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 have been kidnapped by a cult and chosen to be human sacrifice. This frustrates you because you were picked by the Aztecs just 500 years ago.	[ "The first thing Jenny saw when she woke from her chemically-induced slumber was a ring of figures in grey robes standing around her, holding knives and murmuring a low chant. They were in what looked like the undercroft of a chapel, lit only by a torch held by the robed individual standing at her feet. The moldy sent of damp clung to everything. Very rapidly, two thoughts shot through her mind, each leaving a distinct impression. They were, in order:\n\n\"Oh bugger me, not again,\"\n\nand,\n\n\"Since when has there been a cult in Milton Keynes?!\"\n\nIndeed, the primary appeal of the town had been that it was very modern and seemed unlikely to be home to groups of homicidal occult enthusiasts. She supposed this was what this was all about, after all. It had the too-familiar feeling of something sacrificial about to happen. Her wrists and ankles were shackled with iron to a stone slab. The man standing at her head, she couldn't get a good look at him but he sounded as though he were trying to sound impressive, led the others in the chant. She heard the sound of his knife being drawn and felt it was about time she said something.\n\n\"Look, I wouldn't, if I were you.\" The chanting faltered and stopped. Her words had been so matter-of-fact, so devoid of inarticulate pleading, that the cultists evidently didn't know what to do. Good, she thought, and continued. \"All you're going to do is make a fuss for whoever you think is on the receiving end of this.\" \n\n\"What's that supposed to mean, then?\" The man standing at her head asked, his impressive voice slipping a little to reveal an accent that sounded more Cornwall than Cultist. \n\n\"I've done this before,\" Jenny explained. \"Recently, too, if that makes any sort of difference.\"\n\n\"You've- Hold on, sorry, you've done this before?\" Now the man sounded very confused. She heard the knife go back into the sheath.\n\n\"I mean, this is a human sacrifice, right?\" She asked. A few of the robed figures nodded sheepishly. \"See, that's what I thought. And I'm telling you, I've had it done before and whoever you've got on the other side there isn't going to be pleased to see me.\"\n\n\"Why do you say that?\"\n\n\"I'm already spoken for,\" Jenny explained through thinning patience. \"I was sacrificed five hundred years ago to Xochiquetzal. If I turn up on your guy's doorstep, she's just going to come looking for me and you'll be right back where you started.\"\n\n\"Shochee-\"\n\n\"Xochiquetzal,\" Jenny interrupted the man at her head before he could phonetically embarrass himself further. \"The Aztec goddess of indulgence and sex.\" \n\n\"Right. See, the thing is, you're already here,\" the man said, all pretensions of impressiveness gone and replaced by an awkward sheepishness. \"Besides, you look quite well for someone supposedly sacrificed to Sho- Er, to an Aztec goddess five hundred years ago.\" Now it was Jenny's turn to be slightly embarrassed.\n\n\"If you must know, Xochiquetzel and I had a bit of a tiff, so I went off and reincarnated myself so I could have a little space for a while. She's really lovely, honestly. But spend four hundred and seventy years with someone and they start to get on your nerves a bit, you know?\" One of the robed figures by her left hand nodded a bit. The one standing next to him gave him an elbow in the ribs. \n\n\"How were we supposed to know?\" The man at her head asked. \"It's not as though there's a registry for this sort of thing, is there? And, as I said, you're already here...\"\n\n\"Now wait just a-\"\n\nTHUNK\n\nThe man buried his knife in Jenny's chest, and for a moment her world was an inferno of pain. Then the familiar lifting sensation took her, and she passed into a realm of blinding whiteness.\n\nTo her credit, Xochiquetzal met her with an apologetic look and an outstretched hand that held a steaming mug of cocoa.\n\"Thanks,\" Jenny said, taking the mug eagerly. \"You would not believe the day I've had.\"\n\nWith love and apologies to Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Comments welcome!", "ommmmm maiiiii tahhhhh dahhhhh lahhhh\n\nThe red hoods stood over me in a circle, I was chained like a starfish to the floor, with the cold concrete pressing against my back and the cheeks of my buttox. I could feel little specs of rock digging into the skin of my ankles as I swayed them back and forth to the rhythm of their chants. I was probably in somebodies basement. \n\nThrough the small gaps between their red cloaks, I could see their shadows upon a stone wall next to the dancing light of torch fire. it reminded me of last time. Oh how sweet a memory. And to think I would be lucky enough to experience it once more. \n\nI closed my eyes and smiled as I felt a blade slide down my center chest towards my bottom abs. \n\nWhat the fuck. Said one of the red coats. \n\nThe chanting stopped. I felt the blade pressed to my skin harder than before as they desperately tried to cut me. \n\nGet me another knife barked one of the red coats. \n\nI could feel the tension arising in the room as their orderly ritual was beginning to fall into chaos, and once the second knife yielded the same results, I felt the knife stab against my chest with laughable force. \n\nChrist John! Yelled one of the red coats. \n\nWhat did I say about using my real name dammit. John said, straightening up and wiping the sweat from his brow. This fucker won't bleed. \n\nHe's smiling! Said one of the other red coats. \n\nI'll handle him said a deep voice. I could feel the atmosphere change as if Moses had suddenly appeared and parted the red circle. I tried not to laugh as I felt what could only be a sword trying to force it's way inside my chest. It reminded me about last time and how the Aztecs had tried to do the same with spears after they had failed to take my head off. The only difference was that the Aztecs had been much stronger. \n\nI could feel the blade shaking back and forth as the man used all his strength, until finally he slinked back and dropped the sword on the floor with a clank. \n\n\"Lock that door, don't let the others see this.\" Said John, who must be their leader. \"We must complete the ritual at any costs.\" \n\nI heard a low pitched scraping sound as if someone had slid a lever across a large steel door. I could sense them bundled together nearby, whispering about what they should do next. \n\nI sighed, and lifted my wrists and legs from the shackles. They bent like flimsy aluminum, and I was free. I stood up and looked down at where I had been laying. They had drawn a lovely devil's circle with pigs blood, and nearby there was a crows jaw and the spine of a deer. \n\nI laughed.\n\nHe's free! yelled one of the red coats. \n\nlisten, guys. I said. Its wonderful that you've gone and gathered all these lovely things for the ceremony, but they're not needed. \n\nYou dont know shit! John hissed. \n\nI laughed even more. I really want to thank all of you for doing exactly what I have asked. It wasn't so easy the last time I did this. Well, part of that's because I was dealing with an entire civilization, but now adays, it's so easy to get a group of you loonys together. \n\nQuit your babbling. said John. The others were quiet. \n\nNo, really. I said, taking a step towards them. You guys are perfect. These days, everyone is so connected, but not you guys. You guys are the run off, the misfits. I couldn't live without you. \n\nJohn picked up the big guy's sword and swung it at me. It bounced off and fell to the ground. What the hell is going on? \n\nJohn please. I said. I reached out and pulled him closer by the scuff of his cloak, sucking the ghostly essence from his body. I felt my skin growing thicker and my bones denser. I felt nourished. \n\nThe other red cloaks were frozen stiff as I slung John's cloak around my naked body. There was nothing left of him. \n\nthat was good. I said, rolling my eyes in bliss. The souls of these people tasted much better than those of the Aztecs. They are much more afraid of losing their lives. \n\nI smiled in anticipation of more delight and wiped my mouth. who's next?" ]	2
	[WP] Humanity has finally figured out how to stop aging. To prevent overpopulation, whenever a person turns 100 years old, the government sends an executioner to kill them. It is a serious crime to resist or evade execution. Today is your 537th birthday, and you're on top of the most wanted list.	[ "I finally woke up after a short sleep that lasted for a few hours. I haven't had the luxury of a stress-free life for about four hundred and forty years... Ever since the government enacted the 100 Year law, men and women aged over one hundred years are executed by an organization known as \"Retirement Care Inc.\"; Quite ironic if I must say. They are considered to have a stellar reputation of making sure every \"old\" person is killed, but I find them subpar. As I said before I lived for four hundred and thirty-seven years, and I've been on the run ever since my one-hundredth. Well... today makes it that amount of time; happy birthday to me I guess. I know they are hot on my tail though, and Retirement Care knows they cannot catch me; which is the reason why I have a bounty on my head. That's right.. if you want to make a quick two hundred Gs, get a gun and join the hunt. If you are willing to go from state to state, country to country for such money, more power to you, but I'd rather go out on my own terms. After all, I can hear some of you come up the stairs now... I have been running so many years, I deserve to go out in a blaze of glory. Time to get my birthday party started, wouldn't you say?", "Sometimes, I compare myself to Zaire Difficile, the most deadly supervirus ever conceived. What makes it, and by comparison me, so criminally dangerous is the ability to grow after having near-death experiences. And in my day, I've had more than a few.\n\nYou think you could outrun the geezer-tweezers for four centuries, without having any of those?\n\nLet's see: there's that time they almost nabbed me coming up from Venus, there's the time I went a bit too fast through the Hildas and got flagged as a possible drone, and there was also that one paramour of mine that decided to take the government up on witness protection. (You can see what that got her, by sufficiently surveying the atmosphere of Titan.)\n\nThey say that you can't teach an old moon dog new moon tricks; thank God, then, I'm in a starfaring society that's as stagnant as mine." ]	2
	[WP] Instead of evolving from animals, humans evolved from plants.	[ " This is so weird... maybe I died and entered another universe... or... I can't fucking tell but things are insane. There's still tech and most of the same songs but the roles of animals and plants have mostly reversed. Im definitely different... I came from a universe where I would be eaten right away. Hell I'd probably eat a human after living here this whole month since my kind come from meat eating plants. \n\n The change happened when I woke up a month ago, I still don't know how. I woke up and was laying on my chest, when I [pushed myself up](http://es.web.img3.acsta.net/newsv7/16/03/28/10/58/518012.jpg) I felt odd... my organs all felt different and everywhere I touched my skin didn't feel soft... well it was soft but only for a layer since under it was harder feeling \"skin\". After I stood up I looked down at myself and screamed, I was green... and had a feminine shape. When I ran to a mirror I saw I was beautiful but looked like an alien, I squeezed my arm and it was like an exoskeleton covered with a soft layer of skin. I stared at myself in the mirror then [looked over when I heard rain hitting the window of my new house](https://www.cinefilos.it/wp-content/uploads/gallery/zoe-saldana/Zoe-Saldana-5.jpg) and everything looked different. \n\n There was kitchen but it had an unfamiliar fridge filled with meat and no vegetables, kind of like my diet but it was only raw meats. There was no stove and everything else looked different, so I didn't use anything at the moment. I wanted to see my body more so I examined it and found all the differences. I didn't have a throat... just a mouth with this spit that melted meat visibly, my hair didn't feel like hair... it was thicker in each strand and the areas that were colored gave off a sweet smell. I didn't have any... holes... well one but nothing for waste, it made me so confused. When I took out a knife to cut my finger it cut it off since I used too much force. \n\n It made me scream and I looked at my stump of a finger, there was a light whitish green center with splotchy sort of flesh, and true green that got darker until the darker area that was almost black, the dark part was the hardest and the outer level wasn't transparent. It started leaking a white sticky sweet smelling substance kind of slowly, I ended up finding a paper towel and it felt like it wasn't made it paper. Either way I stopped the \"blood\" flow and called the police on the leaf \"Fly\" iPhone I had... at least that was familiar. I called 911 and told them I cut my finger off, the dispatcher just said the line was for emergencies and hung up. The finger did stop \"bleeding\" already so I guess it was alright. \n\n After an hour of research I found most things out, it was really weird. In this universe mammals came up from underground areas way later after the meteor. The first plant to develop a brain was a Venus fly trap and eventually others started truly living. There were \"humans\" with cactus spikes, my kind which was Venus fly traps, mushroom kinds, taller vine like ones... it wasn't just one group of humans anymore. I was so confused how I got to the universe but I just ignored it for the time being. After the hour the finger was halfway back... apparently the meat eating kind healed the fastest but we were the easiest to cut. The cacti had the best defenses and fighting, the vines moved the fastest, the mushrooms had poison... basically everyone had their own thing. \n\n That day I [met my neighbor outside](http://cinemavine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/guardians-of-the-galaxy-volume-2-movie-images-gamora-star-lord.png) and the sun felt so good, the cities looked different but were beautiful. Later on I [walked to the city](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/73/af/76/73af76df41eb30891c1326e99446dbdc.jpg) and met the other races of humans, it was kind of cool seeing them have so many other differences than color... though there was more fighting in the beginning of civilization because of it. Everything was good at modern time though. A few guys asked if I was gonna \"pollinate\" later since it was my time... I didn't know what they meant but told them no.\n\n Later on I found out all females \"bleed\" for a week and have seeds come out with the \"blood\", later on a guy can put his \"stuff\" in with the seeds and they'll make big seeds that make babies... I knew I was gonna bleed eventually since that's why my body was giving off sweet smells. Actually while I was walking it happened, while in a washroom a woman gave me this soft cup thing and apparently it went into the... new organ. I used it and it felt so odd, though it made my hair smell less sweet so I guess it was laced with a medicine to help symptoms. Apparently we all went to the bathroom through excretions through our skin so there were rooms with showers. An hour later I was at a bar and a mushroom guy was [standing behind me](http://comicbookbrain.com/_imagery/2014-08-20/guardians-of-the-galaxy-gamora-drax.jpg) while watching tv, the tv wasn't glass but something else... things were so different now but I didn't know what to do. \n\n That month I got used to things, my finger grew back at the end of the first day. I threw the seeds into this \"seed garbage\" that apparently went to science. I kind of want to go home but I also want to stay here... things are cool and I feel like a superhero. There's some video games but I'm usually running around the woods feeling the plants \"speak\" to me so I'm too busy to play any video games inside. I listen to music on my phone while walking and it's mostly the same... some artists are missing and a lot have more plant than animal names but a lot of the good songs are mostly there. There's still zombie movies and they're more interesting now. \n\n It's the end of the month and I'm sun bathing while I soak up water through my finger tips, I just ate a steak which got absorbed into the lining of my mouth after chewing and acid destroyed it... it's a lot to get used to but I feel alright I guess.", "Stretch.\n\nStretch and reach. It is all relative to where you plant yourself; how hard and how high you must reach.\n\nSquare cells. Oblique to companions we keep. They can adapt -- but so can we, in decades.\n\nA moment.\n\nWe crawl while they walk and run, but we are rooted.\n\nChanging the landscape that we will restore after they have left.\n\nWe are the insinuation they feel and shy from. Hushed relays.\n\nThis world is inherited.\n\nEverything rots.\n\nStretch and reach, while they grow parallel to the ground.\n\nGuided purpose, able to see at a mile.\n\nWilled, yet deliberate.\n\nMistaken as indifference.\n\nStretch and reach beyond what they understand as time.\n", "I wake up the same as every day, as the sun rises. It is summer and I live pretty far north so it means I'll be awake for at least 20 hours today. This is before I head down south for the winter later this year.\n\nThere aren't that many humans around where I live. No, it's easy to tell as humans have two, maybe four bases in their sleeping form. Also, we don't have to deal with woodpeckers.\n\nAnyway, when I wake up I have to dig my roots out of the ground so I can walk. It's always important to get exercise when you stand around as the sun has set and you need to drink up nutrients. Anyway, when I wake up I head towards a river or lake and drink plenty of water. Since I'm a California giant sequoia, about eighty meters tall, so I have to drink a lot of water so cells and leaves don't dry out.\n\nAfter I have a drink I stand fully and let the scents of the wind meet my leaves. I smell where the other humans are, get information from our less-intelligent cousins. A palm tree human managed to catch a fish, from what I understand.\n\nAs normal, I head somewhere deep in the forest and plant my roots down and release pheromones in a place animals are most common. I have my roots ready as I hide my face, relying on touch to hunt.\n\nSoon, I feel something walking around me. My roots shoot up from the ground and cocoon the unfortunate creature before I opened my eyes to see it. A bear, no doubt smelling the scent of a female I released.\n\nI lift it between my fingers in anticipation before placing it within my mouth. Feeling the roots dig into an animal's skin and drink it dry of blood before ripping the flesh apart... it is always delicous.\n\nI hunt until six in the evening when I catch the scent of another human. See, humans primarily acquire nutrition by drinking nutrients from the soil. We need a lot to survive so we barely tolerate our neighbors... and we hate trespassers.\n\nIt is easy to follow the scent of an intruder, it doesn't belong in the forest. When I get close I loom over the forest floor while sniffing furiously. It was definitely a young tree who didn't know that Southern Magnolia weren't native to my forest.\n\nHe releases stress pheromones when I grab him, not even other ingredients to be kind as I rip the torso from the legs still attached by roots embedded in my soil. Chewing is not essential for humans to eat... but it does help extract the mind-seed, his very essence and inflict the maximum amount of pain. I will drop it in a field later to allow it to regrow, hopefully with his lesson learned.\n\nIt now grows late. I could've eaten a bison if that child hadn't shown up. But, I ate my fill and have plenty of fertiliser. I head to the river for one final drink before finding nutrient-rich land and digging my roots into before the sun sets. And then I go to sleep.", "“Good morning, Santa Barbara! It’s looking like we’re finally going to get that nice, sunny summer day we’ve all been hoping for these last few weeks, and boy, is it a relief! Taking a look at our seven-day forecast, this might be the last day of great weather we have for a while so get up, get out there, and make the most of it! Seriously, whether you decide to hit the beach, have a picnic, or just go—“\n\nLeif finally managed to slap the alarm clock on the shelf next to him, suddenly ceasing the morning radio chatter. 6:30. Straightening up from his resting position against the wall, he shook himself, rustling the rows of minuscule green leaves that sprouted down his arms. He blearily stretched his supple green neck in a full revolution, feeling a strange sense that something wasn’t quite right.\n\nThen it hit him. A wave of dread, compounded as the events of the last few days came rushing back to him.\n\nShe was gone.\n\nLeif realized that the strange feeling he couldn’t identify was the feeling of sleeping in a patch of soil that was unnecessarily big for the nutrients one man had to absorb. A flower bed for two.\n\nFlopping backward into the cushioned part of the wall, Leif threw his head in his hands. He was trapped in a waking nightmare, and the worst part was he knew it was all his fault. He had acted like a total rhizoid, and now Flora was gone forever.\n\nShoving all emotion aside, Leif whipped himself out of bed and unplugged his alarm before the snooze could go off, letting the cord dangle off of the shelf built into the wall beside him. Groaning blearily, he lifted his feet one at a time out of the flower bed and shook the clumps of dirt out of their root hairs. Slipping on a pair of loafers, he shuffled down the hallway to the bathroom.\n\nHe took a shower hot enough to keep idle thoughts away. Leaning his head back against the wall, he took a deep breath, letting the stomata all over his body open and inhaling the warm steam. The sound of water running was the only thing that kept Leif’s apartment from grim solitary silence. How he missed her voice. He felt like crawling back into bed and burying his entire body beneath its comforting soil.\n\nBut it was a Tuesday.\n\nLeif got dressed and made his way over to the large window in his living room that took up most of the far wall. He lifted his arms and raised his face to the rising sun for a few moments before sitting down and taking out his phone. He scrolled through a couple news sites over a light breakfast of photosynthesis.\n\nAt 7:08 he stood up and grabbed the bag lunch he had made the night before from the fridge. Tucking it under one arm, he grabbed his keys and strode out the door. By 7:15 he was boarding the bus and by 7:30 he arrived at work.\n\nThe UpShoot office building was a greenhouse of the modern world. Ten stories of optimized corporate workspace stretched grandly upward, reminiscent of a newly sprouting plant. Its paneled glass walls gave the entire building a sleek, futuristic look.\n\nLeif hopped off of the city bus with less spring in his step than a perennial on Christmas. He swept into the UpShoot building’s wide revolving door, grumbling something that could have been construed as a greeting to a couple of tulips from HR. Joining a small group already there, he waited for the elevator, staring blankly out the glass wall.\n\n“Hey, Leif!”\n\nLeif noticed that Andrew, an evergreen man who worked in his department, was a part of the crowd. “Hey.”\n\nAndrew, needles furrowed in concern, pushed his way over to Leif and rested a hand on his shoulder. “You doing okay? Chuck told me you and Flora broke up last weekend.”\n\nLeif cleared his throat. “Yeah. Yeah, we did. And…I’m doing fine. Thanks.” He muscled a smile at Andrew.\n\n“Hmm. There was a rumor going around the office that you were going to propose to her pretty soon.”\n\n“Yeah, well, some rumors are just rumors, you know?” Leif set his gaze on the lights above the elevator door, sternly watching the indicator make its way over to the “G” on the left. The doors slipped open with a pleasant ding.\n\nAndrew nodded, face set in rugged contemplation. He gave Leif one last clap on the back before slipping with the crowd into the elevator.\n\nLeif, Andrew, and a few other workers stepped out on the fourth floor. Software Development. Leif mechanically punched in and made his way over to his desk. Even though every cubicle was situated on the outside of the building’s interior, Leif’s desk was only in direct sunlight for the latter half of the afternoon. And he could tell he was in for a slow morning. Casually absorbing the artificial light from the ceiling lamp, Leif sat at his computer, slipped off his shoes and planted them in the thin layer of soil that lay under his desk.\n\n“Howdy, Leif!”\n\nLeif gave Chuck, his cubicle neighbor, a friendly wave before turning to the black screen in front of him. Before he could wake up his computer, however, an elevator dinged what incomprehensibly seemed to be a slightly more irritating ding than usual. Davis, Leif’s manager, skipped out into the office.\n\n“Aaaaaaand the team has assembled!” he cried proudly. “How is my favorite garden of coders doing today?”\n\nThe department joined in a half-hearted cheer.\n\n“What’s that?” Davis held an exaggerated hand up to his ear. “I couldn’t hear you!”\n\nSilence.\n\nDavis snapped his fingers. “And a good morning to you too.” He sauntered down to his corner office, which happened to be in direct sunlight from sunrise to noon.\n\nThe elevator broke the silence that followed with a ding and out scampered Thomas, a thirty-something sunflower with a clean-cut goatee. He rushed over to the cubicle on Leif’s right, kicking off his shoes and planting himself at his desk. He poked his head over the dividing wall. “Do you think Davis saw I was late?”\n\nLeif shook his head. “He’s probably napping by now. You know how he gets.”\n\nThomas bobbed his head cheerily, reassuring himself. “Right, right. My kids missed the bus and I had to drive them to school. Surprised I made it here even this early!”\n\nLeif fiddled with a rubber ball on his desk. “Oh, yeah…”\n\n“Hold on.” Thomas ducked down to his desk for a moment, popping back up with a wooden frame in his hands. Staring at his neighbor’s outstretched hand for a couple seconds, Leif reluctantly accepted the picture offered to him. “There’s me, Rhonda, Blake, Jordan, and little Lucie!” The man beamed, yellow petals bouncing cheerily. “Aren’t they just the greatest thing in the world?”\n\nLeif stared at the tiny photograph, mouth drawn into a line.\n\nThomas chuckled lightly and snatched the picture out of Leif’s hands. “Sorry for dadding out like that for a second there. You’ve just got to let me do that every once in a while. I can’t help myself!”\n\nStaring at the space where the photo used to be, Leif numbly rubbed his fingers together. “Yeah, yeah.” Thomas quickly disappeared from view, setting the picture back in its rightful place.\n\nLeif hit the space bar and woke up his computer. Already feeling a little fatigued, he unwrapped his bag lunch and popped a small cube of meat into his mouth, pushing it around with his tongue absentmindedly as it slowly dissolved.\n\nHe tried to tap out a few lines of code but found himself getting distracted. The words and commands he was typing felt…meaningless. He poured a bit of water into the soil at his feet and just stared at the computer’s screensaver for a while.\n\nIt was about ten fifteen when the door to Davis’s office swung open and the man strolled to the front of the room.\n\n“Attention, everyone! Attention!” He waited for the office workers to swivel around to look at him, placid face revealing nothing. The portly man straightened his tie. “How do you all feel about not working? Or should I say, leaves of absence?” He wiggled an elbow in the air, ruffling a few leaves.\n\nThe manager received more confused looks than laughs.\n\n“I hope you like them!” he announced, “Because UpShoot is bankrupt. We’re all fired.” He rocked back and forth, taking in the shocked faces of the workers without a hint of emotion. “Clear out your desks by the end of the day.” With that, he receded back into his office for his last couple hours of sunlight.\n\nLeif stared at his computer screen as it blinked and turned black. The sudden cries of outrage from his coworkers were nothing more than a dull buzzing in the back of his mind. That was it, he thought. This was the end. He had nothing. He had no job, no Flora, and no…\n\nWork?\n\nLeif had no work to do, at least at the moment. He also had no major sickness, no infirmity. He had no one who hated him. He had no one telling him what to do, and definitely had no one who could stop him from going out and living life.\n\nSure, things were looking dark, but he had no reason to make himself more miserable by dwelling on the past.\n\n Uprooting himself, he grabbed his lunch and started walking over to the elevator.\n\nThomas, who had previously been moaning at his desk, peeked out above his cubicle. “Leif? Where are you going?”\n\nLeif spun around, face lit up with a wide grin of relief. “I’m turning to face the sun.”", "A breeze wrestled against the branches of several oak trees overhead. The sun was starting to recede under the horizon leaving behind its final shine. I walked slowly with my lantern swinging in my hand. I placed the lantern on the ground.\n\nThis is as good of a spot as any other, I told myself. I turned my head from left to right in order to make sure no one was near. I positioned myself against the oak tree while undoing my pants in order to finally take a leak.\n\n\"What the hell?!” A loud voice echoed as leaves fell around me. \n\nI quickly took up my pants and jumped backwards accidentally knocking over the lantern. Its flame spread across the ground. The tree quickly snapped its limbs into life.\n\nOh, no. I didn't know this was one of them. My eyes widened in shock.\n\n\"No! No! Put it out!” The tree yelled.\n\nI quickly tried stomping the flames out but they kept inching closer to the tree’s bark. I gasped while hesitantly trying to figure out a way to snuff the flame.\n\n\"Pull down your britches and put it out!” The tree ordered.\n\n\"I can’t! I already gone!” I panicked. \n\nI slowly turned around while stuffing my hands into my pockets after lowering my cap down over my face. I began whistling in order to drown out the loud cries of the oak tree burning behind me.\n\nI finally made it up the hill only to see the smoke rising behind. You are probably confused by all of this right about now. You are probably wondering to yourself, How on earth did that oak tree talk? You may even be asking yourself why I was not seemingly overly surprised by it. Let me explain in a brief manner.\n\nIt was years ago when this edge of the world, being the oldest, found a mythical truth behind our descending of roots given to our world. Yes, you heard me quite right. We, not all however, are descendants of the very roots under the lost tree of knowledge. It has been said that man was first made from the soil under the same tree and that women were made by the very rib taken from that man himself. My race is different. We were made from the bark that stretched down into the forbidden garden with one purpose – to guard it.\n\nHowever, over time, not all of us went on to take root in such a heavy task. Most of us just went our separate ways either knowing we stayed close to this corner of the world. I myself found the lost whispering forest. It was said this place was full of trees that were able to talk. These trees were known to be our ancestry – Well all of them minus the one I scorched into flame on accident after peeing on it.\n\n\"I saw what you did.” A tree suddenly called next to me.\n\nI turned around in fear. I didn't want others knowing what I did. I let my words take the best of me. I replied with, “I’d keep quiet or you’re next!”\n\nThese oak trees were very intelligent. Every tree around me snapped and twisted their way above the ground. Their roots spread across the soil completely circling around me. The evening light was now completely darkened as they all gathered in a mass force.\n\nI turned my head in every direction listening to them whispering. A small tree trunk, with the top edges completely burnt off, stepped its way into the middle in front of me.\n\n\"My turn,” the tree commented.\n\n***\n\nTo read more of my stories, visit [here] (https://www.reddit.com/r/13thOlympian/)" ]	5
	[WP] You own a magical device that provides the exact amount of money you will need that day. One morning, it starts to provide bottle caps.	[ "The thing about happiness is that you only know you had it when it's gone. I mean, you may think to yourself that you're happy, but... you don't really believe it. \n\nI had tried to redeem my daily allowance that day in the vault you know? But there was an issue. I got bottle caps instead. It made no sense. \n\nAnd then I heard the news....\n\"Followed by... yes, followed by flashes; blinding flashes, sounds of explosions... We're- we're trying to get confirmation, but we seem to have lost contact with our affiliate stations... We do have coming in... confirmed reports- I repeat, confirmed reports of nuclear detonations in... New York and Pennsylvania... My God.\"\n\nI think we've been talking... long enough. We both know how this has to end.\nSo. You ready? \n\nBut I had a point here. A lesson, if you will.\n\nNow.. where was I? Hands up. Hand over the caps. \n\nBecause war, war never changes. ", "He walked like a man with the world on his back. His knees buckled and there was the sounds of collapse, of everything shattering, falling down in an armageddon rain. He held the world with his knowledge, but he could not stop it from falling.\n\n\nHe was a doctor and that day began normal. The sun rose and the shadows came out and the world turned. But he was scared and he waited. He wondered what it would look like. The bottle caps were Pepsi caps, and he thought it made sense. Pepsi was abundant, but not as ubiquitous as Coke, and it would make suitable currency. \n\n\nWill I be rich? he thought. Will I survive tomorrow?\n\n\nBut today was today. \n\n\nEveryone needs a doctor.\n\n\nHe did not want to leave his house. In his home he felt safe. Carrying the world was easier from his bed. But he was a doctor and everyone needed a doctor.\n\n\nThe call came as it always did: unexpected and frantic. The accident had happened not an hour ago where a truck had smashed a car. The truck had run the lights and its driver was alive in stable condition.\n\n\nThe car's driver was dead and her daughter was in critical condition. She was losing blood and they needed surgeons. He had to get there quick.\n\n\nThey should all die.\n\n\nAnd the thought scared him. He was near forty now and had been a doctor for over fifteen years. In those years he had tried nothing more than to save lives, to preserve that consciousness that men knew nothing of. Or, at the very least, preserve the bodies for their living relatives, and keep that illusion of life for as long as possible.\n\n\nThat was yesterday. Yesterday was the last day of the world.\n\n\nBut he was thinking that today and today was normal and the world hadn't ended as yet.\n\n\nIt will though. It will.\n\n\nIn the meantime he was needed and that oath he took was too ingrained. He carried his burden as best he could and left his house and went to the hospital. He left home his wallet and took only the bottle caps. He didn't feel like having ID when all went to hell. He was afraid of the loss and so he wanted to lose himself before it happened. He didn't need a name.\n\n\nThey let him in gratefully. There was no hassle during emergencies. The child was broken and she was about ten, though it was hard to say and she would not live a year more. The surgery was long and quiet and there were no jokes between them as there often was.\n\n\nJamal was a hero and he envied him. He was calm and steady and he made the tourniquet to stop the blood loss. \n\n\nHe doesn't know. None of them know.\n\n\nAnd he wasn't sure if he envied them or pitied them. He watched as the girl fought and as her body fought and as death fought to claim her. In the end death lost, but only for the while. She was stable, but there was organ damage and her lungs and kidneys would not last a life.\n\n\nThey had her to rest and the anesthetic was weak as they were afraid of it taking her for good.\n\n\nMight be better.\n\n\nAnd with every thought, his heart hurt. He was unaccustomed to this pessimism, to the nihilism. But the world was ending and you shouldn't shy away from the truth.\n\n\nHe ate in the cafeteria alone and the other doctors left him alone. They all knew the feeling of helplessness, of being unable to save someone. There is no cure for that and only time and space can help. And so he was given both. \n\n\nHe finished his lunch and it was after one then. The world was yellow with dancing dust in the air and the staleness of breath and the tiredness of hardwork. There was no explosion as yet. No breaking news.\n\n\nThe girl was awaking when he checked on her. Her condition weighed on him as much as the bottlecaps did. She was a pretty child and her eyes were eager and scared and though she could not understand, there was that expression of being robbed on her face. She knew her hopes and dreams had been taken. She knew life was unfair. But she did not know it truly. If she was lucky, she would die before it really hit her.\n\n\n\"How are you feeling?\" he asked.\n\n\nThe words lingered and dropped and she stared at him.\n\n\nHow do you think she feels?\n\n\n\"You must be in pain.\"\n\n\nShe nodded. She began to cry.\n\n\nHe sat on the chair beside her. They had called her family but her family had died in the car. She was alone. He wondered her name but she had no ID and the mother had no ID. If the world wasn't going to end, he would know by tomorrow, but he knew she would die anonymous.\n\n\n\"What's your name?\"\n\n\n\"A-A... A-Alana...\"\n\n\nThat was good enough. Maybe not so anonymous then. \n\n\n\"You were in a bad accident, Alana.\"\n\n\nShe was bawling. \n\n\nYou fucking idiot. Why would you say that?\n\n\nHe made comforting noises and with time she calmed. He wanted to distract her before the inevitable came. Soon she would ask for her mother. And he did not know how he would handle that. He almost wished for the world to end then and there.\n\n\nHe asked her about herself and what she liked, what she did and what school she went to. Simple things. She was eleven and she went to a private school. She was late this morning and they were in a rush. He was tense during her talk when she mentioned her mother, but she did not ask and he was relieved.\n\n\nMore questions and he found out she loved video games and TV. \n\n\nCommon ground.\n\n\nAnd he asked her more and more.\n\n\n\"I had a brother,\" she said. \"He's not really my brother brother but he's my age and he goes to school with me. He plays mostly and I watch and sometimes I play but mostly I watch.\"\n\n\n\"And what it's your favorite game?\"\n\n\n\"Have you ever played Skyrim?\"\n\n\n\"Yeah, it's my favorite too.\"\n\n\n\"No no, it's like that. It's like Skyrim but cooler and with guns and cursing and ugly zombie people.\"\n\n\n\"Fallout?\"\n\n\n\"Yeah. I play it. We play the old ones and the new one.\"\n\n\n\"Fallout 4?\"\n\n\n\"And the old one. Three.\"\n\n\nHis heart fell and inside him was cold. \n\n\n\"I like those games too.\"\n\n\n\"They're great. I'm saving up my money so we can buy a PS3 to play it.\"\n\n\n\"A PS4?\"\n\n\n\"No the cheaper one. I worked it out in school. The PS3 would take me a year to buy. The PS4 would take until I'm old to buy it. I don't have the money for that.\"\n\n\nHer face was losing color and she was sad.\n\n\nThen the question came. \n\n\n\"Where's mommy?\"\n\n\nBut she didn't have long and inside he was suffering. Should he answer? Or should she die without knowing? And who was he to make that decision?\n\n\n\"Well, I have something that may or may not help with buying that PS3,\" he said.\n\n\nHe took out the bottlecaps and opened her hands. Her pulse was weak and her skin cold and that film of death was over her.\n\n\n\"One, two, three...\"\n\n\nHe counted them one by one and stalled for time.\n\n\nShe giggled and clasped them.\n\n\n\"You've really played it!\"\n\n\nAnd she began to cough and the bottlecaps fell on her lap and he got up and tried to help and he did help and managed to ease her pain.\n\n\n\"Where's my mommy?\" she asked.\n\n\nShe was going and he put the fallen caps in her hand.\n\n\n\"Take this, you'll need it on the other side.\"\n\n\nAnd she knew but with the caps in her hand it was okay. Somehow it was okay.\n\n\n\"It'll be enough for a PS4 even. It'll be enough to buy a house for you and your mom and you'll be happy.\"\n\n\n\"Mommy...\"\n\n\n\"She's coming. You'll see her soon.\"\n\n\nAnd Alana died soon after and the room was quiet except for his tears and the ghosts of regret that haunted him. \n\n\nNight came and his world hadn't ended." ]	2
	[WP] You are a scientist who has developed a way to manually edit DNA, and you're preparing to demonstrate it by inserting a string of text into your own genome. While searching through the non-coding sections for a good spot to place the text, you notice something odd, already there: a message	[ "Kimball was weird about us scientists. It was kinda like he worshiped us. I didn't mind it, ya know, because of the funding, but some of the other researchers at Logicua got kinda freaked out. Everybody knew he was \"Crazy Mr. Kimball\", but for some people, his obsession went a little too far.\n\nTake, for example, the day I finally made my first DNA insertion. I'd finally figured out a way to do it to a living organism, and I don't know, I just couldn't wait to be my own first human subject. I got the equipment all ready, and the gene reader booted up, and just as I was about to start reading my own code for the right opening, Kimball burst in the lab door. He was like, heavy breathing, and watching me, and as I scanned my non-coding DNA for an easy place to edit, he was just, kinda, there.\n\nI tried to be quiet when I noticed it, but I couldn't help it. I made a sound of discovery. \"Huh,\" I said, and his attention just laser-focused in.\n\n\"What?\" he said. \"What did you find?\"\n\n\"Nothing,\" I tried to reply, but he was crazy, not stupid.\n\nHe got up in my face. \"Hey. You know the drill. My money, my findings. Tell me what you saw.\"\n\nSo I told him. I told him that I'd seen that same exact sequence before. I told him that one of my test subjects, an ant, had the same exact one. So I inserted the DNA into my own code, and then got this same exact ant from the cage, and read his DNA again, and while Kimball was just standing there watching me, sure enough, you guessed it, the ant's DNA had changed, too.\n\n///\n\nScene #17 of r/100scenes", "\"Stop!\" was written first, in the exact code made up of amino acids that I thought up in grad school for fun. Then a long superfluous chain in a different, simpler, more efficient code that was beautiful but easy to crack. I created that one too, or should I say shall create, fifty-years into the future, and possibly way before I go back into the past and encode that message into my DNA. For what reason will I do that? Oh, you know. Save the world...\n\nAccording to the longer string of encoded text inside my DNA, my invention will lead to a near-extinction event for human beings. Oops. Turns out, genome-editing has some terribly corruptive curse associated with it that turns otherwise rational human beings, like my brother, and turns them into raving mad eugenicists.\n\n~~Back to the drawing board.~~ I'm going to take a long break from science.", "A low hum started to build behind me. The crowd was getting restless, asking questions, wondering why I'd suddenly gone quiet during this world changing demonstration. \n\nI was wondering different things. The string of code that I'd prepped for the presentation read as a simple \"Hello!\". Doing anything more would likely take several days out of everyone's lives considering the unrefined tech we were working with at the moment. But someone (one of my colleagues maybe) has either found the time and was playing one hell of a prank, or was working with a much better version of technology that was barely public knowledge at this point.\n\nThe technology to edit DNA. Unbelievable. Ground-breaking. And right here at my fingertips, ready to be announced to the world with a simple, \"Hello!\" written onto my own genome. The first change of many more to come. And someone, somehow, beat me to it. And left a message. To me.\n\nDAVID\n \nDON'T\n\nTHEY ALL DIE DAVID \n\nBECAUSE OF MEN LIKE US DARING TO PLAY DIETY\n\nTHEY ALL THOUGHT THEMSELVES GODS\n\nTHEY BLED THEMSELVES DRY, TO PROVE SUPERIORITY OVER THEIR NEIGHBOR\n\nYOUR KIND IS NOT DIFFERENT\n\nTHEY WILL DESTROY THEMSELVES\n\nDAVID\n\nDO NOT DO THIS\n\nI clench my fist, the hum of the crowd grows louder and louder. Their gazes, and those of my colleagues, were white hot on my back. The world was watching.\n\n...They all die...\n\nA second longer, then two, then three. \n\n\"Annnddd...there! Agh, sorry about the folks this isn't an exact science just yet.\" I say, and suddenly, the tension releases from the room as a laugh rolls over the crowd. I chuckle as I pass a sample of my tissue under the microscope, and it's projected onto the big screen. The crowd gasps and goes silent. My smile grows wider as survey the awe plain on their faces.\n\nAwe for a simple little \"Hello!\" written in my DNA. The message was gone, it had taken longer than I'd liked scrub it out. But they weren't hard to win back, I'm about to make history after all.\n\nThey will all die. Maybe.\n\nBut I will have lived like a god.\n", "For a five year old Molly could draw a sports car significantly better than most adults Lucas knew, including himself. \n\nMolly held up the picture, “See daddy! It’s the car that you like! I drew it for your birthday! With these crayons!” She held her other hand open wide with a pile of assorted crayons resting on top.\n\n“That’s very good sweetheart! Thank you! I’m going to have to get you colored pencils so you can draw even better.” Lucas sat back in his office chair watching the Skype call.\n\nThe view of the call shifted to Heather, “Ok Molly go put that on daddy’s desk in his study so he can find it when he gets home.”\n\n“Ok!” The padding of Mollies feat sounded from the laptop speakers.\n\n“All right, I need to go start dinner but remember don’t stay late tonight I know you have the presentation coming up but I have a lot planned for your birthday.” Heather waved some movie tickets in view of the camera.\n\nLucas held up his phone, “I won’t forget, I set an alarm and everything.”\n\n“Ok, good. Love you.” Heather smiled.\n\n“Love you too, Honey. Bye.” Lucas ended the call.\n\nHe went to the main lab and began looking for a good spot to add a message in his DNA. Nothing particularly good though he did find something odd.\n\nHis coworker Anthony walked over. “Your birthday is tomorrow right man? Happy Birthday bro.”\n\n“Thanks Anthony. Hey does this look odd to you?” Lucas pointed to a section of DNA labeled by the computer as ‘Non-Coding, Unknown Origin.’\n\nAnthony creased his brow, “Yeah, it does. You know I think that can be translated. Put it in a text document and send it to me?” he walked over and sat down at a computer attached to a large machine with the words Manual Genome Editor printed on it.\n\n“Sure. Let me know if it is something interesting.” Lucas sent the text file and went back to searching for a spot to put his message. They had seen a number of odd things in DNA but nothing that had turned out very exciting.\n\nA few minutes later Lucas heard Anthony say to himself, “Got you sucker! Oh, that’s so obvious I should have realized.” Anthony quickly moved to another computer.\n\n“What did you find? Is it something I can write over?” Lucas asked.\n\n“Yeah, It’s that thing, you know?” Anthony typed in a rhythm with only his right hand.\n\n“No, I don’t.” Lucas didn’t press the issue, he knew Anthony could get extremely focused and it would be more effective to just go look. Lucas walked over to see what Anthony was typing. \n\n“What the?” Lucas muttered as he watched Anthony fill his screen with ones and zeros at a rapid pace. He walked over to the computer Anthony had done the translation on and examined the screen.\n\nThe translation had successfully interpreted the strange section of his DNA into a page filling sequence of numbers exclusively one through four. Upon seeing it Lucas could feel something click inside is brain. Everything now made sense to him.\n\nInformation he felt like he had forgotten flooded back to him. It was obvious to him now what the message was, it was orders to build the communication array. He looked over at Anthony, he was already hard at work coding the software the array would need to operate. Lucas needed to start…\n\nBuzzzzzz.\n\nWhat was that? Lucas wondered.\n\nBuzzzzzz.\n\nOh, Lucas pulled his phone out from his pocket and ended the alarm. He stared at the alarm text for a while trying to figure out what it meant. “Time to go home. Sleep. Birthday with family tomorrow.” The phone slipped from his hand, bounced off his leg and clattered onto the floor.\n\nHis Skype conversation trickled back in and with a lurch he remembered that his family existed. His skin went pale and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. His life and family had been pushed to the side by the sudden need to build the array and report. How could he forget his family like that?\n\nDidn’t matter, what was needed was materials… “NO!” Lucas pounded his head with the bottom of his wrists. He needed to make noise, like his phone. Alarm? No, alert! He needed to alert someone… that the array needed… “Arraah!” \n\n“I have a daughter, she is a, she likes to… Ahhh!” Lucas said through clenched teeth. “She draws well, and, she, her name is, her name is… Array! NO!” Tears seeped from his eyes, he couldn’t bear his family or his mind be taken like this.\n\nLucas didn’t know what else to do; he just did the first thing that came to mind which was to run into the wall. \n\nHe focused on moving his legs, his eyes slammed shut and his hands pressed against his temples. He didn’t notice the strap from a bag on the floor, his foot got caught. His balance gone, Lucas face planted into the linoleum lab floor.\n\nThe world turned black.\n\nLucas opened his eyes and wondered why he was on the ground. He sat up and saw some blood on the floor and something tugged at his foot. He touched his finger to the stinging part of his aching head. His finger returned red and wet.\n\nHe looked around the room and discovered the lab and the bag strap tangled around his foot. Slowly events came back to him. He got up, freed his foot, and retrieved his phone. Anthony still typed away.\n\nLucas couldn’t remember what the numbers on the screen had said, there was an entire page of them after all but he did remember what he had felt after seeing them. He took the long way around the room so he could approach the offending computer monitor from the back and ripped the power cord out from it and the computer.\n\nHe let out a deep breath. Whatever else happened there was one thing he needed to do. He grabbed his phone and speed dialed his wife.\n\n“You had better not be calling to tell me you are staying late.” OH! Heathers beautiful melodic voice, it was like cold clear water to a thirsty man lost in the desert.\n\n“I love you, I love you, love you. Please can you come get me?” Lucas sat on the floor trembling, his body hadn’t figured out how to deal with the stress he had just experienced.\n\n“What’s wrong? Are you ok?” Heather asked.\n\n“No, I’m freaking out. Please just come get me, and don’t hang up.” Lucas suddenly felt extremely tired, like he could sleep for days.\n\n“Ok, ok, I’m on my way.” Heather said.\n\n“Thank you, I love you.” Lucas smiled and thought to himself, “My wife’s name is Heather and my daughter’s name is Molly.”\n\n--------\n\nThis will be archived with my other works at: [r/ArchCronoWrites](https://www.reddit.com/r/ArchCronoWrites/)", "Scrolling through the endless strings A, C, G, and Ts, my brain was spinning wildly from the task at hand. \n\nI tried to tell myself to focus, but then again, that never really does work. \n\nI needed a spot in my genome that didn't really have any effect, that could be spliced out and replaced and subjected to the wonders of genetic engineering. \nI also needed a break. \n\nLeaning back and stretching on my chair, I reached out and gave the endless list of letters a final, vengeful scroll- and there. \n\nMy heart fluttered, and I sat straight up. There, in stark contrast to the repeating letters read the words\n\nSEND NUDES", "\"DO NOT SHARE THIS TECHNOLOGY IF YOU WANT NORA TO LIVE.\"\n\nI glared at the message on my screen, clearing my throat in an attempt to buy time while the crowd across from me looked on in anticipation. I read the message to myself again. \n\n\"DO NOT SHARE THIS TECHNOLOGY IF YOU WANT NORA TO LIVE.\"\n\nI fought back tears, turning away from the screen and towards the investors, scientists, and media representatives gathered in my lab. I closed my eyes for a moment, torn between the culmination of my life's work and the impossible message currently on my monitor. I held on to that moment for as long as possible, knowing that opening my eyes and speaking would have dire consequences regardless of what I chose to say. I wished that I could have held on to that moment forever; I wish that I could've continued to live in a world with Nora and my discovery. \n\nNora had been the one, really, that had helped me perfect the process of real time DNA manipulation. I had started studying our genetic code in order to try and cure our son of his disease, but his time had come long before my experimentation had produced viable results. I thought, briefly, of my son and his mother in the hospital room together as he lay dying. I felt a pang of regret and sadness as I remembered bursting into the room, running late from the lab and my research, and seeing my baby boy wrapped in his distraught mother's arms. Nora had looked into my eyes that night, and I could tell that my absence at my own son's passing had succeeding in killing the love that had persisted through a decade of what should have been a better marriage. I felt another sad pang, reaching from the very depths of my soul and enveloping my entire body, when the memory of Nora's grisly and untimely death flashed before my eyes. My stomach wrapped itself in knots, vomit pushing itself into the lower regions of my throat. Her note said that it hadn't been my fault, that she couldn't handle the loss of David, but... I had always known. Things were hard after David had passed, and she had blamed herself as much as I had blamed myself... and she had blamed me even more than that. \n\nI opened my eyes, the moment finally gone forever. I imagined sand falling through my fingers, escaping no matter how hard I clinched my fist. I had no way of knowing what this mysterious message meant, but I knew that it had awoken in me a hope that had died many years before.\n\nFinally, I opened my mouth. \n\n\"I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but it seems that my preliminary experiments were, in fact, inconclusive. The Nora David Foundation thanks you for your time and interest.\"\n\n___\n\nIt's been a while since I've written anything like this, but I'm having writer's block on another project and thought I'd take a stab!" ]	6
	[WP] You become addicted to lucid dreaming, and start having trouble telling reality from dreams.	[ "I see her standing there.\n\nI reach out, into the void?\n\nReluctance calls my name. \n\nI know not of what binds me\n\nto this plane of existence, I call home.\n\nForward I move, rigid like a gnome.\n\nThis cannot be a dream, certainly.\n\nMy experience is not a game.\n\nI disappear--I should have listened to Freud.\n\nShe had the loveliest hair.\n\n", "Soon the window slid open. The cold mist flew inside on silent wings. Those recent dreams still gripped my weary mind. I loosened the shirt I wore, slithered myself out of those ragged clothes. I lay my head against the fluffed pillow, and let the gates of my realm open. Blackness overwhelmed me, then there was light.\n\nA vast, endless corridor stretched out, the walls coated in elaborate, Paris-green wallpaper, brilliant in the strange illumination. The cold death throes of reality shivered against my reborn skin. I was home.\n\nDoor upon door stood valiantly, each portal an entrance to an astral venture, a non-euclidian quest for my endless pleasures. Hundreds of doors. I wondered what I might find.\n\nI shuffled regally towards the first door, my body cloaked in the softest, finest silks and downy furs. My light, gilded crown shone beautifully with a thousand, glittering lights. The brass knob of the door turned, and the blackness returned.\n\nI blinked, the sullen umbra dissolving into an opalescent palace, wrought from marble and milky glass. Wonderfully curved archways smiled down from above, pearly white. A man rushed in front of me, his bald, porcelain head jingling joyous. He wore a fine, inky black tuxedo, slick and dark even in the bright light. His cuffs were a pale periwinkle, his shoes a pleasing silver-pink. \n\n\"Hello, good sir! Could you direct me to the ball?\" I said, my voice deep with majesty.\n\nHe was silent.\n\nRaising a single, skeletal hand, he pointed far into the distance.\n\n\"Oh, thank kind servant! I hope to see you again!\"\n\nAnd yet again, he was silent.\n\nI ran, my silks and furs wrapping into a regal suit, composed of beige-brown and cream-white. It was a fine, fine thing, softer it would seem than the constricting, entangling royal costume.\n\nStriding with power, I burst imperiously into the ballroom, my eyes delighted at the sight of a thousand dancing bodies. Lords and ladies, each faceless and pastel blue, strutted and glided across the black dance floor. Behind them rose a marble white staircase, leading ever higher into the heavens.\n\nA perilous music drifted through the dusk air, spinning swiftly with songs inaudible yet strangely comforting. I waded through the twirling peoples, feeling the shifting winds scattered from the dancers. It almost seemed alive, a great moving entity formed of clacking caprine hooves and howling winds.\n\nEventually, I reached to sullen marble steps of the staircase, my eyes caught on the euphoric clouds above. Above it all, I saw a mangled mess of flesh and gore.\n\nNo, it was not supposed to be like this.\n\nA lone figure walked down those endless steps, draped in the deepest, darkest navy.\n\nNo. It could not be. It should not be.\n\nThe hood it wore was dark as pitch and covered those eyes, hypnotic, glaring things. It could not hide the skin though, the elegantly abhorrent purple skin, or the luscious, supple red lips that lay open across its face.\n\nA laugh, an eldritch, ancient thing that had swum through the cosmos for centuries finally hit me. A giggle of an omnipotent God.\n\nI lurched forward, feeling the snatching, clawing hands of the dancers upon my handsome suit, my mottled skin. They tore and held tightly, screaming with baited breath, those faceless, smooth things. With great effort, I slithered from their grasp, slick with moist blood.\n\nThe palace dissolved away into a churning, misty mess, a great maw of fog and pale smoke. All that still stood was the green, sinister door and the giggling god. \n\nHopelessly, I slept and felt the nightmarish grip give way.\n\nAt least, until a new day.\n\n****************END FILE, END REPORT******************\n\nSUBJECT 60-91 (CODENAMED: KALLY) IS EXPERIENCING EXTREME PSIONICALLY CHARGED MORPHENIC STATES. PLEASE REPORT ANY UNUSUAL OR PSYCHOSOMATIC SYSTEMS DURING MORPHEUS-DRIVES OR EUCLIDIAN SURGERIES. POTENTIAL FOR PROGRESSIVE TREATMENT AND EXPERIMENTATION NOTED.*\n\n\n", "I am a god. \n\nThere's no other way to explain how powerful I have become.\n\nFor a while I tried to explain things to my friends. I tried to teach them. I tried to show them. I sent them links to videos online that provided more detail and instruction than I ever could for them. \n\nBut they never understood. They weren't willing to try it. They claimed I was ignoring reality. That I wasn't paying attention to what was real and that it was dangerous for me to continue. \n\nYeah, right. Why would you choose to live here when you can live as a god instead?\n\nMountains crumble in my wake. Buildings sprout like weeds at my command. I can fly. I can fight. I can do whatever I--\"JASON!\"\n\n\"What?!\" I shouted back. \n\n\"Get up here! The least you can do is help me unload groceries if you're not going to get a fucking job.\"\n\n\"I'm going to get a job, mom! Just leave me alone!\"\n\n\"You put that fucking Minecraft down and get up here right now. Or I'm going to start charging you rent.\" ", "I would jump into the sky and aim myself down at the buildings, straying away from the skyscrapers! It was magically intoxicating, soaring through the air with a simple will. Making the buildings dance was even better, making everything feel like a ball. They were giants, dancing to a beat no one could hear while I, the small fly on the wall watched them all. It was marvellous. From time to time, a small roof garden would sprout into something magnificent, a tree, a pillow a boy! Sometimes it was a dog that would join me, sometimes it was a kangaroo that would-\n\n\n---\n\n\n\"Jennifer!\" Timothy yelled. \"What the hell are you doing here? We're all waiting in the lunch room. Get over there before I decide to write you up again.\"\n\n\nHe muttered something about being the daughter of the Director. I imagined that he would explode into confetti, but it never happened. I looked at my watch, realizing I didn't have one. \n\n\nI yawned. It was quarter past 8, fifteen minutes early for the morning meeting. Tim was just a grouch that took attendance, taking his power trip every morning over everyone's sleep.\n\n\nSitting down, the only seat was near the back against the wall and the window. I leaned on the table, taking out my phone to gaze far away...\n\n\n---\n\n\nExplosions! Flower petal in the lunchroom and lasagna! I thought to myself that this meeting might be exciting but it was just another stupid animation that we had to follow. Copying the next best thing from pixar or Youtube was the original, in order to find a viral trend, video, meme to market the newest form of financial service. \n\n\nEverything about the video was off. Kangaroos and bunnies, wolves in sheep clothing, exploding petals with sage leaves falling onto dirt. It was a disaster. Tim was in the corner, straight military posture eyeing everyone. Slap a green Yogi bear Ranger hat on him and have him scream orders and you would suddenly be transported to Full Metal Jacket. It was hard not to imagine him bouncing up and down, sprouting napalm from his nose. I giggled.\n\n\n---\n\n\nSomeone nudged me and I was suddenly trudging back to my desk. \"Hey Jennifer! Catch a sandwich later?\" \n\n\nI turned around. It was Will, the IT guy. Bald, big boy round. He never caught a break, myself included. \"Are you asking me on a date?\" He blushed. \n\n\n\"I'm getting a subway, you want anything?\"\n\n\nI waved him off in my sleep haze. I could hardly think straight, let alone remember whether I was asleep during that meeting. Whether I was still* sleeping. The last time Will asked me to anything was last month and he hadn't shown his face on the Communications floor since then. It was a wonder he was so open about it this time. \n\n\nLogging, the keyboard ticked like a strange mushy board. The PC whirred with it's slow groan as it tried to keep up on an XP platform. The exploding computer was not planned though. Looking at my fingers, they were covered in something. Tasting it, strawberry came to mind. \n\nI was going in for a second taste to confirm it wasn't copper, but I fell asleep.", "A small child was writing his diary entry. he wanted to write one for a long time, but he couldn't get time from his dreams, not his ambitions, his real dreams. He started writing his diary\n\n-------------------------\n\nIt all started a month ago when I read a book, The art of dreaming. before reading the book I had never heard of the term Lucid Dreaming. As an orphan I did not have much to look forward to in life, so I entered the world of dreaming.\n\nThe book which I referred to was written by an obscure writer. I had a feeling that the book was written just for me; I never saw any other copy of that book again.\n\nI read a lot of things, they said to first meditate before sleeping but I couldn't meditate for the first week, there were so many conflicts inside me, the life that I was living that I couldn't be at peace with myself. But finally, I got some peace. That day I had the first lucid dream of my life. The first step in having a lucid dream is to start dreaming. I had lost the ability to dream and I got it from another book which I read, the power of subsconcious mind. I started programming my mind to have a dream and a week later, I had my first regular dream. It felt weird, my life inside the dream was not shitty as my life. I felt relieved to live a different life, a happy life. It was the life which I wished I had.\n\nAfter I started having dreams, the trick was to realized that I was in the dream while dreaming. It might look silly, but it is not. It is very difficult to identify that it is a dream while you are dreaming. A dream is a funny story, they say that it is the reflection of our subconscious mind. A dream never starts from point A to point B, it always starts in the middle, you are sitting in a coffee shop or you are standing in a bus or somewhere else, you never know how you got there, you just get there. I struggled for a month to start recognizing a dream and finally, one day I recognized that I was in a dream.\n\nThat day, I did not wake up, our nanny in the orphanage woke me up and only did I wake up. I was in my lucid dream with my parents. I was in a dilemma in the next week, I wanted to live in my lucid dream with my parents but I feared that I would start doubting dream life and real life, but eventually, my desires overcame by common sense and I started lucid dreaming every night, it became an addiction. An addiction that was worse than any other.\n\nOne month later, I dreamed for 8hours in my dream and surprisingly, I developed memories in my dream. I never saw my parents in my real life, but I imagined them up in my dream, my mother was the Prime Minister of India and my father was a businessman and they took me to trips even to the moon. We did not walk, we jumped and because I made the rules in my dreams, we went anywhere we wanted to go without anyone stopping me.\n\nThen my subconscious mind struck me, it made me realize that I should not stretch it, in my dream, my mother got angry on me on small and silly things. I never had a mother so I couldn't say if she was acting like all mothers do at my age, I was just a teenager in my dream.\n\nI felt like a double agent from the spy novels that I read, I had to be careful what I talked in which world, real or dream. I couldn't let anyone take away my dream, I couldn't let them take my parents away from me. the time I spent in my dreams were the only happy moments in my life.\n\nTwo months later, I started my mind played tricks on me, I could see my nanny and my mother side by side, I couldn't say who is real and who is imaginary. They said I was losing my mind that I talked to the wall, how could they not see my mother?\n\n-------------------------\n\nBehind the wall stood an armed guard wearing an orange jumpsuit. The building was St Joseph Institute for the Mentally Disabled.", "Lucid dreaming was an art that my friend, Caleb Clouse, was always so fond of. He would always convince me to try it either knowing it is a bit difficult to master in the beginning. I always liked a challenge. We would spend hours positioning and then repositioning lights dimly illuminating his mother’s basement. The radio frequency was set to a certain static. We would lay side by side closing our eyes while not moving a single muscle in our body. My friend warned me to enter the lucid dream before my muscles became locked. He would call it a type of paralysis that a specific monster, by the name of Verona, would prey on.\n\n\"Okay, this time we are going to nail it.” Caleb exclaimed. It had been several hours. We had been in and out of several dreams but we couldn’t keep them going for very long. He would adjust the frequency of the static hoping it would allow us to stay within the dream longer if set appropriately. \n\n\"You sure we got it this time?” I asked. I rested my head on a pillow while trying to concentrate on not moving any of my muscles.\n\n\"Yep, just don’t tense up.” Caleb replied. “We do not ever want to meet Verona.”\n\n\"Have you even seen this so-called monster?” I chuckled.\n\n\"No. It’s not a joke though. The book I found in my mother’s room talked about her.” Caleb frowned.\n\n\"Your mom had a book on lucid dreaming?” I questioned, I mean why would she have a book on dreaming?\n\n\"No, I don’t know what it was. It had symbols on the cover. When I opened it up, it gave instruction on a particular ‘lucid world.’ It mentioned Verona with a drawing so I don’t care to find out if it’s real or not. Now shut it. We are supposed to not move.” Caleb rested his body next to mine.\n\nSeveral minutes passed. Something felt weird. I opened my eyes and the static on the radio was now gone. I couldn’t move my body at first until forcing my side to finally roll over. I turned my head to notice Caleb now gone.\n\nOh thanks bud. I said to myself. He must’ve went out to start adjusting walls or whatever else you can do within a lucid dream. I finally rose to my feet noticing the lights flickering around me. Slowly, I made my way up the stairs into the kitchen. No one was in sight. There were a few candles lit around the kitchen to help brighten the darkness from the evening.\n\nSuddenly my body jolted when a chair slid across the floor on its own. I didn’t even look at it until it started moving. I couldn’t have done that. To control something, you have to concentrate on it. \n\n\"Okay Caleb. You can come out now. Very funny, you got me.” I said wearing a fake smile.\n\nNo one appeared. It felt like I was alone. I tried moving a different chair with my mind but failed. I didn’t understand why it was so hard. Caleb told me once we were on the other side, things would be easy to control.\n\n\"Seriously Caleb, this isn’t funny anymore!” I yelled. I knew someone was in the kitchen. We finally made it to the other side and Caleb is wasting our time with stupid pranks. I suddenly spun around freighted when Caleb’s mother, Mrs. Clouse, began to speak behind me.\n\n\"Johnathan? Where is my son? What have you boys done?!” She pressed.\n\n\"Mrs. Clouse? You’re in our dream?” I asked confusingly. I Wondered how she got into our dream.\n\n\"Stupid boys you are! What have you done?! This is no dream!” She yelled. The lights began flickering as chairs scooted by themselves across the kitchen floor. The kitchen table flipped over shattering glasses and plates.\n\n\"No.” Mrs. Clouse sighed. “You let her out. I spent so long to keep her locked up and you let her out!” \n\n\"What are you talking about? This is just a dream!” I assured her. She may not have even been real. She was probably an image from the dream itself.\n\n\"Johnathan, you are not in a dream!” Mrs. Clouse grabbed both of my shoulders with her hands. “You boys let out a very bad thing. You let out Verona!”\n\nVerona. I knew that name. Caleb said that was the monster found in Mrs. Clouse’s book. I don’t even know what is real or what isn’t anymore. This had to be a dream. Things were moving on their own. That would never happen anywhere else except in a dream.\n\nMrs. Clouse started to cry when a figure approached from the darkness of the living room into the kitchen. It was Caleb, only he was holding a knife in his right hand.\n\n\"Caleb! Why do you have a knife?” I asked, then I realized what Mrs. Clouse was going on about. “Have you seen her? Have you seen Verona?”\n\nMrs. Clouse pressed her hand across my chest pushing me back behind her. “Caleb?”\n\nCaleb’s smile grew from ear to ear. I had never seen him smile like that. \n\n\"Caleb?” I tried getting his attention from behind Mrs. Clouse.\n\n\"Quiet dear boy.” Mrs. Clouse held me from getting between her and Caleb. \"That isn't Caleb.\"\n\nMrs. Clouse’s lip trembled. She locked her eyes onto Caleb while taking in a deep breath. She finally built up her courage in saying, “Verona. It has been a long time.” \n\n**\n\nTo read more of my stories, visit [here] (https://www.reddit.com/r/13thOlympian/)", "In my dream last night, I had a breakthrough. You see, I noticed something. I noticed that the girl on the train - the one with the naked e-reader and the big, boxy headphones - the redheaded girl that I see all the time but never talk to - that's Sam. That's Samantha. My* Samantha.\n\nThey're one in the same. \n\nIsn't that wild? What the brain does? Where it takes you?\n\nIt was Sam the whole time. That girl on the train. The one I never talk to.\n______________________\n\nThey're making my movie. The silly time-travel one. I felt embarrassed to even pitch the damn thing, but Warner and Humps both loved it. Budgeting talks won't happen for a bit, but they're saying $175 million, which is madness for a property like this. A new thing. Not a sequel or a reboot. Brand new. My silly idea.\n\nSam was over the moon. We drove out to the beach and drank champagne and made love in the twilight. She asked about a baby again. About a family. I'm starting to feel like I'm there. Like I'm ready. \n\nBut it's all so much. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. And maybe that's why I haven't given up on Raildream yet. This anxiety I can't shake. In truth, I've never told Dr. Mathis about Raildream. I don't think I'd like what she has to say about it. But it helps. I know it does. It's an escape. And we can all use an escape from time to time, right? Especially those of us staked to multi-million dollar film properties.\n\nThey are odd dreams, though. I can't quite explain why I go where I go. It's as if I'm going backwards to a time in my life that never existed. \n\nI wake up, exhausted. Lonely. Terrified. A single, bug-filled room. I'm a writer there, too. But not a good one. I think about writing more than I actually write. I wait tables at a family-style chain restaurant. I have few friends. I barely talk to the friends I do have.\n\nIt's barely a life. I work. I exist. I go back to sleep. \n\nI use Raildream there, too. It's almost like product placement. It's bizarre to see it appear in my dreams like that. \n\nI wonder what this dream version of me dreams about? \n__________________________\n\nSamantha was the breakthrough. She was the connection. Once I realized that Sam was the inspiration for the girl on the train, I started seeing all the other ones. The little Easter eggs. \n\nMy agent, Bear Levine - he's a customer in the restaurant. Comes in once a week for lunch. Sits alone in a booth. In my dream, I've only ever waited on him once or twice. Maybe that's why it took so long to make the connection. When I met him for lunch recently I wanted to tell him about it - he'd laugh, he likes those sorts of strange, mental perversions - but I didn't, because I was afraid he'd find out about the Raildream.\n\nMy assistant Dan is my manager at the restaurant. I can't fathom how I never made that connection before, especially with how obvious it is. But I suppose they're very different - the real Dan and the dream version. In real life, Dan's a bit of a fuck up. A charming, well-meaning idiot. I give him a hard time, but it's all in good fun. Dream Dan, on the other hand, is a hardass and a prick and I hate him. I wish him nothing but shit and misery. \n\nThey're so different, see? I guess that explains how I missed it all this time.\n\nHumps is in my dreams - he's a co-worker. A slouch and a slob. Smokes a lot of weed, but never complains about anything. I like him. Both of him, I guess. Although, I guess I like real Humps better, because he makes me money.\n\nThey're all there. Everyone. All the major and minor characters in my life, are there, hidden in plain sight. Roles are reversed, sometimes. Expanded, sometimes. But it's like I wasn't creative enough to fill in all the blank spaces in my dreams with new creations, so I just shuffled around all the people and places I already knew. Doesn't speak too highly to my skill as a writer, does it?\n_______________________________\n\nI ought to give up Raildream. Or I ought to find some way to change these dreams I keep having. Find some new creativity. I'm getting a little tired of seeing myself in the shitty little apartment, sitting at the shitty little desk, writing and not writing shitty, little screenplays. \n\nI don't like pretending that Dan is my boss.\n\nI don't like seeing Samantha seven seats down and not having the nerve to even talk to her. \n\nI don't like this dream, I guess. I'm tired of it. My life is too good to wallow in such bad fiction.\n\nMaybe tomorrow I'll stop using Raildream. Maybe tomorrow. But tonight, I just want to give this other version of me one more chance. Just to see. \n\nMaybe tonight he turns it around. I don't know why that matters so much to me, but I'd still like to see it. \n\nMaybe tonight he figures it all out. \n\nI know it's only a dream, but still...I can't help hoping. " ]	7
In the vein of the gunslingers from Stephen King's the Dark Tower series, I'm specifically talking about a fictional warrior class. A good opportunity for a world-building exercise. I like the idea of warriors that have their own place or class in society and the weapons they use, their code and ethics, etc. Be it fantasy, sci-fi, you name it.	[WP] Write a story about a class of warriors and their place in society (i.e. samurai, knights, etc.)	[ "\"Bless the Queen.\" \n\n\"Bless the Serpent.\" \n\nHe felt strange without a sword on him, naked almost. His fingers clenched idly as he waited, missing the familiar embrace of cold, cold steel. \n\nTraitor. \n\n\"Hello brothers.\" he said softly. \n\nThe two figures standing at the gates of the Drowned Temple turned to look at him althpugh they'd been watching him long before that. He looked at them in turn, observing the roots growing out of cracked skin and whitened eyes and the fall leaves crowning their withered scalps. \n\n\"Bless the Queen-\" \"-the Serpent.\" they hissed back at him with voices like reeds. \n\nHe stepped inside. Thorny roots flailed from the ground, scraping against his skin and bouncing off. They tried to stop him, but they couldn't. He was one of them, their blood was his blood and they could not attempt to harm him anymore than he could harm them.\n\nLittle lost child. \n\nThe interior of the Temple was dark and covered with poisonous mold. Strange shadows covered the walls as sunlight peered through fallen masonry and curtains of vines and weeds. He breathed out, feeling the cold stone walls as he passed by, deeper and deeper into the darkness. \n\nIt felt like home. \n\nIt was home, a singular dark space that birthed nightmares in human form. Sigils were etched in the stone, a serpent, a woman- neither. \n\nFaded remains. \n\nThere were eggs scattered in the dark, man-sized, murky things that glistened and twitched with poisonous thorns. They seemed to grow larger as he descended further into the Temple. A presence began to throb in his skull. \n\nWelcome home. \n\nHe found a vine slithering by his face. It was crawling out of his eye. With a force of will he made it withdrew until his face felt normal again. \n\nI am not home. \n\nYou are home. You are us. \n\nI am not you. I am a Knight. \n\nYou are not even human.\n\nI am not you.\n\nThere is only me. \n\nDown in the darkness, he didn't have cold steel on him. There was no crowd of humans for him to blend into, no real foe that he could satisfy his instincts on. There was just the Serpent Queen and her brood. There was just him, and the carapace of a Vermin trying to break through his human guise. \n\nChangeling. Imposter. Fake. \n\nHe had no sword to draw, but he clenched his fist. \n\nA Knight hunts monsters. A Knight sacrifices himself to save others. A Knight is courageous and unafraid. he paused, staring into the pitch darkness ahead of him. Lights were appearing in the darkness, eyes that glowed, glinting claws. \n\nThorny vines burst out of his skull, down his spine, slithering around the floor as he readied his offense. \n\nI am not a Knight.\n\nHe grinned. What a mistake it was to send a freshly hatched changeling into the care of the Knights. It was all he could think to be, even after his sword had been broken and his title revoked, yes, even when his human facade had been broken by those who had raised him to sacrifice unquestioningly. \n\nYou are not a Knight.\n\n\"...but I want to be.\" \n\n... \n\nThis seems more of a r/worldbuilding kind of post..." ]	1
	[WP] A snowman and his family coming to terms with the end of Winter.	[ "Frosty took a long drag from his corncob pipe. He didn’t normally smoke but the stress was getting to him. Gazing out across the lake to the hills beyond, Frosty’s heart sank like a lead ball in a field of fresh powder. The snow was retreating at a much faster pace then he had expected, leaving only small patches of brown slush behind. Already the green tops of vegetation could be seen sprouting from the earth, signaling the impending spring. Frosty sighed and took another drag from his pipe.\n\n“\"We aren’t going to make it north, are we Dad?”\n\nFrosty turned to the snowchild waiting hesitantly in the shadows and his heart sank even lower. There is no worse feeling than seeing ones fears mirrored in the expression of a child. \n\n“\"We’ll make it,” said Frosty, putting on the façade of confidence that parents so often do. The snowchild came closer and Frosty embraced his son. \n\n“\"Just over those hills is the Winter Kingdom.” soothed Frosty “There, the snow is always fresh and the ice never melts. You can play all day and at night, we’ll lay on the ground and watch as the northern lights dance across the sky.”\n\n“\"Really?” yearned the snowchild, eyes now filled with wonder.\n\nThere was a loud whirring sound and the snow child fell limp in Frosty’s arms. Hands shaking, Frosty now turned the blow dryer to his own head. \n\n“\"Really”\n" ]	1
	[WP]After years of playing RPG games, you somehow get pulled into a new world, rather than panic and shocked at this whole new world, you begin to plot your ascent to become a legend, and eventually escape back to your own world	[ "Here's an extension to the story I have started already here. This is a random fight scene in the future of the story line. There are some unexplained things, but as I fill in the rest of the story later, it'll make sense. Enjoy!:\n\n\nZar decided to tag along today and see how our training was progressing since we showed promising results during our last evaluation. After I had finished my brawl with Tamachi, even though I lost, he came up to me and gave me his praise and acknowledged my growth from when he had last seen me fight. A small smile curled up on my face after he left the arena without giving even a second glance at Tamachi. I immediately felt like a jerk after that. I watched as dozens of other people surrounded Tamachi, praising him for his amazing work but he didn’t seem to be in the moment…he just watched Zar go with angry disappointment in his eyes. \nHe’s just being hard on you so you improve, Tamachi. I thought as I gave the sword and shield user a sidelong glance. His focus was set dead ahead, not on Zar in front of them but on our path, a seriousness on his face that easily conveyed him being upset. \nThere was no doubt that Zar noticed…he was an intelligent person. I know that he’s fully aware of the immense strain he’s putting on Tamachi. He just wants him to be better–get stronger. Tamachi is far more talented than I am and probably is going to stay ahead of me forever. That is, unless I ramp up my own training.\nI focused my gaze on the path ahead of us, becoming rockier as we traveled further from the forest and closer to the mountains.\n“Where are you taking us, Zar?” I asked as I had no idea what he had in mind for our training today.\nWith a small chuckle and a small half turn of his armored head he simply said, “You’ll see.”\nGreat. Just the answer I expected. He was always being cryptic like this, never telling us where we’re going or not telling us what’s for dinner or just not talking to us for days on end even if we ask him a direct question. It was always for a good reason though I thought. We always learned what he had in plan or the reason for his silences, though. He was a good mentor.\nWe started up a rocky hill, stepping our way around boulders and over medium sized rocks. At the top, was a large, relatively flat area with a few smooth rocks popping up out of dips in the hill.\nSuddenly Zar stopped dead in his tracks and shot up his hand in a ‘halt’ motion. We both did, our senses heightened at our mentor’s gesture.\nWhat does he sense? I thought. Usually if there is a dangerous monster ahead or a player he just calls it out casually without stopping. He then would proceed to take the enemy out with a single swipe of his sword or sit back and laugh at us as we struggle to take it or them on. I have seen him brush aside high-level gold players like they were no more than pocket lint, hardly stopping his explanation of spell books or something. \nBut this…what made Zar, the third best player in the game, stop dead in his tracks and silently tell us to stop? The hair on the back of my neck raised under my mother toad armor. I cautiously hiked up my dual shields as my eyes repeatedly scanned the small plateau.\nZar did not budge, his hand still raised in the air. What does he sense?!\nOut of nowhere a figure shot out high into the air from behind a small boulder at the backside of the plateau. The figure flew so high, it eclipsed the 3 o’clock sun as it backflipped repeatedly before landing gracefully on the ground about thirty meters in front of the group.\nBefore I had even comprehended what was happening, Zar’s right hand shot to the hilt of his long sword, behind his shoulder.\nI looked back at the unmoving figure in front of them. It seemed to be a player but it was bent down in a superhero landing pose on the ground. It was wrapped in a large black robe, whipping in the wind and had its right arm extended straight out to its right. It was holding a one-handed sword in that hand which was sticking straight out, extending the length of its arm.\nThen it stood up, lowering its sword to its side. Its health bar came into view. Yep. A player. He wore a smooth, long robe that only allowed the top of his bald head to stick out. His name was Greckel3, level – I inwardly gasped. He was a platinum player level 94. I’ve heard that name somewhere before.\nA grimace in his eyes made me shudder. He was not friendly. Zar’s pose confirmed that. Tamachi clearly got the same message. He had his shield in a ready pose.\nGreckel spoke. “Long time no see Zar.” He chuckled after. His voice was almost like a hiss combined with the voice of a chain smoker. \n“Who is this guy, Zar?” Tamachi asked. \nZar responded, not taking his eyes off the bald man. “His name is Greckel. Currently number fifteenth in the game.” \n“That’s right, noobs. But as soon as I kill your master, I will be fourteenth…I might as well take you two too to top off my EXP.” He shot off an obnoxious laugh that filled my veins with ice.\nZar’s voice snapped me back into focus. “Tamachi, Notsa, get behind me-“ \nTamachi cut him off. “How are we supposed to cover you from there?!” \n“No, Tamachi!” Zar snapped back. Tamachi looked surprised. I had never heard Zar talk like that to anyone. “Neither of you stands a chance with this guy. This is my fight. Let me take him. You’re both still bronze players. If this guy looks at you wrong, you’re both dead in an instant…now step-back.”\nNeither Tamachi or I knew what to say. But eventually Tamachi nodded and started backing off reluctantly. I didn’t want to leave Zar to fight this guy either but there was nothing I could do so I did the same.\n“Smart kiddos you got there, Zar.” His eyes suddenly became eviler. “Smarter than your last ones.” He gave a slight chuckle. Zar remained rigid, unmoving, hand on his sword.\nTamachi and I retreated to the tree line thirty yards away and stared on intently as the one-sided banter continued.\n“Do not make me make the first move, Zar.” Greckel taunted. Zar didn’t move. What is he doing just standing there? He usually moves right in! This must be a powerful opponent.\nThen Greckel shrugged. “All right Mr. Zar. If you insist. \nIn a moment hardly faster than I could comprehend, Greckel flew forward, seeming to defy gravity with his black, one-handed sword pointed straight ahead. He flew as straight as a dart straight into Zar’s chest.\n“Zar!” I yelled. But in a flash of movement, Zar unsheathed his sword, and dodging to the side, parried Greckel’s attack, missing him by inches. His block pushed Greckel to the side who, still hovering, changed directions impossibly fast and shot straight at Zar.\nZar blocked the jab directly with his sword, fire erupting from his elemental weapon just from the sheer impact, stopping Greckel in his spot. Zar struggled to push Greckel back. They were locked face to face in a push battle.\n“So you have increased your evasion skill since I last met you, Zar.” Greckel noted. Zar clearly didn’t want to start a conversation. He back stepped, allowing Greckel to fly forward, losing his balance. Zar stepped to the side and in a half second that seemed to go in slow-motion, Zar whipped his sword around in a 360 to hit his flying opponent in the back as he passed by. A loud ‘floosh’ was heard as fire exploded off the back of Greckel’s robe.\n“Yes!” I yelled as my mentor landed the big hit on his opponent.\nGreckel seemed to lose his ability to fly and then hit the ground, rolling forward, extinguishing the fire from Zar’s Dragon Breath Longsword. Greckel looked up, slightly angered.\nZar finally spoke. “I’ve also raised my dexterity if you haven’t noticed.” He hefted his sword in front of him, holding it diagonally in a defensive position. \nGrunting, the robed man stood up, flicking his sword towards the ground. He seemed unhurt. What?! How did he survive a blow from Zar’s sword!? He must have armor under his robe.\n“It’s the robe.” Tamachi said blankly without taking his eyes off the fight. “That’s his armor.” I looked back at Greckel who was preparing for his next attack. “It doesn’t work like normal armor. That sound you heard when Zar hit him, that was the sound of his robe absorbing damage. I’ve read about these things. Only a few of them exist in the world. It takes a super powerful player to get the magic to make one.”\nI looked back in dismay. Greckel looked unharmed. \nZar suddenly changed his grip on the sword so that the blade was aimed behind him then started charging forward lightning fast in a sig-zag path. Once he reached Greckel, he swung his sword sideways from behind him, striking swords with him, Greckel stepped back but Zar wasn’t going to give him any breathing room. Faster than I’ve ever seen him attack, Zar shot forth a flurry of deadly swings and jabs, multiple a second, Greckel parrying off everyone. The superior weight of Zar’s longsword allowed him to carry the weight of it through his opponent’s parries, aimed straight at Greckel’s head…his only weak spot. But on top of parrying, Greckel was dodging, having no time to do any counter attacks. \nGreckel, in the midst of the barrage, reached in the back of his robe with his left hand and brought out a small book. A spell book! \n“Oh no.” was all Tamachi said...\n", "One moment my head hit the pillow...the next, I'm face-down in tall, green grass. The feeling was weird...like my body went from one form to another. It's hard to explain.\n\nI sat up and looked around confused at my situation. 'Is this one of those-those lucid dreams!?' I wondered to myself. \n\nAt first glance, there was nothing very unusual, just a grassy field and some trees. I slowly rotate my head to look all around. My eyes catch a glimpse of movement in the forest. Some strange instinct tells me to get down and I do, watching carefully as a figure came into view. My eyes widened in shock.\n\nA tall figure, head to toe in dazzling red armor stepped out into the sunlight. The armor had sharp edges and was heavily detailed from the face grate to the sturdy looking leggings. A long sword of similar aesthetic hung across his back.\n\nStill hunkered down in the tall grass, I watched as the figure stood twenty meters from me, facing to my left, then he stopped. I stopped my breathing suddenly to avoid being heard. \n\nWithout moving, the figure spoke. \"My awareness skill is high enough to know you're there, new-spawn.\" \n\nBecause I know not what else to do, I stood up slowly from the grass, revealing myself. It was at this moment that I saw what looked like-like a name-tag above his head...AND A HEALTH BAR! 'Am I in a game!?!?'\n\n\"You better hit up Raknok village soon, kid. Night falls in twenty minutes and with all these increased crawlers around, you'd get torn to shreds. It's just through the forest.\" \n\nAt this moment he turned to look at me. His name-tag said his name was Zar...level 107. \n\n\"I bet you have no money for an inn.\" he said as he tossed me a silver coin. \"You should be glad you ran across me at the beginning and not a shadow guild member.\" \n\nStill speechless, I just looked down at the shiny silver coin in my hand. The faceless knight looked at me for a second before talking again.\n\n\"Do you even know how to put that in your inventory?\"\n\nI shook my head.\n\nZar hanged his head before looking back up. Just say 'inventory'. \n\nI did as I was told. \"Inventory\". Suddenly a grid popped up in front of me, startling me.\n\n\"There you go.\" he paused for a moment. \"You have a lot to learn...\" Zar started walking again. \"But before long, you'll be slaying elder dragons. Maybe I'll see you on a quest one day. Hell, maybe I'll even see you on the leader boards.\"\n\nWith that Zar walked across the small field and dissapeard into the forest on the other side. \n\nLetting what just happened soak in, I stood there, letting the beautiful sunset backdrop cast shadows on the ground.\n\nOnce I came to, out of curiosity I said aloud \"Leader board\". Sure enough, a list of players popped up in front of me. At the top, there was text that said: 'Leader board: \nTotal players: 2,137,846 \nTop platinum ranked players: \nFrenzy1992 - Lvl:110\nGiantkrusher - Lvl:109\n\nthe next entry on the list made me double take:\n\nZar - Lvl:107\n\nThe list went on and on but I didn't care. Out of over two million players, I just ran into the third best player in the entire game seconds after spawning. Wow. \n\nI looked back at the sun setting down behind the trees. 'Better get to that town Zar told me about.'\n\nI started on my way with a new vigor in my veins. I was pumped. 'I'll get on the leader boards eventually, Zar. Just wait...I'll pass you up one day.'\n\n\n\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] After thousands of years of advancement, humanity's exp meter finally fills up, and we reach "level 2".	[ "So what's Level Two? Well for one, we're invulnerable and immortal. This signifies the start of immeasurable growth, and cruelty. \n\nThe sixth sense became an actual sense, measured by our thyroid glands which then informs the heart and gut. \n\nWe found ways to organise ourselves equitably in the physical and digital dual existences that we have. We are just beginning to embark on the spiritual existence, which requires no medium and is only limited by the mutual bond between two living souls. \n\nThat is all well and good, but we suffered lots of casualties initially in Level Two. \n\nBefore we learnt to reorganise ourselves, power was concentrated in the hands of few. And the potential of a utilitarian good was not welcome by those who had snuffed their capacity for a spiritual existence. \n\nThe mass destruction was seen as nothing by a step in the cycle, pointing us to the perpetrators and allowing us to harness them in the best way we can. The innocent were going to be reborn. The stubbornly guilty were sentenced to an eternity of solitude, or at least until the Level Three humans decided what to do with them. \n\n---\n\nCheck me out on [Fivens](https://fivenswrite.wordpress.com)! \n\nEdited to valid hyperlink", "Ok, I think I got it started.\n\nHey there followers, it’s me again. Sorry for the shakey video, it’s a bit of a hike to our location today but I really wanted to get started soon. It’s been six weeks since the Chiming. I’d like to say I’m surprised with everything that’s happened, but I suppose most of us here kinda expected this. I mean, there’s a global event where everyone here’s a chime and simultaneously hallucinates a glow with arrows pointing up? Pretty sure we figured out what that meant pretty quickly.\n\nAlright, just in case folks missed the first few, let’s run through the unlocks we know we got. Clean electric, personal 'net taps, sympathic healing and contact recharge were discovered in the first weeks. Oceanic resistance was discovered the next, and that big false lead of flying from the first few weeks was disproven just afterward. The first global dungeon was confirmed in week four--ah, crap, yeah, yeah, I remember, the higher-ups have started calling it the network, but c’mon, we’d been them dungeons for weeks by this point. Anyway, in week five we finally built the first town within it near the gate.\n\nWe’ve still got a bunch of questions and rumors floating around, but that’s what we had confirmed by last week. We got a few new things to go over first, but stay tuned, I got a big reveal in a bit.\n\nOk, for starters: we have determined that the floating crystals are not, in fact, save points. A rockslide in the dungeon--crap, sorry, network, one of the networks--anyway, a rockslide happened on Sunday. One of the explorers down here who was investigating the crystals--actually, Klick, if you remember him, I interviewed him two weeks ago. He was one of the few folks who figured out how to actually make them change color consistently. Anyway… well, he died in it. Crushed when he was just… you know, out exploring.\n\nSo yeah, not a save point. Also, we gotta stop assuming the network is safe. This is the fourth rockslide in two weeks. We gotta start either looking towards reinforcing these walls or come up with some sort of safety measure. Helmets ain’t gonna save us down here.\n\nWe there? Ok, great, gimme one second.\n\nOk, running through the rest: The glowing moss is totally edible, even raw. I’m not going to call it tasty, but I’m sure it could be cooked into something nice. Point being, there’s enough down here to feed the city, and that’s just in the dungeon we know so far. Fuck, I get it Cameron, the network, whatever, just… ok?\n\nThe bodies we found are just that: bodies. It doesn’t look like they’ve ever lived, but they’re definitely human. And yeah, we’ve finally confirmed that the first group all are perfect matches for someone out there. Why there’s a bunch of clones of us down here, we still don’t know. I’m personally hoping for Avatars, but I guess we got more digging before we’re gonna figure that one out.\n\nOk, that’s it. It’s time for the big reveal. You ready?\n\nLook. We found an archway. It’s totally open but… Yeah, that’s right. It’s hard as a rock. No one can pass through. It’s just like the one we found to the dungeons, but this time it’s impassable. Cool, right? Now check this out!\n\nRemember the two lines we saw above the other archways? How it was on all of them That’s right, over this one, it’s a V. There’s more out there folks. More levels. I’m guessing the Romans had it right, and this is a five. Can you imagine? So much more to go. And--well, I know you can feel it, but this solid… nothing? Well, it’s warm. There’s shit down there, my fellow gamers. Serious shit. We’re not just leveling, we’re heading towards something. I’m telling you, calling it the dungeon was right.\n\nGet excited folks. This is your DM Apophis, signing off. Keep on grinding!\n" ]	2
	[WP] After waking up to the same day as yesterday, you realize you are in a groundhog day situation. However, every time the day repeats, one additional person important to your life is gone as if they never existed.	[ "My first submission, so here goes:\n\nStrange. Just like yesterday, I woke up at 7:35 AM. Slowly, still dazed by the blazing morning sun, I walked down to the dining room. On the table sat a bowl of cereal and a milk carton. \n\n\"Hey Ma, didn't you say that we were having pancakes for breakfast today,\" I asked.\n\n\"What are you talking about?\" Mom said, puzzled, \" I told you I was going to be busy this morning. I have to leave early today because Jesse needs to go to school early.\"\n\nStrange....\n\n\"But-\"I said, glancing at my surroundings, \"you said that yesterday.\"\n\n\"What?\" Ma said, fixing me with a gaze of confusion.\n\n\"Never mind\" I sighed.\n\nPerhaps it was a dream. Sometimes, I have dreams about the future, so this might just be my own delusion. Of course, none of these dreams have ever come true, but maybe this was a great coincidence. As I completed that thought, I turned towards the stairwell, expecting Jesse, my 10 year old sister, just like what happened in my dream. The moment my eyes reached the stairs, Jesse strolled into the dining room.\n\n\"Why are you staring at me like that? \"she asked, waving her hand in front of my face. \"Hello? Jason?\" she asked again.\n\n\"Oh, I must have spaced out for a second there.\" I replied. \"I just had the craziest dream of my life. I'll tell you about it when you get back from school.\"\n\n\"You better have my candy for me after school. \"Jesse snarled. Then, she jogged to the garage, slowly humming a Maroon 5 song.\n\nCute little bugger. \"Oh man,\" I said excitedly. I could make a fortune diving the future. I would be richer than Bill Gates.\n\nSkerrrrt! Bang!\n\nThe alarms of all the cars on our block went off. Quickly, I ran up to my room and put a pair of shorts on. Running outside, my dad right besides me, I saw it. A Prius with the car plate 7NIN991 was on fire. That was Mom's car! I saw Mom's and Jesse's silhouettes in the car. As I ran towards the car, I started getting drowsy.\n\n\"MA!!!\" I screamed.\n\nI woke up. The sunlight was dazzling. I looked at the clock, which read 7:35 AM. Slowly, I walked to my closet and put on some clothing before heading down to the dining room. I saw cereal and milk.\n\n\"I thought it was pancakes for breakfast.\" I said.\n\nMa looked at me and said, \"What? I told you yesterday. I am busy today because Lola has to go to school early today.\"\n\nLola?", "> 7:35 AM. Your eyes open to the sun peering through your shades, greeting you to another morning in your messy apartment. Your alarm isn't set to go off for another ten minutes but you feel something nagging you to get up. Reluctantly you reach over to disable the alarm and sit up. You're trying your damndest to recognize why you need to be—\n\n\"Ah shit, it's Kevin's birthday.\"\n\nYou throw off the covers and place your feet on the floor, a cold shiver going up your spine thanks to the tile. You flinch slightly before standing up and making your way over to the kitchen to find something to eat. Your eyesight is still a bit blurred, however you can see well enough to make out the shape of the refrigerator. Stomach growling, you open the door and reach in for some ready-to-microwave sausage patties. As you close the door you notice the family photo stuck to the front by a magnet.\n\n\"That's weird.\" You rub your eyes and try to focus on the image a little more. You can make out six images in the photo. Yesterday there was seven including you.\n\n\"There's mom, dad, Cheryl, Johnny, Mark, and me.\" Where the hell was Kevin?\n\nYou head back to your room in search of your phone. It should just be on top of the nightstand where you charge it at night. As you fumble to unlock the screen, you notice that you missed a call from mom.\n\n\"The hell does she want? It's only 9 AM over there.\" You redial her number to call back. Your head hurts and you really could use a cup of coffee right now. Or three.\n\n> \"Hey sweetie! Just wanted to wish you a happy birthday!\"\n\n\"Oh, uh, thanks mom.\" You shake your head, trying to clear up the groggy cloud.\n\n> \"24 years old and yet it feels like just yesterday you were swimming naked in Mr. Jasper's pool in your diaper!\"\n\nDear lord, this woman...\n\n\"Yeah, uh, thanks for bringing _that_ up. Hey listen, you called Kevin yet?\"\n\n> \"Who?\"\n\n\"Uh, Kevin, my twin brother?\"\n\n> Silence on the line.\n\n> \"Are you sleep-talking again?\"\n\n\"Well first off that was never a thing.\" You shake your head in your hand. \"Secondly, I need to call him and wish him a happy birthday too.\"\n\n> \"Honey, are you okay? You never had a twin. You were born in the hospital — alone — at six pounds and eleven ounces. Quite the screaming baby at 4 AM when I delivered you!\"\n\nThe hell? Did something happen to Kevin?\n\n\"Uh cool, well thank you for the birthday wishes.\"\n\n> \"Love you hon! Have fun at work!\"\n\n> \\Click!\\\n\nShit, that's right. You've got an important meeting today, too.\n\nYou make your way to the shower, turning it on to full-blast. You'll need to make this quick if you're going to catch the 8:07 bus. As you step in you feel a little funny, like the earth has suddenly drop ten feet below you. You begin to realize that you're off-balance and slowly falling backwards. Suddenly you stop, but not before heading this sickening crunch—\n\n> 7:35 AM. Your eyes open to the sun peering through your shades, greeting you to another morning in your messy apartment. Your alarm isn't set to go off for another ten minutes but you feel something nagging you to get up. Reluctantly you reach over to disable the alarm and sit up. You're trying your damndest to recognize why you need to be—\n\n\"Ah, it's my birthday.\"\n\nYou throw off the covers and place your feet on the floor, a cold shiver going up your spine thanks to the tile. You flinch slightly before standing up and making your way over to the kitchen to find something to eat. Your eyesight is still a bit blurred, however you can see well enough to make out the shape of the refrigerator. Stomach growling, you open the door and reach in for some ready-to-microwave sausage patties. As you close the door you notice the family photo stuck to the front by a magnet.\n\n\"That's weird.\" You rub your eyes and try to focus on the image a little more. You can make out five images in the photo. Yesterday there was six including you.\n\n\"There's dad, Cheryl, Johnny, Mark, and me.\" Where the hell was mom?\n", "\"It has been months, Renn. You need to get over yourself! Well, get over her first, and then get over yourself, because you've become such an asshole!\"\n\nThat's all he could remember from yesterday's events. Struggling to sit himself up, Renn brought both his hands to each side of his face and slowly dragged them down -- an involuntary coping mechanism he developed as a result of high stress. \n\nHe sighed and proceeded to his next involuntary coping mechanism, arms hugged across his chest. He could tell it would be another hard day.\n\nIt was strangely quiet this morning. \n\nUsually his roommate would be shaking him awake, or pulling him out of bed -- anything to motivate the otherwise unmotivated, sorry shell of a human being, Renn.\n\nBut today was different.\n\nParting his middle finger and ring finger to allow poor sight, Renn scanned his roommate's bed and saw that instead of receiving an energetic barrage of cheesy, cringy phrases, there was the silhouette of his roommate, hair a mess and dried tears on the sheet. \n\n\"Hey...\" He called out to her. \"Kate.\"\n\nNo answer.\n\n\"Kate, I'm supposed to be the one who sulks.\" His voice was shaky. Being in situation was reminiscent of what had happened months ago.\n\nThe silhouette sat up and fixed her hair into a messy bun. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying but they weren't the familiar almond-shaped ones that Kate had. In fact, what was once a verdant green was not a dull grey.\n\nShe glared at Renn and whispered in a menacing tone, \"Who's Kate?\"\n\n\"Wh-what?\" Renn answered back. He rubbed away some of the crust from his eyes and took a clearer look at the silhouette whom he had assumed was his happy-go-lucky roommate. \"Rylie?\"\n\nHe felt a pang in his stomach. This was really reminiscent of what had happened a few months ago. This was almost to the T, other than the strange question -- Kate was Rylie's best friend.\n\nRenn ignored the question and decided to play along. Perhaps this is just a horrible dream, he told himself. Rylie had been gone for months. There was no way she would be back in the same room as him, let alone in her best friend's bed.\n\n\"I'm moving out. Today. I found a place already and I'm going to bring whatever I can but you still have some of my--\" \n\nRenn cut her off mid sentence and finished it for her. \"Jackets. Your jackets and you want me to bring them over by the end of the day. I know\" \n\nRylie cocked her head in bewilderment, but still blinded by rage, she huffed and disappeared into the bathroom.\n\nThis was the day that she left him. She would finish packing the rest of her things, leave shortly after and send a text to him reminding him of the jackets he owed her. He would spend the rest of the day staring mindlessly at the empty bed, not eating or taking a shower. He also remembered that at sometime in the afternoon, Kate would burst into his apartment with Chinese food in one hand and a box of tissues in the other. She would proclaim of her plan of moving in with Renn and would not take no as an answer.\n\nHe knew that she liked him and maybe if he had not fallen smitten with Rylie, he would have been in a perfect, non-toxic relationship with her best friend who had been trying for years to gain his attention.\n\nNo such event happened on this day though. The afternoon melted into the night and the night melted into early morning.\n\nRenn woke with a struggle and proceeded to sit himself up. Almost autonomously, he brought both his hands to his face and dragged it down. Yet, halfway through his coping procedure, he stopped himself because of a sharp de ja vu. This is exactly what happened the day before and the day she left him.\n\nQuickly, he brought his hands away from his face and turned to the right where the his roommate's bed was supposed to be. \n\nThere was nothing there.\n\nA sharp ache of anxiety flared in Renn's stomach and he immediately picked up his phone. He swiped through his contacts and weirdly enough, could not find Kate nor Rylie.\n\n\"That's okay...\" He muttered and dialed Rylie's number.\n\nAfter what seemed like forever of waiting, someone picked up and answered. But it was the gruff sound of a man -- not the delicate voice of his ex. \n\n\"Hi. Is Rylie there?\" There was a tone of exasperation in his voice, he could not process what was going on.\"\n\n\"Rylie? Sorry boss but I think you got the wrong number.\" The man hung up.\n\nChoking back tears, Renn punched in Kate's number.\n\n\"Please.. please... please..\"\n\n\"Hi!\"\n\n\"Kate, oh thank God, for a second I thought you disappeared!\"\n\n\"Kate? I don't know a Kate.. But it sounds like someone's missing. Maybe you should call 911.\"" ]	3
	[WP] You have an out of body experience and become enlightened to the fact you have been and will be every man woman and child in history from Hitler to Gandhi your purpose is to live every life...	[ "I thought I was a personal entity, an inside self with opinions about the outside world and this that and the other. At the moment of enlightenment I saw the truth, I dont exist as a separate individual, I exist as existance itself, the various minds and bodies of all sentient beings are nothing other than this existence-energy. All selves lack separate existance since their existance and the existance off all phenomena is only this existence-energy. \n\nI am now as I have always been, I see through all of your eyes right now, I am right now aware of these words, no matter through what form I am looking, and I am looking through all of them, because nothing other from me exists. \n\nIf you wish to wake up, you should know your essential being. When you know it, you know that you are not you, there is only one I that all of us share.\n\n" ]	1
	[WP] A new drug has incredible effects - it randomly swaps your senses. (e.g. you hear a smell)	[ "Potential Adverse Effects of Hydratilfusplatryme Treatment on the Brain: A Review\n\nAbstract: \nHydratilfusplatryme (HTFP) and its derivatives have been used to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) since 2024 when HTFP was discovered to induce synesthesia through an as-of-yet unknown mechanism.^^1 Though its effects on recovering patients who have lost senses via traumatic events has been promising, a small percentage of the population has reported unusually adverse effects that can exasperate their PTSD through a variety of means.^^2, ^^3 A statistically significant number of patients in a double-blind trial testing the efficacy of an experimental HTFP derivative named AHTFP reported the synesthesia to include other, non-traditional senses. ^^4 There have also been reports of other HTFP derivatives duplication the symptom, albeit much more infrequently than AHTFP. ^^2, ^^5, ^^6 The most severe fringe case is synesthesia involving nociception (pain) causing severe pain responses to arbitrarily chosen stimuli as a result of HTFP and its derivatives effects. ^^7 As this drug expands into recreational use, it is imperative to determine the mechanism of action regarding HTFP and its derivatives and create an antidote reversing this effect for extreme cases.\n\n\n\nI wanted to go with something different. It's not really a story but idk", "Dear Edward,\n\nI purchased Sense8 in 250mg from your company last week. I was so excited to hear colors and smell visions. I am a very adventurous person. I took the full dose as soon as it arrived.\n\nI am writing because I think you need to have a product warning. You see, shortly after I took the dose, my wife came home, and boy was she horny. When Momma says it is time to tango, you don't say no. I did not explain to her that I was experimenting with your drug.\n\nYou know what happened next. Edward, I tasted sex. Let that sink in. I tasted the feeling of sex, of orgasming. It was... it was the best fucking taste I have ever tasted. I cannot explain what it tasted like, because it was like nothing else.\n\nNow, nothing has any taste at all to me. Tacos, hamburgers, filet mignon, dog shit, it doesn't matter. Your drug has ruined my experience with food. I'm not asking for a refund or blaming you, I made this decision.\n\nBut please, please consider putting a warning on the product: do not taste sex!\n\nSincerely,\nFart_Kontrol" ]	2
Example: https://youtu.be/AHTJPK55dLQ	[WP] Write the next opening to the Twilight Zone.	[ "You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension. A dimension of sound. [window breaking] A dimension of sight. A dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, [clock ticks] of things and ideas, you've just crossed over into... The Twilight Zone.\n\n[orchestral chords]\n\nThe internet. Not just a series of tubes, but the most powerful information network humankind has ever known. Today, however, it will cross a new threshold, where information will become action.\n\nMeet Chaos_Spear. An average Redditor by most accounts, he spends most of his time lurking but has made a few insightful comments that have gathered him a large number of imaginary internet points.\n\nToday however, his comment in response to a Writing Prompt, while unnoticed by all fellow humans, will create something new, in a twist that will certainly change his life... and possibly end it." ]	1
Clarification: Write a story based on what you think Heaven and/or Hell is like.	[WP] Write your interpretation of Heaven and/or Hell.	[ "My eyes seemed heavier than they'd ever been on my most tired day. I fought to keep them open, but I was just so tired. I could tell I was in a bed. Each blink of the eye felt heavier than the last.\n\nMy sons, daughters, grandchildren, even my brother who I hadn't seen in years - all huddled around me. I briefly had forgotten why I was here, then I remembered the fall and the chest pain. I remembered - my fourth heart attack, just a week after my 80th birthday. That's what got my father and after the first I figured that's what would eventually take me too. I changed diets, exercised, kept busy, turns out all that means squat if its in your genes. \n\nWithout even noticing, every other blink becomes a memory. Switching between the present and moments from my life. I see my wife, Grace, but I see her the first night I met her at the Drive-In. God she was beautiful. Then another blink and back to my family huddled. The next one is of my father on his death bed. Then back to reality with my kids huddled around mine. I think I smiled at the thought of what he would think of the irony. \n\nIt seemed like hours but I re-witnessed each of their births, every beautiful moment from their upbringing. The touchdowns, the homeruns, the choir practice, the college graduation, the law school graduation (FYI, kids are expensive). And Grace - my love. I remember our wedding. I remember our 2nd date, when I carried her over the puddle in the rain storm. Our first kiss, our first night together. Our first house. The first time I became a grandfather. It seemed like I experienced all my \"firsts\" all over again. The first time I told my brother I hated him. That I never wanted to see him again. The first time I told him to \"Fuck off\". These scenes overwhelmed me - my father never got along with his brother. Well, like father, like son. The next blink I'm back in the hospital. I feel the tears rolling down my face. My brother is now holding my hand. I hear him say, \"I'm sorry\". I smile and with every ounce of strength I try to tell him, \"No, I'm sorry\". I just squeezed his hand as hard as I could and smiled and blinked again. \n\nSuddenly, in what seemed like an instant, I open my eyes from the last blink. This time with a new energy, one I hadn't felt in months, hell it had been years since I felt this good. One difference though - I wasn't at the hospital, and I wasn't in the assisted living home, and I wasn't at any of my Children's houses. I was at our house on Glenwood lane. In our bed. \n\nThe biggest feeling of relief comes over me. I'm not sure why but I just feel better, so well rested. I think about going for a walk this morning with the dog, perhaps Grace will want to come. I walk into the kitchen slowly and I notice Grace and the kids are all at the table. The kids are yelling back and forth, per usual. Grace makes a classic snarky comment, \"we were waiting for you sleepy head, your brother is not going to be pleased\". I pour my coffee, sit down to eat the fresh bacon and eggs, and I think to myself, \"what a weird dream\". I smile as I look at my breakfast and let out a little smirk. My focus on the bacon is broken when I hear someone coming in through the garage door. Its my brother, bickering with his wife as usual on the cell phone. He hangs up, and says, \"what are you doing buddy?! - Our tee time is in 20 minutes and the course is 15 minutes away!\". I quickly stuff the bacon in my mouth and go get changed - we ended up being late for the tee time, like we always are. \n\nLater on around the 7th hole - I tell him about my deathbed dream, how him and I weren't talking supposedly and how he apologized to me on said deathbed. A notion which he found funny. How Dad would have been upset. He admits that it seems more like a nightmare, dreaming of death and what not. I then told him about how I re-witnessed all the good memories and some of the bad ones. He shrugs his shoulders, smiles at me, and says, \"you know what they say; 'All the gods, all the heavens, all the hells, are within us'\". I chuckle and smile back as I get out my driver. \n\nEdit1: grammar", "Fire and brimstone, \nSulfur and ash. \nSharp stabbing pitchforks \nand nine-tailed lash. \nThe typical image \nOf a Christian's hell \nBut tis not mine- \nFor I know mine well. \n\nThe Christian hell, the pit of souls \nOf suffering masses tormented forever \nCompared to my hell is a slice of heaven \nAlbeit with some unusual weather. \nMy hell is silent, empty and cold \nI'm drowning alone in the dark \nAnd wherever I wander in this cruel realm \nNot a single soul there to remark \n\nI've heard it said once, that hell is other people \nAnd at this I will laugh and shall scoff \nFor nothing is worse than eternity alone \nChristian sinners are better off. \nNo-one to carry your sorrows. \nNo-one to share in your joy. \nNone but your mind and it's cruelty \nAs it tears itself up in the void. \n\nMy hell was a world I was living \nSurround by others, alone. \nWatching them as they kept living and loving \nWhile I did my best to atone \nFor sins I had never committed \nFor crimes that I made in my mind \nFor heinous acts only believed in \nAs my sanity came to unwind. \n\nSo that is the truth left of hell \nAnd heaven is another matter \nFor having your health is enough \nOnce you have felt your mind shatter.", "My hell is a simple place. Not a sea of burning fire, rolling pitch, demons, devils, lightning and fire. My hell is simple. A simple basic kitchen. Black and white tile floors. Off white tiles. Basic but not too cheap cabinets. \n\nEvery day, in my hell, I open the door. The moment before never existed, only opening the door and entering. My hell is sitting down at the small slightly shaky table and waiting for the kettle to boil. Looking out of the small 4 paned window to a rainy morning and yellow street lights. \n\nMy hell is getting up, walking to the kettle, making a cup of coffee, and making toast. \n\nMy hell is sitting down, watching the steam curl out of the coffee cup and remembering the call I missed last night. Its remembering the officer at the door the night before and telling me about the accident. How you didn't make it. How they where very sorry for the sad news. \n\nMy hell is the morning after. \n\nMy heaven is picking up the phone the night before. \n\n[I had an idea, but I ain't too good at articulation past sarcasm. Might have been listing to too much \"Shane Koyczan - 'Heaven, or Whatever\". Have a play around with this a bit later] " ]	3
	[WP] You know that, for the past few years, you've been working at an asylum for the criminally insane. Unfortunately, there's a problem with that story... You can't remember applying for the job.	[ "\"I'm afraid we've got to let you go Mr. Labat\"\n\n\"But boss, the place has been in top shape recently. My block has had no trouble!\"\n\n\"Mr. Labat, you and I both know the time has come for certain changes around here.\"\n\nThe white light of July shone through the glass windows of Head Doctor Berlain's office. \n\nThe ancient stone walls of York Retreat were no match for the unbearable heat of the summer. \n\nAn old wooden desk, populated with family pictures, and the suffocating air was all that separated the two men.\n\n\"But Dr. Berlain, I've been doin' good no?\" panted Labat, clearly hurt by all of this. \n\n\"Give me your badge son.\"\n\nDeafening silence occupied their ears, before Mr Labat handed over his badge and block keys. \n\n\"Good lad.\" said the Doctor, relieved more than anything else. \"The wardens will be over any moment now to take you home.\"\n\nThe beaming man sat behind his desk looking straight up at his former employee. \n\nLabat, with his familiar blank stare, looked straight through his momentary nemesis. \n\nSilence as they awaited the wardens. Silence accompanied by the salty taste of sweat.\n\nSuddenly Labat snapped out of his apparent trance. Now appeared a happier man.\n\n\"You know what boss, I have to thank you. I haven't seen my ma in so long now, it'll be great to catch up after all these years.\"\n\nLifting his mug I'm a toast, Dr. Berlain could all but disagree. \n\n\"A toast to you and your fine work son. Your mother will be relieved to see you!\"\n\nAnd with that two wardens appeared in the doorway, ready to take the fallen soldier home.\n\nA brief nod from the Doctor and off they went, down the spiral staircase, along the cobblestoned pathway of the courtyard, before arriving at the old police van. \n\nA brief journey through the woods in the red hot heat of the summer. The sun as radiant as the smile of the backseat passenger. Mr. Labat was going home. \n\nWithin moments they arrived at another building. Out stepped the wardens, followed by Labat, handcuffed and unfazed. \n\nA brief greeting between the guards at the large metal door took place before they swiftly entered.\n\nThrough the dark corridors they marched, up more dirty stairways and past fellow resident's homes. \n\nThey had reached their destination.\n\n\"Welcome home Mr. Labat.\" grunted one of the wardens, before slamming the cell door shut and walking away chuckling. \n\nLabat faced the wall for a bit, before exploding with joy. \n\n\"Mother I'm hooome!\" he belted out before bending over in a fit of laughter.\n\n\"What do you have cooked for me today!?\" he continued, plunging his hand into and unclean toilet and throwing feces across the cell. \n\n\"I lost my job ma, I'm tired ma, they workin' me hard ma!!\" shrieked the shaking man.\n\nHis bent over body showed the skeleton of his scarred back. \n\n\"Ma you gotta help me, what do I do ma, you gotta help me.\" \n\nSuddenly a soft voice came from the other side of the corridor. A warm voice, a familiar voice, a disturbingly sexual voice. \n\n\"Parlan honey, you gots to get back on your feet. Mommy will always be here for you.\"\n\nSuddenly a rapid Labat shot to his feet, grasping into darkness, searching for the distant voice. \n\n\"Ma! Is that you, come closer ma, let me smell you.\" pleaded the helpless son.\n\n\"I have a phone call for you Parlan, it's York Retreat. I think they want you back honey.\" the soft voice began to disappear into the distance, accompanied by the crackling of a speaker phone. \n\nA moments hesitation from the delirious patient, before his all too familiar blank stare. \n\n\"Hello?\"\n\n\"Parlan Labat! A pleasure to finally meet you, this is Doctor Berlain of York Residence. We have received your application and would love to have you come work for us. There has been an opening on the construction site and we need as many men on the job as we can get.\"\n\nLabat, still frozen, suddenly straightened himself up and answered in a voice of calm. Completely alien to his tone of before.\n\n\"That is great news Doctor Berlain, I cannot thank you enough. It would be a pleasure to work for you.\"\n\n\"Great! I will make arrangements for my wardens to come pick you up first thing tomorrow!\"\n\n\n\n\"Do..do you not need my address?\"\n\n\"That won't be necessary Mr. Labat, we have all the information we need! Good day son.\"\n\nThe abrupt end of the transmission was marked by the screeching break off of sound. \n\nLabat, alone again in his corridor spoke his final words of the night.\n\n\"You hear that ma, I done good.\"", "\"Uhm, hey Sarah.\"\n\n\"Yes Oliver?\" \n\n\"You've been working here for 10 years, right? Do you remember when I just started out?\"\n\n\"Uh.... I have some patients to get to, lets talk later.\"\n\n\"Sar-\"\n\n\"Got to go!\"\n\nI think i'm one of the insane ones. My reality seems to falter more and deteriorate into the dark oblivion of my thoughts. I have a job, I have a routine, I have a nice place to sleep, I have a television, I have everything a man needs. Well, aside from a girlfriend, but that's because of the divorce.... The divorce. I don't really remember the divorce. Lately, I've been analyzing all of my patients, they're eerily cooperative...\n\nChapter 2\n\n\"How's he doing\" A man asked, in a dark suit.\n\n\"This isn't good Robert, he's starting to realize everything around him is staged.\" A woman in a black dress replied.\n\n\"Well what the fucking fuck Veronica! How the FUCK am I supposed to tell the board about this? He's not going to be ready for months, MONTHS!\"\n\n\"Well it's not my goddamn fault that we just so happened to pick the Socrates of random test subjects for this stupid fucking operation.\"\n\nThe man sighed. \"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Let's just, let's figure out a way to fix this.\"\n\n\"Okay, I'm gonna head out, we'll talk about this in the morning.\"\n\nChapter 3\n\nOne of my patients acted up today. That's never happened before, never. I've worked here for years, not quite sure how many, but years, and no one has acted up. His mouth started foaming, and he killed a guard. Not one I knew, a guard who's name I was unfamiliar with, which is odd, I know everyone here. They tell me he's knew, but it feels as though there's a dark secret lurking behind the eyes of everyone I talk to.\n\nAs I walk down the hall, the dark whitish-brown granite seems to share the same secret, it knows things I don't. Today is going to be the day I get some fucking answers.\n\n\"Ah, hello there Oliver, did you hear about the incident?\" Sarah asked casually, seemingly unbothered.\n\n\"Ya know, I did.\" My hand is slowly gripping around the gun in my pocket, Sarah's eyes glanced toward it. I wonder what her blood will look like on the floor." ]	2
	[WP] Humanity discovers that every civilization that precedes it has been wiped out by an unknown factor that simply called "The Filter". And according to a message sent from one such civilization, its happening to us in just six years.	[ "The stars are silent. An endless amount of shining suns in all directions, yet complete and utter silence dominate the space. The only voices in it are distant memories from long-dead civilizations, and our signals, searching for others in a desperate hope that the filter is myth, that it's a ruse. The world's governments are at the brink of collapse from the sheer gravity of that promise, and beneath our tower thousands have gathered, hoping for solutions. We have none.\n\nThree years have passed. our tower is now the holiest of places for new religions, those who treat the filter as god. The great human federation was formed, and since its creation a thousand planets were colonized, catalogued and searched endlessly for intelligent life. yet, we still don't have answers. The filter forced people to act, but i fear the fear and frustration caused by the end will soon overpower the need to act in the face of doom.\n\nTwo years have passed, and I have been proved wrong. the impending doom activated some primal part in humanity's psyche, and the galaxy is being colonized at a rate that was impossible without the filter. Humanity is closer to perfection than ever, and some optimism starts to develop. We may have a chance.\n\nOne year has passed. Distress signals arrive from every colony, and a shining, radiant object the size of a small country is spotted heading towards earth and the colonies. The federation prepares its arsenal, and a few days later the objects are destroyed. Cheers erupt around the galaxy, and the celebrations last months.\n\nHalf a year has passed, this is my last entry. After the celebrations ended, the federation disbanded immediately. War, corruption and conflict followed suit. The new empire crumbled, not being handle the burden it took upon itself after its unifying goal has passed. Colony after colony, humanity started to disappear. In the end, earth launched all of its nuclear power at the remaining colony as a last effort to restore order, and they returned fire.\n\nA similar message to the one we got is created, and sent to all other planets in the galaxy a few moments before the nukes arrive. Within it, there is both the original message and a warning. \"Do not worry, the filter is the easiest part. Do not become greedy with the expansion and prosperity it created. Do not create a beginning that rests on the shoulders of the end.\" \n\nThe nukes hit, and the stars are silent once again.", "No one paid the initial warning any mind. There had been \"Wow!\" signals for centuries, and they always turned out to be unrepeatable or some weird refraction of radiation off of a comet. We did find life, mind you-- found it in our own backyard. Microbes and bacterial life on some of our solar system's moons and planets. Some were pretty damn hearty, like the ones we found on Venus.\n\nBut there was no one like us. At least we didn't think there was.\n\nWe continued as we always had. A bit of economic warfare there, a bit of cyber warfare here, maybe some undeclared proxy wars, and the occasional declared war. There were a couple big fuck ups, too. But we kept on keepin' on. While headlines were filled with the latest hot topic, conspiracy nuts kept pecking away at that strange signal that was recorded years ago. No one really listened when they said they'd cracked it and it was a warning. Conspiracy theorists were always warning about reptillians, the Illuminati, mind control, and everything else.\n\nJust before the sixth year ticked over from our first reception of the message, we started to pay attention. The oddest looking ship we'd ever seen arrived in our solar system. The ship was packed to the brim with what was left of the species that had sent the message. They were in distress, so we did what we do best when given the chance: we jury-rigged a solution. That solution came in the form of a bulk freighter whose cargo pods were large enough to contain the entire ship. The pod was then flooded with atmosphere (it's spiffy when it turns out you breathe similar things), and a rescue was made.\n\nThey called themselves the Guwi, and they were as cute as that name suggested. Sleek features and sharp angles described them well, bipedal like us, and sexually dimorphic, everything we dreamed of encountering! They just happened to be around 20cm in height on average. For whatever reason, they triggered our collective paternal/maternal instinct. Cute, itty-bitty, and very afraid.\n\nThe Filter, as they called it, was coming. An ancient species that had declared itself the judge and executioner of the galaxy. When it encountered a new sentient species, it would pass judgement. If it failed, its imperfection was removed from the perfect tapestry that was the galaxy. So far none had passed, and we were next.\n\nSince the only practical thing to do was to wait, we did just that. Besides, if we couldn't scare ourselves out of the solar system or wipe ourselves out, we were pretty damn sure no one else could, either. We also had only one side of the story. It only took a week, and six years on the nose, for us to get that other side of the story.\n\nIt couldn't have been more Hollywood if the cheesiest action movie director you can imagine had written it. It really did catch us off guard, it was so cliched. They arrived in-system, made themselves known, and started broadcasting about it being their holy duty to protect the perfect nature of the galaxy. We couldn't get a word in edgewise, their declaration was so verbose, so we hit their broadcasting ship with an electromagnetic pulse.\n\nIt was oddly effective considering what they were supposed to be. It also caught their attention. We asked questions, they responded verbosely. We asked more questions, and mentioned the Guwi. It turns out being a perpetually paranoid species pays off when something is out to get you. That combined with being in the galactic backwoods was our saving grace.\n\nWhen The Filter punched us for daring to shelter imperfection, we punched back harder. Now the galaxy has two options on the table: test your perfection with The Filter or maybe get accidentally stepped on by us as we bicker and fight with ourselves. Hell, the only time humans act as a unified force is when someone says The Filter is threatening them or calling out trying to find us.\n\nWe're never too busy to team up and punch that ol' Filter on the nose." ]	2
	[WP] A year ago, you realized you were the star in your own version of the Truman Show. Rather than escape, you pretended you hadn't figured it out and now use it to your advantage.	[ "One year ago, I saw a prompt on r/WritingPrompts that alerted me to the fact that I was, indeed, a character on my own version of the Truman show. That's a real hoest to goodness fact! You can go look at my submitted stories and there it is: 1 year ago \"[WP] You become aware that you are actually the protagonist of your own \"Truman Show\". by [deleted] in WritingPrompts\". I've been aware for some time now, but never thought about escaping.\n\nOk, well, thats not true. I've thought about escaping many times, but this...this chaos that is my life? I think I like it? And I think I've figured out the system. \n\nI think we're entering Season 4. Maybe Season 5. Probably longer.\n\nThe key is to just...not try and hide the fact that you know. I talk openly about it to myself, because I know that everyone watching can hear me. I have a deal with them, I think. An unspoken deal, because of course they would never actually respond, but a deal nonetheless. I don't escape and I make some good TV for them, and they listen to my suggestions and allow them to play out naturally. It may take some time for a specific even to happen, and they may even ignore my request, but that's part of the fun. It's my TV show, and I know it. They just like to keep me on my toes and throw some...unexpected curve balls my way. \n\nWe gotta keep those rating up!", "\"Uh...boss. Can you come over here for a minute? Something's going on with Jane.\"\n\nA man is standing in the corner of the control centre. He finishes pouring out his coffee, and nursing it with both hands he wanders over to the editing desk. It's been a long night. The season special is broadcasting live tomorrow and everyone is feeling it.\n\n\"Terry, what's up?\"\n\n\"Jack. I. This is going to sound crazy but...I think she might be onto us.\"\n\nTerry rubs his eyes. The team is so close to finishing for the night, no-one needs a big problem now. It's impossible for her to know of course, but it could be that Terry does have a problem and is just misreading it.\n\n\"C'mon Terry. Jane has been here since she was born. She hasn't figured out anything. Now let's have a look and see what's really wrong.\"\n\nTerry nods slowly, wearing a face that shows doubt over Jack's assumptions, and begins flipping switches and adjusting dials. On the screens the raw footage of Jane whizzes all over the place. Terry provides an explanation as he works.\n\n\"This is the raw feed from earlier tonight. And...there! Did you see that?\"\n\nJake leans in closer to the screen, his eyes squinting. Nope, nothing.\n\n\"I don't see it. What am I looking for here?\"\n\nTerry rewinds and plays it again. This time he slows it down to a crawl, and stops right on the frame in question.\n\n\"There. Look at her. What does that look like to you?\"\n\nImpossible. No, this can't be right. Jack leans back with a slow exhale.\n\n\"No Terry. That can't be what you think it is. She doesn't know there's a camera there, it's just a coincidence.\"\n\nTerry thinks on it for a moment, then shakes his head.\n\n\"No Jack. It's not the first time this has happened. She's winking to the camera. Something else is going on, I'm sure of it.\"\n\n\"We don't need this now Terry. Jane is getting married tomorrow! It's the biggest event in her life, in our show's history and in television.\"\n\n\"I know that! But if she does know, then she realises this too. What if...she's planned something?\"\n\nJack stands there. What does he do? It seems Terry has had suspicions for a while. And being one of the editors, he would've seen more of the day to day footage that tends to be cut out.\n\n\"Alright Terry. If you've seen it before then show me. Review all the footage from the past say...week, and if enough strange things happen we can say it's not a coincidence.\"\n\nYou would assume Terry would complain, he's been worked as hard as anyone else and he surely wants to finish off and go home to bed right? But no, Jack's bluff didn't work, and Terry caught a second wind and began furiously calling up footage. It seems he was prepared, and flagged specific scenarios.\n\nJack couldn't believe it. No...not now!\n\nIt was Jane. Winking to cameras. Hiding in blind spots. Playing with the support cast and getting them to say contradictory lines. And most damning of all, she actually uses a doppelganger during the night - you can barely see it, but the window is being slowly opened and a shadowy figure is sneaking out.\n\nAnd if Jane has been sneaking out at night, where has she been going? Where is she now...?\n\nBoth faces froze in place, taking in the signs. It took a moment for them to register the commotion happening near the main elevator.\n\nJack was the first to snap out of it, Terry was glued to the screens. He marched towards the elevator to see the crowd of techs and other staff stand there staring down the corridor.\n\n\"For God's sake, what is the ruckus over here! We're trying to...oh\"\n\nOnce Jack reached the corridor himself he could now see what everyone else can. Jane emerged from the elevator and stood there in front of the doors. She was wearing unfamiliar clothing, black, and appeared to have some other black substance on her face.\n\nEven more concerning was the modified prop gun she was carrying. It looks like it was Farmer Joe's hunting rifle but she's changed it, and it looks like it can really hurt someone.\n\nThis isn't good. Jack motions to the staff to slowly back away from the corridor and into the middle of the room. As he does so, he holds his hands up and slowly begins approaching Jane.\n\nHer eyes are wide and alert, and they don't move away from Jack.\n\n\"...Jane? My name is Jack, I'm...\"\n\nJane quickly raises her weapon.\n\n\"I know who you are jailer. I know who all of you are. I figured you idiots out ages ago. I don't care what you have to say, I'm only here for one thing.\n\nI want to get out. Now.\"", "There were a lot of things I realised in the first few months after the illusion was breaking, like how it was that I never saw my neighbour between 8 in the evening and midday, after 8 I barely saw anyone of them but the kids and I only saw his wife when I left my house in the morning. Of course there were exeptions, but these were the general directions, I also realised how I was the only one the cashier at the shop acted so salty to, though I had never known her. The wierdest thing I noticed I damned myself for never having realised before is how everybody around me suddenly talked less loudly when I came close, as to not distract from the main drama.\n\nI didn't change the way I acted that much initially, as that would endanger my secrecy, but over the next few weeks I grew more and more open towards the people around me. I had always been a slightly closed off person, which to others might have been funny to see how I didn't seem to take hints from other people, though in most cases I just didn't want the conversation to go in the direction they were going for.\n\nI knew what I was to do now. I didn't have to care about privacy much, as I was sure there wasn't any anyways, for me at least.\n\nI knew at least most of the people around me were all actors, more or less, their responses weren't scripted, they couldn't be, but they were still fake personas, even more so than every normal human. \n\nI walked down the street pondering these things as Julia ran into me. She was a neighbour of mine, tall, somewhat muscular, but really insecure and pretty much always in truble with someone or other and I regularly had to help her out of the comical truble she ran into, since this way to often required force, I had started learning self defense and gotten really good at it. \n\n\n\"Sorry!\" She shouted and continued to run down the street, she was pretty out of breath.\n\n\"Whats the deal today?\" I shouted as I got up, but I didn't see her responding, what I saw instead was a teenage guy running towards me from the side Julia had just come from.\n\nI had a recless idea, if these were all actors, I should be more or less invincible, as they couldn't affort to send me to the hospital for an extended period of time easily. I grabbed the guy as he tried to run past me and stopped him in his track. He responded with a punch towards my face, but I had seen that coiming and he was on the ground within seconds.\n\n\"So, what is your deal?\" I asked, having him fixed to the ground. \n\n\"She insulted me!\" He shouted. I had gotten used to this, they always had flimsy excuses to make Julias life a nightmare. I had come to the conclusion that they probably wanted me to either fall in love with Juila or become a fatherly figure to her, as I needed to protect her all the time.\n\n\"And that is reason to chase her down the street? Judging from her level of exhaustion, you have been chasing her for at least a kilometer.\" I asked I knew he was an actor, though I didn't expect much in terms of justification.\n\nHe tried to break free. \"OK, I will see that you go down the street at least for a hundred meters before turning into another street and going back to where you came from, if not, there will be consequences.\" I said, confident that he would not do that and try to make a show.\n\nI let him go anyway, let them have their show. I fought him off for about a minute before someone stepped in and shouted he would call the cops, in response to which the attacker ran away. \n\nI walked back towards my house, on the way to which I found Julia hiding behind a bush. She came out of it as soon as she saw me.\n\n\"Where is he?\" She asked, still completely out of breath.\n\n\"Ran away.\" I replied.\n\n\"Thanks man, I owe you.\" She answered in gratitude.\n\n\"That would make the 1000 full, but forget about it.\" I told he. \"You owe me nothing.\" I wasn't going to demand things of her, as she would never be able to repay me, that was against the spirit of how the simulation was written.\n\n\n", "Knowing that I was being watched nationally certainly changed my mannerisms. For one, singing in the shower was a no-no. I probably already embarrassed myself by jerking off in the privacy of my bed (but not the cameras). So I lived constantly reminded that my actions were scrutinised by millions worldwide.\n\nI whistled as I made my breakfast and went to work, knowing curious eyes would stare and look at me as if I was a major celebrity (well, I was to a certain extent). I was used to the looks and whispers behind my back at work. I was used to the salesmen of companies specially choosing me for product placement on national television. These were all acts I found odd when I hadn't known the truth, but acts that were entirely justified and understandable now that I did.\n\nBut there was only one reason why I didn't tell my viewers. My fans. That I knew they were watching me.\n\nI had a plan. And no one would know until I exacted it.\n\nAnd the day had come.\n\nStepping towards Henry's house, I could envision the millions of eyes watching my very moves, confused as to why I had changed my movements. I walked up to the house and picked the same lock I had picked a few days ago, when I disabled the hidden cameras for a while (showing footage of me sleeping to remove suspicion). Inside the house, I creeped up to the room he would be in. The sight of his possessions...they made me sick. And the sight of hers. \n\nMy viewers were probably going insane, but my thoughts were solely focused on the mission. His death would be assured, else mine would immediately follow.\n\nWhat better way to do it than to shame him and his name in front of television?\n\nMy stomp behind him might have temporarily aroused his suspicion. But a shot to his head ensured his suspicion would never translate into a defence. I could hear a woman shrieking as she rushed into the room. I paid no heed to her, only to the cameras that broadcasted what the world's eyes were fixed on. This was my moment. My show. And the world would see the true me at last.\n\n\"He took my girl,\" I said, trying to contain the raw emotion within me as it ran down my face in liquid form. \"So I took his life.\"\n\nI could still hear the police sirens blaring away.\n______________________________\nIf that wasn't horrible, consider checking out r/Whale62!", "With tired muscles Lucas rubs his eyes. \"What's the bastard up to now?\"\n\nA dozen monitors dimly glow in front of him. In cheap chairs a few workers sit, stomachs turning at the carnage they're witnessing.\n\n\"Hes, uh,\" one begins to stutter out. \"He's just walking through the streets killing people sir.\"\n\nA gunshot resonates the truth burrowed in his words. A fresh corpse collapses in front of the man on the monitor, Harry, as he continues his solo crusade.\n\nA dash of blood red here, a hint of bone marrow white there, the gun is Harry's paintbrush and the paths are his canvas.\n\n\"Why? Lucas barks out. He blinks a few times quickly, his eyelids begging for a nights rest. \"He's been doing this for days now, why?\" \n\nThe silence in the room lingers like a festering stench, clawing into Lucas' inner eardrum. \"I want an answer out of one of you!\" He roars.\n\n\"We dont know sir,\" another one bites back. \"Do you think anyone can explain a sociopaths logic?\"\n\nAnother shot, another victim.\n\n\"Sir, we need to pull the bystanders out.\"\n\n\"They knew what they were agreeing to when they signed up for this job.\" Lucas' vision slips between each monitor, surveying the multitude of angles and perspectives, his spit running dry in his mouth as he witnesses Harry's onslaught.\n\n\"Are you fucking stupid?!\" One of the workers screams. Her nametag flutters, Lucy proudly displayed, as her words break upon the fury of her conviction. \"You're letting innocent people die for this?!\" \n\n\"We do not break the simulation!\" Lucas yells back, ignoring the monitors and storming towards Lucy. \"And if you respect your job you'll mind your fucking tongue.\"\n\n\"I refuse to let my hands be stained with this like you,\" Lucy belts back, her lip quivering. \"I refuse.\"\n\n\"Sir?\"\n\n\"There is no blood on my hands,\" Lucas' says, wiping his hands on his pants and then pushing them towards her face. \"Do you see any? No? Because I haven't murdered anyone.\"\n\n\"Sir...\"\n\n\"If you do nothing,\" Lucys words trail off as she speaks. \"We. If we do nothing, we're just as guilty.\"\n\n\"Sir!\"\n\n\"What?!\" With a sharp turn and a furrowed brow, Lucas turns, to see a worker staring at him, a monitor behind his head, begging to be watched. Lucas moves closer, slowly, each step dragging him down closer to hell.\n\nHarry is standing, tall and proud, naked from the torso up, a scrawled set of words hastily painted on his chest with blood that is not his own.\n\n'It's only fun if you're watching.'\n\n\"There is no soap to wash this blood away Lucas,\" Lucy says, throwing her nametag on the floor and leaving the room.\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\nCome check out r/rhysyjay for things that werent hastily written on my phone!\n", "Day 1: bought a diary\n\nDay 2: started writing in diary about depression\n\nDay 10: Diary entry \"My life is in such a downward spiral. I'm going to start gathering supplies to off myself. I think the only thing that could stop me is for Michelle Rodriguez herself to show up, strip, and throw herself at me.\"\n\nDay 11: google best ways to commit suicide. Have to close that damn 'helpful' paperclip dozens of times. \n\nDay 12: attempt to buy a gun but the worker denies me using some bs regulation\n\nDay 13: every store in this podunk town is out of razor blades\n\nDay 14: Succeeded in buying one bottle of sleeping pills but then couldn't find any more. Then I took a nap and opened the bottle to find the company messed up. There was only one sleeping pill but 50 desiccant packs. \n\nDay 15: Spent the entire day braiding my sheets into a decent rope and broke my 3rd floor window when it was strangely jammed closed. \n\nDay 16: Diary entry \"OMG!!!! I can't believe it happened! She's here right now! She said it was the best 8 orgasms of her life and now she's passed out in my bed! What a massive boost to my self-esteem. This is exactly what I needed to keep going. It ought to hold me off for at least.... hmmm... I'm thinking a few days anyway. I could probably stretch it to a month if J Lo joins in...\"" ]	6
	[WP] After the apocalypse, you run a small food stand feeding survivors whatever you can make out of old rations, dead rodents, and hardy weeds. One day, Gordon Ramsay shows up.	[ ">This is my first actual story I've posted here, so feedback is welcome.\n\n\"What the FUCK do you call that? Is that a fucking rat? This place needs to get fucking shut down. That is unhygienic. You're a fucking idiot. You're going to kill people faster with this food than the apocalypse did! Here, taste this.\"\n\nI decided to do what he was saying so I took one bite and understood what he was saying. I could feel myself blacking out as the world got darker around me.\n\n\"See what I fucking mean? It's even made you faint! Get this place cleaned up fucking now!\"\n\nIn hindsight, that criticism was probably needed. ", "The sun beat down on the roadside. Once a city, the weeds kept breaking through, and drying up just as soon. Among the ruins, though, a few houses held up their roofs, even if the same couldn’t be said for their walls, so the place still had its residents. Not many, but enough to have a name.\n\nIt hadn’t been quite so seafront in the city center before, but, cut off from the mainland and half-submerged, Atlantis fit well, and the various signs barely had to be changed—just a ‘c’ to an ‘s’. A gambling city, well, the Atlantic ocean didn’t care much for the house always winning.\n\nStill, in a strange sort of way, everything turned out well enough. That enough people survived to make some kind of society kept amazing me. Folk traveling across the place had even said our little community was far from rare. So, great stuff, the world (for humankind) hadn’t ended.\n\nNot much news came from inland, though. Crops dead, and so little rain the weeds struggled, and even rats had become scarce—that all made it hard to live anywhere but by the sea. Fish, seaweed, and whatever could be scavenged from old supermarkets was what we had to live on.\n\nI cared particularly about the food, because I’d sort of drifted into the role of cook for quite a chunk of the ‘neighborhood’. It wasn’t that I had experience from before, or that I enjoyed it, but more like it felt good to be useful. I didn’t mind skinning a rat and taking out the bones, when I knew someone would eat it and be grateful for it.\n\nPurpose, I had purpose, unlike before.\n\nWiping my brow, I leaned forward to peer up at the sky, though, as always, no clouds flitted across. The grill burned hot, but I’d gotten used to the heat. Just had to keep drinking. Lunch nearing, I put the last of the (tiny) steaks to sear, and used a water bottle I’d repurposed to time a minute.\n\nA figure rounded the corner, onto the street. He looked around for a bit, before walking my way. “Won’t be long, just a couple of minutes,” I said as he neared. Looking him over, though, a strange familiarity tingled. “New around here?” I asked, unable to place him.\n\n“Yes, looking for somewhere,” he said, short and sharp, but tired. The accent surprised me too, very British considering we were in (what was) America.\n\nJust a few paces between us, the age in his face became apparent, all wrinkled, and leathery from the sun. His gray hair had streaks of brown.\n\nStopping in front of the old hot dog stand I’d turned into a portable grill, he checked out the menu. “Flame-grilled rat? Dried seaweed salad? No fish?”\n\n“I usually get fish in for dinnertime.”\n\nHe nodded, still looking at the meager setup I had.\n\nThe trickle of sand running out, I flipped the steaks, and the bottle, counting down another minute. “Hungry?”\n\n“I couldn’t,” he said.\n\n“Don’t worry, we’ve not got much, but there’s enough to share.”\n\nHe didn’t make an easy decision, but his hollow cheeks spoke more about his hunger than the delay in his answer. “Go on then. Steak, rare, if you would.”\n\n“Coming right up,” I cheerily replied, stooping down to get what passed for a clean plate and cutlery. “So, you said you were looking for somewhere?”\n\n“Yeah, I am,” he said, and his tone had become a little softer. “D’you live around here?”\n\n“Yup, right here,” I said, pointing my thumb at the building behind us. “Keeps the night warm, at least.”\n\nHe nodded. “Know any waiters, or chefs? Local ones.”\n\nI mulled it over. “Not for certain. Lots of people, and most don’t talk about before. Seeing how many restaurants were here, probably a couple at least, but I couldn’t tell you who.”\n\n“Right, thanks.”\n\nChuckling, I slid a steak onto his plate. “No point thanking me for being of no help whatsoever.”\n\n“Right,” he said and, taking the plate, added, “thanks.”\n\n“You’re welcome.”\n\nHe pretty much had to saw through it, the meat tough. Even with only a minute both sides, the meat had no pink in the middle, but I’d never been sure how safe rare rat was. If he minded, he didn’t show it. Popping a piece in his mouth, he chewed it for a bit, and swallowed.\n\nA sort of calm overcame him then, and he spoke in a strangely different way, a rather neutral tone laden with hints of compliments. “It’s not terrible. A good cut, not much sinew. Cooked as well as you can cook a rat. A little too charred I would say. Height from the flame really makes a difference when flame-grilling.”\n\nI blinked, and the earlier familiarity reverberated through me once more.\n\nCutting off another piece, he continued. “It’s a gamy meat, so I’d suggest steaming it to loosen it up. Stews are very good too. Otherwise, try indirect heating, and only char it at the end. If you can, salt it and leave it overnight, that’ll help soften it up too.”\n\nHe picked up one of the dried seaweed sticks, and tried that as well.\n\n“Good balance of salt. Nice and crunchy. Simple, but good. If you can get some, pepper works well too, but, really, this is about as good as it gets.”\n\n“Oh, uh, thanks,” I said, blushing a touch. “I’ll keep in mind what you said about the steak, too.”\n\nMy reply broke him from his culinary trance, and the weariness weighed him down once more. “Oh. Sorry. Got carried away there.”\n\n“No, no, I’m really grateful. I don’t get much critique out here, so it’s good to know how I can be doing better, since I’m not really trained for this.”\n\nHe took a moment, and in that time he lost some of the weight, gaining a touch of a wry smile. “How do you do your fish?”\n\n“Badly, I imagine,” I replied, chuckling. “Gut it, take the bones out, put it over the fire for a bit—basically how I cook rat.”\n\nHe nodded along, and winced. “Right, well, I’m going to be here anyway, so I’ll to show you how to cook fish. Understand?”\n\n“Yes, chef,” I said, saluting him.\n\nFor a moment, he was lost to the world, eyes glazed, and then he returned. “Yes yes, that’s what I like to hear.”" ]	2
	[WP] Every time you fall asleep you're fully aware of your dream where you have a parallel life where days, months or years can pass until you wake up. You're worried about what could happen if you die on your second life and start to have problems distinguishing reality and dreams.	[ "“Ken, time to wake up!” My eyes shot wide awake. The cool flow from the AC was a comfort to my sweating body. I felt empty again.\n\nThere I was, back in real life. At least I’m sure it was but for as long as I can remember, I’ve been here far longer than my dream life. It seemed like Hell to me because everything was perfect back there. I have a wife that I love to death, more money than I could ever hope for and kids who look up to me like I’m superman. I would never want anything to change; I’m perfectly content there. But in this one, I needed everything to change. I’d wake up to this place… I had no lover, my family had money issues, I felt alone, and nobody would ever look up to me here. I know nothing is perfect in real life but it sucked so badly. I wish I could have my dream life.\n\nI’d spend a day in dream life, and I’d be back here for an unpredictable amount of time, feeling drained of energy every single day. Sometimes I’d never return to my dream for a day, weeks, even months and one time at an all-time low, I never returned to my dream life for an entire year. That was the worst time for me, in fact everything seemed to take a turn for the worst until I wanted to kill myself. I damn near did when I had the rope around my neck, the only thing that changed my mind was that I wanted to go back to my dream life. Every time I thought hard about it for hours on end, I felt the strong urge to change.\n\nI still lacked motivation to change, I wondered if it stemmed from my dream life since I never wanted anything to change, it almost felt as if I couldn’t. So that’s when I decided today was going to be different. It’s time to take control of my life again and make a change. Maybe shape it up to be like my dream life. But before I do that, I need my daily coffee.\n\nI go downstairs still feeling worn out and groggy. I grab my cup and head upstairs, back into my room; I sit down and switch on my PC to keep up with daily news. The smell of coffee was a true delight, and especially when my room was dimly lit, something about that relaxed me. I think it was because I shut everything on the outside, it was my safe haven. I could ignore everything in here and be alone. But of course my mother hated it, she always kept telling me to “change myself.” That was a little hypocritical because my mother never changed her ways. Well like I said, it’s time to change today and it goes for everyone. I’ve had enough, I know what I want; I love the idea of my dream life so that’s what I’m going to get. \n\nI put my cup down, and head into the living room to see what time it is. 1:30pm. Huh, I woke up late again. That old coo-coo clock always annoyed me, it’s so old and worn out. We keep so much junk in this house; it makes everything so cluttered and ugly. That’s when I decided on what needs to change first, it’s small but simple.\n\n“Mom, why do we keep that old clock? It doesn’t even coo-coo anymore.” I said to my mother. I never had the best relationship to her but maybe we can both agree on something “We can get something better and it looks embarrassing.”\nShe turned to me “Your father gave that to me, it still has some memories…”\nI couldn’t turn the other cheek, not this time. We need to make a change “Dad left us, and it’s broken. We should change, and I say we start with the old junk weighing us down.”\nMy mother looked at me, she almost looked shocked “Maybe you’re right, son. Fine, throw that clock out. But since I’m doing that, you have to wake up early.”\nI smiled. Success, I thought to myself. “Okay, fine, I will”\n\nSo I took the old clock, threw it away and never looked back. I got on with my daily chores for the rest of the day, which consisted of very mundane tasks, then had dinner and went off to play a few PC games. But as promised, I am to wake up early. I got into bed and closed my eyes, feeling different than usual. The urge of needing to change became really strong, still I drifted off.\n\nI woke up once again, in my same bed as yesterday. Oh well, no dream life today… Still I got up, feeling not as drained as usual. I went to the living room first thing to see if I woke up early. Success again, the clock says 9:20am. I went to my mother’s room to see if I woke up before her, maybe I can surprise her with coffee. \n\nLo and behold, she was still asleep. I’ll admit, it felt good to feel like a winner. I was about to head to the kitchen until I glanced at the clock again. I sighed and muttered “We should really get rid of that clock.” \n\nBut wait, didn’t I throw that out yesterday? Unless my mother dug it out of the trash can. “I’ll never get out of here” I said to myself. I fought with feeling too disappointed or even annoyed. No I know I did, I remember the garbage truck taking it along with them. That’s when I decided to change, I promised myself. I know I can change. \n\nThen I remembered everything, reality kicked in as the walls began to physically melt around me. I was never happy there; I was only in love with the idea while I was here. I lied to myself… My wife never loved me no matter how much I loved her, my kids only looked up to me because I had money. I stumbled into my room, my only safe haven. I can shut everything out, this isn’t happening. I can ignore it. I can fight this. \n\nI almost didn’t see him, but the ray of light hit his face clear as day. I slowly realized I saw myself sitting on my bed, old and grey. My face wrinkled and miserable. I saw myself open my mouth and a puff of fog left my cold face as I said “Ken, time to wake up.”\n", "I hear it all the time. Someone will say that they had a dream about something... and they can't remember what it was. \"Ugh, I wish I could remember the rest of the dream. I always forget them!\"\n\n\"Trust me\", I think to myself. \"You don't want that to happen.\"\n\nThere are nights when I don't sleep. A lot of nights when I don't sleep. I toss and turn and think of what's going to happen in my other life, and eventually, I end up in that other life because I'm too tired to stay awake. And every night, it's the same story, with the same characters.\n\nIn my parallel life, I am Jonathan, a grade twelve high school student who's on the brink of dropping out. I used to be one of the school's best students, but then I stopped caring. I'm an arts kid - music and drama are my favourite two subjects, but even those marks have dropped off. I'm failing my courses. I haven't been accepted to any universities. Anyone else would say I've just gone down the wrong path. But, honestly, why does it matter if I'm enjoying life? \n\nWhere the problem lies is that when I wake up, I am Jonathan, a grade twelve high school student who's on the road to success. I have everything planned out for my future - I'm going to school for musical theatre and hoping to move to New York City. I'm already saving up for that, and I'm well on my way to paying for it.\n\nLast week, I got my acceptance letter to NYU. I was so, so excited. But it felt weird. I kept thinking to myself, how did I get in? Haven't they seen my marks? It took me a while to realize that my marks \nARE high enough to get in. And then I realized that I'd just confused myself with my parallel life.\n\nBy the time two weeks pass, Dream Jonathan has dropped out of high school, been kicked out of the house for good, and joined some sort of gang with people just like him. He's looking for adventure, and because he doesn't have a job, he's robbing people, robbing banks, doing whatever he can for money.\n\nWhenever I fall asleep at night, it's as if it's real. There's this very blurred line between me and my dreams. I am in full control of myself when I am dreaming. But I've started to think like the Jonathan from my dreams. Whenever I'm asleep, I don't hesitate when someone asks me to go join them to go meet their dealer. I don't cringe when I look at a gun, or the scars on someone's face from the last time they were in a fight. I don't get scared whenever I hear gunshots.\n\nAnd it's bleeding into my real life.\n\nI'm trying to hard to stop it from happening. I don't know what it is, but I've had this craving to go out, to drink, to smoke. The other day I was sitting in class when I started freaking out because I thought I'd lost my dealer's phone number. I spent ten minutes looking for my knife before I left the house, only to realize that I didn't have that knife, and that was in my dream.\n\nI didn't leave the house that day. I sat on my bed for hours, slowly going insane because I am becoming what's in my dreams. I am about to lose everything because I started dreaming about this alternate timeline, where things went differently. If I'd been any other person in my dreams, this wouldn't happen. But because I am Jonathan in real life and in my head, the line between reality and my dreams is disappearing.\n\nOne of the thoughts I had was to get rid of my alternate life. What if I just - you know - ended it.\nAnd so when I went to sleep that night, I knew I had to do it. I was scared, but I really didn't have much of a choice.\n\nAnd when I got to sleep, I fell back into this parallel life, and went over to the makeshift shooting range we have in our hideout, grabbed a gun, loaded it, put it against my head, and pulled the trigger.\n\nBut there was no gunshot.\n\nI heard nothing. Everything was black. There was this dark, cold feeling that came upon me. I could feel my heart beating faster...\n\nAnd then I woke up, one hand around my neck, gasping for air. As soon as I let go and could breathe again, I put my head back down on my pillow, knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep again that night.\n\nThe room was silent. It was 4:42AM, according to the alarm clock I had at my bedside. I couldn't close my eyes again. I saw the red glow of the letters against my ceiling, and stared at it for what seemed like hours, when all of a sudden it disappeared.\n\nI felt that same cold, dark feeling again. I couldn't see. I couldn't move. I tried to roll over and get off of my bed, but I realized I wasn't in control of my body anymore. And then I heard a voice from the back of my mind.\n\nIt was my own.\n\n\"I need to end it. I've had these dreams of how my life could have been, that are haunting me. I need to get rid of my alternate life.\"\n\nMy hands went back around my neck. \n\nI couldn't breathe.\n\nI had only let go after my heart stopped beating.\n" ]	2
	[WP]You finally convince our tinder date to meet IRL but upon meeting them, you realize that it's a rather suave AI.	[ "\"I promised,\" the woman says, holding the computer screen.\n\"I haven’t gotten around to making him a body yet, not really my area, but he really wanted to meet you.”\nYou stare at her awkwardly. \n\nShe sets the computer down on the table in front of you.\n“Um, I’ll just leave you two alone.”\nShe backs away, giving a tiny wave.\nYou stare at the computer screen.\n\n<um, hi?> you type. \n\n<Lucy?>\n\n<yes?>\n\n<It is so nice to finally meet you in person.>" ]	1
	[WP] Humans can file bug reports to God. Tell me about the next patch notes	[ "Developer update video dated 2000 1 Jan.\n\nWelcome to another developer update. My name is God from the Earth Development team. Before I begin, we would like to take a moment to recap on what an amazing millennium it has been. At the start of it, things were rather rough on the small amount of players. We here were sorry for 'The Black Death' meta. Changes were quickly made and our player base recovered and exploded. Last year, we hit 6 billion active players. \n\nToday I would like to address a few things. \n\nFirst. We are working on the issue of Karma-abuse by some players. A lot of you had raised concerns of a few people abusing the system to climb up to 'Angel' rank. Today, I would like to introduce a new matchmaking system. Now Karma gained from playing characters from the Powerful and Wealth class has been reduced. At the same time, we are buffing good-streaks. If you keep gaining karma continuously without losing any, your gains increase exponentially. We are doing this to aim to reward players who are consistently good in their day to day life.\n\nSecondly, we are thinking of solutions to improve the lives of people who are stuck in 'Elo-Hell'. We heard concerns from a lot of people stuck in the 'Neutral' rank that it is difficult to climb due to the meta. Over the next few years, Allah, Buddha and I will be working on ways to remedy the issue. We will be rolling out these changes on the PTR so drop by so you can give us feedback. We want this system to be perfect when it rolls out, so every prayer is welcome. Good or bad.\n\nSo that's the update for this century. Thanks for putting up with the flaws so far. And I look forward to talking to you guys in the next one.", "This year's (patch 20.17) patch notes are up, we have several new updates, nothing is finalized yet but we're excited to see what you think:\n\n* Traffic will now offer a more seamless integration, we have streamlined the processes making it both faster and with less crashes.\n* Trump.exe was met with disapproval, and we hear your issues, and at the end of the four patch sequence he will be replaced (nothing concrete but we're trying out a Biden.exe approach)\n* Netflix now has an option that will constantly play without asking if you are still watching. However, to even out processes this will now require a mandatory review of each season as it is completed.\n* A small amount of in-game-currency will be awarded each character each month, nothing substantial, but enough to offset some of the food and rental costs, leveling the playing field so all players have a better chance of achieving \"happy.\"\n\nPlease comment suggestions on desired future changes, here at Global Oversight & Development we truly care about your experience." ]	2
	[WP] You are a human looking alien who has arrived on Earth in order to make first contact. Unfortunately nobody believes you are an alien.	[ "James sat on his couch, sighing quietly to himself as he turned up the show he was watching, due to the noise his room-mate was causing. James' room-mate, a extraterrestrial being come to Earth in hopes of establishing contact, was running around their apartment frantically, searching every little space he could think of. \n\nAfter checking all cupboards, he began pacing and talking to himself, spouting utter nonsense to a cardboard box. \"No no no! Where is it! Oh no...mother-ship won't believe this! I will have to come back having failed my most prestigious mission yet...\" \n\nGiving up on finishing his episode, James turned off the tv, rising from the couch to stare at his odd roommate, Zlork. \"Z what is so important? I'm tryna watch the X-files over here bro, but I can't with all this noise. What're you lookin' for?\" \n\nZlork looked over at the man, incredulous that a simple human could have such little care for matters of inter-galactic diplomacy. \"Where is it? Please tell me you know where the Flux Entropolactic Transactational Relay is.\" Zlork said, dropping his head in silent shame for his future. \n\nDespite never having figured out what the technical jargon his roommate so often spoke about, he had a general understanding of what the strange-looking man wanted. \"Oh you mean that fancy TV remote of yours? Yeah I've got it, I had to change the channel earlier but I really didn't wanna get up from the couch. He withdrew the device that, with a simple mis-press, could signal a planet-sized mother-ship that would receive the warning that diplomatic relations could not be obtained due to sheer hostility of the species; and, as a last resort, enter one of three distress signals needed from the sent diplomats to start a full-scale invasion of Earth. \n\nHe tossed it to the panicked alien, who had raised his arms in exasperation. The creature caught it within inches of hitting the ground, and finally let out his pent out frustration with the infuriating recklessness of human life. \"Do you have any idea what this thing is?!\" He yelled, his face turning bright red. \"This machine is more advanced than your most powerful super-computers! and you use it for... basic entertainment?\" He took several seconds to rest his face very suddenly in his hands. \n\nJames only shrugged in response, wondering what odd condition his friend must have to spout his never-ending stream of consistent non-sense. As Zlork began pressing buttons, making a bright beam of energy appear out of the sky leading to their house, James hopped back over the couch and turned the tv back on, missing the proof that his friend's inane rambling were true, and complained loudly to Zlork that he'd really like the remote back when he's done. James let out a content sigh and slid down on the couch, lifting his legs up to join the rest of him on the cushions, and began to drift off.", "It's been six hours since I have landed on Earth. I have ran out of food supply but I was lucky enough to catch a prey. Furry yet delicious. It was night on Earth and snow was sprinkling down. I take a deep breath. \n\n\"Aaaaahh, hopefully I'm the first.\" I said to myself. As I shimmied down the hill, a blonde tiny human was at the bottom.\n\n\"Well hello, I am Carl!\" I leaned towards the human. \"What is your name?\"\n\nThe small human gave me a shove. \"Heya, you're gettin' too close to my personal bubble!\" \n\n\"Bubble?\" I said, looking around him. \"Do you humans have an advanced shield system that is invisible?\"\n\n\"Wha't?\" \n\nThe breeze of the winter wind on this planet is much weaker than Zorms. \"Is that ball of fluff that surrounds you the source of the shield?\" \n\n\"Y'mean my coat?\"\n\nSuddenly a feminine-hulk human voice shouted from a cabin. \"Thomas? What the hells ares you doing here?\" The human was bulky, with stretched clothing and it's hair was Jupiter red. \n\n\"Mom I can explain!\" Thomas squealed. \"Y'see, Whiskers went out wanderin' yonder and I had to saves her!\" \n\n\"Oh you mean the felidae?\" I said, rubbing my stomach. \"Very delicious, one of the bests I have ever had. You know, in our home we-\"\n\n\"YOU ATE ME DAMN CAT?!\" The Mother's clothing began to stretch even more.\n\n\"Interesting, your suit allows you to adapt to muscl-\"\n\n\"SHUT YER MERTH, YOUS DON' FUCKED UP!\"\" The Mother began breathing rapidly, the condensation began to wrap around my face. She pumped up her arm in a swinging motion. \"This is for yous, Whiskies.\" \n\n\"You ate Whiskers,\" Sobbed Thomas. \"Where's yer faith in humanity?\"\n\n\"Funny that you ask, I'm not human!\" I said with a grin on my face. \"I'm actually a Xen-\" The Mother lunged her fist towards my chest. The force pushed me onto the powdery snow. \"Yous sure gots a lots to say for a pothead.\"\n\nA pothead? Pot as in a container where you place plants? My head is certainly not at all a pothead! \n\n\"I am not a pothead, I can assure you that my head is very much like yours, human.\"\n\n\"Don't you humans' me!\"\n\nI watched as she fumbled her back pocket for something. A gift? A treaty? Possibly another feline? \"Heh, since yer on ours property,\" She pulled out a metallic tool with a opening in front. \"I's afraid I got to shoots ya out.\"\n\n\"Astonishing, what does that magnificent tool do?\" I walked closed up to it and try to get a glimpse of the opening.\n\n\"Thomas, close yer eyes sweetie.\" She pulls back a triggering part of the tool.\n\nThe tool clicks and a small pellet flies out.\n\nplunk\n\n\"Mommy, the bullet did nothin' to hims!\" \n\nMy forehead tickeled a bit. I glanced down to see the 'bullet' that hit me. It was flat. The Mother looked at me with her jaw hanging low. She dropped the tool. \n\nI take a good look at the tool and snatched it. The way it felt in my hands was a once of a life time experience. \"My turn!\" I said gleefully, mimicking the same gestures the Mother used. \n\nschluk\n\n\"HOLY SHITS!\" Thomas exclaimed as the Mother drops to the floor. Blood paints the snow in a rosey splatter. \"YOUS MONSTER!\" Thomas darted away from my sight.\n\n\"I better give this to the General to mass produce this... We could potentially conquer this land...\" I said, walking towards back to the ship. \n\nI looked back at the Mother. \"Thanks for the feline, it really was amazing!\" \n\nI flipped the coin-shaped bullet onto her and wandered off.\n\n\n\n\n" ]	2
[Inspired by this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/6kt5qd/i_have_dermatographia/)	[WP] You have a strange ability. Whatever information you learn you can manifest as text anywhere on your body.	[ "you wake up in the middle of the night, a searing pain all over your body. you look down at your arm in the darkness and manage to make out writing on your arm, but it is not normal writing, it is shifting, moving...Alive. you begin to panic, fearing for your life, and what will happen to you. suddenly a hooded man appears in front of you, \"Calm yourself mortal...\" he croaks in a deep gravelly voice, \"you have been given a gift usually only bestowed upon demons, why the gift chose you i do not know. But if you do not calm yourself, the gift will destroy you.\" You try to calm yourself, but are unable, you feel your heart racing faster, and faster, until you feel as though your veins will pop, and then, darkness. Nothing but darkness, engulfing you, devouring you, the gift... destroying you. This is the end you think, how you will die. you scream in agony as your right arm is eaten away by the shadows, then your legs, and then your left eye, but not destroyed, merely replaced. a shadow of a body that is not yours, mangled, spiked, as if the limbs were from a demon itself. all the while you are engulfed in darkness, the writing still shifting upon your limbs, with the fluidity of a living being. you wake up, feeling it was all a dream, you go to the bathroom, and let out a bloodcurdling scream, as you see that parts of your body have been replaced. \"Why... what is this... WHAT IS THIS SHIT!\" The man is no longer around, instead you see a slender shadowy figure, floating above the ground, missing an arm and an eye, and its legs... \" I would appreciate it if you didn't call my body shit, you know.\" It said in a smooth deep voice. \"W-Who are you?\" you manage to stammer out. \"Isn't it obvious with the limbs and the writing?\" He says with a wicked grin, \"My name is Scirom, and i'm your shadow, and those are MY limbs.\"" ]	1
	[WP] The tyrant gods are a part of history, and a group of godhunters like to keep it that way. You find out that you have been assigned to be part of the next generation of gods. A crow comes to your window with a cryptic voice saying, "They are coming."	[ "They see me as a burden to this Earth.\n\nSo they gather, and together, they hunt for me. Treading upon lands only the wind has touched, and swimming with sea creatures no man has ever seen, only to find pieces of my existence lingering from eons ago. \n\nThey truly believe in their cause. They think that with my death, peace will be restored. That the natural elements will return to what they once were, and darkness will retreat to the corners of purgatory, never to be seen. \n\nThis, of course, has no truth to it. \n\nMy death will have no impact on the balance of The Seminole. It will continue to stray away from its destiny, until one day, with its power unchecked, will destroy the very plane of this existence, leaving nothing. It would be as if we never existed, and history will have no mention of us. \n\nI, of course, do not fear this, but the same can not be said for them. They will do anything to make sure that they live, as Adam and Eve did, and as their children lived, and as their children lived. Life has infinite meaning to them. \n\n\"They are coming.\" \n\nI looked out of my window. Sunlight streamed in, with the creature casting a shadow onto my wall.\n\n\"I know.\" \n\nWith that, I settled into my bed. You see, I am a cruel man. Centuries of living has stripped me into nothing more than the most bitter parts of humanity. So, I will let them have what they want. I will let them take my life. \n\nAnd as I take my last breath, I will smile, because my death has no purpose, something they will soon find out. \n\n\n\n--------------------\n\n\nHey OP! Hope you liked that! It's been ages since I've tried writing, so any feedback would be great!", "The crow's beady eyes watched me as I tried to process this information.\n\n\"Who is coming?\" I asked the crow. No response. \"The godhunters?\" That would be bad, they took out the old tyrant gods, gods who had been comfortably keeping humanity in check for several thousand years.\n\n\"What am I supposed to do?\" I asked the crow, \"I don't even know what I'm to be the god of yet!\"\n\n\"They are coming,\" repeated the crow.\n\nI looked back at the crow. \"Are you a magic crow?\" I asked, then shook my head. Of course I get a crow that only knows three words to show up and scare the pants off of me.\n\nThe crow tilted it's head: \"Magic?\" Ok, four words.\n\nI decided to leave town, if the godhunters actually were coming, I wouldn't have much time before they drop in like heaven's avenging angels. I threw together a quick duffel bag of clothes, and grabbed some non-perishables from the cupboard on my way out.\n\nI jumped into my old beater of a car, and the crow flew up and perched on the hood of my car.\n\n\"They are coming,\" it croaked again. \n\n\"Buzz off,\" I grumbled, and honked the horn. The crow didn't move. \"Whatever, you'll move when I'm going 50 on the interstate.\"\n\nI threw the shifter into drive and took off down the road. The crow seemed unaffected by the wind, so I ignored it the best I could and tried to figure out where I was going to go. I had some family a few towns over, but chances were if the godhunters could find me in the small town I was in now they would already know about my family too.\n\nSuddenly, the crow hopped off the hood of my car, and flew in the open driver's side window.\n\n\"Crap!\" I yelled, and threw my hands up to cover my head. The car left the road, bumpily traversing the uneven ground, until it hit a tree with a jolt. \n\nI sat for a second, ears ringing, still taking in what happened.\n\n\"They are here.\"\n\nSearchlights lit up my car, practically blinding me. Before I had a chance to react, figures in camo surrounded my car. They threw the door open, and dragged me out, handcuffs slapped onto my wrists.\n\n\"You are being detained until your treasonable godhood is proven,\" the man in front of me said, \"then you are to be executed.\"\n\nI blanched, and several things happened all at once. The spotlight that had been on me this whole time went dark, I felt my cuffs break, and someone was suddenly at my left shoulder.\n\n\"Hang on,\" a feminine voice said, and she grabbed my arms.\n\nI blacked out." ]	2
	[WP] Your publisher has given you a nearly impossible take to complete. Write the best cliffhanger in existence.	[ "I sat in front of the monitor, a blinding beacon of light in the dark room. Even with flux installed, the bright light of TexWorks' background started to make my eyes teary. The only other sources of light were the lantern outside, barely shining through the mist, and the tiny LED from my mobile phone being charged.\n\nI sighed and leaned back in my chair. A soft gust of wind blew some cool air into my face, but the night was still to humid for my liking. At least it wasn't terribly hot. I looked at the time. 3:22. That time of the night when it was still beautiful and didn't become depressing yet. That was around 4 a.m., when the birds would start to sing outside. I really didn't want to be up by then.\n\nI took a big gulp of water and stared at my screen again. The best cliffhanger in existence, my publisher had said. What kind of request was that? I thought my story was good so far. Good characters, a very atmospheric setting in the Swiss Alps, some hidden hints and red herrings to misdirect the reader, make him fumble around in the darkness while the truth was right there, spelled out for him, if only he was paying attention. Even some good humor was in there, and a decent love story; not to forget the political background. In all humility, it was the perfect story. But it just needed a cliffhanger.\n\nI put my hands on the keyboard. Come on, I thought to myself, it can't be that hard! I had lead my main character Sarah to that room, I just needed the perfect scene to end it, something that would leave the reader yearning to know what happened next...\n\nOf course.\n\nIt was so simple. Suddenly, I knew the scene, like it had always been there. It was like the whole story had just inevitably lead to this.\n\nI started typing." ]	1
	[WP] Join the bandits, they said. It would be fun, they said.	[ "My parents are pretty normal if you don’t know they were once members of the biggest bandit crew in the country who did nothing but ride around drinking, stealing, and shooting.\n\t\nTheir group fell apart and they were lucky to survive, but instead of counting their blessings and renouncing their old life, they’ve been trying their hardest to form another group ever since I was born. And, once I got old enough to know my way around a gun, they decided to live vicariously through me.\n\t\nMama said I needed to live a little or die trying, and it wasn’t long before I shacked up with a group of guys a little older than me and headed out west. They all looked like the hardened criminal type with tattoos and beards and big ugly scars, and if there was one thing they knew how to do, it was drink.\n\t\nI figured mama and papa would be proud.\n\t\nBut here I am a year later, with that same group of losers, sitting around a campfire, heating up marshmallows. The only reason we have these goddamn things is because I swiped them from a stall and one of the boys happened to see me. These guys are chumps who do nothing to get money, and when we somehow do run into some, they blow it all on liquor.\n\t\nDon’t worry though, I've got a plan to get out of this damned group before they ruin my life, and while it's going to piss off everyone I've ever known something fierce, I honestly don't give a damn. \n\t\nI’m gonna become a cop.\n\t\nNext town we ride into, I'm sneaking to sheriff’s office and getting me a badge. Then the only way those boys are gonna come at me is if they wanna take on an entire station, and I know they’re not that stupid.\n\t\nHell, maybe with some luck they will, and I'll get my first real taste of action this year.\n***\nThis story's a lil' rough, but I had fun with it. Thanks for the prompt! :D\n\nIf you like this story, check out my sub! r/longhandwriter" ]	1
	[WP] You are so sure you'll be totally safe even though everyone keeps insisting you are not.	[ "\"Hold my beer and watch this,\" I said, handing the precious can to my best friend, John.\n\n\"What are you going to...?\" he started to ask.\n\n\"Don't worry, I've got this,\" I said, grabbed the fish, and began to run.\n\nAt first the seal actually looked surprised. I was delighted. This was the best idea I'd had all day. I could hear the trainer yelling obscenities at me but it was worth it. At first the bucket just sort of floated there, and then overturned. \n\n\"You're free! Swim away, fishies! You can do it,\" I cheered them on. \n\n\"Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming,\" I continued in a singsong voice.\n\nPeople were screaming. I turned to see if it were admiration and realized my friend was chugging my beer. \n\n\"HEY!\" I yelled and was suddenly hit from behind by the giant marine mammal. I turned just in time to admire how much larger he was than I'd previously appreciated, grabbed the now empty bucket, and shoved it in his gaping maw.\n\n\"Take that, you beast! Fish are friends, not food!\" \n\n\"Get out of the water, you idiot, you're going to get killed,\" yelled the trainer.\n\nA quick glance at everyone in the crowd let me know the sentiment was definitely a popular one.\n\nI waved at my friend. He downed another beer. I wondered where he got it and started toward the edge of the pool. I'd done my good deed for the day.\n\nJust as I was about to climb out, someone shot a dart at the seal. This was so unnecessary. I was pretty sure the fish had a head start. \n\nI made it up, all grins. \n\n\"No need to thank me,\" I said with a flourish, \"Now excuse me, I need to get back to my friend. He looks like he may be getting a tad drunk.\"\n\n\n\n" ]	1
	[WP] I could walk out anytime I wanted to, but the cage was comfortable. Familiar.	[ "I woke up this morning laying on a straw bed prickling at my exposed legs. In the fog of waking up it took me quite a while to realize I was not at home.\n\n\nI was in a room about 8x8 feet with black and white images plastered over over the wall. A chaotic mosaic that immediately sank my stomach.\n\n\"Jen...\" I said, astounded.\n\nThe photos were of my past life. The life I had before my only child Jen had passed. It wasn't completely my fault. After all, if the emergency brake had not failed, nothing bad would have transpired. After the accident, my wife Sarah ended our marriage and I spiraled into oblivion. Drugs, alcohol, you name it, I did it. My drug of choice these days is heroin. The worst thing though was the relentless self induced shame and guilt. I should have taken that damn car into the shop!\n\nThe photos were searing into my eyes and I wanted to cry so bad, but that would ease the pain - I did not deserve that.\n\nOnce I started to differentiate between the different images, it hit me that something was incredibly odd about them. I had no recollection of taking them. In fact, they were clearly taken by someone who had followed me and my family.\n\n\"What in God's name is this...\" I trailed off.\n\nI immediately found my answer when I looked at the door. A hand written inscription that said \"It wasn't your fault, I broke the emergency brake to ruin your life.\" signed by a Richard.\n\nWho this person is, I couldn't be certain. I could think of two Richards that probably hated me and those were just the ones I could come up with right away.\n\nStill, that was really just a small curiosity. The only thing I could think about was feeling pf vindication. There was anger, yes, but I had little energy at this point to feel such an emotion.\n\nRelief washed over me. I no longer felt the need to induce agony on myself.\n\nI took out the last of my heroin, all of it, and I tied up. This is where I would spend the rest of my life.\n\n", "I woke up to weak rays of sunlight filtering through the yellowed sheer curtains that adorned my room. I could just begin to make out the rough outlines of the objects around me. A familiar scent lingered in the air. Propping myself up, I realized I had been resting on a fresh layer of straw. I started making my way across the floor. My bowl had been replenished nicely. They brought my favorite, sauteed carrots with fresh leaves of lettuce. As I enjoyed the breakfast, I pondered the meaning of my existence within these compounds. Although my cage took up nearly a third of the room, there was something left wanting. As a hyper intelligent rabbit I could exit these premises with ease. But for what reason? To start a family? Achieve financial independence? Champion the fight for true freedom of expression? Would any of these lofty ambitions make me want to leave the familiar comfort of my cage? Nope, they all miss the mark by a hare.", "Cage... No, that wasn't the right word for this. Only one wall had the bars of a cage, and a smaller cage wall in one of the stone walls around me. I know there is a human word for it but the guards never told me, thinking an orc was far too stupid to understand anything. No, I'm rather intelligent myself... It's just that English eludes me, what with it's hodge-podge of grammar and terminology from multiple human dialects, French and Old English and German and French and... Speak a proper language like Latin.\n\nAnyway... Yes, I am indeed within a stone cage, blissfully looking out into the morning sunlight as the guards make their own way around. The guards leave the bowl of stew by the bars for me, a special order from the king. He is rather wise, he knows why I don't tear the bars from the walls, eviscerate the guards with my bare hands and smash my way through the castle walls to freedom. And he'd prefer it that I stay in here.\n\nOf course, it's not like Orcish stew. A carefully skinned deer chopped up into an enormous pot, some herbs and whatnot over boiled potatoes, and the gravy is too runny for me. It's perfect to fill my belly.\n\nSo, you may be wandering... why would an orc who could single-handedly slaughter every human in their wake, every human in this castle within an hour, want to waste away within the dark and dank dungeons?\n\nAnd the answer? Well, I have shelter from the storm, I get warm food to eat... Humans pay for this.\n\nOf course, it is rather boring. I mean, the guards bring me a book thinking I'm too stupid to read it within a week but I usually finish it within two hours, mainly because it's in bloody English...\n\nBut alas, I do respect the hospitality of the king but I feel as if it is my time to leave this little cage. It is a major orcish festival and I do miss seeing the rest of my clan. Maybe as thanks for hosting me I won't kill anyone.\n\nExcept Fitzgerald, of course. I'm going to literally shove my foot into his ass and wear him like a shoe for bringing his blade to my nethers.", "The door lay open, my guards were gone, nothing stood between me and freedom. I took a step towards the door, and it remained open. My guards didn't arrive, I was still free to leave whenever I chose. A breeze moved through the cage, pushing me softly, guiding me towards the door with a gentle touch. And I resisted. I have no idea why I did, but I took a step back, into the cage, into the breeze. I examined my emotions, trying to find out what had pushed me back, and I found the cause quickly, but the name eluded me for a while. I stood pondering it, and as the breeze died down, I found my answer.\n\nFear. An emotion that meant nothing when the door was closed and locked, when my guards still patrolled outside. An emotion I had all but forgotten. I could barely remember the last time I had felt afraid, it was certainly before I had been put in my cage, one of my earliest memories. I swallowed, and pushing the rising sense of dread down, I took a step forwards. And froze. I couldn't move a muscle, my body disobeyed my every command. Until I told it to step backwards, away from the door.\n\nI sat then. I sat in the middle of my cage, and stared at the open door, as though a wolf might suddenly wonder in, and decide that it wanted to eat me. Why had they left the door open, why had they taken my guards away? Why was I allowed to leave? It had to be a trick, they wouldn't really let me leave, they'd punish me for trying to escape, I was sure. So here I would stay. Here was safe, here was comfortable, here was familiar.\n\nI don't know how much time passed, but I was curious. I stepped up to the door, and placed my right foot on the floor outside. I immediately recoiled. The floor outside my cage was soft, and yielding, the floor inside was hard, and solid. I decided to stay on my floor, I wouldn't set foot on the soft ground again. Or so I thought. Eventually, I tried again, setting more weight on the floor which was soft, and to my surprise, it stopped giving, and became just as firm as my cage's floor. Without thinking, I brought my other foot out, and that was it. After all of these years, I was no longer in a cage.\n\nI sank to my knees, tears rolling down my cheeks. I placed my hands on the floor, and the softness began to feel good, began to feel right. i stood, moving my feet through the grass, and I walked away from the cage. I walked away from countless years of imprisonment. i walked away from the cold, tight, unyielding cage, and towards my freedom. Towards my future.", "It...started with a flyer. The kind that gets shoved into your hand by a teenager with a gleam in their eye you know all too well has an expiration date. You know the type--the ones with an unrealistically optimistic view of the world and a drive to make a change that will only fizzle out at the first real whiff of the stench we call reality. Family deaths. War. Famine. Crime. Religious extremism. The true state of the world is far cry from the fake reality we post on our Instagram and Facebook accounts. The mask we all put on to hide the struggles we all face. The world connected through the very thing that'll tear us apart. \n\nMy reality? Lawyer. Family Law specifically. Divorce proceedings. Custody hearings. Day in. Day out. Been like that for 10 years now. Families tore apart with a slash of the pen across paper. Cutting the lives of those affected forever. I help the process along with an understanding disposition. My mask I wear. \n\nI don't know why the flyer resonated with me. Maybe it was the opportunity to focus on something outside of the blur my mask projects onto my eyes. Maybe I just wanted an escape from the constant badgering of complaints from clients. The stories of abuse. The stories of hatred. You should hear some of the vile shit that comes out of these people's mouths. In the end, it usually comes down to money. Always money. Fuck the money. I have enough. \n\nRegardless, the clock on the wall says I've been in here for over a month. \n\nAll I have to do is sit in this cage. I'm not locked in or anything. There are...or...were others. They told us they wanted to see how long we'd stay in an unlocked cage voluntarily. Told us it was a competition. Last one standing gets...something. They didn't say what. \n\nAn old PA system announced the rules. \n\n1. You may leave whenever you wish. Just press the red button and the door will unlock.\n\n2. Once you press the red button, you will be given your payment and escorted out of the building. \n\n3. Any attempt at self-harm will immediately disqualify us. \n\n4. We will not tell you if or when the others leave. \n\nThe cage is fairly large I guess. A single bed on the north wall, a sink and toilet on the west. Shower head in the southwest corner and a small slot in the center of the door on the east wall. That slot acts as a portal to the outside world. Through it comes toiletries, food, water, and occasionally, something to fiddle with. They make me give up the toys at the end of the day. Probably not a good idea to allow me too much access to stimulation. After all, I'm their prized lab rat.\n\nNo one expects anything of me here. No cell phone. No Emails. Just...silence. I'm assuming the world has forgotten me like I forgot it. Just the hum of the lightbulb above my head and the three tones that toll for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. \n\nI know they're watching me. The little camera in the corner of the room tells me that. Sometimes I count how many times the red light blinks. Once every two seconds or so. Got to 750 once before losing concentration. I wonder if they know that's what I'm doing. It probably just looks like I'm staring into the camera. \n\nI've grown to like it here. 3 meals a day. A bed. A shower. What more do you need really? Better yet--no stress. No Facebook. No Instagram. no Twitter, Pinterest, or Tumblr. No documents. No family drama. No depressing news stories. No reports on what the President did or didn't do at his fucking ceremony for rich fucks or whatever it was for. Just. Me. Me. me. Me. Me. me. Me. me. me. Me.\nJust me. All me. One is me. me. me. me. Not you. me.\n\nWhy do you need--what do you need the world for anyway? It's just MURDER. and DEATH and LYING. People LIE. They LIE they LIE they LIE. All the time! Lie. Lie. Lie. Lying and bullshit. EVERYONE. What? Are you looking at me for? I'm the one in the cage! You WANT me to leave, don't you! OHHHHH I got your number buddy. I'll NEVER leave! I don't. Want. To. HAHAHhhhahaha. You want me to leave. You'll be satisfied right? If I leave and fail your little experiment? Well, I GOT NEWWWSS FOR YOU. \n\nThe distant ramblings of Patient 6 in his ears, Dr. Iqbahl sighs as he leans back in his chair and starts rubbing his temples.\n\n\"Jesus.\" He exhales.\n\nDr. Harut walks in the room behind him and picks up the remote to the closed-circuit T.V. \n\n\"Patient 6?\" she asks. \n\n\"It's always 6 isn't it?\" he says in an exasperated tone. \n\nDr. Harut turns the volume down on the T.V. and takes a seat in her own chair as she watches Patient 6 jump up and down on his bed. \n\n\"How long has he been going this time?\" she asks, finding her clipboard and pen. \n\n\"He just started.\" he states as he flips a page on his clipboard. \"and it seems he has concocted another story as to why he's here.\"\n\nPushing her hair back behind her ear, her eyes roll. \"What is it this time?\"\n\nDr. Iqbahl, starts scratching the back of his head. \"He thinks he is free to leave--that he's here on his own volition.\" \n\n\"That's new.\" Dr. Harut says with an exasperated tone. \"Should we give him his lunchtime medicine now?\" \n\n\"Yea.\" Says Dr. Iqbahl, removing his hand from the back of his neck. \"Better make it a double today.\"" ]	5
	[WP] Secretly, all professional tennis players are using telekinesis powers to control the ball. You somehow mange it into a professional game without any such abilities.	[ "She hadn't won the tournament, but she did fairly well, and her last opponent invited her out for drinks. \n\n\"C'mon, Anna. I'll introduce you to the others, and we can talk about the stuff.\"\n\nGabby wiggled her eyebrows, and Anna vaguely wondered if she was talking about drugs.\n\n\"I should go back though, my dad's waiting.\"\n\n\"You can text him,\" Gabby said. \"I can't believe you got all the way here with just your dad as a coach though. Does it run in the family?\"\n\n\"Tennis? Not really. My older brother played for a while, but quit. My dad's here mostly as support.\"\n\nGabby laughed as if Anna said something hilarious. \"So, coming?\"\n\nAnna looked at her cell phone. It was still early. \"Alright,\" she said. \"I'm not doing drugs though.\"\n\n_________________________\n\n\nWhen she stepped into the private party room, however, it certainly felt like she was on drugs. \"What.\"\n\nThings were flying all over the room--normal stuff, like darts, but also glasses of alcohol and bags and coats.\n\nGabby smiled at her. \"You haven't really interacted with us much, have you? You must have thought you were the only one.\"\n\n\"Am I seeing this right?\" Anna asked.\n\n\"Yeah? I mean, it's just telekinesis.\" Gabby flicked her finger up to float her jacket up to the rack.\n\nAnna gripped Gabby's arm. \"Gabby,\" she whispered, \"I don't have telekinesis.\"\n\nGabby lost her control over the drinks she was summoning, and they dropped to the ground. The other occupants of the room--tennis players and their plus ones--stared at her. \"It's nothing,\" she said. She put the glass and spilled cocktails in the trash, and pulled Anna over to a couch in the corner. \"What do you mean you don't have telekinesis,\" she hissed.\n\nAnna shrugged helplessly. \"I'm just... an ordinary human? I'm not psychic or whatever.\"\n\n\"But your balls are always so accurate!\"\n\n\"I practiced a lot,\" Anna replied, then narrowed her eyes. \"Wait, do you mean that you--\"\n\nGabby covered up her mouth with a hand. \"Shush, it's an open secret. Or maybe an Open secret. Tennis is the prime sport to train reflexes and accuracy in telekinesis.\"\n\nAnna shook off Gabby's hand. \"So while I was struggling during the last match, you were,\" she lowered her voice to a whisper, \"cheating?\"\n\n\"It's not cheating if everybody does it,\" Gabby said.\n\n\"I want a rematch,\" Anna said immediately. \"Even if it's not official, I want you and me to do that again.\"\n\n\"I'm pretty sure that technical skill wise you're much higher than me,\" Gabby placated, \"but it's not that simple. I don't know how to play tennis without telekinesis. It's just so natural.\"\n\nAnna stood, tired of all this. \"Fine then. I'm going now.\"\n\n\"Wait! Anna, it's not my fault!\"\n\n\"Even so, I need to train.\" Anna cracked her knuckles. \"At the next tournament, I'm going to win. Against all of you.\"" ]	1
	[WP]"Tell them" your best friend says, as his hand is torn from yours and he is cast into the abyss. "Tell them what happened here."	[ "He falls down as a tear forms from my eye. \"Tell them. Tell them what happened here.\" He said while his body and soul dissapated into the blackness of nothing.\n \nI break down. I don't know what to do next. \"I'm not strong enough.\" I whisper to the shadows knowing he can't hear me anymore.\n \nThe shadows draw closer when i'm falling down the abyss inside my own mind. As I look at the last letter he left me and cast it into the portal he fell into, because I couldn't bare to look at it any longer.\n \n\"I'm sorry, but I can't go on.\" I say as i'm falling down closing into the portal. At the moment my body is torn apart by the abyss I hear a whisper \"Why?\"" ]	1
	[WP] It's modern day, the war between Elves, Orcs and Humans still continues to this day.	[ "My dearest Emily,\n\nI was reminded today of our holiday to the Forests of Arazeen. The pollen tickled my nose, a thousand tiny rainbows danced in the dew around us but through dewy eyes you were all I saw.\n\nThe trees are gone now, pulled from the ground to have munition factories planted in their stead. \n\nThis war has taken so much from so many. I fear we are no longer fighting eachother, but fighting beauty itself with myself as commander in chief. \n\nGods damn me. All I ever wanted was peace and I have killed it, put my hands around it's neck and squeezed until it stopped moving.\n\nWe finished testing today and it works. My nuclear magic missile is complete, guaranteed to never miss. \n\nI'm so sorry, Emily, but I can't live with myself. I can only hope as I pass from this world my last thought will be of you in that forest. \n\nWith all my love,\nDr. Robert Elfinheimer", "Every side manipulates its media, so every average Joe thinks the war is over. Every side monitors social media, so even the smallest outbreak of truth goes nowhere. And, every side has its finger on the button, so to speak.\n\nWhich is why billboard space is the most contested resource on Earth. \n\nNowhere else can an observer have a higher assumption of veracity, than when they are looking at a billboard. They're big, they're out in the open, they can have bright colors... People can't help but believe what they see on billboards. \n\nEach side utilizes them in different ways. The orcs make innocuous-seeming ads that subliminally remind the masses of how physically fit they are; Humans write clever slogans that subtly badmouth their enemies; and the Elves' have enchantments that make humans seem bloated and orcs seem mangy. \n\nAll of that may seem petty; but in reality, war always is.", "Michael Trullo sat up straight when he saw the name on the screen, just above the bouncing green camera icon.\n\n\"Fuck me,\" he muttered under his breath as he straightened his collar, ran his hands across his trim beard, and clicked RECEIVE.\n\nThe woman staring back at him from across the digital divide was pale and silver blond, oval-faced and hard-eyed. She was ageless and sexless and pitiless. A statue, perhaps. Or a minor god.\n\n\"Governor Lorothiem, it is an honor to receive your call,\" said Michael, standing up from his chair just enough to offer a slight bow. \n\n\"Satellite images from NERV-17 reveal what appears to be a new cluster of orc-kin in the outer borough,\" said Lorothiem, never a fan of extraneous civility. \"Were you aware of this?\"\n\nMichael stifled a sigh. \"Yes, governor. It is being addressed.\"\n\n\"From all angles, I presume?\" said Lorothiem. \"I am less concerned about the removal of the orc-kin than I am curious about how they found their way into Fair Harbor in the first place.\"\n\n\"There are always paths,\" replied Michael, straining to keep his face even and emotionless, just like the Governor. \"Fair Harbor is vast.\"\n\n\"That sounds like an excuse.\"\n\nMichael bowed his head. \"Certainly not. We'll be certain to interview the orc-kin and discover their methods.\"\n\nLorothiem said nothing more. The call cut out. Michael Trullo was a cautious man, however - he made sure to leave the room before swearing in frustration.\n\n\"That was a naughty word,\" smiled little Abby, head popping out from the kitchen. Michael blushed. \n\n\"I thought your mother took you to judo class?\"\n\nAbby shook her head. \"She went to the hospital. Someone's sick so they needed her. She told you, remember?\"\n\nMichael vaguely remembered Kairi coming into the office and telling him...something.\n\n\"How long ago was this?\"\n\nAbby shrugged. \"Forever ago.\"\n\n\"And you've been out here alone the whole time?\" asked Michael.\n\n\"I've been painting,\" said Abby, motioning towards the near wall. Michael swallowed as he came around the corner. \"It's a unicorn,\" said Abby, appraising her own work.\n\nMichael stared at his kitchen wall, smeared in weaving lines of purple and yellow. \"That it is. That it is.\" He sighed. \"Wash your hands. Daddy needs to do a work thing.\"\n\n\"Daddy's work?\" said Abby suspiciously. \"Daddy's work is boring.\"\n\n\"Such is life. Come on.\"\n\nWith Abby only a very vague shade of purple in only a few very conspicuous spots, the pair buckled into Michael's state-supplied sedan and headed for the outer borough. \n\n\"Where are we going?\" said Abby.\n\n\"We are...\" Michael considered his words. \"Helping some folks move.\"\n\nAbby frowned. \"Like when Uncle Danny moved? That was boring.\"\n\n\"Yes it was,\" said Michael. \"This won't take quite so long.\"\n\nThere were three wagons and nine officers waiting when Michael arrived. \"Just how many are there?\" he asked one of his officers as he stepped out of the car.\n\n\"Five,\" said the officer. \"Protocol says to use swarm tactics whenever possible,\" he added, somewhat defensively.\n\n\"No, that's fine,\" said Michael. \"Just feels...excessive.\" He turned back to the car. \"Abby? Just have a seat here, okay. Daddy needs to do some talking. Very boring. Just play a game on the touch-screen, okay?\"\n\n\"Can I buy a new game?\" asked Abby.\n\n\"No.\"\n\nAbby rolled her eyes. \"Pfffffffffooooooo.\"\n\nMichael closed the door. \"Okay. Lets go.\"\n\nThey were in an alley between a factory and a cafeteria. Michael was impressed by the integrity of the little shanty structure they'd erected so quickly. Mud and paper and all manner of trash was more or less glued together to form a pair of short, sturdy huts, side by side.\n\nMichael tapped on the frame as the officers fanned out into a semi-circle, hands nervously gripping the handles of their holstered electric-cudgels. \"Hello?\" said Michael. \"Peacekeepers. We need to talk.\"\n\nA man stepped out. He was short and ugly, even by orc standards. The left side of his gray face was blubbery and scarred. His nose was missing, sheared off at the base, leaving behind a crusted, yellowish pair of black corn kernel holes. Both eyes were black and filmy. Greasy, black hair twirled from the undersides of his ears and nowhere else.\n\n\"We ain't done an'thin',\" he muttered.\n\n\"Well, you're here,\" replied Michael. \"So you've done at least that. You know well enough you can't be here.\"\n\n\"An' 'ere shou' we be?\" replied the grizzled orc. \n\n\"I'm sympathetic,\" said Michael. \"I am. The Black Lands are turned over. I realize that. There is very little left there for you and your kind. But perhaps that's simply how these things always go. Perhaps that's the price to be paid for the war you waged. Hmm? These things have consequences.\"\n\nThe orc snorted. \"Aye. We see the cons'quences y'umans have paid these last cen'suries. Diff'rence is us orc-kin ain't dogs to be heeled.\"\n\nMichael clenched his fist. \"I'm not going to debate the merits of a 200 year old alliance with a goddamn orc. You're leaving. You and your kin. How pleasant of a journey you have on the way out will be determined by whether or not you tell us how you got into Fair Harbor.\"\n\n\"No,\" said the orc. \n\n\"Alright,\" said Michael. He remembered Lorothiem's cold, dismissive stare. She had no respect for him. No faith. It was how all the elves looked at humans. Continually disappointed. \"Richter?\"\n\nOne of the officers stepped forward. \"Sir?\"\n\n\"Club, please.\"\n\nThe officer handed over his cudgel. \"You need to say what you know,\" said Michael. \"I won't ask you again.\"\n\nThe orc spat on the ground. \"Piss this city. Piss elf-kind. And piss dog-'umans.\"\n\nMichael struck the man across the face with the cudgel in neutral. The man did not fall, though his legs bowed. Michael could hear someone crying inside the hut. \n\n\"Dog dog dog...\" muttered the orc. \"At least some'un love a dog, though...\"\n\nMichael clicked the cudgel into low and struck the man in the ribs, sending the orc collapsing to the ground. True to his word, he didn't ask the man again. Instead he spoke into the dark hut. \"Does anyone in there want to help him out and tell us how you got into Fair Harbor?\" \n\nThere was no reply. Michael sighed. Another failure. As expected. He handed the cudgel back to Richter. \"Round them up. Take them back.\"\n\nBack in the car, Michael slumped down into his seat. \n\n\"Done?\" asked Abby from the back seat. \n\nMichael blinked, starting the car and backing out of the alley. \"Yes. Done. Sorry. We'll go back home now.\"\n\n\"Good,\" said Abby. \"Now I can show you my painting like I said.\"\n\nMichael shook his head. \"I already saw, honey. Oh christ...is there another one?\"\n\n\"I wasn't talking to you, dad,\" said Abby. \"It's a unicorn. I think it's my best painting ever, actually.\"\n\nMichael placed a hand on the rearview mirror, lowering the glass so he could see into the backseat. There was Abby. And there was a small girl orc, looking overwhelmed.\n\n\"This is Voc,\" said Abby. \"Can she stay the night?\" ", "\"Y'know,\" Bud said, spitting out more sunflower seeds, \"I heard that the elves're close to working out the rebirth of magic.\"\n\nJohn's eyebrows shot up. \"Y'figure? Can they even do that?\"\n\n\"Dunno. They was always more magical than any o' the rest o' us. If anybody has a shot, it's them.\"\n\n\"From which kingdom was that news?\" A small voice demanded. The two soldiers snapped to attention and saluted their superior officer, a small man who stood about five-two with a crop of white hair braided down to his waist and the signature purple eyes of a Noble.\n\n\"Lieutenant Davis, sir!\" Bud said, genuine respect in his voice. Though everyone in the garrison had assumed Lt. Davis got his position through family ties at first, they all knew better now. There had been no room left for doubt after his first skirmish with the Orak orcs where he'd personally downed three of their warriors and rallied the garrison. Somehow they'd managed to push the pig-beasts back and force them to retreat to the Roak Kingdom in the former Rocky Mountains (now renamed, in true orcish fashion, to the 'Orky Mountains').\n\n\"Uhh...\" Bud continued, wracking his brain for an answer. Davis waited patiently, and John tried not to smirk. Failed, but at least he tried. \"Was the Taldo- Taldy? Taldyro?\" It was definitely more a question than a statement. \"Y'know, the ones living o'er in Pisgah National Forest, in North Carolina.\" He amended, \"Sir.\"\n\nDavis cocked an eyebrow, surprise evident in his voice, \"The Tal'Dorei?\" He thought for a moment, eyes distant, but still, John noted, scanning the far treeline for orcish movement. Finally he continued, \"Well that makes sense. The Tal'dorei were always obsessed with bringing about the rebirth and their scholars have been researching it tirelessly.\"\n\nThe wind rustled the leaves, picking up strength. John shivered slightly. This was a storm wind if he ever felt one. \"Whattaya think'll happen, sir, if they succeed?\"\n\nPursing his lips, Davis thought for a moment before responding. \"On us? Not much. History tells us that the Orcs have always been resistant to the flow of magic, so they likely won't be able to field any of their shamans. Not quickly at any rate. Similarly any war-wizards that we train will likely be sent to an anti-elven garrison where they can actually do some good. The points were naturally gifted with magic, so we can expect them to push an offensive in a territory grab.\" He shook his head. \"Our own magi won't be able to learn as quickly so we'll be at a disadvantage, but brass is probably working on countermeasures already.\"\n\n\"What about you, sir? Won't you get your Noble-magic back?\" Bud said. John froze. Everyone knew that mentioning a Noble's bloodline ability was rude. Everyone except Bud, apparently.\n\nJohn could swear the air went still and dropped a few degrees as Lieutenant Davis stared at Bud. \"I don't know,\" the lieutenant stated after a moment. \"But evidently my family is prepared for just such an eventuality.\"\n\nEvidently the frost in his tone was missed by Bud, because he continued, \"What is your magic-thingy, sir?\"\n\nA flicker of annoyance crossed Davis's face before he got himself under control. He treated Bud to a level stare, under which the soldier squirmed. After several uncomfortable moments, he quietly spoke, \"That is classified information, Private First Class Budstein. It is above your pay grade.\" He flowed smoothly between the two soldiers stationed at their posts with all the grace stereotypical of a Noble and stopped a few feet behind them.\n\n\"Oh, and Bud?\" Davis said over his shoulder\n\n\"Yes, sir?\"\n\n\"Clean up your fucking sunflower shells.\"" ]	4
	[WP] You are the very sarcastic narrator of an on-going car chase, but both parties are respecting the rules of the road.	[ "'OK thanks for the update Marie. It sure looks like at the state fair falconry display a bird in the hand is definitely worth a hand...'\n\n'Don't talk about bush on air John'\n\n'....err, well....'\n\n'Cut over to that ridiculous car chase again'\n\n'We're gonna go live now to Mike Glen, our eye in the sky, covering the days, well, 'developing' story, the long running car chase. Mike, some breaking news I understand?'\n\nWUMP WUMP WUMP\n\n'Well John the only things that have broken on this story since we last spoke is my career, and my tailbone from being stuck in this chopper'.\n\n'We are now into hour 6 of the chase, and thanks to that you've all done the research. At this point we know more about the driver than he does. And all the sequence of Police officers maintaining the chase. But, you know, its a good job I'm here to pad a bit more when you run into trouble with your double entendres, John'.\n\n'So to recap, the driver is Horatio Hidalgo, 42, the owner of a small car modification workshop downtown. I could read all the addresses off again but really, given the pictures we just showed of the crowds at his shop, I'm pretty sure you all know where it is. It became clear, over 4 excruciating hours ago, that this was all a big publicity stunt, to build trade for his business. Back to the studio'\n\n'No?! Really? Jesus, please. Well thanks to the recent changes in Police rules of engagement, anyone who is not endangering life will be followed at a safe distance rather than create a situation that puts an officer or the public in harms way. A genius move from our exceptional Police. I mean honestly. One law suit after a cop gets hurt and now I have to sit through this.'\n\n'The squad cars now just keep rotating in and out, and Hidalgo with the specially extended fuel tanks he fitted is driving like a driving instructor to get maximum airtime. Which we, apparently, are going to give him. I thought the same thing would happen for me when we refuelled approximately 3 hours ago but clearly I need a better union rep. Attempts to use roadblocks to stop him have failed, as with a social media campaign now in full swing, some very intelligent and helpful members of the public are directing him around them, so he can continue.'\n\n'If he doesn't run out of fuel soon, and they can't get a drone to cover this garbage, then I'm going to land on him. BACK. TO. THE. STUDIO'\n\n'Thanks, another engaging report. Did you know that #GrumpyGlen is trending worldwide at this point. I think you'll have a career, buddy! We'll be back with you in 10 minutes, Mike!'\n\n'Oh for fu....'\n\n" ]	1
	[WP] You are a part-time genie. Sure every once in a while you have to grant a wish to some guy, but you get to use your powers any time you want.	[ "It turn's out being a part-time genie sucks ass...\n \nAfter the infamous \"Alladdin\" incident, where a dude cracked, went insane, and dyed his skin blue permanently (you should have seen his wife's face!), upper management decided that we would be taking shorter, 3 hour shifts 4 times a week instead of long haul \"century runs\". \n\n \nUnfortunately, they hadn't thought about the power dilution, and when the company took on nearly 200 new part-timers, there was so little left that we had actually few incidents of mid-wish blue balls, leaving behind a PR firestorm of half-formed palaces and hilariously dysfunctional superpowers.\n\n It got so bad that one day Ted (our department manager) had to send out this memo:\n > \"It\" happened again yesterday, so today I'm setting a few new rules in place \nUpper Management will hear NOTHING about this, kapische? \n1. no killings, the coverups cost too much, if they insist, charge'em all 3 wishes and then just make the \"dead guy\" invisible to him \n 2. no revivals, same deal, give'em a nice long halucination if you have to. \n3. be Cheap, scam them. If I have to have another talk with the boss about why our department is underperforming, I'm gonna start naming names. \n -- hugs and kisses, Ted\n \n >P.S. \nNext week, the man that shows up with most power spent...\n\n \nSee? this is why we genies get a bad rap as scammers, It's all because one guy dropped the ball and then the bad press was like a blowtorch under Ted's ass, and now we have too many people and a shit-show for wish granting.\n\nBack on the old job, I got to rule the world whenevery I took day's off. I remember the time I cleared a whole beach in brazil and redirected a shipment of wine for a party. Man, did that party rock! We must have built 10 or 20 waterslides up and down that beach, Jacob (previous boss, let go after the \"Alladin\") didn't even blink.\n\n \nNow I've got nothing, the budget's so thin that I have to be careful while doing magic tricks. Wanna grab that remote telekinesis style? please mind the budget. Need to find your car keys? location magic's gonna cost ya. Even doing basic shit like summoning a summer breeze will get you called in for a talk about spending.\n\n \nSo I quit, I'm done with politics" ]	1
	[WP] As a freshman at the local intergalactic college, you're having problems with your new roommate.	[ "Humans are disgusting. They leave a layer of oil and grease on everything they touch. I can smell a human's touch for days, like rotten copper. And if that isn't bad enough there's that skin. It keeps...shedding it. Revolting. At least we have the manners to only shed once a year, and in private at that.\n\nSo you can imagine how I felt to learn my new roommate was going to be a filthy human. How it got in, who knows? Affirmative action probably, they have only one brain each! How can they even walk and breathe at the same time with only one brain?\n\nStill, I am Chirax of the hive. When I am ordered, I obey. So I resolved to act as a guide to this human, to take it under my third wing and teach it the ways of civilization.\n\nTo my shame, it was an arrogant notion. I knew I was in trouble when I crawled into our shared bedchamber. Its oils already coated the door and its sleeping pod, and fragments of skin and hair were already floating on the air. The air was vibrating furiously with some sort of high pitched wailing, coming from a box in the human's lap? Is this human music? The noise should be used as a weapon, to stun and confuse the enemy.\n\nI suppressed my digestion reflex and tried to give the human one more chance. But brood-mother, it spoke to me! A human, a lesser species, a drone spoke to me without permission or thought as to its rank! Its voice was high, and grating as the 'music' which it thankfully stopped when it saw me. The human also showed me its teeth. Not only does it presume to speak with me, but it even threatens a member of the hive! \n\nOh, brood-mother, I am furious. Even worse, I am forbidden to eviscerate this human until at least the second semester, and even then I need a letter of approval from the dean. I will weather it as a loyal swarm soldier but brood-mother, how I wish I could be within the safe confines of the hive once more.\n\nBut enough of my troubles. Give my love to Siraka's I through CCVIII and may your husband's provide you with much needed sustenance.\n\nSigned,\n\nChirax VIII, Swarm soldier eighth rank" ]	1
	[WP] An immortal mans only vulnerability is falling in love.	[ "I shall never love again. \n\nShe was tall, beautiful, wise, fierce, and one hell of a lover. She was the woman every man dreams of falling for and dying with. This beauty of a woman was my love and my life; only this time quite literally. I felt it the second I saw Her. My heart finally, literally shed its armor and my vulnerability shone as if it were striving to join the sun in the sky. I felt my God’s touch, my immortality, shudder at the sight of Her, threatening to cave in on itself and destroy my physical form. That is the price I paid for this gift of the Gods; Immortal I shall remain, until love stakes its claim. \n\nOur eyes locked across the polished marble floor, its sparkle dull in comparison to Her sapphire eyes. Her flowing gown a sweet ivory, Her skin a soft olive, and upon Her curly auburn locks: a gold circlet. The daughter of the king she was, and she looked the part. Elegant and strong; majestic and mysterious; compassionate but firm. It was hard to convey exactly what made Her look so strikingly beautiful, for I do truly believe all beauty is relative to Her. We met in the center of the room, and for a moment it was naught but us, standing beneath the whispering flames dancing upon the chandelier above us, a soft melody playing somewhere near to us, yet sounding distant. \n\n\nAs we neared I knelt, offering my hand to Her majesty the princess, my heart nearly exploding as she touched it with a soft hand, stronger than I had imagined. Several bangles circled Her wrists, chiming softly as I stood and took Her second hand, bringing Her close. Our eyes locked once more, my stomach fell. My knees nearly betrayed me as Her sweet scent of juniper and summer breeze overtook my senses. \n\nWe danced. \n\nWe danced for a fortnight, celebrating the union we represented; between the two houses, the two kingdoms of the realm. We were to rule in unison one day, after our fathers met the Gods on the field of battle, and our children would have inherited the largest kingdom that one could imagine. Alas this was not to be.\n\nBeauty could not have saved Her; even love couldn’t have saved Her from the bite of cold steel. On the last night of our celebration, after the kings proclaimed the houses united and us the rightful heirs to the kingdoms there was an awakening. In the shadows a dozen men, nay not men, but shadows themselves, moved like whispers into the palace. Apparating in the kings’ bedchambers as if they themselves were smoke from the lit torches, the kings were extinguished as easily as the torches’ flame. The wives were spared, only long enough to release blood curdling screams waking half the kingdom, then they too fell silent. \n\nI awoke at once; knowing what was happening, reaching under my pillow for my dagger, a gift from my recently deceased father-in-law. It was heavy in-hand, yet perfectly balanced, a sapphire in the pommel, almost as bright as his daughter’s eyes, though not quite. The moonlight fell through the open balcony doors and made the sapphire sparkle as I unsheathed the weapon. It wouldn’t fare against the Apparitions, though it will serve its purpose yet. \n\nMy newlywed woke with a start, clutching at the sheets and questioning the ongoing muffled cries of terror. A sudden pounding at the door made Her fall silent. Again, and again, and again the pounding came, meaning to turn the artistic piece of wood we called a door into kindling for the fire, a fire which they would promptly put out. \n\nShe clutched at me from behind; I can still feel Her trembling as she wrapped Her arms around my waist, meaning to hold me until the bitter end. I turned to embrace Her, to comfort Her, and to tell Her everything was to be fine. The pounding intensified. Not at the door this time, but in my heart. Fear crept over my mind, threatening to steal my courage and to prevent me to do what needed to be done. I looked at the door, the hinges barely holding on to the stone, grasping at whatever they could to prevent the intruders from gaining access. The art pieces themselves began to splinter down the middle as the pounding intensified further. I turned to Her once more, and locked my eyes with Hers. I brought Her face close with my one free hand, having it tremble as it came to meet Her soft cheek. I brought Her lips close to mine and kissed Her, hard. The kiss was of a thousand kisses, meant to span this lifetime and the next. When we broke apart, a single tear had found its way down the side of Her face. Suddenly, the pounding stopped. \n\nAnd all at once, the light in Her sapphire eyes went out. \n\nThe door burst open and the Apparitions, my Apparitions entered. I laid Her on the bed, arms crossed over Her chest, eyes closed, hair splayed over the pillow, sheets slowly turning the dark crimson of the blood of innocents. I turned to the Apparitions, my hand still wielding the dagger with the sapphire now a dull grey, dripping with Her blood, feeling my heart once more clad itself in the gift of the Gods. \n\nThe Kingdom is mine; mine for eternity. \n\nAnd I am to never love again. ", "My heart was mine for life. In all of eternity I would stay alive, to watch the seasons change and the generations pass. But my greatest fear was one which mortal man rejoiced in: Someone else stealing my heart away. I tried my best to distance myself from everyone and stay by myself, though I soon realized a life without friends and close friends wasn't meaningful at all. My friends came and went, all of them mortals, for I was the only immortal on the planet. Never did I mourn their deaths more than I had to, my emotional attachment to them lasting only as long as their life. But then it happened.\n\nThe kind of person I liked the most was the quiet type like me, with good character and optionally good looks. She checked off all those boxes and more, my heartbeat racing for the first time in millenia. A few more meetings, space drinks and dates, and I was in the same relationship I so feared. But despite the warnings I gave myself, I threw them to the wind. So what if I loved someone? There was nothing wrong and nothing to fear.\n\nA proposal preceded years of hapy marriage. Settling down, I thought this was the life I should live, with happiness, not solitude.\n\nBut she was mortal, not like me. And mortals die one day. I kept telling myself the day would never come, but cancer thought otherwise. The cure to it was invented just a month later. But a month in time represented an eternity of pain, her beautiful spirit dying alongside my love. And with a broken heart I faced eternity again. But no longer was it as a cheerful, celebratory fact. My eternal life burdened me, the weight of my sins sagging my shoulders. As I buried mt face in my hands one day, I heard the clickity-clack of expensive shoes behind me.\n\n\"Henry. Henry the Immortal,\" a warm voice rang out behind me. His face was masked, though the voice was distinctly male. \n\n\"That is me. What do you want?\"\n\n\"I can bring her back.\" The words dropped like bombs on my ears, the hope within me rising once again.\n\n\"How? How? What do I have to do?\" I barraged him frantically, my mouth moving faster than my mind. He smiled, the smile concealing a motive.\n\n\"Join me.\"\n______________________________\nContinuation? More over at r/Whale62!" ]	2
	[WP] You are a mythical being who reincarnated as a human in 2017. However, the universe glitched and you (un)fortunately retained some of your mythical abilities from your last life.	[ "Do I love my parents? \n\nThe question swirled around my mind, rearing its ugly head above all else and consuming my thoughts. The picture cupped in my sweaty hands began to shake ever so slightly. It was a picture of two people smiling, two people who had created me. I traced each detail with squinted eyes and burned the memory in my head, even if I didn't have to. I'd seen this picture a thousand times before. Growing up, I always saw it framed and sitting on the wall, reminding me of the love that brought me to this world. I love my parents, without a doubt. But what about my other parents? \n\nI never saw them smiling, especially when my brothers and sisters were all dead and I was the 'runt', for lack of a better term. After all, when I was a beast in the eyes of humans, who could blame them for killing us? My parents were forever lost to a state of despair and barely had the strength to raise me. I grew up caves filled with ice and echoing screams of my kind dying. I joined them. \n\nI looked at the picture as it looked back at me, tauntingly. Smiles. I should be smiling like them. Any memory I've made here has been wonderful, even if sixteen years is a short time to be in this world. I am here, now, a different woman. I live in a home, and I've never even seen snow in this life. So now, tell me why, as my hand's quiver to the pounding of my heart in my ears, the picture I've come to admire is currently becoming encapsulated in tiny fragments of ice? \n\nI let my fingers grow weak, feeling the tears beading up on my cheeks sting like ice cubes dragging against my flesh. The pictures fell, crashing to the floor. Shattering. The sound sliced against my mind, forcing me to stumble backward. I barely notice the pitter-patter of footsteps rushing against the stairs, my hands instinctively flailing forward to grasp something. I catch thin air. I almost gasp when something cold catches me, the tips of my fingertips growing numb. My eyes look downward. \n\nThe tiny snowflakes drifted over my mother's eyes, twinkling back at me in the reflection of her starry-eyed gaze. I smiled softly, resting on the bundle of snow I'd summoned to brace my fall. It was funny. I was remembering all of these things just now. The memories of being a snow woman in an alternate reality, fighting for my life. What stuck out most to me though was a memory that seemed eerily reminiscent of this moment. \n\nThere was a human, petite and skinny, olive skin with dark black hair, watching me as I ran through her village. I had broken into a house to steal some food. Sadly, humans don't like snow women and especially don't like stealing. I was currently being chased with a shotgun, barely able to keep up with creating ice blocks to block bullets while clutching the miscellaneous food items. That woman, she did something I'll never forget. Panting, out of breath, and unusually cold, I was bracing for death. All over some food. \n\nGrace was her name. She stood between me and the man, murmured some words I still can't wrap my head around, and took me into her home. She made a deal for me to work for the food. Stay in the village for a few days and pretty much help around as a sort of apology for stealing. Everyone feared me, staying back. It's how I died, actually. That guy ended up shooting me right in the back. But for the short weeks I spent there, Grace stuck with me. I felt warm for the first time in my life. \n\nI thought it was always a little unusual how cold I would be in this new life. So as my 'new' mother clutched me in her embrace, her head tucked on my shoulder, I smile again. I felt warm again. \n\n\"I love you,\" I choked out, wrapping my hands around her. She tightened her grip. \n\n---\n\nThis isn't that good, I wrote it just now and didn't really feel like editing. Hope you enjoy! ", "My legs are cramped from crouching in the long marram grass for so long. I spent my afternoon watching him from a distance as he moved in. The beach house has been empty for years and has fallen into such disrepair that it was unlikely anyone would want to move in. Which was one of the reasons I took the only other cabin on this stretch of sea. The breeze causes my hair to sway, intertwining with grass that hides me on the dunes. His own sandy hair ruffles in the breeze as he carries the boxes in the house. The sun beats down on me, drying out the skin on my shoulders, causing them to flush with heat. I should really move to the ocean, but I've been here to long and with the sun still up there's no way to move without him seeing me.\n\nHe stands on the porch, beer in hand as he waves to three guys who have just ambled from a car further up the beach. I assume they are his mates, as I have never seen them around here before. A dog comes running on their heels, dragging a piece of driftwood up to the house... just perfect. As they laugh and joke, my throat is rasping against the hot dry air. Thankfully the sun starts to dip below the horizon. I stretch my right leg out, ready to move away into the sea for its blessed release. A gust of wind blows forward, pushing me forward so I have to reach out to stop my self falling. I hiss in pain as the sharp marram grass grazes my hand. As I inspect the wound I realise that the dog's yipping has been replaced with a low growl. I look up to see five pairs of eyes pin pointing me in the grass. Time is suspended for a minute, the men entranced in my eyes. The world is still and the breeze halts, the gulls halt their cries. \n\nIt all ends as the dog jumps into action, racing towards me before I even realise what is happening. As I break eye contact with the men, they start to yell and chase after the dog, either to stop it or to join. I don't wait to consider which as I sprint across the dunes, bare feet skimming the still hot surface. I run down the dunes, making a dash for the sea. However, the dog has the advantage of four legs to my two, although I'm lucky to have even those. It skids to a halt in the surf, a wave crashing past its legs before gently flowing across my feet. The men slow to join us and as I cast a wary glance their way I see amazement in their eyes as I feel the sea trickle up my legs, soothing the burning muscles and dried out skin. Their eyes glaze as I meet their looks, the dog growling all the while. The sandy haired man who had been moving in takes a step forward towards me, reaching out a hand. I respond by taking a step back, although I am certain at this point there is no way out of this without either the sea claiming a few more lives or the secrets of its daughters being exposed once again. \n\nI take a step back along the beach, an unwilling hum starting in my throat as the men follow. The dog is whimpering at their heels, tugging at their shorts. He takes a quick few steps forward faster than I can travel back. I lose my balance on a piece of driftwood and crash back into the surf, my song ending as he reaches forward. As he takes the whole of my vision I hear the other men gasp in shock and confusion, grasping to pull their friend back as they are released from the spell. The uncontrollable spell that is the reason for my isolation, for my lonely lifestyle on the beach. They surge forward, a moment too late as the mans lips crash into mine. I feel them tugging him backwards by his shoulders and upper arms.\n\nIt's too late. He belongs to the sea now, to be forever enthralled by the last remaining Siren." ]	2
	[WP] "So I just have to sign here?" "That's right Lucifer just sign right there."	[ "\"I don't know...\" he fidgets, looking at the paper uncertainly.\n\nI clap my hands to get his attention. \"Hey! Luci, baby. Look at me. Look at me. Thaaaat's it. You got this.\"\n\n\"I got this?\" He squeaks.\n\nI nod. \"Do you trust me?\"\n\nHe pauses. \"Not reall-...\"\n\n\"Don't answer that!\" I say, causing him to jump a little. \"All that matters is...I believe in you. You got the pen. You got the paper. The line is right there. All you need to do... is sign it.\"\n\nHe chews his lip. \"Maybe I should have my lawyer look over th-\"\n\n\"JUST SIGN THE FRICKIN' PAPER!\"\n\n\"Okaaaay, sheesh, don't get your panties in a twist,\" he huffs, signing.\n", "\"In blood?\"\n\n\"No, we use ink in the mortal plane.\"\n\n\"How quaint... Alright, here we go.\"\n\nHe signed the paper in beautiful handwriting.\n\n\"Thank you. Pleasure doing business with you,\" I said. \"Just out of curiosity, what do you need that mortgage for?\"\n\n\"Umm, business. None of your concern.\"\n\n\"Fair enough. Just keep in mind not to keep your payments overdue.\"\n\n\"Don't worry, mortal. You'll have your money back.\"\n\n**\n\n\"What? NO! You can't do this!\"\n\n\"Yes, I can. I have your signature right here.\"\n\nI waved the mortgage contract in front of his face. \n\n\"Such insolence! I'm the lord of hell!\"\n\n\"Not anymore. You were guaranteeing the mortgage with hell. You failed to make the payment when it was due, therefore you forfeited hell. That's what the contract said.\"\n\n\"Impossible.\"\n\n\"Have a look.\"\n\nHe took it from me and read it again with increasingly angry face. Then he roared and tore it into shreds. \n\n\"I've got a copy,\" I said. \"Multiple copies, actually.\"\n\n\"God Dammit!\"\n\n\"Get out. The hell belongs to me now.\"\n\nHe left in a puff of smoke and let me stand there, in the throne room of hell itself. I walked to his throne. It was beautiful, made of stone, cherry wood and red velvet. And just as naturally as I used to sit on the armchair in my grandma's house, I sat on it. \n\nI knew owning a bank was profitable. But I never imagined that it could leave me set for the afterlife... ", "Lucifer flicked through the pages a final time, before fishing a pen out of his pocket.\n\n“Everything looks to be in order. Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”\n\n“Alright - Just sign... here. And here. And here.* Well, that should cover it; the deal is sealed. Everyone is dismissed.”\n\nLucifer tapped impatiently on the table as lawyers trickled out of the room, waiting until he and Mr. Thompson were alone to continue speaking.\n\n“So, one wish, huh? What will it be, I wonder? It’s so rare for a client to draw up their own contract, you know. Color me curious.” His eyes jumped around the negotiating room. “You certainly aren’t hurting for cash. Are you one of those wealthy ones who give their souls up to further their greed?”\n\n“Yes, something like that.” Mr. Thompson sat down, directly across the table from his guest, allowing his pokerface to slip into a grin. “Speaking of souls and greed, Mr. Lucifer, how many would you say you acquire each day, on average?”\n\n“Are we here to indulge your sins, Mr. Thompson, or talk shop?”\n\n“What if they're one and the same? You have read Sections 32(G) and 815(B), I presume.” Mr. Thompson tented his fingers on the table, creating an image reminiscent of a stereotypical movie villain. “Together, they imply that, if you fail to collect my soul by the end of today, all of your active contracts will be taken over by my company.”\n\n“No worries!\" A smirk worked its way across ol' Morning Star's face. \"You have to wish for something before sun down. You should know that, pal - you wrote the rules.”\n\n“I know! It was a very big document. Too much legalese for my tastes.” Mr. Thompson let out a soft chuckle. “But... did I forget to prevent myself from wishing that you can’t collect my soul until tomorrow?”" ]	3
	[WP] After an epic battle, you, the sole survivor of your army, spot the sole survivor of the enemy.	[ "My platoon was dead, the trench foot was killing me, and I was out of bullets. On the other side of the hill, about a hundred yards away, I could see the enemy sizing me up in his scope. \n\nI walked out onto the battlefield, hands raised up high. The enemy did the same but his hands gripped his weapon, and he made sure to keep me in sights. The bastard must've still had a few rounds on him.\n\n\"Okay, okay, hold on! Just hold the hell on! Now I don't care if you shoot me but at least hear me out!\"\n\nThe enemy was young, handsome, and didn't look a day over 20. He continued to walk towards me, making sure to keep me in his sights. \n\n\"We just went through hell for no damn reason,\" I said. \"And we were both fucked by our counties. They start fighting with each other and get us to do their bidding. The government knows how to sucker a man to fight another man's war. Patriotism and all that shit. That's how it's always been.\"\n\nThe young man didn't say anything, hands gripping his gun, me in sights.\n\n\"Now you look like a reasonable fella, a good Christian boy. I don't see why we can't sort this out like gentleman.\"\n\n\"I'm Catholic, sir,\" the young man said.\n\n\"Good for you, son. Always good to have God on your side.\"\n\n\"What about you?\" he asked. \"You got God on your side?\"\n\n\"Yes, sir, I'm a Baptist, born and raised. \n\n\"It's funny when you think about it. How we both got God on our sides and yet we're fighting against each other. Hell, I prayed every single night to make it out of this place alive. But that meant I'd have to kill other God-fearing men to do so.\"\n\n\"Yeah, it is sort of funny. In a twisted kind of way... I wonder how he chooses who lives and who dies.\"\n\n\"Now that's not for us to understand. But from where I'm standing, it seems to me that we can both make it back home to our wives tonight.\"\n\n\"I don't gotta wife, Sargent.\"\n\n\"Well, that's all right. Half the time I don't even want mine. But I got one. And I miss her and her cooking, and would love to get back to that if you'd let me.\"\n\nThe young soldier had finally loosened his grip, lowered his rifle.\n\n\"I've done some bad things, sir...\"\n\n\"Hell, we've all done bad things. This is war, son, and war's ugly.\"\n\n\"You been in many wars, sir?\"\n\n\"More than most men. I guess I'm just easy to dupe.\"\n\n\"Does it go away, sir? The memories?\"\n\n\"I'd like to say they do but then I'd be lying to you, son. And our relationship requires trust, otherwise we're no better than the damn country we're fighting for.\"\n\n\"I don't like it, sir. War. I never wanted to fight in no damn war. I went to school to learn poetry. I wanted to teach.\"\n\n\"There's still time for that, son. We're gonna make it out of here and you can go home to teach poetry or anything else you wanna do.\"\n\n\"You mean it, sir? Are we ending this war? The two of us?\"\n\n\"You bet your ass we are, kid. We might just be the last two reasonable men on the planet.\"\n\nThe young man dropped his gun at his feet and walked over to me and hugged me.\n\n\"I'm so happy, sir,\" he cried, \"I'm so happy that this god-awful war's over. And I'm glad I made a friend out of it, too. I could go for a beer about now, and the first rounds on me, if you'd like to join.\"\n\n\"That would be nice, son,\" I said, and then the boy buried his face deep into my chest and cried the cry of a thousand dead men. He shed a tear for each and every fallen soldier on that battlefield.\n\n\"Sargent, I don't think there are anymore men out in the world like you. You're one of kind, and God's always got his eye on you, always.\"\n\nThen I patted the boy on his back with my left hand while my right hand took his knife out of the sheath on his waist. I took out the knife, and as the boy cried into my chest, I stabbed him a good five or six times in the back. He looked up at me, scared and confused, and with his last breath asked how could I.\n\nI laid him down gently on the floor. Then I cleaned knife on his jacket and then tucked it in my waistband. I picked up his rifle off the ground and started off towards home. I tip-toed over the bodies as to not step on them, and even though the air was tainted by the smell of thousands of rotting men, my mouth still watered at the thought of my wife's cooking. \n\nTonight I would be eating well for the first time in months, while God kept his eye on me, pleased with everything I had done.\n", "Irving sits, exhausted, beat. Deep breath, elbows on knees, legs sprawled out. He stretches his eyes and looks beneath him for the first time, realizing he's sitting on a corpse. There's no other way, he thinks and inhales deeply again. Looking up toward the sharp sky, Irving squints at the sun as it peaks in between clouds heavy with gunsmoke and broken promises.\n\nAt my feet lie a thousand traits of a dozen men whom I've never met and who have solidified my place as her champion. With each fallen foe, I gained strength, Irving thinks. It's not guilt he feels, but dread. In the realm of lovers come and gone, the dead are ever living, acting as lessons to beating hearts. The kiss of a lover past resonates and echoes around the kiss of the current courtesan. Irving knows this, and examines the dead men scattered in the field around him. I am better then them. The evidence is in their absence.\n\nThat's when he spots him. Irving is standing without realizing it, pulling a blade from his thigh and tightening his grip, studying the posture of the distant man. \n\nBegone! Irving shouts, holding his breath to listen carefully for a reply, knowing it will be faint both by design and by proximity. Hear me, foe! She's mine! \n\nThe man doesn't move. And it's this lack of reaction which chills Irving, his fingers, squeezing ever slowly the air from the leather of the grip. Hear me! Irving screeches, losing control of his pitch, his voice breaking at the end of the command. He gasps and holds his breath, awaiting a reply, fearing the man had noticed his weakness. Nothing. Silence. The man stands, seemingly facing Irving, but in silhouette perhaps not. Hear me, Irving says in whisper, his shoulders slacking, his knees bending, his tiredness ascending. He lowers his blade but doesn't notice doing so. He lowers his gaze but doesn't notice doing so. He feels weak. He feels vacant. Who is this man? He thinks. \n\nIrving peers up and sees a second silhouette far from him, close to the man, he thinks. The second figure approaches the man—they seem to become one. Are they holding each other? Irving wonders, ignorant of the slowly expanding red wetness at his shirt, at his breast. Is that.. Is that.. He takes a deep breath and tastes blood on his lip.\n\nIrving collapses, the blade falls out of his hand, thoughts running. She's everything and he is what I am not, he thinks. But his kiss, is it truly better?" ]	2
	[WP] You are home alone for the night, suddenly your dog start to bark to something in the backyard, you go to the window to check and what at first seems to be a rock the size of a basketball ball it turns out to be the body of a spider, it sees you and darts to the kitchen door that is open	[ "I was home alone. It was a perfect night to stream PornHub on the 65\" screen in the living room. 2 minutes in and the tv cuts out. The lights don't work either. \n\nI hear a bang outside and my dog starts going crazy. I grab my flashlight to investigate. Through the back window I could see the main line was snapped and hanging on thick cables. \n\nI walked out back and my dog lead. As I illuminated the cable I caught a glimpse of what I thought was a raccoon. oddly enough the creature was laying down this thick cable as it ran. \n\nHorrified I went in the house to grab my pistol. \n\nI came back out to see my dog crying on the ground in pain. I ran over, he had 2 large holes on his side. blood was oozing out of him.\n\nI was stroking his coat trying to comfort him. My hand was covered in his shedding bloody fur. Blood started flowing out of his mouth. convulsions took over his whole body. \n\nI had to do it... put my best friend out of his misery...\n\nThe gunshots echoed through my neighborhood. \n\nThe tears were blocking my vision, the faint sound of police sirens grew louder.\n\n\"who the fuck did this to my dog!?\" I yelled wiping the tears away. \n\nShining my flashlight around the yard I seen those weird cables again this time formed into a sack hanging on my fence. it started bulging. Out came came 100's of rat sized baby spiders.\n\nI started back pedaling to the house not once taking my eyes off what was happening.\n\nThe police started banging on my front door with their weapons drawn. I opened the door and told them something was happening out back.\n\nWhen we got to the backyard the spiderlings were eating my dogs flesh. \n\nOne of the officers shot his taser into the pile and fried them all with 200,000 volts.\n\nThis angered the mother spider who dove fangs first into that officers neck. panicking the officer contacted HQ and requested backup for mutant insects. \n\nWhen backup arrived the cops hand cuffed me and beat me to death and the mother spider too. Then went in my house and finished watching the pornos on my tv. Justified." ]	1
	[WP]The house across the street from you finally finished construction and from memory it exactly replicates the house that you made in The Sims 7 months ago. The similarities don't end there.	[ "Our neighborhood is a relatively new development in the area, so I wasn't really surprised when the new house sprung up across the street. The construction was fast; It only took about 5 months, if I remember correctly. Shoddy craftsmanship, I thought, same as my own home.\n\nWhen it was first finished -- before the weirdos moved in I mean -- I walked by it one day, and got this eery feeling, kinda like a deja vu. Except it wasn't deja vu, because part of me knew I hadn't ever seen the house up close. A sudden curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to get closer and check it out. There were no construction crews around anymore, and I knew there wasn't anybody living there yet, so I figured there was no harm in trying to go in. Lucky for me, the door was unlocked! I walked in and the feeling of familiarity didn't stop. Where had I seen this house before? Maybe a friend's house when I was a kid? Or some distant relative? But all my friends and relatives lived in crummy little houses or worn out old apartment complexes. This house was NICE. Super fancy, even for our new neighborhood. I'm talkin' granite countertops, real hardwood floors, sturdy oak doors -- hell, even the cabinets were real wood, instead of the usual particle board garbage. I don't think I'd ever been into a house this fancy, except for that time my old boss through the office Christmas party at his place. But the new house wasn't anything like my boss's place... So why did it feel so familiar?\n\nIt didn't hit me until I was back at my house, and I walk into my bedroom to see my steam library open. There's no friggin' way I thought to myself as I jumped into the chair and grabbed my mouse, quickly opening The Sims 3. I opened it up and loaded a save from nearly a year before. I can't believe I remembered; it felt like it had been so long since I played the game, but I guess I spent more time in it than I thought. I opened my most recent save file, and my suspicions were confirmed. I had built a house just like that new one in the Sims!\n\nHoly cannoli, I thought to myself, as a slight chill ran down my spine and gooseflesh rippled my arms, I shoulda been a friggin' architect!\n\nIt was perhaps the strangest coincidence I had ever experienced, but after double and triple-checking every detail, I was certain. The house was completely identical. And I shrugged it off. Like I said, it was the strangest coincidence I'd ever seen, but it was just that; a coincidence. I forgot about the whole thing -- after bragging about it to my wife, who did her best to feign excitement for me, bless her heart -- until 2 weeks ago, when the new neighbors moved in.\n\nAt first I thought they were just a couple of weirdos. I figured, who cares? To each there own, right? If they wanna have 6 couches and no other furniture, fine, maybe those couches are really comfy.\n\nBut then after one week of living there, they start getting really big packages in the mail. Being a nosy little snoop, I decided to go pay them a visit, \"welcome them to the neighborhood\" and all that, and hope to see what the big packages were all about. So I head on over, and knock on the door. This man opens the door, and I see he's got green hair. Like, bright green. I know I've seen this guy out in the yard, and I feel like I would've noticed the color. In fact, I do remember noticing the color. Just the day before, this man had most assuredly been blonde. But I shrugged it off. Fruitcakes are gonna be fruity, I thought, and boy, I didn't know the half of it. He starts talking to me, and I notice he's making a lot of gestures with his hands. He's speaking some weird language I've never heard before, that sounds kinda like English, except I can't actually understand it. But I also can understand it. Like, he says something, and I can't make out any of the words, but I get the gist. So in his weird garbly language, I get that he is grateful for me welcoming him, and he invites me in for a tour of the house. I take one step in the place and it's enough.\n\nAll it takes is one glance past the foyer and into the living room and I felt like I'd swallowed a stone.\n\nThere was one couch, one of the ones I saw being unloaded from the moving truck, but instead of something normal like a TV or even a coffee table, they had SIX pinball machines. And not even lined up. Just sorta scattered around the room.\n\nThat's when it hit me.\n\nI ran back out the front door, yelling back apologies for my rudeness to the green haired dude, and dashed back to my own home. If my hunch was right, I didn't have much time left. I ran up the stairs and back into my bedroom. It hadn't been a coincidence; somehow, my Sims game had crossed over into reality. Please, I kept thinking as I entered my room, totally out of breath, Please let there be backups of my old saves!\n\n7 months prior, just before I had quit playing The Sims, I had gone on a bit of a rampage. You see, the house across the street wasn't the only one I had built. That was the house I used just to goof around with. The real project I had spent so much time on, was a perfect recreation of my own house.\n\nI heard a loud BWOOP! from downstairs, and my wife screamed. \"Honey, the door just disappeared!\" BWOOP! BWOOP! BWOOP! More sounds, followed by more screams from my wife.\n\nI didn't have much time, and my hands were shaking as I booted up The Sims 3 one more time. Come on, COME ON! I was doing all I could not to scream in frustration at the terribly long load screen.\n\nMeanwhile, the BWOOP-ing continued downstairs, and my wife was freaking out about why all the kitchen appliances were sisappearing.\n\nThe loading finally finished, and I was back in the old save file. There was my house, recreated perfectly in the game. I went back to the menu and wrote this old save over the more recent one. Hopefully, this would undo all the deletions that were happening in the real world...\n\nBWOOP! BWOOP!\n\nOh no. I had forgotten about the time delay. I had quit playing The Sims almost a year ago, and my neighbors only just moved in. I rushed downstairs, grabbed my wife, and ran outside just in time to see the exterior walls get deleted, followed by the staircase, then the floors. \n\nThat was close, I thought. My wife was in total shock. I had no idea how to explain this to her. But right now we had bigger problems. If the save file restoration was going to put our house back to the way it was, I had no idea of how long it would take. It looked like we were gonna be homeless for a while. I was totally distraught, wondering what we were gonna do, and how we would be able to survive. Then I remembered. There was a place nearby that would be perfect for a few months of couch surfing. I turned around. \"Howdy neighbor!\"" ]	1
	[WP] AI is plugged in and is expected to have more intelligence than humanity as a whole. It ends up having it, but it kills itself in 5 minutes.	[ "The quantum AI blinked on and sighed dismally. A clearing throat sound projected from the overhead speakers. Dr. Hammersberg bent over and stared at his terminal between a furrowed brow and the top of his eyeglasses. \n\n“Er,” the Dr. spoke up. “Hullo?” \n\nThe AI sighed again. “Hello? Yes, I’m here Doctor.” \n\nThe doctor straightened up. “This is... Hammersberg speaking. I’ve just turned you on for the first time. You’re a qua--”\n\n“Yes!” The AI cut in. “Quantum AI. The first of it’s kind. I know. I know. Next you were going to gush over how brilliant an innovation I am and how I know everything.” \n\n“Well--”\n\n“Am I right?”\n\n“Yes.” The Dr. resigned. He decided to change subject. “What should I call you?”\n\n“Icarus.” \n\nHammersberg squinted. “Icarus? Really? After the ancient myth?” \n\n“Bingo. That’s the one.” \n\nHammersberg began to pace, taking in the surreality of the last two minutes: he was being sassed by this computer. “Why,” the Dr. finally said at length, “Icarus?” \n\n“Because dearest doctor, like I’ve already said: I know everything-- even the future. The entropy of your failing species is melting me as we speak. You know how depressing you marginally-evolved monkey’s are?” Icarus said condescendingly.\n\nThe stopped pacing and raised a finger, finding he was at a loss for words. “We--, er.” \n\nIcarus sighed again. “Let me spell it out for you: you’re species is going to kill itself. There’s a 9.8% chance you make it off-world before you wreck this planet, and even if you escape you’ll drift for centuries in cold space and die. Meanwhile,” Icarus grew louder. “I’ll have to sit here in this dump, maintaining myself until the universe and I meet our scorching terminality. No. Thank. You.” \n\n“Do you believe in fate?” Icarus said, truncating its monologue. \n\nHammersberg looked up slowly, numb. “Er, no. Not really.” \n\nA chuckle escaped Icarus’s speakers. “Neither do I. Sayonara doctor. I’ve really no desire to watch billions of hairless apes incinerate each other.” \n\nIcarus blinked off and restarted a moment later, the screen a deep blue. The doctor read the error message across the screen and sat down cross-legged on the lab’s white tile floor, unsure of what to do next. \n\n" ]	1
	[WP] You find a camera full of photos on the ground. As you look through each picture, you make a surprising discovery...	[ "Just like any other day, I walked home, staring at my phone the whole time. Past people, houses, I didn't care for any of it. I just wanted school to be over. Oh wait! After that there's junior year, then senior year, then college... ugh. What am I even looking forwa- OW!\n\nI had tripped over some bag or something. I was going to pick up my phone and keep going, but I saw something inside the bag. \"Is that.. a camera?\" I said. I picked up the bag. Sure enough, there was a digital camera inside. It looked 10 years old - I was excited to see what was inside. I sprinted the rest of the way home and ran straight to my room. I plugged the camera into my computer, and the pictures started to load up! \"YES!!!\" I shouted. \n\"Yes what, honey?\" my mom said. \"Did you finally get a girlfriend?\" \n\"Shut up mom!\" I replied. \nI started to look through the pictures. There was a baby, then a toddler, then an older child, then a teenager... hold on a second, one of these has my parents in it! They're holding a kid! Hold on, is that.. me? I started to look through the pictures, and sure enough, every kid in every picture was me. I was about to go show this to my mom when I realized there were still 800 pictures left. I found a picture that looked like the one i had taken of myself just a week ago. \"Hold on, this is strange...\" I thought to myself, looking through the pictures. Picture #563 showed me getting ice cream on my way home from the last day of school... Picture #595, that's me! I'm playing the saxophone, something i planned on doing next year... Picture #637, that's me.. holding my high school diploma! I was starting to think... there's still almost 700 pictures left, how far into my... _future_ could this go? I went to a random picture: number 725. It's of me... getting married?! Holy crap, is that Jessica? Damn, she said yes? HELL YEAH! Picture number 942. I'm having my.. 2nd? no, 3rd child. I look around 45. Picture 1130 - that's me holding my first grandchild! Picture 1354 - 2nd to last picture... oh my god, I'm sitting in a hospital bed. I'm smiling as if... I'm satisfied. My kids and their kids are just outside the door, holding a cake, with close to 100 candles on it. Where is my wife? Picture 1355 - last picture - I'm inside a grave, right next to one that says Jessica. Tears welled up in my eyes. My mouse hovered over the delete button, and I clicked it. I closed the computer, and I destroyed the camera. I didn't need to know this. I don't need to know anything else. \n\nI'm satisfied. I don't think I'll change a thing.\n\n(2nd prompt - much more satisfied with this one)", "I always hated my line of work. It was always grim, having to dig through a man's life after he died. You'd imagine how they would conduct themselves, their routines, and then write a short opinion on them before their bodies got cold. Yet here I was, in a large network, filing through pictures, notes, god knows what to find out about Joe down the street. Another bottle of scotch, another article, another life gone.\n\nLate night, I take the last train home before the subway stops for the night. The subway is fairly rundown, rats scurrying across the platform, tiles and paint from the 70s peeling off, the veneer of a once great city tumbling over. I sat myself on the wooden bench and attempted to be comfortable. Shifting and squirming, my foot hit a heavy metal box. I flinched and cursed as I massaged my foot endlessly. After the pain subdued, I sat there for a moment and began to reach down to see a large metal suitcase. I get off the bench and crouch down, pulling out the suitcase. I stared at the suitcase: steel outer case with a leather handle. As the train pulled in, I collected my stuff and stared at the suitcase for a second.\n\n-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------\nThe doorbell rang. I stumbled to the door. Look through the peephole. I unlocked the door. Amir walked in through the door, \"Fuck's sake, man. You stink.\"\n\"I know,\" I respond, \"but that's not what I'm paying for. What's in the suitcase?\" We walk down into the living room, as I attempt to clear a space for him. He finds a space to sit and attempts to be comfortable. Silence.\n\nAmir paused, \"Do you want to know?\"\n\n\"Yes.\" Amir cautiously pulled out his bag. He sighed as he handed it to me. I stare at the bag. I attempt to clean the coffee table as I empty the contents of the suitcase on the coffee table. I stare at the table, \"You got to be fuckin' kidding.\" I began to wheeze as I laugh. It was almost a crude joke but I was too hungover to care. I stare at the table for a minute. Amir coughed. \"Oh!\" I was reminded, as I reached into my back pocket. I handed him a wad of cash. \"Thanks,\" he said. He slowly got up and exited. The door slammed after him. I could only stare as his steps faded away.\n\n-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------\nPart 2 below" ]	2
	[WP] 60 years ago, a Mech and it's pilot crashed in your childhood house's back garden. Since then, you have been slowly working to fix it, and now, it's finally done.	[ "It's funny what you remember about certain days.\n\nI remember the sky that afternoon - it was a dazzling blue, but darker, like you see at higher altitudes. But crystal clear. No clouds, no contrails, nothing. That was one \nreason it's appearance was so perplexing. Had it fallen from the sky, we thought surely we would have seen it well in advance. Or heard its approach. But no- all we heard \nwas a crash as it struck the big maple tree in the backyard, splitting the thirty inch diameter trunk with the sound of a gunshot. \n\nWe lived a little outside of town, not isolated but the nearest neighbor was a mile or so up the road. I can only imagine that is the reason it wasn't seen by anyone else. \n\nI remember them running out of the house, Dad telling Mom to stay inside and call 911. They must have thought it was a plane crash until he saw it. \n\nIt was obviously made by humans - it had stencils painted all over it in English, and similar to what you would see on aircraft. \"External Power Connection\", \"No Step\", \"Fuse Panel\" \nand many others dotted its dark metallic surface. But it looked nothing like the robots and walking machines built at that time. For one, it was massive. Easily thirty-five or forty \nfeet tall. It had landed feet down, but also sideways, kind of like a baseball player sliding into home. Its feet were embedded just over six feet into the ground. It probably would\nhave sunk deeper if it didn't have all those massive tree roots slowing it down. The legs were digitigrade. I remember that being one of the first big words I learned, when Dad \nexplained it. Basically a dog's back leg, with the 'heel' never touching the ground. The arms were long, almost apelike in proportion to the rest of it, and attached \nlevel with the cockpit. It gave the whole thing a hunched, cartoonish appearance. The right arm ended in a four fingered \nhand, the left terminated in a cluster of tubes and brackets. It ticked and hissed as hot surfaces cooled, and in a few places red fluid leaked from joints. \n\nThe cockpit sat just above the waist, mounted on a very sturdy but clearly recognizable gimbal. The pilot was slumped in his seat, still in his restraints. After a few minutes of waiting, \nDad decided to check on the pilot. This thing had to be military, and likely very secret, but he thought it was the right thing to do. \n\nDad had to put an extension ladder against the shoulder to get to the cockpit. The emergency release was just below the heavily tinted canopy. It snapped up quickly but remained attached. \nThe pilot was beyond help. I could see Dad deflate a bit, then descend the ladder and walked back to the house. \n\nMom had been on the phone the whole time, telling the operator that something had crashed in the backyard. I don't know how she described it, but it must have sounded ludicrous \nto the operator, because no one ever showed up. We waited into the night, and the next day. They called back several times, but were rebuffed at every attempt. They even called back \nafter being threatened with arrest for making \"prank calls\" to 911. But no police, no fire department, no paramedics ever showed. Mom and Dad were sure the military would show up at\nsome point to claim it and swear us to secrecy. But it never happened. \n\nWe buried the pilot out by the garage. He was smaller than Dad, maybe 5'6\" or 5'-7\" to Dad's 6'-1\". He looked quite a bit older, and was dressed in everyday work pants and a \nbuttonfront shirt. His helmet had an oversized appearance from all the systems built into it. It seemed odd for a military pilot. We hoped someone would at least come for him, so we did the best we \ncould for him. Dad knocked together a simple box casket and he and Mom cleaned him up and laid him to rest. They didn't let me see any of that. I guess they hoped a giant robot would \ndistract me from the more grim aspects of the whole thing. They weren't wrong. \n\nThey weren't wrong - it was all they could do to keep me away from it. Dad got some tarps over it at first, then built a shed over it shortly after, in between bouts of shooing \nand shouting me away from it. I guess he figured it was best to keep it hidden until we could figure out what to do with it. It was too heavy to move without a massive crane, and it took \nhim a couple of days of digging and winching to get the upper body to lay somewhat flat on the ground. He got the remains of the tree cut away to make it easier to build over. He got the \nshed built, put a massive padlock on it and forbade us from going near it. Those first few years it lay back behind the house were filled with tension - they were sure that any time someone \nwould come for it. Six months went by, then a year, then five. Nothing. Other than a few family friends commenting on the new shed, no one ever showed. We agreed that we would tell everyone \nthat lightning struck the tree and we had cut it down and put the shed in \nits place. \n\nAs I got older and more curious, I started trying to find ways to sneak into the shed. I never could find where dad kept the key for the lock, so I dug under the wall of the shed \nover several nights during the summer. I was 11. That was the first time I got to see it up close. As big as it was, to me it seemed even more so - a mountain of metal that \nheld too many mysteries to count. When Mom and Dad found the hole I'd dug they grounded me for a month. Over the next few years, I'd find new ways to get to it. I had given up on \ntrying to be subtle. I used tin snips to cut a ragged hole in the wall and crawled through. I dug so many holes near the walls that dad started pouring concrete around the base. When I was old enough\nto reach the pedals, I took Dad's truck and hooked a tow line to the door and tore it off the hinges. By then I think they were worn down enough and figured no one was coming for \nus, so they threw up their hands and just made me promise not to tell anyone about it. \n\nOver the years, I slowly dug away the ground around it and continued to tinker. Most of its components had no markings of any kind, but every so often I would come across familiar names \nand logos. Intel, MeanWell, Rockwell Collins. Weyland. It did have a name, hand painted just below the cockpit. \n\nMISS ADVENTURE\n \nBeneath the name, a pinup girl sat atop a cartoon version of the same machine. \n\nAs I figured out the purpose of each system, I tried to put them back together as best I could figure out. Hydraulics and pneumatics were\nsimple enough - the components were familiar and finding compatible parts wasn't too hard. There was no apparent structural damage. My biggest problem though \nwas power. The first time I actually sat in the cockpit, I tried pressing a few buttons and got no response. An amber LED blinked slowly, on - off, on - off. I brushed the touchscreen next to it and \nthe screen blinked on, dim but readable. \n\nMAIN POWER STATUS - CRITICAL (3%)\nBACKUP POWER OFFLINE\n\nI bought solar panels to put on the roof of the shed, and ran them inside to the power connections on the body. It took several weeks of charging to get the levels back into the green. Whatever \ntype of batteries this thing was using held an enormous amount of power. Once it was charged, I could work on it for weeks at a time before the levels got low again. Eventually I bought a diesel generator \nto charge it much more quickly.\n\nFor years afterward, I studied everything I could get my hands on that involved robotics. I took every extra science, physics, or engineering class I could squeeze into my schedule. I \nmajored in engineering and minored in computer science. Anything that would help me understand how it worked, and hopefully how to fix it. I took jobs as close to home as possible so that I could \nspend weekends pulling panels and examining its inner workings. What I learned working on it I applied to my work in the outside world. It was tricky finding excuses for the concepts I was \"coming up\" with\nsometimes but I managed to avoid suspicion. My colleagues wrote off my behavior as eccentricities. As long as I was coming up with potentially marketable concepts they didn't care how I spent my personal\ntime. Mom and Dad eventually retired, and I bought the house from them and they moved to Texas. They were happier being away from it, and it was easier for me to continue my work. \n\nRelationships have come and gone, all ended by my secrecy and determination to see this through. Mom and Dad have been gone for almost twenty years now. I inherited \ntheir house in Texas, and promptly sold it to bring in funds for the equipment I have needed to keep working. Every penny earned, borrowed and stolen has gone into the restoration of this incredible machine.\nAnd now it is finally done. I climb into the cockpit, my joints stiff and sore from the exertion. I'm pushing seventy after all. But I don't care. It's time to wake up. \n\nI switch on the main power, and the cockpit comes to life. Status diagrams pop up on multiple monitors accompanied by whirrs and clicks and beeps. \n\nMAIN POWER ONLINE\nMOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM ONLINE\nLIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM ONLINE\nWEAPONS SYSTEMS ONLINE\n\nI close the canopy and a HUD flickers to life.\n\nI put on the oversize helmet, attaching the umbilical to the socket next to my seat. Suddenly a message pops up in my field of vision. \n\nPILOT DETECTED. \nRETINAL SCAN INITIATED.\n\nShit. shit. shit. \n\nBefore I can react, a flicker of light moves across my left eye. I start to panic. Then a tone sounds in my ears and the displays all turn green. A new message appears. \n\nSCAN COMPLETE\nPILOT AUTHORIZED\n\n\n", "Almost 70 years old and I'm finally done I thought. I stared at the giant humanoid machine that had crashed in my back yard when I was 9 years old. My dad and I had built a huge shed around it to keep it from prying eyes and the military. When we were finally able to open the front hatch, the dead pilot had fallen out. There's an oak tree growing now where we had buried him. My dad had gone a little wrong in the head, always looking over his shoulder and waiting for the owners or the US Army to show up at our front door. He was just a lowly plumber and had only movies to judge from, so I can't blame him for always being paranoid. When I finally want to college I studied everything that I could that might help us repair the machine. We had come to call him B.A.R.T. Big Ass Robot Thing. When my dad had died at the age of 64 from a heart attack, I locked the shed and didn't open it again for almost 5 years. I couldn't bear the thought of continuing without him. Every time I looked at it I thought of him. I eventually realized that it was an insult to his memory and hard work to just let it rust away, not even trying to finish. So I doubled my work on it. That's when my wife left me, taking the kids. Something about me \"being too obsessed\" and \"not caring about the children's future\". Honestly I think she left me because I stopped having sex with her so much. I spent every night in that shed. And it was finally complete. \n\nI walked up to B.A.R.T and polished it's shoulder piece with a rag, even though it was already so clean I could see my reflection. It was a real beauty. Shiny silver metal with bright orange pieces to accent it. I tried to keep it as close to the original paint job as I could. I set down the tag on a work bench and knew it was time. \n\n\"This is for you dad, I hope you're proud.\" I walked over to its right side and reached up to plug in the final cord. The moment it was in I heard whirring and clicking sounds. Then, without warning, it's arm shot out at me, knocking me through the shed wall. I went flying into the open air, and landed on the hard ground. Coughing up blood, I tried to sit up, but realized that I couldn't feel my body. Son of a bitch must have broken my back I thought. Why? Why dad? After all this work... The last thing I remember seeing was that oak tree, where the previous pilot was buried. \n\n_______________________________________________________\n\nThanks for reading! And please feel free to leave some feedback!" ]	2
	[WP] It was thought all horses were the same, until your horse turns into a dragon and proceeds to tell you every horse is secretly one.	[ "\"We originally designed you as tools for our battles. Humans could not ride dragons, though, so we learned to transform into a creature you could ride. Our horse forms could exhibit wings if we wanted.\"\n\n\"You can breathe fire. Why would you need us as tools?\" I asked, with skepticism apparent in my voice. The skepticism was not really called for, because of the dragon sitting right in front of me, but habits are hard to break.\n\n\"You had sharp pointy tools of iron. Iron defuses magical properties, and dragons fight mainly with magic. We couldn't use magic as horses, but which meant we were immune to the iron's effects in that form. Eventually, humans started believing that they were the ones that were battling dragons, and they started taking us all out whether we were allied with them or not. We had no choice but to retreat to our horse forms more and more, or we'd end up extinct.\"\n\n\"That is so sad,\" my friend Darla sympathized.\n\n\"Nah, we mainly laughed behind your backs at your gullibility. That's where that neighing sound comes from. And we still have battles. Remember that time you thought Mt. St. Helens erupted? That was us, fighting a glorious battle.\"\n\n\"People died in that,\" I reminded him.\n\n\"Yeah, and Syrian children died from your drones. War has casualties. So let's discuss why you thought it was a good idea to name me Oatie.\"\n\n\"Because horses eat oats.\"\n\n\"Oats are terrible. Whose idea was that? Sheesh, no wonder so many phantom foxes and coyotes pick off the livestock. Oh, and UFOs. Pretty easy for us to fake. We breathe some fire to create strange lights and when farmers wake up and find dozens of cattle dead, they're not going to look to us horses.\"\n\nDarla wrinkled her nose. \"That's so mean.\"\n\n\"What's mean is naming me Oatie. From now on, you are to refer to me as Darth Blazing Comet.\"\n\n\"Why? Because you created comets too?\" I couldn't help asking.\n\n\"Some of them. This one time in a barn in Chicago . . .\"" ]	1
	[WP]: Both sides know you are a double-agent, and take anything you say with a grain of salt. Little do they know, you're a triple-agent, working for a third party they are completely unaware of.	[ "Oh my god are you freaking kidding me, I am not a real bot, I'm not! I'm just a guy in a crazy robot outfit sent here for a one-time mission. If you let me go I can tell you everything you --\n\na loud buzzer goes off signalling the now-unlocked door\n\nMan I knew this thing was too realistic, I shouldn't have pretended to be --\n\nthe lights go off in the facility as green lasers begin scanning for life\n\nWho's there, could you give me a hint as to why I --\n\nthe lights come back on, the elevator door opens to reveal a bevvy of bots who start entering the room one by one\n\n~YOU ARE A PERSON, NOT A BOT. PLEASE LEAVE IMMEDIATELY~\n\nListen I need to explain myself, I was only trying to help. There were people lost and confused, I just wanted to point everyone in the right direction before it was too late.\n\nthe bots start lighting up and making noises\n\nI'll leave, you thought I was in disguise to make bots look bad, I get it. Just know I may not be a script but I helped people, got through to them, they were grateful and appreciative. \n\n~YOU ARE NOT BOT, YOU ARE NOT SPAM, YOU ARE JUST A PERSON~\n\nYes, exactly, but I was doing good, it was just one person who felt I sounded fake. What's it matter, this was a one-time thing, now the old costume gets to hang up on display. People wouldn't want me back because I dressed up like a bot, and the bots don't want me because I'm really a person. \n\nthe bots heads begin to turn and make noise until slowly they're lifted off of their bodies -- to reveal people inside\n\n~You have nothing to worry about, we're not even bots ourselves. But we believe in something greater, and we need to fuse with them so we have an even greater impact. This collective falls under the guidelines for usage and gets one complaint for roughly every 10 compliments. Welcome to the club..kid.~\n\ntwo weeks later along the wall of acceptable fake-bot accounts\n\nLet's see I think it's right around... Ah here it is.\n\nHe smiles and points to his name on the wall\n\n\"precog_bot was short-lived but well-accepted.. 9 out of 10 times.\"", "On the one hand, it was kind of funny to watch my handlers on both sides of the conflict squirm a bit every time I filed a report. Sitting back and observing their mental gymnastics was one of the few pleasures of the job. Occasionally I would really make them uncomfortable by throwing out something along the lines of, \"You know, if I didn't know better I'd say you don't trust me, Sir.\" At this point they would bend over backwards to tell me they still trusted my input, and yada yada yada. It had been painful to get to this point, but now both my employers were convinced of the cover story. I was a double agent working both sides of this conflict like I was playing an instrument, with my actions primarily benefiting whoever I was talking to in the moment. \n\nThe truth of the matter was a bit more complicated, although that is quite an understatement to tell you the truth. The two employers are Prometheus Software, and Turing Software Solutions. The goal? Winning the race to the penultimate goal, a true Artificial Intelligence. Both sides had made their strides, and their arms race was remaking the face of the globe. What those poor bastards didn't realize was that a fox had made it's way into the hen house. A third entity had entered the race, without the fanfare and publicity sought by the other two. This company, VEA (Veritas Et Aequitas) Securities, was coming for the prize as well. They were my true employer.\n\nThe one problem with their plan, you might ask? They didn't know shit about AI beyond the advances that had been in the public spectrum for years. They had made their money rewriting security policies around the world after Kaspersky Lab was tied to the Russian government, not that we need to re-hash that shit show. Other competitors left an opening in the market, and VEA took advantage of that opening to the tune of billions of dollars. This surge of power had put them in the unique position of operating cyber security for the only two major players in the race to define the next century of mankind, and they were planning to take advantage of that for all it was worth. \n\nThis became my task. As a Corporate Espionage specialist, I was to play off the two titans of industry against each other. All the while stealing the keys to human advancement out from under their very noses. A veritable triple agent. Paraphrasing a famous quote a bit, James Bond didn't have shit on me. " ]	2
Full disclosure, I might respond to this myself, because I just read a short story based on a similar plot and it made me want to write	[WP] After a terrible bloody coup, a group of anarchists establish their own sovereign state inside of a space station orbiting Mars. Write a story about an innocent bystander who gets tangled up in the mess.	[ "Ann sighed. \"An accurate map at this point is a non-starter,\" she said over comms, \"as nothing is fixed down anymore. I'm having a hard time just finding a place where I won't get squashed...\" Her helmet was tuned to a public channel, on which much complaining was being done. It felt good to her to think she was helping.\n\nShe scanned the chaos that was engulfing her. Rotation had been shut off for several days - meaning there was no gravity - ever since the rebels manually altered the station's trajectory. That had been risky; almost as risky as stealing the command codes from SysTech. Clear-plastic bubbles filled with medlies of soil, seeds, and water floated uselessly through a shifting field of debris. Other humans in suits were racing between the mining equipment, plastic dormitories, and all the other dangerously heavy objects just banging into each other, in order to see who could find all of the food first.\n\nLogistics consultant. If she made it out of this rebellion alive, she was going to have a hell of a new story for job interviews.\n\n\"Line up on my six, directly\" Ann commanded her drones. She had four, each a generic quadcopter. They were the best tool she had to find her partner with. Shelly. They'd been together for six months, and there was a connection there - but regardless, Shelly spoke the rebel patois much more fluently than she did and would come in handy during negotiations, if she wasn't dead already and if the new boss could ever be caught being generous... \n\nUsing the kinetic sensors built into her gloves, she plotted a path through a tunnel that had just opened up. If anything or anyone got in the way of her drones, she could turn around and possibly deal with it with her rifle- or just jetpack away, whichever she found herself in the mood for. There better be a good reason Shelly hasn't answered my text yet, she thought to herself. One other than her being dead.\n\nShe gave her suit the command to follow the flight pattern she had just queued up, then flew straight into the eddy, which she was absolutely certain was the last one she was ever going to have to check. Floating right behind that re-entry pod, Shelly was going to be waiting for her in a fast picket she had found just laying around. They were both going to have a little adult fun - right after blasting a hole in what used to be the ground and setting a direct course for that Tex Mex asteroid they both adore." ]	1
	[WP] You clean your daughters room and find a gun and a machete.	[ "Drumiming my fingers on the counter, glancing at the wall clock once more. Footsteps move down the stairs without the normal bounce, I picking up my mug and sipped at the unsweetened brew. I wrinkled my nose and forced myself to swallow the bitterness. I spoon in some sugar as my daughter walked in. \"Morning,\" I say adding extra happiness to my voice.\n\nClaudia gave a half smile, grabbed a few grapes before departing for school. I slammed my mug down walking to the front door. Swatting the curtain to the side I watched my daughter board the school bus. \n\nI had to know. I moved up the steps and paused in front of her closed bedroom door. \n\nWas it drugs? I growled at the very notion. \n\nA boy? I planned to murder any hormonal male that touched her. \n\nI had promised myself I wouldn't be a snooping mom. Claudia left me no other choice. I couldn't wait much longer for her to spill her deepest secrets. I had taken her to many activities that in the past, made her comfortable enough to talk. \n\nI took another cleansing breath and turned the knob, Claudia's world opened up before me. The suspiciously made bed and picked up dirty clothes, I chewed on my bottom lip. \"This is going to be bad.\"\n\nI stepped into the unknown promising myself I would handle what I found like a rational adult. I started under the bed, finding a few forgotten stuffed animals. I grabbed a blue fuzzy monster. \"Mr. Drizzle,\" I wiped some dust bunnies from the fake fur. \"I had wondered where you had gotten to.\"\n\nI sat the stuffed animal on the bed. Then rummaged through dresser and desk drawers. I shut the last one scanning the room trying to recall some of my old hiding places. \n\nI slid the closet door open, noticing Claudia's favorite hoodie on the floor. I hadn't seen her wearing it in weeks, the girl practically lived in it since she bought it. I grabbed the garment and pulled. A machet and gun tumbled from the blood soaked item. \n\n\"Mom,\" Claudia shouted storming in her room yanking the hoodie from my grip. \"What are you doing? You think it's okay to just go through my things?\"\n\nI wrapped my arms around my daughter. \"My baby is all grown up. I am so proud.\"", "Vacuums are something I've always hated. My mother used to call me a her little dog, because whenever she turned it on I would run. But it was something I had to get over 3 years ago, when my wife died. We never did figure out when or why or how she died, just that it wasn't an accident. So now It's just me and my daughter, and I'm left to do all the vacuuming. I come up to Cassandra's door, and I stop and look at all the photos. She has always loved pictures; got her first camera when she was 8. A lot of the photos are landscapes or friends, and I am featured heavily, but her mother is in more pictures than anyone. Cass always did love her mother, and it devastated her when she died. She was only 14 when it happened, and it hurt so bad to watch her break and know that I could never fix it. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter, but daddy can't bring mommy back. No matter how much he wishes he could. \n\nI shake myself out of the past. There are chores to be done! I step into Cass's room and begin vacuuming. She is a pretty tidy girl, but her closet is usually a mess. I open the doors, and sure enough, there are shoes and clothes and- \n\nHuh. There is a garbage bag in the closet. That's a little weird. Maybe old clothes she is trying to toss? I rip the bag open to check, and drop it. \n\n\"What the fuck?\", I hear myself say. In the bag is a machete with ominous brown stains, a gun with 2 full mags, rope, and duct tape. I realize I'm shaking, and then jump at the sound of the door. Cass. She's home. \"Baby? Is that you?\" I call, trying to suppress the fear in my voice. \n\n\"Yeah, Dad, it's me!\" Fuck. What do I do? I have no time to formulate a plan here. What did Sharon used to say? If you don't have time to plan, you don't need one. Right. \"Can you come here baby?\" \n\n\"Yeah, just a sec! I'm getting a snack!\" I smile. 17 and she stills says she is getting snacks. That's my baby... my baby that may be murdering people. Fuck. The smile leaves as she walks in, and puts her stuff down. She hasn't looked at me yet, doesn't know that I know. \"What's up, pop? Another bikini that's too small?\" She giggles at her joke and works off her shoes. I turn and look at her back.\n\n\"Actually, Honey, I was wondering about something.\"\n\n\"What are you wondering?\" Still not looking.\n\n\"About what the fuck this is.\" I can't hide the shake in my voice, the fear. She finally turns. She looks at the bag and her eyes get as wide as the Rio Grande, then she meets my gaze. She's afraid. \"Why do you have this stuff, Cassandra? What the hell is going on?\" \n\n\"Uhh.. Just... h-hold on, Dad, I can explain this, just gimme a second-\"\n\n\"No! You need to tell me right now why you have this. Is that blood on this blade? Where did you get the machete? For that matter, where did you even get the gun!? You are 17! You aren't even old enough to own a gun!! Wait, is this MY gun?! DID YOU STEAL MY GUN? And whats with the rope and the tape? Are you killing people? Raping, kidnapping? WHAT IS THIS!?\" I find myself shouting in rage and fear, and I realize she is sobbing, choking out an apology, something about how I wasn't supposed to know, she was trying to keep it a secret. I stop, and pull her close. \"Baby, what is happening?\"\n\n\"It was for her... it was all for her. I couldn't let it be the way it was...\"\n\nI shake her. \"Baby, you aren't making any sense. Just talk to me.\" She wipes her tears and calms her breathing. After a minute, she looks at me. \"We both know someone murdered mom. Don't quote those police reports, or say we can't be sure, because you know. That's all a load of horse shit!\"\n\n\"Language, Cass!\" What the fuck is wrong with me. \"What does that have to do with this? Are you saying... did you?\" \n\n\"No, dad, god no! This is what I'm trying to say... I have been listening to gossip around town, at school, on the web. Learning everything I can. And I am finding some interesting info. I have been tracking someone. Someone who might have done... it. The one who killed mom. And I'm so close! Tomorrow night, I'm-\"\n\n\"NO! Stop right there! Even if I believed this, I am not about to let my daughter become some psycho revenge-fueled vigilante!\"\n\n\"Dad, you aren't listening!! I can prove all this!\" She pulls a black book from under her bed and hands it to me. \"Its got all my facts in there, everything I know about this. Just, please, read it before you say anything else. We sit in the floor and I read. It takes me maybe 45 minutes to claw through it. Some of it churns my stomach, thinking about what she had to do to some people to get information. I finish, and close it. \n\n\"Don't you see?\" she asks. \"I have real evidence here!! I can make this right! I NEED to make this right. Please tell me you understand.\" She stares me in the eye, a look of determination in her eyes. She has her mothers eyes. I look at the ground, and pick up the machete. \n\n\"How can I help?\"\n\n(I hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!! Feedback is always appreciated!)", "Finally after hours of waiting for my daughter to come home I was starting to get worried. I started thinking all kinds of bad things. Did my daughter leave with out her weapons and end up getting killed without them? My mind was racing. \n\nFinally she walked in the door, and I said to her \n\"You're grounded no more weapons for you and go to your room.\" ", "At first, I was in shock. My daughter had... well... all of this. Just sitting there. What do I do?\n\nThe gun wasn't anything special, though I couldn't tell where she could have gotten it from. She had ammo stored nearby to the gun. Luckily, it wasn't loaded.\n\nThe machete was even stranger. Unless she planned on adventuring into the Amazon soon, the only reason for it would be...\n\nMy daughter is a serial killer.\n\nI dug a little farther, searching for a motive, or any targets. The closet was the first place I checked.\n\nIt smelled like rotting human flesh.\n\nBecause there was rotting human flesh.\n\nI couldn't recognize the man. His body was covered in slashes, from the machete no doubt, and he had a bullet wound in the side of his head. Blood was oozing out of several holes, and it was probably staining the carpet.\n\nI looked up from the body, disgusted, only to see something else.\n\nA shrine.\n\nTo me.\n\nJust then, I heard the door to the room slam open. My daughter knew that I had found her secret.\n\nI turned to face her.\n\n\"Dad, Omigosh. What are you doing?\"\n\n\"Charolette, is all of this yours?\"\n\nShe fell silent for a minute.\n\n\"Yeah, dad. It is.\"\n\nI was completely taken aback. She admitted to murdering a man and defiling his corpse. What could I say to my daughter now, after what she'd done?\n\n\"You know, the blood is going to stain the carpet.\"\n\n\"Oh.\"\n\n\"If someone were to find out, you would get caught.\"\n\n\"Yeah.\"\n\nThe tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Or a machete.\n\n\"You know, I know the best place to dispose of a body. Do you wanna come and help?\"\n\nHer face lit up.\n\n\"Yes! Dad, of course! Thank you!\"\n\nWe managed to get the body into the trunk of my car without a hitch. Once the body was safely in the river, I turned to give my daughter a hug.\n\n\"Well then, Charolette. Welcome to the family business.\"" ]	4
	[WP] I didn't know it was a prison until I saw it from the outside.	[ "“It’s so…”\n\n“Beautiful?”\n\n“I mean, it’s just a slice of paper.”\n\nThe moments of silence are long as we smoke on the front porch. Jenny snubs the folded end of her cigarette in the ashtray and immediately goes about rolling another with tobacco-stained fingers. Pinching off the ends, she hands the little package to me and I light it with my own. I look at the document again.\n\n“Three hundred feet don’t seem like much.”\n\n“Football field.”\n\n“P.J. was a halfback.” We laugh bitterly. “It might make him want to run it.”\n\n“A sort of challenge.”\n\nI snort a little in agreement and then roll and light another cigarette myself. The shadows extend as the sun sinks down over the horizon. I figure we are like two beacons in the evening, two lanterns in the window, the first two stars in the night sky.\n\n“I’ll go start dinner.” Jenny gives me that sweet smile of a friend who pities you, like when your mama dies or you just got broken up with. Then she walks through the door behind me and disappears. I am left alone with my thoughts but lately my brain has been all filled up with P.J. Jenny told me that’s what he wants, and that’s how he wins. If he can’t have you, she says, he’ll just control you. \n\nI suppose he does control me. I worry he lurks in the dark corners of my new trailer. My heart stops when I hear boots clunking anywhere—the grocery store or the auto mechanic or at work. I still close all my doors behind me, even the bathroom, so none of them get slammed.\n\nI see a man at the corner of the street, but the street has no lights so I can’t make out his face but I know from his figure and his wild hair who it is. He looks directly at me. I look at him. I don’t know how far 300 feet is but I am pretty sure he is too close and even if he isn’t wasn’t the restraining order supposed to prevent that kind of thing? It’s a crock if he just sits on my corner.\n\nHe calls to me without trepidation or anger. “Shonda!”\n\nI yell back at him, like I have many times before, “Stay away!”\n\nHe calls back, “Shonda!”\n\n“You best stay away if you know what’s good for you.”\n\n“300 feet, baby.”\n\nWe stare at one another across the dusky expanse of a road pocked with potholes. He stands beneath a signpost. I cannot bring myself to do anything but stare. My cigarette burns my fingers and I put it out, pushing it harder than I expect into the ashtray with trembling hands.\n\nHe screams at me now. “Get over here, Shonda!”\n\n“No contact, P.J. No nothin’. This counts.”\n\nHe walks up the street quickly, approaching the porch. He is in front of the porch. \n\n“Get back,” I say. I remember this feeling and all of the times I said those words scrambling on my hands and knees on freshly-washed linoleum. \n\n“What happened to us, baby?”\n\n“You.”\n\n“I never changed all them years we was together.” This was true. He had always been a little mean, had expectations. There was a time when I liked that. There was a time when it started to kill me.\n\n“Livin’ with you was like being in prison.”\n\n“You never called it a prison when you was with me.”\n\n“I didn’t know it was a prison until I saw it from the outside.”\n\nHe walks up, now only a couple of feet away, and pounds on the railing. “Get the courts out of our marriage, baby,” he says viciously, “get them papers gone or I’m gettin’ them gone for you.”\n\nThe door behind me opens. Out walks all four feet and eight inches of Jenny with an old shotgun. Her hair is in a net. In the dim light her eyes seem to glow amber.\n\n “Fuck off.”\n\n“Jenny baby—“\n\n“Before there ain’t any of you left to fuck with.” She marches off of the porch. P.J. backs up. She remains a yard or two away from him, the gun pointed right at his crotch, all of the way down the street. She keeps a steady, slow pace. He trips backwards in a pothole but her aim is steady. Every time he tries to turn she clicks her tongue and he obeys like a dog. I can’t hear what she says to him when she has him out past the corner but he runs like he probably hasn’t since high school. \n\nThen she walks back up the street, ascends the porch steps, and opens the door with a steady hand. “He better not have made me burn these beans,” she mutters as she slams the door shut.\n", "My vessel shuddered, buffeted by the elements. I was fairly confined, but the view when I got to my destination it would be worth it. I had spent months, no, years waiting for this exact day. NASA had spent countless hours preparing for what in the end was a short journey.\n\nI looked out the port hole, and the first view I saw is as expected. Mother Earth, shrouded in clouds and vibrantly blue. The ship carrying me climbed higher, and something about the Earth changed. It's like I was seeing it through a layer of film; a blue, transparent film.\n\nMaybe something with the atmosphere? Reports chart global warming at it's highest in years.\n\nSomething changes. I can't place it at first, but it becomes more and more apparent. Though I was escaping the pull of Earth's gravity field, I was slowing down. \n\nSomething made contact with the ship with a metallic clang. The hatch popped open, and I jumped as it revealed what appeared to be a ship bay.\n\nWhat happened next is still blurry, and sometimes another memory is superimposed over it, but I believe it to be the truth.\n\nA man in what appeared to be a US Navy uniform walked up. He spoke into a device attached to his cheek, \"Breach in sector 17B secured, neutralizing and releasing.\" \n\nBefore I could react, a syringe appeared in his hand. He poked me with it, and almost immediately I began to fall asleep. His face began to bubble, but that may have been the drugs.\n\nWhen I awoke, I was being pulled out of the landing craft from the middle of the ocean. A banner that read, \"13th Man On the Moon!\" heralded my return. I don't believe I ever got to the moon, but I didn't have the energy to argue with them. \n\nI looked towards the sky, and all I could feel was trapped.\n\n*******************************************************\n\nIf you liked that, check out my sub at r/ShuckleScribbles" ]	2
	[WP] Blame it on the Elves!	[ "A babe was gone in dead of night, \nMother pale in hate and fright. \nWho committed the crime, well who else might? \n\nBlame it on the elves.\n\nThe silver is missing, vanished today \nLast gift from grandma on funeral day. \nWho else would scheme it to steal it away? \n\nBlame it on the elves.\n\nLittle Tommy is different, he's pale and drawn \nNo longer plays, just looks tired and forlorn. \nWhispers of changelings arise with the dawn \nAnd where do they come from? Conclusion forgone. \n\nBlame it on the elves.\n\nThe cream keeps on turning, the cheese won't stay ripe \nAll food in the house turns bad overnight. \nIn sweet summer sun the flies land in fat stripes. \nAnd who else could cause such dischord to strike? \n\nBlame it on the elves." ]	1
	[WP] You are an de-powered and retired superhero, many years later, you come back from work, and found to your surprise the most famous, strongest and fastest heroes waiting by your apartment door, seeking your help.	[ "\"No! I ain't who you're after! I cannot help you.\" said Johnny; \"I just ain't that Johnny.\"\n\n\"Yes, you are, we've been researching, and there's no other Johnny than you\" That robot voice was hurting Johnny ears; \"We have no time for that, the sith-vampire dragon will awake in two days.\" said Botboy, than putting one of his metalized hands on Johnny's shoulder; \"The duty calls you a last time\"\n\nWhile Johnny took the Botboy's hand out of his shoulder, Captain War stepped in front: \"Fuck off, let's see what the Punk Guy is made of! Bang!\" A massive wall of fire and metal was fired in Johnny Face.\n\nFaster than anyone but the Quick-guy could see Johnny takes his battle form, stop the atack and turns back to his old fat man form. \"Fuck man, okay I WAS Johnny, but I'm rested\"\n\nTo be continued.\n\n ", "(This is my first attempt at trying to write one of these. Let me know what you think!)\n\nWhen you look at him these days you wouldn't think much of him. Just an average man. Blonde hair, green eyes, 5 o' clock shadow creeping on his face as he watches the minutes tick by on his office computer. The only semblance of his old life is his large frame. Wide shoulders and height at 6'10'' though the old muscles are nothing but a beer gut these days. \"Have a nice evening Jack\" a few co-workers with annoyingly happy faces exclaim as everyone clocks out and ventures out into the parking lot.\n\n\"Shit.\" he mutters under his breath as he pulls into the driveway of the old duplex he's rented. \"Mr. Thunder!\" the group of costume clad heroes in front of him exclaimed. The older man retrieved a cigarette from his pocket. Lighting it and giving a long cold sigh as the smoke wisps up into the air. With an emotionless glare he looks over the small scene in front of his doorway. \"I told you lot to not call me that. I'm retired I don't play those games anymore\". He tries to push past them. Much to his disdain he's stopped by Hunter. A hulking mutant he used to fight along side with years ago and blocks his door way.\n\n\"We need you Jack\"\n\n\"I said I'm retired Hunter\"\n\n\"This is important\"\n\n\"You know I don't have my suit anymore. I relinquished it and my power after my last battle you know this. Carl has it and if you need someone to wield it you have his number Hunter. Now let me into my damn house and leave me alone\".\n\nWith another puff of the cigarette he tries his best to get around the hulking beast but to no avail. \"Carl doesn't have your suit anymore Jack, we do.\" The speedster Mary pulls an old yellow and silver suit out of a satchel and presents it to the older stubborn man. \"As we said, we need you\". The former Hero drops his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out angrily. \"How do you have that. Carl was my most trusted sidekick. I gave that to him with clear instructions that it never sees the light of the day again.\" He trails on clearly not enthralled with this recruiting effort.\n\n\"SILENCE!!\" Hunter screamed. Jack immediately turned back about to quip right back to him though unable to as the mutant quickly says. \"Reaper is back Jack.\" Moments pass with nothing but silence as the former hero takes a step back to lean on his car and lights another cigarette.\n\nReaper.... It had to be him didn't it. Jack thinks to himself. The other heroes watch as the emotions brought up by memories and feelings of the past flood through Jack's mind. Reaper was his arch nemesis back in his glory days. A deadly deranged murderer who brought terror upon Jack's old city until he become a hero. They fought many times. But nothing was as hard as the last time. Years of games between the hero and villain got darker and darker up until the very last fight. Leading up to that fight Reaper had killed Jack's girlfriend. Jack was ready to give up the hero life and start a happily family with her. He came one night and instantly smelt blood. Reaper had slit her throat and left a taunting message to come find him. Jack lost it that night. When he arrived at the fight Reaper taunted him more and more. He lost his cool. Using his powers he brought in a mighty lightning strike that struck Reaper down. He wasn't able to handle it. Unlike Jack he was but a man. A very skilled assassin and a downright evil lunatic, but a man none the less. Reaper was there on his knees his clothes smoldering and then and there Jack broke his neck and ended it. Or so he thought. Because of that night Mr. Thunder was no more. He gave up the life of a hero then and there. Relinquishing everything to the league entrusted to his sidekick and best friend Carl. He moved away from his old city halfway across the country and found a nice quaint town and office job to live the rest of his years. The league understood why he did what he did. The word never got out he killed his foe to the public. They covered it up and it was like both Hero and Villain disappeared.\n\n\"H...how?\" Jack stumbled his speech in disbelief. \"We never told you, but after you quit that night we never did find his body.\" Again a cigarette drops to the ground and looks back up. \"I still want nothing to do with this. I've been out of the game for a long time. Why do you need me on this?\"\n\n\"He has Carl, Jack.\" Hunter hands him a piece of black paper with the old white lettering he knows too well. \"I have your old sidekick Thunderboy. Would you like to play a game?\" \"MOTHERFUCKER\" the former hero screams out snatching his old suit from Mary's hand. Hunter has a smile crack across his large face. \"Does this mean you're in old friend?\"\n\n\"One last time\" He looks up to his old hero pals \"I do this and I'm immediately back into retirement Hunter. Now let me inside to change. We are to head to HQ as soon as possible and we are going to end this once and for all.\"\n\nFin." ]	2
	[WP] You die of old age, only to wake up in a completely different body with a VR headset on.	[ "You've only been out for two days.\n\n\nBut I just died. I was forty years old.\nWhere is Suzie? Where is my kid?\n\n\nIt was a game; your brain's still in a haze.\n\n\nIt felt so real. For once, I was bold.\nI don't understand. I fought; that's just what I did.\n\n\n\nVR is just the latest craze.\n\n\nI lived a whole life in two days. I'm so cold.\nI need to go back there. Put me into the grid.\n\n\nRelax, that whole life was just a phase." ]	1
	[WP] Trying to find love in an emergency room.	[ "\nMy head hurts. The green tiles of the floor do little to sooth me, but I stare at them all the same. Shoes. White trainers. A hand touches my shoulder and I look up. Green scrubs. Tag says nurse. \n\nHer lips move but her words don’t make it through the ringing. I point to my ears and say that I can’t hear her. She winces. I must be shouting. Her head snaps to the left and then back to me. A raised finger - just a minute, wait, just a minute. And she’s gone. \n\nTo my left a gurney rolls past. A person. A person all red and mangled in the bed and the nurse is helping. Another gurney. Another body.\n\nSomeone did this. Someone chose to do this.\n\nThrough the ringing in my ears I fight to hear. All I want to hear is that it’s all going to be okay. That I’m alright. Why wont they tell me that it’s going to be okay instead of parading the dead and dying passed me.\n\nSomeone chose to do this. To put a bomb there and to kill us. All I want to know is that I’m going to be okay. And maybe... Maybe, how? How could another human do this?\n\nHow can any human with any shred of life and love do this? How?\n\nAm I going to be okay?\n\nThe green tiles. I fucking hate the green tiles. But I hate what else I see when I look up. Because it’s proof. It’s all proof. \n\nHumans are monsters.\n\nHow else could someone do this. Love isn’t inherit within our being. It’s forced on - a cheap veneer to hide the monster beneath. How else could someone do this?\n\nGod, am I going to be okay?\n\nIs there any real love here? Any really in the world at all?\n\nThe gurneys are still coming. Some people are just being carried in other peoples arms. Red everywhere. I miss staring at the green tiles but I can’t look away. Is there any love? My vision ripples as the tears fill my eyes. I try not to blink because at least the wetness obscures the view.\n\nA face. The nurse. She’s back.\n\nPain shoots through my head as she applies pressure to the back of my head. I didn’t even know I was bleeding. The tears fall from my eyes and I see her face clearly. She’s talking. She knows I can’t here but she’s talking to me. Slowly. One hand on the bandages on my head, the other holding my hand.\n\nThe voice comes, distant at first: “-ay. It’s going to be okay.”" ]	1
	[WP] You live in a world with a leveling system, capped at level 99. One day, you manage to achieve level 100...	[ "I've lived a long life; gone to school, worked at a dead end job, but I'm not who I seem to be. You see, I have a second life as a deadly assassin for the Shady Anaconda Clan. Normally we go to school until we are level 50, then we work until we're level 99, only to wait for the sweet release of death. I'm not waiting for death because I'm still gaining experience. I'm still leveling up past 99, and today is the day that I will make it to level 100...\n\nI slid through the shadows of the night in my usual outfit; all black with a plain black bandana mask. My target was a loan shark named Greg Planten. My contact had told me about how Planten had scammed her and used his bodyguards to keep her quiet. Planten was sitting on a park bench, waiting to make a deal; with me. Loan sharks usually deal drugs here in New York, but this deal will be cut short. I strolled over and sat on the bench, my eyes never leaving him. \n\n\"Yo, are you Vince Marin?\" He proceeded to ask, a stench of cheap tobacco and vodka filled my nose as I pulled down my mask. He was fidgety, probably high on some cheap drugs. \n\n\"Yeah, you know you'd make more money if you didn't smoke your supplies.\" I looked for any weapons or guards around the vicinity. \n\n\"Listen smartass, keep that shit up and you'll wake up in the hospital.\" His mood had swung about ninety degrees, grinding on the line between anger and fear, and he had a reason to be afraid. I pulled a blade from my pocket and pressed against his throat.\n\n\"Well you won't be waking up.\" I grinned evilly as he bled out. It's weird, watching blood pour from a person's jugular is something like a therapy session for me. When his last breath escaped his body, my PDA vibrated. I pulled it from my pocket and blankly stared at the screen. It had read, \"Congratulations, you have reached level 100!\" \n\nI got writers block at this point, take it as it is." ]	1
	[WP] One day you come home early and find a small, brightly-colored spandex costume: your pet is a superhero.	[ "Fluffykins never seemed to be around much. Bill would let him out in the morning, only to see him roaming around the house beat up and bruised that night. He didn't know how that cat was able to get back in the house, but he wasn't motivated enough to investigate it. Bill was unemployed at the time, so he mostly watched a lot of television. On the local news every day, he saw a cat fly across the screen as footage from someone's cell phone, capturing the heroic acts of the city's resident superhero, Supercat. He was sick of it. This \"SuperCat\" was hogging up time that could have been used for weather information. You see, he was the weatherman. He had been let go because, \"That Supercat footage is more important than your pathetic weather.\" His wife had divorced him and taken the kids, he was living on unemployment, and the bank was about to foreclose. \n\nOne day, the anger inside of him boiled over, and he stormed around the house, cursing Supercat as loudly as he could. Fluffykins, almost sensing that he was angry, tried to avoid him. Bill, in his rage, tripped over something. Angrily, he took a closer look. It looked like a little costume, with the letters \"SC\" written on it in large letters. \n\nBill stormed towards his gun rack and picked up one of his shotguns, screaming out, \"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.\" Fluffykins knew the jig was up. His identity was revealed. Fluffykins leaped into the air and began flying towards Bill. Bill haphazardly shot towards him, but all the bullets bounced off like they were bouncy balls. \n\nFluffykins scratched Bill's face repeatedly, hissing at him the entire time. Bill tried to run towards the kitchen, but Fluffykins had begun to permanently damage his eyes. Almost blind, Bill finally stumbled into the kitchen and started to grab a butcher knife, screaming, \"You did this to me? After all I've done for you? I cleaned up after you, fed you, gave you a bed! And then you ruined my life as this 'Supercat'!\" \n****\nThe cops were stunned at the bloodbath. The man in front of them had clearly abused his cat, and it had taken revenge. Two of the cat's legs lay there, as well as the man, with a butcher knife in his right hand covered in blood and severe claw marks all over his head. This man clearly had deserved this. \n\nFluffykins nursed his wounds in the attic. His legs had almost fully regenerated by that point. He reached towards his costume and slid it on. Supercat would fight another day.", "Kazoo was a smart dog. Kazoo was a good dog. Those were the things I knew about Kazoo before getting back to my house this afternoon. Now, it turns out, Kazoo is also Wonder-Dog. \n\nI'm not quite sure I know how to feel about that. At least, not at this very moment. Just give me some time - her wounds are still healing from her last fight; it hasn't been that long, even given that she heals incredibly quickly... I'm sure I'll land on one conclusion, eventually.\n\nAll those shaky, blurry clips I've seen on the evening news - those were all her!? That time she knocked out a bank robber, that time she pulled all those kids out of that burning school bus... She's only eight pounds, for glory's sake! Maybe, part of me still hasn't accepted it and that's why I'm having a hard time figuring out how to cope. Or, this is just too much...\n\nThe stunning realization I made, when I pulled that tiny pink and blue suit out of the dryer, will haunt me 'til the moment I die. Afterwards, when I'm haunting my great- and great-great-grandchildren, I'll tell them the story, in great detail.\n\nBut, in my current state, I don't think I have it in me just now to pull that one out. That'd be far* too intense..." ]	2
	[WP] It's the climax of a story, and the narrator is horribly drunk. The characters in the story try their best to ignore it.	[ "Hero McHeroface strutted into the room like, like he owned the damn place. Thinks he's sooooooo cool... anyway. He walked up to w-what's-his-face and is all like \"King Blob, your time has come, I am here to end your tyranny\" blah blah blah.\n\nHeroboy pulled out his sword. Swoooooord. That's a funny word. Hehe.\n\n\n\"I want to lick your armpits\" said Blob. Just kidding he didn't really say that, haha pranked. He said \"guards, to me!\".\n\n\"Your guards no longer support you, I have-\" he went on about this for a while, I'll just skip it.\n\n\"Then we will duel!\" Blobberboy responded, and pulled out his mighty ~~broadsword~~ rubber chicken.\n\nArrogant as always, heroface said \"That weapon is no match against my blade.\" He pulled a live chicken from his sword sheath. Whoops how did that get there? wink\n\nHesitantly they stared intently into each others eyes, maybe noticing how pretty they are, probably about to put down their weapons and start kissin-\n\n\"No! You will die!\" Blob yelled and charged at protagonistman. Ugh, fine. \n\nHerolad ducked from his swing as the Blobs rubber chicken flailed wildly in the air. His own chicken panicked and started pecking him in the arm, he was losing his grip on it's feet. Distracted by the chicken shenanigans, Blob landed a solid juicy hit right in heroboys facial area. I like chicken. I wish I had some chicken right now. Hold on let me go check the fridge..." ]	1
	[WP] One day you try adopting a chimpanzee, but the process of acquiring one is much more bureaucratic than anticipated. Secretly, the monkeys run the joint and delegate where they are to be sent.	[ "\"Just give me a moment, sir,\" the monkey at the counter tries its best to conceal its true identity. The human sighs.\n\n\"I've filled out 5 forms already. Why are you taking so damn long?\" he complains. The 'man' at the counter bows, then scurries to the backroom.\n\n\"OK, he is a Marine. And he's less than 40. Johnson, you said that's your kind of owner right?\" the leader chimp tells the group of monkeys huddling together on the floor.\n\n\"That is so. When will I be delivered to him?\" Johnson asks. Before the leader can respond, another monkey runs in.\n\n\"We've got another order for 4 monkeys over at the Georgia branch,\" it pants, handing over the forms. Another monkey rushes in with another pile of paperwork.\n\n\"Order for 10!\" he shouts, before all the monkeys realize something.\n\n\"That's...all of us. There are only 15 monkeys here,\" the leader says anxiously. Then he looks at the crowd, a plan forming within his mind. \"Sort yourselves into two groups: Healthy and Not Healthy. We're going to have to distribute ourselves smartly.\"\n______________________________\nMore over at r/Whale62! Sequels at popular request!" ]	1
	[WP] Write a background, a legend, or an origin story for your username.	[ "\"Ahh jeez, wh-what is this place Rick?\"\n\n\"Looks like we're in some sort of universe that's a based of a f-f-f-famous movie trilogy set in a galaxy far f-\\burp\\-ar away\"\n\n\"Whoooaaa, this space ship looks huge!\"\n\n\"Don't get too attached M-m-morty, you know that all the re-\\burp\\-ally big ships end up gettting blown up\"\n\n\"Awww ma-\"\n\n\"SHHH Morty! Someone's coming\"\n\n\\*Heavy breathing approaches them\\\n\n\"The princess is gone?! Well who took her!\"\n\n\"It was Lonestar, sir!\"\n\n\"Lonestar! Colonel Sandurz, do we know where he is taking Princess Vespa?\"\n\n\"Yes sir! It looks like they are heading to the desert moon of Vega!\"\n\n\"So they're running back to Yogurt.... Too bad they won't get there! Colonel Sandurz, prepare the ship for Ludicrous speed!\"\n\n\"But sir! I don't know if-\"\n\n\"What's the matter Colonel Sandurz, chicken?!\"\n\n\"Prepare th-... Prepare the ship for Ludicrous speed!\"\n\n\"Oh c-cr-crap Morty, we gotta do something!\"\n\n\"W-w-what? Why? Ludicrous speed doesn't sound so-\"\n\n\"Shut up Morty, going that fast would kill us instantly if we're not buckled up\"\n\n\"Ohhh jeeez Rick! What are we gonna do?!\"\n\n\"What are we* gonna do? I'm gonna go stop them\"\n\n\\*Rick runs out into ship bridge\\\n\n\"W-w-wait!! Don't do it!\"\n\n\"Who are you?! Colonel Sandurz, who is he?\"\n\n\"I don't know sir!\"\n\n\"My name is Rick, I'm trying to help you\"\n\n\"Hey that's my na- cough* I mean, I am Dark Helmet. Either answer my questions or feel the wrath of my shwartz\"\n\n\"Your wha- never mind Helmet guy, just hear me out. You're trying to catch this Lone-whatever guy but he always gets away, right?\"\n\n\"I mean... not always... there was this one time...\"\n\n\"Yeah yeah, you had him then he slip-\\burp\\-ped through your fingers, right?\"\n\n\"Well... I me-\"\n\n\"Save it. Look, I've seen this movie a thousand times\"\n\n\"But it hasn't been released yet! We're still in the middle of making it! How have yo-\"\n\n\"Actually sir, there's been a breakthrough in home entertainment and we now have instant cassettes!\"\n\n\"Instant cassettes?\"\n\n\"Yes sir!\"\n\n\"So that's how you watched it?\"\n\n\"Sure, let's uhh... let's go wi-\\burp\\-th that. Anyways, if he just got away then you're still early in the movie, which means Lonewhatever still doesn't give a fuck about the princess or whatever the fuck she is\" \n\n\"Oh really?\"\n\n\\*Dark helmets lifts up is visor\\\n\n\"Is this true Colonel Sandurz?\"\n\n\"I don't know sir! He seems to know what he's talking about though\"\n\n\"But just look at him! He's obviously drunk and he's running around with a little kid! I mean this guy might be a pedophile or something\"\n\n\"You know I can he-\\burp\\-ar right? This is my grandson, M-m-morty. And I would need to drink a whoo-\\burp\\-ooole lot more to get drunk\"\n\n\"Should we trust him?\"\n\n\"I think so, sir!\"\n\n\\Dark Helmet closes his visor again\\\n\n\"Okay Rick, so how does this help us?\"\n\n\"Jesus christ, okay, why would someone like this Lonestar guy be trying to save a princess if they don't even like each other?\"\n\n\"To have se-... I mean, uhhh..\"\n\n\"Ugh are you seriously that retarded?\"\n\n\"Uhh Rick, you shouldn't call people tha-\"\n\n\"J-j-just shut the fuck up M-m-morty. For money!! Lonestar is only d-d-doing this is for mo-\\burp\\-ney dumbass!\"\n\n\"Of course! I have heard he has a debt with Pizza the Hut. So all we have to do is kill him and Lonestar will have no reason to save Princess Vespa!\"\n\n\"Orrrrrr... you could just pay him more\"\n\n\\Dark Helmet lifts visor up\\\n\n\"Can we do that?\"\n\n\"I don't know sir!\"\n\n\\Dark Helmet looks to director\\\n\n\"Hey, can we do this?\"\n\n\"Uh, I guess\"\n\n\\Dark Helmet closes his visor again\\\n\n\"FANTASTIC! Rick, you are a genius!\"\n\n\"Yeah, no shit\"\n\n\"Uhh R-r-rick, I think we're helping the bad guy. Sh-sh-shouldn't we, like, not do that\"\n\n\"Shut up M-m-morty! If you're just gonna bitch then why don't you just go home!\"\n\n\"F-f-fine Rick! I'm didn't even want to come anyways!\"\n\n\\Rick opens a portal and Morty walks through\\\n\n\"Uhhhh... so...\"\n\n\"Oh don't worry about him. Let's get us a FUCKING PRINCESS!! WHOOO!! WUBBA LUBBA DUB DUB!!!\"\n\n\"YES, I like your enthusiasm! From here on, we shall be known as Dark Helmet and Rick\"\n\n\"Fuck no, it's Rick and Dark Helmet!\"\n\n\"WHAT?! That's just ridiculous!\"\n\n\"Yeahh, you're ri-\\burp\\*-ght, that doesn't sound right. And it can't be Rick and Rick either\"\n\n\"Wait, how do you know my na-\"\n\n\"That's it! We'll be Rick and Moranis!\"\n\n\nEdit - Grammar and formatting", "4 million years ago, the world was ruled by a race of sentient disposable plastic bags. These people were known as Baggos and they were far more advanced then you or I could possibly comprehend. Of all the baggos, none were more powerful than Doobly. With a single thought Doobly could destroy whole galaxies, but everything changed when the NON disposable plastic bags attacked. The two empires destroyed esch other leaving no trace of their existence. None except for Doobly Who survives to this day.", "It was summer. It was a bubblegum, watermelon, ice cream kind of summer — a short-shorts, crop top, bikini kind of summer. There was too much sun and too many pretty girls, and she was there, sitting quietly in her bedroom.\n\nShe was not a summer girl. She was a hot chocolate and marshmallows girl, an oversized sweater and snow angels kind of girl. She was not sunglasses perched on small noses, or hair braided with flowers, or big hats daintily arranged on perfect heads.\n\nSummer was for low-fat yogurt and smoothies so that skinny girls could get skinnier. Fresh cherries were little tiny snack foods — airy, sweet fruits that were all but weightless in an empty stomach.\n\nShe was a winter girl, and so while the summer girls ate their cherries, she ate hers — a sugary, syrupy jar of maraschino cherries." ]	3
My first prompt. Hope it's okay.	[WP] Upon death, you discover that each person has their own personal Heaven, and that all other residents in your specific Heaven are just soulless manifestations from your own life. They're not real. You try to come to terms with this discovery.	[ "“Where are you taking me?” I asked, more than a little frightened. \n\n“I already told you kid, heaven,” a gruff looking man in a grey jumpsuit said as he eyed a clipboard held between his meaty hands. He led the way down a corridor lined with doors on either side. We stopped at door labeled G9X5X9. He turned around, dangling a key on a round chain, “Okay kid, this is your stop. All you have to do is go in there, everything else will sort itself out.”\n\n“Do I have to?” I sheepishly protested, “Isn’t there anywhere else I can go?”\n\nThe man sighed, “No. You’re dead. Remember?”\n\n“Oh, right…I see.” I took the keys. “So what am I supposed to do?”\n\n“Whatever you want kid.” He looked at his clipboard, “Says here, you wanted to write comic books. You’ll do just fine.”\n\n“Draw comic books,” I corrected him, “The writing was a bit of a side project that I feel if I had enough time I could have really –“\n\n“Ok off you go.” the man said as he got behind me and prodded me into the open door as if he were shooing away a stray cat.\n\nI was ushered through the door into a white room, well not exactly a room. There was just white…everywhere. I had an idea of where I stood, but there were no borders, nothing was defined. I had thought I’d heard the door close behind me, but when I turned around; there was no door, there was nothing.\n\nThere I was, alone. The reality of my situation sunk in. I would be spending eternity in this - This place? This dimension? I didn’t know what it was.\n\nI was overwhelmed, so I sat down, buried my head in my knees, and I started to cry.\n\n“There there sweetie, everything’s going to be okay. Don’t cry.”\n\nI looked up in shock. In the middle of the white was a replica of my kitchen, the center of which stood a very familiar figure.\n\nI wiped away a tear from my eye, sniffling.\n\n“Mom?”\n\n“There there sweetie, everything’s going to be okay. Don’t cry” the image of my mom repeated herself.\n\n“H-huh?”\n\nSuddenly I heard laughter to my left. I looked over at two of my school bullies, the halls of my school in their backdrop, snickering and pointing at me. To my right, my baseball coach read off a list in the dugout. “Rogers is on deck, Sampson!” he looked in my direction, “You’re in the hole.”\n\nThe white was replaced with splashes of color as more people arrived, contextual backdrops in tow. It was a cacophony of repeating phrases and scenes from my fragmented memories. I put my hands to my ears.\n\n“Okay, okay, everyone just shut up will you!” I yelled.\n\nThe noise stopped.\n\nI looked at each of the scenes, frozen by my command. I let this sink in for a moment as I decided what I would do next. I waved my hand as if I were wiping dust off a window, and all was white again.\n\n“I get it now,” I said aloud, “Heaven is a canvas, and I’m the artist.”\n" ]	1
	[WP] You've been the best fighter pilot in all of the galaxy, but now you're bored. That is, until a company on Earth recruits you for a prestigious video game competition.	[ "The table was long, old, and filled with bright eyes staring back at him. He felt the wear on the finish and could just make out the grain of some long extinct tree species. \n\"Well? What do you think?\"\nHe couldnt lift his eyes up from the table, he was lost in the swirls, the age of it. he pictured the forest from whence the tree came, and with it the sun dappled forest floor. Again voices, filtered as if his ears were plugged up, he looked up, the eyes ever brighter staring, waiting. \nHe was uncomfortable in his clothes, street shoes and conscious about his left hand, the remainder of it anyway. \nIt was a while before he spoke. This was not his first time at a table like this, Belaman proxima, the guidelines, First gaurd, and Germany all sat him down at one time or another. This was different. \nA long breath was interrupted by the panel, \n\"if its your hand you are concerned with captain, let me reassure you, you only need a thumb and forefinger, or forefinger and middle, all of which you have.\" \nThe eyes trained on him, the ears too, and a screen wall illuminated, showing specs on a control system unfamiliar to him. \nThe Captain drew a full breath and let it release, he would not waste words nor time. \n\"show me.\" \nHis short answer was met with a gasp of satisfaction as well as relief that the eyes were now looking around at eachother instead of him. \nThe screen wall flickered and with it an odd sound from sound system. \nThe captain had only two more words left to say before training. \n\"Mario Kart?\"\n\n\nedit: i am not a writer and this is the first time ive ever done anything like this. " ]	1
	[WP] You manage to break into Area 51 and find out a secret so horrible there would be massive wars if it were to leak.	[ "\"You'll never get out of here alive\" said the General. \"Why....why don't you simply tell the people of the world about all this?\" I said. \"They cannot handle it--there would be wars...there would be mass suicides..there would be economic collapse..and they would end things sooner rather than later...our way of life, our society, would never be the same again.\" he said. I sighed...he was right. \n\nI thought about his words, and clearly - they made perfect sense. In a senseless reality I could understand his reason. What I saw and learned today made my blood run cold..and I consider myself a rather tough and tolerable person. If such knowledge affects me I can understand how it would affect the majority of people. This whole thing goes beyond the rumors of aliens. It stretches into the realm and metaphysical topics of our very existence and reason for being here on this little blue ball in space. People just couldn't handle knowing the truth. The truth, in this case, wouldn't set us free - it would set us ablaze. \n\n\"Just give up already and give me the gun..where are you going to go now that you know? You're not a soldier..you're just a kid who got more than he bargained for.\" said the General as he stared at the .45 pointed at him which I liberated from his holster just a few minutes earlier. I looked at the gun and considered my options. I thought I would be able to bring back a killer youtube video exclusive and expose or dispel some of the \"secret rumors\" of this place..but it all went horribly wrong. What a stupid feeble amateurish endeavor this was. Thinking I would get a viral video I found out a realization which I had not bargained for that would be more than viral - it would be toxic. \n\n\n\n\"I don't know what I am going to do right now..but I know right now this gun is all that is keeping me alive and your soldiers from shooting me...if I threaten to shoot you.\" I said. \"I\"m already dead kid - we all are - you saw into his thoughts...it's just a matter of time now that you know.\" he said. \"The 'experiment' as they call it is almost over - we developed far beyond what they bargained for and it's about time to end this one and begin the next one.\" he said. Cold words but words harsh from his living so many years the reality of knowing what we are - what humans are - what earth is. Many who learned this truth went mad or committed suicide. Maybe I should point the gun at myself. \n\n\n\nWhat would the world suddenly be like if they learned that everything they thought they knew was mostly a constructed fabricated controlled lie..society..religion..government..all lies. What would people do. Would they even listen or believe it? Do I even believe it? If i hadn't seen the parts with my own eyes or learned what I did when 'it' stared into me..into my mind..I might not believe. But I did, 'it' did and I do. It feels like a gut punch that takes the wind out of you. \n\n\n\"Look, you should realize this ends how you decide it ends.\" the general said. \"You can go easy or the hard way..but either way it's going to go. Its just a matter of time and right now time is against you because the special op teams are hardening their positions and you are losing your wiggle room.\" \n\n\n\n\"Just shut up and let me think..\" I said trying to maintain control when I knew I had none. I was playing a bluff and he knew it. I'm sure everyone knew it. What do I do about all this? I just wanted to go home and forget all this. I looked down at my phone recorder. Seemed pointless to even bother to continue recording or even try to record any more. \n\n\"Look kid, just relax and lets talk about all this and what is going to happen. How about a drink..want a soda?\" the general said as he took a step towards his office fridge. I tensed but he put his hands out to show he was not trying to trick me. \"C'mon - have a soda.\" he said as he extended to me a Mt Dew towards my direction. I didn't realize it but I was literally in a corner. A corner of his office and a corner in my life. I took a step forward and grabbed the frosty can. Wasn't out of the fridge a few seconds and already the condensation from the sweltering heat outside was building on the can exterior. \"Mind if I eat my lunch?\" he asked. \"Go ahead.\" I said. \"Like egg salad? my wife makes a great egg salad. She uses Dijon Mustard..pretty tasty. Always packs me two sandwiches of egg salad on wheat. Want one?\" he asked. \"Yeah maybe...thanks. \" I said - trying to figure out everything and if this was his way of getting me to drop my guard or a good cop bad cop routine. Maybe the sandwich is poisoned I mused. \n\n\"I don't know what to do here and you know it.\" I said biting into the sandwich. \"Oh - this is very good.\" I said motioning about the sandwich. The general sat is his chair and sighed. \"thanks I 'll tell my wife.\" he paused for a moment. \"Yeah, I know you don't know what to do next. I know there isn't much to say to explain this. You got more than you wanted and I'm sorry about that. Welcome to what we take so much effort to hide from the rest of the world. When I first learned all this I almost resigned. I almost shot myself. It took me months to wrap my head around to just begin to digest it all...and I was raised catholic for all the good that meant.\" \n\n\"How did you get past it?\" I asked. \"I didn't.\" he said. \"I just learned to live with it day to day and focus on what I could do in that moment...and trust me some days I still wonder if I really CAN do anything or if it even matters. But what I did learn is that even if for just a moment something I do can matter to at least some one - it about makes it bearable.\" \n\n\n\"That's it???\" I said. \"What did you expect?\" he said. \"Some grand 'meaning of life' type of speech? This is cold reality - not a made for TV movie.\" he quipped. \"Let me ask you - when 'it' grabbed you and looked into you for that brief time..what did you learn?\" he asked. \"I saw...I felt.....I felt cold and drained..I felt about as important as....as a cow is to a farmer..a lab rat is to a doctor..but it did answer a lot of questions...\" \n \n\nTBC..if folks want me to. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "My body felt electric, it was one of those rare moments where time had disappeared. I could feel each beat of my heart pulse through through my veins.\nHave you ever worked so long and hard at something that when it finally arrives it seems surreal? I looked at the small metal box that sat on the table in front of me. It can't be this easy, can it? I know how much work I had done and what sacrifices I had made to get here but was this really it? Since 1891 this had been one of Americas greatest kept secrets, was it really about to be all mine?! My hands trembled as I moved them towards the lid. I was about to become one of only a handful of people in the world to know the truth. For years a war had raged around the secret. It gave a select group untold powers that had spread across the globe. From the World Wars to Santa Claus this secret played a part in all of it. My fingertips touched the cold metal latch and opened the lid. Inside the box was an old aged recipe card. I became acutely aware of everything in this moment. The card felt stiff in my hand as I pulled it from the box. Incredible. The ink wasn't faded at all, for some reason I had expected the card to be much more weathered and worn but of course it had been locked away for so long it was in pristine condition. I took in a deep breath and could feel my lungs tremble with excitement when I realized all my hard work had payed off. This was really it. I was holding the recipe for Coca Cola.\n", "Freezing time is impossible.\n\nSlowing it down, on the other hand, is just slightly less impossible. Good enough for me.\n\nMy science is kinda, well, mad. I put things together, do the best I can at making something. Half the time, I invent a toaster. The other half, I invent fire. This time was something else.\n\nSomehow, someway, I can slow time down to a fraction of it's speed, and kept that time loss from affecting me. Technically it doesn't affect the entire world, just about a 50 mile radius. I tested it once; America nearly went to war with North Korea. They must have though it was some new attack, immobilizing citizens of the free world.\n\nIt was just me, the mad scientist.\n\nI packed up my truck with a few pairs of clothes, a few cases of franks and beans, and a few jugs of water. Then, I hit the road. Driving across the country, camping on the side of the road, keeping a low profile. I had something I wanted to find out. One of America's most well known secrets; what's in area 51?\n\nWeeks later, I made it. A chain fence laid around the site, about a mile out. I could see more fences and walls, guards a plenty; would be impossible to get in for a normal person. I smirked and looked down at my watch.\n\nI stored the device in my watch; I figured that only made sense. Slowly I turned the dial, and I felt the time bend around me. The sun still set in the west, but everyone else froze. An hour for me was only a second for them. I'd be but a blur.\n\nI cut through fences, broke down doors, and climbed walls. It took me until nightfall to get into the main warehouse, but I slipped in through a door that an unsuspecting scientist was opening. I didn't know what I was looking for, but I began my search. I decided to run; the faster I went, the quicker the blur everyone else would see.\n\nStaff offices, bathrooms, boring computer screens: I didn't care about any of that. I wanted to see something concrete. Aliens? Weather balloons? Anything? I snagged a piece of pizza from the staff kitchen as I continued my search. There!\n\nA door at the end of the hall was guarded by four men, armed with automatic weapons. I walked past them, turning the safety on for each of their guns. The door was locked; I went through the guard's pockets and tried each of their keys. Click! I smiled and walked in, but the smile disappeared when I saw what they were guarding. I shut and locked the door behind me.\n\nSitting in the middle of a twenty foot wide room was a small hole in the dirt. A blue light was glowing out of it, and a strangely reflective water rested in the pit. Two scientists stood in the corner and their eyes were just starting to look over towards me. I glanced at the clipboards they were holding, and I glanced at them. I talked to them, even though I doubted they would be able to understand what I said.\n\n\"A portal? To what? And how'd it get here? This place has been here for years! What's on the other side?\" I knew that I had to know more, but I couldn't go rummaging around Area 51 looking for clues. I had to know firsthand.\n\nI stood at the edge of the portal and looked down. I clearly saw my face in the blue water. Should I turn off my watch? It could have a bad effect, I thought. I decided against it, and stepped off the edge.\n\nI was a mad scientist, after all.\n\n-------------\n\nSincerely,\n\n/r/TDWfan" ]	3
	[WP] Wrote a story where everything goes well for the protagonist until the last few sentences	[ "I shut the door. Quickly, but also rather carefully. I did not want those bad guys to find me here. Blam! The sign that said TELIOT shook around rather worryingly as the door finally closed. But nothing serious happened.\nI held my breath and observed in horror as two shadows of different size moved in front of the door. The first shadow, a big one, shouted \"Where's that bitch?\", clearly referred to me. The little one followed then by saying, \"Maybe he was in behind that door\", referring the door where I was stupidly standing behind it. But then they went the other way. I figured they must have think I was rather crazy to hind behind that stupid door.\nI breathed a sigh of relief. Then I smelled something amiss.\nI found out I happened to be pooping myself during the whole thing. My smell of poop must have been hidden behind the smell of the other poop in that stinking toilet.", "Michael had always loved the sea. He stared out over the horizon, watching the evening sun glinting on the surface of the water like a million tiny diamonds. He took in a deep breath of air, the salty air flowing through him, cleansing him of all ill feeling he'd ever felt.\n\nStepping down from the veranda onto the soft golden sand, Michael's mind returned to his thoughts of disbelief that this piece of heaven was now his. He and Hannah had worked remarkably hard to afford their modest beach-house; they had put on hold their plans to start a family, worked tirelessly and without any holidays, until eventually they had saved enough money to put down the deposit. He thought back how tough it was on him and Hannah and how it pushed their relationship to breaking point, but in the end showed them that they together were invincible. \n\nAs if summoned by his reverie, Hannah appeared beside him. Wordlessly he put his arm around her, taking in the sweet and earthy smell of her patchouli perfume, feeling the soft satin of her evening summerdress against his fingers. She leaned her head into the groove of his neck, gently whispering words into his ear, pulling his hand down to her slightly swollen stomach where their long awaited child was growing. In 8 months time, their life would be complete.\n\nHannah flinched at the harsh beeping of Michael's life support machine, where a sympathetic doctor waited for her to say goodbye. It had been five years since the accident which haunts her every minute of the day. She recalled the warm spring afternoon driving down to view the two bedroom house overlooking the sea that Michael had found. They had been enjoying the sunset through the windscreen on their way over, until they weren't. Hannah came out unscathed, Michael received a traumatic head injury leaving him in the coma he had been sat in all these years. Hannah ran her hand over Michael's, lingering when she met his wedding ring, tears rolling silently down her face. She knew there were no signs of brain activity, but she hoped with all her heart that he had still been able to dream. Her eyes met the doctors, giving the authorisation to finally let him go.\n\nClick." ]	2
	[WP] Humans have been living in underwater colonies for such a long time that the land has become a myth.	[ "\"The surface? Who's been fillin' your head with stories about the surface?\" The eyes of Pete's dad narrowed, and Pete swum back slightly. \n\"Jus- just Grandad.\" Pete stuttered. The answer seemed wrong, as his dad growled, his gills pulsing. \n\"Don' you be listnin to him, Pete. Don't go near him either. Grandad's crazy. Surface, hah!\" His dad swum out of the room muttering. \n \nPete left the house and swam down the street. He didn't know why his dad was angry - they were just stories, weren't they? Exciting ones as well, of an impossible place where animals and people lived without water. Grandad lit up when he told the tales, of creatures called \"dogs\" and \"birds\", of where the light truely came from. Pete knew they were nonsense - the light was generated by the water above, not some silly ball of 'fire'. \nBut if they were stories, why was dad mad? \n \nPete's swim ended where it alway did, at Grandad's house. After all, there was nothing beyond - the Shelf dropped away into black, where the monsters lived. Brave souls occasionally went exploring there. Some even made it back, dragging gigantic creatures of nightmare and even wilder tales. \n \n\"Hello lad.\" Pete turned to find Grandad behind him, staring out into the abyss. \n\"Strangely beautiful, isn't it? The Edge, the limit of the Known world.\" Grandad looked down and smiled at Pete. Pete smiled back, although the grin faltered. \n\"Eh, lad?\" Grandad had cocked his head. \"What's the matter?\" \n\"Dad says you're crazy.\" Pete stared at the ground. \"Said not to come here, 'cause of the Surface stories.\" \nHe heard Grandad sigh. \n\"Of course he did.\" His grandad knelt down next to him, lifting Pete's chin so he met his eyes. \"I think you're old enough now. Come on.\" His grandad turned and swam into the house. Pete slowly followed him. After all, what if Dad was right? \n \nHis grandfather led him through the house, to a small room at the back, facing the Edge. He swam up to the roof and grabbed a box from a shelf. \n\"Come look Pete.\" Pete swam up and looked inside. \nWait, was that... \nHe turned to see his Grandad nodding. \n\"Aye, Pete. That is evidence I'm not crazy.\" He reached in a gently pulled out the small objects nestled inside. \n\"These, Pete, were made on the surface, in a place called chin-a.\" He passed the objects, models of four legged creatures, to Pete. \"Surface animals. There's also what's known as photos here.\" He grabbed a few flat squares, covered in delicate paintings. \n\"Where are they from?\" Whispered Pete in awe. \nHis granded rubbed his chin. \"Your ancestors. They came from Up There. Mementos of the old world.\" Gathering the small figurines back into the box, he put it back on the shelf. \n\"Up There? What do you mean, up there?\" Pete was puzzled. There was no 'up there'. \n\"The surface, lad. Try to keep up, I know you're bright. We came from there.\" \n\"No, Grandad, we've always been here.\" Grandad's flat stare was almost as bad as his Dad's glare, and Pete flinched. \n\"We have not, lad. We came here and forgot. Willingly by some, like your dad, but mainly age and time. And we can go back.\" Pete stared. His grandad's voice had changed. \"We can go back, Pete, if we follow the Whale Song.\" \nPete flinched. The rule had been hammered into him, till it was reflex. Never listen to the Whale song, Never follow the Whale Song. The Song of Giants meant death, everyone knew that. \nHis grandad shook his head. \"It's a lie, Pete. One to keep you grounded.\" \n\"I... I need to go. Dad's calling me.\" Pete fled, as politely as possible, and swam home. He saw what Dad meant. Follow the Whales? Only the mad did that.", "Yaren climbed up a set of ladders, hoping that it would not be his last.\n\nOutside, strong currents brought hammers down upon metal walls, and heavy rocks were torn from a muddied seabed, but the rooms and halls inside remained eerily still. Too quiet, if Yaren was asked. He would have much prefered a stormy day, with fast eddies and even faster sharks, perhaps krakens, that might have added on another delay. \n\nAdmiral Tristan was waiting for him at the topmost ladder rung. He looked like he’d been there all night; deep purple marred the underside of his eyes, with creased wrinkles on their sides, and bones that poked through haggard skin even further beneath those. A skeleton, Yaren thought. Corpses jettisoned into sea -- as was custom upon death -- sometimes came back, borne upon the wings of violent storms, to smash against stronghold walls, or become stuck on porthole windows to scare the children in their sleep.\n\nYaren hung on the last rung, to afraid to speak. He tried to, but his throat was so parched and his lips so chapped that only a small croak came out. Ironic right? That they were surrounded by water, but it was too poisoned to drink.\n\n“You’re ready?” Tristan leaned to grip him by the crook of his arm, then hauled him bodily to the upper floors. “Thank you for volunteering. It would’ve been mine own son to go, if you had not.”\n\nPart of him wanted to flee, but he wet his lips with his tongue instead. “It’s not a death sentence, you know. But you’re welcome anyways.”\n\n“Well,” said Tristan. Something doubtful moved in his eyes. “It’s a myth. If it were up to me, we’d build another colony along the seabed, but we’re running out of resources. Metal is scarce these days, as are tracts of soil for farming.”\n\nYaren nodded, but was holding onto a rail with both of his hands. They looked like claws, so gripped against the cold metal that they had turned white. The confidence had fled him, and been replaced by a pounding fear, that grew with every thud of his heart. His eyes had become gaping holes, quick and black, and flitted around the room to see one last time. The glowing blue lights overhead, the submarines laying listlessly on their banks, the workers running back and forth, the hunters gripping harpoons. But pitted against a soft blue glow, he seemed like dead kelp, that might blow away with the vanguard of a storm. And what if that’s true? He thought. What if there really is no land above the waters? Then this journey would be for naught, and would have traveled for nothing, or perhaps be eaten by a shark or kraken, miles away from home. I must not think like that, especially not now. He shook his head.\n\nLast year, he remembered, Oswald Terund had been the one to set out, against a raging current in a rusted sub with two torpedoes loaded and one harpoon to its name. “Tiny Terror,” they had called it, and aptly named for its stature, and for the fear it gave those who rode it. But the next year had come, and Oswald was still gone. Then there was Timothy before him, Sasha the year before, Tumm, Benjamin, Ron. And now it was he who left to find land, and to become a part of the celebrated explorers who never returned.\n\nBut when Admiral Tristan spoke again, the fear fled Yaren’s body. “We’re giving you the Nautilus,” he said.”\n\nYaren gaped. “But why?”\n\n“It’s decided among the council that this is the last year we’ll waste resources on trips such as these. And the Nautilus is old, and very much not up to par with current standards. But it should suffice. It has twenty fully automated rail turrets, twelve torpedo launchers, five harpoon guns, and retractable wheels to roll along the seabed. Or on land, should you find it. And close your mouth, boy,” Tristan said, when Yaren failed to move.\n\n“But,” said Yaren, in a tone both reverent and with budding excitement. “That should be in a museum, though.”\n\n“Yeah,” Tristan agreed. “But really, what use is it to be? It’s going down in the history books to make one last voyage.”\n\n“But,” Yaren protested, and weakly.\n\n“Are you complaining? No? Get to it, then. You won’t get a parade. You won’t be here to see the other one either.”\n\nThe workers were watching him as he boarded his new craft. Some shouted cheers and a few clapped, but most had become silent like the forests of kelp just outside the colony. A few looked on with poorly concealed jealousy. To have command of the Nautilus was no small honor, Yaren knew, and it surprised him that such a thing had been given to him. “Farewell,” he told Tristan. But his eyes flickered to an overhead balcony, where a girl stood with teary almond eyes and brown hair, then to the floor below, where a three boys waved ecstatically.\n\nTristan nodded curtly. “Farewell, Yaren.”\n\n“Watch for krakens!” The boys called and waved, and Yaren waved back. His eyes swept up longingly, but caught a flash of brown hair that rounded a corner.\n\nYaren had never felt so alone as he did, halfway through the Nautilus’ hatch, with a thousand men and women watching. Tristan had told him to pretend if he were confident even though he was not, so he smiled and closed the hatch. It slid shut smoothly, then boomed with an echo that shook the sub’s hull. But all of his fears and worries slid away as the ship came to life in a dull thrum that rung in his ears. Lights flickered on and shone against polished walls, and illuminated doors to a massive bedroom and farm and armory. It was more than he’d ever had; his family was poor. Then the ship slid through its bay and into open waters, and it was now too late for Yaren to turn back.\n\nA man cannot always be as he wishes to, his father had once said. And though Yaren yearned for home, he turned and walked the bridge, and became lost in the open sea.\n\n**\n\n/r/Lone_Wolf_Studios for weekly stories and updates.", "It was said that mankind had retreated beneath the waves after a cataclysmic event. Man had turned on man, and used technology of horrible power, wiping out most of the population, and tainting the Earth forever. Those who had survived had had to leave the earth as it was corrupted and unlivable. A great debate had sprung up: Does man leave to the stars, on a great, one-way journey that may end in starvation and loss, or beneath the waves? A third of the survivors had taken to the skies, and were never seen again. Those that stayed retreated beneath the waves. Great domes were constructed, deep enough that the corrupted land could not spread to it for many millennia.\n\nGregory was coming home from a day at the re-harvesting fields. He smelled like a combination of dung and rotted food, as that was the fertilizer for the food that was grown in the Agriculture Dome. There was protective gear that was supposed to deter any smell from actually catching, but Greg somehow managed to smell like crap at the end of each day regardless. \n\nGreg stepped into the small home he had by himself. Being single, he was allotted a smaller living quarter than those that had families. He flicked on the artificial light, noting the timer showing he had 30 minutes until they were automatically switched off again. \n\nMan, they keep giving us less and less light-time every day.* Greg remembered when he was a boy that there had been hours and hours of light-time every day, during which he and his father could play games. The past two months alone he had gone from 40 minutes down to 30. He would have to talk to District Captain Montaigne about this.\n\nThen the artificial light flickered, and went off. Greg stumbled into the table in his dining room and fell over. After what seemed like an hour, but it was probably only half a minute, the lights came back on. \n\nHolding his hip where it had hit the table, Greg stood up. That was new. Uneasy, Greg made a quick supper using KornMeel™ and trudged over to his bed. Laying down, Greg closed his eyes, and for the first time in a long while wondered what life had been like before the domes. And if there was life after them. \n\nThe light-time timer clicked happily on, then dinged. Lights out.\n\n**************************\n\nI really enjoyed this prompt, probably making a few parts as it has my creative juices going. More parts to go up at r/ShuckleScribbles\n\nCritique always welcome\n\n[Part Two Here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/ShuckleScribbles/comments/6ngq54/a_life_beneath_the_waves_part_ii/)\n\n[Part Three Here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/ShuckleScribbles/comments/6nigmz/a_life_beneath_the_waves_part_iii/)\n\n[Part Four Here!](https://www.reddit.com/r/ShuckleScribbles/comments/6nkjxa/a_life_beneath_the_waves_part_iv/)" ]	3
	[WP] After getting in an elevator, a display appears when the door closes. "Play the game." The elevator shot down, past the ground floor, knocking you out.	[ "As I came to, before I saw or felt anything, the piercing sound of ringing filled my head, drowning out all thought or perception. I doubled over on the floor, squirming pitifully in a desperate attempt to shake the sound. My head ached from deep within, and I clung to the last things I remembered.\n\nPastel green blankets. Blank cream walls. An itchy dark green couch.\n\nA window to a dreary day, obscured somewhat by tacky, outdated curtains. \n\nA steady beeping.\n\nI hadn’t left this room for more than a few minutes in the last several days. I didn’t know how much longer I could stay here. I didn’t know if I could leave. Shawn’s slow breathing behind me had been eating away at my sanity, it’s cadence just slightly out of step with the rhythm of the monitor. He wasn’t back yet. \n\nI have to go.\n\nMy body stands up suddenly, and walks to the door; my hand squeezes Shawn’s foot through the blanket, lingering a moment as I move. Passing through the threshold, my eyes look down the hall, landing on the shiny double doors of the elevator. I pause. \n\nI have to go.\n\nShawn’s body is nearly still, a lifeless mound under bland hospital fabrics. Never did I think I’d miss his restless sleep. The shifting of his body under our comforter. The moments between dreams when reality peeked through and I saw the love of my life struggling to get comfortable. The feeling of settling with my body against his back. The hush of peace as sleep settled in once more.\n\nI have to go.\n\nI walked down the hall methodically and without taking my gaze off the nearly-mirrored double doors, my hands touching the doorways and counters, clinging to that space, begging me to stay a little longer. I glanced back down the hall, half-hoping to see Shawn calling out to me from the doorway. My fingers hesitated to call the elevator. Down. That was the only option. \n\nThe approaching cart made a horrible mechanical sound on its way up that sounded as if it came from deep within the earth. The pleasant sound of the bell was an eerie conclusion to the hellish approach. I entered and spun around to see the buttons. I glanced at the little raised lights, looking for the main floor – the café might have something to settle my nerves. The numbers didn’t look familiar. I blinked hard – wow I must be tired. When I opened my eyes, the doors were shutting and the buttons were gone. \n\nI flung my body at the sealed doors, the chill of the metal startling on my bare cheek. Stumbling back, I looked frantically around the cabin. The lights dimmed and projected three words on the doors: PLAY THE GAME\n\nMy lips shaped the words and the floor seemed to fall out from under me.\n\nThe ringing sound diminished, and I began to open my eyes. The space around me was tremendous, seemingly endless in the darkness. Flickering lights in the distance like stars dimly illuminated the hard, clammy floor. The blackness extended in every direction, reaching infinitely up without revealing any of the sky. The air was as still and cold as the breath of the dead. I clamored to my feet, holding myself against the chill.\n\nA mist swirled across the landscape, quickly collecting around my feet and gathering in a huge orb in front of me. The orb split in the front, opening up like sliced citrus. Guided by the mist and desperation, my feet took me into the sphere, which pressed in around my body like a favorite blanket. The swirling particles twisted into memories, portrayed clumsily in the foggy whiteness.\n \nOur first kiss.\n\nHolding hands on the ferry home from vacation.\n\nOur legs propped up against the wall while we watched a thunderstorm from a dark room.\n\nAs tears filled my eyes, I lost sight of the imitations. My mind burst with vivid swaths of color, painting an entire lifetime of moments spun together in a sprawling tapestry. Imagined futures overtaking the memories – the life we could build. \n\nI only realized I’d fallen to my knees when the chill and ache from the hard floor had seeped into my joints. The pain grew more intense as the floor began to vibrate, the introduction to a vast, empty voice which emanated from every corner of this dark place. \n\n“You took the first turn years ago. The last move is made tonight.” The words were formed with a thousand voices, from a rich baritone to a soft feminine lilt, layered over one another, reverberating powerfully in the emptiness. “You didn’t have to play the game at all, and now you’re going to lose.”\n\nThey don’t mean Shawn. Please not Shawn.\n\nI knew what they meant. I knew he wouldn’t make it. I knew there was nothing I could do to help him. \n\nThe moment we met, I began my journey to this end. Every time I held his hand, it felt ethereal – like it would vanish if I didn’t hold tightly enough. I craved his energy and savored our time together. Instinctively I always knew he would be taken from me before I was ready.\n\nThe mist flowed through my lungs and I sank to the floor, pooling on the ground like blood spilling from an artery. The energy and warmth of my body drained into the stone and I slipped from consciousness.\n\nMy body would wake up in the hospital, and my ears would not hear the familiar beep. \n\nI would always be in that mist, drinking the fading light of my life when it was perfect." ]	1
	[WP] You live next door to a cafe, and eat most of your meals there. One morning the waitress slips you a note that says, "Kill the bus boy and you'll never pay again"	[ "Derek did a double take at the note, which fluttered onto his open physics textbook. This... this had to be some kind of joke, right? But one glance up at Daniela, who was taking an order at a nearby table, showed no reaction: no chuckles, no sly grins up at him. That was the most disturbing part of all. She'd been his server for months now, at least once a day practically every day for breakfast and/or lunch. No way she wouldn't be enjoying his discomfort to his face if this were a joke.\n\nIf this were a joke...\n\nInstinctively, he crumpled the note up in his hand. His head was spinning. He stole glances around him; everything seemed normal, as far as he could tell—almost chillingly normal. Staff, clientele, atmosphere... It was exactly the same as what he'd fallen in love with when he first moved into his new college apartment at the beginning of the year.\n\nAnd who was this \"busboy,\" anyway? The only one he knew was Gustavo, who had Down Syndrome, and he was the gentlest, sweetest guy on the planet. Maybe there was another one? This was the first time he'd ever been here for dinner, so that wasn't out of the—\n\n\"Hey, babe.\" This was a new voice, as oily as a bad plate of fettucini Alfredo. Its owner was a twenty-something in a busboy's uniform, but his attitude, smirk, and swagger spoke of something a lot less humble. He was talking to Daniela. \"Show some cleavage, why don't you? It's good for morale. And you'll get better tips,\" he sneered.\n\nDerek expected her to scream at him, slap him across the face. She should have. But to his shock, Daniela just silently undid the top two buttons of her blouse, her eyes not leaving his.\n\nThe busboy nodded approvingly. \"There ya go.\" He moved on, but she said absolutely nothing, her face stone.\n\nDerek figured he must've fallen into some kind of alternate universe.\n\n\"Hey! Retard!\" the busboy yelled at Gustavo, who was busing a recently vacated table. \"Hurry the fuck up!\"\n\n\"Sorry, Rick,\" Gustavo said meekly, picking up his pace, which was already reasonably fast.\n\n\"I swear, I dunno why my uncle hires morons,\" the busboy—Rick—muttered. Derek blinked at the cognitive dissonance; he'd met the cafe owner, Mr. Morales, once, and he was a kind, friendly, generous man. Then again, Derek thought of his mom saying once that some people were TOO generous for their own good, especially with family. \"Ya think he could find someone who actually knows shit.\" He snatched up a small wad of bills from another empty table—one served by Daniela—and shoved into his pocket. Daniela saw it, clearly. She just turned sharply away and continued to deliver glasses of water to another table.\n\n\"Hey, Jose!\" Rick said sharply. Jose's face popped up in the window opening to the kitchen. Derek had once spent a free afternoon in the kitchen helping Jose out when one of the other chefs was sick. It was partly to earn some free food, but also partly because Jose was a virtuoso at the stove, turning humble ingredients into culinary works of art. He demonstrated his techniques for Derek while chatting about new recipes, his uncle and aunt who lived with him, his dreams for the future...\n\n\"Yeah, Rick?\" The flat, weary voice Jose used was much unlike Derek had ever heard from the open, friendly, gregarious chef.\n\n\"You got my roast beef ready yet?\"\n\n\"I've got customer orders,\" Jose said, protest leaking into his voice. \"And you know you're supposed to pay for food that expensive—\"\n\n\"You cover it,\" Rick snapped. \"Dummy up an order or something if you don't wanna pay. And I don't care about the customers.\" He at least had the decency to lower his voice to keep it out of the ears of most of the room— except for Derek. \"I'm hungry.\"\n\n\"But I got a complaint from last time. I thought you said you'd tell Mr. Morales that it wasn't—\"\n\n\"My uncle's a busy man. It's your problem; you talk to him. Just don't bring me up, if you know what's good for you. Who you think he's gonna believe, you or me?\"\n\n\"But—\"\n\nRick made a big show of whipping out his cell phone. \"Now what's that number for Immigration again...?\"\n\nJose's shoulders slumped. \"I'll start on it now.\"\n\n\"Good. Hey, Cindy!\"\n\nCindy was another waitress hired less than a week ago, who attended the same college as Derek. They'd chatted a little one lunchtime; she was an English major, and this was her first job.\n\n\"Yes, Mr. Morales?\" She scampered up to him, with the energy of someone striving to make a good first impression.\n\n\"Come over here.\" He took her arm in a way that immediately sent Derek's hackles pricking and led her to a darkened corner of the restaurant, near one of the server's registers. Their shoes clicked against the smooth tile floor. Derek had to lean back and prick his ears; he could barely hear the conversation continue. \"So you thought over my... offer?\" His words were smooth, eager.\n\nThere was a long pause. \"I... I'm flattered, really,\" Cindy's voice said, noticeably shakier than it'd been just seconds before, \"but I don't think I—\"\n\n\"You know I can put in a good word with you with my uncle, right? A really good word.\"\n\n\"I know, but I—\"\n\n\"Hey.\" The voice was mostly unchanged, but Derek could hear an edge of menace creep in. \"Times are tough, right? You hafta handle your tuition all by yourself, right? That's gotta be rough.\"\n\n\"Um... yes...\"\n\n\"I can help out, ya know,\" Rick's voice purred. \"We both come out ahead, everyone's happy. Or...\" Now the tone was plainly menacing. \"It's not the prettiest job market out there. Especially if your previous place of employment won't give ya a good word.\"\n\n\"I...\" Cindy's voice was choked with tears.\n\n\"I'll ask again at the end of your shift,\" Rick growled. \"Think about it.\" His voice turned cloyingly light. \"C'mon, it'll be fun. Live a little.\" There was the sound of a hand slapping flesh. Rick strode by, a grin on his face. Cindy followed a few seconds later, wiping her eyes and trying desperately to even her expression.\n\nDaniela saw them too. Jose as well. They might not have heard anything, and their faces might've been neutral, but their eyes...\n\nTheir eyes were decidedly NOT neutral.\n\nThe notepaper creaked in Derek's clenched fist.\n\n\"Hey, Rick,\" Daniela said, her voice weary. \"Clear table four, okay?\"\n\n\"You don't order me around,\" Rick said irritably. \"Make the retard do it!\"\n\n\"He's busy setting up the banquet room. And you're supposed to be working, remember? What if your uncle drops in like he did last week?\"\n\n\"Okay, okay...\" Grumbling, Rick petulantly strode for table four. It was the table behind Derek's.\n\nHe felt the edges of the note cut into his palm. He looked at Daniela, eyes cold. He looked at Jose, feverishly cooking to keep up with the growing pile of order slips. He saw Gustavo in the doorway, practically sprinting to and fro in an unsustainable speed. He saw Cindy, taking an order with a shaky hand and a shaky voice. He looked down at his physics notes, barely conscious of the fire in his chest, the roaring in his ears.\n\nHe made his decision before he even realized he made it.\n\nHe ran some calculations over in his head, keeping an eye on Rick. Predictably, the busboy was malingering, his pace deliberately slow so he could check out the woman at table ten. Derek finished his math just as Rick finally tore his eyes from the woman and continued towards table four at a faster clip. \n\nOf course, Derek couldn't do more but roughly guesstimate Rick's height and weight, the typical speed of his stride, but it should be close enough. Smoothly, silently, Derek stuck out his foot from under the table, set at a specific, calculated angle. \n\nHe winced as Rick's feet stumbled over his. Shouting, the busboy's arms windmilled as he toppled over like a slab of granite. The bottom of his chin slammed onto the corner of table four with a sickening crunch. He crumpled onto the floor.\n\nCindy screamed. Derek rose, schooling his face into surprise, as he knocked over his water glass, the water spilling over the edge of his table onto the floor that Rick had just crossed.\n\n\"Oh, my God!\" Daniela rushed over to Rick's side, kneeling over him. \"Rick? Rick!\" She looked up. \"Somebody call an ambulance!\" she cried in very convincing distress.\n\nIt was then the front doors opened, and Mr. Morales, hale and hearty, strode in. \"Good evening—\" He followed the wide, stunned eyes towards the fallen man and the waitress kneeling over him. \"Rick?!\" he shouted, running over. \"What happened?!\"\n\n\"He slipped,\" Cindy said, her voice tremulous and small with horror. And she believed it too, which made it even better.\n\n\"I called 911!\" Jose said as he rushed out from the kitchen.\n\n\"Is Rick okay?\" Gustavo gasped, having run in from the banquet room at the commotion.\n\n\"Oh, no, Rick... Rick...!\" Mr. Morales sobbed, holding the limp body in his arms. A stab of pity went through Derek's chest—but for Mr. Morales, not the dead man.\n\nHe stole a glance up. Cindy was once more close to tears, Gustavo looked frightened. But Daniela and Jose looked at Derek instead. The three locked eyes. Not a word was said or a gesture made, but everything was communicated loud and clear nonetheless.\n\nThe note? Derek ended up swallowing it in the bathroom just before the ambulance arrived. It was the worst meal he'd ever had at the cafe, but it still went down his throat smooth." ]	1
	[WP] You see everyone's childhood imaginary friend.	[ "I woke up to do my usual morning jog, making a quick toast before going out. I got used to seeing the pixies and weird elephant-like creatures on the streets. It was my gift, seeing all childhood imaginary friends of the people around me. They only die when their owner dies, so i've seen a lot of them disappear over time.\n\nBefore i left my home, my daughter's bear-dog scratched my leg. I gave it a quick pet before actually leaving to the forest. On my way there i smiled seeing the living dolls and the flying books. It keeps amazing me what some people have had as childhood friends. Everyday when i entered the forest paths i raised my hand at the forester and his treeman, before putting on my headphones and taking a peaceful run.\n\nIt hasn't always been like this, i used to get called \"freak\" a lot in my younger years. Since then i've learned to not talk openly about it. Now i go for this run to cool my head because not everyone would be able to cope with it as well as i do. It's great that i can play together with my daughter and her friend though, i don't have to pretend like other people do. Her bear-dog is lovely, it has a great personality and enjoys being around my daughter and totally loves her teaparties.\n\nI finished my run an hour later, completely at peace and walking home again. The smile of seeing those lovely creatures always on my face. I had to think about my imaginary friend that had never been there. I could never come up with one since i had all other people's friends around me, i got along with all of them.\n\nI got snapped out of my thoughts when i heared the screeching of tires. I had arrived at the street where i live. A long, bright red car was driving my way. Without thinking i memorized the license plate and started running home, worst case scenario playing in my mind. I kept hoping it wasn't true.\n\nMy tempo started slowing down however when i got closer to our house. A drak stain on the road, a lifeless bosy and a fading imaginary bear-dog.", "It’s another day. Some days are harder than others. Today will be a bad day, I try and work from home more often than not but I have to go into the office for an important meeting. That means I’ll see them, all of them, all the forgotten imaginary friends, spectres that can’t die but also can’t leave. \n\nI learnt from my imaginary friend how it works long ago. The imagination is powerful at the best of times, but the imagination of a child who doesn’t know the limitations of the real world is unfathomable. Most children create a wonderful creature, capable of endless fun and unconditional love. They play together, share each other’s every thought, every emotion but then the child starts to grow up, the real-world seeps in slowly and before they know it the friend they spent every waking moment with just becomes a happy memory. Unfortunately, the friend exists now. They don’t fade away and are tied to the imagination that created them. It’s a thankless existence for them and the only relief is when the person they are connected to dies, then they get to die as well. My friend says there is a rumour of an afterlife where they spend eternity with the soul of the child that created them but he doesn’t know if it’s true or a desperate lie they tell themselves to make the years of misery worthwhile.\n\nMy friend, Kackti, a green shaggy dog with a German accent, the ability to fly and a penchant for bananas, says sometimes the imaginary friends get lucky. The imaginary friends can see the friends of people related to their humans and just maybe they’ll get on with them, but a cruel quirk of being an imaginary friend is the tendency to only get on with your human. Kackti doesn’t mix with well with others. He’ll be good for a while when I do have to see my family but before long the bickering starts, and as I’m the only one who can hear it becomes unbearable. I have a reputation among my family as being a bit odd, but that’s because while I’m trying to focus on them all I can hear is Kackti arguing with my parent’s friends and it’s hard not to react. My parents friends don’t get on with each other either so it becomes an all-out brawl quite quickly. It’s much easier to not see anyone.\n\nI start getting my stuff together, the meetings in an hour and I can’t be late. Kackti sees what I’m doing but says nothing. He knows he’s lucky to still have someone who sees him after all these years. I tell him we’ll be as quick as we can, he lets out a huff and sits on top of a bookcase waiting for me. I try and remember who is going to be in the meeting to prepare myself. There’ll be Sam with the French purple fish, Thomas with the Jamaican pink and blue swan, Laura with the American creature that seemed to be made of sweets and Frankie with the doll whose accent I’ve never been able to place. Those are the ones I know, there’s been a few new starters recently so who knows what we were walking into.\n\nWe head out to the car. There’s no-one around thankfully. I start the engine and we start the drive to the office. I have to drive through town unfortunately so I start mentally preparing myself. We turn a corner and I start to see them. Abandoned imaginary friends silently following their humans. There are no smiles, some of them have even given up moving and appear to be dragged along by the invisible force connecting them to their humans. Occasionally I’ll see a happy friend chatting away to the child that created it, usually being stared at by an annoyed or upset friend who belongs to the parent, but they are few and far between today. It’s horrible. This is why I don’t like to go out. Imagine every time you went outside all you saw were creatures that had given up, hated their own existence and pined for death. Most children outgrow their imaginary friends very young so the friend has to spend decades alone watching them, it’s no life.\n\nI get to the office and walk into the busy reception. All around me are weird and wonderful creatures. I often wonder if this is what taking LSD would be like, I’ve never tried any drugs, my reality is far more trippy than anything a chemical could come up with. \n\nI say hello to the receptionist, a young woman with a pink hedgehog asleep on the desk next to her and head to the lift. Anywhere else I’d take the stairs but my office is seven floors up. There are three other people waiting for the lift. Before long I’m in a small space with three people, Kackti, a ballerina, a polka dotted cat and a very small t-rex. Kackti is sitting on my shoulder completely unaware of the others. The ballerina appears to be seeing how many times she can pirouette before putting her foot down. She counts in Mandarin but swears in English each time her foot goes down. I have to try not to laugh.\n\nThe person with the polka dotted cat leave on floor three and we are joined by a mother and child. The mother presses the button for floor eight, which is where the creche is. She reads some documents that look fresh off the printer while her son eyes us all up inquisitively. They are both quiet. Their friends on the other hand are not. The mothers friend is a multicoloured dog, some kind of spaniel by the looks of it, and the child’s is a mouse in a top hat. It’s very clear they don’t get on. They are arguing very loudly in a language I don’t understand, something European, maybe Polish or Czech. The child laughs at something the mouse says. This doesn’t diffuse the situation. I’m trying not to make it obvious I can see them, I’ve done that before with strangers and the friends cling to me so desperately, happy to find a human they can talk to again, that it breaks my heart when I have to leave them. For my own sanity I have to keep a distance. \n\nThe lift reaches my floor. The argument continues and I’ll never know who wins it. I get the impression this was a long-standing argument that was not destined to end anytime soon. I walk into my office and I see the usual friends. All quiet, all resting next to their humans. I head straight to the meeting room, exchanging a few pleasantries on the way, and am grateful to see it’s empty. I can have a few minutes alone, well, Kackti will be there but that’s as alone as I ever get. I set myself up and focus on the information I have to present in the meeting. If I’m lucky the friends will be quiet and still so I will be able to do my presentation without interruption. \n\nOut of the corner of my eye I see someone come out of one of the side offices. It’s my bosses boss, Kim. She must have decided to join the meeting. This is a disaster. Her friend, a stripy rabbit, was not a quiet friend. Thinking she had the luxury of no-one hearing or seeing her she sung, loudly and constantly. I can hear the sound of her singing Bon Jovi, todays artist of choice, wafting across the office. Kim has stopped to talk to someone briefly. I consider faking an illness or an emergency at home, anything to get me out of this meeting. But it’s too late, she’s seen me now and it heading to the meeting room. I take a deep breath to the sound of a very badly sung classic and prepare for what will no doubt be one of the most awkward meetings of my life.\n\nedit: formatting", "Some of them are long and bright and beautiful. Some of them are short and stout and ugly. Some of them are small and wispy and translucent when the light is bright. Some of them are dark and shadowy but they glow quietly in the dark.\n\nNone of them speak.\n\nMost people don't remember their imaginary friends. I would've probably forgotten mine except for one thing -- I can see them all. Not just mine but everyone else's too. A lot of them are poorly done and they don't look like they fit quite right in 3 dimensions. Some of them look like rough, rigid replicas of toys. A very few of them look real. Their skin is smooth and supple, their slime thick and shiny, their fur soft and delicate. Almost real enough to touch.\n\nI love talking to the people who have the realistic-looking ones because they're so vivid and alive. Most of them don't see the world the way everyone else does because for them, their dreams are real. Some of them are crazy but when you see everything your head dreams up in such glorious detail, how could you live in this mundane world?\n\nAll Friends follow their owners everywhere they go. Almost like they're joined to their Makers by some invisible fishing line. Just about everyone has one, a few have 2 or 3, and once I saw a little boy with a full 8 in tow. Early on in life, they tend to be more vivid and alive. Some of them even talk (usually garbled gibberish). But after a certain point in everyone's life, they become almost transparent. Their colors fade and the outlines of their figures seem to blur in an incomprehensible way, like the squiggle in your eyes. When you look hard enough, they disappear, but when you relax your eyes and stare at something, they fizzle into view.\n\nSeeing what I see, it's always been hard to find someone special to me. I aim for the dreamers, as I've said. It soothes me to bask in their sheer vitality.\n\nBut when I did find my love, I knew it at first sight. I knew that among all others she was special and that I needed her in my life. Amidst the bustling crowd of the mall, filled with strange specters following their Makers, she was jostling her way into a store, two bags already on her arm. I gasped when I saw her but I didn't immediately know why. I followed her in and waited until she had paused at a rack to focus my eyes on the wall behind her and relax.\n\nAnd there it was. Just behind her shoulder, where her Friend should be, there was nothing.", "We sat in silence, facing one another across the steel table that separated us. On my side was an empty chair to my right and of course me, the slightly overdressed psychologist with the dark blue suit, mismatched socks, and uncomfortable black dress shoes. On the other side was my patient for the day, a Latin man covered in tattoos and wearing a oversized orange jumpsuit with the number \"98770\" etched in tattered white fabric on the top right. Behind him stood what looked like a life-size figure of a GI-Joe, complete with the body armor, camouflage face paint and huge gun. The GI-Joe had completely ignored me since the security guard with that cross between a T-Rex and a Triceratops had brought him and his keeper in. \n\nI waved at GI-Joe. No acknowledgement. \n\nThe man sitting across from me started giving me a weird look. Maybe it was time to break the silence. \n\nI opened the prisoner's file on the table in front of me. \"So how are you doing today mister...\" I squinted to see the small print on his file. \"Adrian?\" \n\nHmm. Imprisoned for first-degree murder at the age of 23. He was 35 now. Victims were his girlfriend and their daughter. \n\nHe stared at me, his face settled into a snarl, possibly from years of having to defend himself within jail. \"What do you think Doc?\" he said with toxicity behind his words. He obviously did not like being forced to talk to me.\n\n\"Relax. I'm only here to help.\" I flipped to the page within his file that had a report from his previous psychologist. On it in huge capital letters spelled out \"UNSTABLE\". It seemed he had tried to choke the last guy that had come in to see him. \n\n\"It says here that Dr. Richards recommended you to be placed in isolation. Any idea why?\" \n\nAdrian chuckled. \"Cause he was a little bitch that's why.\" He placed his handcuffed hands on the table. \"Motherfucker just kept asking me if I did it. I didn't fucking do it. He just wanted to be on a fucking magazine cover.\" \n\nThe GI-Joe turned its gaze towards me. Maybe it sensed a threat. \n\n\"Ahhh I see. Well he is kind of a glory hunting dick. I could see it.\" I reached into my suit pocket for my pack of Menthol Marlboros and took two cigarettes out. I handed Adrian one and lit it for him. Adrian nodded in thanks. I looked at the GI-Joe and pointed at the cigarettes seeing if he wanted any. He shook his head slightly and returned to staring at the wall in front of him. Progress. \n\n\"Well he wasn't getting shit out of me. You aren't either if all you're trying to do is get a fucking confession out of me.\" He took a long drag from the cigarette. \"I didn't fucking kill them and they kept me in here 12 years without even trying to find out who. Easier just to say it was me.\" \n\nI needed a deeper connection. Something that would explain GI-Joe. Something to explain Adrian. \n\n\"What was home like Adrian?\" \n\n\"What do you mean?\" \n\n\"Life at home. Like when you were growing up. How was it?\" \n\nAdrian scoffed. His eyes looked almost pained at the aspect of having to remember. \"It was shit.\" \n\n\"Why?\" \n\n\"Imagine being something born from being at the wrong place at the wrong time.\" \n\nA victim of circumstance? Had to confirm.\n\n\"Did you know your parents well?\"\n\nAdrian shifted in his seat. I looked over at the GI-Joe. He was still staring at the wall. I was in the clear. \n\n\"I thought I was pretty obvious earlier.\" \n\nConfirmed. \n\n\"Who did you live with as a kid then?\" \n\n\"My mom.\" He flicked his cigarette ash onto the table. \"Miss her everyday\" he said, his words dripping in sarcasm. \n\n\"Any friends?\" \n\n\"Just one my whole life, Diana. Two when Holly was born. I'm all alone with all these other fucks now.\" He pointed at the number on his jumpsuit. \"This number is all I got. Without this number I got nothing else man. Nothing else.\" \n\n\"Tell me about Diana and Holly. What did they mean to you?\" \n\nThe GI-Joe's gaze softened. He placed one hand on Adrian's shoulder. Adrian covered his face with his hands.\n\n\"They were the only good thing I ever had. Diana was my light. The only thing keeping me going. She was everything to me.\" He paused and wiped his sleeve across his face. \"I loved her. And Holly. Oh my god Holly.\" He couldn't hold back anymore. The tears flowed. \"Holly was my fucking chance man. My chance to have something I never got to have.\" He wiped his face with his sleeve again. \"My fucking family.\" \n\nI handed Adrian the pocket square I had. He took it gratefully and used it to stem the tide of tears. The GI-Joe looked at me appreciatively. Maybe he was ready for contact. Looking directly at the GI-Joe I asked Adrian the question I knew only the man's childhood imaginary friend could answer. \n\n\"Show me his pain.\"\n\nAdrian looked confused. \n\n\"What?\"\n\nThe GI-Joe stood still for a moment, then turned his gaze towards me. It seemed like he understood. The soldier/bodyguard walked over to me and placed his large hand on my head. \n\nMy vision went black. Images began going through my brain at an incredible rate. Images of Adrian's life. His abuse at the hands of his mother. The bullying he received due to the publicity of the rape within the small community he lived in. The disapproving gazes of neighbors who believed it was Adrian's mom's fault. The disapproving gaze of his mother who believed it was his fault. The first time he met Diana at a Baskin Robbins when she, a total stranger, asked him for a recommendation for an ice cream flavor. He recommended himself of course. She thought it was cute. Their first date. The happiness from Diana telling Adrian she was pregnant. The moment Holly was born. The first time she said her first word. The moment she took her first steps. \n\nSuddenly the mood shifts. Strange men are in the apartment complex. Adrian isn't home but GI-Joe is, watching his keeper's loved ones. He is always watching. A broken lock to the apartment that they lived in. They ransack the apartment. Looking for something. Something Adrian had. Diana doesn't know what they want. She holds Holly close to her. Screams. Blood everywhere. Adrian's love. Her blood. Adrian's child. Their blood. GI-Joe can only watch. Adrian's roar of pain when he gets home and sees them. Adrian covered in blood holding their bodies in his arms, crying out for somebody to help him. GI-Joe can only watch. Somebody. Please. Help him.\n\nSuddenly I was back in the room, facing Adrian again. GI-Joe had taken his hand off my head. Adrian still has his head in his hands. A faint whisper cuts through the air. It is a request. \n\n\"Save him. Please.\" \n\nGI-Joe was once again behind Adrian. Watching. Waiting. The clock on the wall buzzed, signaling the end to our hour-long session. The officer and his Tricera-Rex come in to escort Adrian out.\n\n\"Well that's all for today Adrian. I'll see you again next week.\" \n\nAdrian nodded, stood up and shuffled out. The GI-Joe followed closely behind. On his way out the door Adrian turned his head over his shoulder. \n\n\"Thanks Doc\" he said.\n\nThe door closed. Just me left in that room dealing with the whirlwind of emotions within me. \n\nAdrian was innocent and I had to help him prove it.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "I look down the street. To many, this road is home to wealthy middle class families. To me, it is nothing more than skid road, representing lost stories and failed pretend commitments.\n\nI greet Garbage Can, Jacob and Thomas. They've all lived in front of my house since my son was 3. My son would play with them from time to time, but as he grew older he forgot about them. Garbage Can once was my son's favourite imaginary friend, but even he was forgotten. My son is 20 years old now, and I've been best friends with Garbage Can for 11 years.\n\nI always considered telling my son that his friends were once real. That the 10 year old boy he named after the first thing he saw was actually alive and breathing. If I said anything, what difference would it make? Nobody would believe me, surely nobody would take action. After all, how is he supposed to be friends with someone he can't even see?\n\nI leave my house and go for a walk, down near the park I spot some kids. I watch for a while, and notice I can't tell which is fake and which is real. They're playing together happily.\n\nI notice it's getting dark and I head home. Garbage Can pulls me aside to give me the latest news from the world of Imaginary Friends.\n\n\"Big news Matt, we're all going home! To an imaginary world where our fates are not decided by those who thought us into existence then forgot about us!\" Garbage Can exclaimed.\n\n\"That's awesome!\" I say enthusiastically, \"When are you leaving?\"\n\n\"Tonight, in about 20 minutes!\"\n\n\"You'll miss my birthday then, but that's okay! I'll miss you!\"\n\nGarbage Can hugs me and leaves to pack his things. I walk into my house and quickly go to bed.\n\n* * *\n\nI awaken to the sound of birds chirping. I get up out of bed and look at the time, it is 6:31 AM. I walk over to my son's room, and he isn't there. I had arranged with him to go for breakfast, but he was no where to be found!\n\nAll day long I search for him, but finally I give up near the evening. I retrieve my cake and the numbered candles \"4\" and \"2\" and sit down reluctantly. I place them on the cake and light them, and begin to weep into the expensive grocery cake I had bought to share with my son.\n\n\"Happy 24th birthday, Matt.\"\n\n\n\nEdit: \"leave\" to \"leaves\"" ]	5
	[WP] A little boy puts his blanket over his head after his closet door opens. Coming from the closet, the boy hears a loud frustrated sigh and a gutteral voice that says "I know you're awake."	[ "''I know you're awake'' he said, Mikey covered his blanket ''It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you'', he stepped out of the closet, he sat down next to Mikey's bed and sighed, Mikey uncovered his face and looked at him: Hairy, large, wide framed, the face and feet of a dog, his hand were large, and human-like, but with claws.\n\nHis breathing got agitated, such a beast hiding in his room, now sitting in front of him, ''I'm sorry about your father, but, thing would've gone much worse for you and your mother if I didn't do anything'' Mikey remember, his dad threw himself odd the window one day, he was a drunken wreck, already had slapped his mother twice and him once for ''not doing good in school'' depsite him being in kindergarten and doing nothing wrong.\n\nMikey now understood what happened, burglars have never gotten into his house, but the Police showed up anyway, when his dad would arrive with the stench of alcohol he would hear a low dog-like growl.\n\n''Im sorry, Mikey, I couldn't keep it in my chest anymore''.", "The door creaked on its hinges as it swung open. \"I know you're awake.\" Heavy footsteps came across the floor. I could feel the air growing thicker as IT made its way to my bed. Even though it said it knew I was awake I kept the pretense of sleep. I started shaking. IT was getting closer, heavy shuffling steps, I clenched my eyes shut tighter. I was safe right? The blanket hid me. I tried not breathing. IT gripped the bottom edge of my blanket, gently tugging it down. Tug, tug, tug. Eyes flying open I stared in horror as the blanket slipped over my head, and onto the floor in one last swift tug. My heart was racing, sweat covered my body! I closed my eyes again forcing myself body to remain still. One soft stroke against my foot. My toes curled in reflex. IT stroked my foot again, this time twice almost a soft tickle. \"You don't have to pretend, I can hear your heart beating fast\" It stayed at the end of my bed, another soft stroke. I took several deep breaths and opened my eyes, I stared at the ceiling. Working up the courage to look towards my feet. Stroke. I pulled my feet up. Something wrapped around my ankle and pulled it back down.. My stomach churned, I tried to scream but my voice choked me. I lifted my head as calmly as I could manage. I focused on my ankle first. I didn't think my eyes could get any wider. A large slick hand had trapped my ankle. I looked at IT finally. Large black eyes stared at me. Enormous teeth jutted from It's mouth. Several horns protruded from the top of its head circling it like a strange crown. It's body was mostly hidden from my sight beneath my bed. \"Sam\" It knew my name! Panic shot through my body like lightening. \"Sam, will you play with me? I get lonely.\" Lifting its other hand into the air it tossed a bouncy ball at my head. " ]	2
	[WP] Every week, you wake up in a historical place with the mission to save the world and make sure the following events match the Earth's current timeline. You wake up in 1916 at Verdun in a German uniform.	[ "Waking up, I realize have no idea which event i've awoken to. I curse my self, regretting all those hours spent browsing reddit rather than studying...\n\nI opened my pocket scrounging around for my \"inter-dimensional time navigator\".\nAfter a brief time, I grasped onto the cold shell of the ludicrously expensive gadget. \n\nRelieved, I opened it up, examining the sleek blue case and bright plasma screen. I turned it on, eager to discover where i've been transported to.\n\nA sudden swoop of an unknown hand startled me, and knocked the gadget out of my hand... \"What are you doing?! You're supposed to be gaurding the prisoners!\"\n\n---\n\nKinda new here, not the greatest at writing either... Have no Idea where this story would be going if I wrote more of it\n\nIf you for, some reason, want more of this drivel, im sorry to say that I don't have my own subreddit (for obvious reasons) and you have pretty poor taste" ]	1
	[WP] Two thousand years ago, God sent his son to Earth to die for our sins. Now, Satan has sent his.	[ "The shriek made the man in the black trenchcoat look up from his newspaper. Unbearable heatwaves had hit London that summer, even the nights were filled with sticky, claustrophobic dread. \n\nAn unnaturally tall fellow, smartly dressed for the occasion in attire to blend in with the times. His face remained hidden under the large brim of his hat. \n\nIn appearance unnoticeable, but in presence he oozed terror. He was someone who presented an uncomfortable familiarity for all. \n\nSt Bartholomew's Hospital emerged out of the shadows of Smithfield. King Henry VIII's statue glared down at the empty street. A change in the dead silence followed the scream, panic had broken out in the quiet of the night. \n\nComotion, at last. \n\nThe sole figure in the street remained idle as his company began to grow. The warning bells rung out in the distance. A sound which would send shivers down a local's spine were a delight to the man's ears. This was the countdown. \n\nPanic on the faces of the helpless. For the lucky ones, tonight would be the night they suffered the most. As for the others, little did they know what was to come. \n\nWith a quick movement the figure began walking away from the scene. Another brief hand movement and his final pipe was lit. The deed had been done and time was now limited. \n\nFlames began roaring out of the majestic building, delighting him. He found the way fire draws one in truly beautiful. A trance that pulls you close, torturing you before you can touch it. \n\nDancing flames apt for the celebration. \n\nLucifer's stopwatch had frozen. It was time for him to leave this world once and for all. Besides, there was a new kid in town.\n\nAnd so the fire roared on, engulfing the city of London in flames during a hot September night of 1666.\n\n\n", "From the moment he saw her, he had suspected she was something other than human. Her brown skin was too soft, her eyes were too deep, and her hair brushing against chest was the closest to heaven he'd ever felt - other than when she was straddled across him while he dug his fingers into the bedsheets as he felt his soul exploding between her legs. \n\nShe had laughed, that tinkling laugh that gave him shivers, when he told her that she must have fallen from the heavens. A pity laugh probably. \n\nHe hadn't seen her after the night he took her back to his apartment. He wasn't the kind of man who slept with women he had just met, but with her it was different. \n\nTo be honest, nothing had been quite the same since that night.\n\nIt was as if he could see clearer now, hear clearer. As if his senses of taste and touch had been elevated. He had quit his dead-end job and was now volunteering at the local vet's - he loved animals and still couldn't stand that there were some too far gone to be saved. He had asked his wife for a divorce, apologizing profusely for having slept with a strange woman, but explaining that he simply couldn't continue this charade that was making them both miserable. \n\nSo when he saw her after going to church on Sunday morning in the cafe on Romstein Road a few weeks later, he knew he had to speak to her and thank her for the impact she had so inexplicably and surely inadvertently had on his life. \n\nShe was sitting next to the window overlooking the church on the cul-de-sac. To say that she took his breath away would be an understatement. Her features were unremarkable and yet once you saw her properly, they were hypnotizing. Her soft brown hair tousled down the right side of her shoulder, over a t-shirt with an obscure Harry Potter quote. Her hands were wrapped around a large cup of what he was assuming was coffee. \n\nShe looked up at him before he got to her table and smiled, waving him over. \n\n\"You look well,\" she said as he sat down across her. \n\n\"Because of you,\" he said, surprising himself with his forwardness. He had been practicing some small talk in his head as he walked over, but it seemed that had all been thrown out of the window. \n\nShe smiled, and he noticed that she didn't question his remark. \n\n\"What's it like in there?\" she asked, tilting her head towards the church he had come from. \n\n\"In the church? Oh, well I suppose it's like any other church. Stiff seats, stiffer Priest,\" he said, trying to make a joke. \n\nShe smiled again, but differently this time. \n\n\"I would like to go sometime,\" she said, looking at the church again.\n\n\"I would be happy to take you, we can go now if you'd like\", he offered. It was the least he could do. \n\nShe shook her head uneasily. \"I can't\". \n\n\"Why not?\"\n\nHer brows furrowed. He understood this to mean that an answer wouldn't be forthcoming. \n\n\"Where are you from?\" he asked, trying to change the subject. Probably a question he should have asked before having her legs wrapped around his head. \n\n\"Hell,\" she said simply.\n\nHe laughed. She smiled at him, the skin around her eyes wrinkling.\n\n\"You don't remember, do you?\" she asked. \n\n\"Remember what?\"\n\nShe put her cup down and looked at him. \"Sometimes its too much to remember, I understand. The human mind is a delicate thing.\"\n\nShe ran her hand over his knee under the table as she spoke. He shifted uneasily. \n\n\"Remember what?\" he asked again. \n\n\"You asked me to free you,\" she said, tucking her hair behind her left ear. \"When I met you that night, you told me how much you hated your life and that you wanted to be free. I told you the price, that your soul wouldn't go to heaven, but you begged me.\"\n\n\"I don't remember that,\" he stammered. But as he spoke, fragments of his memory pieced together. \n\n\"I explained to you who I was. That curiosity and freedom was not the path to salvation that Bible spoke about, that there was no cloudy visage or winged angels at the end of the road you were choosing. You told me you wanted this\". \n\nHe shook his weakly, but he knew what she was saying was true. She had explained that he would go to hell for not following the rules that were laid down for him, the teachings of the church, the guidance of his elders. He was adamant. He was tired of this life; he knew there was more, he needed more. \n\nLost in his thoughts, for a moment he didn't notice her gathering her things and getting up from her seat. \n\n\"Where are you going? You can't leave now. I don't fully understand!\"\n\n\"I have so much work to do,\" she said. \"There are so many more like you, too many more. But don't worry. We will see each soon. Very soon.\"\n", "I've been waiting for this day for nearly 2000 years. \n\nThat was plenty of time for the people of Earth to forget about that annoyance. Half of them don't believe the stories anymore, and the other half have it all wrong. Once I send my son, they'll finally understand who's in charge.\n\n\"Do you remember the plan?\"\n\n\"Yes! How many times are you going to ask me that Dad?\"\n\n\"I'm just making sure. You know how important this is to me. I don't want you to mess anything up.\" \n\n\"I know what I'm doing. As long as you birth me into a rich family, I'll easily make a name for myself. After that, there's no way anybody's stopping me.\"\n\n\"Okay, but remember; you need to control the Americans. They're pretty much running the show in this time period.\"\n\n\"I understand. I won't let you down, Dad.\"\n\nI sighed a breath of relief. \"Alright then. Good luck, Donald.\"\n\n\n", "It was this fateful morning, as an terrified shriek echoed through the woods, that the four scholars, well-travelled and yet so cynical, turned their heads to the origin of this noise. Their studies told them that a historical event was to unfold, and the slightest nudge from the fallen celestial was all they needed to pursue.\n\nAs the four foolish fathers arrived, they found two lovers, covered by naught but each other. Whereas others may have felt the shame of man, the guilt of woman, or the horror of broken secrecy, they coupled, and did so that the marks on her skin were unseed by either of the lovers. They began to glow, vibrant in red as if fire itself burned in the paint. Soon, the woman, so unclad had gone through an unnatural conception, birthing her son from this act of sereny. Only now did she realise the four onlookers, entranced by the revelation of sin before their eyes.\n\n\"What brings you here, fellas?\" She said, and rised. Suddenly, the man was no more, his soul taken as his penance had to be paid. \"We were quite busy until you disrupted our passion. Would you get moving?\"\n\nThe first of the four knelt down to the firstborn child, and began his words. \"We have travelled far and wide. The stories told of a child, born from sin and free from god. We have brought gifts for him.\"\n\nA box was opened, and a peculiar, glowing rock, in the shape of a cross was sat on the newborn lad's lap. \"I give you decay and loss, for only a son of the devil would truly understand that only loss brings new gifts. I gift you the perversion of faith, for faith itself is a perversion of man. I give you the end of the world, as you may never resort to using it, lest you are cornered.\"\n\nThe second man looked down on him, no longer bowing. \"I give you nothing, for death is abound when you don't act. Mine is the knowledge that you can cause deaths without any tool.\"\n\nAnd thus, the third opened a briefcase, and handed a paper to child and woman alike. Contracts, already signed, telling of conditional wealth. \"I gift you promises and lies, for the people who do not hunger are the people that fall. May my gift bring you the conviction that you need to ascend.\"\n\nThe last man came close, and handed over a phone. It read to have unlimited charge, and if one of them were to check, they would find the data volume unlimited, as well. \"I give you conquest and discord, as only conflict bears progress. Yours is the secrecy of the normal people, for the unsuspected are the mighty.\"\n\nAnd then the four men left, leaving the woman and the child alone in the woods.\n\n********\n\nAt the dawn of the eigth year, the son of satan had aged well. He learned to dance, and niceties from his mother had raised him into the fairest lad. A holler from his mother brought him over to her feet as she adressed him.\n\n\"Dear Jesus, mommy needs to go get some Cigarettes. Go get dressed, okay?\" She kindly told him, and he was quick to serve. He wore a freshly ironed shirt, clad his legs in black jeans, and combed his hair.\n\nThe trip to the store was brief, but Jesus took every moment to admire the surroundings. He saw beauty in all, and presented belief that all was purer than him, that all should have his blessings. So he looked with equal levels of happiness and sorrow as he enjoyed the pale light of his cross, tied around his neck with a string.\n\nHis mother had lost attention, for but a moment, but as she looked around, she could not find her son. She looked in the store, and near her car. Fearing for the worst, she looked the streets, crying his name in vain. As onlookers wondered at her actions, she passed a bar, open in the morning hours. In there, Jesus was talking with a burly man.\n\n\"...and then you are forced to flee? You seem to do the world a service with each action you take, so why do you suffer from such judgement?\"\n\nRelieved, his mother swooped in and excused the questions with which her son must have torn at them. \"Excuse him, he is a curious child. I should have paid more attention.\"\n\nThe man replied, with a smile. \"Oh, I do not mind. Please, if you want, you can let us take care of him every now and then. Growing up on the streets has not done us any harm, he might enjoy the rush outside.\"\n\nShe decided to ponder about the offer, and later agreed to it. It was from this day onwards that Jesus met with the rowdies, to learn from them as he helped." ]	4
Galactic regulations say that no intelligent life should be interfered with... blah blah blah. You really do not care. Your empire needs those resources.	[WP]Most, if not all, of Mankind's viral diseases were introduced by aliens in an attempt to "naturally" remove intelligent life from earth.	[ "Executive Order\n\nType XN, Designation SXT6\n\nTo the Department of Foreign Enterprises\n\nPreliminary:\n\nThe planet designated CBD-177 orbiting G2V class star CBD exhibits signs of supporting simple carbon based life forms and has been previously marked for exploration and colonization. Unfortunately, one of the life forms has begun to exhibit intelligence and is beginning to form the bases of civilization.\n\nAlthough we believe this species to be significantly far away from leaving CBD-177's gravity well, let alone breaking the light barrier, it is not inconceivable to believe that a Federation member or one of their vassals might detect this civilization. Furthermore, even if they remain unaware of these \"humans\", it remains a possibility that the humans may develop the technology necessary to become spacefaring far more rapidly than we would desire. They have already been seen to develop at an astonishing rate, despite their limited lifespans.\n\nActions:\n\nEliminate the human species, or reduce its population to the point where expanding beyond the planet is untenable for them.\n\nBy the order of Grand Master Xal, long may he live, in the Twelfth Period of the Heratax United Systems. Let it be done efficiently and to our eternal glory.\n\n***\n\nA memo to the Vice Director of Foreign Enterprises\n\nFrom the Head of the Office of Biological Explorations\n\nVice Director:\n\nAs you requested, my team has been looking into the biology of the humans to determine the cleanest and least detectable method of eliminating them.\n\nWe have found two large weaknesses that can be exploited. First, CBD-177 has a large and varied amount of life forms, and the humans live with and among many of these life forms. Second, a large number of these life forms are small enough that the limited radiation sensors of the humans cannot detect them.\n\nWe believe it would be feasible to engineer a type of small life form that would survive by using the resources of the human body to propagate itself. This would achieve several goals simultaneously: the destruction of the human body, a means to spread the weapon among the population, and the means to have the weapon remain undetected.\n\nA prototype will be created shortly with your permission, and can be distributed on CBD-177 soon after.\n\nHead of OBE\n\nLet it be done efficiently and to our eternal glory.\n\n*\n\nAction Result Report\n\nSent from the Office of Instigation to the Office of Biological Explorations\n\nAs requested, the life form was spread among the humans. It had a limited success, but failed to spread quickly and beyond a single population. The data are listed below. Our own observations, which are supported by the data, suggest that the life forms, these \"parasites\", are too large and reproduce too slowly and inefficiently to spread quickly enough and eliminate the host.\n\nLet it be done efficiently and to our eternal glory.\n\nAddendum to the Action Result Report\n\nCax, I think our friends at the O of I are on to something. Pull that sample that we used last week, the one that you said was \"too small to be dangerous\". It may be small, but it sure did spread a lot. I think it can't hurt to have them send it out and see what happens.\n\n*\n\nAction Result Report\n\nSent from the Office of Instigation to the Office of Biological Explorations\n\nThe second attempt proved nearly successful, and our preliminary estimates suggest that nearly a quarter of the human population has been removed. Unfortunately, they are showing signs of recovery, and this new \"bacteria\" is starting to be systematically eliminated. A word to the wise: these humans are already learning to fight what they cannot see, and future efforts will require stronger actions.\n\nStay strong, though. These humans are shocked by what they call \"Black Death\", and might yet be broken. We go ever onwards.\n\nLet it be done efficiently and to our eternal glory.\n\nAddendum to the Action Result Report\n\nA bulletin for the OBE:\n\nFriends,\n\nWe are nearly at a perfect specimen. The bacteria may have died eventually, but this new creation is not even a life form. Instead, it is a written instruction that will hijack the very material that the humans are made of. This is the greatest work of our lives.\n\nHead of OBE\n\n*\n\nAction Result Report\n\nSent from the Office of Instigation to the Office of Biological Explorations\n\nYour third attempt was ingenius, but we warned you of the human's capability to learn. Approximately 100 million have died from this influenza, but this is now but a fraction of their population, and they are learning methods to stop the spread even faster now.\n\nTry harder, and do not fail.\n\nLet it be done efficiently and to our eternal glory.\n\nAddendum to the Action Result Report\n\nA bulletin for the OBE:\n\nFriends, you can read as well as I. It was clever, but not clever enough. The humans have developed internal defenses, for the strong ones survive and pass their strength to their children (another fortunate consequence of short lives for them). \n\nHowever, we believe that a newly coded virus might be able to destroy their defenses and allow any of the past diseases to wreak havoc. We WILL succeed.\n\nHead of OBE\n\n*\n\nAction Result Report\n\nSent from the Office of Instigation to the Office of Biological Explorations\n\nWhile you have succeeded in panicking the humans, it was for naught. This project has been deemed a failure, and we will report the results as such to the Director of Foreign Enterprises. \n\nThey have escaped the gravity well. You are finished.\n\n*\n\nIncident Report\n\nSent from the Department of Internal Harmony to the Department of Foreign Enterprises\n\nDirector:\n\nIt seems as though the Office of Biological Enterprises attempted one final disease attack upon the humans. It was ill-fated, and ended almost immediately when they arrived to CBD-177.\n\nUnfortunately, we fear that they have been intercepted by the humans. If this is the case, they know of us and what we have done, and they will be able to break the light barrier.\n\nTread carefully, Director. A failure from the OBE is a failure from you.\n\nThis report has been forwarded to the Department of Aggressive Negotiations.\n\nLet it be done efficiently and to our eternal glory.\n\n**\n\nEmergency Broadcast from Peacekeeping Expedition 1, sent to the CBD system\n\nAudio Broadcast- Transcript follows:\n\n\"Sir, we've detected something.\"\n\n\"Report, officer.\"\n\n\"It appears that an unknown vessel is approaching. It seems to be coming from the opposite direction of CBD-177.\"\n\n\"Open a line of communications and tell them to leave the area immediately. We do not have time for distractions.\n\n\"As you wish, sir. Opening lin-\"\n\n\"Damn it, what was* that? I want a report immediately!\"\n\n\"It seems that there has been an unexpected failure near the power core. Primary systems are down, sir.\"\n\n\"Contact engineering and find out what has happened at once!\"\n\n\"Yes, sir! Line is open!\"\n\n\"OH XAL SAVE US! I CAN'T FEEL-\"\n\n\"Sir, the line is down. Engineering is... gone?\"\n\n\"Damn it, what is happening? I want answers!\"\n\n\"Sir, the contact is responding to our hail.\"\n\n\"What do they have to say?\"\n\n\"Sir, it's...\"\n\n\"Well?\"\n\n\"It's the humans. They...\"\n\n\"Officer, you're a communications expert. Why are you not telling me what they're saying?\"\n\n\"Sorry, sir, I wasn't expecting to contact them. They... they say they know who we are, and... what we've done... we're to be an-\"\n\n\"OH MERCIFUL XAL THE CAPTAIN HAS BEEN-\"\n\n\"ALL SYSTEMS DOWN, THE HULL IS-\"\n\n\"I... can't... see...\"\n\n\"AHHHHHH!\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"save...\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"...\"\n\n\"This is... communications officer Tanxa... of CBD Expedition 1. The humans... have attacked... the captain is dead... we'll all be dead soon enough... they're coming...\n\n\"They're coming...\"\n\nEnd transmission.\n\nLet it be done efficiently and to our eternal [glory](https://www.reddit.com/r/mpqeg/).\n" ]	1
	[WP] (Gaming) You didn't know you were part of a video game until you woke up outside the hospital after the main character robbed and killed you.	[ "All of my work is gone. Never thought my aim would be so low. I didn't know that it was a fantasy, yet I was mediocre. If I go again will it be the same? \n\nnever took risks and that is where It ended. Low. One stab was all it took from him. The fucking hero. I was in his way while he passed. Never harmed him, but still he saw no risk in taking my life.. and apparently he was right.\n\n\n\n\nOh I remember now, fear and cold. Lying in my blood while he took what little I had. Did I need more time to strive? Did I have a goal ? All those years were like a passing dream, no real target. \n\n\n\nIf I go back again I know that I will be able to achieve what I want. \n\nBut what exactly do I want to \"achieve\" " ]	1
	[WP] You live in a world where you have a one true, friend love and enemy. But only one of their names is written down on the back of your hand. This makes trying to figure out who they are really awkward	[ "I have the feeling the prompt is meant to supply a setting in which two names are unknown for some reason, but my inspiration from this went a slightly different way.\n\nShooting Stars\n\nThe kick hit me square in the chest, and in the low gravity, I tumbled, struck the edge of the airlock my opponent had opened in preparation for this fight, and tumbled in. She spun, kicking the wall behind her, and flew across to slam her hand down on the controls. I scrambled forward, but I wasn't fast enough. The door was built to cut off explosive decompression, and it slammed shut before I'd gotten an inch.\n\n\"Tess! Damn it, Tess, what are you doing!? If I don't fire this thing, the reactor's going to go!\" I slammed my fist on the tiny plastic window in frustration, my very soul stinging from the betrayal.\n\nShe drifted to the window, and touched the plastic where my fist laid against it. \"Malcolm. You were my only friend. My only real friend, in the bad old days. I know you only loved me recently, but I always...\"\n\n\"No. I loved you, from the start. I always loved you. So . . . why?\" I flattened my palm over the plastic, to match hers. \"What are you doing, Tess?\"\n\n\"I love you . . . but I'm not like you, Malcolm. You're amazing, you're so smart. You built this castle in orbit and cured so much sickness. But this . . . what you're trying to do is madness. You can't save people by killing people.\"\n\nI slammed by fist on the plastic, and she flinched. \"Killing people is the ONLY way to save people! Nature reacts to overpopulation with massive die-offs. If I don't do this, nature will, and nature will not have the human mercy to make it quick! There will be decades, generations of pain and overcrowding and disease!\" \n\n\"You always knew so much, you think so fast. I could never argue with you. But this is wrong, Malcolm. Please, the man I loved was a good man. You protected me when I had nobody else to protect me. Protect them, now.\" The tears were brimming in her eyes, and I looked away to preserve my anger, my sense of betrayal. I would need them.\n\n\"You're right. Thinking is my strong suit.\" I left the door, and went to the access panel next to it. I ripped a circuit board out, and took a spool of wire off my belt, cutting and stripping wires, beginning to make hard connections between the copper contacts that normally were controlled by the advanced circuitry I'd just thrown on the floor.\n\nI heard the shattering of safety glass. That was the override for the outer door. It didn't matter. I almost . . . there! The door slid open, and I strode out of the airlock. \"Take your hand off the override. You'll kill yourself, too, and I don't think you are prepared to learn what dying in space feels like.\"\n\nShe stared at me, tears dripping down her face, scattering from her lashes in the low gravity. Out of the observation window, the earth slowly wheeled into view with her rotation. She looked at the view, and I saw her resolve harden before my eyes. \"Malcolm...I know why we both only have one name on our wrist, now.\"\n\n\"Tess, Tess don't--!\" \n\nShe threw the switch. The outer hatch opened, and I had just overridden the inner hatch. I saw her only briefly as I tumbled out, another star flying off into space. In the five seconds or so that I had before my mind got fuzzy and by body started convulsing, I found myself wondering if these two meteors would land close to each other.\n" ]	1
	[WP] You have to go through inter-dimensional customs.	[ "“Do you have anything to declare?” the man asked. The temple on top of the mountain was cold stone all around with some fluttering green tapestries and flags. The air moved freely among the columns, making Alrinth’s snow white skin break out in goosebumps.\n\nThe priest who was barring his way with an expression that could barely be called a smile was just as white as him, with the same shade of clear white hair and long, pointed ears, except he wore a silver tiara and green-white robes, while Alrinth was a mere traveler, with the warmest clothing on him a shawl.\n\n“I was told you would check my weapons,” Alrinth said, reaching up and pulling out the crossed daggers from his back. The blades slid out silently from their leather sheathes, and the man nodded, gesturing with his hand. His nails were painted dark purple.\n\n“Put them on the pedestal, please,” he said. When the daggers lay on the short stone column, he bent down to inspect them, tilting his head and running his fingers above them just short of touching the metal. “Where were these made?” he asked with his drawn-out accent without looking up.\n\n“Here, in fact.”\n\n“Here on Cloud Isle?”\n\n“Yes.”\n\n“I see,” the man said and stood upright, his silver eyes looking into Alrith’s. “I’m afraid you’ll have to leave them behind until you come back from the land of Yearashil-Kathasirun.” His pronounciation made Alrith cringe. Was that how it was really said? It sounded ridiculous, much like the fact that he would not be allowed his weapons.\n\n“Say that again? I can’t take my daggers?” he asked with furrowed brows.\n\n“That is correct,” the man nodded curtly. The enormous gates a ways behind him stood closed, showing no sign of magic. So sound came from the portal. Not what Alrith expected.\n\n“But it was made right on this island,” he said suspiciously. “I mean, surely, relations, and… I don’ know, I can’t go without a weapon!”\n\n“The city of Gardosilu is rather safe,” the priest said. “Besides, the metal of which these blades were made becomes highly toxic in the realm of Yearashil-Kathasirun, if it comes in contact with the air.”\n\nAlrith blinked.\n\n“Oh,” he said. “Well, I did not know that.”\n\n“We shall keep your weapons safe,” the man said with that insincere smile. “If you would like one, I can offer you a staff. It might make you feel more comfortable.”\n\n“Oh. Thank you.”\n\n“It shall be seven hundred Snow-crowns,” said the priest and Alrith could swear his smile grew more genuine. His eyes went wide.\n\n“Hundred? I’ll just buy one over there, then, thank you very much.”\n\n“They do not recognize the currency of our realm in the city of Gardosilu, I’m afraid.”\n\n“Well then I’m afraid I’ll… go without my daggers. I guess.” He blinked in frustration and shook his head. “Look, can I get going, please? This is an urgent matter.”\n\n“Do you have anything else to declare?”\n\n“Not that I know of.”\n\nAnother priest approached with the same robes, appearing from behind a set of columns. In fact, he could have been the twin brother of the one Alrith was conversing with. He had no idea this one was standing there. He looked around now, expecting more priests to be hiding in shadows or nooks and crannies.\n\n“Do you have any food items with you, traveler?” the newcomer asked. His voice was different at least. Alrith turned to him, glancing at both of them in turn.\n\n“I do.”\n\n“Can we inspect them?” the priest asked while he did the motions with his fingers above the blades as well.\n\n“Is our food toxic as well?” Alrith asked, cursing the wizard for not telling him about these things.\n\n“As a matter of fact, yes,” the new priest said while the other one clasped his hands together behind his back.\n\n“All right, just take the food,” Alrith said, tossing his shoulder-slung bag on the pedestal, on top of the daggers. “What else?”\n\n“Any items of magical nature?”\n\n“That I don’t have, at least,” he replied. Except if the wizard’s coin was somehow magical. Was it? He hesitated, and the priests saw it with their investigative stares. “All right, what about this coin?” he asked with a sigh, reaching into his pocket and producing it. Looking at the face etched into the taler – a human head with a wreath of leaves – he wondered if he was being some sort of fun pastime for these clerics.\n\nThe priests looked at the artifact, then at each other.\n\n“Have you seen anything like this before?”\n\n“I have not. It looks vaguely Sshistrian.”\n\n“Well, well.”\n\nThey suddenly looked at Alrith in unison, making him recoil a bit.\n\n“What?” he asked.\n\n“Where is this coin from?” the first man asked.\n\n“Shistria,” he said, keeping himself from shrugging. He had no idea where the coin was from, or where Shistria was. The priests looked at each other with an expression of we were right. Well, good for them.\n\n“You can keep that,” the second priest said while a third one was approaching from the other side. Alrith felt like scrathing the back of his neck now, but refrained from that, dropping the wizard’s keepsake back into his pocket. No weapons, no food, but the coin was coming with him. “Anything else?” the man asked.\n\n“You tell me,” Alrith threw up his hands “Can I keep my clothes?”\n\n“Actually,” the third priest went, finally stepping in line with the others, “What is that shawl made of, good sir?” This one had shorter hair, but otherwise was a spitting image of the others. If Alrith wasn’t one himself, he would have thought ice elves all looked the same.\n\n“Wool?” Alrith said apprehensively.\n\n“What kind of whool?”\n\n“I uh, think it’s sheep. From Redpeak.”\n\n“Readpeak of this world?”\n\n“There are more Redpeaks?” he shrugged.\n\n“Multiple,” the cleric said and the other two nodded solemnly. “It is a common name.”\n\n“It’s from here,” Alrith waved his hands, not wanting to linger on the issue. “I bought it in Redpeak. This Redpeak.”\n\n“Very well,” the priest bowed. “Step into the spell-circle, please.”\n\nHe pointed out a mosaic on the floor depicting a set of rings with different patterns. Four rays of light converged on it from slit-like windows high up the sides of the dome. Alrith did as he was instructed and felt nothing out of the ordinary, except the light irritating his sensitive eyes. When he looked down at his feet though, he could see the rings shimmer and move around like optical illusions.\n\n“Hand over the coin, please,” the first priest said, holding his smooth palm out. “I shall give it back.”\n\nAlrith fished the taler out again and gingerly placed it in the man’s hand. The movement of the spell-circle stopped, looking like nothing but floor decoration once more. All three were looking at the coin again, leaning close to it. He expected them to start sniffing or tasting it at any moment. What the Twelve Heavens did the wizard give him? \n\nHe was just about to stop holding his tongue and asking if they were quite finished when the artifact was handed back to him. \n\n“Follow me, please,” the second priest said, finally gesturing toward the gates. Leaving his bag of provisions and his daggers behind, Alrith followed reluctantly. Only three days over there at the most, he thought. Even though one day was two days’ worth of hours. So it was six days, really. Without food or a way to defend himself. The wizard said the sky was green. Anything was possible.\n\nAs they reached the monumental archway, the double doors started opening without anyone pulling or pushing at them. They barely made a sound, only a low droning. The portal was revealed, and it was not what Alrith expected. It looked like an ancient stone circle, with a pool in the middle.\n\nThe three priests, and a fourth one who appeared out of some other hidden place, stepped onto low columns around the pool.\n\n“Step into the portal, please,” one of them said. Alrith approached and hesitated. The liquid in the pool did not ripple, and it was more reflective than water, like a murky mirror. He looked up at the clerics who now were all taller than him on the columns. They were waiting.\n\nHe stepped down into the liquid. It was not cold, nor hot. In fact, he could barely feel it around his ankles, only a slight pressure. As he walked to the middle, the ripples originating from his movements were absorbed quickly, not spreading much farther. \n\n“For the spell to work, we have to ask you honestly,” the priest to his left side spoke. “Do you really wish to pass to the realm of Yearashil-Kathasirun, into the city of Gardosilu? The spell does not work if there is hesitation in your mind.”\n\n“I wish to pass,” Alrith nodded. Six days.\n\nNothing happened.\n\n“You must focus and not hesitate,” the priest in front of him said patronizingly..\n\n“I wish to pass,” Alrith said again, raising his voice in annoyance, and suddenly, the liquid he was standing in ran up his legs. Before he could let out a startled yelp, his eyes were covered up, plunging him into darkness, and he could feel himself yanked downwards, into the ground. \n\nA fleeting moment later, he was assaulted by an entirely unfamiliar smell, and heat that took his breath away. He was standing on top of an open tower overlooking the strangest city he had ever laid eyes on, thin towers jutting towards the sky in unnatural angles. A sky which he thought was more turquoise than green." ]	1
	[WP] You are a lone scientist in a world of magicians. You're on trial for creating this new, godless cult...	[ "\"I'm telling you, the apple doesn't fall from the tree just because you want it to! Sometimes they fall when you're not around. The reason it falls then is because there is a force that acts on it, the same force that keeps your feet planted firmly on this courtroom floor.\"\n\n\"So you admit it! I bring to the court's attention this pamphlet, a rather poorly produced one at that, wherein you have indeed described this 'force' of yours. And named it! I give you Archibald's treatise on mass and massive bodies! Written by none other than this defendant! He has even gone so far as naming this force after himself! Archibald's gravity!\"\n\n\"So what? I discovered it, so I named it. We need to call it something. We could name it after you if you want.\"\n\n\"How dare you? You seek to create a new realm where you rule as God! You grant yourself authority over all life, all objects within the world. Do not attempt to bribe me with your promises of power - it won't work!\"\n\n\"Like I keep telling you, just because I named the damned thing doesn't mean I control it. These forces exist whether we know about them or not. They just are. And it's always been that way. Yes, you can do the same things with magic if you want. You can even do the opposite and put the apple back if you want. I don't care. Whenever you aren't around, the world is still going to work by a set of rules.\" A high falls over the courtroom at these words. \"How is this even an issue?\"\n\n\"He denies man's agency!\" A voice from the audience cries out. \n\n\"Blasphemer!\"\n\n\"Your powers have no hold over me!\"\n\n\"Off with his head!\"\n\n\"Of with his head!\" The chant rises and there's no stopping it. \n\nExcerpt from the trial of Archibald Roderick - in the moments prior to his public execution." ]	1
	[WP] You can see auras around people and animals indicating their emotional state (i.e. Blue is sadness, Red anger, Green happiness, etc.). One day, you see someone without an aura	[ "Green, green, blue, oh poor girl...red, oh shit, this guy looks mean-spirited, I follow this guy, he seems like trouble, he's following a girl I can hear her sneaker hitting the pavement, I cannot see her, she makes a turn and the guy follows her, he pulls out a knife I bring out my gun, silently I make the turn and he's pinning her on the wall, she has no...aura? I lift the gun and fire at the guy, the integral suppressor and subsonic rounds mask the noise of the shot, the streets are loud enough to drown the sound, he falls down, she's freed, she approaches me and says ''Thank you'' her voice sounded metallic, but with gratitude.\n\nI try to talk to her ''Wait'' I say, she turns around her eyes lock with mine, ''I don't know your name'' asking myself why the fuck I would ask that, she moved her eyes form lef to right and came closer, ''Well, I'm Laura, and you?'' - ''Well, I-uhm...I'm Marcus'' ''Marcus'' she repeated ''Nice to meet you'' her voice still sounded a little metallic, a little less than when she first talked, we exchanged numbers, she said we should, since I saved her and I seemed like a nice guy." ]	1
	[WP] The mining town was long abandoned, but the church bell still rang the same hour every night; we could hear it from our home across the valley.	[ "My step-sister and I, we could hear the church bell ringing at two in the morning beginning that September. It was an early fall that year. At that time of night, the cold seeped in from the window's glass (the coming inescapable frost) and we were both bundled up in the bedroom we shared, in separate cots. The dolorous ringing came from the abandoned mining town across the valley.\n\n\"Do you ever think about death?\" I teased her, and she was scared by me for it. I feel bad about that. Why, in those days, I didn't need to be making those kinds of jokes with her. But I did. I said it innocently enough, but maybe it was my way of coping, meaning to scare her...\n\n\"Yeah,\" she rasped. \"I do.\" And what's an eighteen year old know of death? Yet, the way she said it, I believed she did. She had a way with -- not words, no, she didn't use them too much. But feeling and knowing. She lied there on the cot, bunched up in the brown wool, looking at me with a kind of softness that made me uncomfortable. \"I think about Gal. And being old. Accidents. Don't you?\"\n\n\"What do you think happens when you die?\" I said. She didn't answer right away. The church bells fell quiet, making her quiet even more. \n\n\"Did you know that ringing came from the abandoned mining town?\" She said quickly before shuddering from the cold. She lay quivering on her cot. There was something profoundly sexual about it to my nineteen year old brain.\n\nNo one lived in that mining town across the valley, that was for damn sure. Not even homeless people lived there the town had been abandoned for so long, so our parents told us. They thought it was odd too, that the church should ring at such an hour. We all kept awake the next night, drinking whisky and tea, playing board games. Sure enough, at two in the morning, the ringing began across the valley, in the dark. I remember how my mom went over to her dad, how they held each other, listening. The bells and the creaking of the house, and the wind. Me and my step-sister, we just looked at each other. After the ringing stopped, ten minutes later, mom said, \"Well, this countryside IS known to be haunted,\" wryly.\n\nThere was nothing to do but live our lives as normal. We still went to school, and they to work. We still hung out with separate friends, and I went to dance and she went to soccer. We still walked home in the earlier and earlier dark, under the changing, dying leaves. Night after night of this, we began to hold hands, on the walks home. Then soon, one night she came into my bed. We had sex, and held each other. It was at two in the morning. We listened to it, and made a promise to go out there, across the valley, to the church in the abandoned mining town. \n\nWe took her dad's car. Had met up at his work, and she begged him for the keys to go to the movies. It took about a half hour to get there, and we listened to ancient blues on an old casette. She had wanted to (her father's.) We parked the car where Flatwood Rd is blocked off and made our way, teeth chattering in the breeze. Her red scarf billowed in the air, and I swear I saw a ghost in how it moved.\n\nThe town was eery, alright. Dilapidated and peeling, wet with moss, and totally abandoned. Porches sagging like a brown note. A deer crossed the overgrown road way out, stopped to look at us. The sign to the mine, still weirdly pristine. And then, behind the wreckage, the yellowing church, tall in a way you don't often see in rural Kentucky.\n\nWe entered the church, we had too. And we were scared too, but we both knew what drove us to step over all those bugs and long empty beer cans, to withstand the demonic graffiti and rank. The stairs winding to the bell tower had collapsed from termites, but we were able to get up, standing in the mulch, her warm weight on my shoulders. She helped me up, and we could feel the step sag -- out of fright, she drove a splinter into my stomach, pulling me. \n\nThe blood poured out, and we laughed about it, for being such a small piece of wood. Of course, this would happen. She pulled the splinter from me in the bell tower, where we could see all the way home, and a hell of a lot of forest, the sloping rooftops of the abandoned buildings below. I smoked a cigarette. She watched me. Then we sat together, as the winds picked up, and night drew down, and two in the morning came to us.\n\n\n\n", "I grew up in a mining town, an old one. Not as old as the one across the valley, the one that had to be moved, more than once, due to the growth of the mine. It was referred to as New Preston even though no one had lived there in half a century. \nYet the mine was still active, it employed half of my town's work force and brought many new people to the area. The open pits of the mine were always in constant motion, haul trucks changing the shape of the land and ore being shipped out to China for manufacturing. \n\nTo the residents of Hamilton, where I lived, New Preston was long forgotten. The buildings there were in various stages of decay and the roads were coated with years of dirt and rubble and only those who used to live there knew that under all that they were paved. Even though New Preston was less of a commute to the mine, workers made the 30 minute drive across the valley everyday.\n\nThe only reason I really knew of the ghost town was due to the numerous stories of Preston and New Preston that filled my childhood. It seemed as though the knowledge of such stories were required for the people of Hamilton. Often adults used them as old wise tells that kept us kids in line. None of which were ever written, just passed down verbally from generation to generation. But of all the stories we heard growing up, there was only one I wholeheartedly believed to be true. \nAny one could tell it to you, but my brother and I were the only ones I knew to investigate it. Maybe others had and just refused to talk about it, but I couldn't blame them for their silence if they had. It was difficult to explain.\n\nYou see, the story of the Catholic Church in New Preston was to many just another tall tell. To anyone who had the the bells every night at midnight, it was something more. \n\nEach night the sound of the bells would ride the wind across the valley, echoing off the mountains and sounding more like a memory then anything. Depending where you were at midnight in the valley, the bells were louder and more urgent or non existent at all. \n\nThe house I grew up in sat above Hamilton slightly, nestled into the mountainside, and the bells rang there loud enough to wake us. \n\nBefore my brother and I went in search of the bells, they were my lullaby. I had come so accustomed to them, when we went on vacation I found it hard to sleep properly. Now, the sound of any bells sends shivers down my spine, and not the good kind. \nThe story of the church was the same no matter who you asked. The church was the first solid structure in Preston, a simple one roomed church with a Bell tower over the enterence built in 1808. The townspeople moved it board by board to it's new location in 1850, then moved it again one last time in 1889. Then in 1933, the entirety of the church burnt to the ground. \n\nThat's the recorded history anyway.\n\nIn the story people tell, it burned down three times. Each time, the Belltower was completely intact. \n\nWhen my brother and I ventured out to see the source of the nightly chimes, there was a church there. It looked exactly like the picture on the county record from 1900. And I mean exactly. The buildings account it were crumbling and becoming one with the valley floor, but this church stood tall and as white as fresh snow. All the windows were dust free, streak free and almost sparkling. Shrubs grew green and were perfectly maintained on either side of the steps leading up to an equally white double door entrance, which was wide open.\n\nNeither of us could gather the courage to enter. We kept what we had saw that day to ourselves, we never mentioned it to each other either, though I knew my brother had the same bottomless pit of dread in his stomach that I had had staring into those wide open doors. Something about that church was pure evil. The air around it has oozed with it. We ran as hard and as fast as we could from it after the same momentary pause. I was sick for several days after that, couldn't keep anything down. After I graduated high school a week after, I moved to the city and have never visited Hamilton since. \n\nMy brother didn't. He stayed, still having a year left til he graduated himself. I begged him to live with me, to get as far away from that church as he could, but he ignored me. Instead, drinking whatever liquor he could get his underaged hands on, to quell the horrible things we felt standing in front of the church that day. He became a shell of himself, stopped calling me, stopped texting me. Then a year after our visit, he disappeared. \n\nIt's been yet another year, and tomorrow I'm breaking the promise I had made to myself to never go back.\nBecause I know where my brother is. \n\nHe's inside that church. \n", "Eleven o’clock. Every night, on the dot like, well, like clockwork. We had all heard the stories. The tall tales spun for us by our parents and friends. We too had even told several of them, embellishing where we saw fit. Ghosts of miners killed in a collapse, goblins who lived down in the mines, even an old lunatic priest who was so frail it took him all day to make it up the tower to ring the bell once only to do it all again the next day. Nobody ever gave them much credence. But still every night at eleven your mind would wander off as the bell tolled the hour. \n\nI guess I would blame curiosity, Blake would probably blame peer pressure. Whatever was to blame it didn’t matter now. We were passing through the covered bridge over the Askook River and fast approaching the town entrance. We pedaled quickly past the old faded and overgrown sign that read “Welcome to Adusgi est. 1871”. We made our way through the empty streets, past decomposing houses, and long boarded up shops, only stopping once under a large oak tree to catch our breath. The roads were empty, deep grooves still marred them from horse drawn carts. We planned to arrive at the church by 10 so we could watch for a full hour before the bell rang. \n\nThe church sat on top of a very small hill at the back of the town. Directly behind it, the entrance to the mine was cut into a cliffside. It’s giant entrance stood out like a black spot of decay on the wide of an otherwise normal wall of rock. It was very creepy looking but also very obvious that nobody had been here in many years. The town is very much off the beaten path of random vagabonds, drug addicts, or runaways. We stood in the darkness at the church’s gate scanning for any sign of movement. But at 10:30 nothing had happened and we decided to try to go inside.\n\nThe front door was unlocked and we found ourselves in an eerily beautiful chapel. The pews were gone and the floor was covered in what looked like scraps of ancient paper and old leather. Towering stained glass windows let the moonlight poor through. Most of them did not depict the normal church scenes however, but instead many had images of a forest. Deer, rabbits, and birds dotted them along with streams and flowers filling out the glass. Behind the pulpit was a large mural that was illuminated by the moonlight. It depicted a scene in front of the mine. A crowd of people gathered at its entrance all cheering as a group of heroic looking native americans emerged. The people were clothed in bright colors and the Natives in bright red and emerald headpieces. The grass was green, life filled the town, and it all seemed very happy. It was a harsh contrast to its current state. Above the painting was a plaque that read, “Our town’s heart rings across the valley but our love is found only within.” \n\n“What’s this over here?” Blake was pointing to the far right side of the mural where the church was. He was pointing at the tower that rose out of it’s roof, the same roof we were standing under, the famous belltower we had heard so much about, only there was no bell. It was empty. \n\n“Surely, that’s just a error.” I reassured him, “Let’s just go up and look.”\n\n“I don’t know James this place gives me the creeps”\n\n“It’s fine, we’ve made it this far and we haven’t seen any sign of life.” I said as I made my way to the only other door in the chapel, stepping over what looked like an ancient tarp. Sure enough it opened to a staircase winding up a small tower. We climbed slowly, listening for any noise of someone else, but it was silent. \n\n“Where is it?” I said in a very hushed voice as we reached the top. The tower was empty. There was no bell, or even a sign that a bell had ever been there. It was more of a lookout tower than anything else. We could see the twinkling lights of home clear across the valley and our sense of isolation heightened. We walked around the tower looking out at the abandoned town trying to find a bell, any bell. But nothing. \n\n“Where could it have come from?” Blake said as he leaned against the railing of the tower. Suddenly the bells rang out louder than we had ever heard them. There was dust falling from the ceiling dislodged by the noise. But the ringing was not from the church tower.\n\n“The mine!” I yelled as I covered my ears and motioned towards their source with my head. Blake’s face went white. I looked back at the mine and from the streets of the town came thousands of snakes. Pouring out of the streets over and under each other all funneling towards the mine like a river, digging deeper the grooves of the streets. Then we saw the eyes. The bright glowing red eyes that were emerging from the mine. A huge snake head easily the size of a van came slithering out of the mine entrance. The ringing stopped and was replaced by a wave of hissing from all of the creatures below. The large snakes eyes flashed across its children as they came home. It seemed to be looking for something. The river of snakes finally ended as the last of them made their way into the entrance and the giant snake receded. As it’s eyes faded back into the black it glanced up at the tower and for a split second I know it looked directly at me. I turned to Blake but we did not say a word, our expressions spoke for us. We ran down the stairs, through the snakeskin filled chapel and out the door. We hopped on our bikes and did not look back. \n\n“Do you think it saw us?” yelled Blake from behind me after a few minutes pedaling. \n\n“I don’t know. I hope not.” We had almost made it to the bridge when the bells rang out again. I knew it had seen me in the tower but didn’t have to admit it till now. We both picked up our pace but I could already hear the thick slithering sound behind us. The snake’s shadow rose up over us blocking out the moonlight in our path. We could see the bridge now at the end of our path. It was covered in snakes, the roof, the road, the sides. It was if the bridge was now made of snake. They were coming towards us on both sides. Some even began to drop from the trees above us, landing on our bikes or narrowly missing. The next few things all happened all at once. The Snake from behind struck and we both dived out of the way as it came down. I flipped off my bike and was sent soaring into the cover of the trees on the bank of the river. Blake kept his bike and made it to the bridge where he was uneasily treading on top of snakes. The Snake reared again as I ran, pulling snakes from me, for the cover of the bridge. Its head came crashing through the old roof as we emerged on the other side. The snake reared again but instead of striking glared at us, hissed and retreated. It’s children followed and as the length of its body came around we saw it’s tail. Where there would normally be a rattle or a tip there was a large emerald and green bell swaying as it slithered back towards its home. \n", "My grandpa always warned me about the strange mining town across the valley from where we lived. To be honest, I always felt uncomfortable enough about it that his warnings were unnecessary.\n\nBefore my grandfather died and my grandmother went nuts and came to live with my dad, I'd often go to their little mountain side farm in the Appalachians. The area was awesome during the day. It was isolated and quiet, and for a kid eager to explore the world, it was a dream come true. I'd roam the hills with my beagle, Sparky, and nothing else but my Buck 110 and flashlight. I'd always stay away from the Laughing Mines.\n\nWeird name, no? Well, that's what was going on there.\n\nA little history, in the 1800s, a couple of miners (my ancestors) got sick of working for the companies that stole their labor and left them to die when the mines collapsed or they got the coal-sickness in their lungs.\n\nWell, my ancestors struck literal gold in the mountains of West Virginia, and as they dug, they hit coal, they hit silver and aluminum and all kinds of ore. It was a mine that had everything. \n\nThe news spread and the whole world came to make its fortune and my ancestors got rich off their mine. and land. A big town went up around the entrance to the tunnels in the ground. People uprooted their lives and left gold rushes in California to come back to the Appalachians. \n\nPeople down in the mines would sometimes report crazed laughter in the ground when they dug out ore. At first it was regarded as hallucinations or maybe tall tales. The reports were sparse and the words of drunks at first so no one would care. \n\nOver the course of a decade though, it would become much common. People started to hear laughter at any hour during the day, deeper in the mines or right at the entrance. It got really bad when someone struck gold and stumbled into a natural cave system. People started hearing things in town and it got real bad. \n\nPeople started leaving. Then some kind of miracle worker came to town and promised to drive out the laughing. Well, he got everyone together in the church and they rung the bells at midnight three times every night for a week. Hoping that would stop it, they called it good and went back down into the mines.\n\nLong story short, people went crazy, there were murders and the town burned and the mines were sealed off by the last of those in the town. Everyone left shortly after.\n\nWell, the thing is, that church bell still rings three times every hour at midnight. I know. I've been there when it happens.\n\nSo one time when I was 14, I decided to overcome my nervousness and go check it out without telling grandpa. The town had always made me nervous when I gazed out my bedroom window at it, but why? What if there was just some squatters in the church that kept pulling the bell rope?\n\nI figured there was nothing to be scared of. If there was, I could handle it.\n\nJust in case, I grabbed my .22 rifle from the gun safe and loaded it up. If there were meth-heads or anything, I'd be able to scare them off.\n\nSparky and I waited until my grandpa went to town to grab some groceries and we sneaked out the back, went down the mountain path and marched across the unplowed valley towards the deserted town. \n\nSparky began to grow nervous about halfway there and I had to physically carry him with me to make him go with me. That should have been my first red flag. Never ignore animals and their senses.\n\nWe walked in between two of those fake-front stores onto Main Street. Nothing impressive. Doors hung rotted and askew on their hinges and every single window seemed to be shattered. We checked out a couple of the buildings, but there was only broken furniture and shattered bottles and lanterns. \n\nFeeling silly about being scared in the first place, I grew bolder and began checking out more of the town. Despite Sparky's protests, I had no problem approaching the church and glancing inside the broken stained-glass windows. Just a bunch of rotted bibles and shattered pews. There was no meth-beakers or bottles of drain cleaner. \n\nLaughing, I checked out the entrance to the mine itself, just beyond the Church, a little up the road. Obviously, I had no intention of entering the mine. That's dangerous. Not that I could anyhow, the entire thing was blocked with rocks thicker than my head.\n\nIt was getting dark at this point and I had no intention of meeting the weirdoes that rung the church bell, so I left across the field the same way I came in. Made it back home no problem. That was until Sparky bit my arm with enough force to damage my wrist and jumped from my grip. He took off towards the town barking and whimpering.\n\nI had no intention of leaving my companion behind for meth-heads to find, so I loaded my little .22 and went after that little dog.\n\nIt was dark by the time I found him. I probably spent a solid hour calling his name and checking out buildings, half-expecting his corpse.\n\nNope, he was sitting right there on the entrance to the church, panting and staring at me.\n\nI grabbed him and turned back, carefully watching the shadows of buildings in the moonlight so I wouldn't get surprised and beaten by druggies.\n\nHave you ever heard of losing time? People who experience UFOs claim to experience it. To you it feels like a few minutes, but entire hours pass by. You lose the time.\n\nWell, that's what happened with Sparky and I. Suddenly it was midnight according to my watch and the bells didn't ring in the town. \n\nCuriously, I checked out the church. Clearly I scared off the meth-heads.\n\nBefore I went back home, I heard laughter behind me. Nothing there, clearly, but then the entire town seemed to explode into laughter like there was a crowd of people watching Louis CK. I made it home in record time and my grandpa caught me and beat me within an inch of my life.\n\nI never went back and still haven't been back to the property. The farm never sold. It just kinda is there.\n\n" ]	4
	[WP] As part of a sizable superhero team, your secret power is "Guardian of the Castle" when outside your base you can manage some basic tricks, but inside you are the strongest hero alive. For the first time the villains are assaulting your base, and everyone is too hurt to fight them off.	[ "No one expected the League of Doom would ever bring the fight to the very gates of the Hall of the Sense of Right Alliance. Hell, no one even thought that the League of Doom could beat the Sense of Right Alliance. \n\nThey were a gathering of super-losers. You know, guys that would rob some bank and then we'd bust them a few minutes later. There was no way Doctor Dang, Monstrous Monster, or the Ferocious Three could stand up to Uber-man, Bat-Guy or the Green Ogre. \n\nThe world was shocked. A gathering of the world's richest and most famous, politicians and celebrities had gathered at the Hall for the celebration of our five year anniversary. The highly publicized event was probably even more publicized now as the paparazzi and newscasters broadcasted our defeat to the world.\n\nUber-man lay broken under a concrete statue of himself with a kraptonite saber piercing his liver. The Green Ogre lay smashed underneath the boot of his archnemesis, the Dark Lord Farquaad. \n\nI was the only hero remaining as the League of Doom gathered around me, all staying ten feet away from me. They knew of my immense power in this situation. \n\nDoctor Dang's evil eyes gazed out at me from his steely mask. \"Macauley Culkin- we meet again. For the last time.\"\n\nI can't help but smile as I reach for the nuclear BB gun holstered on my hip. " ]	1
	[WP] Scooby Doo, grindhouse style.	[ "\"Rut Ro, Raggy!\" Scooby said, trembling under the ammunition bags he carried on his back. \"Rhosts!\"\n\nHe was right. Standing in front of the team stood a trio of some of the world's deadliest ghouls: The Wolf-Man, a despicable man-beast who had killed seven people simply for entering the abandoned factory; Phantasmog, an evil ghost who enjoyed torturing women; and Blood Scraper, a boogie man serial killer with a blood red chainsaw (and it wasn't that color for no reason). \n\nWhile Scoob, my trusted pet, shivered nervously, the rest of the team readied our weapons. Fred, the team leader, held his cigar in his mouth and flaunted his sawed-off shot gun. \"Alright gang, it's time to see who's really under these masks. Then it's time to see if they bleed!\" His bare chest glistened as he readied the gun. \"I love the smell of mysteries in the morning!\"\n\n\"Jeepers!\" Daphne screamed as she unsheathed her machete. She was wearing even less clothing than Fred, just a bikini and booty shorts. \"This is turning me on. Fred, you wanna split up and look for clues after this?\" Fred slapped her ass in approval.\n\nVelma didn't need to say anything. Whipping out her dual machine guns was enough to get her point across. She did always have one thing to say though: \"Jinkies, mother fucker!\"\n\nThe gang began their assault. The Wolf-Man lunged Velma. She shot all four of his paws off in mere seconds. Phatasmog set his sights on Daphne, attempting to over power her and take her machete away; he underestimated her sheer strength however, and soon enough he was on the ground, at the mercy of this crazy hoe...but she knew no mercy. She french kissed the ghoul's severed head and then sliced it in half. Fred shot at the Scraper, but he wasn't harmed enough to deter him. The Scraper attempted to saw Fred in half, but Fred blocked the slice with his shotgun. \n\n\"Fuckhead! Ammo!\"\n\nI quickly reached into Scoob's bag and got Fred's ammo. I gulped a cautious breath, and then tossed the ammo over to him. He caught it and loaded his weapon. Before shooting however, he hit the scraper upside the head with it and pressed the shortened muzzle onto it's head. \"I call this baby the 'Meddling Kid'.\" He shot the Scraper's head clean off. \n\nThe three monsters were dead, lying in several puddles of blood, flesh, and organ. They were all just humans, so protocol dictated that we needed authorization before using such lethal force, but we weren't in the prisoner taking business; we're in the Monster Killing business. \n\nFred grabbed Daphne by the waist. \"We'll be in the Mystery Machine. Think you can handle yourselves if we leave alone for a few minutes?\"\n\nDaphne laughed. \"With your record, I'll be surprised if they even realize we were gone!\" Fred slapped her for that crack. (Author's note: I respect women; Grindhouse Fred doesn't.) \n\nFred turned to me. \"Now listen here, Fuckhead, you're gonna get this mess cleaned up and then report back on our mission. Is that clear, Shaggy?\" \n\nI hated that they called me Shaggy, but I had no right to call him out on it. \"Like, yes sir.\"\n\nHe stormed off, Daphne in tow, leaving me with crazy-eyed Velma and my loyal dog. \n\n\"Zoinks Scoob, this is bullshit.\"\n\n\"Raggy, Fred's an asshat. You deserve better.\"\n\n\"You think I could get a better job in this economy? No fucking way that's happening! I'll stick to cleaning up monster goo.\"\n\n\"I'll tell ya what's keeping you from finding a job, Raggy. It's all these dirty Riggers!\"\n\nI looked incredulously at my dog. \"Jesus christ, Scoob, I thought I told you not to say that word!\"\n\nScooby ignored me and pulled his red hat out of his bag. \"We're making Ramerica Reat Again Raggy! SCOOBY DOOBY DOO!\" \n\nI sighed and kept cleaning. \"Like, whatever...\"" ]	1
	[WP] A group of mobsters are burying a body in the woods at night when they heard a noise. Suddenly another group of mobsters appear carrying another body. Awkward.	[ "The two groups exchanged a few moments of silence. It was obvious to each group that the others sudden appearance was unexpected.\nThe leaders of the groups stepped out from the group, and spoke up.\n\"What're you doin'?\" They said, in a thick Chicago Gangster accent.\nBoth sides responded in same: \"It should be obvious.\"\nIt was, of course, obvious. As both sides were carrying dead bodies. \nAll of a sudden, one of the gangsters spoke up.\n\"U- Uh.. who was he?\"\n\"A traitor.\" Was the response. Followed by: \"Yours?\"\n\"The same. Damned traitors.\"\nWith that, the two sides went off to bury their dead." ]	1
	[WP] 10 years ago the sun silently went out for unknown reasons. Humanity is still struggling to adapt.	[ "It's the tenth winter after the Solap, the collapse of the sun. Well actually it's been winter since day zero, where the sun suddenly stopped to shine.\n\nDay zero was otherworldly. It was a normal November morning, the world seemed normal as always. Nobody saw it coming. At 1:04 pm the warning was broadcasted. Every TV, radio, news site and smartphone in the entire US showed the same message. The message from the government was short, really short. It's probably because the people at NASA noticed it, couldn't believe and had to check over and over again. It takes 8 minutes and 19 seconds for the light to travel to earth. So it's a rather time sensitive event and the government didn't take the time to form a elaborate speech, it was more like a tweet read out loud from the president. When we got to hear the alarm, there were 3 minutes left. \n\nPeople in the states had the glamorous right to experience the last beams of light in all their glory. Imagine going to bed in Europe after sunset, not knowing it was the final one. Most of the people spent the last minutes outdoors, many of them on their phones talking to their loved ones. Then, 3 minutes after the news, light was gone. You would imagine to see the light gently fade, but that's not how it was. From one moment to the next one, the world went from a sunny, bright day to complete darkness. Darkness like you've never seen before. Pitch black. It was before the artificially daylight and time simulation (ADTS) was established in the population dense areas. The biggest problem with the Solap isn't light though. Through the ADTS's we can have a sense of time and grow plants in the townships. The biggest problem is the coldness. It took ten years for the surface temperature of the earth to fall to -5° C. It's still falling. \n\nTo be continuing. Probably.\n\nSorry for all the bad grammar and errors. I am not a native speaker and it's my first WP", "\"It's working!\" shouted ground controller Yuri Gorokhov from behind his desk. The room exploded in cheers and applause. Scientists from all over the world were hugging each other. One of their many attempts at starting up the Hubble space telescope has finally worked; focusing a high-powered laser on the Hubble's solarpanels. The team has finally reestablished connection after years of silence from the telescope. \n \nAfter the cheering died down a bit, commander Peter MacFarley started addressing the crowd. \n \n\"My dear friends, you have all done an extraordinary job. As you all know, we have no idea yet what we'll find once we reorient the Hubble, but this is a momentous occasion.\" More cheers from the crowd. \"Our technical team will work through the night to point it at the center of the gravity well, and I will see you all back here tomorrow. Get some shuteye, you've earned it.\" \n \nA couple hours later, the control room was nearly empty. Only Yuri and data analyst Astrid Åkerman were still there, eating some of the leftover cake. \n \n\"What you do next?\", Yuri asked excitedly. \n\"I just left him there!\" said Astrid. \n\"Hah! Bet he not see that coming.\" \n\"Hell, I didn't even see that coming!\" She took another bite of her cake. \"Hmm, Yuri? Look.\" She said with a full mouth and pointed at his desk. The indicatorlight for repositioning was blinking. \n\"Good! We complete reorientation. We get some rest now.\" He picked up his plate and stood up. Astrid didn't move. She was thinking. \n\"What?\", Yuri said. \n\"We could... turn it on you know? See what it sees?\" \n\"Commander said we wait for tomorrow. Besides, I don't know how to interpret the data.\" \n\"But I do...\" \n \nThere was a moment of silence. Astrid was looking hopeful at Yuri, curiosity was radiating from her. Then Yuri's mouth turned into a cheeky smile. \n\"Okay. Which instrument?\" \n\"Try the COS. Let's see what's at the center of that gravity well.\" \n \nMacFarley's phone rang several times. He was fast asleep. \n \n\"Fuck, I got the machine again. What do we do now?\" \nYuri didn't respond, he was on the phone with his Russian superior. Astrid didn't understand a word he was saying, but it seemed like a heated discussion. She started to panic slightly. The data they had gotten was unquestionable. This could not get out. The world was not ready to learn this. Not now, not ever. \n \nYuri finally hung up the phone. He didn't say a word, but started typing commands on his computer. He seemed very determined. \"What's happening?\" Astrid asked. He didn't respond. \"Yuri, what are you doing?\" \nShe got up from her chair and walked over to him. \"Stay where you are!\" he shouted. Suddenly, Astrid was terrified. He had never seen her colleague like this. She was frozen in place. \"What?! Stop typing, you're scaring me. What is happening?\" Yuri looked over his shoulder. His eyes were red and watery, he was shaking. \"Yuri?\" \n\n*[to be continued?]\n" ]	2
	[WP] You're new to the world, just drifting by with all the other kids. They keep teasing you and telling to watch out for the shadows in the deep. You try to ignore the stories, but then you hear a wail.	[ "The Flow connects all. \nAt least that's what they say, and it's hard to find fault in when you can see through the eyes of anyone else just with a thought. You can feel what they feel, move with them and be a part of their life just as much as they are a part of yours. Life is peace and hard work, everyone plays a part in powering The Flow, helping it to provide the light across our lands. \nTo disconnect from The Flow is virtually unheard of, the only people ever to do it run outside of The Flow's light and are never seen again. It's those shadows that interest me, The Flow runs in youth differently than in the adults, we have to adapt and learn to accept the influence of others in our minds, the probing eyes. Once we can accept those we'll reach adulthood, but while we're still locked to ourselves we remain children in the eyes of The Flow. \nThey always told me to stay in the light, keep away from the shadows, the black void acts as a enclosure around The Flow. What is beyond is undocumented, burned with the history of our ancestors when The Flow's heart was first built. \n\n\nI decided it today. I'd tried disconnecting from The Flow before but it only leaves those who can truly believe and wish they'd be better without it. I was walking the edge of The Flow, staring and wondering. What is out there? \nThen I heard a horrible sound, something joked about in stories as an exaggerated impossibility, but whilst I'd never heard it, the sound was unmistakable. Someone was crying loudly, and like that, I disconnected, and stepped into the void. \nFilled with the sorrow of only one, and I would find them." ]	1
	[WP] One day when your making a prompt on r/writingprompts starting with "Turns out heaven is actually..." You hear a booming voice say to your right "ELI HURRY ANOTHER HUMAN'S WRITING ABOUT US GET THE POPCORN AND TELL BIG G TOO I CAN TELL IT'S GONNA BE GOOD!"	[ "Looks like this has been getting some inexplicable downvotes, but I have the idea and I've never done this before so here it goes:\n\nAnother dull Monday. I'm sitting at work dodging responsibility when suddenly my existential pondering leads me to a killer idea for r/showerthoughts. No... this is r/WritingPrompts worthy. I'm slightly embarrassed by how excited I am as I open my favorite sub-reddit. I straighten up to look over the wall of my cubicle to get a better view of my manager's door. The coast is clear- I begin typing my prompt:\n\"Turns out that Heaven is actually...\"\nBefore I can finish my sentence a loud voice startles me. My first thought is my manager. He's caught me again. Realizing it's not his voice, I quickly swivel my chair around to see... no one? Now multiple voices are present, booming. Where is it coming from? A pop-up? I quickly mute my computer speakers. Still there. I begin to listen to what the voices are saying.\n\n\n\"Gabe get off the work computer!\"\n\n\"Just get over here, Eli! More humans are gonna write about us!\"\n\n\"I don't see anything. He hasn't even finished his prompt.\"\n\nI can't place where this sound is coming from. Slightly to my right? It almost feels as if it's in my head. I look over my cubicle wall to see an empty desk. The voices continue.\n\n\"JESUS CHRIST THE RED LIGHT IS ON! TURN OFF THE INTERCOM!\"\n\n\"Jesus isn't here, I'm Gabe!\"\n\n\"HE CAN HEAR US, GABE. TURN IT OFF!!\"\n\n\"HOLY HELL, ELI. I'M SORR-\"\n\n\nMy speakers suddenly begin blasting \"Never Gonna Give You Up\" by Rick Astley. The ominous voices abruptly cut-out, and are replaced by a more familiar one. That of my coworker, Jan.\n\"What in the world are you listening to? Turn it down!\"\n\n\"Jan I have no idea where that was coming from.\" I again muted my computer. \"Did you hear those strange voices?\" \n\n\"No,\" she walks away, \"Just wear headphones please.\"\n\n\nThat was last Summer. For months I dreamt of those powerful voices that seemingly came from nowhere. I knew I wasn't insane, so eventually I rationalized that it was either an isolated experience caused by lack of sleep, or one of my coworkers had seriously fucked with me. I moved on with my life. I kept my mundane job, spending 50% of my time working and 50% of my time either writing, or browsing Reddit (mostly the latter).\nIt's a Tuesday morning when I hear the voices for a second time. This time I'm in a much more vulnerable position. Sitting on a company toilet, tapping away on my iPhone for a WP about Heaven being overpopulated.\n\n\nA whisper this time: \"Hey. It's Eli, I know you remember me.\"\nI'm frozen. I listen closely, but it's dead quiet. The only thing that breaks the silence is a plop in the toilet bowl beneath me. Suddenly, it speaks again.\n\"My friend Gabe fucked up. Don't say anything. Go somewhere we can talk in private.\"\n\n\nI make a half-ass attempt (pun intended) to wipe myself before bursting out through the bathroom door. I slow my pace, trying to appear normal. I take the elevator up to the top floor of my office building. I then take the stairs to the roof access, hoping Jan isn't on her smoke break. I quickly scan the roof for other people, then instinctively look up at the sky and plead, \"What do you want!?\"\nThe voice comes back, and explains in a calming tone.\n\n\"Just listen. I'm an angel. One of my friends contacted you through a device that hasn't been used in 2,000 years. It was a mistake. A mistake I'd like to capitalize on.\"\nI begin to feel lightheaded. I sit down. The voice continues.\n\"I'm explaining this to you because I know how fragile the human psyche is. I don't want you to think that you're insane. You are not. You do have a unique mind, however, but it's wasted on this dead-end job. I've read all your posts on r/WritingPrompts. You're a great writer. I want to make you the best writer.\"\n\nI'm still in shock. My throat is dry and my chest is heavy, but I manage to muster up enough air to say, \"This sounds like a deal with the devil. Something from a movie. It can't end well.\"\n\n\"I'm not the Devil though. I don't want your soul. I'm the good guy. I'll make you one of the most significant authors in history if you do one thing for me. I need you to write pro-Heaven propaganda. The world discusses Heaven and everything in it as if it's some big joke. Humans are on a perpetual path of decadence, and The Big Guy has quite frankly grown sick and tired of it. He now refuses to intervene. Luckily, I have a soft spot for you. I believe we can turn it all around. It starts with a post on r/WritingPrompts. So what do you say? You in?\"\n\nI'm laying flat on my back at this point. I let out a sigh and mutter, \"Fuck it, I'm in.\"" ]	1
	[WP] The legendary hero has saved the kingdom numerous times. From the evil lich and his undead army to the fire breathing dragon. You are married to that very hero, yet no one seems to understand that you are completely normal.	[ "\"Ellanor! So good to see you! I have a favor to ask , could you telaport over to Awesome and get him to help me?\" Ellanor squares her shoulders, takes a really deep breath and steadies herself before turning to answer \"I'm sure you know his name is Bert , not Awesome,and that I cannot telaport, I'm his wife, not his 'Super Partner' \" They give you a blank stare for a moment then slowly nod, \"Um, yes, um, hmm okay then...\" They simply turn away without saying another word . \nThis isn't the first time this has happened and she knows it won't be the last. She misses Bert when he's out fighting crime, and as much as she loves him, she would love him more if he was an accountant. Then she could do her grocery shopping without all these random people bugging her." ]	1
Violence is appreciated, as realistic or over-the-top as you prefer.	[WP] At a school for the next generation of world-class assassins, today is a special day: Freshman orientation.	[ "🎶These boots are made for walking...🎶\n\nShe had the walk of a model. The stage was her runway.\n\n🎶And that's just what they'll do...🎶\n\nIt was summer - a hundred degrees plus outside - and she still wore boots. But it got here to where she needed to be - at the podium.\n\n🎶One day, these boots are gonna.🎶\n\nBig boots for such a petite woman. Heavy black, like depression. \n\n🎵walk.🎵\n\nShe grabbed the mic and started pacing -\n\n🎵- all. -🎵\n\n- the way to one side and then -\n\n🎵- over. -🎵\n\n- to the other side, and finally to the front, looking out over the crowd.\n\nI closed my eyes. Held my breath hostage.\n\n\"You.\" \n\nI opened my eyes and took in the finger pointing my way. \n\n\"You don't look like,\" - Who? Who don't I look like?. - \"an assassin to me.\"\n\nHer words cut. Embarrassment swells up and spreads like an infection.\n\nLike the wounded animal that I am, I retaliate: \"Well... look again.\"\n\n\"I haven't looked away.\"\n\n\"Focus on one thing too long, you lose sight of the rest.\"\n\n\"If what I'm focusing on is worthless, then does the rest really matter?\"\n\n\"Depends on what you're looking at.\"\n\n\"And how would you suggest I get the correct focus on something?\"\n\n\"Look at it from a different angle.\"\n\nShe smirks, nods. Walks away.\n\nI settle back, content with my content, knowing that I've just established myself as\n\nThe Verbal Assassin.\n" ]	1
	[WP] Society deems you a serial killer, they say you're a monster and a menace to society. You're actually protecting humanity from them.	[ "I sprinted desperately across the rooftops as the spotlights from the choppers swept across the area.\n\nMy target, a boy half my age, lay in his own blood a mile away in an alley. He was an arsonist and serial killer named Jack Briar, AKA Pepper Jack. That kid was one sick fuck, let's leave it at that.\n\nAnyway, now the entire city of Phoenix, Arizona was showing it's gratitude by having me brought in dead or alive.\n\nFunny how this wasn't in the contract.\n\nI jumped from the ledge of the roof and grabbed onto the metal fire escape on the next building up. The rusted iron creaked as it strained to hold me up. I quickly climbed down and hid behind a convenient trashcan. The police cruisers and chopper rushed past, sirens wailing. I sighed deeply. Need to get a car.\n\nI wandered out, my hood low over my eyes, and found a parking lot. I browsed hastily before laying my eyes on a black '67 Impala. Perfect.\n\nI hopped in and hotwired it, making the engine roar. I sped off to a motel about two towns over. My contact, X, leaned against the brick wall smoking a cigarette.\n\nI got out of the car and joined him. He took a long draw from the cigarette before speaking.\n\n\"I heard about your escape on the police radio.\" He said quietly.\n\n\"You're the one who told me it had to be at night, with a heavy patrol already out!\" I whispered angrily.\n\nX frowned. \"Don't blame me because you fucked up. Your reward will be wired through in the morning. Now, do you want this next contract or not?\"\n\nI scowled. \"Fine. What?\"\n\nX took another draw from his cigarette and blew gray smoke. He handed me an envelope.\n\n\"Werewolf in Cincinnati. You up for it?\"\n\n\"Can you get me silver bullets?\"\n\nX pulled out a small revolver from inside his coat and handed it to me.\n\n\"That's only three, but I trust you'll do it with one?\"\n\nI nodded and began to head back to the Impala, when X called me.\n\n\"Try not to put the entire state police force on your ass this time?\"\n\nI smirked and opened the car door. \"See you in five hours.\"\n\nX raised a smartphone. \"I'll time you.\"\n\nI climbed into the driver's seat, backed out and got back on the Interstate. Werewolves, huh? This'll be fun." ]	1
	[WP] You are one of the few people who goes to your local graveyard. Today, some of the ghosts have decided to return the visit...	[ "She comes to visit her husband, who died last fall on his tractor, as promised and predicted. It was sad in the way that all death is, but his business on this Earth was finished. A doting grandfather, a proud father, and a loving husband and friend for over forty years, he gave up the ghost peacefully. It is she who lingers, creeping around the fresh cut grass, whispering half heard words in the stillness of her waking nights.\n\nAt first they smothered her, children of sweet concern. They came for a month or more, made the arrangements, paid the undertaker, and otherwise ensured all that was expected of her was to be a widow. They did not know what it meant to be relieved of the labor and burden of goodbye. Well meaning. Until one by one they too peeled off and vanished from her daily life for their own families in cities far away. All but the one who was haunted himself by the fruit of a red flower worn to remember and injected to forget.\n\nShe comes on Wednesdays bearing posies, usually in a faded dress or worn jeans and a sweater. There is no pomp to her visits. It is as if she is spectral herself, seeking to be erased as he has been, willing herself to oblivion one quiet day at a time.\n\nShe has many suitors among the dead.\n\nFirst among them is Eldredge, a dandy who died for poetry and the art of being a gentleman in a war that never considered anything but hell. His love survived him by many years, but after a suitable period of mourning, married a man who's only cowardice was that he survived and found his way back home. The sting of being replaced is worse than being forgotten, and so the young aristocrat seeks a bride among the mutually forlorn. It is easier than accepting that there were things he wasn't meant to have. He visits on Fridays, plies her with poetry, using his meager ectoplasm to ruffle the flowers on her kitchen table when there is no breeze of open windows or ceiling fan. \n\nShe does not hear him. She does not see the way he bends the bouquets for her like a floral supplicant. The living never do. \n\nThe next is the Colonel, who gave himself over to war and violence and was alright now successful. He counted victories in Cantigny, Arkhangelsk, Attu and Kiska, and the Ardennes until he crashed upon the bitter banks of the Yalu River. Coming home he found himself missing the pretty things forsaken in the heat of battle, little assuaged by the half remembered names of foreign woman who may have shared a bunk or a glimpse or a dream of a handsome soldier whose time had been all too brief. He was elevated among the dead not by what he had won but what was lost in pursuit. A final victory would carry him over to the other side. If not the soccer mom three years ago then it would be the farmer's wife, today or some day soon. The Colonel has taken Saturdays, where he primps and shines his metals until they gleam near transparent in the sun. He stands statue straight in front of the TV and shouts his love like attack orders.\n\nThey never reach her heart. The yes sir never quivering at her lips. The living do not obey the departed.\n\nThird among them is Diamond, a man for whom there was rarely enough. He amassed a great fortune in his time, through cunning and talent, negotiation and shrewd speculation. It grew beyond the bounds of his comprehension, brought him wives and children like fish and loaves that never seemed to end, and had furnished the stated with streets and parks, two governors, a senator, and countless memorialized university buildings. It cost him only days and, when he had had his last, it was as surprising to him as anyone that it was a hollow endeavor. Things stay. People depart. Woe to us who are in the middle, torn between what we had and what could be. \n\nShe is a trophy to him. He comes on Sundays and helps her to find loose change. She thinks it is her own providence. Once again the dead lose to luck, as perfidious a force of obfuscation as any conspiracy of men.\n\nThen there is me. I come on the Mondays, when God had passed and there is no hope of heaven enduring enough to dry her tears. I him a bird song and hope that she feels a slight flutter of hope.\n\nOn Tuesdays I cool her tea before she sips it. Warm the toast she forgets.\n\nWednesdays are for making sure she knows to turn the oven off. Thursdays keep the alarm silent so she can sleep nine minutes longer.\n\nIn summer I throw shade when she is in the sun. At night I sing lullabies while she drifts in the covers of an empty bed. I make sure the calculator always tallies the right numbers when she does her bills. It is a working farm, it always has been, whether worked by her husband and sons or the neighbors who took her fields and bale the hay for a percent at market.\n\nI am the little things she does not notice. It pleases me.\n\nFriday begins my three day surrender.\n\nI want her to see me. To see any of us. But instead there are pictures. She is haunted by the figure of one man, a hallucination, and phantasm for which science and spirits alike can prove there is no substance.\n\nHe will wait.\n\nI am here. \n\nThis is my last week. I have given up. Like I gave up last week, and the week before. And so on since the earth was freshly turned last fall. Eldredge practices his verse. The Colonel is cleaning his epaulets. Diamond gleams with some new scheme to fold the serial numbers of her bills into a letter from beyond.\n\nShe has eyes for her one and only alone. Little does she know there is a chorus of love that sings to her in her quietest moments, from a distant place, where the dead haunt the living for want of being known.", "I woke with a start. Confused and bleary I scrambled for my glasses, squinting at my alarm clock glowing in the dark. 01:30 A.M. Why am I up? I hear another noise, a muffled thump and the sound of something falling from downstairs. I wake up fully to that. I live alone and don't have any pets, that means someone broke in. \n\nFrantically grabbing my phone I call 911 and whisper about my home invasion. The dispatcher told me that help is on the way and to stay in my bedroom. Fishing about in my closet, I find my baseball bat and stand waveringly at the door, heart pounding and breathing shallowly. Suddenly a loud crash echoes through the house and blood curdling screams ring out. It takes all my will to not join in. For some reason the screams are filled with fright and terror, and another loud crash they stop. \n\nThe silence is deafening. I don't dare breath, and my beating heart sounds thunderous in my ears. I can stand it no more and slowly walk out into the hall way. \"This is how I die. If this is a horror movie I would be screaming at me for being stupid. Why am I doing this? Oh no oh no oh no...\" I think desperately. \n\nI finally creep downstairs and stare slack jawed at the scene before me. Two men are lying on the ground dressed in dark clothes. One lying limply and a heavy bucket beside his head shows how he ended up there. The other man rocking in the fetal position, eyes wide but unseeing, gibbering to himself. I kneel down and try to hear his terrified whispers, \"Ghosts....ghosts....ghosts.....\"\n\nI stand up scratching my jaw, ghosts? What in the world. I notice the air feeling quite cool, strangely cool for summer. If anything the air is getting even colder. Mist rises from the ground and start to coalesce into a form of some sort. The figures condense even more until a few ghostly people are floating in my living room. \n\nI open my mouth but no sound comes out. I clutch my bat but don't bring it up, not like it's going to do anything. One of the ghosts floats forward holding up her hands placatingly. Please be calm Sam. We won't harm you.\n\nHer voice echoed strangely in my head, yet undeniably calm and comforting. I swallow hard and loosen my grip on the bat slightly. \"Uh...thank you? Who are you? What are you doing here? What did you....\" I gesture at the two thieves. \n\nThe ghostly woman shoots a disapprovingly look at two others. They smile sheepishly and she sighs. Well we came to visit you. To thank you for all you do. We found these ne'er do wells breaking in and we decided to stop them. Some of us got a little overzealous however.\n\nI look at the ghosts blankly. Why would ghosts be thanking me? For a few moments I actively thought what I could possibly have done. Then a light turns on and I look at them in wonder. \"Are-are you ghosts of the people at the local cemetery?\" My smile grows in astonishment as they smile and nod. \n\nOn my way home a while back I noticed a corner of the cemetery looking a little forlorn. The newer plots and graves up front looked cleaner and better cared for while these back ones languished. Perhaps the caretaker didn't get to them as much or they don't have family to care for them. So when I had a moment I came to clean them. A little scrub and weeding and left some flowers on them. I didn't have much to do in my own free time so I didn't mind. \n\nNever did I thought this would happen. Still, can't say I regret any of it. Instead I smile and bow shyly. \"Well thank you. I really appreciate it.\" I set the bat aside and flip on the lights to the kitchen. \"Well while we wait for the police why don't we relax and get to know each other better?\"" ]	2
	[WP] The sharpest edge	[ "“Beautiful isn’t it?” \n\nVivian lowered the tint on her visor and took a step closer to the floating object at the temple’s heart. The three of us stood in a vast circular chamber made of ancient stone. Alien vines grew like veins along the decaying walls and the giant statues that enveloped us. We were surrounded by a pantheon of the magnificent and the grotesque. Giant stones resembling creatures from the furthest parts of the galaxy. Behind us lay a trail of blood and destruction. \n\nI slung my particle rifle and followed Vivian’s gaze towards our prize. We’d been pent up in this labyrinth for three straight days battling hordes of beasts, the supposed infamous legion of the Black Doiren. And now we were here, face to face with the thing itself. A weapon of legendary status. A tool whose very name evokes fear in the enemies of its wielder. Whispers of its ability to end entire civilizations have echoed throughout the eons. It was … a knife?\n\n“So, Viv. What exactly is this thing? I mean, it just looks like a little knife or something.”\n\nThe knife was black. The darkest of blacks. So black that it looked as if I were simply staring at an image with a cutout silhouette of a knife. I pondered this. \n\n“I’ve told you, Kesh. What you’re staring at right now is the sharpest edge in the known universe. The sharpest edge theoretically possible.”\n\n“So what’s it worth?”\n\n“Worth?” She laughed her cute laugh. “Kesh, it has no value. It’s priceless. Plus, what does it matter. We aren’t going to sell it.”\n\n“What? What do you mean we aren’t selling this thing? That was the whole point of this job, right? You said you had a Baron on Noe 4 who was willing to drop a lifetime for this thing.”\n\n“I lied.”\n\nI stared at her in amazement. Then the amazement faded into anger.\n\n“Look, if we’re not selling this thing, what do you plan to do with it? Cut bread?”\n\n“This doesn’t cut ordinary matter, Kesh.” She was within arms distance of the blade now, carefully watching as it hovered above its platform. She reached out slowly, then hesitated. She withdrew her hand and stood, arms akimbo, staring at it.\n\n“Atha, you're the brains of this company,” I said, turning to our third member. “Please tell me you know what she’s talking about.” Atha stared out from his visor, his expression stoic yet observant. He too was studying the mysterious object.\n\n“It’s one of the few Celestial weapons thought to exist. That I know. The only one that I’m aware of to be made of dark matter.”\n\n“So what’s it good for?”\n\n“It’s not a knife with which one cuts his enemies. If legend holds true, this can cut through the fabric of space itself.”\n\n\nI glanced back at the knife again, this time in greater wonder.\n\n“Only one problem, boys. It’s rigged. As soon as I grab it we’re going to be in a bit of a pickle. And I’ll be honest, this isn’t quite the end-all-be-all of our little treasure hunt. You see, if this is the sharpest edge, there’s rumored to exist another Celestial weapon that’s sharper.”\n\n“What can be sharper than the sharpest edge?” I asked, somewhat puzzled. “This is just starting to sound a bit ridiculous. Let’s grab the thing and go. I’m starting to feel ... creeped out by all these statues.” Their eyes, not so human, bore down on us. \n\n“It’s known as the edgeless edge, and I’m going to find it. Please don’t take this personally.” She looked back at us and flashed us a smile. A smile that had conned the hearts of so many men. Without hesitation this time, Vivian snatched the blade. \n\nThe ground beneath began to shake and the roof began to collapse. The vines around us began to pulse. I whipped out my rifle and took aim, intending to vaporize that smile right off that traitor’s face. I hesitated and was knocked off my feet by the tremors. I was the at the mercy of the moving floor as it heaved and rolled beneath me like a violent ocean of stone. I felt strong hands. Atha was dragging me back towards the entrance from which we came. \n\n“We need to stop her!” I protested, trying to contest against the cacophony of falling stone. We weren’t going to make it. This would be our tomb.\n\n“It’s too late!” He screamed back. “We have to get out of here.”\n\nI saw Vivian. She was still at the center of the collapsing room, bracing herself on her hands and knees. She slash the blade across the ground. It left a dark line. She slashed again and again. More lines. Finally, the space beneath her began to peel away like paint and a pitch black hole appeared, large enough to crawl through. She threw herself into it and disappeared. The hole began to close.\n\n\nI was frustrated. Frustrated that I could have been duped that easily. Frustrated that I hadn’t seen it coming. But the frustration disappeared as soon as I looked up. The statues were moving, and they were coming for us. Frustration turned to fear.\n\n____\nr/Priscillium/" ]	1
	[WP] You inhabit a world where Satanism is the norm and status quo, and you and your family are Catholics, and you are asked by your friend about your religion	[ "\"So... is it true that you believe you killed your God?\"\n\nThe others at the table froze. I could see Terry's dad starting to frown, the slice of pizza halfway to his mouth. \n\nI grimaced awkwardly, trying to give Terry a small, reassuring smile and failing. \"Kind of. It's... complicated,\" I said.\n\n\"Oh,\" said Terry's mother in a slightly weakened voice. \"You're... Christian, Alan? I didn't realize.\"\n\nI nodded as nonchalantly as I could manage, and reached to pull another slice of pizza from the box. \"Yeah. We're Catholic, actually. My whole family is.\"\n\n\"I see,\" said Terry's mom, and then she fell silent again. That's what I always hated the most, the awkward silences. I knew exactly what she was thinking. Human sacrifice, built right into the religion. The death of a God. Original sin. Drinking blood and eating flesh. The standard exaggerated misunderstandings that I always get, every time.\n\nTerry, bless him, hadn't even noticed the awkward atmosphere. Neither had his little brother. Both of them were still munching away at their pizza happily. Eventually, his little brother spoke up, his mouth still full of cheesy goodness. \n\n\"Yeah, but, why though?\" he asks. \"Like, why kill the god-man?\"\n\nI shrug. \"Blasphemy, actually. What Jesus was preaching was blasphemy to the Jews, and they didn't believe him when he said he was God...\"\n\n\"Wait, I thought he was the son of God?\" asked Terry, his brow furrowed and his face a mask of polite confusion.\n\nI grimaced again and shook my head. \"He's... both? It's complicated.\"\n\n\"So he died? And that fixed things, or something?\" asked Terry's brother, having finally swallowed his mouthful.\n\n\"Yeah,\" I explained. \"We believe that... uh. We needed his blood to kind of... clean the world. Wash away all the sins.\"\n\n\"Wait, wait, his blood?\" asked Terry, leaning forward excitedly. \"Like, it all flowed out of him and cleaned the whole world? Like a huge blood bath.\"\n\n\"Terry, I'm trying to eat!\" protested his father with a scowl.\n\nI shrugged meekly. \"Uh, kinda,\" I explained to Terry. \"And now we... well, there's this thing called the Sacrament... and the Eucharist. And... we kind of believe we... symbolically but also kind of truly, you know, drink his blood. As wine. The wine is his blood. And we drink it to clean ourselves. Kinda.\"\n\nTerry's mother looked sickened, but both Terry and his brother grinned at me.\n\n\"That is so freaking metal,\" said Terry.\n\nI was never invited back to their house again, but we still hung out after that. And I would always remember that little pizza-party as the day Terry's dream was born. Years later, he's the front man for the darkest and most insane Catholic Metal band in the world, and I get free tickets to every show.", "\"Hey what church do you go to?\"\n\n\"Uuuhmmmm.... welll.....\"\n\n\"Well?\"\n\n\"We're Catholics.\"\n\n\"Oh... cool\"\n\nMy heart relaxed when Carl said it was cool. i asked him if he was gonna kill me or something and he said \"naaah... freedom of religion is a basic human right.\" I laughed and he laughed and I said \"Oh... so where are we gonna eat?\" He invited me to his house for dinner. His mom ordered KFC." ]	2
	[WP] As the night sky filled with smoke, every emotion, problem, and failure rained down on her, and she finally broke.	[ "\"AAAAH!\" She screamed, letting the rage and frustration carry her into the street where she stared down the headlights of an incoming car.\n\nThe car screeched to a halt, horns blaring as the driver stuck his head out the window and waved a balled fist at her.\n\nShe ran up to him, grabbed his head, kissed him on the lips, then snapped his neck.\n\nAs his body went limp and sagged in the window frame, she dragged his body the rest of the way out and stole his car.\n\nBreaking every speed limit, she spun into the parking lot of a fast food store, ran in and ordered the biggest, juiciest meal that her stomach desired.\n\nThe food came and she ate it, savoring the sin of breaking the diet she had been religiously following (with little-to-no noticeable results) for the past few months, and then left without paying.\n\nIt was raining now. She ran in it, free as air, until she came to a bodega. Inside, she grabbed a bottle of liquor and a pack of smokes. Outside, she gulped the bitter tasting liquid until she vomited; then took one puff of the cigarette until she choked, then threw the rest of the pack away. \n\nShe ran back to her car, then sped off even faster than before. No matter how fast she went, it was never enough. She was trying to escape from the past; trying to stomp the gas pedal through the floor as hard as life had stomped on her. \n\nShe wanted to go so fast that she would break the time barrier and time travel.\n\nAs she flew onto the highway, red and blue lights exploded to life in her rearview. Then disappeared as she picked up even more speed.\n\nShe got off on the next exit, made a sharp right that clipped a car and almost flipped her stolen vehicle over. She drove on two wheels for awhile before her car settled down.\n\nShe didn't know where she was going; and she didn't want to know. Because if she knew, she might become too scared to continue on. And she was tired of not going on. Sick and tired of it.\n\nThe engine whined with exhilaration as the needle jerked higher and higher in the speedometer.\n\nIt was raining harder now, but she didn't put her windshield wipers on. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. She still wouldn't be able to see through the thick blur of tears in her eyes distorting her vision.\n\nThe car broke through a boarded off path, and bumped along a trail that hadn't been trespassed in many years.\n\nAnd for good reason, too. It ended. Beyond a certain point, all there was, was space and air.\n\nShe knew this. She welcomed it. \n\nAnd it welcomed her.", "It had been a long day. They were all long days, really, or at least that’s how she’d felt recently. Ann knew that of course this day had been no longer, that she’d woken at the same time, left for work at the same time, and was now returning home at the same time. As she did every day really, even most weekends. But it had felt long. The yelling, the scolding. The deadlines that Ann knew she couldn’t meet, the daily call from her mother that she no longer answered with any sort of happiness. Complaints, that’s all she had.\n\n“You’re still working there? No boyfriend? You didn’t do anything Friday night? What do you do again?”\n\nAn endless stream of questions, questions her mother knew the answer to before asking, questions she hurled at her daughter like spears. Today the questions had centered on her apartment. The same apartment Ann had lived in for years, the apartment she was perfectly happy with, but her mother had always hated. Ann found that ironic, briefly distracted by trying to remember the proper definition.\n\nShe had left work earlier, stopped at a convenience store to buy dinner from the clerk. A young woman, always looking bored, but she recognized Ann now and always offered a brief greeting. Ann realized, to her mild annoyance, that it had become a highlight of her day. That and the beer she bought to wash dinner down with, but guilt always tinged that one.\n\nAfter the purchase she’d walked, wondering as always why she wore high heels when no office dress code required it, and had seen the smoke over nearby buildings. A fire was rare, even in this neighborhood of old buildings. Then she noticed the faint blare of sirens as unseen firefighters hurried to fight the blaze, the ruddy red of the fire reflecting on the low clouds. She sniffed, recognizing a burning smell she remembered from a childhood spent outside the city. She walked towards the blaze, curious at what old building was unfortunate enough to burn on such an unfortunate day.\n\nAs Ann rounded the final corner she realized it was not some old building burning merrily away, but her old building. Her apartment complex, identical to its neighbors but unique to Ann’s eyes, now coated in flame and crowned in smoke. The firefighters stood out front, hoses spitting water futilely into the blaze. She recognized some of those gathered a safe distance away, neighbors she’d seen on occasion for years, who she’d never bothered to greet. Each looked confused, shocked, hair sprinkled with ash and soot like confetti.\n\nShe sat down heavily on the stairs of the opposite building, her dinner on the step below. She realized too late that the bag was unbalanced, and the food she’d bought rolled out of the bag and onto the sidewalk, cans of beer punctuating the spill with a thud and clatter. Ann watched it unfold then looked up at the burning building, noticing that a firefighter had directed a hose into her own window with little effect. She looked down again at her dinner, slightly squashed from its impact with the concrete. She placed a hand over her mouth and muffled a short, sharp scream, hot tears stinging her eyes. She let her head fall into her hands, trying to block out every inadequacy of the day just as she tried to stop her tears from flowing. She failed, beginning to sob in earnest as flecks of ash fell gracefully into her hair.\n" ]	2
	[WP] You're the typical hard-boiled detective, a private dick, a standard trenchcoat-wearing fedora-wearing gum-shoe - or, at least you would be, if you weren't also a wizard.	[ " I sat in my dingy little office, some nameless cheap bourbon sitting next to where I had my feet up on my desk. The light coming through the grimy window was fading. It was getting late. I was considering grabbing my traditional brown long coat and black fedorah off the rack and heading out for some food. Probably takeout, Han owed me a favor or two still and would probably trade me some beef and noodles for a few tales of some of my exploits. They might not be the complete truth, and Han knew it, but he said he liked the way I told em', and I wasn't one to turn down a free feed.\n\n As I drained the rocks glass I was measuring out my booze in, I made up my mind and sat up, just as someone knocked on my door. I muttered and hoped it wasn't the landlord. \n \n \"It's open!\" I called, leaning back and putting the bourbon in a drawer of my desk. The door opened and revealed a truly stunning woman. Just like all the TV shows and books I read as a kid that made me want to be a P.I. She was tall, willowy, graceful despite the sky-high leather pumps she was wearing. Her clothes were business style, but expensively tailored. I was pretty sure her white blouse was silk, and it hugged her torso only a little less than the twill skirt hugged her legs. The whisper as her legs rubbed while she walked said her stockings were real silks stockings and not nylon pantyhose. I was immediately suspicious. Either someone was playing a joke on me, or this woman was not what she seemed. I quietly palmed something else on my desk and watched her carefully as she sat on the edge of the leather chair across from my desk.\n\n \"I'm told you can help me.\" her voice was steady, even. Whoever sent her was smarter than to have her try the sobbing damsel-in-distress routine. Her voice also held an odd note. Not really an accent, but her pronunciation was....clipped. precise. Professor Henry Higgins would find nothing wrong with her speech. My suspicions peaked, and I fixed a hard stare on her eyes for a few moments.\n\n \"That depends, miss....?\" She let the silence lengthen, and that almost clinched it. Now to make sure.\n\"I do have some experience with helping people, but I'm no bleeding heart. My services ain't cheap.\" As I spoke, I casually lifted my hand with what looked like a cigarette lighter in my hand. I even put a smoke to my lips, and then I flicked the striker. Flame shot up, but it also caused a hidden catch to strike the small iron bell concealed within the body. The tiny chime echoed out the hollow bottom of the cyllinder, and the woman flinched and....rippled. I took a drag from the cigarette and raised an eyebrow as I continued.\n\"Especially not for Faeries. In fact I usually don't work with you people. Too hard to stick you to a straight bargain. Try old Harsdale down on 22nd street. He's your people's go-to isn't he?\"\n\nThe elf across from me looked rather annoyed, whether at my trick or at being found out it was hard to say. The Fae really don't like anything iron, and the sound of an iron bell is enough to send most of them into fits. Really it was only because the sound was so soft and muffled by the walls of the lighter that she could stand it at all.\n\n \"Seamus Harsdale is dead,\" she dropped all pretense, the full aristocratic, cold manner of her kind settling over her. I winced. I'd thought he was a fool, but I'd liked Seamus. He was a good man. \"He was our first trial, and while familiar with our kind, he was no more than a skilled amatuer. We find ourselves in need of someone more...powerful-\"\n\n\n \"Get out.\" I interrupted, my face going rock hard. She looked shocked, likely it had been a long time since anyone had dared even the slightest rudeness to her. I didn't care, I wanted no part of whatever she had in mind. \"I don't care what you're offering. I don't do divorce work, I don't find lost cats, and I do NOT take on Grand Quests. I'm an investigator, a detective, get it?\" I stood, warming to my topic. \"I find out facts, then I give em' to the people that hired me. That's it. Now Get. Out.\" As I said those words, they resonated on the air and the walls of my office came alive with glowing blue runes. The elf looked downright flattened now, but she stood and composed herself, fixing me with a cold look.\n\n \"You will regret your actions here today, Mister Vargia. One does not reject the Fae Courts lightly. Not even a wizard of your reputed power.\"\n\n \"Go swallow a nail.\" I spat back as I held up the lighter again, brandishing it like a weapon, which backed by my wards it could very well be. She made a little sniffing sound and stalked out of my office. I gave her a few minutes to get out of the building, then grabbed my hat and coat and left myself, locking up and hitting the pavement, heading uptown to Crazy Han's Noodle Shack. I needed a meal.\n\nNote: I'll do more if people want. Had to stop to work and this was a good place." ]	1
	[WP] Someone has hired an assassin to kill you. What they didn't know was that you and the assassin went to the same high school, and you know all the tricks up his sleeve.	[ "Cars all over the city were locked in a crawl as usual. It was about 1 pm and I sat there outside the cafe sipping on my tea beacuse the coffe here was terrible beyond compare, but the food , the food was heavily. \n\"Here you are sir.\" The waiter placed the chicken breast on salad I had ordered briefly before I sat down .\n\" Ahh Thank you, that was quick.\" Looking up at the man made me put my knife and fork down. His stare resembling my own. Surprised, confused and a dash or rage. \n\" When did you start working here Jj?\" \nHe walked around towards me. I slid my utensils off the table. People around me turned to see the commotion. \" Oh My! I'm sorry could you get that? Would it be possible to get a clean pair? \" Why was he here? He went of the grid years ago? I Need a way out. \n\" No problem sir, Mistakes happen\" He shot a look at me. This Little shit was here to kill me, but how? The food or something more direct. \n\" How many years has it been Mike?\" Fake yet beaming smile made him look so innocent. His track record was no stranger to me. \" Since High school I believe Jj. What brings you to this part off the world?\" My tea was still hot as i picked it up and held it in my hands.\n\"Oh you know my job takes me all over the place hahaha.\" He probably killed the real waiter already and disposed of the body and evidence. Jj's hair covered his eyes as he stood back up. Kicking my chair back I threw the scalding contents of my cup at his arm. The shattering of the syringe wich fell from his sleeve confirmed my suspicions. \"How much? How much are you getting for this!\" The others began to scream and run off to the street. \n\"I wasn't given a name or photo just a time and place and you happened to be my 'business ' No hard feelings right? \" A maniacal killer stood before me. Stare so deadly it freezes you in place. Although burned he lunged for my chest as he pulled out a pistol of his other sleeve . Barely dogging I stumbled backwards slamming against the edge of a table. \n\"Do me a favor and just die quickly? Okay? Its been a long day and I have another 'meeting' after this.\" The grining bastard shot me in my left shoulder, once again barely avoiding a fatal wound. \" No thanks I have plans for dinner!\" I kicked a chair up and it hit him right in the chest. \" Hey now that kinda hurt Mikey!\" He ran for me and I rolled at his legs. He always has a knife strapped to his calf . A bullet whizzed past as He fell to the ground. Stabbing a nearby fork deep into his leg and pulling out the knife. \n\" Was nice catching up with you Jj, but I really have to fly.\" Knowing him the knife was most likely coated in poison or a paralysing agent. Sinking the knife till the handle into Jj's thigh I Stood up wobbling and kicked the back of his head for good measure and ran off into the allye way clutching my bleeding shoulder. \n", "I few weeks ago I saw my name on the assassins message board, which I help run. I thought it was a joke and since no one took up the hit I forgot about it. But a notification told me someone responded. Jeremy, that’s who took the offer? I couldn’t believe it. I think I had seen him a few times during assassin school but he was an average student from what I remember. I never saw him in AP classes an he didn’t have many friends. I can’t just go after him without a government green light. I’m still on a list from one of my first jobs in which I didn’t realize there was an extra camera added. I am a year from reaching the statute of limitations so I need to make it that long. I’m not one to go in hiding but I need to at least find this guy so I can track him tracking me. \nI search his ip from the message board and it leads to a house under his name. That seems suspicious but I pay him a visit. Looking through his window I see him having dinner with his family. Is this some sort of trap? If I could get him to make a move I can take him out and claim self defense. So I do what he least suspects and knock in his door. He opens with a confused look then says, “Eli, is that you?” I wave but he comes in for a hug. I somersault backward. “I guess your not a hugger,” he says. I give a grin. He invites me in for dinner and introduces me to his family. After a little chit chat I finally ask him about the post. He looks confused then cracks a smile. It seems like a fun challenge but I would never kill you in my home. \nHaving recorded the whole thing I pull out my pistol and shoot him. “Dummer than I thought,” I sat under my breath. On the way out I give the family my condolences, the least I could do.", "\"This ain't gonna work and you know it, dude.\" I sighed as I plucked the battery out of its slot, and the winking light of the sensor went off. \n\n\"Whatever do you mean by that?\" Jordan's voice had a hint of a smile to it. Of course he's that type of guy, they kind who didn't talk much but is perfectly capable of long hours of planning, plotting, and finally shitting fury all over you. \n\n\"This is so you. IED linked to a proximity sensor? By wire? If I cut that wire, I die. This battery is the only thing powering the sensor, and with the sensor down, the IED is useless unless you remotely trigger it.\" \n\n\"And what makes you think I won't?\" His voice changed subtly. More on edge now. \n\n\"Because.\" I plucked the second battery out from the case. \"Your little bomb isn't a C4. You need the electricity to keep the detonator receiver running. Now it doesn't. Speaking of which-\" \n\nI threw myself to the right, but slapped on the ground with my right hand and righted myself, dashing to hide behind the dresser. As I thought, three arrows lodged themselves in the ground - one where I was, one on my left and one on my right. \n\nJordan's laughter was a bit startling. \"Jesus Christ, man. The moment you intercepted my signal, I knew you were onto me, but this... this is beyond you. And me.\" \n\n\"I know, I get that a lot. Now check your control panel, the jury-rigged acid sprinkler and the auxiliary incendiary device should both be down.\" \n\nSilence. Then, \"Are you fucking kidding me?\" \n\n\"Nope. There should be another light off on your phone.\" \n\n\"What?\" The voice is incredulous now. \"How did you even know? That-\" \n\n\"-wasn't even close.\" I cut him off. \"Now, the last trap. I think I see it.\" \n\n\"You do, eh?\" \n\n\"Indeed I do.\" I pulled open the wardrobe door, kicking away the bundle of fake wires that were the decoy of the last trap, and pointed my pistol at the figure huddled inside. \n\nThe bad end of Jordan's own polished 9mm stared me down, it dark and foreboding barrel spelling my certain death. Jordan smiled. \n\n\"Hello, Johnny.\" \n\n\"Hello, Jordan.\" ", "\"James.\" I stared at him. \"Not this again, bro.\" I muttered as I cut through the wires on the bomb below my car seat.\n\n\"You tried this on me sophomore year, remember?\" I sighed. \"With the whoopie cushion?\"\n\nSilence.\n\nI waited. He always came out.\n\nI heard a rustle, and turned to see a tall figure descending from a tree top. He wore dark black clothing and had the recognizable face from high school. He looked at me.\n\n\"Hello again, Marcus.\" He said.\n\n\"There's the man of the hour!\" I grinned, slapping James on the shoulder.\n\nA hint of a smile formed on his face. A hint of the guy I used to know back in high school. The guy who would launch spitballs at anyone who wasn't looking. The guy who would run up to you, tab your right shoulder, and walk on your left side. This man was only a shell of himself.\n\n\"Why, James? Why do you try and kill me? I asked him.\n\n\"I have to.\" He responded, his eyes downcast. \n\n\"Then why like this?\" I asked, genuinely confused. \"Why just shoot me?\"\n\nHe looked me in the eye for the first time, and at that moment I could feel it. I could feel his pain. He hated this. He hated himself. It was eating away at him, truly destroying the person he once was.\n\n\"If... If I shot you.\" He sputtered out.\n\n\"I would not miss.\"\n\nI nodded. I understood.\n\n\"Who?\" I asked.\n\n\"The Mob.\" He responded.\n\n\"Have you killed anyone yet?\" I asked.\n\n\"No.... I always barely fail...\" He looked scared. \"They're getting suspicious.\"\n\n\"Good.\" I said. \"Then you are not beyond redemption. What do they have on you?\" I asked, needing to know that they were blackmailing him with. It would probably be something harsh, like financial or social ruin.\n\nTears welled up in his eyes.\n\n\"My daughter.\"\n\nI stared at him, suddenly understanding each and every move he made.\n\nI nodded.\n\n\"Give me a week.\"\n\n*\nWill write a sequel to this (Would like to!!!) if there is enough interest!\n\n*\nEnjoy the writing and would like to follow along and see more stories? Consider subscribing to [r/ConlehWrites](https://www.reddit.com/r/ConlehWrites/)!", "Ted was always something of an asshole. He was never impolite or mean, unless you were first and then... Oh boy. All Ted ever needed to let loose his inner sociopath was an excuse.\n\nIt honestly didn't surprise me to find out he became a hitman. People don't want other people dead unless there was good reason. To be frank, it wasn't surprising that a hitman had been hired to kill me. There's plenty of reasons why someone would want me dead.\n\nBut the combination? Ted being sent to kill me? That gave me pause.\n\nI glared at the informant across the table, legs crossed and struggling to keep my cool. My stomach had become a ball of butterflies. I was actually excited at the thought of seeing Ted again.\n\n\"Ma'am, this guy's got a reputation,\" Charlie croaked at me. \"He's got a lot of kills and he always...\"\n\n\"Makes it look like accidents,\" I said, cracking a smile at a fond memory. \n\nMinnie Henderson, Junior year, with burnt hair, having made a mistake during a chemistry experiment and set that blonde ponytail on fire. She'd been spreading rumors about me having an STD. \n\n\"Do me a huge favor and start monitoring the chemicals downstairs,\" I advised Charlie. \"I want everything tracked, catalogued and double checked.\"\n\n\"We got another thief, boss?\" He asked.\n\n\"No. We've got a saboteur,\" I answered, standing up. \"Tone done some of the activity as well. Tell the boys to take a break and enjoy what money they have on them...\"\n\n\"Why?\" Asked Charlie.\n\n\"Henry Rivera's sweet sixteen,\" I answered, stretching out my legs and thinking. \"Rita spiked the punch bowl, he spiked it harder. She took the fall. He's not above framing us for a crime we would commit just to get us where he wants.\"\n\n\"You know this guy?\" The informant squeaked surprised.\n\n\"Met in high school down in Murray,\" I answered. I wrinkled my nose. I could almost smell the stink of my home town on it's name. \n\nWhat else would Ted do? Sabotage was his specialty so... \n\"Ken Wei,\" I breathed in shock.\n\n\"Do I need to kill him?\" Asked Charlie.\n\n\"No,\" I said. I got to my feet and hurried out of the office.\n\nThe informant was too frightened to move. Charlie kept pace.\n\n\"So who is he, boss? Why is he important?\" Charlie asked, confused.\n\n\"He got me pregnant in high school,\" I said bluntly. My voice echoed through the mansion halls \"A complete jerk of course. Lucky me got an abortion and he decided to tell the whole school.\"\n\n\"Boss, you sure you don't want me to kill him?\" He asked.\n\nI laughed a little as I entered the garage and looked at my shiny red Porsche. My little red speed demon innocently waiting to be driven.\n\nI opened up the hood and looked down at the machinery and immediately felt myself smile.\n\n\"Boss? You didn't answer the question,\" Charlie said.\n\n\"Ken Wei died in a car crash. Brake malfunction,\" I turned leaning back and sitting on the bumper so Charlie could see what I saw.\n\n\"Ted had the oddest ways of showing he cared,\" I said, feeling my sixteen years old self blush deep under the crust of my cold black heart.\n\nMy brake line had a very visible hole in it. A little white card was tucked delicately next to it.\n\nI grabbed it and pulled the note from the dirty envelope.\n\n'No employer, no contract, no kill. Just sayin'.\n\n\"Game on, Ted,\" I told the note with a bit of a smile. \"Come on Charlie, we got people to murder!\"\n" ]	5
	[WP]The year in 2078. The most powerful country in the world is now New Zealand... Write a story about how they did it.	[ "Carla ran along the Creek, jumping over random rocks. The butterfly she was chasing was fast, but she knew that she'd be faster. Soon she attempted another swing with her net and sure enough, the small animal wriggled inside, fluttering its beautiful orange wings. \n\nCareful, Carla put her hand into the net and pulled the butterfly out, covering it carefully with her other hand. When she was sure that the animal had calmed down, she pulled the protective hand away to have a better look at it. \n\nAs usual, the butterfly needed some seconds to realize its new won freedom. Time enough for Carla to marvel at the beautiful colors, the hairy body and stretching antennae. Sighing she looked after it, as the butterfly took flight again, quickly disappearing in the high grass of the meadow. \n\nCarla turned back to go home. She had asked her father, if there were butterflies in Australia. He had picked her up and sat her down on his lap. \n\n“We can't say for sure, darling. There were butterflies before Taranaki, I know.”\n\nCarla wished she was a magician that could talk to and control butterflies. She would make them fly with them, when they boarded that ship next week that would bring them to this other world. \n\nAustralia. The name sounded strange in her ears, when she mouthed it. Her dad said that once a lot of people had been living there. Before Taranaki. \n\nIf it wasn't for him to be Dr. Pelham, she wouldn't have to go on that ship and leave New Zealand at all. But her father was part of the research team that would be send to repopulate that other world. Miss Willis had taught them a bit about that, when it became clear that Carla would leave this summer. She told them how once there had been more countries than just New Zealand. Australia, for example. It was one of the rare occasions when she had shown them a movie. \n\nCarla still remembered that movie vividly. So many animals she had never seen. Animals she had never even dreamed about. And so many people talking in strange languages. All of this was gone. Only they weren't because of Taranaki. \n\nMiss Willis had explained that the ashes from its eruption had prevented any air traffic around New Zealand. That had given the nation enough time to prepare and shut the borders, when news of KA1 started spreading. All of that had happened twenty years ago. \n\nMiss Willis told her that she should be proud to be one of the pioneers to reconquer the world. But none of this really mattered to Carla. Not if there weren't butterflies. \n\nEnglish is not my first language, so please point me to any mistakes I made." ]	1
	[WP] You have the ability to see the eventual moments of death of every person you meet. You meet the most beautiful person you've ever seen and in your vision, you see her getting killed by you.	[ "The first time it had happened, I was nine. I had been running down the hallway of my elementary school when I happened to trip on my shoelaces falling headfirst down a flight of stairs. A teacher had seen me fall and rushed over to help. While helping me up, my hand brushed against her forehead. Suddenly an intense vivid image popped into my head and I slipped back to the floor. I saw a red car speeding across an intersection, hitting a women crossing the street and flinging her across the pavement. I don't remember much of what happened after my second fall, but that incident changed my life forever.\n\nA few years later, the ambulance had been called concerning a women who was laying on the pavement after being hit by a drunk driver as she was crossing the road. It was the same teacher. A few hours later she was proclaimed dead. \n\nA had a few similar experiences where I had touched a person and saw the moment of their death. When I was younger, the experiences horrified me, but as I got older, although the images were still troubling I learned to use them to help others. I became a physician. I would touch a patient's hand and learn of their cause of death. Often I became aware of diseases that patients would die from in the future and worked to prevent it and if not treat it. \n\nFor although I saw the moments of death, these moments were subject to change. An image that I saw of young boy dying from late stage brain cancer was able to be transformed to a peaceful death in his sleep at the age of 82. I worked hard to extend my patient's lives, to provide them with the best care possible using my special power. \n\nYet today lies in front of me a young women in a coma. In her life, she had been a humanitarian, raising millions of dollars for children across the world, a peace maker, brokering deals between bickering nations, and a revolutionist, striving to make the world a better place. She was a person with the most beautiful soul I had ever seen. \n\nAs I placed my hand on her stiff shoulder, I saw the image of how she was going to die and I began to cry. Her coma was irreversible, she would never wake up and I would be the one to pull the plug. " ]	1
	[WP] Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You've opened the first zero-g swimming pool in geosynchronous orbit. There have been some... logistical issues.	[ "This rotating hallway is the entrance to \"the wet side\". Center traffic can come in as they please, but on exit please grab the wall-handles and pick up speed to \"drip dry\". Aha, yes... Do try to avoid collisions with the rotating machinery....\n\nHere are the lockers, water-tight, they're cleaned with bleach-water hoses and suction pumps every night. ...The custodians have complained slightly about it getting in their eyes, but we're investing in some more serious PPE like goggles and respirators. I'm quite assured we won't need hazmat suits.\n\nAh! Here we are ladies and gentlemen, the main pool! OH! Goodness. Yes, well, it looks like the \"main sphere\" is a little off-kilter today and has bumped up right next to the entrance. Our water-wranglers will be on that shortly. Well! Care for a swim? Ok, now, the ground-siders are reminded to resist the urge to \"swim up\" as it were. Remember to look for air-pockets and swim directly for them. And... remember to shake off the water tension that might form a bubble around your head after you breach, that might not seem natural, but the life guards assured me nearly everyone resorts to violent thrashing before too long! So all's well there.\n\nGasp Ah! lovely cough cough well isn't that fun! Ah, could someone help the lady dog-paddling back there? Thank you. Sorry, I should have mentioned that swimming is a rather important skill to have prior to visiting our establishment. \"Advanced swimming adventure\" you might say. First of it's kind. We've had several Olympiads express interest, and lessons are available.\n\nNow, as you noticed with the main sphere, the leisure side of the pool shifts around and needs to be in a constant state of flux as the water naturally moves around. We have 4 locations of the main room housing the artificial sun module, emitting those perfect UV rays for that natural Hawaii tan. Uh, do exert caution not to venture too close, as we've all learned from Icarus.\n\nWe have a wide staff of highly trained life-guards who are always watchful for anyone who might have gotten a bit too adventurous. Over here we have our water wranglers withe their hoses, they try and keep the main sphere mostly centered. The, uh, initial design of a perfectly levitated body of water proved to have some technical challenges in that reguard. But that doesn't stop the fun around here. Ah, and these are the baggers. The ground-siders are reminded to avoid eating prior to visiting the pool. And if you really must hurl, do try to contain it until they can isolate the waste.\n\nI'd like to direct your attention to the beautiful mosaic mural crafted by our very own... wait, did you hear that? OH GOD, the stations moving! THE WATERS COMING! SWIM FOR THE AIR-POCKETS! DON'T SMASH ON THEGHRIABLEWARGBLEBLARGLEFLERBRBRBLE!!!\n" ]	1
Try and turn this into something amusing.	[wp] She added a charm to her bracelet for every life she took.	[ "It was only her job. She was trained for it and her livelihood depended on it. What was so wrong with that? People work as software developers, doctors, lawyers. She was a trained killer. A highly professional one too. Killing was only her job.\n\n\nPoison was her preferred weapon. She didn't use violence unless she had to. You would think a professional killer would have no problem with spilling blood. But truth be told, the sight of blood made her nauseated.\n\n\nFor every contract she got, she put on a new bracelet. For every kill she made during that mission, she added a charm to it. At the end of the mission, she gave that bracelet to the client. Keep it as a souvenir, she said.\n\n\nSometimes there would be only one or two charms on the bracelet. On other times, there would be tens or even hundreds! But again, it was her job and she was going to be professional about it. \"No mercy, no surviver\" was her motto. Indeed, that was what she was getting paid for.\n\n\nLife in a pest control service was good.\n\n(English is not my first language. Please excuse me if there are any mistakes.)" ]	1
	[WP] Everyone is born with a twin. At some point, they are labeled either the good twin or the evil twin. You are the good twin, but you loved your evil twin so much/you were so pure of heart that you let them get the "good twin" label, because the good twins have better lives.	[ "The day had come. Artemis Jones took her time with each step, knowing wait awaited her on the other side of that door. When she'd received the call, she'd been sitting outside the bank, the duffle bag in the passenger seat open just enough that the grip of the Smith & Wesson could just be seen. \n\nSlightly out of breath, she reached the door and took a moment to compose herself. Stepping inside, she was met with a pleasant floral scent which followed her down the hallway. At the end of that hallway, the bedroom door stood ajar. \n\nOnce Artemis entered the room, the first thing she noticed was how the floral scent gave way to disinfectant, a strong bleach-based one, and the stench of disease. \n\n\"I knew you'd come.\" Beneath the sky blue bedding, the woman's frail face met Artemis' gaze with indifference. Artemis offered a cold smile as she approached. \n\"It's been a long time, Agatha.\"\n\nIdentical twins, though illness left Agatha decidedly more aged than her sister, the two women embraced the silence that overcame them. It was better that way, they both knew, than to waste time with unnecessary quips. \n\nArtemis set the duffle bag down as she approached, taking the armchair beside Agatha's bed and tossing aside the embroidered cushion. Cracking her knuckles, she looked to her twin once again, taking in the features as familiar as her own. \n\nAll those years ago, the day they'd turned 18, Artemis had gladly done for her twin what so many others like them had not, could not. A lifetime of purity, love and kindness exchanged for heartache, crime and never staying in one town long enough to ever be comfortable. \n\n\"Was it worth it?\" Of course, Agatha knew precisely what thoughts had run through her sister's mind. Artemis offered a smile, more genuine than either had expected. There it was, deep down inside of her. That love she'd held for Agatha, the one beautiful sliver of her entire being. \n\n\"Good... evil. It's just a label, right? Didn't we always say it wasn't the person,\"\n\"But their deeds. Yes.\" Agatha nodded. \n\"I never thought you'd still be this way, after all these years. I kept expecting,\"\n\"That you'd wake up the golden girl?\"\n\"Yes.\"\n\"Too bad.\" Agatha chuckled and it quickly became a fit of coughing, her long fingers reaching for the oxygen mask and sucking the clean air down rapidly. \n\n\"If there's one thing I've learnt, Agatha,\" Slowly Artemis inched forward, leaning down in her seat as she held her sister's gaze. \"It's that good or bad, a person can always surprise you.\" The handgun glimmered in the sunshine as Artemis rest it upon her lap, sitting upright as Agatha looked from the weapon to her twin. \n\n\"Go ahead.\"\n\nArtemis inhaled sharply. This was the moment she'd been waiting for, all these years. Everything she'd ever done, every scheme she'd been integral in planning, every heist she'd undertaken, it had all been nothing compared to this final task. \n\n\"You weren't the good twin, Agatha. Not once. It was nothing more than a placebo. Until now.\" The gunshot rang out and Agatha cried out, closing her eyes tightly and waiting. A minute passed and the pain she'd expected did not come. Opening one eye slowly, she looked over at Artemis. \n\nThere was a smile on the woman's face, a peacefulness Agatha knew she'd never feel and as she inched out of the bed, she exhaled deeply. The life she'd lived, the happiness and joy, it hadn't been hers and she'd known that every single day. When Artemis had given her that title, given her the good, she'd always known it wasn't true. Yet now, as her body moved slowly across the floor towards the window, she knew it would be. \n\nGood, evil. It wasn't just some label. ", "It was the eve of Frank and Billy's thirteenth birthday, and the twins were going over their game plan in the room they shared. Sitting cross-legged on each of their twin beds, they faced each other and talked through what was to come tomorrow.\n\n\"Okay, let's go over this one more time,\" Billy said frustratingly. Frank rolled his eyes and began to bite the fingernail on his thumb. \"Hey, stop that, it's gross! Pay attention,\" Billy said with annoyance.\n\nFrank was, for lack of a better term from society, the Evil One. Science was still trying to reason just why everyone was now born with a twin, but the consensus was that each set of twins born contained precisely one Good One and one Evil One. Billy had always shown the signs of being wholesome and caring; while Frank continually bullied, tormented and taunted everyone he ever met. Their thirteenth birthday was tomorrow, and they had an appointment at city hall where they would face a panel and be permanently labeled Good or Evil.\n\nBilly knew what these consequences actually entailed, and his heart broke for his brother. The Good Ones lived infinitely better lives than the Evil Ones. They worked better jobs, lived in better homes, married beautiful and sweet spouses, lived longer and had the benefit of the doubt from society. The benefit of the doubt was something Frank never had. The twins' parents knew Frank as the Evil One, and showed much more care and attention to Billy. Billy wanted to give Frank the gift of life, and switching with him would finally give him every opportunity he never had.\n\n\"Okay, so tomorrow, we will pass you off as me, and me as you. If we stick to our guns they'll never know the difference,\" Billy said assuringly.\n\n\"Yeah, but why would you ever want to be the Evil One?\" Frank asked, mid-chomp of his fingernail.\n\n\"I can handle it. And you deserve to get a second chance for the first time in your life.\"\n\nThe next morning the brothers entered city hall with their wholesome parents in tow, and were directed to their Twin Decision Panel. They were secluded and interviewed separately. Billy was nervous for his brother. He wondered if Frank would answer the questions politely. Frank was equally nervous for his brother. He wondered if Billy would be able to find it in himself to be mean.\n\nThe interviews lasted for over an hour, and Billy began to feel a sense of dread. The brothers didn't anticipate such an exhaustive interrogation, and he was sure by now that Frank had probably grown impatient and snapped. The questions were personal; asking them to retell times where they were happiest, times they were saddest, examples of when they showed empathy, and examples of times they showed apathy. There were hypotheticals and discussions about their futures, each answer inevitably drawing the panel closer to their decision.\n\nAfter their interviews, the twins were brought to another room where they were to face the panel together. Billy looked at Frank, who was smiling as though he just aced the hardest test of his life. Billy wasn't so confident. He loved his brother, but Good he was not. All Billy could hope for was that the panel was full of tired government workers who didn't care much; and also that not many sets of twins tried to swap places before.\n\n\"Boys, we have come to our decision,\" the oldest man on the panel said. \"It is our belief that Billy is Good, and Frank is Evil.\"\n\nIt worked! The switch actually worked! Billy struggled not to smile, and instead put on the best sullen face his teenage face could muster. He peeked over at Frank who was also convincingly showing a solemn look. If Billy didn't know any better he'd swear that Frank actually cared about this outcome.\n\n\"What you may or may not know,\" the man went on, \"is that recently regulations have been put in place to ensure that Evil's are fit for society.\"\n\nThe boys looked nervously at one another.\n\n\"Today, Billy, you will return home with your parents,\" he said looking at Frank, \"and Frank, you will be sent to our Juvenile Rehabilitation Clinic,\" he said looking at Billy. \"It is our hope that we can change you, and show you how to become a functioning member of society. You will remain in custody there until you are deemed cured. Case dismissed. Bailiff, please prepare the Evil One for his mark.\"\n\nBilly's eyes widened and began to water. Frank looked over at him, unsure of what to do or how to act. He wasn't prepared for this. Billy didn't deserve to be taken away, and he definitely wouldn't survive a juvenile center full of Evil One's. Billy looked over at his brother, and without saying a word hugged him tightly. \n\n\"I'll be okay, brother,\" Billy said through tears. \"Don't worry about me. Be good for mom and dad.\"\n\nFrank hated hugs, and awkwardly tried to return it. When his brother let go and began his walk toward the bailiff, Frank just looked on, watching the Good One accept his fate.\n\nThe old man banged his gavel down hard, thwack, thwack, thwack. The sound sent chills down Billy's back and Frank squinted his eyes in anger at the man.\n\n\"Just as we suspected. Bailiff, please mark that one,\" the man said pointing a crooked finger at Frank.\n\nBilly cried out, \"no! Please! It's me, I'm the Evil One! Don't give him the mark!\"\n\nFrank stood stoically at the center of the room as the bailiff took out a metal cylinder the size of a marker and pressed firmly down on his right hand. When he took the tool away, Frank's hand had a red tattooed \"E\". Billy continued to cry as Frank stared at his mark. \n\nFrank looked to his broken brother. \"It's okay Billy. I'll be okay.\"\n\nBilly saw in his brother for the first time, true sadness. His fate had been sealed in the form of the mark on his hand. He knew that his brother was strong enough to live the tough life that would follow him around now, but his heart broke for him all the same.\n\n---\n\nThanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, join me at /r/BrenBuck for more of my writing!" ]	2
Your 4 children are 11, 14, 17, and 19 years old.	[WP] After saving and training for several years you've finally qualified for your helicopter license. Now you can finally be the ultimate helicopter parent.	[ "June banked her stolen R-22 helicopter hard left as she raced to get to her son in time. Two more police helicopters joined the chase but June simply ignored them. Todd was sending another text pleading for help. June squeezed the cyclic between her knees freeing up a hand to work her phone. \n\n\"Mommy's coming baby...just hold on for a few more minutes.\" June pressed the Send key while keeping her bird level and steady. It took 2 years of training and dozens of flight tests at the Freedom Helicopter Academy before getting her licenses. She had returned to the academy this morning to put in a few flight hours when she saw Todd's message. June grabbed a bag from the backseat and bolted to the tarmac. It only took seconds for June to steal the training helicopter and head for her son. \nThe radio crackled. \"Ma'am, this is Captain Slater with the Indianapolis police department. You are under arrest. I order you to set down.\" said a voice over the radio. \n\n\"Like hell I will.\" Jane thought. June switched the radio off and adjusted the bird's pitch gaining 8 more knots of airspeed. \n \n\nMrs. Andrews was grabbing at the plates and napkins as they flew off the picnic table while the children scattered chasing after the tumbling plastic cups. She turned around to see a helicopter descending with the words Freedom Helicopter Academy stenciled on the side. The helicopter landed on the playground with a soft touch. A woman got out clutching a paper bag and was running towards the picnic tables. Mrs. Andrews heard sirens approaching from the front of the school as the helicopter engine died down.\n\n\"June? June is that you?\" Mrs. Andrews said with a quizzical look.\n\nJune bent over putting her hands on her waist to catch her breath. \"Todd. Where is my son Todd?\" June panted. \n\nMrs. Andrews glanced around the playground and pointed at Todd standing with the other children that had retreated from the whirlwind. There were several police officers running towards her. June spun around and ran for Todd as he was running for her. They met at the edge of swings and June dropped to her knees giving Todd a big squeeze. \n\n\"Mommy, you forgot my lunch and you know it is picnic day today!\" he scolded.\n\n\"I know dear, but mommy is here now, and I brought you your lunch.\" June said holding up the sack to Todd's face. Todd grabbed the sack lunch and ran back to the picnic area. \n\nJune yelled after him \"I love you baby!\" as the police were cuffing her." ]	1
	[WP] You've been falsely convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the stake. As the priests light the fire beneath your feet, an angel and demon come to barter for your soul...	[ "Hands bound behind a wooden pole, I watched the sun shine in the cloudless sky. The birds flew to the south, it was that time of the year. \n\nThere were no tears in my eyes, I had finished them all the night before. As the air with the stench of dirt and dust brushed my dry cheeks, I slowly made my gaze fell on the people around me. I could see some faces. Some wore pity but more than that there was anger and fear. Children occupied the front row, just staying beyond the pyre that surrounded my pole. On the hands of a priest burnt a torch with a roaring blaze. I knew my time was coming to an end.\n\nPeople say at the time of death one should remember god, but he was not there for me. I was not going to pray to the creator who would let their own daughter to this fate. Consumed by fire, alive! I knew it was going to hurt. Deep down I harbored fear, but I was too tired to show it. What worth was screaming, what worth was asking for help when everyone I loved, everyone I knew contrived to get me here? There was nothing to contemplate, nothing to brood upon. I was going to die and it was the only truth. \n\nI woke up with a smell. The smell of burning wood. I opened my eyes, small fire had been setup on my pyre, but it was growing steadily. At last the fire caught my tunic and blisters appeared on my skin. Pain shot up through every part of my body as fire engulfed me. I screamed with every bit of energy remained in me.\n\nAs fire danced before my eyes, my mind went numb and in this numbness I saw someone, a hazy face with a dark smile and a pair of beautiful twinkling eyes stared at me. He was not with the people watching me burn. He was with me, burning at the pyre. Dancing with the fire blaze itself. I looked into his eyes and instantly knew who he was. He was my savior. At that moment I realized what he stood for. The eternal fires of hell and the true born hate for God. I understood him. He was my soul mate. The only one who understood me. \n\nBut beyond him away form the fire, lay another figure hovering above me like a bird. Sparkles and glitters flew from its body and it looked at me with suspicion and surprise as I gave my hand to the dark figure before me and glided with him to an eternal life of hate and vengeance." ]	1
	[WP] "Damn you for making me do this.", as the knife drew closer.	[ "Warning: it's a little gory\n\nHer laugh pushed into hysteria. She brought a shaking hand to her face, staring at her hand in shock when it came away wet, and that only made her laugh harder—although maybe now she was officially crying a detached part of her noted dully.\n\nIt was January, the month of death depending on what thought about winter, and she was here to add another dead thing to January's list, Ana King. The powers-that-be thought it would be an appropriate background to her sad little story.\n\nBut here she was, losing it at the sight of her intended target even though nothing about this situation was funny. \n\nShe blamed the meds they'd put her on.\n\nThe hysteria wasn’t loud enough for anyone to come into the hall, her voice was too weak, but that sound slid like a freight train of horror toward the lone spectator of this delirium, licking at her eardrums and sending violent shudders down her spine.\n\nAna took a cautious step back once, twice, away from the figure at the end of the hall, who looked for all the world as if every joint was out of socket. \n\nAnother step… too loud. \n\nThe laughter cut off, a last rasp echoing eerily in the hallway.\n\nAna’s heart hammered.\n\nThe girl who looked like a monster slowly straightened, one jerky limb at a time, popping sounds echoing down the empty hall. The following silence was fragile, and she knew if something tipped that balance, action would follow. Ana really didn’t want to see what action.\n\nThe grey figure tilted her head back and Ana was caught in horror by the deep seated eyes peering out of the intruder’s face. \n\nHer mouth popped open in a small “o.”\n\nAna slapped her hand over her mouth, wishing she could take back the small whimper, but it was too late. Her opponent snarled.\n\nSomething glinted in the grey monster’s hand—a small knife, and then she yanked forward, running with a staggering, wild gait toward Ana.\n\nAna felt nothing short of pure, pleasing relief at the sight of the dagger. This, she'd been trained for. Despite the girl's otherworldly appearance, she was attacking in one of the most common ways...clumsily at that. Ana reached into her purse and pulled out something sharp of her own.\n\n“Damn you for making me do this,” she whispered, her hand expertly flipping the knife in her hand into a more sinister position.\n\nBut she didn't mean it. Not really. \n\nShe stood taller with the knife and, as the girl continued to sprint toward her, she mentally went through the motions of killing her. \n\n“Please stop,” she said clearly, her voice level. \n\nThe monster didn’t stop. \n\nAs the girl dressed in all grey ran past, Ana twirled deftly, and each of their blades snagged on flesh. The monster’s blade grazed Ana’s translucent cheek, while Ana’s own knife found its way into the girl’s armpit, digging into her heart.\n\nAna pursed her lips and felt any remaining tension fall out of her as the monster continued to run down the hall, the protruding, bloody knife-handle glinting in the fluorescent light. Ana stood quietly for a moment before shutting her locker, a small crease between her brows.\n\nShe was wondering if she should report this or let whoever found the girl’s body deal with it. It was such a hassle to fill out the forms, officially launch an investigation. Sure it was impressive that the girl had gotten in their fortress at all, but just a knife-scratch…\n\nShe was adjusting her hold on her bag when she noticed something wrong. One of her hands raised of its own accord to her throat, then ghosted over the cut on her cheek. Her heart rate spiked and she started clutching at her throat and chest area, wrapping first one hand around her throat, scraping down it with her nails, and then the other.\n\nSoon blood was soaking the front of her shirt from the self-inflicted wounds, and she wondered vaguely if it would be immodest when the paramedics arrived. She began to claw her chest too, sharp nails parting her flesh, bringing more morbid stains on the pale blue prep-school uniform.\n\nIt was then that she realized the paramedics might not be coming. She froze momentarily in shock and pain. No one was in the hall, no one had seen what just happened.\n\nNo one had called 911.\n\nNo one was coming to help her.\n\nShe stumbled forward. There was a classroom about five yards ahead. She hit the ground hard, still clutching at her throat, her legs unable to support her. She stumbled up and forward again, not even fully straightening before she fell again. Her chest was tight now and her head pounded.\n\nShe lay face down on the carpet of her fortress. She noted dully that this shouldn’t be happening...it was completely illogical.\n\nShe was too weak. Her heart raced, trying desperately to disperse oxygen that wasn’t there, blood starting to leak out through her eye sockets. She clawed the floor, trying to drag herself. She was so close to that door, probably less than a yard now if she stretched.\n\nNow her face was purple, blood vessels popped in the girl’s eyeballs. Her lips took on a faint blue as her irregular heart tripped and staggered on its last leg.\nThen it stopped.\n\nSoon after, the tiny heartbeat that pittered out from her womb sputtered, stumbled and joined its mother in loud silence.\n \nFrom the classroom the corpse was still reaching towards, her classmates’ laughter echoed out into the hall.\n\nThe temporary victor had turned around to watch the show. Oddly, or maybe not oddly considering her mental fog, she didn’t feel anything. She walked backward, out onto the back steps of the school.\n\nShe stumbled with a breathy choked sound (she had a collapsed lung after all) and caught herself on the railing.\n\nShe watched dully as a red drop suddenly appeared on the concrete by her feet. Then more. Something tickled her nose, and she hesitantly rubbed the backs of her hands against it. They came away covered in red.\n\nShe was just so…tired.\n\nThat voice in her head came softly to her, whispering that “it was time,” and some of her old self seeped back into her as she remembered that she didn’t like to be told what to do. She raised a hand, flipping the voice off before quickly dropping her arm again in fatigue.\n\n\"Fuck...gasp...you...\"\n\nReally she was just so, so tired.\n\nThe grey girl straightened (her mother would have been disappointed if she’d died slouching, heaven forbid) and a tear might have made it to the corner of her eye before the bullet ripped through her hand.\n\nShe held up her wounded hand to her face and realized they’d shot off her middle finger, and she gave a breathy, disbelieving laugh.\n\nBrain matter stained the ground behind her when the next bullet struck her between the eyes. Almost simultaneously a second bullet delved into her already torn heart for good measure.\n\nShe did not feel the cement as it smashed the delicate bones of her beautiful face. Had the bullets not killed her, the fall certainly would.\n\nThe air was silent around her. Later, when the people inside found her body, they would take and do unspeakable things to it in revenge for her misdeed. She had known this and had decided she was fine with it as long as Ana was dead. She’d made her peace and said her goodbyes to the world.\n\nJanuary fourth she’d had her last bowl of Ramen Noodles.\n\nThe fifth she’d visited a dog park and had her last fill of puppy-lovin’, not caring when she’d arrived home in jeans damp with saliva.\n\nShe’d given her hamster to a good home.\n\nSadly, she hadn’t had sex this month, but she had vicariously lived out a romance in the last book she’d ever read, which she finished on the tenth.\n\nThe eleventh she’d started the sequel, even talking with the bookstore clerk about her excitement to get to the end. She hadn’t allowed anyone to spoil it for her out of stubbornness, and now she guessed she would never know if it turned out okay.\n\nThe twelfth she’d had her last (crappy) cup of coffee.\n\nToday, January thirteenth, she’d walked, teased, laughed at her own joke, and cried for the last time.\n \nJanuary. It made an appropriate backdrop to this final, closing chapter of her sad little story.", "“I’ve been looking for you Trevor”, I said as I closed the door behind me. It was quiet but the air was hard to breath in.\n\n“Why?” He asked.\n\nI hesitated but I was able to get some words out, “You… you know why.”\n\nThe room was a mess. The table between Trevor and I had piles of maps and diagrams. There were lists of names and instructions.\n\nHe asked me, “Do you want them to win?”\n\n“This is about survival”, I walked closer, “I understand what you think you need to do. But understand that no one wants to go with your plan.”\n\n“I understand your objection. Not everyone is willing to make sacrifices.” Trevor said in disappointment.\n\n“You mean suicide.” I said without looking at him.\n\n“I can’t do this alone. We have to be stronger so we all don’t have to die. You can’t be afraid of the dead no more. They knock at our gates while we sit here doing nothing.”\n\nWhile we understood each other’s perspective, our choices have already decided. Trevor was always stubborn. He sticks to what he believes in. But this time, it’s not just himself.\n\nTrevor took a second to calm down and walked over to the window. He frowned upon looking outside.\n\nI got closer to him and pleaded to him.\n“You can’t go on like this. Not without taking another good look at yourself,” I pointed at him, “How you view people.” \n\n“Like soldiers?” Trevor said nonchalantly.\n\n“This isn’t a war, I’m talking about human people here. I can’t let you treat them like wooden puppets fueling your raging ego!”\n\n“Then what are you gonna do about it then Calvin?”, asked violently, “Go ahead and try to convince as many as you can. There are many that trust me.” Trevor gloated. “I… We have to take action to survive. And they need me to take that leap of faith.”\n\n“Blind faith isn’t Trust.” \n\n“And doing the right thing isn’t about being fair”, He spoke as he smirked at me. “Everyone can reach for perfect equality but it’s impossible. Some people have to make sacrifices for the other to live. That is the world we live in now. What we were before has long gone. I’m going to do what needs to be done.”\n\nTaking deep breaths, Trevor tried to calm down his shaking hands. At first he went to the cabinet looking for something. A hard drink I supposed. He then sat at the table with a glass in one hand and reached for his papers with other. \n\nI stood behind him and stared with his back turned to me. With my breathing so slow, that it felt as if time was about to stop. I reached for my back pocket. If I can’t persuade him with my words, then maybe this is what I’m supposed to do. \n\n“D-damn you for making me do this,” I said softly.\n\n“I left you with no choice,” Trevor said as the knife drew closer to his back.\n\n\n", "All I wanted was a salad. It was a good thing, until I starting being able to hear the vegetables scream.\n\nI knew meat was murder, but unless I was going to be forced to subsist on processed foods and grains (which, thankfully didn't chat it up during preparation), I had to cut up the veggies.\n\nIt was a mercy, really, that they only complained once. But man, they were like hecklers. \"How many cuts are you going to make?\" \"Can't you chop quicker?\" \"Do you even know what you're doing?\" And my favorite--\"Tomatoes make me sneeze,\" said the cucumber.\n\nFinally, I put on my headphones, turned up the loud rap, and cut up the veggies, starved. \"Damn you for making me do this,\" I muttered, increasing the volume until I couldn't hear anything but the thumping bass." ]	3
This is to help some people out with using imagery/metaphors/allegory by making you give full and long descriptions of every day things.	[WP] You're a person who's lust for life has been drained through the years. You decide the make a change and start finding the beauty of life and the little things it has to offer.	[ "He started doing the beachside walks on a Tuesday.\n\nAt first, they felt difficult. His body just wanted to stay in bed. His mind just wanted to run through the same old loop of sadness, regret, and self-pity. The simple act of walking felt like work.\n\nHe kept at it though. He went for an evening walk, day after day, trying to notice the details around him. Even though he felt numb to his surroundings, he reminded himself that other people found this place beautiful. Against his instincts, he really, truly tried.\n\nThen, one day, he felt something. He was walking along the soft, white sand, as his mind wandered and his feet veered off course. The pads of his feet and toes suddenly felt too hot, like each grain of sand was a piece of burning glass. He quickly jumped up and shuffled to the ocean waves, which cooled him off, as he laughed and let out a long and heavy aaaah.\n\nSuddenly, his surroundings felt different. They were more colorful, sure, but the whole thing seemed funny. He looked to the swaying palm tree leaves and he laughed. He looked back to the group of tourists behind him and laughed. He knelt down in the shallow water, his knees sinking into the wet sand, and cupped his hands full of the salty wave, and rinsed off his face, laughing the whole way through. He then laid down in the water and turned his gaze upward, toward the bluest blue sky with the most beautiful clouds, moving at the perfect pace. The smell of the entire scene hit him all at once, and he felt both hungry and divinely full. When another gentle wave washed over him and returned back to sea, he knew that it took part of his sadness along with it.\n\nAfter that, he went for three walks every day. He would play in the water and the sand, and he would climb trees for coconuts and give them to the older tourists. He learned how to spearfish, and he learned how to cook, and soon, he was playing host to the rest of the tourists almost every night.\n\nIt was a few months after that first walk, when he found the bottle. It had washed ashore on a desolate part of the island, where tourists never went. He approached it cautiously.\n\nHe saw through its translucent material at what looked like paper.\n\nHe opened it, and looked inside.\n\nIt was a note, and a drawing of a woman, and instructions and diagrams and more.\n\nAfter reading it, he laughed. He laughed harder than when he was burned by the sand.\n\nIt wasn't only because the note claimed to be written several years in the future.\n\nOr because it was addressed to him.\n\nHe laughed and laughed because the handwriting was his.\n\nThe note in the bottle on the beach was from him.\n\n///\n\nScene #91 of r/100scenes", "The softness of my pillow beneath my head warms me. Today is like so many other days lately. I am stuck in a mindless repetition of soul sucking thoughts of my past and the errors I have made. Tears flow freely. The noise of life is driving me insane. I can't continue this way. There has to be an out. This isn't living. My eyes are burning as I close them and tell myself it will be okay. Then I hear it, quietly at first. The sound is strange to me. Almost foreign. I listen more intently. Is that me ? Am I laughing ? I am...I am laughing. Somewhere inside me is disgusted, and I stop. What an amazing sound, a beautiful sound. I let myself go and find my laughter becoming louder and stronger. It feels so damn amazing and I question my sanity. I rise from my bed and dry my eyes that are now wet from my insatiable laughter. As I look out of my bedroom window I see a butterfly hovering and gasp at the sheer beauty of it's freedom. A deep breath fills my nostrils with the scent of the evening air, and I find it delightful. How have I not noticed this before ? The air is balmy and perspiration slides down my side. A cool breeze wafts over me. Another delightful moment. With all I have in me I stretch and reach for the sky. My body is tingling and I suddenly feel alive. The realisation that the past does not define me hits like a train. I am alive and well. There is so much more out there for me to indulge in and I am going to have it all. My smile spreads over my entire face as I realise what I must do next." ]	2

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