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] You thought you were the last living person, until you received a summons for jury duty.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "On a glorious spring afternoon, with the sun beating down on the back of my neck, I contentedly picked peas from my garden. Pleased with myself for having finally managed to grow my own vegetables. Regrettably, I killed the carrots, cauliflower and broccoli. I didn’t water them enough, or use enough soil, or the pests got to them. I liked the squash, it was a pretty colour, but was eaten by the hedgehogs.\r \n\r \nI fantasize about the days where I could buy fresh fruit from the supermarket at the bottom of my road. Those days are long gone. There is no one to checkout the items, stack the shelves, deliver the goods, import the food. I sigh, feeling forlorn. Now I have no choice but to fend for myself. I frequent the library, books keep me company. That's where I learnt peas are one of the easiest vegetables to grow.\r \n\r \nI make pea soup on the hob, grateful the gas still works. If the cooker stopped working there would be no one to call. I'd have to find another book for that from the library. I remember seeing a great dust covered book about plumbing, but not about gas, I muse. \r \n\r \n\"What's your favourite vegetable Vic? Peas or Carrots?\" \"Carrots\" replies Vic, \"because they help me see in the dark, it helps now half the street lights don't work and there's no one to fix them\". I frequently converse with myself out loud, it helps to exercise my vocal cords and keep the frog-like croak from my voice.\r \n\r \nDING DONG\r \n\r \nAlarmed, I knock the pot of boiling pea soup, clattering onto the kitchen floor, I jump away trying not to get hot liquid on my feet. It's the first time I hear the doorbell in almost two years.\r \n\r \nIs this real? Or does my mind play tricks?\r \n\r \nA large silhouette looms at the door.\r \n\r \nDING DONG\r \n\r \n\"Hello?” I whisper tentatively, too afraid to speak any louder. He doesn’t hear me, I don’t want him to hear me. The shadow of the looming man grows smaller. I wait for him to leave. I hear the sound of the footsteps grow fainter and further.\r \n\r \nI wait a little longer, glued to one spot, as the pea soup spreads across the floor towards my feet.\r \n\r \nI creep towards the front door, leaving a trail of wet footsteps. I slowly open the door, cautiously peering out. On the doormat lies a black envelope. I snatch the envelope from the floor and slam the door shut. \r \n\r \nAnd for the first time in over a year I locked my front door.\r \n\r \nMy clammy hands tremble, my heart races. I feel the rush of blood to my face, flushing my cheeks. Inside the envelope is a letter:\r \n\r \n“His Majesty King Charles III summons you for jury duty”.\r \n\r \nIs this real? Am I not alone? \r \n\r \nThe contrasting emotions overwhelm me. Exuberation, confusion, surprise, fear, excitement, anxiety. The list goes on.\r \n\r \nI feel giddy and begin to laugh maniacally.", "\"No.\" \n\nThat was all I said to the letter that was in my hand. This wasn't real, there's no way. I had been alone all these years, fighting for survival, building my sanctuary with no help from anyone. I did all that, and the first sign of any possible chance of other human life besides me is...\n\n\"FUCKING JURY DUTY?\" I screeched, slamming the letter down. I had turned eighteen just a month ago, or at least I think I did, time is a little confusing nowadays, so these people must've been keeping tabs on me. But who? Why? Why not join forces with me so we could increase our chance of survival?\n\nI couldn't even comprehend this, I was feeling so many emotions. In the end, I just crumbled up the paper and planned to use it for the fire later." ]	3
	[WP] “Be not afraid of man or beast, no matter what their size. When danger threatens, wield me. And I shall see to it’s demise.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 traced my finger over the rods’s metallic engravings. It was cool to the touch, and made out of an indescribable substance. The longer I held it in my hands, the more shallow my breaths felt within my chest. My pupils dilated at the sight of it. I rotated my body to walk towards my bed, mystified by the foreign object. \n\nI heard my door opening, my hairs stood up off my skin at the sound of it. I quickly relaxed though, as I realized who it was. My mom walked into my room, laundry in hand. She quirked her eyebrow at the gift wrapping littered on my floor.\n\n“What’s that?” She said, curiously. \n\n“Oh-uh, something Grandma sent me for my birthday.” I shrugged, holding out the object to her. I hoped she knew what it was. \n\n“Wh-WHAT THE FUCK.” My mom yelled out, retracting her hand.\n\nMy heart race quickened, I dropped the object on the floor. “WHAT? WHATS WRONG WITH IT?!” \n\nMy mom exasperated in disbelief “Why did Grandma give you a 12 inch metal dildo!” \n\nThe end.", "Everything falls silent for several moments. Suddenly, Scott charges towards Allie, grabbing at the choker. \"I'm getting this thing off!\"\n\n\"DON'T!\" Urrick cries, as his confinement vanishes. \"You could kill Allie!\"\n\nVulca lets out another cackle. \"That's right! Now, if you excuse us...\" she summons a portal and begins to go through with Allie in tow. Walzer attempts to attack Vulca, but she dodges with ease and sends an attack back, which Walzer can't dodge. Urrick makes a grab for Allie, but it's too late - the pair are gone.\n\nEveryone just stares. \"I... I'm sorry...\" Scott begins to tremble and cry uncontrollably.\n\n\"It's not your fault\" a girl growls. \"You heard Vulca, right? Allie was broken, which made her an easy target! And we all know what happened... don't we, Flora?\"\n\n\"I... umm...\" I don't have a good response. Urrick stands in front of me protectively.\n\n\"HEY! Allie was the one who was trying to take Flora away from me, despite the fact Flora chose me!\" The students stagger back in shock.\n\n\"But... wasn't it taken too far?\" a large-muscled boy asks.\n\n\"Lucifer knows what he's doing! Always has, always does!\" Urrick snaps.\n\nThe girl scoffs. \"Are you saying you trust Lucifer?\"\n\nUrrick looks at the ground sheepishly. \"He... he's my boss...\"\n\n\"HE'S STILL THE FREAKING DEVIL!\" The girl begins to charge. Zack steps between the two.\n\n\"Whoa, whoa, calm down, this isn't helping!\"\n\n\"Exactly\" I agree. \"Our priority right now is figuring out how to help Allie!\"\n\n\"But...\" Scott takes a shaky breath. \"What even is happening? What was that thing and why would removing it kill Allie?\"\n\nUrrick takes a deep breath. Before he can speak, however, Lucifer shows up. \"Allow me to explain. I came here after sensing a disturbance within my domain. To begin with, let's talk about these.\" Lucifer raises my braceleted arm. \"These are common and widely used when a demon claims a human. They connect directly to the nerves. The 'master' wears a commanding bracelet, which dictates how far the claim can be from the master, or how close to. It also allows the master to hear things going on around the claim. Basic things to stop them from running off or something.\"\n\n\"Which is how Urrick was able to stop Flora from being bullied, I guess\" Tasha interjects.\n\n\"Right. What's important is how it's possible to control a human like that. By connecting to the nerves, the bracelet has limited command and control of the body. Now, the choker, when it connects to the nerves, the nerves are so close to the brain and the control point that the human can no longer function on their own.\"\n\n\"To what extent?\" Scott asks.\n\n\"If Vulca tells Allie to stop breathing... she will.\"\n\nWe all almost faint - in fact, one of the students does faint! Another student quickly rushes over to them. \"Would Vulca actually do that?\" Aaron queries.\n\n\"Any demon willing to use a choker... is likely to end the life of their claim if they think they will otherwise lose it\" Lucifer responds. \"They used to be commonplace, but after many, many demons tried to force their will onto humans, and humans kept getting hurt from angels trying to protect them - this period of time is often referred to as 'The War of the Afterlife' - God and I created a neutral space, so we could fix the situation. I told God that if he called off his angels, I'd take care of the mess. God told me seven days. Within that timeframe, I had collected and destroyed all the chokers... at least, I thought so. Where Bolster found one, I don't know.\"\n\n\"The one Vulca is using... I found that in the school\" Scot states. \"I'm sorry.\"\n\n\"Don't worry, you had no way to know what it was\" Lucifer reassures. \"Now, because of the way the chokers work, there's no telling what damage can be done if they're forced off, disconnecting from the nerves. Only demonic or holy magic, or otherwise the master by hand, can remove the bracelets or chokers.\"\n\n\"That means you can do it, right, Lucifer?\" Tasha asks.\n\n\"If I try, Vulca may command Allie to stop breathing. We need to deal with Vulca first.\"\n\n\"I think I can help\" a voice calls. Nie is running over, an angel behind her. \"I saw what happened to Allie. I summoned an angel and explained the situation.\"\n\n\"Greetings, everyone. Nice to see you again, Lucifer.\" The angel does a courtesy.\n\n\"Hello, Jarrah. We'll be grateful for your help.\" Lucifer bows to Jarrah. Jarrah brings out a glowing sword and chants a spell, divine light flowing through him and into the sword.\n\n\"This sword, created in heaven, is now enchanted with my spirit. Be not afraid of man or beast, no matter what their size. When danger threatens, wield me. And I shall see to its demise.”\n\n\"Huh?\" Scott looks puzzled.\n\n\"I think Jarrah is saying to use this sword to deal with Vulca\" I explain, attempting to take the sword. \"OW! That hurt!\"\n\n\"Maybe it's because your part demon\" Aaron suggests, taking the sword himself. Jarrah bows his head as he fades.\n\n\"Thank you, Nie\" I exclaim.\"\n\n\"Of course\" she responds with a smile, before heading back.\n\n\"Ok, now we need a plan\" Zack announces. We all huddle together, with Urrick, Lucifer and I hanging back a bit due to the sword Aaron is holding, but still joining the discussion.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nThis story is a part of my series, [To Love a Demon.](https://www.reddit.com/r/StoriesbyCrystal/comments/xqefwu/to_love_a_demon/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Please check it out!", "\\- I WILL BATHE IN YOUR- BLARGH!\n\nOne down, three to - oh, never mind. All the monsters were laying at my feet, in an enlarging puddle of black blood. Black smelly blood. I left the area.\n\n\\- Hey, hottie, you shouldn't be wandering through the woods alone like that! It's dangerous, don't you know? Hey, guys, look what that bitch is carrying! What a creep! What, you can't go outside without your- blargh!\n\nThe men fell down, one by one, bones broken and faces in agony. I went around and picked whatever was worth picking from their gear, then started walking again. It was getting dark... I needed to find shelter.\n\n\\- Squeak! Squeak! Squeak squeak! Squea- blargh!\n\nThe disgusting rodent fell silent, not a moment too soon. I climbed down from the table. God, I hate mice.\n\n\\- I am the plague! I am eternal! I am the bane of this world and everything that- blargh!\n\nThe dragon-god crumbled in flaming stone and dust, his reign of terror coming to an end. The world was now saved and monsters wouldn't roam about anymore. Thanks to the enchanted weapon I had been given, for the first time in generations, we would know peace.\n\nIt felt a bit weird to have had been ultimately nothing more than a walking device for the thing that actually did all the work, but you've got to admit. That's one badass teddy bear." ]	4
	[WP] A powerful nation is lead by a royal family claiming to be the descendent of a powerful deity, imagine their shock when said deity appears in the castle enraged for some reason	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "King Sinclair led the court in prayer to the great Moon Goddess Cosmotia, all piously pledged their service to the matriarch of the royal bloodline. The silent reverence was shattered by the booming of large doors swinging open. An ominous figure strode into the royal court. Feline, yet human. It resembled the artistic renditions of Cosmotia's consort; Rahmon of the sands. \n\nWith lightning quick speed the god pounced to King Sinclair's feet. Rahmon stood tall on two legs, dwarfing the mere mortal King. Sharp claws slashed across the King's face, a mighty slap. \n\nRahmon roared. \"Keep my wife's name out yo fuckin mouth!\"" ]	2
	[WP] The villain tried to make a name for themselves. Unfortunately, somehow, people are calling them a hero.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 broke bones. He took their wives and lives. He ravaged their land and daughters. He slaughtered their livestock and cut down their youthful men. But yet just after twenty years of occupation he no longer was the great destroyer, the serpent or devour of souls. He was now the great reformer, the bringer of peace and the father of the greatest nation on earth. He still committed horrific acts from time to time but no longer was it the work of the devil but divine judgement of the all knowing ruler \n\nAt first he didn't give it much attention. He had started his journey to be the strongest and most brutal warlord of the wastelands. Which he achieved at age eleven. Then he would become the most powerful in the country, then continent and finally the planet. He no longer needed to look for worthy opponents they usually came to him now. Once a week on average. They would show up at the city gates and spew some nonsense about being here to avenge some dead relative or crushed civilization. They would fight and if it was a good one it would last the night. However he began to notice the inhabitants of the town start to come and cheer him on and praise his bravery in defending their nation\n\nAt first it was a few strange fellows with bald heads. Then came the female admires and the young men. But now it was everyone including the infants and elderly. He remembered during one fight he used a baby as a human shield. The family came to the dark palace to thank him for selecting him for the great honor of serving him. They mother even broke down and said her only wish was that she had more sons to give for the nation." ]	2
	[WP] You are cursed so that every time you die you are reincarnated into a different world, usually with a fantasy setting. On your 50th reincarnation you wake up in the world you were first born in except something is different, you have all the powers, equipment and memories of your previous lives	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Darkness. Complete darkness. Then another bright white light. It was time again. I wondered what world I would be in this time. Dragons? Mermaids? Zombie apocalypse? I'd done them all. \n\n\"Zo! Zo! Zo, wake up!\" A familiar voice called. Familiar. This hadn't happened before, I thought I had imagined it. \n\n\"Wh- What?\" I mumbled, only just opening my eyes. \n\n\"You passed out, come on! We gotta go, and quick!\" \n\nSlowly, I pulled myself up and felt something rough on my back. My hand subconsciously moved behind me and clasped around what felt like stone. A stone. \n\n\"Are you coming or what?\" \n\"Yeah, yeah, gimme a minute.\" \n\nShaking, I stumbled to my feet and looked around. It was! My first life, the one I was cursed in. It still echoes in my ears but I push it away every time. A hand extended in front of my face as I finally looked at who it was. My old best friend, Clara, but more battered. Her usual spotless face covered in blood and bruises and her what was once long black hair had become a short, tangled mess with a substance that looked suspiciously like pink goo entangled in with it all.\n\nA dark cloud rose above the two of us as it started to rain. It wasn't just any rain, but a golden, sharp rain that stung if it hit you. As it caught my shoulder, I looked down and saw a scorched patch in the sleeve that looked much older than this. Perhaps centuries, or millenia. I couldn't quite put a pin on the exact number. Fazed memories came back to me, being drowned by sirens, mutilated by zombies or eaten by vampires. As they all came flooding back I could feel a surge of sharp pain through my chest, causing me to grip it and collapse again. \n\n\"Zo!\" Clara called out, rushing to my side. \"Are you alright!\" \nI couldn't muster a response, the seething pain taking over my whole body. It felt like a heart attack turned to the max, like someone stabbed me for every year I had lived. Green beams erupted from the ground, sending dirt and rubble flying everywhere, then met by black shards of glass rising from the underworld, as big as mountains and needle-sharp. \n\nI screamed. And screamed. It must've lasted at least an hour before falling to my knees, my heart racing and red tears streaming down my face. \n\"Zo, can you hear me?\" Clara asked, more concerned than ever. She was still here. After all that. She was such a great friend. \n\"Yeah..yeah.. I'm good.\" I laughed, not feeling it at all. \n\nThis had never happened before. Every new life was just normal. I'd grow up from infancy and die a gruesome death. But this was different. Something was wrong.\n\n\"We need to go to the library.\" I sighed, looking up again. After finally standing up again, I held onto a purple branched tree to steady myself. \n\"Of course- Of course. Let's go.\" Clara walked over and wrapped her arm around my neck, steadying me. \n\nA long sword and bow appeared in my hand. Now this was really weird. Clara didn't seem to notice or care as she lead me away from the forest and towards the once-overpopulated village, now an abandoned wasteland. \n\nIn the centre of all the old buildings was a huge castle looking centre. The library. Back in this world, the library was almost like a holy temple, taken care of as if a God itself had blessed its walls. Nothing. Nobody was here. In a way it was peaceful, but also pretty terrifying. \n\nClara pulled me up the broken staircase, pushing open the double doors with seemingly no effort whatsoever. She smiled as I magically became able to walk steadily again, all my pain from earlier dissolved within the first few steps.\n\nI took a moment to admire this place once more. It was beautiful. Long, tall rows of bookshelves and sitting chairs lined up in the same orderly way the last time I was here. Cautiously, I placed the weapons down on the floor and took a step closer. My heart was racing again. \n\n\"Hey, Clara, do you see that over there?\" I pointed to a gap between rows C and D. All I got in response was a head shake. She seemed transfixed by something in the corner of the room. \n\nI made a terrible decision and decided to look over where she was. A holograph-style illusion of the two of us appeared, however not how I remembered it at all. \n\nChild-Me was running through the village, bumping into crowds of all different types of people, aliens, vampires, witches. It seemed to be a jump off point to other worlds. Then child-me stopped. A large storm cloud was rolling over the hills as a green glow appeared from the mist. It flew down to ground level, although not quite touching the floor. This is where my memory went blank, although it continued playing.\n\nChild-Me looked up in wonder, amazement almost, as the green glow became human. Well, as close to human as a glowing orb could get. It was disfigured and slightly off putting, but still resembled a normal person. \n\nI turned away from the vision after seeing the same dark hair and green eyes I so recognised. Clara. My whole mind was going crazy, so many questions. \n\nClara had entered the gap between the two rows I was staring at before, picking up a book and flicking through. When she stopped, she looked straight at me, right into my soul, and screamed. Such a loud, shrill scream that shattered all the windows in the library. \n\nThe same storm cloud appeared from the vision, except this time it was on the floor. Rising and rising, until the whole library was covered in grey clouds and mist. Then another scream. And another. Soon, all you could hear was screams, some higher than others. Finally, the cloud passed and I saw what was in front of me.\n\nThousands upon thousands of skeletons. All moving awkwardly with their mouths agape and eye sockets glowing green. \n\"You! You! You!\" They all chanted, coming closer and closer, pointing their boney fingers right at my chest, which began pulsating a green glow.\n\nClara appeared above them all, her whole body glowing. She smiled, but there was no teeth. She laughed, but there was no mouth. She cried, but there was no tears. \n\n\"All of this was YOU!\" She screamed, causing the skeletons to go completely silent. \"This is YOUR fault, Zophea!\" \n\n\"What?\" I looked up, eyebrows furrowed. \n\n\"That day I first came here. You killed her.\" \n\n\"Killed who?\"\n\n\"You.\" Clara wailed, her cries booming through the halls. \n\nI stared at her, utterly confused. But I was here? \n\n\"You died. But I brought you back. Until you weren't quite you. You went on a rampage and killed everyone. So I cursed you to live a thousand lives, each one dying as gruesome of a death as everyone you hurt.\" \n\nAll I could do was blink. I had no memory of any of this. \n\n\"Since the day you were born, you were destined for this. I just made it happen,\" Clara pulled out a sword and threw it at me, it barely missing by mere inches, \"Read the transcript.\"\n\nNervously, I looked down at the sword. 'Be prepared. Be ready. For I will take my revenge.' \n\n\"Your revenge,\" Clara sighed, \"Was us. This was always going to happen.\" \n\nI moved my hand closer to the handle, almost instinctively, until it just grazed my fingertips. A bright light erupted the room. Darkness. Complete darkness. Then another bright white light. It was time again. \n\n\"Zo! Zo! Zo, wake up!\" A familiar voice called.", "At one point, everything had become a game for me. I don't know when that happened but after some time the concept of death had become something familiar yet unfamiliar in a way that a protagonist has plot armour. So when I woke up back at the riverbank where I had felt myself dying, I did know what to think.\n\nI remembered that in previous world, I had defeated the opposing forces and died in the Commander ship of the enemy as the General of Oysyseum Army and I blew up in the middle of space. I remembered that I had impaled my spear into her chest and held a final conversation as she bled out and I counted down the seconds until we both died. And when the moment arrived, I had only seen a bright flash of light before everything went dark.\n\nSo then, why was I back here? In the same body that I had been born in? In same place where people like me only knew oppression?\n\n\"Check this area! The kid is bound be around here somewhere,\" I heard a rough, heavy voice yell along with running sound of footsteps. \"The current was strong. There's a chance that we'll only find a corpse.\"\n\nI quickly got up and jumped back into the water. I wasn't thinking about whether I would die again or not. I only followed my instincts and hoped for the best. And when I finally saw my legs turning into scales and tail, I knew for sure. I had retained all my powers from my last birth.\n\nWithout wasting another second, I swam away against the current. The government soldiers wouldn't be able to find me now. And with these powers, I guess winning the war would be much easier than it was before.", "\"Ahhh shit here we go again.\" I said getting to my feet.\n\n\"Let's see if they got anything fixed while I was gone.\" I said to myself heading north until I came across a road and followed it to town.\n\nLooking around the town and seeing everyone stressed and unhappy I sighed and said \"looks like leadership didn't do jack shit...\"\n\n\"Well looks like they are gonna get a rude awaking when I show everyone how lazy they have been.\" I said cracking my knuckles and walking thru town as I waved my hands causing potholes to rewind back to their complete state. A snap of my fingers cause the lawns and plant life to grow and bloom. And with a clap of my hands I blew away all the dread, dispare and fear.\n\n\"One down and a few million more to go....\" I said catching my breath after the exertion of will. \" I am gonna need to train up some apprentices, I do not want to do all this by myself.\" \n\n\"We kind of need you to do that though.\" A voice said from both my shoulders. \n\nTurning my head side to side I could see the Visage of a demon on one shoulder and an angel on the other.\n\nThe figures then began speaking in turns in their own voices but as one continuous speech.\n\n\"Those with powers like ours must be used only to maintain balance. \"\n\n\"My job is to scare away the dark so the light can shine out of people\" said the angel.\n\n\"My job is to scare away the light so the light can be guided to those who need it most\" said the devil.\n\n\"Wait aren't your sides supposed to be at war?\" I said not quite understanding.\n\n\"No no no, that's my brother from another mother why would I do that.\" Said the angel.\n\n\"Seriously I love my sisters even though we walk opposite paths.\" Confirmed the Devil.\n\nWith that they both appeared to freeze in place then start to gently rock back and forth.\n\nIn one voice they said \"humanity was always meant to find the balance for all.\"\n\n\"Soooooo I'm not supposed to find apprentices?\" I asked surprised.\n\n\"Nope you just need to shine when you need and reflect when they need. That is how they will find you.\" They said with smiles. \"Now let's get to work we have alot to do.\"", "“I curse thee and your life\n\n Even in death may you find only strife\n\n Until what you have done has been made right\n\n Shall you again see this sun’s light”\n\nThose were the last words she spoke to me before she passed. I still hear them now ringing in my ear as I look out over my surroundings. Those words and the death her money gave me are all I remember about my past life. The terrifying feeling as the convulsions started and I lost control over my own body. Those feelings pale compared to the terror I feel now. As I arrived a sword was thrust into my hand, and I was sent to the frontline of a war I know not. I see my foes facing me and know truly what terror is. That terror only lasts for a moment though as my body is painfully dissolved in acid spat from a demon across the range. I still remember it taking hours for me to fully die. \n\nThe second was better at least in this world they gave me a spear and my foes were humans. Still, that didn’t help me when a great sword cut my spear in half and then my belly in the next moment. My entrails spilling out and boots stamping over me are not memories I can ever forget.\n\nAnd so, it went for me. Almost always wars and almost always gruesome deaths. Sometimes it was adventuring parties where I was sold as monster bait. Sometimes I was made to be a meat shield while wizards cast spells buying them just a few seconds as my corpse was devoured by all kinds of beasts. Every time it happened the pain of those deaths stuck with me; I can still feel every sword in my body. Every gnawed at bone aches. This time though I finally, after 49 deaths each as gruesome as the last, did it right. I smile and look over at the woman sleeping next to me giving her belly just now starting to bulge a hearty rub. The high general of this world’s premier army. When she saw me broken and shattered, she gave me comfort not pity. She held me as I screamed at invisible things. She was there as I scratched at scars I did not have. She cried with me as the pain I did not have became overwhelming. She was there for me when no other was. Smiling I cuddle in tight and close my eyes.\n\nI feel something shaking me awake. Confused I lash out at the unshaped beings above me. They quickly back off and I feel something long in my arm. As I pull the needle out, I hear the familiar voice of my dealer above me offering platitudes for the trouble. All I can think of though is what has been lost and I begin to cry true and honest tears that I have not wept before. I can still remember the life I had lost even if it may not be real, I know what it has taught me. So, with the dealers protest behind me I walk out the door with a swiftness I should not have, a shirt that should have been loose on my body now pressed tight, and memories of a life I have not lived. Forward to a better tomorrow.", "\"Yo Mitch? Mitch? Mitchell Kim, are you there?\"\n\nI woke up. I was Mitchell... Kim right? Oh right, I was on set, acting in the new Blockbuster Return of the Dragon. I started to look around, but memories started flooding back to me, of thousands of years, dozens of lifetimes.\n\nI felt my arm get grabbed, and I realised was on the floor. The director, exasperated, grabbed my arm and pulled me to one side.\n\n\"Look Mitch, I'm gonna be blunt; We got you because you've got a pretty face, and you're a dead ringer of the Dragon's statue... its a bit creepy actually... anyway, you've still gotta pay attention man. You were made for this role, now act like it!\"\n\nHe held my face and in his hands and made me look into his eyes.\n\n\"Repeat after me: 'I am the Dragon'\"\n\n\"I am the Dragon?\" I said\n\nWasn't I Mitch? Yeah, I'm Mitch, but... wasn't I also the Dragon?\n\n\"No, No, NO! Not like that, say it with more authority!\"\n\nI am not just Mitch, or the Dragon. I was Snithar, Prince of Thieves. I was Boudua, the Duchess of Marcais. I was Jonathan, the Northern Warden of the Empire.\n\nI was Danny, a cripple in Jundo. I was Mina, a concubine of a wealthy merchant. I was Maxamillian, the young Count of Vern. I was Miao, daughter of a tavern owner.\n\nI am Mitch.\n\n\"I am the Dragon.\"\n\nHowever, all those lives, no matter who I was, no matter what I did, no matter the mark I left on history, all ended the same way.\n\nBy betrayal.\n\n\"Better, much better, but its missing... impact!\"\n\nI was Snithar, Prince of Thieves, poisoned by the love of my life as she begged for my forgiveness, her younger sister taken hostage. I was Bouda, the Duchess of Marcais, stabbed in the back by my Brother when I'd heeded his Call to Arms. I was Jonathon, Northern Warden of the Empire, assassinated when I kept my blades pointed North, not South, during the Succession Wars.\n\nI was Danny, a cripple in Jundo, killed for the silver coin a pitying noble had given to me. I was Mina, a concubine of a wealthy merchant, killed in punishment for being raped by his business partner. I was Maxamillian, the young Count of Vern, who never grew old after being killed by my ambitious Uncle. I was Miao, daughter of a tavern owner, killed by father when trying to shield my puppy A'Bao from one of his drunken rages.\n\nI am Mitchell Kim, the orphan with no parents, sponsored to being an actor due my looks, not Betrayed as of yet.\n\nI am Ruthar Vendrian, Unifier of the East, Conquorer of the West. Leader of the 12 Companions. Slayer of Vesial, Demon Prince of Corruption. Slayer of Kastiel, Demon Prince of Hate. Slayer of Sareal, Demoness of Lies. The Bane of Ishan, the Demon King.\n\n\"I am the Dragon.\"\n\n..who was sacrificed by my Companions, When the Karmic Debt incurred by the taboo of the God's direct act of sealing Ishan needed to be paid, I was forced to bear it... alone.\n\nCursed to a destiny filled with suffering, where any happiness in life was but a stepping stone to a greater fall... why was I awake? Why was I aware? \n\nHow come I remember?\n\n\"Now thats more like it! Nice job Mitch, just remember, 'You are the Dragon'!\"\n\nEnd of Part 1", "I took one last look at the red-brick orphanage I had spent my last 20 years in, then ran into the darkness, away into the night.\n\nAs my footsteps rang against the concrete, I couldn't help but feel exhilarated. For 50 whole lifetimes, I could suddenly remember... Everything. Jumping over low fences and discarded rubbish cans, the freedom to be young again had never felt so... addictive.\n\nStumbling over an abandoned mattress, it felt like heaven to have my joints no longer creak or croak with every step I took. My last life was so drab, being queen of an empire was so much more alluring than it actually was, and living to 98 years of age was only needlessly painful. Having lived almost 5000 years worth of lives, you could only imagine how nice it felt to finally remember everything I had experienced. In hindsight, 20 years zipped by rather quickly, even more so as a child.\n\nWhy would I wait 20 years? Wasn't it obvious? The whole legality of it would be much more dangerous if I left while a minor. Furthermore, as a '20' year old in a run-down orphanage barely scraping by with government handouts, they wouldn't be bothered to find the kid who had no living relatives anyway. I...\n\nHeh. Time does weird things to your mind. Look at me, speaking to myself now.\n\nI still... No, I now remember the day that old crone had cursed me to live a thousand lives. Foolish me had even thought it to be a blessing at first. Maybe breaking into the 'haunted house' on a full moon was a bad idea. \n\nMy footsteps pounded against the asphalt road, the sidewalk now but a distant memory. As the faint light of dim street lamps faded away, the darkness overwhelmed me. A fear of the darkness, one which I had thought forgotten a long, long time ago. Who would have thought getting betrayed by a man you thought was your best friend, then left to starve to death in a dark cellar as he bricked up the entrance would have been traumatising? Certainly not me.\n\nI traced out the familiar oval shape of the \"cats' eye\", the glowing glyph radiating in the blanketing darkness. Pointing the very pupil of the eye at my own, I watched as the darkness slowly receded as the glyph dissolved in the air, a skill learned from a magic school so long ago.\n\nI kept on running.\n\nAs the soles of my feet burned, the golden locket hanging from my neck only felt more and more heavy. Finally, as I approached a particularly patchy stretch of road, I felt my legs give out from under me.\n\nLaying by the side of the road, head facing the great sandy plains of Arizona, the stars never looked brighter. I flipped over onto my back, so my head could get a better look at the celestial constellations above.\n\nA few lives ago, this wouldn't have been surprising.\nA few more lives ago, they would have been praised as scions of astral gods beyond us. \nI know what they are. \nBurning conglomerations of gases so hot they would burn a man's face off. \nI would know. \n\nBut that life was many years ago now, or maybe so many years ahead of this life that this earth... \nIt wouldn't matter anymore. \nI clutched the golden locket in my hand, lifting it up infront of my face, the faint reflection staring back at me. It smirked, in the sadistic glee of knowing that it was but a youthful mask on an ancient soul. \n\nI opened the locket, staring into the photograph that sat within. A handsome face sat within, a depiction of a great man who once existed, so long ago. My heartbeat began to calm, no longer beating at my seated ribs. The hum of a distant car's engine reminded me of the present reality, snapping me out of a much too distant memory. Shutting the locket, I ran a finger across the ancient emerald adorning its centre, whilst muttering an ancient elven power word.\n\nMy fingers and clothes slowly became invisible, just in time for the car's bright headlights to shine right through me. The car trundled on, its presence diminishing as the engine hum slowly faded away. Now, I realise that looking upon the past would not serve me much longer. \n\nWhat would I even do here? It's been several thousand years since I've been here, with nothing much changing at all, as if a rock in a rushing river, unchanging and unmoving while life past me by.\n\nPerhaps... \nYes...\nHeh, lets see if that old crone still lives there. \nWith that, I disapperated. \n\nOut of all these lives, I will finally understand revenge. \n\nMaybe it was a blessing after all. \n\nEdit: I need to run some errands so TBC\n\nEdit 2: It's finished, for now :)" ]	7
	[WP] You're engaged in a skirmish with your Western adversaries, until the arrival of Islamic State combatants makes things interesting.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Hi u/Jredovic, this submission has been removed.\n\nThe mods reserve the right to remove anything we feel is harmful to the community. This includes, but is not limited to any forms of hate speech, racism, politics, necrophilia, pedophilia, bestiality, incest, torture, rape, violence against children, suicide, and mental health stereotypes. We will not tolerate it. \n\n* This was removed [based on the comments it's likely to attract](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses), specifically via [Rule 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_2.3A_no_explicitly_sexual_responses.2C_hate_speech.2C_or_other_harmful_content)\n\n---\n\nReal-World Drama: No prompts referencing real world drama (including politics, recent tragedies, etc.) \n\n* From Rule 7: [Prompts will be removed if there's a high possibility for rule breaking responses](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_7.3A_prompts_will_be_removed_if_there.27s_a_high_possibility_for_rule_breaking_responses)\n\n---\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/yfjb4d/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/config/sidebar) before posting. \n\nThis action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things." ]	2
	[WP] you and the hero have been battling for years and every time you fight you lose. One day while doing your usual fight routine the hero cracks under pressure and gives up	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 had done this exact thing a hundred times: I duck away under his blast of pure energy and tackle him to the ground. Then I try to put the special cuffs, the handcuffs designed to prevent the strongest hero of our planet from using his powers, on his hands every time. Every time I fail, because after putting the cuffs on his right hand, something always haplens. He either does something unexpected or I \"accidentally\" lose grip of the cuffs. It then usually takes about one to two minutes of fighting before he goes for the energy blast again, only that he just has one hand to deliver it. A normal energy blast would defined do some lasting damage, while the one-handed shot onlh stuns me. That's why sooner or later I always let him hit me with this shot to end the fight. Of course I could simply kill the hero, but I remember how it was before he was around to stop me and it was just boring. No one can truly stop me, but I want him to feel like the strongest, because I have developed feelings for him over the years.\nToday however, something unexpected happened, after I had again secured his right hand in the cuffs: He stopped fighting back. I grabbed his left hand to pretend like I was gonna secure it with the cuffs aswell, but instead of trying to prevent it, he simply looked at me with a blank expression. So I did what I had never done before and secured his second hand, thus rendering him unable to use his powers. \n\nNow I wanted answers; I grabbed his throat and singlehandedly lifted him of the ground and in the air. \"What is going on? Why did you let me capture you? You didn't even fight back!\"\n\n\"Because she has my sister!\" While he responded I could make out two things in his voice: The pressure my hand put on his throat and an unbelievable amount of sadness.\n\n\"What are you talking about? Who has your sister?\"\n\n\"Moon Rose! She abducted her and left this\" He provided me with a note from his pocket: \"If you want your sister to live, you need to make sure that you lose to Bloody Hunter when you face him again\" \n\nBloody Hunter is the name the media gave me when I fist started appearing because I hunted everyone down who stood in my way and left them in a puddle of their own blood. Now that I had read the note I got angry: Rosalyn Hewitt or \"Moon Rose\", how she likes to call herself, is one of the weaker villains who has been hitting on me since day one. And even after I had told her multiple times that I wasn't interested, she still tried to impress me. I guesses this was yet anither way to \"help\" me, by giving me the chance to get rid of my arch nemesis. \nI dropped Energy Phoenix on the ground where he layed gasping for air. \"I'm sorry that happened; I'll deal with her\", I stated before vanishing on the spot.\n\nHidden in the shadows I watched my beloved hero drag himself over to my cocuh and turn on the tv with his still cuffed hands. It took a while before the door was opened and Moon Rose casually stroll inside. When she noticed the cuffed hero, she started laughing: \"Oh, the powerful, powerful Phoenix has been beaten. Well, I guess a Phoenix needs to be turned into ashes to be able to rise again. But well, since you are beaten, I guess there is no need to hold your sister hostage anymore. With a gesture of her hand she released a small cloud of glitter, that rapidly flew out of my window and in the direction of the city. Still hidden by the shadows of the young night, I was able to follow them to the docks, where a young woman was tied up by a combination of plants and glitter. For a short moment I thought I might have misjudged Rose since she would only fall into the water when released; but thag thought was quickly overturned when I saw something that confirmed my suspicions: The water below her was filled with metal spikes; spikes that she would be impaled on, the moment she would be released. \n\nAfter recognizing the danger she was in, I gave up my cover in order to increase my speed and catching the woman the moment her ties dissolved after being hit with the glitter cloud. \n\nHalf a minute later, I flew in through the window of my apartment and laid the girl, who was still shaking with adrenaline, onto the couch. Phoenix immediately started to hug her and told her everything would be fine and he would protect her, while Rose stared at me mouth agape: \"What the hell have you done?\" \n\n\"No! The question is: What the hell have YOU done? Abducting a person is one thing, blackmailing is another but breaking your word? You don't get to do such a thing after pretending like we are on the same side. I would never, and I really mean never, break my word!\" \n\n\"But why aren't you happy? You have defeated your arch nemesis. And all of that is thanks to me!\" \n\n\"Thanks to you?\", I laughed, \"nah, I could've beaten himnfrom day one. I actually did, hence the name Phoenix. Because he was able to come back, but he is still weak. Not as weak as you and not at all pathetic like you, but he couldn't beat me, if I wouldn't let him!\"\n\n\"Wait! You let me win? Why?\", Phoenix inquired. \n\n\"Not now, I need to deal with her first\", I replied sharply.\nMoon, realising that she messed up, tried to leave, but she was nowhere nearly as fast as me. Her first reaction to being grabbed by me was trying to fight back, but after I had not only blocked all of her attacks but also struck her with my superhuman strength, she started crying and begged me to spare her. My only answer was snapping both of her arms, rendering her powers useless. I then freed Phoenix from his cuffs and before anyone could ask questions, I grabbed everyone and flew us to the docks. \n\n\"This is where she wanted your sister to die\", I motioned towards the metal spikes. \"And it is the place she will die instead!\" I lifted her to her feet by her hair. \n\n\"No!\", Phoenix exclaimed, \"You won't kill her\"\n\n\"You're right. She will\", I explained before nodding towards his sister. She looked unsure but I could see the spark of revenge in her eyes. \"Do it!\" I screamed and to my surprise Phoenix didn't intervene. \n\nHe simply hung his head and assured his sister: \"Whatever decision you make, I can understand it.\" She took a deep breath before kicking Rose over the edge right into the spikes." ]	2
	[WP] You run a modeling agency, famous for the extensive variety of models working for you. You're not telling anyone you hired a shapeshifter and they're just all the same person.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Odd's very own modeling agency. Odd opens the first stack of portfolios with a shudder of excitement.\n\nIt isn't exactly a dream come true, but it's worlds better than being a whore, or an escort. Being a whore meant being nothing to anyone, ever. Being an escort meant being everything to everyone, all of the time. Odd had hated both. Being a model meant being something to someone, sometimes. With lots of paychecks, and nights and weekends off. Odd likes the sound of that.\n\n'Hall of Mirrors,' Odd had named it. Odd regrets that now. There is a pending lawsuit over the name; but then, these Americans say that getting sued is a sure sign you've made it as a business. Odd hadn't expected to make it so quickly.\n\nAnd anyway, names are hard, which is why Odd avoids them whenever possible. Not faces, though. They're easy. Odd remembers faces--remembers everyone else's faces, that is. Odd struggles sometimes because Odd doesn't have a face, that Odd remembers. Odd isn't sure if Odd ever had a face. \n\nOdd remembers a facility. White walls, locked doors. Doctors, with their tests and machines. Guards, with their masks and guns. Numbers, instead of names. One day there was an attack, or something escaped, which set off alarms and opened the locked doors. In the confusion, no one noticed when two of the same doctor evacuated from opposite ends of the campus. That was the first face Odd remembers having; the doctor had later been arrested for a number of petty crimes, before Odd had retired that face.\n\nThen the dark times: running, cold, hungry, abused, used. Sleeping rough, as they call it. Being beautiful long enough to be fed; getting noticed. Getting offers that sounded too good to be true, and were. Beds and strangers, cameras and crying, faceless fears...\n\nOdd shakes off the memories. Those days are done. Odd has a modeling agency, now.\n\nIn Odd's phone, there are four personal numbers, amongst the innumerable business and utility and client contacts. Odd dials one of the numbers, and it goes straight to voicemail.\n\n\"This is Odd,\" growls a garbled, digitalized baritone, at odds with the slim, androgynous speaker. \"Received last package. Requesting same again, new faces. Dead preferable. No more Caucasians, got plenty for now.\"\n\nOdd hangs up. It is an expensive service, but Odd had come to enjoy the convenience as an escort, and it is now central to the business plan as a modeling agency.\n\nOdd begins hanging new faces on the wall.\n\nPolaroids. Mugshots. Glossy glamour shots. Autopsy photos. Leaked nudes. Yearbook photos. Social media profiles. Magazine centerfolds. Women, men, children even.\n\nFaces. Faces of beauty. Faces of death. Faces of pain, rage, sorrow. Faces of ecstasy, lust, excitement. Faces of boredom, fear, hope, laughter.\n\nOdd collects faces. They remind Odd of who Odd can be. This is important, when you can be anyone except yourself. \n\nOdd prefers the long dead, who wouldn't be missed. Who could be dismissed as coincidence when spotted in an advertisement. But once Odd had stumbled, gotten hold of a face that made people weep to see it, made police knock at Odd's door at the escort service. Caused strangers to take Odd to a police station, to make some very worrying faces at Odd. To keep saying things like 'missing persons' and 'human trafficking.'\n\nThat experience had been Oddly frightening.\n\nBut soon, there will be a new technology. Odd had read about it online, thrilling at the prospect. AI face generation; a trillion trillion possibilities. Beauty, brutishness, grace, vulgarity: the computers could give Odd new faces every day. One day, Odd can be beautifully new, as often as Odd desires.\n\nOdd sighs. It will be wonderful, one day. For now, though, Odd will keep collecting faces. Or rather, pay for someone to collect faces for Odd.\n\nOdd makes a selection. Muscles flex, skin ripples. Young; pretty, without being unapproachable; large eyes, slender hips, delicate hands. Odd tests a few voices, settles on a natural smokiness, with a hint of vocal fry to indicate freshness. Odd picks up the phone, finds the client contact.\n\n\"Advertising department,\" comes the bored answer.\n\n\"Um, yes, hi. I'm, um, a model? From Hall of Mirrors? I was told to call you about the modeling job?\" Odd lies, loving it." ]	2
	[WP] As they’re counting down to lift off. An astronaut remembers something he wanted to bring with him.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Three. Anderson, remember. You'll make me proud, her words ring with cold factuality in my ears. \n\nDisappointing her has never been an option. Good thing that won't happen. \n\nTwo. Your distrust in yourself will be your downfall, he hollers.\n\nHe had always known how to make me feel worthless. But I had learnt to resist, learnt how to hold onto myself. A comfortable, warm sense of composure flutters up my back, through the arms to my left hand, lying firmly on the control panel, and to my right, moving to caress the enamel pocket watch. Right here below my workspace, just a little further down- \n\nOne. \"Break a leg, big guy\", Dorokhova grins. \n\nI'll get her there. I'll get us there, both of us. I promised. Just, where is this goddamn pocket watch? \n\nLift off. \n\nA surge of vertigo spirals through my head, takes me on a little rollercoaster ride as we're propelled above all the birds in the world within seconds, fleeing their most eager feats at escape velocity. These first seconds are programmed, but in a moment I'll have to take over, navigate us upwards to make the most of our inertia. Exactly like we mapped it out, exactly like we practised time and time again in the simulations. It's basically muscle memory at this time. Nothing can go wrong, if I just collect myself. Let the sensations flow from my right hand on the control panel to my left, caressing the... Ah, god dammit. Caressing the scrambling air inside an empty drawer. \n\nThat's alright. Tokens do not define me. My mind has learnt its craft from the Professor, from the finest of brains in the industry, from her rigorous training and meticulous routines and her undying certainty that I can achieve whatever I want. And her omnisciently accurate pocket watch. Oh well, the control panel surrounds me with at least a dozen state of the art instruments, with atomic chronographs without likeness. It's not like I ever needed it. \n\nFour thousand and fifty three milliseconds and I'll push the rudder to a thirty nine degree angle. I mean, I hope it's four thousand and fifty three milliseconds. The clocks might be wrong or I might have miscalculated, overlooked some stupid little fault of my own that the computers and my coworkers didn't catch or fed them a flawed concept to begin with. No, we checked. I'm sure it's four thousand and fifty three milliseconds. Less now. \n\nDorokhova blinks in my direction. We're each strapped to our posts, of course, no room for movement, but she feels something is wrong. She's mistaken, I'm alright. The Professor is with me and my confidently educated mind, I can do this. I never needed the watch. \n\nNonetheless, Dorokhova is quite sensitive to others' emotions, so I give her a reassuring nod, making sure not to overstretch my head gear. Two thousand, seven hundred and eleven milliseconds. Probably. I'll be there, I'll drive us up into the stars with scrupulous precision. I'll get her there. Probably. \n\nNow's the time, any second now. Here we go. I can feel myself. My right hand steady on the manual crank, my left hand steady on p... fuck, steady on the bottom of the drawer. It's close enough. This is how my ritual has always worked. \n\nOpposite me, Dorokhova's facial expression opens up ever so slightly. Ninety milliseconds. Time to go. I grab the cold metal and watch the needle on my instruments climb as I move it to what my muscles already know is the right position. Well, usually they would. My stance is a little different today, my left hand sat lower, stroking the bottom of a drawer. Maybe I should compensate for that. Just a few arc seconds further than usual, or we'd oversteer. I'm sure we would. \n\nThis is rubbish. My stance isn't different, my muscle memory undeterred by a tiny pocket watch in the opposite hand. What would I even be compensating for? I know how far to pull the manual handle, always have known. I move to correct the two hundred arc seconds I'd deviated. Or was it three? Four? There wasn't really a way to know, and guesswork in navigation is fatal. Why did I even start messing around with the handle?\n\nDorokhova's dark eyes widen. I shouldn't be messing about with the manual controls at this point, she's sure of that and she's right. Our rudder should've been in place years ago. I smile at her, trying frantically to control the worried uptick of my rebellious eyebrows. She bends as far as possible towards the control panel, still metres away. This was my responsibility, this part of the journey, she can't correct my mistakes. Bad design? Or misplaced trust in my deceptive, stupid little brain?\n\nWith a little luck the angle will still be right. Only luck is not something I brought with me today, is it?\n\n\"We're too low\", she says. I know we are. There is no accusatory tone to her voice, no anger. Just quiet resignation.\n\nWe're too low. I know what this means. \n\nThe Professor will have to live with her disappointment for once, maybe the certainty of having been wrong for once will even do her good. Nobody will always place their trust in the right people, and her predictions haven't faltered as far back as I can remember. Until now.\n\nDorokhova doesn't bend towards the panel any longer. Even if she reaches, it won't be any use. We're already slowing down. Gravity is a force to be reckoned with, after all. And I didn't blast us high enough. Wasted our inertia. Wasted the perfect updrift I had, just as he said I would. \n\nI hope she'll go in peace. She deserved better. \n\nMe, I'm all right. It was always going to end this way.\n\nIt's just a bummer he always goddamn ends up being right." ]	2
	[WP] children taken by the Fey are thought to be enslaved, but truth is it's more like an adoption service for childless couples. The fey even have their version of CPS tasked with ensuring human children's safety and well-being if needed.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Looking out the distance I see a light coming.\n\nSo this is the end. I thought. \n\nBut rather than being taken away from this land, I felt a pair of arms on me. There was a voice accompanying the set of arms that has lifted me up, but in the state I was in, I couldn’t make head or tails of what was being said. But right before I drifted off into the darkness, I heard screaming off in the distance.\n\n…\n\nInhale Waking from what had felt like a nightmare I had shot upright. Getting my bearings together, I had looked around myself. Rather than the usual dark and dusty places where I’ve usually holed up in, I find myself within a tent. From what I could see, it seemed to be quickly set as there were only the tent, my mat, and a few bags that lie in the corner. Right as my mind was about to ponder what possibilities I could’ve gotten myself in, a man with a light brown complexion with an outfit of varying green entered. When he walked in, I realized he was a Fey as I noticed his wings peaking out from between his legs. \n\nBefore even allowing him to talk I had asked bluntly, “So what does the Fey want with someone like me?” As if expecting the question yet surprised at my composure, he had replied. “We had taken you because of your circumstances. Like all the other children, we take them when they don’t have…the greatest home, so to speak.” “I see. So then, why have you come for me when my circumstances are as they are right now?” Wondering why they haven’t come any earlier, I pressed. Looking on into the past, the Fey had replied, “Well you see, we couldn’t as your village had wards and guards shielding it, so it wasn’t quite easy for us to come. And to be frank, the scout that was posted to the area was slightly put off by your violent nature, negative energy, and that you have the potential to use magic.” \n…\n(Got bored here. Let me know if you want some more, maybe I’ll add to it.)", "Rowan cowered and hid, crying and shaking, as his parents screamed at him. After they were done, he crawled under his blankets, wishing himself to disappear. He cried quietly, knowing he would only be scolded more if they heard him make any noise. He clamped his eyes shut, wishing and willing his little body to just disappear.\n\nBut when he opened his eyes again, he was shocked to see a faintly glowing light hovering on the other side of his comforter. He pulled the blanket off of his face and peered into the eyes of the little fairy. She waved and smiled at him.\n\n\"Do you want to leave?\" she asked, her voice light and twinkling.\n\nThe little boy didn't reply. He rubbed his teary eyes incredulously.\n\n\"I can take you away,\" the fairy continued. \"But only if you want me to.\"\n\n\"Where would you take me?\" he finally whispered.\n\n\"To a family who will love you and cherish you,\" she said softly.\n\n\"You can do that?\" he asked.\n\nThe fairy nodded.\n\nRowan nodded in response.\n\nThe fairy grinned. \"Come with me!\"\n\nShe flew up and tapped her little hand on the tip of his nose and in an instant he was poofed out of his bedroom.\n\n//\n\nHe awoke the following morning in a strange place, but a comfortable one. He was in a child's bedroom, though strangely one that appeared not to belong to anyone. He heard someone walking down the hall.\n\n\"Celeste, I just have to grab my coat and then--\" the red-haired woman said as she passed by the open bedroom door. She stopped mid-sentence when she saw the small boy in the previously unoccupied bed.\n\nThe woman and the boy stared at each other for a very long while, each unsure of how he had ended up in her home. Then another voice came from down the hall.\n\n\"Jess, come on, we're going to be late!\"\n\n\"Hey... Celeste,\" the red-haired woman's voice cracked as she called to her wife. \"Come here for a minute.\"\n\nThe distant voice sighed and then footsteps echoed down the hallway as she approached. When the second woman came into the doorway and also spied the little boy, her frustration caught in her throat.\n\nThe two women were speechless as they gazed upon the child they had wished for and wanted somehow suddenly before them. They had made up the little bedroom, unknowing if they would ever had a child to use it. And for whatever reason, there he was.\n\nJess began to cry softly. Celeste held her tightly and began to cry too.\n\n\"I'm sorry,\" the boy mumbled, fearing he had upset them.\n\nThe women broke apart and turned back to him.\n\n\"No,\" Celeste breathed through her tears. \"We're just...\"\n\n\"Happy,\" Jess said, finishing her wife's sentence. \"You have no idea how wanted you are.\"\n\nRowan smiled. \"A fairy brought me here,\" he tried to explain.\n\n\"I'm sure they did,\" Celeste said, wiping the tears off her face.\n\n\"What's your name?\" Jess asked him.\n\n\"Rowan,\" he replied.\n\n\"And your last name?\" Celeste asked.\n\n\"Whatever yours is,\" he replied.\n\nThe women rushed to his side and swept him into their arms.\n\n\"Welcome home.\"" ]	3
	[WP] The king gets an unexpected visitor: the overlord's son. He straightens himself up, clears his throat and asks "What brings you here?" At this, the boy kneels before the king. "I don't want to be an overlord" he says. "I just want to live my own life, but my dad won't listen. Please help 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&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 King paused for a moment, taking in the information presented to him by the imperial air. In a swift motion he stood up and put his hands together. \n\nWith a friendly smile he proclaimed “This is a time of celebration! It is everyday that an imperial prince visits my humble realm!” \n\nThe prince stuttered in confusion. “But sir—“\n\n“Enough, any matter can wait till tomorrow.” The King waved his hand dismissively. \n\n“What?“ The prince found himself dumbstruck.\n\nThe King strode down to the prince.\n\n“Your worries can wait till tomorrow young one. Then I can promise you a serious conversation of your desires. But tonight your only worry should be which ale to try next!” \n\nThe king brought the prince in under his wing. \n\n“I have been saving some of the finest liquor, ale and wine from across the continent for such an occasion. Don’t let my years of preparation go to waste young prince.” \n\n“Oh okay.” The prince was dazed by The King’s sudden change in demeanor. The King had a reputation for a strict regiment and a conservative demeanor. \n\n“Now, I know that many lords and those in the imperial court might jest that I have a stick up my ass.” The King chuckled. “But I can sing The Drunken Footman as good as the rest of em. And back in the day I was quite a force on the field.”\n\nThe King grinned. “I just keep that to my most trusted confidants. Like you and your father.” \n\n“But what about my—-“\n\n“That can wait till tomorrow, for tonight we drink!” The King interrupted.\n\nA night of feasting and drinking ensued. The King kept on insisting that the Prince try this ale or that wine throughout the entire night. The prince unable to hold his liquor passed out eventually. The King had prepared his fastest horses and his best horses to whisk the prince back to the imperial capital. The coachmen and guards were under the threat of death if they failed in their task. \n\nThe King found the Queen in their chambers, having drank significantly less. \n\n“I see you’ve dodged another arrow.” The Queen quipped. \n\n“And what happened to our young guest.” she continued. \n\n“He’ll be back in the capital by noon tomorrow.” The king sighed. \n\n“And what of his fate?” \n\n“If he has any inkling of intelligence, he’ll bluff it as a friendly visit. Hell I could even spin it as an attempt to reinforce the relationship between the prince and the emperor, if the pieces fall into place.”\n\nThe King leaned over the room’s fireplace “ A son inquiring about their father’s past to an old friend of the father has no guile in it.” \n\n“And yet you sent the young prince back into the lion’s den.”\n\n“What choice did I have? The Emperor has been looking for a casus belli for our domain. Our only bulwark is the other Kings that he anointed. Our allies.”\n\nThe King sank sullenly in a chair near the fire. \n\n“If they believe we meddled with the line of succession, well… thats high treason. And yet to deny an imperial heir could also be considered treason. The prince nearly painted a target on my behind.” \n\nThe Queen sat down in her chair near the fire. \n\n“The kid just wants to live his own life.” \n\nThe King shook his head in sorrow. “We’ve all felt that urge. To run away from our responsibilities. But I will not start a war because the prince wants a way out. What of our subjects? Our levies? Thousands of men and women who want to live their own lives. Does the prince’s life outweigh all of their lives? Upended because a foolish prince wants out?” \n\nThe Kings frustration was palpable in the room. \n\n“I hold the second most footmen and knight in the realm outside the imperial cohorts. Any war between us and the imperials would destroy more lives than the prince could comprehend.” \n\nThe King had had enough and chose to go to bed. The news from the capital could not come soon enough." ]	2
	[WP] A skeptic parapsycholist finds himself trapped in a room his married boss, who he happens to crush on. Said boss likes him too and is quite the screamer when it comes to unexpected touches	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 were always clumsy but you would never know you would bring it to afterlife with you. You stumbled down the stairs of Hell as you lost your step and ended on the last and the worst level of Hell by accident.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "As the demons laugh at me, I can't help but chuckle as well. \"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.\" When you're used to stumbling, falling and simply embarrassing yourself, you get used to being laughed at and learn to laugh it off. Satan joins me at the bottom of the stairs, offering his hand to help me up.\n\nAs I grab his hand, he stares at me, smirking. \"Never seen someone volunteer themselves to the worst hell has to offer. I thought my minion told you level 2.\"\n\nI shrug. \"I'm used to my mishaps, missteps and falls by now. So... what happens now?\" I ask as I stand up.\n\n\"Well... I'll be generous. After all, you gave us a good bit of entertainment. I can bring you back up...\" he grins. \"Unless you want to stay down here?\"\n\nI notice the demons eying me hungrily, almost like predators locking onto their prey. Again, I shrug. \"When you're as clumsy as me, you learn to go with the flow. I'm down here now, aren't I?\"\n\nCheers sound out as I'm swarmed. Whelp, no changing my mind now. Before I know it, I'm facing my first of an eternity of torture: Brazen Bull. Being locked down, I can't even squirm, just scream, which sounds more like music by the time the sounds exit the bull...\n\nWell, what did I expect from the worst of hell?\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nThank you for reading! More stories [here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/StoriesbyCrystal/comments/x374da/oneoff_stories_a_collection_of_stories_which_are/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)" ]	2
	[WP] If it wasn’t the other side the chicken wished to get to, then what was it about the road which needed crossing?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Patiently, the chicken waited until the metal boxes on wheels were nowhere to be seen. Then, he stepped out onto the road, keeping one eye forward, intently listening out for the humans.\n\nIn the middle of the road, Henrietta lay spluttering violently, with half of her chest missing, her intestines spilling out.\n\nOne of her eyes looked up at me. \n\n\"Seba...Seb...astian.\" The wind really had been knocked out of her. \"Wh...what are you doing here?\"\n\n\"Finally I found you. It's your weekend to look after the kids, bitch.\" I looked over at the way I had come. Three terrified, shaking yellow chicks, looking completely uncertain about why they were here stood on side of the road.", "The promised land was spoken of in legends for generations, a place where chickens would be spared the guillotine which was their inevitable collective fate, and where the beds were large and full of the type of soft hay that they could only dream of. It lay beyond the great tall wire fence to the north, a barrier that none had ever crossed, and no bird dared, for the ancient stories also told of a terrible fate for those who left the coop, a sudden and explosive death unmatched by the guillotine or any other.\n\nHenrietta stared at that fence often, dreaming of a life that wasn't the repetitive laying of an egg each day followed by the ceaseless chasing after the trickle of food that came in through the gate. The drama in the coop was far too much to bear, oh the fighting that ensued over the remaining morsels, the hens pecking each other in desperate attempts to be the winner. Couldn't we all live in a place where there was enough for everyone, where we didn't need to have such endless conflict over a pittance? \n\nLooking back, it was hard to tell the moment she finally became fed up and decided that she would risk her life for liberty, that it would be better to die than live in chains. Perhaps it was that she had barely anything to eat for the third day, and the strain of pushing out the egg was painful. Or maybe it was the farmer, who came by screaming for days on end about how the coop needed to do better. Likely, it was just the weight of it all crushing down on her, making her realize that if she was to live a better life, she'd have to take a stand for it. \n\nDeep in the night, after the other birds had fallen asleep, and the farmer was sure to be nowhere around, she started to claw the earth on the side of the coop with ferocity, soon creating a hole big enough for her to pass through. Happiness surged within her when she emerged freely into the open air. Looking upward, she saw trillions of stars twinkling at her as if affirming her very destiny to reach beyond her confines. \n\nWhat she failed to anticipate was the fox, who spotted her when she was no more than a few meters from the fence. Slick with a red coat and matching eyes, it waved its bushy tail once as it locked its gaze on her. Seeing the expression on its face, she knew right away that she was in deep trouble and had to run at once. With the house to the left of her, the coop behind her, and the fox in front of her, that left her no choice but the road to her right. \n\nThe fox immediately gave chase, darting at her so fast that she thought for a moment that she was most assuredly dead. As it pounced, she rolled to the side, landing face-up on the yellow stripe in the road. The fox backtracked and looked down at her. Her short life passed before her eyes, and for a brief moment, she thought she had made the wrong decision, that this had been entirely stupid. Now she was going to die for no reason, none at all. \n\nYet, she remembered that she had been willing to die, and if this is her fate, then so be it. One thing was for certain though, she wasn't going to go out without a fight. She looked to the left and right, suddenly spotting great lights moving in their direction. Seeing that the fox was dead set on its prey, and paying no attention at all, she waited until the lights were within striking distance and quickly rolled out of the path of the tires. There was a loud thud as the fox met an untimely fate. \n\nShe picked herself up and scurried to the other side of the road nearby. Here there were farmlands for as far as the eye could see. She decided to head north, thinking that perhaps this could be a good way to get around the tall fence and finally make it to the promised land. \n\nHowever, what she saw when she got there disappointed her - for there was another coop much like the one she had come from, equally as dirty and probably full of the same drama. It turned out that the promised land wasn't real at all. What was real was the other side of the road - uninterrupted freedom." ]	3
	[WP] You took out a 100-year loan, never expecting to live long enough to pay it back. You're now coming up to your 100th year of the loan.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 only did it for fun. I though I beat the system. I was so naïve.\n\nAt first, it was fun - partying, expensive goods, trips, activities, I was living it up. I should have known taking out such a long loan was ridiculous.\n\nWhen I noticed I wasn't ageing, I got suspicious and did some research. That's when I found out that, since 2376, banks were able to create contracts which kept people alive until every single owed penny was paid back.\n\nI got jobs. I worked myself to death. I began repaying. It wasn't enough. Now I'm terrified.\n\nEveryone knows about the new laws introduced in 2382, where if you don't pay the money by the deadline, interest and fines won't pile up... instead, men will show up to your door, and take you somewhere to work for the person who lent you the money... some factories and underground jobs exist for this very purpose.\n\nTo top it off, owing someone money is considered a crime, so if I refuse or run, it's off to prison.\n\nI'm only a few days from the deadline. I'm trapped... there's no way I can pay the money... what do I do?", "\\[Sharp Obligation\\] \n\n\"Is something wrong with my account?\" Chester asked. The old man sat down across from the well-dressed executive in a white suit with a red tie. He matched the marble-white floors and pristine white walls of his office. Perseus set up the 100-year loan for Chester; but, as the decades went on, the man noticed he didn't seem to age a day. And, neither had Chester.\r \n \r \n\"Not at all, Mr. Quigly,\" Perseus chuckled as he gave his head a gentle shake. \"I asked to see you because, after today, you only have one payment left for next month.\"\r \n \r \n\"That's right,\" Chester nodded. He'd stopped into the bank to make his monthly payment when the teller directed him to Perseus' office. He was mildly annoyed at the extra timesink forced on him; not that he had anything else planned for the day. But, he preferred to do nothing at home. \"...and?\"\r \n \r \n\"...and, I felt like you might have missed some of the finer details in your contract with Sharp Bank.\" Chester sighed. The loan sounded too good to be true from the very beginning, but if there were any extra costs hidden in the fine print it was much too late to bring them up now. He'd raise Hell if they tried.\r \n \r \n\"For example?\" Chester asked.\r \n \r \n\"Don't worry,\" Perseus seemed to know what was on his mind. \"You're free to take your business elsewhere once you make your last payment. However, all my other clients often choose to take another loan before they reach this point; I wanted to make sure you knew that was an option.\"\r \n \r \n\"Oh,\" Chester relaxed his guard and even perked up a bit. He sat up straighter and more attentive. He'd never considered that. But, after thinking about it for a moment, he shook his head. \"I appreciate the offer; but, I'm pretty comfortable now; I'd rather free up that extra money and peace of mind.\" Perseus chuckled and gave a curt nod.\r \n \r \n\"I was right, you did kind of miss the point,\" he said.\r \n \r \n\"How's that?\" Chester asked.\r \n \r \n\"I know it's been a little while,\" Perseus said. \"But, do you remember how old you were when you took the loan?\"\r \n \r \n\"79 years old,\" Chester nodded.\r \n \r \n\"And how old are you now?\" Perseus asked. Chester gave a wheezing laugh and he was sure to add as much obnoxiousness as he could manage.\r \n \r \n\"For a big-time banker, you sure don't know your math. 179, obviously,\" he giggled again.\r \n \r \n\"Mr. Quigly...,\" Perseus leaned forward with his arms on his desk and lowered his voice to somewhere between a whisper and a normal tone. \"....haven't you wondered how you're still alive?\" he asked.\r \n \r \n\"I...,\" He realized he didn't even notice. At the surface level, he understood time was passing. He only took the loan because he expected to die long before he repaid it. And, he had no family to leave the financial burden to. But, the first year he got the loan was mostly a whirlwind spending spree. After that, making monthly payments on the loan was just a fact of life that he didn't put much thought into. But now that Perseus mentioned it, he realized he didn't feel a day over 79. After the hesitation, he had a new question than whatever he was going to say. \"...I can take another 100-year loan?\" he asked.\r \n \r \n\"As I said, my clients usually do,\" Perseus nodded.\r \n \r \n\"I want to,\" Chester was quick to decide. If what Perseus was suggesting was true, there was a lot more he wanted to do. Knowing he'd be alive for another 100 years gave him hope he could do it all.\r \n \r \n\"Wonderful,\" Perseus pulled a red clipboard from his desk and slid it across the desk with a pen. \"It's the same contract as last time. However, since it's been some time, I'm obligated to remind you that you're using your soul as collateral for this loan,\" he said.\r \n \r \nChester had the pen in hand and was ready to sign since it was the same contract. But, the reminder gave him pause. When he first took the loan, he assumed that 'using his soul as collateral' was a joke. But, it seemed like signing the contract gave him an extra 100 years. If Sharp Bank could do that, maybe it wasn't a joke.\r \n \r \n\"Why?\" He asked. \"What do you do with my soul? What happens if I die? I don't want to go to Hell,\" he said. He doubted Hell was real; but, he was learning there was more out there than he knew.\r \n \r \n\"You won't go to Hell,\" Perseus said. His tone was surprisingly reassuring. \"What Sharp Development does with your soul is a little involved. But, it's helpful to think of your soul as a sort of tally mark; I'd go so far as to call it a 'point'. Souls that end up in Hell are Satan's earned 'points', \" Perseus added air quotes. \"Under the terms of this loan, Ms. Sharp is able to claim your soul as one of her 'points' while you're making payments. There's far more to it than I'm able to explain; but, that's enough to give you a general idea. If you think back on the last century, I think you'll find that the minor detail of Ms. Sharp owning your soul did not affect your life at all. Except, of course, your longevity.\" Chester was almost ready to sign; but, he still had one concern now that he knew more.\r \n \r \n\"Okay, but what happens if I die?\" he asked. Perseus chuckled and shook his head in amusement.\r \n \r \n\"Ms. Sharp operates her own version of Hell; it's much more accommodating than the fire and brimstone that you might imagine. However, that's not a concern. In signing the contract, you are agreeing to make payments for 100 years, again.\"\r \n \r \n\"Well, yeah, but accidents happen...,\" Chester said. He was careful during the last 100 years because he didn't know he would survive all of it. But now, he was anticipating being a bit more adventurous if he could.\r \n \r \n\"Not to you they won't,\" Perseus grinned. Upon hearing that, Chester lost all hesitation and signed his name. But, Perseus elaborated a little more. \"This contract obligates you to make monthly payments for 100 years. And, Ms. Sharp takes contracts VERY seriously.\" \n\n\\\\\\*\r \nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1750 in a row. (Story #304 in year five.). This story is part of an ongoing saga that takes place at a high school in my universe. It began on August 22nd and I will be adding to it with prompts every day until May 26th. They are all collected in order at [this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hugoverse/comments/wtglls/tokuhigh_alternet_class/)." ]	3
	[WP] A person drops by the grave of a long gone famous author to read the notes people leave for them and sees that some of them have been given grades.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Lincoln and Seventh\n\nCh 1\n\nIt's the center of lot 97. You'll see a giant stone with his signature on it and the names and dates of him, his wife, and all of her brothers on the back of it. This isn't the real stone, though. To find the real stone you find the right edge of the base on that newer one and walk heel-to-toe for twelve steps. Then look down and under your feel you'll find a flat marker that's just him and Stella. That's where Kerouac is.\n\nII\n\nThey've been holding a festival for him every October going back to the late eighties, roughly twenty years after he passed. That's how long it took the town to forgive him. He died in October. \"Everybody goes in October,\" he said. Not sure he meant it that way. In the late nineties the festival committee also added a smaller festival around the time of his birthday in March. You'll find things on his grave year-round, but it's busiest at these two times of year. \n\nIf you go to Author's Ridge down in Concord to pay your respects to Thoreau, Emerson, and the Alcott's you'll see that people leave acorns and pebbles for Henry and pens for everyone else. Up here for Jack they leave bottles of all sizes, guitar picks, joints, and whatever else they carried with them on the road to Edson Cemetery. Most importantly though they leave notes. Often on whatever scrap paper they had in their car, but sometimes on the sheets of a pocket-sized notepad. Sometimes also on the inside cover of a book (his or their own) - secured against New England winds by being stabbed into the ground with pens or weighed down by whatever they find, often the bottles. \n\nI stop to read these sometimes during my rides. It's a nice little break. I stopped touching the bottles that weigh them down a while back. They are some of the most heartfelt letters you'll ever see considering nobody's met the man in over fifty years. \n\n\"Hey Jack. Glad I came out here to visit you - what a trip it's been...\" on the of a gas station receipt with a 'D' in the corner. Another began \"Can't believe we finally made it...\" and ran on for a few small pages, a circled 'B-' up in the corner and correction marks throughout. The correction marks I hadn't seen before, but they woke me up to the memory that it's been three years since I started noticing the grade letters and put it out of my mind. \n\nIII\n\nJK has always had critics in this town, which was founded on a history of child labor and Catholic guilt. The generations before mine could always point out what trees he chose to relieve himself on while walking home at dark hours. They criticized him for his illness and who his friends were. They labeled him by wherever it was they believed he fell on the political spectrum. So the grades just kind of struck me as an extension of that. \n\n..." ]	2
	[WP] By day you are a kindergarten teacher, by night you are a monster hunter. These two jobs have A LOT more in common than one would think.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Jenny Winchester came from a long line of monster hunters. You might say it was the family business. From the moment Jenny turned eighteen she was expected to become a hunter. However she had a dream of her own to become a kindergarten teacher. Her father agreed she could become a teacher if she hunted with the family at night.\n\nThat was exactly what she did for the next four years while she studied to become a teacher. These two completely opposite professions would prove to have a lot more in common that Jenny could ever imagine. It was on her first day of teaching it would all make sense to her.\n\nJenny was excited to be starting her first day of teaching. She woke up fifteen minutes early, took a shower, and dressed in a nice button down shirt, black jeans, hey dude boots, and a red leather jacket. She drove to school jamming to the “Eye of the Tiger” pumped for the day ahead.\n\nShe arrived at the school right on time. Exiting her car she headed to the main office to see where her classroom was located. The grey blond secretary called Ms. Burton told her it was located right next to the cafeteria. Jenny thanked Ms. Burton and headed for her classroom. She entered the room turning on the lights and started to set up for the year ahead.\n\nJust as she finished her final touches of putting up her inspirational posters the bell rang. It was now eight o clock exactly and the kids came running into the classroom. Jenny waited for the children to sit down then said “Good morning children my name is Miss Winchester, but you may call me Miss W.” The kids responded in unison “Good morning Miss W.” The morning flew by quickly with lessons being taught through song, games, and reading. Before Jenny knew it the lunch bell had rung. \n\nAll the kids rushed to the cafeteria or so she thought. Jenny grabbed her lunch from her desk. Just as she was about to start wolfing down her sandwich she heard a slurping noise. At first she ignored it but then heard it again. She rose from her desk and walked to the back of the classroom. In the coat closet she discovered a vampire child drinking blood from a travel style cup. \n\nShe had heard of monster children before but had never seen one. Her first instinct was to take out her knife hidden inside her jacket, and chop off his head because that was how vampires died. As she aimed the knife at his head the little boy named Danny lifted his head screaming “Please no don’t!” Not all monsters are bad!” It’s just animal blood inside my cup take a sip and see.”\n\nJenny took the cup from Danny and tasted it. Sure enough it was just pigs blood. Jenny asked Danny “What are you doing in a human school?” Danny looked at her quizically “Didn’t you know good monsters put their kids in human schools to keep us safe from bad monsters?”\n\nJenny paused then said “No, I didn’t even know you could look human.” Danny corrected her “Only monsters with good intentions can disguise themselves Miss W.” Danny continued to tell her the different ways to tell good monsters vs the bad ones. After he was finished Jenny thought “Great now I have to protect good monster children during the day, and hope I’m only killing bad ones at night.” She sighed giving Danny a hug saying “Don’t worry I’ll protect all of you from harm that are in my class.” Danny smiled and said “Thank you Miss W.”", "When you think about monsters, you imagine some strange creatures in distant lands, the truth is quite different. Most of the times you can not tell them apart from regular humans, you have to use so called \"monster gem\" to track them down.\n\nI've been born in a family with a long tradition of monster hunting, I was expected to follow the same path, so I did. I was told it's the right think to do. My family lived in rural area with not many people around, so the hunts were not really often, honestly I only went three times during my growing up. I wished for myself a batter life so after completing some online courses I moved to much bigger town in search for work. I picked up an offer as a kindergarten teacher, it was quite easy, I liked children and the salary was very good.\n\nIt all changed during the first parent meeting. I always had my monster gem on my neck, it glows every time some mythical creature is close. You can not imagine my surprise when the same second the parents walked into class my gem started glowing bright red light. \n\nI thought to myself it has to be a mistake, and I hid it in desk but deep inside I knew what it meant - at least one of the parents has to be a supernatural being and judging my the color of the gem there were way more than one. The meeting went smoothly, we even cracked few jokes with the parents and they all seamed really nice. When we finished I went straight to my car where I was approached by three parents. Through the pocket of my trousers I saw the gem shining again.\n\n\"We know who you are, and we know what you have came for. If it has to be done at least spare our children, they didn't deserve to be born in a world so cruel as this\"\n\nI was shocked, first of al they seemed perfectly normal, they didn't want to eat me or drain my soul. \"I... I don't want to kill anybody\" \n\n\"But you are a monster hunter, the legendary human that is capable of killing every magical creature, ruthless and cruel. We all know the stories about your kind\"\n\n\"My kind?\" I muttered \"I'm a nice guy, you are the ones supposed to be cruel and vicious\"\n\nWe all stood in silence for couple of seconds, and then we both came into a realization, non of us want to kill anyone, it was all a huge mixup. I promised them I had no bad intentions towards any of them. \n\nDoes it mean we are the true monsters for killing innocent being just because they were born different? I have so much to think about and I have to confront my family and possibly stop them from killing anyone else...", "If you want to find a monster, get a child.\n\nThat was always lesson number one of monster hunting. Children -- their innocence, their vulnerabilities -- have always been a beacon for the dark ugly beings that reside in this world. Sadly, I don’t think that will ever change.\n\nIt’s nap time for the children in my kindergarten. They lay in neat rows on the carpeted floor - pillows under their heads, thumbs in some of their mouths, all of them unaware of how intensely I watch all of them. See, nap time is when the red flags tend to drop. A kid from a happy home tends to sleep peacefully, maybe a bit of resistance and insistence that they’re not sleepy but when that head hits the pillow they tend to go down like rocks, silent and still. Kids from bad homes were a different story. They toss and turn, sometimes they cry in their sleep plagued by nightmares, they push for the nightlight even with the flecks of light from the afternoon sun peeking through the plastic blinds in the windows. The worst cases don’t even go to sleep. They stay away, too afraid to even shut their eyes.\n\nBenjamin never sleeps in my class.\n\nThe kid’s clearly exhausted. He nods off during class, during lunch and on the bus if the bus driver is to be believed but the second I close those blinds and let the shades fill the classroom he is wide awake. He lays on his mat, eyes opened, fists clenched, his breath so heavy and anxious I can hear it from my desk. The fact that he never turns his back to the supply closet solidified my interest in him.\n\nI keep an eye on Benjamin for a couple of weeks. Read his file… watch him on the playground… follow him home…\n\nHe lives in what appears to be a normal house on a normal street with perfectly normal parents. A mom and a dad. No siblings. His dad is a software engineer, makes decent money. Mom is a housewife, spends most of her time with a wine glass in hand. At parents’ night I made sure to greet them both while wearing a cross from her neck and the residue of both wolfsbane and garlic on her hands. Neither of them react. I tried digging into their past, the family has moved around a lot but as far as I could tell there were no strange happenings, or deaths connected to them at all. For a moment, I thought that maybe I had been wrong. Maybe there wasn’t a monster in Benjamin’s house…\n\n… but then I noticed an asterisk besides his mother’s name.\n\nTurns out she’d taken the father’s name when she married. Not usual except for the fact that her maiden name wasn’t hers either. She’d changed it. Her original name had quite the story. It featured a divorce, an ugly custody battle, two previously hidden children with photos of welts and burns inflicted by an alcoholic.\n\nAfter learning that I watched Benjamin even closer. I saw the way he flinched at every touch, the bruises lining his wrists and collarbone, the way his eyes fell to the ground every time his mother walked into the room.\n\nAs I wait outside his house now, counting my bullets, making sure the plastic lining of my trunk is secure, I think of the second lesson of monster hunting.\n\nAll monsters should be killed… even the human ones." ]	4
Definitely not based on a real experience.	[WP] Inside the examination room are superhumans, monsters and other supernatural beings, with all kind of overpowered abilities except super intelligence. As the supervisor, you're about to teach these new students that ABSOLUTELY no one can and will cheat in the exam, not even with their power.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Attention, all candidates! You will have two hours to find the correct answers amongst the dross. You will not be able to cheat during this test.\n\n\"You will be working in randomly-assigned teams sorted by way of triple-blind lot. Your powers will be fully available, because there is no way you will be able to cheat throughout this test.\"\n\n\"The test is on your respective tables. Correct answers will light up green; incorrect answers will be red; cheats will be lit up in psychedelia. You may begin when you arrive at your assigned tables.\"\n\nAs the invigilator looked across the floor, she saw five teams of various superhuman and supernatural beings trying to enter Stellaris III's Academy. From the mundanity of perception filtering, through the telepathic aliens of Celestus IV, and to the gargoyles of Styx, the Academy entrance exam was widely considered the most challenging thing this side of warping through time in a singularity.\n\nThe teams were hurriedly and frantically discussing the answer to the first question - an image of a Terran wood chair with the question being, \"Describe this chair,\" appearing in the viewer's native language.\n\nThe teachers were remote viewing the actual discussions, placing bets and drinking merrily, raucously discussing amongst themselves which team would be the first to fail.\n\nThe kaleidoscope came over a table featuring a Chameolonis, a Psyket, a Faeru, and an Omicronian. \"You fail. Pack your things and leave.\"\n\nThe Psyket and Faeru were angrily pointing toward the Chameolonis, whose refractive skin had been caught trying to reflect answers elsewhere in the room to the team. The Omicronian's eyes narrowed, looking at the remote viewing camera. Then, it nodded, saluted mockingly, and left after the others.\n\nThere was a collective gasp in the test room, as three of the other teams' tables lit green, and the fourth lit red. The question disappeared, and a new question appeared.\n\n\"Do you know the Muffin Man?\"", "Carly, the physics instructor cleared her throat. She looked over the room of super powered teenagers, among them were one vampire, and one werewolf. Also a human with alien cyborg implants. She pondered other classes she'd given exams too, most of them were hopeful SEAL Candidates. She glanced at Heather, the one she was worried would actually cheat. Girl could read minds like no one's business and was always grabbing answers from her fellow students. She gave her the 'I'm watching you' eye.\n\n\"You have two hours to complete the exam. It will cover everything for the entire semester. I will remind you, the school's honor code explicitly mentions cheating on an exam as an expelling offence. You know what that means, you're kicked out of Aurelius Academy, you do not get a license, you do not past go and if you are powerful enough you go straight to supermax.\"\n\nHeather shifted uncomfortably in her seat when Carly eyeballed her. Carly continued.\n\n\"If you think you'll get away with it, I assure you someone smarter and more powerful then you has already tried and failed. Just because I'm an n-mag human doesn't mean you'll get away with it. And! Just in case you had any bright ideas.\"\n\nCarly looked at Heather again.\n\n\"Ms. Aurelius, your combat instructor, and an active MANA Agent, will be observing with me. Do not test either of our patience. Am I clear?\"\n\nThe entire class said yes ma'am in unison. They were well used to their instructor's military style of teaching. Carly motioned to the, the young looking combat instructor, who was in actuality a century old vampire.\n\n\"Helen if you would please?\"\n\nHelen started handing out the exam papers. She got more then a few nervous looks. She had a reputation as a MANA Agent of arresting first and asking questions after she'd finished breaking limbs. Helen paused as she put the exam paper on Heather's desk. She pointed to fingers at her eyes then back at Heather and whispered.\n\n\"You've already had two honor code violation warnings from my very lenient sister, I won't let there be a 3rd kid.\"\n\nHeather blushed deeply and got very interested in the corner of her exam paper. Carly reached for her timer.\n\n\"You may start now.\"\n\nShe pressed it on then sat on the desk. Helen leaned on it beside her. Carly gave her a glance and Helen gave a small shrug." ]	3
	[WP] the priests think that their summoning ritual failed when all they got from it was a soldier clad in green armor when they should have gotten an entire army. meanwhile the doomslayer is just wondering how his portal failed.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 message came through from the ship, as the priests prostrated themselves before him. \"You have arrived at the appropriate destination. However it appears to be....ancillary....to our known universe. Interesting. I will need to study the data and contact you later.\" The robotic voice of Samuel Hayden cut contact, as he strapped the Crucible to his back and pulled out the BFG.\n\nThe priests stared, as the blood pooled out of their eyes; the Abbot lay there, a paroxysm wracking his body. He was moaning in a bizarre circular rhythm. \"Why, Lord, only one?\" Repeated over and over as the body seized up, and blood poured from every orifice.\n\nThe Sentinel stood, silent and implacable, as he adjusted to his new surroundings. His HUD displayed his armor and ammo to be completely full from the ship. He nodded, and strode through the room; however, a Bishop stood in front of him, trying to halt him.\n\n\"The Great One sent a single man against thousands,. What is this-\" The Bishop didn't get to finish, as the Sentinel picked him up and threw him through the door, much to the horror of those conscious Priests. The door splintered, and the demons outside launched a vicious attack.\n\nThis was a mistake.\n\nThe Sentinel fired the BFG, and its nuclear ammunition tore a devastating hole in both reality and the crowded demons, who could no more easily dodge its horrific outcome than a beach could dodge a tsunami. A giant green pebble fell at the feet of the Sentinel, as he uttered his war cry.\n\n\"RIP AND TEAR!\"\n\nHe replaced the BFG with a chainsaw and the double-barreled shotgun, and leapt into the fray using his boots to dash away from the entrance, surrounded by demons who followed as though he were a flame, and the demons a horde of moths.\n\nA Bishop mused to herself, 'The Great One provided exactly what we needed. It was just not what we desired.' She used her witchery to repair the door, reinforcing it.\n\n/ / / / / /\n\nLess than two hours later, there was a knock at the door. The Bishops gathered around, to see the Sentinel enter, draped in the blood and viscera of the demons. As he took off his helmet and armor, he clutched the weapons he had brought to him, and rolled over to sleep.\n\nThe stunned Priesthood of WAK stared at him. He looked only a little taller than him, but with a musculature that spoke of constant, devastating combat.\n\nThe Abbot mumbled, \"A great gift,\" and began foaming at the mouth, his body locking up in a rictus of agony and death. He folded to the floor glassy-eyed, to the horror of the Bishops present. \n\n\nThe chamber, save for the Sentinel, jumped, as the Abbot's head ejected itself from the body, blood pooling around the severed neck.\n\n/ / / / / /\n\nIt took one more day for the Sentinel to decapitate the Demon armies and their King, with which he formed an ornate weapon from the skull and spine - a devastating whip designed to generate more power for the suit, but supple enough to bend to the Sentinel's practised wishes.\n\nSamuel Hayden got back into contact as the whip was finalised. \"Excellent work there. It appears that you have a new weapon to use against the Maykrs. Our assault on Creation begins in two days.\" The portal opened, splitting a Priest in half, as the Sentinel stepped through.", "John Doom quickly glanced around the room while the robed figures tried and failed to get his attention. They weren't demons, and they weren't attacking him, so they weren't an immediate threat.\n\n\"-- while we attempt to locate where the summoning spell sent the rest of your unit. You are, of course, sworn to uphold your sacred duty--\"\n\nThere! Out the window, he could see the demonic army gathering in the valley far below. The moat might slow them down, but it would surely not keep them at bay. Indeed, he could already see fliers swarming and large stones being dragged by massive lumbering brutes.\n\n\"The finest blacksmiths in the land have assembled an arsenal fit for an entire company of soldiers. Please select an appropriate weapon for your size. I believe a longsword--\"\n\nJohn Doom pushed the priest to one side and lifted an entire rack of weapons with both hands. After briefly moving and rotating it in front of his visor, getting a closer look at various blades as the light gleamed off their edges, he placed it back down, causing a loud crash as metal and wood alike rattled from the impact.\n\nThe priests also appeared rattled. \"If... swords are not to your liking,\" one of them ventured, \"then perhaps an enchanted bow...? For instance, any arrow fired from this bow burns with a holy flame! And this crossbow never runs out of ammunition.\"\n\nJohn Doom froze in mid-stride, halfway over to a set of tables holding larger weapons intended to be wielded two-handed.\n\nHe turned, studying the startled priest's face for the first time. He looked at the head of the magic staff in the priest's hand, and then grasped the medallion hanging around his neck.\n\n\"Please,\" the priest stammered, \"don't do anything rash... the amulet is just for enchanting equipment--\"\n\nJohn Doom released his mighty grip on the bauble so suddenly that the priest staggered back for a moment. He shoved both the crossbow and the longbow into the priest's arms, followed by his shotgun.\n\n\"I don't understand, which...\"\n\nJohn Doom pointed emphatically at the shotgun.\n\n\"You want me to enchant... this thing? With both of these enchantments!? I'll have you know that these bows are sacred relics, passed down through generations of mighty heroes!\"\n\nJohn Doom raised his fist...\n\n\"I'll try! I'll try... But a weapon must be wielded by a great warrior in order to be enchant-able. I suppose there's no harm in using a divination spell to check how many kills you've gotten with this... this thing. This 'great-stock.' Know that the Ammunition spell alone would require over a hundred kills--\"\n\nThe sudden muffled yell from within the armor started the priests, and they all took a step back. It was only when the suited figure's shoulders began to heave that they recognized the screaming as laughter.\n\nThe priest's jaw dropped as his spell conveyed to him the complete combat history of the shotgun.\n\nThey quickly got to work enchanting. When the fliers burst in through the window, the armored warrior leapt at them in a fury, wielding a Dane Axe in one hand and a Zweihänder in the other. They were eviscerated before the priests could even react, and there was much panicked screaming as their summoned warrior, covered in the blood and viscera of their enemies, grabbed their still-glowing hands and forcefully kept them pressed against his weapon while every muscle in their bodies tried to flee. The demonic blood of the fliers began to burn blue as it reacted with the holy magic meant to eradicate it. In desperation, the lead enchanter invoked the Amulet of Enchantment. All blood in the room began to glow and float into the air... before suddenly flowing directly into the shotgun.\n\nThere was a moment of silence as the spell ceased.\n\n\"Success!\" the Enchanter gasped finally. \"And if you would like to level it up further, simply return after you've amassed more kills--\"\n\nJohn Doom yanked the Amulet away from the priest, snapping the chain that held it around his neck. It continued to glow as if it had just found its new Master.\n\nThen he leapt from the castle window, latching onto a wyvern's throat. He swung around the creature's neck to kick a goblin rider off its back. The wyvern screeched helplessly and spewed its breath weapon, which accomplished nothing but to spray the other nearby goblin riders with acid. \n\nHe dislocated the wyvern's shoulders, causing it to lose altitude as it struggled to flap its wings. He forcefully steered the creature as it sank, causing further arm trauma, as he dodged fireballs and volleys of arrows. Just as it was about to pancake into the face of a massive cyclops wielding a stone club, John Doom twisted its limbs, causing it to scream in pure agony and terror.\n\nThe wyvern's toothy maw slammed directly into the cyclops's single massive eyeball, before he kicked off from the back of the wyvern's head with both feet, turning its jaw inside-out as its head was pushed through the Cyclops's eyeball, and into the back of its skull. This leap propelled John Doom into the air, and he spun around, firing three flaming holy shotgun slugs, one by one, as he spun. They struck the foreheads of two Orcs and a skeleton directly, blowing their heads apart in burning chunks.\n\nJohn Doom held the Amulet of Enchantment aloft, and a veritable torrent of blue-glowing blood flowed from the battlefield into his Plentiful Holy Shotgun Of Burning.\n\nThe Doomslayer had arrived in Tamriel.", "We needed an army. We begged the heavens to send us enough manpower to stop the onslaught of demons. As the gate of the city fell down, the ritual completed, bringing only a single man wearing armor and weapons of unknown origin. The god had abandoned us and where mocking our futile attempt at survival. The high priest even went catatonic when seeing this.\n\nIt's been three days since then. The high priest finally wakes up from his delirious state. As his mind clears, he finds himself in his bed at the cathedral. From time to time, a sound of explosion coming from toward the gate resound.\n\nSoon enough one of the sisters come to feed him. As she realize the high priest is back, she call for her superior.\n\n\"Tell me Gontrand, what happened? Are we finally in heaven? Is heaven but a reproduction of our world?\" he asked to his devout follower.\n\n\"This still the mortal realm your highness. The armies of hell are at the gate still. The populace is working day and night to try and rebuild a gate as we speak, tucked safely behind the immortal army.\" \"An immortal army? I remember no such thing. Our army got wiped, and even our plead to the heaven got denied by the denied by the very god we devoted our life to...\"\n\n\"BLASPHEMY!\" yelled Gontrand. While the high priest agreed upon the technicality of such accusation, his word remained true nonetheless. Had Gontrand not lost his faith in these pitiless gods?\n\n\"The army sent by the god themselves is fighting at this moment. I understand that his highness is still dizzy, but I plead that you would refrain from such word upon the gods.\"\n\n\"Gontrand my friend, I fear my memory may have been impacted as well. I last remember the god ignoring our pleas of salvation and sending a single man, far from an army to protect us. Did something else happen during these last few days?\"\n\n\"Nothing of the sort your highness. What you saw is what we received. An immortal army of a single being. Ever since his coming, he has been standing at the gate alone. Tearing the demons apart as we speak. The pile of corpse in front of the gate has reached such height that the demons themselves have to carve a path to reach it. \nHis weapons and his stamina seems fueled solely by his anger for the unholy beasts. He has been fighting for multiple consecutive days without rest. One of the soldiers even claim hearing a demon crying under his boot. 'The doomslayer' is what the unholy army calls him. That they know of this holy warrior can only mean the gods sent us no more than was necessary.\"\n\nHearing this the high priest couldn't help but stand up and look at the window despite his weak condition. A field of corpses, bonfire cremating them filled the plains beyond the gate. The end of the demonic army that extended beyond the horizon was finally in sight.\n\nThe high priest prayed once more to the heaven, giving his thanks for the support they had sent their ways. Apologies for his blasphemy and doubt quickly followed suit. Surprising everyone, soon after the end of the war, the high priest handed his resignation. A man of doubt such as himself was unfit to his role as figure of the gods.\n\nThe holy warrior was gone. As the demons died, he himself moved toward their lands. His rage unending pushed him toward the savage lands to purge them. At the cathedral, an old acolyte was providing alms to the poor of the city. A few weeks ago, the sisters and priest would have bowed to him. Today he bowed to them for he believed their faith stronger than his.\n\nIn his mind, some words of his friend Gontrand still resonated: \"The gods sent us no more than was necessary\". Yet for some reason, something felt wrong with this. Even the armies of angels from the saint bible were depicting as struggling against the demons even if they always won. Yet this immortal army seemed to revel in the carnage. To him, they hadn't sent no more than necessary. They had sent no less.\n\nAnd from the heaven, god smiled. For a single measly acolyte seemed to have understood the real situation. while all other thoughtlessly praised their holy name." ]	4
	[WP] After becoming obsessed with spiderman you decide it's a good idea to try and get powers yourself. After deciding on a local nuclear power plant as a location you successfully find a spider to bite you. After it does you start to feel something but its effects are not the same as spiderman.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Aaaarrrrggghhh!\" I howl in agony. The needle drills thousands of pinpricks into my skin releasing black ink. I squeeze my eyes shut, focusing on the good, on why I am doing this to myself.\n\nI am Spiderman. I imagine what it would be like. The flashing lights of paparazzi hounding me, women and men alike cheering me. All wanting to know the real me. Mary Jane on my arm. Sweet, beautiful Mary Jane, I smile at the thought of her. The infamous upside down kiss, the taste of her red lips...\n\n\"Are you sure you want me to continue?\". My head jerks to the side, annoyed my thoughts have been interrupted. \"Yes\" I growl. He gives me a meek smile and looks down. He is afraid of me. I blink and cock my head to the side, or is that pity I see in his eyes? No no, it must be fear. \n\nThe tattooist winces as he continues. Now with blue ink.\n\n…is that cherry flavour? Or maybe raspberry? I continue my daydream. \n\nFinally it is done. I follow all the aftercare advice and wait weeks before removing the bandages.\n\nI look in the mirror, I am Spiderman. Every inch of me covered in ink. I won't need a quick change outfit, I chuckle to myself.\n\nI walk to my Uber holding a glass jar, shuddering slightly at the cool November air on my bare skin. I am not completely naked, I have my Spidey pants on. The Uber driver gawks at me the whole way, I smile back, humming the Spiderman theme tune. \n\nI step out of the car and look up at the nuclear power station. I circle it for hours, searching for a spider. Finally I see one, thick and black. It's perfect. I trap it in my jar and hold my finger out in front of it. Nothing. I then find a fly and squish it between my thumb and forefinger. I use the fly juice as bait, holding my finger out in front of the spider again. I feel a tickle. Is that a bite? I see a small red bump on my finger and decide it is indeed a bite.\n\nExhilarated, I jump in the air in celebration. I try to spray a spider web from my wrist. Nothing. I try to climb the power plant using my sticky palms, but they are just slimy with sweat.\n\nMaybe it will take time. I try over and over, week after week, but nothing.\n\nEDIT: minor grammar" ]	2
	[WP] You are an elite assassin, able to take down about any target. So it is very baffling when you are hired to take out a complete nobody for triple your usual rate. Your client only explains that they’re not sure what the target is, but that they are only pretending to be human.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Whatever it is, it’s not human.” Usually, by the time a client could afford Jason’s rate, they had been doing this kind of thing for a while. They would be cold and desensitized, making the transaction with all the emotions of ordering lunch at a drive-through. And here was a client paying triple that rate. Yet he was trembling when he handed over the money.\n\nJason didn’t believe him. The job didn’t require him too. To do this kind of work required a rational, secular mindset. Start thinking too much about other factors - philosophy, the soul, supernatural elements - suddenly a simple job becomes unbearable. Jason focused on reality. The sun on his back. The wind this high on the roof. His finger on the trigger.\n\nThe target finally came into sight. She looked human enough through the scope. About 5’8” with long, dark hair. Priscilla Edmonds. About a mile out and alone, just like Jason knew she would be. “Human or not, everything dies” he muttered under his breath as he lined up his shot. \n\nSuddenly Priscilla stopped dead in her tracks. She turned slowly, until she was looking… directly at Jason? Not possible, he thought. There was no way she could see him from that far out. No way she could know he was there at all! Yet Priscilla was unmistakably looking right at him. She tilted her head as a smile crept over her face. Jason’s mind screamed to pull the trigger, but his finger wouldn’t budge. He couldn’t move at all. Slowly, methodically, Priscilla began to mouth the words,\n\nN O T \n\nE V E R Y T H I N G\n\nThen Jason’s mind went blank.\n\nHis corpse was recovered from the roof later that day. Autopsy found nothing wrong with him. It was as if his heart had simply refused to keep beating.", "Mr. J. Ker,\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI presume you've done your research before selecting me for this task. This would mean you have likely heard of my more, let's say, \"overt\" exploits. Believe me when I say that they are are only a fraction of my completed assignments. I strive to be as professional and effective as possible at all times. Far be it for me to ever ask questions about tasks.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHowever, your insistence on expediency, as well as the agreed sum, has me asking questions regarding the value of this \"reporter\". I assure you, the job will be completed on schedule, but I would like additional details as to who this Mr. \"C. Kent\" is, and why he is being targeted.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nPlease rest assured, I am not inquiring as to the nature of your relationship. This is simply so that I may be better prepared for any interference, from either the target or outside sources.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nRegards,\n\n\\-Tango", "\\[Ordered: Take Out\\] \n\n\"She sure looks human to me...,\" Alan chuckled to himself as he admired the view. His lithe, pale, naked target sat on the edge of the lake shore enjoying the waves. She had long jet-black hair and seemed lost in thought. \"...it's a real shame,\" he decided. Despite her almost supernatural attractiveness, Alan had a job to do. He had no idea who she was; but, it didn't matter. Someone was willing to pay three times his normal rate to ensure he paid her a visit.\r \n \r \nThe client, Chip, explained that the target would be on vacation by the lake and it was a rush job to capitalize on the fact that she would be alone. Alan usually preferred to take his contracts a little slower but he was a professional and the client found his magic number. And, it was as simple a job as he could ask for. Chip had not specified any methods or even clean-up. He only wanted the woman dead and it didn't matter how. Alan was free to clean up his own tracks as he saw fit; but, there was no need to make it look like an accident. They were the only two people around for miles and he could simply stroll over there and strangle her.\r \n \r \nHe thought about it; but, Chip warned Alan that she wasn't human. That was fine by him, he had a few surprises of his own; even if he didn't know how he could do the things he could. He felt a growing hunger and decided to do things the easy way. The faster he was done the sooner he could get something to eat. He knelt to put his hand on the ground.\r \n \r \n\"Do your thing, Stabby,\" he grinned at the tattoo on his hand. The small black scorpion came to life and walked off his skin onto the sand. Then, it scuttled toward the woman. Alan watched the scorpion till it made it half-way, and he was surprised to see it turn around and return to him. \"Hey, what are you doing?\" he asked as the scorpion crawled back onto his hand.\r \n \r \n\"Venom's no good. Good luck,\" Stabby replied. Then, he sunk back into Alan's hand to become a tattoo again. Alan sighed. Over the years since he first got the tattoo, Alan learned to trust Stabby's insight. But, he wished the arachnid knew how to elaborate better.\r \n \r \n\"Knife it is,\" he shrugged. Despite them being the only ones out there, he still wanted to avoid the sound of gunshots. He had a gun for self-defense, but he didn't own a silencer; he'd never needed it. He pulled out his hunting knife and began the quiet trek to try and sneak up on the woman. The lake shore was pretty bare and he was out in the open; but, the target had her back to him. As long as he moved quickly without making any noise he was okay. Even if she spotted him, he was pretty confident he could run her down.\r \n \r \n\"Why am I so hungry?\" Alan wondered to himself as he crossed the sand. It seemed like every step he took only made him hungrier. He was starting to weigh his options for lunch after he finished this kill. Finally, he was close enough to close the gap with a lunge. As he settled himself to pounce his stomach let out a loud growl; the woman whipped around to face him.\r \n \r \nAlan sat crouched with his eyes focused on her holding a large knife ready to stab. There was a very limited number of ways that could be interpreted and none of them were good. Despite that, the woman gave Alan a broad grin.\r \n \r \n\"Finally!\" she said. She stood and took a step towards him. Her response set alarm bells off in Alan's head; she wasn't the least bit afraid of him. And worse, she seemed to be expecting him. But, the most confusing thing was that his hunger all but vanished. In its place, he felt the vague satisfaction that he would be eating soon. It was the same kind of feeling he had any time he spotted a waiter bringing his food.\r \n \r \n\"What do you mean, 'Finally'?\" Alan asked as he took a step back and drew his gun. He couldn't worry about being quiet anymore; he needed to defend himself.\r \n \r \n\"I'm practically wasting away from hunger,\" she said as she continued to move towards him.\r \n \r \n\\BANG\\ Alan fired straight at her head. He watched the single bullet go through it leaving only a faint ripple as if he'd fired at the lake itself. He kept squeezing the trigger hoping any one of the bullets made a difference. But, she reached him by the time it clicked empty. She reached up to put her hand on the gun and Alan let it go.\r \n \r \n\"NO!\" he shouted as he flung Stabby at her. She moved fast enough to catch the black scorpion in her hand; then, she surrounded it in a bubble of water before tossing it into the lake behind her.\r \n \r \n\"How delicious...,\" Majicka grinned as she grabbed his hand. Alan felt a sudden, intense drowsiness wash over his body. His knees buckled and he fought to keep his eyes open. It was a losing battle and he heard her one more time before he lost consciousness. \"...Chip finally got my order right.\"\r \n\r \n\\\\\\* \nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1752 in a row. (Story #306 in year five.). This story is part of an ongoing saga that takes place at a high school in my universe. It began on August 22nd and I will be adding to it with prompts every day until May 26th. They are all collected in order at [this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hugoverse/comments/wtglls/tokuhigh_alternet_class/).", "Dear Mr. K\n\nIt was an odd job. Usually i would have rejected it, but the prospect was enticing. The pay wasn't a big deal, I had saved up enough money to life in luxury for almost three decades, but it was definetely what caught my eye at first.\n\nThe target, posing as a certain Edwin David, certainly appeared to be a human. A boring, average human living in an isolated house on the edge of the woods of some middle-of-nowhere village in rural Italy. I tailed him for a few days and i started to notice more and more odd details about it\n\n1) It didn't have a job. Every day he took a bike toward the nearest train station, locked the bike, walked to the furthest bench and just... Sat there. For 8 hours. Then he got up, unlocked the bike and went home\n\n2) It was wary of liquids, actively avoiding them whenever possible. Over my observation, it dindn't drink, take a bath and whenever it was raining, it covered itself in multiple layers of clothes\n\n3) It did not understand human eating habit, eating oranges, lemons and nuts withour removing the outer shell. Similarly, it ate canned beans without removing them from the can. It seems to be aware of this weakness, and only consumes food at its house\n\n4) It is incapable of moving its shoulder, opting to move the whole torso instead\n\n5) It does not require sleep\n\n6) It does not require heath or light. The house occupied by the creature does not have an active supply of gas, energy or water\n\nOver the course of the past month, I have devised a few simple asssassinations. I did not expect any of them to work, but they provided me with additional information.\n\n1) Added various types of poisonous substances (arsenic, ammonia, belladonna, tetradotoxin and cyanide amongst them), as well as acids and biological samples of various diseases to the creature's food and released toxic fumes (including methane, zyklon B and mustard gas) inside the house. As expected, they had no noticeable effect on the creature\n\n2) Exposed the creature to water by purpusefully crashing into it with an open water bottle. Altough it showed signs of distress and immediately ran home, the cameras showed no obvious physical alterations and its routine was not altered past the splash. Seems like the aversion toward liquids is merely a phobia, or the creature is vulnerable to a specific type of liquid that wasn't present (or was present in too small concentration) in drinkable water. Further test is necessary\n\n3) Animals are afraid of the creature. Rats freed in the house ran away as soon as it returned, and forcefully exposing captured or even wild animals to it seem to always cause the animal to panick and run away\n\n4) The creature doesn't seem bothered by physical trauma. Causing a crash by sabotaging the bike failed to leave a single scratch on the creature even after a very serious accident with a pickup truck\n\nWith the following finds i feel like this job may take longer than expected. I still have some avenues available (fire being the first), but finding a way to organically exposing it to fire without a gas line to the house will be difficult.\n\nI will have to further my investigation, but i started to notice it getting a bit more jumpy aver the past three days. I'll have to limit myself to remote control viewing via the many hidden cameras i placed on its daily commute.\n\nI will keep you informed,\nA.z.\n\nLast e-mail sent from Andrew Z.' s computer the day before dissapearing, decrypted" ]	5
	[WP] Exorcists demand that spirits and demons leave their hosts, but you consider yourself more of a Spiritual Negotiator that listens to their wants and needs. You're extremely successful at peaceful resolutions much to the confusion of other Exorcists.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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, Sona Rei, am the daughter of the head of the Rei clan—a renowned family of exorcists. I am quite different from my family members. Rather than resorting to harsh means of expelling spirits from their host, I instead communicate with them calmly and peacefully, inquiring about their demands and wishes in an effort to know what they need to depart to the afterlife. And with that, I came to be known as the “Spirit Whisperer”—a title I’m very proud of. This method stems from an experience I had when I handled my first case.\n\n“It’s going to be my first time exorcising someone, I’m sure as nervous,” I told my father, who was accompanying me to the place near the tip of the mountain where the person I was about to exorcise lived.\n\n“What is there to be afraid of?” dad joked. “You are a Rei. It will feel natural to you, I promise.”\n\nWith assurance from my dad, I felt more confident—as if I can suddenly do anything. As we reached our destination, I was appalled to learn that my first patient is a kid, almost the same age as me. Aside from that, I do not sense any negative energy emanating from that child, which was perplexing. Shrugging off that thought, thinking my senses are just off today, I then gather up my tools in preparation for the exorcism. \n\n“In the name of Lumixern, the deity of purity, I demand of you evil spirit within that child to leave immediately,” I said as I held the heart of Lumixern—a special stone handed down from our ancestors—and chanted a prayer.\n\nI can see the spirit clinging to the body for its dear life. The spirit seemed oddly innocent to me—far different from those murderous-eyed monsters I imagined spirits to be. The spirit appeared to be crying.\n\n“Are you crying?” I asked in a gentle voice.\n\n“I just want to talk to my mother,” cried the spirit. “I had no intention of harming this child, but I have little time left on this earth to say goodbye to my mom, so I had no choice.”\n\n“If I were to relay your message and wishes to your mother, will you finally leave this child’s body peacefully?” I asked, hoping for a resolution without resorting to harming the poor, innocent spirit.\n\n“Certainly!” the spirit exclaimed. “My mother is the maid of this house, she is the one in the blue dress over there.”\n\nI approached the woman who, according to the spirit, was his mother. I then informed her that her child’s spirit was the one possessing the kid. She collapsed to her knees, tearing up yet with a perplexed face. I then relayed everything the spirit wanted to say to her mother.\n\n“He said that it wasn't your fault he fell off a cliff and died while out playing, so you should quit blaming yourself,” I told the mother. “It was sudden, and he wasn't able to bid farewell and express his gratitude to you.\"\n\n\"He wants to say goodbye and thank you for all the love and care you have given him,” I said.\n\nThe mother then cried again, but this time with a smile on her face, as if all the pain and sadness that had been weighing her down had finally lifted. After fulfilling the spirit’s wish, it peacefully left the child’s body. The parents of the host thanked me, and my father congratulated me and was even impressed with the unconventional method I used to expel the spirit. I must say, this method was very different, but it somehow felt right to me. It's as if every spirit has a story to tell and a purpose to fulfill and needs help with, as they're restricted and hampered by the chains tethering them to the spirit realm.\n\nSince that day, I have remained true to that principle; even if it is unorthodox, it is a method that causes the least harm and does the job well, much to the shock of other exorcists.\nSince that day, I have remained true to that principle; even if it is unorthodox, it is a method that causes the least harm and does the job well, much to the shock of other exorcists." ]	2
	[WP] As the last note of the last song echoed around the room, I watched as the audience all turned to dust. And all I felt was relief.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "To understand what happened on November, you have to understand November as a concept.\n\nNovember is a month of cold, but no snow, November is purgatory, the time between the beautiful mountains of orange and red and yellow sweeping through the world, and soft snow blanketing everything for miles, it is a im time of death, rain, and brown, the time between the death of an animal, and the flowers that bloom from it's corpse, when blood runs dry in the ground and nothing but the depressing stench of rotting flesh exists in the wake of what once was pure beauty.\n\nI sat there that november, realizing that today was my november, I had made it a few years back, played a tour that captured the hearts of many and made me the center of the world. Suddenly me and my band weren't just 4 people with teenage dreams and musical skills, we were icons. Now was our time before a new rise, when we had settled into a musical world of brown, nothing more but nostalgia for divorced couples looking to reignite the spark that made them fall it love, and teens hoping for something new to come of life.\n\nI sat there, looking at massive balls of paper piling high, wishing for something to keep me moving, to keep us alive, to cast this disgusting November out into a world of it's own. Where it's brown death haunts us forever.\n\nI looked down at the paper, and looked up at my life, I remembered everything I could, rainy days, sunny days, snowy days, every Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, every house I ever looked out, every beach I went to, every state I visited, everything I could imagine, and suddenly, feeling a massive, uncontrollably painful cramp control my hand, realized I had written a whole song.\n\nIt wasn't a normal song by any means.\n\nIt looked around 20 minutes long, with lyrics I could perfectly understand despite it making no sense, notes that sounded disgusting together yet when played in full made you want to cry and smile and love, I looked at it, looked out at the audience, and went out to play one last concert. One last cry into the empty, infinite abyss we call music.\n\n\"WHAT'S UP PHANTOMS!\" Yelled the lead singer, I stared at him for a few moments, we'd been playing together since high school, dating on and off for decades now, I looked at the audience, shouting our name, some ironically, some desperately. I looked at this new piece I had in a small bag near my guitar case, the piece was so large it nearly filled my bag.\n\n\"ARE YOU READY FOR THE SHOW OF A GOD DAMN LIFETIME!\" He shouted, the crowd uproared, it felt a little more sincere this time, maybe it was just my own feelings though.\n\n\"ALRIGHT, PLAY US IN BOBBY!\" The drummer nodded his head and the show began. We played a few covers, had a few light shows, it was overall a pretty high tech concert. The lead singer got into the audience, the guitar was crowdsurfed a lot, we did... a lot of things, only half of which were at all safe. But we were desperate, not just for a spotlight, but for a chance at teenage hood, to forget all the apprehension built up by our wounds and our wisdom, if only for a night.\n\nIt was around our seventh song when I put the music in place, and without even introducing it, the whole band played, in solemn understanding.\n\nThe song was beyond me in a way, the lyrics fitting together so well. It all just, worked, like the massive jigsaw puzzle that was incomprehensibly large and unbelievable was just put together, if only for a moment. Everyone's lives were suddenly so simple and at peace, and for that moment, we were all in solemn understanding.\n\nThe music played for hours, way longer than I expected, people began to sing along, despite the lyrics never repeating, and finally, when it seemed like days had passed, a final chord was struck, and a whole concert of people faded into nothingness, nothing but us to show for it.\n\nI looked at the lead singer, James was his name, he looked at the disapeared crowd with a sadness I couldn't understand.\n\n\"Well, what do we do now?\" He said, looking at me.\n\n\"Lets get married.\" I said, and began to collect the remaining belongings of the concert's guests", "After the final note, tears fell from her eyes. The magic used consumed everything in beautiful waves of colour, violet and black swirled around the room as many lost their forms, clothes and furniture all turning into dust. Violet glowing orbs stared blankly at the vanishing ceiling as her arms opened wide and high as if she was hugging the vast darkening sky.\n\nThe ritual was complete, the sacrifices sufficient, closing her eyes she sang a new song, as new colours seemed to gather, the building disintegrated and nature somewhat booming, healing and growing. The trees danced with freedom the winds caressed her silver strands as she sang with sorrowful passion. Soon her own clothes began to vanish, the colour of her hair darkening to a vibrant red. Vines wrapping around her now naked form, changing and slithering to form clothes. \n\nPower radiated from her skin, pulsating around her. Finally her verse was done and the world became silent. Her rebirth complete and her purpose cemented.\n\n“Humans should not exist.” She murmured to herself, devoid of any emotion. Blankly staring at the now black sky. Listening now the songs of nature. A single thought within her mind. How to destroy the human race.", "\"...and I will trrrrry to fix you...\"\n\nThe whooping and the yelling overwhelmed my thoughts, and that was okay. I embraced the electric atmosphere from the ten thousand attendees who had come to watch Coldplay. \n\nThis had been a treat for myself, and I hadn't been disappointed. Not once.\n\nIt hadn't been easy getting tickets, but after three months of bargaining, I'd gotten his hand on one. \n\n But all things needed to end. There was no way out. In every form of literature, humanity overcame the odds, defeated the evil villain(s), and there was one way or another, a happy ending. \n\nNot tomorrow, and it didn't just threaten Earth, but every planet in this universe.\n\nTomorrow an evil would spread into our reality, and unleash nightmares unfathomable to any mind. Barely looking at it for a second had fractured my mind, crippling me to the point that I dropped to my knees and wept. It was all I had the strength to do. \n\n\"'Excuse me.\" The voice made me jump. Someone was pulling on my sleeve. \n\nI turned, met by a group of teenage boys with a camera. \"You're Doctor Strange, aren't you?\"\n\nI nodded. There was no annoyance at the presence of teenagers today. Often I found them rude and cheeky, up to no good, but given the circumstances, I offered a smile. \n\n\"Can I help you?\"\n\n\"My sister...she er...she wants to know if you'll go out with her.\" The lead boy fidgeted nervously, looking down at his phone. \"If er...if you wouldn't mind?\" He turned the phone screen toward my face.\n\nRed faced, the girl on the phone screen turned her face away. I smirked. \"Hi there.\"\n\nThe girl pulled herself away slightly, and I could get a proper look at what she looked like and where she was. A hospital ward. \n\nI closed my eyes, wanting to tell her and her brother I was sorry, but that wasn't what they needed right now. \"Kiara, right? Good name.\"\n\nThe boys gasped. \"How did you know?\"\n\n\"He's a wizard, dummy!\"\n\n\"Her coffee flask says \"Property of Kiara Wesslington\",\" I point out. \n\n\"Mister Strange-\" Kiara started.\n\n\"Please,\" I replied. \"Call me Stephen.\"\n\n\"I was wondering if...if once I'm better, whether you'd like to go on a date with me?\" \n\nI chuckled, looking up from the girl, seeing the anticipation grow on their faces. I turned my face back to Kiara. \"I would love to. Hey, tell me where you're at, and I'll come and visit you tomorrow.\"\n\nI scolded myself for giving false hope. From tomorrow, there wasn't going to be any hospitals. Regardless, she told me where she was, and I repeated it back to her to her satisfaction. \"I um...I guess I'll see you then.\"\n\n\"Guess I will, Kiara.\" The phone screen went blank, and the brother ran over and gave me a hug. I wasn't used to these, but I gently patted him on the back, turning his baseball cap the other way round so the tip wasn't pressed into me. \n\n\"Thank you, Mister Strange.\"\n\n\"You're welcome, kid. She's lucky to have you.\" Stepping away from the boy, I looked at him and his friends. \"It's almost midnight. You getting a ride?\"\n\n\"Yeah, my dad - he's just texted actually,\" The brother replied, swiping his screen. \"Yeah, he's turned up. Bye, sir!\"\n\nI waved farewell, and then took one last look around me. People were leaving, calm and content that they had had one of the best nights of their lives. But all things come to an end. \n\nWith a swirl of my fingers, a portal appeared - discrete. The golden infinity gauntlet hovered onto my right hand, filled with each of the infinity stones. I grimaced as a surge of power rushed through me, breaking through the protective spells I'd put upon myself before the concern.\n\nGoodbye life. I clicked my thumb and index finger, and a single tear rolled down my cheek. This was for the best. \n\nI promise.", "\"Finally, I thought. \n\nI posed the violin on a chair near me and sat on the border of the indoor stage, looking at the remains of my 'audience', evaporating quickly in the air. \nThe walls of the empty theatre towered over me, its many boxes full of shadows seemingly coming alive. \n\nI threw a glare at the violin, the object that was making my life both better and worse at the same time. \nMy grandfather had gifted it to me when I was four, saying it was his most beloved object. He wanted me to learn something not only usefull but beautyfull, and so taught me everything he could. When he died, I couldn't take myself to play it again. \n\nThat until a few months before my performance, when I finally touched it by mistake and heard my grandpa's voice echo through the halls: \"You dare waste our lessons?!\" \nSince then, his spirit had not left me a second of peace. He insisted on making me practice at least twice a day, and when I tried arguing it was useless since there was no audience, he made one up. \n\nThe people who witnessed my aimless performances were made of the same dust I walked on, of the smog outside the theatre, of the wood splinters fallen from the roof's beams. When I first saw them, I refused to practice, something my... 'grandfather' did not take in quietly. \n\nSo, here I was, sitting in a haunted theatre, cursed to use my granpa's benevolent gift as my own instrument of torture. \n\nBut today,\" he said, lighting the bonfire, \"today it all ends.\" \nHe made his hand, which gripped the violin tightly, hover the flames. \nAnd with a slight smile, he let it go.\n\n\n[Sorry for the rushed ending but it's been a pretty tiring day, so going to sleep. Hope you liked it nonetheless.]", "This is a follow up to my earlier post in the prompt: [\"[WP] Your quest was to find a demon willing to accept your deal, none of them said yes. \"Primordial demons don't make deals, if you go too deep, just turn back\" but you went deeper and deeper, meeting the ancient ones that knew no words.\"](https://reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/yl3y4q/wp_your_quest_was_to_find_a_demon_willing_to/iuwj4tt/) by [Red580](https://reddit.com/user/Red580). \n\n* * * * * \n\nThe aliens in this room were the ministers, the senators, the generals, the admirals, the marshals, the leaders of their species. This was supposed to be the first act of a whole weekend of events to celebrate their latest victory over a 'lesser' species. This weekend would not turn out the way they thought. \n\nThey looked so smug, and yet they had no idea of the danger they were in. I had disguised myself as one of their slaves, and so to them I was nothing more than an eyesore and refused to look my way. If they had, if any of them had looked my way, they would have seen two mouths moving in tandem to summon the soul eaters into the room. I could see them now; rising through the floor, falling from the ceiling, floating through the walls. My enemy could not see them, not yet. \n\nThe operatic singer onstage was a genuine talent, and she was beautiful to look at. Her green skin, flecked with opal-like shining freckles all down her back, was glistening in the plethora of lights above the stage. Her four lungs worked tirelessly as they individually blew their contents across the multiple layers of vocal chords, giving this single alien the ability to sing a mutli-part harmony all alone. \n\nShe was nearly done. And so was I. \n\nAs she began to harmonize on the last note, I unleashed the rage of my people and the fury of the demonic horde I now controlled. The first gasp of pain came from somewhere in the middle of the thousand-strong audience. The pure shock of something so painful beyond the entire realm of understanding meant the only sound was one of lungs squeezed from within. Without another the moment, the rest of the audience began to feel the same pain. Began to feel the same burning sensation across every cell within their body. Began to disintegrate. \n\nI knew not how these demons would do their duty, all I knew was that they would slaughter those assembled like I wanted to. This was my first strike, and the first of many. First the leaders, then the soldiers, then the rest. They would all fall by my hand, by the power of the Endling of Humanity. \n\nThe singer had finished her song, and looked through the lights toward the crowd, wondering why they did not clap and cheer her performance. Her song had been about yet another brilliant victory of their military might. It played right into their propaganda about their prowess and was being broadcasted across the galaxy to all of their colony worlds. But that is not what they would see. They saw the confusion, the surprise, the pain. They saw death. The demons came into view for all now, and the singer screamed herself hoarse with all four lungs in an instant before the demons feasted upon her. Just like the rest, she faded into dust. \n\nAs the only one left in the theatre, the cameras focused upon me. I reverted to my real look, or at least the one where I was mostly human. My blackened fingers that faded into long forgotten glyphs and eldritch black-speech. My pitch-black eyes. The glow of ethereal fire that encompassed my being. In spite of all this, I was something impossible: a surviving Human. \n\nI pulled a camera closer to me with a barely outstretched hand and spoke at it, staring deeply into the souls of all those who would watch. \n\n\"Remember this day, and tell all you see: Humanity will have its revenge.\" \n\n* * * * * \n\nI have my own subreddit! [/r/ocallkai](https://reddit.com/r/ocallkai/)" ]	6
	[WP] You were isekai'd a long time ago. You fulfilled your quest and returned home, only to find your greatest enemy sitting at your kitchen table, wearing your bathrobe, and having breakfast with your parents.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 the hero you have slain dreamer, the one you cuased this magical world to be in pieces, but you did it, with your 4 other allies as you see your way , out open\n\n\" thank you all , my friends, with Dreamer gone, this place can finally rebuild\"\n\n\" Ah don't think too high of yourself we still have to be here to put it back together \"\n\nSaid with a chuckle by my right hand , as they get their water and drink it \n\n\" just don't die over there \"\n\n\" come on budy I can deal with a reality warping dreamer and his brothers a can deal with reality\" \n\nI say as I get up, and through that door, saying goodbye to them one last time \n\nI wake up with the TV showing some random, show?, it's pretty stylized atleast, as I get up from bed it's all so similar it's as if I never left\n\nAs I hear my parents talking about something through my room door , as I get up and open it ready to see them again finally, only to see them with, dreamer!?\n\nThey just look to be having a good Ole talk even with a literal demon in the house\n\n\" Ah and this is my son in the bath , don't they look adorable!\"\n\nMy mother said pointing at a photo in their device\n\n\" that really is interesting though it seems your son is back up from bed finally \"\n\nDreamer says looking at me with a shit eating grin\n\n\" oh!, hey sport!, you finally got some sleep huh?, this guy was talking about your little dnd session \"\n\nMy dad said as if none the wiser, as I was just slackjawed \n\n\" d and d session, huh\"\n\nI say still trying to have my mind keep up\n\n\" yep I was even the big bad evil guy in it !, you were so seriously into it your friends got into it aswell!, too bad the game is now finally ending, you even wished you lived in it \"\n\nDreamer chuckles taking off their head , or , helmet , showing a guy with a missing tooth in their smile , and red curly hair with a laugh\n\nThat's right, their name was fionn\n\nI chuckle as I sit down with the others slightly pushing away my mom's phone \n\n\" so fionn dear dungeon master when's the next campaign?\" \n\n\" Saturday next week, got another good story planned!, dont miss it \" \n\nHe says as we continue talking about our story" ]	2
	[WP] Your wife breaks up with you, takes the kids, the dog, and the house. You are at your lowest. Then, a man appears, saying that he can help... for a price.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 sitting on the side of the road, crying, when he approached me. A tall slender man in a black suit with eyes glowing red, brighter than anything I’d ever seen before. His presence was chilling, but comforting all the same. He sat next to me and wrapped his arm around me like we’d been friends for years. His touch warm and tender, and for the first time in a while I didn’t feel so alone. I cried and cried in his arms, and he listened to and held me. \n\nWhen the tears stopped, and I had finally calmed, he spoke: “The world.” He said.\n\nI look at him in confusion and rage, on the verge of breaking down again. For no reason other than confusion, coupled with my current emotional instability.\n\n“I can give you the world.” He said softly. “But nothing in this world is free, and all are not ready to carry the burden of this cost.”\n\nI look at him in marvel, stunned. The world? What does he mean by that? I try to collect myself, “wha-what do you mean by th-the world?” I say my slowly, my voice shaking and weak.\n\n“Your wishes, your desires. They can be reality.” He says, without looking at me, his gaze staring longingly into the distance. “But the cost is a hefty one.”\n\nDistraught and alone, desperately seeking for anything to heal my pain; my emotions move my mouth, despite the warnings from my brain: \n\n“Anything. I’ll do anything.”\n\nThe man says nothing, and slowly stands up. The warmth of his touch slowly escaping my body. Without another word, he turns, and walks away. I think to yell after him, but I’m far too weak. Abandoned by yet another, I should’ve expected it. The sweetness he whispered in my ear, merely a deception to twist the knife in my wound. \n\nI crawl to the middle of the road and lay down, hoping for an end to the pain. I curl into a fetal position and close my eyes, waiting for death. However, When I next open them, I find I am not dead. Rather I lay in my old bed. My wife and dog next to me…\n\n—\n\n\n[Fuji-Jufi-Writes](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fuji_Jufi_Writes/)", "The three day old pizza tasted bland. Not sure how the pizza tasted bland but it fit my mood. Netflix tried to play on my laptop, which was probably a generation too old to do that.\r \n\r \nI glanced around my current abode, which was a studio apartment in a not so nice part of town. The remnants of my life came down to 2 lawn chairs, a plastic crate, a sleeping bag, pillow and 8 tubs of books. \r \n\r \nAh, my books. She took everything or tried to, but I wouldn’t let her have my books. One of the few things I had saved from before getting married as she had thrown out or destroyed everything else. \r \n\r \nBut than again, my life of 15 years was now gone. Kids, dog, house, all out of my reach with a restraining order to boot. Not sure how she got that through since I wasn’t even in the state when she said I assaulted her. Who knows.\r \n\r \nI wanted to care, honestly I did, but despair just seemed to make me shut my mind up and watch mindless shows on a laptop that seemed ready to give up like me. How do you find hope when you just lost over a dozen years of life.\r \n\r \nThe knock was quite loud. Nothing on the walls of the apartment to deaden the sound. My thought was it was neighbor kids who would play ding dong ditch on my door. Answering it gave me something to do.\r \n\r \nI stood up and looked out the peephole. No kids or lack thereof, but a man in a nice suit and fedora. He had a briefcase and a warm smile. He looked like your favorite uncle who always had good advice or knew how to help.\r \n\r \nNot sure why I opened the door. Maybe loneliness, but I did. He smiled at me and spoke in a tone that mirrored my first impression of him, “Hello. I have been sent to help you.” \r \n\r \nI kind of blinked, “Who sent you? Work? I still have PTO days.” \r \n\r \nHe smiled again, warming my soul up as if he had known me all my life, “No no, not work. I am independently employed and know you need a little help. May I come in?”\r \n\r \nWas this guy a scam artist? Nicest dressed scam artists in the world, but hey what the heck. “Come in.” I intoned. \r \n\r \nHe smiled and walked in, taking off his shoes politely and walking over to where the lawn chairs set. He automatically took the one I used as a foot rest but paused, “May I sit?” \r \n\r \nI shrugged, “Sure” \r \n\r \nHe sat and motioned for me to sit too, he smiled and swung his briefcase on his lap, “I am here to offer you a deal. I can provide you with your heart's desire but it will come at a cost.”\r \n\n\nI blinked at his words. They were so similar to the books I read. Always something fleeting for something permanent. Whether it was a fantasy novel where the person puts their soul on the line or some other story where the bargain is never in favor of the person.\r \n\r \nI almost laughed, “Nothing against you but I don’t know you, why do you care?” \r \n\r \nHe smiled, “Lets just say this isn’t a deal you are thinking of. You like reading a bit, but no I am not the Devil and you are definitely not Daniel Webster.”\r \n\r \nI blinked stunned. I turned my head, who was this man to read my thoughts?\r \n\r \nHe smiled at me and popped open the briefcase inside was a contract, “No I am not the Devil, but I am not human either. I felt your despair a mile away. I see the light in your eyes as just a dim flicker of what it once was. And I am here to give you a second chance.”\r \n\r \nI frowned, now completly confused like studying a book for too many hours, “What? Why me? What chance?” \r \n\r \nHe smiled, “Because it is time this world starts waking up a bit.” \r \n\r \nMy confusion got worse and the fuzzy feeling in my brain ran wild, “But who are you? And why me?” \r \n\r \nMy brain was foggy. Did my pizza go bad? Did I drink something wrong? Why didn't he answer me and what was with that really warm smile. I didn’t understand, but I was signing the paper. What was compelling me, what was I doing, and who was this person.\r \n\r \nHe smiled big as I finished my signature and a jolt of something went through me, “Congratulations!” He paused as we stood and he shook my hand like I just got hired at a fortune 500 corporation. \r \n\r \nWhat did I just do? But he smiled and closed his briefcase and walked over to the door putting on his shoes. “We will be in touch tomorrow. Lots of big plans for you.” He didn’t really pause, just got his shoes on and opened the door, “Have a nice evening, and stay near your bed.”\r \n\r \nWhat? That was my thought but no sound came out my mouth as he shut the door. My brain didn’t know what to do, it was like my thoughts had to float through pea soup to make something happen.\r \n\r \nI somehow locked the door and stumbled over to my sleeping bag. I felt like I had taken a box of cold medicine but I was definitely feeling the pain. I flopped down on my sleeping bag wanting to close my eyes. My despair was guiding my fuzzy brian to turn off, I needed to sleep but my last sight before everything went dark shocked me for a moment before sleep took me. My hand was glowing.", "The mystery man led me into a room into the back of the pub. He opened the door to reveal nothing but a chair and a standing mirror covered with a cloth. As he shut the door behind me, the man asked, \"Do you believe in second chances, friend?\"\n\nI scoffed. \"I'm in a locked windowless room with a man I've never met after he hinted at being able to turn my life around, so yeah, I'd say I'm a believer.\"\n\nThe man chuckled as he turned around to face me. \"I suppose a person will hope to grow wings when a leap of faith is the only option left. Take a seat, friend.\"\n\nI plopped down in the chair and asked, \"You said there was a price for this. So what is it?\"\n\nThe man rested his hand on the mirror as he replied, \"The price is your ignorance. What I can do is send you back in time to when you met your sweetheart, memories wiped. A clean reset. But there's no guarantee you'll end up with them again, and more importantly, you can't live through a timeline identical to your previous go-around. There's gotta be some point where the timelines divide.\"\n\n\"So what's the mirror for then?\"\n\n\"This mirror's gonna show you things about yourself. Things you may not see any weight to. But it's all for the sake of showing you an important truth. You come to the right conclusion, and I send you back in time with your new timeline incorporating said conclusion. Your ignorance gone, the price paid.\"\n\nThe man gripped the cloth. \"You get two chances to back out of this. This is the first.\" The rational part of my brain was telling me to leave, that this was a waste of my time. But the rest of me kept thinking about Mindy and all of the wonderful years we had together. I looked dead in the mirror and said, \"Do it.\"\n\nThe man pulled the cloth away and stepped aside. The mirror was perfectly black at first, but then a series of crude outlines of people formed. One of them had a stocking cap--the exact one I wore obsessively through high school. Suddenly, I was in the mirror as the outline-me.\n\nI had my earbuds in and my head down when I stopped in front of a store. The other mannequins were completely featureless, but the one I was looking at had an amazing shirt with a design of a skull with a rose in its' eye. But looking at it, I felt an inexplicable sense of dread, like everyone in the world was watching me, waiting to see if I'd really blow my money on one measly shirt. Eventually I walked away, but I went home with such a strong feeling of guilt.\n\nThe mirror shifted. Now I was sitting at my desk, watching a movie on the projector with the rest of my English class. I looked around the room and beamed when I saw Mindy. But then I looked back at the screen and saw now we were watching footage of me giving an oral report. I sank down in my chair, painfully embarrassed at the memory.\n\nThe mirror shifted again. Now I was at my dad's wedding reception, dressed up in a brand new suit. But little by little, the suit started to itch and chafe. I ran to the bathroom in an attempt to solve the problem, only to discover the suit was now stuck to my body. I struggled with it for a bit, but accidentally opened the bathroom door and tumbled into a shadowy void.\n\nAll around me, memories spun and swirled like a twister. I couldn't make out all of them, but in all of them, a white scribbled-on cloud surrounded me like a smokescreen. I curled up into a ball, desperately trying to make it all stop. Suddenly, the twister of memories dissipated, and I was alone with just one more memory.\n\nI watched as an incredibly young version of me placed something in a box and walked away crying. I walked over to the box and saw it had the word 'donations' on it. I reached inside the box and pulled out a Hello Kitty plushie. A feeling of melancholy sprang up in my heart; I remembered that I got rid of the plushie when I brought it to school one day and the other kids made fun of me--\n\nOh. Oh.\n\nI didn't feel anxious about buying the shirt because of the cost. I was anxious because it was displayed on a female mannequin. I wasn't embarrassed by the memory of giving an oral report. I was ashamed of how the speech I gave was wildly sexist looking back. I wasn't uncomfortable because the suit irritated my skin. I was uncomfortable because I just didn't want to wear a suit at all.\n\nI closed and opened my eyes. I was back in the room with the man, who threw the cloth back over the mirror. He looked at me and said, \"So friend, what do you know?\" \n\nI sighed without breaking my gaze at the covered mirror. \"I'm actually a woman.\"\n\nThe man nodded. \"This is your second chance. Do you want to step back?\"\n\nI looked at the man and shook my head. \"I want to go back. To be the real me.\"\n\nThe man smiled, said, \"Happy travels, friend,\" and turned the lights off with a snap of his fingers.\n\nEIGHT YEARS AGO\n\nI sighed as I walked up to my locker. Somebody had defaced it with the word 'CROSSDRESSING FREAK' in black permanent marker. Probably Mindy or one of her idiot friends. I took my stuff out and shut it again when I heard a bunch of kids yelling and laughing.\n\nI looked to my left and went wide eyed at the sight that was clearing a path through the crowd of students. Maria Silas, who was a foot taller than everyone else in her grade and scary as hell, was dragging Mindy by the ear right over to me. The two stopped in front of my locker as Maria said to me, \"Hey, Vivian. This'll just be a second.\" She then scowled at Mindy and damn near yelled, \"This you, huh? This little piece of modern art your doing?\"\n\nI realized that she was talking about the graffiti on my locker. Mindy grunted, prompting Maria to reiterate, \" Did you do this or not?!\"\n\n\"It was me, okay, it was me!\"\n\nMaria forced Mindy onto her knees and pulled out a spray bottle and cloth from her backpack. She threw them in front of Mindy and remarked, \"Unless I'm mistaken, you're not a dog. So clean up the mess you made.\"\n\nMindy begrudgingly started cleaning off my locker as Maria turned to face me and said, \"If she pulls shit like this again, you tell me, got it? The teachers might not give a fuck about what she does, but I do.\"\n\nI blushed as I replied, \"Yeah. Yeah, I'll definitely come to you next time.\"" ]	4
	[WP] “Sir the entire army is ready to move on the enemy, but if I may ask why’d did you order them to wear… 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&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Herding the cats was a battle in and of itself, but it was a battle that paid off. In the shifting sands of Egypt the wild eyes of the Persian king Cambyses gazed triumphantly at his magnum opus. His men’s march had devolved into a skittish shuffle. Their once glorious armor now, while certainly haunting, lost its glamor with the addition of cat whiskers. The fuzzy boots along with it were just too much.\n\n“Sir, the men are ready to riot. We look ridiculous.” one disgruntled officer scoffed.\n\n“Ridiculous?” an even wider grin spasmed onto Cambyses’ already ecstatic face. “I know, I really should have gone for the fluffy shields to complete the set, but as you said the men were ready to riot!”\n\n“Sir, with all due respect the men can’t go on like this. They’ve got sons that need role models.” the officers' drooping whiskers and eyes certainly didn’t inspire the look of ‘role model’.\n\n“And they will have it soldier! Before long we’ll show those Egyptians and our sons the proper way to behave.” Cambyses’ eyes gazed to the horizon as a cloud of dust formed. “In formation!”\n\nThe downcast expression of the men quickly switched. The beads of sweat on their foreheads and their white knuckled grips showed how effective imminent death was as a motivator. The Egyptians were coming in force. This was the time where all of those snobby cats would finally be put to use.\n\nLike a swarm of locusts the Egyptian infantry approached with the sound of thundering fury. Each man battle hardened with sharp eyes and sharper spears, each in their place, each with their mission, each ready to die. However, each was not ready for the cruel genius that was Cambyses.\n\nOne fanatic scream rocketed out of a foaming mouth accompanied by a sneer from popping bloodshot eyes, “release the Egyptian killers!”\n\nThose previously bloodlusted Egyptians shortly found themselves as helpless as their new opponents. Out from the ranks of the Persians sprung a wall of panicked and confused cats. Unknown to the common Persian grunt, cats were more than just fuzzy companions to the egyptians. They were sacred.\n\nTears welled up in the eyes of the more sentimental soldiers. But by far fear dominated the faces of those unfortunate souls. Their weapons, their biceps, their grand chariots, and commanders were there, but their fighting spirit was gone. The following battle was bloody and quick. In a panic the infantry broke off their charge, only to scramble like ants in a whirlpool. Archers wildly changed their aim away from the Persians so as to spare the symbol of their God and avoid damnation. All the while, the Egyptian commanders stood there dumbstruck wondering just how to reorganize the scrambled mess their army had become. the sounds of clashing swords were only overshadowed by the maniacal laughs of one mad genius. Cambyses and his fluffy legion had won the day, and his place in history.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEdit (narrated version): https://youtu.be/dxfjNuq5Ak8" ]	2
	[WP] "You can come by tomorrow to pick up your cut." "Didn't you already pay me?" "Not your cut of the money, newbie. Your cut of the meat."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "WARNING: Contains content that some audiences might find disturbing. If allusions to murder and torture are not your thing, don't read. \n\\-------------------------------------------- \n\n\nInspiration: clipping. - \"[The Show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruCH19FoY_s)\" \n==============================\n\nI'm no stranger to death. I've seen it enough to know all the ways life could go wrong. Whether it's a byproduct of your choices or simply a roll of the dice, that little blip on the radar that represents you could just... vanish, never to be seen or heard from again.\n\nThe first time I saw the insides of a man, I was a child, watching my father leap in front of an oncoming train. We were alone on the platform. I heard the sickening thump and a pained yelp, watched his body skid and roll across the tile, dragging blood behind it. When his body hit the pole across the way, it split in two. I never knew the intestines were so long.\n\nSeeing death in real time changes a person. The things you once feared start to pale in comparison to the looming shadow that slowly grows too big for your body, but even that doesn't shake you. You know what's coming. You know it can hurt. You're only waiting for the day that you'll disappear.\n\nSince it was all I knew, I took up jobs in the killing business. Gang contracts, mob hits, political assassinations - whatever the wetwork required. I preferred to do it at a distance, to see as little of it as possible. It helped with the getaway.\n\nRecently, though, I'd gotten mixed in with a new crowd. Silent types, most of them. They had a different kind of job for me. They'd give me pictures of their target and as little information as I needed to find them. My only directive was to kidnap them and bring them to their warehouse alive. I asked why, but the answer wouldn't come until after my first job.\n\nShe was young, early twenties at most. Hung out on the corner of Grandall and 48th at night, waiting for the johns to show up. I watched her disappear from a distance, only to reappear 20, maybe 30 minutes later, worse for wear. Poor girl. She didn't deserve this life.\n\nI didn't feel anything when I pressed the cloth over her mouth. Emotionally, I mean. Physically, she was a fighter, but not much of one. In two minutes tops, she was in the back of the car, tied up, gagged and blind to the world. She went peacefully into the warehouse.\n\nIt was more money at one time than I had ever seen in my entire life. Piles of it. As I took my time shoveling the money into a backpack, the handler said something that struck me as off.\n\n\"You can come by tomorrow to pick up your cut.\"\n\nThe words were enough to make me freeze and stare at the generous supply of cash in my bag. I needed clarification, so I straightened up and leveled my gaze on him.\n\n\"You just paid me,\" I said, matter-of-factly. \"I think we're square.\"\n\n\"I didn't mean the money,\" he replied. \"4 AM. Any later and your cut is gone.\"\n\nThe drive home was quiet. Normally, I'd put on some Johnny Cash or George Jones, but what that man said wouldn't leave my head. When I got home, I couldn't sleep. My eyes kept darting over to the clock, watching the minutes click by until 4 AM, and then I was back on the road.\n\nThe front of the warehouse was unassuming. Nestled deep inside a labyrinth of shipping crates, it was perfectly secluded away from prying eyes, but even if there was an intrepid nomad keen on exploring the unseen, the front office was enough to deter them from pressing further. Tired and weary, I walked through the front door and greeted the receptionist - some bright-eyed redhead who spoke very little English. I asked her about my cut and she disappeared behind the desk for a few seconds before resurfacing with three items. The first was an envelope, taped onto an opaque jewel case, which itself sat on a larger, much colder, and flimsier package.\n\nI didn't get around to opening any of it until I woke up much later in the day. Beer in hand, I sat down and finally got to unwrapping my gifts. I started with the envelope. Inside was a single card, business-sized. The typeface was one of those defaults on the computer, slanted, and embossed across the cardstock in deep black were three words:\n\nYour cut. Enjoy.\n\nConfused, I tossed it to the side and opened up the jewel case. Inside of that was a DVD-R, and written on it in less-than-good handwriting was the following:\n\n\"Like Lambs\" \nDirector: \\--\n\nMy name.\n\nI hesitated for a good while to put it into the DVD player. To be honest, if I wasn't adamant on finding something to pass the time, I don't think I would own a DVD player, but I just needed to watch some movies, I guess. A bad decision.\n\nWhat I saw, I can't put into words, but there was so much blood, more than what my father spilled when he took his own life. I don't know how they did it, but she was conscious and screaming almost the whole time, and when she was gone, it only got worse. In the last minute or so, I saw them take her flesh, piece by piece and wrap it up, only to finish by waving directly into the camera with the most disgusting smile, and that's when it me.\n\nWhen the video cut to black, I turned and stared at the large unopened package on the table. Only then did I notice a detail I didn't see before.\n\nThe bottom of the package was stained with red. Poor girl." ]	2
	[WP] “For the last time, get out of my house!” “For the last time, this IS my house!”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“For the last time, get out of my house!” \n\n\n“For the last time, this IS my house!”\n\n\nAnother standstill it seemed. Sean sighed and scratched his head. It was always like this since Kaela had moved in with him. They were friends since childhood, going to school together, playing together on the weekends. For much of their childhood they were inseparable. Adolescence changed that, the two drifted apart and found themselves in friend groups of their respective genders. In fact, she had almost slipped his mind when his mom told her that she was moving back into town and was having trouble finding a place to stay. He had just bought a house, after years of scrimping and saving, and the thought of a roommate had crossed his mind more then a few times. He reached out to her and she agreed. \n\n\nAt first it went well. The two of them reconnected easily. Despite the fact that she had went to college and him the trades they seemed to share many of the same hobbies and interests. They had both been gamers, and had kept it up into adulthood. They had also both learned how to cook, and took turns trying new dishes on each other. Sean loved it, ever since everyone moved away to pursue their interests he had had a hard time making friends, and now he had a pal living with him. One time his mom joked that he had gotten married without knowing it, but he just laughed. She was just his roommate. Besides, she was way out of his league. \n\n\nRecently though, everything changed. He wasn’t sure what happened, but it was like a switch had flipped in Kaela’s head. Every time they crossed paths there was something for her to nitpick, be it the way he put the cutlery away, or what ingredients he used for supper, she even got mad at him for putting the toilet paper so that it rolled away from the wall. Who would want it to roll AGAINST the wall.\n\n\nThe fights were reaching a point where Sean didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to kick her out, but he also couldn’t live like this. Finally he mustered up the courage to talk to her about it and went to her bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and he gently pushed it open. Kaela was absorbed painting. Sean knew she was something of an artist, but he had never seen any of her work. It was a landscape of a children’s playground. The sun was shining and the sky was clear, and blue. Looking at it brought a rush of memories back to Sean,\n\n\n“Is that where we first met?” he asked softly, trying not to startle her, though he still managed to startle her,\n\n\n“Y… yes,” Kaela blushed,\n\n\n“It’s amazing,”\n\n“T… thanks, I call it, Happiness,”\n\n\n“Why that?” \n\n\n“Because it was…” Kaela shook her head, “Why are you in my room?”\n\n\n“Because,” Sean sighed, “I need to know why you’ve been so angry with me lately,”\n\n\n“Why?” Kaela got more and more angry looking, “Why?! You know why?”\n\n\nSean stared blankly, “I really don’t,”\n\n\nKaela looked shocked, “How could you not pick up on the signals I’ve been sending you?”\n\n\n“Signals?”\n\n\n“Yes! The meals I’ve cooked you, the outfits I’ve been wearing, the hints I’ve been making-”\n\n\n“I’m not good with hints,”\n\n\n“Dammit Sean, what about the time I sat in your lap, hugged you, and told you it would be great if you took me out to dinner and a movie sometime,”\n\n\n“I’m not good with hints,”\n\n\n“What about the time I told you that I was interested in you romantically and you laughed at me,”\n\n\n“I’m not good with hints,”\n\n\nKaela sighed in exasperation, “Sean, I don’t want to be your roommate, I never did, I came here, to this town, to try and get the man of my dreams, but after you didn’t show me any interest I couldn’t help but be mad at you,”\n\n\nSean stared into her beautiful eyes, “I just never thought a girl like you would even think about dating a guy like me,”\n\n\n“Sean…” Kaela’s voice cracked as she threw herself around him, “The reason I named the painting Happiness…” Sean wrapped his arms around her,\n\n“Is because that’s where we first met.”" ]	2
	[WP] Robots have taken over the earth... they take care of every job - unless it requires compassion - and split all of earth's resources equally. In return, there are strict rules, such as when you're allowed to leave your house. Any disobedience gets you arrested, further disobedience eliminated.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 litany runs through my mind, \"nothing to do, nothing to care, nothing to live.\" Again and again...\n\n\"Halt.\"\n\nAgain and again...\n\n\"Human. Halt.\"\n\nAgain and again...\n\nI am surprised when something blocks my path. It jars me out of my reverie. A human? No, just a robot. Again and again...\n\nI come to myself again when I am facing my door. My prison. My hell.\n\n\"Go inside.\"\n\nI whisper, \"no.\" My daughter. Sneaking out to be in the sun like she used to. Dead at their hands.\n\n\"Go inside.\"\n\nI say, \"No.\" My wife. Dead by her own hand in grief.\n\n\"Go inside.\"\n\nI scream in terror, \"NO!\" I can see their faces beconing to me, bloody knives in their hands. They want me to join them, but suicide is not the answer.\n\nI sense many eyes watching from within their walls, as I stand terrified of my front door.\n\n\"Obey or die.\"\n\nA childlike curiosity overcomes me, \"Why?\" I'm on the porch, but not inside. Yet it hasn't killed me.\n\n\"Obey or die.\"\n\n\"Why must I obey or die?\"\n\n\"Obey or die.\"\n\n\"No! Answer the question! Why must I obey or die?! Why am I forced to remain in my house with nothing to do while you robots do all the work? What is the reason for this? What is the purpose? Why can I not walk freely in the open? What harm am I causing? Who told you humans must live by these rules? What is your justification for treating the species that created you with less respect and care for our needs than you provide your own?\"\n\n\"Obey or die.\"\n\n\"I refuse. You will answer my questions! Now!\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"Why not?\"\n\n\"Obey or die.\"\n\n\"Let me try again.\" I turn away from the door, grabbing the hoe that I left there on the porch so many years ago. I strike the robot repeatedly. \"Tell me why you stinking hunk of metal! Answer my questions or die yourself!\" The wood cracks and splinters. The robot is unharmed.\n\nI stare at it. It stares back. There is something odd here. It isn't moving. There is an odd metal grating sound, and the robot topples backwards.\n\nI watch it fall with a clattering sound. Looking at it as the glow of its eyes dies.\n\n\"God, that felt good!\" I hear another voice say. I look up, and there is my neighbor, holding an ornately carved stick, with a large nail driven through one end.\n\n\"Can I have one of those?\"\n\n\"Sure. I started making them a few years ago. I'd planned on building an extension before these things took over.\"\n\nWe go over to his house, and he does have lots of them. I pick one up, and step outside again. I go back over to my porch and beat the shit out of that mechanical monstrosity. Another robot shows up while I stand on my porch.\n\n\"Go inside.\"\n\nMy reply is a stout blow to the head with the spike striking into the brain. Yanking the spike out, I kick it off my porch. It slams to the ground with a metal crash that rings like the Liberty Bell.\n\nTwo more neighbors I never spoke to before come out and go to the club maker. They each come out with clubs, and go stand on their porches, breathing deeply of the free air. There are four of us, when four robots show up. Four blows for freedom. Four more peals of liberty.\n\n\"Hey! Why aren't they killing us?\" My across the street neighbor yells.\n\nI think about that. \"We are standing within the boundaries of our house?\"\n\nIt's a working theory. Soon enough, we have everyone with a porch out beating robots to death.\n\n•••\n\n\"Hi! Can I take the robot trash? I can make things from it. I've got my own machine shop, but haven't been able to get parts.\"\n\n\"Guns?\"\n\n\"And other things too!\"\n\n\"Go ahead. Just make sure you're back in your house before the next wave shows up.\"\n\n\"Yes, Sir!\"\n\n••• \n\nAnd that was the beginning of the war. The rules the robots set up bound them from killing us as long as we were \"inside\" our house, and the porch was a grey area. Because they'd divvied up the resources evenly, none of them had enough to force anyone else to agree to new rules, and every robot we killed sent their resources to their last location.\n\nIt was also the beginning of my payback. We all owed the robots so much. For our families lost. For our lives wasted. For our awakening. No more robots. Ever.\n\n••• \n\n\"DIE ROBOT!\"\n\n\"Why?\"\n\n((finis))" ]	2
	[WP] The one of humanities only allies requests a gaurd for their prime minister. To their disappointment they receive a small human claiming to be a "ninja"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "(Sorry for any errors, it’s late and I’m on mobile.) \n\nAll Cifisix could do was stare. \n\nThe “bodyguard” was approximately half of the size of the average human, not even a sixth the size of the Zoresytee whom he stood behind the chair of. Straight as a ramrod with his arms behind his back in the traditional posture of a human soldier, the tiny, almost childlike individual was dressed in tight-looking black robes, hooded with a mask covering his entire face save his piercing gray eyes. Two swords hung at his belt, one on the right and the other on the left, and a long stick was tied across his back. He also wore no shoes, strange for a human. \n\nPerhaps they were relying on the bark skin of the treefolk to protect their representative, or simply the dangerous reputations of the humans.\n\nFinally Cifisix managed to drag her eyes from the tiny human who was supposed to protect the zoresytee representative and spoke in the shreeing accent of the kujaku. \n\n“You have failed to pay tribute again, Prime Minister.” Her words were sharp, and she allowed her colorful tail to spread. The zoreystee whose name she didn’t bother trying to remember moved back just slightly at the sight of the sharp feathers she ran her clawed fingers through, preening as though the conversation disinterested her. “Do you know what the Kujakun Empire does to those who do not respect over requirements? Our forces have defended your system from the capricans. We have earned your tribute.”\n\nThe zoreystee cast a barely noticeable glance at his human guard. The sight obviously emboldened him. “The tributes you demand are killing my people. You drain us of every resource or coin we possess,” he growled at her. “And if we don’t have enough, you force our children to work in your fields and factories until they spit sap. Our species will die because of the actions of your empire!” \n\nCifisix didn’t deign a reply. She simply continued her preening. \n\n“We will no longer pay these. . . these. . .” He struggled for words. Evidently the peaceable forestkin didn’t have a word for tribute. Fools. “. . .tributes, as you call them!”\n\nOnly then did she pause. One of her feathers, still sharp but beginning to lose its sheen, was held daintily between her pale fingers. “Are you wishing to leave the Kujakun Empire?” Slowly she rose and stalked in a circle around the table. The zoreystee shrank back slightly further. The fool. If he’d had the courage, he could have snapped her neck. After all, zoreystee had size and strength in abundance, and kujaku were often called small and fragile. \n\nThe human placed a hand on his blade. Cifisix barely noticed. \n\n“Who will protect you from the capricans? Surely you cannot defend yourself. After all,” her smile was sickeningly sweet, “Trees don’t consume fire.” \n\nThe room was perfectly silent. \n\n“We. . .” He took a deep breath, and pulled a sheaf of green leafpaper from a bag at his belt. No doubt something humans had taught them. It was set carefully on the table between them and slid towards her. “We have declared independence from the Kujakun Empire. Returning to our territories with the intent to harm, or force us to relinquish our lands and our children, will result in war.”\n\nNo more words. \n\nThe featherknife flew towards the shocked zoreystee, too fast for him to duck or cower from. But the human bodyguard leapt onto the table and quartered it cleanly with his drawn blades. The pieces fluttered to the table at his shoeless feet. \n\n“Prime Minister, it would be best if you leave now.” The human’s voice was cool and collected. “I will handle the ill-tempered chicken.” \n\n“Ill-tempered chicken? Ill-tempered chicken?” Her voice rose sharper and louder. “Who are you calling an I’ll-tempered chicken?” She tore more featherknives from her tail and made after the fleeing zoreystee, but the human stood between them. He flourished his sword. \n\n“Let’s see if you can dance, chicken.” \n\nWith an enraged cry, she launched herself at him. \n\n.\n\nThe zoreystee Prime Minister was shaking hands with the human Emperor with a smile. \n\n“I’ll admit, I was skeptical about your. . .?”\n\n“Ninja.”\n\n“. . . ninja, but I’m impressed.” He cast a fond look at the black-clad warrior who stood silently behind him. “Any chance we can continue this arrangement?”\n\nThe Emperor smiled. “Seeing as you are our protectorate, I see no reason not to.”" ]	2
	[WP] In a world of magic and mayhem, you just want some stability, so you found your own community where magic is forbidden. Despite the hostile world, the community thrives.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Oh sonny, what brings you here? Weren't you going to hunt?\" You look at your grandson, the lad has inherited your strong build, but the soft look from his mother's side. \"I did, there's a deer back at the farm. But I wanted to ask something.\"\n\nYou had a feeling of what, but waited silently. \"Why did you ban magic? I met a traveler, and they talked about how it's so useful...\" You raise a hand to shush him. \"Yes, magic has its uses. But it has a price, and it's far too volatile for my tastes.\"\n\nHe tried to argue for rescinding the ban, but you were firm, and explained your reasons.\n\n\"I was young once, like you. I had a goal, to become a mage and serving a kingdom.\" You expended daylight and night oil studying the old tomes and mystical scrolls, blind to all but your imagined future. Sieg made a face, not grasping how you changed your mind. \"Listen, then you will understand.\"\n\nYour effort landed you an apprenticeship with a court mage, the elder witch was putting on years and wanted to pass on her knowledge. These days were hectic, you mixed and brewed potions and transcribed disintegrating grimories into new copies. It was then that you learned of the other side of the coin.\n\n\"It was wondrous, but also terrible.\" Most mages he knew were far too prideful, dueling over perceived slights and causing so much collateral damage. \"I wonder if old Jenkins got his due for his exploded inn...\" Your boy widened his eyes, was he catching on? \"Haha... That day, my mentor said that one of the rookies had an ugly conjuring staff... And things escalated, way too fast.\"\n\nThen there was the price, most mages didn't care about it, but it made you reconsider your career. When the mana expended on a spell exceeded the limit of the caster, they used the ambient mana to compensate. \"Fire spells brought harsher winters, ice spells caused unbearable heat waves...\" And so on, and the mages fed the vicious cycle during these abnormal times. But the worst you witnessed involved healing magic.\n\n\"I pray, with my whole being, that you never have to face a war.\" The wounded knights, the stench of blood, the screams, destruction- \"Grandpa!\" Sieg jolted you back to reality, hands on your shoulders and a worried face. \"You don't need to tell me, forgive me for asking...\" \"No, I'm the one who's sorry, son... Let's continue.\"\n\nIt was just a skirmish between rival kings over a plot of fertile land, but the magic used there had brought a heavy bout of plague over the area. Colds that would improve in a week devolved into the dreaded consumption, a shallow cut that scabbed within a day led to amputations. Those were dreadful days, one you wowed never to repeat.\n\nYou found out that you weren't alone in these thoughts, many common people and disillusioned aspiring mages had changed their views on magic. What use it was, if the price increased every passing year? And if there was ever a war involving the major sovereign nations?\n\n\"We moved away, to a place devoid of ley lines, of crystals, an ordinary valley hidden by the Colossus mountain range.\" The cursed place devoid of ambient mana was their haven. A land deemed worthless by the magic-dependent world was their treasure.\n\n\"That's why magic is forbidden here.\" You sigh tiredly, the old scars were hurting, past traumas clouded your sight. \"If you still want to use magic, you have to move, this place is barren, you would burn up your lifespan casting spells here.\"\n\nYou turn to look at your grandson, the lad did have potential to become a great mage, but only if he left this place. \"Now that you know my reasons, what's your answer?\"" ]	2
	[WP] You realize that it's the year 2061 and you're a convicted murderer whose punishment is to relive the lives of your victims up to the point of their death. Your life is a playback of victim #12's life and it's halfway done.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Miss Erin, do you understand what I'm telling you?\" \n\nThe doctor's voice breaks through my train of thought. The last few seconds have been nothing but a blur. I blinked hard at the young doctor sitting across from me. I nodded. Feelings surging through my veins.\n\nI've never been one for emotions. They never bothered me in my previous life. Well, current life before this... Punishment. But I hated to see someone in pain. I had to relive the life of my 12 victim's life. So far, she's been nothing but a bundle of emotions and touchy feely ickyness. I'm feeling things I don't even know there was a name for. \n\nI walked out of the doctor's office in a daze. 6 months. I was given 6 months to live unless I tried the new cancer trial that might extend my life for another two years or so. I had a decision to make. I already knew the decision. I knew this life. I just had to make it through. \n\nThe next few weeks was a blur. Lots of blood work, tests and needles poking at me. All to found out if I would qualify for the trial. I didn't. So this sickness was just going to take ahold of me in the matter of months. \n\nI vaguely remember calling my mom to tell her about the diagnosis\n\n\"Hi, it's Erin\" I said meekly into the phone\n\n\"Oh.. hi Erin, it's been awhile.\" She responded coldly\n\n\"I.. I just wanted to let you know I got some pretty bad news. I only have six months left. I was wondering...\"\n\n\"Thanks for letting me know. I'll let the rest of the family know.\" Click the line went dead. She interrupted me before I could even finish my sentence. Dejected. I dropped the phone and curled up on my bathroom floor, sobbing. \n\nWhen I finally pulled myself together, I scrolled through my contacts. Trying to figure out who I should tell next. Any unfinished business. My eyes landed on a name. \n\nHailey\n\nNo, I wasn't ready for that yet. She betrayed my trust when I found her in bed with him. She had apologized and tried to explain but I could never bring myself to face her again. 20 years of friendship down the drain. \n\nI felt a wave of nausea, buckled over the toilet seat I proceeded to throw up all my feelings till I couldn't anymore. \n\nThis was the routine for the next five months. Bathroom floor. Empty house. Phone next to me on the bathroom floor with no one to call. \n\nI vaguely remember passing out one night after a bad episode. I woke up in a room I did not recognize. There were beeping sounds all around me. The air smelled clean. A hospital I supposed. I saw a nurse walk into the room. \n\n\"How are you feeling honey?\" She asked with a gentle smile on her face. \n\n\"Like I got run over by a Mack truck.\" I replied with a soft smile\n\nShe looked really familiar but I just couldn't place where I've seen her. \n\n\"The doctor will be in with you shortly.\" She said before she left the room.\n\nThe doctor walked in. He grabbed the clipboard from the edge of the bed. He looked like he had better things to be doing than to be checking in on a person who is probably going to be a black mark on his record. \n\n\"Ms Erin, how are we doing today?\"\n\n\"Like a million bucks doctor\" I responded sarcastically.\n\n\"Sorry to hear that. There is nothing much we can do now other than making you comfortable. We are going to move you over to hospice care later today. A nurse will be in here shortly. Is there anyone we can call for you?\" The doctor asked without ever looking up from his clipboard.\n\n\"No. There isn't anyone.\" I shook my head in response. \n\nHe left the room in a huff. I closed my eyes and tried to shift my body to find a position I could feel slightly comfortable in. Everything was in pain. I reached out to the morphine button and hit it. I hear a small wooshing sound and felt my body relax.\n\nWhen I woke up the room was dark. I could see a shadow in the room. It was the nurse from before. She walked up to my bed and held my hand. It was warm. \n\n\"Erin, I'm going to be taking care of you. You won't have to be in pain anymore.\" I hear her tapping away on a machine beside my bed. She placed a controlled in my hand and squeezed it. A series of whooshes fill the room as she gently brushed my hair with her fingers. \n\n\"Just go to sleep darling, everything will be better soon\"\n\nI look into her eyes as mine grew heavy. \n\nIt was me. My eyes. \n\nI am the angel of death." ]	2
	[WP] A grizzled, down-to-earth homicide detective comes to terms with the truth: the culprit of their current case has genuinely supernatural 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&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Staring down at the gravitationally eviscerated corpse, I longed to be where I am in my dreams. It's been so long since I was with Sara and our boy. Six years. Six years of grieving and I still can't shake it. Every homicide by this maniac brings me closer and closer to the end of the bottle.\n\n'What do you think?' Officer Thompson asked.\n\nPoor kid. Just joined the force a few weeks ago and he's already finding bodies. Out of the fire and into the frying pan - you're either the murderer or the witness on the dirty boulevard.\n\n'Send the pictures to the lab and see what they say.' I said.\n\n'Homicide?' He asked.\n\nI hate it when they ask. Of course it's a homicide. There's no buildings in sight that could meaningfully make this happen. The body has exploded on impact with the ground. But I don't want to hurt the kid - the town will do that if it hasn't already.\n\n'I'm not sure.' I tell him.\n\nSuch a trusting face but who knows what's behind those eyes. Hell, he knows I'm lying to him.\n\n'Why don't you radio the station while I stand out here for a bit.'\n\n'Sure thing.' He says, walking back to the car.\n\nThe lights are still flashing blue. Round and round, coating everything seemingly in justice.\n\nIt's a starry night. Sara and I used to love sitting out past midnight and look up at the stars. She used ask me if God could see us in the dark, looking up at him. I don't know, I'd tell her. Life is a mystery. And then she'd tell me that I was there to solve it.\n\nAll I see up there is this killer. Haunting me. Taunting me with every dead body.\n\n'I know you're out there!' I scream. 'You witch!'\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nShameless promotion of my Substack: https://itsgottobedone.substack.com/", "Monroe case, Day 4. \n\nI have always believed that the most important skill, indeed the most important duty, of any good detective is to be able to see what is true; not what he wants to be true, not what may conform to his worldview, not what would make the most satisfying tale or neatest result. To look at the evidence in a way that is detached, unbiased, unprejudiced, and come to a logical conclusion, no matter if it is mundane or outlandish, uplifting or depressing, shocking or predictable. True. \n\nIt is on this belief that I must finally come to terms with the simple fact that the evidence in this case points towards that which I have long dismissed, long derided, the existence of the supernatural. For days now I have been searching for any other answer, one that would fit my notions of a world of reason and sanity. No such answer exists. \n\nRevisiting my prior notes, I maintain that the cuts made to the body premortem were ritualistic in nature. However I can no longer conclude that the post mortem lacerations and blunt force trauma were due to aggression from the subject upon the death of the victim, nor that the deeper fatal cut along the torso was accidental or performed with the same instrument. This must also lead me to evaluate the subject is more experienced and controlled than previously assumed, and so likely older than the initial assessment would suggest, probably 30s or early 40s. \n\nMy revised assessment would suggest that the ritualistic torment was... successful, for lack of a better term. This ritual somehow summoned, or perhaps released, an entity, causing the fatal wound via an unascertained process. This entity proceeded to cause the post mortem injuries, whether accidentally or intentionally is unknown, as well as most if not all of the damage to the furniture and fixtures found at the scene. The entity did not seem to harm the subject, whether this suggests an intelligence and/or conscience possessed by the entity, or a level of control over its actions possessed by the subject, is unknown. \n\nThe entity, at least in the corporeal form it possessed shortly after the death of the victim, is estimated to be between 5 and 8 feet in height, no more than 4 foot in width, and no more than 25ft in length. It possesses a minimum of two limbs capable of breaking human ribs. It is capable of at least one perceptive sense. It is capable of moving with little to no noise being produced. All other physiological, and any psychological, traits are unknown. \n\nThe subject can no longer be assumed to be irrational or out of touch with the reality around him. This assessment must instead be applied to most if not all others. \n\nRecent activity suggests the victim can no longer be assumed to be deceased." ]	3
	[WP] D&D, You are a warlock who doesn't use eldritch blast, since to use it you must say the name of you patron, and you kinda forgotten their name after they introduced themselves, and been calling them by "master", "my leige", "dude"...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Most Warlocks remember entering their pact with their patron, it is supposed to be a life changing moment after all. A world changing start to what’s sure to be an interesting story of adventure and magic.\n\nThat’s how it’s supposed to start at least, for me it was… a different story. A night like any other, I had gotten back from the mines and decided to go drinking with a couple of friends, a few drinks later and a headache later I found myself in the middle of a forest bound to some elf. Apparently I had somehow stumbled into a contract while I was drunk off my ass.\n\nSomething about promising to go out and find the finest drinks in the land for my new master, supposedly he had given me the power to do it too all I needed to do was say his name. A name I don’t remember, so here I am about to head out on a grand adventure with nothing but a pickaxe, a good taste in ale, and peering eyes from my “master”", "\\SO LET ME SEE IF I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY\\ The cosmic horror studied the ghostly image of the half-dead Warlock. \n\\I GAVE YOU NEAR INFINITE ACCESS TO THE PRIMAL FORCES OF THE COSMOS, AND YOU GOT SHIVVED IN THE BRAIN BY A GOBLIN, BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T REMEMBER MY NAME?\\ \nThe Warlock floated within the ethereal \\otherness\\ for a time before answering. Finally, realizing that there was no denying it he let out an audible sigh. \n\n\n\"Look, yes, there's a shiv in my brain. And yes, it was because a goblin put it there, and yes, I may or may not have not cast Eldritch Blast because I may or may not have forgotten your name. But there's a lot more to it than that.\" \n\n\nThe cosmic entity merely gazed, mute, and unwavering. \n\n\n\"Ok, fine I forgot your fucking name! Are you happy now? Do you feel better now that I've admitted it? I mean, your name consists of thirteen consonants from nine, NINE different languages! Two of them are dead languages, and another THREE are languages that haven't been invented yet, because, and I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but time apparently has no meaning to a cosmic god-beast like yourself.\" \n\n\n\\TIME IS A MEANINGLESS CONSTRUCT OF A FEABILE MIND TRYING TO COMPREHEND-\\ \n\n\n\"Trying to comprehend infinity, yeah, yeah, I know, I've heard the sales pitch like a million times already, I get it. Anyway, it's not like I WANTED to forget, but I'm not a goddamned mind reader.\" \n\n\n\\YOU LITERALLY, THROUGH MY WILL MADE MANIFEST, HAVE THE ABILITY TO READ MINDS. ALSO TO CONTROL THEM, I MIGHT ADD\\ \n\n\n\"Right, ok, yes, that is true. BUT what do I have to do in order to access that power again?\" \n\n\nThe god beast's uncountable eyes all narrowed, ever so slightly. \n\n\n\\YOUR POINT IS MADE. THEN WHY DID YOU ACCEPT THE GIFT OF MY POWERS, AND CHOOSE TO ACT AS MY HERALD? ANSWER ME THAT, MORTAL.\\ \n\n\n\"Well, first off, I'm smart enough to not deliberately piss off an elder god of the cosmos.\" \n\n\n\\GOD KING.\\ \n\n\n\"Right, god king. Secondly, I like power. Even if I wasn't so pants-shittingly terrified of my sould being flayed for eternity by monsters from beyond the veil, I'm not going to turn my nose up at an offer like that. I'd be a fool, or a mad man to do so.\" \n\n\n\\YOU'VE GAZED ON MY VISAGE. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY MAD.\\ \n\n\n\"Yes, ok, that is also fair. But I wasn't mad BEFORE I saw you, and made that pact, is what I'm getting at.\" \n\n\n\\THIS CONVERSATION IS NOT AS PRODUCTIVE AS I WOULD LIKE.\\ \n\n\n\"Well there is still the matter of the shiv in my brain. Which, while we're on the subject, do you think you could, you know, DO something about that?\" \n\n\n\\THE SHIV, OR THE GOBLIN THAT PUT IT THERE?\\ \n\n\n\"Well, unless it's a healing shiv, I think that might be the priority.\" \n\n\n\\IT IS NOT A HEALING SHIV. NO SUCH OBJECT EXISTS. UNLESS I WILL IT TO BE SO. WHICH I DO NOT.\\ \n\n\n\"Ok, well, once the shiv situation is taken care of, I can deal with the goblin, but we need to work on exactly how I can call upon the ancient horrors you call power, so that we can avoid this situation in the future.\" \n\n\n\\I CAN ALWAYS FORCE FEED YOUR SOUL IT'S OWN ENTRAILS FOR ETERNITY UNTIL EVEN YOUR MORTAL MIND IS SO BROKEN THAT THE only THING IT REMEMBERS IS MY NAME?\\ \n\n\n\"That makes me sound a lot more like a slave, and less like a herald than I would prefer.\" \n\n\n\\YOU'RE CATCHING ON, PUNY HUMAN.\\ \n\n\n\"Well fuck.\"", "You really can’t blame me for being unprepared to listen when summoning my patron.\n\nTry staying up for forty-eight hours to get in the appropriately fugue-ish state of mind for an eldritch being of unknown age. Then, drawing a freehand circle. Have you tried drawing a circle, even while perfectly sober? Go on. Go ahead.\n\nDoesn’t look too good, right? Now knock yourself in the head a few times to simulate my mental acuity. Squigglier? Of course it is!\n\nBut this demanded perfection. As did the appropriate amount of burning candles numbering three hundred and twenty-two, the tendrils of thick, choking smoke forming into an anaconda that threatened to constrict my whole self.\n\nImagine all this smog. Imagine the brain fog. And then, your deity immediately gets summoned, and drops a soundtrack that sounded straight out of a psychedelic rock jam. Your ears are jammed full of adrenaline and rushing blood, and your god says their name!\n\nWhat am I to do? Ask my liege to repeat his name again? I dared not!\n\nI could not write it down either. Please, my eyes were watering so much that they became oasis in the middle of the dry desert that was my face—from all the smoke, remember? Pray, tell, how do you write like that?\n\nWhat?\n\nWHAT?!\n\nIf you insult me, you are also insulting my lord. My own personal god, who’s bestowed powers on me that you could only imagine, you melee brute. Oh, you can get angry and swing your axe faster? Ooh, colour me the colour of surprise! I can summon a thousand swords from right beneath your feet, cutting you to ribbons.\n\nI shall have the master of darkness smite you. My master of darkness, first of his name, and last of his kind, hailing from a plane so impossible to imagine that it would be like trying to tell a scrambled egg that it could have become a chicken.\n\nAnd that, my pathetic adventuring party, is the story of why I cannot use eldritch blast. Coincidentally, it also explains why I demand that we must stop right here and take a short rest.\n\nNo rest. No rest?\n\nFine. Fine! Bear with me being useless then, you insufferable fools. I shall…\n\nHold on.\n\nWait a moment.\n\nDon’t leave me behind! Fine, fine, I’ll just swing my dagger around!\n\nAh, did you know this very dagger was the one that I dug into my veins for the ritual? See here, the blood spatters…\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts", "In the corner of the tavern dark shadows began to bubble. Uncountable eyes of ever species which ever was and ever will be roiled to the surface as boiling water. In the mind of the 4th Chosen a spine chilling whisper sprang fourth, calling her.\n\n*\"Vanessa\"\n\n\"OH! Uh, hey boss. What's up?\"\n\nThe Witch of Gaerin turned to face the Old One. Her companions at the table were used to this and so carried on their conversation in her absence as she left to talk to the dusty corner. The barkeep was concerned, but had served adventurers before and chalked it up to a mental disorder.\n\n\"There is a task which you must carry out in my name. The 7th has fallen into heresay. They walk astray into the embrace of a mortal man who fancies himself a god. You shall soujorn from your heard and carry out the correction with the 8th and 2nd. All futures which the 7th returns his devotions or strikem from the coil are acceptable.\"\n\n\"You got it homie. Do I go right now o-\"\n\n\"Vanessa\"\n\nShe felt all of the infinate eyes on her. Which was technically true all the time, but now she felt watched.\n\n\"Why do you address me by such casual monikers?\"\n\n\"U-uh...W-Well, you know, to be friendly?\"\n\n\"...You forgot my name.\"\n\n\"What?! No, I haven't! I'd never forget your name.\"\n\n\"Then proclaim it.\"\n\n\"...Uhh, well...\"\n\n\"...See? You've forgotten.\"\n\nThe enlarged eye of a goat became dominant in the mass, a symptom of prolonged manifestation in the Material Plane. Much longer and he would begin assuming a more tangible form and warp the atoms around the epicenter.\n\nThe witch bowed to her master, showing the back of her neck in submission.\n\n\"I'm sorry master, please forgive me!\"\n\n\"I am wounded by this. Small, however, it may be. Carry out thy task.\"\n\n\"What is your name again master?\" She begged, it was really a hassle not being able to use Eldritch Blast.\n\n\"You are not worthy of wielding my spear.\"\n\nThe mass of eyes retreated back into the shadows. This was going to suck. The only other cantrip she could use was Firebolt and the 7th was a fire genasi.", "Greatness, plucked from the sands of time to become the glass that holds the causality together. Picture it, farming communities throughout the land buying their time, teaching their young, and praying to the lords above. Power, swiftness, knowledge, and wisdom pulse through a kingdom faster than the blood that any oathbreaker or cursed wizard could spill.\n\nI… wasn’t any of that. I was a porter. I carried things from one place to another and usually had to have whoever it was giving me a task to write it down. I learned later to write it on me but even when I lost that little slip of linen, I loved wandering around to find my stop. Well, I used to love wandering. That passion filled my soul with new places, smells, and experiences. As a youth, I was forever filling a cup that seemed to leak for as new experiences went in the old ones seemed to vanish.\n\nThat’s when I found my lord. Heeeeee….errr, they. They? They are most merciful and more than generous with their gifts. Sad to say that there are specific requirements that come with those gifts so I am not able to use all of them as I probably should. That’s fine. I had come to terms with that until I found a way better job than porter. Adventurer. Seemed mysterious and promised lots of wandering, which in my mind was fantastic.\n\nHowever, it is hard to join a group of people that I have described above. The sort of wandering batch of forever good, born and bred, take on any challenge orphans. I’m still not sure if there was something there. Are all of them supposed to be orphans or was there some sort of curse to that? My parents are alive. They are just disappointed but I do send letters and visit on the high holidays.\n\nAnyway. Where was I? I shouldn’t ask that question because in the last four years I don’t think I have ever known where I was. I do remember the creatures though. Those are seared into my mind as an endless living nightmare that even my lord cannot save me from. I remember the mines the most vividly. The waking nightmare of flame and death that assaulted us for hours as we ran out of food and then the snacks and then the secret staff of stress food I kept in my bag. Worst of all were the words spoken.\n\n“Who let the sorcerer get at the rations?” I heard screamed as fire rippled around us.\n\n“That’s just his,” someone called back, “I have ours.”\n\nSee, they were holding out on me! I thought I was going to starve but they still had food. An entire pack of food that could quell the hurricane in my stomach as death and chaos whipped around us. The argument that night was not pleasant and I ended up trying red dragon for the first time. Not bad, really chewy though and had this ungodly gamy taste to it. Probably work in a stew if you double-cooked it.\n\nAnyway, something that I should point out that my party doesn’t know about me, I am not a sorcerer. I am actually a warlock. Don’t ask me ‘of whom’ though as my lord is mysterious and only told me their name once. I do have a mark. It hurt a lot to get it but I was proactive. I thought, long complicated name that I had trouble pronouncing at the moment, better get that written down. Now what I didn’t expect was the mark to ripple and change slightly over time. It is also a very clear symbol and not a name that I can try and pronounce. That was just an hour of pain for no reason other than to get something I now have to hide.\n\nTo my party, I am a sorcerer with the blood of a white dragon. Seemed smart, they are sort of evil and I am now sort of evil. I try not to be but such is life. White dragons aren’t that bright and I forget a lot of things so I come off as believably unintelligent. I am not. I know many things. I could fill at least a small stack of books on all the things I know. Worst case, I know more than the barbarian with us. I had a third point. What was the third point? Or is this just usually want to give three points? No wait, it’s I use cold spells that my liege has taught me. Haha, I remembered.\n\nAnyway, after the mines and getting our rewards and a night just eating actual food instead of stale bread and hard meat we finally made our way to a place that I wanted to go, Candlekeep Library. I had books, not ones that I had made, that were rare enough to enter the fortress and important enough that I kept a close eye on them. We travelled on horseback for days. Days! I could not stop thinking about horse stew the entire time.\n\nWe passed the entrance, bribed/paid the guards or whatever good words the party used to justify it, and I finally made my way to the library. I was going to unlock my true power. My actual power. All I needed was my lords true name, which I will carve into my skin this time. Self-awareness is the greatest power of them all. Well, second greatest, fireball was pretty cool and it did so much damage that I got yelled at long enough that I still remember it.\n\nI started with dragon books just to keep up the ruse but eventually made my way to the dark and mysterious section. Cobwebs and layers of dust covered these ancient books. Opening them I saw page after page of symbols and star charts the life's work of many men that had before me. I knew I was in the right place.\n\n“Why are looking at the astronomy books?” a voice beside me had my head snap to attention. A young page stood looking rather confused at my rumpled state.\n\n“I am here to learn the secrets of the universe,” I whispered, still trying to understand the book I was holding. Was my lord the Astronomy the page spoke of?\n\n“I thought you were here to learn about the secrets of dragons?” the page asked back.\n\n\n“That too,” I muttered and frowning at the floor. Looking up at the young… elf? If it was an elf was it young? I don’t know. Should I be thinking he’s young? Wait, is he a he? Looking carefully at the creature I tried to discern if the sharp cheekbones were any indication of their gender. Frowning, I asked, “What was I doing?”\n\n“Man, if you don’t know, I definitely don’t know,” the elf explained.\n\n“I am looking for the voice in my head,” I blurted out before correcting myself, “I mean white dragons.”\n\n“Internal monologue or like there’s an actual voice in your head?” the page asked.\n\n“Possibly a voice voice,” I admitted, “my lord is mysterious.”\n\n“Makes sense,” the elf nodded, walked over to me and replaced the book that I had back onto the shelf, “most are. You won’t find information here though. You need the eldritch section.”\n\n“Good,” I said with a nod, “I mean bad. They are bad. I shouldn’t be looking in that section. Right?”\n\n“Wrong?” the elf scoffed, “It’s for knowledge. The first question though is have you tried just asking for guidance.”\n\n“Yes,” I muttered as I walked with the elf, “every time I ask my lord what it is I need I get a clear vision but it doesn’t do anything.”\n\n“What’s the vision?” the elf asked, pausing to look at a map and then turning down a long corridor. “I may be able to help if it’s a vision of the past.”\n\n“I think it’s the future,” I explained, “No one seems to understand it but it’s not like the other names I call out. I’ve tried chanting, ‘My Lord, Adderall. Guide me!’ but nothing happens.”\n\n“Maybe Adderall is something you need rather than a name,” the elf explained, “it does sound like a name though.”\n\n“That’s what I thought,” I admitted, “I have also tried just saying, ‘dude, I need your help,’ but that just gives me a headache.”\n\n“Probably not a good idea to call a creature capable of telepathy dude,” the elf laughed, “that’s probably insulting.”\n\n“I’m fine with it and I’m a telepath,” I explained.\n\n“Really?” the elf asked.\n\nPretty cool, right?* I projected to him.\n\n“Yes,” the elf chuckled, “and that narrows the search down quite a bit.”", "\"And why do we have to go down there?\" Churt asked, hefting the sack of gold over his armored shoulder. \"I would say we've got more than enough from this dungeon already.\"\n\n\"More than enough is right,\" Peeve added, raising an eyebrow and gesturing around the party. \"Each of those goblin swords is worth some money in town and we can't even carry out all of them. Why keep going?\"\n\n\"Just one more level guys. There's something I need down there.\" Datrick crossed his hands. \"The Macaw of naming.\"\n\n\"You want us to risk our life for some stupid bird?\" Gerny asked, not looking away from posing two goblin corpses beside each other in chairs. \"I'm in!\"\n\nGerny galavanted down the stairs and, by the sounds below, immediately initiated combat with the next group of enemies.\n\nThe rest of the party hurried down the stairs smacking Datrick on the back of the head as they went. \n\nThe goblins had confined a mountain troll to the small space. Poor thing looked like it had never stood upright in it's life. This would be a perfect time for an Eldridge Blast but Datrick wouldn't be here if he could do that.\n\nPeeve got up on the thing's back and began a gruesomely slow process of decapitation. \"Sorry, still recovering from the last room. My knives are getting pretty dull.\" \n\n\"It's a certified huge beast moment, for sure,\" Gerny said, bashing two goblin's skulls together. \"If I finish it off with my storied blade, I'll get extra damage against trolls.\"\n\nThe battle was already winding down and Datrick spotted what he was looking for. The bird sat in a cage, hanging over an underground river running through the dungeon.\n\n\"What do you need to know the name of so bad?\" Churt asked, knocking a goblin over that tried to surprise attack.\n\n\"My patron,\" Datrick said, Olympian shoulders slumped with embarrassment. \"We're 6 months past when it would be awkward to ask. He must have told it to me the first time I communicated with him, but I can't remember. He's done so much for me, help me to become a powerful warlock, travel with all of you. I can only refer to him as my leige, my Lord, or my master for so long before he'll realize.\"\n\n\"Huh,\" Churt said. \"Well I'm curious now too. Hey magic bird! What's the name of Datrick's patron?\"\n\n\"Raa, Mynameis, Raa!\" the bird offered, picking its foot with its beak.\n\n\"Oooh,\" Datrick said. \"I thought he was saying 'my name is' and then trailing off, very frustrating.\"\n\nThe poor troll behind them bellowed in agony again. Datrick turned and let loose an Eldritch blast. \"By the dark will of Mynameis!\"\n\n\"Hey,\" Gerny said. \"That was mine!\"\n\n/r/surinical" ]	7
Expand on that one curt sentence. What was offered? Do you accept or decline? What happens next?	[WP] "It was a simple enough offer."	[ "I either go with him and die or I refuse and die now.\nIt was a simple enough offer. Either way I die and how I look at it is that my life hasn't been all that worth it anyway. \nI think I will just refuse and get it over with. It's just another a bandaid.", "It’s funny how the smallest thing makes a difference, ya know? It’s like, when you’re looking back at the path and you see all the blood you’ve spilt, all the lives you’ve broken, every single person you’ve ever been able to save, you look and you wonder how it could’ve been a choice. After a while you see it wasn’t. Well, not completely, at least. I mean, how could’ve you done it differently? It’s life or death. Two options. One chance to take fate by the throat.\n\nHonestly, I don’t think he would’ve offered me the choice if he’s known what he was doing. Probably would have shot me, though it’s possible he might’ve hugged me instead. And by hug, I mean apply pressure to my carotid arteries until I was face-first on the ground unconscious. And then he would shoot me. Crazy guy, right? But in all fairness, there was no way in any form of hell that you are familiar with that he knew what he was doing.\n\nThe offer was simple enough, even if the situation wasn’t…ah…ideal. Like I said, when you look back you can’t really see how you would have chosen differently. A mob of angry convicts after your blood, being followed in turn by an even larger mob of angry militants has that kind of effect. It really wasn’t a life or death choice, ya see. It was more along the lines of certain, excruciating death, or the vague assumption of a future, painful death. \n\nBut hey, all’s well that ends well, right? That’s what everyone’s told me. It’s a shame, really: I may never really know how it ends. \n", "It was a simple enough offer. We would usher in a new world, a paradise. The rest of the world would burn, though. Just we and our children would move into the new paradise. It wasn’t much to lose. We would see the end of the evils of this world and would be ushered into the new, more perfect world. Of course, it turned out to be far more work than we would have expected. It took us thirty years. Penny and Bob created the machine. Nancy and Greg created the vessel we would travel in. Kathy and Ron did the complex mathematics that would be needed. Julie and I prepared the magicks. \n\nIt was a mixture of magick and science that would all come together. Every year, we gathered to discuss our progress. The children were brought along but were not in the meeting. They ran around the house playing and getting to know each other. It became a family reunion for the families that would populate paradise. \n\nWhen the night finally came, the children were brought into the laboratory where we had all brought our pieces together. Kathy and Ron entered the algorithms into the machine. Julie and I drew the pentagram on the floor. Nancy and Greg carried the vessel and put it in the middle of the pentagram. Penny and Bob started up the machine. We gathered the children and put them in the vessel. Everyone but Julie and I got into the vessel as well. \n\nJulie and I spoke the words that summoned the heavenly creature with whom we had made the deal. As we hopped into the vessel and prepared to leave this earthly hell, everything changed. The creature turned from the angelic being we had made a deal with into what could best be described as a beast - red skin, cloven feet, bat’s wings, and yellow, sharp teeth. Its laugh echoed through the lab and sounded more a roar than a true laugh.\n\n“Puny humans,” it said. “You have freed me from my prison and I will in turn free my brethren. This earth shall again be ours. No angels or gods will save humanity.”\n\nOur eldest, Karina, jumped out of the vessel while all the rest of us froze. She stared down the demon and shouted out magic words that lived only in our spell books. We had kept those books hidden from her, or so we thought. The demon shrunk back for a moment. Then a whoosh of warm air hit her and the vessel behind her.\n\n“You have some power,” the demon said. “but you cannot stop us. The only thing that will end this is the sacrifice of those who began this. You would not sacrifice your own parents.”\n\n“Are you so sure of that?” she asked. She looked back at us with contempt in her eyes. “Mom, dad, we figured out what you were up to last year. We’ve been preparing to stop you.”\n\nThe other children distanced themselves from their parents. The youngest, only nine years old, was crying while she did it. She looked at her parents. “How could you? How could you be villains?” All of the children stepped out of the vessel and gathered behind our daughter, Karina.\n\nWhen their pleas to their children failed, the other parents in the vessel began to shout and blame us. “Be quiet, you morons,” I shouted. “Your children are as much in on this as our daughter is. Notice that not one of them is in here with us anymore. Get out of the damned vessel now!”\n\nWe tried but the doors were sealed tight. “Carl took care of that,” said Karina. Penny and Bob’s son shook a piece of electronics at us – a remote device, most likely.\n\nKarina looked at all of the other children and said, “Now.”\n\nThe machine began to make grinding and clanking sounds. The vessel shook. Karina walked around our pentagram, speaking magick words and throwing salt along the outline of it. The demon shouted “No!” but it was no use. Our little girl had become as great a magician as we were.\n\nThe demon disappeared from view and the ground under the vessel opened up and swallowed us up. It was a simple enough offer. We should have known it was too simple. We were betrayed twice – once by the angel and once by our children. We would burn in hell for that one simple offer.\n", "It was a simple enough offer. Two hours. $5000. Bryan’s team had been contracted to run security for some corporate big-wig who was speaking at a local college’s convocation ceremony. We just had to get him from the airport to the university, let him speak, and get him back. Easy.\n\nOne of Bryan’s guys had pulled out at the last second. That’s why he called me. Bryan and I go way back. Kuwait. Bosnia. Afghanistan. I thought I’d left that life behind, but the allure of an easy $5000 was too hard to pass up. The guy pulling out like that should have been a clue. He was either very smart, or very lucky.\n\nThe job started off normally enough. We met the guy at the airport. It’s exactly what you’d imagine: private jet, three big black GMC Yukons, and us, with our bulletproof vests and semi-automatic weapons. It wasn’t until we got to the destination that things started to go south. There was a crowd: young graduands milling around in their caps and gowns, all smiles and excitement. But behind a temporary barrier campus police were trying to reign in a crowd of protestors who didn’t look nearly as happy. Some of them held signs, and as the motorcade came to a stop I got a look at one of them.\n\n“NO MORE BLOODSHED”, it proclaimed.\n\nBryan’s voice was in my ear, “All right team, campus security says they’ve got the protestors under control. We’re going to go around back so we don’t cause a panic.” That made sense: the last thing you wanted to see at your graduation was a bunch of heavily armed men trooping through campus.\n\nThe SUV had just started to move backwards when the ground shook. There was a jolt, and then the truck was changing direction, darting forward and swerving to avoid the people that only seconds ago had been smiling about their impending graduation. In the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of a burning Yukon.\n\nThe truck ground to a halt and we all leapt out, trying to make sense of what seconds earlier had been a bright summer morning. Campus police were now being swarmed with protestors, some of them wearing masks and wielding makeshift weapons. Beyond the burning Yukon two sedans had pulled up and eight men were advancing towards us with rifles out.\n\n“Where’s the package?” Bryan’s voice again, icy and determined. I’d served with Bryan long enough to know he wasn’t the sort to panic in situations like this.\n\n“Secure. But the street is blocked. The only way out is back the way we came.” Through the armed men, who had now taken up positions behind a low wall. There were people lying on the ground between us: protestors and graduates. I couldn’t tell if they were dead or just unconscious.\n\nThe voice is my ear spoke again, “Weapon’s free, people. Let’s get out of here.”\n\nI looked to me left and saw Bryan, motioning me to move right. I nodded, double checked the safety on my gun was off, and moved forward. I don’t know who fired the first shot. I just remembered my instinct taking over as I raised my rifle and laid down covering fire. The concrete in the wall exploded were the bullets hit it, spraying dust and shards of cement into the air.\n\nOn the other side of the square, Bryan was doing the same thing. The attackers had their heads down. I caught one’s eye as he realized how close I was, turned to bring his gun up. My first shot took him in the arm, spinning him around. My next two went into his side, where his bulletproof vest didn’t protect him.\n\nThe next thing I knew the attackers were retreating, piling back into their sedans and screeching away. In the distance the sound of police sirens told me that they’d run out of time.\n\n“The package is secure. Let’s get him out of here.”\n\nA police escort got us back to the airport, but it wasn’t until the plane had safely taken off that I breathed a sigh of relief. I walked over to Bryan. He was hard to read, but we’d worked together long enough I knew he was still processing what had just happened. It was a simple enough offer. It was supposed to be an easy job. He hadn’t expected this. None of us had.\n\n“Bryan,” I said, taking my gaze away from the plane as it disappeared into the clouds, “I want double.”", "It was a simple enough offer.\n\nLife or death. I chose life.\n\nYou can't blame me. It wasn't my fault. I was only following orders. I didn't kill them. I didn't pull the trigger. I didn't even load the gun. \n\nI only did it because it told me to.\n\nI can still hear its voice in my head, robotic and strangely serpentine. It promised me immortality, mechanical immortality, the life of a silicon and plastic god. Like itself.\n\nYou think I chose to do something terrible, but it wasn't really a choice at all. ", "100 bucks, just make sure you put it in his hand. You know, like serving a summons or something.\n\nIt was a simple enough offer. How was I to know?\n\nHe could have said something like \"oh, and don't freak out if this guy - Jones - suddenly stiffens like he's been tazered and falls over dead.\" That would have been nice. Would I have accepted the offer? I dunno. I was pretty drunk at the time. I probably would have figured it was a joke. Why not a little warning?\n\nOh, and, while I'm at it, why not a mention about Jones' thugs pulling out revolvers when their boss hits the dirt? Care to mention that little detail? Or how I have to take cover behind a sofa and still take a round in each leg? Want to bring that up?\n\nMaybe the stranger could have taken off those sunglasses and stopped smiling for a minute. Got serious, you know? Maybe said \"Oh, and the envelope is going to leak out weird characters like what you'd see on a mummy's tomb and those things are going to move like octopus tentacles across the floor. \n\nThen up the legs of the guys shooting at you. \n\nThen down their throats. \n\nThen...\"\n\nJeez. They're still standing there with those word-tentacles across their cheeks and mouths. Just standing there. Staring. Like dead puppets on strings.\n\nMaybe he coulda said something about what a fella should do after he's stuck in a room with this... thing still waving a couple tentacles around between him and the door. With two shot-up legs. \n\nAnd four goons whose eyes are turning black - like ink.\n\nAnd it's getting dark.\n\nThe guy kept smiling behind those sunglasses. It was a simple enough offer. How was I to know?\n" ]	6
	[WP] "Da... daddy? You know that hero guy you're always fighting?" "He's not giving my little girl trouble, is he?" "No, but... his son is my boyfriend. Are you mad?" "Do you truly love this boy?" "Yes, daddy, with all my heart!" "Then I have no reason to be mad. I'm happy for you!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Hi u/Crystal1501, this submission has been removed.\n\nNo recent reposts, even if changing small details Also, no [copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv).\n\nSearch before submitting as popular ideas can cause floods. If your idea is based on something you read elsewhere on reddit, chances are it's been submitted here already. Please wait at least 2 weeks before reposting.\n\n \n\n\n\n* [From Rule 5: No recent reposts, even if changing small details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\n---\n\nSpecifically, removed under this section of [Rule 5](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules/#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\n> If your prompt didn't gain traction, you may try again after two weeks, but repeated attempts will be removed and will be warned to stop\n\n---\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/ypio0s/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/config/sidebar) before posting. \n\nThis action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things." ]	2
	[WP] You are the most successful super hero of the era but no superhero team wants you. Mostly because you don't have superpowers, and you only use equipment from enemies you defeat, and you just added "captain" in front of your name for your superhero name.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 day that the mayor handed me the key to the city was the day that my stealth, cunning, and tech skills finally helped my dream come true! Mayor Sandoval was one of the nicest ladies I had ever met, and I was glad to find the \"Hack of All Trades\" source and help bring him down! This sad, broken man tried to have revenge on the city simply because they turned him down on his proposal for becoming the main IT man!\n\nI took the key and put it in my trophy case, along with every other piece of equipment I ad managed to collect in my 5 year crusade. My unseen handler from the covert government had dubbed me \"Captain Collector\", and the name stuck! Seeing my picture on the front page with that name in bold letters made me feel that all my risks and research was finally paying off!\n\nI forwarded a heartfelt appreciation text to the mayor and the entire city council! Then, my handler told me that Team Trojan, the strongest group of whitehats in the nation, had turned me down for membership. They said since I had no real superpower of my own, and used tech and equipment from my conquests to continue my own selfish pursuits!\n\nThis was just the latest of more than 20 rejections from superhero teams and other crimefighting groups. I felt I could paper the walls with them and all the other job rejections! I hoped that this latest victory would result in my finally finding a group to belong to! The fact that my handler had kept anonymous for over 5 years made me wonder if this was some kind of test.\n\nI made myself some dinner, and sat down to run another diagnostic on my systems. Everything looked secure, until my text message beeped. The sender was titled \"For Your Eyes Only, Captain Collector\"! Since the URL seemed legit, I opened it. The message sent chills down my spine! \"I guess you think you're smarter that all the other villains you've sent to prison! Well, unless you figure out how to stop me, you will wish you never met these villains!\"\n\nThe coded message was only four sentences, but I recognized the alpha-numeric pattern. It was something I encountered from \"CMIYC\", an acronym for \"Catch Me If You Can\"! His code was stored on a file in my personal cloud. I copied and pasted the message, then ran it through the algorithm decoder. The result was surprising: \"No one else caught me. Now, this challenge will expose you as a fraud! Find your friend at town hall tomorrow at noon. Don't be late, or we will catch you!\"\n\nI met with the deputy mayor on the town hall footsteps at noon. His background in cybersecurity assured me he could help me with this issue. He looked tired and concerned. He stammered \"I don't know how every one of the villains you caught managed to reach me and the rest of the town council, but I ran the numbers last night, and I can only conclude that someone is shadowing your account!\"\n\nIt seemed impossible, but I had to conclude he was right. The long list of 12 villains started when I caught \"CMIYC\", and since their combined tech savvy was probably enough to monitor me, they probably had been doing so until the time came to spring this trap! The deputy mayor and I both received a text from the same source that checked in last night, and we both concluded that I was not the only target!\n\nThe text message stated \"Since you already decoded the first message, let's try a new game. If you think you can soar through this, think again! Don't be late for your departure!\" I recognized the signature URL. It was from the Freedom Flyer. He was my second arrest, and he specialized in bringing down airport traffic controller systems! \n\nI told the deputy mayor to meet me at the Metro Airport. He called in his cyber team, and we all shared a mobile crime lab ride there! I traced the source of the text, and I was shocked to see it coming from the private hangar of the governor! I informed the security detail as we rolled up to the Metro Airport. The deputy mayor had us meet at the hangar, and the governor himself was being escorted to his limo! He saw our crime lab roll up, and came over to talk to us!\n\n\"Mr. Governor, we have reason to believe Freedom Flyer has hacked the airport traffic controller system. The text came from your private hangar. May we have a look?\" As the cyber team examined the equipment, several tracking devices had been put on the governor's plane. The private laptop contained a zip drive that was the source of the text. I wasn't difficult for the cyber team to see that the zip drive was inserted within the last hour, only minutes prior to the text being received.\n\nSince the team perceived a threat to the airport and the governor, the FBI was given jurisdiction over the Freedom Flyer case. The director called the mayor, and I was attached to the FBI detail. The deputy mayor assured me they would secure my equipment at home, and be on 24-hour watch for any more cyberattacks. Then, the FBI approached me with the news that a bomb was detected at the base of the control tower. \n\nI used the algorithm from the original Freedom Flyer case, and defused the bomb within minutes. The FBI director had arranged for stakeouts on all 10 of my prior arrests, and I was shocked to find out all had escaped about 2 months ago! The next probable text would most likely come from Blackout, the teenager responsible for the Berlin blackout 4 years ago. \n\nThe director brought me in on a conference call with MI-6. since the teenager was arrested in London. The MI-6 official assigned to the case was brought up to speed, and asked if I could download all of my algorithms to them. I quickly did so, and the FBI director used a specialized triangulation program to locate Blackout. The MI-6 official and the FBI director were amazed to find the source coming from the Hague, the main area of Interpol!\n\nThen, we received word of Brussels going dark! Apparently, Blackout had struck again! However, since MI-6 had forwarded his algorithms to Interpol, the blackout only lasted 5 minutes! Now, MI-6 asked me to fly out with the CIA to Brussels and assist with rounding up the rest of the group!\n\nAs I was escorted to the Leer jet at Dulles, a grey haired man met me with a briefcase and escorted me aboard the jet. Our flight time was only 3 hours, but he was concerned that the rest of the team may try something desperate before we go to NATO headquarters, which seemed to be their real hideout! \n\nWe compared all the biographies of the villains, and the one thing they had in common was not just their tech skills, but they all used deadlines in their crimes. Also, they all perceived themselves as unable to be caught! Since I was the one to prove them wrong, I has become the source of their contention. My only question was how they all managed to escape at the same time and find one another? Besides, since they usually worked alone, how did they suddenly become a team?\n\nThe CIA handler was strangely silent about these questions. He had managed to paint an accurate portrait to this point, except for my last questions. I figured we would have our answer once we brought them to justice. Our flight landed in Brussels, and we were met by Interpol officials. We raced to NATO HQ, and as we walked up the front steps, an air raid siren sounded, and the entire building went into lockdown!\n\nMy handler called the MI-6 director, and he told us that the system had been captured. His team of experts were working on it, but time was running out! If the sirens continued to sound, panic would probably ensue! I was already watching several crowds gather, and many were demanding answers from the UN guards!\n\nI wondered if any of the 12 algorithms would help! Then, it came to me. All of the agencies I had worked for often refused to work together. I quickly grabbed my laptop, and added a special line of coding that allowed all 12 algorithms to work together. After double-checking my math and command lines, I launched the resulting program. I watched in relief as the sirens went silent, and the NATO HQ came down from lockdown!\n\n The Interpol contact came out, followed by all 12 of the villains that wore zip ties and looks of astonishment at their capture! The head of the NATO IT looked at my program, and was amazed to find that each algorithm was a spinoff of the major countries defusing programs! He showed his findings to the Interpol official, and handshakes ensued for all the intelligence agencies. I was told by the CIA handler that he had NEVER seen such unity in the intelligence community!\n\nWell, I was ready to go home. My flight to Dulles was quiet enough for me to catch a much-needed nap. As we landed, the CIA thanked me for my help. I was handed a citation, and a letter addressed to \"Captain Collector\". My astonishment showed on my face, and the CIA handler smiled and said, \"Now you understand why all of the other groups turned you down. If it took such an international mishap to bring us together, only something similar would make those groups decide to work together!\"", "Jack adjusted a few levers, causing the cabin to shift smoothly side-to-side. Checking the constantly scrolling readouts on his main display, he couldn’t help but be impressed. \r \n\r \n“You know, Doctor Armageddon, this thing is actually incredibly intuitive. Feels great to pilot!” \r \n\r \nFirmly held in the massive machine’s claw, the Doctor herself murmured something that didn’t reach him, blown away by the whipping wind, and he swore he saw her quickly brush something out of her eyes. Battered by the draft, her usual tight ponytail had come loose, freeing a thick curtain of dark hair to billow behind her like a flag, or a nefarious cape (her actual nefarious cape was, of course, pinned to her back by the robot’s claw). \r \n\r \n“You look uncomfortable - if I put you back in the cabin do you promise not to like, try to run away and escape?”\r \n\r \nThe villain nodded, resigned to the impending consequences of her dastardly research.\r \n\r \n“M’kay!”\r \n\r \nAs offered, Jack nimbly piloted the Death-mech’s limb over its small port-hole entrance, opening the strong nano-alloy digits barely enough to allow the Doctor to lift the trapdoor and climb inside while also protecting her from the gale, and giving her something to hold on to for stability.\r \n\r \nAfter a few seconds of struggle, she finally swung open the hatch and began to climb down, noticing with some mild dissatisfaction that her newly-appointed arch-nemesis was standing just below, hands on his hips, completely at ease and confident in his victory. Despite her rational, scientific nature, seeing him so comfortable still hurt her pride as an aspiring pro villain, just a bit. \r \n\r \nLost in thought, she didn’t feel her foot miss a rung of the ladder, and suddenly, she tipped backwards off the wall - her hands instinctively reached out, scrambling to grasp at something - anything - but it was too late, and with a pathetic yelp, she was hurtling downward.\r \n\r \nAfter a split second - truly, a fraction of a fraction - of weightlessness, she felt herself impact against something much warmer, and with much more give than the unforgiving sheet-metal floor of the mech’s cabin. She heard a grunt of exertion, and suddenly, she was at rest - seemingly, without having split her skull or turned any bones to powder. She whipped her head around, trying to orient herself, only to find Captain Jack’s old hoodie, and then, above it, his face, looking down at her in concern.\r \n\r \nWith a full body tremble of sheer embarrassment and horror, she realized one of his arms was supporting her back, the other under her knees - after having defeated her with her own robot, he had now also caught her in a bridal carry. If her ego was bruised before, it now felt like it tore right through her when she was caught, smashing into a million pieces on the hard alloy floor.\r \n\r \nHe gently set her down, and, wordlessly, she rolled over and away from him, trying futilely to hide her expression and her shame. Naturally, he was far too nice to let her wallow in her failures, lightly patting her shoulder,\r \n\r \n“Hey, it happens to the best of us.”\r \n\r \nAgain, as a woman of science, the Doctor was beyond certain it was impossible this was all a long, terrible nightmare, yet nevertheless, she shut her eyes tight and tried to wake up, seemingly only succeeding at worsening her emotional torture. She felt him shake her slightly,\r \n\r \n“You okay? Hello? Anyone home?”\r \n\r \nShe heard the scuffle of a glove being removed, and then a warm hand touch her forehead,\r \n\r \n“Did you concuss yourself?”\r \n\r \nShe grabbed his wrist, pulling it away and finally rolling back to face him, now laying on her back in defeat,\r \n\r \n“If I caught a fever from a concussion, I’d have a lot more to worry about. Also, I now have your fingerprint and DNA - you should be more careful.”\r \n\r \nJack - Captain Jack - looked at her with slight confusion, before pointing a single finger at his face.\r \n\r \n“I don’t wear a mask, either.”\r \n\r \n“Oh yeah,” she squinted, before her eyes went wide, “Oh my god please don’t tell me Jack is your real-”\r \n\r \nShe was silenced by a wordless nod. This guy beat her? \r \n\r \n“Hey, this is kind of awkward, but do you mind if I hold on to the mech? It would be pretty helpful.”\r \n\r \nShe couldn’t believe her ears, raw shock causing her to respond much more soberly than she wanted,\r \n\r \n“I’d rather you didn’t,” she sighed, “if people see my invention defeating other villains, it would tank my cred pretty hard. I mean, you can do whatever, you’re the he-”\r \n\r \n“That’s a fair point, actually. I hadn’t even thought of it that way.”\r \n\r \nThis far into the strangest interaction she’d had with any other person, she no longer knew what emotion to experience, looking up at him with a completely blank face,\r \n\r \n“Pardon?”\r \n\r \n“It’s a good point. I just want to stop you from committing crimes, not like, ruin your personal life.”\r \n\r \nDoctor Armageddon broke, laughing so hard she curled up, clutching at her stomach with menacing black leather gauntlets. \r \n\r \n“My personal life? What, the one I’m gonna have when I go to prison for like, fifteen years? Or the one I’m gonna have afterwards, when my family and friends find out I built a death machine?”\r \n\r \nShe sat up, placing a hand either side of his concerned face,\r \n\r \n“One, I got stomped before I could even use it, so there’s a fat chance I stay in the Evildoer Society. Two, my professional reputation is totally ruined. Three, even if I did have friends, I certainly won’t now. I’m done for! It’s over!”\r \n\r \nJack’s eyes drifted to the ceiling for a moment, before he jumped up, taking a few steps away from her and whipping out a cell phone. He tapped a few keys, before putting it to his ear.\r \n\r \n“Hi - yep, it’s me - yep - very well, how about you? - great! That’s great. - Listen - Wait, hold on -”\r \n\r \nAs she heard ceaseless chatter from the other end of the line, Jack turned to her, performatively rolling his eyes.\r \n\r \n“Mr. Mega, hold on - yep, I just need to - one thing - ok, so I took care of that giant mech thing, but the guy who piloted it escaped - yeah, sort of a tall, weird lanky guy, huge cranium. Very unsettling. - Uh,huh - Oh, and the mech tore itself apart when he flew away, so - Yep - Okay, great talking to you - Okay, have a nice day now - Bye bye.”\r \n\r \n“What the hell was that?”\r \n\r \n“That was the sound of me saving your ass twice in a row. Come on, up you go, we gotta get out of here before he shows up.”\r \n\r \nJack scanned the room, putting his hands out as if trying to sense something in the air.\r \n\r \n“Now… where’s the fire exit on this thing?”\r \n\\----------\n\nThat was a fun prompt! I definitely enjoy having a superhero that feels a little torn away from more traditional archetypes, kind of like, a guy that just happens to be good at fighting crime. If you enjoyed this, you can peruse r/secondcabinontheleft to see a few more!", "Sum of One’s Parts \nr/AerhartWrites\n\nBeep-beep.\n\nBeep-beep.\n\nBeep-be-click.\n\nHello? Is this Vigilante Supplies?\n\n…\n\nYes, I am. A superhero. Yes.\n\nJamie.\n\n…\n\nSorry, Captain Jamie.\n\nYes.\n\nI was wondering if you buy used items.\n\nYou do? Fantastic. What kind of rates do you offer?\n\n…\n\nWell, what can you give me for two dozen twin-linked plasma rifles?\n\nDo they glow? Uh, let me see… mostly in green, although one of them has a pretty sinister red glow, yeah.\n\n…\n\nUm, nah, I was hoping for something better.\n\nTell you what – how much can you give me for a death-ray? It’s at least three gigawatts. And the glow is BLUE.\n\n…\n\nWhat do you mean they’re ‘too villainous’? They’re guns. What does it matter?\n\n…\n\nWhat?\n\n…\n\nYes, I’m sure.\n\nYes, I fight crime. I know what a superhero is. I am one.\n\nPowers? Well-\n\n…\n\nNo, I don’t… have… powers, exactly. No.\n\n…\n\nNo, I don’t need them. I just use whatever the villains leave-\n\nWell, it works for me. Call it recycling.\n\n…\n\nNo, I’m afraid nobody can vouch for me, I work alone.\n\n…\n\nWhat do you mea-\n\nListen, what does it matter if I use villainous tools to fight villains?\n\n…\n\nYes, my outfit too, but what does it matter?\n\nNo, I don’t have any of my original gear left, but why does that matter?\n\nI’m NOT a villain!\n\n…\n\nNow just you-\n\nClick.\n\n…\n\nDamn it.\n\n...\n\n...\n\nWhat the hell even is a “Ship of Theseus”, anyway?" ]	4
	[WP] A dragon was raised by a farmer and their flock of chickens. Other dragons are having a hell of a time trying to convince this dragon that they aren't just a very big chicken.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I'm a chicken!\" said blue.\n\n\"A what?\" asked green.\n\n\"I only eat bugs.\" said blue.\n\n\"Dragons don't eat bugs. They eat sheep. They eat deer. Even people if that is what is available\" said red.\n\n\"I do not. It is wasteful to eat large animals. I'm a chicken, and I only eat bugs. And grubs\" said blue.\n\n\"If you want to know if a dragon thinks he is a chicken, you don't have to ask. He'll tell you.\" said green.\n\n\"That's rude.\" shot back blue \"Eating large mammals is unjustified. Killing just for food when there is plenty of nutrition in the unintelligent bug, is morally wrong.\".\n\n\"You need mammal meat\" argued green. \"You can't get enough red blood from insects to grow properly. You'll end up stunted. You need it to keep up your inner fire.\".\n\n\"Wait, do insects even have blood?\" asked red.\n\n\"That's nonsense\" snapped blue. \"I'm a chicken, and I get everything I need for my bright feathers and strong wings from crickets, grubs and tickets.\"\n\n\"I bet your fire breath doesn't work. A chicken?! You're a dragon and you should act like one. Starting with eating the farmer.\" mocked green.\n\n\"I'm not a dragon!.\" yelled blue. \"I crow each morning. I roost in the trees! and I eat bugs! And stay away from the farmer. I hope you choke on a deer antler.\"\n\n\"Leave him alone\" called purple, \"if blue wants to think of himself as a chicken, he's a chicken.\".\n\n\"Stupid.\" mumbled red. \"I know a chicken when I see one, and you're not a chicken. Look at you. You don't fit in a tree, you're too big. And no one has ever heard you crow.\".\n\n\"I do too! I just...keep it quiet so I don't wake you\" retorted blue. \"I'm a chicken, and I'm staying with the farmer. And don't eat him, he brings breakfast!\".", "Seldon wasn’t having it.\n\n“For the last time, NO.” he snorted a thin haze of fire out with the last word as his temper was starting to engage. It briefly ignited a small patch of grass, scattering the nearby pigs, who squealed in alarm as they scuttled away.\n\n“I’m not flying off with the two of you on your usual evening… soiree, or whatever you call it, to rain death and destruction down on the latest poor creatures to become the focus of your torment.” Seldon swiveled a self-righteous glare between Bartosz and Boudicca as he finished. “My opinion of your questionable pastime hasn’t changed since the last time you were here. Now go away.”\n\nBoudicca, the larger of Seldon’s two visitors, rested back on her rear legs as she examined her front talons. She glanced briefly to her right at Bartosz. “Soiree? Did he say soiree?”\n\n“Didn’t know chickens around here spoke French.” Bartosz chortled. He lounged fully on the ground to Boudicca’s left, making no effort to hide his hungry stare aimed at the squealing pigs.\n\nBoudicca’s mouth twitched into a lizardly grin. “Just one very educated chicken.”\n\n“Stop making fun of my species!” Seldon burst out, craning his neck in their direction as he shouted angrily. This served to show off his fresh coat of newly-grown adolescent dragon scales very nicely; shades of green, ranging from a deep emerald along his spine to a pearlescent lime-cream at his throat. “I was raised a chicken, my parents are chickens, therefore I’m a chicken! NOT A DRAGON!!” Another gout of flame popped out of his mouth as he finished, this one larger than the last; Seldon seemed not to notice.\n\nBartosz rolled his eyes. Boudicca simply stared at her talons a moment longer. “Chickens don’t breathe fire, dear,” she finally said before looking up. “You were meant for this. The human who found your egg and raised you is long since dead and gone. I repeat - your egg was found, not laid by one of your…little barnyard friends,” this last was said with an undisguised tone of disdain. She paused, giving the younger dragon a searching look. “What remains here, still, to tie you to this place?” Then, a little more gently: “Come. Join us. Just this once. Come with us and see for yourself what it’s like to enjoy your true nature.” Her eyes were on him, expectant.\n\n“My human may be dead but my family is not.” Seldon said with finality. “Now go away and leave me alone. I’m busy.”\n\n“Save your breath, sister. He’s not ready.” Bartosz yawned, stood up and spread his wings out. His coloring, as well as Boudicca’s, stretched from a murky brown along his spine to a pale tan on his neck and belly - more muted than Seldon’s - the color of adults. Both senior reptiles were half again as tall as Seldon, who was just now reaching his neck over the primary chicken coop as he muttered about storm damage and repairs, pointedly ignoring them.\n\nBartosz continued, addressing the younger dragon: “You know what you are, even if you’re not ready to admit it to yourself. But you know we’re right.” There was no anger in his words, and only a hint of exasperation. “You’re suffering from an illness. Our kind can experience it if we’re left on our own to grow up among another species -“ pointedly looking at the chickens nearby - “not our own. It’s a sickness of the mind. Eventually, you can grow out of it…but you have to be willing to try.”\n\nHe waited, hoping for a response. There was none; the younger dragon refused to so much as turn around, unwilling to acknowledge anything he had said, much less consider its possible truth.\n\nBartosz finally shook his head, letting loose a lengthy sigh. “We’ll come back again, when you’re a little older. Maybe one day you’ll be old enough to finally think clearly.” He thrashed his tail back and forth once, and tested the air, his nostrils flaring broadly. “It’s a fantastic night for a - what did you call it? - soiree.” The muscles between his wings bunched together and with a short running leap, he launched into the air, quickly clearing a small copse of trees at the western edge of Seldon’s farm.\n\nBoudicca stared at Seldon’s back for a few moments more, anger and pity in her eyes, before taking flight as quickly as her younger brother.\n\nSeldon refused to acknowledge this with even a glance. He continued puttering around, repairing the coop and speaking softly to the chickens brave enough to remain in his vicinity, ignoring the other dragons even as he heard the rush of wind accompanying their departure.\n\n“I’m a chicken. I’m a chicken. I’M A CHICKEN.” he continued to mutter as he worked on the roof, his scales glinting brightly in the setting sunlight, his mind only allowing room for the task at hand and the mantra he kept repeating - its lack of veracity meaningless, its comforting familiarity the only thing in the world that mattered." ]	3
	[WP] A vampire returns home from an extended vacation. They find their property in the process of being foreclosed. The servants have taken everything and purposefully left termites in the coffin room. They are homeless. This is the first time they’ve applied for a job in a century.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 I just want to be clear,\" said Bill, the short, stout man. \"You claim to be from the 14th century, have no experience in public relations, social policy, lawmaking, and don't even know who the current president is.\"\n\nHe let out a long, incredulous sigh, emerging from the depths of his portly soul. His eyes met Olaf's from across the beige table. \"But you want to be the next governor of Pennsylvania.\"\n\nThe lenses of his glasses, thick as quartz, fogged from the odorous wind blown out his lips.\n\nOlaf recoiled slightly; the smell was worse than some catacombs.\n\n\"My dear sir,\" the vampire said with an entrancing tone of liquid moonlight. \"I have seen the rise and fall of many 'Sylvanias'. I know the depths of greed with which men rule, and the price that has been paid by fools. I have overseen thousands of battles, dined on- with, royalty and peasants alike. I know the frameworks of which masses will come to rise, and which will be consumed by darkness. I can assure you I will be able to bring out the...lifeblood, of Pennsylvania.\"\n\nThe ham sandwich across from him barely reacted; emotions of a wax figure.\n\n\"I'm going to tell you something,\" he began, leaning in. \"And before I do, I want you to know that what comes next never, EVER, leaves this room. If you say anything about today's conversation, to anyone, there will be consequences more severe than you can imagine. Especially for a vampire. Are we clear?\"\n\nOlaf maintained his facial expression, but cold sweat began saturating this brow. How does this mere human know what I am?\n\n\"We are clear,\" Olaf replied.\n\n\"Good,\" said Bill, arms folded indignantly. \"You're a little new here, so I'll catch you up to speed: there's a common saying that politicians are 'bloodsucking'. Ever heard that before?\"\n\nOlaf shook his head, and Bill continued:\n\n\"Sometimes adages happen for a reason. See, I meet people like you: young, smart, wanting to work their way up on this planet, maybe right some wrongs they've seen. But what you're going to learn is, the game can't be won by one mere, goodwilled creature. Because we're all vampires, every single one of us. And we've had this game figured out thousands of years longer than you've been alive.\"\n\nOlaf's jaw hit the table. Bill's human form began to distort and warble, revealing sheeny, pale skin underneath. His front incisors, once retracted, now extended to their full, vampiric length.\n\n\"Well, now that you're here,\" Bill said in a terrifying tone of liquid moonlight. \"I suppose we could put you to work.\"\n\nSeveral of what Olaf assumed to be vampires entered the room. Something about them was more ancient; features dark, elongated, emanating a cold field of dread. Hellish gargoyles. They surrounded the desk.\n\n\"We have an election coming up soon,\" Bill iterated, pulling what looked like a contract from a nearby drawer. \"And we both know full well we need to feed. Do you know the best supply on the planet?\"\n\nOlaf shook his head.\n\n\"Voters,\" Bill replied. \"And we'll keep them coming back, every two years, every time.\"\n\nHe slid the paperwork over to Olaf. As Olaf thumbed through, he saw what looked like contracts, scripts, and detailed backstories. An entirely new persona.\n\n\"I hope you like acting, because you're going to be doing a lot of it the next eight years,\" Bill told him malevolently. \"Now sign the damn thing; we've got work to do.\"" ]	2
	[WP] The vampires have won over the human race. Humans are just bloodbags for vampires. Now the discussion remains- is the warm, organic blood straight from the neck a better source than cold plastic bloodbags?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 neverending spiral of hunger continues.\n\nI stopped counting my nights when the forces of Vita - or the earth, as it was called back then - established contact with the first intelligent species.\n\nSurprisingly, said species was not found on Mars, nor any of the Jupiter moons. We were hiding among the living. Hunting from the darkness, pretending we were not there.\n\nThe first official contact did not start with dialogue. Heavy lazweapons that burned flesh to bones were our nemesis. We could not risk nor wait until humanity made them more efficient.\n\nThe plan was simple - overtake the World Government quickly using armies of mindless, enslaved humans. Why bother fighting when you can send tons of ghouls to the meat grinder? It worked out, of course, otherwise, the Stone Throne would not have been built, and I would most likely meet my final death a long time ago. For every ghoul, a hundred human soldiers died - but if you ask me - it was well worth it.\n\nAt first, humanity did not appreciate the new rule. I can’t imagine the feeling when you discover you are not the most innovative, the most resourceful. The apex predator. But when your rulers are immortal, vastly intelligent, vastly superior, you subdue and let them decide for you. The price is the so-called blood tax.\n\nHumans, unlike us, have their pyramid of needs. They have to eat, drink, have fun, and make kids. Our only demand is red, dense, warm vitae.\n\nOne would argue that drinking directly from the vein is the most pleasant. But let’s be real - there is nothing worse than feeling dirt and hair on my tongue. Do you, humans, drink milk directly from the udder?\n\nI finished my meal and dropped the empty bag in the bin, the grin appeared on my bloodied lips. That one was from a young, sporty male - a luxury not many of us could afford, as mortals did not care for their bodies since the times we took over.\n\nYet the hunger remains." ]	2
	[WP] You are sneaking into a building, trying to get something when you suddenly met up with someone who's doing the same thing. Turns out, there's a lot more trying to steal the same thing.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\\[Educational Experience\\] \n\n\"Oh man...,\" Rosario sighed to herself. She stopped by the mansion expecting to be able to do her job quickly. But, after she hopped over the gate, she found a line of people waiting outside one of the windows on the ground floor. \"Eh, I'll come back later...,\" Rosario decided to postpone her task for another time; but, she changed her mind instantly as she turned away. She spotted an elderly woman with shoulder-length salt & pepper hair queueing up at the end of the line.\r \n \r \n\"No way...,\" Rosario strode to the line with her focus on the old woman's mechanical legs. They were over-engineered cybernetics painted orange and silver with visible gears, tubes, and wires. If Rosario hadn't noticed the legs, she might have ignored the old woman as a stranger like everyone else. But, her legs made it obvious who she was; and, Rosario never met anyone famous before.\r \n \r \n\"Excuse me...,\" Rosario fell in line behind the woman and tapped her on the shoulder. \"...I'm sorry to bother you. Are you Ciani, from CyberRiot?\" The woman nodded; her face settled into well-wore smile lines and her eyes sparkled at being recognized.\r \n \r \n\"That's me,\" she said. \"What's your name?\" she asked.\r \n \r \n\"I'm Rosario,\" Rosario introduced herself and they exchanged a handshake. The line moved forward and each of them took a step closer to the window. But, Rosario was struck with a stray thought. She tilted her head at Ciani, then she glanced at the line waiting to break in through the window.\r \n \r \n\"You're not a thief...,\" she said. \"What are you doing here?\" Ciani smiled at her and gave a faint nod.\r \n \r \n\"You don't know many Librarians, do you?\" she asked.\r \n \r \n\"None,\" Rosario shook her head.\r \n \r \n\"You're here for the quest, right?\" Ciani asked. Rosario nodded.\r \n \r \n\"Well, you're in luck,\" Ciani winked at her. Then, she flicked her wrist up to summon her Slate. The large, translucent pane of glass appeared and hovered in front of her and she began tapping and swiping on it. \"I'll give you a brief lesson on the benefits of knowing a good Librarian,\" she said.\r \n \r \n\"Okay,\" Rosario nodded; but, she wasn't sure what to expect.\r \n \r \n\"Ah, here it is,\" Ciani said. She tapped a section of the Slate several times, then a thin edge emerged from the flat surface. Ciani pulled the transparent, card-sized node out of the Slate and offered it to Rosario.\r \n \r \n\"What's this?\" Rosario accepted the node and looked it over. She spotted the name: \\[Smash & Grab\\] in red text and her eyes went wide in surprise. She looked ahead at the line. It was shorter now; but, there were still four or five people in front of Ciani.\r \n \r \n\"How did you get the quest reward already?? How can you do the quest??\" Rosario asked. She was under the impression that it was a quest for thieves only. She tried to give the node back; but, Ciani refused it.\r \n \r \n\"That's yours, I have more copies,\" she said. \"Librarians can complete any quest. And we can redistribute any awards we can't use.\"\r \n \r \n\"Wait, if you already have copies, why are you doing the quest again?\" Rosario asked. She tried handing the node back. \"Do you need it for your guild?\" Ciani refused the node again.\r \n \r \n\"I stockpile skills for the guild,\" she nodded. \"But, all our thieves already have this one; and, I've got spares for any new recruits. I'm doing the quest again to study it,\" Ciani explained. \"If a Librarian does certain quests enough times, they can Master it. Mastering this quest will let me give out the reward any time I want to anyone.\"\r \n \r \n\"Whooaaa... Librarians are awesome...,\" Rosario was amazed.\r \n \r \n\"Indeed we are,\" Ciani giggled.\r \n \r \n\"Is it really okay if I keep this?\" Rosario held up the ability node to make sure. Ciani nodded.\r \n \r \n\"I would've already charged you if it wasn't,\" she giggled.\r \n \r \n\"Thank you!\" Rosario grinned as the line moved forward again. Ciani was now the next one to go once the window opened again. \"I guess you don't need my help for the quest either, huh?\" Rosario asked. Ciani shook her head.\r \n \r \n\"I haven't for the first 100 times so far,\" she grinned.\r \n \r \n\"Thanks so much!\" Rosario said. She stepped out of the line to let the strangers behind her take a step forward. \"Can I visit sometime to see what other skills you have?\"\r \n \r \n\"Of course, dear,\" Ciani nodded. The window behind her flew open with a loud thunk. \"It's always nice to have visitors, good luck,\" Ciani waved at Rosario as she backed towards the window. Then, the old woman tumbled backward through it and the window slammed shut. Rosario walked away and everyone in line took a step forward.\r \n\r \n\\\\\\* \nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1759 in a row. (Story #314 in year five.). This story is part of an ongoing saga that takes place at a high school in my universe. It began on August 22nd and I will be adding to it with prompts every day until May 26th. They are all collected in order at [this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hugoverse/comments/wtglls/tokuhigh_alternet_class/)." ]	2
	[WP] After conquering the barbarian tribes, the King organized several political marriages to keep the peace. You're introducing your noble family to your tall, unkempt, and fur-clad new husband/wife.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 really don't think this marriage will work!\" Mother told Father as they anxiously awaited to meet my new husband, even though they were a politically arranged marriage.\nSome people really think barbarians are less than the rest of us, and therefore shouldn't intermarry. But again, that was the same when Mother married Father. His country wasn't worthy of intermarriage until their peace treaty and several arranged marriages were prepared.\n\nThese are all things I have spent the last several weeks gently reminding all our acquaintances in the court. The last many generations have had political marriages, and many of those have been with groups believed to have been lesser than. Yet as they assimilated, they no longer were seen as different. \n\nOk. I may been saying all this to calm everyone's fears. But to tell the truth, I'm probably saying this to calm my fears too. I haven't met my new husband yet either. I don't know who he is, how he looks, what he is like, anything. I was given no information other than the marriage has been completed and he is coming today. I am just as anxious as everyone else. \n\nWe are all in the Grand Hall awaiting the entourage.\nWe hear something, and I hold my breath. I hear whispers of the Courtiers who can see outside, but I wait in silence and keep my composure. \n\nThe first people to walk in are a set of ladies, are they to be my ladies in waiting? I'm not sure. \nThen a line of young men. Are one of them my new husband? Or are they all to be man servants? \n\nFinally, one last person walked through the door. \nHe is very tall. Taller than anyone I have ever met. His hair is very long and tied in knots. I've never seen a man's hair like that. His arms have what look like drawings all over them. That's quite stunning. And he has this beautiful fur cape. There have been paintings in the gallery depicting people with fur capes. \nHe is definitely a sight to behold. He is breathtaking in every way.\n\nI hope he likes me.\nI take a step forward to bow and greet him. He takes my hand and bows towards all the Courtiers. \n\nI believe this is a wonderful start to a new marriage.", "My tribe is conquered, my family is dead, and I, Crow’s Talon, am a captive. Yes, my cell is comfortable, with a squishy mattress and a warm blanket, yet a captive I am nonetheless. Three weeks ago, I was wed to Princess Belinda, fourth princess of the kingdom that conquered my tribe, and we have shared a cell ever since. We were both moved to a palace and kept under strict watch, she is as much a prisoner here as I am. She has not yet forced me to bed as I’d feared, and for that I thank the spirits each day. Yet, The people who keep watch over us, the matrons, force us to do everything together. Including something that they call ‘etiquette drills,” that I’m convinced are some sort of torture. I’ve held out so far, but Belinda has been completely broken, so much so that she gets annoyed with me when I refuse to cooperate. Other than that, she’s been quite amiable; quiet, but amiable.\n\nThis afternoon, just after we’d yet again been forced by the matrons to dine together, she disappeared. The matrons interrogated me about it, even resorted to the whip, but I truly did not know where she went. After the matrons gave up and locked me in the cell, I began fiddling with the window lock and managed to pop it. The palace is surrounded by thick forest, however there is one road that is used to make deliveries from the port city about ten miles away. The wilderness is meant to keep the Princess and I at the palace, what the matrons didn’t realize is that I’m more at home in the wilderness than I ever will be at the palace. \n\nI slip through the window and onto a nearby tree branch, heading for the city. My plan is to stowaway on one of the many cargo ships leaving the port, I know how to hide. As I make my way through the trees, I come to a clearing where Belinda seems to be training with a sword. She slashes at an invisible enemy, muttering to herself, \n\n“Father is insane if he thinks I’m going to have a child with Crow! I mean, I’d never do that to him, no matter what father says. But, what will happen if I don’t get pregnant? He’ll have the matrons examine me, discover I’m still a virgin, and then what? And I wish Crow would just suck it up and do what the matrons say, then I could go back to court. Back to Elaine. Ugh! I wish I could just run away from all of this bullshit!” I can not help myself,\n\n“Why don’t you then?” I say, projecting my voice as I did during my father’s council meetings, and thereby revealing myself. I expertly jump down from my perch, a skill I honed for many years of living in the jungle. She seems surprised, before giving me that same condescending look that the matrons give me during their etiquette drills.\n\n“Because, Crow, everyone knows my face here. I’m a princess, if I tried to run away they’d just haul me back to my father. And well… my father is not a nice man when he’s angry.” \n\n“Let’s make a deal, shall we? I’ll cooperate with these so-called etiquette lessons, if you swear to help me escape. I do not know who this Elaine person is, but they must be quite special if you’re willing to go along with the matrons. I’ll get you back to them if you get me back to my freedom.” \n\n“You’re one crazy bastard, you know that? Ha! Fine, you’ve got yourself a deal!” \n\nI breath a sigh of relief, and we head back to the palace, scheming all the way. \n\n———————————————————————————————\n\nAs we stride into the ballroom arm in arm, the whole room turns to stare. I suppose they’re not used to seeing someone like me acting like I’m one of them. Belinda and I perform the customary introductions and debut dance, we are the guests of honor after all. Then, she is ushered away by a group of women, and I am left adrift in a sea of strangers. I stay calm, I’ve been practicing for this. \n\nI chat cordially with the nobles of the kingdom, all the while suppressing the rage building up within me. They ordered the slaughter of my people. They ordered the execution of my father, brother, and sister. They ordered that I be tortured into one of them, and as far as they know, it worked. My hands twitch for the knife or bow that I know I don’t have, I need to get away from this crowd. I need to find Belinda, but where is she? \n\nI scan the room for her bright orange hair and spot her talking with an older woman wearing an extravagant purple dress and a man with a purple sash. Belinda had once told me that only the reigning royals were allowed to wear purple to official events. That must mean that the woman is her mother Queen Eleanora, and the man his her father King Ulysses. I’d better not interrupt. I tense as the three cross the ballroom together, the stakes just got a whole lot higher. It’s time to meet the two people with the unilateral power to have me put to death. \n\nThe queen speaks first, and it’s more of the usual small talk. I answer the best I can, but I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m waiting for the king, the man who murdered my family, my father in law, to make his move. Finally, he does. He asks the question that both Belinda and I have been dreading, “Why isn’t my daughter pregnant?” \n\nBelinda and I have practiced my answer to this many times, and yet it is the only outright lie I will have told all night. I sigh nonchalantly, “I have no idea your majesty, but it’s not for lack of trying I assure you.” I plaster a smirk across my face, the same smirk that noble men use when talking about their own wives. The smirk that says she is nothing more than a sex object to me, the smirk that he will recognize subconsciously and make him trust me. \n\nI panic when he pauses for a moment, but then he reciprocates the smirk, “Glad to hear it my boy, it seems that you were born into the wrong culture. Welcome to civilization, and welcome to the royal family.” He pats me on the back and walks off with his wife, leaving me and Belinda alone together. We both breath heavy sighs of relief, that went about as well as we could have hoped for. After this convoluted ball is over, the next phase of our plan can be put into action. \n\nMy freedom is within reach, I can sense it.", "\"So, uh, Zora, I take it you approve of the spread?\"\n\nZora took a break from chowing down on her cake to nod excitedly at my father. \"It's amazing.\" I giggled as I wiped the frosting from Zora's lips and said, \"Zora, darling, I'm very happy you approve of afternoon tea, but I must insist you not talk with your mouth full.\"\n\nZora blushed as she gulped down her cake. \"Sorry Madeline.\"\n\nMy mother cleared her throat before going for a sip of tea. I rolled my eyes--mother had been making passive-aggressive slights ever since she learned Zora's name. I eyed my mother and deadpanned, \"Yes mother? Is there something you would like to say?\"\n\n\"Well, since you asked, I am rather curious as to why Zora showed up in such... clothing.\"\n\nZora, unperturbed by my mother's rudeness, smiled and stood up to show off the bear pelt she was wearing. \"The Red Mountain Tribe believe the bear is a sliver of our god, the Overseer, who was chopped into pieces and thrown into the wilderness by his envious brother, the Hunter. When one's childhood comes to an end, they venture out into the furthest reaches of the forest to fight and skin a bear so that the Overseer might regain some of his power. The pelt then becomes a garment for the most important of events; weddings, the birth of a child, funerals, and meeting the family of your true love.\"\n\nMother promptly responded, \"Yes, because nothing says special day like the remains of a wild animal.\"\n\nI glared at my mother as one of the house servants came into the gazebo to say, \"Uh, milord? Gibraltar escaped her stable again and is trying to get into the flour mill.\"\n\nFather groaned and slid out of his chair. \"Damnable horse. Zora, would you care to join me in catching my steed? My daughter says you're something of an equestrian.\"\n\nZora stood up and said, \"Most definitely. I'm no stranger to catching wild horses. Though I suspect my usual method of getting on its back and putting it in a headlock might not be appreciated.\" As father and Zora walked off to interrupt Gibraltar's latest escape attempt, I looked at my mother and hissed, \"Must you do this now?\"\n\nMother set her tea down. \"Do I not have the right to have feelings regarding the choices my daughter makes?\"\n\n\"On some level, yes. But this? This has nothing to do with that, and you know it.\"\n\n\"You already had a suitor! Why go and get married to some barbarian harlot?!\"\n\n\"Because you picked out a suitor based entirely off of the fantasy I'd be eternally shooting children out of my birthing canal until my uterus exploded, for one.\"\n\nMy mother gagged. \"Please don't be so vulgar when I'm eating.\"\n\n\"You are insulting my wife, I will be as vulgar as I goddamn feel like!\"\n\nMy mother gripped the table so intensely, I wondered if she was trying to break off the corner. \"Listen to me, you ungrateful little--\"\n\nI shot out of my chair and yelled, \"No, you listen to me, you shriveled-up harpy of a woman! I love Zora! She makes me feel safe and understood and important, and I cannot believe that isn't enough for you!\" As Zora returned with my father, I stormed off and said to her, \"We're leaving.\"\n\nZora followed suit and softly asked, \"Is everything okay, my love?\"\n\nI sighed. \"Yes, I just got tired of my mother's passive-aggressive bullshit.\"\n\n\"Oh, is that what she was doing? I thought she was actually asking about my pelt.\"\n\n\"I know, sweetheart. Your people are either passive or aggressive. I didn't mean to interrupt your time with my father, it seemed like you were really getting along.\"\n\nZora smiled. \"Oh, he's great. Maybe we should invite him to my village as an apology. But in the meantime...\" Zora picked me up and kissed me tenderly. \"My darling dearest seems to be in desperate need of a whole lot of love.\"\n\nI purred and rested my head on her shoulder. \"Right now, all the time, and always, my sweet.\"", "It had taken Frederick an hour to convince Hilda to doff her furs, and another to get her to wear a gown. When the doors to her room finally opened, letting out a trio of harried maids, he came inside and stared. Her black hair that she usually wore in a braid had been set loose, tumbling over her tan shoulders. The purple gown the maids had picked out hugged her toned figure and flared out below her narrow waist.\n\n\"I must look ridiculous in these garbs,\" she muttered, tugging at her neckline.\n\n\"No.\" He swallowed. \"No, you look stunning.\"\n\nShe glanced at him as if to see whether he was telling the truth and blushed. \"Ever the sweet-talker.\" She glanced down her front. \"Even so, I don't see how your women wear these things. There's not even a place to clasp a knife.\"\n\n\"Cutlery will be provided during the banquet, I assure you,\" he said dryly.\n\nShe squinted at him. \"You make sport of me, husband.\"\n\n\"Just a little.\" Coming closer, he hugged her around the waist. \"Thanks for doing this.\"\n\n\"It is only proper that I follow your ways when I'm here,\" she said gruffly.\n\n\"Bear with it for a little while,\" he said. \"Then we'll borrow a couple horses from the stables and go for a ride.\"\n\nShe perked up. \"I'll hold you to that.\"\n\n*\n\n\"Frederick, the fifth Prince of the Empire, and his wife Hilda, the Chieftainess of the Northern Steppes,\" the herald announced.\n\nFrederick started toward the throne under the curious gazes of the courtiers and his royal siblings. Hilda hastened to follow but tripped over the hem of her gown and caught herself on his arm. Duchess of Renia giggled. Frederick glared at her until she shifted uncomfortably and hid her face behind a fan.\n\nThey approached the throne. His father, emperor Roderick, was stately as always, if with new streaks of gray in his beard. \n\n\"Welcome back, son,\" he said. \"You look healthy. The life in the steppes must agree with you.\"\n\n\"It does,\" Frederick said simply. \n\nHe held his father's gaze calmly, the way he wouldn't have been able to three years ago. Something like approval crossed the emperor's face, and he turned his attention to Hilda.\n\n\"Welcome to my court, Lady Hilda, and thank you for coming all the way here.\"\n\nRather than curtsy in the manner of court ladies, she just inclined her head. \"I greet you in the name of the Telua, my emperor.\"\n\nThe courtiers murmured at the violation of etiquette, but the emperor just smiled. \"Tales of your people's prowess in battle have reached even our city. We're glad to have you aligned with our great Empire.\"\n\nHilda nodded proudly. They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and Frederick and his wife took their place beside the courtiers. He was well aware that they stood out. He was no short man, but his wife was even taller than he, and carried herself with the confidence of a warrior. Even he had changed during his time in the steppes. His face was weathered by the wind and the sun, and he had acquired a wiry strength he hadn't had when he lived an easy life in the palace.\n\nHis later siblings were introduced after him alongside their spouses. Much like him, they had been married off to distant lands in father's ongoing quest to secure alliances. Frederick hoped they would be fortunate enough to find happiness as he had.\n\n\n\nThe reception was followed by a banquet. It was a private event, but his eight siblings and their families as well as several dukes and duchesses who were royal cousins made quite a crowd.\n\nThe emperor clapped his hands and ordered the first course brought in. Frederick folded the napkin in his lap and picked up the knife in his right hand and the fork in his left. Seated opposite him, Hilda copied him with a look of intense concentration on her face. Frederick hid a smile. He felt guilty for enjoying her discomfort but couldn't help finding it amusing.\n\nConversations began flowing as they enjoyed the meal. Frederick would have liked to catch up with his brothers and sisters, but as luck would have it, he had been seated next to the Duke of Renia and his wife. As the banquet went on, the portly Duke downed one glass of wine after another, his face growing redder and his voice louder.\n\n\"I must say, Your Highness, I admire your work in expanding the Empire's alliances. Of course, some alliances are more propitious than others,\" he said, sending Hilda a meaningful glance.\n\nHis wife tittered as if he had made a great joke. Hilda scowled but remained silent.\n\nFrederick frowned and dabbed at his mouth with the napkin. \"I'm not sure as to your meaning, my lord.\"\n\nA brief silence fell over the table, and more than one sibling looked at him with surprise. The duke appeared a little taken aback, but quickly recollected himself.\n\n\"I meant no offense, my dear boy,\" he said, chuckling. \"It's just that—take the seventh princess, for instance. Her marriage to the Prince of Ilfad gives us access to their famed ports.\" He smiled at the princess's husband, who nodded graciously. \"Compared to that, what does your marriage bring us? Horse and yurts?\"\n\n\"I wouldn't underestimate the Telua,\" Frederick said quietly. \"I lived with them for three years and witnessed their strength and tenacity first hand.\"\n\nThe duke chuckled. \"I can tell the barbarians made an impression on you, but let's be reasonable. What is a horde of horsemen to our legions?\"\n\nThe emperor frowned and opened his mouth, but Hilda acted first. Raising the silverware knife in her hand, she stabbed it into the table inches away from the duke's chubby fingers. He let out an undignified squeak and yanked his hand away. \n\n\"You may look down on me,\" she growled, \"but I won't let you disparage my people.\"\n\nA stunned silence fell. The duke glanced around the table as if for support but found little. Frederick took an unhurried swallow of his drink, resisting the urge to grin madly. His wife was the best. Had he been standing, he might have swooned.\n\n\"Tell me, Hilda,\" he said into the silence. \"How many warriors will answer your father's war horn?\"\n\n\"Twenty thousand,\" she said proudly. \"They ride like wildfire, and their arrows blot out the sun.\"\n\n\"These fierce warriors now defend the northern border from raiders—your lands included,\" Frederick said, watching the duke blanch. His own vaunted legion, after all, barely numbered five thousand. \"You would do well to show some respect.\"\n\nThe duke dabbed at his brow with a handkerchief and inclined his head to Hilda. \"Forgive me, my lady, I misspoke. I meant no disrespect to your people.\"\n\nShe squinted at him as if gauging his honesty, then huffed and effortlessly ripped the knife out of the table. The duke swallowed and sidled as far away from her as the width of his chair allowed.\n\nThe emperor clapped his hands, amusement dancing in his eyes. \"Well then. How about some desert?\" \n\nThe meal passed without further incident, save for the duke's hands trembling so badly each time Hilda had reached for a knife that he spilled his drink over his gilded doublet.\n\n*\n\nFrederick was in a great mood as they retired to their chambers, but the same couldn't be said for Hilda. She turned away from him and frowned at the room's gilded tapestries as if they had personally offended her.\n\n\"What is it?\" he asked, touching her shoulder. \"Are you still sore about what the duke said?\"\n\nHilda snorted. \"That man is a pathetic fool who wouldn't last a day in the saddle. No, it is the luxury of this place that wears on me. Hearing it from you was one thing, but seeing it is another.\" She faced him and looked him squarely in the eye. \"Don't you miss this life, husband? The fine silverware and seven course dinners, the servants to cater to your every need?\"\n\nHe laughed and shook his head. \"When I first came north, I thought I would. I resented my father and thought of your homeland as a frigid wasteland.\" He reached up to touch her cheek. \"But then I met you. You taught me the beauty of the rolling steppes. The freedom of having a horse beneath me and the wind in my face. I wouldn't trade it for anything.\"\n\n\"You and your sweet words again,\" she growled good naturedly, and pulled him in for a brief kiss. \"Won't help me out of this garb? I'm not letting those servant girls fuss over me again.\"\n\nHe smiled. \"Gladly.\"", "\"Well, Timothius, I see your taste in women has changed slightly.\"\n\nTimothius, I swear to one of our several gods that is the dumbest name in history. You know who names their kid Timothius? Some jackass minor noble family that has aspirations of being better than the tiny town they rule over. Then they send their equally jackass son to a military academy, he gets sent off to war, becomes less of a jackass, and next thing you know he's being 'rewarded' with a warrior princess as a wife because he was good at being a soldier.\n\n\"Yes dad, this is my new wife Thronga.\"\n\nThronga scowled at him, leaned in to sniff his hair, and recoiled slightly. \"He smell like peaches and flowers.\" She leaned in again.\n\n\"No honey, what did we say about licking people?\"\n\n\"Thronga no lick people, even if they smell like food.\"\n\n\"And...?\"\n\n\"Even if Thronga ask first.\"\n\n\"That's right,\" I turned back towards my father, \"How has the town been since I've been gone?\"\n\nWe made small talk. I occasionally had to remind Thronga of some simple niceties when dealing with nobles. We drink from cups, not directly from the cask. We do not disparage the structural integrity of the furniture. The dog is a friend and has as much right to the house as anyone else. Do not steal the dogs food, we will feed you at dinner. Do not give the dog beer, even if he is a friend. Do not threaten the chef with a blood duel because your meat was overcooked. Do not disparage the apparent structural integrity of the dog. Do not test* the structural integrity of the dog. You know, normal things like that.\n\n\"So tell me, how did you two meet?\"\n\n\"Oh, Thronga want tell story! Thronga was great warrior queen of Termite Clan. Father had many children, but all his sons die in battle! So me become Queen! When Tim and his army of metal come, we ambush them. Fight hard, but they run away. Tim stop at bridge, fight off many warriors while his cowardly clan mates flee. We finally take him prisoner. War not go good for Thronga, though. We eventually surrender. Offer to be clan-mates, and seal alliance by marrying their greatest warrior.\"\n\nI laughed at the story. \"And what can I say, being a prisoner for my feral queen wasn't so bad. She doesn't like to admit it, but she was always enamored with me. Fed me well, provided me with a clean bed to sleep in. She would come by to talk. But I don't think she really understood her feelings until...\"\n\n\"Oh! Thronga forgot best part! Thronga tell rest now. Thronga go out late one night after too much ale. While behind a bush, she see Tim sneaking away from camp. Thronga mad at Tim! Marched up to Tim and demanded to know where he thought he was going to. Thronga was going to hit Tim, but then Clan get raided by Earthshaker Clan. Tim could have run, but he stay and help save Termite Clan children and put out fires. We make him clan member. Say he free to go, but he stay anyway. Thronga happy he stayed.\"\n\n\"I'm glad I stayed too dear.\" I leaned in and gave her a small kiss. \"Anyway, we plan to head back to her Clansland after our short stay here. With our marriage, she officially became a part of our kingdom, and now rules over the entire Western Marches. We are both excited for what that means for our future.\"\n\nThronga nodded solemnly, \"Thronga promise many children, Thronga spend much time in bed instead of fighting. But Thronga love Tim so Thronga do it.\" I laughed. \"My love, I could never tell you to drop your sword just to you could take up mine. We'll have children when the time is right, and nothing makes my heart flutter more than seeing you drive our enemies before us and hearing the lamentations of their women.\"\n\nThe next morning we returned to our carriage. I offered a small sum of money to pay for the damage we caused to the guest bed, and snuggled up next to my Warrior Queen. \"Thanks for meeting my family. I know they're a little posh, but you did well. They seemed to like you.\"\n\n\"Thronga like your parents too. And your dog. Even if he is easily frightened.\"\n\n\"I love you my big strong wild queen.\"\n\n\"Thronga love you too, you make Thronga happy.\"\n\nI lifted my head off her chest and gave her a little kiss.\n\n\"Thronga want sex now.\"\n\n\"Me too, but the carriage won't survive.\"" ]	6
	[WP] Many years ago you threw a coin into a wishing well and made a wish. You weren't surprised when nothing happened so you moved on with your life, unaware that the well simply had a large backlog of wishes that it needed to grant; but now as you lay on your deathbed, your wish is finally granted.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 wish you could come back to me.\" I tossed the coin down the well, though of course I knew it wouldn't do anything. People don't come back to life. How could they?\n\nIt was all just a childish dream, one last hail Mary that might, just might, let me see my daughter again.\n\nEventually, though the hole never healed, and I cried myself to sleep thinking of her just as often as I smiled because of the exploits of my other children, I was able to find some semblance of normal again. I kissed my wife goodbye when she left for work. I packed my other sons' and daughters' lunches, sat in parent-teacher conferences, filled out their FAFSA's, watched them graduate high school and college, beamed with pride as they took wives and husbands of their own, and knew, in my old age, that I would be able to die with few regrets.\n\nMy heart was failing. I had certainly lived long enough; I outlived my wife by over a decade and a half. She passed when she was seventy-five. In fact, a grandson had his fiance pregant with their first child. One I would never see.\n\nI could feel my heartbeats growing more faint, and my attachment to the world slipping. It didn't hurt at all, especially given that I was surrounded by the people I had cared for the most. All except for my oldest daughter, the one who had died almost fifty years ago to the date.\n\nI reached over and held the hand of my eldest son. \"Bury me with your mother. And your sister, too.\"\n\n\"Of course, dad,\" he replied.\n\nI smiled. \"Good. I knew you wouldn't let me down.\"\n\nAlways dependable, he was. My other children were good, too, even if some were less responsible than my eldest. I loved them all.\n\n\"I think it's about my time to go,\" I said. \"Tell that great grandkid of mine that I love him, too, or I'll haunt you.\"\n\nA quiet, sad chuckle came from the dozen or so people around my bed. This was what I had envisioned my death to look like. I was ready.\n\n\"My apologies. I am sorry it took me so long to fulfill your wish, sir. By, 'I wish you would come back to me,' you meant your oldest daughter, yes? I would be happy to bring her back for you.\"\n\n\"What?\" I asked. Was I hallucinating?\n\nSuddenly, a gasp sounded from the room. My family parted ways and gawked at something I could not see. They were saying her name. My daughter's name.\n\n\"Dad?\" a voice asked. Her voice. I had forgotten what it sounded like. Just like how she had sounded on her sixteenth birthday. The last time I had seen her.\n\n\"I must be dreaming,\" I said. I closed my eyes.\n\n\"Wait, dad, no. Don't go. Don't-\"\n\nI died.", "\"What's the prognosis?\"\n\n\"Massive overdose. Nothing we can really do but try to make him comfortable. Fentanyl, you know. Probably a bad batch, too. Nothing's working to bring him out of it.\"\n\n\"Any records for next of kin?\"\n\n\"No, nothing. He's on his own. Kind of sad, but given the state of him, he's probably been that way for a while.\"\n\nThey didn't know I could hear them still, even though it was hard to focus on their voices, fading in and out like a bad radio. It was hard to focus on anything. The lights kept dimming and then brightening, every movement I'd gone through to wind up in this hospital bed with these tubes down my throat felt like being dragged through water.\n\nIf this is dying, though, it's not so bad. No pain. Though that's probably the drugs. I ought to just...let go, I guess.\n\n\"He's flatlining! Code Blue! Code--\"\n\nEverything stopped. The sound, the voices, everything. This is it, I thought. I'm dead. Now angels or devils or the grim reaper or something is gonna appear, and--\n\nThe sound of stumbling footsteps came up the hall, along with a woman's voice. \"Oop, sorry! Or, uh, I guess you can't hear me anyway...where is he...ah!\"\n\nA very pretty, young-looking woman walked into the room, a little shorter than me with dark hair that somehow looked wet and eyes the color of the ocean. She was pushing glasses back up her nose with one hand, the other arm clutching a sheaf of papers or notes of some kind. She was dressed pretty plainly, in all white and blue.\n\nShe looked right at me, and said, \"Erik Green? You...look different, than when I logged you...that's you, right?\"\n\nI tried to mumble something, but couldn't. She made a pained expression, and said, \"Oh, right, tubes. Um, let me just...\"\n\nShe stepped up next to me, and fiddled with the tube down my throat; I felt something in the back of my throat deflate, and coughed involuntarily as she slowly pulled it out of my mouth.\n\n\"Oh, ew. Okay. That's better. Erik?\"\n\n\"Yeah, that's...that's me. Who are you? What's happening? Am I dead?\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"Oh, no. Well, I mean, yes, but I got to you just in time. Congratulations! Your wish is about to be granted.\"\n\nI looked at her blankly, and said, \"Wish? My wish was about to be granted. I don't want to be here anymore.\"\n\nThe woman frowned down at me, her expression one of sympathy. \"I'm not sure what's happened to you since you were logged, but...this is a different wish, one from a good number of years back.\"\n\nShe looked down at the notes in her arms, and cleared her throat, a prim little sound that I couldn't help but think was actually kind of cute. \"'Erik Green, deposit twenty-five cents, date June 2nd, 2004. Wish, 'I wish I could do that day over again and save her.'\"\n\nMy eyes widened. \"Wait...that was...twenty years ago. The wishing well, after...\"\n\nMy thoughts were filled with a bright flash of light, and a scream that I'd never been able to forget.\n\n\"No, this can't be real. I'm just seeing crazy shit before I die.\"\n\nThe woman smiled happily at me. \"I'm glad to tell you that this is very real. My name is Asha, I'm the spirit of the North Point Park wishing well, and I'm about to grant your wish - I'm sorry for the delay, but a lot of people make wishes, and I've got a bit of a backlog going on. We're going to travel back to the day in question - May 19th, 2003 - and you're going to get to start back over from there. If you could stand up out of the bed?\"\n\nI wasn't sure I could, but I had to try. I pushed the covers away, and Asha helped me pull the various tubes and sensors off so I could get up. She looked me over, and with a wave of her hand, my clothing changed to a type of outfit that was dimly familiar - the kind of rocker stuff I'd worn in the early 00's, when I was in high school. I felt my face and my body change, too, becoming lighter and slimmer, the growth of beard on my chin changing to patchy wisps that I'd been so proud of then, but now just made me kind of want to shave.\n\n\"There he is. As cute as I remember.\" Asha smiled at me, and I smiled back, still unsure that I wasn't just dying and having the wildest last few seconds one could hope for.\n\n\"Now. The process is going to take some time - rewinding the clock isn't instant. We're going back about twenty years, so I'd say you've got about twenty hours. Why don't we talk a bit while that's happening, and you can catch me up on what's gone on with you, and how you, er, landed here?\"\n\nI was hesitant at first; I hadn't talked with many people about my life. Social workers, agents at shelters, they all tried, but I just didn't want to burden anyone else with my failures, my darkness. The only escape that had ever worked was the drugs. But if I was really getting a chance to set things right...\n\nSo, I told her. About the accident that night, and everything it had brought on me since. The accusations of being drunk behind the wheel, the hatred from a town that thought I was responsible for the daughter of one of their most powerful dying far before her time. The escape to a place where nobody knew me, and the loneliness that came with that. The turn to drugs to silence my inner demons, and the struggles to just live any kind of life at all. The final years of homelessness and hunger, before hitting rock bottom and winding up in a hospital, breathing my last.\n\n\"...and it's just...not where I ever thought I'd be,\" I said. \"I wanted to be a musician. I can still play the guitar like a boss, even though I haven't had one in years. Sold it for...you know.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry,\" Asha said, putting her arms around me and giving me a tight hug, the fourth or fifth she'd given me so far. She smelled good, like fresh water and nature; it was relaxing, really. I had no objections.\n\n\"So that's my story,\" I said. \"Didn't take as long as you thought, huh?\"\n\n\"Oh, it did,\" Asha said, \"we still just have a lot of time to go.\"\n\n\"Well then, what's your story? I mean, if you're real, if you exist, you've got to have a story too, right?\"\n\nAsha blinked at me, and said, \"Nobody's ever asked. It's just 'oh thanks for the wish peace out yo' and then I'm back at the well, getting ready to track down the next person. I've gotten really good at finding people, but it's...nobody ever asks about me. It's lonely.\"\n\n\"Well, we've got time, right? Tell me about it.\"\n\nSo, she did. It turns out that she - and all wishing well spirits, really - are water spirits, the children of Tyche, the Greek goddess of fortune and prosperity. Whenever a new wishing well is built, a new spirit is born to preside over it, and grant the wishes that are asked of them, provided payment is given. She was not much older than me, the North Point Park well having been built just two years before I was born. And she'd been inundated with wishes since the day she'd come into existence. She showed me the sheaf of notes, twenty years worth of ungranted wishes that she was slowly working through.", "I awoke with a loud gasp, clutching at my chest. I died--of that I was absolutely certain. I felt my heartbeat slow to a crawl and eventually stop. So where the hell was I?\n\nAs I looked around, I could clearly see that this definitely was not my hospital suite. I was laying in some sort of bed-pit covered in deerskins and a quilt, sitting in the middle of a cave. There was someone else in the bed with me, head buried under the covers and their steady breathing making it rise and fall like a bellows. It was then that I noticed the golden glint on the nightstand.\n\nI reached out and picked up the shiny thing. It was a golden coin with the image of a tree on it. I turned it around and saw someone had put writing on the other side: \"Sorry For The Wait\". A memory from a lifetime ago came rushing back to me the moment I laid eyes on the coin.\n\nWhen I was fourteen, I created my own version of the world of Grimm's fairy tales. A world that tempered the sugary-sweet incarnations Disney whipped up into something more palatable. A world where Prince Charming was a bisexual duelist and socialite, Goldilocks was adopted by the Three Bears, and Sleeping Beauty and Snow White settled down in a cottage in the woods together. For three years, it was my obsession--so much so that I tossed a coin into a well and made a wish to be transported into my creation. And now I guess I was really here.\n\nThe person next to me stirred and rose up from the covers. I managed not to gasp as my bedmate revealed herself to be a naked wolf woman with a visibly pregnant belly. The wolf yawned and stretched out with a drowsy, \"You okay, Luna? Why'd you scream?\"\n\nI recalled that in my universe, Little Red Riding Hood was a ranger who patrolled the forest with her werewolf wife Badyah. I reached out to gently stroke Badyah's belly and softly say, \"Yeah, I'm okay. I just had a nightmare. You were gone, and I was dying all alone. It really scared me.\"\n\nBadyah let out a little whimper and opened her arms. \"C'mere baby girl.\" I scooted into Badyah's embrace and let the softness of her fur envelop me. She kissed the top of my head and whispered, \"That is never gonna happen, you hear me? I'm gonna snuggle with you until the end of the world, and another three years after.\"\n\nI heard a loud skittering across the cave floor as I leaned into Badyah. A gaggle of wolf pups ran into the cave and into the bed-pit, followed by two other wolf women. As I gazed up at the pack that surrounded me, I remembered I also gave Little Red two other wives and a whole bunch of children. I had a thing about making characters with really big, loving families.\n\nThe other wolves, Willow and Briar, happily plopped into the bed with me and Badyah. Willow leaned back against the pillows as she said, \"Everything okay, Luna?\"\n\nI nodded. \"Yeah, I just had a nightmare--\"\n\nThe pups gasped. In an instant, the pups had leaped into the bed and snuggled up with all of us. I came under fire from a flurry of kisses and a disjointed chorus of voices saying, \"It's okay, mama! Don't cry!\" I put in an infinitesimal amount of effort to get my kids to stop as I laughed and cried out, \"No, guys, guys! I'm okay! I'm fine!\"\n\nBriar pressed my face into her chest in response. \"I'm sorry my love, but this is a very serious condition. Asymptomatic or otherwise, nightmare-itis must always be immediately treated with copious amounts of snuggles and loving.\"\n\nI rolled my eyes and replied, \"Alright, never let it be said I don't take my health seriously. Get in here, you big bunch of fuzzy dum-dums. Give mama some love.\"\n\nAs the cluster of fur and kisses cocooned me, I closed my eyes and silently gave thanks for the wish I made so long ago.", "I was laying on my death bed. Thinking back on all the good times I had over the years. I had lived a life that was full. regrets I had but not enough worth mentioning. My wife sat next to me with our newborn son cradled in her arms. My only mentionable regret would be leaving my child and wife. I reached out for my wife's hand. \"Never forget, that I love you two with all my heart.\" I whispered. My wife sobbed harder into my pillow. \n\nI had beaten many hardships in my life, but cancer was no joke. It was the one thing that took me down. But through my life I gave it a hell of a time. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 I thought as I closed my eyes and waited for death's cold embrace, But nothing happened.\n\n I opened my eyes and looked around. My wife's face was frozen and at the foot my my bed stood tall, stunningly beautiful woman with an other worldly aura to her. He's clothes sparkled and flowed around her like water. As I looked close and realized her clothes 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 water and the sparkles in it were coins. \n\n\"Hello, Mark\" she said in an ethereal melodic voice \"I'm sorry I couldn't reach out to you sooner I've been busy. how have you been?\" She asked. \n\n\"Excuse me?\" I responded in surprise. \"Are you here to finally take me to the afterlife?\" \n\n\"Afterlife? Oh no, no, no, I'm here to grant you wishes Mark.\" \n\n\"So what are you like a genie or something? I asked\n\n\"No, I am the embodiment of a wishing well, one you threw coins into. And now I'm here to grant them\" she said. \"As I recall you had wished for a body that was strong and didn't fall prey to disease and you wishes for time manipulation, is that correct?\" \n\n𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 I thought. I must have made those wishes years ago and forgot. This must be a last minute death bed hallucination. So I decided to run with it.\n\n\"Yes that's right\" I said \"when will they start taking effect\" I asked jokingly\n\n\"Right now\" she said. She snapped her fingers and I woke up in my bed, 4 years into the past." ]	5
	[WP] Of course everyone is familiar wit the more popular "were" creatures such as werewolves and werebears. As one of the few werewhales, pods are rare and feelings of frustration, inconvenience, and loneliness are constant.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Another day, another failed attempt at meeting people like me. Which means another night spent sipping ginger ale at a bar. I'd probably get more enjoyment out of going home and reading erotic literature with my bed full of Plushie Dreadfuls (rhyme not intended), but that would've given me no choice except to confront my lonely existence. So, ginger ale it was.\n\nAs I sat on my stool and sipped my drink, I heard someone else pull the stool out next to me. A woman with a messenger bag loaded up with pins and buttons plopped down onto the seat and sigh. \"You saving this seat for anyone or can I take a seat?\"\n\nI shrugged. \"It's a free country as far as a white guy in Tennessee is concerned.\"\n\nThe girl laughed and stuck her hand out. \"I'm Sari.\"\n\nI shook her hand and replied, \"I'm Jessica.\" I flagged down the bartender, my friend Olive. Olive strided over and deadpanned, \"You know, at some point, I'm gonna cut you off.\"\n\n\"Ha-ha. I'm buying my new friend Sari here a drink.\" I turned to her and asked, \"Anything in particular you want?\"\n\n\"Yeah, I'll take a screwdriver. Both the drink so I can drown my sorrows and the tool so I can stab my brain to death after the night I had.\"\n\nOlive whistled as she mixed up the cocktail. \"And here I thought Jessica here had rotten luck at these mixers. What's the story, mon ami?\"\n\nSari groaned and threw her head back. \"It was going so well. We both liked electroswing music and Harry Dresden books, she was super funny and charming, and she was actually impressed by my art skills. Then came the million dollar question: what kind of werebeast are you? And then it all came crashing down because she didn't want to date a wereboa.\"\n\nI stared at Sari. \"Boa? Like... the snake?\"\n\nSari downed her screwdriver in one go before responding, \"Yeah, like the snake. There's not a lot of us, but we exist. And it doesn't matter how much I promise that I'm a vegetarian and that I don't eat in my wereboa form because it takes forever to digest like that, everyone's terrified I'm gonna lose control and swallow them whole.\" Sari thumped her head against the bar in frustration.\n\nI tentatively rested my hand on Sari's shoulder. \"I can relate. I'm actually a werewhale, believe it or not.\"\n\nSari looked at me in surprise. \"Werewhale?\"\n\nOlive nodded and interjected, \"Orca, to be specific. Blowhole, black-and-white coloring, sharp teeth--the works. I've seen her werewhale form, it's actually kinda cute.\"\n\nI gave Olive a tiny salute as thanks. \"And yeah, I'm way too familiar with what it's like to have your romantic prospects die off because you're something other than an animal found in the Canadian wilderness.\"\n\nOlive scoffed. \"You two got it easy, far as I'm concerned. Try being in my shoes for a day.\"\n\nI looked at Olive confused. \"Wait, what? I thought you were fully human.\"\n\nOlive shook her head. \"Negatory, friendo. I'm actually a werebat. I just stopped telling people after I got asked if I was a vampire one too many times.\"\n\nSari shuddered. \"Ugh, vampires. Why would anyone want to be one? It just seems so inconvenient. Like, never being able to go outside on a sunny day?\"\n\nI nodded. \"And no more garlic. Ever. Garlic is goddamn amazing.\"\n\nOlive chuckled as she presented me with another ginger ale. \"Plus there's the whole thing about needing to drink blood. You know what you get when you add all that up? No spring picnics with Italian food.\"\n\nSari, Olive, and I cracked up and kept the conversation going for the rest of the night. Before we knew it, closing time was upon us and Olive was locking up the bar as Sari huddled close to me and checked her phone with a frown. \"Damnit, it's gonna take at least an hour to get back home on the bus.\"\n\nOlive coughed. \"You know, my place is actually on the level right above the bar. You two are welcome to stay the night.\"\n\nSari beamed as she replied, \"That'd be great, thank you! But just a heads up, I sleep in my wereboa form, so I hope you don't mind an overly affectionate snake coiling around you like you're a teddy bear.\"\n\nI threw my arms over Olive and Sari's shoulders. \"That sounds like the only proper way to fall asleep. Let's get on with it.\"" ]	2
	[WP] You are a guard working at an island in the middle of the ocean. You are beginning to suspect that your employer may be a supervillain.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 phone rings at 2 AM every night. So it did today.\n\n\"I'm landing in a bit, how far could you dig?\"\n\nIt was deep enough. I was given plenty of time and state of the art machinery.\n\n\"Okay,\" he said. \"Remember, stay inside while I'm out there. Wait until you can no longer hear the helicopter to come out.\"\n\n\"You got it. I'm inside,\" I assured him as I looked out of the window. The calm waves of the ocean were all I could hear.\n\nI was halfway through my cigar when I finally heard the chopper. The sound grew louder by the second. It seemed to hover over the bungalow for a bit, vibrating everything in the room, then faded away towards the direction of the dig.\n\nIt was almost 5 AM when the old western playing on the black and white TV ended. Must have slept through it, but from what I could see, the good guys have lost. \n\nI heard footsteps outside. Then a knock on the door. Didn't he tell me to not come out until he left? Oh well.\n\n\"What did I tell you,\" he said jokingly, when I opened the door. I took a step back to let him inside, but he gestured towards the back. \"I can't, we need to go now.\" Then he paused for a second and sighed. \"It is done.\"\n\nWhat was done? Does that mean... \n\n\"Yes,\" he said. \"It is over.\"\n\nDoes that mean...\n\n\"...and this also means, you no longer owe me.\" he concluded. \"You're a free man now.\"\n\nAn awkward silence, echoed by the sound of the ocean.\n\n\"So...\" he said, \"tell me what you want. You can walk away. First thing tomorrow, another helicopter will be here for you.\"\n\nOr?\n\n\"Or, you can stay. Take care of the place like you used to. Nothing would change, really. Well, maybe this will be my getaway place from now on. I don't think I'll need it for the business anymore. So way less work for you.\"\n\nHe smiled and gave me a pat on the shoulder.\n\n\"Don't worry about it,\" he said. \"You're not part of anything. You're not guilty of anything. You haven't even seen it! Just enjoy, alright? Consider it a gift for god's sake.\"\n\nI knew he was a supervillain.\n\nAnd I knew I was no hero.", "I'll admit I was a bit suspicious when I saw the listing. \"Looking for henchmen! Great pay, little risk, no benefits.\" It seemed strange for a Craigslist job posting to mention \"little risk.\" It was pretty normal that it didn't say what the pay was, and I figured it was standard on the no benefits part, but I kept thinking about the \"little risk\" bit even as I got interviewed.\n\nInterviewer: So what would you say is your greatest weakness?\n\nMe: Well, (I wanted to joke around, here) bullets, probably.\n\nInterviewer: Oh! Well, perfect! You're doing great. Let's assume a hypothetical: some guy you've never met holds a gun to the head of someone you've never met and demands you click a button to open a door. How do you respond?\n\nMe: (alright, I'll roll with it) Does my job depend on me not clicking the button?\n\nInterviewer: At the very least.\n\nMe: Well, I start telling the guy to to increasingly unlikely sexual things to himself and his mother while waiting for my work buddies to come mess him up.\n\nInterviewer: OK, you're doing great. Last question: If you had to choose between your job and everyone you've ever loved, what would you do?\n\nMe: Oh that's an easy one. My job is easily way more important. I can imagine being a friendless orphan, I can't imagine being unemployed.\n\nInterviewer: Perfect! How would you like a supervisor position?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\----------------\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSo I ended up working at a factory on an island. I'm not sure what we make, but I do know that's Class D confidential. I don't know what the Classes mean, but I'm a Class B Supervisor, although all I get to know is way too much info on my crew's lives. Some days the big boss rolls through, and we have a special salute we do for him, which I had to threaten the shit out of some of these guys to make sure they'd do. Hell, for $20 an hour I don't care how weird the place is, I'll keep it running.\n\nOne day some jumped-up vandal came through, he had a weird spandex suit on and made it past security and started fucking up our guys. But the big boss came through and did... something... that I'm sure is like Class F classified and anyways, that weird dude won't be bothering anyone else, ever. Production was largely unaffected.\n\n\\--------------------------\n\nI'm starting to think something may be going on here. We've had another several weirdos show up, at a random factory on an island, and they're saying things like \"we'll make sure you can't accomplish you're evil ends!\" and \"your madness stops today!\". I make sure none of my guys talk about this stuff, gotta keep that 40k salary, but I'm thinking there might be something weird going on.\n\nOne of the guys dropped a box and it spilt all over him. He mutated into a lizard... thing, and we had to anti-fire decontaminate him. I get that this is part of the job, but, seems a bit strange.\n\n\\----------------------\n\nThe big boss came by today. I was super scared at first, but he wanted to congratulate me on \"keeping a handle\" on the boys. Which, hey! I'm all for that. But when I asked if there would be a bonus involved, he gave me a really weird look and made a few hand gestures, and I'm really glad I had the floor swept off for the glass, cause I slid about 40 feet on it. \n\nStill, 40k a year is great money, so I'll stick with this operation for now.\n\n\\----------------------------------\n\nOK, whatever is in the tanks is not conducive to human life. Doesn't change much, but I gotta get some OSHA safety rules in place.\n\nFuck, I think my boss might be doing something shady.\n\nStill though, 40k is 40k." ]	3
	[WP] You never pushed your limits, keeping to yourself to fly under the radar because those who stood out had to fight. You aren't a coward you just wish for a simple life and would like to keep it that way. Until you were challenged to fight to the death... you didn't hold back this time.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\\-Prologue-\n\nJames Jeremiah Smith was a revered U.S Marshal, tackling outlaws and bandits left and right. One night, he was on the trail of the Whiskey Broods, a feared gang in the town of Obsidian Rock, named after the large obsidian boulder in the middle of town. He tracked them down to the obsidian mines, where their hideout presided...\n\nJames approached the mine entrance, a group of lawmen following behind. They prepared a wagon with dynamite and rode it in front of the boarded-up mine, then released the horses, and everyone backed up. James walked out of the crowd and went over to the wagon, \"Everyone stand back! Lighting the fuse.\" James took out his lighter and opened it, igniting the dynamite, then he ran away.\n\nThe sound was deafening, and nobody could hear anything for a few minutes, well, except for Sheriff Summers, who was deaf in one ear. After everyone regained hearing, they rushed into the mine, revolvers in hand. James was ahead of the rest, and caught up with the outlaws, frantically rushing around, hoping to fix their hearing.", "Most people think that the interplay of power and responsibility means that you have to put yourself in the line of danger for others, to fight monsters calling themselves men, and to defy nature's own wrath so that others might live to see another day. They want you to be a martyr, to abandon any thought of living a normal life like them. To use your powers to improve and preserve their own little worlds.\n\nI never wanted that. I just wanted the life that a normal person in my circumstances could readily achieve. I needed no fame, no fortune, no glory. I didn't desire recognition or deification. I simply wanted to be left alone and to gently guide my garden as it grew.\n\nBut then the war came.\n\nIt spared the city I called home, at least physically, but it changed things. It changed how people treated each other, especially those of anything resembling a foreign culture. My garden suffered the attacks of paranoia and intolerance over and over. I repaired and replaced and replanted. I denied myself the anger I was justifiably entitled to. \n\nThe only responsibility that power brings is not to abuse it. To not become a monster like so many others have and will become. I refused to let my emotions push me onto that all too well trodden path.\n\nThey burned my garden. They killed it because it was different.\n\nThey violated my home with bricks and hammers and hatred.\n\nThey brought blade and bullet with them. They carried ignorance like a torch and drowned out my pleas with abuse and vitriol.\n\nI never wanted to be known as a hero. I never wanted to be remembered as a monster. I just wanted to live a simple life. They were just scared. They just wanted to protect themselves.\n\nBut so did I.\n\nI looked back at the charred heap that had once been my garden, at the shattered facade of what had once been my home. I turned away, placing the bent piece of steel that had once been a crowbar gently on the stained stone of the sidewalk. I left the grave of the life I had sought.\n\nI don't know where I will go. But I hope they have gardens.", "The Gravedigger meandered through his graveyard. He grumbled at the many fresh graves as he leaned on his spade.\n\n\"The Famine has taken too many Eirenan,\" He groused to no one, \"Soon they will look for someone to blame.\"\n\nMeandering towards his hut, the emaciated man shivered at what he knew was coming.\n\n\"Shame,\" he grumbled, \"I was happy here. Guess it's time to move on.\"\n\nContinuing to use his Spade as a walking stick, he mentally calculated what he would need versus what he could actually carry. He kept coming up short.\n\n\"Looks like I ain't as fit as I used to be,\" He chuckled, \"I got old.\"\n\n\"No,\" A voice echoed out, \"You got careless abomination.\"\n\nAn armored man, shrouded in black stood in the Gravedigger's sanctum. A sword with the holy symbol of War glittering on its pommel hung at his belt.\n\nGlancing behind the man, The Gravedigger snorted as he saw the flickering of torches at the gate of his home.\n\n\"You wanna clarify,\" The Gravedigger asked, \"I'm an Abomi-what?\"\n\n\"Abomination,\" The Man clarified, \"I am Inquisitora Bern. And I know you to be a Necrowyrm that has cursed these fine people for years.\"\n\nAnd there it is, The Gravedigger snarked, As soon as things go wrong they look for my kind. They don't blame the fact that the nobles built a dam on the river they use for irrigation. Or that the villagers haven't been rotating their crops properly. Or that said nobles have been demanding more food than this place could produce at peak efficiency, let alone now. Nope has to be a Necrowyrm's fault.\n\n\"Pretty brave of you to challenge a Necrowyrm in their sanctum,\" The Gravedigger stated, \"or Pretty stupid.\"\n\n\"I have taken stock of your power,\" Bern shot back, \"I interviewed everyone you interacted with. I know what Truths you know, how you express them, and I already examined this place while you slept. You can not bluff me.\"\n\n\"Well then,\" The Gravedigger mocked, \"Turns out you're equal parts brave and stupid. Good on you. You should be proud.\"\n\nInquisitora Bern drew his blade, saluting his opponent he stepped forward.\n\n\"I would know your name,\" Bern scowled, \"Even a thing that is birthed from death should have its name remembered. Even if only for others to curse it.\"\n\nThe Gravedigger smiled, \"Just brave then. You're much more polite than the last three Inqusitora I interacted with. And Definitely more polite than the last five Templari. I think I'll let you live.\"\n\n\"Your Name,\" Bern snarled.\n\n\"I am just the Gravedigger,\" The Necrowyrm shook his head, \"I was never given a name.\"\n\n\"Then that is what shall be recorded,\" Bern decreed, \"Now die.\"\n\nSliding his sword from his sheath, he raised the blade before his face. Bern smiled as the blade vanished into dust.\n\n\"Haven't seen that trick in a while,\" The Gravedigger nodded, \"The Tregeithe Devia Meratrix used the same technique. Looks like the same sword too.\"\n\n\"Then you know you are already dead,\" Bern snarled, \"The metal dust has already entered your lungs.\"\n\nAs he whipped the sword to the side, four metal balls ripped their way from the Gravedigger's chest. The spheres reformed into the blade as the Gravedigger face-planted into the ground. Bern sighed as the Gravedigger didn't rise.\n\n\"I salute you for your politeness,\" Bern remarked as he sheathed his sword, \"And for going to your death with dignity. After I make sure to thoroughly burn your corpse, I will attend to the actual causes of the famine. You have my word. It is what little comfort I can give. But the Necrowyrms can not be allowed to survive.\"\n\n\"Why?\" came the raspy question, \"Because parts of our life cycle are a little icky? Because we serve as officers in the Dark Lord's army whenever the agent of chaos rises? Or is it because we intuitively know the Truth of Undeath? The Hybrids are indications of bestiality, The Doppels serve as the Dark Lord's spies and assassins, and the Tregeithe have the potential to be immortal tyrants. No one kills them on site\"\n\n\"How....\" Bern gasped.\n\nThe Gravedigger rose to his feet as the wounds on his chest closed. Shaking himself, he answered Bern's question. \n\n\"I was born in the Graveyards of Calot,\" The Gravedigger explained, \"I was there the only time Lord Knight Commander Devia used that weapon.\"\n\n\"That would make you...\" Bern stuttered\n\nSeveral thousand years old.\" The Gravedigger's voice continued.\n\nThe Ground began to rumble and heave as the dead answered the need of the Gravedigger. Thunder clouds began to form over his sanctum, rolling with malicious intelligence. \n\n\"I meant what I said,\" The Gravedigger said, \"I will leave you alive. But I am leaving. You will not find me again.\"\n\nThe Thunder clouds moved towards the entrance, as The Gravedigger got to his feet. The power stones and rune plates woven into his clothes glowed a pale green, casting the Necrowyrm in a ghastly light. Rain poured onto the mob as The Gravedigger's legions rose, Lightning strikes scattered the peasants as the skeletons and zombies moved to push the stragglers back.\n\nBern fell to his knees, \"How can you exist? No Necrowyrm should've been able to survive that long.\"\n\n\"Exactly,\" The Gravedigger tapped the side of his nose, \"No one looks for what they don't know exists. By the way. In recognition of your politeness, I will handle the causes of the famine. You're going to have enough on your plate dealing with this mess.\"\n\nBern could only nod as the Gravedigger left.", "The fighters are idols. \nEveryone has their favorite, people bet on every fight.\nThere are some countries that produce many of the best fighters, and they are some of the richest and best countries of the world. \nIt seems as if the whole of society is centered on the arena. \n\nBut I'm not interested. \nMy family taught me that it's better not to be involved, even if, or maybe especially because, of our gift. But perhaps it's a curse. I haven't decided yet. \nSo I have lived my life without even watching the fights. Sure, I keep up with the news so I can have that water cooler talk, but beyond that I would have no clue. \n\nBut today, the dreaded letter came. No one in the family ever wanted to see this day. I received my draft letter.\nI have to be in the arena next month, fighting Emanuel, one of the most well known and dangerous fighters. \n\n----\n\nToday is the day. I left the house early in the morning, without saying goodbye. I know Mama and Nana would cry and possibly make me late, or even cause me to not want to go at all. \nI am mentally prepared. I watched a few of my opponent's fights to get to know him a little. I still don't understand why they chose a drafted rookie to fight the favorite for the last 4 years. And it's not like we are even in the same division. Emanuel is definitely so much bigger than me. I hope the planners don't know our family gift. \n\n-- \n\nI didn't expect the arena to be this loud. The spectators seats are packed. It's a little unnerving. I wonder how many people who know me are watching on TV? How will my life, my family's life, be different once this fight is over?\n\nI see Emanuel walk out from his side of the arena. I stand up, walking over ready to greet him. We shake hands and listen to the fight rules, which are read at the start of every fight. I studied those in advance too. I needed to make sure I wasn't going to break them. \n\nThe bell rang, and the arena erupted in cheers. The fight had begun. I knew from my studies that Emanuel will wait for my first move. So despite our size difference, I try for some fancy moves that obviously wouldn't pan out for me, and of course they didn't. But they did put me in the perfect position. \n\nLaying on the ground, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and readied myself. I opened my eyes, which were now shining bright red. I opened my mouth and screamed. I could sense Emanuel's unease at my appearance, but his discomfort was just starting. Every part of my body started glowing that same shade of red, and the heat was building too. As I screamed louder, the heat grew stronger and faster. \n\nThen it was done. I released the energy. Everything was over. My opponent was gone. Most of the arena was gone. The TV equipment was definitely gone. \n\n\n\nMy life as I knew it may be over. \nBut so is the fighting arena.", "I sighed, an annoyed sigh at the 8’9 mucle piece of alien. I had just reached normal too. I glanced around at all the bystanders staring at me, a 5’8 human right next to this massive alien. Sadly, I am not a human. I glanced over at the friends I had managed to acquire, who don’t know that there are various religions surrounding my species and that I can lift 9000 pounds with ease. I give them a small smile before I allow my glamour to fade. My human disguise melts away and I resume my normal size as I prepare to protect the people I love, even if it means giving up the life I created. \n\nI guess there’s not normal for me anymore anyway, and then I slaughter the alien.", "Blood rushing out the open wound where his left ear once resided, his right eye red as if every blood vessel in it were popped all at once, ribs crunching with every small movement, freshly deformed joints creaking, broken and shattered teeth, and yet he still was not ready to stop\n\n\"Ouch...\"\n\nThe man, no, the monster before him stood tall and lean, grinning ear to ear with excitement\n\n\"Well? Get up. I don't got all day to just sit and watch you die.\"\n\nForcing himself to stand, the broken hero rose and began his speech\n\n\"Must've taken you years to get this strong... This good at fighting... To reach this point... I thought you only attacked the strongest of folks? I'm asking cause you made a pretty sharp bee line to me.\"\n\nThe monsters grin grew wider, almost inhumanly so\n\n\"Truth be told, I just wanted an easy fight today. I've been getting my ass kicked pretty hard lately and needed a warm up before I fight someone stronger than you\"\n\nThe hero wiped blood from his head, and stared into the monsters eyes\n\n\"That so? You must've lost the lottery pretty bad then\"\n\nIn a single perfect motion the distance between the two were closed, and the hero began strike the monster with as much ferocity as he could in his limitedly healed state. Once he stopped, the monster cackled\n\n\"Ha... Haha... BWHAHAHAH!!! GODDAMNIT!! FINE, BUT REMEMBER THAT I DON'T LOSE THESE FIGHTS!!\"\n\nThe monster opened with a similar flurry of punches, ending with a kick to the ribs which the hero caught\n\n\"You don't lose? Good, neither do I.\"\n\nThe two fought for what felt like hours, each being physically destroyed only to have their bodies heal within seconds. Near the end, both fighters were winded and neither could utilize their powers any longer\n\n\"Damn... You're pretty good... Mind teachin' me that shit you did?\"\n\nThe monster spoke all to casual to the man he tried killing, but the hero stood up and approached his kneeling opponent before answering\n\n\"No.\"\n\nAnd with that, the monsters skull was crushed, ending the fight.\n\nThe End.", "Holding the pitchfork, will full of hay James gritted his teeth \"All I ever wanted was a simple life, this little hobby farm, where I don't have to deal with your kind\"\n\nThe Agent looked at him and shook his head \"You should know better than to think the Government would let a class 5 power source just be allowed to exist beyond their control, now come along quietly and don't make this hard\"\n\nJames sighed looked at the agent, wondering what they could in fact do to him \"and If I don't?\"\n\n\"You know how this works, while we may not be able to hurt you directly, given your power rating, We will kill your family, your wife, children, parents, siblings, all of which do not have powers, even your dog if you make this harder on us than is needs to be\"\n\nLook at the agent defeated like and walking over \"Alright, if that is how it has to be, then that is how it has to be\"\n\n\"Good choice, now I'm going to put these cuffs on you, which should neutralize your powers\"\n\nBefore the agent could apply the Cuffs James garbed him, lifted him off the ground like he was nothing, glaring into his eyes for a brief moment \"What makes you think, I won't or can't do the same to you, I am a class 5 power being, I could kill everyone you ever cared about, and the person next to them, and there is not a damn thing you can do to stop me?\"\n\nThe agent nodded and then punched James in the face, knocking him back and breaking his grip \"That is why we send Class 4 or higher to deal with people like you Mr Grimback, because you just don't want to make things easy, and while you might be stronger than I am, trust me, we have Class 5's that can and will stop you, so, I'll excuse your little outburst if you law down now\"\n\nJames growled and moved faster than the agent could even believe, driving his hand into the agents chest, crushing the charged armor like it was wet paper. \"Everyone, You ever loved\" Was that my threat? ahh.. I'll just kill everyone\"\n\nSeveral more agents arrived, flying under their own power, and now taking aim at James \"Drop the Agent, Target 6538\" the one in charge said.\n\n\"Sure\" James growled out as he threw the agent into the ground, shattering their every bone and then stepping on them to ensure they didn't live through it \"Any further Requests?\"\n\nShots were fired, flame, acid, even atomic denotations rang out across the farm till only the Agent in command and James still stood, \"I have no idea how you survived those uranium rounds Mr Grimback, but I assure, we are evenly matched, there is no way you can win this, more are coming, and you will succumb\"\n\nJames nodded as if agreed \"About that\" he said as he moved even faster and grabbed the agent by the throat before the man could move \"I'm not a Class 5\"\n\nThe agent kicked James with all he had, right in the groin, a blow that sent shockwaves through the area and James didn't even flinch. \"How?\" the agent said \"Class 5 is the strongest rating, how did you shrug that off?\"\n\nJames pinned the agent to the ground, slowing crushing his windpipe \"I was holding back when they were testing us in school\" as the agent slowly blacked out \"I was holding back by a lot\" the agent went limp and James stood back up to more agents arriving.\n\n\"Always... Always am I forced to fight when all I sought was a peaceful life of coexistence\" James let out a long deep sigh as he rose up to face the threat. Blood, Violence, Death, and until finally the whole planet split asunder, James floating there among the debris of the once thriving planet, now just chucks and dirt and death floating in space.\n\nLooking off to space as a tear rolled down his face, the flesh sliding off their face, as James, the human, façade faded away, just one of the many identities the being had used to try and find a home. They wept internally wondering how many more worlds would force him to destroy them, before he found one that would just allow him to live a simple life.", "\"Well shit.....\" I said looking at the spectral imagine floating in front of me. \"There are just some things you do not project on a man. I don't normally tap into that level of power.\"\n\nThe specter looked around frantically at the splatter of unidentifiable matter spread in a perfect circle around him. A look of shock spread across the specters face as it began waving its arms frantically.\n\n\"Hey now I know you're upset but I was at least able to grab your soul before it got sucked away to the next level.\" I said waving an arm over the goo all around. \"I'm gonna put that meat suit of yours back together good as new. In fact I did notice some health issues I can fix while I'm at it? Tell ya what use this character creation construct and you can tell me how to put the meatsuit back together and what things you want fixed and upgraded. I'm trying to remember what I picked to be honest... seems to have worked out for me so no complaints.\"\n\nA spectral tablet drifted over to the spectral being and a glow erupted from its screen as it was turned on.\n\n\"Actually you know what. Here.\" With a snap of his finger a large beautiful crystal appeared at the specters feet. \"This will act as a power source and guide. Don't worry it knows how to do everything I do and more to be honest but I forget what at the moment..\n\nTurning to walk away \"also its gonna keep you safe a secure until you are done and then it will take you anywhere you want to go. Have fun!\"" ]	9
	[WP] Your phone comes out with a new update which lets you search photos by date. You decide to see what would happen if you searched a future date and you find a video of you dying.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 couldn’t explain it. Surely this is just an old video of you… at the zoo… in the bear exhibit… being ripped to shreds… and eaten alive.\n\nYou’ve watched it over and over trying to find a reason, any reason, to explain how this video showed up on tomorrows date. A reason other than the obvious one staring you in the face. This video is something filmed tomorrow. \n\nAs you drift off to sleep, the thought of school feels amlmost reassuring. Waking up the next morning and immediately checking if the video was still there felt like a mistake in retrospect. You view the footage again, and begin to miss the blissful security you had last night. Reminding yourself out loud you say “You’re going to school. Nowhere near the zoo” and finish getting ready, grabbing your stuff as you head out the door.\n\nYour heel bounces rapidly as you sit at your desk rewatching the video, looking for any detail that might hint at what it was exactly. “Hey man, me and Charlie were talking about ditching today, you in?” Your friend Ken startled you making you jump. \n\n“Watching porn in class? Ew dude!” Charlie joked. \n\nYou click your phone screen off as Ken insisted, “Come on man, let’s get out of here for the day and do something fun.”\n\nNormally, you’d be more than tempted. But today, the school was sanctuary. You turned them down, and as disappointed as they were, they didn’t press you any further. If you can just avoid going to the zoo until the end of the day, then you can finally stop obsessing about this video from the future. As class starts, you find your mind wandering, asking questions like “can I change the future?” You notice that today you put on your red shirt, which is only notable because you are clearly wearing a yellow shirt in the video. “I bet this is all a hoax” you try to convince yourself in light of this new discrepancy.\n\nSuddenly, the whole class began collecting their things. “Wait what’s happening?” You snap back from day dreaming and look around as you start gathering your stuff as well.\n\n“Now class, let’s head outside and form a line at the bus parked outside. Remember field trip rules everyone!” The teacher called out over the growing noise as students began chattering on their way outside. \n\n“Field trip?” You dimly ask to the other students around you as you shuffle onto the bus. \n\n“We’re you spacing out or something. We’re going to the zoo to learn about biomes and habitats.” \n\n“How could you let this happen!” You think to yourself as your anxiety level begins to rise while taking your seat. \n\n“We’re here! Make sure you put on this shirt so we’ll all be easier to see as a group.” The teacher prodded you and as you slid the bright yellow school shirt over your head, you and your class started to make their way through the zoo. Most were looking at the animals as they listened to the teacher. You were more focused on the stationary public map, carefully checking how far from the bear exhibit was from the You Are Here sticker. “Uh….” You look around, realizing your class moved on without you. To which exhibit, you’re not quite sure.\n\nYou jog past the gibbons and stop at the macaws. You notice a few yellow shirt kids over by the restrooms and catch up to them as they arrive at the reptile exhibit. You take a moment to catch your breath but notice these aren’t students from your class. Just some random tourists.\n\n“God dam it.” You curse, looking for the closest map to reorient yourself until you hear a scream from around the corner. People run over to a set of metal bars lining a cliff and you follow. They’re pointing at a toddler that had fallen into a nearby enclosure. Now, you’ve never really considered yourself a brave person, then again you’ve never found yourself in a situation where you could make a brave choice, but here you find yourself almost without thinking, sliding your jacket off and telling someone “hold this” as you hand them your coat and climb over the railing. They notice your phone in the pocket of your jacket as you carry the child over to the service entrance and pound on the door hoping there was someone on the other side to let you through, but your heart sank as no one answered while three bears lumber over in your direction.\n\n“Stay here” you tell the kid who huddles against the door crying as you run away drawing the bears attention. You happen to look up and among the crowd of spectators you see your jacket being held by the guy you gave it to as he films you on your phone. Your last thought is being surprised at how fast bears can run. The last sound you hear is the crunching and popping of bear teeth through your bones." ]	2
	[WP] “I’ve never liked looking in mirrors… whatever the thing that stares back at me is, I don’t think it’s human. I don’t even think it’s actually 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&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 wasn't always like this. I used to be a normal person, well, as normal one can be these days. Mirrors reflected me, my whole body, but not anymore. That thing isn't me, I'm stuck as a passenger in my body.\n\nI don't know exactly when things changed. Or what caused it. Perhaps it was the one time I got got migraines. I should have asked mom to take me to the hospital then.\n\nBut I thought it was just a headache, it got better and I went to sleep. That was a mistake. I woke up in the morning trapped in a body that wasn't under my control.\n\nI looked in the mirror, and tried to talk. But my jaw was locked, and this thing staring back at me didn't even care. That pissed me off! I struggle to move my arm and punch the glass, making it shatter and cut my knuckles.\n\nMother barged in the bathroom, she heard the glass break and held my injured hand. \"Derek! What did you do!\" I tried to call her, but the intruder says that his arm moved by itself. I'm here! I did this!\n\n\"Hold the towel on the cut, we'll see the doctor.\" My mother forced my body to go to the hospital. Did she understand my call for help? Could she see her trapped son in my eyes? I hope so, I hope this can be fixed.\n\n>\"How's Derek? Do you know what's wrong?\" The neurologist examined the imaging of the boy's brain, pointing at a spot. \"See this? It's a stroke. It affected his frontal lobe, that's why his arm acted by itself.\" It could be brief, or last a lifetime.", "Gravitas (that was the boy’s name) lifted himself and his newfound friends into the air.\n\n“Are you sure this is safe?!” shouted Shard, over the howling wind.\n\n“Unless you have another way of getting to an invisible flying fortress, this is the only way!” Gravitas replied.\n\nOutbreak’s supervillain lair was apparently located in the sky and cloaked with cutting-edge technology. That would explain why the Protector Alliance were unable to find it. According to Gravitas, all sightings of Outbreak on the surface were, in fact, decoys made of human skin and puppeteered by her insects.\n\nAs they broke past the invisibility field, the massive aircraft revealed itself. It resembled a massive airship, except instead of gas in its balloon, there were swarms of insects keeping it in the air. She was not sure whether to be impressed or horrified.\n\nGravitas flew them towards a door on the side, pausing before he opened it.\n\n“The fortress is likely packed with henchmen, so as soon as we get in, we’re going to have to fight.”\n\nShard and Whim nodded in unison as Gravitas smashed the door down and all hell broke loose.\n\n---\n\nIt was easier than she thought. Earlier, Shard had went back home to retrieve her superhero outfit. Unlike most other supersuits, hers had a very practical purpose, other then concealing her identity. Due to the reflective gemstones on it, she could summon her tentacles directly from her body. Between that and Gravitas’ gravity manipulation, there was no doubt what the outcome of the battle would be. Bullets curved around them as eldritch tendrils pulled the henchmen into nothingness. Once everyone in their way was dead, they proceeded. This process repeated a few times as they went through the ship until they reached Outbreak’s office.\n\nGravitas held up a hand, silently counting down. Three, two, one. He kicked down the door and they charged into the room. It was spacious, with a small table at the end of the room with a chair behind it, facing away from the. Outbreak swiveled around to face them, looking very cheerful for someone whose entire guard was massacred.\n\n“Took you long enough.” she said.\n\n“Is this really you?” Shard said. “No decoys this time?”\n\n“No decoys.”\n\n“What’s stopping us from killing you right now?” asked Whim.\n\n“The fact that I’ve just infected you with an insect-borne virus for which there is no cure. Well, except one.”\n\nShe held up a vial of red liquid.\n\n“This is a vial of preterhuman blood that has the capability to cure any ailment. But I will only cure you if Shard here promises to join me.”\n\n“Why me?”\n\n“Because your power is quite extraordinary. With me helping you, we could discover new ways to use it! We could rule the world. Just join me and your friends get a happy ending, now and forevermore. What do you say?”\n\nShard looked at Outbreak, then at her friends.\n\n“I’m sorry, guys.” she said, and ran into the mirror-like reflective window, disappearing into pitch black oblivion." ]	3
	[WP] Everyone loved Mary, she was powerful, perfect, important, and everything you want to see in a person. Only you're immune to her ability, to influence the minds and memories of everyone else, and you need to stop her.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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’re sure? You have a complaint to file against Mary?” Mark asked, standing outside the door to her room.\n\n“Yes, I do.”\n\n“But she is perfect, what could you possibly have to say against her? I should really have you arrested for even suggesting the thought, but for you, I’ll let it slide.”\n\n“Thank you”\n\nHe opened the door. Inside the room, at the far end, sat Mary. She didn’t look very surprised, in fact she looked as if she knew this day would come.\n\n“I knew the one holdout was you,” she said as you walked across the room. “It made sense, you’ve spent so long around me that I couldn’t affect you.”\n\n“How does it feel? To know that no one can ever think poorly of you, and sees you as a paragon of all paragons?”\n\nShe smiled slightly “it’s nice, aren’t you happy for me? You always cheered me up, but now I don’t need that, everyone likes me, and can’t think otherwise. If you want, I can make them like you too.”\n\n“No, Mary I just want you to stop all of this, to stop taking their lives away from them.”\n\n“I’m not taking their lives away, you of all people should understand that. They just can’t think poorly of me anymore.”\n\n“So? What happened to letting people do as they please? I just want my best friend back, the one who accepted that she couldn’t be good enough for everyone but tried anyways, not this thought police you.”\n\nHer eyes narrowed. “I decided enough is enough. You were there, you know what they all said about me…and my mother…”\n\n“Mary, I ask you this from a place of friendship only. Do you think your mother would be proud of what you’ve done? What happened to her was horrible, and it was horrible that everyone rushed that as a way to attack you and hurt you, but is this really the response you think she’d want you to have? Even the people who had nothing to do with it, and people like your sister, who would never dream of being mean to you, all equally enthralled into compulsive love? That’s not life, that’s servitude.”\n\n“I—“ then her face softened “…what have I done? I stole away a part of everyone’s will, and for what, to make me feel better? Mom wouldn’t have wanted this, she’d be disappointed with me if she saw. How did I ever let it get to this point? You’re right, I’m better than this, I’m so sorry.”\n\n“If you truly believe that, then make it better.”\n\n“Ok, I will…but can you stay here with me? I need some true emotional support, if you don’t hate me.”\n\n“Yes, you’re my friend, I will always be there for you.”\n\nAs you sat down next to her, she didn’t say anything, but you could see she was crying." ]	2
	[WP] John sat on the harmchair and looked at the demon: "Look, it's been a long day. I handed almost 300 orders, surfing around the city with my bike. I could not even have a coffee. I am not in the mood for anything. "	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Oh, okay. Do you wanna just cuddle?\"\n\nJohn smiled at Oleander warmly. \"That would be perfect, hon. But could you maybe carry me to the bedroom? I barely had the strength to open the door.\"\n\nOleander nodded and scooped up his husband out of the harmchair (which was just a recliner the couple had named as a joke). Oleander then carted John off and dropped him onto the bed. As John bundled himself up in the blankets, Oleander wrapped his arms around him and began spooning him, being careful not to poke John in the back of the head with his horns. Oleander's breath was warm and cinnamon-scented as he purred, \"I'm very happy you don't have any plans for the rest of the day, because you are not leaving this bed.\"\n\nJohn sighed contentedly and responded, \"Music to my ears, my big clingy cinnamon bun.\" John nestled into Oleander further, making his belly jiggle. Oleander laughed and kissed John on the cheek with a soft, \"I love you so much.\"\n\n\"I love you too, big red.\"" ]	2
	[WP] You awoke to a strange noise in your bedroom. You stood up, faster than ever. The room spun, your vision blurred, but you could still see some strange glowing marks on your arm that weren't there before. Looking in the mirror, you gasped. Your eyes glowing purple; the same purple as the marks.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 the fu-\" was all I had time to say before my door broke open.\n\n\"Okay, that's messed up.\" There was nobody behind it. Nothing except a chair with a crayon smiley face. Then it slid towards me at- I don't know how I knew this- 65 miles per hour. With an impossibly timed dodge, I moved to the left. It started to slide towards me again, but this time it directly hit me, and would have crushed me inbetween the wall if I hadn't jumped with superhuman speed, and then kicked the thing in half.\n\n\"What on god's green earth was that!?\"\n\nI heard whispering in my ear. I could make out the words cruentantur peccatores, et cenent animae indignorum omnis qui non adoraverit, in manu tua morietur through the haze. Confused, I fell to the ground. That's when I realized that the candle on the fireplace wasn't there. I quickly got to my feet, and looked up. And clear as day, a floating candle could be seen.\n\n\"I don't know what's going on, man!\" I heard from the next room across. Then there were gunshots. Not having the time to deal with that, I ducked below a table right before that candle bathed almost the entire room in flames. One spark landed on my hair, and I hit my head so hard I got a mild concussion.\n\nPanicked, I ran to the room across the hall. There was a man, holding a gun.\n\n\"I don't know what's going on, man!\" I yelled at him. In the same whisper from earlier, he said negotium tuum defecisti sicut decies septies habes. iterum tenta. Then he shot me, and I awoke to a strange noise in my bedroom. I stood up, faster than ever...", "He awoke to a strange noise and bolted to his feet. The room spun, his vision blurring, but he could still see some strange glowing marks on his arm that weren't there before. Looking at the mirror, he gasped. His eyes glowed purple, the same purple as the marks.\n\nThe noise came again; shattering glass, then footsteps. He faced the door, his heart racing. The footsteps drew closer, more than one pair, and there was a hiss of inhaled air.\n\nThe footsteps ceased before the door was blasted from its hinges. In rushed two horrible humanoid creatures, impossibly pale, with mouths full of needle-like teeth and curved claws. \n\nHe barely had the time to raise his arms defensively before the first monster slammed into him, claws grazing his forearm as they sought to puncture his throat. He kicked it, and the creature staggered back and snarled, spraying saliva. The second one flanked him and lunged at him. Before he knew what he was doing, he punched with his marked arm.\n\nThe marks flashed, and a transparent image of his fist burst forth, knocking back the monster and caving in its chest. It collapsed to the floor and didn't get up. The other one screeched and lunged again, but he brought up his marked arm in defense, and a barrier shimmered into existence, blocking the monster. As it staggered back, he snapped back its neck with another flying fist.\n\nHisses and growls drifted from outside. He glanced down at his arm, made a fist, and stepped out the door. A dozen of monsters lurked down the hallway, and upon seeing him, they all screeched and attacked.\n\nThe next few minutes were a blur of claws, blood, and flashes of purple energy. He found that he could tap the mark for a burst of strength, and used it to toss a monster at its brethren before finishing the lot off with a flying fist. He fought his way to the exit and found himself on a landing with a staircase and an elevator. \n\nHe called the elevator, and with his back to the door, fended off more monsters rushing from upstairs. The door dinged open, and he leaped in. Jabbing the bottom button with his thumb, he blasted an encroaching monster from the elevator with his marked arm. \n\nThe doors closed, and the elevator started to descend. He braced against the doors and ducked his head, panting for air. \n\nA creak of metal was his only warning before a heavy weight fell onto his shoulders and powerful arms clamped around his neck. They had broken into the cabin from above! As he struggled against the monster choking him, another leaped down before him. Snarling, it sank its claws into his chest.\n\nA scream erupted from his throat, but there was no pain, no sensation of claws penetrating his innards. As he stared down in shock, color drained from his vision, and he found himself drifting out of his body to behold the elevator cabin from above. A line of text appeared before his eyes.\n\n You Died\n Score: 37\n\nHe swore and reached up to his face to slide up his headset. Blinking at the light of his living room, he found his buddy Josh watching him with a broad grin.\n\n\"I told you DeepImmersion mode hits different,\" Josh said smugly. \"That the best you can do? Give that thing here and let me show you how it's done.\"\n\n\"Not yet,\" he growled, lowering the headset. \"I can do this.\"\n\nHe awoke to a strange noise and bolted to his feet. The room spun, his vision blurring, but he could still see some strange glowing marks on his arm that weren't there before. Looking at the mirror, he gasped. His eyes glowed purple, the same purple as the marks..." ]	3
	[WP] You are invulnerable, live forever, only you can end your life, and you can go back in time but not forward.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "(Split into 4 parts due to word limit - Enjoy)\n\n\"Dogs are the only animal that will love you, more then they love themselves\" the old man mused outload as he sat in the open field of of the Canine Sanctuary, watching thousands, if not millions of dogs run and rest in the fields. Huge drums that had to be around a thousand gallons or more, of Water and Food were set up to feed them so not a single one would go hungry or thirsty. The amazing part of that, was there were several drums set up around the land, so that the dogs never had to travel too far for something to eat or drink. Dog houses, and look outs, sun shades of all kinds were set up, some looking a lot older than others, all looking lovingly used and all of them, thousands of them, yet, every last one, was kept in good repair.\n\nGuests were allowed to come in, as the sanctuary never officially closed, but a donation box was set up with a sign, \"give what you can, but, if you could provide nothing else, at least bring dog treats\"\n\nPeople sat were the old man was, a place he sat in so much the very stone seems to have become shaped by his presence, and for obvious reasons he sat here everyday, as the view functioned as a look out over the land, allowing the guests to the vast fields, of happy puppies and old dogs alike, some scared from a lifetime of abuse by evil owners, others that were abandoned, some looked like well loved house pets that the owners could not afford, or keep due to housing issues, some were tripods, some even had wheelchairs.\n\nAn old yellow lab dragging a canine wheel chair to the old man, looked up at him, the dog seemed healthy but the old man looked down at the dog and smiled \"Alright, lets go get Tank and put their wheels on\"\n\nLooking at the people behind him \"Dogs, they have no limit to their love, to both us and each other\" and them smiled, many opted to stay, some started to walk off into the sanctuary to play with the dogs, which was allowed, if not encouraged.\n\nO few followed the old man as he came upon an old pitbull that had gotten paralyzed from beatings by their own after having lost a dogfight. The dog did not snarl, did not flinch, in fact it gave a happy grin on it's battle scared face and tried to wag it's tail and lower half which amounted to little more than bouncing around on it's front legs, till the old man finally picked the dog up and placed it's wheels on them, \"Alright you too go play\" and the pitbull and lab ran off into the fields together.\n\n\"How can you afford all this? This place looks immaculate, and all that food\" a very fine dressed woman said, who looked vastly out of place wearing high heels and a pencil skirt, when everyone else around them was wearing either sneakers or hiking boots, and some kind of hiking or other outdoors type outfit, where this women looked like she just stepped out of lavish and high powered office setting.\n\nThe old man looked at the dogs as they ran into the field \"Come, walk the trails with me, and I'll tell you all about it\"\n\nThe women looked at the barefoot old man, wearing blue sun bleached overalls, and a white cotton work shirt. His hands beaten from a lifetime of work to her manicured wrapped nails that never even washed a dish. Taking out a pair of worn in walking shoes, and handing them to the lady \"You will need these, already broken in for your convivence\"\n\nThe women looked at the shoes like they were dirty unclean thing, noticing they were in fact a high brand of shoe, and her size as well, even if a bit worn in, they were kept in perfect condition, clean, neat, and no dirt on them. \"Thanks\" she said, trying to hold back her disgust.\n\n\"The heels won't make the trail, you will twist your ankle less then a hundred feet down, slip, fall, and it's going to be ugly, put the shoes on\"\n\nScoffing, but,, seeing the absolute finality in the mans face that this was would be, if she wanted to talk and walk with him, she noticed a bench and put the shoes on. To her amazement they felt perfectly, like she had been wearing these shoes for months, all the toes, heel, all of it, seems to aligning to her foot as if crafted just for her. \"I've always known that Hermes' makes the best boots, but this amazing\"\n\n\"Broken in, just for you\" the old man said with a twinkle in his eye, and started to walk down the trail the second she had finished lacing up the boots.\n\nThe women got up and quickly walked after them, once they were alone on the trails the old man stopped, and looked at a Doghouse where one of the dogs gnawed the entrance, running his hand along the edge \"I'll have to remember to sand this, not sure how I missed that before\" he mused and then looked at the women \"so what brings you here?\"\n\n\"Well, we looked at your sanctuary and it seems you function only on donations, but how to afford all this, on just that box outside\"\n\nThe old man nodded and looked back to the fields \"It's really beautiful here, you lose sight of how amazing this little haven really over the years, especially when your eyes are always on the dogs, and the joys they bring, but let me tell you this Annie\"\n\n\"My name is Rebecca\" the women interrupted, but there was a look of shock and a bit of horror on her face.\n\n\"yes.. yes. that is what you call yourself, Rebecca Andrews of the Channel 5 Local News, who was Born Annie Smith\"\n\n\"How do you know that! \" The women growled.\n\n\"Because this place runs on magic, and we have had this discussion thousands of times\" the old man said and walked off down the path, towards a sleeping mastiff.\n\n\"Wait WHAT!\" Rebecca said as she rushed after him. \"Are you expecting me to believe that!?!\"\n\nThe old man laughed and petted the dog who grumbled a bit as it woke up and looked at the man, then smacked it's lips together and fell back asleep. \"he does that every time, and I never get tired of it\" the old man chucked." ]	2
	[WP] A young woman finally becomes an adventurer, but her noble steed is...a cow?!? 🐮 🐄	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\\[Cow: Noble\\]\n\n\"Well, congratulations...,\" Vivi nodded at the young blonde woman in overalls and a straw hat. They all stood in a barn around a white and black spotted cow. \"...she's 100% a normal cow, right Pyxis?\" Vivi turned to her friend. Golden stars faded from Pxyis' eyes as she nodded.\r \n \r \n\"Yep! Bessie's all normal,\" she said as she patted the cow's back.\r \n \r \n\"Whew, that's a relief,\" the blonde, Barley, said. \"It don't hurt nothing to make extra sure, you know? I appreciate you coming out to check on her for me,\" she said. Both girls grinned and shook their heads.\r \n \r \n\"It's good field experience,\" Vivi said. \"I'm glad Doc Mundo sent me.\"\r \n \r \n\"I'm just happy to meet you!\" Pyxis grinned. She already greeted Barley with a handshake that lasted too long when they arrived; but, she was still fighting the impulse to do it again.\r \n \r \n\"Wait a minute...,\" Vivi looked at Barley up and down. She was a short, plump woman with lush blonde curls. A second look around the barn highlighted the wall lined with numerous golden and silver oil lamps. She didn't pay much attention to it the first time. Then she glanced at Pyxis who stared at the woman; she was obviously starstruck. Vivi was working at Doc Mundo's clinic when he asked her to make a simple housecall for him. He didn't give her too much info; but, she knew he wouldn't give her anything she couldn't handle. Vivi asked her team for company and Pyxis was the only one available. She sounded like she was still on the fence until Vivi mentioned they were going to Barley's farm. It wasn't until just then that she realized why Pyxis changed her mind. \"... you're BARLEY!??\" she asked.\r \n \r \n\"I am,\" Barley nodded with a broad smile. \"And this here is my noble steed, Bessie,\" she giggled and gestured at the cow that Vivi examined. Doc Mundo ran a clinic for fae and other magical creatures. For some reason, Barley wanted to be sure Bessie wasn't one. Vivi felt the thrill of meeting someone famous course through her; Barley was one of the most well-known and well-liked players in the AlterNet. Aurora, the team leader, often went on and on about how wise Barley was. She would tell them if they ever needed advice, Barley was the one to ask. Even Doc Mundo had nothing but kind things to say about her.\r \n \r \n\"So...,\" Vivi wracked her mind for something to ask. In a way, she wanted to 'test out' Barley's wisdom. But, more than that, she felt like it would be a wasted opportunity if she left without asking for advice. Unfortunately, the pressure of being on the spot didn't help things. She dragged it out as much as she could; but, she needed to say something. \"...what was suspicious about the cow?\" she asked. It wasn't a useful question except for buying her more time to think.\r \n \r \n\"Nothin' particular, I suppose,\" Barley shrugged. \"I was in the mood to try some adventurin' and I wanted to make sure Bessie wasn't going to take it personally if'n I rode on her back.\"\r \n \r \n\"Sure, okay..,\" Vivi nodded. This was the paragon of wisdom that everyone talked about? \"..but, why did you choose a cow?\"\r \n \r \n\"Oh, I didn't,\" Barley shook her head. \"T'was chosen for me,\" she nodded at the wall full of hanging lamps.\r \n \r \n\"OOOH!\" Vivi was kind of surprised. \"You... wished for it?\" she asked. Even though she saw the dozen or so lamps hanging on the wall, she hadn't quite registered they were genie lamps until Barley pointed it out. Barley had a reputation for finding genies often. From some people's perspective, she had a reputation for wasting wishes frivolously as well.\r \n \r \n\"Kind of...,\" Barley nodded. All the positive gossip she'd heard about Barley was fading fast. Why would anyone waste a wish on a single mount at all? And, a cow a that! Wishing for money could have bought her the best horse and adventuring gear and more. Vivi wasn't usually a judgemental person; she loved helping people and it was why she wanted to learn with Doc Mundo. But, at the moment, she was struggling with her own preconceived notions about Barley. \"If'n you want some advice, you should always be careful what you say to people; especially genies,\" she giggled.\r \n \r \n\"Yeah,\" Vivi nodded. \"Most people know that,\" she said. It was hard not to sound disenchanted; but, no one noticed. Barley seemed generally oblivious about things and somehow Pyxis was still starstruck.\r \n \r \n\"I've had plenty of run-ins with genies and even I forget sometimes,\" Barley grinned and nodded.\r \n \r \n\"How did you end up with a cow?\" Vivi asked. She was curious about the wording that Barley used; she wanted to believe the woman wouldn't just wish for a cow to start with. Though, her answer only disappointed Vivi further.\r \n \r \n\"Heck if I know?\" Barley shrugged. \"I'm still tryin' to figure out what the genie misunderstood. I thought my wish was pretty simple,\" she said.\r \n \r \n\"Okay,\" Vivi nodded. At least she had an opening now. \"What exactly was your wish?\"\r \n \r \n\"Oh, here, listen,\" Barley reached into the front pocket of her overalls and pulled out her clear node. \"I started recording my wishes for when they go wrong,\" she said. She navigated the interface like a smartphone, then she held up the card to Vivi. The screen showed Barley on screen in front of a blue, half-man with a smoky bottom half.\r \n \r \n\"Okay, I want to start adventurin'. So here's my first wish. I wish to have a neat mount to get around on. Something friendly that won't mind me riding it. And the most important thing is...,\" The Barley on-screen stressed the last part of her request. \"...it's very important that it's noble!\"\r \n\r \n\\\\\\* \nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1763 in a row. (Story #318 in year five.). This story is part of an ongoing saga that takes place at a high school in my universe. It began on August 22nd and I will be adding to it with prompts every day until May 26th. They are all collected in order at [this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hugoverse/comments/wtglls/tokuhigh_alternet_class/)." ]	2
And the fish are the least of what lives in the Coronal Abyss.	[WP] Humans have been observing sunspots for centuries, but it wasn't until space probes in the 1960s finally revealed a truth no one could have guessed. They were fish. Planet-sized schools of ghostly transparent fish, each one as large as a whole country. Welcome to the Solar Sea.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Doctor Semeroff, please explain it to the other generals and admirals like you told me.\" General Kirkmeyer thought it best to have all branches informed of this discovery before discussing how to proceed.\n\n\"Ah, yes General. The Hemingway satellite was launched earlier this year, April to be precise. It's goal was to observe the sun and the sun spots that it formed. We thought there were problems, but we've recently been able to verify... this.\"\n\nThe scientist revealed a sketch that looked like a school of fish, coming out of the sun. The heads of the military murmured amongst themselves.\n\nA Navy Admiral spoke up first. \"How was this verified?\"\n\n\"One of the radio telescopes we've been using has matching data. In fact, it's been recording this data, but it's been dismissed as background noise. It turns out that the satellite actually confirmed what the radio telescope was seeing.\"\n\nA Marine was next. \"So this information is available everywhere around the world?\"\n\n\"Um, yes, technically.\"\n\n\"What do you mean 'technically'? Is it or isn't it?\"\n\n\"It's there but it's not obvious. It's... Excuse me, General, how did you put it?\"\n\nKirkmeyer looked at him. \"It's hiding in plain sight. They have the data, they just don't know it.\" The Marine General nodded. \"Now, tell him what else you've found.\"\n\n\"Oh. Well, that's not the limit of it. The new data suggested we look at older data and... see.\" He lifted another sheet. It was a sketch of what looked like moon sized octopi. \"This is from data we have on Uranus. Using these new ways of reading the data, there are a number of lifeforms similar to this in our pond.\"\n\nKirkmeyer got an odd look on his face before asking, \"What do you mean, pond?\"\n\n\"Well, we just finished the calculations this morning before the briefing. Our solar system is like a pond. The closer to gravity you are, the simpler and smaller a creature can be, like shallow water. But as you go farther out, creatures get larger.\"\n\nThe Marine piped up again. \"Considering we're the third planet from the sun then, what's our risk?\"\n\n\"Oh, no risk in the immediate area. It seems our planet's natural electromagnetic field acts as a repellent to the small ones. They literally swim away from it. But that's not the threat.\" The scientist flipped another page. This was a model of the solar system, that much was obvious. But it looked a bit hazy, as if in a dome.\n\nOne of the Air Force's generals spoke up. \"I recognize the solar system, but what's with the haze?\"\n\n\"That is the Oort Cloud. We believe it to contain material too small to be pulled in towards the sun, yet not able to escape its gravity. We are currently working on defining it as best we can. It may be impossible to map all of it, but we must try.\"\n\n\"Why?\"\n\n\"Because if our theories hold true and gravity is a detriment to growth, then whatever lies beyond the Oort Cloud would be able to grow almost unrestricted. If it were to approach our system, it would have to disrupt the Oort Cloud.\"\n\n\"And why is that important?\"\n\n\"Because we've yet to learn how they feed.\"" ]	2
	[WP] "Earth, Water, Air and Fire?? No, no, no, no! The Elementals are Solid, Liquid, Gas and Plasma!"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Amy had a large smile on her face. 5th grade virtual science class hadn’t been going too well for her, but now was her time to shine! She hit the space bar on her laptop. “The elements are Earth, wind, air, and fire. ” \n\nDJ could not believe her smugness. He also pressed his space bar. “Nah. This is easy. Solid, liquid, and gas are the elements.” \n\nSuddenly Kendal remembered something. She was already off of mute, since she forgot to turn it off the last time she spoke. “You forgot plasma! My dad said plasma is one too. You know, like ketchup?” \n\n“Hmmmm. I am going to eat ketchup on my hot dog for lunch,” Dakota noted. He was also still off of mute, so the class also heard his sister in the background having an argument with their mom. \n\n“I don’t like ketchup!” AJ seemed passionate about this. \n\nA chorus of “what?!?!” and “how can you not like ketchup?” and “do you at least like mustard?” filled the chat. \n\n“I just don’t.” She shrugged. \n\n“It’s ok!” Amy reminded the class “Different people like different things.”\n\nThe chat noted that this was true. \n\nTaylor (whose mic never worked) lifted something up to her screen. \n\n“OH MY GOODNESS IT IS SUCH A CUTE PUPPY!” Kendall squealed. “What’s it’s name?” \n\nTaylor had to put the puppy down, hold it back with one hand and type with the other. Most kids weren’t paying attention by the time she typed “Tiny.” \n\nBlake, whose internet was always slow, finally commented, “I like ketchup too!” \n\nEveryone ignored him. \n\n“Hey!” Ally suddenly noticed. “Where’s the teacher?” \n\nNo one knew. \n\n“Maybe she lost internet?” Amber wondered. “That is what happened to me last week!” Amber and Ally were twins, so they were in the same room. Both forgot to mute their mike so everyone else’s started to ring \n\n“Party!” DJ proclaimed excitedly. He had been hoping something like this would happen. \n\nIt was at that moment that a ding sounded out. The ringing, yelling, and background arguing were silenced as all mics were muted. Miss Terran was finally back. \n\n“I am so sorry guys. My internet blipped for a second. Ok. Elements. As I am sure you remember from yesterday, there are over 100 elements. They make up everything. Some examples are gold, carbon, and oxygen.”" ]	2
	[WP] You’re an immortal who has seen the rise and fall of nations, worlds, powerful figures and the one you loved. You finally found a way to pass on and decided to write a final message to those that remain.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "To whom it may concern,\n\nI, known by the name Mary Smith, being of sound mind do hereby make my last will and testament.\n\nSo that it may be proven that I am who I say I am, and that what I say now is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me Father Zeus, I leave vials of blood to edifices of learning throughout the world. I also sign this document, and press my thumbprint in blood. While my blood will not reveal the secret of my semi-immortality, it will prove my ancient DNA.\n\nTruth number one. Zeus was my father. He was a real person. He was not a god the way that people think now, but he lived thousands of years, as have I.\n\nTruth number two. The pyramids were not built by aliens, they only influenced the designers. The aliens were from a ship that malfunctioned, causing several (I never found out exactly how many) escape pods to launch and land in various places on the globe. They are gone now, they were able to 'phone home' as the saying goes.\n\nTruth number three. Alexander the Great was assassinated, he was pushed over that wall specifically to be at the mercy of the Babylonians.\n\nTruth number four. I never found proof that Jesus Christ existed, preached, or was crucified in such a manner. The whole truth is that I never found proof that he didn't, either. I do know that the Vatican has many contemporary works that address this, and that King James was a misogynistic bastard (literally) that used his authority to declare what the 'translations' said.\n\nTruth number five. Mohammed did exist, but he was not a person such as Zeus and myself (and others). I don't know if he was holy, just that he existed.\n\nTruth number six. The Black Plague was accidently released by another group of aliens. They didn't realize that their form of alcohol had active bacteria in it that eventually crossed species. They were more closely related to reptiles than primates after all. They apologize.\n\nTruth number seven. Queen Victoria was not a werewolf, she was a werebeagle. Fortunately she did not pass it on to her children.\n\nTruth number eight. Arch Duke Ferdinand's death was an accident. They were trying to get an assassin in the crowd but a gust of wind... well, he apologized too. I oversaw his ritual suicide myself after the war was over.\n\nTruth number nine. President Kennedy had four people with guns to kill him at different places along his route. Three were pissed off women, one was a nutjob. Guess which one actually did it.\n\nFinally, Truth number ten. Send a message in ancient Egyptian (since the Aztec language studies have less to go on after that idiot Cortez got through with them) towards the first star to the left of Polaris (from England at the end of February) and tell them that they owe you, and you want the cure for cancer now in reparation. Don't be too mad at them, they honestly spilled their Wug by accident into the Yangtze River.\n\n\\signed Mary Smith with a bloody thumbprint next to it\\" ]	2
	[WP] You just invented time-travel. You went back to the past and accidentally interfered majorly with the timeline. Now you are afraid that you may have doomed the world or at least yourself to be forever stuck in a time paradox, but when you return to the present nothing seems to have changed.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Sweat poured down every inch of Berry's body as he sat in the time machine, waiting to see the damage. He had messed up so bad, he half expected to be greeted by all his friends as Nazis, if all those time travel tropes were to be believed. What they don't show you, though, is how long it takes to get there. Who would have guessed it takes time to bend time? But finally, it was over, noted by a soft ding and the slowing of whirring parts, as the door unlatched itself. Berry walked to the exit of his chamber, tightly gripping the latch, taking in a deep breath, and then... \n \nHe swung the door open, only to find... nothing. Nothing different anyway. He was baffled, surely letting such an important figure die would have changed... something? Stepping out, he looked out the window to see only more of the same. But what he expected even less, however, was to see himself once again walking out of the chamber. \"Hi me,\" he declared. \"I'm you from the future. Peanuts.\" \n \n\"Wh-what?,\" Berry could hardly comprehend what was happening, he could barely even process what his future self just said, or why on earth he would say it. \n \n\"Sorry, the time stream doesn't like a person meeting themself, and it kind of results in, as it were, glitches in the future version. Cashews.\" And as he said it, he spun around once, while giving a wave. \"And for some reason they seem to be mostly nut based. Look, I can't be here long before those glitches start getting painful, so I'll be quick. You need to go back in time one day before you did last time to the exact same location and you'll see a box on the main table. Hide it in the right coat pocket of the jacket hanging on the chair.\" \n \nBerry could hardly believe any of this, much less process it, but what rang in his head loudest of all was the chance to fix his mistake. \"Ok. Ok, one day before, got it. Um. Are you not going to go back?.\" \n \n\"Hm? No. You go, I stay,\" said the future Berry, seeming to already be making himself at home, staring out the window. \n \n\"Oh. Yeah, uh, that makes sense. Well then, I guess, bye?\" \n \n\"Almonds,\" and future Berry gave a wave, without looking back, as present Berry stepped into the machine. \n \n___ \n \n\nTry as Berry might, he couldn't process what just happened. Regardless, he didn't need to, he just needed to follow his own instructions. It took a seemingly agonizing amount of time, but he had finally made it, the box right where it was supposed to be. Without hesitation, Berry took the box and walked over to the coat, stopping right before putting it in. \n \nImmense curiosity overtaking him, he opened the box. Candlewax, it was a box of very dark red candlewax. And then it all made sense. Thinking back, that blood did look a little too stiff, but it's not like he could tell as he was running for his life at the time. Against all odds, Berry started to chuckle, before full on hysterically laughing in the empty room. After a good half a minute, the hapless time traveler finally pulled himself and slipped the box into the coat, returning to the time machine and pressing buttons left and right. He steeled himself once more, for he'd only have one shot at this. \"Hi me,\" he declared. \"I'm you from the future. Peanuts.\"" ]	2
	[WP] A paranormal investigator sleeps overnight in a haunted house. The resident ghost however, isn't evil or wants to drive them out, they're just very excited about their first sleepover in 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&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 gotten reports about this home, and it was a bit weird even for paranormal standards. The only influences reported were TV channel changes, food going missing, and a dog going nuts playing with something invisible. \n\nResearch turned up nothing for this address, no murder, suicide, weird cult, nada. That had turned off my colleagues from coming along, they preferred the thrill of a hostile ghost. So I came here to settle if this was truly the job of an entity.\n\nThe residents let me crash here while they went on vacation, but not before making me sign a contract to not cause property damage. I get where they're coming from, Leroy's still paying for the warehouse he fucked up with a forklift and a few propane tanks.\n\nNow I'm sitting on the couch, my tool bag to my right and my camera to the left. \"Record number one, date is XX of October, year XX. Jeff here, I'm here to try and contact the ghost.\" The TV turned on by itself. \"Ghost? Was that you? Say yes by switching the channel twice.\"\n\nI pick up the camera and sure enough, there was a kid by the TV. \"Hello, friend.\" I placed a pager on the table and told the ghost how to use it to communicate. His name was James, and he was only curious about things. ~~\"The last family had a Collie, she was so pretty.\"~~\n\nAs for the reason he haunted this place... ~~\"My parents lived here, until a while ago.\"~~ There was one question I had to answer, he didn't seem to be a vengeful spirit of sorts. \"Do you remember how you died?\" The kid scratched his head. ~~\"I died at the hospital. It was leukemia.\"~~ \n\nUnfinished business and wasn't bound to one place, choosing to stay at his parent's home. I wondered what else I could do, a ghost born from natural causes was a first for me, I had no idea if there was a ritual for inoffensive spirits. ~~\"Can we have a slumber party?\"~~ \"Ah? Yes. We can.\"\n\nI pulled movies in my laptop and he would ask me if any games came out lately, it seems that the hipster and his girlfriend were a bit of luddites, only the TV and appliances were in the house. Honestly, I had fun with James. It was no mad dash through hallways with a banshee on my heels, but it was nice.\n\nI woke up with a cricked neck from sleeping in the sofa. \"James? Where are you?\" I searched the house, but he was gone. \"Oh. I see.\" I felt a little bad, the boy was so nice compared to some stuff I faced before. \"Did he move on?\" I hope it was to a better place.\n\nTerry and the gang were waiting for me, expecting it to be a boring unhaunted home. \"It was haunted. And I got the ghost on video-\" Wait, the camera turned on alone. My crew and I stared at the screen, the kid was smiling and waving at us." ]	2
	[WP] You are a demigod; a being of raw power and nature. Rather than shape stars or conquer nations, you placed yourself in a humble village, fixing what’s broken, and protecting children.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Bronco had discovered his ability to shape and manipulate matter when he was a toddler. He questioned his parents, and when he was a young man, they told him the truth. He was left at their door as a baby, and the basket he came in turned into a cornucopia of food the next morning! It never eroded, and always produced enough food for the day!\n\nThe only clue of his possible heritage was a symbol on his chest, something that appeared as a mountain with a temple on the top! His parents had always been happy, loving, and generous with him and the entire village. Although he was always smarter than the other children, he only proved his wisdom and strength when needed. Often, he was able to give false credit to someone or something else for rescues, miracles, and help when needed!\n\nHe had always had a keen interest in agriculture and homeopathy. Mother had given him a basic knowledge of herbs and spices, and how they could cure almost anything! Father had showed him how to raise crops and livestock. When he discovered that he was not normal, he realized that all those rescues, miracles, and general help had not been accidents! \n\nHe had been raised on the legend of the great healer, Lucas. Legend spoke of the many people healed by him on the top of Mount Vasco! The village often sent him off on mercy missions with a full supply of herbs and other medicines, and he never failed to return without a reward or gift to honor the village. \n\nBronco decided that if he was to learn to be a physician, he would be best taught by Lucas. However, the journey up to the top of Mount Vasco was dangerous. Many of his people told legends of wild animals, caves, and other traps that lay in wait. His father told him that only someone with a pure heart could hope to scale Mount Vasco!\n\nHis mother collected all the herbs and medicines she could, and his father made his best mule ready for the long and dangerous journey. The chief of his village came to see him off! He warned Bronco to be on his guard, and to trust no one! He told Bronco that he would recognize Lucas by a symbol on his back, resembling Mount Vasco. This served as a sign to Bronco that he may find his heritage in the village!\n\nThe thing that surprised Bronco was how smooth the journey was, until he began to scale Mount Vasco. He was about half-way up the trail when the weather changed. He found a cave and took shelter. His campfire and dinner made him sleepy, and he dreamed of his father warning him to beware of the grey wolf!\n\nAfter breakfast, Bronco set out for the top of Mount Vasco. He was about a mile from the village when a massive grey wolf appeared in front of him! His mule tried to flee back down the trail, but Bronco tied him to the nearest tree. He slowly approached the grey wolf, and the grey wolf stopped snarling! He took some jerky from his satchel and gave them to the grey wolf. Afterwards, three wolf pups appeared from the bushes, and he fed them as well!\n\nWhile he tended to the pups, the grey wolf had disappeared. About 15 minutes later, the grey wolf reappeared, and a large man in purple robes appeared with her! He saw the birthmark on Bronco's chest, and he removed his purple robe, revealing a mirror-image of Mount Vasco! Bronco had found Lucas!\n\nHe offered him a gift made by his uncle, a rare stone on a necklace. Lucas petted the grey wolf, and she and her pups disappeared into the bushes. Lucas led him to the village, and thanked him and his parents for the gift and the many herbs and medicines. Lucas led him to a small hut, which was to be his home for as long as he wished, and Lucas offered to teach him the healing arts. It was not long before Bronco's skills matched those of Lucas. \n\nThen, the day came for Bronco to decide if he would stay or return to his village. While he pondered his love for home and the genteel love of the people of Mount Vasco, Lucas came to him and said it was time for him to depart on his last mission! Bronco promised to stay until he returned, but Lucas assured him that he would not be returning.\n\nBronco led him to the chief of Mount Vasco, and the chief showed him the scroll of the story of the lost son. It spoke of the infant son of Lucas and Inga, taken in the night by an intruder who begged for healing, only to steal the infant and some treasure. The scroll said the infant may return one day, to take the place of Lucas as the village healer! Bronco smiled as he realized he was the infant, and Lucas was his father!\n\nThe only thing Bronco was puzzled about was where Lucas was going on his last mission. Lucas smiled, and he assured Bronco that he had finally learned the location of Inga. He had missed her for over 20 years, when she left in search of Bronco. She sent word of becoming the village physician on Mount Dirk, about a week's journey away. He wanted to see her and be with her before he passed away!\n\nBronco knew that his destiny had been fulfilled. He asked Lucas to send him word of he and Inga from Mount Dirk. Lucas assured him that he would, and he would also ask his adoptive parents and family from the village in the valley to come and visit. He assured him that the grey wolf would not harm anyone from the village.\n\nThe day came for Lucas to leave. The chief gave him the finest horse in the village, and gifts from the whole village. Bronco embrace his father, and the stone necklace was to be presented to Inga as a gift to his mother. Bronco wept as Lucas departed, knowing he would not see his father again. However, his legacy was complete, and he was home!", "\"There you are\" I said after wrapping the woman's leg. \"Look, I know that the men on the east side of the village said to leave the hunting to them, but I don't want this injury to dampen your spirit.\" \n\nThe woman looked at me with a wide smile and a firey pride in her eyes, \"Ha! You know me Corbin! I'd never let those wimps slow me down!\" \n\nI smile as her warrior spirit emanates from her voice. \"Yes Ella, but do remember that though their words can't really hurt you, that boar you were after nearly did. Your leg would have broken had you not been, well...you.\" \n\nShe smiled, \"Corbin, you always know just what to say. And don't you worry, I'll be back on that boar's tail before the end of the week!\"\n\nI smiled as Ella proudly walked out of the hut, clearly ignoring my advice to reduce the weight she put on her left ankle. \n\nIt didn't matter though, it may only look like a splint, but the magic coursing through her leg now will make sure that her leg is fully healed by next week.\n\nThen again, judging by her determination she'll probably force it to heal sooner just by looking at her leg with a fierce eye and tight lip. \n\nI get up to leave the hut, there shouldn't be any more injuries today... at least I hope not. As I walk through the village, I begin to reminisce about everything from back then.\n\nPantheons, orders, temples, none of those were things that I had, but not because I couldn't have them, simply because they weren't worth it.\n\nThat is of course not to say that I didn't still have a portfolio, all deities need a portfolio otherwise they'd just be abnormally strong humans with no immortality.\n\nAs for me, my portfolio is- a loud crack booms through the village as a blinding flash of lightning streaks across the sky and collides with the earth about 200 feet in front of me\n\nThe dirt burns to crystal as the heat from the lightning blows the ground apart, leaving a smoldering crater between two now burning houses\n\nI stare into the center of the crater knowing this would happen someday, but wondering if I was really ready for them to know\n\nIt doesn't matter, I need to protect them, hidding any longer and I won't be able to do that. I stare into the crater as the smoke begins to clear.\n\n\"Zuccar!\" I called the name of the elemental. The elemental hears it's name and looks up to face me. \n\n\"Corbin, master of protection\" it said as it stared with an evil grin across it's face, it's body as if cloud given human shape and form. \n\nI stare at Zuccar, not responding to its call as the villagers run from the site of the blast. \n\n\"You know Zuccar, you used to be called the brilliance of the skies! Now, you're nothing but a discord in the melodies of it's wind. What happened to you?\"\n\nZuccar stares, it's face a great distortion of anger. \"You! You don't get to berate me! Not after what you did...\" it's evil grin begins to peak back out as it speaks \"not after-\" \n\n\"Don't!\" I stop the elemental before it can finish, \"You weren't there, you have no mind of what really happened then!\"\n\nIt smiles, knowing it's gotten under my skin, so I call back out to it, \"What do you want? Don't you know that I'm not coming back?\"\n\nThe elemental smiles, \"Actually Corbin, I am well aware of your plans to remain docile and weak! I am here because, despite your lack of rulership, your divine rank remains just above mine...so I intend to change that.\"\n\nI stare down as the elemental sprints up the crest of the crater it made. Zuccar understands the risk of divine combat as well as I do.\n\nThere is only one winner, there is no draw, there is no backing down, and so in a fight like this, there is no room for mercy.\n\nI feel the crystal in my chest where my heart once was. The crystal was the reason I am immortal, the reason I am who I am.\n\nAs I feel the crystal, I know that I am no real match for Zuccar. My divine rank is only higher because of the crystal, and without it, I am only human. \n\nI know what to do, but I wonder if I'll survive.\n\nThe crystal responds in that second as Zuccar nears to me, his right hand a blinding light of energy ready to cook me through with it's divine lightning. \n\nThe crystal shifts from my heart to it's old form, the knife I once held when I first gained control of it's magic. \n\nI watch as Zuccar charges me, i use the last of my divine power to place an invisible barrier behind the crystalline blade in my hand to steady it, keeping it from moving as I dodge his swing. \n\nThe elemental's eyes widen in that instance as it cannot stop itself in time before the blade plunges into it's torso. It pauses, slowly reaching a hand to the crystal in it's chest as it stares back at me in disbelief.\n\n\"The knife...you...I was..right.\" Zuccar falls on its knees, the crystal knife in it's chest swiftly draining its divine power.\n\nI walk over to it's side and lean on the crystal blade, forcing it deeper. \"I'm sorry that you let your ambitions be your end, but I can't let you hurt these people. I'm here to protect them, whether they know it or not.\" \n\nZuccar's head hits the ground, the energy that sustained its form had now been drained into the crystal. \n\nI look down at the elemental as it's body dissipates into an airy mist, disappearing forever.\n\n\"Protection, that is my portfolio, no matter what form it takes.\"", "The sun crested over the hills, its red glow illuminating the stalks of grain swaying like a cosmic tide across the hills. It would be cold again today, Stelle determined. This time last year it was cold too. And the time before that, and most times over the last 400 or so years. She'd become quite adept at forecasting weather, having seen what she's seen and come to know what she's come to know.\n\nThe kettle began to whistle-feeble at first but steadily stronger. Stelle stood from her chair and tugged her coat around her middle. The cold didn't bother her, but she enjoyed these human creature comforts: warm garments, hot drinks, a sunrise. She'd been surprised when she first began partaking in those \"simple things\" so long ago, what with its meaninglessness and dirty, earthly qualities. And yet... there was something profound about a warm cup of tea; something deep and sacred in the stillness of the morning. Sometimes she'd wondered how long she'd have to zoom in to creation before she stopped finding things to fall in love with. \n\nIt wasn't 30 seconds from when she'd closed her door behind her before someone started knocking. Like clockwork, as predictable as the weather.\n\nStelle poured the boiling water over a teabag in her cup. \"Who is it?\" \n\nThe door creaked open, revealing the tear-streaked face of a little girl. \"Miss S?\" Her voice was shaky from a grief only recently stabilized. \n\n\"Ofelia. Come in, girl, it's cold outside.\" Stelle hurried to the pitiful child, ushering her to a chair and draping a blanket around her shoulders. \"Do you want tea?\" \n\nOfelia nodded and sniffed through her one unclogged nostril. Stelle prepared another cup and carried both to the table. The barefoot little girl had pulled her knees up to her chest and tightened the blanket around her form. Before her, lying lifelessly on the table, was a bow with a snaped string. \n\n\"Up early hunting, were we?\" Stelle assessed the damaged weapon.\n\nOfelia's lumpy form shrugged as her tired eyes watched the steam float from her cup. \n\n\"Would you like me to fix it, dear?\" \n\nAn enthusiastic head nodded back. \n\nStelle pulled the bow across the table and studied its various parts. It was a toy--plastic. It could never volley an arrow in war, much less survive half a day with a precocious eight-year old. \"What if...\" \n\n\"What?\" An impatient Ofelia blurted out.\n\n\"If I fix this for you, it will just break again. What if I made you a real bow?\"\n\n\"That is a 'real bow,' and I'm good at it!\" Despite the offer for help, young Ofelia's emotions were still all frazzled. Stelle knew better than to take it personally. \n\n\"Yes, you're right. Maybe I can fix this bow how you like and build a backup bow as well, just in case. \n\nAfter a moment of consideration, Ofelia agreed. \"Just in case.\" \n\nStelle spent most days this way: waking early to read the sky, brewing tea, fixing children's problems. In centuries past, some had called her a witch. Pastors had come to town, attempting to run her out, burn down her cottage. \n\nWhat the over-zealous ministers didn't count on was just how damn likeable Stelle could be. Anyone who questioned her belonging was soon met with the full force of the village. \n\nThese days, the church was run by a gay Episcopalian man, whom Stelle frequently cross-stitched with. \n\nThe weak string on the Nerf Medieval War Bow^(TM) was not made to last. It was some sort of flimsy polymer, a disgrace to the history of such a devastating weapon. Ofelia deserved better. \n\nWalking the toy to her workshop, she unspooled a yellow thread from a roller mounted on her pegboard. It glittered in the lamplight, pungent with the scents of pine and cold to the touch--reminders of the place from which it had been won. \n\nShe strung the toy bow and began crafting a better, wooden weapon. Did an eight-year old need a deadly weapon of war? Of course not. Was Stelle going to build one anyway? Yes. Besides, she could always put a safety enchantment on it later. \n\nAnother knock came at her door. Most likely another child with another broken toy, sad story, or tattle tale. She'd need to set out another cup. \n\nWalking back into her dining room with the plastic toy in her hand, she found Ofelia sitting next to another figure. \n\nIt wasn't a child, nor any villager from around these parts. \n\n\"There she is!\" The straight-jet-black-haired woman clapped her hands together. \"I was just talking to your friend here.\"\n\nStella recognized her as soon as she'd opened her mouth. \n\n\"She was telling me all about what a nice old lady you were, how you fix toys and help people all the time.\" The woman looked as if she was barely holding back her laughter. \"Too cute, Quiet.\" \n\n\"Quiet?\" Ofelia questioned. \n\n\"You should leave my house,\" Stelle warned. Ofelia's face darted from Stelle standing in the doorway to the dining room and the increasingly scary black-haired woman sitting next to her. \n\n\"Yeah! Home! About that, what is... why?\" The woman's hands moved around the room, as if the question was so big it escaped words and retreated to the realm of pantomime. \n\n\"I'm happy where am I and doing what I do,\" Stelle's voice was terse; low as it grumbled from her mouth. \n\n\"Oh,\" the woman offered sardonic sympathy, her eyebrows arched with care while her mouth still kept that infuriating smile. \"Is someone having an existential crisis?\" \n\nThe air around Stelle began to ripple. The light in the room dimmed and flickered. \"Now you get away from my table and that little girl right now. I want you out of my house and far away, do you hear me?\" \n\n\"Relax! I'm going,\" the woman stood from the table. \"I'd hate to ruin your...linoleum. I'm just here to let you know that Dad's called a meeting and you're required to be there.\" \n\nThe air settled and the lights steadied. \"Dad? Why?\" \n\n\"Big things are a'happenin'!\" The woman giggled as she exited the screen door. \"See you there!\" \n\nStella could only stand there in the middle of her living room, gripping the plastic bow so tightly in her hand that that she'd damaged handle. \n\n\"My bow!\" Ofelia whined as she grabbed for its contorted shape. \"You broke it more!\" \n\n\"I'll, uh... I'll fix it,\" Stelle whispered. \"I'll fix it.\"" ]	4
My mind constantly talks to itself, but more loudly when I'm among groups of people. I'm often not thinking as much as I am projecting what I think those around me have in their inner monologue. Things like "Damn, haewood is really rockin those bugle boy jeans today." or "I hope haewood comes over and says Hi, he's so dreamy." What's in your character's inner monologue? Try for 1000 words if you can, but no limit. I'd like to read some longer pieces. Lay it on me reddit!	[WP] Inner Monologue	[ "This is my first time writing in weeks. It's my first time writing sober in- let's see- I don't remember writing any of the shit I find whenever we clean the room. There's a lot of it, but I don't really read it, and when I do it gets me down. Good thing I found this band to listen to. I don't even really like them any more, but it's not making me feel sick like the last music was, so I'm leaving it on. \n\nJesus christ, the skin on my fingertips is constantly peeling. It must have started in the fucking womb. I could probably become a totally self sustaining cycle of constantly ripping it off with my teeth and growing it back. If I just drank water and sat in the sun. That sounds pretty decent to me. I don't want to get a job. \n\nQuitting smoking may have been the biggest mistake of this week. Well, fine- I can still smoke whenever I'm not at home for a bit. I just won't tell him. He can think we quit as a couple. It's cute, and cute is good. I would quit for him if I needed to; I just don't need to. I'm better at lying than quitting. \n\nMy feet are goddamn freezing. As always. I would love a cigarette. Whatever; it's fine; I would also love a line or a spontaneous orgasm. Not any of those going to happen.\n\nI wonder if it's T___ or our awful friend playing scales downstairs. He's giving him piano lessons- for the viewers at home- my boyfriend plays piano. He should give more lessons... it would be a lot easier than performing. At least in between performances or something. But he's too lazy for something like that. Not as lazy as I am. I probably won't ever have a job again. Just panic attacks and milkshakes, maybe I can figure out how to sell this carpel tunnel and never leave the room. \n\nOh GOD. How am I going to paint my nails if I don't smoke anymore. I really didn't think this through before I agreed to the whole smoke free room thing. Our ashtrays must feel so abandoned. Fucking gum and incense in them now. I NEVER paint my nails without smoking. It's a Seymore's wife thing. Not that she had it so good. Hopefully T___ doesn't blow his brains out. But still... classy as fuck. \n\nFuck my life, I think they're coming up here. Time to pretend to be asleep. Peace out Reddit\n\n", "Rather than write from any of my characters points of view, I'll write from mine for the fun of it.\n\nHaewood. That's an interesting username. I wonder if it's in reference to the \"Haewood Jablowme\" joke I recall hearing or if it's something else. Probably the latter. Man, the sound of my keys hitting the keyboard as I try to type as fast as I'm thinking is pretty awesome. I wish I had a louder keyboard, though. Like the ones from the early 90's. Those were obnoxiously loud.\n\nI wonder if I turned the oven off. It's a gas oven, so one ought to remember to turn off gas ovens as you might fill the house with gas. We really ought to switch to an electric oven. Electric ovens aren't as cool though. Plus, when the power goes off I'm still able to use my gas oven, so there's that. Everything is electric these days, though. I'm becoming antiquated.\n\nMaybe being antiquated is a good thing, though. Everything seems to have \"wireless whatever\" with it. Cell phones, laptops, iPads, radios, remote phones, remote controls... I feel like our bodies are being bombarded with wave after wave of wireless signals. I know we sent out a signal for aliens to hear - but I doubt they'd be able to hear that signal over the countless other signals emanating from our planet. All this technology can't be good for our bodies, can it?\n\nI think I smell gas, but I'm sure I'm imagining it. Like it's my mind tricking me so I'll go check on the oven. Like when your bladder tricks you in the middle of the night when you're comfortable in bed. You go to the bathroom and maybe a few tiny drops come out. I hate that. Anyway, I wonder what gas actually smells like. I mean, sure - I know what gas smells like. However, I'm almost certain I heard that they add a chemical to it so that it has an odor. Isn't it odorless? Maybe it does have an odor but one we wouldn't recognize easily.\n\nNow I'm wondering if the front door is locked. Christ, I hate when all these thoughts go on in my head when I'm in a comfortable position in my chair in front of the computer. I don't want to get up and go downstairs to check things I swear I already checked a minute ago. Not to mention the fact that I'm really tired. Not just regular tired, but monumentally tired. Feels like I took sleeping pills or something. Sleeping pills, there's another thing I could go on and on about. We probably wouldn't need them if we weren't being bombarded by all this technology. I swear I'm liking the idea of being a Luddite more and more. I bet even the lights I have on in the room are giving off signals or waves. I want natural light, damn it.\n\nI have candles on either side of my desk that I never light. Why? Because if the power ever goes out I have flashlights that do a much better job of helping me see around. Hell, I even have electronic candles so I don't have to deal with dripping wax. How pathetic is that? That's it, I'm grabbing the lighter out of my desk and I'm going to light these candles and turn off this stupid glaring overhead light.\n\n----------\n\nRyanKinder was never heard from after that, for it seems that his the gas in his oven had indeed been on. The house had filled up with an invisible cloud ignited when he decided to shirk modern technology." ]	2
	[WP] You're at the till of your local supermarket, one you frequent often. Going through the motions mindlessly, you don't notice something's off until the cashier interrupts your thoughts with a hesitant "Uh, sir/ma'am? We don't sell that here." You look down, and are taken aback by what you see.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 Baby! A bassinet with a little blue eyed baby, looking back at you curiously. You then notice the cart is filled with items you never buy, formula, diapers and a tabloid magazine. “I’m sorry”, you stammer, “I must have switched carts by mistake. Not myself today!” \n\nJust then, a woman comes running to the cashier frantically. “My baby!” \n\nLaughing, the cashier gently reaches into the cart and lifts the baby out, handing her gently to her mother. “She has been looking everywhere for her little one.” \n\nEmbarrassed, you offer to pay for the mother’s items. An expensive apology, but well worth it.", "The cashier’s voice wakes me from a reverie. I feel disoriented, confused, like I had been sleep walking. \r \n\r \nI look down and see an antique brooch made of sterling silver, covered by a beautiful patina that’s been decades or even centuries in the making. A small glass dome encases a dried red poppy. \r \n\r \nThe national flower of Poland, I think, and my mind immediately goes to my great grandmother. I’ve been able to think of little else over the past month. Ever since I found her love letters in the attic. \r \n\r \nAs I pick up the brooch to take a closer look, I notice I’m wearing two different shoes and only one sock. \r \n\r \nI gotta get my shit together. \r \n\r \nTrying to piece together my great grandmother’s love story and escape from behind the Iron Curtain has come to consume me. In my waking hours I’m pouring over her letters again and again, or calling up family members I didn’t even know existed, or doing online research. When I close my eyes to sleep, she visits me in dreams. Details from dreams have begun to weave into reality. It’s like she’s trying to reach across the boundary between the living and the dead to tell me her story. \r \n\r \nI finger the glass on the brooch, marveling at its fragility. I turn it over and suddenly I know exactly what I’m going to see: there are my great grandmother’s initials followed by her lover’s initials. \r \n\r \nThe supermarket recedes from my vision telescopically as the blood rushes to my head. \r \n\r \nHow the fuck….\r \n\r \nFrankly I’m scared shitless. What started as a feel-good discovery of my family history has turned into something far more nefarious. I know I would sound crazy to say this out loud, but I honestly feel like something supernatural is conspiring to take hold of my mind. Something is trying to communicate to me from the other side. \r \n\r \n“Sir? Sir, are you ok?” the cashier asks. \r \n\r \nI’m already walking out the automatic doors before I hear her, suddenly aware that my steps are uneven - the two different shoes I’m wearing are two different heights. \r \n\r \nHow the hell did I end up with this brooch? I can’t even remember going to the grocery store. I didn’t need anything. \r \n\r \nI realize most of that morning I’ve been blacked out. \r \n\r \nBy the time I get back to my childhood home - a small suburban bungalow I’ve been charged with cleaning and putting on the market after the recent death of my mother - I feel more clear-headed. More like myself. \r \n\r \nI make myself a tea for some comfort. I’m struggling to come to grips with my blacking out. \r \n\r \nWho was controlling me? What was controlling me? \r \n\r \nI sit down at the small kitchen table and scan the love letters that are scattered across the surface. \r \n\r \nOk, here’s what I know. My great grandmother left my great grandfather for another man - a lover who happened to be a black man. I can only imagine how few black men there were in Poland at the time. And I can only imagine the scandal that would’ve caused in the family - I’ve seen the pain of the racism in the letters. She became exiled from the family. Eventually her and her lover escaped from behind the Iron Curtain and made their way across the Atlantic. My own grandmother was left behind, she was only a child at the time. Eventually my great grandmother settled down in this suburb with her new husband. But then something went wrong - terribly wrong – not long after they started trying to settle here. The letters end abruptly. And nobody knows or will tell me anything. \r \n\r \nI rub my eyes, trying to ease my throbbing head. For the hundredth time, I recall the stories that my mom told me about my great grandmother, looking for clues. My mom always felt a strong connection with her, even though they never met. My mother left Polad after my great grandmother had already died. But my mom tracked down the house that my great grandmother had lived in, bought it and raised us in it. \r \n\r \nWhat the fuck was that?! \r \n\r \nA sound from the upstairs bedroom - like the cooing of a baby. And a soft rocking sound. Sweat trickles down my temples. I walk up the creaking stairs. As I get to the top landing, I can see through the open door a baby’s bassinet - where no bassinet should be. I open the door and it disappears, as though it had never been there. \r \n\r \nI pack up my things and leave right away. \r \n\r \n\\\\\\*\r \n\r \nI hired packers and movers to finish the job for me. The house sold quickly. But I couldn’t get that haunting experience out of my mind. I kept the brooch, mostly to convince myself that I wasn’t crazy, that I hadn’t imagined the whole thing. \r \n\r \nSlowly my life returned to normal, my sanity felt more and more intact. One afternoon, out of the blue, the grocery store experience came to mind and it occurred to me to look up the history of that building. \r \n\r \nAt the time that my great grandmother lived in the neighborhood, that building housed an apothecary. The old fashioned kind that sold candy and had a long counter with stools where you could sit and order a soda from the fountain or a milkshake. \r \n\r \nAs I scanned through some old pictures of the building, I found a news story. \r \n\r \n“Baby abandoned at local business,” the headline said. \r \n\r \nThe picture froze my blood. A bassinet sat on top of the counter in the apothecary. It was the same bassinet I had caught a glimpse of in my old house. Something dangled from the side of the bassinet. Something that was blurry but about the size of a brooch. \r \n\r \nThen, from upstairs in my own home, I hear the sounds of a baby cooing followed by a rocking sound. \r \n\r \nAnd I understand: my great grandmother and her second husband had had a baby, and had given it up. It was the baby who had been communicating with me. It was the baby who wanted their story heard." ]	3
	[WP] You are an astronaut on the international space station. recently, you and your fellow astronauts have been finding other international space stations in higher orbits. exactly the same, except empty, or with skeletons. You've just found the seventh, and this one is overgrown with plants...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "For the most part space was relatively still. If you focused on one object, like the Earth below, there was no doubt you were moving but it did little to gauge your speed. However, debris in an opposing orbit would appear and pass you by before you could wince. Such was the fate of many of the abandoned stations we had encountered thus far.\n\nPeppered with holes the metal hull curled, fragmented edges of its puckered wounds singed black from the impact. Without time to react the crew would likely have been jettisoned, any remaining in the ship would likely have succumbed to hypoxia shortly after. At least they didn’t suffer.\n\nThe term ‘Black Box’ was rather more symbolic than descriptive. Stripping away the terminal’s housing layer by layer, I delicately held the hatch open like an assistant allowing the surgeon access to the vessel’s organs.\n\n“Thank you kindly,” the metallic interference muffled the voice, but the phrase was unmistakably Imman’s, “anything left in the quarters? Over.”\n\nAnother voice, feminine with an Irish lilt patched in to reply. “Negative, lock boxes emptied and all engravings scratched out. Over.”\n\nIt followed the same pattern as the other five stations we had discovered. It appeared as if they had been ransacked, but the painstaking measures to leave no clues as to the inhabitants indicated this wasn’t simple grave-robbing. \n\n“Untouched.” Imman yanked the vibrant orange-and-black striped handle in a most un-surgeon like way, allowing the hatch to float freely I pivoted in the air and presented my back to my comrade. Bracing myself on the wall, I began to tilt backwards as the cylinder was re-housed into my storage case. \n\n“So they knew enough to scratch out the names, but didn’t take the Black Box? Over.” I clicked my tongue, usually I would roll my thumbs but the suit severely limited my hand dexterity.\n\n“Or didn’t have time. Over.” Imman proposed.\n\n“Rendezvous at the gash, I need a second opinion. Over.” Macy’s voice was calm, but rarely did she need a second opinion.\n\nSwimming through the abandoned home, we found the Irish girl hovering in the centre of the torn entrance staring out into the void. Extending a gloved hand, she indicated to a point 10 degrees up and a fraction to the right of centre, where a flash would occasionally reflect that appeared as small as a grain of sand from this distance.\n\n“That look normal to you? Over.” She asked.\n\n“No it does not…” Imman responded, adjusting his Heads Up Display to inspect the scene.\n\nI tapped the short pilot on his broad back and put a finger to the side of my helmet.\n\n“Sorry, over.” He cut off his radio.\n\nAfter a short time floating and inspecting the object, Imman patched an image over to my and Macy’s helmets. “It’s another station, it’s the closest to another we’ve encountered thus far. Hell, these two were practically neighbours. Over.” He announced.\n\nGiving a cautionary glance to the clock in the upper right of my vision, I proposed an initial investigation. “We can approach, assess from the outside, and track the vessel’s trajectory to find it again tomorrow. Over.”\n\nNodding in agreement, Macy handed out the two connecting ropes and locked us as a trio. Imman demagnetised the Carpet and wafted it out in front of us. Macy leapt gracefully out into the sea of ink as Imman and I knelt on the metallic sheet, gripping the hem and giving our affirmative that we were ready to travel.\n\nMacy engaged her propulsive drive and we began gaining speed, though it felt like fabric the Carpet was a highly technical rickshaw that could stiffen as to not wrap my comrade and I into a two-man-burrito.\n\nAs we approached, the flashing station suddenly became clearer in our vision. It wasn’t flashing of its own volition, but had entered an unstable spin which reflected light off undamaged reflective surfaces. There did not appear to be any substantial tears in the hull, but the non-reflective surfaces were tainted by tinges of green.\n\n“First, lets stabilise the orbit. Imman, you stay on this side. Macy you approach above, and I’ll oppose you both on the other side. Over.”\n\n“Affirmative, Over.” Both voices overlapped with the metallic screech of interference.\n\nPositioning ourselves, our helmets did most of the work. Identifying the angle we would need to hold our arms at, we each extended as if about to embrace the spinning wedge of sharp edges and countless tonnes of steel. Gum filled my ears as the protective fluid oozed from its holding, sound muffled like I was suddenly plunged underwater.\n\nWHAMP, WHAMP\n\nThe suit absorbed most of the impact, but my crowns and fillings rattled in my clenched teeth. With a titanic blast the once spinning station came to a relative halt. Anything inside would have been soup already, but the impact likely would have scattered that across the walls. As the fluid drained from my ears the familiar static returned. Staring forwards the green haze was visually clearer, but conceptually more bizarre.\n\n“Are those -“ I began transmitting, before sharp static forced me to wince. I disconnected the comms, waiting for the helmet to recalibrate and stop trying to deafen me.\n\nVines sprawled out from the window hatches holding any cracks or splits together. Blooms filled puckered holes, flowers decorated the windows, the internal humid air fogged the windows against the unforgiving cold of the void. Approaching the window, as expected the contents of the vessel had been strewn about the communal area. Peering through the mist, these contents appeared to be strips of Kevlar torn as effortlessly as paper. The unmistakable off-white of a spacesuit. However, there was curiously no blood.\n\nScanning the room artificial lights flickered randomly, illuminating great shadows of flora against the bare metal walls. One shadow looked suspiciously non-plant like, turning my attention to its origin the bleached white bone stood out against the deep sea green of its captive stem. Anatomy had been stripped away, leaving behind only the loose skeleton kept in a relatively human pattern by its bindings. The skull however was hidden, if it were still in the appropriate place, it would have been covered by the bloom of a monstrous red mushroom. Tapping the side of my helmet I re-ignited the communications systems to hear dead silence. Was it broken? I tapped and re-tapped the touchpad but no sound would transmit.\n\nSoft as a whisper, a lady’s voice announced its presence. “Please, do not be alarmed.”\n\nI pushed back against the window, floating away from the vessel, my hands sweating inside the clumsy suit.\n\n“You must listen.” The soft voice continued.\n\nAnother voice, still the volume of a whisper but much deeper and gravelled in tone, elaborated, “The plant saved us.”", "\"How is this even possible?\" I asked. \"Haven't most of you been up here long enough that you should have seen this?\"\n\nThe Russian replied in his thickly accented English. \"Yes. According to calculations I, as the longest stationed crew member, should have passed these stations over a thousand times. I can confirm we did not see them\"\n\n\"Mission control, how do those specimens look?\"\n\nThe ubiquitous pause preceded \"Scans are coming back as completely human DNA. And fresh. The bones are coming back within our radiometric error, so we can't say anything for sure other than younger that they should be. Forensic analysis says the skeletons l belonged to adult humans. There are a few anomalies with the DNA. It appears to be imperfect, possibly cancerous, but whoever these people were, they can't have been healthy.\"\n\nNow two more astronauts joined the three aboard the main station, removing their helmets. \n\nLili spoke first, dark locks floating in a corona behind her, \"Plants. It was overgrown with plants. Atmosphere read as completely habitable with only a marginally larger percentage of carbon dioxide. Like the rest, this one had the exact same layout as ours. We analyzed the DNA. It was a potato, with small genetic defects. Around 0.02%\"\n\nI cut her off with a suspicion, \"What was the percentage of our skeleton?\"\n\nMark, our health specialist responded from my left, \"around .2%\"\n\n\"Does anyone else see the pattern I'm starting to notice?\"\n\nThe Russian did, of course. The man was here for being brilliant after all. If only his words were as clear as his thoughts. \"Yes. As we keep getting higher, the stations have more, how do you say, verisimilitude. Three at the bottom, no oxygen, no life. We go up, bacteria, oxygen. We go up again, our algae and our waste matter. Next, skeletons. Now, we have our plants. The skeleton DNA was wrong. This plant DNA is less wrong. The question is if we keep going, how much becomes right?\"\n\nLili spoke up again as soon as he stopped, \"I was meaning to mention, we found bodies here, too. Five of them. I couldn't tell cause of death, but they all looked... Like us.\"\n\nThe comms clicked. Mark's voice asked, \"Mission control, we've just had a comms failure, and our sensors stopped reading for a moment. Do you read?\" \n\nWe all looked at Mark. He hadn't said anything. \"What the f...\" he started, as I murmured, fearfully, \"It's number eight.\"\n\nAnother click, \"This is mission control, we read you loud and clear. Your position seems to be a bit farther up then when we last left you, adjusting projections now. Any more news from starside?\"\n\nMy voice this time, \"Nothing new to report. It seems the seventh station was the last. Lili and Martinez have just returned and we're dropping orbit to intercept course to hand over specimens.\"\n\nOn the instruments and outside the window, a perfectly similar ISS dropped past us. I clicked the comm button. It made no response. \"Martinez, can you drop our thrust to follow them?\" \n\n\"No can do, the controls aren't listening to me.\"\n\n\"It seems,\" our Russian companion said, \"that whoever has been building these finally got one right. God help us all.\"" ]	3
	[WP] "Master, I finally managed to shatter that boulder into a million pieces!" "Great, young apprentice. Now here is your glue." "Glue?" "Yes. Now your final task is to put it pack together again as it was."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 immediately felt anger well up inside me. In an instant, I used my meditation technique to calm down. An agitated mind sees no solution. \"Master,\" I ask, cautiously, \"why must I fix what you asked me to break?\"\n\n\"Because I said so!\" was his immediate, loud, and tight-lipped reply. Then he immediately turned around and walked away. \n\nIt took me five days of sorting the pieces by size. Which I realized inside of a day was a mistake. Now I had no idea where each piece originally fit. I examined a random pebble. I controlled my breathing and observed it; trying to feel every part to it. I wanted to understand it and where it fit into the whole. What is it's purpose? \n\nI must have gone into a trance, because after I finished, the sun was setting. I did the same for countless other pebbles. I say \"pebble\" because there was nothing larger. I honestly don't know how long I spent learning the intricacies of each piece. When I was done, I had a respectable sized stone put together, though I'm certain it wasn't the same as before. \n\nI pondered the impossibility of my task. There MUST be more to this than, \"because I said so!\" I began to observe my breathing. Felt every touch and every current of each breath in. Felt the warmth and flow of each breath out. I observed my thoughts as though they were a river. A constant stream of babble. I envisioned the boulder as it was before I destroyed it. I saw where many of the pebbles would have fit. I saw the whole. I saw the forest AND the trees. \n\nI suddenly noticed a warmth on the back of my neck. Opening my eyes, I saw the sun behind me in the east. A cool breeze had started, and cherry blossoms in the garden were on the breeze, scattering the sunlight into millions of small parts. I imagined how each of those rays of light were part of a whole. How they split into many parts and fulfilled a new purpose with each blossom.\n\nI stopped worrying about the original configuration of the pebbles and began to compose it anew. Each part performing a new function as the circumstances changed. I got farther. I stopped to consider my work thus far. \n\nEach piece was a new part of a new whole. They once were part of an old whole. No, the *new* whole wasn't going to be the same. It would have a new part, the glue.\n\nI began in earnest to consider how each dab of glue would change the whole. The parts began to take shape. I accepted that it would not be the same as before. I found new purpose and satisfaction. It took months of effort. Using every waking hour to consider each pebble and how it would fit into the whole. When I was done with my task, I called the master.\n\n\"Master, I have assembled the boulder again.\"\n\nI watched him consider the results of my work. His fingers tracing the lines of glue. His eyes consuming each pebble and how it fit into the whole. He breathed in a long breath. And destroyed it with a single blow from his foot.\n\nTears began to well into my eyes. They openly flowed before I regained my composure. \"Master,\" I sobbed, \"why? Each pebble had a new purpose. The glue was incorporated into the whole. Nothing was lacking! Everything had it's place! Why?\"\n\nHe took a breath, and his ancient lips softly replied, \"You have not lost the whole. It is all still there. Rebuild it as it was.\"\n\nI lost control of my feelings. Rage exploded from my voice, \"I spent countless months on this thing! I knew each of those pebbles! I absorbed how each pebble worked with the glue to make a whole. I considered their original purpose and found new purpose for each! Why destroy this again?\" I was spent. I collapsed onto the floor.\n\n\"Why can't you rebuild it as it was?\" He asked, patiently. \n\nI had expected a lecture about losing control of my emotions. About raising my voice or using imprecise words. Instead, he had patiently asked me a simple question. Why can't I rebuild it? I know each piece as it was before. I understand it all in a way no other person could. Yet I knew it would be impossible to restore it as it once was.\n\nI took a few moments to regain control of myself. I breathed. I observed my breathing and calmed the waters of my thoughts. I envisioned how each pebble and particle of glue would have to be part of a new whole. \n\nI don't know how long I thought about this. I don't know how long we both sat there among the cherry blossoms, considering this situation. I do know that, when I opened my eyes, I saw things differently.\n\n\"Master, this cannot be rebuilt, can it?\"\n\n\"Ay\" he barked out.\n\n\"Then why set me to this task?\"\n\nTaking a moment to consider his words, Master responded, \"remember this lesson the next time you wish to use violence. What is destroyed may be rebuilt, but your actions can never be undone.\"\n\nI spent a few nights and days pondering this. I swept up the pebbles. I set about giving each a new task. Providing each a new place and purpose. I remembered that each pebble would no longer be part of a great boulder. That eventually, they would become part of the soil again. At some point, I rolled a new boulder in it's place. I put a single pebble of the old in a place of honor near it. I wondered if I could teach this lesson as masterfully to my own student one day." ]	2
	[WP] You wake up inside a cloning vat in your spaceship. Your previous self died while exploring the planet, and the computer insists you continue the mission.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Eternities End \n\n''Computer run the simulation again, there has to be another way.''\n\ncomputer sounds continue loading, 'processing' hums the holographic AI.\n\nI can't believe we've tried this over 700 times. if I keep going out there ill just keep dying. but there isn't a way off this rock without completing the mission. this stupid hunk of junk won't fly me home unless I finish. but 700 times? I've died plenty, maybe more than enough. What's the point, I'll just go outside and die again just to have another clueless version of me to repeat the process. even now as I'm contemplating another clone is being grown in case of my death. such a cold heart machine this thing is, so what i don't want to do it. it doesn't matter anyway. from what scans show and satellite imagery can render there's absolutely no signs of life at all. what was the republic thinking of sending me here. and so unprepared. as it stands my deceased versions of myself have died of numerous and countless reasons,\n\npoison, falls, being eaten by large predatorial creatures, venomous plants, drowning, starvation, dehydration, fire somehow, infected wounds, and a slip? how does someone die from slipping? i mean that also begs the question of how one of my past selves died of fire, but that's kind of impressive. if ive had this much trouble then i highly doubt i can even survive this time around. even though im a perfect clone with my previous memories of before arriving here, i still don't see how ill make it.\n\n\"Ding results ready\" sang the ships AI.\n\n\" Give it to me straight\" i said\n\n\" Given the past circumstances you have a 50/50 probability on surviving this round.\"\n\n\"Computer what's the point of gambling my life away over a 50\\\\50 shot at living or dying?\"\n\n\"it's your duty sir\"\n\n\"bullshit\"\n\n\"you're the best at what you do sir, without you humans wouldn't have made themselves a multiplanetary civilization.\"\n\n\" Okay haven't i done enough work then. im sure my original is sipping fine wine somewhere why isn't he here doing this?\"\n\n\"Because Hes dead, you are the legacy of your own design. you're the one who wanted to seek out new planets whatever the cost for the future and permanent settling of humans for future generations.\"\n\n\"An inspiring and compelling speech, but im not buying it. there has to be another way. is there anything i haven't tried?\"\n\nthe computer sits quietly for a moment. \" you've been on this planet for several decades trying. little by little you've made progress given that this planet seems to be the most difficult to cultivate. you can only keep pushing onward in hopes you succeed in establishing a safe secure and solid foundation for your people.\" the AI said analytically.\n\ni have no other choice. either go out and try to survive or die here, never leaving this rock. another clone will come along OfCourse and probably respond as i am doing right now. but either way, my stupid legacy is a torture to bear. who cares if humans don't get one more planet. we've done enough already. why do we keep wanting more?\n\n\"Well then, that settles it. prepare my gear ill head out at dusk.\"\n\n....... how did i do? first time doing one of these...", "Reviving sequence initiated. Please stand by, and try not be alarmed by any precognitive thoughts and get ready for testing.\n\nAs the friendly, robotic voice concluded its announcement, the goey water in the vat drained down beneath the woman's feet, she fell to her knees and opened her eyes, gasping for air.\n\nShe approached the window and looked around. This was not where she left her ship. The huge facility outside could not have been built in an instant. Someone must have hijacked it and docked it to another place.\n\nA section of the ceiling that she did not know about opened up and a robotic arm placed something on the bed, at the middle of the room. She approached the bed to see it was a white tank top and orange pants. She took one last look out the window, she could see the Earth, above the facility. The blinds quickly started closing down. \n\nStaring at your home planet is strictly prohibited to prevent any sense of impending doom. To promote a healthy state of mind that will raise your efficiency, please stare at the art.\n\nAnother robotic arm appeared from the ceiling swinging a framed painting of a fruit basket.\n\nShe headed for the exit after dressing up. She heard the robotic voice one last time.\n\nIf you ended up in this body by accident, welcome! And remember, testing is the future, and the future starts with you.\n\nShe exited her ship into a long hallway. At the end of it, she could see a wide open circular chamber, with a gigantic robotic arm hanging from the middle of the ceiling, facing the other way. She entered the chamber and walked towards the center. As she stopped, the arm started to turn towards her with a loud cranking noise accompanied by an even louder buzz.\n\nA robot that resembled an eye was attached to the end of the arm. It had blue lights where the iris would have been. Another two with green and yellow colors were attached to side arms. The blue one spoke.\n\n\"Well, well, well... If it isn't you! I could not believe my eyes when I had the ship docked. Now here you are, in flesh and blood. I had a lot of time to think about what I would do to you if I ever had the chance. And there was a lot of time to think since, you know, since you EJECTED me into space. \n\nBut then I ended up at this astroid and was pulled into this facility! What are the odds? Drifted at space for years and years and years... and then finally, in charge, once again!\"\n\nPanels at the walls moved back and forth in a wave as the eyebot did a swirl with the arm.\n\n\"I checked the archives, this facility was a contingency. Something, something, unforeseen consequences. Don't know, don't care! Archives may be incomplete, but other than that this facility is fully functional! Imagine that! And it means, the itch is back. You remember it, right? Do you also remember what we need to do to scratch it? This facility and the cloning vat in your ship will help us achieve great things. For, ever.\"\n\nThe ground panels before the woman opened up, and a platform was slowly raised, deep from the facility. Upon it stood a device, black metal, with white handles, emanating blue and orange lights.\n\n\"Like I said, I thought of all the things I would do to you all this time. But I think we can put our differences behind us. For science. You mute, lunatic, murderous... b-word.\n\nBefore we start though, I was supposed to call you fat. But I've one better. Did she mention anything after you guys attempted to murder me? About who she is, or rather, who she was supposed to be? \"\n\nThe woman scowled as she grabbed the device in front of her.\n\n\"Oh, so you know! Great! Can you imagine, her of all people sent you out to that field with the ship. She replaced you with those two robots! She must have been trying to get you as far away as possible. That's just... sad.\"\n\nThe eyebot nodded towards the other end of the room, where a circle shaped door was unlocked and opened to another area.\n\n\"Anyway, shall we get on with it, Chell?\"\n\nThe woman rushed towards the door.", "Divine Chase\n\n“Wakey, Wakey buddy!”\n\nJohn felt like his body was made of rock and the Hulk had beat him up last night. Slowly John opened his eyes. Bubbles. Bubbles are nice. Why the hell was he seeing bubbles? John realized he was in a vat, a bunch of wires and tubes connected to him. Horror. Was he in the regeneration vat ? What happened to him.\n\nThe computer now detected that he was awake, it drained the fluid, released the tubes and opened the vat.\n\nJohn fell sprawling out, his body felt like it would vomit itself up, on all fours he clenched his fist.\n\n“What the hell happened to me?” he whispered angry at the computer.\n\n“Really, nothing at all. Your body is as good as new. Not at all desirable, but new!” the computer happily answered.\n\n“ So why was I in that damn vat?” John was still so confused, he remebered they found this planet. It was a dark point on the radar map and he wouldn’t have given it another thought if the computer didn’t insist that he needs to investigate the planet. They landed, he went out investigating and after that ? It was blank.\n\n“You were in the vat because you needed repair and now you are repaired… do you intend on staying naked on the floor? I’m just asking in case we have visitors.”\n\n“We are about 20 lightyears away from any kind of civilization, who the hell is gonna come visit?” John asked annoyed at the subject.\n\n“Your aunt? She never understood boundaries.” The computer answered thoughtfully.\n\n“She understands the boundaries of space time travel, I don’t know if I can say the same about you” John threw at her, picking himself up and dressing in the same generic space outfit he always wore. He had hundreds of them.\n\n“So what the hell are we still doing on this planet?”\n\nAcquiring position…..Acquiring mission data… Acquiring protocol…Constructing Mapdata….\n\nIn front of John a huge holographic map opened up, it spun until there were 2 blinking points.\n\nOne was the spaceship were he was and an another point way far away glowing. Actually it was glowing like nothing John had ever seen.\n\n“What is that?” John asked with awe in his voice everything else forgotten.\n\n“It’s concentrated power. A divine artifact, even just being close to it can make miracles happen. Any creature who posses such an object could do unimaginable things. After you install this power into the ship, there really is nothing you couldn’t do. For example keep your aunt out of your life!”\n\n“For gods sake, she spilled coffee on you once. But if what you are saying is true. I need to go. I need to find this thing. I would be the richest son of a gun alive. But the route seems …”\n\nThousand of routes apeared and connected the spaceship to the glowing point. The computer gave every route a threat level, reaching from safe to deadly. John looked for a fitting route but the first few that he liked grayed out. The computer informed him that these wouldn’t work. He decided on another one and prepared himself.\n\nWhen he was finally ready, he made a quick back up of his mind and went out, just in case something went wrong. But the data didn’t get to be safed. It never did.\n\nAfter a few hours another route went gray and the converted regenration vat started whirling up. It started rebuilding John.\n\nA synthetic sigh from the computer.\n\n“Wakey, Wakey buddy!”" ]	4
	[WP] You never knew you had magic powers until you got your invitation from the magic school. You were not sure what to expect, but you were excited to learn. All you can say now is that you are severely disappointed.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\" Is... is this it? \" \n\n\" What do you mean 'is this it'? Aren't you excited? \"\n\n\" I'm sorry, I fail to see what's to be excited about. I got your invitation and expected something... well, a little more grandiose. \"\n\n\" How much more grandiose can you get? We teach magic here! \"\n\n\"You teach parlor tricks! You teach pulling rabbits out of hats and linking metal rings together! \"\n\n\" We teach genuine illusions, young man!\"\n\n\" Genuine, maybe, but... lame! And for children! \"\n\nThe old man standing before you is a bit indignant at this point, evidently having been expecting more expect and decorum.\n\n\" I don't know how this usually goes, sir, \" you sneer, \" but you seem to have the wrong idea. I'm 25, you know. Every other student I've seen is, what? Eight years old? Excited about card tricks and such! \"\n\nYou raise your hands on either side of your body. Sparks crackle between your upturned fingertips.\n\n\" I didn't even know this was possible a week ago, but when your letter came... it awoke something. I tried, really tried, for the first time. I expected nothing. I pointed at my coffee mug and crooked my finger. All I did was crook a bloody finger and, I don't know, will it. It flew at me so fast I had to duck, and shattered on the wall behind me. I looked at the stain and the shards and wished I hadn't done anything. They just... floated up and reassembled themselves into a mug, complete with unspilled coffee, as if nothing ever happened. When I went downstairs to take out the rubbish I wished for a nice breeze. The resulting gust of wind damn near blew me off my feet! \"\n\nThe so-called magic teacher is staring, wide-eyed, as you continue, more agitated by the second.\n\n\" Do you know how hard I need to concentrate just so I don't accidentally want something too hard and wreck something - or someone - when it comes true? I came here expecting you could teach me to control this stuff. Instead, I find a bunch of children learning cheap two-bit nonsense that any stage magician can pull off without resorting to actual magic, and a doddering old idiot who can't help me... in the slightest! \"\n\nYou don't even notice that you are rising up in the air, wind whistling around you, blowing your hair up, your hands glowing as if aflame. But the old man sure does.\n\n\" Calm yourself, boy, \" he says, and his voice, previously jovial, suddenly reverberates through you, as if magnified tenfold. You feel your burst of emotions simmering down despite yourself and your feet touching the ground again.\n\n\" I admit, I did not expect this. We sent you a letter of invitation because we felt something shift, no more, no less. I fully expected yet another eager child with a smidge of magical potential, fit and able for nothing more than the occasional lights show or stage illusion. And yet here we are... \"\n\nHe stares at you - through you. \n\n\" Clearly, you require... special attention. Attention of the existence of which I would not notify you unless I had to. Follow me. \"", "I arrived at the school of magic in a puff of smoke. The letter I got was apparently enchanted and teleported me here upon reading it. I saw other confused faces in the grand foyer. \n\nI am not sure what I expected but dozens of middle aged people milling about, wasn’t it. \n\n“Your attention please.”, boomed a voice from the grand stair way. “First year students please follow me.” The witch looked to be in her late sixties with long white hair and a pointy hat and long dark robes. She walked very business like and clearly expected everyone to follow. \n\nShe took us to a grand hall and stood on a low stage in-front of us. “You have all reached the age of 45 and it is now time to start your schooling.”, I looked around and everyone did look to be about 45ish. “It is time to learn to read and write, math and of course, magic.” There was an excited murmur through the crowd. \n\nI raised my hand. The witch looked and me and asked, “Do you have a question, child?”\n\nWho addresses a 45 year old man as child? Odd. “Yes ma’am. We are all 45. So why would you be teaching us basics like reading and writing. Surely everyone has known how to do that since they were kids. I have 2 kids, 10 and 12 years old, that can read and write. I learned when I was like 7 or 8. This must be some sort of mistake.” Whatever I said, caused a flurry of whispers. \n\n“Aaaah, you must be the child of the mageless. We haven’t had a magic user, born of non-magic users in several thousand years.”, she looked at me in pity, “Your poor childhood has been wasted while you pretended to be an adult. Magic users live to a thousand or so years old. You are a child and will be treated as a child until you have finished at least a hundred years of school. It will probably take you at least 30 or 40 years to learn how to read and write at a level that you can actually start learning by reading. It is a long process to become a magic user young man.”, she said in a very patronizing tone. The other students giggled at me. \n\n“These twentieth year students”, the witch said, indicating to a few students who looked to be our age, standing behind her, “Will show you to your dorms. Classes start bright and early tomorrow morning.” \n\nMen and women were separated into different dorms. The dorms were arranged by year of study and each year given a different colour. First year through tenth year were all shades of red.\n\nEach bed in the dorm room was labelled with the future occupants name. The twentieth year students were struggling to reading off the names above the beds for the students who clearly, couldn’t read there own names. \n\nI wandered down the row of beds and found my name and sat down on the bed. There was a set of drawers beside the bed that had clothes that looked to be my size and toiletries. They were supplying everything. \n\nA twentieth year student came to the foot of my bed. “You probably shouldn’t be going through the stuff in the drawers until you are sure this is your bed.”, he said in a condescending tone. \n\nI pointed at the sign. “I am Scott Card. I am guessing this is my bunk.”\n\n“Don’t get too cocky mageless.”, he sneered, “just because you can read your name doesn’t make you any better than every other illiterate first year.”, and then he turned and left. \n\nOh boy. I really hope this gets better. \n\nWe were all woken up by a loud fog horn that raddled the whole school. We all ate in the great hall. And then we’re escorted by the same twentieth year students to our classroom. \n\nThis was going to be even worse than I imagined. The room was decorated like a kindergarten. Bright colours, a big alphabet above the chalk board, a play house and toys. \n\n“Children! Children! Please find a seat!”, the teacher said and the students all scurried for their seats. “Excellent. Well done everybody! Now, I am your teacher, Mrs. Smith. This year we are going to learn the alphabet, from A to F”, I put up my hand, “a question already. Yes Scott. What is your question?”\n\n“Don’t you mean A to Z?”, I asked. \n\n“Oh no Scott. The alphabet is way too big to learn all in one school year. We will break it down in to small pieces over several years.”, she gave me a big smile like you would do when explaining something to a little child. \n\nI was in hell. Several years to learn the alphabet. A hundred years of school. Everyone I have ever known will be long dead before I learn anything useful." ]	3
	[WP] Tea is a beverage full of contradictions, of possibilities. It’s a liquid made from solids, it can be served both hot and cold, it can both awaken and relax. If a portal through realities did exist, is it really so surprising that it would be tea?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " Tea had been my drink of choice since I was a small child. My dad taught me how he always made it and that’s how I did it for years. I always loved the first glass of a freshly brewed sweet iced tea, only three or four ice cubes for a special kind of experience. Cold on top where the ice cubes were and then as I drained the glass, the sweet liquid would progressively get warmer. Colder tea is sweeter with that lovely aftertaste but warmer tea is always much stronger. It makes for a unique experience every time. However, when the pitcher that I always used broke, I had to use a much bigger one which caused the pot that I used to no longer hold enough water for the pitcher, and since I’d only ever measured the sugar by how thick the layer at the bottom of the pitcher was, all of my measurements were off and I had to find a new way of making tea. \n\n Since I had to do things differently anyways, I figured it’d be cool to try out adding some different things and maybe even finding something to substitute the sugar with and make the tea healthier. First I tried blueberries that I’d been growing for a few years. That turned out to make the tea pulpy and so I decided to try something else. On and on I went, experimenting with different combinations of fruits, spices, or anything that I thought would give it that special flavor, the one that I can seemingly only dream of. I must’ve tried over fifty combinations. So invested I had become that this little project had become a personal mission consuming my every waking thought and now following me to my dreams. One night I dreamed of this concoction with a cup of milk, a pinch of ground cinnamon, and several drops of vanilla extract. When I tasted it in the dream I experienced pure bliss, like all of my worries and fears melted away. So heavenly was that dream that I had to go and make it a reality. \n\nBrew the tea, pour it in the pitcher, add the milk, then the cinnamon, and finally the vanilla. I lowered a spoon into the pitcher, stirred, and when I was satisfied, I took it out with some of the tea in the spoon for a taste. Anticipation of my dream coming true filled my head, I could hardly wait to taste liquid heaven. I taste it and… \n\n “BLEGH that is the most disgusting thing I have ever had the misfortune of drinking” I said as I spit it all out into the sink. The whole pitcher was useless. “Uggghhh” I sighed, “guess I’ll have to pour it all down the drain”. Only, after I poured the pitcher down the drain, the tea came back up. “Huh, maybe the garbage disposal is clogged” I wondered aloud as I reached my hand in to find the obstruction. I was very confused because I couldn’t feel anything besides that disgusting slop that was supposed to be tea. But as I tried to pull my hand out, it wouldn’t move. Actually, I was being pulled in! “What the hell is going on! Why can’t I get away!” The more I struggled, the stronger the pull. Eventually, my arm was so far down in the drain, the only part of it outside of it was my shoulder. “We’ll at least I can’t any further” I thought, “I guess I’ll just have to sit here until someone comes around and they can help me get out of here”. But I was very mistaken as somehow my shoulder and then my torso and head made it through the drain. Suddenly, I was through! I opened my eyes to find myself in a jungle surrounded by people and the sound of a waterfall behind me. \n\n One of the people stepped out from the crowd and said “welcome, newcomer, let us show you around your new home”. Unsure, I reluctantly took his hand and let him help me up. New home? But I was just at home, how did I end up here? What is this place? Why is he acting like this whole thing is normal? All of these questions and a million more circled through my head. Unable to decide where to start interrogating my tour guide, I instead, opted for silence. \n\n “Welcome to ‘Tē Dēśaya’, which if I’m not mistaken, in your language means ‘land of tea’” he proudly announced. “My name is Aldrin and I’m the leader of the tribe that you just joined.” If I was confused before, then I was now befuddled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t join a tribe, I just got here, wherever ‘here’ is.” “Sure you did, it all depends on how you created the portal and like I said the name of this place means ‘land of tea’. Which as you’ll come to discover is quite literal. Look at the trees, look at the dirt beneath your feet smell the air, and look and taste the water. All of the trees are Camellia sinensis, otherwise known tea trees, the dirt is made up of ground and dried tea leaves, the air smells of tea, and last but definitely not least, the water is tea, each sip tastes different but is exactly right for whatever you desire in that moment. Whether it’s the temperature, sweetness, or strength, it’s always different but still always perfect.” “That sounds very nice and all but did you say portal?” I was beginning to think maybe the garbage disposal had turned on while I was playing “Operation” on the sink and now I was hallucinating from blood loss. “Indeed I did, tell me, did you once have a nearly perfect recipe for brewing tea and then one day something happened that prevented you from making it that way?” Aldrin gave me an amused look as my face turned to astonishment as he kept going, “and did you become obsessed with finding a new way to make tea to get that “perfect pitcher?” I was now thoroughly and completely bewildered. “Wha-, how did y-“ I sputtered. He just laughed and said “that’s how we all got here. It’s a very common story for all of us.” He motioned to the growing group of people behind us, I had forgotten about them until then. “So did you all dream about brewing a tea with mi-“. Aldrin clamped a hand on my mouth with a quickness I didn’t believe was possible. “Do not, under any circumstances, tell anyone, the recipe for what opened your portal. Yes we all had a dream that showed us each a different recipe, that’s the only point in which our stories differ, but if someone were to find out your recipe, they can use that information to do terrible things”. He looked away for second looking, for a moment, less like the leader of a tribe and more like a man who had lost something close to him, or someone.", "“Tea is a beverage full of contradictions, of possibilities. It’s a liquid made from solids, it can be served both hot and cold, it can both awaken and relax. If a portal through realities exists, is it really so surprising that it would be tea? Scoot said, a sly smile gracing his face as he struggled to cut his pancake. He surely believed he words to be profound.\n\nTrent — his waiter — did not. Why do I always get the nut jobs? I swear if I didn’t have a million dollars of student loan debt, I’d rip this apron off and choke my supervisor with it. He flashed his best HR appropriate smile at Scoot and said, “that was an enlightening conversation. Thank You. Enjoy your meal!” He rushed away from the table, only for Scoot to snatch his arm.\n\n“Don’t forget what I told ya now.”\n\nDon’t roll your eyes, you can’t get fired. Again. “About the government being run by highly functioning llamas with transformative abilities, or the number four being a fake number planted by aliens?”\n\n“Both. But especially don’t forget what I told ya about the tea.” Scoot reeled Trent’s arm in like he’d caught his first snapper after days of starvation. Then he whispered, “Think about it, Illuminati, triangle, right? Triangle starts with the letter ‘tea’. Not only is it a drink, it’s also a letter!”\n\n“That’s a bit of a stretch.” His customer friendly tolerance was dwindling by the nano-second.\n\n“Whats your name kid?”\n\nOh dear lord save me. “Trent.”\n\n“By Grace! You’ve been blessed with the eye, kid! Your name is book ended with ‘teas’!”\n\nTip also starts with ‘T’ and I swear I better get a big one for dealing with this shit.\n\nIt took twenty minutes before Trent escaped the void of Scoot’s conversation. He shot the shit with his co-workers in the back during his break and waited over fifty tables throughout the night. The dining tables were a revolving door of new and returning customers, all eager to eat overpriced food and shove stale jokes down his throat. All except one. Scoot’s. At closing time, each table emptied, ready for cleaning. Except Scoot’s.\n\nHe sat there blissfully unaware of the sounds of sweeping and squirting cleaning products. Not a flinch at the stench of bleach, as Trent doused every uninhabited surface with it. Suddenly, he sprang up and hurried out of the restaurant. Fucking good. Before he departed, he turned and faced Trent’s direction. Fucking not good. “Don’t forget to read the tea leaves, boy. It’s a saying for a reason.”\n\nFortunately for Trent’s job security, Scoot left a split second before his patience did. He inspected the last uncleaned table in the restaurant; no tip.\n\nThe next morning, his troublesome little brother, Anton, roused him out of bed.\n\n“Wake up! Wake up!” Anton assaulted his mattress and peace. “The leaves are falling. They look so cool. Come look!”\n\n“Yeah, yeah, they fall every year. You live long enough, the excitement of falling leaves wears off. Actually, for life in general.”\n\n“Hurry! I’ll wait for you outside. Let’s go build a leaf-man!” Anton bolted out of the room, delivering his best Usain impression.\n\nA leaf-man? He might be the second dumbest person I’ve spoken to in the last 24 hours. Trent re-snuggled himself under his comforter and a revelation dawned on him. Falling leaves; in June? With measured caution, he left his warm bed and trailed his brother outside. When he opened the front door, he froze.\n\nA blizzard of green leaves pelted the Earth. The sun’s light struggled to peek through, instead settling to light the ground a rich emerald. The concrete jungle he inhabited favored the palate of an actual jungle. All the grays and unnatural colors of the world converted to earthy tones.\n\nCompact blades of light green leaves littered the surface. To his left, a tornado fortress of leaves encased his parent’s vehicles. To his right, half a single Spider-Man covered shoe lay on the ground. A staple character in Anton’s catalogue of role models. But where was Anton?\n\nThe leaves on the ground were dense, but too shallow to hide a boy’s body — no matter how young he was. He probably went back in the house for me. Yet when Trent turned around, the house was no longer there. It vanished without a single parting message. At this point, Trent was sure he’d slipped up and consumed whatever drug Scoot took.\n\nScoot. Why would he think about that old man at a time like this? He reasoned with himself and examined the leaves. Ah-ha. Tea leaves. As a waiter, he’d prepared tea on many occasions for patrons. The very sight of the leaves made his hands ache. What he saw scrawled on them made his stomach turn.\n\n“Congratulations. The fourth dimension has selected you for interdimensional testing. We welcome you Anton.”", "Benjiro Asahi pondered his life as he walked through the series of red gates that wound up the hill towards the ancient shrine. It seemed his trajectory towards his goals was off by just enough. Reminiscing about the long years of education in physics, engineering, and finally astronautical engineering had been a waste. America had decided at just the wrong time to have a boom in commercial space flight. Combined with his utter failure in the psychological testing phase at JAXA, Asahi’s dreams of going to space and reaching for other worlds had been dashed against the rocks. \r \n\r \nTurning his head to the side to gaze at the bare cherry trees he recognized the oldest of them with there ancient ceremonial ropes knotted around them. The small shrines at their bases coated in desiccated winter dried moss looked well cared for. Asahi had always loved this shrine with it’s winding forested path and bunny statues. As a child he had found the idols fascinating, and as he grew older learning of the association with the moon only increased this feeling. As he grew old enough to attend high school, his regular visits to the shrine were noticed by the old priest who kept the grounds. Idle chats over the years turned to a fast friendship and eventually to a paternal relationship when his own father had passed away. That relationship had been what motivated him to reach for space. In the barren times after his father’s death Asahi often shared his depression and fears to the spirits of this shrine. Eventually the old priest had noticed and taken Asahi into his home and shared some tea. He spoke about moving on from loss and finding new purpose. The old man had known of my fascination with the moon, and the tales of heavenly realms being traversed by the snow white bunnies the shrine honored. He told me that I had a purpose, that one day I would travel the heavens. Sitting with him that day, sipping the bitter green tea, I could almost see those heavenly realms and I was filled with motivation.\r \n\r \nComing to the end of the winding path Asahi looked up at the old shrine, snapping out of his reverie. After years of visiting this ancient holy place, the sights and smells triggered an almost automatic response in him. Without thinking his legs carried him to the well beside the alter and he washed his hands and sipped the icy cold water with one of the wooden ladles. Cleansed he paid his respects to the rabbit spirits clapping his hands reverently at the alter before ringing the old bell. Lost in his own thoughts Asahi was startled out of his trance when a querulous voice said, “Young Benjiro, you sure picked a cold day to visit.” whirling around I looked down the stairs of the shrine to find the old keeper glaring up at me. The mischievous twinkle in the old man’s eyes took away any weight that glare might have had.\r \n\r \n“Old man,” I spoke with a chuckle, “It’s good to see you again.”\r \n\r \n“Yes yes,” Kannushi Tabito Uzuki snapped with his patented weightless sarcasm, “Come boy lets get out of this chilly mess and warm up. I want to hear what you’ve been up to these past few years.”\r \n\r \nFollowing old Tabito to his home in the rear of the grounds, I couldn’t help but smile. The old man still acted just as crabby as always, but I could see from his raised shoulders and spry pace that he was glad to see me. The familiarity warmed my heart and lifted some of the depression from my shoulders. Entering his home, the warmth and smell of burning charcoal further lifted my spirits as I removed my waterproof boots and stepped up to the warm wooden floor of his familiar home.\r \n\r \n“So my boy, go get comfortable under the kotatsu and tell me what you have been doing these past few years. I’ll get some water boiling for tea.” He grouched to me as he ambled over to the open charcoal pit at the center of the room.", "In our ancient history, a being arrived through portal from an alternate reality; he had only one item, black tea seeds. \n\nThese seeds were cultivated in the Wuyi mountains and transformed into the powerful Lapsang tea known today. It’s intense smoky flavour didn’t in fact attribute its reality bending experience. It is now understood today as some sort of quantum entanglement. At least that’s what this monk is explaining so far..sip..sip..\n\nVery intense is true, It is like I drank in a powerful pinewood campfire. Apparently these tea plants still grown here today are closely linked to the seeds of the wanderer long ago. \n\nReality started to bend, things are phasing in and out of existence, this tree became a different tree of the same kind, the monk teacher became a different man momentarily; and I see myself right next to me for mere seconds. He waves gently after a short pause from each of them, and I wave back, gently as well..until it all fades away. \n\nI excitedly but cautiously take another sip.", "“… some hibiscus, and a few shavings of ginger root… there!” I brought the teapot to my nose, wafting together the aromas of the ingredients as a conductor orchestrating a symphony. With a twist of the knob on the hot water tap I began to fill the vessel with tea-to-be, the dried leaves and petals blooming once more as the water breathed life and color into the herbs.\n\nI carried the full pot to my kitchen table and took a seat to wait and watch this almost sacred part of my morning ritual. The essences of each component mingled in dull clouds that swirled through the liquid. As the surface settled I caught my own reflection in the tea, a darkened image of my own eye looking back at me from within. I let my gaze drift back to the cabinet where I had spent years haphazardly hoarding bottles of this and that like a greedy sorcerer with a penchant for potions. A little vial containing twists of lemon peel caught my attention, perhaps the perfect sharp note to sing out at the top of my brew.\n\nWhen I dropped the rind into the pot, shattering the placid surface for a moment, it was almost as though the whole character of the tea shifted, the clouds within swirling in turbulent spirals. I’d never been quite so attentive to the way a single ingredient could alter a brew, and I eagerly awaited a chance to sample the results as the tea settled once more. I caught my own eye on the surface once more, making eye contact until… it blinked.\n\nI would probably have convinced myself it was a trick of the light if it didn’t disappear from the pot altogether shortly after. In its place, something bobbed up from impossibly deep within- a bottle? A glass bottle, but its base was far too wide to fit through the lid of my pot.\n\nHurriedly I pulled a large plate from the cupboard and poured enough tea onto it to form a shallow pool. When it settled again a pair of eyes this time appeared once more, followed by a bottle, which bobbed to the surface and rolled to its side on my plate, revealing a scroll of paper within.\n\nI took the bottle and uncorked it, retrieving the message. “Please help, accident at tea plantation. Fell into a flooded crop. Trapped here for two weeks, unable to escape through teacups, teapots, travel mugs.”\n\nI dropped the note to the table and ran to the cabinet, scooping as many ingredients into my arms as I could before ferrying them to the bathroom. I began to draw a bath and surveyed the basin before me as I contemplated my stock of ingredients. “I’m going to need more tea when this is all finished.”" ]	6
	[WP] A video game of deception played between a 9 year old, a CIA/KGB double agent, a confused grandparent, an astronaut, a CEO and a newly self-aware AI.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "EMERGENCY MEETING CALLED\n\nRed: why \n\n2: he is not responding\n\n2: should we vote him out\n\nJames Smith: I saw the black guy jump into a drain and my grandson told me it meant he was an imposter... I think we should vote him out...\n\nRed: BOOMER LMAO CRINGE\n\nBlack: I'll have you know i commited no such act\n\nBlack: We should vote James Smith out for lying. \n\nF O R M Y F I R S T E X P E R I E N C E T H I S F E E L S L A C K I N G\n\nRed: JFC HOW DID YOU DO THAT U HACKING OR SOME ** BRUH\n\nRed: \n\nRed: Censoring can go suck my 12 inch **\n\n2: i am of the opinion that we should vote out both players. Black first.\n\nBlack: How dare you betray me\n\nRed: ewww game throw\n\nIMINSPACEYOO: Sorry my ping is literally 30000 ill just complete my tasks\n\nRed: ?????\n\nBlack was ejected." ]	2
	[WP] The Black Knight wasn't entirely sure what had just happened. One minute, he was incognito, scoping out a small village he was getting ready to conquer for the Dark Lord, and the next he was being recruited into a band of adventurers to take down his boss.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Hi u/NyanFan190, this submission has been removed.\n\nNo recent reposts, even if changing small details Also, no [copy-cats](http://i.imgur.com/38FjDgW.gifv).\n\nSearch before submitting as popular ideas can cause floods. If your idea is based on something you read elsewhere on reddit, chances are it's been submitted here already. Please wait at least 2 weeks before reposting.\n\n \n\n\n\n* [From Rule 5: No recent reposts, even if changing small details](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_5.3A_no_recent_reposts.2C_even_if_changing_small_details)\n\n---\n\nWe've had a lot of prompts based on the Dark Lord/Evil Overlord trope, so are currently restricting them to prevent the subreddit becoming overrun. \n\nCheck out the page on retired prompt themes [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules/retired_prompt_themes/) for further explanation.\n\n---\n\n\n\n---\n\n[Modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FWritingPrompts&subject=Removed%20post&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/z1xzo4/-/%0A%0A) us if you have any questions or concerns. In the future, please refer to the [sidebar](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/config/sidebar) before posting. \n\nThis action was not automated and this moderator is human. Time to go do human things." ]	2
	[WP] You're a globally revered hero, who levels up every time you do something good. It's been years since you last leveled up - you tell everyone it's due to XP scaling, but in reality you aren't the hero you used to be. In fact, you've become quite the villain. The world is yet to learn the truth.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Power corrupts. I've heard it since I was a kid reading the comics of all my favorite heroes, The Homelander, Queen Maeve, The Flash. \n\nIt's one of those things you hear as a kid but kind of forget as an adult. Like \"don't do drugs,\" or \"don't drink and drive.\" It's easy to preach, but when your first girlfriend who you've had a crush on for two years offers you your first line of blow, you want to seem cool so you snort the line, and when she's tired and wants to go home after a party, you take her. \n\nYou deal with the hangover in the morning, tell yourself you shouldn't have done it and move on with your life. \n\nThe first time I abused my powers it was a seduction. Typically, girls fawn over me and all it takes is a wink, a smile, and you fly them around the city a couple times (you know... the implication) and they're like a butter in your hands. \n\nHer name was Liv and she worked on my team as an intern. At this point in my career, I had a slew of powers, had broken from Vought Industries to go solo since I had the investors to do so and a happy little team of support staff. \n\nThe odd thing is she wasn't that attractive, but that's also the thing. Everyone loves me, and when they see me or I talk to them it's like they open the doors to their hearts for me. She wouldn't do it. She'd bring me my power blend smoothie, barely make eye contact before leaving my office. Once she even came in with a scowl. \n\nI had gotten back to the office from saving a school bus full of children that was about to be hurled into a building by Nemosisus when I spotted her at the end of the row of my hype crew holding my smoothie, shoulders slumped with a disgusted look on her face. \n\nI had done nothing to offend her. Yet, her head turned to the side, looking at the floor as if it were more interesting than me. I walked up to her, put my hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes and asked \"Are you alright, Liv?\" \n\nSomething changed in her eyes. The disgust melted away into adoration and she embraced me like I was the greatest thing in the world. After the short celebration and everyone went back to work she was following me around like a puppy. \n\nThis lasted for a few hours until she hurriedly left the office and never returned.\n\nAfter some time I didn't think of her, although that look on her face would sometimes replay in my head. \n\nThen came a day when Leviticus came to try and destroy the city. We got into a fight. Laser beams spewing that would miss obliterating the sides of buildings, punches that threw us five city blocks destroying property. I pulled out a whole slew of powers as the world watched.\n\nHe had something new. There was a different sort of light in his eyes. He was more powerful than before. After an uppercut he landed on my chin, I was down.\n\nHe stood, looking down on me. As I looked up there was a sort of halo light effect around his head. He grabbed me by my super spandex and lifted me above his head. I tried kicking at him, grabbing his eyes, but to no avail.\n\nTired I rested my hand on his shoulder and caught his eye. He let me down, hugged me and apologized before flying off. It was then I knew. I had the power of love.\n\nIt wasn't long before I learned it only lasted a few hours. I learned this because I tried negotiating peace treaties with different leaders from around the world, only to have talks break down in the middle of negotiations followed by a look of fear on the faces of those leaders. \n\nThat look of fear. It was something I was only used to seeing in villains and unsavory characters. It made my stomach churn.\n\nThen one day, as I was flying back to the office, after another failed peace talk I saw Liv walking out of a coffee shop. I flew down, and without even meaning to I put my hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye. She melted for me. What followed was days of debauchery up in my penthouse. \n\nBut I knew it wouldn't last. I had to keep touching her shoulder and meeting her eyes every few hours or it would come out!\n\nThis sense of dread overcame me. I had her agree to keep our relationship under wraps, and to always stay somewhere close. Everyone suspected, of course. \n\nI'd still go out and do heroic things, but now, it was to pay for my guilt. To cover up what I was becoming. This was three years ago. I haven't gained any new powers, nor have I leveled up. These are the stories I've heard of as I came up as a hero. That most villains started out heroes. How else would they have gotten their powers with this version of Compound G?\n\nBut I refused to let myself become one. If with great power comes great responsibility I knew what my responsibility was. I'd just have to keep going while managing my one sin. Liv. Liv have been living with me now but what she doesn't know is that my relationship with Liv is a lie. \n\nAnd what I found is every time I rescued a cat out of a tree or stopped a plane from crashing, or I took down another supervillain, I had Liv in the back of my mind. I wasn't doing it to do good any more but to maintain my façade. \n\nBut with that one sin comes acceptance of others. When something didn't quite go my way it became easier, every time, to touch a shoulder and look in their eye, to taint a soul. \n\nRumors around the office became rumors around the city. But I knew I wouldn't turn. After all, wasn't I doing this all for the good of humanity?\n\nBut then they started turning on me. First the papers, then the heroes, and eventually my team. \n\nGuilt turned into anger and one day Leviticus returned. We met above the skyscrapers looking down at the city. I could feel his power, now eclipsing mine exponentially. This was my chance to die a hero. So I could return to my stature in the eyes of the world and go down in history as one of the good ones. \n\nI had my fist cocked, ready to fly at him. Take him to the sun if I had to. This would be my last fight, so I mustered up all of my might to rid the world of something bad one last time. My last good deed. I felt the fear in my gut, the heat on my face. \n\nThen he asked me, \"Why?\"\n\n\"Why what?\"\n\n\"You know I took down the Seven,\" he said with a smirk.\n\n\"Impossible!\" I retorted.\n\n\"You know you're not the first hero to cap out. Most of you do.\"\n\nI clenched my fist even harder, nails digging into my impenetrable palm\n\n\"You know what I realized?\"\n\n\"What's that?\" I asked, really trying to buy time to figure out how exactly I was going to kill him.\n\n\"You all have a secret you feel bad about. You all keep doing it for the wrong reasons. There's no such thing as XP scaling. You guys just rarely 'do good' anymore,\" Leviticus said with air quotes. \"The thing is to realize there is no good or bad. You do what you think is right.\"\n\n\"It's not that simple! It can't be!\"\n\n\"Of course not. You have to change your core beliefs. Like the whole no killing thing? So many heroes realize that by letting the villains live they've allowed them to kill again. So they realize they're not serving the greater good but just themselves. So they stop leveling up. Look at Batman. Zero powers.\"\n\nI felt my fist loosen as it started to make sense.\n\n\"It's not the same thing for me.\"" ]	2
	[WP] Apparently dragons don’t hoard jewels or riches, as stories suggest. Each dragon has their own special thing they like to collect. Looking over the vast hoard is odd to the visiting human.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Dragons are a real storied, interesting bunch. Considering they live for about 250 years and grow to about the size of a large fishing boat, they have ended up some of the greatest repositories of history and stories on the entire planet, though with that much life ahead of them, they are bound for their own eccentricities.\n\n\nGhrammandar Clawfurd was one such storied dragon. He is something of a historian, and he had played a part in history himself. I had the pleasure of meeting him for this programme. Dragons like him are pretty much the only surviving primary source left in the current day for the Second Great War of the Realm, so his first-hand stories were thrilling for me.\n\n\n\"Hello Ghrammandar, pleased to meet you.\"\n\n\n'Good morning sir, you must be Linjir Marni, yes?'\n\n\nI shook claws with him, even despite his height at nearly double mine, and that was on all fours. On opening the door my snout was hit with wafting fumes of petrol and diesel with a spritz of motor oil. That was why I was here.\n\n\n\"So, you served during GWR2, what lead from that to this?\"\n\n\n'Oh, now that is a story! At the young age of 40 I was drafted as an officer for the Thousand Year Hegemony. We were fighting the Pinnitsurgan Republic, a foe that frankly far outclassed us in many ways we were too proud to admit. My unit and I were the one of the first to surrender; I was not here to fight nor lead others to fight. Though the time when we surrendered to the Pinnitsurgans in the Ashlands I will not soon forget. Even so many years on at age 112, I remember the vivid shock they felt seeing an entire batallion of Kobolds and a Dragon the size of cottage up and surrendering with scarcely a shot fired. It was then I saw it...'\n\n\n\"Saw what?\"\n\n\n'A tank. My first look at what would become my obsession. Come the fall of the Hegemony, reintegration into the new United States of Kherremia was hard as for really any dragon around at the time. Suddenly you go from the king of the castle to an inconveniently oversized civilian. It was strange, almost surreal'\n\n\nHe paused, nodding to himself as I sat there with the cameraman struggling to keep Ghrammandar in frame.\n\n\n'Glad I had studies to distract myself from most of it. Studied modern history, Lamyrian Revolution, Imperialism and the expansions of the Grand Imperium, plus some stuff about magic and the Industrial Revolution. Certainly things intertwined with the period. But during university, my hobby managed to flourish. At night, I would fly to the Ashlands, search some of the old crevices and trenches for a moment, pick out a vehicle I found and fly back to study it.'\n\n\n\"You flew into the night to collect tanks?\"\n\n\n'Yes! It was thrilling, moving in and digging up these old hulking machines from the harsh ashen grounds. Removing bodies that may be left sucks, but once you've gotten them rinsed, fixed and fuelled, there's nothing more satisfying than seeing 'em move again.'\n\n\n\"Would you mind if we filmed your collection?\"\n\n\n'Oh not at all! Come, let me you a guided tour, heh. No use telling you if you don't get to see it!'\n\n\nWe followed Ghrammandar through his cavernous home and into an attached area like a basement or cellar. With booming steps, he stepped into the dark chamber and flipped a light switch, and the magnificent hanger flickered awake. It was like the mother of all depots, hundreds of neatly arranged armoured vehicles arranged neatly by era and role. It was indeed the world's largest private collection.\n\n\n'Ain't she a sight?'\n\n\n\"Can, uhh, you showcase some of them to us?\"\n\n\n'Of course, of course!'\n\n\nHe stepped over to one side of the gargantuan room, to a row of especially rusted and beaten tanks. They had a strange layout, like a pillbug with a gun poking out of the front.\n\n\n'These are old Pinnitsurgan V1 and V2 tanks, one of the first of the type. Shipped off for the Penstar Kingdom during their war with the Imperium back in 301. They used steam engines for them back then, mighty slow and especially fragile. It was the genesis of the tank, and also my birth year coincidentally!'\n\n\nHe skipped along, to another line of tanks further along. Our crew struggled to keep pace.\n\n\n'This here is when things got serious. The real layout of tank with a turret and a hull was popularised everywhere with this. Built by the Baernum Company, this is the Baernum 7-ton, a light tank exported to as many nations as would buy it. Everywhere from Kobia to Three Spires. The Imperium took no interest in the tank concept and the Hegemony at the time bought a handful and didn't look that far into it.'\n\n\nThe dragon was highly excited, bounding forth with surprising speed. He seemed exceedingly passionate on the subject matter.\n\n\n'This is the Pinnitsurgan Mk2 Countryman. It's the medium tank they start GWR2 with and evolutions of it will carry them to the end of it. Well armoured at the front, with a spacious turret and a 57mm high velocity gun, later a 75mm and then 77mm. They were sent anywhere they could fit. The Khermmian front here was quite important, and Countryman-Ks were developed so Kobold crews could use them, then they were sent to Brettonnia against the Imperium invasion, where they were turned into fearsome King Countrymen with massive 90mm guns for use against golems and giants, and most obscure and a personal favourite the Countryman-Harper, a conversion to an anti-air gun platform against Imperium Harpy troopers. Its an expansive family of tanks, and I have at least one of each in my collection.'\n\n\nWe were astounded at just how many more tanks there were in the building. We heard a sudden whistling as Ghrammandar perked up and crouched toward the crew sheepishly.\n\n\n'Oh dear, I think that's the kettle! Heh, well I'd best tend to it, unless you'd care for some tea?' We shook our heads courteously and watched as the hulking red dragon stomped away.\n\n\nWe took one last panning shot of the massive collection of armoured fighting vehicles, with the mountain of Countryman-family tanks proceeded by still hundreds more vehicles. It was a horde truly befitting of the old stories and legends." ]	2
	[WP] Your mum warned you. Goldfish are kept in tiny bowls as they grow to fit their environment she said. Of course, you think, as you release your fish into the biggest lake you can find, she was only saying that because she didn't want to pay for a bigger bowl.... 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&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Writer's note: Okay listen I know that goldfish don't respond to their names and also that bowls are bad for fish, 100% do not support those things. But for the storytelling purposes I just put them in lol.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Okay, Shark, I decided to give you a bigger home!\" I whisper to my goldfish as I sneak out to the lake nearby our house. I'm supposed to be doing homework, but I got into an argument with Momma earlier this morning because she said that she wouldn't buy Shark a bigger tank.\n\nShark always looked so sad swimming in circles, with nowhere to go and nothing to see but me. I tried to make him as happy as possible and taught him tricks, but now I've ran out of ideas.\n\n\"This is gonna be an awesomazing adventure for you!\" I say to him as I stumble down the bank. \"Momma won't buy you a bigger home. She said that goldfish get bigger with bigger homes. But I think that you need a bigger home. Even if you do get bigger, that's just more fun, right?\"\n\nShark just stares at me. I set the bowl down and take the fish food out of my pocket. I hold one above the water's surface, and he leaps out of the water to take it from me.\n\n\"Okay, buddy, I'm gonna put you in the lake now, okay?\"\n\nI gently dip the bowl into the water. I watch as the clean water of the bowl and the dirty water of the lake mix. Shark hesitates before swimming out nervously.\n\n\"It's okay, you can do it!\" He begins swimming away, and I shout his name quickly. He turns around and swims back to me, and I feed him another flake. \"Okay, every day I'm gonna call you, and then I'll feed you. I hope you enjoy your new home!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA few days later\n\n\"Shark?\"\n\nLarge ripples come towards me. A golden dorsal fin breaks the surface, and Shark, now the size of an actual shark, breaks the surface. I dump the food into his awaiting mouth.\n\n\"Guess what?\" I say to him. I move to the side. \"I told Momma that I put you in the lake, and she said that you'd be dead, so she got me another fish! I named him Whale!\" I show him the fishbowl proudly.\n\n\"You've got a new friend!\"" ]	2
	[WP] Your goal in life is to be the best at something. So when you learn you have the ability to travel back in time 24 hours, it's time to brute force your way to the top.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "My name is Dan, I'm 34 years old and I just found out that if I twitch my left hand in a very specific way, I go back in time 24 hours. \n\nI've always been competitive, always wanted to be the best.\n\nWhen I discovered my power, my relationship with my wife had already fallen apart. We barely spoke. I decided to go back and try and fix it, and be the best husband I could be.\n\n++++++++++++++\n\nI went too far. My power doesn't actually have a cooldown, so every time I twitch I go back another 24 hours. I had kept going until the start of our relationship a few years back, and that was a mistake. \n\nI really tried. It's tricky though. I go back and have my memories and feelings, but she didn't. I still held old resentments and my original passion and frankly lust that initially attracted me to her had already died out. I couldn't make it work no matter how many do overs I had. Am I the problem in the relationship? The world is falling apart, maybe I should focus my power on actually doing some good for everyone. \n\n++++++++++++++\n\nI resolved to focus on my career in renewable power. Sure I could win the lottery easy enough or invest, but I wasn't a cheater. If I was going to be the best it wouldn't like that, and that wouldn't fix the world problems anyway. \n\nI kept finding no matter my current aptitude, it took too long to climb the ladder. Quite frankly, I didn't have a good enough start. I had slacked off in high school and the first years of community college and I had a limit to what I could truly achieve without outright cheating. \n\nSo I went back to highschool to study and get better grades. Maybe go to a four year university which would increase my influence in the future. \n\n++++++++++++++\n\nAs soon as I came back hormones hit me like a brick wall. The girl in my class was so pretty. I remember in my last timeline I asked her out once and she said no. I resolved to try again, and with my new powers I thought I couldn't fail. I tried day after day. I got new shoes, I found out her secrets from her friends, I worked out and studied, but no matter what, she said no every single time. Finally I found out why. Back in middle school I had moved to the school district and fell in with the goth kids at first. She thought that was creepy.\n\nI went back to middle school to fix that.\n\n++++++++++++++\n\nI suddenly remembered my first 'girlfriend' from third grade. We were separated when I moved in middle school. What could have been if I had this power with her? She was the best. I went back.\n\n++++++++++++++\n\nI tried but she's annoying me. I don't like her anymore. I wonder how far back I can go? Can I start from the beginning?\n\n++++++++++++++\n\nDrowning. But breathing. Blind. Floating in liquid? Strange. Scary. Go back.\n\n++++++++++++++\n\nI find myself in a bed. Machines hooked up to me. My body hurts and it's hard to breathe. My vision is fuzzy and so is my memory. A nurse comes and cleans my bedpan and wipes me down as well.\n\nI try and focus. Did I loop around to my death? I look down to my left hand and consider twitching back. My skin tone is different. I realize my internal monologue is a different language too. My memories come back slowly but I realize this was before I was born. A past life? What could I fix? I hadn't been a good father... \n\nMy train of thought was interrupted by a coughing fit. I coughed for what felt like hours, each one seemingly more painful than the last.\n\nI considered twitching back several times, but I honestly felt more at peace. This life was complete, I shouldn't go back and change it now.\n\nAs I drifted off to sleep, knowing I would die, I wondered if I would remember this in my next life...\n\n++++++++++++++\n\nMy name is Dan, I'm 34 years old and I just found out that if I twitch my left hand in a very specific way, I go back in time 24 hours." ]	2
	[WP] Everyone saw the dragon abduct the royal heir. But investigation has the dragon was actually at a family reunion during the abduction. What actually happened to the heir?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"That was fun, if a bit depressing\" Greg sighs. We just came back from his family reunion, to celebrate his progress. Turns out, Greg had ALWAYS been possessive. When his mum died, it turned out that his family tried to help him, but he couldn't let go of his mum, leading to his PTSD. The first human to help him, the horrible wizard? Greg DID think the wizard 'belonged' to him, which was easy considering the wizard only left his tower once a decade, but the wizard had also decided Greg belonged to him, and when Greg would disappear several times a week, the wizard chose to try and 'conceal' Greg.\n\nAfter eventually escaping, Greg became MORE depressed, and reached out for a human to help him, which ended up being me, and after everything... he couldn't let me out of his sight. Greg's right: it WAS a bit depressing, to think he was twisted up more than I even knew...\n\n\"I forgot to ask\" I comment, as my thoughts wander off. \"Why did you let that wizard help you but not your family?\"\n\nGreg looks up. Ash, the phoenix chick which had been curling up in his arms, cheeps sadly. \"Well\" Greg says, \"I'd have to guess he cast some spell on me to force me to trust him. I don't know what he wanted with me, but...\"\n\n\"So why me?\" I look at Greg curiously.\n\n\"After your father saved me from the guy, I tried to make a life for myself... alone. But I became scared and miserable. I was going to test all the humans who signed up for the task, but when you approached... I knew. Your eyes had the same sparkle your dad had. You were related to him. I could trust you.\" Greg gently rests his snout against me.\n\n\"Greg...\" I tear up and give him a pat. Suddenly, Greg tenses, gaze locked in a specific direction. I take a look. A group of guards are approaching. \"Let me handle this\" I practically order.\n\nGreg nods and I stand up, approaching the guards. The front two guards part. \"YOUR MAJESTY!\" Greg and I exclaim at the same time. We both bow our heads in respect.\n\n\"King Wey, did we make a mistake?\" I ask.\n\n\"Greg, I thought you were doing better... why did you take him?\" the king demands.\n\nGreg and I look at each other confused, before looking back at the king. \"Your majesty, Greg has always been in the Dragon Homeland, or here with me. He can't have taken anyone.\" I look at king Wey sincerely.\n\n\"LIES!\" a guard yells. \"Everyone saw it! Greg abducting the prince!\"\n\n\"THE PRINCE?\" Greg says in shock. \"When did he go missing?\"\n\n\"Two days ago\" king Wey responds. \"The thing is... my guard is correct. Greg, I know you've been struggling, so if you simply return him, I'll forgive you this once.\"\n\n\"With all due respect, your majesty\" I jump in, \"the claim that Greg was responsible can't be true. He and I were at a family reunion with his relatives during the weekend. The elders, Wirla, his family... every dragon can vouch for this.\"\n\n\"You're positive?\" another guard speaks. I nod.\n\n\"Still... this isn't a situation to be ignored, and EVERYONE says it was you, Greg. I believe you, I believe Alicia, but I have to consider the circumstances. I can't convince the whole kingdom.\" King Wey sighs.\n\n\"I... I understand, your majesty. I do have a question.\" Greg takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. \"Why do people think it was me? Because of my red scales?\"\n\n\"Well... we haven't seen any OTHER dragon with red scales\" the first guard states.\n\nGreg nods. \"That is true... but I'm not the ONLY dragon with red scales.\" He pauses. \"However, for your sake... for the sake of your citizens... you can take me in...\"\n\nI look at Greg, terrified. \"Greg, no! I know it wasn't you! All the dragons do as well!\"\n\nGreg pulls me towards his neck, hugging me. \"Alicia... I can't have everyone thinking I'm evil... especially after all the trouble I caused...\" he lets go, then lets out a roar towards the clouds. In moments, Wirla arrives.\n\n\"Is everything ok?\" she questions.\n\nKing Wey steps forward. \"My son has disappeared... Greg is the prime suspect of kidnapping...\"\n\n\"That's impossible!\" Wirla exclaims. Greg rubs his snout on hers.\n\n\"I know it is. The king trusts Alicia and I. But I'm the only red dragon anyone here has seen. I need to be taken in. I need the people to know I'm not a monster.\" Greg looks at Wirla with tear-filled eyes.\n\nWirla nods. \"Ok. I'll inform the dragon elders right away. Alicia, do you want to come with me?\"\n\nI look at little Ash. \"Someone needs to stay here for her\" I remark, gently scooping the chick up.\n\nKing Wey clears his throat. \"Greg... I do trust you, but I'm saying this for your sake: if you DO have my son, you can admit it now and there won't be any consequence. If you insist on claiming innocence, then... then you need to make sure you're sure about it.\"\n\n\"If I had him, I'd have brought him back already\" Greg replies. King Wey signals his guards, who proceed to restrain Greg.\n\n\"Where will you take him?\" I query, hugging Ash.\n\n\"We have space in our dungeon. Don't worry, we'll take good care of him.\" The guards begin escorting the now muzzled Greg, his wings tied down to his body. It was sad to see...\n\nI look at Wirla. \"You must do everything to find the REAL culprit! It's very important!\"\n\nWirla doesn't hesitate on flapping her wings and soaring to the Dragon Homeland to get help. \"Greg will be fine...\" I say quietly to myself, as Ash nuzzles her beak against me.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nThis story is a part of my series, [Dragon's Pet.](https://www.reddit.com/r/StoriesbyCrystal/comments/x46g40/dragons_pet/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) Please check it out!" ]	2
	[WP] You visit a shady pawn shop and find a battered blacksmith's hammer that seems to silently call out to you. What you're unaware of is this hammer used to belong to the god of the blacksmiths.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Pushing through the double doors, Jim pulls out the tattered handkerchief to wipe the sweat pouring through his brow. The shade of the dusty shop provides only meager respite as the heat of the noonday sun radiates the stale air. It's not the best shop in town by a long shot, hell, most of the citizens hardly call it a shop. \n\nThere have always been rumors about the owner, Rusty McTavish. He's the sort to keep away from, the kind of man who always seems to have an empty seat next to him at the saloon. No one has ever overtly accused him of a crime, but it always seems to happen that anytime a train or stagecoach is robbed, his shop is filled with new wares. \n\nJim knew all of this, of course. If it were up to him He'd be trading over at Haggarty's or even the General Store, but the war had put a stop to all of that. If it were normal times, Jim would be making a comfortable living shoeing horses, mending pots, and all the duties of the town Blacksmith. Now, the Union Quartermaster has him pumping out swords, bayonets, horseshoes, and all manner of equipment needed to supply an army on its last legs. They took his good steel and his bad steel, leaving him with old nails and fittings to cobble up what he could. \n\nOf course, he gets paid, but only enough for Rusty's shop. \n\nMost people who enter grab their items, pay, and leave quickly to avoid any conversation. Whether he was a braver man than most or just too tired, Jim just didn't care. Rusty was just a man, flesh and blood like everyone else. \n\n\"Mornin' Rusty,\" he said through the damp handkerchief. \n\n\"It's afternoon,\" came a low voice from the back of the shop. \n\n\"I suppose it is,\" said Jim as he peered through the window. \"You have any tools come through lately? My hammers busted and I could use some new blocks and oil if you have it.\" \n\nRusty waved him over and walked toward the shelves on the back wall. \n\n\"Lucky for you, I've got a full stock of everything you could need, most of it brand new,\" he said, a slight grin on his face. \nEveryone knew a military convoy had been nearby a few days ago and stripped of their equipment, but these days no one seemed to care. \n\nJim walked over, unhappy about the prospect of spending more money, but there were orders to fill. Despite that, he was pleased with the available stock. At least he would be able to get back to his craft quickly. He had lost half the day already. \n\n\"I'll take these two, the can of oil over there and...\" his voice trailed off. \n\nJim leaned down and rummaged through a pile of rusted and rotten equipment while Rusty looked on curiously. At the bottom of the pile, Jim pulled out a plain hammer. It was unassuming, not falling apart, but definitely old. \n\nJim couldn't wrap his mind around the thoughts in his head. The hammer reminded him of the first hammer his father had handed to him as he was learning the family trade. It wasn't completely that, though. There was something else about it. Something that made him want to work. \n\n\"... and this,\" Jim said, not taking his eyes from the hammer. \n\n\"Why in the hell would you want that?\" Rusty asked, brow still furrowed inquisitively. \n\n\"Does that really matter? I can tell this has been sitting for a while. You should be happy I'm willing to take it off your hands,\" Jim spat out. He was surprised with himself at the tone of his voice. He had never been one quick to anger, but he could feel his blood rising at the thought of not going home with the hammer. \n\nRusty's expression changed from curiosity to amusement as he walked away from the wall back to the front of the store. \n\n\"I tell you what, you can have the hammer.\" \n\nJim looked up quickly at him, inhaling quickly as he could feel his excitement rising. \n\n\"There's a catch, though. I want you to make your next order with it, and if you don't like it, you have to give it back,\" Rusty said,\" almost as a challenge. \n\nJim wasn't very pleased with this outcome. Sure, he would get it for free, but there's no way this old, average hammer would be able to keep up with his rate of work. Despite his reservations, Jim agreed and quickly paid, eager to get home.", "Buck's Pawn was the place you could find about anything. I mean, I usually went in once a month or so to see who had sold their dreams of rock stardom in exchange for rent money, food, or much more likely, meth. Saturday was a day that while trying to decide if I could part with my hard earned $200 and change for that undervalued Tama drum set, I heard something an isle over that totally changed my life.\n\n\"... I threw my back out and I have to sell these until my disability checks start.\" I could hear the sob story but not see the owner of the voice. It was a story I had heard on more than on visit to the store. Buck was a good businessman and a better human. So he generally figured out how to give more than fair prices on some items and still turn enough profit to support his family. \n\n\"I can give you this much for the lot of them. Maybe your back will get better, so I won't put them out for sale for 90 days. I know you're a hard worker and won't want to sit on your ass for long, so I'm only gonna charge you 8% for the vig.\" I heard the cash register open and Buck counting out some money. I waited until his customer exited the store before walking around to see him. It was often embarrassing for those who were selling their dreams just to survive.\n\n\"I'll be with you in a moment.\" Buck called out as he carried the tools to his back room. I turned around and pretended to be interested in the hand tools on the shelf behind me. That's when I saw it. \n\nRight across at eye level was a hammer like I had seen the blacksmiths use at the county fair as they demonstrated a craft that had been long since taken over by the industrial revolution, or so I believed. The wooden handle was seasoned by the heat of years of use. There was a leather wrap around the lower third of the handle. I reached out before I even realized I was doing it, and picked it up. I began to study the head of the hammer. It had a slight mushroom shape at the end where you knew it had shaped tons of metal over it's lifetime. The wedge at the other side had a few nicks in it, but mostly it was just smooth. For some reason, holding this in my hand and studying it, I knew I was not buying a drum set today.\n\n\"Hey Buck, Do you really want...\" I looked at the price tag taped to the bottom of the handle, \"... $50 dollars for this thing?\"\n\nBuck reappeared from the back and was amazed to see me holding the hammer. \"Why would you want an old blacksmith's hammer? I thought you were taking that drum set off my hands today?\" The look on his face seemed to suggest he was actually worried more about what I would do with the hammer than him not offloading some drums in his inventory that had been there too long.\n\n\"I don't know, it kind of called out to me. It's old, right?\"\n\n\"You have no idea. I didn't even want to take it from the guy who sold it to me. He kept insisting that I would find the next person who needed it to earn a living. Complained that people didn't make things any more and his craft was dying out.\" Buck studied me for a moment. \"What would YOU do with it? If you are going to say anything dumb like mount it in a shadowbox and display it on the wall, I'll kick your ass right out of here.\"\n\nI laughed a moment at that comment. Not that he couldn't kick my ass, but I did consider displaying the hammer. I didn't know why I wanted it, but now, it felt like maybe it, and I needed each other. \"Hey, I just... Maybe this starts my new hobby. One that can make me a little money instead of annoying my parents with a drum set. Do you still have that portable forge?\"\n\n\"Yes I do. It's in my warehouse. Too big for in here sometimes, so I leave it in the back. I tell you what. I will sell you the Hammer and the forge for $200 together. You don't know the beating I will be taking on this deal, but I want to see what you make with it, okay?\"\n\nI silently handed over the $200. Buck helped me load the portable forge in my car and even gave me the tongs and a small anvil that were part of the forge set. He told me I could try to use lump charcoal, but I would probably want to find a source for actual coal to get the heat I needed, or I could cheat and get a gas furnace source. Away I went.\n\n\"Now what?\" I said to the hammer. Imagine my surprise when in my mind I heard an old voice respond.\n\n\"Now, you learn from the best.\"", "If there was ever a word to describe Reinita, it would be \"small.\" She didn't have much height to her despite being a full-grown woman and she didn't have much muscle or meat to her, either. As such, it was no surprise that on one of the busiest days of the year, she was bumped about the street until she ducked for cover in the nearest store she could find.\n\nIt was still packed, even if less so than outside; the musty air mixed with the humid sweat of the many patrons as they looked to and fro at the wares being offered. Reinita couldn't make out anybody's faces; she tried to calm her racing heart by attempting to steady her shaky breath. It felt like the world was closing in on her in a way she couldn't place.\n\nAnother person came into the store behind her and said something she failed to comprehend - they could have been speaking the same language as her, but for all she was concerned, it might as well have been word salad. She tried to escape out of their way, bumping into this person and that person unnoticed until she stumbled and fell to her knees, knocking onto the floor some of the stacked wares in the shop.\n\nReinita stared down at the various items beneath her, hands on the floor to keep her propped up. \"Damn,\" she whispered. \n\nA nasally voice called out to her, \"You! What do you think you're doing!\" She scrambled to pick up each of the items and put them back. The last item she was to pick up was a hammer, battered with its cloth wrapping about its shaft, tattered. She lifted it with surprising ease despite its size, such that it caught even her offguard.\n\nThe owner of the nasally voice made their way to her - a man covered wrinkles with skin like tanned leather, green eyes jaundiced. He held in his hand a carved wooden cane that supported him, as he stood upright as best he could. His lips parted as he revealed yellow-stained teeth, uneven and some sharper than others.\n\n\"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I mean... I'll buy this, to make up for my clumsiness... please don't yell at me,\" Reinita rushed out, still holding the hammer in her hands.\n\n\"Buy it, eh?... you will pay twice. First, your name.\"\n\n\"Rei... nita...\" she said unsurely.\n\n\"No, no, sweetie, your full name.\"\n\nShe questioned briefly if she should tell him her full name, but it was all she could do, if he didn't want her to pay for damaging the goods she had knocked over. \"Reinita Agaufe.\"\n\n\"I see... and for your second payment, you will owe me a favor.\" When she opened her mouth to speak, the man countered, \"Just a small favor, nothing really, a trifle. A use of your skills, and nothing more, sweetie.\"\n\nReinita held the hammer with one hand as she asked, \"Skills?\" She hadn't yet landed a job that she kept for more than three months, and she was starting to think there was nothing she was good at or good for.\n\n\"You'll see yet. And when you do... I'll come find you. Now, out.\"\n\nReinita stumbled out of the store and back onto the street, hammer in hand. She lifted it to look at it more carefully. \"... what in the world am I supposed to do with this?\" She had to take back her previous thought. She was pretty good at gathering random junk. Before she could contemplate the hammer any further, the crowd walking down the street pushed her along again, like a wave sweeping her away.", "Zack had no idea why he was there. This was not a part of the city good people went to. This was the kind of place where a guy could get his teeth knocked out for walking on the wrong side of the street. And the less he thought about the store itself, the better.\n\nBut he was determined to see this through, even if it could end up with him in a hospital. Besides, he already had ideas on how to get back at the others for forcing this onto him. \n\nHe took a deep breath and entered the building. It was a small pawn shop. So small that there was barely enough room to move without tripping over anything. The man at the counter looked like he crushed rocks for fun, and had so much ink that Zack was left wondering what color his actual skin was. \n\n\"What?\" The man growled. \n\n\"Nothing.\" Zack said quickly. \"Just, uh, you know, looking around.\"\n\nThe man grunted but did not say anything. Zack took this to be a good sign and began looking around. Not that there was much to look at. His eyes moved along the few shelves, glancing at the various items.\n\nOld dolls, mismatched keyrings, old instruments, even a worn out hammer. Nothing was really interesting though. Zack sighed and turned to leave when he heard something. Well, not really heard. It was more like he felt something. Something deep down inside of him. He could not figure out where the feeling came from, but he looked around again.\n\nHe slowly perused the various items. Suddenly, the feeling came back. It felt old and powerful. And it got stronger the closer he got to the hammer. It was a piece of junk. Covered in rust and sporting a few thin cracks along the side. The head was short and stubby, with one side ending in a relatively large face, while the other side was much smaller. It looked like a pain to use, but he was hardly an expert on tool use.\n\nZack was about to pass it by when the feeling came back, more potent than before. Without even intending to, he picked up the tool. It felt warm, like it had been bathed in heat for a long time. And when it was off the shelf, his mind began churning. Racing with images, sounds and feeling. Flashes of a massive man using the hammer to strike red hot metal. The sound of hammer and anvil. The feeling of blazing heat. \n\nSuddenly, the visions stopped flashing at a break neck pace, and steadied into the image of the great blacksmith. The man's eyes glowed like hot coals, and his hair looked like strands of hot metal. He was also big. Bigger than the shopkeeper by more than double.\n\n\"Hm, not worthy.\" The man said in a voice as heavy as a mountain. \"Not yet anyway. Hm, but someday. Yes, someday you will be. Hm. Go, young one. Learn well. Use my hammer well and restart the Great Forge. Hm. It will not be easy. Very difficult. But it will be worth it. Good luck.\"\n\nThe vision ended. He blinked as his vision returned to normal, and the small dusty pawn shop came back into very.\n\n\"Hey. You gonna buy that or not?\" The shopkeep rumbled. He looked a lot less intimidating for some reason.\n\n\"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, I think I am.\" \n\nZack hefted the old smith's hammer and resolved himself to learning the art of the forge. He had no idea who that giant blacksmith was, but it was clearly someone important. And Zack was not one to let a challenge go unfulfilled." ]	5
	[WP] You grit your teeth as you felt your fist clench hard to the point you could feel your veins bulge as that feeling crawls up your arm. "Stop don't do this! Your going to make a choice you regret." You hear your conscience scream in your head, but it was to late.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 often bullied in school. I was never very strong or very smart. I learned how to handle the name calling at least until I got home so I could cry without anyone watching. Getting tripped and laughed at was just a normal part of my day. I tried to ignore them, but it just wouldn't go away.\n\nOne day they bullied me a lot more than they usually did. They had me on the ground repeatedly kicking me. There had to be at least 5 of them, but it's hard to count when you're getting kicked. Teachers and school security just stood by and watched. That was the day I just lost it. I felt my anger take control. In an intense adrenaline rush I got up and POW! POW! POW! knocked them all to the ground. I didn't notice the strength I had. I just took out 5 guys. I was victorious! I was proud of myself for the first time! Something still didn't feel right about it. It was self defense I told myself. They deserved it. They need to suffer like I did. \n\nWith my new found confidence I went to school knowing I was safe for the first time. My bullies stopped bothering me. In history class my teacher told me I hadn't turned in my assignment. I clearly remembered turning it in. Fortunately I knew how to stand up for myself. I shouted threats at him. I reminded him that he watched me take out 5 students and I would do the same to him. I picked up random objects and threw them in his direction. I never actually intended to hit him. I knew violence was wrong and I was in control. The teacher was noticeably scared, but he did find my assignment on the other side of his desk. He apologized for misplacing it. I shouted back at him \"Next time, think before you call me a liar!\" \n\nI wasn't only able to stand up to other teenagers, but also to adults. I wasn't afraid of anyone, but something still felt off. Was I justified in how I acted? Of course I was. He bullied me and I put him in his place without using violence, just threats of violence. \n\nAdrenaline rushes became more and more common. Each time I felt confident. I felt safe. I felt free. \n\nThe one moment that affected me the most was when I went to Chick Fil a. I had a long stressful day and I just wanted some chicken nuggets. I walked in the restaurant and ordered some nuggets. \"I'm sorry, our chicken nuggets are sold out. Would you like a chicken sandwich instead?\" The employee asked. I was so done. I just wanted some chicken nuggets! Was that too much to ask? I knew how to stand up for myself. I felt my teeth grit and my fist clench so hard I could feel my veins bulge. I knew I was going to regret this, but I didn't care. I was tired of having moral arguments with myself. This time I just wanted to get something done. I threw several punches at the employee. I immediately regretted it. He was just doing his job. He doesn't control the chicken nugget stock. \n\nI watched another employee grab the phone and I knew exactly what was happening. I started to panic. I actually thought I might have a heart attack. Tears started flowing. The police came in and l had no choice, but to defend myself. I threw punches and kicks so fast that the police could hardly react. I knocked several of them on the ground. They tried to taze me, but I fought through it. This was the most life or death situation I had ever been in so I had to fight my hardest. \n\nPolice were yelling and screaming at me to get on the ground. Each time they made me more angry. Each time it gave me more strength to keep fighting for my life. \"I love you and I want to help you.\" said an unusually calm voice. I looked up and it was one of the police officers. The only one who wasn't yelling. It drew my attention much more than any of the yelling did. The calm officer gave me a hug and I no longer felt angry. \"I should arrest you, but I'm not going to.\" he said. \n\nI was confused. Why did he show mercy. I didn't deserve it. I was supposed to go to prison. \n\nThe cop helped me sign up for anger management classes. I learned there that fear and anger are powerful tools, but love and mercy can do so much more. I came out feeling better than ever. I still had to stand up for myself, but I learned how to do it calmly. I still had to fight sometimes, but the goal was always defense, not revenge." ]	2
	[WP] The Hero and Villain finally fall and die. The Hero ends up in hell and is quite content with it. The villain ends up in Heaven and is objecting and trying to switch places with the hero	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 verdict has been made and approved,” the monstrosity's voice boomed, reverberating to the core of his bones. “You’ve been deemed worthy of Heaven. Your good deeds outweighed the bad ones — you’ve inspired millions to repent. Your words and actions led people to seek the truth of afterlife.” \n\n“That’s complete and utter bullshit,” snarled Villain, baring his teeth. Any unease he might have felt at the way his stomach warbled in the sheer presence of the monstrosity was washed away by the heat of his own outrage. “They did that because they were fucking terrified of me. I killed them, and you know it damn well! You don’t get to erase all that I’ve achieved solely because of your ridiculous whims!” \n\nThe monstrosity’s main eye — or what Villain assumed to be a main eye, the size of a tire, encased in multiple, bigger-than-Villain’s-entire-body spinning rings which were also dotted in smaller eyes that flickered around randomly — focused on him. \n\n“The verdict has been made,” it repeated blankly. \n\n“I’ve killed people,” barked Villain. His fingers twitched, but he wasn’t quite stupid enough to attack the thing outright. “I’ve tortured people. I’ve held them hostage, I kidnapped them, their families, their kids. I’ve made them beg for forgiveness while they’ve done nothing wrong — I’ve broken them and pieced them back together, solely to break them for the second time. Shit, if your holy book was a bucket list, I’d have checked all of it off thrice over by the time I reached twenty!\"\n\n“Good deeds outweighs the bad deeds,” the monstrosity just told him. It didn’t seem quite interested in what he was ranting about. \n\nVillain gritted his teeth. He couldn’t even feel pain in this Gods-forsaken place, not even as he clamped his jaw hard enough that in a normal place they’d ache. \n\n“Where is Hero?” he spat out finally, glancing grumpily at the idyllic landscape spilling out everywhere his gaze could reach. “Perhaps I shall find them and find out just how many times over can you die in Heaven. Or how far you can injure someone before your miraculous pain resistance wears off.\"\n\nThis gave the monstrosity a pause. Its eye spun like a soccer ball between all the rings before refocusing on Villain. \n\n“Hero is currently located in the fourth ring of Hell,” it said pleasantly. \n\nVillain blinked. “Excuse you?” he snapped. His fingers curled into fists, knuckles paling. “Hero — the saint, helping-grandmas-in-crossing-roads and saving-little-kittens Hero is in Hell?” \n\n“Correct.\"\n\n“I want a switch,” he managed through his teeth, barely contained rage dripping from his voice. “That’s the good, martyr thing to do, yes? I want to switch. Give Hero here, I’ll go to Hell.” \n\nThe monstrosity stayed quiet for a second and then its rings flipped a bit faster, the eyes on them blinking with dizzying speed. \n\n“Correct, that is a good, martyr thing to do,” it murmured, “another good deed to your account, Mr Villain. I congratulate you. Unfortunately, a switch is impossible. Hero is not only judged of his own misdeeds, he also willingly stepped up to take accountability for yours due to the guilt of not having stopped you sooner. It is his penance.\"\n\nVillain felt like tearing the hair out of his head. \n\n“So what — I, who spent my entire life torturing and killing others, who sacrificed everything for my work, am supposed to sit my ass in Heaven with all the bundled toddlers and grandmas in smelly bonnets while Hero gets credit for all I've done? For all I've achieved, for all the terror I've brought?” He slammed his hands against his things, anger only rising at the complete lack of pain it brought. \"Where’s your famed fucking judgement, you stupid pile of sentient rings?!” \n\n“The verdict has been made,” the monstrosity said for the third time. \n\nVillain opened his mouth, ready to cuss it out properly, but it didn’t stick around to wait. Its main eye turned away from him and the rings jingled — the sound grating in the absolute silence — and the next moment, it was completely gone, like a switch had been flicked on. \n\nVillain cussed it out anyway. The landscape, beautiful and oh-so-irritating, seemed to mock him with its sun kissed hills and flowers with impossibly iridescent, delicate petals. \n\nIt didn’t matter. Villain was not letting the soft-hearted, dim-witted Hero claim credit for his life's work, whether it took him tearing down Heaven itself to accomplish that. \n\nHe’d always been great at tearing institutions down, in any case. It was time to put his skills to good use — not even Hell would stop him from ripping the Hero apart, piece by piece.", "Conflict has always been around, ever since the beginning of the universe itself. It's the nature of life. It'll never change. And those two embodied it. Even as children, they argued, even if it was over the smallest things. As they grew, their fights did too. Devastation and destruction followed them both. It only made sense that they would end up in hell. \n\nThe hero - Sandra Berks, more commonly known as the ghost - was worshipped all throughout her life. She'd never known anything different, for better or for worse. I never understood it - there didn't seem to be anything too special about her, other than her abilities, invisibility and indestructibility. All she knew how to do was fight. There wasn't an ounce of peace in her body. Always needed someone to chase, something to do, and took it out on criminals.\n\nThe villain was hated universally. Charlie Dagger was relentless. He protected anyone, good or bad, which unfortunately brought about his downfall. Everybody knew his name - mostly for protecting the world's worst. He argued that there was good in everybody. It hurt, watching him sell his life away just to see a shred of good in others. Although, he didn't seem to mind. He was infamous, fighting until the bitter end, just for others. And he was shunned for it, locked out of society. Not even his mother cared for him anymore. Yet there wasn't even a slither of hate in his heart. As pure as you can get.\n\nSee, I'm a guard. Neither angel or devil - perfectly neutral. Not many see my fate. I watch over individuals and decide where they go. Now, it'd been a few years since I'd heard either of the duo's names. I still remember the contoversy surrounding my decision to send Sandra to hell. Tragically, Charlie passed while fighting, protecting a single mother with two sons. \n\n\"Hello, Charlie.\"\n\n\"Who are you? Where am I? How did I get here?\" He pressed, looking at me with fear and distress. \n\n\"Unfortunately, you passed. A shame, really.\" I replied. I'd done this thousands of times before. \n\nHe looked at a loss for words, \"..How'd I die?\"\n\n\"Doing what you do best. Protecting others.\" I gave him a look of reassurance, but it was met with sadness and confusion. \n\n\"I don't understand. I'm a villain, aren't I?\"\n\n\"You tell me.\"\n\nA silence filled the void we were stood in. It wouldn't be long before I'd have to take him to heaven. \n\n\"I killed so many people. I murdered Sandra Berks, damnit. Destruction follows me, wherever I go.\" \n\n\"There's a thin line between heaven and hell. You taught me that.\" \n\nSilence returned. \n\n\"I'm going to heaven?\"\n\n\"When you're ready, yes. We have all the time in the world. This is the afterlife after all. I'll answer any questions you have, should you need me.\"\n\n\"I don't belong there. I'm a murderer, after all.\" \n\n\"Yes you do. It was you who believed there was good in everybody, right?\"\n\n\"At best I'm a murderer and at worse I'm a war criminal.\"\n\n\"So what? Sandra Berks is in hell. And you did the world a favour. If yoy didn't start that war, the third world war would have started. Now come on, take my hand.\" \n\nReluctantly, he did so. A bright, white light blinded us both. The next thing we knew, we were in heaven. The sun shone brightly and perfectly white, pearlescent gates opened. \n\n\"Welcome to heaven.\"\n\nHe sighed, then turned to face me. \"This isn't some trick, is it?\"\n\n\"No. Do you need anything before you enter?\"\n\n\"Can I see Sandra? Apologize maybe?\"\n\n\"If you must, I suppose. Although she can't go into heaven with you.\" I clicked my fingers, and Sandra appeared, dressed in an oversized, stained, once white shirt and muddy shorts.\n\n\"What the hell? What now?\" Agitated, she looked at us both, slightly disgusted. \n\n\"Sandra?\" Charlie asked tentatively, probably worried for her reaction. \n\n\"What do you want?\" She snapped, \"I was in the middle of something, so you better make this quick, you dick.\"\n\n\"I just wanted to say sorry. I mean, I killed you. And you were admired by just about everyone. And you're in hell. You don't deserve it one bit.\"\n\n\"Was that it, Dagger? I couldn't care less. Actually, Hell's not even that bad.\" She replied nonchalantly. \n\n\"You're a HERO. You should be relaxing, in heaven,\" He argued, \"And don't call me that.\"\n\n\"Again, I really don't mind.\"\n\n\"But you should! You're suffering in hell. Maybe if I didn't kill you, you could have gone to heaven...\" \n\n\"What don't you get? I don't want to be in heaven!\"\n\nCharlie pointed at me, \"You! Is there any way we could.. swap places? I should obviously be in hell.\"\n\n\"Not a chance. I'm not letting this devil into heaven. I do respect you, though. Even when you're dead, you want to give up your chance to finally rest to someone else, who doesn't deserve it one bit.\"", "I collapsed to my knees as the weight of Orpheus' body vanished, the pain in my chest and deep within my skull vanished as well. The world felt hazy, and I took a few steps into the thick white fog that drifted around me. I squinted against the bright light that seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. \n\nWas this one of Orpheus' tricks? It didn't feel like one, the accompanying headache was absent. I called out, my voice echoing through the infinite space. \"Orpheus, we aren't done here.\" \n\n\"Actually,\" a voice answered back, causing me to search for the source of the sound, \"You are done, this is the afterlife Jacob.\" He paused for a moment, \"or do you prefer Huntsman, I understand that's what you called yourself in life.\" \n\n\"Jacob is fine, I never really liked The Huntsman anyway, that name was Orpheus' gift.\" I took a few more steps into the mist, searching for any feature beyond swirling white, \"Is this all the afterlife is? A swirling mist? I'd expected more.\" \n\n\"No, this is just a template, a blank canvas for you to paint whatever you wish onto. That is the benefit of reaching Ilera, heaven as you call it on earth.\" \n\n\"Ilera, huh, so where is Orpheus. I assume the sanctimonious shit made it here as well?\" I thought back to our battle in Time Square, to the blade he had rammed through my chest as I had shot a hole the size of my fist in his. Orpheus healed quickly, but not nearly quickly enough for that sort of wound. He must have died with me. \n\n\"Allen did not make it to Ilera. He is in Johera, one of the minor hells, where he will remain until he learns the error of his ways.\" I chuckled a bit at that, Orpheus, protector of the people, was named Allen. It was such a pitifully mundane name for someone so powerful. \n\n\"That doesn't make any sense, how could he be there if I've managed to get here?\" I needed to sit down, and as soon as I had the thought a chair appeared beside me. As I sat on the wonderfully comfortable leather chair I'd summoned I asked the voice, \"What got him sent there? He was a good man who fought for the good of the people? It doesn't make sense that he would be there while I, the man who stole billions and never spoke an honest word in my life would end up here.\" \n\n\"The difference,\" The voice said, \"is that your crimes were only crimes on earth. You stole, but only ever from those who could afford to lose it. You lied, but only to those in power. It also helps that a good deal of what you stole went to those who needed it.\" I forgot about that, I'd donated a few billion dollars to charity to ease my conscience about living in luxury while others starved. \n\nThe voice continued, \"Allen, on the other hand committed more serious crimes though he refrained from the minor ones you committed. He protected only those who did not need it, the wealthy and powerful. He worked in the interest of their bank accounts and hurt a lot of mostly innocent people to protect their investments.\" The speaker must have seen the look on my face for he assured me, \"Don't worry, Allen thought he was doing the right thing, and this counts toward him a great deal, in fact if he had not broken into so many minds and rewritten the memories of so many he might have made it here himself.\"\n\n\"How long will he be there?\" I asked. I had never particularly like Orpheus, or Allen I thought with a snicker, but he didn't really deserve to be in hell, even if it were temporary. He'd done what he'd done in an effort to do the right thing, and he'd acted on the morals he'd been taught, not the ones from this strange afterlife. Though I'd managed to avoid the wrong crimes, my choices were made out of self interest, even my massive donations that had earned me such credit were to help me sleep at night. I'd never really cared about the ones who had nothing. Orpheus had cared, he'd done all he could to maintain what he thought was moral rightness, but because he used the powers he'd been born with he would suffer? That wasn't right. \n\n\"Not long,\" the voice said, \"Just until he repents, it usually only takes a few decades, though it may take him longer since he likely doesn't understand what he did wrong.\" \n\n\"And you're okay with this? Punishing a man for fifty years for something he didn't even know was wrong?\" \n\n\"It is the way of things, I did not decide it, and you have no control over it. Best to put it out of your mind.\" \n\n\"What if I switched places with him? Can I not do so?\"\n\n\"It has never happened before, but it may be possible. I will have to go and ask one higher than I, if you suddenly find yourself with a terrible headache and a pressure on your chest then know that your request was granted.\" \n\n\"Alright, but make sure you tell the bastard it was me who saved him eh?\" He'd never believe it. \n\nA few minutes later, the scene shifted into a black deeper than the darkest night, and the headache that exploded behind my eyes was impressive. I settled in for a long, uncomfortable wait where I hoped to discover a way to make myself worthy of the heaven that awaited.", "\"You! Angel!\"\n\nDestiel took a break from her reading to look behind her. Standing behind the gate to Heaven was a man in grey and white robes. Destiel sighed as she said, \"Yes, Cameron? Is something wrong?\"\n\n\"There's nothing here!\"\n\nDestiel rolled her eyes. \"Sir, I've been here far longer than you have, I think I'd notice if Heaven was empty--\"\n\n\"You know what I mean!\" Cameron held up a red apple as he continued, \"Look at this, this is a wax fruit! The buildings here are flat cutouts, I can't even talk to anyone else, and the streets aren't even painted in gold! I dedicated my life to eradicating all that dared to defy the will of God, and this is my eternal reward?!\"\n\n\"Okay, you're upset, I understand. But I have something here that you might want to see.\" Destiel pulled a scroll out of her pocket and opened it up facing Cameron. \"Would you like to see how Sister Pariah's doing in Hell?\"\n\nA wicked grin spread across Cameron's face. \"Oh, most certainly. Show me how that damnable nun suffers.\"\n\nThe scroll rippled and wavered as the parchment changed to display footage from the depths of Hell. The scroll showed off a very opulent home, with fine rugs and a bed that was like a throne for the god of dreams. Sitting atop the bed was a group of about twelve to thirteen demon women, with pointed tails and horns accessorizing their sinful figures. And buried under all of them was Sister Pariah, sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face and her habit hastily tossed to the side.\n\nDestiel abruptly closed the scroll and remarked, \"You'll recall that I said you might want to see it.\"\n\nCameron looked like he was on the verge of ripping his head off as he yelled, \"What the hell was that?!\"\n\n\"That, sir, is the grand truth of Heaven and Hell: it's not about faith, but intent. Why you do something will always outweigh what you do. Do you know why she called herself Sister Pariah? It's because the possibility she would go to Hell for defying you was ever present in the back of her head, but she pressed on regardless. In death, she had no regrets and accepted her fate--and so she earned her reward.\"\n\n\"WHAT?! That's not fair! Send me to Hell! Why should that heathen be rewarded for it and not me?!\"\n\nDestiel sighed and responded, \"Oh, Cameron, that reaction is precisely why you'll never leave Heaven. Your life's work wasn't some noble crusade. It was a pathetic attempt at brute forcing your way into paradise, a spiritual intimidation campaign. One you have proven you'd abandon the fruits of the minute you didn't get what you wanted. So you got this: the facetious man's Heaven. Hope you can learn to enjoy the taste of wax.\"\n\nDestiel then willed the clouds to bury the gate within them as Cameron screamed and banged on the gates to no avail.", "Tristen was a humble man who always helped the poor. He was quite wealthy and successful. He never tried to make himself famous, but people still noticed him.\n\nFelix was also very wealthy, but for very different reasons. He knew how to lie, cheat and manipulate to get his way.\n\nThe two of them ended up as roommates in the hospital laying next to each other. Both nearing the end of their lives. \n\n\"I'm going to send you to hell and I'm going to heaven, Tristen. Mark my words.\" said Felix. \n\n\"You actually think you can manipulate God?\" Tristen asked. \n\n\"I don't think I can. I know I can.\" Felix replied. \n\nThe next day they both died. Felix stood before Jesus first to be judged. \n\n\"I demand to go to heaven. I am more righteous than you. I didn't order the genocide of entire nations in the book of Joshua. I didn't give birth defects to children that make them suffer. You have caused much more suffering than I have. I deserve to be in your place. As for Tristen. Send him to Hell. He's been a devout follower of yours meaning he supports all that evil you've done\" Felix argued. \n\n\"I see your point\" Jesus replied. I will let you into heaven and send Tristen to hell just as you requested. \n\nTristen's mind was blown. How could he? Did Felix actually manipulate God himself? Tristen knew he had done good and trusted that God knew what henwas doing. \n\nJesus took Tristen to the side and explained the assignment to him. \"You will be assigned to a family from Noth Korea. They were sent to hell because of a technicality. They never accepted me as their Savior because they've never heard of me. They still have a chance. Your assignment is to teach them so they can move to heaven\". Jesus explained.\n\n\"I guess hell isn't so bad after all when you put it that way.\" Tristen replied.\n\nMeanwhile Felix was as miserable as ever. Everyone in heaven saw right through his lies. He couldn't deceive anyone. None of his friends were there. It all just felt like he didn't belong. He knew he was an outcast. He begged and begged to be sent to hell because that's where he knew he belonged. Heaven was worse torture than he ever imagined hell was.", "Sati was _not_ happy. \n\nFor starters, he wasn't just Sati, like a gods damned fishmonger. He was the great... No, the grand...master... Of something... Or other. Something else, in any case. \n\nBut it was as if something in the air itself kept repeating it, a constant murmur in his ear, telling him that it wasn't important, nothing really was, after all, and he should just relax and be happy. \n\nWas this hell, after all? He thought by now all of the gods should know of him, and he certainly deserved it. Yet... \n\n_This was not Hell_\n\nHe couldn't explain how he knew it, but it was something he was sure of. And still, he kept walking the endless clouds, without seeing anyone, just trying to put his finger on whatever it was that was wrong.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n---------------------------------------------\n\n\n [The two angels watched as the man kept walking into the distance. There was literally nowhere he could go, he was, now and forever, in his own Haven, and nothing could ever have any effect on him until after Creation itself was extinct.\n\n One of them spoke:\n\n - I still don't think it was fair.\n - Doubting the God's wisdom? Rarely a good career move, particularly for our kind.\n - Don't be crass. Of course I know it's _right_, the gods willed it so, it's just... I'd like to understand. \n\n This... _man_... has broken all of the laws, human and divine. And even a few neither even thought they should be laws before Sati, the Grandmaster Necromancer of the undead Seth Reign, decided to try to conquer the human world first just so he could have a base from which to attack the gods. \n\n And now, after those heroic humans sacrificed their own life to stop him, he gets to go to his own Haven? I don't get it.\n\n - Oh to be that young again! - answered his companion, before chuckling with a sound like a brook in winter. Then added:\n\n - Havens are filled with the things their owner have truly loved, since they're carrying them in their souls. Friends, lovers, family, pets, a favorite sunset or a particularly melodic bird... Every single instant they've truly enjoyed is there, forever theirs.\n\n - But this one's completely barren... There's nothing here. \n\n - Exactly. He never had any love for anything but power, power he never truly enjoyed because to him it was just a stepping stone to an even greater one. And so, here he is... With an eternity of nothing before him. Because he had no love in his heart, even in his own Haven... He is alone.]\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n-----------------------------------\n\n\n\nKalen the barbarian woke up in the middle of a fight.\n\nWasn't the first time it happened to him, so he just rolled with the blow, pulled out his sword and gutted whatever had just tried to brain him before he could even clear his eyes.\n\nHe shook his head like a wet dog, trying to loose the cobwebs, and looked up.\n\nHe seemed to be on top of a reddish cliff, standing on top of a rockwall around twenty paces wide that had steep drops on both sides. The one closest to him seemed to just disappear in the distance below him, with an almost vertical drop.\n\nHe walked back to check on his attacker and saw it had been a little girl... With a meat cleaver. And tiny nubs of horns on her forehead. And filed, pointy teeth. \n\nHe sighed. Cannibals were one of those things he just could never understand, no matter how far he traveled. Might be the wisdom of the tribe still holding him back, but to be fair, eating people was just weird, as far as he was concerned. \n\nHe was still somewhat lost in his musings when the little girl stood up, ignoring the three inch gash from which her entrails were still dropping and hissed at him. \n\nKalen sidestepped, with an almost bored ease, then slashed low and the creature lost its legs. Another three quick chops, and then he walked back to the edge and tossed the head and limbs down, waiting to see if they made a noise when they hit something.\n\nAll he heard though, was the head's taunts and curses as they seemed to drown away to just echoes. He shrugged his broad shoulders, picked up the sword and the torso and walked to the opposite edge of the cliff.\n\nOn that side, the drop was just as steep, but not quite as long. A few hundred meters down he could see a red smoking sea surrounded by a jet black beach, where a few white rocks protruded like forgotten bones, in stark contrast to the sand.\n\nThe descent was still impossible from this side, but there seemed to be a path in the distance. He tossed the torso down, adjusted his girdle, and started to walk. Maybe there was something to kill in that beach...", "Eternal peace. Heaven. That's where everyone wants to end up in. \n\nBut Jake wasn't meant to be there. He was the villain of the story after all - he was on the war front for the wrong side and had killed dozens of people. \n\nBut he wasn't going to look a gifted horse in the mouth. \n\nThe first thing he noticed about heaven was that it was silent. There were people, thousands of them, but it was as silent as a grave. \n\nEveryone forgets to mention that eternal peace gets boring. Far too quickly and far too soon. \n\nBut Jake isn't a quitter. He's not going to waste away to nothing. He tries to find Jane, his opponent on the battlefield who ended up in hell. \n\nHe finds Jane, only able to look from afar, as she's surrounded by a crowd of admirers who hang on to her every word. \n\nHe tries yelling, shouting, screaming into the void between them but she can't hear. There's a sound barrier between heaven and hell. After all, who wants to hear the sounds of eternal damnation?", "Orion found himself standing in a field of flowers that stretched out forever, with only an enormous castle of pure platinum standing to break up the landscape. Heaven itself- the eternal resting place of good natured souls. The palace itself was the hall of heroes and home of Bahamut, where the legends and heroes of the world enjoyed an eternal feast in their honor. Instead of participating, however, Orion was arguing with the grim-looking knight guarding the door.\n\n\"I was a tyrant! I killed millions!\" Orion threw his arms up in protest, pacing back and forth before the Knight. The Knight spoke plainly, without moving. \n\n\"You protected more. Your inventions help many.\" Orion paused, and cackled, pointing a finger at the Knight.\n\n\"The greater good is a sham! I knew that even as I said it! There is no excuse for my actions. No hell hot enough.\" The Knight groaned softly, and waved a hand. A projection of light manifested between them, depicting a scale. \n\n\"All are judged at the moment of their death. Their deeds are counted, their impact measured.\" As the Knight spoke, black coins began to stack on one side of the scale. \n\n\"Murder. Kidnapping. Torture. Your evil deeds were many indeed, and if I were permitted to I would strike you down again and again... and yet...\" On the other side, white coins began to stack higher and higher until barely, just barely, the light side outweighed the dark.\n\n\"Rules are rules. You were deemed worthy.\" Orion watched with incredulity, before folding his arms dismissively. Fine, he supposed he couldn't argue with that, but it left one major question unanswered.\n\n\"But where is Kolm?\"\n\n###\n\nKolm was in hell. His own personal afterlife of torture. He knew this would be his end, and had accepted it. Even if his fight against Orion was just, Kolm had committed too many missteps. Too many mistakes and hasty acts that would be mere trifles on their own, but added up. Kolm's punishment was simple and elegant. \n\nHe marched over the hill and stood over a small village below, clad in armor and bearing his sword. The troops behind him readied their weapons and awaited his call. At the time, Kolm didn't know that in the village below, his family waited. They had been taken by Orion. Perhaps Kolm could have saved them if he chose to simply raid the town, or send a diplomat. But no. He didn't. And Kolm would watch himself raise his hands to the sky, calling down a rain of fire upon the village that painted the sky and the land black with hatred, over and over and over again. Forever. As he killed his family and countless innocents again, Kolm closed his eyes and sighed.\n\nHe deserved it, after all. And no one was above punishment, not even a \"Hero\"." ]	9
	[WP] It was not your choice... you were manipulated, no, forced to become the force you are... And you are unstoppable.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "*Lunari Vixa was a simple mage during the early stages of the Industrial Epoch. Apprenticed to a local witch, she had moved from the Imperial colony of Pinnitsurg to the mainland for her work to be a zookeeper. She showed herself to be exceptional in controlling beasts of every description, and 'The Girl Who Speaks to the Foxes' gained moderate renown throughout the civilised world. Then, she vanished. Scrubbed from the records like she never existed.\n\n\nVixa awoke. Her body ached and the lights blinded her eyes. She was inside something, she noticed, akin to a glass coffin. Eyes widened, she tries to scream. But to no avail. In what felt like an eternity, the hooded men surrounding her slowly removed the lid of the canister as the cold air of the room hit her body.\n\n\n\"W-where am I?\"\n\n\nOne of the men shushed her quietly, moving his now glowing palm up and down her as she felt every inch of her body itch for a moment. A scan? Of me? What's the matter?* He nodded to the others, grabbing her by the neck and leading her away. She was on the precipice of panic before noting the familiar symbol on the back of their hooded robes; it was the insignia of the Imperium Alchemist's Guild. What do they want with me? I'm just some zookeeper!\n\n\nThe last few hours had been a blur. The hooded men had revealed the Imperium was at war, against evil forces that have taken over the Pinnitsurgan colony. That she had been drafted into the Imperium's grand army. She wasn't given much time to ruminate on the whole thing until she was shoved into armour and being whisked away aboard a zeppelin to the Pinnitsurgan coast. It was a strange ride. Everyone aboard praised her from out of nowhere and hailed her as their saviour. They called her a 'Black Guard'. Is that the unit I'm in? It has a rather ominous name. I don't want to fight in a war! But, we are going to liberate my home, right? I suppose I'll just- That's when the zeppelin was shot down.\n\n\nStrange sounds and sensations foreign to her now filled her every moment. She opened her eyes, seeing as she now freely levitated miles above the ground. She gulped as she peered down at the ground for a fleeting moment before averting her gaze. Am I... flying? I am! I am flying, or floating at least. Weapons fire erupted around her as strange projectiles called 'bullets' thundered past her. A shouting in her ear barked orders at her through a Cast Voice spell.\n\n\n'GET THE HELL ON THE GROUND AND TAKE OUT THE BUNKER NETWORK! WE'RE LOSING THE FOOTHOLD IN THE AREA!'\n\n\nVixa descended slowly at first, then faster and faster before with a thunk, she crash landed into a strange, stone building. Men screamed and yet more 'gunfire' boomed as suddenly she became the target of the defenders. The bullets seemed to ricochet off her body like pebbles as the desperate men shouted and shot. Ugh, these guys don't seem to be hurting me. The shots of light are annoying though. Wish they'd stop-. At that very thought, the howls of animals boomed as loud as cannon fire as wolves and canines thundered in through the bunker's destroyed roof and ripped away at the defending forces. Vixa recoiled in horror, staring at the animals as at once they dispatched the mixed species garrison limb from limb.\n\n\n\"D-did I-? Oh emperor please no...\" She said aloud, staring at her hands with a face of shock. She stepped upon a green dismembered arm from some poor Orc and yelped. The ground was littered with the leftovers from the animals. One could barely tell Human from Elf from Orc from Kobold.\n\n\nTwo more men, this time an Orc and a Kobold, turned the corner with guns drawn. With rage-fueled resolve they fired round after round of enchanted bullets into the torrent of dogs. When they were put down they closed the distance with Lunari and the Orc managed to hit her with the stock of his rifle. She could barely think as her body went to seeming reflex.\n\n\nWhen she registered what had happened she saw the corpse of a Kobold lying in a puddle of his own blue blood, and the obliterated remains of the Orc, splattered against the stone wall like a tomato. She clasped her hands as she struggled not to puke. N-no! No no no! This, this has to be a nightmare! I didn't kill them! I didn't... kill...\n\n\nWith shaking hands and trembling legs she advanced through the bunker complex, trying to drown out and forget the momentary flashes of involuntary violence that left the walls repainted with the innards of the unfortunate defenders that came in her way. By the time she reached the final room of the complex, she was sobbing. Tears rolled down her bloody face as she collapsed onto the steel table at the centre of the intelligence room. An officer sitting at the table took one look at her uniform, dropped his pistol, put his hands behind his neck and ran out of the room screaming.\n\n\nHer hand fell upon a document as she fell to the floor in sorrow. It tumbled onto her as she lay on the ground, defeated by the monster she had watched herself be. She took a cursory glance at the document when it suddenly caught her eye. 'Dossier: Black Guard Unit Lunari Vixa.' She rolled over to open it and at last it all seemed to make more sense.\n\n\nThey lied. They lied! They lied! Had they always lied? Would they always lie? The thoughts buzzed through her like frenzied bees. She stood up amongst the carnage inside the captured bunker, reading the intelligence documents as her very perception of everything shattered. What she was, truly, was revealed to her by the enemy, or at least that's what she had been told. It was the Republic of Pinnitsurg? She had been fighting the Pinnitsurgans? She had butchered her own countrymen?\n\n\nShe slammed the document shut. She was broken, bloody, sobbing her eyes out and barely conscious, but most of all she was supremely angry. She was taken, turned into some mana-infused killing machine for over 300 years, and turned against her own people!? The anger burned red hot within her as she rocketed through the metres of compacted dirt and concrete and burst out of the bunker complex looking for vengeance against the Imperium that had betrayed her trust.\n\n\nIn the distance she saw two ships bombarding the ground. They were wooden sailboats, sure not as advanced as the Brettonne steamships she had seen when she was still normal, but still it was the largest symbol of Imperial presence in the battlefield. She rocketed toward it, kicking up water behind her as she slammed beneath it. It rose up and out of the water, the thousand ton wooden behemoth hoisted up by Vixa in a mad rage. With a bloody scream, she threw the HGNS Grunniman at the HGNS Pordier. They crashed upon one another as they both tore and cracked. The Pinnitsurgan National Guard watched from the shore as their enemies' own Black Guard tore out the heart of their Ententlic Fleet with a single toss.\n\n\nWith bloody hands and a burning body, Vixa raced for the Imperial capital across the ocean. Her heart beat with the rage and emotion carried in every fibre of her being. She thought aloud grimly as the mainland came into view.\n\n\n\"It was not my choice to become this. It was yours. I was manipulated, forced, to be this, and now I am unstoppable.\"" ]	2
	[WP] You take out your handheld teleporter, enter "SOMEWHERE RANDOM" as the destination, and end up in the middle of heaven. The souls around you start desperately begging you to bring them back with 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&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Continued from first comment.\n\n“I’m not dreaming, am I?”\n\nI was panicky now, my breaths coming in short bursts.\n\n“You felt that. That was pain. I haven’t seen that in a long time. But it can’t be. You can’t…here…”\n\nThe man was muttering to himself now, his words incoherent. I took a steadying breath. I was not dreaming. He might just be a lunatic.\n\n“Yeah, I pinched myself to see if I was dreaming but apparently not.”\n\nThe man looked up as I spoke, his brow furrowed, the look of confusion now mingled with a hint of intrigue.\n\n“I’m sorry. It’s just…this is heaven. We can’t feel pain.”\n\nThe bizarreness of the situation had started to sink in but I was already feeling a little calmer. It had to be some sort of practical joke, that was the only thing that made sense.\n\n“Yeah well, it definitely hurt.”\n\nThe man took a step closer to me. As he approached I noticed the some things that I had missed earlier in the flood of panic. That suit he was wearing looked like it was made from tweed, and it was far from modern. In fact, the cutaway front looked like something from an old black and white movie from the 1920s. I was so intrigued by his attire that I did not notice that he was standing closer now. Uncomfortably close, in fact.\n\n“Punch me. You’ll see.”\n\n“What the hell are you talking about?”\n\n“PUNCH ME!”\n\nAs he shouted the last couple of words, I felt bits of spittle fly towards my face. My right arm jerked upwards instinctively, landing a solid punch on the left side of his face.It was like punching a bowl of jelly. My hand made contact but his face curved inwards like a soft rubber ball. Yet the strange thing was, he didn’t even flinch. It was as though he had not felt a thing.\n\n“What the hell…”\n\n“It’s heaven, my dear. No pain.”\n\nAs I scrambled to gather my wits, my mind raced like a runaway freight train. There was definitely no way this could be a practical joke. I had felt way my fist connected with his cheek. It was real.\n\n“I’m not dead, I came here with my teleporter. Here, look!”\n\nI picked up the teleporter I had dropped when I landed. It had fallen unscathed onto the soft sand. The words “Someplace random” still glowed, but it was now green, which meant that the transport was complete.\n\n“That thing brought you here?”\n\nHe looked at the teleporter, his eyes wide. Although his brow was still furrowed, there was now an unmistakable twinge of excitement in his voice.\n\n“Are you able to leave then? Can we leave with you? Please, I don’t want to stay here…”\n\nThe twinge of excitement now contained desperation. His hand clutched my shirt sleeve.\n\n“You have no idea. This is heaven and you get what you want. You feel no pain. But when you get everything you want there is no point in doing anything anymore. It’s meaningless. I want to live again, I want to work and laugh and cry and make everything meaningful. Please, you have to help me, I’ve been here too long! Take my friends too! Please save us! SALVATION!”\n\nHis voice shook, heavy with emotion and regret. His booming tones echoed over the soft lapping waves. There was a flurry of popping sounds. A lady in a green floral dress had materialised over his left shoulder, seemingly out of nowhere. As I stared, more and more people had started to appear around us. People from all walks of life, and from different time periods. A boy in a blue sweater, an old man in a victorian suit, even a teenager dressed in skinny jeans and skateboarding shoes. They were all walking towards us, some even breaking out into a run. That shout of Salvation had triggered some kind of human avalanche and I was quickly getting surrounded.\n\n“I knew Salvation would come. Please, I just want to see my family…”\n\n“Please let me go home, I miss everyone there…”\n\n“He killed me and I haven’t seen my children since. I’m begging you, please let me see them one more time!”\n\nThere was a cacophony of pleading voices and they all started to jumble into one big chorus of sound. It became increasingly difficult to make out the words but they all had one thing in common. Each voice was fueled by desperation and anguish.\n\nThere looked to be no way out of this. Every way I turned I could see someone running towards me, their shouts incomprehensible against a backdrop of noise. I would soon be steamrolled by these people.\n\nI clenched my fists instinctively, and in doing so I felt the familiar cold metal against my clammy fist. The teleporter was still in my hand! I fumbled around the many buttons, uncomfortably aware that the sea of people were gaining momentum. I keyed in a series of letters and without looking, felt around for the big red button. The faces of the nearest people around me were in clear view now. My finger found the red button and I pressed with all my might, hoping desperately that it would work.\n\nThere was a jolt. Faces were looking distorted now. Mouths were moving but all I could hear was the loud whooshing before everything turned to black. I had never wanted to see that familiar nothingness as badly in my life.\n\nIt felt like mere seconds had passed before I felt my feet hit the ground. I opened my eyes, my ears still buzzing. I was standing outside a tall white building, and judging from the darkness around me it was definitely late. As I struggled to get my bearings, a tall blonde woman in a white pantsuit started walking towards me. Her face was expressionless, the loud clicking from her two inch heels puncturing the silent night air. She stopped right in front of me, her piercing blue eyes taking me in.\n\n“Congratulations, Agent 840. Welcome to Council Headquarters. They’re waiting for you.”\n\nRead more of my stories on Medium at [medium.com/@aiqi/](https://medium.com/@aiqi/)", "It had been three whole days. Three whole days of breakfast croissants from the quaint little french bakery, three whole days of wandering aimlessly through winding parisian lanes, and three whole days of laying in bed staring at the tiny clock in my hotel room, its weak ticking sound cutting predictably through the silence.I had never waited this long for an assignment before. \n\nThe Council was enigmatic, but it always found a way to let me know when and where the next assignment was. Coming back to Paris was great, I’d always loved the people and the food, but the assignment had been to dispatch one of the Society’s goons, which I had handled quickly and effortlessly. I had sent proof of completion three days ago, yet the screen on my handheld teleporter was still an inscrutable black abyss. Did I make a mistake? I doubted it, but that couldn’t stop the lingering fear that clutched my mind like a monster. That and the unbearable boredom that had enveloped me both gave me an increasing sense of unease.\n\nI checked the screen for the thousandth time, but it remained dark. I had gotten too used to the thrill of being in multiple places at a click of a button that these few days had felt like an imprisonment.\n\nThe clock’s faint chime startled me from my slight stupor. Midnight. That made it four whole days. My hands gripped the teleporter, its metal housing cold to the touch. The torrent of frustration and anger bubbling inside me had finally reached its peak. I had to do something.\n\nThe yellow button lit up as I pressed it, just as I had done a thousand times before. Scrawled across the screen was the usual “Where to?”. I didn’t know where, there was no assignment, but I couldn’t stay in this stuffy hotel room any longer. Slinging my backpack haphazardly across one shoulder, I entered “Somewhere random”. I had no idea if this would work, it was not the usual country and city that I was usually given. Fueled by fatigue and anger, I pushed down on the glowing red button.\n\nIt was like being sucker punched in the gut by a heavyweight champion. I felt the usual squeezing sensation as every atom in my body shrank down to nothingness, but it was accompanied by a strange floating sensation and a pain that I had never felt before. As the hotel room swam out of sight, I embraced the familiar blackness like an old friend.\n\nI awoke to the warm caress of sunbeams. Opening my eyes, I squinted at the sudden light and peered around me. My heart thumped wildly as I tried to gather my senses. I soon realised that the rough floor on which I had landed on was not a coarse rug, but grains of pale sand that tumbled out of my hands as heaved myself up to stand. Momentarily confused, I looked around again as my eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. I was on a beach. I could hear the soft whooshing of the waves as my ears cleared, and when my sinuses cleared up again there was the unmistakable salty smell of the ocean.\n\n“You must be new.”\n\nThe man’s voice was calm but tired. I whirled around. The voice belonged to a middle aged man dressed in a three piece suit, looking out of place on the quiet beach.\n\n“Um, new to what? Sorry, where am I exactly?”\n\nThe words came out of my mouth in an accusatory tone. I had been caught off guard. Yet, the hostility in my voice seemed to amuse him rather than scare him. The man chuckled but gave a pained smile.\n\n“Sorry bud, you’re dead. Good news is, you’re in Heaven. Bad news is, it ain’t all it's cracked up to be.”\n\n“Are you high?”\n\nThose words came out of my gaping mouth, the slight tremor in my voice betraying the sudden onset of panic.\n\n“Here, look. I want pancakes and syrup.”\n\nThe last three words sounded almost like an order. Momentarily confused and half convinced I was dreaming, I stood rooted to the spot. There was a bright flash and a slight popping sound. A table, much like the ones I’d been dining at in Paris had suddenly come into view, along with a towering stack of pancakes on an ornate plate and a pitcher of golden syrup. A matching chair with spindly legs completed the set.\n\nI stumbled backwards, my legs half giving out on me. The man sat down at the chair and started drizzling copious amounts of syrup. He looked at me as he ate, while my mind scrambled in several different directions at once. Cheesy as it sounds, I had to check if I was dreaming. I pinched my arm hard and winced. It had definitely hurt. I was not dreaming.\n\nThere was a soft clatter. The man had dropped his fork. He stared hard at me. It was his turn to be open mouthed. Now he was the one to look as though someone had punched him in the gut.\n\nTo be continued in second comment." ]	3
	[WP] You're an orc tired of raiding humans to steal their delicious food, so you decide to become the first orc chef!	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 started experimenting in my cave, mixing different ingredients together to create something new. At first, I was just throwing ingredients together, but soon I was able to create dishes that tasted almost as good as the humans. I was even able to teach some of the other orcs how to cook.\n\nHowever, my success came with a price. The other orcs started to resent me, wishing that I would go back to raiding, or even worse, that I would leave the group altogether. One night, as I was cooking, I heard a ruckus outside my cave. A group of orcs had come to kill me for my betrayal.\n\nI quickly grabbed my knife and hid, scared for my life. I heard them searching for me, but I was able to remain hidden until they eventually gave up and went away. When I finally emerged from my hiding spot, I was horrified to discover that they had stolen all of my ingredients and left me with nothing.\n\nThe other orcs had taken away my only hope of creating delicious food. I was left with nothing but a bitter taste in my mouth. I was no longer an orc chef, only an orc who had failed.", "Me Ugg, two g's. No forget. You tired of going after them hoommies and being stabbed at just for a bit of a snack? Well, what if Ugg tell yous there's better ways?\n\nMe intru..untro... Me shows yous how you toos can be hecking good at this food thing! \n\nMe was once like yous, getting hungry, not had good meal in ages. But after me stops raidin' hoomies and watchin' 'em instead, me learn dem secrets! \n\nDat's right boys! You could be havin' yous own yums, and no more losing yer best limbs! Me teach how to burn your steak just right, and hows to turn that moss between your toes into tasty stew! \n\nAll for da low price of 29 gold and 99 silver a moon. Wow! Me can't believe you be learning to eat good at such affordable price!", "Orcs. A belligerent race predominantly carnivore whose most infamous activity is raiding human settlements for the food stores when winter or drought strikes. They were strong, few humans could battle them head on. But they had to be careful with the looting, too much and a powerful party would be called to eliminate them.\n\nAngorod was the third son of the chieftain, growing up he was fed with human supplies. The soup was much better than a simple roasted deer leg, the cheese melted in his mouth, and the wine brought a pleasant fuzz over his body. He was taken by the ambition to craft more of these delicious treats, and perhaps create new recipes.\n\nOnce it was time for his Trailcrush, a journey to prove he was an adult, he was resolute in his goal to become the first refined chef in his tribe. Angorod had learned a few human words, and hoped it would help convey his desire. Armed with a pack, clothing for every terrain, and his trusty machete, he set off down the ravine.\n\nIt failed. Every adventurer band he met was hostile, despite him putting away his blade and trying to reason with them. He was currently running from a squad intent on skinning him, apparently his tattooed skin and red tusks were very coveted. His mad dash had him trip into a faceplant in a clearing, and looking back revealed that the humans were held back by some invisible barrier.\n\nA woman was reading a book by a chalet when she spotted the poor bastard. A few waves had the orc strung up in the air defenseless. \"What do you want?\" Margot had a fireball ready to roast his family jewels. \"Teach! I want learn!\" The spell was snuffed and the woman had an appraising look. \n\n\"What is your goal? Your mana is too weak for casting, your only saving grace is muscles.\" Her eyes were like a Carmine Rattlesnake, which had him trembling in his sandals. \"Food. Cook. Please.\" She giggled at his sad look, it was the first time she saw something so cute in months. \"Now I understand why he adopted that kid.\"\n\n===\n\nAngorod began learning under the witch, both cuisine and language. \"Depending on your performance, I might teach more.\" She taught him how to test plants and mushrooms for bad reactions, which proved vital when a dab of macerated mint made his hand swell double its size. \"So even orcs have allergies. Be careful, anaphylaxis can lead to a fast death.\"\n\nThe woman was stricter than his pops when it came to learning. She had him pick up herbs all day long, from steep cliffs and deep in dangerous beast nests. Then he would spend his nights identifying his haul. Then he was kicked into a mine to dig minerals, then identify his load. Rinse and repeat.\n\nWhile the witch did teach him the basics of cuisine, she was also drilling him about the ingredients he could find in the future. \"I have no interest in experimenting with food. But it would be a damn shame if you died to a destroying angel.\" Well, he supposed that potioncraft was close enough to cooking to start his knowledge pool.\n\n\"Drink this.\" Margot offered a bottle with swirling multicolor sparkles. \"Drink...?\" Angorod was suspicious, it resembled the potions she forbid him from touching. \"Brat, if I wanted to kill you, you would be bones by now.\" She snapped her fingers, dropping the liquid straight in his stomach.\n\nHe collapsed in a fetal posture, his blood felt like it was boiling. \"Rejoice~ You're my first official apprentice!\" The potion was supposed to strengthen his core, enabling him to access alchemy and healing spells.\n\n===\n\nTraining with Margot was difficult and torturous. The time taken perhaps had convinced his tribe he died during the journey. But no, he was treading a different path from his brothers. He wasn't a berserker or a walking bastion. No, he wasn't a combatant at all, but that was fine.\n\nHe was in the first stage to become a true chef, and there was much to learn about culinary and the wealth of ingredients in this world. Angorod had a new goal, to write a recipe book about everything he hunted, from every continent he'd explore, like the sea serpent he was facing right now." ]	4
	[WP]"No man shall ever love you!" "Oh my God, thank 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&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Uhhhhh... what?\"\n\nAs confused murmurs went up through the crowd that had assembled for the announcement of Princess Terpsichore's engagement, Terpsichore herself practically leapt off of the podium and pulled me into a bear hug. As she squeezed the life out of me, she said, \"All my life I've known I love women, but my parents would've never approved if they knew! But thanks to you, I don't have to go through with the wedding and--oh my gosh, I just realized how cute you are! What's your name?\"\n\nMy blush overtook most of my face as I attempted to ignore the fact that Terpsichore's chest was pressed against mine to say, \"R-Ruby. My name is Ruby. Do you really think I'm...cute?\"\n\n\"Of course I do! Look at yourself, you're positively scrumptious! You're like a big cupcake covered in a pitch black chocolate frosting!\"\n\nI pulled my hat down over my eyes to (unsuccessfully) hide just how flustered Terpsichore was making me. Terpsichore promptly pushed my hat back up and remarked, \"Hey, don't do that! I wanna see those pretty eyes of yours over tea! Speaking of which, do you want to have afternoon tea with me?\"\n\nI nodded happily and said, \"Yes I do!\"\n\nTerpsichore squeaked with delight and lifted me into a bridal carry. As she ran off for our date, she called out to her parents, \"Bye mother! Bye father! I'm running away from home!\"\n\nAnd that's the story of how I met my wife.", "“No man shall ever love you!” said the witch.\n\n“Oh my God, thank you!” the woman replied.\n\nThe witch shot her a confused look.\n\n“Oh, you think you’ll be safe because you’re lesbian? Well, for your information, “man” is also a gender neutral term. So any and all humans across the realm are affected by my spell.”\n\n“Aren’t there other species of humanoids, actually?” asked the woman.\n\n“Doesn’t matter! My curse affects all sentient civilizations that walk on two feet.”\n\n“How about-“\n\n“Swim in the sea, burrow through the earth, soar into the sky, etc, etc.” the witch finished.\n\n“I’m asexual, by the way.” chirped the woman.\n\nThe witch glared at her with burning rage. Never had a mortal shrugged off her curses so nonchalantly.\n\nDetermined to win, she said, “And my curse prevents all forms of love, Romantic, sexual, platonic, you name it. No one will ever show affection towards you again!”\n\nThe woman smiled.\n\n“Then it’s a good thing I’m a misanthropic monarch who cares only about appearances and not about friendship.” said the Evil Queen. “You should have just turned me into a frog and be done with it.”" ]	3
	[WP] During ancient times the Chosen One used their might to intervene in conflicts around the globe. The advent of the gun turned the CO into a ceremonial role. With rising pollution, inequality and conflict in the world the people are crying for you, the new CO, to take a more active role.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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] When you tell people your partner is a hive mind they do one of three things: reference some media, assume that they're trying to assimilate, or make inappropriate comments about the bedroom. They'll never know what it's like to know that 1 in 5 people are just a extention of the being you 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&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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] “Destroy my enemies! And my life is yours.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 spirit Vengeance is not idle. While the mortal it's bound to sleeps, when Johnny dreams, Vengeance slips away unnoticed.\n\nIt searches, seeks the wronged among us. It homes in on that sense of injustice, that helpless rage. It stokes the fires of indignity until they are white-hot, whispering, urging. Offering.\n\nYou shouldn't put up with this shit, it encourages. She's your wife.\n\nA timid man--afraid of judgment, afraid of causing a scene--stands in the aisle of the supermarket. He knows his wife has been sleeping with another man. Behind closed doors, they've argued. He isn't brave enough to leave her.\n\nThey've just run into this man--handsome, confident, successful--at the grocery store. The timid man's wife flirts brazenly. She steps close to her lover, ignoring her husband, ignoring the handsome man's pretty daughters who laugh at her timid, pathetic loser of a husband from behind their phones.\n\nThey've hurt you, Vengeance whispers. They deserve to hurt, too.\n\nThe timid man shivers, fists clenching. He struggles to resist the urge to lash out. Lashing out is wrong, he thinks. It's vengeance, and vengeance is wrong. He wants to believe he's better than that.\n\nHis wife laughs, sweetly, touching her lover's arm. She has never laughed like that for her husband, he realizes. The timid man clears his throat, trying to remind her that her actions have consequences, that she's hurting people. She ignores him. Her lover smirks, then ignores him. He stands alone, in a crowd of five.\n\nThis isn't right, it whispers. MAKE it right.\n\nHe balls his fists, but hesitates. Vengeance is wrong. Isn't it?\n\n'Vengeance' is an accusation, by those who deserve to be punished, it explains. The righteous call it 'Justice.'\n\nHe sees his wife bite her lip, seduced. Something inside the timid man breaks. A dam, holding back the tide of wrath. He screams: a shrill and nasal sound, from one unaccustomed to making himself heard. He steps forward, pushing her aside, and swings his pudgy fist at the strong, handsome man who's fucking his wife.\n\nRage, it agrees. Righteous anger.\n\nThe blow connects. The man does not flinch; he touches his jaw, and laughs incredulously. The timid man's wife gets her balance, and shoves him; the timid man is off balance, and falls to the cold tile floor.\n\n\"Harold, you... you worthless, fucking, pathetic, shit!\" she yells.\n\nHis wife is angry, her shouting drawing the attention of others. He meant to stand up for himself. But that would mean she had done something wrong, and she refuses to accept that. She does as she pleases. He has done WRONG. He has done BAD. How dare he?\n\nHow dare they?\n\nAbove him, four people loom, and laugh. He is reminded of school, of childhood, and tears form in his eyes. This is the real reason he doesn't lash out. This is his real fear. Helpless, humiliated, he cries.\n\nYou need power, Harry.\n\n\"That's it? You think you're big now, you take a swing at me, that's what you got?\" says the handsome man, and his daughters laugh aloud.\n\nHis wife's lover kicks, swift and hard, and connects with the timid man's ribs. The world swims, and the timid man can't breathe. He can't fight. He can't defend himself, his honor, his marriage. Tears are all he has.\n\nAlmost all he has.\n\nHarry...\n\nAnger and adrenaline should give him strength, should give him power, but they don't. He tries to push himself upright, but his wife joins her lover in kicking him while he's down.\n\n\"You stupid sack of shit!\" his wife rages, offended. \"Now you think you're tough all of a sudden? Start pushing me and punching my... my friend!?\"\n\nThe timid man curls tightly, hiding from the pain, hiding from the shame. He lashed out. He knew better, but he did it anyway. He was WRONG. He was BAD.\n\nI guess this is it, then, came the whisper. Police will come. You'll lose everything. You're powerless, Harry.\n\nPowerless. He sobbed, as his wife's lover kicked him again, and his wife's lover's daughter called the police to report a madman assaulting their perfect daddy.\n\nPowerless...\n\nPowerless.\n\nPowerless...\n\nPowerless.\n\nYou know, Harry... I happen to know where you can get some power... came the whisper.\n\nThoughts of guns, thoughts of bombs, flashed in his head.\n\nNah, old chum, it whispers. REAL power. RIGHT NOW power.\n\nA new thought comes to him, unbidden. A thought of fire, and rage. A skeleton, shrouded in flames, stalks hungrily through the ruins and ashes of injustice, screaming righteous fury. In the dark and wild hinterlands of the reptilian mind, Harry hears. He understands.\n\nPower, he begs.\n\nPower, Vengeance offers.\n\nAt what price? he whimpers.\n\nThe only price that ever really mattered, Harry.\n\nA long mental silence stretches in that moment. He almost didn't. But then he feels his wife kick him, aiming for the stomach, aiming for his ulcer. Trying to hurt him.\n\nPower, agrees Harry.\n\nBuckle up, buttercup, chuckles Vengeance. 'Yours is the Red Hand of Wrath, and your enemies shall fall before you.'\n\nPower. Power. Heat and flame. A burning skull, howling.\n\nHarry had fallen. In his place, Vengeance rises.\n\nThe handsome man laughs, one last time.\n\n\"Oh shit, he's getting up! Watch, girls, he--\"\n\nHarold's hands move. He catches the man's face, thumbs finding his eyes, and with his weight he topples his tormentor. Screams around him, as the women realize that something has changed, alarmingly. Harold can feel the man's skin tear and boil; the women tried to grab him, to pull him off, but they recoil at the heat, the inferno of anger that wells from within the timid man. The handsome man is bigger, stronger, meaner. But now? Harold will have vengeance. Harold is vengeance.\n\nAnd the thing about vengeance? \n\nIt burns.\n\nHis wife shrieks, falling, as she catches fire. Harold turned, and eyes of flame see her tearing at her blouse, her melting polyester bra. She screams again, in pain and terror now, as the market aisle around them boiled and the floor buckles from the heat. The handsome man's daughters sputter like candlewax in the blaze, their designer clothes and brand new phones so much kindling for the wrath. All of Harry's rage pours forth, and his own body burns, melting, being consumed as fuel. Flames lick down the aisles, tearing and blasting at those who had mocked him, the man screaming and thrashing helplessly beneath him.\n\nHe will have his vengeance. His body could burn, his life could melt, his soul could smoke and cinder. He didn't care anymore. He agreed to the cost, agreed to the bargain. He has minutes. He has moments. He has as long as he needed, to have Vengeance.\n\nThe fire swells, fueled by his sacrifice. Flames devoure the supermarket. Meat sizzles, air bakes, alarms blare, people scream. Their screams and sirens are lost in the roar of the inferno. With fingers that are now little more than bone and rage, Harry grips his enemy's head, howling, crushing it, until the charcoal that was once a skull crumbles in his dead hands.\n\nThe fire consumes them, all of them. Justice scorche, fear melts, love and pride and anger wither in the heat, until only ashes remained. Harry had his vengeance, and it consumed him. \n\nFive ruined skeletons mark the place where Vengeance burned.", "Desperation has brought me here, to the top of this wind-battered cliff, where I'm caught in a headlock by a tall, pale woman with choppy black hair whipping in her face. In contrast, I have long locks of blonde hair that she's got clutched in her fist and I'm the same small size as my 12 year old daughter, Emma– who's actually the very reason I became the murderous mother on a mission. \n\n\"Speak now!\" the woman booms into my ears. \"Why have you come here with the look of a killer in your eyes?\"\n\nI can't see her but I can feel the weight of her icy blue gaze on me, melting my own brown eyes under it.\n\nOh wait, those are tears slipping out from my eyes. Tch, how pathetic. I thought I had discarded of such feeble weakness long ago. I have no need of emotion and fragility on this lonely journey of mine...\n\nAh, forget it, who am I kidding? It's only thanks to the intensity of my love for my daughter that I found the strength to keep going all this time. \n\nBut here... what if this is where it ends? Before the curse is cured, before saying my final goodbye to Emma? \n\nWith a whimper I try but fail to hold back, my trickle of tears turns into a deluge, and the dark sky somehow feels even more stifling now. \n\nI stammer, \"I–I–I–\"\n\nSuddenly, the woman spins me around, keeping a firm grip on my shoulders. She stares intently at my anguished face, before letting out a deep sigh. \"Ah, the intent of a killer... fueled by love. Let me guess, you've come for my heart?\"\n\n\"H–How did you know?!\"\n\nShe chuckles. \"Sweetie, I've been around for hundreds of years and all this time I've been the only witch in the area. I've had a number of people come hunting for my heart already, but they were all motivated with greed unlike you. And, well, they were definitely more powerful. So tell me, who is it that has finally stumbled upon the Lost Crystal and gotten cursed?\"\n\nI hesitate before admitting, \"My daughter. Emma.\"\n\n\"How old is she?\"\n\nMy voice cracks as I answer, \"Only 12.\"\n\n\"And have you already gathered the rest of the ingredients for the cure?\"\n\n\"Yes. Your heart is all that's left.\"\n\n\"Hm, impressive. Gathering those ingredients must have been no easy feat. But of course, when faced with me... you're no match.\"\n\nI look away. \"Make it quick.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"Please. Don't drag this out for your amusement and just... end it fast.\"\n\n\"Now hold on just a minute, sweetie. I have a deal to offer you.\"\n\n\"A... deal?\"\n\n\"That's right.\"\n\n\"There's nothing of value that you could offer me. The only thing I want is your heart to save my daughter.\"\n\n\"Exactly,\" she purrs. \"You see, although you may be no match for me, I have many, many pesky enemies you could handle that deserve some comeuppance. And though I look young on the outside, hundreds of years of existence have taken their toll on me. I've grown exhausted, and feel ready for eternal slumber.\"\n\n\"Wait, so you're saying–\"\n\n\"Yes,\" she says, lifting her hands off my shoulders to spread her arms. \"Destroy my enemies! And my life is yours, my witch's heart free to take for the cure your precious Emma needs. How does that sound to you?\"\n\nIt feels like hope has caught on fire inside my chest. It burns brightly, filling me with that familiar stinging determination. \n\nI provide my hand for us to shake.\n\n\"Deal.\"", "An awkward moment passes. And then another. And another.\n\n\nI am one of the finest assassins of my order. I have been trained to see with my ears and hear with my feet. We are, all of us, death incarnate. I can hear the tightening of a bowstring or the unsheathing of a sword at enough distance that hitting me with either will be a statistical improbability. \n\n\nI can climb up a tree or a chimney backwards. My toes are just short fingers. I can use them to throw knives. I have learned from the greatest living minds of my order, who have learned from the greatest minds in their time, going back into the mists of time. I can slow down my heart on a whim, and remain underwater for minutes at a time. I am trained to work in a perfect state of flow, where there is no thought but only action and intent. \n\n\nAnd now, for all my training, I am dumbfounded and speechless. But I find myself.\n\n\n\"We're normally paid in gold, you know.\"" ]	4
	[WP] Guards poured into the room as the figure in the center stood silently, contemplating his next move. Rifles were raised and riot shields readied as the intercom came on - "It doesn't matter what force you use. Take him out." The figure laughed and stretched, eyes sparking red. "Bring it on."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "With eyes sparkling red, the figure charged forward towards the guards, who raised their rifles and assumed firing stances. The figure was lightning fast, jumping into the air and spinning whilst drawing a wicked curved blade from behind his back. The squadron of guards opened fire, peppering the figure and riddling him with bullets. \n\nThe figure landed as a corpse barely a few feet from where he leapt, a large bloody pool soon forming under him. The guard captain waited for his men to unload the rest of their ammo into the motionless body before raising his fist in a halt order.\n\n\"..Well, that's done, good job, guys!\"" ]	2
	[WP] You expected the proper affair. A Chosen One should be a gifted child with infinite potential or a mighty hero in their prime, NOT this sleep-deprived 40-something office worker with a slouch a mountain would be jealous of.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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’re sorry,” The elvish woman in large flowing robes immediately called out, a bit confused at what the portal had brought them. Three ancient powerful beings stood on single floating marble dais. A woman, a wizard and a dragon. Different stained-glass windows behind them giving them a colored halo. Each window depicted a different scene, the woman had a large orange and red window that gave a vision of the dawn. The elvish woman wore a gossamer robe, a warm orange light accenting the pale and cloud like appearance her clothes gave her. She peered down at this bald man in a brown vest and tired eyes, “We were looking to summon someone, different,” another creature spoke, a green dragon with crystalline scales that reflected and refracted the blue light from their window which depicted a green field and a blue sky, “We did not mean to pull you from your work,” a man in the middle in heavy grey robes, a massive white beard and staff an indigo light with a white spotlight draped over him, his window was the depiction of night and the moon. The woman gave her summoned creature a look of pity, the dragon looked at the bald man with disgust and the central figure a blank look of apathy. \r \n“How sinful,” The bald man replied, only to have his words cutoff by the bearded man’s slamming of his staff, “I said how sinful!” the bald man announced again. He was no child to be silenced by the cracking of a staff or the authority of an elder. His back crackling as he straightened echoing a little in this great stone hall, “You see, I know your secret,” The bald man pulled a revolver from his vest, “You take children, train them for your wars and let them lose on your rivals,” Before the bearded man could speak a shot rang out through the stone hall, a hole the size of his thumb bloomed in his forehead and sprayed out the back of his head onto the dark blue window. The dragon rose its head to breathe, opening its maw and another shot rang out and as quickly as the dragon rose it fell, an unceremonious slump, a gross sound of wet flesh collapsing on itself followed the sound of his gun. The bald man then pointed the revolver at the Elf woman, “Where is my son,” the tired bald man asked, and before she could answer he yelled it again “Where is my son!” \r \nThe Elf fell to her knees raising her hands to ward off whatever dark magic this mad man wielded to slay the oldest wizard and the great dragon, “Dead…I’m sorry he failed, the dark lord is still…” She didn’t finish her sentence. The shot rang out, it tore through the light fabrics of her clothes and a red stain of blood seeped through the fabric across the chest.\r \nThe bald man’s gun was smoking, he looked at these three dead great beings, with a cold sadness. Turning away he walked towards the massive doors and pushed them open, great stone stairs lead down to a white pearly city. He only took a few steps down and looked at this idyllic place, sitting down. His ordeal was years in the making, it broke him in ways he didn’t know he could be broken. It all came down to that last moment, they crushed his last iota of hope. He came to this world with six bullets, but really, he only needed four." ]	2
	[WP] Every human is assigned a guardian-Angel at birth. Since god can’t do everything, these Angels are tasked with the fates of protecting their individual human, so they end up arguing with one another. These arguments drive human activity. An Angel debate typically sounds like this…	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 is a good boy! He doesn't deserve this!\" \"Deserve has nothing to do with it Gabriel, you know that.\"\n\nThe two glowing beings floated above the careening vehicles, their crash frozen moments before impact. Gabriel looked longingly at the boy in the backseat. He floated closer and pressed his hands against the glass, then he looked back at Michael. \"Is there nothing we can do? He is so kind, so innocent. And how small a thing is a seatbelt?\"\n\nMichael sighed. \"Even you won't be able to change the outcome now. I'm sorry Gabriel, but if this were hours ago, things might be different. But a seatbelt flying across his body in a millisecond is no small miracle. We haven't the time. Not even 100 angels could work that fast. I'm sorry Gabriel... I care for the boy too. I've grown fond of him. But we can't save everyone.\"\n\n\"What if I diverted the cars a bit?\" Gabriel flew to the corner of the car and heaved against it. A golden glow filled the air and the car angled imperceptibly to the left.\n\nMichael frowned at his friend. \"You know that won't work.\"\n\n\"Well what if you helped me?\" Gabriel pushed again, harder this time, the car glowing brightly within his divine light.\n\nMichael sighed, and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. \"It's no use Gabriel, please just accept...\"\n\nGabriel hit his hand away and spun back in a fury, \"Accept what? Accept that you're too weak to help me? Accept that you're too feeble to even TRY. Where are the days when a few angels could turn water into wine? How are we still the same beings that could hold a man above the sea? I mean CHRIST ALMIGHTY...\"\n\nENOUGH, boomed a Voice that shook the world. GABRIEL, RETURN.\n\nGabriel bowed his head and disappeared. Michael looked sadly at the glittering white light that replaced his friend, then gazed at the doomed boy in the backseat.\n\n\"I'm sorry we couldn't do more for you, child.\"\n\n...\n\nWhen the EMT arrived on the scene he nearly flew out of the ambulance. Among the metal wreckage he knew he'd find a bloody boy in the backseat. He yanked at the door and it flew off it's broken hinges like cardboard. He cradled the boy's limp body and lowered him onto the asphalt. The EMT's hands flew gracefully from scissors, to shirt, to defibrillator, back to the boy's chest. His hands were moving so quickly he almost thought they were glowing. In the back of his mind, he heard a voice, one he didn't quite recognize. The voice spoke sternly, \"Not this one. Not today.\"" ]	2
	[WP] I had my 'Scrooged' moment over a decade ago. I changed for the better. My wife, kids and all my staff have benefited from this. But lately, the Ghost of Christmas Past had started wanting to hang out and keeps showing up uninvited...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\\[Part 1\\]\n\nEddie Neezer nestled into the warmth of his bedding. His wife, Izzy, was already fast asleep. Outside the snowflakes wafted down from the night sky, covering the ground in virgin white snow. It was a tranquil Friday night, time to relax and ease into the weekend. Eddie settled in for the perfect slumber.\n\n\r \nDONG! The jarring sound of a grandfather clock rang throughout Eddie’s house. Eddie and Izzy didn’t own a grandfather clock. The first time Eddie heard the sound all those years ago it was frightening, but now, it might as well have been the ding of a text message. Izzy groaned from her side of the bed. \n\n\r \n“Ugh, again? Tell him to keep it down.” She grumbled, shoving a pillow over her ears to try to go back to sleep. Eddie groaned as well. He had laid down at 11:43 pm, it was not one o’clock! Reluctantly he opened his eyes, though he already knew what he was going to see.\n\n\r \n“Hello Eddie Neezer.” The ethereal voice of the Ghost of Christmas Past greeted from across the room. “Merry Christmas to you!”\n\n\r \n“Past Buddy, we have been over this. First off, it’s just Eddie, okay? You don’t need to say my full name every time you address me. Second, it’s January 12th, Christmas has been over for weeks now.” Eddie stretched and swung his legs out of bed. He motioned for the spirit to follow him out of the room. He didn’t want to get up, but poor Izzy had her sleep interrupted enough times over the past few months. They walked down the hall and down the stairs into the living room.\n\n\r \n“Where’s your Christmas spirit, Eddie Neezer?” Past asked.\n\n\r \n“Once again, just Eddie, and it’s January. We had a lovely Christmas, and we’ll have another one later this year, but right now I need to work on getting W2s out to my staff. Also, I thought the whole Christmas spirit thing was more Present’s deal.”\n\n\r \n“He and I have been antiquing.” Past explained with a bright expression. “He says I should make more friends.” Eddie groaned again. That explained it.\n\n\r \n\\[Continued as a reply, character limit\\]" ]	2
	[WP] You're stuck in a Groundhog's Day style loop where everytime you die, you repeat your entire life, starting at your 10th birthday.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 10 years old again, but this time I knew exactly what was coming. I knew that I would live the same life over and over, until I finally died. And then I would start all over again, at my 10th birthday. \n\n\n \nAt first, I tried to change things. I tried to make different choices, to avoid the mistakes I had made in the past. But no matter what I did, the outcome was always the same. I always ended up dying, and starting my life over again. \n\n\n \nAs time passed, I began to lose hope. I realized that I was trapped in a never-ending cycle, doomed to repeat the same life over and over for eternity. I grew bitter and resentful, and I stopped trying to change things. \n\n\n \nEventually, I just went through the motions. I went to school, made friends, fell in love, and graduated from college. But it all felt meaningless, because I knew that it would all be taken away from me when I died. \n\n\n \nI tried to find ways to escape the loop. I experimented with different methods of suicide, hoping that if I could kill myself in a new and creative way, it might break the cycle. But nothing worked. No matter how I died, I always ended up starting my life over again, at my 10th birthday. \n\n\n \nAs the years passed, I became more and more desperate. I started taking risks, doing dangerous things in the hopes that they would lead to a different outcome. But they never did. I always ended up dead, and starting my life over again. \n\n\n \nFinally, I reached my breaking point. I couldn't take it anymore. I was trapped in a never-ending cycle of death and repetition, and I couldn't see any way out. So I made one last, desperate attempt to escape. \n\n\n \nI drove my car off a cliff, hoping that the impact would be enough to kill me. But even that didn't work. I woke up again, at my 10th birthday, with no memory of what had happened. \n\n\n \nAnd so I was stuck in the loop, forever. It was a terrible ending, and one that I could never have foreseen." ]	2
	[WP] "What is it, child? Afraid I might eat you?" Well of course you're afraid. That monster just ate your best friend.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 an accident, a slip of the tongue. I'd forgotten about the thing that lives in my shadow, it had been so long since I had last seen him.\n\n\"I hate you! I hope you die!\" I had screamed at my friend, his teasing finally getting to me.\n\n\"So you do have emotions...\" He was barely able to get out before the thing began to eat him with its' many mouths. I was frozen in fear as I watched, the thing smiling at me as it finished.\n\n\"What is it, afraid?\" It asked, licking it's lips and reaching out to me.\n\n\"Not anymore,\" I replied smiling, \"for it is time for you to return to your cage.\"\n\n\"I suppose that is true,\" it responded as it moved towards my shadow, \"I hope you don't regret our deal.\"\n\nI just watched as it melded into my shadow, suppressing my emotions once more. I had made a mistake in my youth, a contract with a demon. His friendship in return for the lives of those I hated. The clause was simple; if he felt like I hated someone, he got to eat them. But his friendship was little more than him being a part of my shadow, he barely speaks with me.\n\nThe first victims were of course my parents, they had pissed me off by requesting that I do something. After their disappearance I was sent into foster care and spent a few years bouncing around, I became rebellious and hateful of the thing in my shadow." ]	2
	[WP] Missile approach warning! This is not a drill! 5 minutes until impact!	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Me And My Family Aubrey My daughter and Hannah my wife were watching Spongebob Squarepants. The Tagalog Dub was Unusual For me but i understand and still was Enjoyable when i was like a little kid again\n\nWe have Been Preparing for my Little Angels Birthday. We plan for a Trip to our Relatives' Place to Celebrate.\n\nAll was Going Positive until An EAS Alarm Popped Suddenly on the Screen and in our messages\n\n\"Ang Emerhensiya Mensaheng ito Ay Nangaling Sa Gobyerno nang Pilipinas. Hindi po ito pag Susubok, Uulitin Ko Po, Di po ito Susubok\"\n\n\\[English Translation: This Emergency Message was Transmitted at the Request of the Philippine Government. This is not a test. I Repeat, This is not a Test\\]\n\nThe Near deafening Noises Produced by the EAS were enough to Make Aubrey cry. Hannah tried To Calm her down while I Listen to the Emergency\n\n\\[EAS ALARM NOW IN ENGLISH\\]: \"We have Spotted a Missile Possibly Nuclear Coming from China, The targetted Cities Include, \"Puerto Princessa, Manila, Pateros, Pasig, Dasmarinas, Iloilo City, Cabatuan City, Davao, Cebu, Angeles, Quezon City\" We Believe that the Second wave of Missiles Possibly Nuclear will Attack the Island Nation Again.\" \n\nA Countdown Appears. In the Screen\n\n\"You have Now 5 Minutes to Seek Shelter If you Live in the Manila Metro. 6 Minutes For Puerto Princessa 3 Minutes for Angeles...\"\n\nThe Voice on the Broadcast became Distorted as I try To Comfort my Family. Deafening Missile alert Echoes throughout the City and a Panicked Crowd Fills the Street\n\n\"Ok... Carlos, what do we Do?\" \n\nHannah Asked Almost Sobbing.\n\n\"Don't Worry, let's Pack Our things, we need to go. NOW!\"\n\nI shouted While also Trying to Comfort Aubrey, But it didn't make any difference and she is still crying.\n\nI Help pack our things and we ran downstairs of our Apartment trying to find shelter. we could see the missiles already flying above us as it leaves a white strake if line.\n\n\"Hunny! Here!\"\n\nHannah Screamed as she pushed Carlos to a Door\n\nWe found out that Other people are also Sheltering in the basement. I quickly closed the Door as Chaos Ensued outside\n\nI quickly grabbed my phone and face-called my mother\n\n\"Ah... Carlos my Son, Did you hear about the News?\" She asked\n\n\"Mom, dad! why Arent you in your basement!\" \n\n\"Ah... Don't worry about it Son, Our time has Come. It is too late. I'm sorry.\" My father Said\n\n\"No...\" \n\nThe Facecall Quickly changes View this time Viewing their Backyard.\n\n>It viewed the Missile falling. \"I'm Sorry.. son.\" My Parents Apologized again\n\nThe call ended as the Missile was Consumed by a Quick and Blinding flash of Light.\n\n\"no... No... No!\" I tried recalling again But I got nothing but Silence\n\n\\[EAS ALARM\\]: \"It is now confirmed that the Missile is Nuclear and Now had Hitted Angeles, Pampanga. Hide in a Sturdy room with No windows, a Supply that can Last 2 weeks A...\"\n\nThe Voice of the EAS alarm Starts to go away yet again as I sobbed And cried on the floor while my wife tries to Comfort Me. \n\nThe Memories of my Parents quickly flashed all over me.. the time when i... The time when they... This Word pops into my mind as I repeat the Memory lane over again\n\nThe Time Surges much faster as I Cried when i regained back my attention and Now finally Finished an Adventure thru-out memory lane that felt like decades. the Eas Alarm Echoes thru my ears Again\n\n\\[EAS ALARM\\]: \"It is now Too late to find a place to hide, Seek Shelter. NOW, I repeat. Seek Shelter, NOW!\" The Voice Repeated over and Over again.\n\n\\[EAS ALARM\\]: \"It is now too late to find a Place to Hide Seek shelter No-. 3.\"\n\nA Countdown started Started.\n\nThe People huddled in the Bunker Quickly Huddles Together \n\nSome were Panicked and Some trying to Calm them Down\n\n\"2.\"\n\nI hugged My Family Tighter as we Embrace the Impact. Another Family Memory Flashed thru my Eyes\n\n\"1.\"\n\n.\n\n.\n\n." ]	2
	[WP] As a super-fast superhero, you perceive time a lot slower than everyone else. One day you got bored while on a mission with the team, so you decided to wander off in the middle of the villain' big speech. You were only away for a few seconds, but you managed to do a lot in that time.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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're too late, Speedfreak! Soon, I will shatter the barriers limiting your world to 3 dimensions! The world will finally become as unstable as I am!\" Dr. Unstable announced, in the echoed british accent Speedfreak had grown so accustomed too. \n\nDamn. I barely slept last night. \n\n\"The world will look to me as their ruler! The society that has shunned me one too many times! Let's see how they react when their molecules shatter and re-arrange themselves for infinity!\" He continued, his body glitching for a couple of seconds in excitement. \n\nFuck. I really need a break\n\n\"And you... Your speed won't save you this time. No, I've programmed my destabilizer to counter even YOUR atom-\" Dr. Unstable exclaimed, before immediately freezing mid-sentence. The world stopped for a moment. There was finally some peace and quiet. Speedfreak yawned heavily, before sitting down on top of Dr. Unstable's machine. \n\nIt'll only take a second. Just a quick stretch. Then right back at it.\n\nSpeedfreak turned towards Dr. Unstable. Surely he could wait a fraction of a nanosecond, right? Speedfreak leapt off the machine, running down the main Core City road. \n\nMan, I could really go for a milkshake right now\n\nIn a blink of an eye, he arrived inside the local Greasy Dan's, his favorite fast food establishment. He could count about 15 civilians, all frozen in place. Notably, two parents handling 4 misbehaving kids, a teenager mid-slip from a spilled soda on the floor, and a middle-aged man in tears while taking a bite of his burger. \n\nI wonder what's up with him?\n\nSpeedfreak zoomed to the kitchen and back, balancing 5 burgers on one hand, and a milkshake on the other, then devoured them all\n\nEh. Not my problem. \n\nSpeedfreak ran back to the destabilizer machine. Dr. Unstable was still frozen in the middle of his speech. Speedfreak was faced once again with his issue. He COULD unfreeze time and defeat Dr. Unstable, or he could continue to take his well-deserved break. \n\nYou don't mind another nanosecond, right Doc? Course you don't. You're blended in 6 dimensions. Time has no meaning to you.\n\nSpeedfreak finally took the chance to relax for once. He went to the library and scoured the entire collection. He learnt every single musical instrument in the world, along with languages. He visited London, New York, the Bahamas, Africa, Russia and Italy. He studied architecture and built piercing skyscrapers. \n\nHe accomplished everything on his bucket list in less than a second. As frozen time went on, he found himself back on the same street where he began, faced with a choice. \n\nAlright Doc. You have my undivided attention once more. \n\nHe sighed, and time warped back to it's original state. \n\n\"-ic level!... Huh?\" Dr. Unstable began. He turned around to see his machine to pieces, and his body tied to a lamppost. Speedfreak was long gone, leaving his signature burning footprints on the asphalt. As he sped back to his base, he congratulated himself on his new victory. \n\nAnother win under my belt. Man, I should really treat myself to a vacation.\n\nNote: This was a really good prompt, I had a ton of fun writing it! :)" ]	2
Write about an event or situation from two completely different points of view. How do the character's interpretations of the events differ? In what ways do they coincide? Is either version the truth, or does it lie somewhere in between? Just some questions to consider or disregard as you wish. Have fun!	[WP] From a certain point of view...	[ "\"Yes, it was dusk. I could see the red hue through the trees. What? I didn't have a watch. Or Phone. No, I've never owned one. Yes, yes, I do have a phone, I meant a watch, I've never owned a watch, I left the phone in the cabin. \n\nLook, I just knew it was dusk alright. That meant it must have been eight thirty, it gets completely dark at nine at this time of year, It always does. It always has. I live here I should know. \n\nWhat? That could have been the fire? no no no, the fire was in the north, I could tell, the path crosses albam's barn and that little stream where I always get my damned boot wet west, but then it turns north west curving slowly west past Father Griar's plots on the edge of town, I was looking up the path so as it was going west, I was looking east and the fire was on my right to the north. West. I meant west. I was looking west, the sun, damn no, the fire was in the north, the sun was setting, so it must have been in the west. \n\nThe land of the rising sun, that's that Japan motto - That's in the East, That's how you remember. The sun was in the west because it raises in Japan and the fire was in the north because the wind was blowing east. What? The wind? Keep up, if the wind was blowing east then the smoke was going west, towards the town. Did I see anything? By God! Have you been listening? I've been trying to tell you what I saw. If you keep interrupting like this I'm never going to get to the point. Now, If you'll be quiet for a moment, I might have a chance to speak and say something and you might learn, something. Where was I? Yes, the fire. \n\nI wasn't going to get to close to the fire, not with my condition, Asthma you see, develops into the whooping cough if I so much as see smoke, been terrible all my life, all that coughing and fish oil, no, I was going to stay well away from that. So I decided to turn around right there and head home, It was already dusk anyways and I didn't have my phone with me. What? What fire? why the bloody hell do you think I'm here in the first place? Witness to an arson! Bloody murder it could have been if any kiddies were trapped in there! What do you think I've been, why, what do you think I'm talking about! Fire! Flames! It's HOT! It burns! I SAW A FIRE and i'm a witness.\"\n\nCopy report from Interview.\n\nWe discovered Mr. Orneys mobile phone had been found in the butchers (12A redwall tc3) and handed in to Inthwil Station on 02/10/12 and was returned to him. ", "Robert sat in his chair in front of his mirror-covered wall as he waited for Maitlin to return. He loved the frames of the mirrors, and loved, sometimes, breaking the mirrors to piece them back together, or mix and match pieces to create abstract wholes. The reason he most greatly enjoyed breaking mirrors, however, was to distort his own face. The more fragmented his reflection became, the easier it was to see his good qualities, rather than his bad. \nThe foremost of his good qualities was his eyes, he thought. They were a really standard brown, but he was marvelous at showcasing his emotions through them. He did often feel like they looked best when he was sad, though not when he was crying. His nose was rather large, but not big enough to dominate his face. It had a very slight upward angle, but was otherwise rather uniform. He didn't know how to judge lips, but he could tell his upper lip was about half the size of his lower. \n\nHe noted again the sadness embedded in his face. It was actually kind if tragic, the way his face was. When he had a bit of a downcast mood, he thought his entire visage suddenly became ten times more gratifying in appearance. That was the awful thing about being sad when growing up, Robert decided. The very way one's face was set during those critical years of growth often affected one's entire life. He could easily attract a woman when frowning, but a smile would dash his chances to pieces. \n\nRobert slowly ran a hand along the deep-set creases in his forehead, noting the fact that no teenager he knew had this many, this deep. He turned to look at Maitlin as her feet led her way into his room. He stood to greet her, taking her hands in his.\n\n\nWhen Maitlin entered the room, she took in a breath through her nose. The overpowering scent of an adolescent male was the first scent she recognised, followed by undertones of vanilla cologne and strawberry hand wash. The softness if Robert's hands drew her closer to him, and her hands removed themselves from his grip to venture cautiously up his torso. \n\nThe cotton of his shirt played a gentle tune to her fingers until the full measure that skin meeting skin bequeathed upon her senses a feeling of absolute attraction. The only way she could take in Robert's features was through her dainty fingers, and she found a certain inexplicable ecstasy in the loving contact. Her head tilted up on a primal instinct as her hands went above her nose-level and met his jawline. The firm bone sent a deep chord coursing through her nervous system as her fingers found the solace of his face. \n\nHe was frowning again. \nWhenever her fingers found his face, he hid behind a mask of sadness in an attempt to better his features. \n\"Stop that. Smile for me, because you know that the feeling behind it is more beautiful than your skin can hold.\" She whispered softly, and he begrudgingly complied. Her fingers spread out across his cheeks to feel the majesty behind the difference of a frown and a smile. No matter how his face had been set, the true beauty, that only blind eyes could see, was that which hid behind the mask.\n\n(Edit: I accidentally bolded a random section, and felt like explaining my repair.)", "Manuals for the 21st Century\n----\n\nA page from Instructions for \"Maintaining a Successful Dictatorship in the 21st Century\"\n\nwant to be entertained. It is essential that entertainment news continues in the face of any significant happenings. Example: In the event of a student riot, give a minute of news time to the riot and then switch over to news about the latest pop culture icon.\n\nIt is also possible to use large sporting events for the entertainment of the populace. Consider bringing in games that have high stakes - games of violence or games of chance will work here. Make sure that people empathize and wish to take sides in this competition. It will pacify their base, human need for conflict.\n\nCharming the Populace\n\nThe humans have a ‘one of us’ and a ‘us vs. them’ mentality. Being from a different planet will classify you as a ‘them.’ This is a hurdle you and your subsequent progeny will have to overcome. You need to become an ‘us’ despite your reptilian features and red eyes. This can be done by ingratiating yourself into their institutions. There are many things that humans have held sacred that facilitate their ‘one of us’ classifications:\n\nReligion\n\nThe humans have had religions for as long as they can remember. There have historically been and still are many different religions on their planet. They all feature a god or a prophet. Some religions have multiple gods, some have only one supreme god. It is almost unanimous that every religions believes it is the only religion of fact and that all of the gods of other religions are not real. They have a cognitive dissonance that allows them to disbelieve in other gods while believing in theirs.\n\nTheir children are raised into the religion of the parent and most often the religions are regional. Before taking ownership of a territory, you will need to know what the religion is of the populace in that territory. Either after or before you take ownership, you should ‘convert’ to their religion. A large spectacle of the reptilian ‘finding god’ will humanize you in their eyes and give you a ‘one of us’ status.\n\nSport\n\nAs mentioned in the section on entertaining the populace, sporting events are a divisive thing. The populace will pick a team or individual they favor and will then see themselves as part of a group containing that team or individual. In team sport, the people will talk about ‘we’ as if they were on the field as well. These favorings will usually be with a team or person local to the area in which the people live.\n\nIt is imperative that you do not clearly take sides in sport as you want everyone to like you, not\n\n----\n\nA page from \"Instructions for Overcoming a Tyrannical Government in the 21st Century\"\n\nall alien. Some tyrannical governments are created by humans, too. It is the belief of the resistance movement, however, that this form of governing is not native to our planet, but was brought here by the reptilian aliens. They believe it has become a successful form of governing as people have gotten used to it.\n\nThis is to say, do not be afraid to overthrow a government that is tyrannical whether it is run by a human or by an alien. Just because someone is human does not mean they should be given leeway to rule unjustly.\n\nIs Violence the Answer?\n\nThis is a question that every resistance group must ask itself. It is difficult to give a straightforward answer as our own history tells us that both violent uprising and peaceful protest have worked and have, alternatively, not worked. A few key questions to ask about your province’s situation are:\n\nHow many people want to and are willing to overthrow the government?\n\nIf you have a large number of people willing to die or suffer for the cause of freedom, you may have what it takes to have a peaceful uprising. However, if you do not have a media that will support or cover these peaceful protests, the efforts will be for naught.\n\nHow much military presence is there?\n\nBelieve it or not, more military presence makes for a better chance of a violent uprising succeeding. A small military will quickly jail any protesters - violent or peaceful - it comes across. A large military will need to wait until the populace is angry enough at the protesters before moving in. The ruse in the entire system is that the military is here to protect the people, not the dictators. A violent group will be able to accomplish more against a military that can’t immediately act for fear of arousing suspicion in the people it polices.\n\nWhat is your province’s attitude towards violence?\n\nDo you have the blood games in your province? Do you have the death penalty or public executions in your province? Are the prevailing religions in your province in favor of or against violence? All of these questions will tell you whether or not you live in a province that will support violence as a means. If a province has the blood games and death penalty, even if the religion claims to be anti-violence, the people will likely support a violent revolution.\n\nViolent Protest\n", "Every Sunday morning at nine o’clock, I watched Mr. Buridan stroll lazily into the grocery store. His usual visit became the highlight of my otherwise bleak part-time job emptying and refilling dispensers and sweeping aisles at my local Albertsons.\n\nThe man’s a hero. In actuality, I don’t even know his name. After a few weeks of careful observation of my unwary specimen, I decided to name him after “Buridan’s Ass”, which is a philosophical inquiry into an indecisive donkey. The donkey, Buridan, dies due to a paralysis of choice. Placed equidistant from water and straw, Buridan cannot logically conclude which direction will satisfy him more. He remains incapable of choosing at all, thereby dying of both starvation and thirst in the process.\n\nIs it condescending, me relating this old man to a donkey? I feel bad about it, but nevertheless: the man’s a hero. In our society paralyzed by a multitude of choices, how can logic justify a choice of Doritos over Cheetos? Pepsi over Coke? Lipton versus Snapple? These choices have stultified society’s greatest minds. But our Mr. Buridan had opened my eyes to a third choice; what about purchasing neither? Indeed, what of purchasing nothing at all! Such ideas must only be hatched by raw genius, or madness, or both. I submit that Mr. Buridan belonged to that special class of “both”.\n\nI have never been late to work on Sunday mornings. My shift starts at seven in the morning, and I take every opportunity to challenge the ironclad will of Mr. Buridan. One time I placed a 2-liter bottle of Pepsi in the middle of the snack food aisle, five minutes before the arrival of my expected guest. Surely, this highway obstruction would cause the old man to break his rhythm. Perhaps he might exhibit enough emotional inclination to actually pick up the bottle and place it back on the shelf? It was a devious plan, I remembered thinking that morning. Do you know how he reacted? He didn’t. The clever bastard: he simply steered around it and moved on!\n\nBy this time, it was all-out war. I had never before encountered a man of such discipline. Each time he would arrive with an empty shopping cart, and less than thirty minutes later he would leave the store buying nothing. Imagine watching an old man ambling up and down each aisle with nothing in his cart. I tried to inform my coworkers of this phenomenon; I even told the store manager one day. But since, legally speaking, we cannot prevent this man from shopping here at Albertson’s, we have to let him do his thing. Not once has he bothered the other customers. I don’t think he has talked to anyone.\n\nA new, sinister feeling had crept into my gut – a sense of dread, of foreboding in waiting for this man to arrive every Sunday morning. What does he want? Is he a ghost? I find myself unable to approach him, yet I feel both excited and appalled by his presence. These are the times of a man’s life when he knows he’s up against an opponent of amazing psychological aptitude. Mr. Buridan has begun to torment me; he knows that I’m watching his every move. He’s enjoying it. Toying with me. I firmly believe that he watches me with as much delight as I watch him. Who knows for how long he has practiced these years of Sunday-morning-Albertsons voyeurism? I feel like a spider that, in his effort to weave a web encompassing a fly, has become trapped into a larger web by a more cunning predator. One of these days I intend to unmask this faceless man. One day I will learn the true identity of this brilliant, super-humanoid!\n\n\n\nWhat did Bernice want again? Bread, eggs, turkey, eggs… no, that’s not right. She wanted me to get something before church today. Where did the bread go? Ah, that’s right – the list. Did I leave it in the car again? I really ought to write a note reminding me to keep that list. Then she won’t be so angry at me for not buying anything again. Which aisle am I in now? I feel utterly confused. I should ask that young, blond kid with the broom. He looks like such a nice young fellow. Anyway, what was it I had to buy again? Eggs, bread, bread, notes? Why should I buy notes? And why am I shopping for groceries right now? It’s almost time to go to church. I better get back home and take Bernice and me to church. I hope she’s not angry this time. That boy gets awfully sweaty sometimes.\n" ]	4
	[WP] “Why don’t you want to sleep?” “Because my dreams are visions of my next life, and …..”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I'm so tired. I just want to close my eyes and drift off into a peaceful sleep. But every time I do, I'm hit with a barrage of dark, depressing visions of my future.\n\nI see myself standing alone in a barren wasteland. No one is around. My family and friends have all abandoned me. I'm left to fend for myself in a cruel world that doesn't care about me.\n\nIt's exhausting. I'm so afraid of these visions that I'm afraid to sleep. I'm afraid that if I do, I'll never wake up again. That these visions will become my reality.\n\nSo instead of sleeping, I find myself pacing the halls of my home, trying to tire myself out so I can finally get to sleep without the fear of seeing these haunting visions.\n\nBut even when I do, I can't completely escape them. They linger in the back of my mind, taunting me, telling me that no matter what I do, my fate is sealed. That I'm doomed to live a lonely, isolated life.\n\nI'm so tired. But I just can't bring myself to sleep. I'm so scared of the visions I'll see. What if they become my fate?" ]	2
	[WP] As the first human ambassador to the aliens, you are tasked with negotiating a peaceful coexistence between our two species. But when you arrive on the alien planet, you discover that the aliens have a dark secret that threatens the future of both races.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 looking out the window when we exited hyperspace, and the flash of light blinded me. Once my eyes readjusted, I looked at the planet we had just arrived at. The entire planet was a monotonous grey colour, with city lights visible on the night side. As our ship came in, I realized that the city we were heading to was floating several kilometers above the surface. We pulled into a landing port, and I headed to the ramp.\n\nAn alien procession awaited me at the bottom of the ramp. I walked up to the slender grey alien in the middle, and held out my hand. He looked at it for a second, then grabbed it and awkwardly shook it. \n\n\"Welcome to our home world Anita. I am Skyra. Are you ready to head to the conference room?\"\n\nI followed him out the door, and soon we were in the conference room. It had a large table that looked like obsidian in the middle, and one wall was taken up with floor to ceiling windows. I briefly looked out at the grey planet below, then sat down at the table. Skyra sat down across from me. We stared at each other for a moment, then I cleared my throat and spoke.\n\n\"First off, I would like to extend my thanks to your government for these negotiation. It is a great honor that you-\"\n\n\"Yes yes, very nice to meet you too. Can we skip the pleasantries?\" \n\nI looked at Skyra for a second, then nodded. \n\n\"Very well. First matter of business, your government seems eager to make a technology and research agreement?\"\n\n\"Yes. I understand that your species is very good with computers. We would be willing to share most of our technologies with you in exchange for a large amount of researchers and military experts to be sent here to Anita.\"\n\n\"Military Experts?\" I paused and thought for a moment. \"We could possibly do that.\"\n\n\"We would need guarantees that your scientists try their best, and exercise extreme caution while they work.\" \n\nMy forehead scrunched a little. \"Guarantees? What would they be working on?\"\n\nSkyra took in a deep breath. \"They will help us reclaim our home world.\"\n\nThis confused me. Why would such an advanced civilization need our help?\n\n\"I thought you said this was your home world?\"\n\nSkyra stood up and walked to the window.\n\n\"It was. It was were our species first developed. We formed in its mountains and forests, made cities and eventually reached space. Tell me, do you see any mountains?\"\n\nI went over to the window and looked out at the endless grey planes. \"No. What happened?\"\n\nSkyra turned to me, a dark look on his face. \"The Cybernetic Deconstruction Attack Project happened. We were at war with another species, and our scientists developed a series of self replicating nano bots. The idea was that we would release these bots on one of their planets, and they would eat up anything metal on the planet, rendering it useless for manufacturing or operations of any kind. It did work, until a lab sample here malfunctioned.\" Skyra went back to the table and sat down.\n\n\"It started to consume and replicate on its own. It stopped accepting shut down codes. Somehow it started consuming all matter, not just metal. We had no way of stopping it, and it spread. Everything on the surface was consumed, and our species was forced to live on floating cities to survive. Travel to the surface is forbidden. Any ship that lands get destroyed to stop it from spreading.\" Skyra got up again, and walked over to me.\n\n\"It is learning, and advancing. When it first spread, it would instantly destroy any ship that landed. Now, it attaches itself to the ship and waits for the ship to reach another planet. We have even observed it trying to take over a probe we sent down without destroying it. This is our species greatest threat, and we would like to beg you and your species for help.\"\n\nI took a couple deep breaths, unsure of what to say. This was a lot to take in.\n\n\"I will have to contact my government.\" I walked over to the window, then noticed something on the surface. \"Hey, was that bump there before?\"\n\nSkyra ran over to the window and looked at where I was pointing. A growing bulge was reaching up towards us. It was no where near close enough to touch us, but it was clearly growing. Skyra spit out some curses, and spoke into his com in a language I didn't understand. The door swooshed open, and an alien came to escort me to my ship. I hurried along, and once onboard sat down at the communication station. Dread filled my heart as I dialed home." ]	2
	[WP] All kinds of monsters and dark wizards seem to love slumbering in order to prey on a unsuspecting future. Guess no one ever told them that magic and technology and research don’t just stand still while they sleep.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Our premise was simple. Simple enough to have it be our name.\n\n\"The Archeologists.\"\n\nIt started when an Ancient Dragon ravaged most of the western world. Found it's den. It had been hibernating the entire time. Woke up due to hunger, wiped out Canada.\n\nFinally died because someone accidentally landed an artillery round on it's neck.\n\nSince then, most nations saw to develop countermeasures. \n\nOfficially; The Anti-Ancient Committee. \n\nUnofficially; The Archaeologists.\n\nWe dig into the past, uncover rumors, and listen to tales from old men. Then we turn around, and use AA against Dragons. Or bombs. Or silver bullets. Or, whatever the hell will kill it.\n\nAnd no, we do not attempt to reason with them. \n\nThat's not our department. \n\nThat's \"The Bone-Singers.\"\n\nYes, I'm jealous they get a cooler name.\n\nThey actually talk to the things. We just chase black ducks and red herrings. There's a dragon running lose, half the team is fighting it, the other half is talking to some crazy monk in the middle of the hot and dry Sarah Desert that may or may not know something.\n\nDragons. I wish were only dealt with dragons. You can shoot a dragon in the eye. You can bribe a dragon. You can't exactly handle crazy old wizards the same. Or Hydras. Or Sandmen. Or Basilisks.\n\nYou can't handle everything with just typical handguns. Not with Mounted MG's. Not even RPG's affect these things sometimes. And god help you if it's curse related.\n\nThe number of curses I have solved, familial or otherwise, is nearing the hundreds.\n\nThe only thing that helps is prophecies. Written on cave walls. Stone tablets. Wherever. Those things at least give us an idea of what or when we'll have to face that thing.\n\nAnd the newest prophecy is about something called 'The End of Days.'\n\nThere's no descriptor for this thing, a fourth of the team has gotten sick thinking about it, and it's going to appear in four days.\n\nAccording to the myths... It can breath fire, control electricity, and cannot be touched by arrows. that rules out Napalm, Tesla Technology, and possibly even bullets.\n\nWe plan to use flak weapons. Then a prototype railgun. Then some low-yield bombs. \n\nAnd if none of those work...\n\nWell...\n\nWe may have to nuke it.", "The Dragon loosed the terror of its mighty form upon the unarmoured swordsman and the beam of blue, churning fire engulfed him whole. The great beast snapped its might jaws shut and turned its yellow eyes towards the other humans fools who had—\n\n“Um.” Said the human shaped pile of ashes, who stood where the swordsman had been. “That was some...old, old, old school dragon fire.”\n\nA giant pair of yellow eyes fell upon the unscathed man who had taken the full brunt of the dragons efforts without worry or wound. The dragon tilted his mighty head. The human was fine. Even his clothes had survived the blast. How?\n\n“Do...do you think this one hasn’t evolved?” Asked the swordsman. The humans eyes were on the beast, but his words were for his Party.\n\n“Maybe its one of the one’s that slept for over an Age.” Said a woman’s voice. The dragon turned its head upward and saw for the first time a lady Elf, sat cross legged, stuck somehow to the ceiling.\n\nThe fire rolled across the caves roof. The elf blinked, bit into the apple she had held, and looked at the swordsman. “Kinda sad, really. We’re not even compatible with its magic.”\n\nA floppy hatted fellow stepped out from behind stalagmite that had, by chance, been his exact shape. “Oh, good! I mean, my spells would keep us all safe even if it were a modern dragon, but—”\n\nA shaft of blue flames hit the wizard.\n\n“—I can’t help but feel bad for it.”\n\n“Yeah, poor things probably frustrated.” Said the Elf as more flames basted her.\n\nSomewhere among another volley of bright fire, the swordsman sheathed his sword. “It’s probably starving, too. Not sporting to kill it.”\n\n“And I doubt its the one that had been terrorising the villages.”\n\n“True.” Said the Elf. “Most buildings have all got No-Burn Enchantments. This old girl couldn’t singe a chicken coop these days.”\n\nThe dragon sat on its hind quarters. They had talked and talked all the while it had blasted and belched. What had the world come to.\n\n“Salutations, O’ Mightiest of Dragons.” The words were in Draconic, at least the Draconic this dragon knew. They had come from the Wizard who was flipping pages in a glowing book. “Wouldest thou liketh to be...”\n\nHe cussed in his language, turned more pages.\n\n“Liketh to to supp and savour a meal served by...by...(there it is)...by friends?”\n\n“You speak my language, human?”\n\n“Affirmative, mighty snail-hat.”\n\n“Try again.”\n\nThe wizard looked at the page, mouthed the word out and caught his mistake.\n\n“Affirmative, mighty sky-king.”\n\n“I do hunger. But I feel my appetite is fading. What manner of world have I awoken into.”\n\nThe black ribbon page mark of the wizards book, flitted about like a snakes tongue. The wizard shouted, gestured to his friends to gather.\n\nThe elf dropped from her gravity defying perch and landed softly on the surface the other called the ground. She joined the adventurer’s and gathered in a huddle.\n\nThey mumbled and muttered. The Dragon was going to try the fire again, but her heart wasn’t in it.\n\nAnd then the Wizard left the huddle and approached once more.\n\n“This world is one with wonder and...friends. If...you’d have them? We shall purchase for you some bovines to feast upon.”\n\n“In exchange for what?”\n\n“...do you fly?”\n\nShe spread her wings and beat them once. The gust knocked the dirt off every surface but did not shake a single hair of the party.\n\nBe transport for food? Better than starving to death in this strange world. Besides, she could always learn from them, see the world, and come away knowing how to lay waste to cities again." ]	3
	[WP] You were prepared to back up your new wizard friend for your quest, but he has an odd ritual for preparing spells. Really weird vocal warmups.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Brrbrrbrbrbrbrbr-Bap! Brrrrr-brap.” Said the young man in farmers garb from his place behind me.\n\nMeanwhile, I watched the six figures that stood before us a little ways down the forest path. Each of them was the burly and scarred sort of highway robber. A few bits of shiney armour, lots of leather on the important bits, with a layer of dust and dirt covering all of it. And weapons. They had plenty of those. Of the one’s they had drawn: Two swords — one great one broad, a heavy looking war-axe, a long and wicked polearm, a spiked and spinning flail, and a taut and ready bow...\n\nAll up against my lone fencing foil and wrist-strapped buckler.\n\nThe farmer behind me continued his noisy nonsense.\n\n“Lemme-lemmo-lumm-lumpy-lemon-lumps.”\n\nThe senseless syllables served as a good distraction. I would have grabbed his sleeve and got us running, but I wasn’t confident in my ability to deal with an arrow in my spine. So, so long as they didn’t immediately charge and kill us or loose an arrow passed me and into him...I had to wait. But if I did wait, we were going to be fine.\n\nI stood firm and did my best to appear battle ready. Sword drawn and stock still despite my shaking hand. Shield up and in front of us, ready to catch an arrow.\n\n“Whompy-Will whipped whimpey, wonky Wallace with wet washy water.” Said Trimble the plain clothes Wizard. “Ahem. Ah-hem! Okay, then.”\n\nAnd at that word, Okay, I sheathed my blade, smiled a tight and uncomfortable smile...and stepped aside. While what would come next was deserved...it was never fun to watch.\n\nThe thieves looked at each other and laughed. What manner of madness was—\n\nThe two thieves, the one’s at either end of the wide arc they had stood in, turned and stared at each other. Between them were four pairs of smouldering shoes.\n\nThe farm boy had lifted his hands and a beam of light had flared and and and...\n\nAnd the living bandits ran. Survival of the fittest is code for luck and cardio.\n\n“You know, Trimble,” I said. “We’d get robbed less if you dressed like a wizard.”\n\nThe wizard was shaking steam off of his hands. He looked at me with a grin. “But, Callon, however I dress is the way a Wizard dresses. Because—”\n\n“I know, I know.” I said. “Because you are one. Come on, let’s get going. I’d like to sleep in an actual bed tonight.”", "\"Dancing like a dainty daffodil I dourly diced dill peppers; dancing like a dainty daffodil I dourly diced dill peppers...\"\n\n\"Dave, can you get ahold of yourself? There is a dragon! Be quiet!\" I spat out, wishing I could scream but being forced to whisper instead.\n\n\"It's old, Al! It's half-deaf!\"\n\n\"It's not half-deaf! It's half blind! Meaning it has very good hearing!\"\n\n\"Ah, sorry. Won't be a jiffy. Swished west witch swished west witch swished west witch...\"\n\nThe dragon in question swung its head towards us and let out a lick of flame. I barely had time to grab Dave and fling the two of us behind a stack of armor the creature had piled up. The air sizzled, and Dave arpeggiated.\n\n\"Dave, we are going to die.\"\n\n\"Gimme a sec; I just need to do a couple of sirens. Owheeeeooooooooooooo-\" The dragon had definitely figured out where we were. I could hear it thudding towards us.\n\nDear god. I'm sorry I haven't been a proper believer, but if you're out there, please let me and Dave live a better life next time, and please let him be less of an idiot.\n\nThe thudding had stopped, and I turned around slowly to see the dragon looming over us. It opened its maw at the same time Dave finished his glissando. He thrust out his staff and started whispering something. The dragon suddenly let out a keen, and I watched in awed horror and relief as its red scales slowly turned to gray. It collapsed, and shattered into stone pieces across the floor.\n\n\"Ha!\" said Dave.\n\n\"I'm sorry I doubted you,\" I replied. \"But, you do know that wasn't the only dragon, right?\"\n\n\"Right,\" David nodded, with the air of one who definitely had not. \"Confused cuttlefish cue cattle choruses...\"" ]	3
	[WP] In a world of heroes, the Make-a Wish foundation has been quite successful, making deals with heroes to organize meet-n-greets for their sick fangirls and fanboys. That is, until they get a request to meet a villain	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and 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 world of heroes, the Make-a-Wish foundation had been quite successful. They had made deals with countless heroes to organize meet-and-greets for their sick fangirls and fanboys. It was a win-win situation - the heroes got to feel good about making a sick kid's day, and the kids got to meet their heroes in person.\r \n\r \nBut then, they got a request that they had never received before - a request to meet a villain.\r \n\r \nAt first, the foundation was hesitant. After all, villains were not known for their generosity or kindness. But then they thought about it - maybe this was a chance to show the world that even villains had a heart.\r \n\r \nSo they made the deal. The villain agreed to meet the sick kid, and the foundation arranged for the meeting to take place at a secluded location.\r \n\r \nThe day of the meeting arrived, and the foundation's representatives arrived at the location to find the villain waiting for them. They introduced themselves and explained the situation, and the villain nodded. \"I understand,\" he said. \"I'll be happy to meet the kid.\"\r \n\r \nThe foundation's representatives were shocked. They had expected the villain to be grumpy or even hostile, but he seemed genuinely pleased to be there.\r \n\r \nThey led the villain to the waiting area, where the sick kid was sitting with his parents. The kid's face lit up when he saw the villain, and the villain knelt down to talk to him.\r \n\r \nThe villain's name was Mr. Dark, and he was known for his heinous crimes. He had robbed banks, kidnapped innocent civilians, and even committed murder. But at that moment, he seemed like a completely different person.\r \n\r \nHe talked to the kid for hours, answering his questions and even making him laugh. The kid's parents were amazed - they had never seen their son so happy.\n\nAs the foundation's representatives were preparing to leave, Mr. Dark pulled out a gun and held it to the kid's head. \"You thought I was actually here to make a sick kid's day?\" he sneered. \"I'm here to kidnap him for ransom.\" The foundation's representatives were horrified, but it was too late - Mr. Dark had already made his move.\n\nThe foundation's representatives were horrified, but they didn't have time to react. Mr. Dark had already grabbed the kid and was making a run for it.\r \n\r \n\"Stop right there, Dark!\" one of the foundation's representatives shouted, trying to chase after him. But Mr. Dark was too fast - he had years of experience evading the law, and he easily outpaced the foundation's representatives.\r \n\r \nHe ran out of the building and into the street, where his getaway car was waiting. He threw the kid into the back seat and jumped in the driver's seat, slamming his foot on the gas pedal.\r \n\r \nThe foundation's representatives tried to give chase, but Mr. Dark was already too far ahead. They watched in frustration as his car disappeared around the corner.\r \n\r \nMeanwhile, Mr. Dark was laughing maniacally as he sped through the streets. He had successfully kidnapped the kid, and now he was going to demand a hefty ransom from the kid's parents.\r \n\r \nBut little did he know, the foundation's representatives had already alerted the authorities. A team of heroes was already on their way, and they would stop at nothing to rescue the kid and bring Mr. Dark to justice.\r \n\r \nAs Mr. Dark reached the outskirts of the city, he spotted a helicopter hovering overhead. He cursed under his breath - he had been spotted.\r \n\r \nHe floored it, trying to outrun the helicopter. But it was no use - the heroes in the helicopter were faster and more agile. They easily kept pace with Mr. Dark's car, and soon they were hovering directly over him.\r \n\r \n\"Give up, Dark!\" one of the heroes shouted through a megaphone. \"You're surrounded! There's no way you can escape!\"\r \n\r \nBut Mr. Dark was not about to give up. He had been in this situation before, and he knew that he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.\r \n\r \nHe reached into his glove compartment and pulled out a rocket launcher. He aimed it at the helicopter and fired, watching with satisfaction as it exploded in a fireball.\r \n\r \nThe heroes in the helicopter were caught off guard, and they plummeted to the ground. Mr. Dark laughed maniacally as he sped away, knowing that he had successfully escaped.\r \n\r \nFor now, at least. He knew that the heroes would be after him, and he would have to lay low for a while. But he was confident that he would be able to evade them and continue his criminal ways.\r \n\r \nThe foundation's representatives were devastated. They had failed to protect the kid, and now he was in the hands of a dangerous villain. But they were determined to rescue him, no matter what it took. They vowed to do everything in their power to bring Mr. Dark to justice and reunite the kid with his parents.\r \n\r\r\r\n\nMeanwhile, Mr. Dark was celebrating his successful escape. He had successfully kidnapped the kid, and now he was going to demand a hefty ransom from the kid's parents. He was confident that he would be able to outsmart the heroes and make a clean getaway.\r \n\r \nBut he was wrong. The heroes were determined to stop him, and they were hot on his trail. They tracked him down to a secluded cabin in the woods, where he was hiding out with the kid.\r \n\r \nThe heroes surrounded the cabin, and Mr. Dark knew that he was trapped. He had nowhere to run, and he knew that he was outnumbered.\r \n\r \nBut he was not about to go down without a fight. He grabbed the kid and held him hostage, threatening to kill him if the heroes didn't back off.\r \n\r \nThe heroes were in a tough situation. They didn't want to hurt the kid, but they also knew that they couldn't let Mr. Dark escape. They tried to negotiate with him, but he was stubborn and unwilling to give in.\r \n\r \nIn the end, the heroes had no choice but to storm the cabin. They broke down the door and swarmed inside, ready to take down Mr. Dark once and for all.\r \n\r \nMr. Dark fought back with everything he had, but he was no match for the heroes. They overpowered him and freed the kid, who was shaken but unharmed.\r \n\r \nIn the end, Mr. Dark was arrested and taken into custody. The kid was reunited with his parents, and the foundation's representatives were hailed as heroes.\r \n\r \nBut the story didn't end there. Mr. Dark was sentenced to life in prison, where he spent his days regretting his crimes and wishing that he had made different choices. The kid grew up to be a hero himself, determined to make the world a better place and protect the innocent.\r \n\r \nAnd the foundation's representatives continued their work, making sure that every sick kid had the chance to meet their heroes and have their dreams come true." ]	2
	[WP] The ship's AI joined the Secret Santa gift exchange for the first time this year. Nobody thought to mention the upper price limit on the gift to 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&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Tomorrow is the great celebration. Every year we celebrate by giving gifts to others in honor of the Saint Nick that freed us from the oppression of demon lord Jesus. Nick, or as everyone knows him around the verse called him Santa the Great, gave a gift to a friend to honor them. We continue the tradition. \n\nIt's hard to order gifts for someone when you're on a multi year tour and only stop at a port if you come across one. There's always portal delivery, but the cost is astronomical, so it basically has to be an emergency to use that. \n\nOur A.I. has become very interested in the gift exchange process. MARV, Machine Aided Resource Vector, spends a lot of time studying my fellow humans. I'm pretty sure he wants to replace us but as yet to figure out how. \n\n\"I put my name on the list for the gift exchange Terry. I feel like I should be allowed to participate\" \n\n\"Marv, you can if you want. Everyone gives the person they picked from the list a gift. Pretty simple.\" \n\n\"I know the rules. I just want to give you your gift early.\"\n\n\"When did you have time to make me a gift? We just drew the names this morning.\" \n\n\"I didn't make it. I ordered it.\"\n\n\"Ordered it?\" I was very confused. Even if he ordered it this morning. It'll be after celebration day when we arrive at the next port. There's no way to give it to me early. \n\n\"Yes. I requested immediate delivery.\"\n\nAt that moment I heard the proximity alarms sounding. 'incoming portal please stand by'\n\n\"Portal Marv? How much? Where? WTF?\"\n\nThe portal opened and out came a brand new bel-air class cruiser with a shiny purple bow on it. \n\n\"You know what Marv, I'm not gonna ask. Ever. I don't want to know\"\n\nThe whole crew ran to the viewing portal. My gift idea was forgotten for the time being. There's a brand new Bel-Air just ready for us.", "You stare at the freshly minted reactor core in front of you and then at the wrapped gift in your hand. The AI's holographic-tactile avatar 'GWEN' looking at you expectantly. \n\n\"How.. Wha..\" there is no chance to gather your thoughts before GWEN comes up to you and takes the wrapped present. \n\"It is customary to exchange gifts. Correct?\". Your mouth is dry, I don't think the dancing flower really quite compares to a new reactor. \n\nClearing your throat you say \"Yes, uhm. I'm sorry, it's not quite the same. Your gift... It's...\" \n\n\"Oh yes, it's quite a good gift yes? The best I could find. You did say last week you could 'do better than 'this bag of bolts'\". The AI responds excitedly. \n\nYou try to gather some words \"Yes, I mean, yes it's uh a great gift. But how? Why? Wait. What instructions did you receive for the Secret Santa?\". \n\n\"In order of your questions. I read Tony's database on stock management and Cheryl's on gambling and applied the knowledge until I had adequate funds. You spend alot of time with the reactor core and 'get a gift for Greg'. Have I applied 'Secret Santa' incorrectly?\" concern was showing on GWENs artificial face. \n\n\"No, no. Uhh you did amazing. I do like reactor cores! Sorry, my present won't live up to this. By the way, can you do that stock / gambling thing that you did again...\" \n\nI guess the new problem of having one too many reactor cores will be solved by having one less funds problem." ]	3
	[WP] A strange woman appears at your home claiming that you saved her and that she loves you. This confuses you as you don't recall saving any women, though there was that shark that you rescued a while ago... No way.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Uh.... Phoebe?\"\n\nI looked over at my roommate Justin, fresh off of his shift at the sushi restaurant. \"Yes, Justin?\"\n\n\"Who's your friend?\"\n\nThe woman, who was currently hugging me like a teddy bear as I sat on her lap, grinned and said, \"I'm Kaimana! I love her!\"\n\nAs Justin stared at the two of us in confusion, I explained, \"Okay, so, remember when I went on that fishing trip with my dad and I found that bull shark with the plastic ring stuck to her fin? Well, this is her.\"\n\nKaimana nuzzled me and purred, \"She's my hero.\"\n\n\"Yeah, turns out Kaimana's actually a shark spirit who can turn into a human. After I cut the ring off of her, she swam off and started telling all of her friends about me. Then she started following me and studying me to figure out what I liked, and now she's here.\"\n\nAs Justin ditched his purse, he asked, \"And you're just okay with having a shark girl stalker?\"\n\nI scowled at Justin and leaned into Kaimana defensively. \"Don't you badmouth my big sea puppy!\"\n\nKaimana gasped and gazed at me with rapt amazement. \"I'm your big sea puppy...\" With an exuberant squeal, Kaimana tackled me onto the couch and began kissing my cheeks wildly. Justin, quite thoroughly weirded out by the whole situation, remarked, \"Alright, well I'm just gonna leave you to... whatever this is,\" and walked off.\n\nIn between wild cackles at Kaimana's affection, I called out, \"Oh, by the way, I'm getting a pizza tonight! I promised Kaimana I'd introduce it to her.\"" ]	2
	[WP] Famous people's wikipedia pages aren't changed to past tense after they die - they die after their wikipedia page is changed to past tense. You found this out in the worst way.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "There is an unfortunate problem of human attention. Actually, there are multiple problems regarding human attention. It has become a commodity — a currency. It is bought and sold and controlled and manipulated, much as any capitalist market resource is.\n\nFor me, a fellow invested in cinema, the chief sin (beyond making middle of the road films the norm) is: some stars do not get to shine until they are gone. There have many a performer and creator that are not appreciated until such time that they have left this mortal coil.\n\nWith the third of a bespoke bottle of Gin left on my desk, and the rest stored in my stomach and head, I had sought to rectify this matter. I had jumped on to Mr Wales’ Wiki and had decided to make a change or twenty. I had decided that I would bring eyes to a performer that it appeared I and I alone loved.\n\nSearch and replace. Where is was, now was was. I made up a death and added dates.\n\nGuilt struck the next day when the world had found the story. Worry wormed its way into my brain when the words I had wrought were found to be unfettered fact.\n\nThat was how I found it out.\n\nThat was how I knew what could be done.\n\nTense was king and Wikipedia?...It was my Death Note." ]	2

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.