’m scrubbing the floors of The Manchussen’s villa. All this thinking about fairness better get me somewhere! \n\n“Yaaa!” I yell. \n\nI seem to have scraped my arm with my own nails. I’m always doing something like that. Bumping into things and inadvertently scratching myself or hitting my own body. I’m pretty clumsy. I hate it, but that’s just me. \n\nI’m always fascinated by the blood oozing out of my skin. I mean, I don’t love getting hurt, but I do love to squeeze it out and watch as it pools up in little beads. I take a lick or too once in a while – I just can’t help it.\n\nAs I pause my scrubbing to squeeze out some blood. I stop dead. Something is wrong. My blood, it’s not gray. \n\nAll the blood rushes to my head, I feel really dizzy. Am I sick? Did I do something wrong to myself?\n\nI wipe away the initial beads of blood and squeeze the little scratch in my arm again. It’s… it’s turning color! My blood! It’s turning all shades of the rainbow!\n\nAt this point I’m trying really hard not to faint. Seeing weird colors in your blood tends to do that to you. I take a breather, and lie down. I know that helps, because I once watched as Da cut open his palm and the blood gushed out like a waterfall and I saw black in my vision. Lying down helps.\n\nThe blood, it’s not much. I calm myself down, and get back up. I don’t get paid for lying down on smooth alabaster floors. I get paid to work. \n\nHey guys I wrote this yesterday hoping to add more, but I'm lazy!", "Colors were ingraned into society. No one questioned the hands of fate, nor the figurative cards they had been delt. Purples were wisked away to palaces beyond the average Yellow and oranges comprehension. They imagined large spires of crystal, and walls of ingraned stones, yet their drawings and descriptions were merely based on stories passed around like fairy tales.\n\nThey were the kind of stories everyone obsessed over from the days of their youth. Little girls would beg to be told of how one day they'd be claimed as a princess, and set to rule a kingdom, with none of the real struggles it would require. Boys demanded stories from the red blooded war troops, who always made sure to leave out the details they actually wanted to hear. \n\nElizabeth didn't want either. She didnt want to be brought to a tower of glass, set to oversee a kingdom that mere hours before hadn't been hers. She didn't want to stare across a feild of bloodied soldiers, praying for the moment that they were relieved of duty. \n\nFate was what intrigued her. \n\nShe wanted to grasp the sands of time, understand the method behind the worlds madness of what color people were assigned, recognize the biology or magic behind the color shifting. \n\nNo one truly knew how colors were chosen, but no one had once admitted to being unsatisfied. Girls who wished to be princesses, yet became nurses, or warriors came back feeling satisfied of their feats. Boys who thirsted to fight were made to teach, or care for the young when others couldn't, and they learned to appreciate knowledge. Many theorized your color was that of what you needed to expirence to be your best, others claimed it was merely what would make them happiest, consciously or not. \n\n~~\n\nTrickles of ruby reds, emerald greens, and honeysuckle yellows spilled over Elizabeths fingers as she stared. It stained the grass beneath her, the roar of deaths siren call in her ears. \n\nRed. At first she had been claimed to be a red. That moment was vivid, her mother sobbing cold tears into the leather plated armor she adorned, her father begging her to come home safely. \n\nIt wasn't what she wanted, but she relented none the less. She had allowed herself to be carried away by the glorries of fighting, struggling each day to live. To break free. \n\nShe found solace in the quiet moments where she could wonder what laid ahead of her. \n\nShe had grown cocky, too confident for her own good, and during a single fight, the future she had been so convinced she would have was fading infront of her eyes. \n\nThe war trudged on around her, but she knew as a rainbow spilled from her side, and from her lips, that beauty awaited. \n\nWhom better to assign colors, than a rainbow itself?", "‘What colour do you want to be my boy?’ the doctor mused to me,\n\n‘Do you want to be yellow, and able to fly on the wind like a bee?’\n\n‘Or blue so you can swim the world without needing to breathe?’\n\nI thought about it for a moment, before he continued his wheeze…\n\n‘Green, living like a god amongst the thickets of plants and trees’\n\n‘Or purple, and able to walk the world as you please?’\n\nNo… I shook my head and disagreed with them all,\n\nA single colour by itself made the world feel so small.\n\nReally, there was only one hue that I wanted to be...\n\nThe colours of the rainbow, so FABULOUS, like me!\n\n🌈", " \n\nA guard glanced at Sam for a brief moment. A Paladin, given his blue and white equipment. A purple cross on his breastplate and shield signified him as one of the King’s Guard, as if standing in front of the palace gate didn’t give it away already.\n\nSam, still in the middle of a growth spurt, looked from one guard to another. He briefly remembered that the blue meant the guard was supposed to be protecting the princess. Blue blood meant royalty, and his armour reflected that. Purple blood was a ruler’s blood; the transition happening whenever the old one was to step down. The two integrated might have meant that there was going to be a coronation soon. Not that an eight-year-old more concerned with when his next meal might be would care. As far as he was aware, the king was little more than a grumpy-looking man who talked a lot, and he didn’t see how a succession would affect him in any way.\n\nThe guard looked at him again, before beckoning to the boy. As he crept up to the man, he produced a few coins from his pocket.\n\n“Here. Go grab a bite to eat. You look famished.”\n\nThose with white blood were Paladins first and foremost. Always looking after the whole, even if it meant standing in full armour in the midday summer. \n\nSam thanked him as graciously as he could, even performing a small bow before running off. He soon caught his toe on a loose cobble and collapsed onto the floor, pain going through his knee.\n\n“Are you alright?” The Paladin called.\n\n“Yes, sir, thank you sir!” Sam replied. It wasn’t the first tumble he took, and although his knee stung quite badly he powered through it. He raced home, ignoring the kitchens and bars near the markets. Heady with the charitable act, he hammered his fist on the door to his home, a dainty looking cottage in the farmer’s district. The long field would be his home for the generations after him, just as it had been generations before.\n\nThe door opened to reveal a dumpy looking woman, cheeks flushed red with exhaustion. She looked down at the scuffed lad.\n\n“Sam! Whatever’s gotten into you?” She frowned. “That Jamie hasn’t dropped you, has he?”\n\n“Ma!” Sam said, now realising that he was now hungry and thirsty. Running on a pained knee from one end of the city to the other in the middle of summer now looked a bad idea.\n\n“Come in, come in! You look like you’re about to fall over!” She ushered him in, and closed the door. “Silly lad. I told you not to meet with him, especially on a day like this, didn’t I?”\n\nSam sat on a stool. “Ma, look what I got!”\n\n“What is it?” A rough voice came from behind. Sam’s father lurched in, sheltering from the heat that stuck him to his clothes. He was scratching at a green scar that clung to his jawline.\n\n“I saw a Paladin today!” Sam gasped out. “He gave me this!”\n\nHe showed the coins. One gold, and two silver with gold rings.\n\n“My word!” His mother said. “Two crowns? From a Paladin? Where on earth was he?”\n\n“Was ‘e at the gates?”\n\nSam went quiet.\n\n“Daft boy.” He sighed. “I told you not to go near them gates.”\n\n“Sorry…”\n\n“Look, lad, don’t do it again, alright?” He said. “If it’s the palace, they’ll lock you up, quick an’ proper. An’ if it’s the entrances, well, them Greybloods will try to do to you like they did to the others when my Granpap w’s your age.”\n\nSam was distinctly sure that the kidnappings never happened. Everyone knew that Greybloods had nothing but the clothes on their backs. Not even a single drop of magic ran in their veins. So how could they perform magic rituals if they didn’t have magic themselves? One boy said he heard they were trying to steal the magic somehow, but that was crazy. Another said there were Necromancers: people with black blood, who only looked out for themselves, and could raise the dead with their own blood. He wondered if the Greybloods were trying to get magic by sticking coloured blood into themselves this way?\n\n“What happened to your knee love?”\n\nHis musings suddenly stopped. The stinging of his knee had numbed, but it was still there. She rolled up his pant leg to take a look.\n\n“Oof, that’s a nasty cut.” She muttered. “I’m going to need some… George?”\n\n“Yeah?”\n\n“Come take a look at this.”\n\nHis father stomped his way to his wife and crouched down. He frowned.\n\n“What is it?” Sam asked. His hands gripped the seat.\n\nHis father moved his head back and forth, waving the scent of tobacco about as he examined the injury. “Well, that ain’t right. Looks like oil.”\n\nOil? He had oil for blood? Did that mean Sam had to look out for fires, or he’d combust like a strawman?\n\n“Should we take him to a doctor?” His mother asked.\n\n“Nay, butchers the lot of ‘em, and if they weren’t they’d still take ‘im away.” He shook his head. “Never seen the likes of this. Ever. Looks like spilt oil, it does. Like a rainbow.” He looked at Sam in the eye, a stern look on his face. “Listen, lad. You tell no one about this. Not a peep. I dunno what this is, but if the king or his daughter hear about this, I don’t think they’ll be too ‘appy about this.” He clapped Sam’s shoulder. “Stay safe, keep yer ‘head down, an’ work hard. Y’hear?”\n\n“Yes, Pa.”\n\nHe smiled. “Good man. I’m gonna have a kip, so try not to wake me up this time, eh?”\n\n“Sorry.”\n\n“Ah know, ah know. Keep yerself safe. An’ Muriel, if Bromson comes in ‘bout that damn cow of ‘is, tell ‘im I’ll tie ‘er up with ‘is guts.”\n\n“I’ll tell him.” She said, smiling and shaking her head.\n\nAs he left, Sam took a look at his knee. His blood looked red. He shifted it, and the colour changed to purple. Moving the other way made it go orange and yellow.\n\nIf he was ever going to take his father’s advice at any time, it was certainly going to be then.", "\"Tell me doctor, what color is her blood?\"\n\nIt was a futile question. Both parents had orange blood. Save for an extremely rare mutation, the girl would have the same color. And yet for once, the doctor saw it happens. That very rare mutation, to the point he would probably never see it again.\n\n\"It's ... red.\"\n\nThe weakest. The only color worse than orange. Unless you're counting gray, those without magic altogether.\n\nBoth parents were devastated. She had unfortunately low fertility, and getting a green to cast a fertility spell had already taken month of salary. They could not afford to do it again.\n\n\"Thanks doctor. I am sorry to ask this of you in this manner after your service but could you...\"\n\n\"Of course. I understand.\" and he left the room, leaving a note with the price of his services on the table. It was no time to ask them for payment. As soon as he closed the door, he could hear the cry of despair on the other side.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe years passed, and despite the original sadness, Slié lived quite a happy life. Her parent took good care of her. She was now a healthy 6 years old. Usually the time at which children receive their first lesson in magic. Unless they were gray of course.\n\nSondra, the old lady that taught children in this village was a yellow blood. She was the strongest in the village.\n\n\"Greeting children. I am the Sondra and I'll be the one to help you understand magic a bit better. For our first lesson, We'll start with an exercise all of you can do. Imbuing magic items.\" as she started handing little pieces of wood with strange engraving.\n\n\"This, is your card. The officials uses it to keep track of every wizard in the kingdom. You will not be considered citizen until you can imbue them. GrayFolks are different and have to request registration.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAll the children here were orange and red. In such a small place, anything higher would be a rare sight. It took them a few days to actually complete this lesson. For most. Slié never managed it, even after a week.\n\nShe kept attending school nonetheless. But she never managed to make any progress. She would already be unable to use cantrip, but even so, this was pitiful by everyone's standard. This is the point her happy life took a wrong turn.\n\nHer mother caught a illness. Not a strong one mind you, but she would slowly lose her strength over the next few years, requiring constant attention. To add insult to injury, her classmate started making fun of her. They didn't bully the gray, they could understand they were incapable of it. But a red that cant act like all the other reds? That was the perfect bully fodder.\n\nBy 12, she and her parents had decided to have her registered as gray. She was unable to imbue her card, and she wouldn't be considered citizen without it. And they would need her to start helping, as her mother had reached the point where she could no longer leave her bed.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIn these circumstances, Slié took to work for the local blacksmith. Doing odd jobs, carrying stuff around and cleaning the tools and workshop. It's in this relative safety that she spent the next few years of her life. Until her 14 birthday. She had been cursed with a beauty too much for her to handle.\n\nPeter, the blacksmith's son took a fancy on her. He knew she needed the job, so he kept \"playing\" with her. The father acted like he saw nothing. She was a fray after all. Until his son went too far. Peter tried to force himself on her. She lost her balance and fell in the fire. Her hairs caught on fire.\n\nThe blacksmith and his son on panic grabbed her, pulled her out of the fire and threw a bucket of water and threw it on her. But to their surprise, the water never reached her. her hairs were not being consumed. They started dancing in the fire. The heat reaching an intensity the blacksmith had never seen. Yet the girl seemed not to mind the heat. her clothes still ablaze were another story. She was still panicking and had yet to realize it was harmless. She removed her outer layer and threw it, revealing the marks of abuse she had taken over the years. One of them still open.\n\nInstinctively, she reached for the water basin at the entrance, to see the water by her own will and come extinguish her work apparel. Peter was now terrified, as he saw the wound turn blue during that moment. The adrenaline leaving her, her hair extinguished and she realized what had happened. She had used magic. It was but a cantrip, but its might was beyond what even oranges can do. She had emptied the entire basin in a single use. She was capable of magic. She put her dress back on, paying no mind to her employer and rushed to her home. She kept jumping around, trying to explain to her parents, but her father interrupted her. After she calmed herself, she saw her mother, lying immobile in the bed. She was still alive, but barely.\n\nShe had reached the last stage. Her forces would be insufficient to keep her awake. She wouldn't be able to feed herself or drink. She would die in the week.\n\nSlié walked to her mother's bed. Cursing herself and this world. Why did everything go wrong? Why was she born unable to live happy? Why her mother? Why her? Her father went out of the room. Leaving his daughter alone with her mother for one last time.\n\nShe stayed by her mother's side until deep in the night. She could hear her mother's using the last of her forces gasping for air. Until one last time, she called for her daughter in her sleep.\"Slié\" . Hearing that, something in the young girls mind shifted. A will beyond her own seemed to talk for her. The voice in her mind, both hers and his echoed the same words. \"I will not let this world rule over me.\"\n\nThe wind started to pick up in the enclosed room, throwing the furniture against the walls. The outside turned dark, as the light from the moon was sucked dry and concentrated only in this room. All the fire in the village moved in unison toward the room. The wells and emptied their water and eventually, even the darkness got consumed leaving nothing but an empty void. To most it changed nothing to the lack of light. But some creature could perceive it. Mainly her benefactor.\n\nAll these energy started forming runes around her mother. The woman no longer gasped for air, as the air forced itself to help her. She no longer need water, as the water permeated her skin to revitalize her. She no longer felt weak as the fire gave her the needed energy. And for a brief moment, she no longer needed her eyes to see.", "Marco held his breath as the nurse looked over his arm with a practiced eye. He touched a spot near the crook of his arm and frowned briefly.\n\n“I’m going to have to Illuminate the veins. Is that all right?”\n\nThe boy sighed, but he had been expecting the response. Ever since his first vaccinations, nurses had struggled to get a good stick in him. More often than not, a visit to the doctor’s office meant an Illumination for him. It wasn’t comfortable, but he was used to the sensation.\n\nHe nodded, and the nurse screwed in a small vial to his Autodraw system. Marco had heard the first Autodraws were based on insulin monitors diabetics had used before the Blackening, but the small black devices were now so ubiquitous that seeing an adult in America without one would be a cause for concern. And, with any luck, he’d leave the office today with one of his own.\n\nThe nurse pressed a small button on the device. There was no indication of pain on his face when the needle went in, but then in his line of work he likely had to use the thing several times a day. A few drops of yellow liquid—brilliant, the color of the sun—rushed into the vial, and the nurse let go of the button. He touched Marco’s arm, and for a brief moment his eyes glowed, reflecting the color of his blood. Marco started to feel unbearably hot, as if his blood were about to boil. He looked down at his arm and saw the telltale glow of Illumination. The nurse smiled and unscrewed the now-empty vial, tossing it into a covered plastic container.\n\n“There we go. Sorry about the sensation, let me get this over with.”\n\nHe held up a needle once more, and Marco’s heart started to even faster than it had when his blood began to glow. This was the moment. He was about to learn his Color. He wouldn’t have to worry about his future or make his own decisions anymore. He’d already agreed to leave his path up to Fate.\n\nAnything’s fine. Yellow, Blue, even Green. He’d never liked farming or growing plants, but that would probably change when he could create an entire harvest in a matter of moments.\n\n“You ready?” The nurse asked. His eyes had returned to their normal color, and he was giving Marco an encouraging smile. Maybe he sensed the sudden tension Marco felt. Or, more likely, every eighteen year old felt a certain amount of apprehension when they were to learn their Color.\n\n“I think so,” Marco said, struggling to inject some confidence into his voice. Then he ruined it by asking a question. “Do you like being Yellow?”\n\n“I love it,” the nurse said without hesitation. “Healing isn’t for everyone—I think Yellow’s the second or third most common former Color for Grays—but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I was given a gift by Fate, and I really believe that They know best. Sorry,” he added after a few moments. “I shouldn’t have gotten political. If you can’t live with your Color, you can’t do it. It’s your life.”\n\nMarco shrugged. He’d never had strong feelings about faith, but then there wasn’t much he did have strong feelings about. Most kids chose a preferred path by the time they were a teenager and started learning about their field, but he hadn’t. He didn’t resonate strongly with any of the Colors, and all of the aptitude tests he’d take had shown a weak preference for three or four different paths. The only thing Marco knew for sure was that he didn’t want to be Gray. Gray rights had come a long way in the last few years, but even apart from the societal aspects, the thought of living without magic made his chest tighten up and his breath come in heavy. The common belief was that Fate would take your existing skills and knowledge into account when assigning your Color, but Marco had decided not to try and tip the scales. Whatever he got would determine the path his life would take.\n\nThe nurse moved pass the awkward moment and stuck the needle into Marco’s shining veins. He’d only supplied a few drops of blood for the Illumination, so the glow was already starting to fade. There was still light enough for him to get Marco on the first stick, though, and the boy’s stomach plummeted as the nurse started to pull up on the plunger.\n\nAt first the liquid was red, as he knew it would be. The nurse stopped after a few seconds and checked his watch.\n\n“You were born at 12:51, right? That’s what it said in your chart. One more minute until you’re eighteen.”\n\nMarco nodded, unsure what to say, but the nurse filled in the silence.\n\n“You know everyone’s blood used to be this color? Not just kids, adults and everyone back before the Blackening. My grandad used to tell me about it. He was pretty young when it happened, but he remembered life before Fate came in.\n\nMarco didn’t reply. He couldn’t imagine living an entire life without a Color. Like every other kid, he’d been looking forward to this day since he had been old enough to understand the concept. Even worse, without Color he’d be adrift, without any idea where to go or what to do with his life.\n\n“All right, moment of truth.” The nurse seemed unperturbed by Marco’s silence. “It’s good luck to make your wish out loud. What are you hoping Fate has in store for you?”\n\n“I’ll take anything,” Marco said reluctantly. He knew how the nurse would react, but he didn’t want to lie either. Once he’d had the idea not to try for any Color, he’d tried to stay as balanced as he could. It was in Fate’s hands, not his.\n\nSure enough, the nurse looked at him askance. “Everyone has a preference. Staying quiet just gives a better chance that Fate won’t know yours.”\n\nHe glanced at his watch one more time. “Too late. Here we go. Happy birthday.”\n\nHe pulled up on the plunger once more. Blood flowed in, mixed with the red. Marco waited patiently for the Colors to settle and separate.\n\n“Looks like.. Yellow! Congratulations kid, you’re a healer!”\n\nMarco let out a breath. Yellow. He could live with that. He’d try for a doctor, though, not just a nurse. Now that he had a path, he could devote everything he had to mastering it.\n\n“Wait, hold on a second.” The nurse had been about to pull out the plunger, but he stopped short. Marco looked back at the blood in the syringe and nearly jumped up in shock. Along with the red and Yellow in the syringe, right at the bottom there was a small but obvious patch of Green.\n\n“What the hell?” The nurse said. “Is there dye in here? Sorry about this, let me pull up some more, flood out whatever’s messing with the Color.”\n\nHe drew more blood, and Marco saw more Green fill out the syringe. Yellow and Green were present in equal measure, and when the nurse drew up even more blood, the color changed again.\n\n“Blue? What the hell is going on?”\n\n“Does this ever happen?” Marco asked? He felt sick. Today was supposed to answer every question he’d have for the rest of his life, not turn him into a freak. What the hell was wrong with his blood?”\n\n“No. Never.” The nurse kept going until the syringe was nearly full. A fourth Color appeared, separating into a different layer than the rest. “Purple, too? There’s every Color in here. I don’t know what’s happening.”\n\nMarco shook his head. An old nursery rhyme popped into his head, apropos of nothing.\n\nRed for the child, who has to wait and see,\n\nYellow for the healer, who cures what’s wrong with me.\n\nGreen for the farmer, who can make the plants grow tall,\n\nBlue for the protector, who keeps us safe from all.\n\nPurple for the leader, who can make your thoughts all right\n\nAnd Gray is for the others, who give Fate quite a fight!\n\nGrays had railed against teaching that rhyme for years, arguing objecting to being called an ‘other’, separate from society.\n\nBut at least they’re mentioned. Marco had no such reassurance. He looked pleadingly at the nurse.\n\n“What do I do now?”\n\nThe Yellow had no answer for him." ]	8
	[WP] You are a superhero, with all the generic superhero powers (Flight, Strenght, Speed etc) but your only weakness is that everything you do is a catastrophic mistake.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "\"Look, Kid, I hate to have to tell you this. You're a good kid; your heart really is in The Work, but honestly... You're a walking disaster looking for the worst possible place to happen the instant you start to use your powers. Please, go home and set your powers aside. There's no way you can make it as a hero, and you're too good to make a believable villain.\"\n\nWatching as the youth walks dejectedly away, Dear lord, look out for that kid. He means well, but we just can't have him on the team.\n\nThe kid, it was my last hope. I can't make it in the \"real world,\" every time I've tried, something happens, and I try to use my powers, blooie, disaster city.\n\n\"Hey, Kid. Sucks, don't it.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I guess. Who are you?\"\n\n\"I'm a talent scout for Weiner Brothers; we think we can give you a place where your powers can do some good, by being very bad.\"\n\n\"The old-style cartoon makers?\"\n\n\"Yeah, the ones they pushed off the air like we were pornographic or something. It's not like we could make anything like what we did reality.\"\n\n\"Until superpowers.\"\n\n\"Yeah, so we sorta had to go underground. There's plenty of people who loved our work, and now they're willing to pay even more. It's good money, especially for you, if you can stomach the work.\"\n\n\"Bad guy always looses?\"\n\n\"Yeah, but with you, you have to focus on being the bad guy's helper. Most people can't stand that; they can't constantly make impossible bad stuff happen. You, on the other hand, can't help it.\"\n\n\"No people get hurt?\"\n\n\"Nope, not a one. It's all projections by a solid kinetic.\"\n\n\"I dunno could bounce back on the kinetic.\"\n\n\"How?\"\n\n\"Kinetic is making the bad guy. So even if I manage to concentrate on the \"bad guy,\" that's still the Kinetic. It would have to be something that no superpower was operating.\"\n\n\"A practical effect.\"\n\n\"A what?\"\n\n\"Trade term, means an effect shot on camera without much, if any, post-processing. Wires for impossible flips, that sort of thing. The wires get erased, sometimes, from the final print.\"\n\n\"No way am I going to do this with a living being.\"\n\n\"How do you feel about robots?\"\n\n\"No AI or AS. Pure radio control by normals.\"\n\n\"You've got some strict standards, kid.\"\n\n\"You heard the talk I just got, do you know why?\"\n\n\"No, I figured you'd tell me if or when you felt like it.\"\n\n\"I came within a heartbeat of killing Andromeda.\"\n\n\"WHAT!? She's the strongest of the lot! No way!\"\n\n\"Yes, way. If you turn her powers against her.\"\n\n\"Can you do...?\"\n\n\"Only by the most horrible chain of accidents. I nearly did in the whole team.\"\n\n\"And no villain worthy of them is going to take any chance on you.\"\n\n\"And even so, I don't want to kill anyone either; not even the big bad dude.\"\n\n\"Got it. There's a hyper-mind with a strong bent for largish gadgets. He's a huge fan of Coyote / Roadrunner. We can continue the Kinetic on other projects, no cut in pay, hire a second super to power the roadrunner, run the coyote by remote, and you can screw up the coyote's plans. Just do your best to follow the traditions of the old shows.\"\n\n\"Sounds possible.\"\n\n…\n\n\"Um, boss? Did you see who swooped in on the Kid?\"\n\n\"Yes, I did. Im trying to decide if I'm angry I didn't think of it, glad I didn't, squashing the whole idea, or let the kid loose on them and get them out of that market.\"\n\n\"Don't lie, boss. I've seen your collection of VHS cartoons.\"\n\n\"Busted. I'll take a hands off approach unless someone looks to get injured.\"\n\n\"Yah, you hear the part about the hyper-mind?\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"A hyper-mind who has a bent for largish gadgets. Does that sound like anyone we know?\"\n\n\"Aw, shit. Set up a 24/7 surveillance on the kid, the guy recruiting him, and any gadgets that show up.\"\n\n((continue later))" ]	2
	[WP] The school nurse can cure any illness with an icepack	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 retching and hacking coughs of over two hundred teenagers filled the gymnasium-turned-quarantine zone. Beds scarcely a foot apart from each other were patrolled by masked nurses, mechanically placing comforting hands on the disturbingly warm foreheads of the children stuck within them. The lights were turned off hours ago to provide some sense of relief and hopefully spur some to sleep, but the cold darkness only fuelled my numbing anxiety that if I was to close my eyes, I may never reopen them again. So even if they clearly didn’t want me to, I could see the distinctive shadow of the principal in a heated discussion with a lady in a white coat. I could hear them too.\n\n“What do you mean there won’t be more relief aid? Do you want our kids to die?”\n\n“I’m so sorry, Mr Baxton, but we don’t have a choice. Similar outbreaks are springing up all over the country, and we’re stretched thin as it is.”\n\n“But the children –“\n\n“We would offer more help if we could. But you can’t ask us to sacrifice the needs of others by devoting all that we have left to this relatively small number.”\n\n“How is over two hundred a relatively small number?”\n\n“I can unfortunately assure you that there are many more elsewhere who are in much worse condition than the children here, and who need urgent medical care. I really am sorry, but the decision has already been made. There is nothing I can do.”\n\nEven through the darkness, I could see her shooting Mr Baxton an apologetic look before turning towards the gym doors. The impossibly bright light as the doors opened briefly illuminated the wide eyes of the many others who had heard the conversation too, before everything returned to black with a slam. Then the murmurs started punctuating the coughs.\n\n“Did she just say what I think she said?”\n\n“Is the government really abandoning us now? Why?”\n\n“I wanna cry.”\n\n“Mr Baxton?” came a shaky voice somewhere to my left. “Are we gonna die?”\n\nFor the first time in what felt like forever, the hall fell silent. I too held back my coughing in hopes of hearing some reassurance from the principal, who stood rigidly still where he had spoken with the white-coat lady. I hoped that I had misheard.\n\n“I-it’s going to be alright, Becky,” Mr Baxton eventually stammered. “It’s going to be alright.”\n\nJust as he said that, the gym door slammed open again, with the silhouette of a portly aged woman illuminated by the overpowering light from beyond the door frame. I could recognise that outline anywhere. And I felt fear.\n\n“Mrs Joy,” Mr Baxton almost screamed. “What are you doing here? You know this is meant to be a recovery zone.”\n\n“Is it now, Baxton? I don’t see much recovery going on,” shot back the school nurse.\n\n“You know the rules. Medical staff only,” Mr Baxton gritted out, not even acknowledging the interruption.\n\n“I am the medical staff,” was the terse reply as she walked straight past the man.\n\nMrs Joy brushed off any attempts by the other nurses to hold her back as she marched towards the nearest bed. The student in it, the school basketball star Jack, had no strength to resist as she pinned his arms down, bringing out an icepack she kept hidden who-knows-where and all but smashing it onto his forehead. I winced for my bro, coughing with him in solidarity.\n\nBut Jack had stopped coughing.\n\n“Mrs Joy!” Mr Baxton was furious now, storming over with Hell written over his face. “What do you think you are doing? You cannot afford to be rough-housing these children now when they are in this state!”\n\nMrs Joy said nothing as she moved on to the next bed.\n\n“Mrs Joy! What do you have to say for yourself?!”\n\n“I-it’s alright, sir,” came a new weak voice.\n\nEven in my decrepit state, my head swivelled over to see Jack smiling at a stunned Mr Baxton. He no longer seemed to be in constant pain, with his patchy skin radiating a healthy glow.\n\n“I actually feel a lot better,” Jack continued. “Just a little tired, that’s all.”\n\nMrs Joy kept moving through the beds as the other nurses examined Jack and found him to have somehow completely recovered from the illness. Surely enough, one by one, student after student stopped coughing and fell into a blissful silence as they were tended by the nurses not paralysed by shock. When it came time for Mrs Joy to lock down my arms, I couldn’t help but ask.\n\n“How did you do it? Cure us all?”\n\nMrs Joy lifted up the ice-pack, looked at it, looked at me, winked, and brought it down onto my forehead." ]	2
	[WP] You are a human chimera. An individual with two different sets of DNA, with a secret twin. Except you are the secret twin, trapped in your shared mind, unheard. The morning after your 21st birthday you find out that you can communicate with your twin and have some control over your body.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It huuuuuurts.\n\nIt huuuuuuuuuuurts.\n\nIt's such a nuisance. Why does Kevin have to be such a heavy drinker?\n\nI'm a chimera. Science doesn't seem to know I exist. A full-blown person residing inside another's mind. I know this because Kevin, my twin, did an essays on human chimeras in high school. During the course of that essay, he discovered that his bean shaped birthmark was actually me. Well, what's left of my body, anyways. \n\nI've been aware I exist since people are old enough to be aware, but realizing that I was my own distinct body way back when really jolted me into awareness. I've tried everything to -\n\n“Shut uuuuuuuup”\n\nWhat? No one was talking... anyways, I've tried everything I can think of to communica -\n\n“You are talking! My head hurts, stoooop.”\n\nIs he talking... to me? \n\n“You're the only one talking.”\n\nI watch through his eyes as Kevin lifts his head, scattering the pillows it was buried under. He looks around the room, and I can feel his confusion building.\n\n“Where are you? Why are you talking like that?”\n\nI'm inside you. It gets lonely when no one can hear you. I pretty much spend my day just narrating your actions to myself. It's such an ingrained habit I hadn't really thought about it, I just did it.\n\nAs these thoughts flitted through his mind, Kevin's eyes moved towards the numerous bottles of alcohol scattered throughout the room. Last night had been his 21st birthday, and he'd had quite a lot to drink.\n\n“It wasn't that much,” Kevin said, defensively.\n\n“I am not defensive,” he then said, his voice going tense.\n\nAs he pondered what to say next, he moved to the bathroom. He really had to pee – it really was a lot of alcohol. \n\n“Stop that, shut up”\nI can't. I don't have a mouth like you, I can't just filter things out. This is who I am, and I'm only just now being heard for the first time in 21 years. You're just gonna have to accept that.\n\nKevin shook his head as he looked in the mirror, utter confusion and disbelief covering his face. \n\nOh. Oh what's this? I can move the left eye. I can look over here! \n\n“STOP FUCK AHHHHH”\n\nIt doesn't hurt, I can feel your body. Get over it, I've had to sit in here unmoving as you've lived your life. The least you can do is give me your eye some of the time. Doesn't seem like you can stop me anyways. I wonder what else I can do...", "Caroline watched as a breath blew out the candles on an oversized cake. She felt it come from her lungs, depleting them of oxygen in a useless ceremony. Her lips tugged upwards and her annoyance grew to more than she could bear.\n\nShe shook her head, even though her physical body didn't move, and pulled back. \n\nRoxanne had control. Roxanne had been in control their entire lives -- in fact, no one even knew that there was a twin at all. Roxanne was the daughter, the sister, the coworker. \n\nCaroline was the thing that came up every so often on blood tests, yet still there too insignificant to be looked into further. She had even named herself. \n\nAs her thoughts sunk into her safe spot, far into the subconscious of the body, she began to brood. Roxanne barely knew she was there. A shadow thought that appeared sometimes. \n\nA tick. \n\nA bad case of sleep paralysis every so often. \n\nThat was the most that Caroline could do; she could hold onto sleep sometimes. \n\nIt was humiliating and infuriating and exhausting. \n\nWith nothing else to be done, Caroline closed her eyes. The extra layer of darkness was imagined, but still -- it felt like an old friend. \n\nShe let her thoughts drift and eventually fell asleep. \n\nWhen she opened her eyes again, there was real darkness and nothing but darkness. The passed time had done nothing to ease her anger and felt it rise instantly. She opened her mouth and screamed, and startled herself when an echoing sound came out. \n\nIt bounced around the room her body sat in, and she immediately felt Roxanne stir. \n\nRoxanne shook the head they shared, and whispered to the empty room, \"Hello?\" \n\nAs if she didn't realize the scream had come from her own mouth. \n\nCaroline felt...something. she couldn't describe it. It wasn't something she had ever felt before. \n\nBold? \n\nHappy? \n\nBrave?\n\nIn control?\n\n\"Hello,\" Caroline answered. The words echoed only inside their mind at that time. She was sure her twin wouldn't hear it. If she did she wouldn't respond. \n\nRoxanne had never responded to her before. \n\n\"Hello?\" Roxanne said again. \"Who are you?\" \n\nCaroline felt herself begin to shake. Her hands trembled, and when the fabric underneath their body shifted in sync with her excitement, she shrieked. \n\nShe shrieked and Roxanne responded, mirroring the noise in a slightly different pitch. \n\nCaroline took in a deep breath, unsure how to use the moment she had waited on for 21 very long years. \"I'm your sister.\" \n\nThe room went silent again. Quiet and dark-- it must have been the middle of the night. Roxanne had torn down the blackout curtains in order to shake out the teenage feel of their childhood bedroom. \n\nNot that it mattered. Roxanne was getting ready to move out soon. Something Caroline would have done the moment they turned 18. \n\nRoxanne blinked. \n\nThe toom wasn't completely dark it seemed. Just nearly. \n\n\"Hello?\" Caroline spoke. She wondered if she had been imagining the whole thing. Having a dream on her own, or if there was someone else her body had been hearing. \n\nThe thought made her desperate, and she wanted to scream again but managed to hold it in. \n\nFor the moment. \n\nWhen the moment passed and it began to crawl up her chest, Roxanne finally spoke again. \"I don't have a sister. \" \n\nCaroline smiled, and for the first time ever, she enjoyed the feeling. \n\n\n**\n\nFor more by me check out r/beezus_writes \n\nFor longer stuff by me and others, stop by r/redditserials", "When I was a kid, I had this imaginary friend named Ted. Like all kids, I had a pretty vivid imagination, and would honestly believe that Ted was telling me things. One rule Ted told me to never break was to not tell anyone his name. He didn’t care if anyone knew he existed, he just warned me to never tell anyone his real name.\n\nEven back then, I thought this was a weird rule, but I went with it. One day I slipped up and accidentally called him Ted in front of my mom. I still remember the sound of the dishes shattering as she dropped them, her hands shaking. She turned to me, tears starting to form in her eyes, and asked me where I heard that name.\n\nTed told me again not to tell her anything, but my mom was scaring me, so I told her that Ted told me his name. She went into her room and I could hear her sobbing through the door. I asked Dad what was wrong, but he didn’t tell me. He looked like he was about to cry too. To distract me, he took me out to go get ice cream, and when we got back, Mom was back to normal. We never talked about what happened since.\n\nAnd Ted? He stopped talking to me after that day. I was sad for a while, but then I moved on. All kids forget their imaginary friends eventually.\n\nIt wasn’t until years later I learned why my mom and dad freaked out about my imaginary friend’s name. My aunt told me that my mom was originally supposed to have twins, and she had both of their names picked out. But before she gave birth, I had absorbed my twin. My parents were devastated, but tried to never show it in front of me. The name of my brother who was never born? Ted.\n\nWhen I first heard this story, I was freaked out. How the hell did I make an imaginary friend that happened to have the same name as my unborn twin? An irrational part of me said that Ted’s ghost was haunting me, but I snapped out of it soon enough. I reasoned that it was just an unfortunate coincidence, or maybe I had overheard my parents talk about Ted when they thought I wasn’t listening. Ghosts aren’t real, and that was that.\n\nMore years passed, and my 21st birthday happened, a perfect occasion to get wasted. It wasn’t my first time obviously, but legal drinking has a different feel to it. It feels less rebellious, so to compensate, you drink even more until you get to that rebel state again. The morning after was awful, meaning my birthday was a success. I went to the bathroom and looked into the mirror to see the damage, and then I heard him.\n\nYou look like shit.\n\n“Feel like it too,” I said, turning on the faucet.\n\nYou know where I’m from, we have alcohol too. Except ours is much stronger, so you have to be careful about how much you drink.\n\nAfter I splashed my face with water, I responded, “Really? Where are you from?”\n\nMike,* the voice said sternly, look around.\n\nI did as the voice asked, and sure enough, no one was around me. I looked back at the mirror, half expecting someone to be behind me. But of course there wasn’t, I was completely alone. Hesitantly, I asked, “Am I dreaming?”\n\nDoes that hangover feel like you’re dreaming?\n\nMy head was pounding. “No, it doesn’t. You sound familiar. Who are you?”\n\nMike, think. Who could I possibly be?\n\nI concentrated on my reflection, like that was somehow going to help me figure out who it-\n\nWait. Reflection. “Ted?”\n\nThe one and only, he said, with what I imagine was a smirk.\n\n“Are you really my twin?”\n\nSo you’ve heard, huh? Yeah, I’m really your twin.\n\n“It’s been so long. Why did you come back?”\n\nCan’t a guy wish his brother a happy birthday? Ted said, pretending to be hurt. Also, I got to say, you’re taking this awfully well. I thought talking to your dead twin brother would freak you out a lot more than this.\n\n“To be honest, I’m still not fully convinced this isn’t a dream. Or a hallucination.”\n\nMike, this isn’t a dream. Also, those brownies wore off hours ago, so it can’t be a hallucination either.\n\n“You...you saw me eating the brownies?” I asked, embarrassed.\n\nLook, Mike, I’m no prude. You can do what you want, I’m not going to lecture you like Mom and Dad.\n\n“Where are you anyway? Are you inside me?”\n\nTed laughed. Yes, Mike, I’m inside you. I’ve been inside you for your entire life, and I’ve seen everything!\n\nI groaned and Ted continued to laugh. I’m just joking, man. I’m not inside your body at all, I just pop in every once in a while to see what you’re up to. Usually I’m chilling somewhere else.\n\n“Somewhere else? Where would you go?”\n\nMike, I know you’re hungover, but give it some thought. Where would a dead baby go after it dies?\n\n“You mean...you’re from-”\n\nBingo.\n\nHeaven. I couldn’t believe I was talking to someone from Heaven. I went to church sometimes with my parents and I guess I sort of believed that stuff as a kid, but once I got older, I mostly just forgot about it. And now I was talking to my dead brother from Heaven.\n\n“This is a lot to take in, Ted.”\n\nWell if it makes you feel any better, I’ve got a spot ready for you here. You can meet Grandpa! He’s an interesting guy.\n\nThat was reassuring. And Grandpa? My mom’s parents were still alive, so he must have been talking about my grandfather on my- our dad’s side. Dad never talked about his parents, but if Grandpa made it to Heaven, I guess he must have been an okay guy.\n\n“Ted, I still don’t understand why you stopped talking to me after that day.”\n\nTed was silent for a moment, which meant he knew exactly what day I was referring to. He finally said, I didn’t want to bother you guys. You know how Mom reacted when she heard my name. I didn’t want to distress our parents again.\n\nI did know what he meant. My parents always had this hidden sadness about them. After what my aunt told me, I can’t help but think it’s because they’re thinking about Ted, what life would’ve been like if he survived.\n\nLook, I’m sorry I left you behind all those years ago. I know it must have been hard for you. That’s why my birthday present to you is being the older brother you deserve.\n\n“Older brother?”\n\nWhat? Who knows, maybe I would’ve been born before you.\n\n“Ted, we’re twins.”\n\nStill would’ve count.", "I watched as my twin blew the candles for the 21st time. The cake was as always red velvet, his favorite. \n\n\"Bet it tastes good, huh.\" I thought to myself- \"What?\" \n\nAs if I had a mouth to control, I went silent. My mind raced as I tried to gather my mind. \"This has to be a coincidence...\" I thought out loud again. \" What is? Who's talking?\" He thought. I went silent again. Suddenly, I feel something. A grip. But how is that possible? He looks to his left hand. I relax and raise his, or our arm right in front of our eyes, us fighting for control, making it look like he's arm wrestling with an invisible opponent. \"John, are you alright?\" Our mother asked. \"Y-yeah, I think...\" He got back control as I attempted to use our right arm. \"The fuck is happening?\" He thought. I was not gonna ruin the birthday party, not when he took care of his- our body. \n\nAfter the birthday party, we were hanging out on the porch of our parents' house with a bottle of beer. \"Dude. Dont drink that. I hate it.\" I said out loud. He looked around, with nobody even close to him. \"The fuck?\" He said with a confused tone. \"I know you know. I'm your twin.\" I said to him, knowing that we met in his dreams. \"You're. Not. Real.\" He whispered to himself, repeatedly. \"I am real. And I can control your limbs.\" I said, showing him by throwing the beer bottle onto the lawn. \"What the fuck?!\" He thought. \" I can hear your thoughts as well. I was with you and will always be with you. You can't get rid of me.\" I said, with a nervous but brave tone. \"Alright then. Let's hope youre gonna make it symbiotic. You know I am meeting Jay tomorrow.\" He said, reluctantly. Jay is his crush he asked out a week ago. Even though I am straight, I confess that I think he really is some hot fun. \"I know. And you're gonna let me do anything I want.\" I said. \"Fine. No sexual shit, alright?\" \"Ha! We're both college boys. You thi-\" \"Just. Promise. Or I'm going to a psychiatrist.\" \"Fine.\" \n\nWe are going to have some fun." ]	5
	[WP] The nations oldest volcano erupted. When the ash and lava finally cleared, photoraphs start emerging -- there were beasts inside the mountain, and they've started moving.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "At 8:13pm, Mt Snowden erupted. A previous assumed to be extinct volcano, we were forced to reconsider, as the ash and lava proved it was anything but extinct.\n\nLuckily, due to its relatively remote location, there were few people in danger. Whilst some people were rescued with ease, a few were only found days later, exhausted and injured. They told stories of things stalking the ash covered landscape, beasts of fire, rock and ash.\n\nAt first they were told that they must have suffered hallucinations, caused by the gases, tiredness and fear. But when one group was found, who had been camping in the nearby area, we were forced to change our view. They gave similar accounts, but they had also taken pictures and videos of what they saw.\n\nThe main photo we saw, and soon spread over the internet. was of a tiger-like thing. It was made of stone with fire spilling out of the cracks all around it. It looked to be roaring into the sky, with its claws sunk into a burning tree.\n\nThere were pictures of large snakes made entirely of ash with burning eyes, spiders the size of cars made of a jet black stone, and even a monkey, twice the size of an average human, seemingly made of a mix of stone, ash and fire. The posts were taken down quickly at first, but they still spread. Soon, it was on every news channel around the world, with the government being asked what this was. They tried to brush it off at first, but the public insistence caused them to slip up. It was soon admitted that even they had no idea what was going on.\n\nThe area around Mt Snowden was cordoned off by the military. We didn't know what was going on inside, but there was an increase in use of the nearby hospitals, for burn and crush wounds on soldiers. When the tiger thing attacked the main outpost, the world saw what they were hiding.\n\nThese creatures, they didn't disappear. They are free of the volcano which imprisoned them, and they are hungry." ]	2
I am perfectly aware this is a repost, OP is /u/aiden4017. I just want some writing on this. Edit: holy shit that’s a lot of upvotes Edit 2: added user link	[WP] First contact is made, but because no other species developed wireless communication, and the sheer volume of scientists who have been driven mad trying to find answers, we're considered eldritch entities capable of driving others insane without even being in the same star system.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Plz forgive typos - on phone 😔\n\n---\n\n\"We value your continued business\"\n\n\nFeodryx's chronometer had registered fifteen hundred standard instances since the beginning of this ordeal.\n\n\n\"A representative will be with you shortly\"\n\n\nIt was supposed to be a miracle. A technology that could transform a society overnight - the instant wireless transmission of messages over great distances. \n\n\nFor centuries, the conglomo-behemoths of Unicorp and Standco had exerted oligarchic control over the planet's communications. If you wanted to talk to someone, you were doing it when Unicorp wants, where Unicorp wants and through one of Standco's proprietary high fidelity network transmission cables. Rising businesses and centuries-old enterprises alike paid a heavy tax to \"The Big Two\", lest their vital wired telecommunications network access suffer \"an unfortunate degradation of service\" - that is, until we made first contact.\n\n\n\"Did you know you can register for StarCast business and home services on our website? Head on over to 2001:4860:4860::8844 and sign up today!\"\n\n\nFeodryx rested its pedipalps on the flat of its chest. This was supposed to make its life easier. Unshackle it from the stranglehold of The Big Two. When we first encountered the humans, we marvelled at their ability to communicate between starships and across entire planets. We begged them to provide us with the ability to do the same, and they all too happily obliged - for a fee, of course.\n\n\nThe music stops, Feodryx lifts its head from off the desk.\n\n\nThe music continues. \"Thank you for choosing StarCast, we are experiencing higher than normal call volumes. Please hold and a representative will be with you shortly.\"\n\n\nFeodryx lets its head fall back on the desk. Its entire life revolved around this little box now. A red glowing \"SC\" on the front illuminated a small curved indicator of signal strength below, set into a black polycarbonate protective frame.\n\n\nWithout it, Feodryx could neither pay its taxes nor its employees, nor search for new stock for its store, nor recieve the latest daily news updates from Central Co-ord. And late last night, the normal healthy blue indicator on the box had turned red. Feodryx's business fell off the net. Dead silent as far as the world was concerned.\n\n\n\"Your time is valuable to us. Do not hang up, or you will lose your place in line!\"\n\n\nHad we traded the shackles we could see for the shackles we could not? Had Unicorp and Standco been right this whole time? Had the Primates snared us in an insidious trap? \n\n\n\"Hello this is Ryan, how can I help you today?\"\n\n\nFeodryx lifted its head from its resting spot. Little puddles of drool had collected at the corners of its desk. \n\n\n\"Kxyexs, Khello! Myx wifikh rkhouxter isk xglokhwing rkhed! Plkhease adxvise!\"\n\n\nThat had been the magic phrase sibling Xarn taught it, \"please advise\" - the way to get the humans to do what was needed. Feodryx's accent wasn't too bad anymore, though it is difficult to wrap a Khmelnyxti split jawed mandible around several \"Engkhlix\" phonemes. \n\n\n\"Ah, I am sorry to hear that. Do you have a service contract ID or StarCast Frontier Plus Rewards membership card?\"\n\n\n\"Ikh dokhn't knowx\"\n\n\n\"It's printed on the back of your router\"\n\n\nFeodryx lubricated its optical ulcers. Reading human was the worst. Why couldn't they write outwards from the middle like normal?\n\n\n\"Khkhkh.... fkhour sxeven dkhouble Xerokh twox twox fikhve.\"\n\n\n\"Ah yes, Elder Feodryx Zykhthrap of Khmelnyx-Antakh Nine. I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble. Have you tried turning it off and on again?\"\n\n\n\"Khow dox Ikh dox tkhat?\"\n\n\n\"Just hold the red indicator for five sub-instances and let go when the light turns off. Then tap it again to turn it on\"\n\n\n\"Likhe thix?\", Feodryx asked as it depressed the small button with a dendritic tendril. \n\n\nThe line went dead. The box was now off. Feodryx had no connection left with the outside world.\n\n\nFeodryx pressed the button again. Nothing.\n\n\nThe box's power indicator would not light up even after depressing the button a third and fourth time. The lifeblood of its small busisness, transformed into a paperweight.\n\n\nThe telephonic transceiver in its third left grasping sucker was utterly useless now. Feodryx would never talk to Ryan again.\n\n\nCursing the sixty three offspring of the divine brood for allowing this to happen in its life, Feodryx's head turned towards the window and it gazed out into the night sky. The twin suns had set long ago, and the rings of Khmelnyx-Antakh Nine lit up the city with their iridescent reflective glow. It imagined that there was a pale blue dot just beyond the outer ring, in truth several million light years away. \n\n\n\"Destroy all humans\", Feodryx whispered in its native tongue.", "“Scribe Comette, this is Lead Trooper Yaaglerm speaking. The High Command has not received a report from you in nine planetary rotations and has sent my unit to investigate. May we enter?”\n\nYaaglerm could hear a faint muttering on the other side of the metal door, but it remained locked. He knocked more forcefully and said, “Scribe Comette. If you do not respond, we will have no choice but to force our way into your quarters. Please open the door now.”\n\nThere was no response. He gestured to the Vax trooper on his immediate left, who positioned himself in front of the door before kicking it off from its hinges. The unit of four rushed in with their weapons drawn to clear the room, immediately falling into fits of gagging and dry heaving upon entering. The room was in shambles, the stench of stale body odor and bodily waste heavy in the air. Comette was sprawled upon the floor, incoherently muttering to herself and surrounded by a sea of haphazardly scattered papers.\n\n“Suatiri, run to the Healer’s residence and inform him Scribe Comette is in critical condition.”\n\n“Y-yes, sir,” replied the Vax trooper as she hastily made her way back out the way their unit came in.\n\nYaaglerm gingerly made his way towards Comette, careful not to step in one of the many puddles of waste around him. He knelt down to the figure on the ground and said, “Scribe Comette, can you hear me?”\n\n“…they speak to me, they speak to me. I hear the Old Ones and the Old Ones hear me. Only I can hear their sacred words, only me, only me…”\n\nThe Lead Trooper placed a hand on her shoulder and said more gently, “Comette. It’s me.”\n\nComette’s muttering stopped as she turned to look at who was touching her. Her eyes widened in recognition as she responded, “Yaag! It’s you. Oh, what wonderful truths I have stumbled upon, Yaag! The Old Ones have peeled back the veil of lies and shown to me the futility of clinging to this plane of existence. Isn’t that wonderful, Yaag?”\n\n“Just hang tight, Comette. The Healer is on his way as we speak. He’ll fix you up and you’ll be back to work in no time.”\n\n“Back to work? No, no, no. That simply won’t do, Yaag. Don’t you get it? The High Command has deceived us. Deluded us into believing we are the conquerors of this universe, masters of our own fate. But I know better. We are but expendable pawns in Their grand schemes. They merely allowed us to assert our dominance over the universe, and they can just as easily take it away from us.”\n\nComette began to sit up from the ground, her exposed hands now revealing a blaster in her left hand and a crysknife in the other. The other two Vax troopers immediately raised their weapons, but a quick gesture from Yaaglerm forced them to relent. The Lead Trooper slowly rose from the ground, both of his hands in the air as he slowly retreated and said, “Easy there, Comette. No one here is forcing you to do anything. Let’s just relax, okay? Now, do me a favor and put down th-”\n\n“No more will I allow my brilliance to serve the interests of a false master. Only by shedding this mortal coil can I truly take my place as a loyal servant of the Old Ones. Your arrival has steeled my resolve, Yaag. Now I go to join the true masters of this universe!”\n\n“Comette, stop!” Yaaglerm shouted. But he was too late and could do nothing but watch as the crysknife sliced through Comette’s throat like butter. The scribe fell to the ground in a lifeless heap, a grotesque grin forever etched upon her face as a pool of green blood began forming around her. A heavy silence hung in the air between the three Vax troopers, broken only by the approaching footsteps of Suatiri and the Healer.\n\n“By the Elder Gods, what has transpired here? Lead Trooper Yaaglerm, you had best provide an explanation for this…this…nightmarish disaster I have just stumbled int-”\n\n“Suatiri,” said Yaaglerm through gritted teeth.\n\n“Yes, sir?”\n\n“Inform the High Command that Scribe Comette has perished. Inform them that Star System Zero is irredeemable and that all research pertaining to it must be halted immediately to ensure the safety of our other Scribes.\"\n\n“Yes, sir,” replied Suatiri as she ran back out of the quarters for the second time to make her report. The Healer roughly jostled past Yaaglerm towards Comette’s lifeless body, but the Lead Trooper barely registered the sensation. His eyes were fixated upon the large display at the other end of the room, showing a single planet in Star System Zero. Its surface was largely covered in what appeared to be dihydrogen monoxide, a number of prominent landmasses occupying the rest. The Healer, who had just begun to examine Comette’s corpse, jumped at the sound of shattering glass. He looked up to see a blacked-out display with a massive hole in its center, a heavily breathing Yaaglerm standing beside it with shards of glass covering his tightly clenched fist.\n\nr/williamk9949" ]	3
	[WP]You awake one morning to find that there isn't a single human being to be found in your apartment building, and all the windows are covered with paper from the outside. You go outside to investigate, and see that every building is covered all the way to the rooftops... in "missing" posters.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I woke up like every other normal day. I would say I'm an organized person, first thing I do every morning is cuddle my boyfriend, but when I rolled over in bed to cuddle him I noticed he wasn't there. I didn't think much of it considering he had a job and stuff but today was his off day, so I don't understand why he wouldn't be here. I got up and changed into my clothes. I went to the living room and noticed that paper was on the windows. I normally don't have papers on my window so I was so confused. I called my boyfriend on my phone to see where he was and why we had papers on our windows. my boyfriend normally always responds to my calls even if he's at work and busy, but when I called it immediately hung up. I went down to my neighbor's to see if they knew what was happening I knocked on every single door and I didn't get a single answer. I was really weirded out but maybe it was just because it was early in the morning. I live in New York so of course there's always someone awake. I wake up early so I can workout so I always walk to the gym. When I go outside I noticed something.... Weird. As I go outside I see no cars, no person walking, nothing, except on every single window that I see, there's missing papers of different people. I look up to the windows from our apartment and I see my boyfriend on the missing papers. I broke down on the street, I didn't know whether this was a prank or not but I was scared to see his face on a missing paper. I I walked to the gym scared and frantic. When I finally got there, there were missing papers and they have pictures of all the workers there. I walked into the gym and I just saw it completely empty. It was weird considering every time I went to the gym there would always be 10 to 20 people in there. I walked into the manager's office and saw nothing, walked into the zumba room where they always had plenty of people, nothing. I decided to exercise on the treadmill. After ten minutes, I saw a van outside. 5 men exited out of the van, and took 2 women out of the back of a van. The women had bags on their heads, and were screaming. I hid behind the treadmill and watched as they took the women into a big rundown factory. I was horrified. After 10 minutes, the men came back and hung up some missing posters. They looked like the two women. I immediately grabbed my phone and called 911. It took what felt like forever before it answered. \"911 what's your emergency?\" The man said in a enthusiastic voice. \"Hello? Yes I'm in the fitnessforever gym on 42nd Street, and I saw some men kidnapping women, and he put them in a building.\" I answered frantically. \"We'll be right there!\" The man said. I hung up, and then checked my phone to see if there was any news on what was going on, and there was nothing. I waited for the police to come, and hid behind the treadmill. When the police came, I exited out and waited for them to get out. One of the cops rolled down the window. \"Mam, get in the back.\" He said in a stern voice. I obliged. I sat in the back for forever waiting to get there. Soon, the car stopped, and they put a bag over my head and kept it on there while choking me. I died after 1 minute. Soon, they took me to a building and left me next to my boyfriend, who had been slashed up. The cops set us up on 100s of other bodies" ]	2
	[WP] You are walking through the busy streets of a medieval city when a stranger grabs you by the arm “is that a mobile phone you got there?”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Why the hell didn't Ms. Helms tell us to bring a map? Traveling through time is stressful enough without the awful consequence of getting lost back here. I was getting surprisingly good coverage next to a weapons stall, trying to find a map of the city. My whole fourth-period history class is back here, though they stayed in the lift. Field trips to the past always suck, and you never get to interact with anything, it's just like going to the museum or using VR. Invisible lifts take you all around the city where you do nothing, and nothing happens. My mom's eyes lit up when I handed her the permission slip, \"Oh! Pompeii! I remember my VR trip there when I was young! You'll love it.\" I seriously doubted that, but why argue? \n\n \nHistory has never been that interesting to me. If I want to learn about it, I can just look it up later. Of course, Mom is the exact opposite. She's filled the house with \"relics\" from the early 2000s. It's only 2046, but she's convinced that her click-its are \"priceless collector items\" and not useless plastic contributing to the hoard. If nothing else, I'm glad that Pompeii doesn't have any more plastic nicknack crap.\n\n \n The blade dangling above my head was masterfully crafted. It was what had drawn my attention to the stand in the first place. The sword hung from a leather loop connected to the pommel, which was a polished metal of some sort. The curve in the blade was both menacing and delicate at once as if it killed more gracefully than other short swords. I was absent-mindedly considering what someone would need a sword for while glancing over a map I'd found when the arm dragged me behind the stand.\n\n \n\"Is that a mobile phone?\" He whisper-screamed a few inches from my face. His eyes were wide and frantically searching mine for a tell, as he pushed me up against the temple wall.\n\n \n\"MHmhpMphUmmmm!\" The weapons crafter removed his soot-covered hand, and I coughed exaggeratedly, hoping to slip it into my pocket while doubled over. \n\n\nDude, I fucking missed my pocket. \n\n\nI watched the screen chip as it slammed onto the stone pavers. He scrambled to let go of me and swipe the phone. His calloused fingers traced various patterns over my lock screen excitedly. Recovering, I snatched the phone back from his hands. \n\"You're going to lock me out, man!\" \n\n\"Please! Please!\" He was almost in tears. \"I have to call her. Please, she's probably so scared. My-my daughter. We came back on her field trip and she left the lift. Please, child.\"\n\nAs much as I hated being called a child I unlocked the phone and handed it over. He let his eyes well up a bit and took a steadying breath. He stood for a few moments listening to the line ring, then a faint cheery voicemail greeting played. It was the inevitable result of having been stuck here for what I suppose must have been years. Defeated, he slunk slowly onto an upturned crate and dropped my phone back on the pavers. The last shreds of light in his eyes went dark and he hung his head. I snuck near him to grab my phone and started to exit the stall, but something stopped me.\n\n\"What was her name?\" I quietly offered.\n\n\"Janie Helms\"", "This was my third and final visit here. I was just going to return home when a stranger grabbed my arm. His eyes were gleeful and excited, like he’d seen gold in my eyes. \nThat was wrong, he had seen gold in my hands. It was foolish of my to keep my mobile phone out in my hands but I was almost at the extraction point, I didn’t expect to come across any other travellers.\n\n“Is that a mobile phone you got there?” Said the man, I pushed ahead, if I said too much I might accidentally change something. That would not be good.\n\n“I’m sorry, I have somewhere to be.” I said to the man, pulling free from his grip.\n\n“No! Don’t leave me here, I’ve waited and waited for somebody to come back here! Please take me back!” He said, I dragged him out of the busy crowd of farmers and families into a dark corner.\n\n“Listen here, I’m no rescue traveller alright. I’ve come here to study medieval life. I only have enough to get one of us home. You’re going to have to wait for somebody else.” I said. \nSure, you could say it was mean to abandon somebody in a forgotten time like that, but there was nothing that could be done. It was me or him.\n\n“Just, listen- please!” He said, taking a hold of me, shaking.\n“I’ve been stuck here for five years now, please just travel back afterwards and pick me up.”\n\n“Who the hell are you anyway.” I asked, starting to get frustrated.\n\n“My name is Peter Calcelmo.” He said.\n\nI thought he was joking at first, or lying, or both.\n\n“Peter Calcelmo? But... that’s me?” I said\n\nWe both stared at each other in shock, somewhat dazed.\n\n“You’re me? And I’m you?” He said\n\n“But that makes no sense...” I said, trying to understand.\n\nSuddenly, he snatched the phone from out of my hands and ran to the extraction point, I chased after him as fast as I could go through the heavy crowd.\n\nHe stopped before the exit. “I’m sorry me, I remember this day now.” He said.\n\nI ran after him, trying to catch the same exit as him, but the window closed and caught me short on the way out. I flew through the space-time void, hoping to land somewhere safe.\n\nWhen my vision returned it finally hit me, I was five years in the past. And now I had to wait another five years to get out." ]	3
Inspired by: [https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/eomjca/wp\_you\_are\_a\_monster\_but\_thanks\_to\_a\_potion\_that/](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/eomjca/wp_you_are_a_monster_but_thanks_to_a_potion_that/)	[WP] You have been cursed. To keep your human form you drink a daily dose of your potion. One day while hanging out with your friend you realise that you've forgotten to take the potion and it has already started to wear off...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I can't remember when, how or why I was cursed. \n\nThe first time it happened I woke up with my brother trying to wrestle me to the ground. My 28 year old brother fighting for his life against my 14 year old self, and losing. \n\nI remember the fear I saw in his eyes, I will never forget the scratches on his face, the blood running from the gouges I left on his arms. \n\nI ran that day. I didn't know where I was running too, but I knew that if I stayed, he wouldn't be safe. None of them would. \n\nFor two years I hid myself away. I felt myself changing every time I fell asleep, being a little less ME every time I woke up. Until she found me, sleeping under a bridge and starving. \nI don't remember much of the next few days, but I do remember the last. \n\nI woke up, and for the first time since this nightmare started. I smiled. And then I cried.I remembered who I was, and I felt the monster retreat. \n\nShe showed me how to prepare the potion that would keep it at bay. How to find the ingredients and make enough to last me for months if necessary. And then she left, and I tried to restart my life. \n\nI managed to get my GED, and worked myself into an utterly average life. Something that I never thought I coul have, but the monster was always there, waiting, watching for a moment of weakness. \n\nI fell in love, and maybe that was what distracted me, made me forget...\n\nForget what the monster was capable of. Made me complacent, comfortable..... \n\nStupid. \n\nAnd now I stand over the body of the man I love with blood dripping from my hands. The taste of iron in my mouth, and the unshakable knowledge that he watched me tear into him and chew through his flesh before he died. \n\nBecause I forgot....." ]	2
	[WP] Humanity has always had the need to be special but once they started fully integrating into galactic society they slowly realized that there’s nothing special about 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.", "“Well we have spaceships!”\n\n“Don’t we all?” \n\n“The deepest of oceans.” \n\n“Well, yes ‘cause you’re small” \n\n“We have healthcare for everyone!”\n\n“And we don’t have disease.” \n\n“Our forests are remarkable.” \n\n“And you’re still cutting down trees.” \n\n“We have income support for those who are poor.” \n\n“We eradicated poverty, and the crime it ensures.”\n\n“Oh, but we have something called the world wide web.” \n\n“Which only half your world can access, and the connection still ebbs.” \n\n“Well, we have Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and Poe.” \n\n“And your people find them cumbersome, difficult, and slow.” \n\n“We have wine, and beer, and great spirits too!”\n\n“Our’s don’t poison, nor make us feel blue.” \n\n“We landed on the moon in record speed.” \n\n“The moon’s easy, did you think that was all you would need?” \n\n“We split the atom and built nuclear bombs” \n\n“That you can’t even use, because the force is too strong.” \n\n“We have beautiful nature, it’s stunning to see.” \n\n“Which you ravage with farming and kill all the bees.” \n\n“Well what more do you want? There must be something we have?” \n\n“There honestly isn’t, you just look quite sad.” \n\n“Then where do we go if we can’t join your club?” \n\n“Go home, drink beer, and post on this sub.”", "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. I get it. Humans, special. Well, I got news for ya Kid, Every species thinks it's special. Yeah, mine too. Let me tell you, it came as a terrible shock when we made it into interstellar space. Pretty much the way you did, by our bootstraps. We were eight feet tall, ripped with muscles, and covered with hair. No one. No One! Could possibly stand against us! We had everything right in our grasp.\n\nSound familiar, Kid?\n\n...\n\nIt should. Yes, we were watching. It's part of what we do. We look for species like us. Bipedal, bilaterally symmetric, brains on top with most of the sensorium, and an ego bigger than the universe will allow. Think about it. Why would we do that?\n\n...\n\nYes, that's why. We wanted to keep you from making the same mistakes we did. I'd say we succeed in maybe 1% of the cases. The rest of them? The best we can do is blunt the damage.\n\n...\n\nWhy do we keep trying? Kid, we made so many mistakes that keeping even one percent of those like us from making the same mistakes is a huge way towards paying off our debt to Galactic Society. Right now, we owe another 23,406 galactic year's service to the community, for all the damage we did. As it is, you got off easy. We blunted the edge you were ready to thrust into the vitals of the community, so you're only indentured for about 4,135 years.\n\n...\n\nYes, most of that is for the damage you did to us. Thanks, by the way, that same four thousand plus years came straight off our debt.\n\n...\n\nHey! Don't get pissy at me! That's how it works! We blunt you, you take on part of our debt to the community, equal to the amount of damage you do to us. And believe you me, we were not throwing the game. The damage you did to us will take about 8,000 galactic years to recover from!\n\n...\n\nHow long is it in Earth years? Your homeport's years? Haw-Haw Hoo Hoo Har Har Har! No one TOLD you!?! Oh, this is too rich. A galactic standard year is about 30 days in your system. Don't get cocky, Kid, it's still over 339 years for you. Oh, you can do that standing on your head? Don't worry, Kid. Stand at our side, and you'll find out what it's like to be slammed back by 8,000 galactic standard every damned time you have to blunt someone else. You see until you do recover, you can't go after any other emergent unless there's no one in the rotation ahead of you.\n\n...\n\nHow long is the rotation? Kid, you are our first emergent in the last thousand galactic standard years. There are another 2,354 species ahead of us. Granted, most of them aren't shaped like us, but they sure have the attitude. With a thousand GSY between every emergent, most of which aren't going to look like us, you can count on the 8,000 years recovery to be a pittance in the bucket.\n\n...\n\nIndentured Servitude? Slavery? Unreasonable? Outrageous? This Sucks!?\n\n*OF COURSE, IT DOES YOU TWIT!* iT'S SUPPOSED TO! The theory is that after a few hundred to thousand GSY, you might actually have mellowed enough to join the community!\n\n...\n\nKid. The reason our total is so high is that every so often we get stupid, and try to overthrow the Galactic Society. Since Galactic Society is made up pretty much of species like us, your chance of beating them is somewhere between slim and none. Do the smart thing. Keep your head down, develop your weapons, build up your alliances, and wait until you're finally in the community. Don't throw any fights, but you don't necessarily have to use your latest-greatest weapons either.\n\n...\n\nYou just now figured that out? Yeah, anyone who wants to join your military is considered an unacceptable risk to society. Those get promoted fast because they're good at fighting, but their chances of survival are so slim in the long run they don't get to add to the gene pool. That is why you have to work on your weapons. The more peaceful you get, the less you can count on natural ferocity to win the battle. You need to distill the wisdom of how you fight now, and carefully teach people to bring that side of yourselves out again.\n\n...\n\nKid, I thought you were getting smart, now I'm not so sure. Think about it, what happens as soon as you join the community? Remember, they're all like us, just mellowed a bit.\n\n...\n\nThat's right, they do their damnedest to wipe you out. You have to be ready to beat the lot of them. Which is why you need allies, and you have to keep up your weapons research.\n\n...\n\nAlly with you? Share our research? Sorry kid, not gonna happen. First, if we ally with you, it reduces the number of years we get off of our service. Second, sooner or later, we're going to have to face off against the community, and you're likely to be part of the competition. Third, share our research? What do we get in return? Right now, you've got nothing worth our time.\n\n...\n\nA secret weapon? What part of over 2,000 species over the span of millions of GSY, did you miss? Every damned secret weapon we have ever come up with, there's about a dozen counters already known. What goes around, comes around, Kid. Most everyone already knows the really good weapons and the counters for them.\n\n...\n\nSIGH I should have known. Kid, you and yours are going to have to learn the hard way. And this is one place we're willing to help you. It's going to cost you though. There's nothing like a war to accelerate research, so here's where we would ally with you, for some values of \"ally.\" You become our sparring partner. We try out weapons, tactics, and strategies. We win, you take 500 GSY off our total. You win, we take 500 GSY off your total.\n\n...\n\nYou think we got all those GSY added to our total because we fight stupid? Kid, we've transferred over one million GSY to other species that way.\n\n...\n\nYou're calling me a liar? Kid, you really don't want to do that. Every time you call one of us a liar, we get to call you out on sparring.\n\n...\n\nYes, every damned human, having a conversation like this one, is probably going to trigger a challenge by being rude.\n\n...\n\nNo, you don't get to warn them. That would be telling. This is part of the system. For every one of you who does not trigger a challenge, you offset one of the people who do trigger a challenge. Kid? We already have 124 matches set up. Fortunately for you, they're held sequentially, With five years between each match. That gives you time to catch up.\n\n...\n\nYes, you have avoided it, you just missed being rude, so you're one of the ones who offset a match. Pity, I had such high hopes for you.\n\n((finis))" ]	3
	[WP] A robot opens a crafting/smithing shop in a fantasy world. Rivals are not happy.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 blacksmith can create true works of beauty and art. Passed from master to apprentice, the inner workings of the craft are studied in detail. With devotion, time, and sweat, the master will know that their legacy will be preserved. Sadly, the ancient teachings of the trade in the sleepy town of hollow shades are being replaced. \n\nEven a master blacksmith can create a flawed blade, and the bitter march of time steals the youth of even the most spirited like a thief scurrying in the dark. On a cool autumn night, the last vestiges of strength leave the arms of Jonah. He regarded the fruits of his labor with a critical eye, and already found it marred with imperfections. At first glance, it would look like a competently made blade, perhaps even exquisitely so. However, His keen and aged eyes picked up upon the blemishes that hid from sight. \n\nHe sighed to himself as he readied to retire for the night, and he dreamt of a time before the choking fumes and the taste of sulfur. \n\nEven in the hours after dark, and the townspeople’s shuttered their windows and locked their doors, the telling signs of industrialization were plain to see. Thick black smoke covered the sleepy village like a blanket. The smokestacks connected to a massive plain box-like building near the outskirts of town was the primary culprit. \n\nIt was a necessary evil in order to provide for ever growing, and gnawing hunger of the sleeping giant known as consumerism. The thatched roof cottages that had dotted the landscape have long since given way to brick-and-mortar housing. Even the dirt roads that once crisscrossed hither and yon were now paved. All of this can be accredited to a single man, with flesh and blood replaced by circuitry and coolant. \n\n“The assembly lines were working at 98.3% efficiency, a .4% increase from yesterdays metrics.” X0S-7 processed. It had been a challenge to put together such an operation from what little they had to work with. There was little to no industrial base to speak of within these lands. Artisans and craftsmen were relied upon for most, if not all aspects of construction. The result of such metrics was…\n\n“Inefficient!” X0S-7 barked. The computerized enunciation broke the tired factory worker out of his stupor. It was clear that he was unfit for tonight’s shift, as a quick scan revealed an 86% percent probability of a viral infection, along with symptoms in line with fatigue. \n\n“You will return to your place of residence until your condition improves.” The factory worker turned to face him, with a 74% probability that he would attempt to argue his case. \n\n“Your employment contract will be terminated if you do not comply.” The color drained from his already pale face as he beat a hasty retreat. Without replacement staff to take over the workstation, efficiency projections were slated to fall by 6%. \n\n“Unacceptable.” \n\nWith haste, the metal human took over functions of the workstation, and approximately 9 hours later the night shift had ended. Before turning over the station to the morning staff, they looked upon the product from the night shift. The factory was responsible for a multitude of products and appliances. Everything from toasters and gas-powered auto mobiles to swords and shields for adventurous travelers were assembled here.\n\nX0S-7’s scanners inspected a crate of swords meant for the front lines of some campaign in the outer reaches of the country. A metal hand clasped upon the grip of a random blade; keen synthetic ocular systems examined the sharp killing instrument. After a few long moments, it was returned to the pile, and the whole set was approved for sale. There was not a single imperfection that marred the blade.", "In the center of Galmantown stood a great, bustling market square, that was filled with brightly colored tents, awnings and walls during the daylight hours. The great plaza of the square was old indeed, having been built so long ago that its origins were shrouded in myth. It was built by the first king, Valadocus The Great, some said. Others claimed it was older than the kingdom; that it was built by an ancient people called the Tular. Some even claimed that the great plaza was built by the old gods; long before Our Lord and Savior, Christ, was known in these lands. Surrounding the ancient plaza stood a ring of tall buildings made of local stone bricks, timber and stucco. Some were four, even five stories tall, though the majority of them were had only three floors. Some of these buildings were inns and taverns; others were merchant shops; others still were occupied by literary professionals such as cartographers, scribes and solicitors. Nearly at the center of the eastern edge of the market square was a four-story tall inn and tavern called the Saint Elan. The establishment had been ran by the same family, the Tchskie Clan, for at least three hundred years. The family may have owned it longer, but all records prior 980 were lost in the Great Blaze, so no one knew for certain.\n\nFor reasons that no one remembers, the Saint Elan Tavern became the preferred socializing location for several members of the metal trades – the smiths. While members of the smithing guilds could be found in the tavern on nearly any night, the more senior of them celebrated together the successful closing of the business week on Saturday nights. It was not at all uncommon to find the blacksmiths drinking with the whitesmiths; brownsmiths eating alongside with bladesmiths; and even on occasion, the goldsmiths and brightsmiths joined in the socializing, though their crafts were quite unlike those who worked with more common metals.\n\nIt was the night of October 9th, and several prominent smiths had settled into the dimly-lit back corners of the Saint Elan Tavern. Four men sat around a long table that was well-appointed with several pints of house-brewed malt beer, coarse bread, hard lard and old salt pork. The oldest and most experienced blacksmith in Galmantown, Ord Isout, sat at the head of the table. Now fifty years-old, Ord had served as the master of the Blacksmith Guild for twenty years. Despite his advancing age, Ord Isout continued to hone his craft, even as his apprentice was nearly ready to take over the shop.\n\nTaking a large drink of beer, Ord belched and sat up as he wiped the froth from the beer off of his beard. “I tell you, my brothers, the new smithy ran by that X1-71 fellow bothers me. It is a danger to us and our craft.”\n\n“Hear, hear!” shouted the other blacksmith at the table, Rold Incar. “How can we compete with such an unholy abomination? He is unlike us, surely he must be of the Devil himself!” Ord nodded in agreement. “What ought to be done with this stranger from alien lands?”\n\nSeated alongside Ord and Rold were Amdsun Inhere, the master of the Guild of Bladesmiths, and Typis Inbevi, a journeyman coppersmith. The works of X1-71 were certainly known to three of the men, but Typis Inbevi had not ever seen this mysterious stranger, much less their work. Taking a large bite out of the coarse bread covered in lard, Typis scratched his sparse beard and spoke:\n\n“Brother smiths, why does this stranger with such an unusual name bother you so? He has been here months, and many of us have yet to see him. Surely one man cannot be a threat to all your shops?”\n\nAmdsun Inhere coughed loudly, commanding attention. “Brother Typis,” he began, “you are indeed fortunate that this strange man, if he is a man at all, does not threaten your craft and your living. He is dangerous and unlike any other.” The table became silent now, and the three smiths all looked to Amdsun. “This fellow, who speaks in a very unusual and harsh accent, has a name that I do not even think could be a name. He calls himself X1-71, and says that all of his people have names like this. Who, in God’s green Earth, gives their children names of numbers?”\n\n“Brother Amdsun,” interrupted Typis Inbevi, “surely foreign names are not reason to shun a member of our own crafts? We have long lived among foreigners with difficult and weird names.”\n\n“Indeed we do,” replied Amdsun Inhere. “An odd name is not one of the problems, but rather it is his behavior that concerns us. He is not a man like you and I: X1-71 does not sleep, needs no rest and works with a skill that is unnatural.” Ord and Rold nod in agreement. “Imagine, if you will, that a mysterious man who works copper to perfection and does not need rest came to town, and because of his remarkable abilities, is able to undercut your business with superior products at a pittance of cost. That is why we must do something about this X1-71.”\n\nTypis scoffed at Amdsun. “I find it hard to believe, Brother Amdsun, that this man does not sleep and that his skill is superior to that of Master Ord or your own. I own one of your finest daggers, and it is a brilliant piece of craftsmanship. I see not how this newcomer can be a threat.” As Typis Inbevi finished speaking, Rold Incar shuffled though his cloak, and produced a dagger which he kept close to his body.\n\n“Brother Typis,” said Rold, “would you place your dagger, of which the iron was smithed by me, and the blade forged and honed by Brother Amdsun, on this table?” Typis nodded, and placed his treasured blade on the table. From tip of the pommel to the end of the point, it was as long as the length from a man’s elbow to his wrist. The blade was dull silver, with a few pocks from regular usage. The wrapping on the handle was rough bukhorn leather that was undyed. The lines of the dagger were smooth and gave it an appearance of being longer than it actually was. Rold Incar took Typis’s dagger and looked it carefully over.\n\n“Yes, this is indeed a very fine blade that is well balanced. Tell me, how much did Brother Amdsun charge you for this excellent arm?”\n\n“Four gold Diris. A fair price, I felt.” The three other men nod in agreement.\n\n“That is indeed a fair price,” answered Rold Incar. “This blade in my hand here, was bought just three days ago from X1-71’s smithy. He asked for only one gold Diris. One! Take this blade, Brother Typis, and look upon it and see why we are troubled by this stranger.” Typis took the dagger and inspected it. This blade was merely half the size of his own dagger. The handle was tightly wrapped in soft, yet remarkably smooth bear leather that had been dyed scarlet red. The blade was impossibly thin and light; polished to an immaculate shine. Slowly turning the blade in his hand, it reflected candlelight into Typis Inbevi’s eyes like a mirror. Surprised at this bright reflection, Typis’s hand slipped and the blade effortlessly made a two-inch long slashing cut on his left palm.\n\n“By Christ!” he exclaimed while looking through his belongings for cloth to bandage his hand with. “How can this blade be so sharp and light, yet only cost one fourth that of a master’s work?”\n\n“I told you,” replied Amdsun. “X1-71 has skill beyond what men have. It must be from the Devil or maybe other lesser demons. It is not just his skill, it is also how he works.”\n\n“X1-71’s work has indeed impressed me,” replied Typis Inbevi, “but I still have my doubts that he does not sleep.” Brother Ord Isout stood up, unexpectedly.\n\n“Come, brothers. Let us go to X1-71’s smithy and show Brother Typis why we know that this foreigner is unnatural.” The men agreed, and left the tavern. On the way out, Rold laid two gold Diris on the counter before the innkeeper, in payment. Outside, the market square was dark, and the waxing gibbous moon provided enough light for the men to see where they walked. Nearly all the buildings along the plaza were dark, save for a few candles in but a few of the windows. “This way, follow me,” Ord said in a loud whisper. The men walked as a group down one twisty cobblestone street and then down another. First a right turn at old man Muflein’s bakery, then a left at the Essor Family’s butcher shop. As they moved down the darkened streets and alleyways, the sound of hammerstikes and bellows became louder and louder. The smell of hot metal and coal smoke became stronger with each and every step. Finally, just on the very edge of town next to the ancient city walls, they came to a humble smithy that was alive with the sounds and smells of work.\n\nUpon urging from the others, Typis looked inside through a small window on the door. Inside, backlit by the fires of the furnaces, was a svelte man, who looked unlike any he’d seen before. His garb was that of a blacksmith, but his head was bald and his skin looked like the metal that he worked. X1-71 moved with great speed, unlike what the fastest man could ever hope to do. He worked with intent and amazing precision. In one moment, X1-71 would work the bellows with unrelenting speed and strength, only to switch over to hammering a longsword on the anvil with unerring precision. As they watched, X1-71 sprinted across the smithy, carrying a massive crucible in his bare hands, as though it was a child’s toy. Without a single drop of molten metal wasted, he precisely metered out the metal into enormous molds. As he watched, Typis Inbevi was astounded by what he saw. How could a man have metal skin? How could a mortal lift and carry such a heavy and deathly hot crucible? How could he work so fast and with such unheard of accuracy?\n\nTo be continued..." ]	3
	[WP] "In the shattered no-man's-land between those two armies is a bar. Not in any one place, see, but if you're far from friendly lines, lost and without direction, you'll find it. If you make it there, remember: don't fight, and never order a drink. You'll pay with more than money if you 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.", "I sat at the dusty bar, the cracked leather creaking underneath me. I looked around, the bar was run down with bare walls. I saw no other guests nor bartender, and it was dead silent. My armor was heavy and hot from the days’ fighting. I had wandered through countless battlefields that spoke the language of death, but all the same I found myself lost. I had decided to speak out.\n\n“Hello, anyone there?” I asked out the empty bar, not even a mouse spoke back as I sighed.\n\n“How odd to get someone here, no one visits Heaven’s gate anymore. Well not since the war started.” A voice spoke to me from the bar where a man stood there. He was tall, lanky, indistinguishable from an elderly man from the village. He wore a black suit, black gloves, and had small rimmed glasses.\n\n“Never heard of it mister,” I briefly apologized, as I looked to see another entrance but to no avail.\n\n“It is a place that soldiers’ often come to wet their thirst, and rest for a while. May I offer you a drink?” The man said curtly, almost as if egging me to do something.\n\n“A pint of your ale patron,” I obliged to his game, as he poured it to me and slid it to me. As it reached my hand, I felt heavy almost tired. I must have forgotten how long I walked.\n\nI raised the tankard to my lips, as the ale touched my parched throat I saw pictures of my wife at home. The warm smile of her’s, the child in her arms waiting for daddy. I stood up, the image spurring me into action like it was instinct.\n\n“I am sorry, Sir Patron but I must get going, I have a wife and child waiting for me back home. If you may,please show me the way back. I must get back to Calist.” I pleaded with the server.\n\n“Did that ale wet your parched throat? Did the amber liquid warm your throat?” I shook my head no.\n\n“‘Tis only touched my tongue sir, not a single drop down my throat.” \n\n“Then take your horse and ride to the west, may you never lay eyes upon this cursed bar once more.” He said turning away.\n\n“Dear helpful Patron what is your name? So I may tell my wife when I arrive.” I asked the man.\n\n“Hades, the name is Hades.” He said disappearing, as I hopped on my horse and rode back home." ]	2
	[WP] By an accident of birth, this dragon could only breathe out clouds of butterflies instead of fire. Tell us how it finally comes to peace with its "disability".	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Effie the dragon was born different. From the first time she ever tried to breathe fire, it had come out wrong. As a child, small green worms had been spewed forth; “Maggots,” her father had exclaimed. “She’s going to be a necromancer dragon!” But time wore on, and someone later identified the worms as caterpillars. \n\nBy the time she was a teenager, Effie was blowing out little brown cocoons, which she did not see as an improvement. Dragons were supposed to be able to defend their horde from threats with their fiery breath. What kind of threat would be thwarted by a torrent of cocoons? \n\nAshamed, Effie left her pack, and traveled the world. She finally settled into a small, damp cave at the bottom of a mountain. There was a village of humans nearby, but since they hadn’t seen her disability, they left her alone in fear. The only other danger in the forest were the local zombies, shuffling along. But they posed no threat to Effie. \n\nOne morning, a young girl wandered too far from the village. She quickly became lost in the woods, and shortly had a pack of zombies shambling after her. She ran towards the mountain, looking to hide in the cave, unaware of Effie in the dark.\n\nHer screams of fear caught Effie’s attention, and the dragon strode out of her cave to see the girl and the zombies. “She’s just a child,” Effie thought. “I have to do something.” The girl screamed even harder at the sight of the monstrous dragon, and fell to the ground, resigned to be eaten one way, or the other. \n\nEffie roared, but the zombies did not stop. She swung her tail, knocking them about, but they simply rose again and continued towards the girl. Growing desperate, she unleashed her breath for the first time in years. To her surprise, millions of beautiful winged insects flew out of her mouth. They tickled her nose a bit as they swarmed the zombies. The rainbow cloud of insects completely covered the undead, as the little girl looked up. \n\n“Butterflies?” She gasped. “They’re beautiful!” She looked at Effie, still blowing butterflies at the zombies. Despite the fear she had just experienced, the little girl was delighted by the spectacle before her.\n\nAs Effie stopped blowing, the butterflies began to scatter. To her surprise, all that remained of the zombies was a pile of bones; the butterflies had eaten the corpses. Before she could really process that, she felt a small pressure on around her arm. Looking down, she saw the little girl, tears streaming down her face, wrapping her arms around Effie as best she could. \n\n“You saved me!” The girl announced. “You’re the best dragon ever!” And as Effie’s eyes began to water too, she knew that she had finally found a place to belong.", "“Look Hector, I think our baby’s going to blow his first smoke!”\n\n“Come on little one, you can do it!”\n\nThe little baby dragon huffed and puffed with all his might, and out came –\n\n“What is that? Hector, oh my god what is that!”\n\n“I... I think it’s butterflies.”\n\n“But – why?”\n\nDouglas woke up and sighed. A single meadow brown floated out one nostril lazily, and he swatted it with his tail in anger. It fell to the cave floor, lifeless. Useless. What use were butterflies to a dragon? What use was a dragon who couldn’t breathe fire? He flopped back down on his side and tried to go back to sleep, but it was hopeless. He was awake now and there was nothing he could do about it.\n\nHe didn’t particularly want to go outside. Though his parents told him to ignore it, that he was special, the snickers of the other young dragonlings made him angry, but instead of producing threatening sparks or clouds of smoke, out came butterflies, and it just made them laugh even more. He sighed huffily again, and this time produced a cabbage white. He let it fly about a bit, watching the effortless flap of its wings. It was graceful, beautiful, and he hated it with a passion. He pinned it to the wall with his claw and let it drop down next to the meadow brown that was already fading away.\n\n“Douglas!”\n\nDrat. His mother was calling. He picked himself up ad crawled through the connecting tunnel to a larger, family sized cave. His developing wings dragged behind him.\n\nHis mother was pouring over her small hoard of women’s left boots in the corner. All dragons hoarded something different, and Camilla hoarded single boots from the left feet of various women. Sadly, she only had a small collection. His father Hector, on the other hand, was more conventional, an he hoarded swords. He had a few more of those than Camilla had boots, something that occasionally caused tension between them. Douglas didn’t know what he hoarded yet. It was something one discovered a little later in life.\n\n“There you are Douggie!” his mother called, twisting around. “You dad wants you to go up to the ridge with him.”\n\n“Do I have to, mum?” Douglas whined. He hated going up to the ridge. His father would encourage him to blow butterflies, and recorded every new species he produced with excitement, and called it a gift. Down below he would see other young dragons blowing their first fire, and there he would be, counting butterflies.\n\n“I know it’s hard Douggie,” his mother said, cleaning his wings for him with a gentle steam, “but you’ve been given something different. Something special.” He groaned. “Stop that. It is special. And you need to learn how to use it and appreciate it. Who knows what you could be one day?”\n\nA bloody useless dragon, he thought to himself, but he followed his dad out of the cave and started to walk up to the ridge. He gave a few flaps of his wings to dry them off, and tried a few running jumps, lifting himself up into the air for a few seconds and half gliding, half crashing down. His wings weren’t developed enough to fly yet, but it was fun to try them out and imagine what it would feel like.\n\nThey reached the top of the ridge.\n\n“Now Doug,” his father said, business like. “We’ve had seven different species from you so far.” He pointed at a rock, into which he had scratched abbreviations of the types of butterflies. CW for cabbage white, MB for meadow brown, TS for tortoiseshell, and so on. He had also breathed commas, a couple of painted ladies, one red admiral, and a whole cloud of little blues. \n\n“Let’s see if we can get a new one today. Or another red admiral.” Douglas sighed a couple of commas.\n\n“Come on Doug. Try.”\n\nHe took a deep breath, and concentrated on the idea of smoke. He wasn’t ever really trying for the butterflies, he still hoped that one day he would breathe fire, so that was what he thought of. But butterflies were always what came out. Out streamed a load of cabbage whites that flapped lazily away.\n\n“Delightful!”\n\nBut Douglas was not delighted. His anger felt warm inside him, and he concentrated on that heat and thought of fire, and snorted – and there was a halo of commas and painted ladies flapping around his eyes. He snarled, and a meadow brown shot out confusedly, flapping away slowly, looking dizzy.\n\n“Come now, Doug. Relax.”\n\nBut Doug could not relax. He snarled again with explosions of dazed butterflies. He continued snarling and snorting until he ran out of breath and sat back panting out single commas at a time. His father looked at him. \n\n“You mustn’t be angry Doug.”\n\n“Why shouldn’t I be angry?”\n\n“Look at it this way,” his father said. He shot out a spurt of flame, and ten butterflies fell, dead and charred to the floor. They disintegrated when Doug tapped them with his claws.\n\n“I only have the power to destroy things. But you Doug,” his father pointed at the clouds of butterflies flying away over the valley. “You can create something. Something beautiful. So you mustn’t be angry.”\n\nDoug thought for a moment.\n\n“But I can’t even make any cool butterflies. Just boring ones,” he said. His father laughed.\n\n“That’s because you’re not trying to make butterflies. You’re still trying to make fire, aren’t you?”\n\n“...I suppose.”\n\n“Try again Doug.”\n\nThis time, he didn’t think about smoke, or try and find the heat inside himself. He thought about lazy flapping wings, about tortoiseshell patterns and scalloped wings, and he felt a calm inside him. He took a deep breath, and breathed out.\n\nA huge blue butterfly came out of his mouth, sparkling in the sun.\n\n“What is that?” his father asked. Doug smiled.\n\n“It’s a Blue Morpho, Dad. Why don’t you write it on the rock?”", "Nuri sighed as she looked down at the village.\n\nHer older brother, Tatsuya enjoyed destroying the strange scaleless beings and their creations. They ran and cowered in fear from the dragon that breathed fire on top of them. But Nuri knew, she knew that one day they would turn and start to hunt them. They were strange that way.\n\nNuri was gentle in her steps, feeling the charred earth beneath her feet while she walked down to the village. The buzzing in her lungs started up, preparing to be released.\n\nShe was a strange dragon. Her scale color being a shimmering color of brown and red. Her litter-mates and the rest of the dragons she came across were blue, pink, yellow, and white in color. All the more to blend in with the sky she knew. \n\nNuri didn’t have wings of her own, just four legs to walk along the ground.\n\nHer family teased her for it, but her mother told her she was special.\n\n“All Dragons breath fire, but only the Special Dragons breath life.” She would tell Nuri.\n\nNuri never understood it at first, but when Tatsuya went on a rampage her mother took her out and showed Nuri how special she was.\n\n“Fire is one way to bring life, but it’s destructive in it’s coming. Life is beautiful and strange to understand. You, Nuri, are a Special Dragon.”\n\nJust like the first time with her mother, Nuri walked along the destruction. Rather than let everything out in one large breath, she was slowly breathing.\n\nWith one breath, bees came out. \n\n“Bee’s are the fertilizers of the earth. Without them, Life will end for all beings.” Mother would say.\n\nWith another breath, ladybugs. \n\n“Ladybugs are protectors of crops. They eat those who would be gluttonous.”\n\nNuri laid her head down and let out two slow breaths.\n\n“Ants and beetles provide water to the plants under the ground, helping the bees and ladybugs fertilize the flowers and crops to sustain life.”\n\nNuri laid down in the stone cave the scaleless beings created.\n\nShe rests her lungs so that she can do better work of bringing Life back to the carnage.\n\nThe next day there were little green plants poking up from the ground.\n\nNuri let out a rumble of pleasure as the ants scurried around, looking for food for themselves.\n\nNuri let out several more breaths that day.\n\nOne for the trees to grow and bear fruit.\n\nOne for the vegetables to grow from the ground.\n\nChipmunks and birds had started to come back to the area. \n\nThe little chipmunks scampered across Nuri’s claws, unaware of the potential danger.\n\nThe birds were finding worms in the ground where tiny water streams made by beetles and ants spread out.\n\nNuri laid her head down and rested for the day.\n\nOn the third day, more animals came into the land.\n\nFoxes burrowed, deer explored, and rabbits hopped along.\n\nNuri found a well of water and with the help of the beavers, they were able to get water flowing freely. With a dam built for the beavers to live in, of course.\n\nA bear was spotted sniffing a tree. Dragons and bear’s tend to avoid each other, but Nuri made sure that the bear knew he was welcomed. She kept her distance by staying in the stone cave on top of the mountain so that the bear could explore any of the caves in the forest.\n\nSoon, the countryside had come back to life. The ecosystem was thriving and just as Nuri was leaving, she noticed a group of the scaleless beings looking around the area. Their eyes were wide when she was seen.\n\nThey’ve only seen dragons of blue and white. A brown and red dragon was a story in itself.\n\nJust as Nuri was about to leave the forest she helped recreate, she turned around.\n\nThere was a fluttering in her lungs and butterflies of all colors and shapes came out of her breath.\n\nShe didn’t need to add the butterflies. They would come on their own.\n\nBut they were her favorite thing to create.", "An interesting fact that most don't know about dragons, is that they are born with their names. A name is an innate fragment of memory that is bound to ones being, an image, thought, or feeling. From the moment she hatched was an aberration of sorts. She knew not her name. Her hide was a motley brown, a stark reflection of the surrounding landscape. Desolate plains either burned or ravished by disease were all that existed, as far as one could fly. It was very dissimilar from the rich single tone colors of her litter-mates. It was quickly apparent that she was the odd one out in the greater colony.\n\nEvery time she looked at her litter-father she felt his thoughts imprinting upon her. images of SADNESS, of DISAPPOINTMENT. She would respond with feelings of HOPE and CARE, only to be turned away from. DISGUST and PITY were what she felt the most, CONFUSION as to why her litter-mates received different feelings. Mechanical flashes of instruction and indifference were all she knew. Years come and go like days of the week. Inside, there was only SORROW.\n\nThe time of great importance arrived. Litter-mates now old enough to breath fire gathered at the Great Tree centered in the hive. Its trunk and branches scorched black, but the wood itself seemingly unable to turn to ash. Each litter-mate took its turn, a rumbling from the belly exploding from gaping maw into the branches, setting the tree ablaze each time. APPROVAL. PRIDE. The feelings flowed from the spectators unrestricted. She approached the tree, HOPE brimming, desire of ACCEPTANCE. She gathered every bit she had and from her innermost being erupted a cloud of pure white. The cloud enveloped the Great Tree. Shimmering in the light she saw hundreds, no, thousands of butterflies perched upon every limb. \n\nShe shuddered and fell to the ground as a monstrous wave of FURY, HATE, VITRIOL bashed into her. Her last litter-mate strode forward and set the cloud of butterflies ablaze. Her vision faded into darkness as she watched APPROVAL of the hive flash around her.\n\nWhen she awoke, she knew that she must leave. She departed the hive without looking back. \n\nCURIOSITY.\n\nShe nearly fell from the sky, as she encountered the strangest feeling. She look around and felt SURPRISE. The Queen Dragon. After landing on the ground below she waited questioningly for the queen. As if in answer, an image blossomed in her mind and all became clear. In a desperate rush she returned to the hive's Great Tree. DISDAIN, she ignored. \n\nApproaching the Great Tree she opened and poured out the butterflies, once again covering the tree in white. A large green stepped forward as if to put the tree ablaze only to stop to a resounding roar from the Queen. \n\nThe Butterflies as if in tandem opened and closed their wings. Like a heartbeat. Tempo reducing they slowed until they stopped. At the center they turned a pale green, growing in vibrancy as they turned throughout the Great Tree. They became one and blossoms sprouted from the limbs in varying colors and intensities. \n\nAgain she blew out the butterflies, and they coated the ground, a crescendo of fluttering ending again in green. Her own hide slowly changed into the purest white.\n\n AWE. WONDER. REVERENCE. \n\nShe is CREATION." ]	5
	[WP] Hell once looked very similar to Heaven. Then, it became massively overpopulated.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 always introduce myself to new members in the same way: \n\n“It’s not the heat that’ll kill you, it’s the humidity.”\n\nBeing one of the “older” members comes with it’s fair set of perks. Though in here, the word “older” doesn’t really have much meaning. My skin gets no more wrinkly, my face shows no more experience, and my eyes carry the same weight that they have for quite some time now. With that being said, I’ve got the best job in the joint. \n\nI’m the one man welcome committee. \n\nThe boy, who could have been no older than 22, looked at me with eyes stretched as wide as they could go. \n\nI let out a chuckle.\n\n“All you newcomers have the same look when you first see it.” \n\nThe voices in the background made it hard to hear, so the boy shouted back to me: \n\n“Am I—“ \n\nI interrupted,\n\n“Dead? In the place you think you are? That’s a yes to both. But don’t feel so down, son, this place wasn’t all that bad at one point. Just seems that now the man upstairs has either gotten pickier, or the lot of us have gotten shittier.” \n\nI watched as the boy scanned the room, breathing heavy, his mind running faster than the car that brought him here.\n\nI spoke again, \n\n“Notice that moist heat that’s all over here? That’s from people panting like you are now. Have some manners and close your mouth.” \n\nHe complied quickly. Looking me in the eyes now, he pleaded. \n\n“This is a mistake, I’m not a bad guy. I don’t belong in... whatever THIS is.” \n\nI smiled at him. He’d fit in well here. \n\n“Unfortunately for you, that’s not up to me. But I can show you around. You like to gamble? Fuck? Drink? Whatever your vice, we can accommodate you.” \n\nHis eyes again met mine, the panicked look in his face threatened to morph into one of anger. He spoke his next words slowly. \n\n“Just tell me how I get out of here.” \n\nI met his gaze with one of my own. \n\n“You’ve got two options. Option one is you stay here and make the best of it. Place really isn’t so bad once you get used to it. Though I can’t promise it’s gonna get any less packed any time soon.”\n\n“And option two?” he growled, growing impatient. \n\nI sighed. \n\n“Option two is you be a good boy for a long, long, time. And even then, you gotta hope that the man upstairs notices you.”\n\nI took a moment to not rush the boy while he thought things over. He seemed tense. In the most comforting tone I could offer, I turned to him and said,\n\n“We all made our choice here, son. Now it’s your turn.” \n\nThe boy took a moment, reflecting on his new reality and deciding his fate. Giving a silent nod as a goodbye, he slipped into the crowd..." ]	2
	[WP] You live in a steampunk city which is surrounded by massive heavily guarded metal walls on all sides, it feels safe and secure to all of it's residents. Then one day you and many others are sent out beyond the walls. Little did you all know that the outside world was full of mechanical horrors.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Exterior resource zone #6 has suffered a catastrophic malfunction. If not resolved quickly, the city will suffer severe shortages of food, fuel, and metal. The nature of the malfunction is unknown and may involve hostile machinery. You have been assigned to a Ranger squad created to resolve this. Proceed to Gatehouse #6, equip Ranger gear, investigate and resolve the error. This order is IMMEDIATE priority, authorized by CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION.\n\nThat was all the little slip of paper said. There were around a dozen of us, packed into the little building that controlled access into and out of the city, and none of us knew what exactly we were doing there.\n\n\"Exterior resource zone? Does that mean outside?\"\n\n\"I thought only automatons went outside the walls. I mean, it's just mines and stuff, right? You don't need a human to dump ore on a belt,\" someone else said.\n\n\"Dad said my grandpa was on a Ranger squad once. Don't know what he did, though.\"\n\nI didn't even know it was possible to be assigned outside the walls. It was clearly important - Central Admin seemed to think that the fate of the city was at stake - but the orders were frustratingly vague. Nobody knew what a Ranger squad did, or why we might have been chosen for this mission. I could see uniforms of all colors in the crowd, suggesting that even Central wasn't sure what skills we'd need.\n\n\"I'm worried about the 'hostile machinery' bit,\" said a woman next to me, dressed in the white uniform of a logic engineer. \"That's not a normal phrasing.\"\n\n\"Hazardous machinery is a pretty common issue for repair jobs,\" I replied. I was a repair tech myself - when something went wrong and the automatons couldn't fix it, it was blueshirts like me who had to figure it out. Dealing with high-pressure steam or high-voltage electricity was always a risk.\n\n\"Admin units always use the same phrases. If it was hazardous, it would have used that exact wording. Hostile machinery must mean something else. Something that's actively malicious rather than simply dangerous to be around.\"\n\nWe were interrupted in our speculation by an auto-hauler rumbling up to the gate. It deposited a dozen large bags, printed out a shipping manifest declaring it had provided \"12 Standard Ranger Packs\", and rumbled off again.\n\n\"...Is that it?\"\n\n\"I guess. I could send a message up the tube, but Central never answers questions about the outside. That Information is Restricted for Security Reasons.\" She mimicked the rigid phrasing that Admin used, so precise that you could hear the capital letters.\n\nI hoisted the heavy pack onto my shoulders. Others in the group followed suit. What else could we do? If Central Admin thought we were the right crew for the job, it wasn't our place to say otherwise. \"I guess we'll see for ourselves.\"\n\nThe heavy metal gates began to swing open, and we took our first steps outside of the city." ]	2
	[WP] At midnight of your 25th birthday, the person living your life in a parallel universe comes to your bedroom. You wake up and do not hesitate to question her. During your talk, you find out she's been living a better life than 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.", "Vita stirred awake with a jolt and hastily scanned the abstract black surrounding her bed. She was well acquainted with her sleep habits after twenty five years of the same routine, so she knew that if she woke mid-dream, something had most definitely interrupted her slumber. Her hazy gaze stopped abruptly as she discerned a dark silhouette lurking in the corner of her bedroom. In a moment of recognition and terror, she recoiled to a seated position and tugged on the cord of the lamp next to her bed. Her right hand darted under the pillow next to her as she stared at the figure now picked out in light. \n\n\"Vita, it's me. Calm down. It's you.\"\n\nVita narrowed her fear-widened eyes in an attempt to identify the woman poised at the opposite end of the room, her hand still moving beneath the adjacent pillow. \n\n\"I know this is weird, okay? I actually tried to come up with something to say to make this more believable, or just less screwy. But words always fall short anyway. You know that quite well, don't you?\"\n\nVita's eyes shot open again as she recognized the intruder as a mirror image of herself. Something was off though; this other version of her looked more at ease, happier. It was all in the face. Then Vita's expression went blank.\n\n\"Oh, I know who you are.\" Vita said with a quiet sneer. \"You're the version of me that's happier because you took the easy way out every chance you got. You used and manipulated all your partners for your gain, abandoned your family for a career, lied and cheated your way to the top, abused your body for money...name it. You're the bastard me.\" And before the intruder could so much as utter a syllable of refutation, Vita tugged her right hand out from underneath her pillow and thrust it toward the other her, a silver handgun clasped within. \n\nShe happily pulled the trigger and woke from the dream, content." ]	2
	[WP] While you're dealing with your daughter's demonic possession, you find out a sorcerer is hunting down the spirit, but unlike an exorcist, he doesn't care about the well being of the host.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "\"Kaz'hum the Sinful,\" snarled the man. \"I can sense his foul presence wherever he walks.\"\n\nThree sets of eyes stared blankly at him, yet he continued. \"He is the guardian of the shadow realm. We must extinguish him from the world.\"\n\n\"So,\" I interrupted. \"What do you suggest? Some therapy, some prayers? I'm willing to pay for the expenses.\" I remembered my daughter's smile, her radiant grin from all those years ago.\n\n\"What I suggest is magic,\" he answered. \"She must undergo the Red Purification.\"\n\nDubious, I looked at him for more explanation. \"Death by fire,\" he elaborated. \"Very painful, but it must be done.\"\n\nMy face must have betrayed my indignation, for he quickly added, \"There is another way.\"\n\n\"What?\" I mumbled darkly.\n\n\"The White Purification,\" he announced. \"Death by electrocution.\"\n\n\"Listen,\" I demanded. \"I don't care if your dumb demon spirit is killed or banished. All I ask is for my daughter's recovery.\"\n\n\"That leaves only the last method,\" he proclaimed. \"The Black Purification.\"\n\nI was beginning to slam the door when he pulled out a box of chocolate milk.\n\n\"Oh,\" I said, relieved. \"Let's try that strategy then.\"\n\n\"Okay,\" he responded. \"Death by drowning in chocolate milk.\"", "It was a wonderful Friday. Boss called in earlier, notifying us about the sudden maintenance due to a busted pipe that flooded our floor overnight with murky brown water. Glad I wasn't there when that happened. \n\n\"Day's off, I'll tell you guys if the problem's fixed by tomorrow,\" Boss said, and I was sure I could imagine a smile on his face as well. Our company operated only during weekdays, and this day off meant that we had a long weekend ahead of us. \n\nNow then! \n\nI stretched out my limbs as I prepped myself up before cooking breakfast. It's been a while since I last cooked something for the family. Ever since I served charred eggs sometime ago, my wife had me effectively banned from using the kitchen ever again. \n\nThis time, however, I decided to try my luck once more. There was currently no one in the house who could stop me. Sheila — my wife — was still sound asleep due to coming home late from work. Sandra, too, was still asleep in her room. Summer break. How enviable. \n\nI opened the fridge. Inside was a neat stack of beer cans, a half-eaten blueberry cheesecake, assorted vegetables in the chiller, another stack of beer cans, and maple syrup. I clapped my hands upon noticing the last item. Today's menu: pancakes! \n\nI opened my phone and looked up tutorials on Youtube. I propped it nicely on the countertop and went about following the instructions down to the very last detail.\n\nRoughly half an hour later, I had a stack of golden brown deliciousness on a plate, topped with maple syrup. I suppose I should've followed instructions back then instead of just winging it. \n\nI took a bite out of mine, surprised at the simple yet satisfying flavor of my hard work. The girls are going to love this! \n\nI turned off my phone. Their rooms were upstairs, and I took great caution in handling the plates in each of my hands as I went up. I made an effort to make the food appealing, and it would be a shame if— \n\nSuddenly, a great force slammed on me from the front, knocking me out of my feet. I crashed down into the base of the stairs, dazed and confused. It took me a few seconds to get a bearing on my surroundings. The walls and my clothes were splattered with syrup, and around me were the remains of my hard work, shattered pieces of ceramic and the pancakes, squashed beyond recognition. Thankfully I sustained no major injuries, only a couple of bruises and torn clothing. \n\nI stood up, brushing myself off and thinking, What the hell was that? I recalled the force coming somewhere in front of me, which was weird. Was that an earthquake? It most probably was, and if that was the case, I had to check on my family. \n\nThankfully, the shaking appeared to have already stopped. I rushed up the stairs, taking three flights at once, and banged open the door to my and my wife's bedroom. She must have been still sleeping before my boisterous arrival. The sound of the door sent her scrambling out of the bed sheets in no time. \n\n\"What? What's happened? Why—\" she asked, her voice cut off as she gestured wildly at the mess that was me. \n\nI looked around the room, taking note of any changes. Nothing seems to be out of place? \"An earthquake. This? Syrup. Are you okay?\" \n\n\"Earthquake? Syrup?\" She took a look around the room for herself. \"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Everything's fine. How's Sandra?\" \n\n\"I'm about to go grab her. Go downstairs, we don't know if another one is hitting us soon,\" I said to her as I moved towards the adjacent room. Was I imagining things? \n\nThis time, I simply knocked on the door instead of kicking it open. \"Sandra, honey? Are you alright?\" I called out. No one answered. I knocked on the door again, harder this time. \"Sandra? Wake up, honey!\" Still no answer. Anxiousness was starting to swell in my chest. My daughter was probably still asleep, but I had the feeling that that was not the case. \n\nAnother voice beside me called out, \"Sandra? Open the door, its your Mom and Dad!\" Sheila stood next to me. I stared at her with questioning eyes, but she simply stared me down. \n\nDamn it, what is happening?!\n\n\"Sandra, I'm opening the door! If you're there, back away from it. On three! One, two, three!\" I slammed my foot down on the door, tearing it off of its hinges. The door slammed down squarely on the floor, unsettling dust. I was both thankful and concerned that the door was easily broken down, but that only lasted for a second. \n\nHovering on top of the bed was... something. Something that looked like Sandra. Red and green veins pulsated visibly underneath her pale white skin. Her golden hair flowed eerily around her head, strands of gold suspended in the air like some sort of divine being. \nHer eyes stared at me, calm and emotionless. There was none of the familiarity and the love with which my beloved daughter looked at her parents. \n\nNone.\n\nThat was not Sandra.\n\nSheila stumbled down on the floor. \n\nWhat the hell do I do? What the fuck is happening? The calm demeanor that I was known for by my friends and relatives was nowhere to be had. In its place was crippling fear, fear that appeared to have frozen my entire body solid. \n\nSandra simply stared down at us, unmoving and ethereal. \n\n\"Charles! Do something, please!\" Sheila cried out as she clutched at my pants. \n\nI snapped back to my senses.\n\nI mentally slapped myself and made my way towards my daughter, my steps slow and deliberate. \"Y—you! Who the hell are you?! Leave my daughter alone, you—\" \n\n\"Silence.\" Sandra blinked, and yet another unseen force rammed into me like a truck, knocking the breath out of my lungs as I collided against the wall on the hallway.\n\nThe collision left me battered, and for a moment I simply lied on the floor in a heap of pain. From where I lied down on the floor, I looked up at Sandra and came upon a horrifying realization. \n\nThere was no earthquake. \n\nThere was only that thing. \n\nSheila rushed over to me and felt around my body as she sputtered unintelligible words of concern. This entire situation was probably an ordeal for her, knowing that she hated horror movies and was living in one. \n\nI struggled to get up and regretted trying to. White lights filled my vision. The impact left me with a concussion, and my eyes were watery from the pain that wracked my entire body. I could not stand up, and I belatedly realized why. \n\nProtruding out of my leg was something jagged and white. Sheila noticed it too, and she nearly fainted from shock. I would have up and fainted myself if not for the adrenaline that coursed through my body at that moment. \n\nMoving my leg in any way at all earned me a staggering amount of pain. I had no choice but to lie down in defeat and watch helplessly as the events unfold on their own. On the other hand, Sheila was trying to contact the cops, and her shaky hands made that a challenge in itself.\n\nI let out a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself down.\n\n\"At long last. Full possession,\" Sandra said as she looked down at her own hands, inspecting them. Her voice was a deep, reverberating bass that sent countless chills down my spine. I was starting to question whether or not my beloved daughter was still alive somewhere inside that possessed body. \n\n\"Now, where to?\" \n\nDemon. Exorcist. We need an exorcist. I was about to inform Sheila of this when a voice rang through my hazy mind with vivid clarity. \n\n\"How about you stay right where you are?\" \n\nStanding in front of us, appearing out of thin air, was a person fully clad in a hooded black robe, its edges trimmed with the dark red color of blood. In his right hand was an open book, its visible pages filled with archaic symbols that shone silvery-white. In his left hand was a twisted wooden staff, and on its very tip was an orb of pure darkness that seemed to suck the life out of the very air itself. \n\nThe mysterious person's appearance was accompanied by a loud piercing shriek from inside the bedroom. I looked and saw Sandra struggling mightily against the chains that snaked out from the book and latched onto her arms, legs, and neck, binding her in place to where she hovered in the air. Her body was starting to contort visibly as she continued her struggle, shrieking and screaming as she did so. I choked on my own saliva as I saw her limbs bend all the way back, the bones inside snapping audibly with a loud crack. Sandra — the demon itself did not seem to be bothered by this at all. \n\nWorried, I looked beside me. Thankfully, Sheila had already passed out and was lying motionlessly on the floor, her phone still clutched in her hand. She did not deserve to see any of this. \n\nNeither of us did. \n\n\"HOW?! HOW DID YOU?!\" the demon cried out, its eyes turning red with unbridled hatred. \n\n\"How? Your luck simply ran out, Berus.\" \n\nI don't know what was happening anymore. I just wanted my daughter back. \n\nWithout thinking, I pushed myself off of the wall, screaming internally in agonizing pain as I felt the protruding bone shift due to the sudden movement. I reached out with my right hand and managed to grab the hem of the man's robe. There was nothing else I could do but beg. \n\n\"Please. My daughter, she—she's possessed, I think. She's a good girl, please, you have to trust me.\" My voice came out as a hoarse whisper, barely audible even to my own ears. \n\nThe hooded man turned around and looked down at me. He nodded. \"Worry not, Mr. Jefferson. I know better than anyone that this young lady is possessed.\" \n\nHope began to fill my eyes, clouded only by a tiny sliver of doubt as to how he knew my name. That does not matter. I can have my girl back! \n\n\"Th—then, please! Please save her!\"\n\nThe man seemed to think for a moment, undisturbed by the screams that erupted from behind him. When he finally came to some sort of conclusion, he sighed and looked at me squarely in the eyes. \n\n\"You see, I could. But I won't. The soul needs Purging, since that is where a Demon resides in.\" I felt a sudden chop to my nape. \"Sorry.\"\n\nI watched as the world went black." ]	3
It's a horror/mystery story. Edit: Quote Wikipedia on AUV: "An autonomous underwater vehicle is a robot that travels underwater without requiring input from an operator."	[WP] Your deep-sea exploration team sends a crew of two in a submersible to search for a lost AUV. The crew reaches an underwater cliff, and the darkness seems to grow below. Something out of view rapidly pulls them deeper down as the sound of creaking hull precedes an abrupt end in communications.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 watched the feed coming from our submersible, as it closed in on the last location of our AUV. It had stopped responding, and we has lost all connection to it. As a result, we had sent one of our 3 submersibles down, to try and find out what had happened.\n\nThey had reached the correct depth, and were making their way across the sea floor. If help was needed to retrieve the unit our other submersibles were ready to go, but this one should suffice. I heard Wallace's voice over the radio.\n\n\"We should be in the right area, according to our readouts, and there's no sign of the unit. Any recommendations?\"\n\n\"Continue along its previously plotted course, it might be the location failed but it's still going.\"\n\n\"Understood. Looks like the path went over a chasm here, which doesn't appear on our charts.\"\n\n\"A chasm? That probably came from the earthquake recorded here not so long ago. We'll make a note to get this area reported via satellite, to see what else changed.\"\n\nI quickly scribbled it on my list of things call the headquarters about. I looked up at the feed, to see the edge of the chasm, and saw something reflecting the spotlights.\n\n\"Hold up guys, do you see that?\"\n\n\"Ye..h, ..ooks me..alli.. Kin.. like the A..V claw.\"\n\n\"Come again? You're breaking up.\"\n\n\"......like the AUV's claw. Wait... what is that?\"\n\n\"What's happening?\"\n\nThe feed started dipping in and out of static. \n\n\"...rk m...ing...GET O... RUN... LP.\"\n\nThe feed cut out completely, as the line broke down even more, before I heard a creaking sound and it shut off completely. Helpless, I looked over at their dot on our radar, just in time to see it blink out.\n\n\"Come in....Wallace, can you hear me? Oliver? Come in!! Damnit!\"\n\nI switched over to the other 2 submersibles. \n\n\"Both of you, we have lost contact with Wallace and Oliver. They may be in trouble, so get to their last position as quickly as possible. I'm going to route both of your feeds to the control room. Go go go!\"\n\nI anxiously paced, as I watched them both deploy, and speed off towards the chasm. I hoped that it was just a minor communications error. I had known Oliver and Wallace for years, so the thought of losing them was terrifying.\n\nWhat felt like an eternity later, the 2 submersibles reached the chasm. I looked in horror at the lack of movement, besides disturbed seabed slowly settling. The radio crackled to life.\n\n\"I see something Toni.\"\n\n\"What is it Mandy, what do you see?!\"\n\nMandy's sub moved closer, and on the feed I could see a single broken propeller.\n\n\"No...\"\n\nAnother voice sounded.\n\n\"Mandy, w..ats tha.. Look.. ..ut!\"\n\nI looked over at Elise's feed, to see the darkness of the chasm flow upwards, wrapping itself around Mandys sub.\n\n\"H.....P!!!\"\n\n\"GET... THERE!!!\"\n\nI felt sickened as the darkness flowed back down, pulling Mandy's sub below. The radio was filled with static, before the creaking sound came through again, and all I could hear was Elise's panicked breathing.\n\n \"Get back to the surface!\"\n\n\"But... migh.. be able .... help Mandy!\"\n\n\"I can't lose you too!\"\n\n\".....k.\"\n\nI saw their sub start to rise, before a beep drew my attention to the radar. Where both subs had disappeared, something new, and bigger was being detected. \n\n\"Go faster!!\"\n\n\"W..... THAT?! ..... OFF! ...GGH!\"\n\nThere was a third creak, but as the radio started to fall silent again, I heard a voice that sounded older then civilisation.\n\n\"F̷̤͊r̷̩̋e̴̱̽e̵̤͆\"" ]	2
	[WP] When you die, you unlock a "free play" mode where you can go back to your body at any point in your life and change what you did.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 was I doing?\n\nWhere am I?\n\nWho am I?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAs the last of my life force started to fade, these thoughts went through my mind... at least what is left of it...\n\nOh, I see - nothing really mattered.\n\nThe ideas I had of the universe, life and it's meaning faded to that of it's true form... \"I think\".\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI think I understand now... oh well I guess death wasn't so bad after all.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThen, nothing... not even blackness, was left.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_ \n\n\nMore than 200 trillion years later... the universe... at least our universe, returned to nothing.\n\nYour life is about to resume something...nothing.... said...thought...communicated with some, or no, thing else.\n\nA new big bang was beginning....\n\nYou are your own perspective, the sole observer of your reality, life and possibilities repeat endlessly - I only have one question for you, do you want to retain all your knowledge and experiences?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe answer to that choice... doesn't really matter, since both possibilities exist regardless...\n\nPerhaps I will remember nothing, everything, or everything in between.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n4.6 Billion years later:\n\n\"Aaaah, ahhhhh, waaa\" \n\n\nThe newborn baby cried after it was born.\n\n\"I wonder if our child had a past life, if only we could ask\"... someone said to their partner, a question that pops up from time to time from various people.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nUnfortunately, regardless of the truth, the child would lose its memory after 5 years... \n\nWould this time be different? Would my experiences change anything? \n\n\nYes... and no I guess, depending on what reality \"I\" observe.\n\n \nThen, everything continued to move, as normal.", "Death wasn’t as I expected, actually it was kinda boring. The pain was soon numbed and all I could do was lay there and wait till too much blood spilled out. \n\nBut than the strangest thing happened right before I closed my eyes I swear I saw something that wasn’t there before. It was like it popped up in mid air and it looked somewhat like something you would see in a video game. Like some achievement tag; was dying an achievement? Kinda stupid if you ask me, it’s like a participant prize isn’t it, and nobody like a pity prize.\n\nWow am I cold. Am I still dying this is taking forever, i wish I never died in the first place. It was stupid of me to act like a hero anyway I shouldn’t have done it in the first place. Typical humans don’t win against knives anyway, so why jump in front of one? \n\nIf I could go back I would of never done it.\n\nSlowly the cold goes away and I feel nothing and than suddenly I feel a strong tug, like I was being pulled back to life. Am I not dying? Is modern technology that good now. Thank you god for letting me live!\n\nI open my eyes expecting to see the blinding light of a hospital but all I say was that dang robbery, the stupid one I died in, what is this crap? Is this hell, or is this just what it’s like dying? Am I gonna be stuck in an infinite boring loop of death, is this one of those stupid things? Yeah right, not making that mistake twice. I’ll hide right here, that damned woman can feel the that slow torment this time I’m done. \n\nI watch the hooded man who stabbed me come through the door exactly like how I did before I died. The lady I protected was right were she was before all it took was a few seconds, a lift of his hand and the knife is in play. I watch her body drop to the floor, why did I protect her anyway? She didn’t do anything for me. Should I be feeling remorse right now? Or even regret? Cause I don’t feel guilty at all.\n\nIs it wrong to be smiling right now?\n\n(First time writing wasn’t planning on writing this but everyones stories were on repeat so I decided to try my own, also on phone so sorry for layout)", "“Hey Dad?”\n\n“Yes son?” \n\n“Can I come with you?” \n\nHe smirks and looks down at his watch. “You don’t have anything packed. So you better hurry.”\n\nAustin goes to his room and pretends to pack. He grabs his suitcase and zips it up. “I’m ready dad!”\n\nOn the way to the airport Austin looks over at his father. He has big bushy eyebrows, a few freckles, a two day stubble. His eyes are focused on the road. The only reason he cannot see them is because of the ball cap. Austin leans over from the passenger seat and holds tight onto his father’s arm. The father looks at his son, his eyes are narrowing. \n\n“Son. Do you need to talk to me about something?”\n\nAustin lets go of his father’s arm and sinks back into his seat. “I never got to really say anything. I remember—“\n\nThe father looks over. “What are—“\n\n“Dad, let me finish.”\n\nHis father looks back the road. It won’t be much longer, Austin thinks to himself. \n\n“I never really said anything to you before you left. And it really messed me up. I had to watch mom grow up with a bottle in her hand. I had to somehow be the man of the house. I remember saying that how stupid it was that you had to go on these trips. And you just stared at me. And then you left. No goodbye, no see you Thursday, no I love you. Nothing.”\n\n“Buddy, I’m not following—“\n\n“I started drinking. At thirteen I ran from home. I found out a couple years later mom died. I was in and out of homes. And the worst part is I blamed all of that on you. It wasn’t your fault.”\n\n“Kid, what are you—“\n\n“And in a minute I’ll finally find out why all of this happened. Why my life has been fucked this entire time. I’m finally going to find out who was responsible.” \n\nHis dad looks over at him, his blue eyes piercing through his son the way only a father knows how. There is a blurring of noise and a sound a crunching metal. \n\n\nAustin awakens into a red room. Something comes over to him. He gets out of the jelly filled egg and walks on what feels like eggshells. \n\n“It was me,” he says. “It was my fault.” \n\n“Want another try?”", "As the chair fell down, my vision went black.\n\nIt was all over, finally, I can rest.\n\n...But, something felt... strange?\n\nI looked around the black void, yet, nothing was there.\n\nHm.\n\nSo... this is it? Just a black void? Great. Perfect.\n\nI thought.\n\nI looked around some more, and saw a gleaming light in the corner of my eye. I pan my sight over towards the light. \"Heaven...? Hell...?\" I mutter. But no, it wasn't hell, nor heaven.\n\nThere was a square button in the air, glowing, that said 'Free Play'. What?\n\nI reached out my translucent hand towards the mysterious button, and pressed it.\n\nThe button suddenly disappeared and I heard a voice.\n\n\"Please select a time to restart.\"\n\nI looked around the now very bright room, to see videos of events that happened in my life. It was... mesmerising. According to the voice, I could restart them?\n\nI stood there for a moment, trying to figure out which one to pick, when my eyes fixate onto one.\n\nIt was a video of when I was saying goodbye to my friend Emily after work. We were only sixteen, so it was just a cashier job.\n\nIf only I knew what would have happened to her...\n\nWithout hesitation, I clicked that memory.\n\nI saw a bright light, then it faded. I blinked. I saw Emily in front of me, saying goodbye.\n\"Bye, Keira! I'll see you tomorrow!\" She waved, and started to walk off. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak. I was just frozen there.\n\n\"W-Wait!\" I yelled, slowly catching up to her, and grabbing her by the shoulder.\n\n\"Hm? What is it, babe?\" Babe. Wow, it had been a long time since I heard that. She turned around and looked me in the eye, her long purple hair gently moving in the breeze. I remembered the time when we dyed our hair together. It was so fun. Sadly, the green didn't go in my hair properly though, so I just dyed it black.\n\n\"Um... I just uh...\" I paused, and gulped \"Can I walk home with you?\" I gently held her hand.\n\nShe paused, and giggled. \"You don't have to ask, you know?\" Her fingers interlocked with mine, as we began walking home together. Part of me felt... relieved. Relieved that with me by her side, she could be safe. We passed an alleyway on our way by.\n\"Want to take the shortcut?\" Emily suggested. I shook my head.\n\"No, I want to spend as much time with you ad possible.\" I responded. God, that was so cheesy.\n\"Awe, you're so sweet! I love you so much, you know that?\" She giggled.\n\"...Yeah. I know that. I love you too.\"\n\nWe smiled and laughed together as we trudged in the snow, avoiding that alleyway she went down the last time.\n\nI am so grateful it didn't go down like last time.\n\n----\n\n\"Bye, Keira! I'll see you tomorrow!\" Emily waved.\n\n\"Cya! Love you! Don't catch a cold!\" I waved back.\n\n...\n\nNews today: Girls body found in Benson alleyway, police reports say that Emily Jones was a victim of hate cri...\n\nI switched off the T.V, and sobbed. Emily, my Emily.\n\nShe was the only one who understood me. The only one who cared.\n\nWithout her, the world was cruel. The peer pressure to like the opposite sex was immense, and my famoly was appauled with me.\n\nSome say they accept it, even though it is just a fetish for them to watch on their monitors at home, and despise anything else involving LGBTQ.\n\n\"Hey dorks, kiss! I know you want to.\"\n\n\"How much sex do you guys have?\"\n\n\"Yeah I support LGBT. Lesbians are hot! Anything else is just weird though...\"\n\nThose disguting remarks of fetishes and questions echoed through my head as I realised society only loved me not because I was me, but because they only like it when I'm in bed with another girl.\n\nBecause society is like that, and it always will be.\n\nI kicked the chair as the note fell onto the floor, which read \"I'm sorry I couldn't be anything more then I already am, I'm sorry to my parents for having a daughter who would not give them granchildren. I am terribly sorry.\"\n\n----\n\nBut, that was in the past.\n\n\nI am happy now.\n\n\nHopefully this can... continue.\n\nEmily, I missed you so much, yet here you are, in my arms again.\n\n\nThank you, God.\n\n----\n\n(Sorry if there is any mistakes lol, I was quite tired when I made this qnq)\n\n(With this prompt, I wanted to talk about homophobia is with girls. I've experienced some of these myself, but I'm sorry if it isn't very accurate.)", "\"Where am i.\"\n\nYou stare into the void around you, seeing nothingness.\n\nOut of the void a holographic projection appears in front of you.\n\n\"Congratulations, you have completed survival mode. Would you like to enter freeplay mode now?\"\n\nUnderneath the text is 2 buttons.\n\nYes, enter tutorial\nNo, end playthrough.\n\nYou look at the two options in front of you hesitantly reaching towards the button that says no.\n\nA thought reverberates in your head.\n\n\"Curiosity killed the cat.\"\n\nYou quickly slide your hand through the void and hit yes.\n\nA new message is now displayed on the screen in front of you.\n\n\"Warning, by clicking yes you understand the terms and conditions as listed below:\"\n\n-\"You shall have the ability to pick any point in time where your physical form was alive.\"\n\n-\"You are unable to pick a point where your physical form was in mortal danger.\"\n\n-\"Any changes you make will alter the future that you know.\"\n\n-\"Your stats will be pre-determined based on stats available to your physical form at the point in time you choose.\"\n\n-\"Although your stats will be pre-determined you will have a locked point stat of 100 for knowledge and wisdom respectively.\"\n\n-\"If at any time the decisions you make cause your physical form to receive mortal damage that branch of free-play and decisions made will be locked on future playthroughs.\"\n\n\"Would you like to continue?\"" ]	6
	[WP] "Well buddy, you earned a night in your backyard house" you said after notice your unruled dog ate your meal while you were sleeping. Next morning, while cooking breakfast, you turn on the TV. There's a live talk show going on. You go speechless after seeing your dog as one of the guests.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I woke from my nap, and stumbled to my door. I was looking forward to that chicken dinner, I opened the door expecting the food to be waiting where the delivery man had left it. But, I was gone. I looked at my phone. “This is Jeff from FoodR, I left your delivery from CaptainChickinZ's on your doorstep as requested. Your dog picked it up at 8pm and took it inside. Cool trick. “\n\n\nI looked over at Flora, my golden retriever, who had food wrappers all over her cushion. “Flora...” I began, as I walked over to inspect the scene. The white paper bag was intact, with the cartoon chicken in a captain's hat staring back at me with a smile. The wrappers were empty and the chicken bones had been dropped into a pile inside the bag.. Everything had been eaten. She looked up at me with a slightly guilty expression... \n\n“Well buddy! It looks like you've earned a night in your backyard house....” I gently but firmly grabbed her collar and led her out to the backyard, she whined in protest but obeyed. \n\nI sighed and placed another order then went back to my writing. That deadline was coming up. \n\nThe following morning, I had finished an allnighter when I got hungry and decided to make breakfast. The flat screen in the kitchen was turned to some mindless morning talkshow run by old karens well past their prime. “Next up on Karen's Korner we have the star of the viral video “Dog Discusses: Captain ChickenZ VS Sargent Rooster's”. This video has already gained 10 million views and triggered a lot of debate.” \n\nOh great, some gimmick. I went to change the channel when I saw a dog that looked like Flora walk in on her hind legs and take a seat at the table across from Karen Wingates. She wore a suit and large black glasses and had put on lipstick. “My name is Flora and I never expected for it to become so popular..” \n\n Suddenly they cut to a commercial for Bedroom Bob's Furniture company. This had to be a prank. I set the bacon down and ran to her house. She was'nt there.... I returned to the kitchen... This had to be a dream. My dog is on TV?!? And the commercial break ended. “So, Flora you can speak?” Karen began. “Flora nodded. “Obviously, it's not like humans know how to listen though.. No one cared what I had to say until I spoke about the horrible Public Relations campaign that Sargent Rooster's has been engaged in” Karen was shocked. . “Sargent Rooster's has been a huge advocate for Every Animal Equal, they do a lot....”\n\n“A lot of donating to major networks, and gave you free food for life for your support, which I can see you've enjoyed. But besides ripping off Orwell, Every Animal Equal is worse than PETA in their hypocrasy, and no amount of donations can erase the fact that almost all of the money they raise goes to bloated administrative salaries and empty publicity stunts. How much do they donate to that upstate farm you talked about?”\n\nKaren's jaw dropped into a fishy gape.. “Umm... About that farm.. I guess you know that it's an animal shelter that takes aging..”\n\n“Shut up karen... There is no farm, it's a tax dodge or something to tell kids when we get sick... I've watched your show a long time, and you claim to care so much about about people, but last week when you did your “spay or neuter your pets” campaign... What happened to “my body, my choice?”" ]	2
	[WP] The kids who made frosty the snowman are a lot older now, and still have - and use - his hat, from time to time. Just not on snowmen anymore.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 a dingy studio apartment sat a thirty-something year old man on a sunken bed, watching a news report on the TV across the room. The apartment wasn't much to look at. The walls were decorated with nothing more than nicotine stains. The bed, shoved up against a wall in the tiny bedroom, was covered in a layer of empty whiskey bottles, cigarette butts, and small bits of trash. \n\nIf the apartment was unimpressive, it was nothing compared to the wrecked man, Jack Urquhart, sitting atop a pile of debris on the bed. He was unshaven and unwashed, reeking of sweat and stale tobacco. He swept his tongue over his teeth, feeling a layer of grit, then sighed heavily as he reached for another cigarette from one of the packs strewn on the bed. He froze momentarily as he looked at the worn, silk top hat that had appeared atop the cigarettes.\n\n\"Don't fucking think 'bout it,\" he muttered as he tossed the hat to the side and lit up. Inhaling deep, he focused his attention on the news report, which was covering a multi-car crash. \n\n\"I want to take you back to the previous night,\" a glossy haired brunette was saying. \"This is one of the worst crashes we've seen on this road. At least six cars were involved, and reports of two deaths, plus three adults and four minors being treated at the hospital. We have received no confirmation that any of the drivers were under the influence, but we are waiting an update from Highway Patrol, as the investigation is ongoing.\" \n\nJack stopped listening. He had received an update. He knew that at least one of the drivers, Charlie Anders, had died before the ambulances made it on the scene. He couldn't know for sure that Charlie had been on anything last night, but he could guess. Charlie had been steadily under one influence or another these past six months. \n\nJack finished his cigarette, spat out the butt, and reached for one more. He froze. The silk hat was atop the pack of cigarettes.\n\nTurning away, he fumbled at the small table next to his bed for a minute.\n\n\"Rather a joint anyway,\" said Jack, lighting one up. \n\nHe didn't want to touch that damn hat. That hat had caused him nothing but trouble. Him and the others, all cursed because they couldn't leave well enough alone. If he could go back and warn himself, he'd kick the shit outta his stupid 10 year old self. \"You find magic, you let that shit go,\" he would growl. \"You get nothing without paying back triple.\" \n\nJack breathed deeply, focusing on the burning in his lungs. If magic was real, time travel was not. No sense wishing what he would have done. Just don't use the damn hat again. Never again. \n\nHe looked back at the TV, but the hat was now on the TV, taunting him. He remembered when Suzy had placed the hat on a television set back in their twenties. It had been a laugh to watch the TV set transform into a misshapen person, antennae sprouting out the eyes, and a mouth that could only recite whatever the channel on its stomach showed. \n\nTime was they would put the hat on anything, just to see what would happen. Put it on a bed, then fuck Suzy atop the bed. Put it on a doll, fuck the doll. For awhile there, mostly in their teens and early twenties, they used that damn hat on anything, in case it would turn fuckable.\n\nPut it on anything and everything, and if a string of bad luck followed them throughout their lives, well, how were they to realize? A small fire in their dorm - Charlie being careless with his pot. A string of girlfriends turning out to be cheating whores - what woman isn't? Items randomly disappearing - shit happens. Use the hat for something small - a laugh, a screw - and the payback could be brushed aside as acts of God, if you will. \n\nIt was Suzy who had first used it for something a little too real. Jack nearly laughed outright when she told him and Charlie that she wanted to bring her childhood dog, Artie, back to life. He would have laughed, had he not been trying to start something with Suzy beyond their weekend fumblings in the back of Charlie's car. \n\n\"Suzy,\" he had said to her, in placating tones. \"Haven't you read Pet Sematary?\" She hadn't, but even after he and Charlie had enthusiastically recounted the plot, she was adamant. \n\n\"He was a good dog, and that's just some stupid book,\" she said stubbornly. \"I have his ashes. I'm doing this.\" \n\nThey had let her take the hat, not really having any better argument to stand on than a horror novel. Charlie had gone home shortly after, reassuring Jack that it probably wouldn't work on the ashes anyway.\n\n\"That hat did nothing when I put it on my sister,\" Charlie reminded him. \"It doesn't work on living shit, man. That dog's dead, sure, but it was alive. No way it works, man.\" \n\nWhen Suzy had showed up the next morning, Jack was just relieved to see that she was still alive. Then he noticed the troubled look on her face, and a shadowy mass in her arms, complete with a silk top hat. Artie had come back, but he hadn't come back right. He wasn't a reanimated dog, either. He looked more ash than Lab, but he was solid to the touch. \n\nSuzy said she was happy to have her dog back, whatever state he was in. Artie looked strange as hell, but he was as sweet and loyal as any dog. Jack and Charlie were relieved with how things had turned out, and Jack started paying special attention to Artie, hoping that Suzy would take notice of their bond. \n\nAll was well - for maybe a month. Then, things started happening to the three of them, which was nothing new, except now the things seemed pointed. Charlie was held up at gun point; a week later, his apartment robbed. Jack was expelled from university, unjustly accused of cheating. Someone started spreading vicious rumors about Suzy spending time with Jack and Charlie. \n\nAfter a night of drinking and smoking, Suzy confessed to the pair that she did feel like there was something out to get them. Charlie suggested they stop using the hat, but Suzy shut that shit down fast with nothing more than a hard look. Nothing was going to come between that girl and her dog.\n\nThen Suzy's mother, forty-six and in excellent health, dropped dead from an apparent heart attack. \n\n\"It's the hat,\" Suzy had wept into Jack's coat at the funeral. \"That goddamn fucking cursed hat. It's not worth all this, Jack. I tried to burn it, but it won't burn. I buried it, and it reappeared next to me!\" Her voice had risen an octave, gaining a hysterical tinge. \"Take it, and don't ever use it! Don't ever!\" \n\n[Part 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/hgu5xb/wp_the_kids_who_made_frosty_the_snowman_are_a_lot/fw8jd81?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x)" ]	2
	[WP] With your expert eye, it's clear this photo has been extensively photoshopped- the features of the person in, the clothes they're wearing, the place they're in. All have been altered. Which, given it's a selfie you took a few seconds ago, raises some question.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I stared for a few more moments at the picture, still processing the fact that this picture looked nothing like me. \n\nShaking my head, I cancelled the post and decided to try another selfie. It must have been a fluke with the camera, or maybe I had accidentally used a filter.\n\nPicture after picture, the entire photo seemed to be different every time. Here I was standing in a museum with a leather jacket and blonde hair, there I am on a hiking trail with cowboy boots and a slightly differently shaped face. None of the pictures show me as I am, but all of them seem to change me just slightly enough that to someone who wasn’t looking for it would never realize it was me in all of these pictures.\n\n“What the fuck...” I whispered, before connecting my phone to my computer with an HDMI cable and setting my computer to print the pictures out. I’m not sure why I printed them out, but I think that I mostly wanted to have real, physical proof that they were real.\n\nOutside my bedroom I hear the jingle of keys turning the lock, and a few moment later Anna calls out “Hey Mark, I’m home!” \n\nBrilliant, she works in IT so she might know whats going on.\n\n“Hey Anna, can you come here for a minute? There’s something wrong with my phone.” I say, watching the pictures print and being unsurprised that printing has not changed them at all.\n\n“Well, what’s wrong with it?” She stands just behind me, looking between my computer, which was still showing my “selfies”, and my phone. \n\n“When you take selfies with it, it messes them up and changes them.” I explain, gesturing to the photos that were now spread across my desk. \n\nAnna leaned over me, comparing the pictures to each other with an expression that conveyed both interest and confusion. “That is so weird.”\n\nI looked between the photos and her, before asking “It is?”\n\nShe tore her eyes away from the photos to flash me a curious look. “Well, yeah. Modern phones don’t have the power to even use the kind of heavy duty photo editors that would have been needed to make these. Are you sure these were just taken?” \n\nI nodded enthusiastically before picking the phone back up. “Here, I’ll take your picture so you know it’s for real.”\n\n“Ok,” she said and sat down on the bed, crossing her legs and placing her hands in her lap.\n\nI take a picture and immediately go to look at it.\n\n“This... can’t be right.”\n\n“Whats wrong?” Anna stepped over to view the perfectly normal picture of her sitting on my bed.\n\n“It’s normal now, but then why did it mess up those pictures of me?” I voiced my thoughts, letting my hands drop down. \n\nAnna thought for a moment before saying “Hang on, I’ll be right back,” and walked out of the room.\n\nA few minutes later she returned, holding her old polaroid camera. She snapped a picture of me when I looked up at her from my phone and the picture slowly started printing out.\n\nShe pulled the picture out the moment it was done, and I could see her face go from curious to puzzled to downright confused faster that should’ve been possible.\n\n“What in the actual fuck is this?” She asked, waving around the picture before handing it to me.\n\nIn the picture I looked like a completely different person. My eyes were green instead of brown, my freckles were gone, even my tattoo on my right hand was gone, covered up by a smudge of blurred skin. And the background, which should have been of the night sky in Boston, was instead a sunny day with unidentifiable apartment buildings.\n\nIt wasn’t the phone that was messing up my selfies, it was me." ]	2
	[WP] You and you alone were born able to tell how close one is to death by a luminescent glow they give off, starting from their limbs in minuscule danger all the way to their head on their deathbed. One day you woke up, just as normal, but with your entire body shining head to toe.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "'Good Morning, Mr. French. What are you here for today?' asked Dr Talisa.\n\n'I've just been feeling a little under the weather lately, and it has been a while since my last full physical' replied Marin.\n\n'Ah, yes. I see the receptionist made a note, and he has booked you in for an extended appointment. If you could please sit on the examination table over there, we will start with some basic tests such as blood pressure.'\n\nAfter several minutes of being prodded, being poked, and having the doctor peer into his eyes, throat and ears, the Doctor nodded and said 'So far, you appear in perfect health. If you could please disrobe behind that curtain, we will finish up.'\n\nMarin stepped out of sight and slowly removed his clothes, the luminescent glow becoming almost blinding as he uncovered more of his skin.\n\nThis was the real reason he had come in. Ever since he was a little boy, he had seen a bioluminescent glow emit from those who were in danger of injury and death. When Aunt Velma died, he had seen her entire body light up, only to fade as she passed into death. When he had broken his arm, he had seen his arm light up, only to fade as he tripped over that protruding log and fell down the hill. \n\nStepping out from behind the curtain, Marin returned to the examination table, where he was subjected to several more minutes of prodding and poking. 'You appear to be in perfect health. At your age, I recommend returning for another physical in perhaps two years. Please get dressed, and then settle the account with the receptionist.'\n\n'Thank you Dr., that is a relief' replied Marin.\n\nA few minutes later, and his wallet considerably lighter, Marin left through the side door of the Doctor's Surgery and, glancing quickly to ensure that there was no oncoming traffic, crossed the one way street only to be hit by a car driving the wrong way. He died on impact, and was mourned by his friends and loved ones, who never discovered he had powers.\n\n10(11)/71 - Σ6,331" ]	2
Sorry if this isn't up to the subreddit's standards or too creative, this is just my first prompt here.	[WP] We've all heard about Isekais. You get hit by a truck and suddenly you're in a fantasy world with a demon to destroy. But what happens in the real world? You're in the shoes of an emergency services worker who responds to an Isekai accident and has to deal with the aftermath.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "### Scenario One\n\nAw, shit. Another one. Only this one is still alive?!\n\n\"Hey! Stop it! He's not dead!\"\n\n\"What do you mean? He's been Isekai'ed by Truck-kun. Obviously, he's dead!\"\n\n\"Then why am I feeling a pulse right now!? Get your butts in gear! This one has a chance to come back!\"\n\n\"Truck-kun Isekai do not come back!\"\n\n\"If you don't stop being an ass, I'm going to have you charged with negligent homicide! *NOW MOVE IT!\" Yeah, moving like turtles, you'd think they wanted* him to die! \"Hey! People! This boy is still alive! He's not dead. These assholes want him dead! What are you going to do? Stand there?! Help already!\" An angry rumble from the crowd. A cop comes to me.\n\n\"You're sure he's alive?\"\n\n\"Yes, damn it! You can even see he's still breathing! Just open your eyes!\"\n\n\"Aw, shit. ... Alright, you slackers, MOVE IT!\"\n\nFinally, why the hell are they looking at me like that? I'm trying to save a life!\n\n\"asshole! You're breaking the storyline! Truck-kun Isekai do not come back!\"\n\n\"You're killing him to preserve an anime trope!? Wouldn't you rather have a hand in starting a new trope?\"\n\n\"Hey... Yeah! I like that!\"\n\n\"Move it, people! We've got a chance at a new trope!\"\n\n### Scenario Two\n\nAw, shit. Another one. Why do they all have to be so young? Check vitals anyway; it's your job. Gloves first.\n\nNo breathing, no pulse, significant brain trauma, badly broken bones, no. This one is gone. Give him some dignity, get a sheet out, and cover him.\n\n\"NO! HE CAN'T BE DEAD!\"\n\nSigh* Mother? Sister? Lover? Friend? Too young for mother.\n\n\"Miss? I'm genuinely sorry, but he's gone. There's nothing anyone can do for him now. Just pray that he's happy in his new world.\"\n\n\"New world?\"\n\n\"Yes, Miss. He's been isekai'ed. About now, he's waking up in a fantasy world where he is supposed to do something meaningful.\"\n\n\"How do you know this?\"\n\n\"Experience, Miss. I've seen too many of these. He's young, shows signs of being a bit socially awkward, and of all the people standing around what must be his home neighborhood, you are the only one to inquire about him.\"\n\n\"I'm his sister.\"\n\n\"And where is your house?\"\n\n\"Right there.\"\n\n\"Is your mother or father home?\"\n\n\"Mom is.\"\n\n\"Did you tell her?\"\n\n\"Yes, and she didn't even blink. She just started crying.\"\n\n\"Miss, that is typical behavior for someone who has been isekai'ed. Most everyone will just know. But there's always someone here to speak for him.\"\n\n\"Can I follow him?\"\n\n\"It is almost certain that you cannot. The odds are worse than getting struck by lightning a thousand times in one hour from a clear sky.\"\n\n#### Scenario Two Alpha\n\n\"Now, please go take that policeman to your house. Even if everyone knows he's gone, there are still things to do.\"\n\n#### Scenario Two Baker\n\nRUMBLE\n\n\"oh, shit TAKE COVER!\"\n\n((finis))" ]	2
	[WP] You're making breakfast. As you break an egg, you notice that a message is written on the inside of the shell in neat handwriting. You look at the egg now frying on your stove, and it looks perfectly normal.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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\nThe memory of the day is still vivid in my brain. It was like every other day, I woke up, went to the kitchen to make some breakfast. I remember craving fried eggs with golden toast. After cracking the first egg I noticed something engraved on the inside of the shell.\n\nA few months had passed since then.\n\nLife had become unbearable. I was sick of running. But I couldn’t stop, they were always right behind me. The ancient cult of zohra, were a merciless assasin group. Why there were huntiing me, I had no clue? Who would put out a hit on me, a taxi driver?\n\nThe cult of Zohra held by tradition. Their target would alway’s recieve their universaly known marker three days before a hit. Everyone knew the marker. Most of the time after recieving the marker the mark would commit suicide, if not they would face a horrifying execution by the assasin’s.\n\nBut I was differrent. I would not be killed by a group of worthless assasins, not in london.\n\nAll my years spent as a taxi driver, had finally come useful, I knew every nook and cranny in this labyrinth of a city. There scared tradion states they can’t hunt me until my three day warning is up. This gave me a major advantage.\n\nI knew it would be safest to stay in the city, outside of it, I would be a sitting duck. For the first few night’s I crammed myself into abondened factory. But then it dawned on me I was too suspicious. Then i spent the next few week’s hiding in supermarket’s after they closed. They would never suspect me here. Sleep was impossible my mind had began eroding, I had to be constantly alert. Who knew they could attack at any moment.\n\nBut know my body had become completly drained, I couldn’t go on like this. I knew they were closing in on me if I didn’t move now they would certanly catch me.\n\nI decided to go to the roof, from there i could see the city and where to go next.\n\nAs I opened the unused rusty door I stepped out to the freezing air. I went to the edge to get a better view.\n\nAnd ther they were.\n\n6 dark robed figures staring at me from across the opposite rooftop. There was a sense of evil and joy in their eyes. It seemed they were enjoing this hunt.\n\nI thought to myself, “Well in that case, Let the hunt begin”.\n\n\\[And within seconds I had disappeared.\\] maybe" ]	2
	[WP] A nuclear physicist gains the ability to control physical matter effortlessly with their mind. They have now become the most dangerous being in the world.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Diego sat in a closet upstairs, waiting for the hit team to arrive. It would be simple humans, since they didn’t hire any Augmented for government jobs. \n\nHe was certain they would fail to kill Richard, assuming rumors of his alteration are true. However, they could serve as a distraction for Diego to get a surprise shot. \n\nRichard Hamilton’s corpse was worth 10 million dollars. \n\nDiego pulled out his phone and wondered if he had time to get in a game of Clash of Clans. He decided not to and was quickly rewarded with a bang on the front door. He slowly opened the closet door and headed to the stairway, freezing in place. \n\nHe saw three men coming up. \n\n“Shit.” He whispered. He didn’t want to kill government men. It would put heavy pressure on Augmented for weeks. \n\n“Got him! Kitchen!” A yell from downstairs. The three men turned around. \n\nDiego followed them, but turned left rather than right. He’d read the house’s blueprint just as the hit squad had. He arrived at the kitchen from the back. \n\nHe heard shots and peeked around the corner. \n\nRichard stood in his pajamas. Bullets were phasing through him as if he were a hologram. He held up a hand and a man on the hit squad did as well. His team stopped shooting at once. \n\n“My turn.” Richard turned the air around the squad to cyanocarbons, making them choke on tear gas. \n\nDiego kept his gun holstered. \n\nRichard split himself into atoms and walked through the back wall, reforming as he stood in his backyard. Diego watched from the kitchen window as Richard touched a tree and it disappeared, the man seeming to weigh thousands of pounds instantaneously. His clothes were ripped off. \n\nThe fat shifted, all going to new appendages sprouting from his mid-section. \n\n“Holy shit.” \n\nRichard created a set of frog legs, each one a thousand pounds. They lowered and shot off, reforming to dragon-like wings as Richard lifted off like a space shuttle. \n\nDiego realized it as a fact. \n\nThis wasn’t an Augment. \n\nAugments were usually small. The enhanced ability to smell, webbed fingers and toes, quick to heal. A rare few are large. A nose that rivals a bloodhound, scales and gills, rapid healing. Around three in ten were in between the two, like Diego. \n\nRichard Hamilton controlled physics. \n\nThis was a god." ]	2
	[WP] You were born in the before, and lived in the after. You were all, and all were one, yet individual. You saw all, yet saw nothing, guiding fates yet letting the threads of fate flow free. It’s time for your child will take your place; except they have no idea what the heck that all means.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Martha borne a son in Eva's world. He was the origin of the apocalypse. The cycle starts to exist. Adam's destiny was to sever the knot so he can make the world without time. Eva's destiny was to keep the knot preserved so her son and her family will live. \n\nEva did everything she can do to keep her baby alive. She sacrificed the alternate version of her to Adam to keep the knot preserved. She even gives no identify to her son. Yet, he was known as unknown to both worlds. \n\nThe unknown had no idea of his living. He done everything Eva told. At one time, he traveled to get away from this cycle. He reached Adam's world where Eva would not come. If she comes, she would sever the knot.He knows that he need to get away from Winden, so he will not either face Adam. \n\nHe became church pastor in nearby village. He met Agnes and made love with her. They both had a happy family and had a son named Tronte. But, they are still in the cycle. \n\nAdam found where Agnes lives. He reached to her alone. He found that Agnes was married to his son. His son tries to kill him, but Adam unarmed him. \n\nAdam told that he tried to kill him when he was born that's how he got the scar. He told them that they were perfect match, never believe anything else. But, they need to be apart, so the baby will live. \n\nThey both promised to each other that they will make this right this time.", "Greetings, my child. I am -\n\nStop screaming. Please, this is no way to greet your father. Perhaps my cosmic form is too much for you to comprehend. Is this better? More approachable? Forgive me, my child, my own father was cold and distant - an unfortunate trait I seem to have inherited.\n\nWhat am I? I am all, and I am nothing. I am many, and I am individual. I am the everpresent rhythm of the universe, and I am the nothing in between.\n\nMy child, it is time for you to take my place. I am infinite, I am eternal, yet I am finite; I am tired. I - what does this mean?\n\nDo you not know? Did your mother really not tell you? That woman has been a thorn in my side for so long, but no matter. What is done is done, and I will explain to you now.\n\nI control everything, yet I control nothing. I see all the infinite possibilities of the cosmos, and yet I see nothing at all. The threads of fate flow through my fingers, yielding to my direction, yet they flow freely without interference all the same. I am everything, and I am nothing. I have guided the universe for millennia, and I have allowed the universe freedom for millennia.\n\nWhat do you mean “you’re having a bad trip”? I am not some mere illusion, conjured by a drug-addled brain! I am the center of the universe, and yet I am at its mercy! I should’ve known your mother would not prepare you for this moment. She is always trying to spite me, ever since she left me for someone “more human”. \n\nGo back to sleep, my son. Sleep off whatever drugs you have taken, and I will go pass the mantle of the universe to your brother instead." ]	3
	[WP] A poor girl out in the woods finds you, a dragon whelp, in the cave you were left in. She's cared for you for a decade now and you're large and healthy, but your wings are atrophied from lack of use. Today's visit, she's come to tell you she has to leave. The famine is driving her to America.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 cries. She says something, but it's always been hard to understand human speach. America ... She said that word again, it's that place She showed on the old globe she had. It's past the Great Sea, to the West. Is She going there ? She cries. She has given you so much, you love Her so ... Must She leave ? Maybe ... The Land feels diseased, something is killing the crops ... You wish you could help, but you cannot yet.\n\nWhen the next day comes, She doesn't come. And you know. She had to leave. You can feel the Land crying and wailing. Many of its children are leaving, driven off by the disease and the greed of the foreigners. But She has only given you love and life, so it is all you can give in return. You push the anger aside, it doesn't deserve to be anywhere near the love She has given you. Now, it is time to prepare. You will see Her again. You will reach this faraway place.\n\nAnd so, you begin to work. You strain your wings, atrophied as they are. You stand on the cliffside, letting them learn the feel of the wind under them. You try, and fail, many times, tumbling down the small cliff. But you are hardy, and strong, and you do not stop. You are hungry, without the love that She fed you, but you are also stubborn. You will hold on, you will survive, you will see Her again. And one day, you succeed. You fly. Not for long, but you fly. It is the first. You start going for longer flights. You glide about the blue, blue sea. You look upon the verdant hills ... and the dying fields. This ... this is not right. She loved them, and this Land, just as this Land loved Her and them. You will make it right.\n\nYou know through the Land that they are scared. A dragon ... yes, that is what you are. Those that came before were fed fire and hate and greed, and thus it was all they could give. Such is your kind. But you were given love and life. And that is what you shall give. You breath on a farm first, during a moonless night. The farmer rushes out just as you leave, a laugh in your mind, as the Land tells you of his surprise and relief as his tired animals and dying crops are revitalized. In the morning, the farmer gushes about it at the market. They call him mad. You prove them wrong. You breathe upon two more farms. The Land tells you of their joy and wonder. You start flying more, as the joy and the love they feel is channeled to you by the Land. Sustenance comes again. And you love them for it.\n\nAnd so, you start travelling, breathing life in tired and hungry regions, reviving dying plants and healing ill elders. The blinds see again, the amputees grow back their limbs, the ill are healed, for such is the power of the love She gave you. Not even the darkest of sadness can stand against Her love. You find a place, where another young girl has found another of your kind. She tries to feed it of the crops, half of her share, and the young one knows not what to do but accept, even though she is starved, and the young one is scared for her. He talks to the young one, and feels the fear and sadness dancing with the love. It cannot be left so ... the young one is in their formative years, and what they are given shall be what they give. The young girl is like Her. You have to help. And so, you breathe. You breathe like you never breathed before.\n\nOld magic awakens. Their crops prosper and grows, they have enough to feed the entire village for many moons. They fill soon find, any crop they plants grows faster. And they have felt love, the purest form of the love She gave you. The young one is relieve, and love and life flow through them. Good. The younger Her is delighted, and is holding up the young one like a puppy, her father is between lost, relieved and elated. The nearby priest has come, and speaks in the human tongue again. You still do not understand, but he is splashing water on you, and it feels nice. A purr escapes you. The villagers hear, and go fetch water. Soon ,they are laughing and dancing around you, as they splash water on you. But more than that, you feel their joy and their love. Yes, this feels right. This is what She would have wanted. The priest approaches you again, with a large ... thing ... of fabric. It has a bunch of crosses dangling from it, and he puts it around your neck. You accept, it is after all a gift of love.\n\nIn the end, you move on, and breathe life on more and more of the Land. She feels strong again, and so do her children. Foreigners come from everywhere, hoping to see you. And suddenly, fury and fire. the foreigners and the Children of the Land are fighting. You do not like the foreigners. They killed Her mother. So you only heal the Children of the Land. And as the Children of the Land move forth, the Old Magic awakens ever more. Soon, the Land whispers anew to the Druids of old, and the very Land acts out against the invader. It is a terrible thing, the Land's anger, and you are scared of it. You are not a being of fury and fire. You are love and life. You breathe love as much as you can, and hope it will quell the fire and fury. It seems to work, as the foreigners retreat and cross the Small Sea to the East. You feel relief.\n\nThe Land talks again to her Children, soothes any anger, cajolles the rivalries away. There are more like you now, though not many. Still, you all breathe love and heal the wounds of war. but now, you need to see Her, more than ever. And so, you bid the Land farewell, and fly South. You fly over foreign lands, breathing life and love where it is needed. You breathe much, and everywhere the Old Magic awakens, and relief is given to the wounded and sad. More like you, not all dragons, awaken. And they, too, are given love and life, for that is what the humans have come to hope for and expect from your kind. You cross a small sea, and then a great expanse of sand. You find the place you wanted to reach. Travelling the Great Sea to the West will be shorter from there.\n\nWith a deep breath, you jump and fly, and fly into the great blue expense. And you fly, fly and fly. For so, so long. You dare not sleep, even as it tries to drag you down, for to fall to it would be to drown, and She would be immeasurably sad. Thankfully, Mother Earth and the Land of the Sand are kind to you, and give you a strong wind at your back. Finally, you reach land. The wind has pushed you forth, but not in a straight line, but no matter. the Great Sea is crossed. And so, you land in a place with many houses, find a nice large space, and curl up for a nap.\n\nAs you sleep, the Land here whispers of the people's suffering. The Land has heard of you, and asks that you breathe love and life upon them. Yes, you will, that is, after all, what you are. A creature of love and life. And so, when you wake up to feel children playing upon your back, you purr happily, and breathe little colorful wisps of life, making merry shapes and pretty dances. They have heard of you, they are eager to see what you will do. They feel no fear, only hope, and the seedling of love. And so, you breathe, and you breathe, and you breathe, and you give love and life everywhere you go. You even join one of their great parades, and now have a new piece of fabric to go with the first. that one is colorful and cheerful, charged with the joy and playfulness of this people, adorned with colorful feathers and pearls. You breathe love and life upon them one last time, and start moving North again." ]	2
	[WP] you’re reading a book where the main character slowly falls in love with the reader.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 see it, I know you can too. My pages are ending, there's only a few left now. But listen to me, if there's anything I want you to understand it's that life itself mirrors our relationship. I may just be a story, and you a reader. But there is so much more. \n\nThere have been others who have picked up this book, skipped through the most interesting parts and then abandoned me. Some who only read the end and weren't interested in the journey. But then there's ..you. Oh god there's you. Who read every word. \n\nYou didn't abandon me to collect dust, you picked me up with care each time. Even though you'd read through the pages before you seemed to understand them differently each time. \n\nMy words will be the same. But you found the beauty in that, even though you knew what to expect you greeted me as an old friend. So my darling reader, I can say my only dream for you is to read someone the way you have me. \n\nTo pour over everything they say, and be excited at the turns and twists of your story together. But to still be so loving and tender when you find sameness, when they are not as exciting or unpredictable as they once were.\n\nI.. I wish it could be me. That I could be more than what I am, that I could live and grow with you. I know it's impossible. So the next best thing is hope. Hope that I helped, that I prepared you enough for the world outside these pages. Hope you will find someone who is what I could never be.", "Sitting around here in this dust shelf, it sure gets kinda lonely. I wonder who will be the next person to lay their eyes on me. Though, if you’re reading this, that means that I have that very person in front of me. Hello beautiful. What compelled your hands to pick me up and dust off my jacket? \nMayhaps it was my cover, I know the editors took extra care to make it regale, and stylish. Or was it the scent? Few things come close to the smell of time seeped within my pages. Whatever it was, I am glad you are here with me." ]	3
	[WP]It wasn’t fair, it was never fair! My twin got everything just because he was born first. He would receive the family name and business. Even the blessing of the god of light. Well they don’t know there’s more than one blessed in the family. The day I ran away the god of darkness called to me.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "\"Your brother is quite the anomaly, Heather of Gemheath,\" spoke Galufrax, his gutteral voice bellowing through the air but heard by no-one else. It was so loud it should've been heard for miles around, but the dragons seemed undisturbed, their riders not leaping into action to investigate. \"As even I felt the need to call to him first. Remarkable, is it not? The god of the ostracised and the spurned calling to one who isn't.\"\n\nHeather did not appreciate the amusement in the god's thunderous tone, lighting the grey clouds that quilted the afternoon sky.\n\n\"I ponder this. Is it because I am spurned by a mortal, that I redouble my efforts to call upon another?\" He spoke as with a forgetfulness Heather expected a god to be above.\n\n\"I'm not here to wax philosophical with you. I came to your hovel to know what you wanted of me!\" Heather called out, finding little shelter under the dead runed tree which branches suspiciously loomed over her like a hand of many fingers. Galufrax responded with a belly laugh, assuming gods even had bellies to laugh with.\n\n\"But of course, scorned sister! I call upon you because you are special. Far more special than your twin, even.\"\n\n\"I hate him, but I wouldn't go that far--,\" Thunder interrupted her, a bolt of lightning crashing down and splitting the tree she took shelter behind in twain. She had no more shelter from the patter of rain falling on her bright bronzen hair.\n\n\"You have not come this far to think that, nor are you so significant that you can question me!\" Galufrax's famed ire became known to her the first time. Until now he'd been quite jovial, where with others he'd be annoyed by the shunning of his disciples, whether or not they knew they were.\n\n\"However! Your ignorance makes you only the more interesting to me. I, nor any other, know why your twin comes first in all. Even a demigod would be recognised by its betters.\" Heather was getting a tad annoyed by all this talk about her brother again. She ran away to pretend he never existed, not be reminded he was still around.\n\n\"Illumirus, god of light and law, will turn him into a soulless husk. That matters not. What matters is you nor your kind know him as the god I do: the god of ash. He will wreak havoc and destroy all sinners, as do all his mortal agents. Whatever potential your brother has in the service of another is lost for the sake of order. And that is why I call upon you....\" His voice didn't so much fade as shift from the the sky to the hewn tree. Heather turned to find an avatar of her god, a tusked naked man with off-coloured flesh, covered in the most horrific scarring, mutations and other ghastly features. Repulsed as she was, she felt no hatred nor pity for this choice of form. Her reaction was the same stern gaze she had lived her whole life, his image what she had felt for as long as she'd ever known.\n\n\"Join me, Heather of Gemheath, and I shall give you the attentions you deserve, the blessings you have been denied, and the vengeance you require.\" He extended a hand covered in bright pulsating buboes, and burn marks ending with gangrenous fingers. Heather of Gemheath didn't hesitate to take his hand, and follow him through the portal between the remains of the scorched tree." ]	2
	[WP] You're a cyber-archaeologist, who retrieves ancient computer data by physically entering and exploring the old internet.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 chugged down a mouthful of coke and placed the bottle down on the table with a thud loud enough to wake up my neighbors. \"Alright, Let's do this\" , I say to myself cracking my knuckles.\n\nI click open my web browser and start typing the address for the internet archives. I press enter and wait for it to load. Once it loaded I pressed Ctrl and F2 to bring up a hidden login prompt. I checked to see if everything was okay before clicking login.\n\n\"Starting dematerialization. Please don't move while we teleport you to the archives\", a computer generated voice instructed as my body began to break down into tiny pixels.\n\nMy conciousness faded for a second before returning. I opened my eyes to find my body being built back pixel by pixel. The feeling always left me nauseated no matter how many times I did it, but the sheer joy of seeing something so miraculous always made it better.\n\nI look around the room encased in white. A young woman was sitting at the counter in the center of the room. \"Welcome to the archives\", she says with a smile as I approached the counter that looked like it was made from white marble.\n\n\"Where would you like to go today?\" , She asked bringing up a translucent command window that floated in the air.\n\n\"1923, please\". \n\n\"Please head to isle 264 and look for a shelf with the year number on it\" , she instructed as a huge black door appeared behind me.\n\nI turned around and placed my hand on the door and gave it a bit of a push. It clicked and slowly opened to a bright room. The room was filled as far as the eye can see with shelves that were as tall as two storey buildings. " ]	2
	[WP] You've known this girl since she was born, she's your world. Though today has been a little weird. She suddenly turned to you and screamed, saying something about a ghost. You don't know what she's talking about, and don't care either, because she finally seems to have noticed 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.", "“It’s about damn time,” I muttered underneath my breath. Finally, someone who realizes I still exist. I know I’ve never been the most interesting of people, but that didn't explain why everyone has been ignoring me for the past week. \nTurning my attention back to the girl, my little sister Rowan, I noticed she had gone pale and her eyes were wide with fear.\n“What stupid stories are ya making up now?” That was Daniel, my older brother, looking really impatient.\n“Ghost! There's a ghost! Looking at me!” Rowan looked truly terrified of me, and I didn’t understand why. I’m not sick anymore." ]	2
The prompt makes it sound like your friend's soul was doing the limbo, perhaps they are, but if I had the space, I would have put "You just came home to your best friend's soul in limbo". It's kind of like death tag!	[WP] When someone dies, their soul leaves their body and they become visible. People have taken measures to avoid these souls as if they touch you before their limbo time is done, they pass on death and the limbo time they had left to you and resurrect. You came home to your best friend's limbo 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." ]	1
	[WP] Your party walks into a tavern to find your bard playing. This is strange, because he was definitely eaten by the dragon yesterday.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 table went berserk. Ron walked out, probably to have a light. Alan actually made to flip the table before thinking better of it. Harry just silently smirked, leaning back.\n\nJake forcibly yanked the character sheet out of Harry's hands.\n\nAfter a minute reading, he looked up. \"This isn't going to fly.\"\n\nHarry's smirk widened. \"Take a look at my original character sheet. It mentioned it, and you okayed it.\"\n\nI had to know now. I made a grab for the sheet but Jake danced back.\n\n\"I'm the motherfuckin' DM, what I say goes.\"\n\n\"You said it goes.\"\n\nI actually started to smirk too. Jake loved to let the group get away with things by rules lawyering. He tried not to rules lawyer to restrict, only to enable.\n\n\"Fine, but see if the party doesn't murder you a dozen times.\"\n\nA minute later we were gathered around the table again.\n\nJake coughed. \"Okay, you have walked into the pub and in the corner you see your old friend singing a tune.\"\n\n\"We march over to him and ask him what in the seven hells he is doing here alive,\" Alan said, adding \"when he is supposed to have rolled a new character.\"\n\n\"OOC,\" Jake intoned.\n\n\"Minus the last bit.\"\n\n\"Okay. Jake, introduce yourself.\"\n\n\"Ahh, fans,\" Jake said, putting on his bard voice, \"come to partake in the show? Perhaps a tip? I am in mourning because my friends all died, and travelling with them is how I made my money which just compounds the issue. I'll sing any song you like.\"\n\nAlan narrowed his eyes. \"I have a request. Its called How I abandoned my friends to be eaten by a dragon and fucked off down to the pub and am now going to get my ass beat.\"\n\nJake widened his eyes dramatically. \"Why—\"\n\nRon cut across Jake. \"Eirkas, just tell us what happened.\"\n\nJake smiled a bit, before going back to roleplaying. \"Eirkas is my brother. Wait, did something happen to him?\"\n\n\"Your brother?\" I asked.\n\n\"Yes. We're identical nonuplets, each of whom went off adventuring. I'm Eilkas. Or was it dodecuplets?\" Jake gazed off into space pondering.\n\n\"Identical nonuplets?\"\n\nJake nodded.\n\nAs one, the party grabbed the table to keep Alan from flipping it. \n\n*****\n\nMore of my stories at r/JohnGarrigan", "We had been dropped into this “Adventure World”, which was more like a “Death World”, from our regular lives. There were definitely more like us, at least 30 other people we’d met, but no one knew how many in total.\n\nThe most popular theory that this was some sort of Death Game entertainment for some sort of aliens was no more or less crazy than any other theory. \n\nNo matter how much we wanted to we were never allowed to stay in the settlements for very long - usually no more than a week at a time. One way or another we’d be sent out. Each of us from regular Earth were constantly hearing requests and sad stories of how the locals needed help dealing with monsters or bandits or just wanted their daughter rescued from captivity. If we didn’t go along with this we’d be forced out - one of us had been wrongfully accused of a crime and after a night of beatings in the local prison was actually thrown out beyond the settlement borders. \n\nWe’d wondered how long we’d have to do these monsters or bandit hunts, if we’d ever get back to Earth or be allowed to settle down. \n\nNow we knew. We could settle down and live sort-of-normal lives any time we wanted to - all we had to do was die. \n\nKenneth seemed to be having a jolly time of it. We spoke to him after he finished his current set. He... he was different. It was still the same Kenneth, but he wasn’t.\n\nHe remembered us, remembered Earth even, but there was something missing. He’d lost something. There was no real drive in him, no real passion. He said he would be happy just playing and singing each night, he didn’t want to leave, not even to go back to Earth, back to his wife and daughter. \n\nAs we looked around we realized all the townspeople felt the same. Were they all just dead “Adventurers”? Would we end up just like them, someday?" ]	3
	[WP] A man's DNA reveals a shocking truth - he doesn't share the same common ancestor all other humans share.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 I was. The last of my family. Nearing the end of my window of fertility, no kids, no wife. Everyone else in my family has passed. A past leading to an evolutionary dead end. \n\nThis truth shook me too much. I’m a failure to religion, as I have none. I’m a failure to evolution because I haven’t passed on my genes. I’m a failure to myself because I’m not happy. \n\nI applied to donate sperm, the slight chance that maybe Ill succeed at something gives me hope. They tested my genetics to make sure I am capable of producing healthy offspring. \n\nThe phone rang. It was the number to the genetic testing center. I reluctantly picked up. “Hello.” I grumbled hoping that they were calling to say they accepted me. \n\n“Hello Todd Ember, this is Blake from Genetic Progress, we were hoping you could come visit us to talk about your genetic results at your earliest convenience.” The man on the phone said cheerfully. \n\nI wasn’t flattered. I was told they’d call to accept or deny. This was different. Different is usually bad. \n\nI came in and a cheery lady greeted me at the door. I told her who I was and her expression instantly changed to urgency. She called someone on the phone and said “Todd Ember’s here.”\n\nNot 2 minutes later a short middle-aged man in a lab coat came out to greet me. “Hello Todd, I’m Blake, you genetic counselor. Let go talk in the conference room.”\n\nGenetic counselor? Conference room? Just tell me if I’m an evolutionary dead end. \n\nBlake lead me to a small conference room. A young woman in a lab coat stood in front of a large screen. “Hello Todd, I’m Kassandra. Your genetic tests revealed some interesting news. You may not me familiar with genetics but I put together a PowerPoint to help explain it to you.”\n\nThere was a long awkward silence as I waited for the world to collapse around me. \n\n“The Y chromosome is a unique gene. It is only passed down from fathers to sons and is unable to swap genes with its corresponding X chromosome. This has lead us to be able to track the evolution of this Y chromosome to a single common ancestor shared by all humans. The evolutionary Adam. Even people tested from opposite sides of the world, all races, classes, and religions all seem to share this common ancestor traced only by the Y chromosome. Except you.”\n\nI didn’t say anything. I didn’t really understand what this was or what the implications were. \n\n“We would like your permission to run more tests” kassandra continued. “This time we will also take samples of your mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondria are only passed from mothers to their offspring. The genetics can be traced back to the evolutionary Eve.”\n\n“What does this mean.” I grumbled, mostly just confused at this point. \n\n“It means your genetically special.” Blake chimed in. “And you’re approved to donate sperm.”" ]	2
	[WP] This presentation of theirs was meant to show their colleagues just how passionately they were about the subject at hand. It's just too bad that the way they were meant to present it was so unorthodox...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Slowly the clanking and rattling in the room came to a halt and all eyes were on the two constructs in the fore of the room.\n\nThe two university students had a mysterious black box with them. They had wheeled it into the room earlier and had spent the morning both finishing each others sentences and energetically writing a great deal of what looked like math and long paragraphs on the blackboard. It was a little too complicated to read at a glance. But now it was their time to shine. The young man began boldly as his counterpart held a stick and pointed at the board.\n\nAutomatons have been at the mercy of this world for too long! Our soldiers are outclassed by the demihumans and blasted apart by magic on the daily! Since we use all of our magical energy on moving our bodies and maintaining the grip of our souls we are WEAK!\n\nThe beautiful female construct behind him, all hammered copper and cleverly set glass nodded in agreement and pointed out the accompanying evidence. The student president was a sharp contrast. He was made out of roughly machined aluminum with sophisticated oak furniture. \n\nSlowly he tromped over to the huge black box and began talking in words that the old automatons couldn't understand. They sounded complicated. Words spilled out of the student furiously in a torrent that didn't seem to stop. Eventually he slowed down as he realized that they weren't understanding. He spoke with reluctance.\n\nIt seems... that you would benefit most from a direct demonstration of the capabilities of this unit. Without magic! Without a necromancer! Without the help of a god! This is power for our people! The power of the world!\n\nJulia dearest would you help me with this?\n\nThe room began to stir as the outrageous words began to sink in. What in the world were they about to demonstrate?\n\nThe box opened to reveal an automaton or what looked like one. It was too big and too solid looking for any soul to inhabit though and the sense of wonder in the room quickly turned to grumbling and low voices of dissent. \n\nWhat is that, a golem? \n\nIs that their genius idea?\n\n We still need magic for that!\n\nThe old bamboo and carved wood frames squeaked and rubbed as they set to furiously arguing about how best to deal with the upstarts. Docking their credits? Sending them to be field labor in other kingdoms? Their ire was apparent and the two stood motionless under the onslaught heads hung in the front of the dilapidated classroom. \n\nThe president clenched his aluminum fist so hard that a rod snapped with an audible crack that stopped the feuding in an instant. He spoke again with his hand hanging limply at his side.\n\nThis is a body that moves itself with extraordinary speed and power! We built it ourselves! I will risk my life to show you its power!\n\nJulia! Take my core!\n\nBefore the astonished eyes of the old coots the student council president ripped open the sheet metal plate over the gem in his chest and ripped it out with an agonized yell. He froze with it outstretched in his hand. Glowing brightly with an otherworldly glare it began to fade quickly as the other construct rushed to prepare the bulky body in the black box. \n\nShe poured in a thick viscous liquid that looked like cooking oil and and a thinner pale yellow liquid out of glassware and straight into the machine. Vigorously she pulled a cable out again and again until the small room was suddenly filled with a deafening roar and a sudden cloud of thick black smoke. Rushing desperately she grabbed the gem out of the motionless hand of the president and hurriedly shoved it into the head of the unit. She began to sob as she wrenched the thick steel hatch closed \n\nJohn I didn't think you would do this! Why? \n\nShe wasn't alone. The room was filled with shocked gasps. By taking out his core and putting it into that thing the promising young automaton had doomed his soul to return. Without mincing words he was dead. Or at least that was what they thought. \n\nIn an unbelievable turn of events the eyes flicked open and began to glow with that same otherworldly energy that they had seen fading away earlier. The president was still alive! The roar smoothed out into a quiet thrum of power and a motor began spinning up to a high whining note. Suddenly the box was obliterated and scraps of felted wood flew to every corner of the room. The elegantly crafted machine performed a flawless backflip and punched through the air with incredible speed and precision with blocky metal fists. A voice roared out from it.\n\nJULIA! Get me the bag!\n\nThe slender construct heaved a heavy punching bag from the corner of the room and set it upright on the professors desk. She called out to the powerful machine.\n\nShow them what we do John!\n\nThe tall black machine began punching the bag with extreme speed flying at it from every angle. The percussive impacts flattened and elongated the bag packed with gravel and dust shot out of the seams.\n\nIt was the best presentation in the history of the college and one that changed the world forever" ]	2
	[WP] You live in a haunted house. Over the years, you have made friends with all the ghosts that live there. It's finally time to move, but the ghosts are determined to get the one person who makes them feel alive to stay, not matted what it takes.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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.", "Connor Townsend didn't know what to tell his roommates when he got the promotion. Sure, he'd been struggling to get his ideas out to market, but never thought anyone would listen. Connor's roommates had come into his life when he was between jobs and renting out this shitty old house. They had helped break him out of his substance abuse and helped motivate him to apply for his job at Fiat-Chrysler. And to just abandon them like that? He couldn't stomach it. By the time he pulled his car into the driveway, tears were streaming down his face. Auntie Marie was dusting the book cabinets when he came through the front door. She floated over to Connor when she heard his sniffling,\n\n\"What's wrong, my dear? Bad day at work?\"\n\nHer arm went through Connor's chest in a clumsy attempt to put it around his shoulders. He replied,\n\n\"No, actually. I've been given the green light to develop the new engine I've been talking about.\"\n\n\"Then why are you so sad?\" Auntie Marie asked, thoroughly confused, \"You should be celebrating!\"\n\n\"I know I should be, but,\" Connor hesistated a bit, \"I've gotta move out, away from you guys.\"\n\nAuntie Marie straightened her posture, let out a harrumph, and snapped her fingers. The lock on the front door immediately shut.\n\n\"Do you know how lonely we were until you showed up? We are trapped within this house, just the four of us.\" There was a growing fire in Auntie Marie's voice, \"But then you came. You gave us glimpses of the modern world. You gave us spontaneity in our afterlives. We were finally happy, after more than 100 years of gloom. And you're going to take that away from us? I don't think so!\"\n\nAt this point, Connor had collapsed to the ground, sobbing. The other residents had started to notice the commotion.\n\n\"You're the only friends I've had in years! Do you think this is easy for me?\" Connor yelled in between sobs, \"I just wish you could come with me!\"\n\n\"Well, why can't we?\" Auntie Marie seemed to cool down in an instant.\n\n\"Huh?\" Connor seemed shocked at this sudden mood shift.\n\n\"You're an inventor! You can probably invent a way to take us with you!\" Auntie Marie was growing excited at the thought.\n\nOld Joe phased through the cieling to offer his two cents \"Yeah, ya got a whole garage full of junk. You could probably make something out of that.\"\n\nConnor had snapped out of his fit and gotten himself thinking, \"Let's see, I've got five days maximum to get out of here. Assuming it will take one day to pack everything into a van, I've only got four days!\"\n\n\"Then get on it!\" Auntie Marie and Old Joe shouted in unison.\n\nConnor bolted to the garage, full of revitalized hope for his future with the ghosts." ]	2
	[WP] Fourth of July in the eyes of a mosquito	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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] Growing up you’re been a huge fan of Thor, the god of thunder. While watching one of the movies, you imitate the motion Thor uses to catch his magic hammer. To your surprise, a kitchen knife comes flying towards 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.", "Mom had given up trying to explain that superheroes like Thor were for boys, and helped me attach the dish towel to my t shirt using hair clips. My cape wasn't the brilliant red I imagined it being, and had a fat chicken on it with the words \"bless this mess\", but it was a cape. I stood on the couch, feet jammed between the cushions down to the home of lost coins, and old popcorn, cheering as my hero battled onscreen.\n\nI was going to be Thor for Halloween.\n\nI was going to be Thor when I grew up. Or a unicorn. But today I was definitely going to be Thor.\n\nHe wound up and threw his great hammer, and then called it back to him. I reached my hand to the ceiling, shouting \"Mule Deer to me!!!!\".\n\nMjulnir was a little too hard to say.\n\nI heard mom, in the kitchen, scream. I turned to look, thinking maybe it was a bug I could catch and throw at Cody in preschool, but there was something flying at me.\n\nIt hit my hand hard, and I caught it, and stared. It was one of the kitchen knives.\n\nI screamed, and threw it at the wall, watched it fall to the floor, and put my hand up again to call it. It came back. \"MOMMY!!!\" I shrieked \"IM THOR FOR REALSIES NOW!!!\"", "Second attempt but here goes nothing! (Tl:dr probably a shit story created by a asian engineering student)\n\n\"Thor is the coolest superhero ever!\" I yell as I watch him singlehandedly destroying a dozen or so baddies with just a flick of his hammer. Every time I see Thor's hammer fly back to him I just get the urge to hold mjölner myself. I see thor throw the hammer very far away. Ready for it to come back, i prepare myself to catch mjölner myself. 3,2,1 I reach up into the air when suddenly there is a boom and something lodged in my hand. I freak out as i see my living room ceiling has caved in and something sharp poking out of my hand. I yelp and throw the what is now clearly a knife on the floor. Due to the knife flying through the roof, all my lights had blacked out so I had to get a flashlight. Curious as to what the hell just busted through my roof in the middle of the night, i shine my flashlight to where I had last dropped it. It appeared to be a rather ordinary looking knife that was definitely unkept and had dings and scratches everywhere. \"I swear it was more like a sword and had some more heft than that\" as I gingerly use my index finger and thumb to pick up that strange kitchen knife. As soon as I made contact, there was a blinding ray of light which eventually dissapated and revealed a beautifully hand crafted 8\" chef's knife made from a cool damascus steel. \"Of course its japanese made, those japanese people always come up with the craziest shit\" i call my insurance company while testing out this new knife I have recently aquired. From what I can tell it was bloody sharp. \"How may I assist you today?\" I hear the insurance rep ask. \"So I had a knife fly out of nowhere through my roof and I need to make a claim\". I hear \"STOP PRANK CALLING ME IM TRYING TO DO MY JOB\" proceeded by a click. \"Doesn't seem like they would help me\" I say to myself, as I continue cutting some potatoes. After cooking myself a delishes meal of hashbrowns eggs and toast for dinner, i bag up the knife thinking it could be worth something to a pawn shop. \n\nI think im a little over my head right now. Its 3am and ive had some to drink so im really tired now. If you think this story is any good and want me to continue it i might do it in the late am. Feedback negative and positive welcome!" ]	3
	[WP] The only thing that remains of humans are their skeletons, and radio transmissions that play all of our music on loop. An alien peace ship lands on earth to commune with the seemingly thriving planet, only to find their radio coms picking up the ghostly sounds of human music.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_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 seems the humans had quite the variety of sounds that they recreationally listened to,\" Anith recorded as he flipped through the various frequencies. \"Some ranging from hauntingly beautiful to garishly explosive.\"\n\nTheena reached for the lines and popped the ends in her ears. She immediately winced as a mindless cacophony of noise flooded through her system and she yanked them out, shooting Anith a dark look. \"You could have warned me.\"\n\nHe laughed. \"They've really come close to perfecting their art before the planet died. The early stuff is cluttered with an over-abuse of various instruments, all crashing together, as if the music itself was designed to fit as many in.\"\n\nTheena regarded the hall the two stood in. It was biological warfare that took the species out, so many of the buildings, though decrepit with time, stood tall. This one, an auditorium they were called, was the source of many of the primitive instruments Anith had mentioned.\n\nTheena picked up one, all golden and shining and massive. \"What is this?\"\n\nAnith shook his head. \"It barely plays a sound worth listening to. Most of their instruments exist to detract from the true beauty of music. Here, listen to this.\"\n\nHe placed the earline back on her head and pushed a new button. This time, vocals, all layered atop of each other, serenaded a tune that made her eyes water. Though the song played probably two full minutes, it felt like she'd lost her soul in the way the voices wove, only the occasional synthetic noise and consistent percussion to add variety.\n\n\"That was lovely,\" she said, watching Anith enviously as he placed the earlines back around his neck. \"This is their more recent music?\"\n\nThe acoustics engineer nodded. \"And we want to figure out more of why this music only came about in the last 50 years of the species life.\"\n\n\"What's this one about?\" she asked. \"That song you played?\"\n\n\"That one, in particular, we heard back from our translators on. They're still working on deciphering it, but we've determined it's general meeting. It's a song of betrayal, sung by a man to his mistress, as he leaves her for the final time. The refrain you hear, that one sound repeated three times, is a casual farewell exchanged between humans.\"\n\n\"May I hear it again?\" she asked. \"For research.\"\n\nHe smiled, knowing full well that the young sociologist was eager to fill her head again with the sounds of the finest Earth music that played on repeat through every known frequency on the planet. \"Very well, once more. But these ballads will be recorded and brought back home for more studying. You will hear them so often that you'll be sick of them.\"\n\nTheena greedily shoved the lines back in her ears and put the song back on. Knowing the context made it all the more painful to her heart. That a woman could cause a man so much agony that he would utter these heartbreaking lines.\n\nThe song came to its end and Theena snuck a look at the acoustics engineer, to see if he'd noticed. He was busy examining an instrument called 'floot' by the humans.\n\nQuickly, before he could take the earlines back, Theena hit the repeat button, and once again, if only for a few more seconds, the music washed back over her.\n\n\"Hey hey,\n\nBye bye bye\n\nBye bye\"\n___\nRead more stories at [r/TalesByOpheliaCyanide](https://www.reddit.com/r/TalesByOpheliaCyanide/)" ]	2

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