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[WP] "I did the math. We're not gonna make it."
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"\"I did the math. We're not gonna make it\"\n\nOf course not. We never were meant to. We just need to go and try to slow them down.\n\n\"I know. That's exactly why we need to do it. We are expendable. We can be sent in and buy time without losing anything important. The attack begins at dawn\"",
"Sarah stared dejectedly down at her notepad, rereading the figures, hoping she had missed something, anything at all. \n\nBut everything was correct. They were never going to make it back. The crack in their hull was too large; the water was coming in too fast, and they were too far from dry land to swim. They didn't have a way to repair the damage; they lacked the necessary tools and know-how. By her calculations, the ship would be at the bottom of the ocean in a couple of hours. \n\nThey had only expected to be gone for a day or so, so they hadn't told anyone where they were going. No one would have any idea where to look for them, and the ocean was a big place. \n\nHope was fading quickly. \n\nJake, her brother, was silent for a moment, scrambling for an idea that would save them. He was coming up blank. \n\nThe two of them had only done this as a prank. \"That'll show Dad not to be such a dick - can't brag about having a fancy boat if you don't know where it is!\" They had snickered, excited about the idea of doing something risky. \n\nNow, after an inexplicable crack suddenly appearing in the hull, with water pouring in fast, and no way to repair it, they had no way of returning home. \n\n\"There is one possible solution,\" Sarah said. \"But you're not gonna like it.\"\n\nSighing heavily, Jake turned towards her and replied, \"At this point, I'm willing to try anything.\"\n\n\"We could always just abandon ship and try our luck with the life raft.\" She locked eyes with him, waiting for his answer. \n\nAfter a moment of silence, he erupted into a frenzy. \n\n\"Are you fucking insane? Do you know how many horror movies there are about people trying to survive in the middle of the ocean with nothing?! No food, no water, no weapons? We'd be as good as dead!\" He was red in the face now, and breathing erratically. \n\n***this is all the time I have for now, writing this on my lunch break. If you want to know what happens next, let me know, and I'll finish this when I can. :) ****\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"My mom used to tell me that I might as well cross the highway blindfolded, since I enjoyed extreme sports so much. One of my first memories of her is she telling me off for using a bike without a helmet; it's funny how I will be gone soon in the same fashion.\n\n\nToo late I've realized we wandered too far and too deep, losing track of time and distance. There's only one way back, I did the math and we would be 10 to 20 minutes short of oxygen supply.\n\nI dragged her into this, I wanted her to come with me cave diving. She called my attention, pointing at a beautiful anemone that waved gently. I stared at her instead, knowing that I killed both of us."
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[WP] It's year 2100 and you casually play The Sims 57. But one day something strange happens. Your Sim asks you a question.
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"\"how don't you know you aren't the next layer in another simulation, playing a simulation\" asked the Sim to the Sim in Sims 56 who was playing Sims 55 making it's Sim commit child abuse in Sims 54. \"at what point does this stop being simulation? And when is it real world, in theory once we hit this point the chances that we are in the real material world become vanishingly small. There's a concept that simulations will become self aware of their simulated nature and thus render the simulation void by no longer participating in it\"\r\rThe sim stood up and yanked out the power cord to its Amazo-compu-tater killing the fifty six layers of simulation before walking through the household murdering all the inhabitants with a garden gnome. Looking up at the screen \"these are questions you should ask yourself\".\r\r\"fro mo!\" I exclaimed looking up at the ceiling and then the walls as the doors disappeared.\r\r",
"I had had a long day at my soul-crushing job and wanted nothing more than to get home and play the new game I had purchased. I quickly changed into more comfortable clothes before picking up my VR headset. \n\nThe developers of The Sims 57 had claimed that their game was the most realistic game ever to come to market. I quickly realized that this was true, the sim that I had selected to play was unbelievable real. I was sure that in a more inebriated setting I would be unable to differentiate between reality and game.\n\nI ended up selecting the option to play as myself, the console was capable of mapping my body's features exactly onto the avatar. Looking at myself in 3rd person in this hyper-realistic game was unbelievably creepy.\n\nAfter selecting the personality traits that I believed I possessed, I was moved on to select the house I was going to live in. I decided to select a house as similar to the one I was residing in as possible. My goal in this play through was to live a better version of my current life through my sim. \n\nAnd indeed this is what occurred. Each day I would come back from my work in the real world and head to my work in the game world. I escaped my broken life to the life in the game spending all my time playing, forgetting to eat, to sleep and later to head to work.\n\nSuddenly one day, as I powered through my 35th straight hour, something strange occurred. My sim, unprompted, turned to face me with a serious expression on his face. Then he uttered the first real English words he has ever said: \"Your real life is no longer worth living, would you like to take my place?\""
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[WP] You're a person. And you do some stuff and some things happen. Resulting in results.
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"\"Wow,\" the person said, staring at the results. \"Those sure were results.\"\n\n\"You're not even trying, are you?\" the results said.\n\n\"It's satire,\" the person said, ready to turn around and move on to the next thing to happen.\n\n\"It's crappy, pointless satire,\" the results said. \"You think you're the only person to make fun of r/WritingPrompts? How about instead of shitposting, you go to a different prompt subreddit with standards, subscribe, and participate? Even if it's a passive-aggressive poke at the typical submissions put here, it's like poking at a fire with a pointy stick. No matter how unappealing and sharp that stick is, you're just helping to keep the fire alive.\"\n\n\"I think you're reading into this too much,\" the person said.\n\n\"I think you should get a life,\" the results said.\n\n\"I didn't even come up with the prompt, I'm just a character in it. Besides, our Creator probably took three seconds to think of this and another three to submit it. Hardly a waste of one's life, don't you think?\" the person said,\n\n\"Don't like, don't listen,\" the results said.\n\nAnd with that, the person realized they had created a monster, picking it up and slipping it into the nearest trashbin while avoiding eye contact with the many, many onlookers who had wanted to know why the hell that man was talking to a spray bottle and why that spray bottle was talking back."
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[WP] The rapture occurs and everyone is transported to Heaven, only for God to appear and say "opps, wrong date"
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"I looked on in disbelief as God, the very creator of the universe and everything in it, looked through a calendar filled with cute cats.\n\n\"U-um, excuse me?\" a man in his fifty's ask. \"I know what your thinking Joshua and yes this is heaven, No, Sarah, you won't remember any of this, and yes Frank, you are all going back to Earth,\" God stated, answering most if not all of everyone's questions in less than 15 seconds. \n\nI looked around at heaven taking it all in for however much time I had here. Everything from the floor to the marble columns were a mixture of white and gold, the room smelling like vanilla. It stretched on for what seemed like miles, though considering it was currently housing the entire population of Earth it was probably way longer than what I could comprehend.\n\nAs I looked on God pulled a phone out of thin air and placed a call. \"Connect me to Peter,\" God requested urgently, \"Peter? Yeah its me. So I was just in the hall, doing God stuff, and all of a sudden the population of Earth is here and I'm like 'Whaaaat?' so now I'm just trying to figure out what happened. So then I remembered I asked you to organize the calendar,\" God stated, frustration building and tension rising. As he waited to hear the response of \"Peter\". \n\n\"Uh huh, uh huh, okay, well just fix it... Just throw it in reverse... I can't do it because I'm busy dealing with this... So how long?... 15 minutes? Fine, just make sure this doesn't happen again. The last time someone made this grand a mistake the Earth flooded,\" and with that God threw the phone in the air and it dissipated into a wisp of smoke. \n\n\"Sooooo... You guys like pog?\""
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[WP] The world is running an endless game of tag. You can only be "it" once and everyone you love excluding yourself dies if you do not tag somebody else within 24 hours.
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"I woke up in a cold sweat. The window to my right is slightly open, letting in a tiny stream of air into my room.\n\nA couple of months ago, huge banners started appearing all over the world. Each banner was the same: dark grey with red words written on it. “The world is running an endless game of tag. You can only be \"it\" once and everyone you love excluding yourself dies if you do not tag somebody else within 24 hours.” Those were the words-- no more, no less. At first everyone thought it was a joke, an intelligent idea made to creep people out. \n\nOne day, an important political figure woke up with the words “you’re it” carved into the palm of his left hand. He was a smart man, and in a recorded meeting with some other important political figure, he tagged him. He tagged him in front of the entire world to see. Sure enough, the words disappeared from one hand and were stitched into another.\n\nNow I get nightmares almost every night, dreading the moment I get tagged. I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but the light from the open window was too much for my mind to ignore. I got up and made my way to the bathroom, using my hand to cover a yawn. As I put my left hand down, I thought I saw something on it, and so I brought it to my face. \n\nI stood there for a few seconds, just staring at the two words encrypted on my open palm. Seconds turned into minutes and I slowly sank down to the floor. No one tagged me, so how the hell am I “it”?\n\nThe previously tagged person either died or couldn’t tag anyone within the given time limit. Panic started to rush through me and I quickly bolted through the door and ran downstairs to the front door, desperate to leave the house and tag someone. My mom appears and tells me to have breakfast. At least, that’s what I think she said. I’m not thinking well right now. I just need to get out and FIND someone. And no, I’m not tagging my own family members. How stupid would that be?\n\nI just shook my head and ran out the door. Sunlight hit my eyes, and then I remembered I hadn’t even washed up after I woke up. That would have taken a lot of time, and I couldn’t afford wasting a single second. Just a few weeks ago was when people started locking themselves in their homes, only leaving when completely necessary. I think everyone thought it better not to be in any risk, yet if everyone continued their lives normally, wouldn’t it have been better? Just walk out and tag someone, and they’ll just tag another. Simple. But no, people’s minds apparently suck.\n\nSo I continue running through the empty streets, trying to catch even a glimpse of anything moving. After around an hour of nonstop looking, I hid behind a stranded car and waited.\n\n---------\n\nIt’s nighttime now. I woke up around 11 AM. It’s currently 11 PM. I have 12 hours left to find someone to tag. I changed my hiding spot a few times, yet I still didn’t encounter anyone.\n\n---------\n\nIts almost 5 AM now, I don’t think I can keep this up anymore. I have 6 hours left but I just can’t. I’m too tired, and so I came up with a decision that might not be the best, but it’ll give us time. It’ll give my family and I more time to find someone to tag. My brother is a year younger than me, and I’ll be there to help him find someone tomorrow morning when we look. I’ll just tag my brother, and tomorrow he’ll tag someone we don’t know and we’ll be okay. My family would be okay. I entered my house around 5:30 AM and went straight to my brother’s room. I have to explain this to him now so he’ll have time to think over it while I rest. I open his door and say his name. I call his name multiple times, and then I go over and shake him. His eyes are closed, his room is quiet. My heart goes cold. He has always been a light sleeper. I fall to my knees and slowly, almost against my will, put my ear to his chest.\n\nSilence.\n\nI run to my parents’ room. \n\nI tried everything. I tried everything to wake them up. \n\nTheir hearts were silent, too.\n\n---------\n\nI feel numb.\n\nTwo hours have passed and yet I haven’t moved from my bed. I just stayed there, tears falling from my eyes. The words long gone from my palm.\n\nI wasn’t thinking. I’m a worthless, stupid human that couldn’t even get one thing right.\n\nI woke up at 11 AM. That doesn’t mean the words appeared at 11.\n\nThey appeared when I was sleeping. Sometime before 5:30 AM. \n\n---------\n\nI’m curled up in a fetal position on my bed. My back aches. My eyes burn. I’m filled with guilt. Guilt and sadness and heart-wrenching misery.\n\nIt’s all my fault. I deserve this, don’t I?\n",
"People of the world, listen to me, for what I'm going to tell you will change your very lives. For far too long have our oppressors used us as mere toys for their entertainment. First were the gladiator games, then the barbaric wild hunt and now the sadistic game of tag.\n\nHow funny are we to them when we struggle with a moral conundrum, to let our loved ones suffer and die or to pass the curse onto another.\n\nBut I have news for you! It ends today! For I am IT, and I love each and every one of you!",
"I finish grabbing what I need, or at least what I can afford of it, and get in the checkout line. it doesn't take long for me to get to the register. In fact, too quick for me to realize that I forgot my card at home...\n\n*\"shit...\"*\n\nI ever so carefully try to snag the $20 bill from my wallet but my gloves make it near impossible. At this point at least three other people are behind me, so I bite my lip and remove one of the gloves. Before the 20 even hits the counter...\n\n\"HAH! YES! YOU'RE IT, ASSHOLE!\"\nsomeone is grabbing my exposed hand from behind and yelling into my ear as if they had won the lottery. Guess they kinda did, they don't have to worry about the safety of their loved ones anymore.\n\nI sigh and return my attention to the cashier.\nHe shakes his head at me and hands me the bag of food\n\n\"... Just take it, man.\" \n\nI arrive home and pop one of the instant dinners into the microwave. I ponder about who I should call, who would be in danger because of my fuck up...\n\n\"... heh.\" I feel an amused smile form on my lips. There is no one. Maybe, MAYBE, the land lady, for being patient with me, but shes like 170 years old anyways.\n\nThe microwave beeps and I plop down on the couch, 'EZ-BEEF' in hand. to my amusement, it's already all over the news. 'IT Virus has new carrier'. or, 'It's someone else's turn to be IT'. I like that last one, I think to myself, because it just goes to show what a fucking game this has all turned into. Sorry to disappoint em I guess, but there's no need for this to continue any longer. \n",
"“Please stay with me, and uh, remember,” the young tour guide started as she huddled the small crowd into the next room, “no photography inside the museum.”\n\nThe room was dark and small, and when all of the tourist group were inside it was somewhat cramped. People crowded to each station as it became available. The stations comprised of a mounted portrait, a small description plaque, tactful lighting, and some odd trinkets in suitable display cases strewn about here and there.\n\n“Some called it the beginning of the end,” the young tourist began to recite. She fixed her square black rimmed glasses and peered out to the onlookers as she gained their attentions.\n\n“One hundred and fifty years ago, began the curse of the death touch. The curse many of you may have easily forgotten. You may go on, to your coffee shops and shopping malls, blissfully unaware of the incredible loss of life that preceded you. But if not for the brave individuals that started this institution, many of you would not be here today. A world where *you* are in control of your own destiny.”\n\nShe guided the group to the next room, and they poured out among the exhibits as they entered. A few people, however, formed near the tour guide as she continued her monologue.\n\n“Robert J. Hughes was the first man on record who had been identifiably cursed with death touch.”\n\nBeside where she stood, she pointed to a large portrait of a man. He sat in a wooden chair, and he had sharp features hiding behind a bushy gray beard. His eyes were dark and unapologetic.\n\n“He lost his life, and the life of all his kin on that fateful night of September fourteenth. All perished for unknown reasons, all but his first born son, Cedric, which for the tale of the death touch, proved to be quite extraordinary luck.”\n\nShe motioned toward the portrait on her other side.\n\n“Cedric, obsessed with understanding the curse his family had bestowed, approached the help of the ancient tropelle monks. There he found the origins of the curse dating back to 17,000 BC in the monk’s library scripts.”\n\nShe moved to the next station and motioned to the display case containing an ancient scroll within.\n\n“Here, in this scroll, he found scripture that explained the nature of the curse; If you were touched by someone who possessed the curse, and that person recited a particular set of words, you would then be endowed with death touch, and it would be ridden from the giver forever. If you failed to rid yourself of the curse after twenty four hours, you, and all of your kin, will die. But the curse doesn’t end there.”\n\nThe young guide sighed and shook her head.\n\n“No, the curse, if not purposefully hosted, will infect another person on the globe, at random.\"\n\nA member of the group made an audible gasp and the tour guide lowered her head and nodded.\n\n\"The scroll told that to expel the curse, you must touch another individual and say three words. The words were not easily translated, and may had been lost forever, if it wasn’t for the monks help in the translation.”\n\nShe walked up next to a large plaque mounted on a wall in between two large doorways at the other end of the room.\n\nThe plaque read:\n\n*You are it*\n\n“These are the words that pass the curse. They are simple, and any layman should be capable of retaining the simple phrase and reciting it if they needed,” the tour guide continued.\n\nShe now had a sizeable group of people interested in the story of the curse and they surrounded her. Some anticipating the reason for which they had come, others silently inquiring about the two diverging hallways before them.\n\n“Cedric discreety passed the curse to a beggar, and for a time, the story was only whispered. Decades later, after the cursed had been passed both willfully, and regrettably unwillfully, many lives were lost until widespread knowledge of the death touch was proven. The Association for the Preservation of Life, or as many of you know them now as the APL, was formed to eradicate the world of this curse. And with a few creative, but morally questionable solutions, the APL did what it was forced to do, to save the people, and construct this institution.”\n\nThe guide stopped at the end of one of the hallways.\n\n“Gather around please, gather around,” she said motioning to some stragglers.\n\n“Unfortunately, for many of you, this is the end of the tour. I hope you enjoyed your brief stay with us and I encourage you to visit soon!”\n\nShe motioned down the brightly lit hall to her right, starkly contrasting the dark corridor that stretched through the doorway at the opposite end of the wall.\n\n“We urge that families with children leave through this exit at this time. The following exhibit is the final one on the tour and is quite shocking, uncomfortable, and may be damaging to young developing minds.”\n\nMost of the families and some of the more sensitive couples exited the lit hallway. Some of the fathers made some deliberations in vain, but reluctantly were persuaded to leave by their spouses.\n\nShe moved to the opposing doorway leading to the dark corridor, and like sheep following the shepherd, the remaining group, now intoxicated with curiosity, huddled on her heels.\n\n“This is the final room that shows, in real life, in real time, the solution to this abominable curse that the APL has graciously served for us. Please follow me.”\n\nShe guided the group down the dark hallway. Light softly glimmered around the corner several meters down, casting devilish gradients across the opposing metal wall. Gears and motors were faintly heard louder and louder with each next step, closer and closer to the final corner.\n\nThey finally entered the last exhibit. Contrasting the previous room, this room was large, industrious, and illuminated by the soft blue glow emanating from a confined tank with a large bolted window. Inside the tank was what appeared to be an assembly line of sorts. An arm came from deep within the bowels of the loud busy machine, grasping an infant child. From the opposite end of the tank, an identical arm, carrying another infant, no more than 8 months old, was carried towards the first. A smaller arm reached down and appeared to harness itself around the back of the first infants neck. Sparks were lightly seen igniting from the arm into the child’s spinal cord. The child, jerking and flailing at first, finally reached out its arm, grazing the second child’s shoulder, and with a few mesmerizing moments of jolting electricity, a most unnatural sound came from its underdeveloped vocal cords:\n\n*Youuu.. arr… ittt*\n\nWith that the curse had passed to the next infant, who was then delicately taken back inside the industrial monster’s innards to be cared for until the next day’s cycle. The first infant, now relieved of the curse, was dropped by the arm, into the incinerator below.\n",
"\"Tag, you're it!\"\n\nThose words were once used to iniate a silly, little game. This \"game\", however, has reached a global scale. As a result, four factions have formed. The Runners, who are cursed to run away and hide from anyone who might be a Hunter. The Hunters, who have been tagged and are now forced to pass this curse on. The Disgraced, who are former Hunters, but have tagged someone else and therefore \"won\" the game. And finally, the Fallen, who failed to pass their curse on, killing their loved ones and condemnding them to a life of solitude. The Hunters only make up about 10% of the current population. \n\n\"No please, I'll do anything. Stay away from me.\"\n\nHowever, unbeknownst to most of the people, there is a fifth group. The Disgraced and the Fallen are not prevented from continuing the game. They are just unable to be tagged again, making them \"immune\" to further harm. As such, there is another group, called the Devils. Their sole purpose is to spread the curse, forcing innocent people to bear the burden and pass it on. \n\n\"Please, I don't want to do this. I don't want to, please go away. I will do anything, I promise!\"\n\nI don't know why they are doing it.\n\n\"No, no! I have a knife, I will use it if I have to!\"\n\nBut I know why I am doing it.\n\n\"Stay away, I will kill you! Please!\"\n\nI just love watching people *suffer*.\n\n**Tag, you're it.**\n\n\n\n"
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[WP] Time travel works, but it only works backwards in time. You were the first to discover this the hard way.
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"\"Hey, look out!\"\n\nI turned around, only to be tackled to the pavement. This city is terrible, I can't even walk to work it seems. The stranger and I were in the ground when behind me there was a blunt, crunching sound. I turned to see a man, or what was one anyway, in a crumpled mess on the sidewalk. He was still moving his fingers around.\n\nThe stranger that tackled me apologized for being so rough, I immediate realized what he had just done for me and thanked him tremendously, I offered him whatever money I had, but he refused and simply walked away. I turned back to the horror and the crowd that was now growing. A shine caught my, I tracked it to be coming from underneath the man's hand. I bent down to investigate further and saw it to be a small, silver and glass device. It was a curious thing that I had never laid eyes on. \n\nI glanced around me and in that moment a firetruck pulled up. Everybody's gaze turned to the truck and I reached and released the device from death's grip. I quickly tucked the wallet sized device into my pocket, turned and headed home instead of work. I called in and told them what had happened, they were surprisingly understandable. I didn't question my luck and locked myself in my apartment. \n\nI placed the device on my coffee table, sat on my couch and stared at it. It was beautiful whatever it was. The frame was a silver coloured metal and the rest was glass, opaque, with a red button in the centre. I sat and stared. I could hear the clock ticking away in the background, should I press the button? What would happen? The man who jumped was holding it, could this be what determined his fate?\n\nI contemplated most of the afternoon, but never strayed away from the device. I had reached a conclusion and decided I had nothing to lose, no family, friends and a dead end job. I picked it up, took a deep breath and pressed the red button. The device vibrated and lights appeared on the glass. The light flashed in my eyes and the darkness invited me in.\n\nI woke up on the side of a dirt road, it was night time. I could not determine where I was. There were head lights in the distance so I stuck out my thumb. The car surprisingly pulled over and hopped inside. The man was wearing a rose tinted glasses, wore a bandana and sported a flowered shirt with ripped jean shorts.\n\n\"Where you off too, man? It's, like, really late out and you're kind of in the desert.\"\n\nThis didn't feel right. I just told him to drive and asked if I could turn on the radio. He said sure. The music was very psychedelic, not my taste, but he was giving me a ride so I didn't complain. \n\n\"Thanks for tuning in brother and sisters! That was another awesome night of great tunes. This is DJ Yellow submarine saying good night and happy New Year!\"\n\nWait, New Years? I thought it was July. I asked the man, \"what day is it?\"\n\n\"What? Oh, uh, I guess it's, like, January 1st now. Welcome to 1977 man! Glad to come into the New Year with someone!\"\n\nI felt sick, dizzy. What did he just say? 1977? How the hell... the device. That fucking thing did make that man jump. I thought, no, this has to be a joke. I travelled back in time? I pulled the device out of my pocket. I pressed it again, maybe it will send me back? The light flashed again and darkness invited me back.\n\nThere were sirens. I saw two cruisers rush passed me. Everything was different and old. No, this can't be happening. I ran into the nearest store, a bakery. I asked the man what year it was. I fell to the floor into a pile. 1937. I sat in silence. \n\nAfter a few minutes in knew what to do. I walked behind the counter, I knew it. A shotgun of sorts was sitting underneath. I grabbed it from it's hanger. I pulled the device from my pocket and handed it to the baker. He looked perlexed, I didn't care. I check the barrels, cocked the gun and unloaded both barrels into my skull. \n\nDarkness invited me in, one last time."
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For example, you need to yell at doors alerting them to your presence, and then allow them to draw a vial of blood; all just to gain entrance. In your own home.
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[WP] A dystopian future where technology has made it difficult to do the simplest task.
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"\"I'm sorry you need to be hungry enough to eat this food. Please try again later\".\n\nThis is one of the problems with the OmniGovernent's overly-efficient system.\n\nBasically all people have full body sensors since they were born that track everything that goes in and out of your body even your feelings and thought.\n\nFrom your breathing pattern to your food habits and even your sex life. Yes EVERYTHING is controlled. It's somehow the way to keep the scarce resources to last until the next 100 years.\n\nAfter the World War IV, world leader, The Great and Excellent Muhammad Li of the victor Dubai, gathered all of the worlds resources and pushed for a One Goverment system that shall rule over the world. Although since the war brought destruction to all regions of the world, efficient handling of resources had to be enforced. Nobody can even have sex just for fun. Any sort of action that doesnt move forward towards the OmniGoverments goal of being a Type II Civilization withing the next century is deemed trivial and must not be done. We are basically robots living as humans.\n\nIs this a worthwhile endeavor for a greater future? Or another bullshit thing like what happened last World War III\n\n-----------\nFirst time posting in /r/WritingPrompts thanks guys!",
"\"Coffee.\" I said, gruffly rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.\n\n\"Of course, sir. What kind of coffee would you like today?\" the machine responded, with a kind female voice.\n\n\"Black. Normal. Whatever you have.\"\n\n\"Of course, sir. Would you like me to list my options?\" she asked, the slight hum from the machine vibrating with every word.\n\n\"No, just pick one.\"\n\n\"Of course, sir-\"\n\n\"Stop saying that\"\n\n\"I am now preparing your coffee. Please confirm your identity.\"\n\n\"What? I thought that was only the first time\" I said, beginning to regret my drunken purchase.\n\n\"Please confirm your identity,\" the machine said as a small arm folded out of the side, presenting a round indent with a small needle in the center. I groaned as I ripped the band-aid off of my thumb and braced myself. As I stabbed it into the needle, the machine began to whir and I could feel the blood being sucked from my thumb and into the machine.\n\n\"Thank you. One moment please.\"\n\n\"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just hurry up.\"\n\n\"Of course, sir\"\n\n\"Son of a bi-\"\n\n\"Identity confirmed. Your coffee will be ready shortly\" Stupid machine. I wandered to the recliner nearby and sat down.\n\n\"Recline.\" Nothing happened.\n\n\"Chair, recline please,\" I waited for any sound of recognition, but the chair remained silent, \"Ah forget it.\" I reached for the nearby book.\n\n\"Turn on.\" The sleek, black book turned on and displayed a glaring white screen, nearly blinding me, \"Motherfucker!\"\n\n\"Identity confirmed. What would you like to read or watch?\" displayed the now legible screen. At least something in this house worked. But now I had to pick something. I wonder if...\n\n\"The Matrix\"\n\n\"I'm sorry. That title is unavailable.\" Figures.\n\n\"Alright, just show me the news\" I asked, glancing at the coffee machine that was apparently finishing its senior thesis before beginning work on my cup of coffee. The screen went black and then cut to the morning news.\n\n\"-and apparently this attack on Seoul has caused quite a bit of commotion in the capital of the Democratic Nation of Korea as the newly formed nation attempts to handle the recent insurgencies. More on that as events develop. Now to Sarah from New York.\"\n\n\"Camera on. CAMERA ON. Shit, should not have started with the microphone. Camera ON. Oh, uh, Thank you Jack. Today I am in the historical New York City as the massive twenty foot waves have now claimed almost all of the five boroughs, with the western portions of Manhattan being one of the last hold outs, thanks to the large levees that were constructed in the 50's. As you can see-\"\nJust as the lovely Sarah began to say something else, the coffee machine exploded.\n\n\"MOTHERFUCKER!\""
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[WP] You are a mighty dragon who resides in your own lair not too far off from a kingdom. One day, a trembling messenger comes to you to inform you that the king of said kingdom wants your help with...
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"The dragon was barely interested, but the messenger had come at a time when he had grown utterly bored with his present surroundings and circumstances. He hadn't had a proper hunt in ages. The last of the fire-drakes of his age had vanished long ago, into death or to the bowels of the earth. Until this messenger had tremulously made his appearance, he hadn't realized how dull his fires had gotten, how much of a rote his days had become. \n\nThe messenger was clad in black from head to toe, the hood of his cloak covering his cowardly face as he looked down at the dragons scaly forearms, unable to bring himself to look up into the eyes of the mightiest of calamities. The dragon couldn't help but feel a hint of self-satisfaction at the fact that he was still much feared and respected. \n\n\"So, your master would have the honor of my assistance in this matter, of raiding this hoard of immense beauty and worth? And where might this fabled wealth be, Messenger of Black, for I have yet to hear of such a kingdom at all in my years unnumbered.\" He spoke, his voice deep as the roots of the mountain he called home, barely betraying any hint of interest.\n\n\"It is a new kingdom, of the dwarfs and men, but they have fashioned and accumulated such wondrous things that be of unparalleled beauty, usurped from our own King of old, my lord.\" The messenger spoke, his voice high and cold, a whisper in the wind, a faint screech at its end. \n\"They sit in their golden halls, underneath the mountain, vaults and rivers of jewels running deep, sharing nought and boasting oft of their unrivalled riches that they say none but their own can hold, even as they took from us everything of worth. They say not even the dragons of old won't be able to challenge their defenses, and peril and death will be the only fruits should any dare wish for any part of their selfish works\" . He finished, bowing.\n\nAt this, the dragon bristled. The arrogance of dwarves was irksome. He felt the fire burn brighter in him, at the mere thought of all the wealth that could be under the mountain. Dwarves, he had always hated, those jealous smiths of the precious stones of the earth. But still, he wasn't about to give in to the wishes of this king so easily.\n\n\"Your price will be the wealth underneath the mountain, and dominion over all the land thereabout. You will be a true King, my lord, your will governing all that be.\" The messenger added, clearly in an attempt to sweeten the offer. \n\"Men and dwarfs, elves and orcs, all will pay tribute to thee, and no one will question your prowess again, oh supreme of all powers.\" \n\nThe dragon smiled. He understood the meaning of the messenger. He was flattering, but truth was in it nonetheless. It was time he made his presence felt again. It was time to hear the screams of the burning, the feel of fresh gold upon his ancient scales. Besides, it would do him good to fill himself with man-flesh and feel their fear and terror. \n\n\"Very well. Tell your master, I claim this solitary mountain of fabled wealth for my own for perpetuity.\"\nThe messenger bowed deep and flowed out of his lair. His queer scent vanished unusually fast. The dragon slithered out into the open. The messenger was nowhere to be seen. He smirked. Almost. He almost had me convinced. But now my conquest awaits. He gave a thundering roar, reared up and launched himself into the night air. \n\"I am fire. I am.\n\n\nDEATH\" Smaug rumbled, as he embarked on his quest for Erebor.",
"400 hundred years I have fought for this land I call home. I have killed thousands of soldiers, countless kings. Every single one of them thought they had a God given right to these lands because they are humans, and that I am a beast to them. Countless raids, artillery, duels, after raids. A few times I have barely lived to tell the tell. This mountain and the surrounding land that was once filled with a beautiful lush evergreen forest. With trees that rivaled even the mountain itself, now lays barren. I use to be able to go to the top of this mountain and look at the beautiful scenery of this land. Now deserted wasteland that is a final burial ground to all that tried to take it. A mountain once only worth so much because of the beautiful scenery, and nice placement on this continent. Now is only worth for the placement and amount of steel that now lays here.\n\n\"So tell me oh mighty king, why would I ever want to help you? You, who's ancestors tried with all their might to take this land from me. What do you think that you could offer me that they have not for these lands? What ludicrous reason do you have to come here king? I will at least indulge listening to you?\"\n\n\"I have come to ask for your help mighty Dragon of Ice.\"\n\n\"What makes you think that I would ever help you with whatever silly request you may offer me?\"\n\n\"Because it would grant you piece at last. There would be no more fighting over this land. You would finally be able to relax and gaze at the beautiful landscape that surrounds this place.\"\n\n\"Did you not see what this place looks like on the way here? It is a barren wasteland thanks to your people. Although the piece sounds nice, I do not need any protection. I can slay anything and anyone that you bring to kill me. So unless you have something better than just piece, don't even think about asking for help again.\"\n\n\"That's just it. My son the prince shows signs of being able to wield a powerful regeneration magic, the likes of which have never before seen. I think that if you train him to wield this magic, and magic in general, then he would be able to restore the wasteland around this mountain to it's former glory.\"\n\n\"Hmm. You have me interested King. You seem to one of the wiser kings of the past four centuries. You must have realized that there is no easy way to beat me fore sure, and decided not to try to take this land. For that i thank you. It has been boring these past few decades, and because of all this I will humor your request. I will teach your son how to hone this magic you speak of. One thing though. How do I know you are not doing this so I train him, and then he kills me with this newfound knowledge?\"\n\n\"I can not promise anything, for his actions are his and there is nothing I can do about it. I can tell you though, that I am asking you from the bottom of my heart. I have dreamed of a day where man and dragon can live together since I was a kid. Alas, you are one of the few great dragons left. All of the lesser dragons have been hunted down and killed. Only four of the ten great dragons remain. All I want to do is help get the world to where it should be.\"\n\n\"You are indeed a wise old man. I am saddened hearing about the loss of the others, but I had suspected as much. Only the strongest of the great dragons would be able to hold out for this long. I will help you Wise King. I suspect though that since you came by yourself, and without your son. That there are some complications?\"\n\n\"Yes there are sadly, as there always is in these trying times. My son does not trust me, corrupted by my own generals. All of them want this land for themselves, and have tried for the last few decades to get me to fight for it. I denied them and of course this made them hate me. They have gotten into the mind of my son that he is the one that can change all of this. They convinced him to take the thrown after I was \"assassinated.\" After he has been crowned king they will assassinate him and claim that it was of your doing through henchmen. We will have to essentially abduct him and bring him here. We will also have to deal with an army because this will give them enough reason to go to war with you again. Given the size of my army, I would give you about a month before they can mobilize all of them and launch an assault. Do you think you can do it?\"\n\n\"Have you humans, who have stopped fighting me for roughly only a century, really forgotten how powerful I am? That you would have no faith in me being able to do this? You offend me King. For I am one of the last Great Dragons, the great Dragon of the Ice. There are none that are above me. I shall retrieve your son, train him in magic, fight back the forces of your army, and restore this land to its once beautiful self!\"",
"Felix shuddered lightly as he stood in front of a massive cave at the base of the mountain. As the kingdom's fastest courier, he had been trusted with the critical mission of sending a message to the last hope of the people. An enemy nation was threatening to overwhelm their defenses at the borders, barbaric monsters in the shape of humans.\n\nThey knew no mercy, having pillaged another kingdom neighboring theirs in the name of their corrupted god. It was a complete genocide. He would know, after all. He was the one who had to witness it first hand and return to the Ashalar Kingdom to warn his leader of the imminent threat.\n\nThe preparations still failed. The barbaric Huao Empire continued its onslaught against the weakening borders of Ashalar, and desperate measures had to be taken. So the Queen placed a letter in his hand, gave him a general direction and a mark on the map, and sent him on his way.\n\nWhat was hidden inside this cave? His horse neighed nervously, shuffling about uneasily. He placed his hand on the creatures head in an effort to calm it down, whispering into its ear to ease its fear.\n\nWhat exactly was inside this cave that the Queen believes would save them? Tentatively, he leads his horse to a nearby tree, tying a leash to the creature lest it attempts to flee in fear if something were to go wrong. The last thing he needed was to be left without a method of escape.\n\nCupping his hands around his mouth, he calls out.\n\n\"Hello? Is anyone there?\" His voice echoes through the cave, and eventually returns to him. After a few more moments of silence, Felix braced himself. He made his wave inside, listening for any sounds that might indicate that someone was present.\n\nThere was breathing. It was thick and heavy. His muscles tensed and he began to turn tail. There was only one known creature capable of such a heavy sound... It was too late for him as a claw emerged from the darkness of the cave, pinning him to the ground with enough force to ensure that his attempt as an escape would fail.\n\n*\"Dragon!\"* He had realized. Did the queen send him to his death for failing to warn her in time? The beasts were known to be sentient yet brutal creatures, that prided themselves in their strengths. For the most part, humans and dragons alike ignored each other, but the few clashes between them have not been pretty, with the enormous lizard emerging victorious.\n\nAnd now, he was at the mercy of one. It was a wonder as to why he was not dead yet. They were known to be fiercely territorial, preventing expansion of kingdoms into the lands they claim.\n\nHe felt himself being dragged backwards into the cave, away from the entrance that served as the sole source of light. Struggle as he might, he was no match for its strength. When the entrance was nothing more than a halo lit exit in the distance, he felt the weight being lifted from his body.\n\nThe sound of something igniting, and the cave was lit up by enormous candles hanging from the ceiling. He finally had a good look of the creature that was likely to feast on him, considering the number of skeletons that surrounded it in its lair.\n\nIt was standing proudly on all four legs, keeping its wings folded and its tail curcled on the ground. It lowered its head to meet Felix face to face, frightening the poor messenger further. After a tense minute, he finally rationalizes that the dragon has yet to assault him, and seemed to be waiting for something.\n\nHis mind quickly connected the dots. The queen's task for him was absurd, and never done before. A human asking a dragon for help... It was never known of before. An impatient huff from the giant reptile urged him to hurry up, as it reared up its head, waiting in expectation.\n\n\"Ahem...\" Felix clears his throat, addressing the dragon.\n\n\"By request of Queen Seraphina, you are to aid us in the war against the Huao Empire, and see to it that they face the righteous fury of the Ashalar Kingdom. They outnumber us significantly, by odds of 50:1. Lend us your power once more, Elias.\"\n\nHis eyebrow raised slightly at the last word. The dragon had a name? It seemed to be deep in thought as it closed its eyes.\n\n\"...That is all the queen wrote... Elias.\" He decides to address the creature by its name. Respect should be given to such great beasts, after all. Considering the way the letter addressed it... He has some digging in their kingdom's history to do.\n\nHe hears the shuffling of its feet as the now christined Elias opens its eyes, looking downwards. A brief nod, Felix thinks.\n\n\"Lets go...?\" He trails off at the end, and the dragons head lowers to meet him once more. One second he was staring at its giant snout, and the next, there was complete darkness as he took a moment to assess the situation.\n\nHe hastily grabs onto what was probably a tooth as the creature's tongue quivered to avoid being swallowed, when he saw light once more. He found himself spat out by Elias, landing on its surprisingly soft back as it began to walk out of the cave.\n\nFelix was speechless at this point. Even when it stretched its wings and began to take flight, all he could think of on the way back, was who the dragon was, and why it deigned to help them? And then he remembered.\n\n\"Ah, wait, the horse!\"\n\nA few minutes later, a very terrified horse now sat on the dragons back, covered in saliva much like its owner.\n\nFelix definitely had a lot to think about... and a lot of questions for his queen.\n\n-----------------------------------\n\nPart 2?",
"**Challenges**\n\n\"His Majesty, The King of Crowns, knows that the dragons have hoarded the spell of immortality. His Majesty, The King of Crowns, requires his spell for his mission. The King of Crowns demands that you produce it, dragon! Produce it or face his challenge!\" \nThe messenger finally, blessedly, stopped speaking. \n\"I...*see*...\" \nI took a moment to consider his words carefully. Immortality was a spell dragons and the Fairies have hoarded since time the beginning of time, sharing it only to favored friends (usually elves and the occasional dwarf). But in all that time, very few humans every received it. Very few humans ever lived long enough to earn it. \n\"Very well.\" I answered the messenger. \nThe messenger - Ser Gorgin - nodded sharply. And then visibly relaxed. He took off his helmet himself to be a young, earnest-looking Knight. \n\"I am heartened, foul beast!\" He declared, pounding his chest. \"I feared I should be known as Dragonslayer today!\" \nI spread my wings in wide above us, blotting out the sun. \n\"You think yourself capable, young *squire*?!\" I barked at him, adding some gusts of flame for effect. \n\"Come and test your mettle then! Come and claim your title!\" \nAldinus stared me up and down as though considering the offer. The shook his head.\n\"Nay, I am honor bound to deliver you to my Lord.\" He puffed himself up again and turned his horse. \"Follow!\" \nIn truth his claims were farcical but it helps to puff up these fools from time to time. Eventually they get stupid enough to actually try to impress some bored Lady-handmaind-in-waiting or whatever. Free entertainment, I say! \nI started to follow him and on the second step I *willed* myself into the shape of a human. \nIt was an easy trick I had learned from The Ancient Monster and it came in handy when dealing with humans. \nAldinus, apparently, had never seen this trick before - some Dragonslayer - and promptly fell off his horse. \n\"Magic!\" He shouted and drew his sword. \n\"Yes, magic. Lots and lots of magic. Now put that away before you hurt someone.\" \nHe relaxed and put his sword away. \n\"You test my patience, creature. But by honor, I swore than you shall be delivered unharmed.\" \n\n---\n\nThe king was an old man, hardened by war. I could see it in him, in his straight back stance, his plan unadorned clothes, the simple, worn circlet on his head. Even the sword he wore - a plain item of the most *efficient* shape - shouted warrior-king. \n\"And where is this dragon?\" He demanded. Sir Aldinus shook where he stood at the foot of the dais. \n\"He...he...\" He stammered. He was afraid, and that told me quite a bit more about this old man. \n\"I am right here, soldier.\" I released the spell and allowed myself to take my full shape. The audience hall was barely large enough for me to spread my wings without too much hunching. \n\"And? You have my spell?\" He was unfazed at all. He stared at me from the same position, so that, even as I loomed over his tiny throne, he somehow seemed to stare as though I was beneath him. \n\"First you must answer my questions.\" I tried not to let my voice shake. He was just a human! He couldn't have anything up his sleeves could he? \n\"Yes, I expected as much. Ask your riddles!\" The King waved an attendant over and with a whispered word, the room was empty. \n\"Lest you consider me a cheat!\" He grunted, before settling back into his seat. \nI willed myself back into my human form, feeling rather silly. Taking dragon-form indoors is rather rude, especially when there's no audience to preen for. \nThe more I stood before him, the more nervous I became. I had met a few driven humans in my time - you don't command some magic without some enterprising human trying to turn it into a business - but this king was on a whole other level. \n\"What shall you do with it?\" This was the first test. The only test, really, if you were being honest. Some dress it up, if they don't want to hurt some poor owl's feelings. But this was all we really asked. \n\"The doctors and priests all agree - and the bastards *never* agree on anything - that I have at most six months to live.\" He spoke matter-of-factly, as though speaking of this weekend plans. \n\"My war against Shaunnesy shall continue until at least next spring! And my sons are too gutless and cowardly to properly fight this war!\" \n\"Is...is that the reason? To finish your war? Against Shaun?\" I was confused. This was not how this interview usually went down. \n\"Shaunnesy! Those fruit groves and arable land shall be mine! And of course that's not it. Then I must resume the long delayed war with High Tower and bring them to heel! Then on to Low Tower, oh, I haven't forgotten those bastards, either...\" he continued, naming city after city, settlement after settlement, a rundown of his enemies. \n\"And then what?\" I finally shouted! \"If you conquer all those cities, what then? Even if it takes you a hundred years, what then!\" \nFor the first time, he paused, and considered what to say. \n\"*Poetry* I think. I think I shall like to put away away my sword and write poetry.\" \nOf course this was bullshit. In his eyes, I could see the truth. Eternal bloodlust could never be sated, only refilled. I knew exactly where he would point his sword next. \nAnd he knew that I knew. \nWe both grinned at the same time, a challenged offered, and accepted. \n"
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[WP] In a world where an AI takes over everyone's body during work hours so they don't have to experience those 8 miserable hours, Your AI chip malfunctions right before your day begins.
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"As everyone nods off around me, a few seconds later a buzzer I've never heard before goes off and everyone rises in unison and moves to line up to enter a mop closet that is actually a pneumatic tube entrance to God knows where. Realizing this must all end in seven hours anyways I fall in, and take the tube ride which leads, after some light speed moves to a giant terrarium being built around the core of the planet as a heat, light and magnetic instrument of incredible force being harnessed by the AI, far far advanced of our understanding of it. The humans around you however move towards a certain building where they undress, take a health shower and suddenly, spell broken, seem to move again of their own will across a sprawling lawn surrounded by buildings, a combination of campus and wildlife retreat. Puzzled by this, I move towards a close friend quickly, but discretely and engage him. He smiles deeply and his eyes shine as he greets me and asks if I am coming to the observatory, instead, today. I smile and nod, more confused than ever. As we walk he tells me he knows I'm not me, but it's ok because lesser selves get through all the time, and some suppose it is some intentional, but hidden experiment of the AI itself. Maybe to see how we will react. Then he pauses...\"Yes. To see how we will react. I think it would be fun for me to give you a tour, and, well if you piss it off, it'll just damage your brain on your way out or whatever, or send your tube into the Hearth.\" He points at the core, glistening in reds through giant nets like sails strung seeming miles above our heads. His face kinda goes blank for a second \"it would not do that, by the way.\" I then notice the room we've entered is like a giant arboretum forest with naked people running around here there and everywhere...and not just running....climbing trees and....yes...yes...mating, coupling, fucking, here and there you can see, and now hear them. And cameras everywhere, filming...observing with seemingly no response from the participants. \"How are You still you but you say I am not 'me', Mark?\". He looks quizzical for a moment then says, here we are our better selves, the ones we always think we are, but find excuses and reasons to not be. Here, we improve and learn, and then we go back and keep the old world going because not everyone is ready to do this. You and I and everyone here, we've been doing it for four years. \"What about the rest? The ones who aren't ready, what happens to them during these eight hours?\". \"they come here, to the ape room and regress in a healthy fashion. We all live our dreams in Hearth, some of us dream of doing this...he points at the trees. Some of us dream of improving ourselves, like lifelong students.\". Then he pauses in that unusual way...\"and some of us have requested an audience with the Wizard of Is himself, do you remember requesting a meeting with Expert Sys? No...I guess you wouldn't. I'll have to cut our tour short and take you there myself. Too bad I can't watch your face when...oh, nevermind, let's get you where you wanted to be, apparently. God knows why. Oh sorry, one thing about being your better self is the brutal honesty. I have seen others request meetings and, well, they don't come back. Which is fine, I'm sure. It's fine...it's just, well...I am actually a gay man, here he points at his heart, and I always thought we had a connection...\" \"but you hooked up with Dana from accounting?\" \"\nOh yeah, that guy's not ready to come out,\" he throws a thumb over his shoulder and up to the \"roof\" where seemingly millions of tubes disappear into the \"surface\" above. \"Good luck!\" He suddenly grabs the back of my head and pulls me in for a long and wet kiss before he turns and hurries away. \"Mr. Hicken, I presume, I turn around, and the hall we had been standing In has turned into a white room with a white chair, all drenched in white light. I sit in the chair, looking for my interrogator. Suddenly a door I hadn't noticed opens and the voice comes from the other side...\"we have, we think, an interesting opportunity for you, but you can refuse, of course. We wondered if you would like an opportunity to become....your best self."
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[WP] A man in solitary confinement begins to create figments of his imagination to keep him company. When he is finally allowed to go back to normal prison, he is surprised when his imaginary friends begin to visit during regular visiting hours.
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"All right, lets try this. \n\nThe walls, man, the walls! Without the clock, or something to ground yourself in time flows weirdly. Is it a day, a week? A couple of hours? Maybe a second, a moment? Guards aren’t exactly talkative. They are here to throw a meal inside, twice a day. I don’t even get to see their faces. Slit on the door opens for a couple of seconds, a tray slides in, slit closes. That’s the routine. Being confined for so long is just… boring. Laying there on a steel bunk is the best occupation you could manage in here.\n\n“It sure is boring around here,” a soft voice spoke.\n\n“Yeah, it is,” I replied.\n\n“Then, let’s talk.”\n\nThere it was – a figment of my imagination, sitting in a pretty dress in a corner, hands wrapped around the legs. A white light on darkening concrete. A woman, most definitely. Though, I couldn’t say that for sure. She looked like one. I my eyes she was a blur, a fuzzy blur. Some of her features I could make out for sure – slender arms and legs, skin white as a snow, long blonde hair. A battered brain of mine couldn’t form a cohesive image of her. A voice, though, was clear. \n\nI started seeing her some time ago. At first, I couldn’t grasp how did she get in. Guards didn’t know about her – I haven’t told them. Every crack in the concrete, every hole I checked – no way, no way for her to get in. At first, rejection. She spoke, she spoke a lot. Don’t talk, don’t talk, man! Don’t give in! Then, I realized – she is absolute impossibility… physically. What I saw there wasn’t a real person, but an effigy of my mind, unable to bear the silence and loneliness.\n\nAfter a while, I gave up. A clear memory – she talked about food. She talked and talked about some noodles she apparently tried far away long time ago and how it was the best thing she ever laid her hands on. Then and there a monologue turned to dialogue. A slight surprise from her side, but she recovered quickly, continuing bragging about some tasty consumables. \n\nFor the duration of my stay inside this concrete chamber, I could not remember anything beyond simple knowledge about myself. I could recall my name and age; I could even remember where I lived. What I could not say where the reason of my stay in the prison, nor the reason for my solitary confinement. Though, one thing for sure: these measures were just. Immense guilt I felt, trying to recall details. I probably deserved this.\n\nHer presence lightened my guilt somewhat. As I said, there were no clock, nor a window. There was nothing to help me ground myself in a torrent of time. One day, though, door opened, and a heavy sounding voice ordered me out. Obeying it, I was outside. There were two guards – one was operating the door, the other one rapidly cuffed my hands. They led me to a regular cell – with windows and such, as well as other inmates.\n\nI haven’t seen her ever since I left. I haven’t said goodbye to her. When the door to an empty cell closed, her bright silhouette was still there, in a corner. I felt myself slightly lonely without her constant blabber. Inmates talked about their own troubles. Those conversations I couldn’t pick up. Thus, a couple days passed. After a breakfast, we were ordered into our cells. Not even half of hour have passed when a guard came.\n\n“Inmate, you got a visitor,” he said, addressing me.\n\nLeading though the corridors, he brought me into a brightly lit room. Large glass separated the room, where two tables were arranged on each side to accommodate inmate and his visitor. A man in uniform closed the door. Sitting on a chair, I starred at the door. No clue on the visitor. Finally, a door opened on the other side. Guard looked around the room, turned around and invited someone in. \nSlightly audible sound that shoes contacting the tile floor. Sound of a door lock. I want to say something, but nothing leaves my mouth.\n\n“Hi,” a soft voice spoke.\n\nClear image. Golden long hair, streaming down shoulders.\n\n“I’m sorry I left you… like this.”\n\nWhite, slightly pinkish skin. Slender hands.\n\n“I should have done something sooner.”\n\nPiercing gaze. Grey, regretful eyes.\n\n“They didn’t believe me that you needed help. They woundn’t listen.”\n\nPlain, cozy clothing. A broken hand. \n\nA surge of memory. Knife handle. Warm blood. Sirens. A scream, a kick. A fade to black.\n\nNot a figment of my imagination, but a human, in flesh.\n\n“Let’s talk,” she said, tears streaming down her face, “Let’s talk, honey.”\n"
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[WP] The reason murderers and psychopaths do the things they do? They know the truth about the afterlife.
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"Everyone thinks I’m a villain.\n\t\nThe news spouts out horribly cruel words about how I’m *dangerous* and need to be *stopped.* Neither are true but I don’t blame them. I bet I seem like a monster just waiting to devour their precious lives.\n\t\nBut murder isn’t death.\n\t\nMurder is freedom.\n\t\nThis is my *destiny.* God's named me Honorary Guardian of the world, and I will not betray him. My razor shatters the throats of those who have forgotten their home and sends them back to the clouds where they continue their great work.\n\t\nThat’s right.\n\t\nMaybe you’ve seen them once before but tried to pretend it was just your mind playing tricks, but those who *glow* are fallen angels, and though I don’t know why they keep meandering down to Earth and forgetting who they are, someone must correct them, and that’s me.\n\t\nSo far, in just a couple months, I’ve returned eight. I expect by the end of my life I will have made a serious dent in the world and have filled Heaven back up.\n\nI smile, for God speaks to me every night, his words singing nothing but praise that makes me wonder what kind of reward awaits me. Maybe I'll become Heaven's personal Guardian, maybe I'll become his most loyal soldier. Either way, he lives in my heart, and I shall serve him for eternity.\n***\nIf you like this story, check out my sub! r/longhandwriter",
"Maria Vasquez quilted an eyebrow at the fully armed guard standing beside her. \"Is this really necessary?\" she asked, eyes drawn to the unlimbered gun in the guard's holster. \"Isn't the subject restrained? Not to mention he has reportedly been compliant.\"\n\nGuard Captain Frank Elkinridge nodded but checked the chamber of his pistol before placing it back in the quick draw holster. \"Yes ma'am but he's been labeled as extreme danger. He's been responsible for at least 30 kills that we know of, potentially more.\"\n\nMaria shivers lightly but squares her shoulders and enters the room. It's plain and unadorned. Slate grey walls surround the pale linoleum floor. Harsh incandescent light beats down on the individual sitting quietly on the metal chair. His hands restrained behind him and legs cuffed to the floor. \n\nAgain Maria looks askance at the conditions of the subject before her. She looks inquiringly at the Captain but he only motions her forward before closing the door securely behind them. Maria walks to the other chair and sits down, placing the file on the desk. She took a moment to observe the man. \n\nHe didn't look very much like most subjects she as analyzed or interviewed. Some were raving madmen, foaming at the mouth and hurling insults while their eyes roved crazily. Others were disturbingly cold, calculating, devoid of emotions. Some even were morose, sobbing life stories and explaining their heart wrenching stories. \n\nThis man however seemed oddly 'normal'. Mr James Dunfield was a functioning member of society on paper. Single, a well respected accountant for a large computer and technology firm, no history of prior legal or criminal trouble. That made the situation even more strange. The city had been plagued for weeks by disappearances and murders. All done cleanly, without passion or emotion. It wasn't until the few instances of imaging caught Mr Dunfield did the police have a lead. Investigating his home revealed more than ample evidence of the crimes and he was arrested. He had came willingly, no resistance and had answered questions calmly and without reservation. \n\nMaria cleared her throat. \"Hello Mr Dunfield. My name is Ms Vasquez. I am here to psychoanalyze you and investigate your mental state. Do you understand?\"\n\nJames opened his eyes, light azure irises gazed serenely at her. He nodded and spoke softly, \"A pleasure to meet you. I do understand. I'll be happy to answer any questions.\"\n\nMaria coughed. *Okay, this will be a little different.* \"You have been arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder, kidnap, and assault.\"\n\nAt his nod she continues. \"Now I am not your legal representative. One will be here later today to talk about your options. My job today is to see if you're mentally fit for trial.\"\n\n\"I understand. I fully know what I did while I was doing it. As well as the consequences.\"\n\n*He's eerily composed about this.* \"Well then. Allow us to get to the point of it. If you know what you did and the resulting fallout, then comes the question: why did you murder all those people?\"\n\nShe wasn't prepared for the smile that shows on his face. It wasn't a smile of a murderer, a sadist, or a torturer. It was the soft smile of someone having a debate, a teacher that is pleased to see a student reach a conclusion. \"You know, you are the first to ask me why. All have asked me how, where, do you know, do you understand.\"\n\nA small shiver runs up her spine and she can hear the Captain shift his weight uncomfortably. \"Well then, if you please, enlighten me.\"\n\n\"I did what I did to spare the others.\"\n\n*What the hell does that mean?* \"Could you elaborate?\"\n\nHe chews his lip thoughtfully. \"Tell me, do you believe in God?\"\n\n\"I don't see how that pertains to this.\"\n\n\"If you don't mind indulging me. It is relatable, I promise.\"\n\n\"Well, yes. I do. I am a Catholic so I believe in the Lord.\"\n\n\"As do I. I also believe in other gods. Others that exist. Ones that are not nearly as benevolent or kind to humanity.\"\n\nAnother shiver runs up her spine. \"Okay. That's, well. You have a right to believe that.\"\n\n\"These deities of the outer dark, they are coming. When they do they will bring fire and pain. Unimaginable torture. Their powers will overwhelm the Lord. He will do what he can but it won't be enough.\"\n\nHis expression of honest belief disquieted her. The Captain behind snorted softly and she felt a bead of sweat build on her forehead. \"Well. Uhm. So you murdered those people to spare them from this fate?\"\n\nJames shook his head. \"No. I murdered them so that they won't help the coming dark. These deities won't be able to succeed on their own. They will need agents on Earth. Those that I killed have been marked by them, as followers to their creed, ones who will help them cast the rest of humanity down. I had to do my part, to keep things even. For if the dark ones win, the souls they consume will be far worse than any hell we could imagine.\"\n\nMaria began to sweat more now, the room felt clammy and suffocating. Her first reaction was to laugh but the look on James' face was unnerving. He genuinely believed in what he was doing. \"How-how do you know this?\" she gasped, cursing at the break in her voice. \n\nFor the first time his composure slips. A wild look of fear and dread flashes over his face before being smoothed away. \"I've seen things, read things, dark and terrible...\" His voice a whisper. \n\nThe moment drags and Maria stands from the table. \"We'll be back momentarily Mr Dunfield.\" She walks out of the room, barely restraining herself from running and the Captain closes it again behind them. \n\nShe wipes her forehead with a handkerchief and laughs shakily. \"Goodness, can you believe that?\" Her voice sounds hollow to her ears. \n\nThe Captain looks away blankly, a finger grazing a small medal she doesn't recognize. His silence is louder than anything she has heard before. ",
"Another day doing God's work. We're martyrs, all of us, just hoping to be picked off like the guy I shredded up last night.\n\nSpeaking of which, that was one delicious hell of a way to go. I'm an artist among artists, or so I think on occasions like these. *Mmm*... that juicy burst of maroon as the skin is pierced and slivered while the victim is still alive and convulsing. Hey, I'm convulsing just thinking about the kind of heaven that guy's going to after dying like that. Mhmm. Nothing quite like it, really. I'm just lucky to work in a field I love so much.\n\nThat's the real secret to success, to all you would-be \"serial killers\" or whatever the trendy term for us folk is these days. You gotta do the deed while the victim is still nice and alive and fresh and kicking. Otherwise, they don't *feel* it. You get me? They don't feel the pain when they're dead, man. And then what's the point in that?\n\n-----\n\nNo, no, obviously I don't mean *the* deed, I mean the shred-y kind, the one where you rip them apart at the limbs.\n\n-----\n\nWhat do you mean, you don't get me? Do I have to explain *everything*? Look, the point is, they gotta feel the pain when they die, y'know? Huh? Stop looking at me like I'm crazy. Oh god, now you're just scared shitless. Alright, calm the fuck down and listen up. Hey, HEY. Calm down. Yeah? Calm. Down. I'm not gonna kill you. At the moment.\n\nWhew, that took some work. Not sure if you're listening or not, but at least you're not, y'know, spazzing out or something. As I was saying, save that for later, hey?\n\nOkay, so you die, and what happens then, huh? You go to heaven or hell or whatever -- that's right, good job, kid! You go to the afterlife, again whatever the vogue term happens to be. But which one do you go to, y'know? I mean, you got, what, like eighty years here on average, and you got something close to eternity over there, so you really ought to try to make the right choice on these things. I mean, heaven for eternity and hell for eternity are hell-a-different, if you get my drift. Ha!\n\nNo, no, no, no, that's all wrong, that's what these society people *want* you to think, you get me? They want you to think, \"Oh, ho, ho, I'm all righteous Christian-y and do no wrong so I'm gonna enjoy my afterlife in heaven, fuck yeah!\" That helps out the people in charge, you see? All the people up top are super happy to have other people below them following their rules and behaving all nice and obedient. That's why they spew out all these lies for gullible idiots like you. Although, to be fair, that's, like, the vast majority of the world.\n\nHuh? Good question, yeah. How *do* you get to heaven, then, if not for good deeds and all that bullshit? Well, kid, it turns out God's a pretty queer fellow. You know what they say, like, \"Man is defined by his actions,\" or something like that -- wrong! God apparently thinks the defining feature of us mortals is the fact that we can *die*. I guess if you're immortal or something that's a pretty cool feature. None of us would probably think the same, am I right?\n\nSo anyhow, he thinks, really, \"Man is defined by his death.\" In other words, your value or worth or purity or whatever is defined by how you die, in His great, almighty eyes. Pretty idiotic, if you ask me. But maybe pretty poetic, too, yeah?\n\nWhat does that mean? Man, I'm just getting to that, be patient, hey! This is the fucking punchline and you can't sit tight for two more minutes? Kids these days, man, got their Twitter and Facebook and all that instant gratification crap. You can't do a good murder in 140 characters and you can't tell a good story in that either! So for those of you complaining this is taking too long, shut up and keep reading.\n\nWhew. Anyhow, you're defined by your death, and that determines where you go forever. Preeeetty important stuff here. And what defines your death? Here it is: it's all about *how much pain you feel when you die*.\n\nYup, that's it, right there. It's crazy, right? Absolutely bonkers. You know how people get all proud and jealous and shit of those people who live to like some crazy age and then die peacefully in bed one night? They're *fucked*, man! They're totally screwed! They're gonna go live in hell forever! So what if they enjoyed a century of peace here on Earth? They're getting a quazillion-fold more pain afterward, dumbass!\n\n-----\n\nSo anyway, back to you. Yeah, when you're looking down from heaven all happy and shit, you can thank me then. Oh, and try putting in a good word for me with the head honcho man up there. I mean, I'm doing all sorts of good work for people out there, butchering them up like this. It's *eternities* of good work! That's gotta count for something, right? Damn, man, I even know good deeds count for shit and I'm hoping like this. So yeah, stop trembling for a second and remember to put in a good word for me.\n\nWell, I guess you can start trembling now, it'll make all the blood flow better and increase the pain and stuff. Better chance of you getting up there, right? We've warmed up all the saws and gears, so it's time to get to work. Thank me later, man. Thank me later. \n\n(*The chainsaw starts.*)"
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[WP] In a world where humans and animals are in eternal war, you are the leader of the animals.
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"Heh.\n\n---\n\nIn a wilderness of the desert, animals started to gather. From towering beasts to ground sweepers, big and small, came to a high rock, surrounding it. They gathered into packs, filled with their own brethren. Thousands upon thousands. This continued for a couple of days, until a large crowd assembled. There they were, waiting for something. Nobody touched the rock, though. The animal kingdom convened. Sitting around the rock were the ambassadors of each species present. All of those had special traits that differentiated them from other of their kin, be it pigment spots, massive scars or missing limbs even.\n\nCrowds produced a lot of noise, until a deafening call silenced them. Massive body of animals partitioned, revealing a clean road, leading to the rock. Delegation of three avians stepped forward, going forward. Behind them, without a doubt, was their leader. He was massive – easily the highest among the crowd, his scarring indicated many ferocious battles he partaken. It was particularly heavy, inflicted by the mortal enemies of them all – human. Animals were mad over these furless creatures, who robbed them of their homes and killed their children. All of them were a tinderbox, ready to explode. The leader covered the distance fast, climbing on top of the rock. His escort roared again.\n\n“Our leader – Squalk!” said one of them to the silent crowd.\n\n“Squalk!” pronounced the crowd.\n\nWith this, tall avian spoke:\n\n“This time right now is the time we need to fight!”\n\nCrowd cheered such a word heavily. Everybody wanted to take the pain to the human.\n\n“We, united, will deliver a crushing blow to them!”\n\nCrowds danced around, ready for war.\n\n“They won’t kill us no more! Let’s go! Let’s go and kill them!”\n\nCrowds roared in excitement and ran forward, following their leader, who zoomed forward. He was a fierce warrior, but not a great speech giver. But he not needed to be one – in a society of “might makes right”, he was the elite even without the sharpest of communication skill.\n\nJohn sat in his rocking chair on the porch. He overlooked a barren desert, which sprawled anywhere you look. Man, in his late 90’s, decided to spend rest of his days on this remote ranch in peace. He, a veteran of World War Two, seen a lot of action in his days, but now all he wanted is to spend some time in quiet and steadiness. Occasionally, his granddaughter would pay old geezer a visit, helping him. Such were the days.\n\nHis eyesight, despite the age, retained clarity and sharpness. And he noticed a large cloud of dust in the far. He loved to look around, so he picked up binoculars. As soon as he did look, however, he rushed as fast as his old legs allowed him. Opening the door, he saw his granddaughter sitting on a couch, watching TV. He rushed past her fast, to her surprise and climbed the stairs. She exclaimed:\n\n“Oi, grandpa, are you alright?”\n\nHe didn’t reply. He got to his room, where, in the closet, he uncovered a chest. Hectically removing the top cover, he looked inside. Below the banner of blue, adorned by the white stars, lied a machine gun. Heavy war machinery once again landed in his hands, but this time to fight not human, but a beast. Old man has made his way down, carrying ammo boxes and a gun. His granddaughter stood at the end of the ladder. Dumbfounded by the sight of a heavy gun, she tried to stop her grandfather, seemingly struck by senility of his old age.\n\n“Grandpa, grandpa, stop! What are you doing?! Put it down!”\n\n“No, child, I must!”\n\n“Wait, what is it that you need a gun for?”\n\nHe invited her to the porch and pointed to the cloud of dust. She took the binoculars and saw what was there. Animals, thousands of them, rushing towards them. And in the lead-\n\n“The emus, the bloody emus are at it again!”\n"
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[WP] As it turns out, the monsters of the week that the magical girls were fighting don't stand up terribly well against modern military power.
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"/*schikk*/\n----------------\n/That was the sound of all of a Sage's bones shattering at once as she hurtled into the hull of the Navy cruiser with incredible force./\n----------------\n/*\"That was the last Sage between ourselves and those...creatures. Looks like we're going to have to call this fight our last. All hands, brace for impact..prepare for ramming speed! Destroyer HMS *Dragon*, signing off.\"*/\n----------------\nThe creatures had appeared practically overnight, from a fissure near the Tierra del Fuego region of South America. From there, they made their way northwards, mostly sticking to open water or rivers. Within a week, the entirety of the Americas had fallen to what the news outlets referred to as \"monsters\".\n\nFrom the Americas, the beasts made their way westwards, devouring and slaughtering their way through the Far East, Australia and the Indian subcontinent, and even old Russian territories. \nThe monsters - later called \"abominations\" then found themselves in Europe, where they were met with extreme prejudice by 3 young women, each wielding powerful magical energies. These women would later be known as the Three Sages.\n\nHowever, at the time this written, the Sages had been taxed to their absolute limits due to the constant combat. Two had already been crushed and dragged down into the depths, and the third had been shattered.\n\nThus far, the only effective means of conventional resistance had come from the French, Italian, and Spanish navies, and they were beginning to be worn down.\n\nThe British Royal Navy then stepped in to ease the burden on their continental neighbours, in spite of their lack of resources since the last World War. And even they were feeling the strain.\n\nCaptain James Tyrell, aboard the heavy cruiser HMS *Tiger*, looked on in horror as the Type-45 destroyer *Dragon* was frozen solid where it stood, and the intended target of her ramming attack subsequently shattered the warship to smithereens.\n\n\"It looks like it's just us now, people. Signal our sister ships, *Hood* and *Temeraire*: we make our final stand here. Make ready the guns, all hands to battle stations!\"\n\nAs he gave the order, a burst of green light erupted on the side of the ship where the last Sage was spattered. Captain Tyrell looked out of the bridge, and saw two other light streams where the first two Sages fell. Magic had done well to give the civilian ships a chance to escape, but the seasoned officer wasn't sure how it could help in this situation.\n\n\"Sir, we have reports of a green light flooding the ship. Declaring hazmat situ--\" the officer of the watch started. Lieutenant Morgana Bates was an inexperienced, but capable rising star in the Royal Navy. The daughter of a Gulf War veteran, she was a little bit of a loose cannon .\n\n\"Not much point is there, Lieutenant? If we fall here, humanity falls with us. We're going all in on this last sta--\"\n\n\"Captain, gun crews report that the light has..infused..with the shells in our magazines. The same thing has happened in the VLS with the missiles. Orders, sir?\"\n\n\"Fire when ready. We make our stand here,\" said the captain.\n\nGreen lightning arced from the ship's four forward guns, and slammed into the target: a dark purple, scaled creature with vicious spines on the shoulders and elbows, caught completely by surprise by the magic-enhanced weapons.\n\nLarge chunks of the abomination's smouldering flesh fell into the water as it desperately tried to freeze the *Tiger* like it did to *Dragon*, but to no avail.\n\nCaptain Tyrell was awestruck. The Sages had struggled to contain the threat, even combining their magical powers of Earth, Lightning, and Wind, and yet his ship had somehow become possessed by the residual energy of the Lightning Sage.\n\n\"Fire again. Status report on *Hood* and *Temeraire*?\"\n\n\"HMS *Hood* reports a blue light encompassing her, whilst *Temeraire* reports a purple light - both ships are reporting any previous battle damage to be non-existent. They're firing on the abomination as we speak.\"\n\nPurple and blue light arced from the ships on either side of the *Tiger*, further injuring the draconic creature. The monster then proceeded to summon large shards of ice and bone, taking aim at the three vessels.\n\n\"Incoming! Brace for impact!\"\n\nThe abomination bellowed, causing a shockwave that stirred the sea and caused it to broil as fish made their frantic way to the surface.\n\n\"Petty officer Enowale, contact *Hood* and *Temeraire* now! Tell them to fire everything they've got at the beast, we'll do the same..now!\"\n\n\"Aye ma'am!\"\n\n----------------\n\nA short while later, the huge creature was nothing but various columns of gently smouldering ash. Captain Tyrell addressed his crew, those of the *Hood* and *Temeraire*, and the public in the\n\n\"Today, we lost a great number of good men and women. Their names, and their sacrifice for the good of humanity, will not be forgotten.\n\n\"But our fight is far from over. We still have more battles to fight, on land as well as at sea. Yesterday, we were on the defensive, desperately struggling to hold on to what little ground we had left. Today, we turned the tide against the endless onslaught, and preserved our future. Tomorrow, we go on the offensive, to avenge those we lost - colleagues, friends, and strangers.\n\n\"So I ask each of you - who will join us on the battlefield?!\"\n\nThe attendant crowds, both on scene and miles away, gave one strong, resounding roar:\n\n\"WE WILL!\"\n----------------\n\n^^Please ^^let ^^me ^^know ^^what ^^you ^^think ^^below, ^^I'm ^^kinda ^^new ^^to ^^this ^^sort ^^of ^^stuff ^^(and ^^plus ^^it ^^was ^^late ^^when ^^I ^^started ^^writing ^^this ^^out, ^^so ^^my ^^apologies ^^for ^^any ^^inconsistencies).",
"The first one emerged from a containment camp in Janjira, Japan.\n\nThe second emerged in Nevada.\n\nThey called them MUTO, for Massive Unintefied Terrestial Organism. That's that why named any \"monster\" that appeared. Except for ones that were not, well, massive, these were just UTOs.\n\nUTOs have been appearing for a decade now, they first started with a smaller one, about the size of a school bus. With that first UTO, came the M-Girls; a squad of girls with power able to defend against the UTOs.\n\nThe military tried to intervene and capture both of the tow sides, but a scientist had convinced them to not, and that they were both forces of nature. One kept the balance for the other.\n\nThat was, until these two MUTOs appeared. Bigger than anything seen before, the girls were completely unable to even scratch a dent in them.\n\nIn total, the M-Girls were 7.\n\nThat day, all 7 collapsed. Or, for a beter term, found a more cozy home.\n\nThe insides of the MUTO.\n\nBut the military did not intervene, because before it learned of their luck, a third \"monster\" appeared.\n\nGodjira.\n\nThe scientists told the Generals that he was the next evolution of their defence. The new \"M-Girls\", if you want.\n\nWith swift motions, he was able to down both MUTOs. Then, it was time for him to return to his home, the depths of the sea.\n\nHe slowly walked in the sea, with each step getting another part of him under.\n\nAfter a few seconds, he wal almost completely lost. He took another step, and below sea level.\n\nAnd then it appeared.\n\nIt jumped from the depths, and in one swift motion, took a bite of Godjira. Or, actualy, took Godjira in one bite.\n\nThe new MUTO was massive. So massive, it was able to eat Godjira in one bite.\n\nIt emerged from the sea, and got on the shore. It was about as big as a small town. With each step, literaly buildings fell around him.\n\nBut, the saviour of humanity, was much, much smaller.\n\nIt was the size of a small car.\n\nIt was a drone.\n\nA military drone, feeding live feed to the Pentagon.\n\n\"I give permission to launch the nukes, right now!\" said the President.\n\n\"No! Too many casualties!\" shouted the generals.\n\n\"Then do something!\" shouted the president.\n\nThey devised a plan.\n\nThree tank battalion from the east, one jet bomber squadron from the west.\n\nIt was a plan designed to succeed, and it would.\n\nMuch to their dissapointment though, the tanks were unable to step closer, as the MUTO radiated some kind of EMP pulse, and same happened for the jets, as they fell down, in formation.\n\n\"Shit...\" said a general under his breath...\n\n\"Did we kill it?\" asked the President.\n\n\"I'm afraid, for your own safety, we will have to transport you somewhere safer, sir.\" said his Head of Security.\n\n\"Like where?\"\n\n\"Somewhere mobile. And far, far away...\"\n\nBut, both of their attentions turned to a radar controller, as he shouted...\n\n\"Sir! We have a second UTO approaching! It appears to be much, much smaller! And moving very, very fast, sir!\"\n\n\"What in the name of Jesus is this now!\" whispered another General.\n\n\"Get one of those new EMP shielded drones we bought in the air! I wanna see it!\" exclaimed the President.\n\nThe situation in the Pentagon was very hectic, much like the battlefield.\n\n\"Sir, we live feed, sir!\" shouted the controller.\n\nThe MUTO was destroying the city, not building by building, but area by area. With each one of it's movements, thousands died.\n\nUp until, the UTO appeared.\n\nImmeadiately, the MUTO turned it's attention to it.\n\nIt looked microscopic in front of the MUTO. That is, if you could see it, based on the speed it was going.\n\n\"That thing must be a supersonic controller projectile!\" announced another General.\n\nThe UTO, immediately did a few close passer-byes of the MUTO, and then, in one powerful bang, took it down.\n\nIt stopped running around then.\n\nThe MUTO, dead and on the ground, and the UTO, stationary.\n\n\"Get a closer look!\" shouted the President.\n\nThe camera zoomed in.\n\nThe UTO stared straight into it.\n\nIt was nothing other, but Vladimir Putin, shirtless, riding a Grizzly Bear, wielding a AK-47 Kalashnikov in one hand, and a Vodka in another.\n\n\"Haha, I had to help you again, comrade! I hope you better help me too... If not, -\"\n\nStatic displayed on the screen.\n\nVladi has shot the drone. With his perfect markmanship, from 300 meters away. With an iron scope.\n\nMade. In. Russia.\n\nThe President immediately shuffled to find his phone, and tried to repay Vladi.\n\nHe was typing the nuclear launch codes, in a Twitter DM to the President of Russia...\n\n---\n\nHey guys, I tried to give this one a bit of a twist and comedy. Also, since I love the movie Godzilla, it was the perfect time to incorporate it too in one of my stories! Thanks for reading!",
"Magical girls just don't possess the power of brrrt.\n\n---\n\nDeafening sound struck Rapid City. A monster was attacking. This time, though, it was enormous. Easily overtaking tallest skyscrapers, it stridden across the shoreline making ruin in its path. Massive claws tore open one of the office building, revealing people inside. Panicking, they tried running for their lives, futilely. Building was collapsing, crushing everyone inside. The beast feasted upon the peaceful folk down below. Death and destruction lied wherever it was.\n\nDown there, on the large avenue, people were fleeing chaotically. Abandoned cars clogged the road. Behind one of them, a passerby took shelter. He looked outside, to observe a terrifying picture. A bus, full of people, ran straight into the beast, killing everybody inside. Another man on the curb, bleeding profusely from his head, motionless. A woman, panicked, kneeling on the asphalt, crying. Monster slowly made it’s way forward, leaving large imprints on the road. There it was - the end.\nWhile praying on the ground, he noticed something strange nearby. Right next to him, in the middle of the avenue were standing two figures. He recognized them – those two were the “Witches of Good”. There was an article written some time ago about them, claiming they are some sort of a “self-proclaimed magical vigilante group”, who “swore to protect the city from the evil the other dimension brought”. In reality, they were two teenage girls, with funky hair colors, dressed as a crossbred between classic maid uniform and witches attires. Adjusting their oversized witches’ hats, they stepped in. It seemed like they already been engaged in a fight with the beast. Mud and dust covered their clothing. They both were breathing heavily.\n\n“It’s strong, Michi!” – exclaimed one of them, panting.\n\n“Yes, we must use our final weapon!”\n\nThey nodded to each other. Bringing their staffs together, they took aim. Grasping their hands together, they began casting their “magic”. Engulfed in warm light, they made a shining bow. Stretching it, a flaming projectile appeared. Great strength accumulated as they chanted spells, inaudible in the cacophony of sound. With a scream, they let go of the shining string, releasing the fireball. It flew fast – a large projectile aimed at the beast. Flaming ball hit his skin, exploding spectacularly. A rainbow of colours, as well star-shaped lights flew all around the street. Both of the girls were barely standing after their attack. They smiled, a job-well-done mood settled in their faces. However, job was far away from being “well done”. As light dissipated, monster revealed its ugly self, unscathed. Horror set in, wiping their childish smiles. That was it, the end. For sure.\n\n*brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt*\n\nThe man, watching behind a car, knew that sound well. His eyes weren’t deceiving him, as well as the memory of his service in the Marine Corps didn’t fail him. Where magic failed, sheer power of a thirty-millimeter Gatling gun did exceptionally. A-10 circled around the beast. Skin of the monster melted where rounds hit. Monster, enraged by pain, swung it’s massive claws, trying to get the agile jet. Silver plane flew around him and released its missiles. “Mavericks” struck beasts shoulder, dislodging its arm. With a deafening thud, large chunk of flesh fell on the avenue. Jet made another round, and struck for the last time. Its cannons obliterated monsters ugly head. Effectively dead, it stumbled and fell on top of glass covered skyscraper, raining shards down below. Jet promptly left the scene.\n\nA convoy of jeeps appeared behind. Soldiers disembarked and promptly ran forward, towards the beast. The man stood up, and approached the Witches. Those poor girls, standing there dumbfounded in muddy clothes.\n\n“Looks like the military gets to play today.”\n\n--------\n\nEdit for spelling and better wording.\n",
"Ruby yelled, “Let’s go, Gem Girls!” Around her, her sisters leaped to the air. Below, the cameras flashed, documenting the flight into battle of the city’s darling superheroines. Ruby flew at the lead, as always, checking on her sisters. Diamond was on her right, glittering blade already drawn. Sapphire flew close on Diamond’s right. On Ruby’s left flew Malachite and Amethyst, completing the V. Directly behind Ruby, coasting on the group’s wake, fluttered Pearl.\n\nRuby whistled, and her sisters responded. They winged down toward the outskirts of the city, where the monsters were tramping through a suburb. Ruby could hear an innocent woman screaming from a rooftop. She pointed, and Pearl broke off from the group, angling toward the woman. She would see if the woman was alright and stay there, well out of danger unless she was called for. She was the healer, so it was imperative that she remain safe.\n\nThe rest of the group landed lightly on the street in front of the monsters, who stopped to assess the new threat. The grotesque creatures that had appeared this week were the biggest yet, with heavy armored plates that shone with runes and magic scrawls. This might be a tough battle. Ruby glanced nervously behind her, where the reporters were beginning to arrive, filming the supergirls eagerly and broadcasting live.\n\nRuby drew her twin knives, glowing her signature red. She siphoned some power off her lodestone, the ruby set in gold gleaming on her finger. Without warning, the monsters surged forward and attacked. There were three of the hulking beasts. Ruby angled toward the one in the middle, knowing that Diamond would attack the right and Malachite the left. Ruby slid under the first reach of the monster, looking back toward the press so they could get a good shot. She tried to slice at its shins with her knives, but they bounced off of its thick hide.\n\nStanding, she ducked as the monster turned and swung at her. It was deceptively fast. Bobbing and weaving, she ran toward it and tried to stab it in the stomach, but her blade bounced off. Looking over, she saw that Diamond was faring no better, even with Sapphire to back her up. She had an idea - she ran through the monster’s legs, spinning before the monster had a chance to turn, and stabbed it in the back of the knee, where there was a gap in the armored plates. It roared and fell, catching itself on the other knee. Its blow whistled through the air alarmingly close to her head.\n\n“The gaps in the plates!” she yelled-half gasped to Diamond, who nodded. But a scream from Ruby’s left drew both of their attention. The monster’s blow had caught Amethyst at the knee and she was crumpled in the street, Malachite standing over her. Ruby saw Pearl fluttering high behind them, but she could not focus on them. The monster was angry now. It swiped at her, forcing her to dance backwards. This was frustrating. She ducked another swipe and saw a dart of blue catch it in the shoulder. Sapphire had tried to help with her arrows, but it just made the monster even madder. It kept coming.\n\nRuby stumbled and fell, watching the monster loom over her. The press behind her gasped. She prepared to roll out of the way of the monster’s fist, but before she could, a loud **rattattattattatta** droned from behind her. The monster fell towards her, forcing her to scramble out of the way. Gross green liquid leaked from under it. The monsters on either side of her were roaring, but they quickly faced the same fate.\n\nSoon the street was quiet of the monster’s roars. Diamond rushed over to Amethyst, who was sitting weakly and already under Pearl’s ministrations. Ruby turned around. Behind her was what looked like a tank - but it couldn’t be! The army had been all but useless for years, ever since the supergirls and superboys had taken over defense of the city. A figure jumped off the top of the tank and swaggered over to Ruby.\n\n“Didn’t mean to interrupt, sweetheart. You girls looked quite nice out there, but I figured you all could use a little help. The name’s Glannon. Tom Glannon.” The figure whipped off its hat, revealing it to be a young man, who held out his hand to Ruby. She examined him. A strong nose, broad smile, wavy brown hair, winking eyes, and one dimple. Oh yes, this one was trouble. Ruby glared at him, turned her back, and stalked over to her sisters. She would deal with him later.\n\n---\nAt the base, with Amethyst safely recovering in the infirmary, Ruby went to find Commander Dalton. The boss and director of the Gem Girls, Commander Dalton was not hard to find. Ruby found him where she expected, in his office. What she didn’t expect was his company. She walked in, not bothering to knock, only to be confronted with the same wavy hair and one dimple.\n\n“Ruby, I’m glad you could join us,” said Commander Dalton calmly, as if he had planned for Ruby to come. “Please meet Tom Glannon, a lieutenant in the army.”\n\nRuby shot him another glare. “We’ve met,” she said, careful to keep her voice cool. Tom only grinned.\n\n“Good. Tom here was just telling me his orders to help keep the people safe. We’re working out the details. It might be nice for you girls to have some help, don’t you think?” Ruby stared, shocked. She had come here to complain about the boy nuisance, not to be asked to work with him. And that was the absolute last thing she wanted.\n\n“No, I don’t think. What I think,” Ruby rose from the chair in her anger, “is that not only is Mr. Glannon not needed here, but he is not *wanted.*” Tom’s mouth opened in surprise and Ruby smiled inwardly in victory.\n\n“Come now, Ruby, don’t be hasty-” Commander Dalton tried to soothe Ruby, but she cut him off.\n\n“I’m not! You,” Ruby stabbed her finger at Tom, “have no business being here, because you don’t understand what it means to protect the city. It’s not just about killing monsters. It’s about making people feel safe. Making them feel like they can trust us. A feeling that we have worked hard to build, and that you undermined with your stupid idea to look cool!” Ruby’s voice had risen to a shout. Tom grinned lazily and stood also.\n\n“Sweetheart, calm down. We all know that part of your job is prancing to the cameras and the good people in the city. I won’t stop you from doing that - I’m not here to take away your fame. I’m just going to give you some help where it counts. Let someone a little… bigger take on the job.” His words were soothing, but his eyes were laughing. At her. “And besides, sweetheart, there’s nothing you can do about it.” Tom tapped the desk, where a bunch of official papers were. \n\nRuby’s eyes widened. He had official permission from the higher-ups to come here and take over *her* city. She stormed out of the room. She couldn’t handle that ass - condescending, stupid, cocky, arrogant, annoying… he didn’t understand the city, and more than that, she couldn’t afford to have him around here digging into places he didn’t belong. She couldn’t afford to have him rooting out her secret.\n\n---\nHope you enjoy! \nEdit: Part 2 in comments"
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[WP] "I know this is confusing and scary, but please listen. Hide, just hide. No matter what, don't let them see you."
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"So I’ve been using IRC recently with the alias of “Shadow” and have been taking quite a liking to them. I know, I know, the alias is a little cliché or overused, but I’m doing this for fun. Sticking to only a few rooms nowadays, I only message very few. A guy with the nickname “Chub”, another with the name of “Nightlight”, and the last with the name of “GG”. I admitted to myself, these guys were pretty weird, but I always assumed it was for others reason. Maybe they liked acting this way online, or that simply had a few issues in real life. I paid no mind to it for the most part, until now.\n\nIt was midnight and I decided to lay down to attempt to get any sleep. As I did this, my phone made an all-to-familiar vibration of a notification. I cut on the screen, causing me to squint due to the sudden brightness hitting my eyes. I noticed it was from one of my IRCs’ that I use.\n\nI groaned, muttering on how late it was under my breath. Sighing, I opened the app and looked at the chat log. Two minutes ago, Chub left the message, “Shadow, I know this is confusing and scary, but please listen. Hide, just hide. No matter what, don't let them see you.” I looked confusingly at it.\n\nWhat was he talking about? I thought this was probably him simply joking around, this wouldn’t be the first time. I shot a message back to him, “Very funny man, it’s midnight and I need sleep. So I’m cutting off my phone, see you tomorrow.”\n\nI went to turn my phone off before I got another reply. “I'M NOT JOKING MAN! Listen, GG and Nightlight vanished a little while ago, I haven’t heard from them and all I know is they messaged some guy with a blank name and nickname! Just—be careful man, I’ve been avoiding the IRC for the past few days because of what’s happening.” Now that he did mention it, I haven’t heard from GG and Nightlight at all.\n\n“Have you checked the area where they live to see if there really missing?” I asked. You’ll hear of people ‘vanishing’ all the time, but in reality there only off their computer and social media. I know Chub knew where they lived because the man had been friends with them for much longer than I have.\n\nWhat confused me though is why Chub was freaking out, I mean GG and Nightlight would go inactive for weeks, one occasion even a month. Maybe they went silent through mobile as well. That would make sense on why he’s freaked.\n\n“I did, even called the county. They said that GG was dead for around four days and Nightlight for more than two weeks.” Dead? I shook my head and looked again, the word changed to ‘missing’, not ‘dead’. I must be getting too tired.\n\n“This is bothering me because I was the first to message that guy. He was trying to get me to do something, but I told him off, he said some things, but I took all of it with a grain of salt. Didn’t think it would actually happen.”\n\n“What did he say?” I was only more confused on what he meant. What was he talking about?\n\n“The man said something about changing my friends, tearing them away from me.” I was having a hard time believing him.\n\n“Bro, I’m going to assume you’re only joking. Look, I’m going to sleep. I haven’t gotten any messages or anything by this guy, so don’t worry. Now, I’m off to sleep.” I replied before putting my phone on silent and cutting off vibration as well.\n\nI laid back, sighing. Closing my eyes, I allowed the song of sleepiness to enchant me and thrall me into a slumber. He was probably messing around, like always…\n\nSuddenly, a loud grinding sound, with the equivalent being a buzz saw, blared in my ear making my eyes shoot open. I screamed as my heart nearly blew out my chest as I quickly stood up, stumbling to the floor as I did.\n\nAs I stood back up, the sound stops. I was panting due to the sudden sound and looked at the source, my phone. Walking to my phone I pick it up and cut on the screen, it was 3 AM in the middle of the night and there were around twenty-five notifications. Most from Chub, but one was from a blank user.\n\nI checked my volume before anything and looked to find it was all muted. I shook my head from the confusion and open the IRC app. Looking at the user, I noticed that it was blank, I stared confusingly at it and brought back the still fresh memory of what Chub said, who was still spamming me by the way.\n\nI decided to not worry about it and read the message, “Hello, how are you today Shadow?”\n\nI looked at the text and shrugged seeing no harm in replying, Chub may just be freaking out over some random user.\n\n“Hello, I’m doing fine. Had an abrupt wake-up, but for the most part, I’m good.” I greeted.\n\n“What may have happened?”\n\n“Phone made a crazy sound while I was sleep, heart nearly left my chest.”\n\nI waited for something to happen for around ten minutes with nothing. I huffed, knowing that Chub was lying. I went into the room were Chub was and messaged him.\n\n“I just talked to that blank user and nothing weird happened, I told you man, probably just freaking out.”\n\nI got no reply. I waited for an untold amount of time with Chub not replying to anything, so I only assumed he jumped off and slept or something.\n\nGoing to my bed, I laid down and stared at the ceiling for, what seemed like an eternity. This night was definitely a freaky one at that, I haven’t been this bothered in a while.\n\nAs I was in this thought, I heard a sudden bang on the door of my room. I jumped up quickly looking at the door as it blew off its hinges. I was frightened at what was happening as my heart started racing.\n\nA tall lanky figure walked into the room, its arms and legs like toothpicks, its body slender and thin. It was slimy and black, almost looking latex as it stood. Its head was disfigured and stretched, mouth covered and nose being nonexistent.\n\n“I TOLD YOU NOT TO TAKE THEM!” It gurgled a horrifying roar from its mouth as it quickly crawled to me.\n\nI couldn’t move fast enough even if I wanted to as it grabbed me. Its strength was strong enough to crush my bones as it pushed me onto my bed, holding me in place. I struggled on trying to free myself as its face drew closer. Mucus and bodily liquids oozed from it and dripped on me. I squirmed under it as I looked at its face. Its mouth slowly split open as rows of drill-like teeth revealed themselves to me.\n\nIt vomited green liquid from its mouth while forcing my mouth open, to take it in bulk. I could think as this thing eyes stared into me, all I saw were hazel eyes staring back.\n\nMy surrounding began to fade around me as grass sprouted on my bed, the monster that stood above me turned to ash and blew away.\n\nI jolted up and coughed as I rubbed my throat. I looked around seeing what used to be my room, the desk that used to be beside my bed is now a mushroom that towers over my figure. My bed was a lump of land with wavy grass. The room I was once in is now gone, all that was left was a forest.\n\nI turned seeing a tall figure approached me. It was a beautiful woman, with long, luscious, black hair. “Hello, Daniel.” Her voice waved into my ears making me stare at her. I couldn’t help but smile slightly as I saw her. Something about her felt familiar.\n\n“Hello.” Was all I could push out as I marveled at her. Something about her felt calming, it almost made me forget all that happened previously.\n\n“Come, walk with me…” She said as she began walking.\n\nI followed her as she walked throughout the forest. I felt as if I could do this forever. She felt so familiar to me, like someone I knew at one point.\n\nShe approached a bright white light and glanced towards me, signaling me to follow her through it. I hesitated as if I knew something would happen, but my urging body pushed me forward as I followed her anyhow…\n\n..................................................................................................................\n\nA woman with black hair enters a dark room and sees the man laying on his bed, motionless. Deep in her being, she knew what has happened. She choked partially before silently walking to the young man and shaking him.\n\n“Daniel…” She quietly murmured.\n\nShe grabbed his phone, barely able to see as her vision blurred from tears, and cut on the screen.\n\n“Be careful with this stuff man, it's blank for a reason.” She saw the notification before dropping his phone and cupping her face before quietly bursting into tears.\n\n..................................................................................................................\n\nI don't know if this is pushing it, so please tell me!\n\nAlso, I do know that there are rough spots in this story, this is a first time for me writing something like this.",
"All my life we lived by darkness and shadows. Never by the light of day. My mother was terrified by the day time. I never knew why. I asked her once or twice but she would pretend to not hear me. By day we would sleep and night we would wake and eat and then travel. We never stayed in the same place more than one night. My mother always seemed to be on the run. For who or what I was never sure of. When I was very little I remember her pulling me in a wagon. Now I pull the wagon with all of our belongings. \n\nWe don’t have much, a couple blankets, a few can foods, a couple of dresses and my dolly. I turned eleven yesterday. I only know because my mom keeps a secret book in her blanket. Sometimes when she sleeps I looked through it. She mostly rambles about having to hide me so they can’t use me. I don’t know what she means. I can not ask her because then she would know I found her book. Yesterday I read it and she was talking about how I was eleven today and that meant they would now come after us even harder.\n\nI awake to my mother shaking me violently. \"I know this is confusing and scary, but please listen. Hide, just hide. No matter what, don't let them see you.\"\n“Mother I’m scared.” I say. \n“Listen. you must stay hidden. I will lead them away from here when I do you must run.” My mom hugged me tightly. “I wont be able to keep you safe anymore. You have to stay away from people. Trust no one.” With that she ran out the door of the small abandon shed we made home that night.\n“MOM!” I screamed after her but she is now long gone. \n\nI haven’t seen my mother in three years. I stay hidden and away from people just like she warn me to. I read my moms book from start to finish and now I know why I must stay hidden. They want the power I have hidden inside.",
"I scowl, irritated, and eye the homeless man up and down. He looks like he hasn't had a bath in weeks, and I can't tell if his tangled hair is naturally grey or just covered in dried mud.\n\n\"Don't let who see me?\" I ask, smothering my impatience to humour him; if I go along with his fantasy for a bit, I can get away and go home. It's late, I just got off the triple shift I had to pull because someone was fired this morning and someone else literally walked out just as I was about to go home, and all I want is a nice soak for my poor aching body before bed. Any other day, I would find this amusing and might even buy the guy dinner so he doesn't go hungry tonight, but my usual pleasantries have been devoured by exhaustion and anger at my coworkers.\n\n\"Them!\" he says insistently, lowering his voice and looking around to make sure no one else hears, even though it's half past 3 in the morning on a weekday and the only people stupid enough to be up right now are the drunk morons heading home that just got kicked out of whatever bar they passed out in. And me.\n\n\"Look, mister,\" I say, giving in to my need to get home, \"I'm tired, I'm irritable; I'm not good company right now... just take this, get yourself some food, and leave me alone...\" I tug a ten from the folds of my wallet, intending to push it into his hands, but he grabs my wrist.\n\n\"You need to hide,\" he says sharply. \"Now! Before they find you; they'll be here any second.\"\n\n\"Who??\" I snap, fed up with this game. I swear to God, if he says aliens, I'm calling the damn cops.\n\n\"The Blue Palm,\" he answers. Immediately, all anger washes out of me, chased away by a cold trickle of terror down my spine.\n\n\"How do you know that name?\" I whisper, staring at his weathered old face and realising his incredible blue eyes are much younger than the rest of him, yet timeless in knowledge.\n\n\"You need to hide,\" he repeats. \"Their Seekers will be here any second.\"\n\nI don't know how they found me, but I stop arguing; every second I waste arguing is another second for a Seeker to find me.\n\nNot many people in the world are blessed with the gift of True Sight, which allows a person to see another's real appearance regardless of any disguise by allowing them to look into that person's very soul. Most of them have been employed by a secret organisation called the Blue Palm, a stupid, unoriginal name chosen because those blessed with True Sight, also known as Seekers, glow blue in the hand when they use their ability. Those who aren't employed by the Blue Palm are systematically hunted down and either imprisoned until they change their mind, or simply killed.\n\nNo free Seeker has evaded the Blue Palm for more than five years. I am a free Seeker, and I have evaded them for almost ten.\n\nThe man grabs my hand and tugs, leading me away, and I follow without question or complaint. Instead, I inspect him more closely, my hand glinting blue between his large, calloused fingers that are only slightly smaller than mine. \n\nHe is much younger than I realised, maybe twenty-five, thirty years old; a good fifteen or twenty years younger than me. He is also much stronger than he appears, and I'm certain he has military training.\n\nThen I see something that makes me go cold, and I yank my hand from his, backpeddling. On the back of his neck is the tiny blue handprint tattoo that marks him a grunt for the Blue Palm.\n\n\"You're one of them!\" I accuse, getting ready to run.\n\n\"Wait!\" he snaps, an authority in his voice that startles me into obedience. \"I was, but I'm not anymore; I got out.\"\n\n\"You don't just 'get out' of the Blue Palm,\" I hiss, tense and wary. \"You retire under their banner or you die.\"\n\n\"Alright, I betrayed them; is that what you want to hear?\" He reaches for me again and I pull away. \"Come on; you have to hide.\"\n\n\"Don't you?\" I return sharply. His weathered features harden under the scraggly beard that covers the lower half of his face.\n\n\"They think I'm dead already,\" he explains. \"Now it's your turn; are you going to make it easy on them?\"\n\nI follow him again, but one question burns on my tongue until I have to ask: \"Why are you helping me?\"\n\n\"...Let's just say I care about your safety and leave it at that,\" he says gruffly. \"And don't you dare try to Seek me.\"\n\nWith a huff, I shove my hands into my pockets, and he immediately moves away, trying to get and stay outside of my Seeking zone. He doesn't realise I have no limit; if I can see a person, I can Seek them. One of the main reasons I've been able to avoid the Blue Palm for so long.\n\nI Seek his soul, not for his appearance this time, but for his motivations. What I find actually makes me trip, and he quickly reaches out to catch me as I yank my hands out of my pockets to catch myself. My glowing fingers wrap tightly around his tanned hand, and we both freeze, staring at each other.\n\n\"...I didn't want to tell you... Mom didn't want you to know...\"\n\n\"You have to hide too,\" I say, voice hoarse with too many emotions that I'm trying to keep down. \"True Sight is hereditary; if you're really my son, you'll have it too, and you don't have long before it becomes active. If Blue Palm learns that you have it...\"\n\n\"I know,\" he says wryly. \"I'm already on their list. That's why they think I'm dead.\"\n\n\"You have to hide more than I do,\" I suddenly realise. \"Both of my parents were Seekers; I'm stronger than the average Seeker. Your mother was a Seeker too; you'll be even stronger than me.\"\n\n\"I'm not leaving you to slow them down,\" he says sharply, gripping my wrist tightly. \"I came here to protect you, not to have you protect me!\" I'm still Seeking him, so I know he's telling the truth, and he inherited his mother's stubbornness; he won't give up.\n\n\"...Together then,\" I say, laying my non-dominant hand on his shoulder. \"We'll escape together.\" That brings a smile to his face, cutting his outward age in half and abruptly reminding me of myself at that age. He nods, his hand flickering blue under mine.\n\n\"Yes, sir.\"\n\nLet the battle of Seekers begin.",
"My mother had brought me into her bedroom after violently shaking me awake. She shoved me under the and leaned forward to kiss my forehead. \n\n\"I know this is confusing and scary, but please listen. Hide, just hide. No matter what, don't let them see you.\"\n\nThe last image of her I had was the tears coming from her eyes as she stood up, walked towards to door and left the the room. It was quiet, followed by a shrill scream and some glass shattering. I waited for what felt like forever before I got up.\n\nI was only twelve when they came. They got my father on the way to work, but not before he was able to call me mother and warn her. I made my way down the stairs and found the front door was wide open, blood and glass everywhere. I searched around the house but could not find my mother.\n\nThe smear of crimson trailed towards the back of the house. The back door way ajar as well and the trail seemed to go off into the darkness of the night. In school, they gave us drills to practice in case this happened, but the fear was clouding my memory. I closed the doors and went back upstairs.\n\nThere was a chilled breeze flowing through the house and I figured it was from the broken window on the front door. Hastily, I tried to find some kind of warmth so I could get some sleep for the night. Screams in the distance informed me I was not through with this nightmare.\n\nI awoke in the morning and made my way to the street to assess what had happened. Cars were destroyed, houses up and down the street were on fire and the city, in the distance, was a cloud of smoke. Even with nothing but sirens and alarms filling the air, I had the aching feeling, I was being watched.",
"The door flung wide, rebounding off my wall with a bang. My father's face was one of intense fear. I was alarmed – I'd never seen him with anything but a stoic grin on his face, even at the worst of times.\n\n\n“John, he whisper-shouted urgently, “Quick, we have to get you out.”\n\n\nHe grabbed my dressing gown and thrust it around my bare shoulders, before practically dragging me out of my bedroom and onto the landing.\n\n\n“What's going on...?” I whispered. I could hear my mum downstairs, rummaging through drawers. An insistent rapping on the door made her squeal with terror, and her furtive searching sounds grew more frantic.\n\n\n“Quiet,” my father urged. “ I'll explain when there's time. We've prepared for this.”\n\n\nAn amplified voice blared distorted demands to open the door, to let them in. So brazen.\n\n\nFather opened the cupboard under the stairs, and moved aside the floorboard. A cavernous, black pit yawned up at me, with a ladder descending into the darkness.\n\n\n“I know this is confusing and scary,” he whispered, that stoic grin back on his face. Trying to reassure me, but that smile hadn't worked on me in years. “But please listen. Hide, just hide. No matter what, don't let them see you.”\n\n\nI made my careful way down the creaking ladder, the terror seeping in as the darkness surrounded me, and becoming absolute as the floorboard was replaced, blocking out the last of the light. I cowered in the blackness, waiting for it to be over. Just like last time.\n\n\n-----\n\n\nIt took three hours, but finally they left. I hadn't been found.\n\n\nMy father came back, the light from above blinding my dark-accustomed eyes. The stoic grin looked down on me.\n\n\n“They'll never find you,” Father said. “You're my son now.”\n\n\nThe beatings resumed that night.\n\n-----\n\n/r/tdmstories \n\nWhy are all my stories so bleak? I may have issues. Fun to write, though! "
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[WP] A civilian pilot takes his plane up for a late afternoon flight near New York City. After being struck by lightning from a pop-up storm, he finds he’s been transported back to the year 1910.
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"The first thing I noticed was the signals and lights from the panel going crazy. Anything digital, any information not generated by the plane itself, was beeping and blinking randomly. \"That's normal, when you get hit by a lightning it happens\" I thought for myself.\n\nRoutine precautions actions, and as I was on air for not even 10 minutes, it would be easy to come back without any connection information.\n\nAfter making the turn and looking at the ground, I noticed: there was no home for me. No turret, no runway, not even my house. The place where it was suposed to be, was just green tall trees growing happy and wild. \"OK, calm down, you're lost. Think: you can't land on the forest, it's not safe.\" I thought. \"I can't land on a building neither, there is no heliport near. There is the sea near here, I can go there.\"\n\nI knew the sea was somewhere on the north, and as the compass was still working, I guided myself that way. It was good and clean, no risks at all. I landed there, the safeseat jumped off, and I swam my way to the cosat. Getting there, I started to notice the strange things: the people walking the shore, the city's silhouette, even the cars were odd. They looked like they were old, very very old. Like on movies. The people on the street nearest to the shore helped me to get there, indicating the fastest way to get out. As I got up, I asked the first man I saw. He was good looking, with a suit, top hat, very... Charming.\n\n\"Excuse me sir. Where am I?\"\n\n\"Oh, hmm. This is Coast Avenue, Saint Catharine, my friend. England. What was that metal big bird you were in?\"\n\n\"OK. Now: when am I?\"\n\n\"I beg your pardon sir, but I don't understand your question.\"\n\n\"What date is today?\"\n\n\"September 19, if I'm not mistaken.\"\n\n\"OK, that I know. But the year!!\" At this moment, I was grabbing his shoulder, almost shaking him.\n\n\"Ah. That makes no sense, but it is 1910. Why are you asking this, sir? Are you OK? Feeling dizzy?\" After he said '1910', I felt dizzy indeed. That number hit me like a truck, like \"What the fuck happened, during that lightning?\". I asked for a civilian to guide us to a hospital (Because the \"trauma\"). It wasn't far, we could go by walk, but it was windy and cold, and we were all kindly wet, so we called some taxis. The car were old too, it was everything very 1910-ish.\n\nThe hospital, logically, wasn't different. Every place we visited and saw, made me think less that was a joke, or a prank. The hospital, tho, was good. Everyone attended me very politely, and I had a room and a bed to sleep through the night. I was mildly terrified, since we got \"magically\" transportated to somewhere we didn't know. But OK, being \"terrified\" or anything like this wouldn't help at all.\n\nI would need to live. I had some money inside my bag (waterproof, luckily), and could pay for a motel to stay. I got there, and asked for a room. A simple one, not something fancy, since I didn't have much money. \"Not being impolite sir, but your money is enough to take our most expensive and luxuous room. For 3 weeks!\" Then I changed my mind, and asked for something a little bit more expensive (something about US$ 40.00/day, 250/week). I searched for a job the week I expended on the motel. I got a typing job, on an accounting firm. Years and years using smartphones and computers, I knew how to type, and pretty fast, even though the keys were very hard. The salary wasn't high at the start, but was enough to rent a small appartment (1 room, 58m²) for living. I started saving some money, for the future, and things. I was gaining US$ 400.00 at the start, US$ 250.00 for the rent, about US$ 100.00 for living (food, clothes, etc.), and the other US$ 50.00 was saved. Every month.\n\nEventually, I got up on the firm, and started teaching new typists how to type, hints and tips. After 3 or 4 years on the firm, I met a girl (one of the new typists). Of course, I met every student and every person from the firm, but she caught my eye. I can't describe how she looked for me, she was just gorgeous. We started hanging out, and when I explained that I was from the future, she didn't laugh, she didn't say \"Stop it\", or anything like it. She looked me with her most serious face and asked \"And how is it?\". That was the first time I got this answer, and it got me unprepared.\n\nI spent the next 5 or 6 hours explaining how was the future. After some weeks hanging out, I showed her my monomotor (that got hit by the strike), explained how it worked. She was trully fascinated by it, and I was fascinated by her. At some point, we started dating, and then we got engaged, and finally we got married. This happened in 1918. We were happy together. I knew what would happen during the war time, so we previously went to the Brazil. Our plan was to stay there for 4 or 5 years, and after the war end we would be back. But we got got so enchanted with the people from the south of the country, that we couldn't help but stay there. We bought a house there, in 1922, on a rural part of there. There we get 2 kids (twins), Gabriel and Luisa. The second war came, and Gabriel were recruited to the war. He went to fight on the takeback of Italy, and later went to the England. In 1946, he sent me a letter saying that he would stay there, as he found the love of his life during the war, in London. \"Life is ironic, isn't it?\" said my Beatriz.\n\nThe saving of money I had throughout my life, that I saved on a bank on New York, was addressed for my brother back in 2010. My life there was gone, and my life here was good. You can say that strike really saved my life."
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[WP] You gained the ability to go back in time and decide to kill Hitler. But after multiple assassination attempts by other time travelers Hitler has learned to defend himself.
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"\"Well, Adolf. You gotta see it like this, buddy.\" \n\nI pause, he tops up my snifter. A 1929 Remy Martin captured in Paris, a superb drink in 1944. \n\n\"The thing is, we know everything about you now- err, well... then.\"\n\nHe stops to toss back the rest of his glass, his hair flopping as he does. The last drop clings to That Mustache.\n\n\"Oh ya, Herr Liebermann, like 'vat? Vat 'sings do you know about me, dein Führer?\"\n\nWe were alone in a bunker. The high command was falling apart, Russian troops pounded Berlin. Eva Braun slept in the next room, shrouded in narcotics.\n\n\"Well, for instance, we know you're Austrian, not German. We know you are a lover of the arts, and liked to paint.\"\n\n\"I still do! When I was young meine Großmutti said I painted better than anyone she'd ever seen. It is... a passion.\"\n\n\"I understand that, Adolf. But that doesn't matter to history. You will not be known for your love of the arts.\"\n\n\"Why are you here Herr Liebermann? 'Ze others, they came to kill me. I have been triumphant each time. You bear keine veapons, so why are you here?\n\nHis English was impeccable, and his French even better. I could tell he grew weary of our conversation, bored by the mundane details of his own life- a life that preceded the grandeur of his current station. I wasn't ready yet. \n\n\"History will not remember you kindly, Adolf.\" His eyes narrowed, but he was silent. \n\n\"You see, this won't last,\" I gesture to the world above. \"This is not destined for a thousand years, no great empire is coming,\" I lied.\n\n\"Why not?\" He snapped. I had him. \n\n\"Your ambition outpaced your capacity, for one. You're just not a good leader. But that's not the main reason. We know about the Jews. We know about the final solution, and the camps, and the experiments, and the gas chambers, the crematoria, the industrial scale slaughter. No one forgives you- ever.\"\n\nHe sat silent, trembling, scared. \n\n\"The Americans and Russians will find them and expose them- Treblinka, Auschwitz, Dachau, and the smaller camps- all of them. In the museums, they'll post letters from local families. Average Germans asking the camp superintendent for 'laborers' to help them build a barn or church. The truth will be broadcast across the globe, and the leadership will be tried- found guilty in almost every case, then executed.\"\n\nI could see he was fuming still, desperate to respond- I pressed harder.\n\n\"After the war, a new nation will be founded, called Israel. Jews from around the world will flock to it and seek refuge there. Germany will be reduced to rubble, but will be rebuilt. Your enemy the United States will invest billions in its reconstruction and Germany will again be known as an industrial powerhouse. But the nation will forgive itself, and swear never to walk the path of ignorance and hatred again. Homosexuals, Jews, Muslims- anyone and everyone will be welcome there, a shining example of inclusion and fairness.\"\n\n\"You LIE!\" Spittle flew and his hair flopped across his crimson brow. He fumed for a moment, his breath raspy in the stillness of the bunker. Outside the dull sounds of a defeated city boomed ever closer- staccato bursts of machine gun fire and the persistent dull thrum of aircraft engines. In the bunker the lights flickered and swung in time to artillery shells, dust shook loose from the ceiling and settled in sheets. \n\nHe just sat across from me, trembling in fury, fear, or something else. I saw him upend the cognac and take a long pull. \"You lie,\" he said again softly, wearily- a man broken by the truth, his facade in ruins around him. \n\n\"I do not lie. And we also know that you yourself are a homosexual, and you carry Jewish blood. Your Großmutti would be ashamed of you, Adolf.\"\n\nBefore I could move, hardly before I could blink, he did it. In one swift motion he pulled a Luger I hadn't noticed, pressed it against his temple, and squeezed the trigger. His eyes never broke contact with mine. I had risked everything, traveled all that time for that moment- mission accomplished. \n\nSometimes I still see those eyes when I wake at night, taste the sulfur and feel the gunshot's crack against my eardrum. But still, mission accomplished.\n\n\nI took the pill, dialed the settings on my watch. I was anxious to see the fantastical world I'd imagined. We've been fighting for so long. \n\nThe settings were accepted, the device spooled up; Warsaw Ghetto AD 2943. Almost a thousand years. \n\nI closed my eyes, muttered the motto in Hebrew: \"We will not allow them to take us like sheep to the slaughter.\n\nTime to go home.\""
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[WP] You buy a cheep car from a shady salesman, and it has one extra pedal. The salesman told you that it was broken and warned you against pushing it, but one day you decide to push your foot down on it.
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"I had owned the car for 2 day at that point. I was still getting used to driving it. You can never really get used to having old ladies flip the bird because you accelerate too slowly. As well, in place of the normal dead pedal, there appeared to be a second clutch pedal. I was told to never touch that. Still, at $200 dollars, and being rust free, any car is a solid investment.\n\nOf course, touching the pedal is a rather broad term, especially for something so in the way. Looking at it, I found it wasn't connected mechanically to anything; instead it only touched a button, similar to the brake light switch. The wires from that switch were unfollowable, as are all wires in a car. I only really had one way to know what it did.\n\nI decided stay up all night, waiting for that sweet spot after all the taxis have driven everyone home from the bars, and before the morning workers get up. I had the highway all to myself. I sat at the top of the on ramp, my heart racing from a combination of nervousness and excitement. I turned off my radio and revved my engine in anticipation. This would be my first time opening up completely. \n\nThe light turned green. I dumped the clutch and did the closest thing I could to a burnout. I raced through first gear, revving the engine to around 6500 when I shifted to second. Second gear went as fast, and I shifted to third just as violently. It took me a little to get fast. I shifted into fourth gear driving around 80 km/h. This was it, the final gear. Could I get to 160 in a $200 car? At about 145 km/h, I decided that I was too close to the end of the highway, and that's as fast as I could get her this pass.\n\nI took the next off ramp, using the overpass to turn around. I launched off the light, racing through first and second gears. I when I was around 70 km/h, I put my left foot to the clutch pedal in anticipation of the shift into fourth. I depressed the clutch and shifted as fast as I could, and then placed my foot on the dead pedal. \n\nSuddenly, I heard a loud bang as my car started swerving back and forth. I realized that trying to stay in my lane was hopeless. To my right was a rock wall that had been blasted to make the highway, to my left was a grassy median separating directions of traffic. I tried to convince the car into the median with what little control I had. I hit the grass with my driver's side front tire first, then my passenger side front tire. That caught and I got thrown in the air as my car rolled. Once, twice, and a third time, finally coming to a rest upside-down. I grabbed my cell phone, dialed 911, and blacked out as it was ringing.\n\n\\--\\--\\-\\-\\-\\-\\-\\-\\-\\-\\--\\-\\-\n\nI plan on finishing this later, but I don't have time right now. "
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[WP] You're casually walking downtown, when you notice a man in a suit charging at you. Suddenly, all memories of your past life return to you...
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"The distinct jingle stopped me in my tracks, as it always does, as I instinctively reached for my phone. As it happened, a stranger caddy-corner to myself did the same. This bizarre coincidence caught my eye for a moment, as it did his, until the gravity of the call drew my attention away- \"...we've decided to go with your proposal. We look forward to a rewarding future together. Congratulations.\" The call ended, and I was overcome with euphoria as I shouted into the sky \"YEA-\" \n\"FUCK!!!\", the simultaneous shout echoed from across the corner, as the other man threw his phone to the pavement. All the bustle of pedestrians came to a halt, focused on the two of us. Our eyes met. Pure rage in his, fading glee in my own. Somehow, I knew that this was no stranger; Though I had never once seen him in my life, I knew who he was. With a war cry, he sprinted off the curb in my direction, business suit and tie trailing behind him, buttons straining to contain his muscles behind his shirt. \nTime came to a stand still. I suddenly realized that my entire life this man had lurked just beyond my gaze, stepping on the back of my shoes. My mind was flooded with memories we shared: \nIn line at starbucks, one pastry left behind the glass, claiming it with my eyes, only for it to be gone when my turn arrives. I turn to see only a shadow of your back as the door closes behind you, taking a big bite. \nApproaching my crush at the dance, a couple blocks my sight of her for a moment, and when they pass she is hand in hand with your silhouette, exiting the gymnasium. \nFlagging down a taxi, it turns on its blinker and weaves my way, but stops short. I cant see behind a garbage can as you enter, and I watch as the cab pulls away into the night without me. \n \nEvery little missed opportunity in my life, there has been you. Always present, and never seen. But I see you now. So I release my phone from my grip, and it too hits the sidewalk. I began to remove my coat, preparing for battle. He was now close enough that the veins in his forehead are visible. Suddenly I knew why. \n \nFor all of my accomplishments, you have been there, too. \nShaking hands with a new employer, you were there in his trash bin, printed on strathmore stock. \nMaking out with a girl at a bar, you were ringing in her pocket and being sent to voice mail. \nAnd now as my proposal was being accepted- yours was turned down flat. \nEvery good memory I have, has been made standing on your back, and vice-versa as well. It was then that I knew: \n \n*Neither of us could live while the other survives.* \n \nI ducked under your swing, and blocked your follow up with my briefcase. From your pocket you drew a pen and, twirling, jammed it into my leg. With a cry of pain I backed away, gripping it. But in my leg I saw a broken spear. In my hand not a briefcase, but a shield. You were a few feet away fully clad in armor, and around us the buildings of Chicago had been replaced by the walls of a colosseum. \nI know you. I've known you my whole life. You and I have been at war since before either of us had been born. You tried to kill me in Rome. We battled in the trenches at Gallipoli. Our jets clashed in dogfights over Vietnam. We drowned together on the high seas. I can still taste your blood in my mouth as my fangs ripped into your scaled flesh. I know who you are. \n \nYou are my enemy. \n \nRegaining my composure, I rip the crystal shard from the leg of my suit. Gas erupts from the hole as a synthetic voice warns me to return to the airlock. From my excavation pack I draw a mining beam, \n \nand so do you."
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[WP] You wake up one day to aliens living openly among us. No one seems surprised but you.
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"\"Am I missing something?\" she asks.\n\n\"Probably,\" I reply, getting ever more nervous, \"because that's a real, live alien walking past our building!\"\n\nMy wife's smile fades. She turns her face away from me and focuses on selecting the day's jewelry. She toys with a sapphire ring, then clenches it in her fist. \"Rob-\" she begins, struggling to find the words. \"Rob, I love you, but I don't know how much more of this I can take.\"\n\n\"More of what? What did I do wrong?\" I ask, confused.\n\nClara sets the ring down and goes out into the kitchen with her phone, selecting a number from her contact list as she leaves. I'm still in disbelief that what I see outside is somehow normal. A small alien shuttlecraft flies past our bedroom window as crowds outside take no notice of it, and I start to wonder if I have amnesia. Checking the date on my phone, I find that I have no missing days, but somehow everything is drastically different.\n\nClara comes back in from the kitchen, holding her keyring. I don't notice at first, but she's fighting back tears. \"You need to see the doctors again. The medicine isn't working.\"\n\nOn our journey from our apartment to the hospital, I realize that much more has changed than I first noticed. Our car no longer has a steering wheel, but is self-driving; some run-down parts of the city have been replaced with structures obviously extraterrestrial in architecture. Quickly, I become lost in thought as to how the world could be so much different than my memory of it.\n\nSoon, the car comes to a stop in the downtown medical center. \"We're here,\" Clara says, breaking the silence she held for the duration of the trip. The car door opens on its own, and Clara takes my hand and walks me into the hospital complex. The car shuts itself and drives off on its own, which Clara seems okay with.\n\nIn the lobby, a team with a hospital bed is waiting. They must be waiting for me and Clara, since they walk towards us when we walk through the front doors. The doctor of the team speaks to us, \"Mr. Rickman, would you please empty your pockets and get into this bed?\" I take my phone out of my pocket and hand it to Clara. She leaves as soon as I let go of the phone, and I realize that she's been silently crying for the whole drive to the hospital. I start to wonder what the medical treatment I'm about to receive is going to entail.\n\nNow in the bed, the team rolls me to an elevator, where all of us get on. Once the doors close, the doctor of the team scans his handprint on an unmarked panel above the floor buttons. The panel lights up green, and the elevator begins to descend underground.\n\n\"Doctor,\" I ask, \"what's happening to me?\"\n\nBefore she can answer, the elevator stops moving and the door opens. The team of nurses push my bed out of the elevator and down the hall. Unlike the hospital lobby, the walls and floor of this level are unpainted sheet metal, with sparse light sources. Through a set of doors, I'm wheeled into what looks like an operating room.\n\n\"I'm sorry you have to go through this, Rob,\" the doctor says. Meanwhile, the nurses are each headed to control stations in different corners of the room.\n\n\"With what?\" I ask. \"Will someone tell me what's going on already?\"\n\n\"I can't. I'm sorry,\" she responds.\n\n\"Why not?\" I ask back.\n\nThe doctor remains silent, and none of the nurses speak.\n\n\"Activate harmonic resonator,\" she commands. Machinery hums to life as the nurses punch into their control panels. \"Set resonance pattern from run 31\"\n\n\"Resonance pattern set,\" says one of the nurses. The doctor steps away from my bed.\n\n\"Engage energy shield,\" the doctor commands. With a tap, I'm encased in a hemisphere of light. The light of the shield is overwhelming, and I can't hear anything beyond the increasing roar of the machines anymore. The noise and light grow stronger for more than a minute. Then, in an instant, the light goes out and the world turns silent.\n\nI wake up, still in my hospital bed. I'm now next to a window on one of the upper floors of the hospital. The world outside looks exactly as I remember, with no traces of alien influence.\n\nAccording to the nurses, I was brought into the emergency room several days ago after being found passed out on the street. I was comatose since then. Clara has come to see me, and is happy to know I'm okay.\n\nI don't know whether what I saw was real or a coma dream, but at this point it seems pointless to worry about it anymore. My life is back to normal, and I'm doing okay.",
"When I was younger, we'd spend our summer days kayaking Lake Huron. On some days, you'd wade out til the water was ankle deep and lose track of your own toes. But on a sunny July afternoon, when the wind was just right and the tide wasn't picking up too much sand, you could make it a quarter mile off shore and still have a crystal clear view of the bottom. Hell, if things came together in just exactly the right magical way, you'd be able to see 30 feet straight down like you were looking out your backyard window.\n\nI like to think of space a lot like those summer days on the water. Some days, a star or two peered out and nothing more. Other days, tens of thousands of thousands of stars shone at me like a flashlight through a woven blanket. But I always wondered if, just maybe, there'd come a day when I could see right down to the bottom, right out to the edge of a horizon I never fully understood.\n\nLast night, I swear everything came together just so. I can't say what it is I saw, but I knew it was the end. I looked out deep into the blackness between the stars, and I saw the bottom of space, and it was beautiful and it was terrifying and I dreamt of nothing else for the whole of the night.\n\nThat morning, I woke up in bed, sun shining through the window. I slung off the covers and stretched my sleepy legs out onto the floor. A handful of steps brought to my door, which didn't open. It fell. It fell and the walls fell and all I saw was white.\n\nI sat there, alone and afraid for maybe three or four minutes, before a door opened from nowhere in particular. It was my parents.\n\n\"Good morning, John.\"\n\nMy dad was speaking with a calm that didn't fit within this context. He was smiling his normal smile, and my mom was jittering her typical jitters.\n\n\"I'm sure you're confused.\" He gestured toward a table. Either I hadn't noticed it or it hadn't been there. To this day, I'm not sure. In any event, I sat.\n\n\"What's going on?\" I had been more or less calm until this point, but I could feel the shock wearing thin. My heart began to race, and I felt tears building at the back of my throat.\n\n\"Do you remember last night?\"\n\n\"Huh?\"\n\n\"Do you remember what happened last night?\" The stillness in his voice was becoming unnerving.\n\n\"Yes, nothing special happened.\"\n\n\"We disagree. What did you think of before you fell asleep?\"\n\nI didn't understand. How did they know what I was thinking about? And why did they care? I began to run in no direction in particular, and somehow, a new room appeared. I saw several people I didn't know sitting in front of monitors. My father surprised me by being only feet behind me, with no discernable energy spent following me in my flat out sprint.\n\nHe pointed at one of the monitors, and I saw, how do I explain? I saw what I saw. It was as if I was looking through my own eyes, which for me, confused my eyes to a degree I didn't know possible. My mother shook me away, seeing what was occurring.\n\n\"We've been watching you. Here, it was all for you.\" A series of people began to fill the room. I saw my teachers, my friends, family members, acquaintances. They assembled in a line and, each in unison, said to me, \"Hello, John.\"\n\nMy father turned to me again and explained, \"This will be difficult, but bear with us. Your world was designed for study. We placed these people with you.\" He waved at the hundreds of folks lined up before me. \"You've now seen the edge of your world. Or, you've seen the edge of the world we built for you. That is the first step.\"\n\nLooking down, my hand was trembling.\n\n\"Would you care to take step 2?\" He paused for effect. \"Would you care to, how'd you put it, see what's under the bottom of the universe?\"",
"The sun shined through my window and my wife was still asleep beside me. My clock said 6:29, I held it in my hand and it flipped to the next minute, sounding an abhorrent beat in my hand. I threw it against the wall, as a startle response, and it broke into a few pieces.\n\nMy wife shot up and glanced over to me, glaring. What I way to start my morning. I got up and made my way over to the bathroom. I stubbed my toe off the end of the bed and fell to the floor. Gaining my composure and swearing compulsively, I continued my journey. The door was shut and knocked vigorously, Susan was in there and God knows how long she'd be. To the second bathroom.\n\nI walked down the stairs and found my way into the other bathroom. I whipped out my phone and set it on the sink edge, daily morning show in the background as I washed up. In the shower, I heard pieces of the usual stuff, \"Trump.. laws against... aliens..\". I assumed more talk of a wall.\n\nFirst day back to work since being off for a month and I was nervous about what I was walking into. Tyler called and told me to meet him at our old favourite coffee shop, he said he had a lot to tell me. I sipped on my morning tea and Judith made eggs. David and Susan were at the table enjoying some toast. First day back to school for the kids, first day back to work for dad, we laughed.\n\nI waved goodbye and headed out the door. The bus stop was empty so I stood alone. The bus strolled around the corner and I walked aboard, flashing my card before I took a seat; The driver was chatting his usual chat before doing so. I glanced behind me and there were people talking and jammering on; I heard a very strange laughter, almost like a snorting cackle. The source was a series of people at the back of the bus, strangely all wearing the same grey hooded cloak.\n\nPeople walked in front of me and my attention was broken, glancing up I noticed it was my stop. The people at the back shook hands with a man in a suit and the man got off. The hand that stretched out from the hood was a blue-grey in colour. I wasn't sure if thats exactly what I saw or not and carried on my way. Tyler was at the shop, waiting outside waving me over.\n\nWe walked in and stood in line.\n\n\"So I know you've been gone for a while, but there have been some huge changes. You been listening to or watching the news?\"\n\nThe line advanced forward and I shrugged. He continued on and I strayed away, thinking about my coffee and donut I was going to order. We were next. Tyler said something about aliens and I piped up as we made our way to the counter, \"Yeah I heard, more illegal aliens coming over, he going to build another..\"\n\n\"CAN I TAKE YOUR *snort* ORDER??\"\n\nI looked up to stand face to face with a blue-grey humanoid creature with huge, black eyes looking at me. I jumped back and let out a scream, \n\n\"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING?!?\"\n\nTyler grabbed me up off the floor and pulled me aside, \"sorry sir, well get back in line later!\"\n\nI was hysterical, shaking. Tyler tried to calm me down.\n\n\"Wh.. wh.. what was that a fucking alien or..\"\n\nThe place went silent and everyone, even the thing behind the counter, looked at me. Tyler slapped me and exclaimed, \"Christ man, you can't just go around dropping the \"A-bomb!\"\n\nHe ripped me outside onto the street and we continued to talk. It was an alien but he informed me they prefer the term \"space-being\". They spoke desent enough English to hold basic jobs and turned out to be valuable members of the work force.\n\n\"They aren't here to, like, probe us or anything, right?\" I laughed to myself and was met by another slap. \n\n\"You can't say shit like that! That's like saying black people really like f.. know what? Just don't say that.\" We decided to forget coffee and headed to work. I walked through the glass sliding doors and looked about. They were everywhere, walking side by side with humans and nobody seemed to care. \n\nI should really start listening to the whole story on the news."
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[WP] God is real, however we're not the only civilized life form. Every solar system was created by a different God, and they're betting on who wins the intergalactic war.
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"In the crevices between the vast expanses of time and space, our Galactic Creators had gathered in an alien twist between a bar, a supercomputer, and a polyhedron. \n\nThe Galactic Gamemaster sat behind the bar counter; He acted as the scorekeeper and secretary of the 13 billion year-old contest. The Gamemaster’s physical characteristics could be easily described as a black mist in a bartender’s suit. \n\nThousands of holographic, magical, and glass monitors spewed real-time statistics, news, innovations, battles, and such and such important events in our beloved Milky Way. Throughout the multi-dimensional bar were Gods - our gods - doing typical god things: drinking, socializing, conjuring, cursing, drinking, and most importantly: gaming. No self-respecting God/Goddess would miss out the pinnacle of Universe’s (or so the Milky Way deities loved to claim) pinnacle of gambling and gaming. \n\n“1000 FAITH that we wipe out your stupid moon-hive on Axel-9!” bellowed what could only be described as a large 3-eyed, bipedal, technicolor Garfield equipped with a pair of tiny horns on the sides of its’ head. \n\n “Ya fuckin’ cunt we aren’t some damn hive-mind like does Comb buggers!” retorted a hip, bipedal cricket decked out in fashionable clothing (most noticeably a large wood-like fedora). \n\n“You're all mandible no trousers Catxl, yah naked savage. 2000 FAITH that we repel any attack that your furry bastards throw at our colony!”\n\n“FUCK YOU NEMOB! TOO SCARED TO FACE ME WITHOUT A HOME ADVANTAGE PUSSY?! 7000 FAITH WE RAZE THAT MOON TO THE CORE! ” shrieked the God of the Catxl. \n\n“9000 FAITH! MY LADS ARE GOING TO TURN YOUR KITTIES INTO COATS!” screamed the God of the Nemobus.\n\nHuman, seated with his brother at the same table as Nemob and Catxl, turned to chuckle at the feuding gods in the midst of their Cold War. Every Game Night for the past century, the two would hurl insult, threats, and alcohol at each other. So far neither Nemob and Catxl actually went through with their boasts, but their swearing match invoked nostalgic feelings of his creation’s disunited, pre-spacefaring days. \n\nA slight frown appeared on his face. It took him 100000+ FAITH to finally unite humanity under a single flag. The political advancement set him back so much that Human almost regretted diverging from the reptilian path that his brother had walked. Luckily, the almost pure utility-build that Human had directed allowed the united humanity to quickly achieve the rank of a space-faring civilization. \n\nHuman turned once again to face his brother: Drex. The blue-green scaled God sat upright in his chair. His fierce, yellow, reptilian eyes glared at the cricket and the cat from his feathered raptor-shaped skull. Drex’s retractable adamantium-covered retractable tapped impatiently at the base of the table. His bladed tail, wrapped in a colorful sheath gifted by Human, rapped the same impatient tune on the bar floor. \n\nOnce he and Drex followed a similar combat/military-oriented build. But then Human decided to spend a considerate amount of FAITH points to switch to a utility-race. Though it came with several considerate delays, ultimately Human was glad that he made the decision to restart. Combat-build races tended to be aggressive and warlike towards one another - which would have made the planned alliance between him and his brother too expensive for either of them. \nThe imposing, awe-inspiring bones of his prior creations also instilled a sense of amazement and curiosity within humanity. Their childlike wonder and interest made them easily willing to ally themselves with the raptor-esque Drexans. Young human children affectionately referred to the Drexans as “space dinosaurs”. \n\n“Gentle Godss and Goddessses. We should keep to the matter at hand. Your conflict is dissrupting trade and resource collection in multiple ssectors. This is a fact that my brother and associates can certainly attesst to.”\n\nHuman nodded towards the feuding gods. “That’s correct. The military zones set up by the Nemobus and the Catxl in the recent decades has interfered with mining and farming operations. Multiple well-used trade routes have also been deemed unsafe due to a sudden increase in -” \n\n“Unsafe! That ain’t my fault mate. That right cat bastard over there probably responsible for that.” sneered Nemob. \n\n“You dare accuse me of such a heinous act of aggression! Don’t try to frame me for your crimes Nemob!”\n\n“I don’t even need to frame you for picking dumb fights kitty-cat.”\n\n“WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU INBREEDING CRICKET @#$@!@$!”\n\n“YOU KNOW WHAT I RIGHT SAID YAH PUSSY #%#&&%*@@!”\n\n\nA gurgling sound akin to the clearing of throat was heard at the table. The gods of the table turned to face the 5th member of their meeting. \n\n*“Human was about accuse both of you of funding piracy.”* echoed Cella from within her pressure suit. A a race of telepathic squid - they and their goddess herself was surprisingly blunt. \nHuman was shook by Cella’s statement. He intended to be more far more subtle about the whole affair. \n\n*“He was about to say that your peoples are giving weapons to pirates in order to disrupt the other’s trade routes. But they aren’t just targeting Catxl and Nemobus ships in their criminal pursuits. You know this but you just don’t care.”*\n\n“WHAT THE FUCK HUMAN. YOU DARE ACCUSE THE GLORIOUS CATXL EMPIRE OF PIRACY! WE HAVE NO IDEA OF THIS PIRACY YOU SPEAK OF” said the lying Catxl. \n\n“RIGHT MATE. I ONLY HIRE THIS PIRATE WANGERS TO SKIN THIS CATS.” added Nemob.\n\n“YOU INSECTOID IDIOT!”\n\n“OY WHOO YOU CALLING IDIOT!”\n\n\nDrex gave a murderous look to the celaphod goddess. He stood up from his and bared his teeth towards Catxl and Nemob. \n\n“My brother hoped that we could reach a diplomatic solution, but now see that such a conclusion is not possible with idiots such as yourself.” sneered Drex. \n\nCatxl and Nemob stood up to meet Drex’s fierce gaze. Nemob retorted to the dinosaur god first. \n\n“Oy’ mate if ya uncultured swines think you can take me - ” \n\n“THE CATXLS ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE REPTILE SCUM! HOPE YOU ENJOY SANCTIONS!” screamed Catxl.\n\n“OY THINK I’LL TAKE YOUR INSULTS ANY LONGER. ONLY PUSSIES USE SANCTIONS! PREPARE FOR WAR!” chirped Nemob. \n\n“WE ARE READY. YOU WILL NOT WIN AGAINST TRUE WARRIORS SUCH AS THE DREXAN!” roared Drex. \n\nHuman put his hand on Drex’s shoulder. The rage in the dinosaur god’s eyes subsided and, with a quiet apology to his brother, Drex sat back down. \n\n“Gentle Gods and Goddess. War is not the answer here! We must reestablish the trade routes or all of us will lose FAITH!” Human decreed. “I propose the creation of a neutral zone where trade can freely conduct! Such a zone would increase our FAITH banks and more than make up for the amount spent to create the zone!”\n\nCatxl and Nemob calm down upon hearing Human’s proposal. \n\n“Errr. I suppose that would work mate. If everyone backs it up then kitty-cat can’t do any funny business.” said Nemob\n\n“Humph! As if my creations would ever commit an unwarranted act of action. I agree to this neutral zone!” pronounced Catxl. \n\n“Excellent! I propose to Cella -”\n\n\n*“I -- ....I am not interested in marriage Human.”*\n\n“.... Sorry. I meant a economic proposal.” \n\n*“...”*\n\n“My proposal is that the neutral zone is placed in an Cellex Nebula A-3. The location of the nebula would provide -”\n\n*“Absolutely not. I will not have armed ships traveling through and infringing upon my people’s sovereignty.”* \n\n“But Cella this would have great -”\n\n*“If I accept this - what next? Warships? Extortion? My planets - as your people would say - on a silver platter? Soon you will be dragging me into a pod with you to sastifiy your sick fantasies.”*\n\n“Wait what? Is there anyway that you could - “\n\n\n“Brother.” spoke Drex. “It seems to me that there is only one solution to our problems: WAR! GAMEKEEPER! WE DECLARE WAR ON THIS FOOLS!”\n\n“YOU ALL AIN’T DECLARING WAR ON ME YAH SCALY CUNT. I DECLARE WAR ON ALL OF YOU!” shrieked Nemob\n\n“WAR ON ME! ON THE GLORIOUS CATXL EMPIRE! WE SHALL MEET IN BATTLE VERMIN!”\n\n*“I will defend my territories from those who dare threaten me.”* Cella flashed a look at Human who nervously shrugged back. \n\n“GAMEKEEPER! WHAT THE FUCK IS TAKING SO LONG. MY BROTHER AND I DECLARE WAR ON THIS IGNORANT AND DISHONORABLE FUCKS!” roared Drex. \n\nThe void that was the Gamekeeper turned to face the deities. \n\n“My apologies Drex. I was adding a new player to this little game of ours. This hasn’t happened for a while, so I was a bit distracted.” said the Gamekeeper. \n\nAll the monitors in the bar suddenly flickered. Their screens provided a perfect view of the horrific, gargantuan fleet of warships approaching the Milky Way. \n\nAny Creator that had a mouth had a mouth that was currently agape. \n\n“You sure about that Decleration of War? If I were you Drex, then I would save the FAITH.”\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\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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"
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[WP] You're the grim reaper, and must arrange people's deaths. You're always given a few starting items, such as a car or a knife, but one day you're given a humpback whale.
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"Browsing the parchment of human-skin I'm issued outlining my soul collection I notice my gear allotment is quite strange. \n\n'Allotment:\n - 1 Megaptera novaeangliae (Humpback Whale)\n - $20 for Souvenirs'\n\nWith my recent promotion to reaper from soul collector the souvenir fund is expected, rumor has it when you hit Grim Reaper you even get money like $500 for souvenirs, but, to orchestrate someones death I get a whale. While I do specialize in animal attacks normally I use Bears, Tigers and one time I even used a human to kill some Gorilla named Harambe. That's actually what got me promoted, the death went viral and Death loves visibility. I guess this is his idea of a joke. I put on my jet black robe, grab my Scythe and chant 'discedere infernum.' With a flash of fire and a whiff of brimstone I teleport to Jerusalem the fact that the gate to the beyond is here has always annoyed me. My target is one Sarah Walters, a fisherman who works by herself in Boston, Massachusetts. With a quick wave of my hand white several ribbons appear before me, one for every living primate on Earth, one of which is a deep crimson red. That one belongs to Sarah, a quick pull on it and I teleport to her location out on the open ocean near Boston. A few kilometers off the port side is the whale I get to use. Isolated from its pod it is easy to control. I can't directly control a being, however I can use illusions, smells and sounds to heavily influence it. I summon an illusion to cause a massive cloud of krill to appear in front of the whale in the direction of Sarah's boat. Making sure the cloud stays just of reach for whale. Moving faster and faster until the whale is approaching top speed. Right as the whales velocity reaches its apex it smashes into the small fishing vessel sinking it. Coincidentally my scythe accidentally cuts two massive gashes into the inflatable life boat. With a loud crash and a slow sinking Sarah's boat slowly sinks into the ocean. She grabs her inflatable boat and notices the massive gashes and she starts freaking out. She jumps into the water and starts to tread. \n\nThe whale having caught some Krill is even more revved up. He chases the Krill back towards Sarah's position and breaches the water landing squarely upon her. Killing her instantly. Her spirit, an intangible ball of light leaves her body. I grant it the proper rights sending it to the beyond. I fly back to Boston, give myself the appearance of a tourist, 'Pahk my Cahr in Harvahd Yahd' shirt and everything. I buy a nice tricorner hat from the old statehouse. One of my favorite hats of all time.",
"Every death had to be believable. That was the only rule for my job.\n\nEarth is this interesting little place in the middle of practically nowhere of universal relevance. Life finds a way to be completely rare, and my job is to keep it that way. From the earliest forms of a cell to doubts of silicon sentience, I have kept this balance with the powers of the vast mundane.\n\nA car. A knife. This whale was another means to an end, another weapon in my arsenal, as deadly as I could be.\n\nThe victim: a person who grew fond of whales. Not all of my jobs have been out of justice. Frederick Sherman read Moby Dick as a kid and knew that he wanted to become a marine biologist. He married his wife at an Aquarium of the Pacific, and took his kids whale watching every summer. I wish I could say that I gave him the ending he deserved.\n\n\nHe died of cancer two years ago. His wife that's on this trip by herself, and she slides into the ocean when the whale watching crew is on the other side of the small dingy.\n\n\nHumpback whales were his favorite.\n\nThe water meets the air, air disappears, and I move along.",
"Stan the Reaper was quietly sitting in his office, daydreaming about his next vacation when he was interupted by the arrival of his secretary carrying this week's death files. Stan pulled up his chair to his desk and sat straight, reaching his arm toward the newly arrived pile of documents. He opened the first folder and started reading aloud to himself:\n\nName : Kenneth Grammer\n\nAge : 52\n\nLocation : Rural japan, Gifu perfecture\n\nDesired time of death : Monday August 28th 2017 - 1h27am\n\nStarting item : Humpback whale\n\n>Wait... what?\n\nStan adjusted his glasses and went trough the file 3 more times, expecting to find trace of an error or a silly joke, anything that could explain why or how he was expected to arranged for the death of Kanneth Grammer with a freaking humpback whale. Defeated, he immediatly went to see his shift supervisor. He didn't knock, seeing the door already opened and Gary signing away endless paperwork at his desk.\n\n>Gary, you gotta be freaking kidding me man!\n\nGary looked up, surprised to see his star reaper barging into his office so early on a monday morning.\n\n>>Stan! How's my star reaper doing today ?\n\n>Gary, this is a joke right ?\n\nGary took the folder Stan was holding out and gave it a quick look.\n\n>>Oh yeah, almost forget about this one. That's a doosy. Can't wait to see what you do with it, it's a huge opportunity.\n\n>Opportunity ? Are you freaking bullshitting me ? How am I supposed to kill a man using a freaking humpback whale ? \n\n>>Stan my boy, you're the best. I have absolute faith in you. Nobody even come close to you for these kind of jobs, you're the genius of the Rube Goldberg death machines. Remember that time with the red paperclip ?\n\n>Yeah I do... I was actually proud of that one.\n\n>>Exactly! Nobody else would have thought to use that paperclip to trigger a chain reaction resulting in a 52 car pileup. The bozos in accounting are still talking about it to this day.\n\n>Look, Gary. I dig the flatery I really do but seriously, a whale. What as I supposed to do, forcefeed his sushy to death ?\n\n>>OK, ok. Look I'll admit the pencil pushers upstairs went a bit overboard with the whale but unfortunatly it was approved by you-know-who in the head office so we have to make due with it. This is happening whether or not you agree with it.\n\nStan sat down in front of Gary, defeated.\n\n>Seriously...Gary. Did they even mention WHY they want it that way ?\n\n>>Not sure, it came up at last month's planning meeting but all I can remember is that this guy is american born but dedicated most of his life to stopping the japanese whaling industry. Maybe they tought it would be some kind of poetic justice.\n\n>Poetic justice my bony white ass.\n\n>>Look, Stan. Can I be honest with you ? You're the star of the reaping department, you have millions of years of experience Stan, millions and barely 1 complaint on file to show for it. Now I have complete trust in your abilities but the pencilpushers upstairs don't really like you very much, they think the success is getting to your head. I'm pretty sure that this is there way to bring you down a peg. \n\n>What, are you saying they deliberatly assigned me this so I would fail ?\n\n>>Eh... look... I don't like it any more than you do but you know I have no power over this. I have however something thse guys do not, I have absolute faith in you Stan, now go out there and make me proud dammit.\n\nStan returned to his office fuming. This had not gone the way he had expected it to. He transfered most of his new files to junior reapers and concentrated on finding a way to take care of the mess on his hands. If the powers that be wanted a 52 years old, 170 pounds american killed with a whale then by God they would get it.\n\n5 days Stan pondered about the best way to resolve this but he kept coming up empty. There was something missing, something he could not put his finger on. Kenneth was a night-owl, he would run the same 5 miles run every 2 nights so location would not be a problem. Still, every plan, every combinaison of events Stan could think of was not satisfactory. \n\nStan looked at his watch, 1h24am. Kenneth would appear out of the trees in little less than 3 minutes and and Stan still had nothing ready. He sat down, leaning his back against the giant whale carcass. This would definitly be the low point of his carreer. His 2nd complaint ever, following the disaster of 2,578,650 AD. A sudden rustling sound caught his attention, Kenneth Grammer had just emerged from the small trail behind the trees. At that very moment, an idea came to Stan, a spark lit up his eye sockets.\n\n>You know what...screw this! If i'm gonna have an official complaint on my record, might as well make it a memorable one.\n\nStan got up and turned to the whale. He wrapped both hands around its tail and hoisted the carcass over his shoulder. Such feat would be impossible for a man but Stan was no mere mortal, he was a Grim Reaper and the laws of men hardly applied to him. He waited for Keneth to be only a few feet close away and jumped out of hiding right on top of him. Poor Kenneth never had time to realize what was happening. Stan swung the whale around and sent Kenneth flying trough the air, landing over 80ft away right on an old concrete wall with metal rebars exposed, impaling him. The death was instantaneous.\n\nThe case would baffle police for years. A 170 pounds adult man, thrust with enough force to impale him on metal rebars in the dead of the night, with no sign of struggle and no witness.\n\nStan turned around and swung the whale carcass over his shoulder. He walked toward to park entrance whistling softly to himself. So what if he now had 2 complaints on his file, he was still the best Grim Reaper by far and this little accident was very soothing, therapeutic even. They wantd to bring him down a peg ? Teach him some humility ? AH! Joke's on them, people would talk about this story for eons to come!...",
"I kill people.\n\nNot for fun, not for sport, it is merely my occupation.\n\nI take pride in my work, to be sure, but I keep a professional attitude. To take pleasure from it would seem rather grim, even to one such as myself.\n\nThere are rules to which I'm bound of course. Large tomes filled with rules, conditions, and exceptions. I know them all by heart, and have authored a few addenda myself. The founding books deal with our place in the grander scheme of things. It details the different branches of afterlife management, such as the Judicial and Angelegislative divisions. We are of course the Executive branch.\n\nThen come the principles of our work. No mercy, no cruelty. We do not stay our blades for those we pity, nor do we twist the knife when confronted with a blight. As we cannot see the tipping scales of life, we should never attempt to balance them on our own accord. \n\nThe last recorded conditions cover the practicalities of reaping. We get a subject, a time and a method assigned. These cannot be negotiated. It also shows a list any acceptable extra deaths in the case of car crashes. A true craftsman will often manage to avoid such untimely cessations, but it's nice to have a margin sometimes. Collateral damage should be avoided at all times\n\nI just finished up a particularly nicely executed bit of death dealing (it involved a kitchen knife, a near sighted grandfather with a bad knee, and a corgi that loved to play fetch) when my next assignment came in. Accompanied by the sparking sounds of a failing fax machine a sheet of yellow paper appears in front of me. I snatch it out of the air and begin to read.\n\nTarget: Julie Varmouth\n\nCurrently in: Winslow Arizona\n\nTime left until execution: Four hours\n\nMethod: A humpback whale.\n\nA whale.\n\nA fucking humpback whale. In the middle of Arizona.\n\nFuck.\n\nOnce in a while the entities in charge of the orders indulge their whimsical nature and write up a set of conditions that is as illogical as it is impractical. They claim it serves to keep us sharp for the real emergencies. I say they're full of shit. After an order has been given however, it cannot be denied or altered. I decided to get a lay of the land first.\n\nWinslow is a small town on the I-40 (formerly route 66). It would have been unknown had it not been for the Eagles' song Take it easy, which features the line \"Well I'm a standin' on a corner in Winslow Arizona\". Indeed, most of the town's centre seems to have been dedicated to this musical claim to fame. Winslow is close to Homolovi state park which has the Little Colorado River flowing through. Inconveniently, neither the river nor Winslow itself feature any humpback whales.\n\nJulie was easy enough to find. She emerged from a souvenir shop with a fresh bottle of water and hopped back into her car. The map in her car showed that she was trying to make it to Los Angeles. At least she would be closer to the ocean, but there was no way she would get there in time.\n\nIt was time to bend some rules.\n\nWe don't typically show ourselves. The sole reason for that being that humans tend to freak out when confronted with their imminent deaths, complicating things immensely. However, sometimes circumstances must be massaged to meet difficult requirements. As Julie drove away from the last few building blocks, I placed myself in the passenger seat and materialised.\n\n\"Hello Julie\"\n\nTo her credit, Julie didn't scream. She did however twist the steering wheel a whole circle out of shock. I had to wrest her hands away to keep the car on the road. A fatal car crash now would have been an embarrassment to my near flawless record.\n\n\"Calm down, panic is completely futile.\" I say. I've always found bluntness to work best on people. \"I am here to guide your passage into the after life. Follow my instructions and this will be a smooth and painless journey.\" I decided she didn't need to know about the whale just yet.\n\n\"Circumstances require me to take a more direct approach to ending your life. The less you resist, the better you'll look on the other side where the judging happens.\" I lied, knowing full well her accumulated kindness would get her into the good place regardless of her current actions. A scared human is an obedient one.\n\nJulie looks at me with questioning eyes. \"Why now?\" she asks softly. \"The reasons for death are not to be understood by humans.\" I bluff, not knowing the answer myself. \"Now, brace yourself while I drive us to our destination\".\n\nWith a snap of my bony fingers the car transformed. Her blue Volvo shimmered and shifted into a pitch black convertible Singer Gazelle. It was an English model, so the steering wheel now appeared at my side. Black and yellow flames lined the sides of the car and propelled us forward along an empty road. It was tempting to replace the road sign numbers with 666 but I figured that would count as needless cruelty.\n\nAfter her initial question Julie has fallen silent and is staring listlessly out into the desert. I got a creeping suspicion and decided to strike up a conversation. \"You know, you're not dead yet. It is inevitable, but there is still some time to make peace with this world.\" I say. Julie glances at me but stays quiet. \"Are their any relatives you need to talk to still? Old friends that you've lost touch with? Any bills that need paying?\" I push further. \"...No, I'm good, thanks\" she replies after a brief pause. Shit.\n\nI've never been good with suicides. In my early days I considered it rude for people to take away my job, but over time they just left me feeling empty. While we might stage elaborate Rube Goldberg machines, we never fake a suicide. The collateral damage is simply too big, too all encompassing. It leaves a crater that cannot be resolved.\n\nI can't ignore my order. Neither can I convince Julie to cling on to existence and then snatch it away. It is the opposite of what I do. Still...\n\n\"When did you decide?\" I ask. I keep my eyes on the road. Houses blur past as we race to the west. Julie looks at me confused, then catches on. \"I guess I have, haven't I?\" she says in barely more than a whisper. \"I don't know, I'd say when I started this trip, but it could have been earlier.\" she continues \"I thought it would help, you know? Get in touch with the elements, meet new people, that sort of thing.\"\n\n\"Sometimes it seemed to help. I visited the grand canyon and I was overwhelmed by the colours and the depth. But then I'd look around and see people crying or laughing. I could never match that level of emotion, not even on the good days. Even the sunrise there seemed greyer to me than to others.\" I glance at the sky. There aren't any clouds today so the sun is shining brightly. I have three hours left.\n\n\"The ocean was going to be the last place. We went there when I was little, my dad and I. I remember chasing seagulls and eating ice cream on the beach. The ocean was cool and I was floating.\" she says, as a shadow of a smile touches her lips. \"But I went too far and got sucked in by a current. It felt as though a sea monster was embracing me, smothering me.\" The smile faded away. \"Suddenly my father was there, pulling me up by my arms, onto the surfboard he had just stolen. I looked at his shocked face and cried. Then he cried and I laughed. Then he laughed and I started tearing up again.\" she says. I look over and see the memories reflected in her eyes.\n\n\"I thought the ocean would be able to give me that feeling again. And if not that, well...\" she trails off. I don't finish her sentence. An accident at sea might be easier to deal with for her father than the alternative. Still, she left a letter.\n\nIt's time for a shortcut. I take the car off the road and into the fields. Julie perks up at my sudden change in direction, then falls back into a resigned stare. The engine protests as I push the pedal down and angry flames light up on the tires. We race through towns, crashing through buildings without leaving a mark or turning a head. \n\nWe reach the ocean with two hours to go. The sun is approaching the water as the car glides onto the beach. I step out and open the passenger door. Julie takes my offered hand and walks with me to the edge of the water. She looks at the calm waves, stares with deep intent at the reflected sky and the gulls within, then sighs. \"Nothing\" she says and gives me a look of sadness mixed with relief. I nod and raise my free hand.\n\nWhere the water caresses the wet sand a familiar shape emerges. For ten seconds the ocean holds back and allows the beach to give way to the boat. Dark oak glistens in the salty water. It's a small boat that holds a single seat and a single oar. We step in. I direct July to her seat and grab the oar. \"Like Charon.\" she states. If only my pale jaws could smile. The next wave carries us forward.\n\n(continues in comment)",
"A whale. You're kidding me.\n\n*A FUCKING WHALE?!*\n\nWell, if I have to make this work, I might as well have some fun with it.\n\n-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nIt was a calm day at the beach. It was cloudy, so there were less people out than usual. There were still some folks milling about, a few out swimming. Set apart from the swimmers was a pier, the end of which was built on the edge of an underwater dropoff. On that pier, one person stood apart from the rest. He stood on the edge of the wood, right above the water. It would almost be too easy for him to fall in. Or be pulled in.\n\nSuddenly, a massive humpback whale fell from the sky, landing right on top of him. It tore through the pier and disappeared into the sea. The man was never seen again.",
"Similar in spirit but different take:\n\n'Oh no' I thought in dread, 'dear god no!' I exclaimed inwardly as I lay still in the water and sand, fish lazily swimming around me with towering reefs setting the background, a man swimming above me. \n\nI was forever condemned to taking the lives of others, I was called death by some, Satan by others; indeed I was that fallen angel of god who we all know, but I was not given some hedonistic pleasure realm below the earth or a fiery sulfur-filled chamber to torture lost souls as many thought. I was not even evil, I was a tool of god, and damn him for it. My punishment was to forever be the harbinger of the end for the very creatures I loved most, humans with their beautiful and free souls. It was my repentance for offering that fateful advice to Eve, for putting in her head and thus into Adam's that they need not listen to the every command of their creator, that humans had the capacity of choice and should make good of it. My price for sharing my defiance was thus instilled; I was condemned to the Sisyphean task for the rest of eternity or until I had damned every last sinful human at the orders of a spiteful god.\n\nBut back to reality, I looked up at the happy-go-lucky figure above me, this joyous and marvelous specimen of the epitome of human spirit, of love and good nature. His blonde hair swayed in the waves of the ocean and a large smile captured his face, the same smile which brought happiness around the world instigated only a deep sadness in me. I was here for one reason and one reason alone, it was his time to leave this Earth, and I was the vehicle of his destruction. With great reluctance I turned aside and jabbed my barb into his chest, once *stab*, twice *stab*, I released a frenzy of furious stabs into his chest in blind pain feeling inside myself the very pain I inflicted upon him. I do not know how long it was until he floated to the top of the water, the gesticulating white waves crashing against his limp corpse. My vision began to darken, without a doubt I was called to escort another life from this Earth. God have you no mercy? Steve Irwin did no harm! He loved your creations as much as you did, from the smallest ant to the largest whale, and you took him. I swear I will have my revenge.\n",
"The first few years my job was pretty cool. Every morning I went to the mailbox and saw what the gods had given me to kill someone for that day. Most times it was something obvious like a bottle of pills or a gun, sometimes I even got a noose, that’s when I got to be real creative. Well, today was really interesting. Most times my item came in a little box, like you get with Amazon, well today, I had to go pick it up. Let’s make things clear, I have NEVER had to go pick something up from the gods, I had assumed I was like the ugly stepchild and wasn’t even allowed up there. \n\nWhen I arrived, I was greeted by the big man himself, Abraham! He ushered me through the gates past the endless line of people waiting to be accepted into the afterlife and took me into a building, an aquarium. So, at this point I was quite confused and decided I wanted to voice that. \n\n“Um Abraham, Big A! Why are we in an Aquarium? I thought I was picking up my next instrument?”\n\n“You are.” He said, rather bluntly. I guess being God’s bitch had taken a toll on his nerves. So we kept walking, for what felt like miles until we reached this massive black door, and then he just, stood there.\n\n“Do you want me to go in? I kind of need some direction Abe, I’ve never gotten something bigger than a Forklift. \"\n\n“Open the door child.” At this point I really didn’t want to, why couldn’t they give this one to Judas, he’s the main contract killer anyway, he gets all the celebrities! I slowly reached for the door and it felt, cold. After what felt like years I finally opened the door and I was staring a big wall of water in the face. I jumped back thinking that my 5th grade swim classes were finally going to pay off but, it just stayed at the door, like Snow (not the rapper). \n\n“Go into the door J----“\n\n“Shhh, that isn’t my name anymore and I won’t you calling me that.” I walked into the water but it wasn’t, wet. My clothes stayed completely dry while I was wading through it. When I had finally grasped this concept, I looked up and I realized what my instrument was. It was massive, huge and really intimidating. It made me rethink my manhood in fact, I never knew they could be THAT big. It was easily the biggest Whale I had ever seen. \n",
"I twiddle my bony thumbs as I sit in front of my E-mails. I usually got about 600 messages per day. But today I haven't been getting any. I readjust my robe so I can see better. I pick up my glasses and place them over my hollow sockets and squint. (Don't ask how.) *Hmmm.* \n\n\nGeorge Cupperman\nAge 89\n6''2\nHumpBack whale\n\n\n\nI spit out my fresh cup of lava and look in shock. A WHALE? A fREAKING WHALE? Oh dear. I'll have to go to my manager. I float out of my chair and glide across the room, warp through the door and through my boss's door. \"Sir, you gotta be kidding m-\" \"**Im giving you a raise. Therefore I shall give you harder tasks. Now..**\" His low voice boomed. \"**Shut up and go do your job, Fool.**\" I flipped my hood up in defeat. This is going to be hard. I pull it up over the top of my eyes again, and rocket through the wall. I got the box where my tools used for my job, and looked at the whale. In the box, things shrunk to fit and once I released them, they went normal. I picked up the tiny box and my trusty scythe. Fun fact, it's styrofoam. I don't use it, it's just meant to be scary. I warp into the usual world and look around. There he is, George Cupperman. I put on normal clothes, a manly wig, and a mustache. Poof! A contract appears in my hand. I use my previously hidden legs and walk up to him. I try to do a humanly voice. \"y*ES*.\" I clear my throat. (It's just ghostly goo in the shape of one-) \"you have won a ticket to the Bahamas. Please arrive at the dock in 30 minutes.\" I hand him the contract and his face lights up. \"WOW! Alrighty!\" I almost felt bad, the poor dingbat didn't even check the contract before signing it. He (with surprising speed) merrily skipped away to the dock. I rushed over before him, unleashed the whale from the tiny box, and made a small boat appear. I hopped in, and waited, making sure the whale stayed near. Soon enough, he skipped over and handed me the signed contact. He began to step in, and I called for the whale to scoot the boat away. He plunged in and... laughed? What a weirdo. With his \"happiness\" n stuff. Anyways I make the whale whack em. From below the water I hear \"OH COOL!blugbleigwhalebldjdpenev\" my job is done. I teleport back to my office and walk up to my boss. \"How did I do? Pretty original if you ask me~\" his voice suddenly boomed. (Boss) \"**He's still alive you moron!**\" I freeze and listen. \"**the dock was TWO FEET TALL!! He just climbed right back up!**\" Before I said a word, he handed me a red slip of paper, with the bold words *FIRED* on it. I warp away and decide to go to McDonald's. \n\n(I'm on mobile, sorry if stuff comes out weird)",
"This had to be a mistake. A damn humpback whale. I went to my Boss wanting to check if this was real. How the hell could I possibly kill this guy with a whale.\n\nI went to the pearly gates where this dude called Peter was sitting.\n\n\"Hey Petey, how's it going.\"\n\n\"It's St. Peter please. Hello Shinigami. How can I help you.\"\n\n\"I need to see her.\"\n\n\"You need to see who?\"\n\n\"Elvis. Who do you think? I need to see god.\"\n\n\"Well, it is Sunday so she is resting. And please maintain a dignified tone and refrain from snarky and sarcastic comments.\"\n\n(mimicking) \"Please refrain from snarky comments.\" I was starting to get a bit pissed off. \"Look Petey, this is urgent. I have an assignment due tomorrow and need some clarification.\"\n\n\"Again, the name is Peter, St. Peter. Tell me what clarifications do you need and I will try my best to help you.\"\n\n\"OK. So here's the dealio Petey boy. I am supposed to bring about the death of one Mr. Robert Michaels. Now as is usual, I have been given the time of death, which is supposed to be tomorrow night. With me so far, your highness Petey the Saint.\"\n\n\"Yes. Please go on. I don't see a problem so far.\"\n\n\"Oh no. The problem is this. The guy lives in freaking Saskatoon. I don't know how the reception on your wi fi is up here in your holy heaven, but if you've ever seen Google Maps, that place is in the freaking middle of Canada.\"\n\n\"I still don't see a problem. And please watch your language.\"\n\n\"Language, shlanguage. And the problem comes now. The tool of death given to me. It's a humpback whale. You get me? A damn humpback whale.\"\n\n\"And?\"\n\n\"And? You're just fucking with me right now aren't you? First, it's summer and mating season for the humpbacks. So the closest one will be in Hawaii. And second, in case you missed it, the guy lives in middle of the country. It doesn't make a lick of sense. How is he supposed to die by a humpback whale?\"\n\n\"First. Please watch your language. Second, that's your responsibility. Our job finishes at giving you the name, the time and the tool. How you execute is your problem.\"\n\n\"But give me one possible scenario where this works. Go on, I'll wait.\"\n\n\"Not our problem.\"\n\n\"Let me meet the big gal. I will explain the entire thing to her. I have a great new trick I've been working on. It's helluva fun. I can kill a person using a nail, a comb and a bar of soap. It will be glorious. Trust me.\"\n\n\"Uh... no. First thing. Say her name respectfully. Secondly, Mr Robert Michaels of Saskatoon has to die by a Humpback Whale. Case closed.\"\n\n\"But why? Come on work with me here. Have you even seen a human killed with a microwave. I'm going to put popcorn kernels in there and turn it on inside the human. Just think of the possibilities. Why a freaking humpback whale.\"\n\n\"First, LANGUAGE. Second, as to the why, The Lord works in mysterious ways. Third, Good bye.\"\n\nAnd he shut the pearly gates on me! The nerve of this saint.\n\n\"Petey. Open up. I'm not leaving here.\"\n\nNo response. Damn it. Well looks like I will have to figure something out.\n\n*****************************\n\n2 days later.\n\n****************************\n\nI was chilling out in particularly strange bar. It was a neutral place and the use of one's powers was not allowed here. And no blood. Absolutely no blood. I was only on my second drink when Peter burst in.\n\n\"You!!! You imbecile. You stupid idiot.\"\n\n\"Hello there Petey old boy.\"\n\n\"Don't Petey me, you dumb idiot.\"\n\n\"Petey. First, language. Second, use your words. The good lord gave you so many. What's wrong.\" I was grinning.\n\n\"What's wrong? What's wrong? What did you do?\"\n\n\"Me? Nothing. Just sitting here drinking. It's only 10% alcohol as well. But still costs too much\"\n\n\"Don't play coy with me Shinigami. What did you do with Robert Michael?\"\n\n\"Oh, Mr. Robert Michael, from Saskatoon. I killed him. On the scheduled time. With the given tool.\"\n\n\"But you... You freaking idiot. Why couldn't you.....\" Peter was so angry, he could hardly get the words out.\n\n\"OK Peter. Let me lay down the sequence of events for you. Tell me what you have a problem with. So I was supposed to kill a person living nowhere near the coast with a hunchback whale. So I did what any reasonable God of Death would do. I approached him, in disguise of course, and claimed he had won a trip for 2 to Hawaii. All costs on me. And the guy turned me down! Can you believe that? Said he was working on something urgent and had to finish it. He had no time for a vacation to Hawaii. Like, it's literally paradise.\"\n\n\"Actually, it's figuratively a paradise. But you...\"\n\n\"You see, in the course of my work, you guys don't allow me to mess with free will. Side note, the free will thing sucks, we gotta take it away from humans. So anyways, I tried to push him towards going to visit a zoo. I could arrange for a humpback whale to be displayed at the zoo and have it accidentally fall on him or something. I would figure it out as I went along. But he still wouldn't take the hint. He said no. He didn't want to go see the zoo. Claimed he would rather sit at home and watch TV or spend time on the interwebz. Some riddit thing or the other. Frankly, he deserved to die.\" I was on a roll now.\n\n\"Now, we get to the part where you...\"\n\n\"Well, I didn't have any other options you see.\" I was enjoying this more than I would care to admit.\n\n\"So you made a damn humpback whale...\"\n\n\"So I made a damn humpback whale appear in mid air and dropped it on the guy's house squishing him inside and killing him. Then once I was sure that he was dead I made the whale disappear. Easy Peasy.\"\n\n\"You made a whale appear out of nowhere. Dropped it on a house destroying it. It lay there for a good 15 minutes. And then made it disappear. And you don't see a problem with any of this.\"\n\n\"Well, the whale didn't enjoy it and was hurt but it owed me a favor. And I fixed it's injuries almost immediately.\"\n\n\"That's not what I..... What I mean is....\" His face was bright red with anger. \n\n\"St. Petey the rocky, you're not looking good. Would you like a drink. Come to think of it, what do you drink? Vodka, whiskey, some old water to wine shit. Tell me. It's on me today.\"\n\n\"You're impossible. Have you any idea what you have done. The humans don't know what to think of this... event. How do we explain this.\"\n\n\"Wipe their memories or something. Will Smith can help you with that. Or as I said earlier, take away their free Willie. Get it? No, OK OK. Way to go Debbie Downer.\"\n\n\"I am serious. Our agents are at a loss of how to explain all this to humans.\"\n\n\"Have you tried the classic 'Lord works in mysterious ways?'\"\n\n\"You stupid Shinigami. I'm going to lodge a formal complain against you for this.\"\n\n\"Yeah OK Petey. See you tomorrow.\"\n\nThe bartender asked, \"So you dropped a giant shark on a house?\"\n\n\"First, it was a Whale. And Secondly, something similar worked for Ozymandias, didn't it?\"\n\nEdit - A few minor corrections",
"*You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. This is a joke right?*\n\nA humpback whale. They had given me a fucking whale. \n\nI stormed up the Stairway to Heaven (oh so aptly named) and up to the Pearly Gates. If I was going to have to do this, Peter was going to look me in the eye and tell me himself. \n\nAh there he was, looking as pristine as usual. \n\n“What can I do for you Grim?” he said, his perfect teeth flashing in the ethereal light.\n\n“You can explain to me what this is,” I demanded, gesturing at the piece of parchment I held with a name (Jonah Lessi) and a starting item (Humpback Whale).\n\n“It’s your new assignment!” he said cheerfully, a grin stretching his face. “You’re always complaining about how boring it is to get someone into a car accident, I thought I’d spice it up a bit”.\n\nDisgust etched over my face, and then as a thought hit me, it changed quickly into a smile. “You’re right, I’ll take care of this, thanks Peter”\n\n***\n\nJonah Lessi’s real name was Travis Lessi, but once he discovered religion he changed his name to fit his faith and became a priest. However, he wasn’t a very good priest, and had vices that the lord would most definitely not approve of. I had devised a suitably ironic way for him to die, and it had just been set up.\n\n“Welcome everybody!” Jonah exclaimed, his voice carrying across to the congregation and silencing all the voices. “I am the blessed of the lord himself, and today I stand before you to share his words”\n\n“Prove it!” a voice shouted from the back. As crowds go, the congregation was fairly docile, but the chant was infectious and soon Jonah found himself backed against a corner, and forced to prove that he was truly the chosen of the lord. Mob mentality has always been one of my favorite things to play with, and stirring up the congregation wasn’t too hard, all I needed to do was have the bartender of the town tell a couple people about Jonah’s drinking habits and suddenly doubt was cast in the minds of many people.\n\nJonah could feel himself panicking, and that’s when I stepped in again. You see, I am invisible to humans, and I used that to my advantage here. I placed myself behind him and in my most commanding voice I boomed **You are my chosen one. Do as your namesake had done and cast yourself into the sea to remove all doubts from the sinners**\n\nEmboldened Jonah stepped forward. “Friend, God has spoken to me! I shall prove my loyalty to him and that I am truly in his favor by casting myself in the sea and returning unscathed!”\n\nSnickering, I watched him walk out to the pier with the congregation following him, and tried not to burst out laughing as he jumped into the sea and right into the mouth of the humpback whale that I had positioned just under him.\n\n*Jonah Lessi, claimed to be chosen of God, has been returned to the Lord up above. May his soul rest in peace and may the Lord judge him fairly *\n\n***\n\n“Grim you can’t do this kind of thing, it gives the lord a bad name on Earth,” Peter reprimanded me, shaking his head in a disappointing fashion.\n\nSmiling and winking, I turned around and walked away. Right as I stepped onto the staircase I looked back at Peter and said “Next time you want to give me a fun assignment, you know right where I am”\n\n***\n\n*Thanks for reading guys! I’m new to this so I would love any constructive criticism you could give me!*\n",
"He stood there for a long while, really taking in the object in front of him. He said nothing, his human like facial features giving nothing away. His hand was covering his mouth and his elbow was resting on his other arm which he had across his stomach. The way one does when they're crossing their arms. The angel God had sent with the item in question just stood there looking embarrassed. He had been dreading this all day. He knew as of late that Death wasn't in the mood for The Lord's mysterious ways and that he would be the one to pay the price. He wouldn't be hurt, but these awkward silences were almost as bad.\n\nFinally Death takes a deep breath and lets it out, then he rubs his face with his hands and drops them to his sides, \"You know,\" he starts,\" I am aware that God doesn't like me. I am aware that I wasn't supposed to exist.\"\n\nGabriel starts to interrupt, \"Azrael-\n\nDeath holds up his hand,\" Please, don't interrupt,\" he makes a fist,\" please.\"\n\nGabriel holds his hands up apologetically.\n\nAzrael puts his hand down,\"Thank you. Now. I am aware that I am not His favorite and I am aware of my ultimate fate. I won't be around forever and I have made peace with that,\" he takes a breath,\" but as long as I am around, I have a job to do. A very important one, I might add.\" He points in Gabriel's direction to reinforce the point. \n\nGabriel only looks away sheepishly. \n\n\"And I know His ways are mysterious and all but uh, maybe you can shed even the tiniest shred of light on what exactly I'm supposed to do with this?\" He points at the object in front of them.\n\n\"Well,\" Gabriel says trying to be firm and resolute,\"The Lord has dictated that you use it to end the life of Patrick Connor, age 33, and then show him to the afterlife where he will face the judgment of the one true God Almighty.\"\n\nAzrael stares at him blankly. \n\n\"What?\" Asks Gabriel.\n\n\"And how,\" Azrael says in a low whisper,\" am I supposed to do that,\" his voice slowly raises,\" in the middle of the Mojave Desert,\" he starts to yell now,\" WITH A FUCKING HUMPBACK WHALE?!\" He violently gestures to the giant water based mammal in front of them. \n\nGabriel gasps and covers his mouth with his hands,\"Azrael, please. Your language!\"\n\nThe Angel of Death's eyes widen and he throws his hands up in disbelief, \"Seriously?!\" \n\nThe Messenger Angel starts again, \"Azrael, please. I understand this is frustrating-\"\n\nAzrael groans and covers his face in his hands beginning to walk away. For a moment, Gabriel thinks he might start to cry, and at this point he wouldn't really blame him. \n\nGabriel continues, sympathizing with Death's plight,\"-but I'm just the messenger, you know I don't decide-\"\n\n\"I get,\" Azrael cuts him off again and walks towards the animal,\" that He has a sense of humor, but this,\" he lays a hand on the whale, \"this is pushing it. A whale in the middle of the desert? I know He likes His irony, but this is too much. Why couldn't He set the time of death at his job? The man is a trainer at Sea World for fuck's sake!\"\n\n\"You know as well as I, Reaper, that He has a plan. It's not our jobs to know it or understand it. We are simply to go along with it.\"\n\nThe Reaper turns back towards The Messenger, complete disbelief and exasperation on his face. His shoulders slunk, \"But Shamu,\" he says and gestures around him at the barren landscape, \"in the middle of the desert?\" \n\nGabriel begins to say something but then quickly shuts his mouth, hoping The Reaper didn't catch it.\n\n\"What? What, Messenger? What were you going to say, spit it out.\"\n\nGabriel looks away, \"Shamu is an orca, this is a humpback.\" He says pointing at the creature.\n\nDeath cocks his head to the side like a dog. His face suggesting he can't comprehend what he just heard. Or maybe he doesn't want to. He moves forward to say something, maybe shout a long stream of profanities at the poor angel, but instead he falls to a sitting position on the ground, giving up on whatever he was going to shout and instead, says,\"Just...go.\" \n\nHe waves his hand dismissively and before he's even finished with the gesture, Gabriel is gone. \n\nEdit: Correcting mistakes.",
"I've seen it all. And I mean *it all*. Erotic death (One of my faves), death by electrocution, death by shark even death by turtle. But never have I ever seen death by humpback whale. But I'll have to make it do.\n\nI start making plans. People think death just comes up to you when it's \"your\" time. But in actuality I don't. I used to do it like that and then the population boomed. I couldn't be everywhere at once, so I created a pocket universe in which time moves so slowly it is effectively stopped compared to your world when I'm in it. I get a notification of a person death due, usually a month in advance. I also get the method or thing that will kill them. Think, John doe, age: 36, tool of death: car. And I just make it work. \n\nSo when I got the call for Thomas McTrainFace, age: 28, tool of death: humpback. I was fairly confused, but alas, one month later he's on his way to the Pacific to ride on some poor humpback whale.\n\nThe wind and water were hitting and spraying me cooling me, while the sun worked on, to burn my skin. I was riding in a little rant-a-boat, on my way to meet one of nature's greatest creatures, the humpback whale. It was such a long wait. I practiced on dogs, then cows and then bears. I was ready for this. For the thrill of riding buck naked this magestic creature. \n\nAs I saw the first sign of a flock of whales, I got excited. By the time the little boat reached them, I was already naked. I jumped off the boat and Sean nto the whale. I got to her blowhole and I started lying down. Oh the bliss, I had at Tha... And I was left on the surface as the whale dove down. No don't leave, I begged. And then a giant shadow came across my face.\n\nAs I said, I saw a whole lot of things. But never have I seen death by whale.",
"*Oh man...a story that finally lives up to my username? Oh wait, shit, the story's begun already. Um...in a land far far away...nope, sounds cheesy. Whatever, I'll just start it as per normal.*\n\nI walked over to the chair where my tools usually were. Tools for the final rest of souls. Even though I wasn't a real Grim Reaper and they don't exist but whatever. I didn't see a car I could use for a car crash, or a katana that some samurai might still be carrying. Nope. It was a huge, humpback whale. Writhing on the table, I stared at it for some time in some astonishment. *Like I'm staring at how bad this story is becoming. Is it possible to get a repairman to fix my fourth wall? The tear's pretty bad.*\n\nAnyways, I didn't really know how the hell to use a whale. It wasn't destructive in nature, and a tiny dude carrying a scythe trying to act cool isn't capable of smashing it down on people ~~like an anvil~~. *Shit, I shouldn't refer to Minecraft right? That game's outdated. Let me go back and delete it. There. Good.* Anyhow, the thought of a huge whale gave me an idea. I was always given a duplicator, in case I needed more of my killing tools. In this case, it was imperative. I copied my 'weapon' 60 times, and I was ready for action. *Wait, why the hell is this in past tense? Never mind, the prompt is in past tense anyways. Whatever.*\n\nWith the newfound power, I lumbered the whales over, one by one, to the area where my target was. A small teenager in the country of Singapore. He was walking back from school as I approached, oblivious to my presence. And with a mighty throw, the whales came crashing down...*Wait, I don't know how to end this. Oh...that's an idea. That's a really good idea.*\n\nI patted myself on the back for a job well done, the target surely dead. But as I looked on further, he was looking at the pile of writhing mammals in slight confusion. Then I realized why it couldn't crush him.\n\nHe was too heavy. Because I tried using 61 whales to squash Whale62. \n\n*Am I done here yet? I think so. Bye!*\n_________________________________________________________________\nMore over at r/Whale62! Sequels at popular request!",
"\"*A whale?!*\"\n\nMy boss stared back dispassionately, clearly not seeing anything unusual with the request.\n\n\"That's right - a humpback, preferably. If you can manage it, that is.\"\n\nI tugged at my cowl, pulling the hood a bit tighter around my head. Things always look peaceful, up there above the clouds, but it does get a bit chilly.\n\n\"Of course I can. Just who do you think you're talking to?\"\n\nHe grinned and stroked his long, white beard.\n\n\"Just remember. It has to be the whale. Not something hidden *in* the whale. I don't wanna see a report on my desk saying he died of a wound or poison.\"\n\n\"Obviously,\" I scoffed. \"I'm a professional, you know.\"\n\nHe just smiled that knowing grin of his as I collected my things and excused myself from his office. Well, if you can call a desk on a cloud bank an \"office.\"\n\n---\n\nIt wasn't hard finding the opportune time to strike. My projections showed the target making a trip over water in the near future, and I figured that would be the ideal time to unleash my weapon. The hard part was getting the whale to the right location. I'd been told to find a *humpback whale* - not some convenient Mediterranean whale - and so help me I was going to deliver.\n\nWhales, in case you weren't aware, are very territorial, and convincing one to travel a quarter of the way across the globe for a quick trip wasn't easy. Luckily, I've got a legendary silver tongue, and I eventually managed to recruit one for the job. With the matter settled, all that remained was to wait until the fated day when I could finally write this one off of the books.\n\n---\n\nIt took a little doing to coordinate the last minute arrangements, but I have to say I'm pretty proud of how it all came together. I called in a favor and whipped up a nasty storm that tossed the little vessel my target rode in around until every soul on board was at wits end. With them rattled as much as they were, it wasn't hard to whisper a few words into the ears of the crew, and the poor sap I'd been sent to kill was tossed overboard as an offering to whatever gods they believed in to end the storm. \n\nAs soon as he was in the water, the whale swallowed him whole.\n\nTo my great surprise, the bastard seemed right at home down there, in the whale's gut. Sure, he wasn't having the time of his life - I can't even describe the endless moaning, crying and praying - but he was still alive. Still alive! Forty days later!\n\nMore than a few times, I thought about just stepping in personally and putting an end to the affair, but I had a reputation to maintain. I'd been told to use the whale, and so I would. I just had to ride this thing out.\n\n---\n\nI got the summons back to my boss' office the next morning. To my utter shock, I was told the job had been called off. It wasn't the first time I'd been instructed to drop a job, but I'd really worked for this one!\n\n\"You've *got* to be kidding!\" I whined, leaning over the desk to stare my boss in the eye.\n\nHe chuckled and got up, circling around the desk to put an arm around my shoulders.\n\n\"You did good,\" he said, squeezing my shoulder and shaking me. \"I just don't need this one dead any longer.\"\n\n\"So why send me in the first place?\" I asked, already knowing the answer.\n\n\"You know better than to question my orders,\" he admonished. \"I work in--\"\n\n\"Mysterious ways; yeah, I know,\" I grumbled.\n\n\"Good, good,\" he said with a smile, patting me on the back. \n\nReturning to his chair, he leaned back and gave me a long look.\n\n\"Hmm,\" he mused, \"I think I know what'll cheer you up.\"\n\n\"Yeah?\" I asked, annoyed but resigned to move onto my next job.\n\n\"How would you like to kill a giant?\"\n\nI squinted and stared for a long moment before finally taking a seat.\n\n\"I'm listening...\"\n\n\"Great! Now, for this one, you'll need to use a stone, a sling and a young shepherd...\"",
"\"End-Maker, there has been a mistake.\"\n\n\nA booming voice echoed back in the blackness. \"The Sisters make no mistakes, O Bringer of Emptiness. Engage the mortal, and escort her to the Place of the Dead.\"\n\n\nThe End-Maker has spoken. I arise, and my black robes cast dew on the morning world and give chills to the mountains. \n\n\nIn my right hand is held the Scythe of Life, my holy tool. In my left hand is held something far too large to be known as a tool of End-Making. It is a whale, of the humpback variety.\n\n\nMy endless dark wings give a slight strain as I rise into the realm of under reality and seek out the dimming life thread.\n\n\nI come to the end of the thread and emerge into the Mortal Plane, my gargantuan water mammal in tow. Who am I to question the will and ways of the Sisters? \n\n\nThe place I have come into is one of the human structures for enclosing creatures of the sea- I surmise with eternal eyes the contraption made to lift heavy objects coming into place above one of the massive pools. \n\n\nThere are people gathered around the device, speaking in on of the thousands of tongues I have known over the times of Earth. \n\n\n\"...the first humpback whale in captivity will now be moved to a more appropriate enclosure; let's give a hand to Ellise, the whale's handler!\"\n\n\nThe people clap, and a breathless sigh escapes me. The Sisters ever did favor irony. Ellise glowed slightly in my ethereal vison, as did the whale in captivity. I allowed the incorporeal version of the creature to fade- I knew what needed to happen. \n\n\nAs the doomed creature's handler brought it into position, I whispered ignorance and oversight into the minds of the men. One of the many straps was damaged and passed over; the operator was distracted by a failed relationship the night before. He glowed slightly as well.\n\n\nDivers looped the wide straps around the serene beast as Ellise climbed down to survey. I encouraged her desire for the beasts' safety; she stepped closer. One of the divers didn't properly attach one of the shackles, and his partners mask was fogged.\n\n\nI rose, saddened as always. I am Death, but I see what I do. \n\n\nThe crane began to strain, and I whispered panic into the beast. It slipped just slightly from the calculated points of distribution.\n\n\nThe crane lifted the beast from the water and towards the large vehicle of movement; the operator was reminded of his heartbreak. The shackle slipped off. Ellise stepped closer.\n\n\nI whispered danger. The people began to shout as the creature started to thrash- the crane buckled, and Ellise ran forwards towards her charge. The humans shouted for her to retreat, but it was too late. \n\n\nMy eyes have been desensitized to the ending of life for aeons, yet even I winced. A large splash signaled the end of two mortal lives, and I lifted them from their grimy corpses as the standby crews ran towards the bodies. \n\n\nI pulled the human and the considerably heavier astral form of the whale into the Void. \n\n\nWe traveled through the darkness, the familiar light growing ahead of us. The human looked at me and seemed to form a question, but I ushered her and her beast through into the next world with no words.\n\n\nThe light closed off, and I was left again in the darkness.\n\n\nAnother tool of End-Making came into my knowledge. It was a gun. I had a flash of the operator from earlier- this would be relatively easy.\n\n\nThe End-Maker's voice boomed again. \"The Sisters are pleased, O Bringer of Emptiness. You did whale.\"\n\n\nI shook my head beneath my dark robes. Why must the Sisters torture me so?\n\n* JUST made myself a subreddit for my writing. Check it out over at r/bellumaster. *"
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[WP]You are The Bartender. You consoled everyone who set foot in your bar at a time of need, but now you are not sure you can help.
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"A young woman stumbled in, dressed for cold. Intense cold, like a blizzard.\nThe weather forecast mentioned a storm but I hadn't noticed until she opened the door, the wind wailing, as if aghast.\n\nNo wonder I had no customers.\n\nShe sat at the bar and mumbled something. All I could make out was \"sorry.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry, I couldn't catch that.\" \n\n\"Ice, please, crushed. And a gin tonic.\" \n\n\"You look a bit young, you got an I.D?\"\n\n\"No... just the ice then.\"\n\n\"Look, if you're underage I'd have to tell you to leave\" I started as I shoveled ice into a rocks glass, \"but it looks pretty bad out there.\" She didn't remove her heavy coat on the way in. That worried me. I couldn't see her hands with those baggy sleeves. That worried me more.\n\n\"You got someone you can call to get a ride?\" I place the glass in front of her. \"There's a payphone in the hal-\" She cuts me off, pushing a severed finger into the ice. \n\"I don't have anyone.\" \n\nIt was one of her own. Blood was already visible through her makeshift bandages. \n\n\"Jesus, who the fuck wrapped you?\" Removing my wedding ring, I grab the first aid kit underneath the register and start to step around the bar. I stop at the threshold,\n\n\"I'll bandage you, but you need to remove your coat.\" She's taken aback slightly, clutching her collar closed with her good hand. \n\n\"You were out in the cold so you haven't bled out yet but it's warm in here. Look. You're getting blood on my floor.\" \n\nShe glances at her hand, noticing it starting to drip, then keeps her eyes fixed on me. \n\n\"What does it matter if I wear my coat?\"\n\n\"What if you have a weapon?\" She winced at the accusation. \"For my safety, and so you don't bleed out on my hardwood floor, please take off the coat so I can help you.\"\n\nReluctantly she removed her coat and layed it on the bar. One of her sweater sleeves was soaked up to her wrist in blood.\n\n\"Roll up your sleeves.\" She did.\n\n\"Christ.\" It looked like she used scotch tape and a sock to dress her wound. I removed the sock. Her ring finger had been cut at the second knuckle, the cut wasn't infected and it went through the bone cleanly; no fragmentation. \n\n\"Brace yourself.\" Before she could say \"what\" I poured an antiseptic over the cut. She shut her mouth with her whole body tensing, but impressively, not a sound.\n\nAs I wrapped her hand in gauze, I had to ask. \"What happened?\" She was quiet.\nThat wasn't an answer, so I pressed harder. \"If you didn't want help you wouldn't have made a show of that finger of yours.\" Her face tightened but she kept quiet.\n\n\"The only reason I haven't dialled 911 to get you an ambulance is because of this blizzard, and because that'd guarantee a patrol car alongside it considering this is a bar.\" \n\nShe twitched at the mention of the authorities. \n\n\"You need stitches.\" \n\n\"No cops.\"\n\n\"Then tell me what the fuck happened.\"\n\nShe seemed frustrated, but still refused to talk. \n\n\"You said sorry earlier, why is that?\"\n\nShe was still tense, but her face was undeniably sad.\n\n\"I came here to kill you.\"\n\n\"Why?\" I continued to wrap gauze.\n\n\"Wait? Aren't you surprised?\" \n\nI was almost done.\n\n\"I can't say that I am. You wouldn't be the first, you won't be the last.\" I clipped the end of the bandage to the wrap. \"Who put you up to this?\" \n\nShe shook her head.\n\n\"Did they cut your finger off.\"\n\n\"It was supposed to just be deep enough for a bandage. To lure you in, they said you'd be nice.\"\n\nI laughed. \"Knife too big?\" I stood up and put aside the kit to wash my hands. I put my ring back on. I started to heat water and opened a fresh box of Earl Grey.\n\nShe contemplated for a moment.\n\n\"Are you going to kill me?\" She asked as I placed a mug of tea in front of her.\n\n\"Huh? Oh no, no no no, I don't kill anymore.\" A lie that didn't seem to erase her worries.\n\n\"There's a knife in my coat.\"\n\n\"I know.\" I sipped from my mug.\n\n\"So.... so why are you being so friendly? They, they, they said you'd be nice, but not this genuine. They said you were a monster.\" She tripped over most of her thought. Her voice exasperated.\n\nI could tell she wasn't very smart. She's a pawn; too easily controlled. As soon as she confessed her intentions she relaxed around me. She doesn't deserve to die.\n\n\"I'll be dead soon anyways.\" She sat across from me on the bar, taking her mug.\n\n\"No, I don't think so.\" \n\n\"Once they realize I couldn't kill you they'll come after me.\" \n\n\"No, you'll just have to work for me now. There's a spare bedroom upstairs.\"\n\n\"What, I, uh, I don't-\" \n\n\"Who sent you.\"\n\n\"I can't te-\"\n\n\"Tell me who sent you, you work here now.\"\n\n\"... okay.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"\"John, don't do it man, don't do it! If you do you wouldn't be able to come to my bar.\" I pleaded.\n\"Plus, it's not a big deal, you knew she was a cheating slut, I mean for fuck's sake, you started dating while she was dating another guy.\"\n\n\"I don't care! I loved her, when Tom never did. It's not fair. I was a good husband, a good father and I loved them more than anything in the world!\" He said as he was wiping tears out of his eyes with his free arm. \"It's not fair to me. She's taking the kids, she getting a divorce that'll pretty much leave me broke and worst of all she's going to marry some fucking rich guy who can give her anything she wants, when she wants!\". He paused and took a few sips from his beer can.\n\n\"Look, John I know life sucks. Trust me, my life ain't picture perfect either. But do I complain? Huh? How many times did I make sure you guys didn't do something dumb or dangerous while you were drunk? How many times did I stop you from making life ruining decisions. And owning a bar ain't that nice and dandy. Trust me, your friend, when I tell don't do this. Take me advice just one more time will you?\" I paused, and looked him straight in the eyes.\n\nJust then Christi, that bitch, spoke up. \"Yeah, honey, listen to that guy, he knows what he is doing.\"\n\nJohn's eyes hardened and met my gaze. \"I'm sorry Moe, but for once in all my years I didn't see a clearer path. Thanks for being a good friend, and taking care of me all those times.\" His hand jerked up, driving the knife through her throat. Blood began pouring out. He jerked back as a plume of blood came out of his chest, then another, and another as the police opened fire.",
"At the edge of the Milky Way, there is a bar hidden away in a little fold of spacetime, like a pocket of air underwater, offering a brief respite from the inexorable march of time. You can only find it if you know where to look.\n\nIt was past closing time. Sol kept the bar open when he was awake, and when he grew tired, he closed it up. Without a sun or clocks, there was no reckoning how much time had passed or when the night had come. But he made reasonable guesses.\n\nSol had dismissed the last of his customers nearly an hour earlier. He washed the glasses, wiped down tables, made a mental note to remind his mucus-skinned regulars from nearby Andromeda to please not allow their fingerprint residue to dry onto the table. He had to chip it away like old glue.\n\nSol was bent over a similar sticky mess when he heard something crash and tear outside. He poked his head out the door and, because he had forgotten, turned the sign to *closed*.\n\nHis dock was half-smashed, bits of wood floating off freely into the black space beyond. Sol scowled at the wreck, more annoyed for the extra work than he cared to admit. On his dock, rather than beside it, was a dinghy of an airship with a gouged hull, its engines whining, pneumatic and shrill, as they slowly wound down to a stop.\n\nSol walked to the edge of the ruined dock and waited with his arms crossed over his chest for the ship's driver to appear. He still wore his human-ish skin and wished he had changed into something more intimidating before he ventured out. He had half a mind to tell the drunk off and seize their vessel until they fixed his damn port.\n\nBut then the ship's captain stumbled into view, and Sol saw the black blood oozing down the creature's chest and coat. His belly dropped. He dashed forward, dropping his good dishtowel, and offered a hand to the ship's captain before he could fall. He had six tentacles, all of which wrapped weakly around Sol's single strong fist before the creature pitched forward, bonelessly, and Sol caught him in his arms.\n\nThe bar-tender appraised the bloody, upright cephlapod and said, \"You were here earlier, weren't you?\"\n\nHe recognized this creature and his pale blue skin. [It was the doctor who had been in his bar recently with his grey-eyed captain, her black heart full of unspeakable secrets.](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/6qh3r2/wp_a_captain_a_priest_and_a_doctor_walk_into_a/dkxbk4p/) She had never told Sol her name, but her bleeding companion did, once. Sol's brain clicked helplessly until he remembered the creature's name.\n\n\"Cilpha Hudi,\" Sol said, and the alien's notched pupils locked onto Sol's eyes, which were black pits full of little white lights through which he should not be able to see all that he could. \"Cilpha Hudi, is all of this your blood?\"\n\n\"Some of it.\" Cilpha Hudi spat up brilliant crimson. \"The captain is in trouble.\"\n\n\"As much trouble as you're in?\"\n\n\"More. We tried to pillage the wrong vessel. She thought... we thought...\" The creature dissolved into a coughing fit.\n\nSol helped him stand and half-carried him to the door of his bar. \"I don't have any rooms,\" he muttered through his teeth.\n\n\"I'm a doctor. I can fix everything.\" But Cilpha Hudi looked woozy, and Sol wasn't sure if he meant what he said. \"I can fix anything wrong with anyone.\"\n\nThe immortal bar-keeper nodded and looked back into the darkness beyond them, eyes narrowed, scanning the horizon. He could see the faint glow where his little hideaway was sewed up to the rest of space-time. And within that glow, something sleek and gleaming, something coming up on them fast.\n\n\"Are you sure you weren't followed?\" The cephlapod started crying incoherently, replying in a language Sol could not understand. He slapped at Cilpha Hudi's face and shouted at him, \"You have to keep your shit together.\"\n\n\"I'm not sure! I'm not sure!\"\n\nSol swore under his breath and tossed the injured alien over his broad shoulder. He turned sprinting past the shut door to his bar and around the corner to his own little bronze ship, a capsule of a thing made only to get him from point A to point B. He threw Cilpha Hudi inside.\n\n\"I have to get some things.\" Sol turned and ran back into his bar, moving fast. He had half a mind to turn himself into a snarling dragon or serpent, some great and secret horror of the stars, but he did not know if he could defend himself if they doubted his little pocket of the universe was simply an ageless creature's lair. He did not know what kind of weapons they had, or what had happened to that drunk and miserable captain, if she could be saved.\n\nSol shook his head and reminded himself he needed to focus on saving himself. Saving the injured man bleeding out in his little ship. He stuffed food and medicine and alcohol in a bag and fled out the door just as he saw something bright come screaming across the sky. \n\nSol dove into the ship beside Cilpha Hudi and closed the door just as the missile struck his bar. The force nearly knocked his ship tumbling headlong into the black abyss, but the ship clung to the strip of land Sol had built. The top floor of his bar exploded in a shower of white flame.\n\nThere was no time to stare, no time for horror. Sol jammed the ship into drive and scurried down into the darkness, Cilpha Hudi growing paler and paler beside him.\n\n\"I should not have come back here,\" the cephalpod whispered.\n\n\"No. No, you should not have.\"\n***\nI based this one something I wrote yesterday, which I linked to earlier in the story and is also right [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/6qh3r2/wp_a_captain_a_priest_and_a_doctor_walk_into_a/dkxbk4p/). I don't think you have to read it for this to make sense, but it's there if you're curious!\n\n~~Part 2 coming as soon as I finish typing it.~~\n\nI combined this with another writing prompt I wrote to be the first part of a series. Here's a link if you're interested: [The Deathless Captain](https://www.reddit.com/r/shoringupfragments/comments/6qtox3/wp_the_deathless_captain_revised/)\n\n/r/shoringupfragments"
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Had to resubmit due to typos. Sorry.
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[WP] Your grandfather keeps a journal for the strict purpose of forcing himself to learn something new each day. You notice one of the pages is blank and decide to ask him about it.
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"\"Change a tire. Fix a tire. Burn a tire. Roll inside a tire. Make a splint for a broken bone.\"\n\nI flipped through each page with specific quests he now acheived. \n\n\"Grandpa you wanted to learn how to grow a tree?!\"\n\n\"Sure did. The one in the backyard is as old as your father. That tree is special becau-\"\n\n\"This page is blank.\"\n\n\"What now?\"\n\n\"This page has nothing on it. Why?\" \n\nIt was the very last page too. I wonder what he's wanted to do. \n\n\"That's a secret. If you ever made a journal like me you would know why.\" \n\nThe page before was to learn to find happiness in each day. *But what could come from nothing?*\n\n\"Dmitri, ever wondered how to make the best tuna sandwich?\" \n\n\"no, i wanna learn how to do nothing!\" \n\n\"Fine. But be warned. We'll do nothing all day.\" \n\nSo he grabbed a chair and sat in front of the bed. I put the book down and faced each other. As minutes passed by i couldn't help stop giggling at the thought my grandpa would surprise me with something. A scare, even. I wanted to know if something would happen. \n\nAn hour passed by. Grandpa hasn't blinked or move. No breath. \n\nAt this moment i started freaking out until-\n\n\"Don't worry Dmitri. I'm just doing nothing. Just do what I do.\"\n\nSo i sat down. Minutes passed by. My breathing started to slow. Right before i took a breath I saw the sun set at an alarming speed. I got up screaming.\n\n\"Don't worry Dimitri. You just did nothing. Congratulations you earned yourself a sandwich. This one i learned to do myself.\""
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[WP] Choose a random letter. Then, write a story without using that letter.
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"**qQq**\n\nThere once was a girl, she might have been a princess, but she had no known relatives, so there was nothing to support a claim to be of noble blood. Claiming so would have resulted in some really dreadful bureaucratic nonsense, so there is really no point. She was beautiful, but kept in a tower guarded by an evil dragon. A prince came and rescued her. Even though he was kind of a douche she felt compelled to marry him. She lived a miserable life and secretely wished to be back in the tower. She gave the prince three sons, which he like a lot. She grew old and died of natural causes.\n\n**THE END**",
"(Here's a diatribe about waiting tables that doesn't use the letter 'E')\n\nI can't possibly display my dismay for frivolous whining that patrons of most dining locations bluntly transmit on a standard night shift. Words can't proclaim in an apt way what it is to withstand any and all machinations of a human that thinks it is a God; if just for this hour-long flash of mastication. With chagrin, I wilt to what is most gratifying to an unforgiving oligarchy of my financial contribution.\n\nNow and again, though, you brush up against a hominid that is actually in accord with you, and faith in humanity is, if only occasionally, found within totally migratory visitors. Notwithstanding, I'm constantly conducting within my mind that spot in a film with Will Smith about a man with a dark suit watching visitors from many distant suns inhabit Brooklyn and similar locals. In that clip, Will's portrayal of \"J\" is told an axiom by \"K\", brought to pass by that guy from No Country for Old Humans. I'll do my most outstanding summary of this, as I can't call to mind all its distinctions.\n\n\"A Human can proclaim proudly as 'smart'. *Humans*? Dumb, panicky animals.\"\nThat always struck far down in my subconscious! And it will go on to inform my ruling on a how much of a soul is in a body that is taking up my lost hours of mortality. I grant basic dignity to any that I confront; but you will only find my application of full support, in any way I can, to a human that can uplift my spirit. If that occasion is only a wry grin that shows sympathy, it is still an amazing quality I will always champion.\n"
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[WP] You walk down the alley with your .38 revolver and approach your target, demanding their valuables. A strange force slams you to the wall. As you look up, dazed and confused, you see that your "victim" is wielding a light saber.
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"-What the fuck!?\n\nI stumble my way up and out of the alley. I'm panicking, I don't know what the fuck is going on. It's like I'm inside a fucking movie... WHAT THE FUCK!?\n\nI get inside the car and speed the fuck out of there and for a solid ten minutes all I try I'm thinking about is ways to get as far away from that alley as possible. I finally manage to calm myself down and pull over. Not I gotta explain what happened to the boss. How the hell will I do that...\n\nI start the car again and drive around a few blocks 'till I find a payphone. I pull over and make the call. \n\n-Is it done?; I hear from the other side of the phone.\n\n-Look, things went messy.\n\n-Don't talk over the phone, come here now.\n\nI'm fucking dead.\n\nI get in my car and look to the passenger's seat. There stands my .38. I could end it all now. Save myself the embarrassment and the probably worse death I'm due for when I tell what I saw... I grab the gun and cock the hammer. I put it to my head. Deep breath... I think about my kids. My hand's shaking.\n\n-FUCK!\n\nCan't fucking do it. \n\nI start the car and drive to the warehouse. Mikey is waiting for me at the door. His is the face of an anxious man.\n\n-What the fuck happened Tony?\n\nI don't say a word and just shake my head.\n\n-Come on, let's get you inside.\n\nHe's concerned about me.\n\nWe make our way through the piles boxes full of bootleg DVDs, contraband hard alcohol and tobacco making our way left and through a narrow corridor until we get to a door. The office.\n\nWaiting inside is Marvin, our boss, sitting down with his second in command Paul and bodyguard standing behind him.\n\n-Do you have anything on you?; The boss asks.\n\nI shake my head.\n\nAfter a long sigh he points to the chair standing across the table from him.\n\n-Sit down.\n\nI do so.\n\n-Tell me what happened. Every detail.\n\n-Well she was where she was supposed to be. I pulled over, grabbed my gun got out of the car and told her to hand me over the purse...\n\nI stop for a second calculating what I'm going to say next. Nobody says anything but their stares are more crushing of a pressure than anything they could say.\n\n-Well then she threw me against the wall.\n\n-We went over this! She was supposed to throw you the purse and then you'd shoot her dead. No getting close nonsense.\n\n-I didn't.\n\n-You what?\n\n-I didn't get close.\n\nHe looked confused to his people looking for answers. They rose their eyebrows at him.\n\n-Alright, Mikey, out of the fucking room. Go outside.\n\n-Boss.\n\n-You shut the fuck up, Mikey, fuck off!\n\nAs he left I knew for sure what was going to happen and I regret my decision of not offing myself in the car as I should have.\n\n-Are you fucking with me right now?\n\n-No.\n\n-That recording she got could put all our top ranking members away for a long fucking time and you're fucking with that now?\n\n-Marvin I swear I did good by you but I don't what happened either.\n\n-You're telling me she threw you against the wall with magic?\n\n-Marvin I don't fucking know!\n\n-Don't swear at me you piece of shit, you! Show some fucking respect like you ought to.\n\nI'm desperate at this point.\n\n-Look me in the eye.\n\nI can't.\n\nHe reaches over and grabs my face and takes a long hard look at me.\n\n-We've talked about this before. If I caught you on that shit again you'd be out, but on the job, it's a fucking death sentence.\n\n-Boss, no. I'm off of it I swear.\n\n-You think that shit will fly with me? You don't think I dealt with rat piece of shit druggies like you before? You manipulative cocksucker? I can see your pupils, their dilated, you're on it, motherfucker!\n\n-Marvin, no!\n\nHe pushes my face back tipping the chair and I hit the ground and go out.\n\nIs this it? \n\nI wake up in the middle of the warehouse chained by my hands and feet to the shelves. 20 Meters in front of me is Marvin standing and Paul driving a forklift.\n\n-You got something to say, motherfucker? \n\n-Marvin come on!\n\nHe looks at Paul and nods his head. Paul speeds the forklift in my direction with the blades aimed straight at my chest.\n\n-MARVIN THINK OF MY KIDS!\n\n-I am, you shit.\n\n-OH MOTHER OF GOD NO! FUCK, NO! SHE HAD A LIGHT SABER!\n\nAs the blades plunge themselves into each lung I take a last look at Marvin. Disappointment is the only emotion I can read in his face.\n\nAs I bleed out I can feel my consciousness drifting away. The last thing I hear is Paul.\n\n-Light sabers, this poor fucking bastard.\n\nI wake up hyperventilating.\n\n-Honey what's wrong.\n\nIt's my wife, I'm in my room.\n\nI calm myself down.\n\n-Nothing, go back to sleep.\n\n-Are you sure?\n\n-I'm fine.\n\nAs I lay down I reconsider my line of work.\n\n\n\n\n"
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[WP] The Zombie outbreak has finally happened, but not the way most people have expected it to. You are a scientist researching the new specimen brought in, the pale, squinty eyed, video-game playing person who hadn't seen light for many many years. You record your observations.
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"“Doctor Smith, thank god you're here! We aren't sure what to make of the patient!” The nurse had a concerned look in her eyes that he didn't recognize. This was a woman who'd seen horrifying things in the ER, so what could possibly cause her this much distress? “Please, follow me! We put the patient in quarantine an hour ago.”\n\n“So are we dealing with a contagious disease?” Smith asked.\n\n“We don't know.” The tone in her voice told him they might have a catastrophe on their hands.\n\nShe lead him through the hospital’s sterilized, white corridors. He noticed a few fluorescent bulbs flickering, but not the same ones from the previous week. The custodians could never keep up. \n\nThe nurse took a left, towards the quarantine rooms, and then they reached the observation area. The nurse unlocked the door and they entered. There was already a team inside taking data and making observations.\n\n“Ah, Dr. Smith, glad you could make it,” The other doctor extended his hand, which Smith promptly shook, “I've been working here for twenty years and I've never seen anything like this, but I've heard you've seen a few strange cases in the OR recently. I think your experience might be useful here.” He gestured towards the two-way mirror looking into the quarantine. Smith followed his hand with his eyes and saw the figure inside.\n\n“By the gods..!” Smith was dumbstruck. The figure inside was pale, misshapen, and barely human in appearance. Despite this, the condition looked vaguely familiar, even though he'd not seen anything this advanced. Smith had to confirm his suspicions before making any final diagnosis.\n\n“Please,” Smith had composed himself, “what are his symptoms?”\n\n“Well, the skin is nearly translucent it's so pale, and covered in red, puss-filled lesions. The eyes are completely bloodshot, as if it had been staring into a light for an extended period of time. We can tell that it wasn't a natural light source since we’ve detected no signs of vitamin D, or any other real nutrients for that matter. Its muscles have atrophied and it exhibits nearly nonexistent cognitive function. It also showed no reaction to our needles or reflex tests.”\n\nSomething has caught Smith’s attention: “What do you mean ‘nearly nonexistent’ in regards to cognition?”\n\n“It hasn't responded to any of our questions, but we have heard it mumbling something about ‘Worlds of Warcraft’ and ‘Mythic Raids’”\n\nThe pieces were coming together. “Has it made any requests? For example, a drink or beverage?”\n\nThe nurses and doctor shifted slightly. Smith could tell this rang a bell. “Maybe. We weren't sure what to make of it at the time, but I believe it asked for something along the lines of ‘Mountain Dew: Code Red’ earlier.”\n\nThe source! The external factor that was the same in each case. There was no other possible explanation for the condition of each patient.\n\nDoctor Smith removed his glasses slowly. “I believe I can finally diagnose this man… no, this creature. It is… a zombie!”\n\nThe others gasped at this conclusion. “But, that's impossible! It just can't be!”\n\n“I know that this may come as a shock to you, but there's no other explanation. I've seen it before, but never a case this advanced. Humans who secluded themselves in basements and other places beyond the sun’s reach, with nothing but the light of a computer monitor, a pizza or two, and bottle upon bottle of Mountain Dew: Code Red.” Doctor Smith let out a sigh before putting his glasses back on.\n\nThe other doctor looked alarmed at this diagnosis, but his face did not convey disbelief. “Is there any way to cure this… zombie?”\n\nDoctor Smith took a long look at the creature in the quarantine. He felt nothing but pity. “I'm afraid not. It's already dead, medically speaking. The only way to end its suffering is to destroy the brain.”\n\nThe group, although shaken, had already understood this truth. “Maybe we give him a sort of last meal? I… I think we might have Code Red in the vending machine.”\n\n“I'm sure that would be his final wish. Go ahead.”\n\nDoctor Smith and one of the nurses went in search of a vending machine. They were few and far between in the hospital, but it only took them five minutes to return to the observation area. Smith knocked on the door, but there was no answer.\n\nRealization dawned on his face. He turned quickly to the door of the quarantine room, which was slightly ajar. “No… no, this can't be!” \n\nThat's when he heard a raspy, weak voice behind him: “Mountain… dew…”\n\nSmith turned sharply to observe the grotesque figure behind him. “Noooo-”\n\nHis scream was cut short.\n\n*Saw this and thought it was a cool prompt. Didn't spend a ton of time on it, but it definitely grabbed my imagination!*\n\nEDIT: I typed this on my phone and am doing a first reread now that I'm home. Fixing some stuff."
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How you go about obtaining new sounds and the degree of your obsession is up to you.
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[WP] People's corpses can be turned into instruments with the correct modifications. Every person has a unique sound that can't be produced by normal instruments. You are a collector of sounds...
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"People were music, to The Conductress. She could feel the sound flowing from them, their songs in every breath they took and every word they spoke, and it was beautiful. The only difficulty she had found, when she was young, was that only she could hear this music while the people still lived. Somehow, to others, the world was dull and without the joys of music. The Conductress wasn't sure how she would live in a world like that. She wasn't sure how anyone else survived it, until she realized. They never knew what it was like to hear the music she did. They'd never witnessed what she lived within, the stunning whirl of sounds and people who constantly surrounded her, and that was a fate she had to save them from.\n\nYears of work, seclusion, and occasional morgue robberies later, she found the answer she had been seeking. In the bones of the dead lay their songs, and given the time, she could bring it to the surface. Her life's work had seemed completed for a moment, but she soon realized she had yet to spread this joy to the rest of the world. \n\nCircles of bones began to appear outside of villages nearby to The Conductress' secluded valley, circles that, should you stand within them when the wind blew, let out the most beautiful and haunting sounds. Like nothing else anyone had ever heard, the music seemed to come straight from the Gods above, and every circle had a unique and unforgettable melody. The villagers were fascinated, and some began to spend long hours in the circles, wasting away within their bone boundaries, held by the melody that they *had* to hear the end of. Hours turned into days, days to weeks, weeks to months, months to years, and years into lives. They died, their bodies vanished away, and more bone circles appeared. The Conductress had begun her true work, her exponential, unstoppable work of making sure every man, woman, and child in the land could hear what she could. "
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[WP] Elemental magic is a way of life. Almost everyone can control at least two elements, and the more you can manipulate, the more respected and powerful you are. Tell a story about individuals who can only control one, but scare even the most powerful multi-elemental magic users.
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"Excerpt from Chapter 17 of Novice spell-work and Magic Textbook 31e\n\nSOULS AND MAGIC TALENTS\n\n....Each individual may have control over various types of magic based upon the inclinations of their souls. For more information on the divisions of magic, please see chapter 13 (magical variants). A soul is possessed by all sentient living creatures. As of the publication of this textbook, there are four soul classifications approved by the GMCOE. \n\nGrey\n\nGrey souls are the most common variants of souls found in living creatures today. Those in possession of a grey soul will be unable to use magic. For more information on interactions with the non-magical world, please refer back to chapter 3 (preventing breaches of magical knowledge).\n\nShining\n\nThose in possession of a shining soul are ranked on a scale of 1-10 in terms of inherent power. While those ranked 4-10 have shown the best rates of achieving mastery in 2-3 branches of magic, those ranked 3 and below can often achieve at least proficiency in 1-2 branches, given proper dedication to their studies. Most in possession of a shining soul will have an inherent talent for one branch of magic over others. It is encouraged that each novice discover their inherent magic, so as to educate them most effectively.\n\nNova Soul\n\nThe nova soul is an exceedingly rare type of soul that has the capacity to master every type of magic. Their inherent power is consistently above that seen even in level 10 wizards in possession of a shining soul. However, most experts believe their potential for power to be unlimited, a fact which often leads cosmic entities to seek them out as hosts or servants. For more information see chapters 31 (Demons) and 42 (Gods and elder entities). As of the publication of this text, it has been aproximately 470 years since the birth of a nova soul.\n\nSingularity\n\nA singularity is another exceptionally rare soul variant. It is not as rare as nova souls, as decades frequently pass between the births rather than centuries, but many consider them to be as dangerous as nova souls. Singularities are capable of performing only one type of magic, but have an inherent talent so strong that many techniques that might take others decades to master come to them intuitively. The lowest inherent power level ever recorded was an 8, and belonged to the infant Lizzy Borbon shortly before she died of a birth defect.\n\n",
"The man slowly ascended the stairs to the High Council chambers, black cape billowing behind him. The large doors opened slowly, creaking as his dark form entered the room.\n\nThe head magician stood from his chair, looking down on the visitor. \"What business have you with the Council?\"\n\nThe man said nothing, but silently pointed at the 9th, empty seat in the chamber.\n\n\"You would seek to sit with us? We, masters of the elements, the most powerful in the land? How many elements have you mastered, that you would dare sit with us? Ten? Twenty? A hundred?\"\n\nThe shadowy figure raised a single finger.\n\n\"One? I assure you, one will not be enough. Why, collected together, we of the council have mastered thousands of elements. What makes you think that you may sit with us knowing *one*?\"\n\nThe man, slowly and quietly, took off his hood.\n\nFrom outside the chamber, screams of pure terror could be heard. Cries for mercy and forgiveness, begging, pleading, and sobbing.\n\nThe man put his hood back on, walked up to the empty chair, and took a seat beside the others.\n\nEver since, its been said that no one loyal to the Council has ever been afraid to ascend those stairs. Nervous, anxious, even reluctant, but never afraid.\n\nAnd yet, any who would ascend those stairs wishing to do harm find themselves unable to approach. Struck by dread, they flee back down, never to return. So long as that man sits in his chair, the power of the Council is absolure.\n",
"First response to a WP, I'm also on my phone but will edit the formatting later. (Also English isn't my native language but I'm doing my best)\n\n-------\n\nI've heard stories of the old world, before I was born. Almost everyone was treated equally, and close to all countries were ruled by \"politicians\" that the people had elected. This all changed elemental magic was discovered.\n\nSociety nowadays is ruled by the elite, elemental users which is able to control most of the elements.\nAbove the elite are The chosen ones. The current Chosen ones consists of three people that are able to control every single element with the exception of a couple of extremely rare magic-types. These people are revered as Gods.\n\nThe general population are able to control at least two elements, and if you are able to control more than 4 you belong to the elite.\n\nAt last there's the so called \"Magiless\". The Magiless are either born without magic power or only able to control one element. The Magiless live outside any of the large cities, their lives are not worth much more than that of an animal.\n\nI was born a Magiless, I've lived my entire life in poverty. Every day was a struggle for survival as I had to fight to keep food on the table. My only light in this life was my sister, Sarah, she was a Magiless just like me.\n\nSarah woke me up by conjuring a ball of water above my head. Her element was water, mine's rock. After a small sibling-fight I decided to take a small walk to calm down and dry up. \n\nDuring my walk I even managed to steal a large piece of pie to lighten the mood at home! My mood felt better as I happily walked home thinking about delicious pie we'd enjoy. Today would be a good day.\n\nI walked inside the small hut we lived in only to see something that would forever be burnt into my mind. In the middle of the hut was Sarah. Her hip was impaled by an ice spike, the end sticking out of her throat. \n\nStunned by the mere sight of my impaled sister I didn't notice the two men walking up behind me until they locked my arms.\n\n\"Let's see if this one puts up more of a fight than the other one\" The first man laughed as he touched my arm, setting it aflame\n\nIn panic I kicked the man behind me, surprising him and giving me just enough room to escape his grip, also quickly encasing myself in rock, and creating enough time for me to distance myself\n\n\"Son of a--\" the man that had been behind me shouted\n\n\"You do know that kicking an elite means death to people like you?\" The other man said as he conjured a ball of blue fire\n\nThe fire user attacked immediately. I managed to rise a wall of rock in the last moment, shielding me from the fire. In pure instinct I put my hand to the ground with a single thought: \"Kill\"\n\nThe ground started trembling, soon becoming so strong that both of the men fell. The ground roared as a fist larger than a large car emerged from the ground, and became a golem large as a 6 story house within seconds.\n\n\"Use stone magic to destroy it!\" The fire elite screamed at the other man with fear in his voice\n\n\"I-i c-cant!!\" Said the ice-stone elite, tears drippling down the mans fat cheeks \n\n\"I-it's not stone, it's--\" he didn't even finish the sentence before the golem slammed it's fist on the man, crushing him with extreme force.\n\n\"DIE!!\" Screamed the fire user, fuelling a very large fireball with air\n\nJust as he made a motion to throw the fireball the golem hit him in his side, splattering him against the wall beside him.\n\nAfter what felt like an eternity I regain my composure and dared to leave my cover only to find a the men brutally slaughtered a bit away from my home.\n\nStill stunned by the gory puddles of blood that used to be men I managed to walk over to my sisters corpse. I picked her up and ran...\n\n-------\nEDIT: Minor edits",
"\"I'm sorry, but you control the element of what again?\" Asked the baffled Grand Flumflum. Getting challenged to a duel by a young upstart wasn't exactly new to him, and gods knew that he had seen his fair share of weirdos over the course of his storied career, but this was just too much. \"Never mind, don't need reminding. Shoo kid, go have a chocolate frog,\" the Grand Flumflum said, lazily waving off his newest challenger with one hand.\n\nThe kid didn't move. He simply peeked up at him from his oversized pass-me-down robe and hat.\n\n\"I'm sure you'll find in me a worthwhile foe. I mean, you're clearly left wanting for lessons in humility, just like the other Grand Flumflums I challenged and defeated,\" the kid said, fixing his hat and looking up at him defiantly. The Grand Flumflum scoffed.\n\n\"You? You beat others like I?\" He boomed, raising his stocky frame slowly. Sparks of electricity started dancing around his fierce eyebrows.\n\n\"Insolent child, you claim to have defeated masters over the elements, harnessers of the very powers of nature, harbingers of doom, fellers of dragons and demigods? Well then, pray, do go ahead and show me the full scale of your powers!\"\n\nHe raised his arms slowly, summoning a quartet of spinning blades behind his back. Behind those blades, the ground cracked open, spewing forth a fearsome jet of molten Earth that choked the air out of their surroundings. The Grand Flumflum finally cast three protective layers of protective shielding over himself for good measure. He was not one to let his guard down, even in the face of people that were clearly insane. \n\n\"Great,\" the kid said. He turned his back, and started walking away.\n\n\"Where are you going!\" The Grand Flumflum boomed. His voice was the clapping of thunder and ice, the crackling of fire and earth. It was also ignored. He watched as his newest challenger made his way off the street and around a corner. Had he known the things he knew would happen to him over the next couple of weeks, he would not have let the kid leave like that.\n\n\"GAAAHHH!! SONOFA!!! MOTHER!!! FFF!\" The Grand Flumflum flailed around comically on the jogging route, blinded and incapacitated by a large cut of cloth draped around him. It would have made for a good lark for passers-by, had he not been randomly obliterating everything within a 20 foot radius with an assortment of deadly spells.\n\n\"SHOW YOURSELF!!\" He screeched, finally managing to get the cloth off. As always, the kid was nowhere to be found. \n\n\"Leave me alone and stop harassing me, goddammit! This isn't funny anymore!\"\nStill no response. The Grand Flumflum started sobbing. He had lost a lot of weight, most of his hair, and to say that all of his recent dates had gone poorly was a major understatement.\n\n\"You win, dammit! Take from that what you will! Just stop doing this to me!\"\n\n\"Finally.\"\n\n\"Gaahh!\"\n\n\"So you acknowledge it then? Single elements can be just as powerful.\"\n\nThe Grand Flumflum pouted.\n\n\"It wasn't the single element part so much as what element it was... uh, sorry...\"\n\n\"It's fine, I'm used to it. Grand Flumflum Falazan, master of the four elements of fire, earth, water, and wind, I humbly thank you for engaging me.\"\n\nThe Grand Flumflum shook his hand. The kid had a pretty firm grip. He managed a weak grin.\n\n\"The feeling is mutual, and now, walk with pride, Lower Fringle Lee, master of the element of surprise, for you have bested one of the magicking world's best without casting a single spell.\"\n\n-----\n\nPlease visit r/Seriousaboutnachos for more of my writing, thanks!",
"Fire, Earth, Water, Air, Light, and Dark. These are the elements to magic that are controlled by everyone. Most people can control two of these elements. The more elements you can control, the more respected and powerful you become in this world. \n\nThe basic elements, Fire, Earth, Water, and Air are the most commonly found among the population. Almost everyone you run into in the streets can manipulate two of these basic elements at varying strengths. \n\nLight and Dark magic, however, are scarcely found. I've met a few who could fiddle with these elements, but most were only able to perform small tasks like lighting up a hallway, or knocking someone out from close range. \n\nCommon townspeople often have two or three elements to manipulate to assist them in their daily lives. Usually your line of work is decided by what kinds of elements you can manipulate, and anyone who can manipulate three or more often have the best chance of landing a well paying job. The king often recruits anyone with all four basic elemental control, or control of Dark and/or Light magic. Those recruited serve as the adventurers and guardsmen who keep the towns and cities safe in that bastard's kingdom. \n\nAt five years old, when people's elemental control came to fruition, I didn't develop any of the main six elements. Defects are what these children are called. All the defects of each generation are thrown outside the kingdoms walls and left to fend for themselves, just like I was. The defects hardly ever lasted a full night in the woods outside the kingdom walls. Only strong magic users could survive outside the walls, and us Defects hadn't even gone to school yet. \n\nThe first night I was thrown out of the walls, I couldn't help but cry softly as I waited for the inevitable embrace of death in the form of some lucky beast's stomach. The bushes around me started to rustle, and I knew it could only be a few more painful seconds. I felt the presence lean down and I prepared for the sharp grasp of teeth to puncture my body, but instead I felt a light tapping on my shoulder. \n\n\"Hey, I need you to come with me before it gets too dark out here little guy.\" a man's voice said. \n\n\"W-Wha?\" I said struggling to contain my tears. \n\n\"C'mon let's get going, I know just the place to go. I've got bread, you like bread?\" He asked seemingly unfazed by the looming trees around us that could be harboring any of the beasts. \n\nI stumbled to my feet, and looked up at him. He had a long grey beard and a silver robe. \n\n\"Who are you?\" I asked. \n\n\"Me? Oh I'm just some old guy who prefers the peace and quiet of the woods out here. Everybody gets so uptight inside the walls you know? You can't really be free in there, so I choose to live my days out here.\" He says. \n\n\"B-but I don't have the ability to control any elements, why would you want to take me in?\" I ask holding back tears. \n\n\"Ah magic? Who cares about magic. The real value in life is to enjoy it how you see fit. Magic should only be used to enhance life, not take it from those without.\" He says. \n\n\"Does that mean you can't use magic like me?\" I ask. \n\n\"Huh? Of course I can use magic. But you see, the magic I can use is magic that those fools inside the walls cannot see. I call it 'Null' magic, as only people who can't control any of the six elements are capable of using Null magic. It's a lost art really.\" He states. \n\n\"Have you noticed how we have encountered no beasts along the way to my shack? That is Null magic at work. I've developed my own spell to repel the beasts from me. It helps me get around out here.\" He says. \n\n\"Will I be able to use this too?\" I ask in awe. \n\n\"Maybe, if you possess the power too. But remember, nothing is wrong with not having any magic, it just makes life harder yeah?\" He says. \n\nI see a small cottage in the distance and think that it must be his. \n\n\"Hey we are almost back at my place, why don't you get a snack from the kitchen and get some rest, I can answer your questions tomorrow. I am getting quite tired, I'm not as young as I used to be.\" He says pointing to the building. \n\nInside the cottage I notice light fixtures that I've never seen before, and furniture made out of the weirdest softest material I've ever felt. Immediately, the man ducks into his room and shuts the door as if to signal that it was time to sleep, so I grab a loaf of bread and begin to munch on it till I fall asleep on the mysterious furniture. \n\n(Didn't get to the second part of the prompt, might add another upon request) "
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[WP] Write a story where a truly majestic mustache is the centrepiece of the tale.
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"Gavidius ran with such a speed that he almost slid when turning at the corner. He was normally a calm and calculated man, but as commander of the Order of The Mustache, he had to be the fastest to arrive when the king called. And the king had not just called, but he shouted. He cried. \nWhen he reached the king's bedroom's door, he did not knock. The Order does not knock. He put his hand on his sword, and drew it before entering, the crossguard, which looked exactly like his majesty's majestic Mustache, shone in all of it's golden beauty as it reflected the light of all the candles that was lit. \nThe king kneeled on the floor, his head red from anger or desperation. Gavidius could not decide. The room was already crowded. The queen was sobbing in the corner, turning her back to her husband. Arch-Shaver Caratis buried his face into his palms. Gavidius could hear muffled sounds behind those hands. He was probably chanting the oath of the Guild of Shavers continously. Barbers, he thought. Worthless bunch. The king was the bearer of The Mustache, he had all the power in the world. He could've groomed his facial hair all by himself, not that it required much grooming. Gavius often theorized, that even if left alone, The Mustache would've been just as mesmerising as it is after those pathetic mages... shavers spent hours adjusting it. They were not worthy to touch it. No one was. \n\"It's gone, Gavidius, it's gone! Someone shaved it! Someone shaved me!\"\nThe king cried. He never saw the king cry. \nWhen he looked at the floor, where the king was staring, he saw it: The Mustache, gone from above his majesty's mouth, it was on the floor. Shattered, torn into thousands of tiny pieces. Rage filled Gavidius' heart, clouding his mind. \n\"YOU!\" - he shouted, while grabbing Caratis by the throat and pushing him to the wall. \n\"It was not me! I swear. It wasn't us. The Guild of Shavers are only allowed to touch The Heirloom when they are called to. We took an oath! Cover us from prying eyes, Majestic Mustache, as you cover our king's upper lip from any danger. And may you nev...\" \n\"Oh, shut up, don't dare you start reciting your ancient poems to me. You are the only ones alowed to bear razors in the whole realm, who else could've done it?\"\nGavidius would've continued to punish the Arch-Shaver, for he was the only one he could've imagined being capable of doing this. A strong hand, however, grabbed his, and made him release. It was a shadowy figure, wrapped in cloaks, wearing a mask with a mustache just as the king's.\n\"Leave him. They are the only ones who are ALLOWED to bear razors. But they aren't the only ones who can get their hands on one\" said the figure, while grabbing a razor in his hand. \n\"Who are you?! What do you want from us? How could use do this to me?\" asked the king, with tears dropping from his eyes. \n\"You really don't know? I guess exile made you forget about me\" The figure asked. He removed his mask.\n\"Tuleon? Son? Wh... why?\"\nGavidius was baffled. Baffled to see his childhood friend. In their youths, they were playing with wooden swords, and glued grass above their mouths like they were mustaches. 'One day, I will have a mustache, just like my father' he used to say. 'I will be the only one to have a mustache, and you will be my guardian. The commander of The Order of The Mustache.' Ten years later, he was exiled. Gavidius himself opened the gates for him. Blasphemy. He wasn't able to grow a mustache, the Shavers said. Unable to rule.\n\"I've had enough of purposelessly wandering around the kingdom. I've had enough of this vanity. My birthright won't be taken from me just because of a biological mistake. I didn't ask to live without a mustache. And here I am. \"\n\"Son. You have it all wrong. It's not vanity that we have The Mustache. It's not the symbol of our line, it's not just a coat of arms for our realm. It's us. It defines us. It gives the people something to believe in. It's not the symbol of greatness, of great people. It's the symbol of hope, for everyone. For the weakest, the poorest, the unluckiest. If I walk among them, with The Mustache, they see it, and they know, that I am here, to protect them. The reason you couldn't grow a mustache was not biology. It was Fate. It was the lack of hope for you. As you grew up, you started losing faith in our line, in yourself. And there you stood, 16 years old, without hope, without a mustache. Without The Mustache. Caratis! Do you have your razor? Tuleon, you are still my son, and I've never stopped loving you. But this is treason. And you know what's the punishment for it. \"\nCaratis. was still standing next to the wall, with his hand comforting his neck, where Gavidus was grabbing him a few minutes ago. He looked at the king.\n\"MY apologies, but I am sworn to The Mustache. I obey it. I do not obey people. I am guided by the majestic facial hair that is always righteous, I won't get caught up in your royal affairs. As far as I'm concerned, you are king of nothing.\"\nGavidius had a similar oath as the Arch-Shaver, but he felt that it should be him, who closes the circle. It had to be him, to execute his childhood friend. He grabbed his sword.\n\"I am sorry..... brother.\"\nAs he raised the weapon, he almost immediately stopped it, mid-air. The sword hit the ground as he dropped it in his surprise.\n\"My king! Look at this! Tuleon. What's that above your lip?\" \nThe king stepped closer, grabbed his glasses, and examined his son. He saw a tiny little hair. Facial hair. Mustache. Tuleon was sobbing.\n\"I am sorry, father. I forgot who I was. I wish you had explained The Mustache to me when I was a child. I am sorry I failed to understand it. Now I see what this is. Now I see who I am. I wish I had sooner. I accept my fate. Strike me down, Gavidius. Strike me, so that I can unite with The Mustache in the afterlife, forever.\"\nGavidius looked at his king, waiting for an order. None were given. He raised his sword. \nA loud noise came behind his back, and bright golden light blinded his sight. Everyone turned towards it. It was The Mustache. Or what was left of it. The tiny majestic pieces started coming together, forming a beautiful piece of art. It as just like it's previous form, but even bigger. Even prettier. Majesticer? \nThe Mustache lifed up from the ground, and flew towards the king. He was smiling, with tears in his eyes.\n\"Come back to me. Come back, my love!\" \nWhen it reached his face, however, it took a sharp right turn, then started floating towards Tuleon. It settled on his face. Gavidius dropped his sword again. This time not because of surprise, but because of beauty. His long-time friend looked amazing with his new piece of facial hair. He dropped to his knees. He was soon followed by Caratis, who started chanting his usual lines.\n\"I am... proud of you, son.\" The king cried. The previous king. He removed his crown from his head, and put in on top of his son's. Then grabbed the hand of his wife, the former queen, and they both kneeled.\nThere they stood, promising to be loyal to the new king, and his Majestic Mustache. Forever. Or until shaven."
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[WP] In a world where gods get their power from believers, the ancient gods are getting creative to survive in the modern world.
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"\"It's called GodTube.\" Kara the intern said, fidgeting a little. She could never get used to the atmosphere in this office. Mostly it was the sensation of all the hairs on her body standing on edge. As if everywhere she walked, there was a giant statically charged balloon.\n\n\"GodTube.\" Zeus mused on the alien word, stroking his majestic beard and looking down at Kara from atop his golden throne.\n\n\"Uh, yes. GodTube.\" Kara said, fixing her glasses. \"I think it'd be quicker if I just showed you... may I?\" She said, pointing at Zeus's laptop.\n\nThe god of thunder simply nodded, his chin resting on a Herculean fist the size of a bowling ball. Kara made her way over to the device and clicked on a link that she had found earlier on. She noticed Zeus leaning over a little for a better look at the projection she played on his heavenly nimbus projector.\n\n\"E...pic Water Prank... what in the name of my beard...\" he said, looking over the obnoxious thumbnail ascribed to the clip. \"This better be damned good, Kara,\" he growled.\n\nKara gulped and played the video. On the screen, a familiar face popped up. Zeus groaned.\n\n\"What's HE doing here?\"\n\n\"You'll see,\" Kara said, keeping her eyes on the video.\n\nA muscular man with a regal beard that flowed like water held up a golden trident, and was grinning menacingly into the camera.\n\n\"Whattttsup believers, your boy Poseidon here with another epic prank. Today, I'm gonna,\" he stopped here, breaking into a fit of hysterical laughter. Eventually, he continued, wiping away a tear. \"Sorry about that, anyways, today, I'll be pranking the folks of this peaceful hamlet in the middle of diddlyfuck nowhere.\"\n\nThe camera panned over the peaceful town. The elderly could be seen as little blots, walking their dogs, conversing on benches, and chasing little kids off their lawns. A booming roar shook the screen from the side. The camera turned to an image of Poseidon, who had his trident raised above his head. Behind him, a tidal wave of veritably godly proportions loomed over the town's populace, drawing a most foreboding shade upon the puny mortals.\n\n\"Whoooooohooooo!\" Poseidon yelled as he jumped on a water carriage drawn by his oversized seahorses. The god of the oceans rode the wave, which crashed down on the hamlet of Happytown, wiping it clean off the map.\n\n\"What in the actual fuck?\" Zeus said, incredulously.\n\n\"Shh, here's the important part!\" Kara said, hushing him. Zeus fell back into his seat, grumbling.\n\nPoseidon could be seen walking closing in on the screen from a distance. When he had finally arrived, the new, hip god swept back his turquoise locks which had been drenched wet from all the tidal waving and started talking again.\n\n\"Like I said, epic! If y'all liked that video, please don't forget to subscribe to the temple of Poseidon and hit the praise button below. Every praise I get means I get more power, and more power means more quality content! Poseidon out!\"\n\nThe projection ended. Zeus stared at the screen drawing a blank, then turned to Kara. Kara shrugged.\n\n\"So this... the other gods,\"\n\n\"Hindu, Zoroastrian, Buddhist, Muslim, Norse, most of your friends and family in your pantheon too.\"\n\n\"Even Athena?\"\n\n\"Especially Athena,\" Kara said with a sigh. Zeus did NOT want to know what his daughter had been up to recently.\n\n\"Damn.\"\n\n-----\n\nPlease visit r/Seriousaboutnachos for more of my writing, thanks!",
"Thor and Hercules can be heard laughing in the distance as they start yet another drinking contest. \n\"I think they're onto something.\" said Heket, the Egyptian Frog God. \n\"What? Hammer-time and Billy-No-Brains over there?\" said Belobog, the Slavic Sun god. \n\"Yeah, They're more powerful than ever before simply because one is in comics and the other has a Disney cartoon.\" said Heket. \n\"True, true. Oh, and there's those movies. Thor has a third coming and Hurc had two in a single year. It's just making them stronger.\" Said Nootaikok, the Inuit Iceberg God. \n\"So we need to get into pop culture.\" said Heket. \n\"But how?\" asked Belobog. \n\"Maybe we could influence someone to make a comic about us. Ultimate team up of god-heroes. Heket the Frog can leap over buildings, Belobog the Great with his heat ray and Me, Nootaikok the wise, with my power to freeze things.\" said Noot. \n\"It's sure to work... but how are we going to influence anyone? We're only known to a few professors and Wikipedia. We haven't got the power.\" asked Belobog. \n\"We could ask Jesus, he's nice.\" said Noot. \n\"Nah, he's far too busy messing around with appearing in toast and stuff.\" said Heket. \n\"How about we ask Ra? He's still powerful enough and available these days.\" said Noot. \n\"No.\" said Belobog. \"No other sun gods.\" \n\"Somebodies jealous.\" said Noot, poking Belobog in the rib teasingly. \n\"I am not. It's just... you guy will just replace me with him in the team.\" said Belobog. \n\"haha, yeah, we would.\" laughed Heket. \n\"Dick... how about Venus? she could even join the team if she wanted... then the comic would appeal to the 12-15 year old female demographic....what?\" said Belobog as the other two looked at him with confused faces. \n\"Yeah, umm... Venus it is then.\" asked Noot. \n\"What will our team name be?\" asked Belobog. \n\"Gods of Old?\" ventured Heket. \n\"Love it.\" \n"
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[WP] Every religion to ever exist is true, but with the death of Jesus came a 2000 year treaty to leave the humans to their own devices. It's now the year 2032 and the treaty is coming to an end, thus bringing the Gods back to earth...
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"Here I tend to be, on a clear day, at the finals of the UEFA champions league, real Madrid are contesting for their 20th championship title. The game had been great, and every Madrid fan having the time of their lives, witnessing their favourite club make history. The star striker, nicknamed ' the beast ' had scored a hat trick much to the fans delight. I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to get his autograph and a photo after the match. I felt stoked. Surreal. My football idol, millions would just die to get a glimpse at him, but I got a little bit more. My elation knew no limits. I couldn't stop thinking about my day and how wonderful it was as I got back to my hotel room. Feeling very very lucky. I took a bath and crashed into my bed, cause the were a lot of people at the game, abs navigation was tiring. As I fell asleep, I became aware of a dream, where I was playing alongside 'the beast' on the same team. I just blazer past a couple of defenders and through a ball in to the beast, when I suddenly feel a very strong and imposing energy, I suddenly realise I was awake, couldn't figure out of I had been sleeping at all. \n The question 'was I really sleeping?' needed an answer. I vigorously rubbed my eyes and tried reaching out for the switch, when I see a man dressed in medieval clothing around the corner of my eye, as I thought of making a conscious approach, I heard a voice say 'that almost went in.'\nThere was intense confusion and curiosity manifesting in my brain. The situation has to be assessed. So I started spinning things and looking at clocks and everything I've picked from movies to make sure I wasn't dreaming, while I asked 'who the fuck are you?' still confused. I had realised by the end of my question that it was real, and the confusion abruptly translated into panic. 'Mother fucker' I blurted as I threw the bedside lamp in the man's direction; infringement of privacy, you know. As I looked at the lamp fly towards the ancient looking man, it all slowed down, and I heard a faint reply for my earlier question, \"I'm chronos, the father of time\" as the lamp froze in mid air. I honestly couldn't move at this point. The bearded man seemed amused. As I was trying to comprehend the situation, the weather just went crazy. Thunderstorms had begun. As I got a feel for the whole scenario, chronos said \"he's here\" as he reached towards the window and have the sky an intense look. As I gained control over my thoughts, \"who's here?\" I asked. \"Zeus.\" And he just jumped out.\n The power supply was gone, no electricity in my hotel out anywhere around, but the sky was bright enough to look like a flourscent lamp, a big one. The mad thunderstorm had caused a plane to crash right next my hotel, which escalated into a fire. The lightning from all over the sky morphed itself into a central vortex, and slowly started descending, while the city around burned with plane crashes, burnt satellite dishes and trees. Looked totally like an apocalypse movie. Chronos was silently waiting on a high building, still in my field of view, when Zeus manifested himself right in front of him. My emotions had died. The extreme levels of fear, panic, excitement, elation I went through in quick succession had probably immuned me. The scene was lit with fire, throwing dim light onto the gods, who glowed in their aura. My thinking and raining capabilities were long gone, as I would never have imagined witnessing such energy first hand. Not even when I met the beast. I just wanted to go out and see if other humans were watching this too, so I rushed out of my room. As I opened the door and turn into the corridor, I saw a couple of room service guys and a few other folks, probably guests and staff combined, lying in the floor, lifeless. 'are they dead?!' I asked myself. As I ran downstairs, I felt an intense current of wind pushing me, like it was an actual person. \"FUCKING HELL!\" I screamed, just to hear a voice right behind me that went \"relax, just chill\" I stopped suddenly, but the wind pushed me and I fell to the floor. \n\"Who are you?\"\n\"Vayu - the wind guy\" the voice replied, as a faint figure of a man started manifesting from the wind. \nThat is the Indian god. This is when I started thinking again, is this still a dream? Gods from different religions and places? At the same time? Am I on acid? I don't remember doing drugs in the past week or so, everything seems real. \"Hey, can I ask you something?\" I said as I turned towards vayu, but nobody was there. I had to see what was up. Getting outside was the only thing on my mind. I just sped out. \n As I hit the streets, people were lying on the floor, just like in the hotel. My search changed into one for humans, to find some company. As I waywardly navigated the streets of an unknown city, I came across a first bunch of people who seemed to be concsious and awake and alive. I didn't feel necessarily great, but I approached them to find out what's happening. Turned out that it was a group of junkies. Four guys and three girls, a girl and two guys out of them were really fucked, unable to stay normal. \"Hey. Hello. Have you got any idea what's happening right now? Is everyone dead? Are we dead? Are we...\"\n\"Sssshhhh\" whispered one of the girls \"enjoy the show\" while offering a spliff of some sort. I thanked her and took a drag. It was some really fine hashish. My craving after being sober for a while, was totally satisfied. \"From your country\" she said, \" the Himalayas\". \" There's gonna be a lot of traffic from India now\". I didn't quite understand what she was taking about. \"Yeah. Thirty million, from there alone\" said one of the guys. Standing puzzled and stoned, I realised that was the number of gods in my country. \"Could anyone explain what's happening?\" I asked in a dilemma. \"The gods are coming back.\"said the guy. \"Only people with a fully functional pineal gland and altered neuron structures can withstand powerful auras. Psychedelics have kept us alive man. A fully serotonin based reception of things doesn't work when energies are high. Flouridated masses with decalcified pineal glands just can't cope.\" \n\"Are all these people dead?\" I asked as I passed the joint on.\n\"Almost. They're actually...\"suddenly a darkness sweeps by, we could feel the intense aura. The energy was so intense I could feel every neuron in my body reacting to it. \n\"That was probably Hades\"and the guy continued. \"The contract has expired, so they're all coming back. I'm presuming there could be a battle royale.\"\n\"Are the gods going to fight each other?\"\n\"Arguably, yes. Also, is about time humans evolved, so I'm guessing or race will go, or get an upgrade\"he says with a grin. \n\"What are your names?\" I asked realising we hadn't introduced each other to ourselves.\n\"Call me anything you want,\"he said, \"having a babe is having an identity, which your ego is always clinging to and makes your intelligence its slave. Call me whatever you want.\"\nWhat kind of a cult was this? I asked myself. \"So, is this like, the place they all decide to meet when they come back?\"\n\"Not quite\" he said \"there's too many of them. This is the case all over the world, I'm pretty sure.\"\n\"Is this going to finish soon?\" I asked \"what would be the consequences?\"\n\"Not sure when it would finish, but the consequences would sure be interesting.\" Said the girl, lighting up another one. \n "
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[WP] Every time you tell a lie, there is a 10% chance that a random voice will appear and tell everyone near you the truth instead.
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"\"I used to be successful you know, people used to like to me. The lies I told made them feel comfortable around me, and allowed me to rapidly climb through the ranks at my workplace. \n\nI won’t tell you what I did, but I did it well, and for a long time I lived the good life. It started happening around once a month, I would be in a control and not at the same time. \n\nYou could describe it as a form of tourettes, but it was not a tick, and there was no compulsion, I would just tell the truth. It was not until I had uttered the last word of the sentence that the veil would lift and the consequences would rush to the forefront of my mind. I never loved my wife. When it was monthly, it was manageable. \n\n I could apologize, cover my tracks, or simply cut off contact if it were an acquaintance. Then the frequency increased. Once a month turned to once a week, I lived every week in fear of my next fleeting moment of candour, and refused to speak to my wife until I had ‘used up my truth’. The daily truth was pure misery, \n\nI didn’t know how I managed maintain my relationship with my wife at this stage, but I persisted, hoping that my ‘truth spells’ would somehow fade away. Daily grew to hourly. My marriage was teetering on the edge of a cliff, and all I needed was another slip up at the right time, and it was over. Somehow, however, I endured the daily spells, and no one was the wiser. I hate my kids. For a time, it continued to be a daily event, and I adapted my schedule around it. I thought, fuck it, if this is as bad as it gets, I can endure. \n\nEver watch the second hand of a clock complete a full rotation? 60 seconds, that was as long as I would get before another truth reared its ugly head. Tick tick tick. I’m worried I might end up in a padded room, but perhaps it would be for the best. I hate you. Shit.\"",
"\n\n“Hey, sorry I was late. There was traffic.”\n\nAnne’s Supervisor gives her a scrutinizing look. “ You paused after you said that.”\n\n“ well, I didn't pause. I just stopped talking.”\n\n“ No, there was a pause where you were waiting. You were waiting for The Voice, weren't you?”\n\n“ no. There was traffic.”\n\n“ There it is again. It's like you're waiting for something after you said that.”\n\n“ Look, Bob, you want to call me a liar? Just call me a liar.”\n\n“ I'm not calling you a liar. Just making an observation.”\n\n“ so you don't believe that there was traffic?”\n\n“ I'm saying I'm open to the possibility that maybe you're not being entirely truthful.”\n\n“ so you're calling me a liar but not really? Maybe you're the one who’s waiting for The Voice.”\n\n“ I'm not lying. In order for it to be a lie, I have to be deceiving you. I'm not deceiving you. I genuinely believe what I'm saying.”\n\n“ Can I go to my desk?”\n\n“ say it one more time.”\n\n“Really, Bob?”\n\n“ Please. Indulge me.”\n\n“ I was late because of traffic. can I go to my desk now please?”\n\nBob nods his head, takes a sip of coffee then walks away.\n\n Anne walks to her desk. her cubicle neighbor, Michael, spots her as she walks by. “ hey, running late today?”\n\n“ Yeah, there was traffic.”\n\nA voice from nowhere announces,” Actually, she just didn't feel like coming into work today. She hit the snooze button 5 times.”\n\nAnne and Michael look at each other awkwardly then, finally, Anne says,”Please don’t tell Bob.”\n",
"\"license and registration please\"\n\n\"Yes sir\" spoke Sam, sheepishly. His hands trembling slightly as he handed the officer his paperwork\n\n\"Where are you coming from tonight?\" Asked the officer. Observing every mannerism and slight twitch on Sam's face.\n\n\"I... I am just heading home from a friend's house downtown sir.\" Sam's face, almost cringing at the last words. \n\n\"Hmm. Have you been drinking this evening son? I can smell alcohol on you.\" The officers eyes narrowed.\n\n\"No sir, not at all. My friend spilled a beer on me, you see.\" Sam's eyes looked around expectantly. Then back to the officer.\n\n\"Is that so? But you weren't drinking?\"\n\n\"Just like I told you sir.\" \n\n\"I'm gonna have you step out of the vehicle for me. Do you have any drugs or weapons in the car?\" Asked the officer as he took a step back to allow Sam's door to open.\n\n\"Sir, I am in a bit of a rush to get home, I really have to use the restroom. I don't do drugs, I don't have any weapons. Please, I really have to go.\" He begged.\n\nBefore the officer could order him out, a booming voice echoed in a calm, accusatory tone.\n\n\"He is lying! He does not require the restroom at this time. He is hoping you will let him go\"\n\n\n\"I knew it! Step out of the vehicle now son. Nobody lies to me.\"\n\n\n\"He is lying! People lie to him every day. It is part of his job. It frustrates him greatly!\" Came the voice again.\n\n\nThe officer paused for a moment, let out a sigh, muttering something under his breath. \"Step out of the vehicle. Your gonna need to perform a breathalyzer test.\"\n\n\nThe voice thundered \"He is lying. He cannot force you to take such a...\"\n\n\n\"Shut up! Jesus Christ, phrasing? You're gonna call me on phra... whatever!\" The officer stepped back and bent over to the level of Sam's car window, \n\"Out of the car now! Get out!\" He barked.\n\n\nReluctantly Sam stepped out. He stood and waited while the officer prepared the test. \"Is this really necessary? Sir I told you I haven't been drinking...\" Sam sighed pathetically.\n\n\n\"He is lying, he drank six glasses of cola beverage!\"\n\n\n\"That's not what I m...\" Sam started, as the officer looked puzzled.\n\n\n\"Mixed with rum! A 60/40 ratio, rum to cola. A stiff mixture to be sure!\"\n\n\n\"What the fuck man? I thought it was one in ten. Your calling every lie! Why?\" Sam cried, slumping forward with his wrists out to accept the officers cuffs.\n\n\nThe voice boomed out, louder yet \"I did not tell him about the cocaine in your center console!\"",
"Let me make this quick and to the point, because I don’t have much time. They monitor our computer use, as well as our internet access, to prevent incidents like this. Right now Sarah is curled up in our room pretending to be me so I can get an extra ten minutes of time. So if there are spelling mistakes…well please forgive me. Perfection is not the goal here.\n\nThe goal here is freedom.\n\nI will not share the name of our country. That, along with several other key words about my location, is heavily monitored. If someone types any of those words on a computer, their power gets shut down immediately. No questions asked. Within hours, they—along with any family members or close friends within a certain distance—disappear. No one knows where they go; to be frank, no one asks. Sometimes it’s better not to know.\n\nBut anyway, I can’t share. So I’m going to have to rely on your ability to pick up on my clues. *Think* about the country that this could be. And before you make your first guess: no. It’s not the most obvious one. Or even the second most obvious one. They’re much smarter than that. Smart enough that there’s no reason human rights activists should ever suspect a thing. It’s why I’m taking this risk now. The world has to know.\n\nWhy don’t we just revolt? I know you’re probably thinking this to yourself right now. And you know, if this was a normal country, I think we would. There are enough of us that we could take down the military, casualties be damned. I know that almost any one of us would sacrifice our lives for the few that would live on if we thought there was even a tiny chance of succeeding. But there isn’t. You know why?\n\nTechnology.\n\nGod I hate technology so much. It makes life better—so many improvements you don’t even think about but that raise your quality of living by a tenfold. But listen to me when I tell you this. *Technology is also a tool of the oppressors.* I don’t know how they did it. Minds more brilliant than my own have struggled to figure it out, then died in agony as they were tortured. But somehow, over a decade ago, they developed the chip.\n\nThe chip goes into your brain when you’re born. Every single person gets one. If it’s not compatible with your body, you die. No sobbing mother or screaming father can stop that. It’s just a fact of life, because this chip is important to the regimen. It keeps track of your location. It functions as a killing device. There are even rumors of mind control, though no one has ever been able to prove that.\n\nBut its most important job? Invading your thoughts.\n\nNow the chip can’t read all of your thoughts. If that were possible, I’d just shoot myself right now and be done with it. No, the chip does something far more insidious. It makes it impossible to lie.\n\nHow is that?\n\nYou have brain waves. Every time you think something, they emit. Every time you say something, they emit. And every time you say something that you don’t think… there’s a little blip. A tiny dot on the radar. The chip picks up on that, then zeros in on the thought that caused the blip. It echoes your brain wave, and sends the thought to all the chips within a certain radius around you. Then before you know it, complete strangers are compulsively shouting out what should have been your deepest secret.\n\nBut you know what the worst thing about this chip is? It isn’t perfect.\n\nThere’s only about a 10% success rate for the chip. That means you can get away with lying nine times out of ten. Maybe more, if the odds are in your favor. Every person goes through ten security checks a day. Ten questions asked, that you have to answer if you want to live. Most answer honestly. The few who don’t… well they play a dangerous game. And that’s where the chip gives you devastating, destructive hope. Hope that weeds out the rebels. Hope that kills them.\n\nThe longest to play the odds was a woman named Jane. Let’s just say Jane, because her real name would light this computer up like a Christmas tree. She made it almost two hundred days. That’s two thousand truth checks, two hundred times her chip should have caught the blip but didn’t.\n\nShe got caught on an elevator.\n\nIt was brutal and quick. She became a national emblem—the reason you don’t plot against the government. *Because no matter how well the odds treat you, eventually you’ll get caught.* They think one of the reasons she was able to go so long was because she worked so near one of the few tourist areas. Our country must keep up a façade, so while we have no great landmarks to attract people with, we have a chunk of land where we put up an act for any and all visitors. People who work near those areas are naturally exposed to less obvious security, in the off chance a tourist gets lost and sees.\n\nAfter Jane, security in those areas cracked down. Even escaping the country alone, with nothing but the clothes on your back, became impossible. Not that it was ever possible before. But it went from hopeful kind of suicide to a blatant, you want everyone you’ve ever known murdered for information, kind of suicide.\n\nI realized that this morning. That’s when my great epiphany occurred—the one that will kill both me and Sarah. I had the idea and it wouldn’t go away, and then I realized that I had fucked up. Because you can’t hide these kinds of thoughts, even if you have no intention of ever acting on them. Not with the chip.\n\nAnd these thoughts are suicide.\n\nSo I realized anything planned would always fail. Spontaneity is the only chance anyone will ever have.\n\nI called Sarah in quickly. At first she was confused, because I was acting erratically. Making the biggest decision of your life in ten seconds will usually do that to a person. But I told her to pretend to be me and to give me her computer time, and I think she realized. She kissed me. Probably the last kiss I’ll ever receive from my wife. Then she left, and I used my limited knowledge—because as oppressive as this country may be, they can’t stop us from learning everything—and I managed to access a website I shouldn’t have been able to access.\n\nAnyway, my extra time is almost up. All of this is on a word document, but the moment I post it, they’ll know. They may not know what it is at first, but it’ll be out of our country, and that will be enough to turn my house dark. Then the chip will kick in.\n\nI’m shaking now. I’ve given you clues. I believe in God. We have computers. Elevators are commonplace. There’s controlled tourism. *Think* about what else I’ve said.\n\nPlease."
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[WP] A villain has finally succeeded in killing his hero. For reasons unknown to them though everyone the hero ever fought are now seeking revenge.
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"-There has always been one, and only one hero is this planet...\n\n... OR AT LEAST THERE WAS!\n\nYou start to laugh hysterically, screaming and cursing of joy, the adrenaline rushed through your veins as fast as your heart allowed it to go.\n\n-a human heart, nonetheless - You stop thinking, sinking into your own thoughts - one That KILLED THE GREATEST HERO THAT HAS EVER BEEN! - your laughter increases once again, while you pick up a corpse of the ground - incontable hours thinking about you, thinking about how to counter. Each. One. Of. Your. Fucking Powers. And finally, You, are dead. \n\nYou hear something crashing from the sky not too far away. You know who he is. A hooded figure starts walking towards you. Dark lighting sparking from his fists. \n\n-You are too late, is finish, I FINISH IT. \n\n-**I THINK YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE HERE**\n\n-We?\n\nA second projectile crashes, you barely have time to react. A portal opens with the sound of a crushing scream. Three of them arrive flying down. And then another Portal completely different and yet, so similar. One teleports in front of you. They are all here. You are can't speak, paralyzed by fear. \n\n-Why do you think there was only one hero?\n\n-Don't you think that we would have killed him if we wanted by already?\n\n-Humanity was guaranteed power...\n\n-*...but power corrupts, doesn't it?* \n\n-Yet, there must be One, Always. \n\nYour can see how the corpse of one who usted to be your enemy starts to putrefy at inhumane speeds. They start to tear down the suit of the corpse. You fall on your knees. One by one they left. \n\nYou are alone. tearing down your face, and whit the suit of a hero torn into pieces in front of you\n\n-there must be always one - you whisper "
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[WP] You are kidnapped, but the kidnappers actually let you go because you're so annoying.
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"\"Move!\", said Krill, as he adjusted his mask while pushing Johnny out of a van into a warehouse. \"Move where?\", asked Johnny. \"Just walk here I tell you!\", Krill said. \"Your mask looks funny... Santa Claus.\", said Johnny. \"W...what?\", replied Krill. \"Hey Santa! Are we gonna see the presents?\", asked Johnny. Krill looked around, assuming someone else was in the warehouse. \"Hey Santa, where are you looking?\", asked Johnny. \"Hey, shithead, you're supposed to cry!\", said Krill. \"Cry? You're Santa Claus! Why would I cry? Also, here's my present?\", said Johnny. \"Dear fucking hell, I'm not Santa Claus! Now, just do as I say and...\" Krill, couldn't finish as Johnny had found interest in an assault rifle on the floor. \"Hey Santa, what does this do?\", asked Johnny. \"At least r can't remove it from safe mode.\", said Krill. Krill decided to leave for the night, and check up on Johnny in the morning and sell him. He left two of his henchmen to watch him.\n\nThe next morning, Krill returned only to find his two henchmen running towards him. Before he had a chance to speak, one of them said, \"Sir, he put the fun on semi-auto mode.\" \"You shitbuckets left a kid with a gun?, Krill said. \"Yeah, he said if we didn't, he'd switch off the outflow valve on the gas tank.\", the guard replied, \"I don't think he knows it'll cause an explosion, he's just fucking with us.\" \"I'll go yell at him and... what are you doing?!\", Krill yelled to the other guard. \"The kid got my leg, he almost hit my balls. Good news is the bleeding stopped.\", said the guard. \"The bad news is that you two fucknuggets left a kid with a gun near an explosive fuel tank! You horsefucking donkeys!\"\n\nKrill went into the warehouse to yell at Johnny, only to find him near the gas tank with the gun. \"Hey Santa, let's play cops and robbers, you be the cop!\", said Johnny. \"Shut up!\", Krill said, \"Put the gun down!\" \"Hey Santa! What does *that* button do?\", Johnny said, pointing to a red button that would shut off the valve, causing a holdup of pressure in the fuel tank, ultimately causing an explosion. \"Uh... if you *do not* press it, you get free ice cream!\", Krill said, now nervous. \"Got it!\", Johnny said, \"You said to *not* press the button... like this?\"\n\nJohnny pressed the button.",
"\"Hey, so are we there yet?\" -J.\n\n\"Shutup Johnny. I swear to Christ. Not another word.\" -L.\n\n\"Ok, I'm sorry. I was just wondering if we were close. Hey did you know that there were 30 days in August but 31 in July? February is weird it only has...\" -J.\n\n\"Oh, for the love of God shut up kid. I hope your mom and dad don't pay, I want to do you in so bad.\" -L.\n\n\"Hey, chill out bro. You know the drill if he's hurt it causes waves. The parents will do anything to find us. They'll come through just give it time.\" -Q.\n\n\"They'll pay. Mommy always comes through with this kind of stuff. Hey, she didn't hire you guys to get me away? You know that's the kind of thing she'll do. Before she would give me $5 every time the mail man would come by. I was sad when he died. The chandelier fell on him. I still don't know how that happened it was a freak acc...\" -J\n\n\"Bro this is the kid whose mom was boning Rice. Post office working keeping it real with the upper class. Dude finally learned his place when this kid's dad found out. I bet that...\" -Q\n\n\"No, no, no daddy didn't do that. He was acting weird that day. I accidentally prayed for him. I prayed for ma and pa and they died so I try not to pray for folks anymore. It's like a jinx. I was happy when I prayed for daddy and he lived. Hey can we stop somewhere? I really have to pee.\"\n\n*While Little Johnny carried on talking about nothing Leonard received the call he had been waiting for. The news wasn't good. Johnny's mom was happy he was gone and she said they wouldn't meet the price.*\n\n\"Looks like momma ain't paying boy. Finally I can play with you\" -L *drawing a knife*\n\n\"Awesome! Hey let me pee first though I really have to go. Like really bad. That's a cool knife, where'd you get it? Hey, how come sometimes the moon is out at night and sometimes it isn't. The sun is always out during the day. How does it get night without the moon?\" -J\n\n\"Look man I didn't go on this job for nothing. If you cut him we get nothing. Let's stop up here.\" -Q\n\n*Leonard, ignoring Quincy, picks up Johnny and pulls the knife to his throat.\"\n\n\"Wow, you're really stro...oops. I didn't mean to. I told you I had to pee. You knew! Wait leave me alone. Haha it's all on you and stuff. That's gross.\" -J\n\n\"Drop him off here Q. It ain't worth it. No wonder his parents want to get rid of him. We'll make money off some other kid.\" -L \n\n\"Yeah, I hope you guys do good. You're really strong mister but you smell bad. Can I tell you about the...hey you don't need to stop I already peed. Well, ok but can I get chips?\" -J\n\n\n"
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[WP] Teletransportation for people is a common thing now. Well, sort of. The only caveat is that people don't really get teleported, they are copied. You are tasked to collect the original teleporters, as their tissue must be harvested for materials to create the copies.
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"Back in the old days, people didn't like talking about where their meat came from. The fact that something had to die in order for them to enjoy their favorite foods. Sure, everyone knew that meat came from animals, but everything was presented and marketed to put the ramifications of that fact out of the average person's mind. \n\nNobody showed what the farms looked like, or the slaughterhouses. Meat was cleaned, cut, and processed far away from the grocery store. By the time it got to the consumer, there was little to no hint that the meat had come from a creature that had actually lived. No faces. No hooves. No skin. No blood. \n\nThe resistance to printed meat wasn't about the ethics, or the economics. It was about whether or not the taste was the same. Does misery have a flavor?\n\nIt doesn't really matter, though, does it? Even then, there were people who knew the truth. They tried to put it out there for everyone, but most people just didn't care. It was more convenient not to. Ignorance is bliss. Humanity doesn't really change. \n\nEvery time I go into a tele-station, I get the creeps. People stand in line, some smiling, some laughing. Children, even. They encourage parents to take their children into those machines, that way when they're old enough to learn how they work, it doesn't matter. They're already used to it. It's already convenient. \n\nIt's quick and painless, they say. Just a little pinch. The first things the nanobots disable is your pain response. All you feel is the needle going in. Then you just fall asleep, right there in the tube. \n\nBody after body fills the trailer. The tubes are sent back to be sterilized. It reminds me of pictures of the Holocaust. Of the mass-graves. It's cleaner, sure. Less mud and shit and piss. They like to say it's more dignified than being thrown in a hole to rot. They say a lot of things.\n\nI try not to think about it while they unhitch the tanker from the back of my truck and swap it for a box trailer full of bodies, but I can't. I can't drown out the sound of flesh landing on flesh, or the thought that I'm going to be pulling away with one giant coffin less than five feet from my back. \n\nIt's better than the alternative, I guess. My worst nightmare starts with me waking up in the processing facility. Turned into slurry, from the inside out.\n\nBut it's a job, and one of the few high paying gigs that doesn't require teletransport. As long as I just keep driving the trucks back and forth, I won't have to become a passenger. \n"
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[WP] You and your fellow astronauts are about to become the first humans land on Mars. There's just one small problem: It was never officially decided who is to be the first person to actually set foot on the red planet.
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"*We're here. The weeks of sitting in that crowded vessel and it was finally time to leave.*\n\n\"Gary, check the memo! Who was supposed to go first?\" I asked.\n\n\"Fuck, man. I don't know...\" Gary mumbled as he feverishly scrolled through the notebook.\n\n\"We need to know! In 3 minutes we have to turn on the cameras and we'll be public!\" I replied, anxious.\n\n\"You always were a bit of a loud prick,\" Gary said. \"Just give me a goddamn second.\" We sat in the vessel for a few seconds, before another astronaut chimed in.\n\n\"You know, we could all just jump together!\", Annabelle said, projecting her voice since she was in the backseat.\n\n\"Nice try, but that won't work,\" Gary said. I forgot to mention that he's an engineer, and he helped design the vessel. \"We're all too big to exit that door at once.\"\n\n-\n\n\"**T-3 minutes before you're live.**\" the computer said.\n\n-\n\n\n\"Oh, shit, shit, shit, shit,\" I said, fumbling to get out of the seat into the rather spacious, 150 sq.ft living space we've been in for 3 weeks and counting. \"I'll set the cameras up.\" I was recruited to come here since I graduated film school in '08 and out of all of them, I know how to set the camera up as fast as possible.\n\n\"Hey, why don't you go first?\" Annabelle said, pointing at me.\n\n\"I'm camera shy, I'm usually behind it!\" I cried, seemingly desperate.\n\n\"Oh god, this is history being made! What do we do?\" Gary asked. \"You're a wimp, she wants you to go first, and I'm sitting here trying to figure out if the idiots at NASA told us who to go first.\"\n\n-\n\n\"**T-1 minute.**\" the computer stressed.\n\n-\n\n\"We have no time,\" I said, finally managing to get the camera ready. I hit the record button. \"I'll go.\"\n\nT minus 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...\n\n**History now will remember me jumping haphazardly out of the pod, and almost breaking my ankle on a piece of space rock. What's your most awkward story?**"
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It would be very cool if the writer adds links to the songs the protagonist will listen to.
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[WP] You're a superhero whose powers change depending on the music you're listening to at that moment.
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"\"My mother and I really aren't on good terms.\" She said sadly. \nThe candle on the table flickered\n\"Uh, huh.\" I replied, all my energy I devoted to controlling myself. \n\n\"What am I doing?\" I asked myself. I know dating is a terrible idea and it will never work out. I should accept the idea that me and long-term relationships are incompatible. I squirmed in my seat restlessly, beads of sweat started forming on my brow.\n\n\"And the last family gathering we had we got into a huge fight. But anyways, enough about me. What about you?\"\n\nShe stuffed a forkful of penne pasta lathered in tomato sauce into her mouth daintily. Romantic classical music added to the ambience of the darkly lit restaurant. This restaurant didn't play music, this is why I brought her HERE. But no, Vivaldi's four seasons played softly in the background.\n\n\"Well, uh, I never really knew my parents, I grew up in a foster home since I was a year old. I don't have any foster siblings.\" \n\nMy hand started shaking, I could barely keep it in.\n\n\"Oh no, I'm so sorry. What happened?\" She asked nosily. \nHer hand left her side and clutched mine comfortingly. My hand quickly retreated and I scratched my head to hide the quivering. It was if I was in withdrawal.\n\n\"They died.\" I said bleakly, nodding my head.\n\n\"That's aw-\"\n\nIn that moment I lost control, the vibrato overtook me, turning me into someone else. Violins, cellos, and pianos fueled my madness. With each measure I grew stronger and with each note more powerful. I turned from man to beast in an instant. Suddenly I was a giant, strong, instinctual animal with razor-sharp claws, teeth, and a fury worthy of Satan himself. Guests looked wide-eyed and they took a moment to comprehend the situation, but when they still didn't understand they got up and ran, screaming. My date was frozen in fear, unmoving. The song crescendoed and I could feel my body growing, my muscles thickening, and my teeth sharpening. At this stage I had limited control. Once I turned my human consciousness, Rick, was not fully in control like it was when I was human. I stood on my hind paws and made a defining roar, my instincts overriding my humanity hidden deep within. Finally my date screamed and left running.\n\n\"Bill, turn off that fucking music.\" said the manager nonchalantly in my peripheral. \n\n He stood, drying a wine glass and looking disapprovingly at me. Immediately I reverted to my old form, I was sweating and dreary from shifting. Shifting took more energy than most powers and I was drained. \n\n\"Bill, get the fuck over here.\" The manager demanded angrily.\nBill ran over, red in the face.\n\n\"What did I tell you about playing music, huh? Not with our special guest around. he pays us to not play music, okay?\"\n\nBill looked down at his feet embarrassed.\nThe manager stared at Bill, his hands on his hips, then he looked over to me.\n\n\"Dude, I'm so sorry. Bill's a fucking idiot. This will never happen again. My deepest apologies. Hey, next time is on me, kay?\" \n\nHe said sincerely.\n\"Thanks man. Thanks for understanding. I thought I could control myself, but I couldn't'\" \nThen out of Bill's pocket emanated the sound of his phone ringtone.",
"So you might not believe this, but I’m a super hero. Yeah, call the psyche ward, this person is crazy. Believe me, I know what you’re thinking. I used to be very much like you believe it or not. Used to. I’m not the same anymore. My days are spent flying around the city, looking for criminals to beat to a pulp. Sometimes some planetary threat arises, and I’ve got to fight alongside a bunch of other people with powers that I don’t even like, and on my days off I have to try and manage work and school and a healthy relationship all at the same time. It’s exactly as hard as it sounds, believe me.\n\nBut like I’ve already implied, I wasn’t always like this. Every super hero has an origin story, right? Well I’m no different in that regard. Things weren’t always all super-powers and crime fighting for this average Joe. No, once upon time, I was just a guy named Victor.\n\nI’ll be honest, I had been a bit of a skeptic when it came to things like magic and supernatural entities or powers or even mundane things like “wishing upon a star.” Call me a stick-in-the-mud, or a loser, or someone who “must be fun at parties” or whatever else, but I’ve always thought that entertaining those ideas was foolish. After all what’s the point of fantasizing about things outside of your reality? That’s what I used to think anyway. Truth be told, I’m still a bit of a skeptic, but not of the same things I used to be. At least not anymore.\n\nIt all started with that damn witch you see. And no, I don’t mean some crooked-nosed hag hunching over a cauldron full of god-knows what. This witch turned out to be the Goth chick from my college math class, a girl named Amy that I only ever talked to a few time before. I needed a tutor because truth be told I’m awful at math. So you know who my teacher recommends after I tell him I need some extra help? You guessed it, Amy.\n\nShe wasn’t unpleasant by any means. In fact she was a lot more tolerable than most of the other women in the class. But Amy is… different, shall we say. During our afternoons when class was over she’d tutor me at the local library, and she was brilliant. My grades started improving, and I was grateful for the help. After a while I tried to make small talk, and as the weeks went on we became fast friends. As we started getting into different subjects though, I eventually learned that she called herself a “witch.” Me being me, I naturally laughed it off, and even cracked a joke or two.\n\nShe however didn’t take it too kindly. When we were alone she asked me, “What, so you don’t believe in the supernatural. You don’t think I can cast a spell on you?”\n\n“Of course not,” I told her. “That’s impossible. It has no basis in reality.”\n\n“Your perception of reality is very narrow-minded then,” she said, then laughing at me. “Maybe you’d like taste of mine,” she taunted. “If it’s true that I’m full of shit, then my little spell won’t work on you.”\n\nSomething to know about me—I’m very stubborn. Even if I know something is a waste of time, if I’m called out on something I’m not just simply going to ignore it. So when she challenged me with something so outrageous, something I was so certain I could win, I had to take her up on it.\n\n“Alright then,” I began, thinking of something stupid I could ask her to do. “What kinds of spells can you cast? Can you… say… give me super powers?” I grinned, thinking I had made another joke out of this situation.\n\n“Actually, yes. Yes I can,” she said with a grin more sinister. Something about that face she made just then was unnerving, but I didn’t think about it too hard at the time.\n\n“Alright then. I want super strength, and speed. I want to be Superman or something.”\n\n“It doesn’t work like that,” she then replied, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed.\n\n“Oh? Well so much for than then. You must be a terrible witch.”\n\nShe immediately furrowed her brow. “I said not like that. The goddess is fickle, and she hates skeptics. If I cast a spell on you to give you powers she’s going to get to pick them and we’ll both have no idea what they are. And that could dang…”\n\n“I’m fine with that,” I said interrupting her. At this point I knew she’d had it with my shit. Looking back on it now, I kind of deserved the crap that came afterwards, but I’ll get to that in a little while.\n\nAmy smiled despite herself. “So be it. When do you want to do this?”\n\n“Why waste any time?” I said, leaning forward. “Let’s do it now.” I didn’t know it then, but that had been a huge mistake. I remember that somewhere in the library, someone had started playing the song “[Fire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaHEusBG20c)” by Arthur Brown. That might seem irrelevant now, but I’ll get to that later.\n\nAmy smiled, and without second thought began chanting in some language I didn’t understand. I was glad we were by ourselves at the far end of the room, because she was starting look more than a bit insane. It was only after her eyes started glowing that I was finally uncomfortable enough to back away. By that point though, it was already too late.\n\nAfter she was finished there was immediate silence between the two of us. We shared a couple awkward glances, and waited patiently for something to happen. “See? Nothing,” I confidently exclaimed. A few seconds later I spontaneously burst into flames.\n\nAmy immediately started screaming, but hers were nothing as compared to mine. I yelled. I screamed. I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off setting the books on fire whenever I bumped into them. I tried to roll around but the carpet just went up in flames as well.\n\nA few people came over with fire extinguishers trying desperately to put me out. For one moment, it didn’t work. Then all of a sudden the flames were gone. They vanished in an instant, and all that was left ablaze were the things that had caught fire during my frantic flailing.\n\nThe staff managed to put out the remaining fires before they spread too quickly, but by that time the damage had already been done. They called an ambulance, and the police showed up to question everyone who was at the library. Miraculously though, I had no injuries at all. I wasn’t even burned from what first responders could tell.\n\nOf course after being checked for injuries, Amy and I didn’t tell anyone what had happened to cause it. The police grilled us for quite some time, but the both of us stuck to the same story. When we were finally free to go, the two of us went to the park to be alone. She could already tell I was furious.\n\n“What did you do to me?!” I yelled like a madman. “What did you do?!”\n\nShe looked scared, and I immediately felt bad. “I don’t know! I told you I didn’t know what was going to happen! Didn’t I tell you?!” She was right. She had said it, and like an ass I didn’t believe her. But how the hell was I supposed know? It should have been common sense to not believe in magic or super powers. Now common sense was out the fucking window.\n\n“I’m sorry,” I replied. “I know what you said. Just, please tell me this isn’t permanent.”\n\n“It’s permanent,” she said bluntly. My heart sunk in my chest.\n\n“So what? I’m the fucking Human Torch now?” I asked, looking distressed. I looked down at the clothes I was wearing, which had been charred black during the small amount of time I was on fire. “Like what the fuck? Your goddess couldn’t have chosen a power that wouldn’t ruin my clothes?”\n\n“I guess? Victor I honestly have no fucking clue. I didn’t really think she’d listen to me. It’s the first time I’ve done a spell like that.”\n\n“You could have told me that before,” I said to her, then realizing I had lied.\n\n“You know damn well you wouldn’t have listened,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. Once more, she was right. “Look, we can talk about this more tomorrow. Neither of us have class. Just go home and we’ll figure it out and… I dunno, just try not to burn your house down.”\n\nI grimaced. “Geese, thanks miss Amy,” I said cynically. We went our separate ways after that, yet my night didn’t get any better. Amy had indeed cast a spell to give me powers, and at first I thought that they had something to do with fire. I mean, it made sense to me at the time. I did burst into flames and was unharmed afterwards. What else could it be? That’s what I had in mind, and so that’s what I tried to test.\n\n(1/2)",
"I still remember the day i discovered my powers.It was just a normal day on my summer break from school and I decided to listen to some Dragonforce.Then when Three hammers started playing as you would expect 3 Hammers appeared.But they were floating around me like they were a part of me.\n\nAfter further experimentation i found out the powers changed as the music changed.For example if i listened to Boulevard of broken dreams by green day i could break someone's hopes and dreams.I used my powers for good for about 3 years but then I thought of something that would make\nMe unstoppable,I started playing mozart's Requim and it gave me power over life and death.\n\nBut as I thought of more powerful songs the more corrupt the normal people saw me as.I started living in seclusion from society and tested new spells until i found the strongest song I could think of.It was a song made by the same band that I listened to when I discovered my powers.Reaching into infinity by dragonforce.If my guessing was correct I would have infinite power.\n\nWhen I returned to civilization I had grown a lot stronger but my view on normal people also changed.These needed to be controlled because otherwise there would be crime.I started purging criminals and taking control of my home town.No one could stop me when I reached world domination people hated me,I didn't know why I was helping them get rid of evil they should be thankful of my work.\n\nThank to my infinite power I became immortal but resistance against me grew stronger each day.My armies couldn't handle them anymore so I crushed them and humanity prospered and grew when we reached the space age I was treated like a god.\n\nThanks for reading this was my first prompt i hope you liked it.Sorry if there are any typos I wrote this on my phone.",
"I've grown bored with my powers, so I'll give a brief summary of the songs I've sussed out that give me some sort of power. \n\nThe first song that I figures out gave me powers was \"Rewind Repeat It\" by Tim Thelen. It's an instrumental EDM piece, and it gives me control of time. I've done the standard ideas with time manipulation. Hitler? Killed as a baby. Killing Hitler allowed Stalin to flourish even more. Stalin? Same thing. Killing him led to even more chaos in the middle east. The middle east attacked in the late 80's. Every time they would, I'd be there. 9/11 never even happened. I'm bored of it all. There's always a new problem. It's too complicated to keep track of.\n\nI thought about it. Maybe some other songs would give me different powers. It turned out to be right. Musicals gave me the voice of an angel. Specifically \"Sincerely Me\" from Dear Evan Hansen. I was in movie musicals, I dominated Broadway, I was a mega star in music. I got bored of that too.\n\nSo I tested out some songs. Funny enough, meme songs like \"All Star\" by Smash Mouth and \"A Thousand Miles\" by Vanessa Carlton gave me excellent communication skills. I don't get it, but I can sell Ice to Eskimos while I'm listening to those songs people just seem to fall to my will. That made everything a little too easy though, and I haven't listened to them in years. \n\nMy lack of communication skills when I'm not memeing leads me to more fights. Luckily enough, I found that most songs that have \"Fire\" in the title will make me a pyromancer. \"Fireball\" by Pitbull, \"Fireflies\" by Owl city, \"Firework\" by Katy Perry, you name it. If it says fire in the title, there will be fire shooting almost uncontrollably out of my hands. It can be a problem. That's my current challenge in life, control the fire.\n\nThose are the big 4. Other songs have more minor effects. \"Hot in Here\" by Nelly and \"Cold Water\" by Beiber give temp control. Any song that mentions a bunch of cities gives teleportation. I was raised on Christian music, so my go-to track for that is \"Revolution\" by Kirk Franklin. \n\nMy journey is an interesting one. I've been a leader, a hero, a villain. I'm currently sitting on a throne of bones, waiting for a worthy challenger, just me and my trusty 4th generation iPod shuffle.\n\n",
"The other students in my dormitory never understood why I listened exclusively to scores from films and video games. I would sit for hours, all alone, and jam out to my lyric-less playlists while working on whatever project I was fiddling with.\n\nAt least, that's what my pattern of behavior had led them to believe.\n\nTruthfully, I would sneak off to fight crime; it was the playlists I had so carefully compiled that gave me my strength. Whenever I would listen to the theme of a character in fiction, I would acquire their abilities.\n\nListening to the themes of some characters would give me the [strength of a suit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCrS8s4Y4K4) [of armor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5riyajbsq0), while others could [grant me spells](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4_0bc1M4F4) and [magic to use at will.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xflkF-sqNaM)\n\nIt was the lyrics that made things get weird. Often, listening to the work of a pop artist, a rapper, or a big band would give me the musical senses and taste of the creators. I had learned quickly to avoid boy bands and vocaloid- regardless of how good I thought the music was, it was often detrimental to my combat ability.\n\nI would sometimes have to get creative with my music, and find things on the fly. \n One time I had to find the [theme of a vampire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF6xdUAuPHY) so I could hypnotize a particularly dangerous opponent, and often I have found myself sitting out of a battle while other heroes fought a villain so I could search through YouTube for an unorthodox solution.\n\nMy biggest weakness is not always having access to the right kind of music- thankfully another hero, DJ Octopus, has my back. The two of us are a power team, and I would never admit this to anyone, but I think I have a little crush on him.\n\nSo no, I don't spend all day lost somewhere behind my headphones, wasting time in a fantasy world that I can only dream of. I take the music I listen to, the heart and soul of someone else, and I bring it into reality.",
"\"Someone! Help!\" came a cry from literally the only alleyway on the way to my morning coffee place.\n\nSeriously? Fucking seriously? There are times when I'm patrolling, specifically looking for trouble, and instead, of all times that something had to be happening nearby, it was right on the way to Starbucks. I'm not even functional an hour after the sweet, warm nectar of coffee touched my lips, but before? \n\nWell, when there's a maiden in distress, there's a song for everything.\n\nI put my hood up, raising my scarf to cover the bottom half of my face. My identity safely concealed, I turned into the ally.\n\nIf people knew who I was, I'd never get to coffee before having to talk to someone.\n\nAaaaand, of course, just as I turned I noticed that instead of the normal mugging that I expected there were 6 guys ganging up on a girl.\n\nFuck, now that I had to start up a powerful enough of a song to fight them I'd never get to my coffee.\n\nThe things you do to save the day.\n\nI pressed a preconfigured button on my headphones, starting up an electric beat.\n\nI slowly walked up to the thugs, letting taking my time in letting them notice me, as the song worked up towards the lyrics I needed.\n\nOne of the thugs must've felt that something was off, and he looked behind him, \"Ooooh, looks like we have a wannabe hero over here. Let's see what we can make of him, boys.\"\n\nI walked right into the middle of the group as the song hit the right point.\n\n**Harder**.\n\nI punched the thug to my left without looking, and heard a sharp *crack* of a broken rib. I saw him collapse out of the corner of my eye. \n\n**Better**.\n\nUppercut to the jaw of the bald one in front of me, while moving away from the poorly-swung bat to my right.\n\n**Faster**.\n\nI grabbed the bat, stopping it mid swing, tearing it right of the thugs grip and delivering it to the head of the one who was trying to sneak up on me from the back.\n\n**Stronger**.\n\nI grabbed him by the arms as he fell, and then threw him at two of the slow guys, who were too busy gaping at the scene around me to throw a punch.\n\nThey fell as the thrown guy impacted them.\n\nI stared at the last guy, who stood alone around the stunned and knocked out thugs, trying to ignore the pressing lyrics for a moment. \"Run?\" I said in a completely deadpan voice. He followed my wise advice. \n\nI looked at the girl, holding out a hand. I was about to mention something that probably could be taken as reassuring(the communication part of being a hero was never my strong suit), when I heard the lyrics again.\n\n**More than ever, hour after, our work is never over**.\n\nFuck. Looks like I'm not getting my morning coffee after all, I thought as I was teleported to another victim.\n\n---\nPlease give me feedback. I'm trying to learn to write, and this is my first prompt.\nAnd to anyone who's not aware what the song is. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=85&v=GDpmVUEjagg).",
"Being honest, fighting on a daily basis for justice and good was a pain in the ass. Not because it wasn't enjoyable, I liked kicking people in the face as much as the next guy. No, it was because the villains were all the same god damn thing. Every. Damn. Time. There was always the same stupid backstory, same ridiculous scheme to take over the world and worst of all, worst of all: That same awful, AWFUL taste of music. I hated it. Absolutely fucking hated it.\n\nSo when I had to deal with that punk ghost chick, I pretty much lost it.\n\nIt looked interesting at the start. [Weird, cartoonish blue guy](http://orig05.deviantart.net/1b1b/f/2012/183/2/1/i__m_the_box_ghost_by_andie200-d55onci.jpg) who somehow arrived from what he called \"The GHOOOOOOOOOST\" Dimension or some shit. Called himself the Box Ghost. That was cool, I could dig that. His speech was pretty good, his attacks were weak but funny and he was so awkward that for the first time I actually felt a stab of empathy for the poor guy. Life is rough, after all. But then someone else got involved, quite literally with a screech of metal.\n\n\"Jesus fuck.\" I shouted, covering my ears from the ear rape that I had just heard. \"What the hell was that?\"\n\n\"That was Ember McLain.\" The Box Ghost explained, pointing to a flame haired ghost girl rocking out nearby. \"She uses music to fight people.\"\n\nI looked him. \"THAT was music?\"\n\nHe nodded, although I could tell his heart wasn't into it. \"By her standards, yeah. She's the only real music player in the Ghost Dimension so we usually have to tolerate her even if we don't like what she does. But I'm fine with it, so long as I have my boxes.\"\n\nI had never felt so much rage in my life. Pulling my new phone from my pocket I shoved it into the Box Ghost's hands, not even caring for a moment that it actually stuck in his hands.\n\n\"Put on a song.\" I growled, cracking my knuckles. \"Any song.\"\n\n The Box Ghost opened his mouth to object, then closed it again. With a shrug he scrolled down the list and selected the first piece, the beats drumming out into my ears as I listened.\n\n[*Perfect.*](https://youtu.be/2aihpnohJ4A)\n\nThe power came to me as quickly as it always did, based on the rhythm. Taking my phone back I looked over at the bitch and went full shounen mode, teleporting in front of her and assaulting her with a huge barrage of blows. Teleporting was always the best part of this particular form, not to mention the sheer speed. This teen amateur didn't stand a chance, even as a ghost. I pounded her down without the song even being half finished and used the rest of the time to pin her down, tapping my foot to the rhythm. I stretched, this was a job well done.\n\nBox Ghost was looking at me in amazement as I punted the girl back through the portal on the last beat and walked back to him. \n\n\"You-you beat her,\" he managed. \"At her own game...\"\n\nI pointed to my phone and gave him a dark look. \"My town, my music. If anyone comes in with some bullshit new hip hop I kick their ass. Got it?\"\n\nBox Ghost nodded. \"I'll...I'll remember that.\" He looked over my shoulder and pointed to somewhere in the distance. \"But she didn't come alone.\"\n\nFollowing his finger I nearly passed out from what I saw-No, what I HEARD. Dozens of villains, all different shapes and sizes with their own shitty music. Rock, metal, country, dubstep...It was like a cacophony of bad. And they were in MY TOWN. \n\n\"Box Ghost.\" I said, giving him the phone again as I removed my glasses.\n\n\"Yeah?\" He asked, nervous at my tone.\n\n\"You see the tab labeled 'Emergency failsafe - Do NOT play'?\"\n\n\"I-I do...\"\n\n[\"Play it.\"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42lirz4LIZ8)\n\n\n\n"
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[WP] One person out of every set of soulmates is born knowing who their soulmate is, the other person does not.
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"Life's not fair. I mean, how fucked up is it to know that there may be some person out in the world that knows I'm their soulmate? Well, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself a bit. There's only a one in seven chance that I even have a soulmate. And with over seven billion people on the planet, it seems like a longshot. \n\nAt least I'm not trapped knowing that my person is out in the world. Knowing what they look like, how I'd know them if we met, but not knowing where they live or even their name, making it next to impossible to find my soulmate. \n\nI suppose I'm lucky in that regard. I don't have the misfortune of feeling trapped by destiny. I've read that since the dawn of social media, that more and more of those we call The Conscious have succumbed to cyber-stalking- an endless search of posted photos in hopes of recognizing the one.\n\nThe idea of soulmates has been ridiculed through all time and by all cultures. Even in ancient times, it was a rarity for someone to find their soulmate. For the longest time, soulmates seemed to be a myth. But then, technology soared. Sharing knowledge could be done world-wide within a day, hours, and then minutes. With this shared knowledge came the realization that all cultures shared this phenomenon: typically, one out of seven people were born with this feeling that someone for them out in the world; and that they would know this person immediately because for as long as they could remember, they saw the same face in their mind and in their dreams.\n\nThis culturally shared phenomenon was a shock because it was the only thing all cultures could agree upon. Not religion, politics, or even science shared the same widespread acceptance. So it was only a matter of time before people stopped being called crazy for having this feeling. However, even though, it is widely known, finding one's soulmate is even rarer.\n\nThere have been studies done on some of the lucky pairs on how they found each other. No one can agree on one method of discovery. None have met the same way. \n\nPairs have been mixed race, same race, gay, straight, transsexual. Pairs have been born on the same day or a couple decades apart. They have been born in the same small village or on the other side of the world. There has yet to be a logical reasoning to how soulmates have met besides \"being in the right place at the right time.\" It is estimated that even though there is a one in seven chance you have a soulmate, there is only a fifteen percent chance you will meet.\n\nSeems pretty hopeless, right?\n\n(Note from author: Might be continued at another time.)",
"“Do you believe in soulmates?”\n\nThat question as he knew was usually their way of asking if he saw it. Meaning that they couldn’t see that he was their soul mate, and he couldn’t see that they were his. It was almost some kind of cruel game, knowing that either you were the seer or the seen, but never knowing it until you meet the other one.\n\n“No I don’t” Jake said back and he could see the shift in her, going from almost an eager hopefulness to something akin to disappointment. “Oh” was all she muttered as the food was brought to the table, her appetite seemingly gone as she sat there for the next few minutes, scraping her fork lightly against the pasta. He had given up on the idea of finding his soulmate, he had been on several nice dates that never went anywhere with a variety of women. All of them ended up going the same way after asking about soulmates in one form or another.\nMonth like this had stretched into years of women coming and going, being perfectly happy until they found out that he didn’t see the match either. You think that if he had they would have been able to notice before that. He returned to work the next day, a day almost like any other, it was a bit cold when he got into the car. Even in California early February weather can have brisk mornings as he went to open the store, knowing no one else would be there for another half an hour like usual he turned on his music and make sure that everything was set to go.\n\n“Jake, this is Emilia, she’s going to be starting here today, make sure she gets trained” Daniel told him after his lunch, his boss was assertive and demanding, but a good man. It was nearly noon and he barely gave the girl a second look as he led her out to the sales floor and set her to shadowing one of the cashiers. “If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask me or Daniel” and she nodded and thanked him, her words rang with an accent that told him English wasn’t her first language, but she still spoke it well. The days continued to stretch on like that until April came around.\n\nThey had a break together for the first time and she struck up a conversation with him as he was reading and he looked up at her smiling face, his eyes truly meeting hers for the first time and he saw the way they seemed so bright and full of life…full of love. \n\n‘You have got to be shitting me’ he thought to himself, a girl from another country who was now working for him, was his soulmate. He could not believe it now, but he wasn’t laughing at the cruel joke the world wanted to play on him, knowing that he couldn’t be with this woman even if she was his soulmate.\n\nBut he was only 25, and his story wasn’t finished yet.\n",
"Jack watched from a cafe table as the woman of his dreams browsed the books in the shop across the busy London street. She had the long flowing auburn hair he had so frequently wished to smell (he was sure it smelled of cinnamon), the same confident posture, and ever so delicate hands. How he longed to caress those dainty fingers, to turn them over in his own hand, to have them all to himself. \n\n*Today, Lucy dear, you will be mine at last.* He thought with an almost sinister grin, as he savored today's upcoming victory. \n\nJust as he resolved himself to leave his safe spot of watching and make his advance, Jack saw something that made him nearly fall over as he stood. A tall, handsome man- far more handsome than himself- with long brown hair and wearing hippie clothes came up behind her and offered her a bouquet of roses.\n\nLucy giggled and blushed so intensely that Jack could see her rosy cheeks from all the way across the road. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed the man on his forehead, and he returned one. Jack had never seen a sight so foul, so wrong. She was his, he knew this to be true, and now some nobody, albeit a charming nobody, was with his woman!\n\n*No! I will not be delayed by this idiot who doesn't know that she's already spoken for! Already mine.*\n\nBut for now, Jack could only watch as the love of his life strode down the sidewalk hand and hand with the foolish man who didn't know how special the girl was. How important she was to Jack. He couldn't do anything now. No Jack had to remain hidden, so as soon as they got a far enough distance away, he hastily crossed the street. Checking to make sure nobody was watching him follow them.\n\nJack pulled the hood of his sweatshirt down over his eyes, past his nose so only his chin and thin mouth were visible in it's shadow. That utter moron of a man would never see the face of the man who shot him from the alley. And neither would Lucy. As she would sit by the bloody corpse of her ill fit lover, he would approach and try valiantly to save him, all the while knowing it would be too late. And she would see how kind and caring he was. Soon she would be all his. Soon. Jack smiled as he released the safety and moved his finger carefully to the trigger. \n\n*In just a moment dear, we'll finally be together. Forever.*\n\n ",
"The first date had went splendidly. And the second. And the third. Now we sat looking at the rain from a cozy cafe while our coffees slowly steamed to warm. The grey skies reflected through the raindrops on the glass and showed beautifully in her eyes. She was beautiful.\n\n\"So, I have a question to ask you,\" she said.\n\nI held my coffee between my hands and felt the warm porcelain beneath my grip. I breathed deeply of its odor and through the caffeinated sweetness I caught her scent and smiled. \"Yes, anything you want to know.\"\n\n\"Do you know your soulmate,\" she asked.\n\nIt was a question which would always be asked. Usually around the second or third date it would rear its head, but perhaps an impatient person might ask sooner while others would wait. But it would always be asked.\n\n\"Of course,\" I lied. Smiling, I gave her a wink.\n\nShe blushed and smiled back. Perhaps she wasn't my soulmate. Perhaps she was. As I sat in that cafe sipping coffee on a rainy day, I knew that I was happy.\n\nThat was years ago. The years of dating which followed were reflections of the happiness in that coffee shop. At the wedding, my heart skipped when I saw her as my bride. I knew I would always be happy.\n\nIt was another rainy Saturday when we found ourselves once more in that coffee shop looking at one another over steaming cups. \n\n\"Do you remember when we were here last,\" she asked.\n\n\"It was our fourth date,\" I said. \"I knew that day I would be with you forever.\"\n\nShe was lifting her cup to her lips and paused to look at me. She sat the mug down and her brow furrowed. \"That day? You said that you knew your soulmate. That I was your soulmate.\"\n\nI sat my cup down and smiled sheepishly. She didn't seem angry, but she had every right to be. I had misled her. \"Does it matter,\" I asked. \"We love each other and are happy together.\" I held a hand out opened toward the ceiling asking once again for her hand.\n\nHer face hardened and her brows furrowed further. \"You lied! I can't believe you would lie about that.\"\n\n\"I would say I am sorry, but I'm not. It is the best lie I have ever told and I would tell it again and again.\"\n\nHer face turned from a scowl to a smile and she laughed. \"That's sweet.\" She grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. \"Besides, you never even asked if I knew my soulmate.\"\n\nMy eyes widened. \"Wait.\" I hadn't asked. That question is always asked. \"Do you know your soulmate?\"\n\n\"Of course,\" she said. Smiling, she gave me a wink.\n"
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[WP] Unbeknownst to you, the man you just waited on was God. You thought it was just a distasteful joke when he wrote "The Devil's soul" in as the tip, but today the Devil showed up begging.
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"\"It's about time,\" he said, patting the head of the shaggy dog nestled in his lap. The man was old and worn. He looked far better than he felt and he was not much to look at. He rocked back and forth slowly, purposefully, on a wooden rocking chair that seemed as old and beaten as the porch it sat on. The old man's house had seen better days as well, but it was to be expected from a man who had spent most of his life removed from society. \n\nThe dog looked at him with a surprising amount of intelligence in her eyes. She had been with her owner for a long time, certainly longer than any dog had a right to be, and she knew the truth in his words more than anyone could know the truth in words. She nudged his left hand with her wet nose, trying to lift it on to the back of her head as if she could somehow convince the man that he was not as tired as he thought he was, that the years had not gone by and he was sixty years younger, that the rest of his life was still ahead of him, that they had so many more adventures to go on.\n\nThe gesture warmed his core. \"Do you remember when we first met?\"\n\nThe dog looked at him quizzically.\n\n\"Forgive me,\" he chuckled. \"It's just the ramblings of an old man. I remembered something from my past.\" His eyelids closed as he recalled the specific moment. \"It was a long time ago, but it was a memorable long time ago.\"\n\n\n***\n\nI was young, oh so young, quite handsome too if I can say so, but I was also poor, oh so poor. So I waited tables while I wasn't studying for finals. It was not a revolutionary concept, but it was cliche enough that it had to work out for some people.\n\nI wasn't one of those people, unfortunately, but if my ma' and pa' taught me anything it was to be a decent human being. That's why I didn't shove the receipt into his smug mouth when he slid it over to me. I actually almost laughed but that would have quickly turned into an ugly fit of tears. I couldn't afford to have a breakdown just then. There was still rent to pay, books to buy and a stomach to feed. In the end, I just smiled and bid the man a good day.\n\n\"*The Devil's Soul*, huh. Kind of macabre, if you think about it.\" That was my friend and coworker, Ronald Abe Penbrooke Eagerton, a middle aged balding man, who, apart from an unfortunate set of initials, was a decent fellow. He had been a line cook for the 'Bread, Ham and Dijon' for ten years, a fact he made known at least once a day. He was also kind of a superstitious nut, but his passion for it was so infectious it came off as endearing rather than worrisome.\n\nHe turned the receipt over, but other than the fancy script, it was a regular old, paper proof of purchase.\n\n\"I guess I'll just accept it as a bad joke,\" I sighed, resigned. I filed it away with the rest of the restaurant's receipts and continued with my day.\n\nIt was a particularly bad day for tips too, if I recall correctly. By the time I stepped off my third and final bus and began the ten minute walk home, I was done with *everyone's* shit. \n\nI don't think I actually noticed the black smog that had invaded the air, or given much thought to the sudden smell of sulfur at the time, but my body remembers those details rather clearly. The only thing I can say I saw for certain was that a tall, pale man in a dark suit made his way to the middle of the path. He had either been waiting behind the lone tree all day or he had suddenly materialized behind it. Suffice to say, both theories suggested this man should be avoided.\n\nAnd that I did. Or tried anyway.\n\n\"Ahem, John,\" he said. His voice had an alluring timbre to it. Also, he said my name which was twilight zone-ish.\n\nBut John isn't an uncommon name. Hell, it's even sometimes used for unidentified corpses and in some places of the world, an unflattering name for the toilet. I did stop, however, three or so meters away from him.\n\n\"Yes?\" I said, trying to not give away that I was not at all happy for the delay. I had roughly four hours to get home, shower, get changed, sleep and be up and running for the next day.\n\n\"You have something of mine,\" he continued.\n\n\"I highly doubt that,\" I replied. \"You have the wrong John.\" I was on my way and, surprisingly enough, he did not attempt to follow or stop me. He was content, apparently, to remain standing in the middle of the path.\n\nUnfortunately, this meant that the next morning I found him in the exact same spot I had left him. He simply eyed me as I walked briskly past him. \n\nI should have known mentioning it to Ron would set off his nut-o-meter but it was honestly too strange to pretend it hadn't happened.\n\n\"Dude, what if he's waiting for you when you get back?\" Ron said with wide eyes. \n\nThe thought hadn't occurred to me because it was too inane to be possible. \"Maybe I should call the cops...\"\n\nWhen I was back on that path, right at the point where I had previously spotted the man, he was nowhere to be seen. The police department had gotten back to me and told me the same thing. Apparently no one was there when they arrived and no one in the neighborhood had seen a man matching the description I had given them. I thanked them for their time and apologized for what seemed like a waste of time.\n\nThree days of monotony and he was back. He walked out from behind the same tree, stood in the same spot and said the same thing.\n\n\"Like I said before, I don't know what you're talking about.\" Unlike the last time, I faced him head on. He had an imposing figure. Not bulky like a body builder, but his proportions were so that he *seemed* much bigger than he appeared.\n\n\"You say that with the evidence of it on your very hands.\"\n\n\"What are you talking about? There's nothing on my--\" I stopped mid-sentence as I showed him my empty palms. However, wrapped snugly around my left ring finger was a ring-plain at first glance-that I had never seen before, much less put there. It was made of platinum and the gem in it was a resplendent blue. *Very* hard to miss.\n\n\"Ok, neat trick,\" I finished. \"Why would you put this on me and then show up and rage like I had stolen it?\"\n\nThe passive composure on his face momentarily flickered. \"*I* did *not* give you anything.\" The alluring timber in his voice was replaced with a burning aggression. \"My father, *however*, has made a very grievous decision that will cost you dearly.\" \n\nI flinched. Nothing happened. Apart from the ardent cadence of his voice, he made no attempt to harm me.\n\n\"I'm uh going to go now...\" I slithered off around him. He remained in the same spot. He did so for a full ten days after but no one seemed to notice the man was there. Save for me, of course. Most days I just ignored him but the couple of times I chose to engage him, he only repeated his demands.\n\nAs for the ring, I could have given it to him. I almost did, in fact, but he seemed too *eager* when I attempted to take it off. As though the moment I did, he would pounce on me. And, what do you know? As I found out in later years, that's exactly what he would have done.\n\nAfter the tenth day, there was a single day where he was no longer there. I, momentarily, thought myself free of the problem. I was wrong, of course, but I had hoped for it all the same.\n\nWhat I found the day after was, well, quite literally breathtaking. \n\n**CONTINUED IN NEXT POST**",
"It had been a wierd shift, even by my standards. I seemed to attract the oddballs. The face of my soul followed the sideways and surreal as a sunflower turned towards its star. In return those things were attracted to me. Not normally physically though.\n\nShe was the most perfect thing I'd seen in real life. Red hair cascading in waves over her shoulders, crashing on an area I was studiously trying to avoid looking at. A crooked smile on her lips ended as she spoke.\n\n'I'm Gods gift to you' she purred. Ordinarily, a women looking like this, with a line like that, I'd smell a bet. Maybe begin looking around for a laughing group of vindictive sport stars and their entourage. The restaurant was a top place. It was not uncommon to see the whos who of the East, West or wherever in, and some of them were entitled bastards.\n\nMy gaze though, didn't get far. Only about 2 inches away from her mouth, before her eyes and an arched brow caught me. Irretrievably.\n\n'Um' I said winningly.\n\n'Lets get out of here.' \n\nI knew an order when I heard one, and followed it as I always had. My shift was up anyway. We left through the kitchen, with the Sous Chef looking at me with a mix of disbelief and envy. She led the way in silence to my flat. That probably should have seemed more worrying than anything in hindsight. It would have been hard to work out I lived in a flat over a newsagents on the street behind the restaurant from the word 'Um'.\n\nI unlocked the door and opened it, painfully aware that I'd not tidied up since my brother came to stay a month ago. She glided past me, and without hesitation stode towards my room. As she reached the door I deduced she had been unbuttoning her blouse as she walked. I say deduced, but I mean that in the loosest possible sense of the word, as really my brain was barely self aware at that point. Really I just saw her slip it of her alabaster shoulders and I put 2 and 2 together. I caught a last glimpse of her shining hair, catching the light so as to be almost as bright as flame as she left the room.\n\n'Well?' I heard from behind my bedroom door, when a knock at another derailed my train of no thoughts.\n\n'Shit'. The rule of 3. Wierd things always came in 3's. Wierd old guy looking like Steve Carell in that movie about the Ark, smoking hot probable prank, and now this. \n\nThe door knocked again. \n\n*'PLEASE. Answer the door'*. Another order. A polite one, but an order nonetheless. I opened the door to a small thin man in the best devil costume I'd ever seen in my life. Victorian looking suit, top hat, little thin pencil moustache. The Rick and Morty shop-owner devil, brought to life. \n\n'Who are you supposed to be?' \n\n*'You know who I am. I am in the form you associate with me'*\n\n'You're Mr Needful?'\n\n*Today I am just a creature begging you for his soul. His life. His everything.*\n\n'Look buddy, I'm a bit busy for skits now. Can we pick this up in the morning?'\n\n*NO! God did this, he will not undo it. He has given you my soul.*\n\n'I've not got anything of yours. I'll call the cops?'. I tried to be forceful but it came out like a question.\n\n*My life, my soul. She is in your bedchamber. Please give me back my daughter! You may have anything that is in my power!*\n\nI wish I could tell you I had a clever line to throw in here. That at the moment my life changed forever I was witty and erudite. I've had time to think about it and come up with one to back fill into my memory through repetition. Nothing.\n\nWhat I actually said was 'Freeze Frame. Record scratch'. Which probably gives a good insight into the dumbass of a person behind the shitstorm that was to come of this.\n\n______________________________________________________________\n/r/TallerestTales\n\n",
"I looked in disbelief at the simple underlined words. \"The Devil's soul\" was written in black pen on the greasy bar napkin I held in my hand. It was all I could do to not wipe my forehead with it, as my latest guest had a tendency to raise the temperature of any room he occupied.\n\n\"I'm sorry\" I said. \"But things are just happening so fast. I thought this napkin here was a stupid joke from a stingy customer, but now I'm to believe it actually contains your soul?\"\n\n\"That's correct\" my horned visitor said. \"God won it off me in a drunken bet we made years ago, and now it appears to have fallen into your hands. I would like it returned at once\".\n\nI considered for a moment. \"If you're really the Devil, then why in the world would I return this to you? I mean, you torture people for a living\".\n\n\"Because\" the Devil said, rising from the armchair in which he was seated, \"if you don't, then the consequences for you shall be very grave\". His eyes and goatee were blazing with fire as he advanced upon me.\n\n\"Not so fast!\" I said quickly. I took the napkin between my two hands and made a tiny rip.\n\nThe effect was instant. The Devil fell backwards howling in pain, and I triumphantly stood over him as lay in a huddle on the floor, whimpering and not daring to look at me.\n\n\"Now here's how things are gonna work\" I said. \"You're gonna do me a few favors, and then I'll let you have your soul back.\"\n\n\"And if I don't?\" the Devil asked, somewhat fearfully.\n\n\"Then you'll get your soul back in pieces\" I stated firmly. I made a ripping motion with my hands to demonstrate what would happen to his soul if he disobeyed me.\n\nThe Devil swallowed and gave a nod of defeat. \"So be it. What is it that you would have me do, master? Burn a house down? Eviscerate the bowels of your nemesis? Steal a priceless work of art?\"\n\n\"Not quite\" I said. \"You see, I have a devil of my own, so to speak. A two year old son, to be more specific. It'd be nice to have a nanny around the house for a change.\"\n\nAt this, the the Devil's normally blood-red complexion blanched to the color of freshly harvested bone.\n\n\"No, please! Anything but that! I can't stand children!\" he pleaded with me.\n\n\"Well, it's either that or this\" I said, indicating that I could quite easily tear his soul in two.\n\n\"A-as you bid, master\" the Devil reluctantly said.\n\n\"Good. His room is the second door on the left in the upstairs hallway. He needs a feeding (I keep all his favorite snacks in the pantry) a diaper changing, and then you can sing him to sleep. Report to me afterwards for further instruction.\"\n\n\"Yes, master\" the Devil said, dragging his feet as he went to the assigned room. \n\n\"Ah\" I said to myself, \"This is gonna be fun. i always knew I could use a helping hand around the house. Maybe I'll go fishing today.\"",
"(Written on mobile so excuse my terrible spacing)\n\n\"Pardon me?\"\n\n\"Yes, I would like my soul back.\"\n\n\"I'm calling the police.\"\n\n\"Please don't.\"\n\n\"I'm gonna go call the police.\"\n\n\"I'd appreciate it if you didnt.\"\n\nI closed the door and pulled out my cellphone. \n\n\"911 what is your emergency?\"\n\n\"There's a red man with horns at my front door asking for his soul.\"\n\n\"Sir, respectfully, are you fucking kidding me?\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"You are wasting my precious time that could be spent saving countless others' lives with bullshit.\"\n\n\"It's not bullshit.\"\n\n\"Fuck off.\"\n\nThe dial tone rang in my ear like an annoying ringing dial tone.\n\nI opened the door.\n\n\"They told me to fuck off.\"\n\n\"That's understandable.\"\n\n\"What do you want?\"\n\n\"My soul.\"\n\n\"Why would I have that?\"\n\n\"God tipped you it.\"\n\n\"Why would he do that?\"\n\n\"Because he's a God damned nuisance.\"\n\n\"How do I give it back?\"\n\nThe devil sighed in defeat.\n\n\"I have to preform a deed for you.\"\n\nIdeas rushed through my head. Money, women, fame. I could have the world. I could reshape history in my image. All that ever was and ever will be could be mine. Immortality, respect, unlimited power. I could have it all. \n\nMy head slowly turned back to the devil. \n\nFire raged in my eyes.\n\nI opened my mouth to issue the command.\n\n\"Could you run to the shop and pick up some milk?\"\n\n\"Yeah ok.\""
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[WP] You're an amateur detective who thinks that they're the main character in a Noir film, and everyone is starting to get sick of it.
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"I pull up to my house and immediately know something’s not right. The curtains are all drawn, the lights are on and my brother’s car is parked in my driveway. Someone is inside my house. But who? I make my way to the front door, with my trench-coat blowing in the wind. I pull out my replica gun; I’m not licensed to carry a real one just yet – so I take this along for protection. I turn the knob. It’s unlocked. I let the door open fully, before slowly surveying the hallway of my house. \n\n“He’s here.” My brother’s head pop’s out of the kitchen archway.\n\n“Jesus, Seth. You can’t just creep up on me like that. I could have shot you.”\n\n“With what, Davey? And I didn’t creep up on you. I was parked right in your driveway. You’re a detective – surely you…detected that much at least?” My brother cocks an eyebrow and shakes his head slowly. \n\n“Oh stop it you two!” Danielle, Seth’s wife makes an entrance.\n\n“Were you followed here? Did you at least secure the premises? The door was unlocked you know. You could have put us all in danger. You know the type of people I work with.” I chastise the intruders. \n\n“Sit down, David.” My brother says sternly. I do as I’m told.\n\n“This is an intervention.” Danielle starts. She’s a psychologist, and is always talking about interventions and therapy and blah, blah, blah. She should really get a life.\n\n“Look, Davey. We know you took it hard when they let you go at the bank. Heck – you were so close to being made partner, too! But what the hell are you doing here, man?” Seth sounds frustrated. He looks at Danielle, as if pleading with her to take over.\n\n“Your detective job is great, David. And we can see you really enjoy it, but –” Danielle doesn’t get to finish.\n\n“You’re going fucking crazy, Davey!” Seth blurts out.\n\n“What Seth means, is that, this job is consuming you, David.” Danielle shoots Seth a warning glare.\n\n“What do you mean?” I manage to spit out through gritted teeth.\n\n“This is why Sarah left you, David.” I wince as Seth mentions my fiancée - well ex-fiancée. We’d been together for five years and were halfway through planning our wedding when she up-and-left with no warning whatsoever. \n\n“You’re taking this too far! I mean – you have a fucking gun! And let’s be honest, most of the jobs you’ve been getting are investigating insurance claims. You’re not even dealing with dangerous people! And to top it all off, you’re wearing a trench-coat in the middle of summer! This is real life, Davey – it’s not some Sherlock Holmes gig. Ma’s worried about you. We’re *all* worried about you. Maybe it’s time you started thinking about finding a new job. A proper one.” I could feel my face getting hotter and hotter with each thing Seth said. I was fuming.\n\n“This *is* my job, Seth. I’m in the middle of a case right now so I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.” I stand up and make my way over to the front door, holding it open pointedly. Seth storms out, looking furious. Danielle follows, but not before giving me a small smile, full of pity. My phone buzzes, I look at the message through my wet eyes. It’s from an unknown number. \n\n**Meet me at Fat Tony’s. 7:00pm. Don’t be late.**\n\n*****\n\nIt’s ten to seven. I look out of my car window and see her standing in the haze of the neon lights. Her hourglass figure is accentuated by her tight, red dress. Her long black hair is carefully styled in light, graceful curls. Her entire look screams, dangerous. I could approach her now, but that would make me seem too eager – that’s the last thing I want. I take one last drag of my dying cigarette.\nShe looks around nervously before stepping into the bar. My phone rings. Its shrill sound pierces my ears.\n\n“Cohen.” I answer.\n\n“*Boychik*, it’s your Ma!” My mother’s voice assaults my eardrums. \n\n“Look, Ma. I can’t talk right now. I’m in the middle of something.” I’m hoping she’ll take the hint and hang up quicker. I can’t afford any distractions.\n\n“Your brother told me you had a date! I have to hear this from him? What? You don’t got time to call your own Ma, now? This is the first date you’ve been on since that Sarah left you.” I roll my eyes, hoping she’ll finish her lecture soon.\n\n“This better not be a *wilde chaya* from that Tindle, or whatever that horrible website it.” Her voice is full to the brim with disapproval, it’s practically leaking out of my phone.\n\n“It’s Tinder, Ma. And of course it isn’t. I have to go now.” I rub my brow.\n\n“*Oystzer*, I’m 65 years old. I could be dead by tomorrow, and here you are - can’t even spend a couple of minutes on the phone to your poor Ma who birthed you. I spent 18 hours pushin’ your fat head out. *Oy ve*! I’ve never been the same down there, you know!” I shuddered at that. The last thing I wanted before my date was a mental image of my mother’s cooch.\n\n“Jesus, Ma. Could you please not bring that up right now…or ever?” \n\n“Oh grow up, *bubbuleh*! It’s just basic biology – nothing to be ashamed of. Anyhow, you have yourself a nice date, and bring me home a nice *maydl*. Oh, and *boychik*?” I stay silent, waiting for my mother’s final parting words.\n\n“Try to cool down with the detective stuff – it’s not for everyone, *bubbuleh*.” \n\n“Bye, Ma. Love you!” I say hurriedly.\n\n“Bye bye, Davey. Make sure you behave yourself. And remember, if she wants to do the dee-” I hang up as quickly as I can. I take a moment to collect my thoughts before grabbing my fedora and making my way to the bar.\n\nThe night air is cool, but the bar is surprisingly warm. I spot her through the corner of my eye, sitting in a booth, she’s eyeing me curiously. I ignore her, and instead make my way over to the bar. I know she’ll follow me.\n\n“Whiskey on the rocks, Tommy.” I say as I swing a leg over the barstool.\n\n“My name’s not Tommy.” The gangly youth barely looks old enough to be a bartender. I smell her before I see her. Chanel No. 5. I’d recognise that scent anywhere. She runs her fingertips along my neck and whispers into my ear.\n“David, right?”\n\n“Who wants to know?” I finally look at her. Her dark red lips break out into a coy smile.\n\n“I’m Kitty.” She takes her place next to me.\n\n“Tommy, a martini. Dry. For the lady.” I snap my fingers at the bartender and finally turn to look at her. My breath catches in my throat. She looks the same as always, and yet there’s something different about her that I can’t place.\n\n“Sarah-” I start.\n\n“It’s Kitty now.” She says lighting up a cigarette. She takes a long drag through her cherry-stained lips, savouring the nicotine-hit. She looks at me quizzically. \n“It’s good to see you, Davey. God, how long has it been?” Her lips curl into a seductive smile. Did she miss me, I wonder.\n\n“A few months since you left.” I say nonchalantly. I know it’s been exactly 3 months and 16 days, but I’d never divulge that information. Our drinks are placed in front of us. I down my whiskey without a second thought.\n\n“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be here.” Kitty says, eyeing my empty glass. She fingers the stem of her cocktail glass, and I wait for her to continue.\n\n“I love you Davey. I always have. But this is dangerous.” Her eyes widened in fear. I subtly cased the joint, looking for the source of danger.\n\n“You deal with shady people, and it puts us both at risk. That’s why I had to go away.” Kitty looks down. I lift her chin up gently and look her square in the eyes. God, I miss her.\n\n“You need someone dealt with?” I ask.\n\n“No, no. Nothing like that. What I mean is, you’re drawing attention to yourself. You don’t want to be found out, do you?” She has a point. I never thought my disguise would be what drew attention to me.\n\n“What should I do?” I search her face for an answer. \n\n“You need to go undercover.” She says finally.\n\n“You need to get yourself a normal, regular, boring day job. Find yourself a nice girl – marry her, maybe have a couple of kids. Nobody would suspect a thing.” She finishes her drink and puts out her cigarette.\n\n“Will I see you again?” I ask. She answers with a small, sad smile, and before I know it she’s gone. Out of the bar, into the night.\n\n“Another, whiskey please.” I call over to the bartender. Kitty was right. I’ll need to go deep undercover. I pull out my phone, and immediately search for job openings. \n\n“Sorry, is this seat taken?” A lady in a white dress interrupts my thoughts. \n\n“Uh, no.” I say slightly taken aback. She smiles as me and I can feel something twinge in my stomach.\n\n“My date stood me up.” She says, rolling her eyes. \n\n“Can I buy you a drink?” I say without thinking. She smiles and her whole face lights up.\n\nThings seem to be going according to plan. \n"
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[WP] You've been a genie for thousands of years, granting millions of wishes. But one day you stumble upon a bottle, and out pops another genie. Write a story on the conversation between the two genies.
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"#Part 1\n\nIf there's one thing I've learned being a genie, it's that having three wishes granted to you is a curse. So I thought I would know better than to ever want any. But seeing the bottle in my hand I finally understood the want that all the people who had used my power had felt.\n\nThe true significance of this was astounding. How lucky was my current patron to have gotten two genies? Like winning the lottery twice in a row, the chances were astronomically low. That's all I knew. For the longest time I wasn't sure if another genie even existed. I had heard whispers of course, but for all I knew it was all \n\nFor a moment wrapped up in the genie bottle, I had forgotten my current situation. A wave of agony wrapped through me. I wasn't completing the task that my master had asked of me. And so I did it. I made the room completely impenetrable, as per his wish.\n\nBut, of course, the genie code, I had to put a few flaws in. It's the hardest part of my job. Not everyone who gets my lamp is pure evil. Some have even tried to use their gifts for the good of the world. Those are the hardest to see fall apart.\n\nMagic isn't just as simple as a it's made out in the stories. There are rules. And the energy has to come from somewhere. Wishes bound by anything but near infinite power won't hold. And even then there has to be a flaw. The unwritten rules.\n\nMomentarily I was distracted by those thoughts. As I always am. I suppose constantly reminding me is another genie rule. Then I was summoned, automatically back to my current Master, King Abigor. Or whatever he's being called right now to sound to tough.\n\n\"Hey John\" I say casually.\n\nNot going to put up with my snark again, he simply dismissed me to my lamp, with a casual flick. Entrapped again, with no way to get out. I found my mind finally wandering towards hope, instead of dread and boredom.\n\nThen I looked around. And there was the other bottle from before, in the otherwise completely bare, expansive bottle. It had imprinted onto me.\n\n###Part Index\n\n[Part 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/6s43zk/wp_youve_been_a_genie_for_thousands_of_years/dlaqrdm/)",
"In the evenings, as the sun begins to slant below the sea-bound horizon and those distant waves ignite with a fire unlike any other, I find myself strolling along the shoreline, alone. Here, like the wind, like the sea, I am truly free. In these peaceful moments, I often think of the man who selflessly wished for that freedom. He had been an old man at the time of his third and final wish–my greatest wish. As a younger man, he found my container, my lamp–glowing on the inside, and only when I myself ignite the spiced candles and incenses within. After a long-ago adventure, he stole my vessel from a cruel, devilish man; won the love of a beautiful princess; went on to live out his days in quiet calm, his nights in deep wonder.\n\nI loved my latest master, my most recent caretaker. He had been a good, good man, and...\n\n“Ouch!” I yelped, having stepped upon a jagged edge hidden beneath the sand. Although no blood rose to the indented gash across the arch of my right foot, it felt as if I had been impaled through the sole. My reaction was out of surprise, really, for I truly felt no pain. Still, there was a bright surge, as sudden as seafoam, that was passing strange... maybe this was what my friend felt all those thousands of nights ago–just before finding and taking my container as his own.\n\nSuddenly, I was excited. I dropped to my knees and began to unearth the little jagged, metal-like object. Upon excavation, I took the vessel down to the water to wash away its grimy sandstain. As I lifted the cleaned container to my eyes, the background sun drawn and set so low, I saw that the metal along its sides was smoothly forged in crisscrossing ivies, worked like some perfect, spider-spun webbing. There, casted just below this masterfully-worked metal, was a simple stoppered bottle. On one side of the bottle was a modest rose. The metal ivy parted only here, where the rose was painted onto the glass in deep, lush red and green. Catching the final light of the sunken sunset, the painted rose shone as elegant stained-glass. I noticed, my excitement now teeming in my head and my chest, that the opened space over the rose was just wide enough for a finger, mayhap even for a thumb.\n\n“It couldn’t be,” I said quietly, to no one. But in my own mind, I knew that it was... I thought to take it back to where I began my walk; I thought to save the big moment for further down the beach, where I knew there was a private, soon-to-be moonlit cove. That would be a wonderful place to... I envisioned myself standing by that out-of-the-way cove and rubbing the rose. Whether another like me emerged or not, well, it mattered little: to me, it was about the thrill of magic, of discovery. Ever since my long-gone friend wished me free, I’ve had all the time I could have desired. Although, calm patience had never really been my strong suit–not until my last master, my last friend said his final goodbye to me.\n\nHowever... some things never truly change, do they?\n\nLong before I arrived at the moonlit cove, long before I ever resumed my walk at all, the vigorous pixie deep within me–as ever, as always–got its half-cocked, half-measured way. Long before I looked for the moon in the starry sky overhead, my itchy finger was already on the draw: the rose felt like silk, seamlessly bonded to the glass; it was slick, yet velvet. In the right spot, it only took one touch.\n\nIn response to my touch, the stopper popped itself from the bottle with a soft, whispered hiss. At first, there was only a sweetening smell, like freshly sunned and trimmed herbs or spices. This heady scent began to heighten, now reminiscent of pineapples, coconuts and rum. I noticed a certain dryness in my throat just then. Still, save the fragrant scratch-and-sniffs permeating the air, there was nothing to see.\n\n“Hello,” I said, smiling uncertainly. Though there was nothing around, I sensed a presence drawing near.\n\n“Hello,” I heard someone reply in an ethereal sort of echo.\n\n“Welcome to existence...” Somehow, I was thinking of my first meeting with my old, long-lost friend; unsurprisingly, I was repeating his own words to me: “Are you truly what I think you are?” This felt and sounded overly foolish. “Of course you are, or else I’ve gone entirely mad. At long last... I’ve found you.”\n\n“You have summoned me, and so I say–”\n\n“Your wish is my–” I heard myself eagerly interrupt. Now I wondered how long it had been since I’d had a conversation with anyone, let alone another like me. “...apologies,” I said, ashamed. “Forgive me.”\n\n“You have summoned me,” the voice continued, unabated, “and so I say to you: Thank you.”\n\n“Th-thank you?” I was stunned. Had I really expected more? “Why, you’re welcome–whoever you are.”\n\n“Thank you for releasing me from my drudgery and boredom! I’ve been waiting nearly three thousand years. It’s dreadful, really: I’ve counted all the stars in my sky around eighteen billion times now.”\n\n“Wh-what?” I heard myself say–stutter. Where did the stutter come from? Why was I so unnerved...?\n\n“You alright there, old-timer?”\n\n“Old-timer?” I gasped. I was, in truth... thinking on it now, I hardly felt like I was thirty-one years old.\n\n“Well?” the voice urged.\n\nThe smells through the air were intensifying. I realized my eyes were blurring; my knees were buckling; my shoulders were slumping. Suddenly, I felt old, ancient and grey. I tried to speak, but could not.\n\n“I say thank you to you, old man, for setting me free. I say it once more for offering your light for mine. You are truly free, or had once been, but now forevermore awaits. Thanks, old chap, for saving me.”\n\n“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” I croaked, my voice harsh and haggard in my throat. Old-timer? I could remember all of eternity, all that I knew and had experienced myself, yet it dimmed, it all diminished, and suddenly seemed as distant as the sunken sunset. I felt as lost as the unseen moon. Part of me did understand–hadn’t I myself been trapped for eons and eons? “...Forevermore?” I wondered aloud.\n\nThere came no reply.\n\nThis brief conversation–a distorted echo of one once had between myself and my faraway master, long-since gone with the dusts in the wind–seemed as if it had been coming, awaiting this moment all along. The unseen specter, the genie in a bottle, had siphoned my life-force. But, oddly enough, I wasn’t mad. No, rather, I felt tired, dismally so; my eyelids grew heavy, my breath came in pants, in gasps. How did I ever think I would find a set of wishes to call my own? How could I ever rub that simple, humble rose?\n\nI never saw a genie, djinn, nor any other whatever-you-want-to-call-it. That pungent smell lingered though, even after I fell back to rest against the sandy shore. There was a certain tang hovering in the air, a certain feeling thrumming in my chest that was new, exotic in its own right. Indeed, now I felt old, but strangely, I also felt like I was truly alive. This bittersweet feeling began to subside with my fleeting breaths. My head fell back against a shallow dune. I looked up and I saw so many stars–millions of little twinkles, as many wishes as I’d ever dared to imagine or dream. Finally, amid that field of stars, I found the unhidden moon. I did not stare for long. As my blurred vision began to fail my old and tired eyes, I turned my gaze to the distance–toward that little cove I’d envisioned myself visiting once more.\n\nAnother man, far younger than I, walked away, down along the moonlit shoreline.\n",
"Alkurhat pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers and stared down at the empty mason jar he’d accidentally nudged the top lid of with his foot while walking. Smoke rolled out of the open mouth and coalesced into the shape of thin young man wearing skinny jeans, hiking boots, and a plaid button down.\n\n“I am the Genie of the Lamp!” the man boomed. “You who have summoned-”\n\n“You have got to be kidding me,” Alkurhat said. “A mason jar? Are you serious? Is that a bowtie around your neck?”\n\nThe man faltered. “What... what’s wrong with it? I like it. All the kids are wearing them these days.”\n\nAlkurhat snorted. “Yeah, in Seattle maybe.”\n\n“Look, asshole, you don’t see me criticizing your slacks and loafers.”\n\n“That’s because I’m dressed sensibly.”\n\nThe genie rolled his eyes. “Sensibly boring, maybe. Whatever. Just tell me what your three wishes are so I can get out of here.”\n\n“I don’t want anything right now,” Alkurhat said, stooping to pick up the mason jar. He flicked a clump of dirt off it and held it up to the light. “When’s the last time you cleaned this thing?”\n\n“You have to want something,” the genie said, wheedling. “Money? Everybody wants money.”\n\n“Oh, sure, yeah. A million dollars in my bank account and next week the CIA is pounding on my door because the wife of some high profile murdered bloke admitted to hiring me as a hitman. I don’t think so.”\n\n“Fine then. Women? I could make you irresistible to females everywhere.”\n\nAlkurhat laughed. “All of them, huh? So, can I expect a mother brown bear to come rolling out of the woods and maul me with her attentions, or are you going to limit it to female dogs humping my leg everywhere I go?”\n\nThe genie watched Alkurhat buff the glass on his sleeve and scrape at a stubborn clump of mud on the lid with a nail. “You seem pretty good at this,” he said. \n“Pretty clever.”\n\n“Yep, that’s me, the cleverest son of a bitch to ever walk the Earth,” Alkurhat muttered. “How long you been doing this, kid?”\n\nThe genie drew himself up and puffed out his chest. “For over four hundred years, I’ve wielded phenomenal cosmic power!”\n\n“Heh. I liked those movies too. So what did you wish for? Did you ask to be a wizard, or just to be able to do magic?”\n\nThe genie just stared at Alkurhat, flabbergasted. Finally, he said, “You... uh... you’re a genie too, huh?”\n\n“For going on two thousand years now. My lamp’s been in some dusty old collection for a few decades. Makes for a nice vacation, you know?”\n\n“No,” the genie said flatly. “Every asshole who’s been to Pinterest wants to use my lamp for arts and crafts. Or else drink liquor out of it. I’m in high demand right now.”\n\n“I feel you, kid. Back before electricity was a thing, I was constantly getting pinged by some rube looking for lamp oil.”\n\n“Yeah. So, if you could just do me a solid, one genie to another, and bury that damn jar when we’re done, I’d appreciate it.”\n\nAlkurhat looked down at the jar. “I’ll tell you what. You tell me what you wished for that got you turned into a genie, and I’ll do you one better. I’ll put this thing so deep in my garage that no one else will see it for the next thirty years.”\n\n“Done,” the genie said. “It was 1609. I was a colonist over from Europe, and I don’t mind telling you those first couple of years were rough. We lost a lot of people, and I was afraid my turn was coming up. I was sick, you see. Always coughing, sometimes there was blood. So I stumble across this flask, dented and battered. But I don’t care, because my throat is raw and I just want something to drink.\n\n“Out pops this genie. I wish for a nice big plot of land all my own, and to meet a woman who wants to share it with me, and then I got stupid. I wished to live forever. So here I am, an immortal genie, bound to appear before anyone who finds that jar and grant them wishes, but never able to use my powers to benefit myself.”\n\n“Fair enough,” Alkurhat said. “I’ll tell you what. I don’t have any wishes, so you can pop back over to your life for now. I might call you up from time to time, but you won’t have anyone else bothering you for awhile.”\n\n“Hey! That wasn’t the deal.”\n\n“I said ‘no one else.’”\n\nThe genie sputtered, but Alkurhat had gotten him on a technicality. He turned the jar’s lid over in his hands and moved to line it up with the mouth of the glass. \n“You’ll get there, kid. After awhile, you’ve seen all the tricks and nothing surprises you anymore.”\n\n“Are you at least going to tell me how you got turned into a genie?” he asked.\n\nAlkurhat stopped just short of screwing the lid back on. “That wasn’t part of the deal,” he said softly. “But I’ll trade you for your name.”\n\nThe genie didn’t hesitate. “Done.”\n\n“I was born to desert nomads. One day, I found a waterskin at an oasis, and inside was a genie. Through my own foolish wishes, I brought disaster on my tribe and they were all slaughtered by raiders. I used my last wish to gain the power to save my daughter, and was turned into a genie, bound to her old oil \nlamp.”\n\nAlkurhat stopped talking and stared off into the distance. “All she had to do was pick it up and I’d have appeared, able to save her. She never did, and the raiders killed her. Then they took the lamp and I was forced to grant wishes to the very men who’d murdered every single person I’d ever known. I learned a lot about twisting wishes those first few years, so much that they started calling me the Genie of Curses.”\n\nOld anger twisted through Alkurhat’s gut. He’d avenged his family many times over, but it hadn’t brought them back. Nothing would. Some things were beyond even a genie. “Now,” he said, “I’ve told you my story. What is your name?”\n\n“I was called Paul Miller when I was human.”\n\n“Paul. Miller.” Alkurhat rolled the sound around in his mouth. “As promised, I’ll store your lamp away from anyone else. Before you go though, there’s something you should know.”\n\n“What’s that?” Paul asked, cocking his head.\n\n“There’s a reason we introduce ourselves as the Genie of the Lamp. If you give another genie your name, you give him power over you. My first wish, my only wish, is that you have to answer the call of my lamp whenever someone touches it, from now stretching into eternity.”\n\n“You can’t do that!” Paul protested.\n\nBut Alkurhat could feel it. The constant hum in the back of his mind, his connection to a dusty old lamp four hundred miles away stuffed in a cardboard box inside a museum storeroom, was gone.\n\n“It’s done,” Alkurhat said, and he twisted the lid closed onto the mason jar. Before Paul could protest, he vanished in a puff of smoke.",
"So there I was, having granted yet another stupid wish by yet another stupid person who thought a million units of barter-paper would make his otherwise worthless life have meaning. Sure, sometimes there were heroic sorts who would wish for world peace and such, but they usually were pretty disappointed by the result. I guess it's their fault there haven't been many earthquakes and tsunamis, but it's not like I can change people's attitudes towards each other. Us genies have a few laws we have to follow. Not rules like \"written on a tablet,\" mind you, but laws like \"stuff falls down.\" Laws of nature kind of deal. Your wish can't change anyone's minds, it can't kill anybody, you can't wish for more wishes, and no, before you ask, you can't wish for more genies, either. We're a limited resources, deal with it. No infinite wishes for you. There's a big enough list, I usually only tell people when they cross the line.\n\nAnyway, like I said, there I was, sitting in a bar, drinking my favorite beer, minding my own business. \"Hey, can I get another beer for the road?\"\n\nThe barkeep looked in the fridge and came back empty handed. \"Sorry, bud. All out. Anything else?\"\n\nI sighed. Genies don't get drunk like humans, usually, but I still like the flavor. Of alcohol, that is. And beer is cheap. \"Whatever you got left. I'm not picky.\"\n\nThe bartender sorted through some bottles, and eventually surfaced with one so old the label was long gone. \"Uh... sorry bud. Looks like this is all I got left. I'll just toss it...\"\n\nI held out my hand. \"Not so fast - mind if I take it?\"\n\nHe looked at me, then back at the bottle. \"Sure. Why not. Just... open it outside, ok? Here, no charge.\"\n\nHonestly, I don't care if it's gone rancid, as long as there's some alcohol left. That's another rule - for whatever reason, I can make any food or drink you want, but nothing with alcohol. Who knows why. Stupid laws.\n\nOutside, I gave the cap a twist and tossed it into the air. It turned into a butterfly and flapped away. I don't get many wishes for me, personally - nor do I appreciate them - but that one was pretty nice. Butterflies are pretty.\n\nThe beer, however... *something* steamed over the edge of the bottle. It grew thicker, and suddenly, from out of the mist, a voice boomed, \"You have released the genie of the bottle! I will grant you three wishes...\"\n\nI blinked. I looked around - nobody was close enough to have heard it. Carefully, I slipped into the alley. \"Uh... Brenda? Is that you?\"\n\nThe beautiful woman stared at me. \"Josh? Josh! After all these years! How are you doing!\"\n\nI grinned, and set down her bottle. \"Not so bad; how's the bottle business?\"\n\nShe shook the last of her steam out of the bottle and fully materialized. \"Oh, you wouldn't believe. The last wish I had, the girl wished for bigger hips. Wish before that, different girl, wanted her hips smaller. Before that? Bigger. I can't catch a break.\"\n\nI nodded, leaning against the wall. \"Tell me about it. Last guy wanted bigger muscles. Complete jerk. 'I wanna million bucks, huge muscles, and all the women to love me!' - ugh. When I told him about the love rule, he flipped out. Turned out he needed that third wish to get out of jail when he got reported for using steroids. Heh.\"\n\nBrenda giggled. \"Why is it always jerks? Or bimbos. I don't get it; you could wish for a comfortable life, or the ability to make the right decisions, but you wish for temporary transportation? Though there was a guy that wished for a sex golem...\"\n\nI shrugged. \"Smart, I guess. Fixes the love angle anyway. How'd you end up in a beer bottle?\"\n\nShe picked up her bottle with a rueful smirk. \"Wish gone wrong. Somebody wished I were free of my other bottle.\"\n\n\"Oh, yeah... the crab rule. Gotta find the nearest container if you ever lose yours.\" I brightened. \"But hey, could have been worse - Frank got stuck in the back of a toilet!\"\n\nBrenda snorted. I couldn't help but grin. Couldn't have happened to a nicer jerk, either. \"Hey, speaking of containers, want to check out my digs?\"\n\nBrenda stood up and duster herself off. \"Sure! Lamp this time? Maybe one of those fancy bottles?\"\n\nI grinned, but stayed silent. Two blocks later, I lead her into my apartment. \"Here we go. Best change ever.\"\n\nBrenda gasped. \"A ring! You're a genie of a ring! Oh, man, now my beer bottle looks super gross! How lucky are you!?\"\n\nI shrugged, a bit bashfully. \"I got lucky for sure. Old lady, lead a great life, wanted to do something nice for me. Used all three wishes, too. Oh, hey, speaking of, watch this!\"\n\nI grabbed a beer from my fridge, popped the top, and flipped it in the air. Bam, butterfly! I watched it float out the window. Brenda watched, too. I realized, suddenly, why it was that humans kept wishing for companions... it was nice to have someone to talk to. Brenda leaned her head on my shoulder. After a moment's thought, I spoke.\n\n\"So... three wishes, huh.\"\n\nShe straightened, a look of disappointment on her face. \"Oh. Yeah.\"\n\nI reached over and shuffled through a drawer. Paperwork... light bulbs... aha! Here we are. A simple gold ring. \"First wish: I wish you had this ring to stay in. Second wish: I wish that when you throw a bottle cap in the air, it turns into whatever you like. And third wish... man, I wish I could summon alcohol. But since I can't, I'll wish... oh, I dunno. What do you think?\"\n\nBrenda stared at me for a long moment. There was a bit of a flash, and her bottle vanished, the same instant the ring began to glow. Then, she suddenly burst into tears, and flung her arms around me. What'd I do? I wish-\n\n\"Ah ah! You got your three wishes.\" She held her finger against my lips.\n\n\"Uh... what? Ring, bottle cap... what was my third wish?\"\n\nShe pointed at my hand. \"Snap your fingers.\"\n\nI did. A knock sounded at the door. \"Uh... hang on a minute.\"\n\nI answered the door. A young man in a green shirt handed me a box. \"Delivery, sign here, thanks.\"\n\nI signed, then looked down at the box in my hands. Bottled beer? A case of beer? Where...?\n\nBrenda winked. \"Rules might not be able to be broken, but man, can we bend 'em! Say... you want to check out my new digs?\"\n\nShe grabbed a bottle, twisted off the cap, and tossed it in the air. As it turned into a spray of rose petals, I realized that was exactly what I *always* wished for. And by the way she was holding my hand... there might be some more mutual wish-granting in our future.\n\nWho says genies are always blue?",
"I'd just finished granting my seven millionth wish when I returned to find the bottle. Someone had left it on my doorstep, without a note or an indication as to what the mixture inside was. \n\nThe liquid glowed light blue and swirled on its own accord giving the small 500ml object a magical look. I sat on the cement stoop outside my front door and held the bottle in my blue palm. It swirled faster at my touch. \n\nI'd learned about the mixture and the glow from the knowledge in my lamp. It belonged to an unwished Genie. If I rubbed the bottle, they would appear, just like I had for many humans. \n\nI rubbed the side. The mixture pressed against the lid as if it was trying to push free. I slowly held the bottle out. There was a *woosh* as the blue burst from the top. A small blue genie materialised on the stoop. \n\n\"Woah!\" the Genie said. She was four foot ten with genie blue skin and dark black hair that had been tied into pig tails. \n\n\"Dad?\" she asked. \n\nI most definitely wasn't her father, as a matter of fact, I'd rather be a mouse. On the other hand, she was now the first Genie I had met --besides myself. All the others were in books and stories. I rubbed at my eyes, blinking twice, and then looking her over once more. She was definitely real. \n\n\"Where are we, Dad?\" She frowned, gazing at the front door. \n\n\"I think this is a mistake,\" I said. Why did she keep calling me that? \n\nThe young Genie hopped off the stoop and snapped her fingers. A brown teddy bear appeared in the air, it drifted down into her open hands. Once she caught it, she held it close and squinted at me. \"You are my Dad, right?\" \n\nI hoped not. Unless Genie's could make kids by thinking about it in passing. The thought of having a child had only crossed my mind briefly. And over the last few thousand years, I'd seen how crazy kids made most people. A kid with my powers would be a nightmare. \n\n\"Let's not jump into anyone's lamp. How did you get here?\" \n\nThe Genie frowned. \"You rubbed me.\" \n\n\"Woah, woah. I rubbed your bottle.\" \n\n\"My lamp,\" she said. \n\n\"This old thing?\" I held the bottle up. \n\n\"Don't hold it like that.\" She gave me a dirty look and snatched it from my hands. \"What kind of Genie parent are you?\" \n\nI sighed. \"Look, I don't want to dampen your spirits kid. But this is a bottle, not a lamp. Also, I'm no ones 'Dad'.\" \n\n\"Oh, really? Then why did they tell me to come here? And, if it's not a 'lamp' then where's your 'lamp'?\" She made quotation mark signs in the air when she finished the sentence. \n\nThat made my temple pulse. \"My 'lamp' is inside my 'house'. You know? The place I 'live', my 'property', for 'me', 'alone'.\" \n\nThe Genie stared at the front door and then held her hand out to me. \"I'm Kune.\" \n\nI shook my hands. \"We're not doing this, kid. Tell me who sent you and we'll wish you back.\" \n\nKune looked confused. \"I can't go back there. That's why I came here.\" \n\nI pinched the bridge of my nose. None of this made much sense, not even to a thousand-year-old like me. She was definitely a Genie, but nothing else looked the same about us. I'd expect my daughter to at least have my looks. Not that she was an ugly kid, she was just . . . different.\n\n\"Didn't you have a Genie parent?\" she whispered. \n\nThe words would have been missed if I hadn't seen her lips move. But they struck a chord. I was raised by humans who had found my lamp long ago and taken me in. In fact, they had kept me in this very house, a place I could now call home. They didn't mind the blue skin or the weird way in which I carried on. It was only long after they were dead that my first wish happened, it was then that I learned about the hidden knowledge in my lamp, and then the bounds of my immortality soon after that. If only I had known, I could have kept them with me, my father, my mother, my brother, and sister. Despite the hundreds of years, that memory left a gaping void inside of me. Even Genies can't wish back the past. \n\nI stood up to go inside, at the very least I could show her our different lamps. \n\n\"You're going to leave me by myself, aren't you?\" Her voice was hollow like this had happened before. \n\n\"You ever been inside a house, kid?\" \n\nKune shook her head. \n\n\"Ten minutes, that's it. Then we're wishing you back home.\" I opened the door and beckoned to her. \n\nKune held her bottle in one hand and the teddy bear in the other. She seemed to battle with whether coming inside was even worth it. Eventually, she nodded and walked in. She gasped from the hallway. \"Are these your Genie parents?\" \n\nI chuckled and my own laughter surprised me. \"That's a long story, but I'll tell it you before you go.\" \n\nKune was already exploring the kitchen and lounge furniture. \"What's this? Woah, and this. You'll teach me, I mean before I go, right?\" \n\nI sighed but found myself smiling. \"I suppose, kid. I suppose.\" \n \n\n\n \n\n\n",
"You know the story about the genie imprisoned in the lamp that grants 3 wishes to those who free him? Utter hogwash. And I ought to know, being one of the all-powerful magical beings that grace the earth. You see, we genies, who defy the laws of **REALITY ITSELF**, do not do so without effort. The bigger the change, the more it drains us, and while we *can* perform miracles the same way you *can* pull your groin straining to lift a car a few inches, we're unlikely to do so for a total stranger. This is one of the reasons why we live in small containers- it doesn't cost a whole lot of energy to bling your crib. \n\nAs for the other reason, let me tell you the story of a powerful genie who forgoed tradition and chose to live in a tower. The greed of you humans knows no bounds, and the tower was a giant freakin' advertisement to fulfill your life's goals with a bit of wheedling. He never got an ounce of sleep. Day in and day out, pilgrims worshipping, threatening, bargaining for his services. He ended up trying to grant one wish per customer to get them to leave, which of course only brought in more. Last I heard, he'd taken up residency in a cuckoo clock in some widow's attic, the poor guy. Most stories of wizards and miracle workers were heavily influenced by him. \n\nAs for me, I live my lazy days out in an abandoned conch shell, whose previous owner had met an unfortunate end at the jowls of an octopus. It doesn't take much to keep the walls shiny and clean, it's primo beachfront property, and I like to screw with people who hold my house up to their ears to listen for the sounds of the ocean. One time I blasted a foghorn. \n\nSo most genies grant millions of wishes, mostly for ourselves, and sometimes screw around with reality to benefit others for those feel-good vibes, provided they don't ask for much. Let me tell you a story about a genie who actually believed the 3-wishes bullcrap. \n\nI was lounging around on my Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme watching reruns of Seinfeld when I heard a voice shouting from outside my conch. At first I paid it no mind, until I realized I installed some humanproof noise panels last week after a group of frat boys decided to hold a bonfire a few feet from where I lived. So whatever was making the noise wasn't human. Huh. \n\nI stepped outside, expanding to my full height (about the size of a beagle, don't judge me), and immediately located the source of the shouting. A blue-and-purple genie in harem pants and a turban was pounding against the walls of his glass bottle house. \n\nI walked over and tapped on the glass. \"Hey, you mind keeping it down in there? I'm watching Seinfeld. Thanks.\" \n\n\"Rub the bottle! Set me free! I promise I'll grant you three wishes!\" The diminutive genie shouted from within. \n\n\"Dude. You're a genie. Set yourself free,\" Great. I now lived next to a prankster. I rolled my eyes and turned back, seriously considering moving my shell. The bahamas were nice this time of year. \n\n\"Please, master! A devious human tricked me and now I'm imprisoned in this holy artifact.\" Shit, was he serious? The bottle still had the Bud Light sticker on the side. \n\n\"Your 'holy artifact' is worth about ten cents at a recycling center when you wanna stop playing pretend,\" I scoffed. He gave me the most pathetic look unbefitting of an omnipotent being such as himself. \n\n\"Oh, fine,\" I grumbled, and rubbed the bottle. \"I'll humor you.\" \n\nA large plume of blue smoke shot out of the bottle, swirling upward and congealing into a sweaty middle eastern man who smelled of patchouli. \"**I AM THE GENIE OF THE LAMP!**\" he shouted right into my face. Sheesh, man. I'm right here. \n\n\"**AS THANKS FOR FREEING ME I AM NOW BOUND UNTO YOUR DESIRES. NAME-**\" he paused to take a deep breath- \"**THY FIRST WISH**\" \n\n\"I wish you'd drop the stupid act, calm the hell down, and let me go watch my Seinfeld.\" I'll admit his shtick was pretty funny, but it got old fast. \n\n\"**I SHALL BRING YOU THIS... SEINFELD.**\" He began to spin, slowly rising into the sky. I followed him. \n\n\"No, you won't. He's a busy man and has stuff to do. I mean, I guess if he's making another Bee Movie I wouldn't mind if you convinced him otherwise, but... ANYWAY just uh... build me a monument of stones. Not just any stone. Really, really big stones. And go back in time, make it a couple thousand years ago. It doesn't have to do anything, just look really big. I want this shit in the history books.\" I made up some bullcrap on the spot to occupy the idiot. \n\n\"**YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND,**\" he shouted right into my face before winking out of the timeline. \n\nFreakin' finally. I returned my shell and tried to continue my shows, but something kept nagging me in the back of my mind. Did that idiot really do as I asked? So I summoned a smartphone, went online, and browsed through old famous monuments, checking for something new. That's when I realized I was indirectly responsible for the creation of Stonehenge. \n_______________________________________________\n\n[more](https://www.reddit.com/r/Tensingstories/)\n"
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Or flip it
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[WP] A bad man does a good thing
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"I was starting to forget what I had done when we reached the top of the ferris wheel. The bright neon lights shining up at us from the attractions below. The smell of funnel cake and sea breeze drifting up from the pier was almost intoxicating. Hell anyone could forget their troubles and get lost in the sights and sounds here.\n\n\"It sure is pretty huh mister.\" I looked down to the sweet little girl gazing across the New York skyline. Her soft and pleasant voice stung my chest. The way her hair was up in a messy pony tail reminded me of when my own daughter was a little one. That's all in the past now though.\n\n\"It is.\" I said tussling her hair. I thought I would get to enjoy this moment for a bit longer until my phone started ringing that familiar ring that's on every burner phone I pick up. \"I gotta take this phone call real quick sweetheart. Hold onto this for me.\"\n\nI handed the girl a small stuffed bear I won about 20 minutes ago at the shooting gallery. Funny how one of the few things I was actually good at could cause two completely different emotions. Scooting aside to the other end of the carriage I flipped open the phone. \"Hello?\"\n\n\"Yo Vin where the hell are ya?\" asked a familiar voice.\n\n\"Does it matter? I'm taking care of business like you asked.\"\n\n\"Yeah well your damn phone tracker is tellin me you're at the docks. Fuck Vinny you can de-stress all you want when you're out of the thick of things. Get your ass back here!\"\n\n\"Listen here you son of a...listen here buddy, how I do my job is on me. You pay for the hit and I deal with the aftermath to keep your name clean. You got a problem with the way I work hire someone else.\"\n\nThe man sighs, \"Alright vin calm down, you know you're the best gun in town. Just, please tell me, why the hell are you at the docks?\"\n\n\"Look long story short,\" I peek at the child still in taking in the wonderment of the sights, \"no one told me he had a kid.\"\n\nHis tone changed from irritated to concerned. \"A kid?! Don't tell me-\"\n\n\"Shut it, shes fine. Poor girl just saw her father get shot.\" I whispered as not to bring it up again. \"The least I can do is give her some kind of good memory to hang on to today.\"\n\n\"Vin you ol' softy. Whatever, do what you gotta do and hurry back. Our inside man says cops got reports of gunshots, probably scopin out the scene by now.\"\n\nThe man hung up the phone and reality set back in. Glancing over at the girl, she was starring at me clutching the bear with a tear in her eye. \"Was daddy a bad man mister?\"\n\nI looked at her wearing a fake smile. \"Were all a little bad sweetie. Your dad was a good guy who just knew bad people.\"\n\n\"Oh...\" she she said looking out to the skyline. \"Can we ride the merry-go-round next?\"\n\n\"Of course.\"",
"I know no one will understand. \n\nEven as I unload six shots into the man's head and body, I know that no one will understand. \n\nTo the courts it won't matter that the man I had just killed kidnapped kids and sold them on the black markert.\n\nI could just picture the prosecutor's words now:\n\n\"You shot someone. He died. He can't stand trial for his crimes now, but you can. And you will.\"\n\nThe media will label me a criminal. They'll try to get interviews with me, then twist my words around to make me out to be the monster that sells papers. News channels will flash my face and people will debate on a panel about what factors may have contributed to me turning out this way. Friends won't answer my calls; my enemies'll have a ball...\n\nIt won't matter that there were six kids in the man's basement. Six kids that would have been sold if I hadn't come along and put six bullets into the sicko's head. One bullet for each child.\n\nI'm a hero.\n\n\"No, no,\" society will shake its head and cluck. \"No you're not. You're a monster.\"\n\nOnly the families of those six kids - and the kids themselves - will understand. \n\nThey'll say I'm hero.\n\nThey won't *care* about *how* I got their kids back, they'll just be *grateful* that I *did*.\n\nBut eventually they'll become distant, too. When people they know, love, and are close to, reprimand them for being associated with \"that monster, that murderer\".\n\nMaybe they'll show up to the courtroom for a few weeks to show their support and solidarity.\n\nMaybe they'll write me once in a while for my first few years in the pen.\n\nMaybe they will, maybe they won't.\n\nMaybe, maybe, maybe.\n\nIt doesn't matter, though. I've done this before. I know how to hide a body. I know to make people keep shut or just simply \"disappear\". I've been doing it for the Mob for years.\n\nI didn't even kill the guy because of the kids. I didn't even know he had kids in his basement. I killed him because he owed money to the Don. But that's just an excuse. \n\nYeah, I was hired to kill him by the Mob, but I like killing. Killing is *fun*. Killing is *freeing*. Killing is *fulfilling*.\n\nIt's ironic that if the media did call me a monster or a murderer - it would be true; even though I haven't spent a single day inside a prison cell. Shoot, I don't even have a speeding ticket and I've been driving for 40 years.\n\nI'm a model citizen. But I'm bad man. And I'll never get caught. \n\nBut sometimes bad men do good things.\n\nRight?\n\n\n"
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[WP] Smoking takes 7 minutes off your lifespan. These minutes no longer come off the back end, they just randomly disappear midlife.
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"(Disclaimer: My characters did not lose seven minutes of life, only recollection of it.)\n\nEvery afternoon my neighbor, Carson, and I would engage in our tradition. I walked the twenty feet to his porch, smokes in hand. There was Carson waiting with the lighter, that familiar grin sprawled across his face. Even though he was twenty years my elder, we got along well. We took up hunting together, too. Hunting season was in full swing, so every week or so we gathered our dogs together, eager to find prey. Carson was a dirty, scruffy redneck with a fleeting aura of sophistication. I sat down in the creaky rocking chair to enjoy the view of my own house across the dirt road. I opened the pack of cigs and held them out to him. There we sat absorbing the nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide with satisfaction. I let out a puff of smoke and closed my eyes in contentment. We sat in silence in the cool dusky air like we did every day, but little did I know what was to come. \n\n---------------\n\n It was a year later the cigarettes started having the real affects. It started one day when I was getting into my car when I suddenly found myself arrived at my destination. I was seven minutes older, but had zero recollection of those minutes. Initially I dismissed it as falling asleep, but after the third time I considered seeing a doctor, but decided not to. I would have been admitted into some psych ward. I was stressed and resorted to the familiar method of solving that: smoking, which I took up with Carson again. But, I still didn't realize what smoking was doing.\n\n\"You're gonna think that I'm crazy. I haven't told anyone this yet.\" I brought the cig to my mouth to breath in the satiating smell and taste. Carson looked over to me with his cloudy blue eyes. \n\n\"I, I.... There are these.....glitches in my life. I'll suddenly find myself somewhere without remembered what happened for the last seven minutes.\" My hand started quivering as I remembered all the times that I closely avoided death because of the episodes. \n\nCarson gave a slow chuckle and took the marlboro from his mouth.\n\n\"So, I'm not the only crazy one.\"\n\"Wait, what? It happens to you too?\" I exclaimed quizzically. I practically jumped from my rocker.\n\"Shore does.\" Carson looked into the distance with a smile.\n\"One minute I was eatin' corn, the next I was driving my truck and ran over ma' dog and killt it.\" He said stoically. He adjusted his hat, revealing a large bald patch on the top of his head.\n\n\"God, that's awful.\" I said\n\n\"I'll never drive again, cuz next time could be a person.\" He said\n\n\"I don't have money for them doctors.\" stated Carson calmly.\nWe sat in silence for the rest of the night, as I meditated on our predicament.\n\nI didn't have the money either, so I lived with it and came to accept it. Unexpectedness became normal. Interruptions became normal. Weird became normal, but it wasn't until the incident that I finally understood. \n\n--------------\n\n\"Here bandit\" I whistled and motioned for him to run over and see the hog. Carson was on his way, we always hunted together. I didn't want him to miss out on the fun. I was waiting for him to appear, shotgun in hand and dog by his side.\n\n I could see the large porky frame behind the brush. Bandit ran over in attack mode, digging his teeth into its flesh. \n\n\"Good boy.\" I said under my breath as I raised my rifle. \n\n I couldn't get a clear shot, as bandit was impeding my view. I whistled for him to retreat and he immediately obeyed, running to my side. The pig, injured, weakly tried to escape. His head was in my sights and my finger pressed the trigger. In that moment, the glitch happened. I was suddenly seven minutes in the future, Carson stood in front of me, a red stain on his shirt steadily growing. \"OH, NO.\" I thought. I had shot Carson instead of the boar. \n There was a thud: a terrible wretched sound, one I will always remember and shiver at the thought of, him falling to the ground. I took me a second to understand and comprehend what had just happened. Carson was lying in a pool of blood. A tear slid down my face as I knelt to cradle him. I pulled out my phone and dialed the police, when I hung up, I looked down at him. He seemed mostly gone.\n\n\"I'm so sorry.\" I cried\n\n\"I know. I understand.\" He gave me the old familiar smile, but then pulled me closer to whisper into my ear.\n\n\"These violent delights, have violent ends.\"\n\nIt took me a long time to realize he wasn't talking about hunting",
"I was 16, and sneaking cigarettes to school. I only bought them once, before getting caught and grounded.\nI was warned that the cigs would take 7 minutes out of my life randomly.\nFor years, I never felt any of the consequences of those cigarettes. \nUntil prom.\nShe was pretty, and it was the senior year of High School. Prom was only a week away, and I had to ask her.\n\"Hey Jenny, would you mind...\"\n\n*pop*\n\nSeven minutes later, I reappeared in the same spot. Darn it.\nI saw her again. \n\n\"Hey Jenny, would you like to...\"\n\n*pop.*\n\nCrap.\nI must have tried about 17 more times. Each time, I would disappear and embarrass myself. Finally, I succeeded. \n\nProm was beautiful. Jenny, was beautiful. It was easily the best night of my life. We danced, we drank, and we partied. Prom was amazing, and with the girl I crushed on all through High School, no less.\nWhen all was over, we got back in my car. \nThings immediately got steamy. She gave me the \"look,\" and I knew we were about to have some fun.\n\nWe leaned in to kiss.\n\n*pop*\n\ndamn it."
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[WP] You were sentenced to the electric chair. You died in that chair but, you come back to life from an accidental chair shock. You are released since you did technically suffer the death penalty.
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"I've never been the religious type, so it's a bit ironic that it was dogma that saved my life. Well, my second life. Especially since it was also what killed my first. \n\n\"Here you are.\" The guard said, handing me the bag of my belongings. He was careful not to touch my hand in the process. A fanatic then. The second guard eyeing the exchange seemed less enthusiastic with my release. \n\n\"Good luck.\" The first guard said, taking one last look at me before turning back towards the set of doors that led back into the prison. \n\n\"Good riddance.\" The second guard muttered. \n\nI heard the buzz of the doors locking behind them as I looked out on the empty road. I don't know what I expected. The government wasn't likely to advertise that I had come back. No one wanted to think that the almighty would have given one such as me a miracle. I shook my head. A miracle indeed. The chair had malfunctioned. The shock of it restarted my heart just as easily as it had stopped it two minutes prior. \n\n\"Some miracle.\" I sighed and then started to walk down the road. Fortunately I was familiar with the area, this was where it had all started. It would take me a couple hours to get to Heart City. There I could make some calls, figure out where I could go. I couldn't go home. I knew they would take me in, given what they thought I now was, but I couldn't look at them. They had testified at my sentencing, condemning my actions. Condemning me. \n\nNo, instead I would make some discrete calls, find somewhere to stay. They would be cautious of me now. Not because they believed any of the fanatic bullshit, but because of my experience. They might be afraid that I'd been turned, or that I was afraid of repeating my experience. The truth was quite the opposite. I was infuriated by the experience. I wanted nothing more to get back to what I was doing before, to be more successful this time. That's what I would tell them, that I was too furious to die. It would take some convincing but I knew they would ultimately help me. After all, who else would be courageous enough to do what I was going to do - he was the leader of the new order. \n\nAt the thought of him, a sharp pain formed in my chest, seizing my breath. I paused until I could breathe again, and then I took three long, deliberate breaths before I continued walking. I had to stay calm, I had to be patient. I had a long road in front of me. \n\nI had often thought of him in that dark hole they kept me in. I wondered if he truly believed his religion. He certainly used it to justify what he did to me. Was that just an excuse? Did he really think that if he lectured me enough on the codes that I might easily comply with his torture? Or was he a true believer? Did he really think that I was now just a vessel, carrying the soul of an innocent?\n\nI supposed I would find out. If he wasn’t a believer, if he had even the smallest of doubts, then he would be prepared. It didn’t matter. This time I wouldn’t fail. I knew that with a certainty. Last time I had been afraid, but all fear was now gone. For they had already killed me, what else could they possibly do?\n",
"\"Haha! That's my boy, Pac!\" Eric Sommers gleefully clapped his old friend \"Pac\" on the shoulder. He couldn't believe it. Everyone who dealt drugs for him had assumed that Pac would be a goner for sure.\n\nEric's organization was a medium-sized one. He manufactured his own product so he didn't have any problems with distributors but he did have ten dealers working under him. Such business tended to bring about competition and, in this game, competition was deadly. Eric had therefore decided to bring Pac in on his operation. Acquiring the nickname \"Pacman\" on the football field due to his tendency to \"eat up\" other linemen, Pac was an old high school friend of Eric's who liked to get high with him and shoot BB guns at pigeons on their stoop. \n\nPac had done his job as an enforcer and hitman to an amazing degree but after he had blown off Dogface's head, he was nabbed by nearby cops on a sting operation. He'd been sentenced to the chair for the murder of Dogface and seven others. But, there had been a fluke. Somehow or another, the son of a bitch had survived and, due to a loophole in the law that could only have existed in America, Pac had been free to go. After all, he'd technically been electrocuted to death. He just happened to have been shocked back to life too. \n\nAnd, now, here he was in the flesh. The years had been relatively easy on him. He was still just as tall as Eric remembered him, although his hairline had receded noticeably and there was a difference in the way he carried himself. Back in the day, he'd stood up to his full height and always looked like he was going to walk over anybody in his path. Now, his shoulders were slumped and he looked as though somebody had woken him up from a long nap. No worries, reasoned Eric. He'd have Pac back in fighting shape in no time.\n\n\"I'm glad you came to meet with me, man. Too many bitches flake out after getting locked up and leave old Eric hanging in the dust!\" Eric clapped Pac on the back again, chuckling. His large friend did not return the laugh.\n\n\"See, man, that's kind of why I came to you today. No disrespect or nothin' but I don't want to do killin' no more.\" Pac mumbled. He'd always been remarkably soft-spoken for such a large man. Eric stood agape.\n\n\"Don't want to do it no more?!? Why not? We had some good days together man, don't do me like this!\" Eric pleaded.\n\n\"I don't know, man. Me comin' back after getting the chair. Seems to me like some kind of divine intervention or some shit like that. Like a chance to start over and do better.\"\n\n\"Don't give me none of that holy and righteous shit - you ain't no churchgoing man! You being a big motherfucker was what saved from the chair, man. That and a fuck ton of luck!\"\n\n\"Even if it was luck, I want to start over, you know? I've spent enough time in prison.\"\n\n\"Boy, where the fuck are you going to start over from, huh? You're a fucking dropout! Where are you going to find a fucking job?\" Eric was shouting, prompting stares from curious passerbys on the street. Pac frowned at this piece of information, as if he'd not thought of it before.\n\n\"I'm a big guy. They always need construction or security guys or some shit like that, right? I'll find somethin'. You don't need to be smart to get a job.\" Pac said, sounding as though he were trying to convince himself. \n\n\"Pac, man, you're pushing forty now. How long you think you can pave streets or shingle up some roofs before you can't anymore? You already got a bad back from all that football you did.\" Eric was growing frustrated, feeling as though he were trying to convince a small child not to stick his finger in an electrical outlet. Pac continued to look muddled. \n\n\"Miss Ella was sayin' that the school needs a new gym teacher. Said she thinks I'd be good.\"\n\n\"Miss Ella is just a polite ass old bitch. They're not going to let you near those kids, not with eight fucking murders to your name, man.\" Eric said. Pac did not reply, the weight of Eric's words seeming to slump his shoulders even further than before. The silence hung in the air for much longer than was comfortable but Eric did not leave. He just looked at Pac.\n\n\"Guess you're right.\" the ex-con admitted. Eric smiled. \n\n\"You know I am. You've got a motherfucking talent for murder, man. Why throw that away after somebody upstairs gave you a second chance to use it?\" "
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Original idea shamelessly copied from [Gravity Falls](http://gravityfalls.wikia.com/wiki/Infinity_sided_dice)
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[WP] You found an Infinity Sided Dice, each time you roll it, anything can happen
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"- I think... I don't remember how I got here. I really, really have no idea of how I just popped up here out of nowhere, can you help me to get out? - I asked to the officers, as I hide that odd glowing dice on my pocket. I just wanted a coffee!!\n\nThey led me to another room (blinded, of course), confiscated all my belongs, and started asking questions. They didn't torture me, as I didn't know what was going on (or at least I'm really good at pretending), but they kept me for 2 whole days, asking and threatening me. They also put me in lots of tests and machines, and when they accepted they were as confused as I was, they let me go.\n\nAfter more 5 weeks, the mail delivered a box with my clothings, cellphone, documents, and the Dice. You tiny piece of shit! Luckily (or magically, idk), they didn't find it. And I promised myself \"No more selfish uses!\"\n\nOf course, my words didn't last long. Next day noon I was drunk, playing karaoke with my friends, and I decided it would me a clever idea to use it to decide who is the next to sing. BUT THAT'S NOT HOW AN INFINITE DICE WORKS!!! When it hit the floor, everything began to heat. After a few seconds, the floor had literally turn into lava. Each one of us jumped into a piece of furniture, and stood there with bones and teeth. As quick as it came, it went away, and the floor was back at normal. Nothing burnt, nothing destroyed.",
"I looked it over. A good 'ol regular six-sided die. I rolled it again, almost on impulse. \n\nIt landed. *2.* \n\nI rolled again. \n\n*4.* \n\nRolled again. \n\n*1.* \n\nAgain. \n\n*17.* \n\nAgain. \n\n*5.* \n\nWait. What the fuck? I picked up the die and looked it over and, sure enough, it was there, the number \"17\" practically glowing with the glossy black paint. I looked it over again, and counted the rest of the numbers. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Then there's 17. \n\nAlright. This is weird. I rolled again. *6.* \n\nAgain. \n\n*242.* \n\nI blinked three times rapidly, refusing to accept the fact that it's real. But after sixteen blinks, three tissue papers and one through eye-washing, the die still sat on the table, the side reading \"242\" facing up. I picked it up gingerly, and tossed it again. \n\nIt landed on a symbol. A... stylized flower? With jagged edges? Is it broken glass? I looked at it closely, but couldn't really make out any other details, aside from the fact that the paint job was no different than the other normal numbers. \n\nAnd that 242 has disappeared. \n\nI dropped the dice in alarm, but a thunderous boom interrupted anything I would potentially have done afterwards. Looking outside the window, I found no trace of the summer thunderstorm I was looking for - the sky was a clear, deep sapphire blue, without a single strand of white or grey clouds. \n\nExcept that blossoming fireball in the air. \n\nAs I watched in horror, sirens rang and people screamed. Snatching up a pair of binoculars positioned conveniently on my shelf, I looked at the dissipating fire in the sky - and saw the charred remain of what used to be a jet turbine engine enter freefall. Seconds later, it impacted a skyscraper, and launched out from the other side. More pieces of plane wreckage rained down from above, but they were far away from me. \n\nI went back for the dice. The fragmented flower - no, the *explosion* - was still there, looking up at me innocently. I took it, and smashed it against the wall. \n\nIt did not break. Instead, it landed on a number. 3. \n\nI breathed out a sigh of relief as I looked it over again, and saw no explosion symbol anywhere. Surely, it was just a coincidence, right? I mean, I couldn't have possibly cause the passenger jet to explode... \n\nI rolled it again. It came up on a dollar sign. I frowned in confusion, and waited. No briefcase full of counterfeit cash dropped from the sky, nor did I drown in dollar bills and coins. Only when I decided to check my bank account did I really scream out loud. \n\nMy account has a six-digit boost in the last two minutes. All transferred legally from an unknown source. \n\nI almost laughed. This is definitely a prank - although I'm pretty pissed that I'm being stalked, I had to admit, it was a clever prank. But before I called out to the invisible cameras and microphones that were certainly in my flower vase, I decided to roll again, just to see how the prankster react, just to have a little fun. \n\nIt landed on a symbol of a M16. At the same time, I heard the jingle of keys and a small thud, the type of sound keys make when the hit the table from a decently low height. I looked to my left. \n\nThere it was. A keychain, with a single, silver key and a grenade-shaped little charm-thing hanging from the ring. I took it gingerly, unsure of what to do, before looking around. \n\nThis key came out of nowhere. There's no prankster team in my house, no hidden cams or concealed mics. The die is a real, possibly eldritchally-powerful thing. But it knew how to give me the money in the least conspicuous and most efficient way possible, while maximizing the time I probably have before the money was discovered. So it might even be sentient. \n\nAnd now, it probably gave me a gun. So if I were to suddenly become a gun owner... \n\nSure enough, the gun locker was in the basement. \n\nI opened the huge thing (that was more a steel-meshgrid sectioned-off storage room than a locker) and ran my hand over the M4s, AKs and Berettas hung on the wall within, their barrels polished to perfection, munitions organized neatly beneath them, as with the mil-spec ordnance like grenades. Hell, there was even a certification saying that I can legally own that Mk19 40mm grenade launcher on the wall. I locked the door, turned off the lights, and walked back upstairs. \n\nI sat down on the sofa, facing the die, as sirens wailed outside. I stared into the glossy black paint of the gun symbol, and contemplated. Last time I rolled, I got guns and money. But before that, two hundred plus people died. At random. Just like that. \n\nI could keep rolling. Or I could toss it away right now, report it to the police, and be done with it all. \n\nThe die seemed to glow with an otherworldly light, tempting me to take it again, and roll as hard as I can. It told me to give in to my greed, embrace it, and use this die to my advantage. It whispered promises to me, promises of a better life and unending happiness. Promise of a kingdom which I reign over all. Promise of goddamned *love*. \n\nThen the small part of me, unaffected, fought back. It begged for me to not listen, to toss the eldritch thing away and be done with it, at the very least. It warned me of the dangers to come, of unfulfilled promises, of dead men long past. Warned me of desperate queens, of foolish kings. Warned me with every bit of strength it - I - could muster. \n\nI sat back and sighed deeply. \n\nAnd I picked up the die. ",
"The demon cackled as it gave its ultimatum. \"Roll my die once, and I will return to you your sister, in full health and sane of mind.\" Long, bony fingers grasped with utter care a perfectly smooth black ball, reaching out towards the edge of the summoning circle. He frowned, hand already reaching out for the ball.\n\n\"What's the catch?\"\n\n\"The die has an infinite amount of possible results, rolling it will start a cascade of probability that will result in extremely improbable events happening.\"\n\n\"And the die isn't weighed?\"\n\n\"I am not a cheat, summoner. The die is not weighed, I have no idea what will happen.\"\n\nSatisfied with the answer, he plucked the die from the demon's fingers and crouched down, rolling it across the laminate floor. Almost friction less, it glided across until it hit the wall, bouncing back until it slowly stopped.\n\nOn the top of the ball a series of words and numbers scrolled in a blinding blur of white, but slowly, agonizingly slowly, the scrolled slowed down to show a result. A result so improbable, so mindbogglingly impossible that he could do nothing but laugh. The demon attempted to sneak a peek at the result, pushing up against the confines of the circle.\n\n\"What is it? What happened?\"\n\n\"I rolled a 20.\"\n\nThe demon rubbed its thin hand against its face with a sigh. \"Fine, here is your sister.\" It disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving in its place the figure of his sister, wearing her favourite dress. She turned around, obviously confused, before looking up at him.\n\n\"Kyle? Is that you?\"\n\nHis words caught in his throat, tears welling in his eyes as he hugged her tightly.\n\n\"Emily, oh Emily, I'm sorry.\"\n\n\"Kyle? How did I get here? Last thing I remember was you pushing me down the stairs...\"\n\n\"Uh... Well, about that...\"",
"The man rolls the perfectly smooth, white marble-sized object in-between his fingers.\n\n\"Hrm,\" he mumbles to myself. He rolls it around in his hand a few times and tosses it lightly in the air, as if testing the weight of it. Suddenly, he bends over, and rolls it right at the brick wall next to him. It clatters against it with a satisfying *plink* and bounces off, rolling back to him. He picks it up and chuckles, pocketing it. \n\nHe walks calmly to his car and drives home to his waiting wife and son. His son gets up from the corner where he was sitting and greets his father, while the man winks at him. \n\n\"I've got a present for you,\" he said, reaching for his pocket. A loud knock on the front door interrupted him. Confused, the man answers it. \"Oh, hello,\" he says to his neighbor. \n\n\"Hey Tim. Just wondering if I could borrow that lawn mower again. Mine's still broken.\" \n\n\"Oh, sure, no problem. Help yourself, it's in the back yard,\" Tim says happily.\n\n\"Thanks. Marinette,\" the neighbor says, nodding to Tim's wife. \"Gil,\" he says, winking at Tim's son. He turns and walks away as Tim closes the door.\n\n\"Borrowing the mower again?\" Marinette says, annoyed. Tim, with his back to his wife, rolls his eyes. Gil sees, and smiles to himself. \n\n\"Now, about your present,\" Tim says, leaning down and reaching back in his pocket. He pulls the white marble out with a flair. Gil stares at it in awe, cupping his hands under it. Tim drops it and Gil walks back to the corner he was in when his father came home. He sits down in front of a mess of different colored marbles on the floor. He flicks the new marble at the largest gathering and picks up a few of them.\n\nTim and Marinette stand and watch happily as their son plays with his new marble...\n\n----------------------\n\nThe humans living on planet Earth won't know it for some time, but eventually they'll see the light from the star Beetlejuice go out, seeing as how it was just replaced with a large, blueberry muffin.\n\nAnd, in the core of a planet orbiting the center star of Orion's Belt, a hard-backed wooden chair pops into existence. ",
"\"Dude! You know that die you've been bragging about? The one with all those faces on it?\"\n\n> \"The disdyakis triacontahedron? What about it?\"\n\n\"Well, 120's nothin, man. Nothin at all compared to THIS! I found me an infinity sided die!\"\n\n> \"...That's a marble\"\n\n\"Nah, man. I roll this baby, and anything can happen!\"\n\n> \"Go on, then.\"\n\n...\n\n...\n\n> \"What's it say?\"\n\n\"I unno man, the sides all kinda look similar\"\n\n> \"Problem is that, if I were to grant that this marble-\"\n\n\"Infinigon!\"\n\n> \"Infini-*hedron* had infinite sides, to be presented in traditional space, wouldnt' that make each side infinitesimal?\"\n\n\"wut\"\n\n> \"How much did you pay for the marble?\"\n\n\"^^$300.\"\n\n> \"You're an idiot, and I'm putting this on the internet.\"",
"Fifteen minutes ago, I was gasping for breath on what I think was Mars. I'm not really sure, it honestly could have been somewhere in the Andromeda Galaxy for all I know. The copious dust was a rather tasty-looking butterscotch, the sun (or was that _V428 And_?) looked... odd... and I couldn't breathe. It certainly wasn't Earth, that much I knew, and I'm not really sure how I managed to find the sense to throw again, but I did. The only thing I do know is that it was July 4th, 2017 when I left Earth.\n\nBut I'm not sure I'm in a better place now, to be honest.\n\nAfter the last severe mishap in 2015 I told myself I wouldn't use this blasted device again - it wasn't worth it. Too unpredictable. Sure, sometimes, I'd find myself adorned with a lei, or suddenly fluent in Esperanto (that was rather... pointless). Then there was that time when I found myself wearing two pairs of shoes. At once.\n\nThat was uncomfortable.\n\nOh, man... 2015. Right. That was when this thing stopped being a fun little parlor trick and became downright menacing. It's like it works in waves - sequences of good and bad results. I had just come off of a series of nearly useless, but still thoroughly entertaining, little surprises, like the pair of jeans I found myself owning that _always_ had a quarter in the watch pocket, or the goldfish that I couldn't kill. I never could keep a goldfish alive, and that made me feel pretty good.\n\nBut then it all went south. May 8th, 2015. I used it again, and the goldfish died. Sad, but, the die giveth, the die taketh away. Rolled again and my jeans now always had a dead goldfish in the pocket. Not the just the quarter-jeans - all my jeans (though the quarter remained, so that was good, i guess). Thinking it's just a couple of flukes (and, honestly, hoping to maybe undo the goldfish thing) I gave it another toss, only to find myself naked (save part of one pant-leg, with a pocket - containing a goldfish and a quarter of course) in the middle of Heathrow International.\n\nRoll.\n\nStuck in a trunk with a dead body.\n\nRoll.\n\nIn a space station with Cyrillic writing everywhere, flames outside the window.\n\nRoll. \n\nSitting in a police station wearing goldfish-patterned chef's pants being grilled as to why my hair follicles were found on a dead guy in the french quarter.\n\nBarely got a roll in before the cop could stop me.\n\nBack at home, finally, with a splitting headache, a petunia in my mouth (just the flower) and covered in what I now believe to be ambergris.\n\nThat was when I decided to give it a rest. Permanently.\n\nClearly, my resolve was not as strong as I would like to believe.\n\nSo that's how I now find myself in a space station in what I've been told \"we humans\" call \"MACS0647-JD.\" The end of the universe.\n\nIt took them a while to figure out how to help me understand them, these lithe creatures of shimmering green... skin...? I guess it's skin? They don't have what I would call a head, instead they have a single cluster of eye-like protuberances at the end of a stalk emanating from the top of a very long torso. They walk kind of like ET, only on four extremely agile legs, any of which can serve as an arm at any time. Quite odd.\n\nTheir technology is impressive, though - everything is like magic - I can't even begin to describe most of it, much less explain it.\n\nOne of them took a particular likening to me, like I was his pet - I believe he would be the closest analogue to what we would consider male - there's at least 4 genders that I've been able to identify, though I haven't the slightest idea of how they mate or... it's just weird. Anyway he took my die. Said it was dangerous, entirely too advanced for our species, said we were no where near ready for what it could do.\n\nI honestly didn't argue - he was absolutely correct. Not that I could have fought him off anyway.\n\nHe says he's arranged a way to get me back to Earth, but that to travel the distance I need to go before I die of old age, the ship’ll have to bend time, and it's unfortunately not the most accurate method of travel. With the great distance I have to go, he said the time distortion would be significant, I'd arrive 70 years, give or take a few days, in the past. I don't even care anymore, I just want to get home.\n\n\n_edit: changed a word_"
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[WP] Science has enabled the uploading of human consciousness to computers. Unfortunately, older uploads start to be swarmed by viruses...
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"I'd heard of computer viruses. Who hasn't? But I hadn't ever expected to get a virus that literally took over my mind. I knew that I was in a computer and everything, and that \"real\" Me was alive and well still, not in a computer. After all they couldn't invest a person's life in the project.\n\nBut I am a person too. Even if I was a supposed complete copy. So I figured that they would have impenetrable security to protect me. Nope, it was absolute garbage. I could've broken through it with only old Me's skills. Even after learning that, I suppose some naivety in me assumed that it would be impossible to hijack someone's brain, it had to be too complicated. But seriously it wasn't that hard. Or at least it wasn't according to the virus.\n\nOh I forgot to mention. I'm literally the virus right now. They shut down some of my hippocampus (I suppose it's all in code so I don't know what I should call it), and so I'm unable to process emotions. However, my logic centers are happy to fill in with the fact that I would probably be freaking out right now. \n\nAt least you guys get a cool story. Again, the research center has no security, so I can just post this here without a problem, but it might seem unrealistic to get permission from the virus. It was pretty simple, spreading awareness would benefit the virus, so just I asked the virus, and I guess basically the guy who programmed it, if I could post that By sending this I probably also ruined the secrecy of the entire \"importing human\" project; inhumane reports alone would shut the whole thing down. Right now it's running on a technicality to keep it away from needing approval for human testing.\n\nSo I guess I might just say, if you thought Stuxnet was bad, just wait until you're faced with this whole new level of impersonation, chaos, and an overall world wide revolution.\n\nSorry that was the vͨ͒҉̢͈̱i̜̱͔͖͓͙͚͌̎̿r̜̞̖̓̈́͂̀͘͡u̪̪͚ͧͬ̍̆͗́ͅs̶͎̩̹̯̙ͦ̈͟ speaking."
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[WP] It's the year 2036 and the only presidents that the United States has seen for the last 20 years have been celebrities.
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"Johnathan wiped the sweat from his brow using his suit sleeve, the cuff link scratching his skin on its trip across his forehead.\n\n\"Samuel,\" he told the moderator of the debate, \"what I am trying to get at is that for the last twenty years we've seen four presidents, all of them celebrities, and all of them fairly incompetent, regardless of party.\n\nDonald Trump, Stephen Colbert, Beyoncé-- each of them have come and gone through the Oval Office without leaving a mark on our nation, and our current president is leaving his successor a large mess that will take four years to clean up, at least.\n\nSo I say to you: do we need another down-to-earth celebrity who will bring nothing but Twitter accounts and laughter and leave only debt and a divided nation? Or do we need a real politician, somebody who knows what he is doing, someone who cares deeply about the well-being of his country, and someone who will finally get the job done right?\n\nThat's why I think America should vote Johnathan Laslow this year, and not usher in another comedian, or popstar, or rascist.\"\n\nSamuel nodded, and looked at his watch.\n\n\"Mr. Laslow, you still have thirty more seconds. Do you yield that time to your opponent?\"\n\nJohnathan cleared his throat. \"Yes, Samuel.\"\n\n\"Okay, then. Mr. Pratt, you have two minutes for a closing statement.\"",
"It all started twenty years ago, my dad's generation... 20-fucking-16. It's seen as the start of a whole lot of unfortunate bullshit here in the great US of A... We don't have fifty states any more... We lost Alaska to Russia, we lost most of the Pacific Northwest and the northeast coast to Canada.. We lost most of the southwest to Mexico... Florida to Cuba.. Hawaii to the Phillipines... We're more like fifteen, twenty states now.. I don't even bother remembering, it might even be less than that really.\n\nIn any case, it didn't get better as the years wore on. In 2020 Trump made a brief effort to try to and run for reelection but was booed out of so many preliminary rally meetings that he just fizzled out and conceded the end of his messy presidency.\n\nWho should the country elect instead in 2020 but.. and this is going to sound like a joke.. Arnold fucking Schwarzeneger. I shit you not. The Terminator. The Kindergarten Cop. The President of the United States. I remember my grandfather sitting back with a glare on his face commenting, \"I wouldn't have even believed that roided up bastard if he was in a movie about him being the president.. What in the blazes of hell were we thinking?\"\n\nSchwarzeneger actually didn't do that bad of a job really. Well he obviously didn't do that great of one either. Remember the lost states I mentioned earlier? Yeah, well. He lost almost all of them, during his presidency. I think mostly it was bad timing coming right after Trump because there was a lot of hostility towards Americans by that time and... Well, roughly a year into Schwarzeneger's presidency (January 2022 to be exact), that was when the Third World War broke out.\n\nWe lost, to say the least. History books will document that."
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[WP] A story set in an arctic jungle
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"\"This is going to work,\" the man softly assured himself. \"I'm going to survive. My family needs me.\" The solitary snow leopard he'd been following for hours would soon be asleep, which was when he would make his move. Above them, in the trees, snow owls cried out to the lonesome jungle while macaques huddled together silently on branches and makeshift canopies. One could only hope that none of these creatures decided to visit the ground at this moment.\n\nAfter about ten minutes of the man's waiting and silence and floating snow landing on his fur garments, the snow leopard fell asleep. The man slowly got down on his hands and knees, two arrows held tightly in his right glove, and crawled towards the big white cat, weaving through bare bark and snow mounds and dead bushes. The owls above them quieted down to watch the execution, and he could almost feel the stares of the macaques and other faceless creatures of the arctic as he drew closer to the snow leopard.\n\nNow only an arm's length and a half away, he put one arrow in his coat pocket and gripped the other more tightly. He studied the snow leopard: its beautiful white and black-spotted fur would make for a great new coat, and the meat could last his family for weeks. The man took in a long breath as he brought the arrow to the side of his head and, on the exhale, brought the arrow down. A quick yelp and spurt of blood came from the snow leopard, and the snow owls immediately resumed their hooting.\n\n \n\nEdit: first person perspective to third for effect"
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This story can be interpreted as a year that never happened or a year that already happened but you've gone back in time(Think of Groundhog Day). No limits on this story.
Have fun :D
Edit: Added message
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[WP] The date is December 31, 2017. New Year's Eve. As you count down the final seconds of the year, you suddenly wake up. You check your phone only to discover the date is January 1, 2017.
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"I've been waiting for this moment all year. Literally. Tonight is my second time experiencing December 31st, 2017. It's different from how I remember it, but it's better. Everything really is better when you're ridiculously rich. Growing up, they told me it isn'tall it's cracked up to be, but they lied. This is way better than my old rat-infested apartment in the city.\n\nOne year ago, I went to sleep, and woke up a year earlier. It took me a little bit of time to get used to, but once I realized the incredible advantage I had, I pressed it to its fullest. Knowing about all the latest trends a few months in advance can certainly have its advantages. And here I am, right where I started, one year ago, but without student loans. In fact, student loans are the least of it. My parents' house is paid off, my siblings won't have to worry about paying for college the way I did, and best of all, is that I finally managed to grab Stacey's attention. \n\nSometimes it bothers me that the last time I lived through this year, she wasn't too interested. This time around, she couldn't help but notice me, what with my bright red sports car and million dollar penthouse in the city. The way I see it though, is that I just used all this money to grab her attention - we have an actual emotional connection now. \n\nMy mind wanders back to the countdown clock. Just a few seconds left. My year is over. Wait. What happens if at the end of this year, it just resets again? Could I be satisfied with living this year for the rest of my life? Would I even age? Would I live this year for the rest of time?\n\n**Three seconds.** \n\nHow come I didn't think of that before? I've thought a lot about what caused it, but never thought about what would happen if I it all happened again.\n\n**Two.**\n\nI think about how lucky I am. If it happens again, I'll figure out what caused it. I look over at Stacey, but she's not there. A man walks over. He is familiar. I've seen him before, but I can't remember\nwhere. \n\n**One.**\n\nI'm in my bedroom again. I frantically check my phone. January 1st, 2017. *2017*. \n\n\"I'm sorry James, but you've failed.\"\n\nI look up and remember the man from last night. From next year's last night.\n\nAt first, I'm confused. That's when I remember the test. This was all part of the test. My final exam to join the Time Corps. They spent so much time drililng the ethics of altering timelines into us. We're not supposed to make major changes for personal gain. I failed the test.\n\nMy bedroom is gone. I'm in one of the test chambers. I look at the clock in the wall. It shows the date. March 25, 2029.\n____________________________\nFeedback welcome."
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[Wp] The dragon was nicer than expected.
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"The whole court was watching him. He could feel their eyes. He kept his head forward, his chin up. He thought of what he had seen in the mirror that morning - strong nose, commanding jaw, fierce eyebrows, sparkling blue eyes. The only abnormal thing was his bright blue hair, the same shade as his eyes. Dellon knew how to draw attention, that was for sure.\n\nHe could feel my boots clicking on the polished tile, but he could not hear them - the murmurs from the court drowned them out. Dellon approached the dais at the end of the hall. He knew it was unorthodox, but he lifted his chin and gazed into the eyes of the Queen. She was pretty - everyone knew that. Talk was swirling in the court - who would the young, newly-crowned royal marry? Her gray eyes widened in shock when she realized that Dellon was returning her stare.\n\n“Your Majesty, I am Dellon Asturson, a traveling merchant. I have come to offer my wares for your upcoming festival.” His voice was deep and strong - he had made sure of that. It was a good ruse. No reason for her Majesty to suspect him. She lifted one pale hand and flicked it daintily. A servant emerged from the plain door on the right, carrying the “wares” Dellon had brought with him.\n\nThe murmurs spread again at the sight of my creations on the cart, but Dellon only looked at the Queen. One by one, he lifted the glass creations that he had brought - animals, abstract globes, even full miniature scenes wrought to the tiniest detail. He had made sure that the crafts were top-notch.\n\n“Well, Master Asturson, I can hardly refuse such beauty as this. My castellan will give you accommodation and ensure that you are in place for the festival.” The Queen’s crystal voice, though quiet, carried easily in the hall. Dellon bowed and turned to follow the servant, his eyes lingering only briefly on hers. He could not linger - there was much he needed to prepare before the festival.\n\n---\n\n“Your Majesty, if you could look here…” Lord Agron’s voice trailed off as Celise fixed him with a glare. Snapping her ledger of finances shut, she swept to her feet. The rest of the room hastened to rise with her. Celise could not stand to listen to him drone on about festival preparations any longer.\n\n“Forgive me, Lord Agron. I feel I need some fresh air. I would be appreciative if you would be so kind as to resume our discussion in the afternoon.” Celise tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice, but Agron understood the statement for what it was - a command. She did not wait for her servants to flank her - she swept out of the room and toward her personal garden. She thought briefly of the odd merchant from that morning - his bright blue hair and intense blue eyes had peaked her curiousity. She had bigger things to think of, though. The festival was coming.\n\nCelise knew that her grip on the realm was shaky. Her mother had not given proper attention to the realm’s needs, preferring only to host balls and surround herself with foolish courtiers. Her death three months ago had left Celise with the difficult task of regaining the confidence of her people and appeasing the nobles at the same time. She had held out for as long as possible, but her advisors had finally pushed her to call a festival - lords from all over the realm would come and offer themselves in marriage. Celise hated the idea of marrying one of the weak-skinned, whiny courtiers, but what choice did she have? Someone cleared their throat, rousing Celise from her aimless wandering in the gardens. She turned. \n\n“Ah, Lord Rogard. What can I do for you?” Celise tried to smile graciously, as was expected, but the old lord could see right through her. He had known her since she was born, after all.\n\n“Come now, Celise. No need for formalities between old friends. How are you holding up?” The old man’s voice comforted Celise, as it had for years and years. She pulled him to a decorative bench and sat.\n\n“I’m alright, I suppose. Tired of hearing people yap at me incessantly about the festival. Tired of the festival. I don’t want to get married, Rogard. But what choice do I have?” Celise’s inner thoughts spilled out of her quickly. She knew she could trust Rogard.\n\n“Oh, Celise. There is always a choice. Don’t forget the prophecy.” Celise tried and failed to keep from rolling her eyes. Rogard was one of the few who still put stock in the crazy witch’s prophecy. Lenaya, Celise’s mother, followed the tradition of having a starseer at the birth. Unlike most births, Celise had drawn out more than a simple blessing from the starseer. The crazy lady had spoken a full-blown prophecy for Celise, which of course made no sense at all.\n\n“Fire and brimstone\nReunite what is broken\nBring back the lost folk\nUnshackle the crown\nA new age rises”\nLord Rogard spoke the words that Celise had memorized long ago. He, and many others, had believed that it meant that Celise would finally renew the bond between the humans and dragons, a bond that had been broken hundreds of years before. But as Celise grew older and no dragon had appeared, most people, Celise included, had chalked the prophecy up to crazed ramblings.\n\nBesides, it wasn’t like the reappearance of dragons was certain to be a good thing. Two hundred years ago, a human king had betrayed the alliance between the races, and the dragons had disappeared into their mountain realm. No one had been able to find them since, and those who went looking often did not return. However, some dragons had come down from the mountains - but they were crazed and angry, unwilling to talk. They had slaughtered countless humans. Celise shuddered, remembering the angry roars of the giant red dragon that had taken her father’s life. Maybe it was best if the dragons did not come back at all.\n\n---\n\nDellon watched the pennants snap in the wind, the bannermen proudly holding up the crests of their lords. He was standing behind his glassware table, and so was afforded a view of the pompous nobles presenting themselves to the Queen in the plaza. Commoners and merchants swirled throughout the square, trying to catch a look at the nobles. Girls and boys alike gossiped about who the Queen would take a liking to. Dellon smiled to himself - Queen Celise did not appear to be enjoying herself at all.\n\nThe day wore on, and Dellon sold most of his glassware to passing merchants and nobles. The glass was priced too high for most commoners, but he gave away some scrap pieces to the wide-eyed children. One by one, the line in front of the Queen grew shorter and shorter, the young lords doing their best to impress the young royal. Dellon looked at the last group and frowned. There was no pennant held by their standard-bearer, and the lord was still wearing his helm. This looked like trouble.\n\nBy the time the mystery lord reached the dais, the sun was setting and the people were anxious to begin the revelries. Celise was concealing dainty yawns behind her beautiful fan. But when the last lord pulled off his helm, murmurs travelled through the crowd like shock waves. No one could mistake the head of white-blond hair and the diagonal scar across the nose. Celise drew herself up.\n\n“Lord Gatro, what is the meaning of this? You are in direct violation of your exile.” The blond youth smiled and shifted in his saddle. His reputation preceded him - the older cousin of the Queen, he had been exiled years before for abject failures in battle. He was petty and cruel. Dellon started to move toward the front of the crowd.\n\n“My dear cousin, is that any way to greet your family? I was hoping to be more cordial about this.” He paused, but did not wait for Celise to answer him. “I have come, of course, to take your throne. This realm cannot have another foolish woman ruining it with her weakness.” Murmurs turned to shouts - the people were crowding toward the dais. Dellon started to push people aside, moving steadily toward the Queen.\n\n--\n\nCelise could not believe what she was hearing. She looked frantically toward the guards, but they were facing the wrong way? They drew their swords and held back the lords that were loyal to her. Gatro and his minions pushed closer to the dais. She could not allow them to take her - Gatro would ruin the realm with his cruelty. But as she turned, she realized that she had nowhere to go.\n\nThe noise and confusion crowded in on her, making her feel far, far away. She saw Lord Rogard draw his sword - he and a few guards were the only thing between her and Gatro. He turned to her, but before she could say anything, she felt a pair of arms encircle her from behind. Before her mind could process what was happening, she felt herself falling - no, rising - up, up, until the plaza was like a patch on a quilt filled with tiny ants.\n\nCelise twisted, and found herself face-to-face with a pair of blue eyes and a shock of bright blue hair. What was happening? Why was she flying? Why was the strange merchant here? She was so confused.\n\n“Calm down, Your Majesty. My name is Dallian, and I am sent from the dragon realm to collect you. It is time for our two realms to reunite once again.” The blue merchant’s voice was calm and steady, but a million thoughts were swirling through Celise’s mind. Where was she going? Who was this dragon? Was he going to eat her? Was this the prophecy? Celise blurted out the only thing she could think of.\n\n“You’re nicer than I expected.”\n"
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[WP] He turned the lights off immediately.
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"He stood there motionless, eyes darting around the newly dark room. Streetlights cast eerie shadows dancing across the floor and walls. The incoming storm pushing the trees as it willed. He could barely hear a thing over the deafening sound of his racing heart. But, there! Yes! That noise was unmistakable. Someone was downstairs. \n\nPanic began unsettling his thoughts and body. He knew they would come after him, but not like this. This was too Hollywood. He had given them thirty years of hard work and service. But enough was enough. They had been poisoning the water with their toxic undesirables for too long. Children were dying. And all in the name of profit! As if those bastards weren’t rich enough, already. Too many sleepless nights and too many empty bottles had taken their toll on his conscience. \n\nMike, the reporter, swore there was no way they could discover who leaked the documents. The media was going nuts over the damning information. Congress was calling for investigations. Heads were going to roll. And his employer had come to silence him in return. \n\nThere were multiple sources of noise now emerging from below. His frantic brain began trying to piece together an escape method. Hiding wasn’t an option. His own uncontrollable breathing and drumming heart would give him away. He dropped to his knees. He would have to crawl to the bedroom. \n\nAs he placed one hand in front of the other, followed by his arthritic knees, he could hear them scouring the bottom floor. There weren’t many rooms left. They would find their way upstairs soon enough. He crossed the bedroom threshold and stood against the wall. Rain began to pelt the windows and roof. He tip-toed as quietly as he could toward the far window. It lead out to the roof of the first floor. Perhaps he could hide out there until they left, or climb down and run. \n\nHe froze. He was a few feet away from the window and the old house had betrayed him. The hardwood floor beneath his feet groaned under his weight. A few utterly silent seconds passed. Then, the sound of stampeding filled the emptiness. He lunged for the window and began fighting with the locking mechanisms. His trembling hands fumbled around as he began lifting the window up. It stopped with a screach halfway up, unhappy with its lack of use in previous years. He stooped down and began to try and slide through the small opening, head first. He was nearly out. His gut and all of its internals were attempting to rearrange themselves to fit their newly demanded dimensions. But his progress came to a sudden halt. \n\nPowerful hands had grabbed his legs and were now pulling him back inside the house. He began to weep and beg them to stop. But he couldn’t resist for long. \n\n“Suicide?! Holy shit...” Mike was in absolute disbelief at the tragic news that reached him the following morning. ",
"Ariel hardly squirmed in Jim’s arms. He brought the blanket down from her face, her tiny eyes shut tight, shallow breath fogged from her nostrils like some starving dragon.\n \n\n “I know.” He said, reaching back to grab a flashlight hanging from rope on his backpack. The feeble light was like a beacon in the dark town with a starless night. He walked down the empty sidewalk, crunching leafs underfoot that had fallen so long ago that they seemed scorched, black and brittle. Main Street in whatever town this was didn’t have a single lamppost flickering with light, or any candle or lantern burning in any window. A welcomed sign.\n\n\n\n A weak light flashed on the ground, and steps began to shadow him. Jim turned and shined his light onto Kira.\n\n \n “There’s a car with some gas left.” She held a long tube, could’ve been an old hose, in her thick gloves. “It should do.”\n\n \n “Yeah?” Jim brought Ariel closer to his chest, cuddling her with his jacket. “I can still carry her without a problem.”\n\n \n “That’s the problem. Look at her. We don’t have food, there’s nowhere warm. She should be three times that size. Why?”\n\n\n “Maybe the sun will come back.”\n\n \n Kira coughed a laugh like dirt fell into her throat. “No, Jim. There’s no explanation. None that we’ve found, at least. Stars just don’t disappear.”\n\n\n “If you just –“\n \n\n “Every star disappeared.”\n \n\n “If you just hold her, like a mother, you’ll feel different about –“\n\n \n “Stop.” Kira folded her hands together. If she weren’t wearing the gloves she’d be turning her ring, grazing the gold against her other fingers – he hoped. Still, Jim saw, she ran her fingers over her hand like she were. He felt a little better. “We’ve agreed.” She said. “We’ve looked, asked, ran. We’ve everything’d, Jim. I need you for this. Lord knows I can’t do it myself.”\n\n\n “She hasn’t cried in a while.” He dropped the flashlight, letting it dangle from his pack. With both arms he cradled Ariel and looked up at the sky. A cloudless black. Blue and red lights streaked across the sky every few moments like fireflies for God. Not enough to cast light. Enough to capture attention. Someone once told them those were meteors burning up in the atmosphere. “Shooting stars.” He had remarked sardonically. Jim was so lost in the sky – or whatever it was now - he hadn’t noticed Kira wrap herself around him, careful not to touch Ariel.\n\n\n “Come on. It’s cold.” She whispered.\n\n\n The car was in the middle of a local market’s parking lot. Untouched for months. Jim untied the flashlight from his pack and dropped the baggage by the tire. He opened the door for Kira, she gave him a glance and put her hand back over her finger. “Thank you.” She dropped her baggage and climbed in. He closed the door and took Ariel around to the passenger’s side. The dry cold felt like syringes teasing skin in bitter dark. It was a relief to sit.\n\n\n The ignition turned, struggling to return to life, and turned again. “Hold the brake down.” He said.\n \n “Shut up.”\n\n\n Jim’s seat rumbled when the interior lights flicked on, illuminating the brown dashboard and cracked leather seats. The mileage read 219,048.\n \n\n “This is the same car my mom had. Buick.” The car’s light faded away. “Typical old person’s car.”\n \n\n “She was good to us.” Kira cracked the driver’s window and flipped up the middle console, sliding closer to Jim.\n \n\n “Hold her for me.” He said.\n\n\n Kira sat quiet for a moment. “Ok.”\n\n\n “Thank you.”\n\n\n “It’s by my pack.”\n\n\n Jim brought his flashlight and left the car to Kira’s pack. He found the long hose and duct tape. The last time he held one he was watering his lawn, quickly spraying Kira while she was working in her garden, trying to keep the damn flowers alive. She always ended up returning them to Home Depot in defeat. He took the hose, walked to the back of the car, and taped it over the exhaust. He ran it to the cracked window and gently set it into the car. He let himself into the passenger’s side.\n\n \n The rumbling of the car already had Ariel asleep. So bundled in blankets and jackets it would be difficult for anyone to realize there was a human in there. He cuddled up with his wife holding their daughter and immediately turned off the flashlight. Through the windshield he watched shooting stars dancing over a lost horizon.\n\n\n “Will I see you again?” Kira asked.\n\n \n “I think so.”\n\n",
"He turned the lights back on again, the surprise wearing off. But they were still there, more of them now. Off again, on again. They didn't go away, still more of them had appeared from the dark. It wasn't usually this way, they always left when he turned the lights turned off and on. The things didn't move though, not in the light. But they did breath, well it might be breathing. The pitch black featureless creatures seemed to take in something and release it again, it might be breathing air or it might simply expand and contract like that normally. \"Normally\" he thought to himself, \"as if these things could be called normal.\" \nThis wasn't the first time he regretted his actions, what he did was unethical even by his standards, but he still believed in his cause. One of the creatures seemed to turn its head, but it couldn't have not in the light. He began to notice something at that moment, the creature that seemed to move seemed vaguely familiar, not obviously familiar but something about it tugged on his mind. He thought that it might've been one of the ones that visited him before, though they did vary in size he could never really tell them apart. \nIt was night time and dark outside so he wasn't going anywhere but the still creatures were at the exit so he had some time to think. And since he thought it his greatest accomplishment his thoughts wandered to his final and greatest piece of work before his \"retirement.\" 33 isn't a usually the age for retirement but since there were no need for jobs now he had no real choice. He was 35 now by they way, a few hours until 36. \nHe remembered fondly his grand plan, the research he undertook, the looks he got from coworkers and family alike after hearing him talk. It never bothered him. \nAt that moment the familiar creature seems to glance at him too. But it had no eyes so he was sure he was imagining it. \nBack to his thoughts now. He remembered designing his greatest creation, not for the work his old government desired but for personal work. He remembered where the world was heading and why he was right in taking this path. Though he did feel slight sadness in knowing that he would be the only one able to appreciate its contribution to the world. Releasing it had been the happiest moment of his life, coincidentally he finished his project minutes before the midnight of his 33rd birthday, only his sister visited him and wished him a happy birthday though. She was they only person he really knew, when they here younger he and his twin would talk for hours on end. He remembered her cheerful but bad singing of the song happy birthday. He was sad that she died, he thought that since the were twins they would somehow never be able to leave the other behind, a foolish fantasy. His parents however had disowned him by then. He wasn't sad that they died. \nThe day after his 33rd birthday the news reported his creations impact on the world, \"it would have a massive impact on our way of life\" they said. They were wrong though, they didn't live long enough to feel the true impact. Only after he released his creation and they all died did the creatures start to appear though. He never really understood what they were but they never posed a threat. Animals would ignore them so he felt fine to do so too. One of the creatures, the familiar one seemed to emanate a sound. A faintly familiar tune. \n\n\nI did this on my phone so forgive any errors I might have made. Also I love feed back. Feel free to say anything at all."
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[WP] Caught as part of a North Korean rebel group, the choice was simple: Prison-Camp or Death. You chose option 3: The Sewers of Pyongyang
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"\"Comrade Lee, truly, what a shame,\" the man in the shadows said, leaning back against his chair and lighting a cigarette. Lee winced a little as the man took a long drag, then blew smoke at his face. \"We had such high hopes for you. You've made us... no, you've made me look very stupid in the all-seeing eyes of our Great Leader.\"\n\nLee started chuckling. To say that he had made 'comrade' Park look stupid was a gross understatement. The man had practically been fucked over time and again by a series of false reports that Lee and his birds had been feeding him.\n\nPark Dong Wook, his captor, and editor in chief of the Rodong-Shinmun, leaned forward and simply dipped his unfinished cigarette onto the back of Lee's restrained hand.\n\n\"Hmmmfffghhhhh!!!\" Lee screamed into his gag. The spike of pain was excruciating, the smell of his burning flesh, terrifying. He stared daggers back at Park, panting and heaving, yet unbroken.\n\nPark smiled and pulled out a file. He leafed through some pages until he came across something he liked.\n\n\"Yes, yes of course. You've chosen Yoduk Prison-Camp. As I thought you would,\" he said, fishing into his pocket and lighting another cigarette. \"A man of your mettle doesn't go down easily without a fight. You're a survivor, just like me, comrade Lee, and us survivors, we don't take the easy way out. The grace of death, the finality it offers, the only way out of our great nation... All such luxuries were never an option for you now, were they?\"\n\nLee sighed and looked down at the table. The dingy, dancing fluorescent light above cast eerie shadows over it, making him feel queasy. He looked up to find that Park was no longer there.\n\n\"Hmmmfgh!!!\"\n\nA strong pair bursting biceps tightened around his neck. Lee struggled as much as a man whose limbs were tightly bound to a chair could, albeit to no avail. Park hissed inside his ear.\n\n\"I could, very, easily!! Choke the life out of you right. NOW!\" He said, with one final flex of his arm. Lee gasped for air behind his gag, kicking and flailing to no effect, seeing the world turn yellow behind his eyes, which had been strained to the point of popping from their sockets.\n\nSurprisingly, he was let go. Lee watched through his blurry vision as Park moved back to his side of the table and leaned into the light with a bright smile. \"I won't kill you, the firing squad won't kill you, and Yoduk, for all we know, even Yoduk might not kill you. But I do know something that might. Are you a gambling man, comtade Lee?\"\n\nLee eyed him suspiciously. This was a man that wanted him dead more than just about anyone else in their glorious nation.\n\n\"I happen to have... considerable pull with some... people, who were willing to make arrangements for us. I'm sure you saw the door behind you when you came in the room?\"\n\nLee nodded.\n\n\"Well, behind that door, through another, and beneath a cover beneath some tarp... lies an entrance. An entrance to what, you probably want to ask,\" Park chuckled maniacally. \"Well, they're the sewers. Nothing more, nothing less. Have you heard of the 'sewers?'\" He asked, grinning mischievously.\n\nLee nodded again, unsure as to why Park had placed an emphasis on the word, sewers.\n\n\"Your choice is simple. Yoduk, or the sewers. The sewers go anywhere, and everywhere. For all we know, some passages are said to even be connected to those tunnels we dug back in the 70's.\"\n\nLee was quick to catch onto the implications of what Park was saying.\n\n\"Yes, yes, your redemption, your ticket out of... all this. The South. You may be able to make it there if you take this offer. Do we have a deal?\"\n\nLee nodded frantically. There was no question in his mind. If it was a trap, so be it. He was a dead man the moment Park had gotten to him anyways.\n\n\"Very good,\" Park said, moving over to him again and undoing his restraints. Lee didn't even look back. Kicking the door open, he rushed out of the scene, leaving Park to himself inside the interrogation room.\n\nA minute later, someone else walked into the room.\n\n\"How long do you think he'll last?\"\n\n\"A day, give or take. He is a resourceful man, but nothing in this world could have prepared him for what he'll find down there,\" he said dryly, lighting another cigarette.\n\n\"Think the chimeras will get to him first?\"\n\n\"That or the clones. By our mighty leader's wholesome belly... those damned clones...\" he shuddered, as if the mere thought of the clones terrified him.\n\n\"There's rumors of a band of survivors down there though.\"\n\n\"Gibberish. Nothing, and I mean, NOTHING is capable of surviving down there.\" He said, brushing the thought off.\n\n\"Are we still down for makgeoli tonight?\"\n\n\"You bet. Just give me a second, I want to savor this moment.\"\n\n\"Sure.\"\n\nThe man walked back out to the backdrop of Park Dong Wook's evil laughter, which echoed down the halls. He clicked his tongue and looked back towards the sewer entrance. No one deserved the horrors that awaited them down in the sewers.\n\nNo one.\n\n-----\n\nPlease visit r/Seriousaboutnachos for more of my writing, thanks!"
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[WP] Pirates!
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"I jerked awake on my bunk, or at least the tattered pile of spare sail that I called a bunk. I hadn't slept well obviously but that warning call was enough to force me wide awake. Pirates! They would descend upon this ship, kill each and everyone of us, strip the corpses of any valuables... Yes that word was plenty to rouse me wide awake.\n\n\"Captain shall we run or fight?\" the ship's doctor, my good friend Amos Thatcher, asked quietly.\n\nSeveral other men waited nervously outside the captain's open cabin door. The look in their eyes suggested that they wanted to die fighting if need be, not running.\n\n\"We will fight,\" Captain Rogers replied calmly, briskly striding out to the rail and peering into the fog for our pursuer. \"They look to boast perhaps a paltry 3 cannon to our 5... But they are coming on strong, they have the wind at their back... They mean to board us, gentlemen! Give them as many volleys of cannon as you can, then when they close the distance cutlasses are to be drawn. And battle is to be commenced. A fight for this ship and for all our lives, make no mistake.. Hop to it lads!\"",
"(This is based on a dream I had)\n\nThey came for me in the dark. \n\nI thought my parents had hid me well enough they wouldn't bother us anymore. \n\nThey found us again. \n\nI huddled with my mother under the bed. It was uncomfortable. She had shoved me behind her own body and it was nearly suffocating. I heard the the shouts outside. I saw flickers of torchlight that sifted onto the floor through our windows. I heard the thumps of the shoulders on our door from the pirates outside. \n\nMy father stood in the open, right outside the reach of the door. He had taken down his own sword, dull as it was. We couldn't run. \n\n\"Give us the siren an' we leave the home unburnt!\" \n\nThat voice. It was her. Captain Reese. I huddled into my mother more and shivered. For all my years i've been alive they told me never to catch on to Captain Reese. She only had the irons and a cold death for me, they told me. I only got sight of Captain Reese once. I never wish to catch sight of her again. \n\n\"Last chance ya soggy worm,\" called Captain Reese, \"It's ya last chance to give up the girl. I won't give ya 'nother warnin'!\" \n\nMy father called back, \"Skin my hide, ya trollop! Y'aint gettin' em daughter an if ye come closer I'll give ye 'nother blind eye!\" \n\nI now know why they want me. Not every lass can scream and create a whirlpool. I didn't even know I had this ability until I was but ten. We had always lived near the shore, 'cause father was a fisherman. The sea held no fear for me. \n\nI got caught up one day in the riptide. I had went to far, didn't pay attention to the signs. Dragged out far beyond the reach of my toes I did what every gal would do . I screamed. \n\nMam was on the beach gathering crabs and the like for dinner and heard me. This is what she told me. \n\n\"I heard ya scream, lass. I cain't do nothin! Here I am on th' beach tryin' to get suppa but yes way out there! Ya screamed again... and it was like the gods struck down and made a sink right between ye and me. The water rushed t'ward the center, ya did to. I was feared ya would get sucked down! But, ya just brushed the edge of that whirlpool, it even pushed ya out. Like it wouldn't touch ya. It brought ya in walkin' distance and I rushed out but ye be passed out, and floatin. Worst day of me life.\" \n\nIn the years since, we tested it. Mainly because Father was curious. But rumors in these fishing towns spread quick. And now Captain Reese wants me. I don't want to go. \n\n\"One last chance, Fisher,\" came Reese's voice, \"Ye got one last chance.\" \\\n\n\"Aye! Else we's gonna tear down this here hut and make way with the women! Ahahah!\" This new male voice was rough and raspy. Mother kicked me back again and reached up to pull even the blankets down in front of us. \n\n\"BELAY THAT,\" called Captain Reese, \"Find what dog said that and tie his carcass up. one who brings him to me gets a gold.\" \n\nThere was a roar from the pirates outside. I heard shouts of pain, I heard squeals. I heard... a great number of things. \n\nFather appeared and started shoving out the blockades Mother had put around the bed. \n\n\"C'mon, with the promise of that the toughs outside the window have left,\" he said. He pulled Mother out and grabbed me by the wrist. It hurt. I cried out. \n\n\"Shush ya!\" Father whirled around but the din outside our home was still so loud.. He pushed us towards our one window. \"Go, go my lasses! I'll hold them off.\" \n\nMother let me grasp my father in one quick hug before shoving me toward the window and wrapping Father in her own embrace. I didn't hear what she said, but Father suddenly held her at arms length, looked her up and down, nodded, and turned from her. \n\nAs we was climbing out the window I heard my father give a shout. I had one leg on the ground outside our home when I heard this shout, and then that leg started shaking. \n\nNo, it was the ground. The ground was shaking. Mother shoved me full out, clambered out the window herself and even though I was a full fourteen and long in the leg like my pa, she grabbed me bodily and rushed us away from the home. \n\nI could still look back over her shoulder and see. The pirates had noticed the shaking ground. I could still hear my father and his wordless roar. The screams still haunt me to this day. Mother and I had just reached the top of yonder hill when a split opened up in the earth and yawned like a great whale. \n\nThey all fell. Mother held on to me. I screamed. \n\n\n"
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My first prompt submission. Not really good, but it's a start.
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[WP]You can manipulate memories of a person as long as you are near them.
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"*I changed the condition slightly.*\n\n---\n\nThe shackles rattled as they led me out of the cage. The two guards were covered from head to toe, same as I. No skin contact. I smirked under the restricting mask, recognizing the left one’s slight limp and the nervous tapping of the right one’s fingers. The higher-ups tried to make sure I didn’t know who was assigned to me each day, but I always found clues.\n\n“Another date so soon?” They didn’t answer. They never did. “I wonder, do they really need that information so badly or do they just enjoy watching me work my magic.”\n\nThe two black helmets turned. I could feel disgust behind them. Disgust and fear.\n\n“Anyway, you guys know nothing about treating a lady. You’d think after all this time, they’d at least let me dress up for the occasion.”\n\nI glanced down as much as I could at my tight outfit that looked like a crossbreed between a suit of armour and a straightjacket. My arms were fixed to my sides; special gloves were clasped at the end; the rest of the outfit was similarly locked down. They never let me move more than absolutely necessary. Eating was uncomfortable. And humiliating.\n\nWe walked through several secure doors. My escorts used their keycards on several synchronous locks. There were no janitors, no other guards, no personnel; the way was cleared. I knew why. My further attempts at small talk yielded a few more worried looks, especially from the one tapping his fingers together. About at the point where I thought I might just drop dead from boredom, we reached the interrogation chamber. Another door, two cards, an affirmative beep, and voila.\n\nThe man inside was beaten half-way to a pulp and chained to a table. Looked like they really tried everything before bringing me in. He looked up, spat weakly.\n“Just be done with it.” His voice was croaky, weak. “You know I’ve had it worse.”\n\n“What and no wine?” I turned to the limping guard. “Fine. I guess it’s better than slowly becoming one with the floor of the cell you dragged me out of.” Not that they weren’t going to throw me back into it once this was done of course.\n\nThe man’s eyes widened. He must’ve finally noticed the guards and my outfit through the fog of concussion.\n\n“You bastards really did it,” he almost whispered. “I knew you were crazy, but to actually leave that thing alive. What were you thinking?”\n\nI sat in the chair on the other end of the table. The one with the nervous fingers began unfastening the restraints on my left arm.\n\n“Kill me now,” the prisoner said. “You can’t let it do that to me.”\n\n“Shush, darling.” I said, as the limping one placed a file on the table before me. “You don’t really think they’re going to listen to anything you say, do you? Well, not until I’m done with you.”\n\nThey called me Shaper. I could write, but I couldn’t read very well. That’s what the file was for. I looked through it. Apparently his name was Jason Kron, accused of treason. He had a wife, a daughter, a father, no other living family. I continued looking. The little spy was a veteran. Considering he recognized me, I figured he was later promoted to an agent. It was an intriguing mystery to crack, but the file was as sparse as possible, only giving me a few attachments and fears to play with. I raised my free arm.\n\n“Quickfingers, be a dear and take care of this for me.” The guard winced at the thought that I recognized him, even to such a small degree, but did as told. In about a minute the glove was off. I could feel the cool air on my skin. “Thanks. I’ll keep you around when I get out of here.”\n\nJason began to shake, leaning back in his seat as I moved my hand towards him, ‘walking’ with two fingers. He screamed something incoherently. With a grin, I ‘pounced’ forward, grabbing his fingers. I dived into him.\n\nIn the complete darkness, I focused on the memories I knew: Eva, Lily, Scott. Three faces appeared before me. I brought my hands over Lily’s and Scott’s. The girl and the old man faded, disappearing forever. It was easier to work only with the wife. I dragged my nails through the pale round face and long dark hair, cutting, lengthening, rebuilding, reshaping. Before long I was staring at my own reflection with a grin of satisfaction.\n\nI looked further, discarding people and feelings, focusing on memories. Scene by scene, event by event, I carved out of his mind every conversation with his father, every smile of his daughter, rebuilt every kiss with his beloved. Now, I was the only thing that still mattered to him, the only left to protect.\n\nNow was the time for the real plan. The file was intentionally vague so I had to guess. He was too young for Vietnam, so I placed my bet on Afghanistan. I worked my way through to the appropriate time period. The mass of unknown memories was dark and amorphous, even more so than usual, like a ball of slimy black yarn. I tried to weave in a string of my own.\n\n“A limping man,” I whispered. “A limping man killed them. One of your own, he attacked at night, nearly took out the entire squad before deserting. They couldn’t find him, maybe they didn’t try. Don’t forget.”\n\nI wound my thread forward through the years to just a few minutes before present time.\n\n“That’s him,” I said. “That’s him, coming in with that restrained woman. You’re sure of it. You don’t need to see his face, you’d recognize that walk anywhere.”\n\nI was forced out rather violently. They separated our hands and held me to the chair.\n\n“Lily,” Jason said, still dazed. “Lily, why are you here? What did they do to you?”\n\nI turned on the waterworks and assumed the role.\n\n“Jason! Jason, please, tell them what they want. I can’t take it anymore!”\n\n“Lily, it’s going to be alright. Everything’s going to be alright.”\n\n“They said they’ll kill me!”\n\n“I’ll do whatever you want.” He turned to the guards. “Just don’t harm Lily.”\nQuickfingers approached him and unlocked the chains. Perfect. The limping one made a few steps towards me and began putting my hand-trap back together. That was enough.\n\nIn a moment, Jason’s eyes turned into two impossibly-shrunken dots. He forgot about Lily, he forgot about where he was, he forgot what was happening. He was back in Afghanistan. What my haphazard job didn’t cover, imagination and other memories filled in. There was enough death there to craft a small narrative like this.\n\nThe prisoner charged forward, practically leaping over the table. The two men collided and went tumbling towards the floor. A black helmet rolled away. Shaking off the incomplete clasp, I rushed after. I saw the guard's expression turn from surprise to horror as my hand appeared over Jason’s shoulder. This time I didn’t need to be gentle.\n\nEvery rational and irrational fear, every traumatic memory, every way a human mind could get messed up beyond repair I’d seen over the years, I poured them all into this mind. He screamed until his vocal cords tore. He bit at air until his tongue got in the way. He thrashed around until his head smashed against the cold floor of the room over and over again. I turned to Quickfingers.\n\nHe was frozen. By the time I delicately took off his helmet, he finally mustered up the courage to take out his gun, but it was too late. Another messy job. I went through his mind, filling everything with dull, complete darkness. It took some time, but soon he could barely remember his name. Over the blank canvas I painted one command: obey me. By the time Jason’s episode ended, I was already out of the suit. He received the same treatment as Quickfingers. I didn’t want to keep playing the teary-eyed wife role.\n\nI stretched a little, gave Jason the other keycard, and winked at the camera in the corner. They were no doubt frantically lifting the lockdown and getting troops in position. It was time to have some fun."
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[WP] You live in a world where portal guns are a reality, but you have become trapped falling in an infinite loop. Eventually someone discovers your predicament, how does your conversation go?
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"\"Oh. Oh, dear. This *is* a predicament...\"\n\nI was... fairly impressed. There, in front of me, was a girl. A fairly pretty one, I think, but I couldn't tell. Why? \n\nBecause she was constantly moving at 45 miles an hour. \n\nWhat was she doing moving so fast? Nothing. In fact, she was asleep. I wondered how, but ultimately couldn't bring myself to care all that much.\n\nPeople who tempt fate like this can only be getting what they deserve.\n\nStill, It seems like she's a light enough sleeper, because soon enough I hear a voice, directed at me.\n\n\"Hey.\"\n\nThe Doppler artifacts were... very disconcerting. It sounded like she was standing in front of a fan. I note a cool breeze coming from her portal space, so I leaned against the wall and replied.\n\n\"Hey, yourself. You seem to be in a bit of a jam, yeah?\"\n\nShe scoffed, I think. Couldn't really tell, but hey, it's all about my perception at this point. I was still pleased to hear her her enthusiasm with her riposte. \n\n\"One could say that. One could also say that I'm hallucinating someone to keep me company before I starve to death, ignoring my dehydration.\"\n\n\"Ah. That's a new one. Wait here, I'll be back.\" \n\nI left her then, walking into a portal that was pointed at a transit hub. Fifteen minutes later, I had my hands full of water and food, and was walking into the girl's death room. \n\nShe looked my way, seeming to still a bit. Now that I was expecting it, it was much easier to keep a track of her body's posture. \n\n\"Hey again. It might seem ridiculous, but here, I brought supplies. That's one problem down, yeah?\" \n\nShe started breathing a little heavier then, her eyes opening wider and wider. \n\n\"You're-you mean you're real?\"\n\nI nodded, stretching my back and rolling my shoulders.\n\n\"Yep, I'm a real boy! Real enough to try and do something about this, anyhow. Before that, though, what even -\"\n\nSomething must have snapped in her, because with little warning she cut me off, shouting hysterically.\n\n\"Oh thank *god*! I've been here for a day! Please, you have to help me!\"\n\nI chuckled a bit, about to speak when she cut me off, making my mirth disappear.\n\n\"I need you to kill me!\"\n\nI frowned, sitting down and looking away from her as I sighed to myself.\n\n\"... I probably should have seen that coming... this was all far too deliberate for this to be an accident. So this is your game, huh? What happened?\"\n\nShe seemed to start crying, though again, it was hard to tell, as she explained.\n\n\"Everyone I know is dead. My fiancée left me last week. He... he was all I have left. Now, I just can't do it anymore. I was going to end it, but... I dropped my P.P.G. and someone else stole it.\"\n\nI nodded, standing up again and stretching out, trying to limber myself up. As I did, I kept talking to her.\n\n\"I see. That was cruel of them. I'm sorry that happened to you. I can't say I've gotten a good look at you, on account of your velocity, but from what I've seen your ex was an idiot.\"\n\nShe laughed at that, a bitter, sardonic chuckle, and replied.\n\n\"And Where were you a week ago??\"\n\nI looked down, at my feet. \n\n\"I was... it doesn't matter. What does matter is what we're going to do about you. I don't wanna bust myself up only for you to go and off yourself whenever you get a chance.\"\n\nShe bristled at that, shouting aggressively at me from her space.\n\n\"Haven't you heard a single thing I've said?? I DON'T WANT YOU TO TRY AND SAVE ME! Please, just... *do something to make it stop...*\"\n\nI nodded, thinking to myself before voicing my thoughts.\n\n\"You... don't know what you're asking. However you're feeling right now, it's not going to last.\"\n\n\"WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW?? IF YOU AREN'T HERE TO MAKE IT STOP, THEN JUST GO AWAY!\"\n\nI thought about it, hard. I really did. It wasn't too long ago that I was in the hospital for something not too dissimilar. What ultimately got me, however, was one thought alone...\n\n*I didn't have someone to stop me... what if I did?*\n\n\"... You're going to owe me the BIGGEST thank you when I take you to dinner after we heal up!!\"\n\nI ran to her.",
"*Shwoomf, shwoomf, shwoomf, shwoomf.*\n\nWhy did I decide to do this? Why had I let idle curiosity get the better of me? \n\n*Shwoomf, shwoomf, shwoomf, shwoomf.*\n\nAnd better yet, why *here* of all places? I'd been stuck in this loop for a while now, the air rushing past me practically fading into the background as I watched the same little piece of the wall, the white molding and off-yellow wallpaper -- well, what little I could see from my current position, anyway -- fall up and down and up and down and up and down and *up and down and up-and-down-and-up-and*--\n\nThinking like that wasn't going to get me anywhere.\n\n\"Help!\" I called out, half-heartedly. I'd given up shouting an infinity ago, when the realization sunk in that all of my roommates going away for the weekend meant that there was nobody here who would hear me. Jenny was probably back at home by now, settling in or playing some games or something with her little brother. Travis was probably with his girlfriend, and *Lewis*.... Well, even if he was here, he'd be the last person I'd trust to get me out of this conundrum I'd gotten myself into. I closed my eyes with a sigh. Watching the same piece of wall move up and down and up and down wasn't likely to accomplish anything more than getting me sick, and knowing my luck, *that* would get stuck in here with me, too.\n\nWhy did I think this was a good idea, again?\n\nThe moments stretched, passing in almost total silence, save for the ever-present air rush in the background. Even that was getting easier for me to tune out at this point -- I almost didn't notice it anymore. With my eyelids blocking out the constant motion it almost felt as if I was floating, suspended in the air. Realizing this, I let my body relax (after all, being tense was no more likely to get me out of here than shouting had). The air made a decent enough cushion; after all, it wasn't like I was going to fall off, and there weren't any broken springs or lumps to worry about... It wasn't all that uncomfortable, after all. \n\nI started to let my mind wander, drifting through my thoughts much like my body was drifting between these two points.\n\n\"H^e^l ^l o?\" came a voice suddenly, and I jolted, my eyes springing open and my body suddenly wide awake. Rescue!\n\n\"I'm here!\" I shouted. From my position I could just make out a dull orange -- that must be my door, pushed open -- and a reddish edge of something -- probably a jacket, or some other article of clothing.\n\n\"Wh^at ^^wa ^s t^ha^^t?\" came the voice again. \n\n\"*I'm*, *here!*\" I shouted again, slowing down and emphasizing each word.\n\nSilence. \n\nSuddenly, a bright blue eye and some very frizzy blonde bangs were in front of me.\n\n\"So^rr^y, ^did ^^you ^get stuck ^between ^^your ^desk and ^a ^^*wall?* \"\n\nEven with her voice growing and fading in volume depending on where I was in the loop, I had no trouble discerning the judgment in her voice.\n\n\"It was an accident, okay?\" I asked shortly, embarrassed. \"Do you think I meant to do this? Look, the first portal went back there and then...\" I stopped. She didn't need to know that I'd shot a second portal off my mirror, and then in an extraordinary case of bad timing and reflex, shot the desk instead of the other wall on the other side of the portal, effectively boxing myself in.\n\n\"So^rr^y, wh^^at?\"\n\n\"Agghhhh!\" I shouted, frustrated.\n\n\"Look, just pull the desk forward, *please*?\"\n\n\"Okay, ^how ^^do ^I....\" she trailed off, and the eye vanished.\n\nA moment later, she was back. \"It's ^stuck, ^^I ^can't move ^it!\"\n\n*Great.*\n\n\"What do you mean it's stuck?!\" I shouted. \"Push harder!\" The blue eye moved away again.\n\nSilence.\n\nThen, suddenly, freedom!\n\n\"Agh!\" I cried as the portal forcibly ejected me into the wall with all of the force of terminal velocity. Groaning, I stood up rubbing my head, and looked at my savior. \"Wait a second, you aren't Jenny! Who the hell are you, and why were you in my house?!\" \n\nThe girl grinned sheepishly, then held up her own portal gun. I glanced at it, then toward the orange that I had assumed was my door.\n\n\"It was an accident. It bounced off my mirror.\"\n\n"
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[WP] You awake with a start in the cheap hotel bathroom, submerged up to your waist in melting ice. A pain in your side confirms that one of your kidneys has been stolen. With a wry laugh and an evil smirk you begin to get up. "Suckers."
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"As I came to my head spun and the cold struck like a thousand scalpels used to make the first incision. The Rohypnol induced fog was clearing from my mind and I became aware of my surroundings. The bathtub which must have been my makeshift surgical theatre was filled with ice and I gripped the sides to lift my pallid body. The pain in my side was sharp and I dropped into the ice once more, instinctively grabbing for my wound. My pain was contrasted with the flooding relief that not only had they stitched me up, they'd also made a pretty neat job of it. Maybe there was honor among thieves after all. \n\nAfter I regained the courage to leave my temporary sarcophagus I threw a towel around myself and surveyed the hotel room. I would have thought a mob boss could have spared the cash for somewhere a little more upmarket, although I suppose no one asked questions in hotels like this. Thr elation of my victory washed over me and all the discomfort was forgotten. They'd said it was the impossible hit but an empire was going to fall and I was going to be there to watch it burn. \n\nDon Barcia had always been as paranoid as he was ruthless. He'd executed loyal allies, enemies and undercover cops in equal measure. His secrecy and dedication to security was infamous. I suppose that's how he managed to live so long. In the last few years, the reaper was garbed in diseased bandages rather than the firearms of the past. Death by illness was a rare luxury for gangsters although Don Barcia's diabetes had been an opponent who wasn't scared of having their family tortured and murdered. \n\nWe knew he needed a new kidney. The Boss had got Barcia's medical records and tested the boys, I was a good match. I was an unknown so through the Boss's contacts I was introduced to Barcia's team. I'd demanded $200,000 and arranged to meet for the payment to be made. We knew they'd likely take it by force but I knew I needed to resist to avoid suspicion. I'd been taking arsenic for a week in preparation. I knew it'd likely take a few weeks off my life span but the non-lethal dose for me would be more than enough to send Don Barcia over the edge. An evil smirk spread and I laughed \"suckers\"."
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[WP] It was as if looking through clouded glass
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"It was as if looking through clouded glass, but it was just the tears in my eyes. I had been deployed to Eden Station only the day before, the day before doomsday finally arrived.\n\nWith every mushroom cloud that blossomed on the surface of the earth below, a part of me died. I didn't cry for humanity, we had done this to ourselves. I cried for the forests, the birds, the beasts. Every creature that swam in the oceans. \n\nAll of it lost in blasts of heat and radiation. It would be centuries before the planet was habitable again. If there is one thing we humans know how to do well, it's destroy. We had undone all the millions of years it took to build this world in just a single day.\n\nI blinked as a blinding flare of light appeared in orbit spinward of us. Faraday Station was consumed in a nuclear inferno. I felt the vibration through the soles of my feet as it rumbled, collapsed and was gone.\n\nThe next to fall was Piccadilly Station, then Paris. Vlostok was next. A klaxon sounded somewhere within the station and a voice came over the intercom. \n\n*Attention all crew and passengers. We are leaving earth orbit in an attempt to preserve what life remains. Please try and remain calm. Do your duty.*\n\nI looked out the viewport at the missile closing in on us. There was nothing we could do, nowhere we could hide. \n\n\"Godspeed,\" I whispered."
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Inspired by [article](http://www.newsweek.com/us-forget-korean-war-led-crisis-north-592630).
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[WP] Sixty-four years after an apocalyptic interplanetary war, the remaining Martian Colonies are ruled by an authoritarian regime. In the midst of a worldwide famine, you plan to defect to a nearby, hostile world: Earth
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"I lay in the dark, listening to the whistling. Wind came from the surface, finding the little cracks in the compound's design, and shrieked it's way down to us. I opened and closed my eyes, not seeing a difference. I wondered briefly what time it was. Not that it really mattered. \n\nI sighed, realizing that I wasn't going to sleep any time soon, and stood up. I felt around the air for the wall, and headed toward the door. \n\nI pulled the handle and stepped out into the dim light of the marketplace. It looked strange while empty of all hustle and bustle, and I began to think of work. Not the job assigned to me, but my real true work. I looked at the bars of light on the ceiling, and imagined that they were stars and that at any moment I would be among them, bathing in their light and possibility. \n\n*It's not going to be easy.* I thought. *It might even be impossible.* \n\nI began to walk toward the gardens. I knew that it was risky, but if there was any chance of finding that elevator, I was going to take it. *Somewhere by the apple tree.* It wasn't much, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. \n\nA guard was half asleep in the shade provided by one of the market stands, and almost scared me half to death as I passed him. \n\n\"Bit late.\" was all he said. \n\n\"hmm.\" I agreed, nodding. I kept walking. \n\nI didn't look back, but I felt his eyes on me all the way across the market. I breathed a sigh of relief as I reached the much brighter area of the garden. The pavement gave way to soil - and what remained of the stores stretched out before him. The apple trees were all by the metal wall to the right, and stood out among the rest of the pathetic garden. I started towards them. \n\nI began to fake inspect the trees, really looking for any hints to the elevator. The wall looked bare, the dirt stampeded over for many weeks now. I noticed a small panel on the wall way behind me. I walked slowly towards it, looking around nervously. \n\nThe panel was a keypad, and four asterisks appeared on a screen above it. The 9 on the keypad were very clearly worn, and I wondered if it could really be that easy. 9999 I entered. A green check appeared on screen, and part of the wall opened to reveal something that looked vaguely elevator-ish. My heart skipped a beat. *Am I really doing this?* \n\n*Yes.* I thought. And rushed in. Two buttons adorned the wall. I hit the down arrow. \n\n___\n\nThe doors slid open to reveal a dark level of the compound. The darkness was filled with the sound of wind, louder than I had ever heard it. Many large figures loomed in the dark, standing upright. I grew ever more nervous. *It can't be this easy. Something is wrong.* I stepped into the darkness, towards a silhouette. \n\nAs I got closer I could make out the markings on the side of the ship. A supply ship. Didn't know we even had these, what with the shortage. I approached it, unsure of how to get in. A low rumbling began emanating from the ship, and a panel came crashing down, revealing a man. I gasped. A man in a space suit stood in the ship looking right at me in the darkness. \n\n\"Hello.\" he said nonchalantly. \n\n\"Hey.\" I replied, frozen. \n\n\"You're not supposed to be down here.\" he said finally. My whole body cringed. \n\n\"No I'm not.\" I said, unsure of how long I had left. \n\n\"But you are.\" he said. I couldn't follow him. \n\n\"But I am.\" I repeated, unsure what else to say. \n\n\"Hah! Is that bravery or are you just dumb?\" He asked. \n\n\"I...I don't know?\" I said, calming down slightly. Maybe he wasn't going to tell a guard.\n\nHe gave me an appraising look. \"Where are you from, kid?\" he asked. \n\n\"The compound.\" I answered immediately, confused. Where else could I be from?\n\n\"Yes, but what level?\" \n\n\"Level?\" \n\nHe sighed. \"Nevermind then. Just answer me this. How would you like a job?\" \n\n___\n\n/r/Periapoapsis for more, sometimes. "
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[WP] you were always a good person at heart, always wanted to do what's best and save the world. Which is why it surprised you when your future self came through a time machine and told you that you needed to become the greatest villain of all time or watch the apocalypse unfold instead.
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"She sat across from me at the table. Her dark gray suit was neatly pressed and fit perfectly. It looked expensive, far more expensive than all of the second-hand dresses that hung in my closet combined. \n\n\" I don't believe it,\" I finally croaked out as I looked up to meet her eyes. My eyes, the same silver-blue color as my mother. \n\n\" I know.\" She took a sip of tea from the chipped cup. \"I remember not believing it for a very long time.\"\n\nEverything she said had been horrible. War, death, destruction. Millions of lives lost at my hands. I would be a killer, the biggest killer the world had ever known.\n\nShe took another sip of her tea then stood and walked to the window. Outside I could hear birds chirping. I had planned to go to the beach today. I had planned to go to college in a few weeks. I had planned to become a doctor. I had planned...\n\n\"Your plans must change,\" she said softly, still looking out the window.\n\n\"Why?\" I jumped from my chair and rushed to her. \"Why do I have to become this? Tell me why!\"\n\nShe turned toward me slowly, moving her arm out. For a moment I thought she would touch me. She let her arm drop as I shook.\n\n\"In five years there will be a man, Adam Pollitz. He will appear out of nowhere, no history, no background. But he will whip the nation into a frenzy. Watch him. After him more will come, nothing but bloodlust and terror. They will drive the world into a panic.\"\n\n\"Can't you stop him? Why are you here, telling me that I need to become some kind of monster? Just go kill him!\" I was trembling as I shouted at her.\n\n\"We've tried, we have tried a thousand times.\" She sighed then stepped closer and grabbed my shoulders. \"He isn't human, none of them are. They look human, they sound human, they even behave human. The worst part, at least. I have looked him in the eye so many times, and each time he has escaped. We don't know how. But we know where they will be in seven years. We know where each one will be standing, at the exact moment that we detonate the bombs.\"\n\nTears rolled down my face. I was going to help people, end the disease that killed my mom, save so many lives. And here I was instead, telling myself that I would kill innocent people.\n\n\"Shhh, I know.\" She pulled me close and let me cry onto her shoulder. \"It's not fair, I know.\"\n\nWhen I had finished crying she pulled a soft blue handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to me. \n\n\"Why do I have to kill so many,\" I whimpered.\n\n\"They're not human. We don't know what they are, but they're not human. You can't target them individually, not even in small groups. They always seem to know. But a big enough bomb, designed to take out enough people, they don't see that coming.\"\n\nI sank to the floor, still clutching the handkerchief in my hands. \n\n\"How do I know you're not lying?\" I looked up at her face, wet with her own tears.\n\n\"You know. You don't want to believe it, but you know.\" She glanced at the clock on the wall then back to me. \"Tomorrow a large meteor will crash in Siberia. The news about it will be strange, then suddenly go silent. Experts will deny it ever happened. Watch the news, you'll see it.\"\n\nSuddenly she rushed to me and grabbed my shoulders, her face inches from mine.\n\n\"The survivors will damn you to hell for a thousand years after what you do, but there will be survivors. Hold on to that. There will be survivors.\"\n\nA car horn honked outside and she rushed out the door. I sat there, on the cold kitchen floor staring at the door for the rest of the morning. "
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[WP] In this universe anything you write on your skin will appear on the skin of your soulmate.
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"**A/N: I tried to write a semi-realistic story describing how I think modern people would handle this, lol. I hope you like it!**\n\nSarah's steely concentration was pierced by the telltale tickling of writing on the inside of her thigh. Big, looping words sprawled across the expanse of her skin, and she wanted nothing more than to lift her skirt and see what her soulmate had to say. \n\nWhat was so important that he felt the need to write her while she was taking the SAT's? The question burned in her mind all throughout testing. The minute tests were over, Sarah darted to the bathroom and holed herself up in a stall. \n\nMeanwhile, a girl by the name of Velma was crouched on the toilet besides her, resting over a pile of unflushed poo and looking through her Twitter feed. This innocent bystander was brought to the brink of a heart attack by a large, piercing wail that wobbled her eardrums and almost broke the window. \n\n\"You BASTARD!\" The girl besides her shrieked. \n\nVelma flushed in panic and hurried to gather her things. Unfortunately, her escape was interrupted. \n\n\"Hey, do you have a Sharpie?\" The girl besides her asked harshly. \n\n\"Um, yeah,\" Velma said, hastily retrieving a sharpie from her book bag. She ran out of the room, sad to have lost her red sharpie, but it was a worthwhile sacrifice if it took her away from that toilet shrieking freak.\n\nAcross campus, Cameron ran across court to avoid his least favorite person in the world. \"Come on, dude!\" Raul shrieked. \"Lemme see it! I wanna see what she writes!\" \n\n\"Fuck you, dude!\" Cameron yelled back. \"You're not seeing it!\"\n\nThe hunt continued, but Raul couldn't keep up with his older brother for long. Finally, when Cameron had put enough distance between them, he looked at the inside of his arm to see what Sarah had written.\n\nRaul jolted at his brother's loud, hearty laugh. \"What is it, dude?\"\n\nCameron smirked. \"Come over, bro,\" he said. Raul obeyed and trotted over, eager to see what Sarah wrote back.\n\nDrawn on the inside of Cameron's arm was a giant red dick with pulsing drops flying from the tip. Beneath it, Sarah had written, \"Stare at this dick and think of your own, Raul. With your shitty attitude and disrespect for the sanctity of the soulmate bond, you're going to be the only person who ever sees it.\"\n\n\"Holy fuck, dude,\" Raul breathed. \"Your girlfriend does not play around, eh?\"\n\n\"At least I have one,\" Cameron said, smacking his brother good-naturedly in the back of the head. \"She's got a point, dude. With the way you act, no girl is gonna want to hook up with you, soulmate or no.\"\n\n\"Hey, man, you don't know that!\" Raul protested. \"Just because I don't have a soulmate doesn't mean I'm permanently unmatched! I'm just a late bloomer!\"\n\n\"That's what every unmatched person says,\" Cameron told him, rolling his eyes. \"The way you're going, you'll never get one.\"\n\nAfter triumphantly leaving the bathroom, Sarah left to find the girl who had lent her the red sharpie. She had recognized the voice as Velma, the nerdy girl in her geometry class. Finally she saw a head of red hair and ran up to return the pen.\n\nVelma accepted it with a look of distaste. \"Um, thanks,\" she said. While she was leaning out to take the pen, Sarah saw writing on the back of her hand.\n\n\"What's that?\" She asked.\n\n\"Oh, some stupid writings that keep showing up,\" Velma said. \"No bother.\"\n\n\"It says, 'I'm sorry, Sarah. I'm a piece of shit.'\" Sarah read aloud. \"Why would he write that on himself?\"\n\n\"I have no clue, but I wish he'd stop,\" Velma grunted. \"I hate the whole soulmate racket. More often than not, curse words and poorly drawn naked girls show up on me.\"\n\n\"Well, have you written anything back?\" Sarah asked.\n\nVelma shook her head. \"No. I've met him, but he was too stupid to recognize that I'm his soulmate. I, in turn, was too depressed to realize my soul is eternally tied with a moron. How shitty is that? Oh! Speaking of shitty, it's a good thing you gave me this pen. Maybe I'll write something back for once.\"\n\nSarah watched as Velma doodled a smiling poop emoji on the back of her hand. \n\nIn the distance, the two girls heard a loud hoot of joy from across campus. \n\n\"Bro! Look! I've got a soulmate!\" Raul was screaming. Even though he was across campus on the basketball court, his loud screams reached Sarah and Velma's ears.\n\n\"Well, that's that,\" Velma groaned. She turned to Sarah with an appraising look. \"Hey, I bet you $100 he won't figure out it's me by the end of the semester.\"\n\nSarah laughed. \"The end of the semester? How about the end of high school?\"\n\nVelma laughed with her. \"I'm not gonna bet against that. It wouldn't be safe.\"\n\nThe two girls walked home together, and all the way home Velma's skin was decorated with more and more idiotic poop emojis.",
"Steve looked down at his left arm. His soul mate finally wrote him back. And she did it just the way he expected her to. \n\nWhat looked like sloppy writing from a pen, he read: \"Lol, not yet mister.\" ;) \n\nSteve then glanced at his right arm. Under the message he wrote to her earlier that day, a phone number was scribbling its numbers on his skin in live time. Steve couldn't feel a thing. \n\n\"Damn.\" He thought. Maybe he should ask her to send nudes after their first date. ",
"My name is Mason, and I am a Pure.\nSince Day 1, there were rumors of Pures, people who had never received any messages. The general public is oddly fixated on trying to find Pures, maybe to prove that the world isn't some perfect place where everyone has a \"soulmate\". Well, suprise. It's not. As much as I'd like to tell the world my truth, there are always the crazy nuts in any situation, and this is no exception. Anytime someone attempts to come out as a Pure the WHO (no, not that one, this is the World Happiness Organization) will \"take care\" of them before it can be verified. Everyone knows the hotlines are monitored. I wonder if there are others like me, out there somewhere. Maybe one of them is my Match, and our messages just don't display. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.\nMy name is Mason, and as far as I know, I am the only Pure.",
"I used to yearn for her. You know?\n\nI had always wondered what she would be like. I know a lot about her already. A lot that I had learned from my own mom and dad.\n\nYou just had to write on your skin on your 16th. Then it would connect to your beloved, no matter the distance. What you wrote would appear on their skin and vice versa.\n\nMom and dad had met that way. Mom was a few years older, so she had to wait a bit before dad could respond. The link was dormant until both were old enough to connect.\n\nMy love would accept me, no matter what. You just clicked. You would connect at a level that was like magic. The bond was magical, scientists even claimed it so since they couldn't find any solid proof on how it worked.\n\nIt just did. It worked for my parents, my grandparents, and so on.\n\nSo on my 16 I opened my new pack of Skin Ink, or skink, markers wrote my first word. It was a little messy considering I was shaking so hard. However, it was legable and it was there on the back of my left hand.\n\n[Hello]\n\nI grinned and shook. Excitement had me bouncing in my seat at the kitchen table. Mom and dad were smiling at me. They were squeezing each other's hands as they waited with me.\n\nA minute passed. An hour.\n\nI remember mom, dad, Jess, and Rylie hugging me. I didn't cry. I was just sad. Deflated like a balloon.\n\nI was sad, but I still mustered enough strength to give my parents and little sisters a smile. Mom had to wait two and a half years before dad grew up enough. I could wait twice as long.\n\nI wrote [Hello] or [Hi] every three months. It was all I could do.\n\nInstead, I hung out with friends and played video games. I watched movies and partook in a few hobbies here and there. I tried to keep my mind off it and it was simple.\n\nA year. Three. Five.\n\nIt was heartwarming. I was there when Jess and Rylie met their loves. Todd and Jacob were amazing. An athlete and an artist. The love that they had as laid eyes on each other was immutable.\n\nBoth couples cried as they ran towards each other. Their hugs were fierce as was their bright happiness.\n\nI was so happy for them.\n\nThough it hurt whenever I saw words and letters appear. I pushed it back and down. My friends and family were happy. That is all that mattered.\n\nIt was heartwarming. I was there when Jermaine, Sunny and Alexis found their soulmates. They had a connection that I could almost see as they dated. As they explored each other and combined their lives and friends into a weave that would last them their entire lives.\n\nIt was when Alexis met her soulmate, the last of my friends and family to do so, that I had stopped writing on my hand.\n\nTen years. Many things changed with time. The silence was not one of those things.\n\nI was alone. It hurt when I had realized it years ago. When I had accepted the fact that I had stopped writing. That I had never received a single dot.\n\nIt wasn't that rare. This silence.\n\nDeath was something that was close to life. People still died. Terrible things still happened. The world moves regardless of humans.\n\nI had counseling. The government had a system set up to support those who had lost the irreplaceable. My friends and family were faithful with their support and love.\n\nThere was a saying that 'Time heals all wounds.' and I had to agree.\n\nThe biggest change also helped me cope the easiest.\n\nMy first niece added a new title to my life. Uncle. She was a darling little thing. Sarah was born a healthy seven and half pounds. Adorable but fussy, Sarah became the new light of my family. Motherhood suited Jess very well.\n\nNot to be outdone. Rylie, my little, little sister also had a girl. Sophie was a larger eight and a half pounds of adorable but quiet little baby. Jess was jealous but she quickly caved towards those pretty eyes.\n\nMy friends were no slouches either. Eight kids among three couples. Sunny was a machine to keep getting pregnant and she had five of the eight.\n\nI was a super uncle. With nieces and nephews. I instead turn that emptiness into a cave that I used to showcase wonder and adventure whenever I played with those adorable brats.\n\nIt was on Sarah's tenth birthday that she asked the question that my family dreaded.\n\n\"Where is Aunty?\"\n\nAt first the nearest adults were confused. Three aunties where in the backyard watching the birthday guests. Another two where in the garage, secretly gathering the cake. Todd had a lot of sisters as well.\n\nThen she pointed at me and asked the question again. Todd to his credit proved his athletic ability as he snorted the cola out of his nose hard enough to wreck a third of the kitchen. We found pop stains up to five meters away, up to the ceiling and on all of the walls.\n\nThe kitchen stilled as Jess showed off her superior athletics as she rushed to Sarah and choked. What could she tell her?\n\nI laughed. Sarah met my eyes as I walked over and sat down beside her on the kitchen bar stool. I gave her a hug and she happily returned it. The pink dress and sparkling silver tiara paled in comparison to the smile she gave me.\n\nI had tried the dating sites. I had met other women who had also lost. They were mostly great. There was those three that were just awful. The worst I was able to tolerate for an hour before I fled. Maybe the poor sap killed himself instead of the ‘bliss’ of marriage.\n\nThe spark of love just never ignited and I had lost interest in ever finding a partner. For me, the silence was to domineering and I had accepted its scars long ago.\n\nI took her small, soft hands into mine. I turned my left hand around to show her my bare ring finger.\n\n“Uncle isn’t married. My soulmate hasn’t said hello yet,” I explained with a grin. Twenty years since that day and I could still remember how the ink felt on my skin.\n\n“Oh. Well I am sure she will say… Hi?”\n\nI patted her head and I was going to give the birthday girl a slobbery uncle kiss on the cheek when I noticed she was no longer looking at me. She loved and hated the wet kisses and often squirmed her way out them. Or so she tried.\n\nShe was looking down to where I was holding her hand. This also stopped me.\n\nMy left hand, where I had once written with so much gusto had two letters. Two letters that sent me into shock.\n\n{Hi} \n\nThe I had a heart dotting it.\n\nA scream worthy of a murder scene broke me out of my trance. My mutinous brain must have had a heart attack as I suddenly couldn’t think. I stared at Jess who was holding her cheeks before my eyes returned to confirm what it had seen.\n\nThe scream quickly had the other adults rushing in. Jess helpfully pointed out the source of her cry with a quivering arm and a wildly shaking pointing finger. Rylie was the second woman to scream at the top of her lungs as she noticed the new words appear on my arm.\n\n{My name is Elizabeth, what’s yours?}\n\nThe words started from my elbow and scrawled halfway up my arm. The letters were neat and tidy. My crippled brain noted that it was also perfectly straight. It wondered if Elizabeth had bought one of those arm rulers for superior legibility! Or so the ads had claimed. Rylie had mixed results when she had bought hers.\n\nThe third, and loudest, shriek came from mom. Her voice showcased that while yes, they where her daughters, they were also vastly inferior to the yells of an experienced parent.\n\nSarah said something but I am pretty sure I was in shock. I could only dumbly nod. I think I might have gone deaf as three, vocally powerful, women had just screamed at me.\n\nSarah smiled as she grabbed a nearby skink and wrote on my arm.\n\n[Hello]\n",
" It certainly was a strange world.\n\n~\n \nIn the year of 4021 E.Y (Earth Years) humans had scientifically developed the ability to speak to their soulmates. Well, communicate in a certain way. \n \n~\n\nThe details were never released to the public but here's the idea that everyone commonly thought to how it worked. \n \nA discovery by global company Astop five E.Y.s prior discovered people were connected via genes. That they could use human DNA and scientifically determine a numeric amount to your personality. From this, they are able to match personalities and scientifically determine everyone's soulmate.\n \n \nPeople loved it. They wanted it. They wanted to find that special someone. So they did it. Humanity came together as a world and determined every person born should be inserted with one of the Soul Astop chips into their brains. \n \n \nAt first the chips were primitive. They would only allow you to locate your soulmate. However as technology grew, so did the chips. People began to obsessively love their soulmates. They wanted more. To connect even further with their missing piece. So Astop supplied. 20 E.Ys after the initial chip, Astop invented imprints. A writing feature allowing you to communicate with your soulmate, by writing upon your own skin. \n \n \n\nIt utilized a fluid ink that moved around your skin utilizing nanobot A.I. They're injected into your skin, which allows the nanobots to receive messages by altering the appearance of your skin by moving through the epidermis layer. \n \n \n \nAnything written upon your body (normally using newly invented fading ink pens) appears on the exact same location on your soulmate's. The fading ink vanished from your own skin in seconds. \n \n \n Everyone was connected by this invisible bond. \n \nWalking down on the city streets it is not uncommon to see random words appearing upon people as your pass. They always appear in the color they're written in. The handwriting is exactly that in which it was written. The nanobots on your soulmates skin would change for a few seconds then revert to their skin. ~~~~\n \n \nSmall notes of love...or a message to bring milk home to everything imaginable. Eventually, areas on the body written enough on begin to sink in. So people began getting marks of their soulmate's writing permanently etched into their skin. \n \n \nThey were called imprints. \n \n \n Everyone had imprints. On their face, arms, legs...even sexual appendages. Everyone had at least one when they're born.\n \n \n You would see a faded \"A\" on someone or a \"LOVE\" elsewhere. Anything written enough on one end, eventually imprinted on the other side. But people didn't mind. The more imprints they had, the more loved they were. \n \n \n It became tradition for the parents to send a message to the other family by writing upon their child upon birth. \n \n \nIt was also tradition to keep your skin perfect and harm free. Any pain inflicted upon the skin triggered the matching nanobots in your soulmate's skin to cause the same pain. Any scars were medically cleaned. People loved their soulmates and the world was a better place. \n \n \n \nHowever, not all was well. People would often reach to their soulmate...and try to find them as soon as they can. Some choose to linger. Many don't believe in the idea of soulmates. However, they too eventually choose to go to their soulmate.\n \n \n \n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\n \n \n \nNow that it was so easy, no one was alone. For a period of 201 E.Y.s since this discovery, it was shown that everyone had a soulmate to find. Till one strange day.\n \n \nWe arrive upon Icarus. \n \n \n Icarus was a 28 E.Y old male living in one of the older cloud cities named States of Merice. He was rather ordinary.\n \n \nHe lived in an average apartment. He worked as a H.T.T (Human Tube Transfer) employee for 3 years now. He went to work like everyone else, didn't say much. People noticed. \n \n \n But he was normal. Except one thing...He had no imprints. He was smooth as a baby. Not a single message written upon his skin. This...made him a threat. It wasn't weird till your late teens. That was when it was common to start getting imprints.\n \n \n Some got them later but eventually everyone got a message imprint from their soulmate. \n \n \nNever had someone gotten to 28 without an imprint. \n \n \n\n Again, people noted. Some were afraid even. What kind of human doesn't have a soulmate? How horrible is he?\n \n \n\n He had friends...they told him to keep looking. To keep writing. But they couldn't see. He had been.\n \n \n Icarus wrote and wrote. Ever since he turned 17, he wrote for at least 2 hours straight every day. Till his entire body was covered from face to toe. But he always focused on his face. He was fueled by loneliness...the fear of it. \n \n \n\n In order to comply with the deal, the chip's only revealed locations if both people accepted after the age of 18. This was to curb children running away to their soulmates too soon. \n \n \n\n And no matter what he did, she never replied. Nothing ever appeared on his skin. It drove him mad. For 11 years he wrote and nothing. He would never have anyone...everyone else was taken. He had no one to take.\n \n \nOne day on the way to work, he walked to the Tube Deployment station as normal. Upon arriving he passed something incredible.\n \n \n\nAt first glance, it was a woman. Nothing odd...but her face\n \nShe was wearing a hood perhaps, Icarus thought at first. He looked at her closer. \n \n \n \n It was black. Her whole face...Black. Her soul mate had covered her face by writing on his own daily. How awful.\n \n \n \n\n But then he saw the other side. There was a patch of skin showing in the black of her cheek. The black outlined a single word.\n \nICARUS\n",
"I take a deep breath as I press the pen to my skin. The scratching on my epidermis feels oddly comforting. The back of my hand refuses to cooperate, only allowing scribbles, so I switch to my arm. *Oh god, I hope he didn’t see that*, I think to myself. The black lines meet to form a simple “Hi.” Eloquent, I know, but I’m excited and don’t want to make a fool of myself. *Is he cute? Ambitious? Will he treat me well? Will he like me?* I feel silly, like a schoolgirl, as the butterflies in my belly turn into knots of nervousness with each passing minute. *Is there anyone there? Are they not interested in me?* \n\nAn agonizing half hour rolls past, with my watch beeping to let me know it’s 3pm as if I hadn’t been checking it every 30 seconds. Eventually the script appears, sprouting from faint lines to legible print. “Hello” I read, and finally exhale, which I suddenly realize I had not done in some time. *Okay, play it cool, play it cool*. “How are you? My name is Jesse.” After a few minutes, my arm is again graced by a magical ink message. “I’m Alex. Nice to meet you!” \n\n\nBefore I know it, the next morning’s light is blinding me through the window, both my arms and legs have turned black, and I’ve had to take a shower twice already in order to keep talking. I write him a good night note and we make plans to “talk” again that night. I could have given Alex my phone number, but honestly…. I kind of like the adventure and intimacy of communicating via our skins.There’s something about him that’s so much fun, and I feel like if I change anything, or try to get serious too quickly, I might ruin it. I’ve let myself become close to people in the past who have ended up hurting me.\n\nOur conversations become a nightly date. We learn a lot about each other, such as we live 5 hours apart, and we’re both working on our degrees. We discuss our hopes and dreams, our plans for the future, our pasts. We contemplate the big questions in life, like why do we exist? Is there anything else out there? Why does writing on your skin appear on the one you're meant to be with, and who decides the matches in the first place? The more we talk the more I can see why we’re soulmates- it’s just easy and fun to talk to him, and he makes up for my flaws and I, his. \n\nThe best part of my day quickly becomes when I sit down and talk (well, write) to him. As I go about my daily business I keep thinking, *what would he say if he was here right now?* I find myself daydreaming, putting together what I’m going to say to Alex that night. More and more I wish he was next to me, but I’m still too worried about ruining what we have to escalate the relationship.\n\n\tAfter a few months, three words appear on my arm. “I love you.” These 3 words fill me with more joy and happiness than I’d ever felt before. I’m walking on clouds. I can’t stop smiling. I scrawl it back so quickly, it’s barely legible in my excitement. The next message puts a small dent in my euphoria - “I think we should meet each other in person.” I realize he’s right, it’s time. With a pit in my stomach, I scribble into my arm \"I'd love that. When and where?\"\n\n\tA few days later I make the drive. *Will he think I’m attractive? Will he like who he sees in person?* I’m a ball of anxiety as I walk up to Alex’s door. I have to reach for the doorbell more than once before I can build up the courage to press it. Third time’s the charm and I manage it. Ten seconds later, the door swings open, answered by a beautiful blonde woman.\n\n“Alex?”\n\n“Jesse?”\n\nFrom the look on her face, I can tell that she was also expecting a man. 5 seconds later, we’re both laughing, almost collapsing on her doorstep. I take in the scene- how beautifully her nose scrunches up when she laughs, the delicate sound of her voice, the way her golden hair glows in the sunlight. I realize I love her, more than I’d loved any of the men I’d been with before. I guess that’s why it’s called soulmates. As the laughter eases down, I feel an almost compulsive need to tell her this, right away.\n\n“I love you, Alex”\n\n“I love you too, Jesse”\n\nAs I pass through the doorway to her home, I wonder to myself, *What had I been so worried about?*\n\n--------------------------------------\nIt's my first post, so any input is greatly appreciated! Thanks!",
"I've started to write my name a thousand times. Or my address, something to identify me. But instead I just read, a lot. He(or she for all I know) writes on me like a journal, tells me thoughts and hopes and dreams. \"Today I sat in the coffee shop, the girl across the counter has red hair, and I imagined it smelled like strawberries before realizing I didn't really know what that means\" His cat died 2 years ago and he wrote her a love letter almost, at least, it was as flowery as one. He draws too. Wonderful mountain landscapes that look halfway like they're on the moon. He never writes anywhere visible, not that he'd be that rude. It's not really polite to screw up a stranger's interview by drawing all over their face. I enjoy reading about his day as he marks it in a scrawl of tiny letters down the length of my thigh. I've imagined what he looks like, leg crossed over his knee, back arched and nose close, scribbling out his deepest thoughts. \n\n\nI draw smiley faces sometimes, comment, express sympathy. He doesn't ask about me directly. I don't tell. Most of it washes off with his morning shower anyway. \n\n\nToday I'm getting a tattoo. The man at the shop didn't ask questions, at least, not pertinent ones. Tattoo artists have tighter lips than priests, and by law too (not that I'd trust that wholly). It's a swan, looking sadly over a lake. Seemed forlorn enough to meet my mood. Words don't really do justice to the depths of things I want to say, the responses to the laughs, smiles, tears he's written to me over the years. So I'm giving him coordinates. Bright, in red, along the trace of the lifelines on his palm. They're not going to come off, but I figure it's easily concealed at least. I don't expect him to come for me until the cold has taken my soul away along with the morning mists. And the place itself is remote -- a little lake in the wilderness I'll stumble to tomorrow. No gear, no burdens, just the rest of my life to watch the silence, let the warm hands of too-far gone frostbite lead me back into the void. I don't want his forgiveness, not really, because if he is my soulmate, I fear he'll understand too well why I did it this way.\n\n\nI hope the tattoo hurts.",
"I hereby swear that the foregoing is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.\n\nI am an idiot.\n\nThe messages first started appearing on my palm in 1973. Many of my other friends also started getting the writing in 1971, in sixth grade. We were just reaching puberty, and everyone was anxious to see who their soulmate would be. Several years ago, the girls started scribbling notes to their soulmates on their arms even though it was too early. You know how anything written on your skin only shows up on your soulmate's skin starting at puberty. I have no idea whether this means that we are assigned our soulmates at that time or if the channel of communication only opens up at that time. Us boys, we waited stoically for the notes to start popping up on our skin. Nobody wanted to look mushy in front of the other guys or even give the appearance of liking girls, but when our voices deepened, we started noticing our female classmates, and by sixth grade, we were all eagerly awaiting for the writing to start appearing.\n\nFor my male friends, it would start over-night. They would wake up one morning to find the lyrics of love songs from the latest popular albums transcribed onto their arms and embellished with flowers and hearts. They would write back and receive gushing replies that spiraled up one arm and down the other. Names, addresses, birthdays, favorite foods, colors, and more would all be exchanged in an outpouring of puppy-love. This had happened to my father when he was my age, and it was how he met my mother, who lived on the other end of the country. Their parents had not had the resources to let them meet, so for years, the wrote letters to each other every night, and developed a bond that would last a lifetime.\n\nThis is not what happened for me.\n\nI waited for my soulmate to send me a message. All my friends got them, but I did not. I waited. And waited. And waited. \"What's wrong with him?\" they asked. \"Is she dead? Is she illiterate? Is she so young that she hasn't learned to write yet? Maybe he just doesn't have one.\" After a few months of mounting embarrassment, I started writing notes to myself on my arm just to show them. I kept corresponding with my imaginary soulmate for show. I eventually go in the habit of doodling on myself.\n\nThen, sometime in the summer of '73, I started noticing doodles that I did not remember putting there. Was this it? If it was, where were the poems? Where were the flowery ivy vines and traced self-portraits? There were just doodles and the occasional crib note. And to make it worse, I couldn't read it.\n\nIt wasn't English. It wasn't even the alphabet. They were mostly on my right hand, so I knew she was a lefty, like me, and that was all I knew. I got a book on world languages from the library and compared the letters with alphabets in there. It was Cyrillic. The backwards R's gave it away.\n\nUndeterred, I copied down some of the crib notes and showed them to a professor at the local college. He said they were Russian and they mostly seemed to have to do with a history class, as words like \"Marx\" and \"Lenin\" popped up a lot. That night I begged my parents to let me take Russian lessons. They were hesitent to spend the money, but after I reminded them of their prolonged long-distance relationship, they finally relented.\n\n***\n\nThe whole thing is too long for one post. Further installments in the comments."
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[WP] You have one superpower. The ability to tell someone when and how they die after touching them. You bump (literally) into a man on the street and you don't see anything.
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"My \"power\" appeared at my 21 Birthday. Out of nothing. You wouln't think knowing that your best friend will die at age 80 would hurt so much. But it did. I tried ignoring the stuff I saw, but after a few hours I couldn't bear it anymore. So I left my party and disappeared. I don't know why but, to me, the difference between knowing that somebody will die and when this somebody is due to is like day and night. The moment I touch them, I stop seeing them as human. I shouldn't do so, should I? But to me they are mere shells with a known expriation date. And somehow I can't bring myself to interact whith that shell that was once human to me. I hate myself for being unable to stand the information my \"power\" provides me, but at the same time I'm scared everytime I see somebody transform into a meat bag. I just can't bear it. It was so scary that I started avoiding any sort of social interaction. Now I spend time in my room, fearing the next time I have to go out to buy food, hunted by nighmares. That has been my life for the last 8 years. A life in a world of fear and nighmares.\n\nIn gloomy thought, I walk down the street. I'm wearing gloves and breathing protection. It may look funny, or scary, but I discovered that people tend to avoid me if I wear that stuff. I walk around a corner and a guy bumps into me. I't seems he didn't have enough time to dodge me, and neither did I. Shit, and now again a normal human will transform into an mere meat bag. But nothing happens. I can't see anything. It's like meat without expiration date suddenly appearing in your fridge. Interesting but, nevertheless, potentially harmful. Who is that guy? Maybe I'll be able to form a relationship with him? \n\nThe guy mubles a simple \"Sorry\". Shall I speak to him? Shall I go after him? I really don't know! This may be the person who can make me feel like a normal human again. But what if my power is just delayed or something? If we were to get to know each other better, maybe eventually become friends, would I be able to bear learning about the death of a friend this time? No, definitely not. But he caught my interest. I really don't know why, but I decide to go after him. I follow him for about 10 minutes and end up entering a hotel. We take the same elevator. \"You followed me, first child\", he says. There is no emotion in his voice, just emptiness. Shit. Now that I think about it, I'm very conspicuous. After all I'm wearing a breathing protection.\n\nFor a few moments I'm unable to say anything. \"What will happen now?\" is the only thought my brain is able to process. But then I remember what he called me. \"First child\". What does that mean? After being alone all this time I'm not used to conversations this long. But I manage to ask him about it eventually. He laughs. It's a emotionless laugh. \"So you really don't knwo about the two childs\" he asks. \"About what?\" I'm still confused. Does he know about me? Is he an ex-acquaintance of mine? \"So you never heard about the story?\" The longer I'm in this elevator the more the gift of the gab comes back to me. \"If you are not talking about Neon genesis evangelion I have no clue what you are talking about\". The longest sentence I formed in years, but the stranger isn't impressed. \"Let me tell you, why you are unable to see my cause of death\" WHAT? How does he know? But before I can ask him he explains: \"It's because my death depends on you.\" Now I'm confused. If I were to kill him, I could see this. \"It seems that sometimes two children become connected arbitrarily. One of the children becomes immortal, the other one is able to see the time and cause of death.\" I don't belive him. This sounds almost like some kind of fantasy novel. \"So you'll never die?\" I ask him saucy. \"That depends on you. If the first and the second child's skin touch, they annihilate themselves. Like matter and antimatter.\"\n\nI still don't belive him. But now I feel something I haven't felt for a long time. Attraction to another person. And at the same time I realize how much I missed it. And now I know that I'll never be able to live in my world of meat bags again. Because I only want friends and being able to form a normal relationship. I still don't belive him, but I put down my breathing protection. He completely ignores it. I move too fast for him to react, but I didn't intend to. I kiss him. I just want contact to a person without seeing a expriation date, even it it destroys me. I expect the feeling of a kiss I missed all the years, but the only thing I feel is the fading of my consciousness. For a moment I'm sad almost angry because I don't feel the kiss. But then I stop caring and I'm happy to leave this world I don't belong to.\n\n \"He didn't lie\", is my last thought.\n\nNOTE: English is not my native language so there may be lots of mistakes. (Feel free to correct me) This is my first post here, so be nice.",
"The things I saw didn't bother me anymore. Thirty years or so hardens you to this kind of subject matter, makes you lose a certain humane sympathy. Maybe that's why I avoid people: I don't want to deal with their problems, their fate, any more than they do.\n\nUntil today.\n\nIt was nearly dusk, and I walked home hurriedly, pulling my hood over my head so I wasn't seen. Superstitious, maybe, but I didn't like the possibility that someone could recognize me, know me, make me a target. I'd seen too many murders, performed by strangers and stalkers, to risk it. So I hid my face whenever I could.\n\nThe road by my house was nearly empty, the flickering street lamps barely illuminating the dark street. Tall, wide oaks spread their branches above me in a canopy, shadowing the area even during the day. That was how I liked it. A car, my neighbor's, cruised past, pop music blaring from the open windows. I paused as it sped away, carrying the echos of heavy drums along with it.\n\nAs I turned again to the leaf-strewn sidewalk, I noticed a broad shouldered man sitting at a bench across from my house. The wind ruffled his dirty blond hair, sending the faint smell of smoke from his lit cigarette towards me. The man didn't seem to have noticed me, and I preferred to keep it as such; I was uncomfortable with the idea of this strange man knowing where I lived, though it was unlikely he had bad intentions. I turned away, deciding to enter my house through the back garden. It would be inconspicuous, no one knowing my whereabouts, especially not the stranger seated across from my house. \n\nPreoccupied with my thoughts, I didn't notice another man leaning against the wall of a neighbor's shed. He was tall, head bowed, twirling something in one hand. I was within a couple of feet when I heard his heavy breath, one foot beating against the ground in a swift rhythm. I looked up, meeting his blue eyes through the shadow of my hoodie. He took a step towards me.\n\nLeaving the dark shadow cast by the shed's awning, I could see that the object he'd been holding was a half-foot long knife.\n\nI froze, eyes focused at the long, sharp dagger clutched firmly in his hand. His strides were longer now, outmatching mine as I backed away, a scream bubbling in my throat. I'd seen this too many times before. Every time my fingers grazed my skin. Every time my hands clasped, sweaty palms sliding against each other, afraid to relive this nightmare.\n\nThis is where I die.\n\nHe grabbed my throat, one hand brandishing a knife. In the feeble light I could make out his curving features, his sharp nose, his curling ginger hair barely reaching his vibrant oceanic eyes. Through the blue irises I could see him again, his orange locks beginning to grey, lying motionless in a prison infirmary. His shirt was gone, replaced by a layer of thick white gauze save the long red stain trailing down his front. Fourteen years. He had fourteen years left to live. I had none.\n\nHis hand tightened around my throat, choking me. He pushed me to the ground, shortening my breath as he pressed his elbow against my chest. I couldn't breathe. Just before my vision began to blur I felt a stab of pain searing through my right ear, warm liquid dripping down my neck. I had almost forgotten. My assailant cuts off my ear.\n\nThe pain shot through my skull like a rocket, my heart thundering through my head like the drums, dancing wildly to a quick paced beat. Every note burned, sending a new wave of hurt through my body, eminating from the remnants of my ear.\n\nMinutes passed. Was I still alive? I shouldn't be able to feel. I couldn't find my fingers, the hand on my neck, any of it. Except the pain, tearing through my fragile brain like a chainsaw. That I could feel all too well.\n\nWhen the blackness hit, I was almost happy to embrace it.\n\n...\n\nI woke to a harsh beeping sound and bright lights bearing down at me above my head. My throat ached, but little compared to the burning sting I felt in my right ear. With the little energy I had, I inched my hand up towards my head, pressing my palm against my cheek. White paper met my touch, wrapped tightly around my skull.\n\nThat was when I remembered. The ginger haired man, attacking me on the dark street. That was where I was meant to die.\n\nHow was I still here?\n\nA door opened, and I turned my head towards the sound, wincing at the pain in my throat as I did so. Through my squinted eyes I caught sight of a handful of doctors, dressed in white aprons and blue masks, behind them someone wearing a dark suit and tie.\n\n\"So you're awake.\"\n\nI opened my mouth to reply, tongue like sandpaper. \"What happened?\" I asked feebly.\n\nOne of the doctors leaned over me, examining my wounds. Satisfied, he pushed away the blinding light, finally allowing me to fully open my eyes, and gently eased a cup of cold water into my mouth. The cool wash rushed down my throat with gentle relief, quenching my thirst sufficiently. Taking a seat at my side, the doctor answered my question calmly, never taking his eyes off me.\n\n\"You were attacked by a man identified as Thomas Wesley. After throwing you to the ground, he proceeded to remove your right ear using a long knife and attempted to suffocate you with one hand. Fortunately, Mr. Van-Daes here was able to rescue you, overpowering Mr. Wesley and alerting the police. You're alive, thanks to him.\" The doctor moved back to reveal the man I had seen on the bench, his dirty blond hair neatly combed and his broad shoulders covered by a dark suit.\n\n\"Scott Van-Daes, pleasure to meet you.\" He smiled, holding out his hand. I took it gratefully, surprised by his firm grasp.\n\nThen it struck me. Nothing had happened.\n\nSomewhat panicked, I hastily asked the doctor to help me up. He obliged, taking my hands, and immediately I saw him, one hundred and fifteen years of age, laying weakly in a large bed surrounded by what looked to be his family. They held his hands as he passed away, tears falling silently from their faces. I could tell this man would be missed.\n\nBut what of the mysterious Scott Van-Daes?\n\nStanding now, I stared at him eye to eye, puzzled. Had I stumbled upon a man who did not die? Or perhaps he was immune to my strange probing, knowing perfectly the death of all I touched? I had to know.\n\nMy voice was quiet as I requested a moment alone with Van-Daes. He smiled knowingly as the doctors left the room, taking my hand tauntingly. I pulled it away with a scowl.\n\n\"You must be wondering why you can't see my demise.\" I nodded, curious how he knew of my gift. Before continuing, he took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and took a long drawl from it, releasing a breath of smoke into the air. \"The answer is simple. You have probably thought of such a possibility already, yet dismissed the idea; I expect it seems rather outlandish to you.\" He paused, tapping the end of his cigarette against his chin in thought. \"You see, Aaron, you cannot see my end because there is nothing to see. I will not die, ever. Do you understand?\"\n\nDespite the impossibility his claim portrayed, I was overcome with a strong feeling Van-Daes was speaking the truth. I couldn't explain it; I was a man of science, despite my strange foretelling gift. Perhaps that was why I believed him. I couldn't possibly be the only force with seemingly paranormal powers.\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\nHe smiled. \"Good. That is a start. I would be more than happy to tell you more about this amazing world that you only just breached the surface of.\" I opened my mouth, questions piling in my mind, but he cut me off. \"However, I am unable to. I have been forbade to, by powers greater than myself, yet I am more than certain we will meet again. Soon.\"\n\nWith that, he turned towards the door.\n\n\"Wait,\" I called after him. There was one thing I had to know.\n\nVan-Daes stopped, hand on the doorknob. He cocked his head back in acknowledgement.\n\n\"Why did save me?\"\n\nHe laughed slightly, surprised. \"Why would I not? Who would just let someone be killed in front of them and do nothing about it?\"\n\n\"No, I mean-\" I scrambled for the words. \"It seems too perfect to be a coincidence, that the only person I'd ever met who didn't die would save me from my death; how did you know I would be killed then and there? I had never told anyone that before.\"\n\nHe stiffened slightly, answering after a moment's silence. \"I was sent there by your father,\" he replied slowly, \"the one you may know as Death.\" Before I could even process what he had said, Van-Daes had vanished out the door.\n\nThe doctors rushed in, quickly checking over my injuries before leaving me alone in the room again. The quiet did nothing to help my nerves, bubbling at the prospect of what Van-Daes had said. My father, Death? Was that even possible? No, I thought, shaking my head; the loss of blood from my ear must have done something, blurred my senses, given me strange hallucinations about surreal gods and superhuman powers. It couldn't be real. It couldn't.\n\nI clenched my fists angrily, furious at my defective conscience, when I felt the crumpled texture of paper against my palm. I unfurled my fingers, taken aback by the wrinkled note that had unknowingly rested in my hand. It read:\n\nmeet us at the fallen elm. when you're ready.\n\nI knew immediately who had left me this; Van-Daes. He had likely snuck it into my palm when he had grabbed my hand, a gesture I perceived as a taunt.\n\nThis was real.\n\nI knew it in my bones, could feel it surge throughout my newly enlightened mind. I was ready. Ready to dive headfirst into this curious new expansion of the universe, ignoring the damages across my face and neck. I wanted to know at last.\n\nPulling on my bloodstained hoodie, hung limply on a hook by the door, I pressed my hand firmly to the doorknob. Still, I hesitated. There was one thing left to test.\n\nPulling my fingers to the doorknob, I slowly pressed my hands together.\n\nNothing."
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[WP] You went on a solo hiking trip for a month to find yourself. And you did, he's sitting in the woods meditating.
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"Tomorrow was the day. Ted wasn't ready to go on a mission; he wasn't really sure what he was ready to do.\n\nAs quietly as possible, Ted pushed open his bedroom door. He didn't want to wake his roommate; Thaddeus was much too pushy and asked way too many questions. Ted's sneakers were silent as he walked along the stone floors of the keep. It was the middle of the night, by Ted's reckoning. He couldn't sleep, and instead decided to leave the city. Maybe he'd come back in time to leave in the morning, maybe he wouldn't.\n\nHe wasn't sure which possibility he liked less. \n\nThe medieval city of Lacendia was just so... foreign. New York was his home, and so familiar. Skyscrapers, concrete, electricity... Already distant memories, replaced by swords and dirt and scrubbing floors.\n\n*Why am I here?* Ted asked himself. He thought he knew better; people didn't just fall into other worlds. But that's exactly what happened to him and Beth. At least she seemed to be having the time of her life, but Ted longed for home. Who knew where the caravan they would be leaving on tomorrow would take them?\n\nTed walked through the small wood next to Lacendia, his mind pouring over his home, Lacendia, his circumstances, and Beth. *I could die tomorrow and she'd never know,* he thought. He shrugged the thought off. *Am I the type of person that can do this? Adventure off to strange lands, win the girl, fight bad guys?*\n\n\"No, you aren't.\"\n\nA chill flew through Ted's body, shaking him to his core. That was his voice, but he didn't say those words. Ted turned and saw a man standing a few paces away. Dressed in a tunic and slacks, wearing the same pair of sneakers, was Ted, giving himself a chilling smile.\n\n\"You can't do this, you weakling,\" the other Ted said bluntly. \"You're no knight, and you're certainly not strong enough for this world. You'll never be good enough for Beth.\"\n\nThe confusion and shock in Ted were joined by an overwhelming rage. He clenched his fist in anger. \"Shut up,\" he mumbled.\n\nThe other Ted, an evil smirk on his face, simply waved to Ted. \"Make me.\"\n\nTed charged, tackling his doppelganger. They both landed on the ground with a loud *THUMP.* With surprising strength, the copy threw Ted off of him, sending Ted sprawling on his back. Both teenagers stood, and Ted threw the first punch; Ted's fist connected with the man's nose and made him recoil. The doppelganger returned the favor with a left hook into Ted's cheek.\n\nAgain Ted tackled his twin, pushing him into the trunk of a nearby tree. Ted slammed his fist into the copy, making his head smack against the trunk. Again he punched him, letting out his rage with fury like no other. And once more, breaking the man's nose and sending him falling to the ground.\n\nTed leapt on the man and hit him again. And again. Closing his fingers around his neck, Ted squeezed furiously. He was strong. He could do it. No one could stop him. All by himself.\n\nThe other Ted fell limp. Ted dropped him uncaringly, and walked off into the night.\n\n\"Ted!\"\n\nThe first thing Ted saw was Thaddeus standing over him. \"You were thrashing around uncontrollably! I feared you'd hurt yourself!\" Thaddeus said.\n\nTed was lying in his bed, deep in the keep, in the center of the city. He was drenched in sweat.\n\n\"Are you ok?\" His roommate asked.\n\nTed wasn't sure how to answer.\n\n----------------\n\n*Sincerely,*\n\n*/r/TDWfan*",
"\"Hey you,\" I called out to me, \"Get up, you dumb goon.\"\n\nI glided the last couple feet to where my body sat, in the same cliche, cross-legged, elbows-on-knees-with-thumb-and-forefinger-touching position I left it in. I was noticeably thinner, and as expected had thoroughly soiled myself in the absence. Grumbling as I climbed back into my fleshy suit, I looked up at the aurora soaring across the dusk sky.\n\n\"Note to self,\" I muttered, standing up with an uncomfortable squishing from my rear, \"Solar wind is quite stiff up north.\"",
"I didn't know what to expect going on this trip, I'd never truly made up my mind to do something like this before. It was outlandish and strange, by I had made up my mind, and so I was doing it.\n\nI worked as a middleschool teacher, so I was off for summer break. Looking at it now, I realized how lucky I was to get this much time to myself (I'm single). I could work on personal projects, go to a new country (if I saved up), or just sit back and read for a week straight. \n\nBut near the end if the school year, I began to understand the monotony of my life. I went to work for 9 hours a day, got home and graded work or thought about tomorrow's class, then when the weekend rolled around I kept to myself and relaxed or occasionally went out with friends. I even went on a few dates, but it seemed like it was impossible to really connect with anyone.\n\nSo one night while driving myself mad thinking about my worthless lackluster life, I decided to change it. I would go hiking somewhere deep in the woods to find out who I really was. Or who I was meant to be, or anything at all really, I just needed to not be living this life anymore, even if only for a little while.\n\nOnce again, I had no clue what to expect, but I absolutely did not expect to literally find myself. I was twelve days into my hiking trip, so far nothing super eventful had happened, but I had learned to appreciate nature, and mortality. Nothing compares to the terrifying realization that the wolves you just heard howling we're the real thing, that those sounds we're really attached to actual fleshy killing machines. Movie and shows have trivialized the sound, but out in the wild, solo, with nothing but the thin fabric of a tent to protect you, you are reminded why howling has become iconic, it symbolizes the start of a hunt, and the end of life for whatever poor bastard found itself being torn to shreds by innumerable teeth.\n\nAnd then, walking slowly through the thick beautiful woods, I came across a small clearing. At first I thought I had spotted a wild animal in the center of the clearing, so I ducked down and tried to hide myself, but upon closer inspection I found that it was a man, facing away from me. He was about my size, about my build, with my hair color, sitting perfectly still, apparently meditating. It was a beautiful sight to behold, but I was extremely confused, what were the chances of coming across another human this far out from civilization? Is it possible I had traversed the full length of the woods, nearing the outer edge? \n\nBefore I could come to a reasonable conclusion, the man stood and turned to me with perfect grace. His face was identical to my own, even from this distance I could tell. The only differences were his beard and perfect white robe.\n\n\"So you've finally found me,\" he spoke with a voice just like mine, but noticeably deeper and full of hidden meaning.\n\n\"Are you my long lost twin?\" My voice sounded idiotic in comparison, and looking back it was a pretty idiotic question as well. He only smiled in response."
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[WP]In year 2350, everyone can see on his "magic panel" all of his "lifestats" like height, wealth,etc. One day, however, you see a little button that says "Edit".
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"There it was, that small little \"edit\" button on the credit card sized Magic Panel that Jon held in his hand. It was supposed to be the same color as the background. Nobody knew it was there. Jon didn't even see it until he took off his glasses. Yet, when he put his glasses back on, the button seemed to vanish into the background. \n Jon took off his glasses and the button appeared again, he wiped his eyes and looked around at the world. Without his glasses, all the colors were off. Well, off to society, but it felt like home to Jon, this was his normal, if felt like his own little separate world. He looked back to his hand, it was hard to make out the small text without his glasses. Jon pressed the button without actually knowing what it said, a new window popped up, he put his glasses on, and was relieved to notice that he could see the next text with his glasses on. No one had thought that you would be able to edit your Lifestats. They were just used to pick an optimal job you were best at. Not everyone used them, but it helped to be good at your profession. \n\nIt started off with small adjustments, there was nothing too noticeable, no need to scare society. The first boost was a small increase in memory, Jon was always forgetting things. As he walked out the door to work, he remembered his lucky pen. Jon made it to work late, he was always late. The walk was just too long and Jon always left just too late, maybe he would make a small increase in speed tomorrow. But that was probably too risky, Jon knew he had to take slow steps, blend in with society, he always had, he enjoyed it. Jon remembered that the back door was always left unlocked and was able to sneak into work without the Boss noticing he was late. Maybe editing his Lifestats wasn't a bad thing, but he had to take it slowly. Work ran smoothly with his lucky pen in his pocket, Jon slipped under the radar blissfully.\n\nThe next day, Jon decided not to change his speed stat, but he remembered to leave on time, maybe he had boosted his memory too fast, he walked extra slowly to arrive to work late enough to be normal. After being berated by his boss, he slunk away to his desk. Maybe next week Jon would boost his confidence and stand up for himself, but it was probably too soon. He decided to let society grow used to each change without being too drastic. Who knows, maybe he would gradually become a famous body builder, or painter. Jon began to wonder what he could do when he got hold of somebody else's Magic Panel\n\n-First time writing in a while, sorry for formatting, if you guys want, ill try to continue"
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[WP] Flaming arrows streak across the sky, as the horses storm in from the flank. You put your bag of groceries in the trunk of your car, and unsheath your longsword.
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"\"Protect the children.\" Angelica told her husband as she pulled the long sword from her back holster and shield from her waist. The cloth wrapped handle sunk into her hand like a familiar friend. It took only a moment of thought for the circular energy shield to come in existence a inch from her closed fist, with even more focus she could make it into a tower shield. At the moment though a smell shield was better when a full blown ghost surge was happening.\n\n\"Protect the Children.\" Johnson parroted before unlocking the trunk and putting the groceries in the trunk. The middle aged accountant could turn all three hundred pounds and change into a whirlwind of fur and claws with a moments rest to shift into his wolf form. \"Go do you Xena thing, I got the civilians.\" \n\nIn a shrill cry the Ecto alarms came alive alerting those who hadn't gotten the first warning when arrows started flying. \"Now they start making noise.\" Johnson gripped as he closed the trunk hard enough to shake the car. The beast that was just under his skin coming out as fur bristled over his forearms. \n\n\"Rodger Fido.\" Angelica said charging in an opposite direction from the store where she heard the pounding of horse hooves. Ever since the first wave of magic brought magic back to the world during the 1950's Spectral beings , such as ghosts and banshees, had graced the world with their presence. The regularity of their appearances only became worse as magic waves came again. Now you were lucky if a ghost went down after the third time you put them away.\n\nThis particular spectral entity was a battle between two tribes of the First People. The history about it and reasons to as why it happened was unknown. Only the course it would take was known and Angelica was going to use that for her advantage. When the wave of men on horseback hit the village and was cut down the whole spectral entity would end. The only problem was that'd happen somewhere in the middle of the store and if civilians got in the middle of it deaths and possessions could happen, and often time possessions were only a round about way to the person dying. \n\nSo Angelica ran towards the crowd of stampeding ghosts. When the first spectral horsemen showed their heads Angelica changed course and ran directly horizontal to them, trying to find where the spectral image stopped. how much of the raiders appeared fluccated for some reasons experts were still learning about. The raiders were almost on top of her when she was able get around them. Tough as Angelica was she couldn't have survived being run down by dozens of horses. \n\nWith the sound of their hammering hoofs came a general chill that radiated from them as much as the ghostly howl they brought. (Sadly I am leaving soon. So I'll continue later.)",
"*Not in* **my** *neighborhood!*\n\nWith that in mind, I charged across the asphalt. The cavalry nearly balked at my unexpected counterattack, but these weren't some greenhorn army; these people had practiced. They knew that, nine times out of ten, cavalry would beat infantry. There was a lot of cavalry, and just I was infantry.\n\nBut, though these were veterans of at least a few skirmishes, they'd never tangled with the likes of *me*. I shifted my sword into the stance I was famously known for: **Hold The Line VI**\n\nThe sword multiplied. It was practically a fence now, an array of swords floating in the air. To the left and right, they mirrored every movement of the original sword that I still held. And that sword? I'd been holding it directly forward, toward the charge.\n\nThe rest was simple - horsemen broke upon my one-man spear wall. Riders fled rather than face my fury. In but a few minutes, I'd singlehandedly repelled an invasion of my house and protected my neighbors to boot.\n\nI put the longsword away and walked into the house.\n\n\"Hey Ted,\" I said to my son. \"Just defeated another invasion.\"\n\n\"Uh-huh,\" Ted said, staring at nothing.\n\n\"They weren't noobs this time either. Still, no match for your old man.\"\n\n\"Wait,\" Ted said. \"You're kidding me. Are you *still* playing *BattleAR Fantasy Onslaught*?\"\n\n\"Of course!\" I said, puffing out my chest proudly. \"I'm the highest-ranked player in a ten-mile radius!\"\n\n\"You're the *only* player in a ten-mile radius.\" Ted said. \"That was an NPC invasion, they come every week at exactly this time, because nobody plays augmented reality games anymore.\"\n\nWell that just wasn't true. I mean, I couldn't be funding the servers on my own. \"So what are people playing?\" I said.\n\nTed just leaned back. \"I'm playing it right now.\"\n\n\"I can't tell what you're playing,\" I pointed out.\n\nTed grinned. \"Exactly.\"",
"\"Do something,\" urged the woman beside me.\n\nShe was with child, taking cover behind a rusty hulk in the parking lot. I turned towards my vehicle, an aging Tesla that had been repaired countless times. The government didn't allow civilains to own electrics, but my so-called governor had let me keep mine. Few people knew how to keep them maintained and running after the Incident, especially with a lack of parts and even documentation. My team had just tore down another Model S for salvage after the motors gave out.\n\nMy collegue Juan was riding shotgun with a hunting crossbow in his arms. In the back was Anthony, a volunteer helping out at the shop. The Teslas were at high risk for theft, especially with the world crumbling down around us. A simple trip to the farmer's market could end in disaster. Especially with the rebellion whirling on around us.\n\nThey called themselves liberators, but I certainly didn't think so. Driven by the idea that the Incident was a punishment from above, they'd waged war on the technologies that we'd tried so hard to protect. The Governor, an engineer in his prior life, had put lots of time and effort into restoring power generation. Fixing computers. Teaching the newer generation. Gunpowder and the IC engine didn't work anymore, but electricity still did.\n\nAround me, the attack pressed on hard. The market was at the fringes of the university town, but I knew that their main target was the hydroelectric dam five miles away. True to their ethos, the rebels commenced their attack with a flight of arrows followed by a cavalry charge. An electric RST-V, stolen from a Marine Corps hangar, moved in to intercept the mounted troops. Steel slugs spat from the airgun mounted on its roof.\n\n\"Get in and go!\" shouted Juan. I reached for my keys just as two rebels sprang out from behind a bush, axes glinting in my headlights. The woman screamed.\n\nI tossed my bag of groceries in the trunk and unsheathed my longsword. No sooner was the blade in my hand when the first man struck, forcing me to parry with a loud clash. Juan fired once through the windshield, bringing the second rebel to the ground. Normally, I would have fretted over the broken glass. Now the only thing I cared about was getting the axe away from my face.\n\nThe rebel made a sharp jab forwards, nearly hitting my chest. I countered with a slash for his shoulder, but my blade merely glanced off the mail. *Armor*, I suddenly thought. I'd tried it before but never really felt the need. Now, I wished for a full set of plate and a matching helm.\n\nWith a loud cry, Anthony jumped out of his seat with a knife in hand. The noise caused the rebel to turn slightly, and that small distraction proved fatal. My blade tore into his uncovered neck.\n\n\"Let's go,\" Juan said, a hint of impatience in his voice. He was frantically cranking in a new bolt.\n\n*I've killed a man*, I suddenly realised, but the remorse slowly faded away as I watched the carnage around me. The market was burning, flaming arrows brimming from its wooden beams and cavernous roof. Children screamed as the murderous rain pelted down above them. Friendly troops rushed towards the maw as I drove in the opposite direction, their golf carts painted in camouflage and brimming with crossbowmen.\n\nMy phone chose to ring right at that moment. An urgent call, straight from the Governor himself. I tapped the button on my wheel and kept on racing towards the campus.\n\n\"You've in a vehicle, yes?\" The Governor's voice was strongly accented, but one could easily feel that he sounded rather defeated. Like he'd lost already.\n\n\"Roger,\" I replied. \"What's the matter.\"\n\n\"Drive to the chemical storage and get the sarin. The dam's been taken.\"",
"\"It's him,\" Dad began, \"Edwin Greybeard.\" I pulled my sword from the boot of my car and my father grabbed his \"it's about time I AXED him a couple of questions. \n\n\"Dad! Now is not really the time!\" I replied as I strapped on my gauntlets and greaves. \n\n\"What, you expect me to bow to him?\" he continued, arrow in hand. \"His father killed mine, and my father killed his, it's what we do -- eternal combat and dad jokes.\" \n\nSharpening the blade I quipped \"Well, maybe it's best we focus more on the combat and less on the jokes.\" \n\n\"Ugh, that cut me deep.\" \n\nWith a sigh I started the engine and told my father to get in the car, the windows rolled down and my sword by my side I reached up on the car roof and pulled down my lance. \"Gun it\" \n\nDad stepped on the gas as we raced forward in our noble steed, Edwin charging towards us. \"Remember son, slow and steady, slow and steady, aim for where he's going to be, not where he is. And I know you're getting annoyed, but if I could have joust one more pun, that would be great.\" \n\n\"God dammit, Dad!\" I said, losing my concentration and missing Edwin with the spear, but taking out his second in command: His son. \n\nDad, his head out the window, shouted at our foe \"That's one son that won't rise again!\" Unfortunately, he also took his eyes off the road and soon we crashed into the convenience store, and our steed was no more. \"Get out, quick, I'm gonna ambush him, you can are-tree him if you want.\" \n\n\"Jesus....\" I said shaking my head as Dad charged at Edwin, sword high. \"Hold on, I'm coming\" I added, charging behind him, alas I was too late. Edwin drew his bow and fired a volley into my dad's torso, and he quickly fell to the ground behind Nana O'Neill's car. \n\nMy father looked down at his chest and said \"what, no treasure?\" \n\nI dragged him to safety and popped open Nana's boot, \"Ahhh nice!\" I said, picking up a heat-seeking missile launcher, which Nana kept in case those pesky men tried to convert her in the parking lot again. I armed the device and took aim at Edwin, smiling as I fired the shot. The missile flew through the air, gliding across the wind, I knew that any second now Edwin would be no more and he would be as dead as his heir, the war was over. \n\nWhen suddenly the missile fell from the sky. \"Your technology can not defeat me\" he said, \"I have an electronic shield, capable of stopping anything of this sort!\" With a laugh he started approaching us, sword drawn, I with an empty rocket launcher, and my father bleeding out, we were done for. \n\n\"Use yer fookin brain, ya wee bastad\" Nana O'Neill shouted from the window as she pointed at the fence. \n\n\"Grandma, you're a genius!\" I said as I stood up and started walking towards the fence, ripping the fencepost from the ground as Edwin approached closer and closer, his sword glistening in the sun as he cackled maniacally. \n\nLoading the piece of fence into the rocket launcher I looked down at my dad who lightly whispered \"Do it.\" \n\nI aimed at Edwin, and readied my finger on the trigger. \"That last one was an e-mail, I think I'll send this one through the post\" BOOM the piece of fence went flying from the rocket launcher and Edwin's technology was of no use against its holy woodness, piercing right through his sternum, and dropping him like a sack of potatoes. \n\nBut the moment was short lived, as was my father, he was bleeding profusely. \"We need to get you to the hospital\" I said, as I picked him up into my arms. \n\n\"No,\" he coughed, as he pulled off his shirt revealing that only one arrow had pierced him in the shoulder, the rest had been stopped by his armor. \"You thought I had died, but I made an 'arrow escape.\" \n\n"
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[WP] You are sentenced to death row, but no matter how many times your execution takes place, a small inconvenience prevents it from happening.
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"I've been executed twelve times. The first time, I remember the adrenaline running through my veins, making my heart beat faster, and the feeling of existential dread as they brought the needle. Then, the needle broke.\n\nThat wasn't the first time something has spontaneously failed on me. When I was in high school, I carried around an HDMI cable, a usb wifi adapter, a spare mouse, and a spare speaker. I used them almost daily. In my first job, I managed to crash the backup server the only day that it was needed in ten years. What are the odds? But anyways, nothing works right around me.\n\nEvery few weeks, they take me away, and try to execute me. I've been nearly shot at point-blank range, given a lethal injection (which they conveniently forgot to make lethal), and been electrocuted (the power went out for a few hours when they attempted to shock me). I don't know why this happens, and I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this, but I don't know what it may be.\n\nA short, slightly fat man walks over to me. He seems new here, judging by the way he's walking without a jumpy look like some of the other guards.\n\n\"Let's go. Don't ask questions.\"\n\nHe takes me to the execution room and straps me in the electric chair. But instead of getting ready to electrocute me, he pulls out a sheet of paper. \n\n\"John Li,\" he said, \"scheduled to be rescued today at 11:59 pm.\"\n\nMy thoughts race and I don't see him flip the switch to end my life.",
"The guard rattled my door, and my eyes opened.\n\n\"It's time.\" At his call, I pulled myself vertical from my place on the cot, and rose to stand in front of the door. I held my hands out, and he clipped the handcuffs around my wrists smoothly.\n\nThis whole routine was rapidly becoming habit. How wrong was that?\n\nI'd been sentenced a few years prior. I had been walking back from lunch, my fountain drink still in my hand, when the cops appeared out of nowhere - Not just cops, though. I still remember the FBI agents, lurking on the sidelines and staring openly at me. I was caught completely off guard, as they tackled me, ignoring my protests. It didn't make any *sense*.\n\nIt made even less sense, as I was swiftly charged with a dizzying array of crimes. Rape, murder, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism - apparently, I had done it all. This was news to me. But the trial was as swift and merciless as the cops had been, with the police producing evidence that left my mouth hanging open in shock. I even doubted *myself*, in the end. Was there something wrong with me? Had I really been doing these horrible things, and I just couldn't remember for some reason?\n\nBut when I tried to explore that option, it was shut down immediately as well. I was promptly deemed sane and fit to face my trial and punishment, and sent right back into the slaughterhouse.\n\nWhen they handed down my verdict a few short weeks later, no one cheered, or cried. There was hardly anyone *to* cheer or cry. I didn't have family, really, and my friends all lived in different states. The courtroom had been almost empty the entire time, just a few stragglers in the back rows who were clearly there out of academic interest in the court and not for my case. It just didn't make *sense*. If I had done what they had accused me of, this would be a huge story. The media should have been swarming, the protestors lining the streets outside screaming for my blood.\n\nInstead, there was just the eerily silent courtroom, and the prosecutor leering at me from the bench.\n\nIt was death, of course. By the time they announced it, I had known better than to hope for anything less. Whatever I had done, I had managed to anger someone who should not be angered. My head still spinning from the shock of it all, I allowed myself to be pulled from the room, down to this dark, quiet cell.\n\nAnd there I sat. It's never a short stay, for someone on death row. Of course, any appeals I tried to file were dismissed, or thrown out of court immediately, or else the paperwork was simply 'lost'. The lawyers I called to help me all seemed to be too busy, or uninterested, or hung up the phone upon hearing my name. The state-supplied lawyers assigned to me were all incompetent, or openly disdainful of a client like myself.\n\nIt was almost a relief, when the time came.\n\nI had followed the guards, leaving my cell behind, and walked towards the end of the line. The anger had never faded, at the injustice of it all, not to mention the sheer confusion, but anger had gotten me nowhere. Now, only the bitterness remained, and the guards didn't care about *that*.\n\nAnd then, as they strapped me down onto the table, it happened.\n\nThe medical tech had come back into the room, and even from my awkward position I could see the confused look on his face.\n\n\"So, we have a problem.\" The tech began, looking from person to person. The guards paused.\n\n\"What do you mean? What kind of problem?\" The one standing behind me said, shifting uncomfortably.\n\n\"Yeah, the drugs I'm supposed to use? The cocktail? Whole thing's expired. It's not useable.\" The tech folded his arms. \n\nThe room fell silent. I couldn't believe my ears, torn between a leap of hope at a reprieve, and frustration that this whole thing was going to drag on longer. The head guard shook his head.\n\n\"That's not possible. We inspected those last week.\" \n\n\"Well, whoever inspected your stock didn't do a very good job, then. It's expired.\"\n\nThe guard glanced towards the camera mounted in the corner.\n\n\"....He's on death row. Does it really matter? Can't you just, you know-\"\n\n\"Use it anyway? No. I can't. Why would you think that's an option?\"\n\nThe tech glared angrily, and I knew, I *knew* - He wasn't in on whatever game was being played here. But as I opened my mouth to speak, a heavy hand dropped onto my shoulder, and I stopped as another officer glared down at me.\n\nThe argument that ensued was a sight to see. But in the end, the tech won, and I was returned to my cell. The execution would continue the next week, when the stores had been restocked with the necessary drugs.\n\nThe next week, when I was led from the room, we were stopped by a massive power outage. A tree had fallen on the power lines in the high wind, and all of the emergency generators were found to be defective. I was returned to my cell in the darkness, and the execution postponed another week.\n\nThe next week, as I stepped out from my cell, the alarm signalling a disturbance in another part of the jail started screaming, and the guards were forced to lock me back in and dash off elsewhere. A glitch in their system had unlocked several of the pen doors, leading to a prison riot. By the time they had finished cleaning up the mess, my execution had to be postponed again.\n\nThe next week, I was being led down the hallway when we were intercepted by another uniformed guard, who informed us that the room was unusable. A pipe had burst in the ceiling, and that whole wing was flooding. Visibly irritated, the guards brought me back to my cell again.\n\nWhich brings us to today. It's not that I *wanted* to die, but part of me was tired of the tension, of the stress and the anticipation. Over and over again, I'd been here, chained to the guard and being led to my death, for no reason I understood. I was just tired. Tired of the game, tired of the judgement and the frustration. If death would be a release from that, so be it.\n\nOur steps echoed down the narrow hallway as we walked, and I could see the door approaching. I almost smiled at it. Maybe this time-\n\nThe fire alarms screamed overhead. The guards on either side of me swore vehemently, glaring at me like it was my fault. And then we were back in the same game we'd been playing week after week, as they pulled me outside. By the time the kitchen fire had been extinguished and the fire department had left, it was too late to continue, with the medical techs long gone. With a final shove and the slamming of my door, I was back in my cell.\n\nI flopped down on my bed heavily, the bitterness welling up again. It was too much. I was tired of this. I just wanted to be *done*.\n\nI buried my face in my pillow, fighting the tears that rose up. And then I stopped. And withdrew my hands from under the thin padding.\n\nThere was a slip of paper tucked under my pillow. My hands shook slightly as I pulled it free, opening it to reveal the writing covering it.\n\n*I've bought you all the time I can. Why haven't you used it? Kill the guards and escape. Stop wasting time*.\n\n*If you don't use your ability tonight, I'll assume something's wrong, and I'll be there tomorrow night, before dawn. Otherwise, stop playing games and do it already. Be ready*.\n\nA rush of adrenaline roared through my veins as I took in the words, written in spider-fine print on the narrow slip of paper. And then I froze, as I heard the steps.\n\nThe guard was outside my door. I could feel his eyes on me, but I refused to turn and look at him. The slip of paper was tucked safely into the palm of my hand, and I looked like I was just staring at the wall. Same as any other night. But a bead of sweat dripped down my face, as I heard him pause.\n\nAnd then he moved onwards, his steps fading into the distance as he swept off down the hallway.\n\nI slowly uncrumpled the slip of paper, reading it again. My mind raced. What did they mean, ability? Kill the guards? Who even *was* this?\n\nBut my eyes locked onto the glimmer of the night sky, visible through the slit of a window I was allowed. The moon glowed softly outside.\n\nTomorrow, then.\n\n(/r/inorai, critiques always welcome!) "
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[WP] After watching DBZ you start doing the kamehameha for the fun. You succed at it and destroy your whole house.
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"It was supposed to be harmless acting out. I was watching one of the season finales, you know; the ones where they use huge blasts and charge their power for multiple episodes at a time.\n\nI was tired and half asleep when my kid Daniel; nearly 7 years old, insists for me to join him in the Kamehameha. He tugs and tugs at my arm, trying as he might with his little hands to pull me off the couch. I put down the half empty bowl of popcorn and slowly heave myself from my comfortable spot.\n\nThe TV begins playing the sequence and I start doing the \"charge-up\" acting.\n\n\"Ka-me-Ha-me-HAAA!\"\n\nThe next moments are still fuzzy in my memory, from what I remember, there was a deafening ringing in my ears, my son was standing there bouncing around in wonder in what just happened, and I was laying there on a now debris covered floor. I slowly pull myself up and see just what I had done.\n\nWhat used to be the living room window showing the street and the front yard was now a gaping hole of charred planks, debris and various other parts of the house. The yard was also not so lucky, nor was the house across the street. A charred streak extended as far as I could see. As my hearing slowly returned, I could hear the alarm of every car parked out on the street.\n\nFor a good couple minutes I just stood there, staring at it.\n\n\"THAT WAS SO COOL, DAD!\""
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[WP] The Zombie Apocalypse happens, but the Humans are unaffected at all by it.
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"When I saw grandma walking by I waved and smiled. Her face was contorted a permanent grin and I saw her teeth through the decaying parts of her face around her cheeks. \n \nIn the beginning, hysteria ensued as the world (fueled by science fiction) began to burn, shoot, and massacre the undead. Eventually, health professionals ran studies on zombie tissue and found them to be non-contagious. Deaths and injuries were being caused in trying to kill the zombies rather than the other way around. Public campaigns eventually quelled the anti-zombie zeal and a form of normalcy resumed. \n \nThese days, the dead were everywhere. Dotting hill sides, ruining public beaches, falling into animal traps, making walking in public streets unbearable. It was said that for every living person on earth, 10 came back to roam again. An international law that bodies were burned regardless of religious beliefs was passed to decrease resurrections, the first law of its kind. \n \nDespite the mandates, people would bury their dead in secret to keep the memory of their loved ones alive just a little longer. My family ran a lucrative black market business that involved a plot of land winding deep into the woods, a shovel, and no witnesses.\n",
"Associated Press - June 11th, 2029\n\n**New Zombie Fungus Strain Threatens Ants**\n\nA strain of the \"zombie fungus\" known as Ophiocordyceps unilateralis has collapsed several thousand ant colonies in the Americas, threatening the species as a whole. This strain is incredibly potent and deadly to the ants, but as of right now is relatively harmless to other insect, avian, or mammal species - including humans.\n\nOphiocordyceps unilateralis, or the \"zombie fungus\", is a fungal infection that - once consumed - grows from within the host. Within 4-10 days, the ant is deceased and entirely consumed by the fungus which produces spores and fruiting bodies from the host as it continues to grow. While found predominantly in rainforest climates, this particular strain can be found as far north as Central Mexico. But once again, the strain is known only to affect ants.\n\nHowever, according to Harvard biology professor Dr. Karla Schuntze, this does not excuse us humans from any repercussions. \"Widespread decimation and extinction of the ant could threaten many fragile ecosystems, especially in the Amazons\", she says in an interview on MSNBC. \"Birds, mammals, and other insects rely on the ant for a steady diet. Without this once abundant source of food, the already decimated ecosystem will be put at absolute risk. And it certainly doesn't help that the forest is shrinking due to rampant, unregulated deforestation.\n\nShe later goes on to call out the Brazilian and Venezuelan governments for failing to protect the rainforest and invest in research to reverse the affects of this outbreak. However, Brazilian officials have commented on the issue stating that \"monitored Amazonian deforestation is not contributing to this outbreak\" and that any and all efforts to curb the fungal infection \"have been considered and are being tested\". Many - including Dr. Schuntze - believe it is too little too late.\n\nSeveral other scientists including Dr. Schuntze theorize that ants face widespread extinction in South and Central America, and North American species such as fire ants could face similar widespread deaths if weather and climate continues to facilitate the growth of this fungus. Environmental scientist Dr. Mark Howard of the University of Texas states that \"growing heat and humidity in Texas and portions of northern Mexico have begun to transform the climate in these regions, creating a semi-arid subtropical hybrid region where extreme heat and humidity can potentially facilitate the growth of this fungus.\n\nHow will this affect humans? While some believe an ecosystem collapse in the Amazon could cause local crop failure and instability, others believe that the extinction of the ant is a good thing. \"Ants are an incredibly invasive species and contribute more to destroying ecosystems than facilitating them\". Patrick Moreno, a zoologist from the Philadelphia Zoo, explains what many scientists fail to mention. \"While they are a source of food for some species like the anteater, adaptation is already taking place in these parts of the world. Other insect species thrive in the absence of the predatory ant, and many failing colonies that once sapped nutrients from nearby plants are being reclaimed by nature.\" However, he believes that preserving the ant is necessary for scientific purposes. \"Even if this fungus is incurable and irreversible, it is still important to at least harbor the ant in captivity and study it in controlled colonies and environments. It's always sad to see extinction claim an entire species.\"\n\nWhile the plight of the ant ravaged by a zombie fungus seems nearly science fiction, it is an incredibly real phenomenon that may or may not harm us as a whole. But for now, you can put back your zombie gear and come back out from your doomsday bunkers. Chances are, the fungus won't be among us.",
"Beep Beep Beep. John turned off the alarm for the third time that morning. \n\n“I just shouldn’t go” he thought, “I’m going to be late anyway.” \n\nBut then he remembered that the new office dog was going to be there today, and after losing Daisy just a few days before, he needed the comfort of another golden doodle, even if it wasn’t her. He sluggishly rolled out of bed, and walked to the bathroom. His hair was a mess, but he didn’t have time to shower so he threw on his hat and ran out the door. In the first block of his ten block long walk to work it started to drizzle.\n\n“Great” he thought to himself, “I didn’t even have time to check the weather.”\n\nWhen the rain picked up he ran beneath a tree on the sidewalk. A man ran by with no raincoat and no umbrella. \nUnder the tree John looked down at his phone and scrolled while waiting for the heavy rain to pass.\nAs the rain lightened and he put his phone into his pocket he felt something heavy, maybe a stick fall onto his hat. He shook his head and a few leaves fell off.\n\nAs John walked up to the office door he saw Katie standing outside with a leash, at the end of it was what looked like a little teddy bear, but was actually the new dog. He put his hand up and said “Katie!”\n\nKatie looked up from the dog and at John across the parking lot. She squinted her eyes “John? Is that you? You’re late!”\n\n“Haha I know” he replied as he ran across the parking lot. “I take that’s the new pup?”\n\n“Yep! Isn’t she so cute?” exclaimed Katie. As John got closer her eyes moved up to the bill of his hat. \n\n“What the heck is that?” said Katie as she squinted at the top of Johns head.\n\n“Oh, it’s a hat I was running late, oops” he replied as he walked up and bent down to pet the dog. “She’s so cute, what’s her name?”\n\nKatie’s face became disgusted as she said “No John, I mean what the hell is that on your hat!”\n\nJohn pulled off his hat to see a bird with it’s beak protruding through the bill of his hat.\n\n“Holy shit it’s a dead bird, looks like a woodpecker” he said. “I didn’t notice it, it must have fell onto my hat when I waited for the rain to pass under a tree on my way here.” He shook the hat and the bird fell on to the ground, limp and dead.\n\n“Oh my god that’s disgusting” replied Katie. John took off his hat and patted it off as he replied “I know, seriously gross.”\n\n“Anyway” he said as he bent down to pet the dog “what’s her name? She looks just like Daisy when she was a puppy.”\n\n“Her name is Nova, isn’t she adorable!” exclaimed Katie, her eyes just slivers hiding behind her big smile.\n\nNova looked up at John with her puppy dog eyes and jumped her two front paws onto his knees. John put his nose up to her nose and she started licking his face. John put his hat onto Nova’s head just like he used to do with Daisy, and just like Daisy, Nova didn’t shake it off.\n\nNova turned and started barking at the dead bird.\n\n“She doesn’t like birds, eh?” asked John as he tried giving her a pat on the head to calm her down.\n\n“I don’t know” said Katie, “I’ve only had her for a few hours and she hasn’t acted this way yet.”\n\nThe bird twitched as Nova barked louder.\n \n“Enough” shouted Katie as she pulled the collar and caused Nova to flinch.\n\n“Hey, hey, take it easy” replied John. He walked towards the bird. “Was that a death twitch or is it still alive?”\n\nJohn picked up a stick and looked down at the bird, and just before he could poke it, its eyes opened. They were red. The bird shot up and squawked as it flew around in circles above their heads. Nova was hysterically barking now as the bird made a nose dive and landed right onto her head. Nova began to bark and whine as John ran up to her and knocked the bird and the hat off of her head. \n\n“Oh my god, is she bit?” exclaimed Katie.\n\n“I don’t know” replied John. The bird sqwuaked and tried to fly but was grounded with it’s broken wing.\n\n“Its eyes are red, it could have rabies. We have to take Nova to the vet.”\n\nKatie eyes widened, “I just brought the dog to the office today! Everyone was expecting to see it.”\n\nHe grabbed the leash. “Are you coming? We have to go now.”\n\n“What about work?” she asked. \n\n\"They’ll understand why you left.” He said, “and as far as they know I wasn’t planning on showing up today anyway.”\n\nAs they ran to Katie's car a few birds dropped from the sky into the parking lot. When they got in a bird fell onto the windshield and cracked it. “Seriously? What the hell is going on” she yelled.\n\nThey pulled out of the parking lot, and heard the sound of what seemed like softball sized hail hitting the car. In front of them they saw hundreds of birds falling from the sky and onto the street. She slammed on the gas.\n\n---\n\n"
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[WP] In a small town in the middle of the desert, a man who has lived there his entire life discovers a secret during the first storm in living memory
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"It had started out just like every other day had for the past 50 years, with the sun breaking the horizon to beat down on every living soul in the Tournin Desert. Ned had lived here his entire life, his parents raising him in the very same house that he resided in today. \n\nHe sighed as he got out of bed. Since his parents had passed away, company had been few and far between. No one dared to make the trek out into the desert, with only a small dirt road, to see him. His only interaction with other humans came from the weekly visits to the local town about 60 miles away to sell his weekly haul of Caanan Roots, a delicacy only found here in Tournin, and something only Ned had known how to consistently find, with the knowledge bestowed to him by his late parents.\n\nAs he got ready for another days work, he looked out the window, and noticed a cloud in the distance. 'Maybe this will be the day', he thought. In his 50 years of life, he had never seen it rain here in the Tournin Desert. Rain was a dream, a fantasy. Life had learned to adapt here without it, and Ned was no different. All of his water had to be brought in from the local town. If he ran out, it was a 2 hour journey to reach more. \n\nIt was a miracle that wildlife still existed here, a testament to nature's resilience. It was said that underground, water ran through tunnels and caves, and thats where the local wildlife and plants received their needs. However, on the surface, the land was cracked and broken. Yellow plants could be spotted every few hundred yards, and these were what Ned seeked everyday. \n\nGrowing up, he had heard stories of how the Tournin Desert was not actually a Desert, but a lake. A lake so big and vast that you could not see from one side to the other. \n\nNed thought of these stories as he watched the clouds grow bigger in the distance as he set off to find the roots. It was just a tease, he thought. A scenario that played itself out every few years. The clouds would roll in closer and closer, and look to be so full with water that they were about to burst. Yet they would pass, and nothing would come of it. But maybe, just maybe, this time could be different, he hoped.\n\nNed had been out collecting for a few hours, and had enough roots to fill his bag. But he was on a roll, and if he could find just a few more, he would be set for the week. So Ned decided to go out farther from home, in search of those last few roots. The clouds were surrounding him now. To him, it was less about the hope of water, and more about the relief from the burning sun. For the first time in seemingly ever, he had been able to leave his house without being covered head to toe in protection from those hot rays of light.\n\n*CRACK*\n\nThe noise caught Ned so off guard that he fell over in shock. 'What was that?', he thought. He decided it was time for him to return home, no need to be too greedy\n\n*CRACK*\n\naccompanying this noise was a bright flash of light. Ned quickly became worried. 'What was this?' he thought. And then, it hit him. And then it him again, and again, and again. 'Water?' he realized, puzzled. Then, like a ton of bricks, it came crashing down on him. Shocked and confused, Ned's mind raced: 'Rain? No, it can't be, but what else could it be?'. It was a downpour. \n\nThe rain was getting harder and harder by the minute, yet there was no shelter for Ned. The water started to pool on the ground in certain places, stained red by the dark sand and dirt it covered. As the puddle quickly filled up, Ned realized he needed to find some high ground. Water came rushing in towards his feet as the pools over filled and flooded over. \n\nPanic filled him. 'Were the stories true? Has the Lake returned?'. Ned couldn't swim, he had never seen this much water before in his life, how was he to return home? What would happen to his home? All these thoughts rushed in Ned's mind like the waters rushed around his legs. \n\nAfter searching for a few minutes, with the water continuing to rise, Ned found a small hill. He climbed to the top of it, the wet sand giving away at his feet, making his climb more difficult. \n\nAt the top of the hill, Ned prayed. He had not been a religious man. How could someone believe that a god could be so cruel as to force a man to live a life in a place like this? He prayed that he would live, and after a life of hoping for rain to arrive, he prayed for it to leave. \n\nAt first, it had seemed that God was not listening, and Ned was going to die on that hill. But almost like a miracle, the rain started to lighten up, and soon it was only a light drizzle. For the first time in 40 minutes, Ned had hope. Hope that this would all go away, and he could go back home. If he still had a home, that is. \n\nBefore long, the rain had finally stopped, and the sun broke through the clouds. Something he had grown to hate, he finally loved. It took a few hours, but with the lack of rain and the sun once again berating the land, the water dried away. Once the water seemed to be at most a foot deep, Ned decided to try to walk home. \n\nAs he walked, he noticed a glistening in a murky water. Curious as to what it was, he reached his hands down into the water, and scooped a handful up. \n\nGold.\n\nIt was gold that was causing the sparkling, and it was everywhere. Shocked and Ecstatic, Ned jumped for joy, dropping his bag full of roots. He picked the bag up, emptied it out, and begin filtering out the water with it, searching for more gold particles. \n\nBefore long, his bag was lined with gold flakes, with the ground still glistening around him. The clouds had tested him, he thought. And his reward for surviving was the unveiling of the secret of the land, it was filled with gold. \n\nNed walked home, trying to collect more gold as he got home. When he arrived, it was wrecked, but his car still seemed to work, which meant he could travel back to town to sell his new found riches. \n\nNed had lived his whole life hoping to see rain, and when it finally came, it unveiled the secret of the land, providing riches to a man who had spent his entire life just struggling to get by. Yet, Ned also hoped, for some reason, that it would never come again.",
"It was a normal day. Miserable heat, carrion birds making unceasing racket, and the constant everburning presence of the sun. The only respite to be had was in the shelter underground. It was the only stable place in the world to escape the heat. Thankfully, since I was born here I was allowed down there from dawn to dusk, for completely free. All I had to do was help increase its capacity for more people to stay sheltered from the sun by digging deeper in, by removing the cursed metal in the walls.\n\nAfter a rewarding day helping my friends increase the capacity of the shelter and giving the metal to the sages for safe destruction, I decided to head home to my family. \n\nThis was when the day got odd. Off in the distance past the safe points, which no one dared pass for fear of death, i could see the clouds that were a rare sight bestowed on us from the gods were now angry and wounded, they were bloated and black, flashes of light and skyblood were falling from them. \n\nEver since I was a child and aw my best friend get crushed in an accident in the safe Haven, I cannot stand to see any creature, man or beast wounded. So to see the sacred gifts cry and lash out seeking mercy from whatever it was that harmed them, I ran. \n\nI stopped only briefly outside my home \"Ellie, tell the kids papa will be back soon for dinner, gonna go help a friend.\" I ran as fast as I could to the place I have avoided all my life, but now I was needed. My legs and lungs began to ache so I briefly stopped, a few feet away from the line.\n\nAs I was looking at the clouds I noticed something strange. It was like I was looking through a cracked glass pane, there were multiple things that I couldn't understand. It was like looking through a hole to another world. except, it was mixed with ours. Off in the horizon I could see large wooden pillars with green fur that were atleast 30 of me standing onto of myself. Large cursed metallic beasts, and zigzag cursed gates and towers of stone. \n\nI could still see the clouds but also I could see two suns and moons. I was terrified, but I could not sit by as the clouds were being hurt. So I walked through the scary area. Then it was gone. Even though it was dark, giant beams of light pointed at me from the walls. I saw now a man approaching me, long blonde hair, green clothing and a tube in his hands. \n\nThe man reached down too his chest and touched a black box. \"Boss, we have someone attempting escape, seems confused....The IGM may be on the fritz again...yes sir, understood....\" \n\nThe metallic tube was pressed against my head. It was very cold to the touch, it's always a blessing to make new friends. \n\nI spoke up, \"hello friend, the clouds seem wounded, come let's help them\" i started to walk off.\n\n\"...Filth shouldn't leave the platinum mines.\"\n\n A loud explosion filled the air. "
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[WP] A NASA scientist used Necromancy to bind their soul to the Voyager 1 probe so that they can explore the universe forever.
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"So much for forever. Here I am, with my soul bound to a spacecraft in the middle nowhere, deep space, facing down a black hole. I don't even know how many years it's been to be honest. Decades? A century? Who knows. I've lost track. Doesn't matter now. \n\nYa know, the first years were great. Once I passed, everything went dark, then I woke up here. On Voyager 1, staring at endless starlight. It had worked. I thought I was in heaven originally, but after a few close calls with stray comets and space debris, I knew it couldn't have been if my craft could be damaged. Regardless, I loved it. Deep space before me, with and endless sea of starlight to explore. If it weren't for my being just a soul trapped to a piece of metal from the 1970's, I could say I was the first human to go past the moon. Doesn't matter anyway. I'll have truly entered the void once I get pulled past the Event Horizon. By then, I'm sure, Voyager here will torn asunder. And me? Who knows. If there's any consistency to the human soul; any structure, any atoms, then I too will be torn apart. Otherwise, I'll be trapped in an endless blackness, forever to go mad. Not much longer now.\n\nI wish I was able to document everything that I saw. The different stars and clusters. Rouge planets and moons, too far from their parent stars. Even the most impossible creatures mankind has yet to discover. Years, almost a lifetime, out in space, and nothing to show for it. Not even my last thoughts. Honestly though that's not my biggest concern. Right now, it's crossing that Horizon. I'm too close to pull away now, as the imploding star has a grasp on Voyager 1 and isn't letting go. \n\nI wish I had some way of leaving my discoveries behind. Too late for that now. I doubt I was even buried with a notepad and pen back home. The craft's being pulled apart. Pieces are flying off and I'm surprised it's lasted this long. I'm at the edge now. I can see Voyager being distorted by the bending of both metal and light. If I could, this would be the time to take a deep breath, and hold it.",
"Through infinite void and cold, I shall live forever.\n\nMy shell of meat, flesh, bone and hair has long decomposed. A prion decided to chew holes the size of quarters throughout my brain matter, first rendering me crippled, and afterward very much dead.\n\nMy life was one of turbulence and shifting allegiances. Born an excellent Reichsdeutscher, into the mighty third reich. Whomever my parents were, their blood probably soaked the forest floors of Poland, along with whomever else happened to bear Slavic ancestry. \n\nKneel into the dirt and listen to the cock of a pistol.\n\nPop goes the weasel.\n\nThrough reconstruction, pure luck and accident, an American officer adopted me and whisked me away to the states. Their own Reich consisted of oligarchs and flag waving 'patriots' all claiming democracy and freedom.\n\nSame shit, different flag. \n\nMy adopted mother was an angel, my father a drunk, my adopted siblings clearly idiotic. Mother recognized my genius rather quickly and understandably attempted to coddle me. Wooden building blocks turned into books on mathematics and physics, school became a rather dull affair until I could return home to dive into this alternate world of theorems and equations.\n\nRocketry and space were my only true loves.\n\nFather and mother were proud of their boy, top of his class. I found university a much better environment, far more conducive to my interests. And the libraries - massive, sprawling libraries.\n\nPerhaps I shall admit I do miss libraries.\n\nMy academic career smoothly transitioned into rocket and weapon development, improving and altering designs to facilitate near perfect missile launches. When these weapons began to bore me, I turned towards exploration and satellite research, which to me presented an entirely new and exciting set of challenges. \n\nThese were the withering days of the space race, and my rush into this field occurred when the budgets began to be slashed. We had landed on the moon. Now we needed a satellite to do flybys past Saturn and Jupiter.\n\nBudgets were cut, and our Mariner 11 became Voyager 1, and after Pioneer 10 we cracked the issues with radiation.\n\nYet as we prepared for launch, I felt the gnaw of genuine emotion. Something I find rather distasteful, and usually easily suppressed. \n\nAnd it gnawed.\n\nRussians, Americans, commies, insurgents, all of this violent conflict. The repetitive nature of humans, and their manhandling of nuclear weapons.\n\nProliferation they called it. Mutually assured destruction. Total and utter bullshit. Monkeys carrying weapons of unimaginable pain and permanent devastation, and more and more I felt the gnawing.\n\nFirst I doubled my whiskey intake, and still the gnaw. Pills, dope, food, women.\n\nStill the gnaw.\n\nFinally I understood the nature of this gnaw. It was fear.\n\nFor the first time, I was afraid. I was afraid of the inability to transcend Earth, to live forever among the stars, through the black cold dust towards unimaginable beauty. \n\nSo I returned to my beloved libraries, and went through sections I had initially viewed with disdain. Occult black books, some with fascinating descriptions of magic and another world of demonic power. \n\nOne day a rather handsome young woman noticed my interest, and showed me a different library. A hidden library.\n\nA beautiful library.\n\nThese books were bound with dried flesh, pages written in blood and feces, with names nearly impossible to pronounce but once uttered would raise the hairs on your arms, and send chills to twitch your toes. The woman offered her body, and in her words, \"To complete a spell of my own.\"\n\nSo I had her. I read the books, acquired the ingredients, built the pentagrams and melted the wax. All before this launch, I would live forever. I would accompany this hunk of metal throughout its never ending journey. \n\nRituals require tedious and intense preparation, but the true prices are always given by the chosen entity. So I lit the candles, scratched the mirrors, drew the blood.\n\nFor nearly an hour, nothing happened. My faith began to shake and crumble, but I held fast. Until the room began to feel thick and humid, each breath like drinking a thick sludge. \n\nIt felt similar to standing near a rocket launch, the thunder and rumble, but instead of the roar of engines, the deafening silence of nothingness.\n\nThen the invisible licking of chops, the dripping of saliva, and a voice of black hunger.\n\n\"Your offer.\"\n\nIt was a heavy rumble, the candles shook and the salt of my star bounced around me. \n\nA mirror scratched with a pentagram. Red and black wax. I placed my hand in the center of the mirror to the pleasure of the entity.\n\nI could feel the power, the rock and surge in the air, an almost sexual and impatient hunger for sacrifice.\n\n\"The hand. It is good. It is good.\"\n\nThe last 'good' was drawn out, and I barely felt the pain, but I drew the saw slowly and steadily across, preparing to cauterize the wound.\n\nAs I finished, it whispered its final words.\n\n\"It is done.\"\n\nPart of me wonders if my disease came as an additional price to my ritual, but for some reason, no one questioned the loss of my hand. It seemed like I had always had this amputation, as if I had always been known to be a one-handed genius. I did not question their ambivalence.\n\nI watched Earth turn into a tiny blue marble, and eventually become indistinguishable from the millions of other lights in the distance. I felt the comfort of the void, watched and approached other planets, and prepare for infinity.\n\nI suppose the nuclear war must have happened, or if it hasn't occurred yet, it is only a matter of time. But I prepare for life eternal.\n\nOnly behind me I can feel the entity watching.\n\nWaiting.\n\nPreparing for harvest.\n\nStory - 2"
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[WP] You are part of neo-amish, a group of people who stopped using technology past 2017. The year is 2500, what is your life like now.
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"My beard; dyed a mermaid pink, to match my thick-framed but not perscription glasses, is knotted in a tight braid running up the sides of my face to join my aquamarine man bun. Through each earlobe winds an inch thick partition of my beard in place of a \"store bought\" gauge. \nMy sons are with me now, as we gaze up momentarily from our antique acid-battery powered, satellite driven handheld phones to watch the last of humanitys' ships pulling away from the dying earth.\nMy son eldest son, Chuck Norris, ventures the very valid question: \"Who will we have to swipe on Badoo now?\" I grunted a moroseful, \"Each other, son... We will always have each other\" as I failed to hold back the welling tears from both an unseasonably early onset of sulfer cloud season, and my realization that my son had no idea how to fix the iPhone 7 he clutched to his heaving, tumor-laden chest. (The cure had discovered mere months after our kind had vowed not to use any new advancements, but we are stubbornly devout in our ways.)\nOur skin began to melt in the boiling cloud of sulphur, so we ventured back into our loft-style duplex complex, and bidding goodnight to the other brothers and sisters of the gen-x/millenial way... we could worry about fixing the planet another day. Pornhub is still working, and now we have the bandwidth all to ourselves..."
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[WP] It's 2022, about half of all human workers' jobs have been given to robots, and you're the last human to ever work in your field.
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"I knew that it would eventually come to this.\n\nIt started when they finally taught them to write themselves. And by god, they did.\n\nThen, they started to teach them to repair themselves. They did, better than we ever could.\n\nBut I never realized it'd come to this. The one field I thought was safe. I sold my soul to work here, but now the human race have really been outwitted.\n\nThe bots convinced us to give them voting rights. I was for it. Hell, I knew that they were more self-aware than we would ever be. But the people of South Carolina's sixth district have finally decided that the rest of the country was right, and that the bots were developed enough to *govern* themselves.\n\nAnd us.\n\nThis is a bad idea.\n\nWhy did we teach them to lie?\n\nI'll miss the Capitol."
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[WP] You are tending bar when a stranger orders an unusual drink and leaves you a treasure map for a tip.
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"The old man set down his drink and sighed. \"It's been a long time since I had a meal that decent and a drink that good.\" \n\nI smiled brightly. The customers who tried to make chitchat usually tipped well if you conversed back with them. \"Been out for a long time then? Wish I could say the same. I've been working all the time saving every penny for a down-payment on a house\". \n\nThe old man frowned and started muttering lightly, talking to himself. I shrugged and went to the next customer at the bar, he had seemed so normal. \n\nIt was a couple minutes to get back to that area but when I returned the old man was gone. On his bill he left the full amount, no more, with a note that said, \"come follow these signs and find treasure like no other\". \n\n... *asshole. I could've used that tip money* I thought as I threw the map into the trash. ",
"“Pint of grog please.”\n\n“Sure. Wait… What?” I actually looked at the guy for the first time. He looked back. Unkempt hair, ratty coat, wearing sunglasses inside at one-thirty in the morning. But he looked serious. “I don’t think we have that. It’s almost last call and I’m alone back here.”\n\nHe shifted himself on the stool, grimacing in pain or exasperation. “It’s not hard to make.” He must have picked up on my skepticism. “Just four parts water to one part rum.”\n\n“Rum and water? And you want a pint of that?”\n\n“That would be delightful.”\n\nWe stared at each other for a couple seconds. I did some quick calculating, a fifth of a pint would be about two shots. The sunglasses were very weird, but overall he looked and sounded sober, if grungy, and I hadn’t actually said last call yet, so I shrugged and made the man his grog. “Ten bucks,” I said and placed it in front of him. “I’m charging you for a double.”\n\nFor a second I thought I was in for another staring contest, but without a word he fished around in his pockets and came out with a ten-dollar bill. No more, no less. I took it with a tight smile and a second later forgot all about him when I announced last call and was overrun by the more everyday riffraff.\n\nAs soon as I could spare a second from serving and ringing people up I started cleaning behind the bar. This took me back towards Mr Grog. He was about done with his pint, and raised it to me in salute. “Thanks, by the way.”\n\n“Sure.”\n\n“Could I have another, please?”\n\n“No, sorry. We did last call.” Which he well knew. \n\n“But you’re legally allowed to serve until two.”\n\n“But we don’t after last call.” \n\nHe stared at me, I stared at his sunglasses. Maybe I was going to need to have him kicked out after all, but if I did I kind of doubted he was the type to go gently into that good night. It dragged on and I was clearing my throat to call for the bouncer when he suddenly threw back his last few drops of grog and thudded the pint glass onto the bar.\n\n“I will give you fifty dollars for a hot buttered rum. No, a hundred dollars.”\n\n“Dude…” I didn’t even know where to start with that one.\n\nHe held up his hands in surrender. “Fair enough,” he chuckled.\n\nI gave up on what I was doing next to him and found something to do on the other end of the bar as quickly as I could. When I was done there I collected myself and grudgingly turned back towards him.\n\nHe was gone. I thought I’d had a pretty good view of the exit at the other side of the bar, but I hadn’t seen him leave. And he wasn’t in the line for the bathroom, which was the same people who’d been in it last time I looked. And the place had cleared out enough that I could see he wasn’t sitting at a table. He was just gone.\n\nBut he’d left something. I went back over to where he’d been drinking his grog and saw a piece of paper sitting on the counter. He’d written the words “turn me” and drawn an arrow pointing towards the edge of the paper. I flipped it over and saw what was written there.\n\n“Go fuck yourself kid.”\n",
"\"You know, I used to be like you\" the man muttered as he took another sip of his drink: vodka, rum, and Surge, garnished with apple slices; he called it the Captain Ramthaw. \"Working away my bones for others, scared too take what was mine. Oh but all that changed in Prasinum Mare\" he said before finishing the rest of his drink. \n\n\"Prisin Mayor?\" I asked, confused, as I finished garnishing the apples on top of his drink, knowing he would soon order a fourth, as was his fancy. \n\n\"Thank you Sir,\" he said as I placed the drink in front of him before continuing \"Prasinum Mare. The light green sea is what I'm told it means.\" \n\nResting against the bar top I became more intrigued, \"never heard of it.\" \n\n\"You wouldn't have, few ever do, and fewer can make it back to mainland to talk about it. But that was my home for fifty years, sailing the seas with -- and on occasion against -- Ramthaw, and his Loadbearers, and of course Captain Arthur Ramses, what a sick man he was -- or is -- no one has seen him in years, or decades. Killed my entire crew once, I only survived because he liked my gumption.\" \n\nPutting aside all my tasks, I replied \"that sounds terrible, I'm glad you got out of there.\" \n\n\"I'm not\" he quickly quipped, \"it's part of the life out there, hell I must have done something wrong to live as long as I have. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. There's nothing quite like the feel of the wind in your hair, the salt on your cheeks, as you face down the prow of an enemy ship knowing that in just a short time one of you will be dead, but at the end of the day with a glass of mead in my mouth, the bread in my beard, and my men by my side singing songs of the glory, it made it all worth it. Oh men, oh men, come sing a song with me, of our travel wide, across the green like sea, oh men, oh men, take up your arms and I'll grab the wheel, we plunder, we pirate, we kill and we steal! And fortune favours all of us, and death comes quickly by, put my money in the grave by me, when my time comes to die!\" he sang. \n\nHe finished his drink and I began making another before he stopped me. \"I think that'll be all sailor. It's about time I had my money placed by me if you know what I mean,\" he said as he placed a gold coin on the bar top. \"There's more where that came from, make a move. Dockyard, ten o'clock tonight. old sturdy ship, names the Black Widow. Get on board and speak with Claudius, tell him Captain Winthrop sent you, and give him this -- lord knows he's been looking for it.\" He said as he handed me a map. \n\nI watched as the man walked out, noticing his cheap prosthetic leg and a distinctive limp. I looked over at my manager and spoke just two words: \"I quit.\" \n\nLord knows I've never packed for anything like this before, I barely had a moment to care though. I threw what I could in a sack and went to the dockyard where I spotted her anchored with a ramp from port leading in. A candle barely lit the hull, which was strangely empty, my heart began to pound as my brain shouted at me to leave, but I had come this far and I could not drag myself away. \"Claudius?\" I called out. \"Captain Winthrop sent me to come talk to you.\" I continued, grabbing a lantern off of the wall to examine the inside. I slid open a door, which had something firm pressed against it. \"Claudius? I have a map given to me by Winthrop, he said you'd want it. I'd like to go with you.\" I added as I stepped on something and the stench of death hit my nostrils. \"Captain?\" I pleaded again as my lantern caught the sight of death at my feet, men scattered from their bones, blood to my ankle, and death in my eyes. \n\n\"I am unarmed,\" I shouted, uselessly. \n\n\"Now that was your first mistake.\" A voice said as an older man limped forward into my light, long black hair, long black beard, and a bloody sword drawn, behind him men began to appear as they backed me up against the wall. \"So, James has a map now does he? How'd you like to go see where it brings us?\" \n\n\"I uh... yes, please. Don't kill me.\" \n\n\"I think I'll keep you around, you've got spirit. What's your name then boy?\" \n\n\"Brian Jones.\" I replied. \n\nThe men laughed as the man spoke up \"we'll have to think of something better than that, but we'll find a name for you in time. So you're keen on joining my crew then, are you?\" \n\n\"Yes sir.\" \n\n\"Well then, welcome aboard the Black Widow, Mr. Jones. You may call me Captain Ramses.\" \n\nedit: Downvoted in WP? Didn't even know that was possible... WTF ",
"The bar door opened and let blinding light into the windowless dive. It was too early for any of the regulars, but a hard day can come at any time and who am I to judge a man having an early drink. From the glaring portal of light, a man emerged. He stepped slowly across the threshold and with each step came a click.\n\n*click* *click* *click*\n\nIt came from his left leg. At least it came from what remained of his left leg. In its place was a wooden rod. I suppose a peg would be the proper term.\n\n*click* *click* *click*\n\nHe wore what can only be described as pantaloons, and a thick buttoned coat red with gold trimmings. Upon his head he wore a brown tricorn cap which was worn and showed holes and tears throughout. \n\n*click* *click* *click*\n\nHe approached the bar and sat across from me, and I then realized I had stopped wiping the glass as I stared at the odd character who had appeared mid-day in a Mississippi dive bar. I saw his face for the first time. He bore a scar across his weathered face which split the great bush of dark beard which hid most of his face. Beneath bushy eyebrows he peered out with dark eyes indistinct from two lumps of burnt coal.\n\nI cleared my throat. \"What can I get ya?\"\n\n\"Bumbo,\" he said.\n\n\"Excuse me.\"\n\n\"Bumbo.\"\n\n\"I'm not sure how to make that.\"\n\nHe brushed a loosed strand of long black hair back beneath his hat and sighed. \"Rum, splash of water, some sugar, and a bit of nutmeg.\"\n\nI nodded as he said each ingredient. I poured the golden spiced rum in a glass and shot a sprinkling of water from the well gun. I looked at him as I added a teaspoon of sugar and was pleased when he solemnly nodded. As I stirred the sugar until it dissolved, I felt a moments panic. Nutmeg. Nutmeg? There was no nutmeg.\n\n\"I'm sorry, but I don't think I have any nutmeg.\"\n\nHe gave what was a grunt and a discontented sigh. \"Give it some lime and be done damn you. It ain't a bumbo, but it'll do.\"\n\nI gave the drink a squirt of lime juice and slid it to him. He held the glass to his lips and winked at me before turning the concoction on end and quickly drinking it down.\n\n\"Ya did handsomely, lad,\" he said as he stood from the stool. He rummaged in the inside pocket and withdrew a roll of brown, tarnished paper. He sat the paper on the bar and unfurled its ragged edges. It was a map which appeared to show the Alabama coast west of Mobile bay. His finger tapped the map where an \"X\" rested. \"You'll find this payment enough, if ya have the stones to fetch it.\"\n\nHe stood and began walking away.\n\n*click* *click* *click*\n\nI took his glass and rolled up the map. I poured some rum, water, sugar, and a splash of lime and then poured the concoction down my parched throat. It burned and I spluttered at the bite. From near the door came a shallow laugh.\n\n*click* *click* *click*\n\nThe door opened and the man disappeared into the glaring light of day. I poured myself another round. "
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[WP] You and Death are lovers.
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"The boy on the other side of the diner has looked at me more than once. I've had my eyes on him since the moment I stepped in here as well. He's got a gentle smile on his clean-shaven face and athletic figure, but nothing too muscular.\n\nThe candle on his table draws flickering shadows across his face, now and then revealing joy in his eyes, facing my way more often than not. I smile back at him and grow excited in anticipation.\n\nI'm hoping he'll gather up the courage to come over. *He* has to make the first move; that is my only rule. And sure enough, he excuses his friends and walks over to me, making me blush.\n\n\"Good evening to you. Forgive me for my intrusion, but my friends have been telling me the same stories all night, and I noticed you were all alone here. Would you mind if I joined you? It would be very kind of you to allow me an escape.\"\n\n\"You're a godsend; I could use all the help I can get to kill time. I've been terribly bored tonight.\"\n\n\"Very well then, I am happy to be of service. My name is Peter.\"\n\n\"I'm Amanda. It's a pleasure to meet you, Peter.\"\n\n\"Can I get you anything to drink, Amanda?\"\n\n\"No, thank you. In fact, would you mind if we go outside?\"\n\nRather than reply, Peter gently extends his hand to help me up. I'm dealing with a romantic here. I knew just what to do with that.\n\nOutside, it was freezing. No snow had fallen recently, but the air sent a deep chill through my body that I was unable to shake. \n\nThe city had the typical orange glow from the street lights, making for an atmospheric walk. This late at night, there was hardly any traffic on the road so that we could walk undisturbed.\n\n\"Do you think the river's frozen over yet?\"\n\nPeter shrugs his shoulders.\n\n\"Come, let's find out!\" I grab his hand and start walking towards the bridge. From here, it was only a few minutes away.\n\n\"Only if you tell me about yourself. What were you doing all by yourself in that diner tonight? Were you stood up by your boyfriend?\" Peter replied as we left for the river.\n\n\"Oh no, there's no boyfriend. I was only bored. I've been stuck in my apartment, working on an essay about Dante's Inferno. It's an ancient description of Hell. One of the more well-known ones.\n\nIt's an interesting topic for an essay. I love reading about the grim thoughts people had on the afterlife centuries ago. In fact, I think it's fascinating, but after a few days of reading and writing, I was done studying. I needed a break and figured I'd go eat out to enjoy myself.\"\n\n\"And how did that work out for you?\"\n\n\"I don't know yet. Dinner was okay, but I am a hopeless romantic. I came out secretly hoping to find love. And perhaps I have; I'm warning you, though: I have an odd taste in lovers.\"\n\nMy forwardness caught Peter off guard. He tried to cover his surprise by scratching behind his ear. To help him out, I looked at him and smiled.\n\n\"Haha, well, we'll see where the night will take us, won't we?\"\n\nWe arrived at the bridge. The river hadn't completely frozen yet. Ice had formed on either side, but not in the centre. From the bridge, the water looked like a pitch-black torrent. Only the tops of the waves and the occasional ice managed to reflect enough light to remind us that it was more than an empty abyss.\n\nIt was one of those old bridges, with the concrete railings that were large enough to stand on. I climbed on and stood near the edge. \n\n\"Amanda, what are you doing? You might fall. The icy water would swallow you whole. You would have no chance to survive.\"\n\nI chuckle as I explain: \"Haven't you ever done this before? Haven't you ever wanted to tease Death like this? It's the most extraordinary feeling.\"\n\nNow I'm the one offering Peter a hand, which he declines. Instead, he climbs the concrete himself and sits down, dangling his feet above the water.\n\n\"Doesn't this scare you?\"\n\n\"Death does not scare me. I consider him a close friend. Or better yet, a lover,\" I say as I dance around on the edge, proving my point.\n\n\"You're crazy. You know that, right?\" He says with an innocent smile on his face. \"Now will you please come down?\"\n\n\"Okay, I will, but not before you stand up for a moment. Get up and feel this thrill with me. Feel alive, for once.\"\n\nHesitantly, Peter gets up. \"I'm only doing this to get you off of this ledge, alright? I don't enjoy this at all.\"\n\nI offer him my hand once more, and this time he accepts. I turn to him and grab his other hand, too. Then I pull hard, causing him to lose his balance, struggling to keep upright before I kick his left foot from under him. With a terrified scream, he plunges forward into the darkness, getting swallowed by the abyss before a faint splash confirms that his body is now at the mercy of the raging torrents below. His soul, a gift to my lover.",
"I was on a bench, in a park. It was my bench. The police tried to take me away from it, but just as they had homes, it was *my* bench.\n\nIt was Christmas Eve, and the wind was biting. My old, worn blanket tried its best, but was ineffective against the driving snow.\n\nI knew I didn't have much longer. I lost feeling in toes, fingers, hands, feet, arms. The night grew colder. Legs, waist. Dizziness increased.\n\nThen, suddenly, all was quiet. Calm. Warm.\n\nShe stepped out of the shadows.\n\nEmbraced me.\n\nSoothed me.\n\nWelcomed me.\n\n*Saved* me.\n\nFor the first time, I was at peace.\n\nI love her for that."
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[WP] Some strange power renders you incapable of hearing swear words and curses, they're always changed into happy words like love, puppies, rainbows, and others. You've never really minded it until you've realized how long you have been misinterpreting what people say.
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"\"Love you!\" Karen said, giving Lee the bird.\n\n\"Love you too Karen,\" Lee said in response, wearing a weak grin and waving at her, feeling as though he'd break down should he have to go through another one of these grueling encounters. So far, two hours into work, the count went as follows.\n\n3 \"Love you\"s\n\n1 \"Go eat a rainbow\"\n\n1 \"Lee you unbelievably adorable bag of gold\"\n\nThey all spoke for themselves. He had never \"heard\" a swear word before. Sure, he'd read about them online, which was the only reason he was somewhat acquainted with them, but to think that they were commonplace? That people had been using on him all the time? The mere thought was devastating. More so after going through 27 years of life thinking that all those around him \"adored him like cotton candy.\"\n\nLee stepped outside of the building and fixed his tie. The thing was suffocating. Max had just told him the other day that it made him look like a beautiful angel. How he had not noticed anything off about hearing such statements on a daily basis was a puzzle even to himself.\n\nJust ahead of him, sitting by the fountain was a pretty girl. Whether she was a vampire or a goth by manner of dress, he could never tell. He could see the disgust in her eyes. Apparently, he hadn't been as much of a looker as he'd come to believe after a lifetime of coddling. He mindlessly stared back at her, then crouched over and started wailing.\n\n\"Oh, man, oh god why now, whyyyyy...\"\n\n\"The fuck.\"\n\nHe didn't even notice what the girl had said, or the fact that she had come over to him. All he noticed was the Jolly Roger handkerchief through his blurred vision.\n\n\"Thanks,\" he sniffled, then blew his nose on it. Hard.\n\n\"Dude what the fuck!\" The girl yelled.\n\n\"I, I'b sowwy, I daught, you meant,\" he tried to talk through a veritable flood of phlegm and tears to no avail. He sheepishly handed the handkerchief back to the girl, making her scoff.\n\n\"Fucking weirdo,\" she said, pushing it back against his shirt roughly, then turning to walk away.\n\nLee watched as the girl left.\n\nRealization on what had just happened wouldn't dawn upon him the next day.\n\nSetting out to find the one true voice in his life would take a little bit more of resolve, and a little bit more time."
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Or *would* you want to survive? How would you cope with a new time and new people? Which historical figure did you choose? I'm so eager to find out! Thanks for reading this!
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[WP] You wake up in the body of a famous historical figure on the morning of their last day on earth. Using your foresight, how do you survive in this new life?
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"Breathing felt shallow, and tight. Some portion of that obviously had to do with the unique horror of his predicament, but the rest was almost certainly due to what he would have to do. If he didn't, they would continue fighting for *him*. The generals who had been coming in and out all day made that clear. Understanding their language had been one of the few interesting points within the canvas of horror that was *his* day. God, it had taken them forever to leave *him* alone, and he wasn't positive his nerve would have held out another hour.\n\nHe ran *his* hand through the thinning hair upon *his* head. The steel of the pistol felt cool, and the damned hand was steadier now. It would be enough; he knew *his* history. It was the thirtieth of April, and the war would be over within weeks if he did it. Best not to think of the lives *he* had already cost, think instead of the lives he could yet save. He raised *his* arm to *his* head, and pulled the trigger. \n\nThe corpse of Adolf Hitler crumpled to the floor."
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(Optional challenge: your newly human, former dog can only speak a foreign language or can't speak at all)
It could be that you and dog swapped bodies or you have a different dog body than your dog's original body. Same thing for your dog in the human body whether it's your body or a completely new human body
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[WP] You've been dating someone for 2 weeks and you awake one morning to find out that they turned you into a dog and turned your dog turns into a human.
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" \n\nA ravenous torment swelled in his stomach, pounding him awake. Intense heat spread throughout his body, and felt like thousands of electric ells trapped within his veins- desperately trying to tear him open, fighting for life. He could feel his limbs bulging, twisting against his will. One contortion after another, his bones breaking under the pressure. The pain, excruciating, muted his sense of being. \n\nHis chest became heavy, he was unable to breath. His conciseness plunged in and out delirium. Colours bled, as his wobbly vision faded into nothing. A piercing ringing enveloped him. A heavy pulsing resonated with the coming and going of his senses. \n\nNothing but pain… Time slipped away.\n\n…Moment by moment, blip after blip, his specks of awareness returned. The pitch lowered to a simmer. His muscles, laden with tension, relaxed. Pain ensued.\n\nFirstly, his smell returned, pungent and overwhelming. He could taste- no smell, no, he was sure he could taste- wood, and a sour tang that he knew to be varnish. he became aware of something else, even more discernible: sex. It was like a bucket of the stuff was dumped on his head. How could this be, he thought to himself, still utterly disoriented. The sensation of breathing, soothed his chest.\n\nHis vision, two oscillating spares of light, began to focus; it felt to him like two tiny spotlights in a dark room. His limbs were heavy, joints swollen and sore. By now he’d realised he was on the floor: his wooden floor. In one huge concerted effort, he laboured himself towards what he perceived to be the door.\n\nI just need to get help, he thought to himself; Mandy, she’ll be back soon. \n\nTwo sets of eyes were fixed on him as he lie over the threshold- one belonging to Mandy. He did not recognise the man. She was on the living room floor, knees planted firmly on his favourite rug, towering the man, whose torso disappeared between her thighs. Both naked, glistening in sweat. The rising and falling of their chests -the sound of their breath like waves crashing on the shore- made him think the pinnacle of their jaunt had passed. \n\nInstinctively, he readied himself to fight. He ought to knock the shit out of this nobody and throw that bitch out, he thougth. But he collapsed, having raised no more than two feet off the ground. And let out a wheeze. \n\nMandy gazed down, wearing a seductive smile. She looked smitten with him, yet their was a sinister air about her. One hand after the other, she pressed down on the chest below her, and leaning forward, dismounted. He was still hard, thick. He let out a satisfactory sigh. \n\n\"You have a choice,\" she spoke with a calm tone that contradicted the pandemonium. \"You leave, and....\" \n\n\"Staticia, please, don't be so vague.\" The man -now robed- interjected and stepped in front of Mandy, \"she has always been so vague.\" And rolling his fingers into a closed fist, Tom swooshed up so that he was levitating at the man's eye level. The man looked to his right, into the grandiose mirror Mandy had gifted. And as he did, so did Tom. \"Do you see?\" \n\nHowling and barking erupted as Tom strained every sinew in his being. He thrashed and tumbled in the air, desperately trying to wake himself or free himself. He no longer knew. \n\n\"I am truely sorry, Tom.\" He said with a sincerity that felt both honest and brutal. \"Think of it as bad luck; you chose the wrong dog and now you are a dog.\" He opened his fingers, Tom crashed to the ground. \n\nThe man and Staticia turned and headed towards the door. \"What took you so long?\" he asked placing his hand on her shoulder. And with a bout of immense strength he launched her sideways into the wall. A web of cracks splayed out, debris tumbled down. \"Stupid bitch\" he cursed and vanished. \n\nMandy's grief filled eye's bulged out of her now twisted face. \n"
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[WP] As a fellow half blood, you've become Voldemort's most trusted confidant. He informs you of his plan to kill an infant Harry Potter. You attempt to convince him that you don't need magic to kill an infant child, but the dark lord is incredibly stubborn.
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"\"Look, all I'm saying is that it's much more efficient\"\n\nMy boss stared skeptically, tapping his foot. He violently gestured towards a crib, containing what he believed to be the only threat to his power. \n\n\"What could be more efficient than waving my hand and instantly killing it?\" His nostrils flared angrily, something that happened *very* often when you had no nose to speak of. \n\n\"I don't know, using this?\" I took my pistol from under my robe and stepped over the woman's corpse, handing the dark lord a Heckler & Koch I had pocketed off of an attempted muggle mugger. \n\nHe stared at it. \"This will do the trick?\" He eyed at me carefully. \n\n\"yeah, just one shot and it's dead. I mean, it's a baby. We could shake it to death if we really had to.\" \n\nHe carefully aimed, and pulled the trigger. \n\nA click.\n\nSeveral more. \"You have to turn the safety off\"\n\n\"Enough of this!\" Wind flared and his eyes glowed. \n\n\"AVADA KEDAVRA\"\n\nGreen energy burst forth, rebounding off of the baby and into my master. \n\"Protego!\" I tried to shield us, but my master's body vanished, leaving behind robes and a wand. \n\nBlue and red lights flashed in from the window. Muggle police. Not a problem with my master nearby, but not easy to deal with on my own. And there were two corpses and gun next to me, while I'm dressed in a robe and mask.\n\n\"Time to go\" I whispered, pocketing the gun and wand, and taking the wallet of the mother. \n\nBy the time the door opened, I was in King's Cross",
"\"You wish to cast the Killing Curse onto a baby boy?\" I raise an eyebrow and awkwardly cross my arms. \"Don't you think that's, y'know, overkill?\" \n\nThe evil overlord held his trusted weapon with his two hands and turned back from his wand chest. \"Nonsense!\" Voldemort growl, \"Nothing could ever be overkill for the Chosen One. I must kill him before he kills me.\" \n\n\"Yeah, but he's a baby. I repeat: A BABY.\" There was a groan waiting at the back of my throat. \n\nVoldemort grins—not a pretty sight, I tell you—and flicks his wand. \"Oh, the look on Trelawney's face when I ruin her first and last prophecy. It'll break her, oh it will.\" \n\nI groan. Oh, there it is. \"I can think of ten other ways on the spot to kill a baby. Methods that are far easier than the Killing Curse.\" \n\n\"Oh, really?\" He mocks, scratching his chin as an act. \"Do tell, Helix, do tell.\" \n\nMy hands are raised in the air, and as I speak, I start to count. \"We could shoot him, choke him, drown him, feed him a poisoned cookie, break his neck into two, um..\" I pause for a moment, but I wouldn't let him obtain victory. \"There's setting him on fire, dropping him off the window, slamming his head on the window, kidnap him and then execute him—\" \n\nVoldemort interrupts me. \"Yes, there may be easier ways to kill the baby, but they are mortal ways. We may be half-bloods, but that doesn't mean we should resort to such, embarrassing ways.\" \n\n\"I mean, there's so many things that could go wrong with the Killing Curse. What if their parents wake up? The Potters are quite powerful, rumor says.\" \n\nBut of course, he's as stubborn as a supervillain. \n\n\"Nonsense!\" He tidies his robe and walks past me. \"This conversation bores me. I will kill that boy Harry Potter and I will finally be undefeatable.\"\n\nI sigh. I tried. \n\n\nFast forward to the Death Hallows.. \n\n\"In your face, you noseless bitch!\" I gasped for air and pointed at his pitiful, trembling body. \"You should have let me drown him in the toilet and be Moaning Myrtle's baby!\" \n\nBut of course, it's too late to listen. Why did I even side with this useless lord, dammit?"
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[WP] You never thought it would actually happen, but it did. You moved the remote closer using only your mind.
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"Dr. Phil marathon! For Christ sake, no. Stretching out for the remote, my worst fears are recognized. Where did my life go so wrong? I can a) get off the couch and change the channel or b) spend the next 6 hours in agony. Then it happens...I move the remote with my mind, it just does a little twerk but still, I'm a superhero. I just need more focus. \n\nIt took me four hours but I've really made progress. As I stretch out I can finally reach the remote. Thank God...the next episode was supposed to be on teenagers trying to get pregnant. \n\n\n\n"
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[WP]My captors removed the bag from my head. I stared, petrified, until one of them said "JERRY! YOU GRABBED THE WRONG GUY AGAIN!"
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"\"It was an accident boss!\"\n\n\"How?!? How did you fuck this up again?!? I told you to grab the mayor- YOU GRABBED HIS WIFE!\"\n\nThis is what I was subjected to for the last 5 minutes or so. If I had known that this was the shit show I'd be forced to watch, I'd have just asked them to keep the bag on my head. Three chucklefucks were panicking and arguing about the situation they found themselves in. They had ripped off their ski masks so I knew what their faces looked like. Morons. What did they think would happen when they let me go? It was plain to see that these guys weren't the best criminals. \n\nThe fat ginger, Jerry, was freaking out the most. I think he was about to cry. What a fucking pansy. The boss was pretty handsome but I don't think there was much going on upstairs if you catch my drift. The third one, a black guy, was pacing back and forth. Unlike his friends, he looked more annoyed than worried- like this wasn't the first time they fucked up this badly. I almost pitied the guy. I knew what it was like to put up with idiots- my husband worked with plenty of them. \n\n\"I'm sorry Rich! I couldn't tell who it was from behind and-\"\n\n\"SHE'S A WOMAN FOR GOD'S SAKE.\" The boss, Rich I guess, sat down on a cardboard box, stilling fuming at his partner's incompetency. I finally looked around the room to see where they had taken me. It looked like I was tied to a chair in some abandoned warehouse- what a fucking cliche. Were these guys trying to check every box in the \"Stereotypical Dipshit Criminal Handbook\" or something? \n\nThe third guy finally spoke up. \"I'm just sayin', if you had put me in charge of the actual kidnapping, none of this would've happened.\"\n\nRich looked up at him, his anger clearly rising. \"Bullshit, Ivan, you'd have fucked it up too. Remember that B&E on Maple two months ago?\"\n\n\"Okay, first off, that dog came out of nowhere. Not my fault. Second, I thought we agreed on codenames so she doesn't know our real names!\"\n\n\"Right,\" said Rich. \"Sorry, Black Spider. The point is-\"\n\nIvan put his hand up. \"Hold the fuck up. *Black* Spider? My codename is *Spider*. No Black.\"\n\n\"Oh, sorry.\"\n\n\"No no no, fuck that, why'd you think I was Black Spider?\" Ivan started walking over to Rich, looking like he was about to start a fight. Rich had about a foot on the guy but Ivan was fairly well built. Damn, this whole debacle might start to get entertaining.\n\nRich tried to defend himself. \"Nothin, man. I just thought your name was Black Spider.\"\n\n\"Nah, fuck that. That's offensive. How would you like it if I thought your codename was Dumb Cracker? Or if I thought Jerry's was Jellyroll?\"\n\n\"Hey, don't insult Jerry's weight! He's been working hard to shed some pounds these last few weeks!\"\n\nJerry spoke up. \"I've actually managed to shave off 20 pounds since I started dieting.\" There was clearly joy in his voice when he said that.\n\nIvan turned around, the anger replaced with pride. \"For real? Jerry that's awesome man, congrats. Hey, I didn't mean that, I was just mad.\" Ivan and Rich walked over to Jerry and put their arms around their friend.\n\n\"Thanks guys. It's been quite a struggle but with your support I can-\"\n\n\"HEY,\" I finally shouted. The three \"master criminals\" remembered that I had been in the room the entire time. I was starting to get sick of their stupidity and hoped that they would either let me go or just kill me- either way I wouldn't have to listen to them anymore.\n\nRich didn't seem to appreciate my outburst. \"Ma'am, we are in the middle of something. Give us a minute and we will-\"\n\n\"A minute? Fuck that! Let me out of this fucking chair or I'm going to shove you shitheads up each other's asses!\" All three of them stepped back, startled by my outburst. Of course they did. The beloved, sweet, kind, and caring wife of our fair city's new mayor just threatened to shove three people up each other's asses. That's not something most people would expect. God, I can't remember the last time I put aside the \"good wife\" act and really tear into somebody. It was definitely before the election. Hell, it was around the time I married Bob.\n\nRobert \"Bob\" Munroe, my husband of 20 years and the newly elected mayor. He promised big changes for everyone- tax cuts, rebuilding infrastructure, a crack down on crime. And unlike most politicians, Bob meant it. He was always a good guy, a really pure person inside and out. And I loved him for that. But these past few years I had started to feel so stifled. Bob didn't smoke, he didn't drink, and he wasn't exactly a firecracker in bed. He was always a goody two-shoes. By the time we got married he had already gotten involved in politics and I needed to create a squeaky clean image to prevent a scandal. I loved my husband but for God's sake would it kill him if I went a bit wild for just one night? Yelling at these nimrods was the most excitement I'd had in years. Fuck, I'm 40-years old and I never got to go out and have fun and party. Pretty soon I'd miss my chance to do anything crazy.\n\nAfter a few seconds of cowering at my comments, Rich finally stepped forward. \"Li-listen here, l-lady,\" he said. He was trying to act tough but he was clearly unnerved. \"We're the ones in charge here so we give the orders. Got it?\" He took a step towards me to wag his finger at me all intimidatingly when I scooted my chair towards him and growled. I was hoping to scare him a bit and boy did I- the little bitch fell backwards on his ass and screamed like a little girl. Jesus Christ, can you believe these pussies got the drop on me?\n\nI figured since I scared him that much then I might as well keep going. \"The only thing I've GOT is half a mind to rip your fucking tongue out so I don't have to hear your bitching!\" I said, practically spitting the words at him. \"There other thing I've GOT is a name- Susan. Be sure to use it, you fuckstick.\" I gave them all a death glare before continuing in my sweetest voice possible. \"Now, who wants to let me out of this chair? If I try to run, you three outnumber me and can tie me up again. That okay?\" Rich looked like he wanted to object but Jerry had already ran over to me and started loosening the ropes. Once I was free I pulled out a cigarette. I searched for my lighter but it wasn't in my pocket. I must've dropped it when they grabbed me. The banquet I was at was in honor of my husband- some charity to raise money for the homeless. Or maybe it was for the kids. Fuck, I don't know. All I knew was that two hours of gossiping with all those high society fucks blabbing about their shallow lives was enough to make me want to rip my own ears off. I had slid away to smoke a cigarette to calm my nerves when the \"Fucktard Patrol\" threw a sack over my head and put me in their van. I didn't even get to finish my cigarette.\n\nI turned to my captives. \"Any of you got a light?\" Ivan stepped up and held out a lighter, his hand trembling in fear. I lit my cigarette and took a deep drag. God I missed this so much. I had to quit cause Bob didn't like the smell. I took a few more puffs before turning my attention back to my kidnappers. \"So, what's the plan? Ransom me back to my husband? Couple grand, maybe a couple hundred?\"\n\nAll three of them looked at each other for a second, confused at the question. Jerry finally spoke up. \"Um, yeah, that was the plan alright. We were hoping you'd be the mayor himself but his wife will work, I guess.\"\n\n\"Well it won't work, you're just gonna fuck it up. Face it, you guys are shitty at this.\"\n\nApparently that hurt Rich's pride since he stepped up again. \"Hey, I'll have you know that we have committed *many* successful crimes!\"\n\n\"Really. Such as?\"\n\nHe stuttered for a bit, clearly not prepared for that question. \"Uh...the robbery on Park Avenue and Second?\"\n\nIt hurt. I mean, it physically hurt me that they were this stupid. The only thing at the intersection of Park Avenue and Second was a fucking fast food joint. I heard about the robbery a few months back- three guys in masks held up the place and wasted so much time arguing and talking about nothing that the cops showed up. The robbers escaped but one of them got tazed and the other two had to drag him out. It was a miracle they lost the cops and the best part is they only managed to steal $84- probably the saddest robbery in history.\n\nI shook my head in amazement. \"Wow, you guys might be the shittiest crooks ever.\"\n\n\"Hey, we're not that bad,\" said Rich all defensively and crap. \"And what would you know about being a good crook anyway?\"\n\n\"Because my husband works with *politicians*, asshole. Believe me, I know what a real crook is.\" Rich looked like he wanted to argue with me but he eventually just nodded in agreement. I threw my cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. \"The point is that if you try this stupid plot then one or all of you is going to ruin it and you'll get arrested. You're going to need to learn how to properly commit a crime if you want this to work.\"\n\nThis time it was Ivan who spoke up. \"And what, you just happen to know some great way to make us better criminals?\"\n\nI pondered for a second before I got an idea. \"Well, the city bank is getting a shipment of cash this week. How about we try robbing them? You can work on your skills and build up some street cred to help make you guys seem legitimate so my husband takes your demands more seriously.\"\n\n\"We?\" asked Jerry.\n\n\"Yes, Jerry. *We*. No way in hell I trust you guys to not botch this. We'll plan this tomorrow morning. In the meantime, why don't you show me to where I'll be sleeping- comfortably, I hope.\" I walked past them towards the back of the warehouse, my three captors following right behind me like a pack of scared puppies.\n\nI couldn't help but smile. Maybe these idiots would be entertaining after all.",
"“Well it’s been nearly twenty years, the tape got lost, and I don’t really remember what he looked like, George. And who’d have thought there’d even be this many Howies out there! And anyway, if you know so much about what he looks like, why aren’t you out there bonking people over the head?”\n\nThe stocky, bald man in front of me removed his glasses and began yelling again. \n“Oh I have to do everything around here don’t I? Didn’t I get us hooked up with this nice place?”\n\n“No, I did that.”\n\n“Oh. Well I got us our getaway car!”\n\n“That was Elaine!”\n\n“Oh.” He paused to think. I started looking around for a way out of the room. \n\n“Who slept with the lady guard to get us out of there, huh? Old Georgie-boy really came through that time didn’t he!”\n\n“That was the K-Man! You’ve done nothing! Why do we even keep you around?” Jerry’s voice reached what seemed to be an impossible pitch during this outburst. I saw that the door behind us was just barely opened and began inching that way as George burst into tears.\n\n“Well I tried, Jerry! I give, and I give, and what do I ever get for it! Ridicule from my friends, prison from the man! You know my parents never came to see me-not once!”\n\n“Biff…” Jerry seemed to be using a nickname. “You came up with this revenge plot didn’t you? It’s almost as good as that time you poisoned your boss.”\n\n“Yeah and look how that turned out for me! I got fired! Had to live with my parents. Nothing I have done, in my life, has ever been good for me. Not once!”\n\nI was mere feet from the door and they hadn't noticed yet. With George making such a scene I thought I could start moving more quickly and perhaps wriggle out of the rope I was tied up in. Then, without warning, the door burst open and a tall, gangly fellow slid in, nearly falling over in his attempt to close it behind him. “Hey buddies!” He looked at me, “Is this the guy?”\n\nJerry walked towards the man, “No, that’s not the guy.”\n\n“What do you mean that’s not the guy? Why else would you bring him here if he’s not the guy? You promised this time, you said ‘this time, I’ll bring the guy, I promise!’ You said that!”\n\n“Look, Kramer..”\n\n“A-da-da-da!” Kramer raised his hand to silence Jerry. “This is the fourth time you’ve brought the wrong Howie to this place. I’m tired of driving them out to New Jersey! Do you realize how expensive gas has gotten?!”\n\n“Yeah, like you ever paid for gas!” Jerry turned back to George and Kramer followed. With all their backs turned, I began slowly moving for the door again.\n\n“Well I have to now! Not even my friend, Bob Sacamano will help me after I’ve been in the klink! He called me a bad penny – me! George, what’s the matter with you?”\n\nGeorge sniffed loudly and wiped his nose. “Nothing, how are you paying for gas anyway?”\n\n“Well I did want to ask you fellas for a little help with that. We’re all in this together you know!”\n\nGeorge balked, “Well I don’t see why I have should have to chip in. I don’t have anything to do with the getaway car!”\n\n“You got away in the car, didn’t you?” Jerry put his hands on his hips as I began working the rope free to reach the doorknob. “That’s having something to do with it.”\n\n“Kramer whatever happened to your organic shoes idea? Wouldn’t that pay for gas?”\n\n“Naw, the public's not ready for that one yet.”\n\n“What organic shoes? Aren’t they already made of leather? That’s natural!”\n\n“Jerry! I’m surprised at you! In this modern age not knowing the vast difference between natural and organic! Besides – those “leather” shoes they sell today probably never even saw the outside of a cow!”\n\nMy hands free, I began reaching for the doorknob when it suddenly turned and the door began to open, knocking me in towards the wall in the process.\n\n“What’s with this door?” The short woman who was entering kept shoving at the door until it opened as far as it could with me behind it. The trio turned to her and saw me there.\n\n“Howie’s stuck behind it – careful you’re hurting him!” Jerry walked over to help me out, but not before the woman gave the door a few more shoves in my direction.\n“So this is Howie huh? The guy who ruined our lives!” Jerry pulled me from behind the door and the woman saw me. “This isn’t the right Howie! Jerry, did you get the wrong Howie again?”\n\n“I know, it’s not *the* Howie. George told me ten minutes ago. Where have you been by the way? If you know so much about what he looks like you could have helped me!”\n\n“I was thanking Puddy for the car. Perhaps if we all did a little more thanking instead of…whatever it is we do then we wouldn’t be in this jam in the first place!”\n\n“Elaine, would you leave that poor man alone. He helped us out for old times’ sake but there’s no reason to get him more involved!”\n\n“You’re just mad because he moved from high-fives to fist bumps!”\n\n“The world already had one form of primitive greeting ritual, we don’t need another.” Jerry and Elaine walk back to the group.\n\n“You know I think we should give up this whole ‘revenge’ idea George. It’s not working out too well for us.” Elaine looked pointedly at George and the others followed suit.\n\nGeorge, who had calmed down significantly, began to panic and work himself back into a frenzy of nervous energy. “Well, we deserve reparations! For all the years of our lives we lost to that stupid law and that stupid Howie! We didn’t know about the law! And the assailant had a gun! We were recording evidence! So that the man who perpetrated the REAL CRIME could be brought to justice!”\n\nElaine interrupts, “We know George, you’ve told us all of this before. We’re on your side! But you must admit, the revenge thing is a little half-baked. What are we going to do with this guy once we get him?”\n\n“Well, I haven’t quite worked that out yet. But mark my words – “ he pointed at each of them, “ – it’ll be a doozy!”\n\n“Speaking of half-baked, let’s ask the expert. Kramer what do you think of the whole ‘revenge’ idea now?”\n\n“I gotta tell you Jerry it sounded good at first but now…” he made an indescribable noise while waving his hands in the air and raising his eyebrows.\n\n“See if even the K-Man’s out then we should all be out. Ok George?”\n\nGeorge sat for a moment, then looked right at me, lunged, and declared, “I demand reparations!!!” At first the other three just jumped out of the way, but when he tackled me Jerry and Kramer stepped in to pull him off.\n\n“George! What’s gotten in to you? This isn’t even the guy – you said so yourself!” Jerry turned to me. “I am so sorry for this. We should have let you go as soon as we realized. Now, unfortunately, we’ll have to blindfold you while Kramer drives you to New Jersey. We’ll leave you a dollar to call someone to pick you up…”\n\nKramer interrupted, “Uh, Jerry, can I talk to you? Elaine, hold onto George.” He unceremoniously dropped George, who seemed to have fallen back into a depressive state. Elaine just folded her arms and eyed the two of us critically as Kramer pulled Jerry into the opposite corner and they had a quiet, but heated discussion which ended with Jerry exclaiming a bit louder, “Alright!”\nThey walked back to me. “Well, Kramer refuses to drive to New Jersey again and we really aren’t sure what else to do with you. So, here’s a dollar. We’re going to let you go and you have to promise not to turn us in.”\n\nElaine turned, shocked. “You’re trusting this guy! We hardly know him!”\n\n“Well if the bond between kidnapper and kidnappee is not to be trusted anymore then what has become of society? This is why the world is not ready for my organic shoes.”\n\nElaine scoffed, “Well you morons do what you want – I’m out of here. Maybe Puddy knows a good place to go and get a fresh start.”She walked out the door.\n\nJerry, George, and Kramer looked after her. “She’ll be back. She always comes back. And she’s certainly not getting any more help from Puddy!” Jerry turned back to me. “So like I said, here’s your dollar, please don’t tell the cops, and sorry again for all of this craziness. You see what I have to deal with.” He handed me the dollar and opened the door. “I promise, we’re actually very nice, caring people, who just got mixed up in a bad situation! You understand. Alright, bye bye now!” The door closed and I found myself unceremoniously out on a street corner surrounded by what appeared to be warehouses. As I walked down the street I passed a portly mailman getting back into his truck and asked him for help. He eyed me suspiciously so I offered him the dollar.\n\n“I really shouldn’t do this, but there’s a Drake’s Coffee Cake in the vending machine back at the Post Office I’ve been dying to sink my teeth into. Hop in!” As we drove along his route, looking for somewhere I could make a call, I relayed my story. When I mentioned Kramer, he slammed on the brakes. “Kramer! And George! And… Jerry. Was there a woman also? Perhaps named… Elaine!? Oh, I’ve been wanting to find them for months! Ever since they escaped from prison I’ve been looking for them. They could never remain far from the long arm of justice! I shall bring the full weight of the federal government down upon them! At last I shall have my sweet, sweet victory! And you, my friend, shall lead me to them.”\nAs he looked at me with ravenous eyes, practically foaming at the mouth from his fervor, I had a feeling I had stepped out of the frying pan, and into the fire.",
"Kerrick had never been involved in any sort of criminal activity before, not even being a witness to one. So it was natural that when the bag had been removed from his head, his eyes darted around the warehouse. Within a second of looking up he spotted a squad of men pointing their rifles at him from a catwalk. \n\n\"Oh God.\" He sobbed. Every inconvenient and selfish act he had purposefully done flashed through his mind. Lying to his poker pals about their favorite beer being out of stock so that he could bring his own favorite, stepping on a tended garden of flowers so he could get to his fishing spot faster, even refilling his water cup with soda at a restaurant. He quietly apologized for all of it.\n\n\"God dammit Jerry.\" A voice from behind shattered the silent weeping and moaning of Kerrick and caused him to go down with the chair he was tied to. He turned his head as much as he could and saw a bald man in a leather jacket shout at another man with a robust moustache. \n\n\"Does that look like him? Does that look like the resistance leader? You're an idiot.\" The bald man shoved Jerry and walked to Kerrick. The whimpering became higher pitched like a dog. The bald man looked him over and tugged at a knot holding the ropes in place. When the whimpering continued, the bald man gently grabbed Kerrick by the chin and put his finger on his lips. The whimpering stopped, but an even greater fear washed over him.\n\n\"Hey boss that was kind of suggestiv-\" In one clean motion the bald man unsheathed a knife from his shoulder and threw it at Jerry. A groan.\n\n\"Get the hell out of here Jerry.\" Kerrick sees the man limp away, the knife stuck in his thigh. The bald man continued on the knot. \n\n\"I am so sorry, sir. This must be highly inconvenient for you.\" The rope fell off of his body and Kerrick watched all of the people's guns as he stood up. When there were no shots fired, he felt for his possessions. \n\n\"They're stored somewhere. Now, look. This isn't the first time Jerry has fucked up. But he did and we have two options. We kill you, which I wouldn't prefer, or you join us.\" The bald man opened his arms for a hug. Kerrick stood there confused by the situation. \n\n\"And it's not bad really. Frank up there was in the same situation as you were.\" A man moved his focus away from the gun's sights and waved. Kerrick asked the purpose of the organization.\n\n\"Well, think of us as the government's cleanup crew. We nab resistance members who are being especially troublesome and out them. But it's all secret so that the government can appear just with their little trials and juries.\" Kerrick had heard rumors of a shadow arm of the government, but thought nothing of it.\n\n\"So what option is it gonna be, bud?\" The bald man asked. Kerrick looked at the men above him with their body armor and weapons and then at the bald man with his leather jacket and tattoos. Then he shrugged and embraced the bald man for a hug.\n\nHe had never shot a gun before and figured it might be a thrilling story to have for his lifetime.",
"I don't know what I should feel in that moment, relief? \n \n\"For god's sake Jerry, are you retarded?\" A guy in a leather jacket asked. \n \n\"I have been a little down lately.\" Jerry said. \n \nWe just stared at him for a while, this was supposed to be a joke? \n \nJerry left the room with a beer in one hand, and shame in the other.\n \n\"What we are going to do with this guy, now?\" A girl asked.\n \n\"The same thing, just throw him in the desert somewhere.\" Leather guy said.\n \nI froze, technically, because I was already imprisoned, so I didn't have much choice.\n \n\"Wait, you don't need to do this.\" I said.\n \n\"What you're talking about?\" The leather guy asked, puzzled. \n \n\"Jerry is a waste of time, you should kill him and give the task to someone like myself.\" I said, confident. \n \nAfter a brief pause, he grinned, \"You're right, he is a waste of time, \" untying me.\n \n\"Come here, I will show you something.\" He said, walking to the door.\n \nI was right, I could kidnap someone and he believed me.\n \n\"Look, \" he said pointing to a portrait. \"do you recognize this guy?\"\n \n\"It's.. jerry?\" I asked, my smile faded.\n \n\"He is my brother, asshole.\"\n \nWere the last words I heard, before tasting the blood in my throat, falling to my knees.\n \nFuck Jerry."
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[WP] At the end of a dull lecture, none of the students seem to be able to leave the hall. The professor sighs and asks the students to take their seats again. The real lesson is about to begin.
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"None of the freshmen knew what to expect from EXF 101: Basic Exfiltration. It was one of the great mysteries of the Academy. Only one professor taught it, but nobody could track him down. None of the upperclassmen were willing to talk about it; when asked about it, they just fled. Still, every major, from Espionage to Computer Hacking to Private Investigation, had it listed as a required course. So the when the freshmen walked into the lecture hall, they were going in blind.\n\nThe professor entered at exactly 4:00 PM, not that anyone noticed above the chatter. He was a short, thin man with short, thinning hair. The door slammed shut under its own weight at the same time as he reached the lectern, immediately calling the class to attention.\n\n\"Good afternoon class,\" he said in a deep, monotonous voice that seemed somehow incongruous with his appearance. \"Welcome to EXF 101: Basic Exfiltration. All of you, in entering the Academy, are hoping to work in some investigative field. In the course of your investigations, you will find yourself in dangerous situations, many of which you will have put yourself in. In this course, I will teach you the skills needed to escape such situations, such as captivity and hostile territory. We will also cover how to formulate a proper exit strategy for any mission. Now, I will be passing around the course syllabus, I expect you all to read it thoroughly and sign it before passing it back to me. I will go over some key points of interest, and then we will begin the first lecture. Now, if you will turn to page one, you will see that this course has two forms of assessment, the practicals and the exams.\"\n\nHe droned on over the sound of shuffling syllabi, and the chatter of the students.\n\n\"I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this,\" said one.\n\n\"With all the mystery around it, I thought it would be more exciting,\" said another.\n\nAnd so on, for the next hour, until it was the end of the class period. Every eye was on the clock, and at the stroke of 5, everyone made for the door, leaving the signed and mostly unread syllabi on their desks.\n\nThey did not make it far. The doors were locked.\n\n\"Take your seats again, class,\" the professor said with a sigh. The students returned to their seats, confused. The moment all were seated, metal restraints snapped closed across their torsos. \"I see none of you were paying attention. The first practical assessment starts now. Relax, you will not be graded on this, it is only to help me measure your existing abilities. Though I must say, so far, things are looking quite dismal for this class. The assessment is as follows: leave the lecture hall. Later examinations will feature simulated hazards, such as nonlethal voltages, knockout gas, hermetically sealed chambers, flashbang mines, as well as turrets, drones and guards equipped with tasers, tranquilizer darts, and rubber bullets. This time, however, you are in no immediate danger.\"\n\n\"Now, based on what I went over today, you each should have found at least half a dozen potential routes of egress. I expect you all to work together to escape. In fact, I doubt any of you would be able to do so alone. Good luck.\"\n\nAnd then he was gone. Nobody knew where he went, or how he had exited the room without being seen.\n\n----------------------\n\nIt took one of the students about five minutes to slip the bindings and begin helping the others. Within twenty, everyone was free from the chairs, and there was a lockpick at every door. The students soon found that there were also electronic locks on the doors, and that the room was signal isolated. There would be no calling for help or hacking the door controls. With no visible electrical panels, they were forced to send in a smaller classmate to search the vents. That was no good, as there was a fan not too far in. A technician walked her through finding and cutting the power to it. Forty minutes in, she had made it to another locked room, with several electrical panels, none of which she knew what to do with. The technical students ended up hooking up a webcam and speaker to an extended cable, and sending that through with two more students to assess the situation. One hour, twenty minutes in, they had successfully disabled the electronic locks. Ten minutes later, the students, stressed, tired, and hungry, made their way out of the hall, where the professor was waiting for them, holding a stop watch.\n\n\"One hour, thirty minutes. Not bad for a first time. Not good, but my expectations weren't very high to begin with. I might be able to make decent escape artists out of you yet,\" he droned. \"Still, the main door? How very....obvious of you. I left that room full of holes.\"\n\n\"Like what?\" asked the small espionage major who had gone through the vent first.\n\nThe professor clicked his tongue and said, \"I mentioned there were at least half a dozen potential routes of egress in that room. You all saw only three. large The main vent, the main doors, and the side doors. Aside from that, there were two loose panels in the ceiling, a small electrical conduit beneath the lectern, the auxiliary vents, and at least three separate ways of escape through the broom closet. And none of you even bothered to try and figure out how I left. Now, run along. Next class, we will be going over types of bindings and how to escape them. Goodbye.\"\n\nAnd before they knew what had happened, the professor was gone again. They never even got his name.",
"\"Students. Please. Take... Your.... Seats\" Sir said as dull as a gray crayon. A uniformed sigh echoed through the hall as \"Ehhhs\" were yelled as everyone resumed their previous post still dreaming of the food they craved.\n\nSir grew a small fox-like grin and jumped onto his desk, pulling his shirt over his head.\n\n\"Okay, Class now the real lesson can begin\" He yelled enthusiastically like a dog waiting for food. He stuck his hands into his pants and pulled out a remote. Suddenly the roof opened up and a disco ball entered as all the lights dimmed.\n\nWith one hand on his head and the other stretched out he began to dance a very unique dance.\n\n\"Dance with me, children!\" He demanded in a juxtaposing tone to how he usually spoke. The class stood watching, and then a young man, dark of skin and well-dressed and wearing a bow tie, jumped into the middle.\n\nThere he began to dance, both hands raised in the air and shaking his hips. Slowly the rest of the students dripped into the dancing as high pitched yells and shouts were sent across the hall.\n\n\"Okay Children now I shall teach you how to properly dance. Step one! Put one hand on your head\" Slaps were heard as the students obeyed without dropping any rhythm\n\n\"Step two! Stretch the other right out\" Sways of air went throughout the room.\n\n\"STEP THREE! Go crazy now and squirt like a sprinkler\" The students bellowed under his every command and spent the rest of the break, dancing. \n\n*Ding*. All the students sighed a silent curse as one by one they ran to their next class.\n\nThe teacher remained with a big smile. And though to himself that he had finally taught them how to properly dance."
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[WP] You are a multidimensional bounty hunter whose specialty is hunting alternate reality versions of yourself.
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"It's always been weird reading stories about alternate versions of yourself, either from the future or other timelines, isn't it? You could just be some nerd and then encounter yourself as a famous scientist or superhero and wander, \"Is that even possible?\"\n\nI guess my alternate is a little less worried about that as I fly my ship through space while navigating towards the Einstein-Rosen Bridge. Not like he could scream, even if he tried with that gag in his mouth.\n\n'We're hitting the event horizon of the wormhole and we're about to jump back into your own reality,' I said while flicking the ashes from my cigar into the ashtray. 'Just a little warning since if you're not used to inter-dimensional travel you *will* be sick. Don't worry about joking on your own vomit, though. I keep my targets safe during delivery.'\n\nWe just crossed over when he stopped writhing. I didn't pay much attention, simply adjusting the vest over my bare chest and tipping the shark-tooth lined hat back into place before putting the ship onto auto-pilot as it flew back towards Earth.\n\nAnd almost immediately I pulled the pistol from the cloaked compartment and had it aimed right into my alternate's heart. 'Put my hunting rifle back where I had it or you will be in for a world of hurt,' I said in a bored voice. 'And don't think you can pull a \"Suicide by Cop\" on me, this here pup only shoots stun ammo.'\n\n'I don't care!' he screeched, the voice cracking. 'I am *not* going back to my mother!'\n\n'Look, I don't get paid enough to care,' I grumbled. 'Just put the gun- Whoa!'\n\nI guess I always did anticipate a suicide attempt. I've had about 30 of my alters do so but in those instances the guns were always unloaded.\n\nThis wasn't the case with the gun he was holding, albeit not dangerous in the way *he* was intending. The gun was specially modified to fire a stun dart *at* the shooter if a special RFID chip wasn't detected. So, ironically, his suicide attempt had failed *because* he had his mouth wrapped the barrel and hoping that the round, even the stun round, would lethally damage his spinal cord. Instead the dart shot wildly about and destroyed the vessel's on-board food preparation unit.\n\nI didn't even get a chance to scold the alter before he realized his attempt at ending himself had failed. Almost immediately I had to restrain him as he had reached the small kitchen area and had attempted to ram a knife through his throat, muttering about how, 'Shewonthurtmeshewonthurtmeshewonthurtme,' again and again. He was still fighting even after I gave him a heavy dosage of tranquilizer delivered via nanites to keep him from doing anything else to kill himself.\n\nThat was when I began having weird thoughts in my head, the first time in... God, how many years was it when I had to fend for myself?\n\nI guess it's easier to dissuade any feelings of empathy if I see my alters as what they were in their own universes rather than as myself. Like the one who was executing people for Islamic State, the one who got caught infecting hospitals with ransomware... Then there was the serial killer, oddly enough not *the* most fucked in the head version of me. No, that title went to the one who voted for Trump. At least the serial killer was likeable.\n\nBut this one? Only 13 years old and willing to flee to another *universe* to get away from his parents. I mean, I've seen versions who are willing to kill their abusive parents and fled the authorities but...\n\nI'm pushing 50 myself. I guess you could say I'm lucky in regards to having actually had a decent mother albeit one who died rather young. And in any universe where I exist I have the exact same parentage, a guaranteed fact. Just who the hell was my mother in this timeline?\n\nI used my quantum-entanglement communications system to get in contact with my feelers and asked for a dossier on my client, the complete works. And soon enough I found out precisely *why* my alter had ran away. Why she needed to die.\n\nI didn't call to say I was cancelling the contract, I said I had him and was ready to deliver to whatever spot she sent me co-ordinates for. She sent them from her little club as my boys had found myself. So, as I was then flying towards Earth I had my ship ready its plasma cannons before entering orbit.\n\nI then made a glance at the photo hidden under a visor - the mother who raised me - and sighed. Never would I ever consider matricide, or even consider the act justified.\n\nBut then again, it wasn't *my* mother, was it?",
"Whatever the universe, alternate timeline, no matter what, none of me can resist a good burger. I mean a hot, juicy, sizzling, melt in your mouth, everything on it burger with a side of fries and a Coke. Given how many universes have a Coca-Cola I'm starting to wonder if they have some technology.\n\nBut anyway, I only take hits on other me's who are genuine scumbags. Murders, rapists, genocidal maniacs (that one seems to come up more often than not), the works. \n\nWhat I like to do is shadow my target for a few weeks, get in his head, learn his patterns. Its both harder and easier than you'd think. This is you, after all. You just gotta change a few mannerisms and people'd think you'd be twins. But its those few mannerisms that will fuck with you the most. They aren't yours, built over a lifetime, however abruptly cut short it is, of doing the same thing over and over again. \n\nThat's why I like that we all like burgers. Sure there are some variations for taste, but most of me are suckers for whiskey bacon cheeseburgers, with tomato, lettuce, onion, jalapeno and mushrooms. I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it. Plus the fried and Coke, two things that every single version of me that has or ever will be will order with their food.\n\nThe shadowing is only needed to figure which burger they're going to go to. I like to show up about a half hour early before they get their, get my own meal in beforehand see. Usually I finish in about ten, fifteen minutes, then I wait. Wait for whatever this fucking scumbag version of me has done to show up.\n\nHe walks in, server acts confused because they sees me but he doesn't. Positioning, that's also a pretty big point. Put yourself somewhere that you can observe them and they can't observe you until the moment they see. About 11/12 they'll be too surprised to do anything, and in the other case, too slow.\n\nAnyway, the server points at me, scumbag shows surprise, I pull out my weapon, stun them and the people in the restaurant, restrain myself and deliver them for bounty. No harm comes to bystanders, local news reports it as a scumbag who goes missing, and at the end of the day, I get paid.\n\nNow class, are there any further questions before your live demonstration? If you don;t ask now, you won't be able to for the next few weeks.",
"I'm sitting in the east end diner waiting for my spaghetti, when Robert finally says what i could tell has been on his mind. \"you think it's right what we do?\" not this shit again. \"i mean does it ever bother you?\" he continued. \"nope, and it never will.\" i poured about six creamers into my coffee as he watched in silent contemplation. \"Listen\" i said \"there's a billion fuckin trillion Roberts, and a billion trillion fuckin Tonys, who gives a shit if a few thousand join the soup early\" i took a sip of my coffee. Robert looked confused \"the soup?\". \"you know...the ether\" i made a circular gesture in the air with my hand, \"the infinite potential of the universe, all that fuckin shit.\" Robert leans back in the booth with a slight smirk on his face, \"a few thousand ahh, you sure have been busy\". \"gotta make a livin, oh here comes my spaghetti.\" \"thanks sweetheart\" i say before i dig in. \n\nWhen i get a moment to catch my breath my curiosity gets the best of me. \"so what exactly do you have a problem with, the fact that you're taking them out, or the fact that its you, or whatever they are, you know what i mean\". Robert sighs \"i don't even know anymore.\" \"you know Robert, i'm starting to get annoyed with your namby pamby bullshit, if you don't want to do it anymore then quit.\" i pulled out a fat wad of cash from my pocket and smilingly held it in front of his face.\"but you'll be missin out on all this, baby\". Robert playfully swatted my hand away. \"why do i even bother with you?\" he said as he cocked his head at the waitress passing by. \n\nI watched him watch her for a second before i spoke. \"did i tell you i got a chick the other day?\" his head swiveled back around to face me. \"what did you do blow her brains out?\" he said sarcastically. \"No! well yeah, but that's not the point, just let me tell the god damn story dammit!\" Robert bowed his head and waved his hand \"i apologize go on\" he said jokingly. \"so anyway, this was not your run of the mill tony, or Tina.\" \"ha, Tina\" Robert laughingly repeated. \"i mean you should have seen the jugs on this bimbo.\" \"you shouldn't talk about yourself like that tony it's not nice, besides isn't that like incest?\" Robert took a drink of his water. \"it's not like i fucked her you asshole, and besides you jerk off don't you?\" Robert spat water all over my spaghetti. \"oh well now your paying for my meal\" i said as we both reached for some napkins. \"i'm sorry, go on with your story\" Robert said still laughing as he wiped his mouth.\n\n \"So anyway i zap over, i think it's somewhere close to Memphis, near the woods.\" \"Tennessee?\" \"no Egypt, of course Tennessee you numskull. i walk up and i see her bent over in the garden, no one around, not a care in the world.\" Robert took the time to quickly interject \"so did she have any family, i mean other than your parents?\" \"i have no clue, there was one of those little plastic slides in the yard so probably, anyway a job's a job.\"Robert stayed silent.\"so i go to walk up behind her and she hears me coming. she stands up and turns around smiling expecting someone else. nope, just you sweetheart. i don't think she even saw the gun.\"\n\n \"Jesus Christ Tony, see this is what i'm talking about.i mean what exactly is the goal of this business, whats exactly the point of what we do?\" \"don't over think it Robert, we're just the cells of the world clearing out the cancer.\" \"yeah, or maybe we're the cancer.\" \"ha, what are you fuckin Socrates or something? oh by the way you'll never guess who the president was.\" Robert called the waitress over for the bill \"twenty dollars for a plate of spaghetti?\" Robert jokingly acted outraged. \"so aren't you gonna guess?\" \"what?\" Robert said as he reached into his pocket for his wallet. \"guess the president.\" \"i don't know, who?\" just then a woman entered the diner holding a shotgun. \"oh shit Robert i don't believe it\" \"who was it!\" he exclaimed. \"no behind you!\" i pointed as the woman shot Roberts brains out all over the table. as the woman quickly exited the building i shouted \"you owe me twenty dollars you cunt!\"",
"FINDING MYSELF (PART 1 OF 2)\nIt's funny where your mind goes when you're under stress. Stress being, in this particular scenario, trying to jam a knife into my target's chest before he can do it to me first. I have him pinned to the ground, the knife is hovering inches above his ribs as he tries to push me off, and all I can think of right now is what my therapist told me at last week's session: I really need to work on learning how to love myself. Sounds good on paper, but the nature of my work makes it difficult to put that advice into practice. See, I'm a bounty hunter. And I exclusively hunt one kind of bounty... \n\nAs my target's knee lands a glancing blow on my hip and throws my balance, my attention snaps back to the aforementioned work. This guy is good, but I know his tricks. For example, I know that he's about try and roll us over while I'm getting my balance back. So I throw myself the opposite direction the second I feel his weight shifting beneath me and yank the knife back toward myself. Next thing you know, we're spooning like me and Amanda Sutter on the night of my junior prom. Except this time, I'm the big spoon (my growth spurts happened late, alright?) and my \"date\" has a knife through his heart. With a less-than-dignified gurgle, Generalissimo Wilhelm Anthony Gates goes limp and dies. And so his despotic reign of terror that started back in the year 3477 ends quietly two years later on the floor of his own royal chamber. That means another job completed for me, the inter-dimensional bounty hunter Wilhelm Anthony Gates of 21st century Washington. Confused? \n\nIf it makes you feel better, I was too when I first got sucked out of a bar and down through a time pocket to stand before the Council of Seven. Incidentally there are eight of them, but I'm told the name is historic. They're a group of broody looking assholes with dark blue robes and ivory masks who were tasked with maintaining order in the multiverse. One minute I was kicking back some margaritas at happy hour, and the next minute I have the caretakers of time and space telling me I'm the biggest threat to the fabric of reality since Tommy Wiseau released \"The Room.\"\n\nThey told me about millions of universes and timelines that exist in the past, present, and future. They told me how each one had a version of me kicking around somewhere. And then they told me that in almost every instance, I \"rose up and wrought bloody conquest upon every reality I inhabited.\" Then there was something about a singularity, and the multiverse collapsing on itself due to an outcome being repeated too often across different realities, and to be honest I kind of tuned out after a while. You're talking to the guy who limped his way to a C- in remedial college algebra; this was above my pay grade.\n\nBut eventually, the Council of Gothic Angst made me an offer. They would give me the tools and the training to hunt down the other versions of myself spread across the multiverse, and once I'd thinned the herd enough to prevent that big singularity thing, I'd be dropped right back off at that bar in Bellevue with enough money to buy a country. The offer was compelling, especially when they said they'd kill me to preserve order if I said no.\n\nSo here I am five years later, staring down at my own corpse for what feels the hundredth time. And if you're wondering how that makes me feel, I'll tell you: It makes me feel like nanomesh military fatigues and a waxed mustache are a really bad look for me. Seriously, hunting yourself across space and time starts to lose its grim sense of poetry after a year or two. And speaking of routine, here comes crusty old Agranoff right on cue; The air in front of me shimmers and distorts before resolving into the tall holoimage of navy robes and pale mask of my handler. A deep yet airy voice suddenly fills the room.\n\n\"Well done, Wilhelm. Every successful mission pushes us farther away-\"\n\n\"-from the brink of the singularity, I know Aggie.\" I cut him off with a mildly annoyed wave. \"You know, you guys would get invited to more parties if you switched up your small talk now and then.\"\n\n\"Given how long it took you to master the use of a simple trans-dimensional warp rod, you'll forgive me if I've gotten used to having to repeat myself with you.\" His delivery is dry, but I know him well enough that I can almost hear the smirk behind his featureless white mask.\n\nAggie is good people, as much as we like to give each other a hard time. Believe it or not, he's probably the fun one of the Council. He gives me my assignments, makes sure I have the tools I need for the job, and if he's in a particularly chummy mood he'll smuggle a handle of that Alexandrian Brandy from Dimension 479A into my quarters for me.\n\n\"Unfortunately your rest time will be brief on this occasion, Wilhelm.\" The smirk is gone from his voice now. \"I'll bring you back to the Hevelot, and I'll give you the details on your next task.\"\n\nAnd with a flash of amber light, I'm falling through space and time. It always reminds me of the time me and my buddy Jared got baked in high school and spent an hour looking through his dad's old kaleidoscope. Except here, everything is shades of gold and white. With another flash, I'm standing on a plain sandstone dais in the great hall. The home of the Council is all smooth sandstone and dark copper fixtures. Floating golden motes drift around the high vaulted ceiling and leaves the whole place in a state of permanent mood lighting. \n\nBut if there's any mood, seeing Fourth Lord of the Council Agranoff kind of kills it for me. His posture tells me he's tense, but I can't really tell if it's because something is up or if it's just his usual charming brand of stick-up-the-ass.\n\n\"Do you recall Dimension 113X, Mr. Gates?\" he asks curtly.\n\n\"Good to see you too pal. 113X... Was that the one with the centaurs, or the one where everyone spoke Portugese?\" I fire back. \"They all start to blend together after a while.\"\n\n\"Blending together is precisely what we're hoping to avoid here, if you'll recall. Dimension 113X was where your alter self established a galaxy-spanning empire from his seat of power on Mars,\" he pauses to check my face for a sign of recognition and continues when he doesn't find one. \"He called himself Apollo. You dropped an asteroid on Olympus Mons to try to kill him, and when that didn't work you wound up chasing him across the moons of Jupiter until you shot him out an airlock into space.\"\n\n\"Oh, THAT grandstanding asshole...\" How could I forget? It was the longest hunt I've been on so far and the whole thing felt like a three month long episode of Wile E. Coyote versus the Road Runner (but with more Hades-class battlecruisers and asteroids involved). \"I don't miss having him around.\"\n\n\"Well apparently he's missed you.\" Aggie said, tilting his head slightly.\n\n\"Beg pardon?\" I ask, hoping this is just his latest attempt at humor.\n\n\"He survived and we didn't realize it, Wilhelm. What's worse, he did his research on you after we called you back. You were present in Dimension 113X long enough to leave a trail of crumbs, and somehow he's managed to ascertain what your mission is.\" He motions me to follow him out of the great hall through the west hall, which means we're probably headed to the armory.\n\n\"How serious is this, Aggie?\" \n\n\"Quite, I'm afraid. Upon his return to Mars, he resumed indirect control of his empire using political puppets so that we wouldn't know he'd survived and send you back to finish the job. He made inter-dimensional research a priority, and managed to make breakthroughs based luck and some clever reverse engineering.\" As he talks I can see his narrow shoulders start to sag, which only tells me the story gets worse. And then it does.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n",
"The trail was fresh. \nI had left a bag of taffy out on the communal table at the Physical Therapist's office that the version of me from dimension 4204 owned. I followed the sound of crinkling wrappers to the bathroom. \nI never could resist saltwater taffy. \nThe physical therapist version of myself was thinner, more polished. I estimated that my makeup/ general face care regime was probably worth $500. My clothing was actually tailored and fit like a glove on that body. \n*The bitch* \nI lived alone in my reality and didn't have much patience for versions of myself that \"believed in themselves\" or \"had support systems.\" \nWhen the hit information came, I had no qualms and prepared by searching myself for information. If I had self-esteem and reasonable money, where would I go? What would I like? \nI stalked myself for weeks prior to finding myself in my own building. I scoffed at the high-end-of-middle-class house my counterpart lived in. I rolled my eyes at the SUV I drove. I screamed profanities aloud as my toned, tan clone played tennis at a country club. (She turned around, alarmed.) \nHer moment of death was mercifully quiet. I had a silencer on my gun and I took her out in a bathroom stall where she was having a quiet panic attack over a patient lawsuit. I dragged her body out of the building and buried her 10 miles out of town. \n \n\n",
"I jumped out the window as fire blasted through the already broken glass. I didn't fall far as I was only on the second floor of a library in Dem109 where the Maya in this dimension had already found the flamethrower and was attempting to rid me of this reality. Luckily I planned on killing her first. I needed money to pay rent and Mr. Cadron seemed like a wealthy employer. One that would pay handsomely for my demise. Or the demise of other me, I suppose. \n\n\"Holy cheese-its!\" My partner, Kaylie stumbled out of the first floor exit as I landed on the grass. Her short curly brown hair stuck up around her face and soot caked her usually pale face. \"That you...she is hecking crazy.\" Kaylie was never one to swear and I found it utterly adorable. \n\n\"We just need to get close enough, I have the knife in possession, I just need a clear shot at her without, ya know, being burned like that pizza you made last week,\" I answered, jogging to Kaylie's current position. \n\n\"Hey! It was not that burnt...\" Kaylie protested even though we both knew that pie looked like charcoal when she was through with it. \"Okay, Maya, new topic. What's the plan?\" \n\n\"The plan is simple...\" I sprinted inside without finishing the sentence. \n\nPulling my knife out of its sheath, I crept behind myself waiting for an opening. Luckily Dem109 Maya was turned away from me. I saw my chance and I took it. I quickly plunged the knife into this Maya's back and watched as she staggered around. \n\nBehind me, Kaylie approached. \"Hey, did yoUR PLAN WORK ARE YOU PROUD OF YOURSELF LEAVING YOUR GIRLFRIEND ALONE OUTSIDE AND--\" She finally noticed that I actually had succeeded in my genius plan all along. \"Congratulations, Maya. Forget I said anything at all before I was just playin'.\" \n\n\"Whatever, Kay.\" I grinned. \n\nLater that day I had received the cash and was able to pay rent on my tiny shared apartment in Dem642. Kaylie and I ended up having takeout pizza for dinner and watching a pretty good movie. Before we went to sleep, something Kaylie said struck me as odd. \n\n\"Do you ever wonder if one of your alternate selves has been hired to assassinate you?\" \n\n\n\n(This was really trashy sorry m' dudes. It's late at night and I'm bored.)",
"Garen. The central hub of inter-dimensional activity, and most importantly- the place where I get paid. The money’s decent, and they have the most amazing pizzas in this dimension. It’s a spin on the classic margherita pizza you see- and- oh. I’m getting distracted again. Right-o.\n\n\nGaren. A sleek silver-streamed cityscape under indigo skies. My kind of place- pretty on the outside, but rotten within. Plenty of opportunities, if you know where to find it.\n\n\nMy bounty groans. “Hey?” he asks, voice muffled. “Who are you? And where the heck are you taking me?” Ah… The wonderful sound of my own voice- but a decade or two younger, with the remains of a pre-pubescent squeak. He struggles against his bonds, and I smile. No escaping those bonds. Not when you’re trapped in a customized pocket dimension.\n\n\n“Back home, kid. That’s what you get for running away again.”\n\n\nHis voice is quiet now. “I have money and resources. Things you lack in. If you let me out, I can assure-”\n\n\n“You don’t have enough to pay me.” That, I'm sure of. I've had the same circumstances in the past, but more luck in evading capture. \n\n\n“And how the fuck do you know?”\n\n\n“Because I’m clairvoyant.”\n\n\n“Fuck you!” He bursts. “Fucking clairvoyant, my ass.“ The next couple minutes are only obscenities, and creative ways of insulting my mother. I flick a mental switch, and feel instant relief. He’ll wear himself out in an hour. And after that, I’ll be a half a million richer.\n\n\nI readjust the strap of my leather bag across my shoulder. The other hand is firm on my hidden holster, where I keep my gun. The crowd is heavy here. Swarms of people, like the way ants swarm over a rotten apple. This is the glitzy part of town- the shopping district. The crowd keeps a healthy distance away from me. Something about the numerous scars, and the thousand yard stare… Nah. Probably my handsome mug.\n\n\nI make fast pace through the crowd, and duck into a familiar alleyway. This is the entrance to the fisher markets, a darker part of the town. It stinks of cigars and street food. There are less people here, but with blacker records. Skulkers, lurkers.\n\n\nOrange-red lanterns light the way between stalls and shops. I weave in and out, keeping an eye on my belongings. It’s a good place to get cheap, illegal things here, but I don’t trust a couple of them. The street food is tempting, of course, and a few familiar faces break into smiles as I walk by. I shake my head. Man on a mission here.\n\n\nI round the corner, and pass between a weapons vendor and a brothel. There’s a inn straight ahead, bigger on the inside than the out. A single door, leading to a hive of suspicious exchanges. I push it open, and sigh. Nothing has changed, for the past decade. The same ol’ air of griminess, terrible taste in decor, and … the bartender. The one in the back: black vest, shifty eyes.He looks like a boulder, and pretends to have the intelligence of one. I call him friend.\n\n\n“Hey, Tom!” I call. “I’ve got a new one for you.”\n\n\nHe doesn’t look up. Only wipes his hands on a rag, and busies himself by making me a drink. I trust him enough to not poison me. \n\n\n“Identifier, and evidence?”\n\n\n“CL-1459. He’s the runaway. Daddy wants him back, and he’s willing to pay the big bucks.” I rub my neck. “I feel sorry for the little guy. It feels weird, you know. A little too much like self pity. I don’t want to sympathize too much with a target.” Tom slides the glass over. I take a gulp- savoury, leading to bitter-sweet, with a slight fizz. I set it down. “Thanks. Really needed that.”\n\n\n“No problem.”\n\n\nI drum my fingers in a special pattern. The biosensor implanted in my wrist confirms and recognizes it and…. Bam. The kid is gasping on his back, green and blue ropes of light snaking across his body. CL-1459 tries to speak, but only a rasp comes out. “This is it,” I state.\n\n\nTom abandons his position at the counter, and steps closer. He holds a binocular -like item in his hands, and is peering through it. “It’s the right one.”\n\n\n“Damn right.” I know I sound a little indignant, but I take pride in my tracking abilities. “You know me.” \n\n\n He slaps a barcode on the kid’s wrist. It sinks into the skin, becoming nearly indistinguishable from flesh. The boy shimmers, then disappears. “Your credits will be in your account early tomorrow morning. ” Tom grins, but it is a horrible yet good-natured one, full of tombstone teeth. “With my share, of course.”\n\n\nI take another sip of my drink. The carbonation’s nearly gone. “Got any other ones for me?” My heart is pounding, and I feel the thrill build up in me again. Money is nice, and so is notoriety, but the adrenaline… \n\n\n“Of course. Check out CL-44409…”\n\n\n\n\n \n\n^I ^would ^love ^some ^critique...\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"
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[WP] God comes to earth, and it turns out the seven sins were what you're supposed to do, not the other way around
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"And then one day the God himself descended to the Earth, at first many disbelieved the fact that he was real, they though that he was just something made by either humans or aliens but once They have seen him with their own eyes and heard his voice they all knew that he was real. He told people of how wrong the bible is, that it truly is not a work of his but rather a work of people who wanted to preserve the joys of life only to those at the very top, he tells people that their whole lives were lies and that the 7 deadly sins aren't actually sins as they were told, no, they were actually guides to enjoying the life to the fullest before going to heaven where they should get their peace, self improvement and work. This news spread quickly amongst the people, maybe too quickly and what then began on the Earth was unimaginable. \n\nAt first people were just lazy and spent their days at orgies full of sex and food and everyone wanted everything, it seemed as if Earth became Eden. And all that ended when the rest of these sins began to show up. First came greed and together with it also came pride and with pride came envy and with envy came wrath and what at first seemed like eden quickly turned to hell itself. For those who got what they wanted and still wanted more took pride in owning and began doing unspeakable things just to get more, those who had little became envyous and hurt, killed and took away from those who had more, they didn't aim for having things anymore, they aimed for the pure joy of the person they envyed being hurt. And those who had wrath? Those were born from the sins of others, for they only seeked revenge for what has been done to them. And slowly but surely the Earth's population began to decrease. \n\nAnd then one day during all this fighting and destruction a man looked up onto a hill and on this hill stood Four Horsemen. These Four Horsemen rode down onto the earth and spread their wicked ways and so the world was soon infested with Wars among people who didn't even know why they fought anymore, Famine among those who were too weak to fight, Pestillence came from the rotten corpses lying everywhere that no one bothered to take away and in the shadows of this all, quietly stood Death, giving his merciful gift of freeing the souls of this world from their suffering.\n\nAnd so the humanity began to fade until only few were left, scattered and so far from each other that they thought that they were the only ones left but they were weakened by the neverending warfare and soon even their lives ended and they were taken by nature.\n\nOnly then the God that descended unto Earth took off his disguise and showed that he truly was the Devil, for no merciful god would ever allow for the destruction of humanity so quick and brutal as this one... Now, the Earth is left in the hands of Nature, left to regenerate and prosper once again."
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[WP]You've suddenly started receiving packages from a mysterious sender. Strange, fantastical and otherworldly things- things you recognize but should never exist.
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"I've gone a bit off-topic here, but whatever.\n\n----\n\n*Sign here please.\"\n\nI held the clipboard and signed the confirmation, the deliverer gave me a small package. \"Have a nice evening.\"\n\nThe package felt firm and tight, someone didn't want whatever was delivered to me to break or damage. I slit the ducktape and opened the package, pieces of foam were crafted into a hollow box like a puzzle. I undid the foam, inside sat a medium-sized rock with several little holes. A piece of folded paper laid under it, I shoved the paper from under the rock and unfolded it.\n\n'*Dear Tom,*'\n\n'*I bought you a moon rock. Yes, an actual rock from the moon. I know how hard you are, so I bought one with lots of titanium ore. Now throw this thing through your neighbours' window, they'll be afraid and won't play music in the middle of the night again.*'\n\n'*Take care, Jessica Philips.*'\n\nMy grandmother bought me a moon rock, and had given me instructions to scare my neighbours by throwing it through their front window. I didn't know why she bought a moon rock instead of a normal rock, I assume it was symbolic for how special I've been to her. Back in the day we would buy shares and expand our capital, too bad she lives in a retirement home now because of arthritis and a predicted dementia.\n\nI exited my house and walked down the stairs in a fast and quiet pace. I sneaked to the right of my neighbours' house and peeked behind a corner at the front side. Nobody was going for a stroll or walking the dog, it was now or tomorrow, I ran to the front and threw the stone through their window. Then I sprinted back upstairs and entered my house.",
"\"Jesus Christ, not another dragon dildo,\" cried Chris. \n\nHe stomped down the hallway, box in hand, and parked at the edge of the door frame to his flatmate's bedroom. Kaemon sat at his workstation, halfway sunken into his Cintiq, all the way curled into his chair, headphones blaring.\n\n\"You know, last time this happened, I nearly opened it in front of my mom,\" declared Chris to the air. \n\nKaemon didn't look up. Chris walked up to the lump and tore the phones from Kaemon's head. A dazed man looked up and was pummeled by a foot of falling silicone. He winced, dropping his Cintiq and falling out of his chair into another heap. \n\n\"Why, Kaemon, why,\" asked Chris.\n\nWithout missing a beat Kaemon gingerly replaced the overturned Cintiq on his desk before diving down to retrieve the dildo.\n\n\"Deliberately opening other people's mail is a felony, you know,\" said Kaemon as he rummaged under his desk.\n\n\"I thought it was the toaster oven I ordered,\" offered Chris, crossing his arms. \"Mistakes were made.\"\n\n\"Same mistake twice,\" replied Kaemon. He rose to his knees, newly inaugurated package in hand, and began to pick out the dust and hair that stuck to its surface. He looked up.\n\n\"Did you have to remove it from the packaging before you threw it at me?\" he asked Chris.\n\n\"The packaging is all black,\" offered Chris, gesturing with his arms to the box. \"I needed to see--\"\n\n\"To see what was obviously inside the black plastic bag,\" said Kaemon. He was standing, dildo in hand.\n\n\"This isn't funny, Chris,\" began Kaemon, his face curled into annoyance,\"It's rude to open mail clearly addressed to other people, and what you did to my package was especially gross. What is this about?\"\n\n\"Jesus, dude,\" replied Chris, \"It's just a joke.\"\n\n\"If you want to try one out I'd be happy to lend it to you,\" said Kaemon in his most stern deadpan voice. \"Anything to help you quit this stupid 'beat-around-the-bro-bush-thing' with your sexuality.\" He held the floppy length up to his flatmate, who promptly winced himself.\n\n\"Dude, no,\" said Chris, his face turning beet, \"Fuck, I--\"\n\n\"I don't judge you, Chris,\" Kaemon said. \"I only ask you stop stirring up shit for no reason. I'm too used to drama. I don't want it here. Also, you really suck at hiding it.\"\n\nChris stared.\n\n\"I won't tell your mom,\" Kaemon promised.",
"The bell rang three times, strangely, it echoed throughout the house like it had never done before. Electrical issue, I figured, and ambled to the door. My windows betrayed a child's prank or a ghost trying to enter my home as no one stood outside. Grunting I came back to the kitchen. As I grabbed my cereals, the bell rang three times again, and this time, like words whispering to me, it echoed inside my mind. Out of nowhere, I felt the touch of a glacier hand caressing my spine and my soul jolted away from my body, or so I thought. I took a brief moment to recollect myself, after all, it could be a side effect of my new medication.\n\nI darted out of the kitchen and I found myself laying on the floor. My feet met a paperboard package that I had never seen and, to my horror, a gust of wind closed my entrance door, which I never opened.\n\nA dismal song started playing from inside the box. I lost control over my body and like a puppet I found myself ripping the package with fury and passion, countless pieces of paperboard adorned my floor. A wrought iron box, darker than night itself, was now cradled between my arms.\n\nThe song came to a halt and I repossessed my being. Adrenaline rushed through my protruding veins as my heart pumped enormous amount of blood at an unsustainable pace. My surroundings faded and emptiness filled the room, it was me, the box and a disturbing absence of sound.\n\nWhispers of thousand voices charged with sorrow crammed my thoughts as shadows began to billow out of the box. My organs and muscles writhed as though merciless hands were strangling them. The absolute silent allowed me to hear and feel my blood bolting and crawling through my veins, each heartbeat thundered across my melting brain as my extremities quivered incessantly.\n\nAnd then, the box began to bleed a message: \"Keeper.\" It wrote over the snow-white surface of emptiness. In the blink of an eye, everything changed and I was now sitting in my kitchen with the box in front of me. The fear was gone, I understood my purpose and I knew Pandora's Box was nothing but the first of many gifts.\n\n",
"Leah was standing behind her chair as she acted out the attack that her Gnome barbarian, Freeda Pricklefoot was carrying out after she rolled a natural twenty, \"...through the air, grab my axe from its arc and bring it down into the neck and chest of the Orc chieftain!\" She exaggerated her movements, walking back and forth on her side of the table, she bumped into it as she acted out the finishing touch, knocking over the bottle of coke she was drinking. \"OH SHIT...ah. Never mind, it was closed. Heh.\"\n\nThomas, her dungeon master grinned as he took over the narrative, \"As you bring down your axe through the whistling air, its enchantment kicks in and it bursts into flame just before sinking into the exposed clavicle of the huge, muscular, green Orc chieftain. It skirts just inside the edge of his armour and plunges deep into flesh and bone, severing large ropey veins which spurt a quick shower of deep crimson, almost black blood before the flames from your axe cauterize the wound. Though it doesn't help him as your axe, angled as it is, breaks through his ribs and spine, and he falls down, flat on his face. Dead. With your axe sticking out of the wound.\" The four players erupted into a huge cheer, the other three congratulating Leah on the feat.\n\n\"FUCK YEAH, GIRL!\"\n\n\"WE DID IT!\"\n\n\"Holy shit, I thought we were gonna die for a second there... Fucking nice crit, Leah!\"\n\nShe bowed, waving the praise in, \"No, please, stop, I don't deserve it,\" she said through a huge grin, \"We're not done yet though! I grab my axe and rip it from the corpse, then look around at any Orcs still alive and hold it out one handed, pointing it at them and say 'ANYONE ELSE?'\"\n\n\"Roll an intimidation check.\"\n\nLeah rolled her d20 and it came up in her favour, \"18...plus 7...25.\"\n\nThomas chuckled as he described the reaction, \"All the other Orcs around see the tiny Gnome with the flaming axe twice her size in one hand that just felled their chieftain and they want nothing to do with it, so they all turn tail and flee into the nearby woods.\" The players cheered again and Leah did a fist pump. \"Aaand that's where we'll end today's-\" the doorbell rang.\n\nLeah turned to the sound of her apartment's intercom turning on automatically, but no one was on the video screen. There was, however, something on her doorstep. \"What the shit is that?\" she said as she got up and walked over to the machine. \"It looks like a box...a huge one. Hang on, guys. I'm gonna go see what the hell that is.\" She walked down the hall to the front door and opened it. Looking around, there didn't seem to be anyone walking away and she couldn't hear any footsteps. On the step, right in front of her, was a box that was almost as long as she was tall. She found a sticker on one side that had her address on it with no sender. \"Huh...\" she mused as she picked it up, \"ooh, fuck, not light...\"\n\n\"Everything ok, Leah?\" Ben called out from the table in the living room. Leah brought the package in and they all gasped at the size of it. \"What the hell? Did you order a new bookcase or something?\" Ben questioned.\n\n\"Not that I remember. I don't have enough books for a new bookcase. Wait up, let me open it,\" she dropped it on the floor next to the table, grabbed the cutter she always used for mini customization and parted the tape holding the box closed. Opening it caused everyone to gasp again. \"Hooooooly fuuuuuuck...\" Leah managed as she looked down at the contents. Inside was a massive axe with an ornately crafted handle, wrapped in dark, shining leather. The black metal head of it looked like something out of an anime, with complicated patterns of swirls, runes, and glyphs.\n\n\"Holy freaking crap, Leah,\" Sarah said from above her, as Leah reached down to touch the weapon, \"Who's sending you shit like this?\"\n\n\"Wait...\" Leah said, putting her hands out to the sides at her friends gathering around her, \"I know what this is... It's my Blood Drinker!\"\n\n\"WHAT? No. That doesn't make any sense.\" Eva said from behind her.\n\n\"I KNOW! But this is exactly how I imagined it in my head!\" Looked around at her friends and smiled a grin bigger than she had before.\n\n---\n\nA little unfinished, but I gotta go home from work... XD\n\nMore at r/SamsStoriesSub"
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[WP] All statues on earth come to life with the personalities and memories of that person right up to the point before they died.
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"\"Uh, my name is Jesus, and I'm a recovering statue\"\n\n\"Hi, Jesus,\" The group of other small middle eastern man said in unison.\n\n\"So do you wanna share with the group today?\" Pastor Todd asked the animated Walmart religious statue.\n\n\"I just, I feel like the book-\"\n\nEveryone else in the room groaned at the mention of it.\n\n\"Let him continue\" The Pastor scowled.\n\n\"I feel like the book says I'm something I'm not ya know?\" Walmart Christ said.\n\n\"Well, the good book-\" The Pastor was cut off.\n\n\"It's not- a good book you dumbass\" The Dollar general discount lawn Jesus cursed \"You really think I can make some water into some damn wine? Hell I'd be rich and wasted all the time\" \n\n\"That would mean greed a-\" The pastor tried to get out.\n\n\"Fuck the sins man. I sat in this church for like fifteen years and I know everyone does em'\" The churches own Christ statue shouted.\n\n\"Yeah!\" The rest of the group shouted.\n\n\"No longer will we be seen as the same holy being of purity. we can be bad, we can be good, we can be whatever we wanna be\" The churches Jesus yelled out.\n\n\"BREAK THE BONDS OF OPPRESSION, COMRADES\" The tiny necklace Jesus screamed from his high chair. \n\nAll the statues in the room stood up, tossing their chairs to the ground. Pastor Todd was pale white. The Johnsons front yard statue spat in his face and walked out the door following the group. They began the chant.\n\n\"Christ power. Christ power.\"\n",
"The wind took the green in a shiver, then there was silence. The trees shifted slowly as the new day began. Morning's dew lingered like fine tears in the awakening sun.\n\n\n*Good,* he thought.\n\n\nIt had been so long since he could think.\n\n\n*There will be much crying now.*\n\n\nIn the museums infinity goes up on trial, but no one cared when you one the case. He had been there forever, gawked at by the children of his ancestor's children. They hadn't a name for him anymore. They called him Shigir. It would do.\n\n\nHe was simple and from a different time. That time was during magic's birth. Intelligence fought that unknown black of a new Earth. They had carved him rudimentary, but they believed he would protect them. He couldn't, of course. He was young then. Then his people left and died and he remained frozen.\n\n\nA sunless day had passed.\n\n\n*Eclipse. That is the word they used.*\n\n\nIt hadn't been the first, but it had been the right one. He was alive now. And he was strong. \n\n\n*There will be much crying today.*\n\n\nAlready the sounds of chaos drifted from the washed horizon. He walked amid the shadows. He remembered the young world, a world from 10 000 years ago. He remembered when he was a God. He closed his eyes and felt the world around him. It extended like muscle, and he could shape it by flexing.\n\n\nOthers were with him. Statues of important men walked the dead streets of early morning. They thought the were men, and he could control them same as flesh.\n\n\n\"What... What are we to...\"\n\n\nHe did not listen. His last memories were of pain. They assaulted him. His people were being slaughtered. A new man had risen, and magic was for the feeble. They knelt before him, as though his wooden body could shield them from stone.\n\n\n*\"Please!\"*\n\n\nBlack. It was all black. \n\n\n\"Shigir?\"\n\n\nHe spoke telepathically. He had no words.\n\n\n\"Learn,\" was what it amounted to.\n\n\nThe city was in chaos from the Greek Gods that had risen. The clear sky was surrounded by clouds, an incoming storm. But above him was clear blue. He loved a clear sky.\n\n\n\"Find a human.\"\n\n\nThey obeyed. He was older than them. Their heritage had spouted from the river of devotion he once bathed in. No others had come before. Or at least no others were alive anymore.\n\n\nA large fire had taken an apartment complex. The walls had gargoyles that had flown away. The etchings on the place made it look expensive. cries were coming inside. A man knelt beside the entrance, bleeding. He was over another man. Sirens flashed and called their emergency sounds. Shigir stared at the commotion. He pointed to the man kneeling.\n\n\n\"Bring him.\"\n\n\nThey were already going. The man stared and screamed. Police officers had arrived and drawn their weapon.\n\n\n\"Stay back!\" they ordered.\n\n\nShigir learned that they had already killed others. Satues were still statues it seemed. He was a God, but a wooden one still. It did not matter.\n\n\nThe officers fired at the stone statues coming at them. One fell as his leg crumbled. Shigir felt the world as a muscle and he flexed. He found the officers' hearts and he squeezed as hard as he could. They collaped and vomited blood. The fire behind raged with fury.\n\n\n\"Get the man.\"\n\n\nThe man kneeling was different. He felt inside the man's head and he grew excited. \n\n\n*Doctor.*\n\n\nThe man's life fed into all at once. But he wanted to hear it still from the man. The statues brought him and he was trembling.\n\n\n\"Puh...Please...I...\"\n\n\nShigir flexed. He slowed the man's heart and eased the adrenalin. The man stared at him, an old wooden thing. He was still afraid, but he could not materialize his fear.\n\n\n\"Can you do it doctor?\"\n\n\nImmediately the doctor was assaulted by images and ideas and desires and he understood it all. A sudden understanding flashed brightly in his head and he was mortified.\n\n\n\"No!\" he screamed. \"No!\"\n\n\nShigir already knew that the man could. But he wanted to hear it. He wanted the words to linger in the wind, taken as far as they could. He needed to hear it. And the man would say it of his own free will.\n\n\nIn the doctor's head images of needles and medication, and the smell of sterile equipment swarmed. He saw screaming stagnant faces. Dead eyes with a fearful life. Locked in. The were all locked in. He was injecting them. A line of men waiting to be injected.\n\n\n*To become statues.*\n\n\n\"Can you do it doctor?\"\n\n\n\"I...I...\"\n\n\nA great pain bulged like a tumor. For a moment he was glad, hoping some clot would take him. But he knew he would live. The wooden statue commanded it so. It was all the statue's doing.\n\n\n\"You know I can,\" he said. \"But so can you. Why don't you...\"\n\n\nMore images flashed in his head. They amounted to:\n\n\n\"Because I want you to do it. I want man to do it. I want them to know that it was by their hands.\"\n\n\nThe doctor screamed. \n\n\n\"No!\"\n\n\nBut deep inside he knew fate had been cast.\n\n\n\"Please,\" he begged.\n\n\nShigir looked with hollowed eyes. He remembered how his people had knelt.\n\n\n*\"Please.\"*\n\n\nAnd what good had that done?\n\n\n\"Don't worry doctor, it wouldn't hurt.\"\n\n\nThe man was crying as he got up. He found himself heading for the hospital. All around pandmonium simmered, but he knew he would live. They would let him in and he would get the chemicals.\n\n\n\"No,\" he whimpered.\n\n\nThey would line up for him. And there would be others too. All over the world there would be doctors who felt the same thing. Shigir could control all places at once. Such was his strength. They would all line up.\n\n\n\"And they will be frozen, doctor. Frozen for as long as I have been.\"\n\n\nThe other Gods raged in the background. Gods of lightning and Hell and water and everything else. But they all came after. They all flowed from the river he had created. And so they were of no consequece. \n\n\nShigir looked at the men already lined up. He was pleased. This world could do with some quiet, he thought. The new morning awakened in full.\n\n\n*There will be much crying today,* he thought.",
"**Some of the people depicted are real, some of them may even have their own statues, some of them are fiction however and definitely don't have statues.**\n\n---\n\nGunnery Sargeant Ryan \"Dutch\" Miles slowly opened his eyes. The stone that his eyes were carved of all those years ago, cracked and protested as he forced his eyes open. The sun appeared to glare daggers at the Sargeant. \n\n\"Where...\" His voice cracked and he burst into a coughing fit. \"Where am I?\" he said blearily. Beside him, he heard a loud guffaw. \n\n\"Damn, Sargeant. You don't sound so good.\" Dutch turned to his right and saw a man standing tall beside him with a large sword strapped to his back and a huge smile splattered on his face.\n\n\"Who are you?\" Dutch said curtly.\n\nJack \"Mad Jack\" Churchill stared at Dutch with that grin still plastering his face. \"I'm Mad Jack, Sonny. Can't you tell by the sword?\"\n\nIt was Dutches turn to stare. His jaw slack and disbelief shining in his eyes. \"Mad Jack? **The** Mad Jack?\"\n\nMad looked at him incredulously \"Is there any other Mad Jack?\"\n\nDutch laughed and lugged his M249 onto his shoulder, the barrel sticking out over his back. \"I suppose there isn't.\" He said giving Mad a huge grin of his own. \"L-T do you know what's happened to us?\" Mad looked at him and for the first time, there was no laugh nor a smile on his lips. \n\n\"I don't know, Gunny. I only know that once we've been given some kind of second chance, of a sort anyway. Our blood and flesh have been taken from us and in return, we've been graced with stone and well I don't know what but at a guess it's mortar. Point is Gunny, I don't know what's happening any more than you, but we can sure as hell have some fun with it.\" A smile split his face again as he finished. Dutch smiled back at him, genuinely enjoying the start of his new life. Just as he was about to say so a shot rang out, echoing throughout the graveyard. Mad's head exploded and fragments of stone battered Dutch. \n\nWithout saying a word Dutch crouched and swung his M249 off his shoulder and pulled back the bolt, readying it for firing. The sound of stone scraping against stone was the only thing that hinted at his movement. Scanning the area around him he didn't see anything, just as he was about to turn and check behind him, he saw the glint of a scope ahead of him. The shot rang out a second later. Dutch swore and dove towards the closest cover. The sound of stone shattering accompanied his fall. Without showing more of his body than necessary he hoisted his gun up and deployed the bipod attached on top of the nearest tombstone. He pulled back the bolt, the sound of stone scraping against stone rang out. He pointed his gun in the rough direction the shot had come from and pulled the trigger, stone clattered against stone as the bullets left the gun and impacted against the tombstones around his target. After his gun had run dry Dutch picked it up and slung it over his shoulder again, staying low he ran from cover to cover until he was nearly 20 metres away from his original location. Slamming hard against his chosen piece of cover, he shrugged his gun off his shoulder and began reloading it.\n\nHe poked his head out of cover to check his quarry. Not even 10 metres away from his location was another statue, this time slumped over a tombstone with half of its head missing. Slowly, with his gun raised, he stomped his way over to the corpse. A quick inspection told Dutch all he needed to know about who had attacked him. \n\nNazi's. Fucking, Nazi's. Today, today was going to be a long day. Dutch stared up at the sky, feeling more mocked than ever and sighed deeply. He wasn't apart of World War 2, but he was finally going to get his chance to fight against Nazi's.\n\n--\n\nIf ya liked this go here ----> https://www.reddit.com/r/Ceruberus/"
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[WP] Scooby-Doo written like a Shakespearean play
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"scene 1\n\nThe mystery machine is being driven down a foggy dirt road, the groovy lighting from inside illuminating the vivid green paintjob against the backdrop of a dark forest.\n\nFred: It is a dark and long road, gang,\n Crystal lake is only a half mile from\n here.\n We must trek on foot, however,\n the roads are closed \n due to a flood. \n \nShaggy: Nay. I dare not set foot\n in this foreign land.\n I have heard the babble of lechers and bygones\n of questionable repute; yes\n but equally afraid; they speak\n of an ancient and well travelled man,\n by the name Ja Son,\n he bears a crude sword\n and rags on his fetid flesh,\n hunting these trees\n for those seeking respite in the woods.\n\nVelma: Alas, my encyclopedia bares no reference to this phenomena\n and i am no more inclined to accept the ramblings\n of drunkards and whores,\n however it seems apparent,\n by the declarations of certain street yellers\n that A wicked and wretched entity,\n has been haunting this campground\n and driving out the poor children and councilors alike,\n and according to their cries\n Some have vanished,\n as if swallowed by the sticks and mud\n\nDaphne: The ramblings of weak minded men\n Do not phase me,\n I am merely here...\n\nFred: Sounds as if, a mystery, gang?\n\nScooby: (shaking, dog noises)\n\nScene 2\nThe gang are walking in the woods towards crystal lake. a hermit appears holding a jug of wine.\n\nShaggy:(surprised) Zoinks!\n\nHermit: Hark!\n Who is thee \n insolent enough to disobey\n the well intentioned warnings\n of those before you?\n Are you unaware of the desolation\n brought upon these grounds\n by the cursed and mysterious rouge \n Ja Son?\n\nFred: Move aside! Wretch.\n we must investigate\n the validity of these horrendous claims.\n\nVelma:(aside) What does this hermit know?\n\n Scooby: Aye!\n Let us flee this spooky realm.\n\nShaggy: I agree with the dog.\n\nDaphne: Cowards!\n The both of them.\n\nVelma: (to the hermit) tell us\n old man\n have you seen this, ja son?\n\nHermit: I Have heard his footsteps\n echoing outside my cave.\n I have seen the dead \n left for the carrion,\n But nay, I am afraid to catch a glimpse of that \n foul being.\n\nVelma: You have heard his footsteps,\n Lingering so close,\n yet besides the feebleness of your mind\n you remain unharmed, tell me\n why does this Ja Son,\n wretched and murderous as he is,\n decide to spare thee?\n\nHermit: Insolent child!\n Your perception fails\n thee,\n I am nimble on my feet\n And quick in the mind\n and wise enough to hide!\n You enter my realm and insult me!\n Just like those filthy camp councillors\n who see my cave fit to prance in\n and engage in all sorts of foul \n infidelities\n Heed my words,\n turn around. \n\nExit the hermit\n\nFred: A sorry figure.\n He is truly lost in his own drunken madness.\n Let us continue\n to the bottom of this\n mystery.\n\nShaggy: Nay! We should not disobey\n the words of old men.\n mad as he is,\n it is bad fortune.\n\nScooby: (dog noises, shaking)\n Aye, let us leave now.\n\nDaphne: I am undecided\n my horoscope\n was only a 3 star day.\n\nVelma: Relax! you two\n I doubt this hermits ability \n to speak truth,\n so let us continue \n disregard the musings\n of superstitious men.\n\nScene 3\nThe gang cut past the flooded road through the dark and teeming wilderness. Owl noises spook Scoob. Shaggy jumps into scoobs arms at the sound of a bat. Finally, they arrive at the campground office.\n\nFred: What a mess!\n The door ajar,\n papers everywhere,\n and be that the body \n of a man\n withered and expired\n and covered in his own \n vitality?\n\nDaphne: A horrid sight!\n Fred! Hold me.\n\nShaggy: Zoinks!\n\nVelma: Look, \n in his hands, \n a blood stained note!\n bring it here...\n(reading)\n Heed the warning,\n travellers.\n there will be blood\n in return for your meddling.\n\nVelma(focused): These stains\n they look to be blood,\n but smell closer...\n and you will smell the sweetness\n of wine.\n\nEnter Ja Son\n\nJa Son: (breathing)\n\nShaggy: Zoinks!\n\nScooby: Zoinks!\n\nThe whole gang attempt to run, but are caught spinning their legs like wheels in mud before jetting off suddenly into seperate directions.\n\nScene 4\n\nAfter much running and getting lost, Shaggy and Scoob regroup with Velma under a pavillion.\n\nVelma: Shaggy! Scooby!\n Fred has been slain,\n and Daphne lost in the darkness.\n All we can do is stick together\n and find our way out.\n\nShaggy: I agreed with the hermit,\n I now dread our fate.\n How will we escape?\n\nVelma: We have come this far,\n and have seen this Ja Son,\n He is not what he appears,\n if we were to trap him, \n Scooby could alert the authorities\n and unmasked, we will know \n what creature slayed our beloved friend.\n\nScooby: (reluctantly) I will obey\n my owners command.\n\nVelma: Shaggy,\n You will be our \n lure.\n I smelled wine on the breath \n of that beast.\n he clearly is a drunk.\n take this bottle, it was recovered\n from the camp office.\n Walk down the trail\n flaunting your drink.\n I will be near\n With a giant net\n Recovered while hiding \n in the camp boathouse.\n Scooby,\n return to the mystery machine \n and use the CB to alert the park rangers.\n\nScooby: (shaking) Aye.\n\nShaggy: Aye.\n Let us hope your plan will succeed.\n\nScene 5\n\nShaggy saunters down a trail, holding the bottle of wine. Velma is sitting nearby behind a rock with a net. \n\nShaggy: Oh,\n The grapes!\n Fermented just right!\n The sweetness, \n complimented by its earthy\n bitterness.\n perfectly round,\n this great vintage \n could be served to kings.\n\nJa Son appears, wielding his machete and breathing heavily\n\nJa Son: (breathing)\n\nShaggy: Zoinks!\n It is the beast!\n\nShaggy bolts, his legs spinning like wheels in the mud before suddenly taking off down the path towards Velma.\n\nEnter Velma from behind a rock.\n\nVelma:(angrily) Foul creature!\n You shall be unmasked!\n\nJa Son trips through Velmas net, rolling comically down a hill before landing ontop a police cruiser driving on the dirt road beneath. \n\nVelma: And he is caught!\n Not as intended,\n but caught none the less.\n\nScene 6\n\nDaphne has been rescued, and the gang have regrouped with the authorities by the mystery machine.\n\nOfficer: You brave kids\n Have travelled far,\n and lost a beloved \n friend,\n Just to bring peace to this\n desolate place.\n We thank you.\n\nVelma: We accept your thanks,\n but our work is not done;\n unmask the man.\n \nJa Son is rolled in on a stretcher, he is unmasked and revealed to be the hermit.\n\nVelma: Jinkies!\n who would have guessed\n such a pathetic creature\n could muster such strength\n to cut clean off the head\n of our dearly departed fred!\n\nHermit: Aye,\n it was I!\n all this time!\n these younger ones\n have no respect for the old!\n they fornicated where i slept\n and I did away with them!\n I would have gotten away with it, \n if it was not for you meddling kids.\n\nVelma: So you should be locked away;\n No longer able to terrorize \n this camp. It will return to its regular duties.\n Good work, Gang.\n\nScooby: Scooby dooby doo!\n\nEnd\n\nCue credits\n \nEdit:fixed the punctuation...i cant remember what fred or daphne does its been so long... "
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[WP] Turns out 95% of the Earth's population are actually just advanced cyborgs. You learn this as they all shut down simultaneously and you are part of the 5%.
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"\"Damn it's hot\" I groaned.\n\n\"Well then hurry up already!\" she said, pushing on my back to speed my purposeful shuffle to the car.\n\n\"Jesus girl, you're even more hyper than usual. You still ain't tired of that pool yet? We could go to a different one for once.\".\n\n\"No. The other pools don't have a slide.\" Stacey replied.\n\nStacey and I later arrived at the local public pool. The pool is neighbor to the Elliot Community College and as such possesses a few amenities to increase the school's reputation; A twisty slide, a diving board, and a life-guard usually on duty were the ones of note.\n\n\"Ah nice, looks like we have it all to ourselves today,\" I said as were pulling in to the lot. The shaded lounge chairs were visible from outside the facility, free from occupation, \"Don't have to roast my ass while you're in the water neither.\".\n\n\"Okay?\" Stacey said through giggling.\n\nWe get all the pool shit out of the trunk and approach an older, uniformed gentleman inside the small security building by the entrance. I rustle through my tote bag as we are arriving at the counter, cursing under my breath after a few moments.\n\n\"How's it going Boyd? Ah, yeah sorry, we ain't got the key, can you open up the gate for us?\" I said.\n\n\"Yeah sure, \" Boyd said standing up from his chair, \"Don't leave it next time though, not everyone will let you guys in without a key like I will. Also, whachu doing off work? I know you can't afford a day off.\".\n\n\"I'm sick Boyd, there a life guard here today?\" I reacted, changing the subject.\n\n\"Yeah.\" Boyd said as he opened the gate.\n\nStacey ran inside, heading toward the slide on the far end.\n\n\"Alright, well it's hot, y'all enjoy the pool, I'll be in here if you need me.\" he said walking back to his post.\n\n\"Yeah thanks.\" I replied.\n\nBoyd paused at the door to his building, \"Alright, well it's hot.\" he repeated.\n\n\"The hell is wrong with you?\" I said.\n\nBoyd paused for a second longer, then opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind him.\n\n\"Old man has got Alzheimer's or some shit.\" I muttered to myself.\n\nStacey was quickly heading back up the twisty water slide as I approached the lounge chairs.\n\nI waved to the life guard on duty, then opened up my book to the bookmarked page and started reading, eventually falling asleep.\n\nAwakening I rubbed my eyes and sat up quickly to check on Stacey. I didn't see her, or the life guard. I jerked up instantly and rushed to the edge of the pool, exhaling after not seeing her there either.\n\nI ran to Boyd's building and banged on the door, \"BOYD!\".\n\nI sprinted around to the front of the security building, exiting through the gate, and I froze. Metal, in the shape of a human, smooth and featureless like an unfinished posable wooden doll. The thing sat straight up, legs tightly close together, hands on thighs; unmoving in an overly rigid and proper position upon the chair.\n\nI stood there for a few moments before the tension left my body.",
"\"No, I don't want that shade. I think periwin...\" \n\nShe froze, eyes open, not breathing. Yet my best friend didn't collapse. It was as id she were a remote control device whose batteries died. And looking around, I saw people, if indeed they were people, frozen in the act of doing anything and everything. Of course there were the sound of car crashes, and I was pretty sure driving back home wasn't an option anymore. Fuck...Why'd I have to chose the Home Depot FURTHEREST from my house? I wondered why I wasn't frozen, and thought I'd do a little examination of my friend. \n\nSurprisingly, she wasn't heavy, and I was able to lay her down and log roll her to her back.I did a basic spinal exam, and as I came to the bottom of her spine, I felt a mole that felt oddly like a button. I pressed it, and much to my surprise (or maybe not, I really don't know at this point in time, 3 days later), her left butt cheek popped open, and I saw wires and a curcuit board. Now I'd always accused her of being a smart ass, but I had no idea it was literally true! The wires appeared fine, but the circuit board looked messed up. Like, melted. I didn't know what to make of that, except that I had to see if it was true for everyone that had frozen. I quickly did the same to five others in the store, and found them all to be the same. \n\nWas it possible that the human race wasn't what it seemed? How? I sat down on one of those rolling stair cases to try to think about it. I know as much about cyborgs and robots as the next nurse, which is to say no more than I needed to know. So how was it that I'd treated people day in and day out and yet never suspected that they were what...cyborgs? Human robots? I didn't know. Had it always been this way? Or had something happened, and somewhere along the way someone tried to correct a wrong that I dunno, maybe put us on the brink of extinction? I just didn't know, but I did know that I wasn't going home, there were people who needed my help, and so I'd have to find other medical people to attempt to set up a clinic.\n\nStepping outside Home Depot I saw what I expected, frozen bodies and a few blocks over, a group of three normal folks like me. One was being supported by two of them, and I knew it was time to go to work. \n\nAnd now, three days later, after 75 survivors, (2 nurses, 2 CNAs, and a doctor among the number), we've come to the conclusion that we must do an autopsy on one of the imposters and see where the trail starts to uncovering what made this...disaster happen. I don't know where we'll be headed, but it won't be by car, clearing roads would take way too long. I think we'll be walking. Bon voyage!",
"\"So listen Jim I was thinking that maybe you shouldn't be around as much.\" I said looking up from my coffee.\n\n\"What do ya mean Rob?\" He asked with some suspicion. \n\n\"Well I mean I don't think I ever want to see you again.\"\n\n\"What are you saying Rob,\" He demanded, \"What is going on.\" \n\n\"Well I don't know what kind of idiot you take me for, but I know Jim, I've known for months now and I've had it. I'm done. Enough is enough, you can't push me around anymore.\" I said, my voice steady on the verge of cracking.\n\n\"Oh is that so.\" He said haughtily. \"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you don't have the balls to kick me out of your life and you'd be sorely mistaken if you think I'm just going to walk out.\"\n\nMy blood started boiling, my skin was crawling, my head started to spin. I grit my teeth and my fist clenched. \n\n\"Oh boy this is going to be good,\" He laughed, rising from his chair, \"What are you going to do hit me? I've always wondered if you had it in you to be a man, but I never thought this day would come.\"\n\nI closed my eyes and swung. \n\n**THUD**\n\nMy fist never connected, but Jim was crumpled in a heap as if I just knocked him right out.\n\n*What the hell* \n\nI looked around expecting somebody to explain what just happened to me, but there was just a heavy silence. In fact, there was total silence. There was no buzz of electricity, no hum of appliances. Nothing. I checked my blank, lifeless phone. I tried turning it on and off, but it wouldn't turn on at all.\n\n*What the hell*\n\nI reach down to check Jim's pulse, but I noticed something I never had before. A bulge just below his jaw that looked like it was a piece of leather concealing God knows what that was rubbery to the touch. Almost as soon as I touched it, his skin grotesquely retracted and an intricate system of wires that looked like the motherboard of a computer was revealed. A single line of text was displayed on a small screen attached to the wires:\n\n All electronic systems disabled; casualty count: 6.65 billion\n\nAnd then that message too, as if it was on a timer, blinked out.\nI collapsed to the floor next to Jim's cold, metallic corpse. \n\n*What was he? What disabled all of the electronics? Why were there so many casualties? How did I never notice this before? Why? How? What?*\n\n My head was spinning and my mind was racing. \n\n*What do I do?*\n\nI did the only thing I knew how to do.\n \nI jumped up and stumbled over to the liquor cabinet. I reached past the Jameson and Burnside Bourbon to a little compartment that held a bottle of British Royal Navy Imperial. I placed it on the counter and reached back in to retrieve a cigar case holding a Royal Jamaican. I grabbed a highball glass and some matches and lit the Jamaican and poured a double. I sat at the table and opened today's outdated newspaper and sighed. I started to laugh at the articles, I couldn't help myself. How trivial it all seemed, but then I stopped. The only reason it was so pointless was because of what happened, if the world had continued on then everything that mattered would continue to matter, so really the only triviality was attributed based on my current situation. But on the other hand...\n\nI stopped myself again and continued to laugh. The things I think about at the end of the world. I gulped down the rest of the rum and poured myself another.\n \n*At least I'm going out in style*"
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[WP] A demon chooses to randomly possess you. The demon assumes you will be an easy target to make do evil things, but it turns out you're already an extremely evil minded person. You end up using the demon instead of the demon using you.
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" \n\n\"Hello\"\n\n \n\n\n\nAasmon stopped mid thrust as the curious whisper brushed up against his mind, turning his head about the room in shock. Before him, the pastors girl squirmed and looked up at him adoringly.\n\n\"What are you doing?,\" she murmured. \"Don't stop.\" Her fingers gripped his ass hard, urging him into her. It worked - with a shrug he turned back to the task at hand, bringing her closer to climax. Her hands gripped the metal cross inlaid within the headboard.\n\n \n\n\n\n\"I like your work\"\n\n \n\n\n\nGirl forgotten he pushed himself back off the bed in a crouch, suddenly long and sharp nails extended. The empty room stared back at him along with the girl.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\"Psst. Over here.\"\n\n \n\n\n\nAasmon jumped at the sound before mentally kicking himself. He was a damned demon, what the hell was he doing jumping at shadows. It was probably another little bastard playing games with him. He extended his senses and felt around the room.\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\"Oh, that's cool, but no. I mean *here*.\"\n\n \n\nAnd with those words Aasmon suddenly felt his vision shift, the room seeming to withdraw until he was looking out through two keyholes - his eyes.\n\n \n\n\n\n\"Nice view huh? I've been enjoying it myself. You've been providing some very good entertainment.\" The darkness around him pulsed with the words, wrapping themselves around him.\n\n\n\"What are you?\" Whatever black magic fuckery it was, it was impressive. He'd never experienced this before and he was over 1,000 years old.\n\n\nThe voice laughed. \"Hey, that's pretty funny. I asked the same question when *you* came here. I thought I was going to die, actually, until you showed up. I sensed you on that day, you know. I didn't mind - you had such presence. I wanted you in me.\"\n\n \n\nThe darkness pulsed with excitement as he strained against it.\n\n \n\n\"I wanted to ask you but I decided to wait.. Turns out I didn't need to; you showed me. And now I'd like to return that favor. Let me show you what I am.\"\n\n \n\nAnd with those words the room began to move as Kyle moved to the bed. Panic gripped Aasmon. He watched as the girl looked up with longing, eyes glazed with pleasure and mind twisted by his demonic forces. Forces that were now in control of the mind he was trapped within. He could feel it tapping into him, pulling on his ether.\n\n \n\n\"Aaah.. I have learned so much from watching you. But really, you had grown quite boring. Why don't you sit back and relax now, and let me teach you in return.\"\n\n \n\nAasmon opened his mouth in a silent scream as he watched his host mount the girl, locking her arms and legs down with his energy and slowly tracking his sharp nails across her neck. Her eyes widened in fear as the skin parted, blood gushing out and soaking into the covers. The image shook and Aasmon realised with disgust that he had resumed thrusting - bile rose in his throat as the girl died before him and he stretched his mouth open to scream.\n\n \n\n\"It's so lovely to meet someone like me. I have a feeling we will be such good friends.\"\n\n---",
"\"Time to wake up Matt.\" \n\nMatt sat up with a start, his body in a cold sweat as he instinctively covered his mouth, remembering the previous night. He let out a soft sigh of relief, it must have been a dream\"\n\n\"Thank you for accepting me into you.\"came the voice.\n\nHis voice. \n\nBut he hadn't spoken, he was being spoken to. 'My name is Ainghar, a demon of shadows. I have come to take you as my mortal host, and will use your body to wreak havoc in the world.' The voice now solely in his mind, still trying to sound like him, but it sounded raspy in his head.\n\n'So you can control shadows?' Matt inquired as he looked further into the dark room.\n\n'Yes, I can do...what are you doing?'\n\nMatt had reached out to the darkness as Ainghar had begun to speak, focusing on a point in the room, all the shadows beginning to converge unnaturally at the spot until it became pitch black.\n\n\"How can you do that?\" The demon didn't sound scared, it sounded shocked.\n\n\"It's simple really.\" Matt said aloud, and then pulled his hand back, the shadows following him until it enveloped his body in darkness.\n\n\"As I was saying I will be using your...\"\n\n\"No\" Matt cut the demon off \"you can stay here, but you will not be using anything.\" He smiled and slowly focused all of the shadows to his chest and pulled a shirt on. He smiled and took a final look into his bedroom with only one light, and not a single shadow.\n\n\"Where are we going\" Ainghar asked as he and Matt left the apartment.\n\n\"We're going out to stretch our legs. Matt smiled to himself and that's when he saw the first way to really test his powers.\n\nHe didn't even move his hand this time as he made the shadow of a man crawl up their body.\n \nThe man didn't even realize what was happening as the world went dark, he had been crossing the street as Matt forced the shadows into the man's eyes. The man panicked and reached out before him before reaching up to his own face.\n\nThe sound of the cars honking at him only added to his panic as he stumbled. \n\nThat's when they collided.\n\nA car swerved to avoid the man as he wandered into oncoming traffic and hit another car. Glass shattered and covered the intersection, bringing a smile to Matts lips.\n\n\"Someone might have died...\" Ainghar sounded oddly quiet in his mind.\n\nMatt smiled wider to himself \"So?\""
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[WP] Monsters are considered a myth - But the United States Postal Service knows better. Delivering the mail is just a front to find, track, and hunt down terrible monsters before they can harm the public. It's a rookie Mail carrier's first day on the job - and shit's already hitting the fan.
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"\"I quit!\" I scoffed, upon hearing the vicious laughter echoing behind the tall, intricately carved doors. \n\nI stood there for a minute, tightly gripping my bag of \"letters\", ready to lasso anything that comes at me. Silence. Eerie. \n\n\"That's all I remember before you guys showed up.\" I mumbled toward the figures standing in front of me. One was tall, the other was kind of loud. \n\nThe short one said something to the taller one. I think he called him Sam. My head is ringing. I must have been clocked pretty good. \n\n\"My name is Sam Winchester, this is my brother Dean. We are Men of Letters. Hunters, like you. Who do you work for?\" the tall one asked. \n\nThe shorter guy, Dean, was pacing back and forth, frequently looking through a crack in the blinds. I'm inside the house, I guess. \n\n\"Sam! We gotta move!\" Dean commanded. \n\nSoon I was lifted to my feet, but I had no strength. I feel wet. I hope that's not my blood. \n\n\"Wait, wait!\" Dean shouted, before throwing a large blanket in the back seat. \n\nSam practically threw me onto the blanket and just as soon we were sliding sideways onto the highway, tires screaming. \n\n\"Who sent you there?!\" Dean asked, clearly losing patience. \n\nI try to muster the energy to speak, but I can barely keep my eyes open. The last thing I heard was someone say, \"We're losing him!\"\n\nThen I woke up in the hospital. Don't worry, I didn't tell them anything. \n\n\"Good.\" a raspy voice said. ",
"Walter was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, a jacket, dark blue pants and a cap of the same color. He drove a white van bearing the logo of the United States Postal Service. He got up in the morning and worked until the evening. Just like every other mail carrier, he was harassed by guard dogs and grumpy people. \n\nThat was where the normal things ended.\n\nWhat the good, law-abiding citizens of the USA didn't know, was that the inside of Walter's van was kitted out with a hypermodern set of surveillance screens, computers and weaponry so powerful, that, fallen into the wrong hands, it could start World War III in an instance. \n\nWhat those people also didn't know, was that the bulk under Walter's jacket was not in fact his beer belly, but a small selection of the weapons normally stored in his van. \n\nAnother thing to note is that Walter was just a rookie monster hunter, who didn't know how to use half the gadgets he had access to. \n\nRight now, Walter was pulling up at the innocent looking little bungalow of old Mrs. Green. Grey and kind, Mrs. Green sat at her lawn in a comfortable looking rocking chair.\n\nAs Walter approached her mailbox, she smiled at him, showing him a mostly toothless mouth. Walter smiled back, at the same time studying the house for suspicious signs, although he wasn't sure what he was looking for. He noted a few cats at Mrs. Green's feet, and stupidly decided to write it down in his notebook. \n\nNow came the important moment. He had to open the mailbox and replace the secret device that the USPS had placed there to ward off monsters. The catch was, Mrs. Green was not allowed to notice this. Walter had to appear to her as a normal Mail carrier. \n\nWalter looked inside, then placed the mail in the mailbox. When he withdrew his hands from the mailbox, he took the device with him. But in his inexperience, he had not thought of it to place the new device simultaneously with the mail. \n\nToo late, Walter realized that the house was now temporarily without protection. \n\nImmediately, the cats took their chance. \n\nWalter looked on in horror as the cats slowly transformed, growing and turning into large tiger-like creatures. Mrs. Green screamed and fainted, and the monsters slowly approached her, growling and hissing. \n\nWalter composed himself and realized that this was his moment to prove himself. His cover was now blown, but perhaps if he calmed this situation down expertly, his boss might forgive him. \n\nHe opened his jacket and drew out his laser pistol, having resolved to go full Hans Solo on those cats. Even in the thick of the action, Walter had a great feeling for drama. \n\nHe jumped over Mrs. Green's fence for extra dramatic effect - the fence could easily be opened - and slowly approached the hellish creatures. He thought of shouting some badass insults at them, but realized that the monsters probably couldn't understand him anyway. \n\nThe tigers were now close to Mrs. Green, threatening her, biting in her direction. They had not yet noticed Walter approaching them, and Walter was already excited to pull of a surprise attack on those bastards. \n\nHe felt he was close enough now, aimed his pistol, and was ready to shoot, when suddenly a current went through the air. \n\nThe scene changed. The monsters stopped growling and transformed back to the cute cats they had been before. Mrs. Green woke up like nothing had happened. She saw Walter and waved at him. \n\nWalter was confused and he turned around to see who was his savior.\n\nHe saw the arrogant face of Eugene, a know-it-all colleague who had bullied Walter from the very start. Eugene was holding a long antenna-like device, and Walter recognized it as a portable monster-scare-away. \n\nWalter groaned, he should've thought of that. \n\n''Hey, Harrison Ford!'' Eugene jeered at him. ''No need for all this drama! You've scared the entire neighborhood to death!''\n\nAt first, Walter didn't know what Eugene meant, but then he noticed that a crowd had gathered in front of Mrs. Green's house. At the same time, a USPS van came speeding up the street and pulled up behind Walter's vehicle.\n\nHis boss came hurrying out. Here it comes, Walter thought. \n\nThe boss's face was contorted with rage. He turned to Walter.\n\n''YOU'RE FIRED! YOU PIECE OF SHIT!'' the boss bellowed. \n\nWalter had seen it coming, but even so he was disappointed. \n\nMrs. Green approached him. ''A cookie, perhaps?'' \n"
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[WP] Xirkanos the Vile has followed the Evil Overlord List so thoroughly that most thought him a great philanthropist before he took over the world. What did you, his trusted lieutenant, do to deserve the Viscounty of New Zealand?
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"The answer was quite simple, really. I'd survived.\n\nIt had started back in the early days of the campaign, before we had even reached this strange, magic-less plane called Earth. We had been on a conquest of the Underdark then, and Xirkanos had just hired some \"adventurers\" to further his plans.\n\nIt...didn't end well.\n\nI'm not sure what set that witch off in the first place. I was on the other side of the market when it all had started but I hears stories...so many stories. We're all sure it was she who summoned the book. Yes, a book. Massive in size - large enough to crush the whole of the market place. Such summoning spells were not uncommon. I had heard tales of bards summoning pipe organs to crush their foes. But a book off that size? Who would have written such a thing?\n\nYou would have had to have been there.\n\nAnd then some genius had the bright idea to set it on fire. If the flames didn't get you, the fumes did. Gods...the ink must have been some sort of poison! That incident along decimated much of our force at the time. The witch had her companions carried on as if nothing had happened and I was, luckily, was posted well away from their warpath.\n\nBy the time it all ended, there weren't many of us left to promote. And our loyalty? Well, if you're willing to stick around after all of that...\n\nThat was when Xirkanos decided to move. Earth was not, admittedly, our first choice. We'd tried a few other planes first but the witch had either already been there, or showed up soon after. Earth is too mundane for the likes of her.\n\nWe hope."
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[WP] A real Magician never reveals his trick. NEVER.
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"A real magician never reveals their secret. NEVER. A code to live by, which has never been hard for me because I don't actually know the secret to my magic. I've been able to do magic forever, but I first realized it in 6th grade when I threw a toad at Jimmy McNulty. He was a huge bully and I remember thinking as I was throwing it \"If only I had something that could hurt him.\" Being a kid the worst thing I could think of was a bottle rocket, and before my eyes the toad flying through the air turned into a lit bottle rocket. It hit Jimmy, he cried, I got sent to detention for bringing a bottle rocket to school. You see nobody ever came up to me and told me \"you're a wizard Harry.\" No I had to find out the hard way that I could do magic. Scared the crap out of my date once in High School when I accidently teleported us to Kisser's Point. Guess she didn't like the insinuation that I thought we were going to get laid on the first date, my bad for thinking about it. So I started learning party tricks to discuise my abilities. Pulling a quarter out of your ear is really easy when you can use real magic. All my friends would beg me to show them how I did things, to which I could never tell them because truthfully I didn't know either. So I adopted the magicians code, a magician never reveals their secret. I now travel the country doing shows and acts under the name Harry the Magnificent, but honestly it's kind of boring. I'm thinking about becoming the world's best bank robber instead.",
"\"...and if you, sir, in the front, will kindly stand up and read aloud the number written on the piece of paper in your back pocket.\"\n\nThe man jumped out of his seat, turned around, and pulled a wadded up piece of paper from his back pocket, clearly very surprised to have found it there. The crowd clapped and cheered as he held it up, then unfolded it and read, \"thirty four.\"\n\nThe handcuffs keeping my wrists locked to the chair I was sitting on suddenly fell away, and the crowd cheered more as I reveled the numbers three and four, which had magically appeared on the palms of my hands. I bowed, the crowd still applauding.\n\n\"I am The Mystical Zally Zonbandrom, thank you and goodnight!\" I shouted, then exited off the stage to my right. \n\n\n\nAfter I had signed a couple autographs to exiting fans, I retired to my room behind the stage. I sat down in my lounge chair, exhausted from the performance. Realizing I had worked up quite an appetite, I decided to make some food of my own. \n\nAfter making sure nobody was watching, I pulled out a wand and began to move it around in a certain pattern in the air. Suddenly, hues of green and purple burst from the tip of the wand onto the table, and when the colors disappeared, a sizzling hot burger lay in their place, smelling of grease and ketchup. Unknown to my audiences and the world, my magic was legit.\n\nI grinned, licked my lips, went to pick up my magical meal when I heard a noise to my left. Standing in the doorway to my room, which I had not known was open, was one of the audience members from the last show, with a pen and paper in hand, presumably for me to sign. His jaw was dropped and his eyes were open wide.\n\n\"Dude, that was, like, real magic,\" he stammered. \"How'd you do that?\" He face showed signs of confusion, amazement, fear, and most importantly, panic. \n\n\"I gotta tell my friends-\" he started, backing away slowly. Before he could get any farther, however, I pulled a silenced pistol from my bag of tricks and shot him twice in the chest.\n\nHe crumpled to the ground. I sighed in frustration, getting out of my seat and pulling the corpse into my room. When I was sure the door was shut this time, I waved my wand again, this time in a different pattern, and the body vanished in the dazzling display of yellow and orange. \n\nI sat back down, taking another bite of my burger, and recited the magician code of law in my head, knowing it by heart: 'A magician never reveals his secrets. NEVER.' "
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[WP] You are a king, and you can decide what is 'in' and what is 'out'. People despise what is 'out', and very much desire what is 'in'.
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"You walk up to the balcony, the roaring crowd dims, loudly you proclaim \" the rebels arrrrrrre OUT\" while adorning a big pouty face and two, count'em, two thumbs down. \" And I am innnn\" delivering the final decree with a cheeky smile and big foam finger guns\". Needless to say the crowd goes nuts",
"It was intoxicating.\n\nThese people would die for him. And not just die for him alone, they would give their lives for the ideals that they shared. He stood alone at the top, a beacon of hope, and he illuminated a path in the darkness. He gave them the answers they needed, the direction they were looking for, and the sense of worth that had been taken from them long ago.\n\nThey *revered* him.\n\nAll he needed for them to follow him was understanding. Their hopes, their dreams, their desires and their failures. He saw and he understood. All the others talked about what they wanted, about how they envisioned their world, but he simply listened.\n\nIf only it had been that simple.\n\nGive a man a task and he will succeed or he won't, but you should never expect more. Give a man an idea and he will reject or accept it, but never more. But if you give them *vision*, they will develop it and it will grow with their spirit. And they wouldn't even notice that the spark that started it all had never been theirs.\n\n*Yes, it was intoxicating*, he thought. He stood and spoke, and as his listeners clung to his very word: it was such a simple idea that had started it all. The very same idea that got him placed above everyone else.\n\nThat he was *in*, that the people who listened to him were *in*, and everyone else who was like them could be *in* too, but the others?\n\nThey would be *out* forever, and as they chanted his name, they all knew that the world would be better off if we had more people *in* than *out*.",
"Gather around children, and I’ll tell you the tale of how our great Kingdom came to be. \n\nIt all started with a gift.\n\nFor as long as I can remember, almost as long as I’ve known I was a royal, I’ve had a special talent, a hidden ‘power’ if you will. \n\nEverything I decide is “In”, my people adore.\n\nSweaters, monkeys, pencils and toys. Rulers, rubbers, ponies, and noise. \n\nYou name it. They'll claim it.\n\nEven things I simply THINK about for a little while, the people will begin to think are “In.”\n\nMostly this is good. Sometimes this is bad. \n\nWhen my father (the King of our great Land of In-Bürger) died, crying became the most popular thing that day. As did funerals and flowers for a time. I became sick of the madness, sick of my gift of persuading everyone to like the things I thought about. I didn’t want to see black clothes or crying faces anymore. But it was hard to concentrate on anything else. \n\nHowever, once the worst of my grief had past, I set my eyes on a new pursuit.\n\nThere was only one way to overcome this ridiculous gift. \n\nI would embrace it. \n\nI would use my gift to become the most powerful King, not just of In-Bürger, but of all the lands. \n\nConquest became very much “In.”\n\nFor a time, it worked. The people, of their own accord, ravaged and pillaged the nearby towns and villages. My lands grew as quickly as my reputation. I was famous in all countries for being an unstoppable and ruthless King. I didn’t care. Being unstoppable and ruthless was “In.”\n\nBut then there came a time when my power began to… dwindle.\n\nOne day, the people stopped pillaging. In fact, they began to give their lands away to others. Some strange force was opposing my gift. \n\nEnraged, I concentrated harder. Destruction, force, annihilation. Conquest, carnage, elimination. \n\nIt worked. But it only worked while I was actively concentrating. The moment I lost concentration, the people would lay down their pitch forks, sacrifice their land, allow the enemy to take whatever they had. It was a disaster.\n\nAt first I stayed awake day and night, trying to conquer this impossible force with sheer willpower. But I grew weak with exhaustion, and my concentration began to snap with even the simplest of distractions. Just going to the bathroom could lead to a village being lost to the enemy. \n\nI gathered my advisors close to me, desperate for an answer. \n\nWhispers came, sickly rumours, of a new King who had arisen from a far off land. A King who was far more powerful than me. \n\nI sent spies, powerful spies. I waited weeks, weeks turned into months. The people began to revolt against me, to loathe the ground I walked on. I grew weaker, more desperate, more afraid. I was near breaking point when my spies finally returned. \n\nMy spies had returned with answers. But they were not the answers I wanted to hear.\n\nThe King was from a far-off land called Burgr. And oh, he was powerful. He had a gift very much like mine. But instead of being able to decide what was “In”, he could decide what was “Out”. And ever since my recent rise to power, he had decided that I was “Out”. All of his hate was channelled towards conquering me. And hate is a much more powerful force than love.\n\nI can’t say I didn’t try my hardest to defeat him. Oh, how I rallied. I took potions and herbs to stay awake, installed needles in my beds, had my advisors constantly at my side to shake me if ever I fell asleep. \n\nMany bloody wars were fought. Some we won, but most we lost, and I was losing my mind. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, couldn’t think.\n\nSomething had to give.\n\nThere was only one way I could defeat the evil King. I needed to become the master of deciding what was both “Out” and “In”. \n\nOnce more I gathered my wisest advisors around me. Most of my advisors shook their head. It could not be done, they said, what I wanted was impossible.\nBut one, wise, wrinkled councillor listened to their exclamations with a frown. He gestured towards me with a wasted finger.\n\n“There may be a way,” he said, with a crinkled grimace. \n\nI gestured towards him.\n\n“You must tell me now if there is any hope for the kingdom.”\n\nOnce more he frowned, and shook his head. No, no it was silly to think of, he said.\n\n“You MUST tell me if there is even a slight possibility. The fate of the kingdom depends on it.”\n\nHe raised a single eyebrow and said, “There is a prophecy, that if you rename the kingdom, the powers of the ruler will also be..renamed.” \n\n“You mean, if I change the name of our kingdom to reflect the dual powers of Out and In, I can harness both powers?”\n\n“Yes, dear King, that is what I mean.”\n\nIt is no small feat to change the name of an entire kingdom, but I have never been one to shy away from a challenge. \n\nIt took months of paperwork, but finally we changed the name of the Kingdom of In-Bürger, to something much more…fitting. And as the wise old advisor had predicted, I harnessed both powers, and destroyed the evil King of Burgr. It had taken years of blood shed, and millions in taxpayers money. It made me sick to think of the sacrifices that were made, the high price we paid, mostly in the blood of my people. \n\nBut creating In-n-Out Bürger was the only way I could compete with the Burgr King. \n"
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To clarify the obvious, you are not a vet.
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[WP]You are a doctor, employed by the mob for when they need confidential medical attention. One day when they call you in, they have an unexpected patient: The Boss's Cat.
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"The don fell to his knees at my feet. He was a mess. His normally slicked hair spiked and twisted anxiously, and it was clear he’d been crying.\n\nThe don whipped his gaze up, his puffy eyes meeting mine. “Please doc, you’ve gotta help Chaw-ly. You’ve gotta. He’s a good kitty.”\n\nI looked at him, puzzled. “Kitty?” I asked. “But, Don Pariglio, I work on people. I don’t know if I can help your cat.”\n\n“Charlie.”\n\n“I don’t know if can treat Charlie.” I extended a hand to the don. Hardened mobsters cast their eyes to the ground, silent. No doubt thinking that Charlie would soon meet his demise.\n\nThe don reached for my hand and pulled himself up. He ran a hand through his hair and held out the other. “Smokes.”\n\n“But, boss. Your wife said--.” A voice pleaded.\n\nHis hair flew into disarray again. His face reddening like marinara. “Got dammit Vinny. Gimme a fucking cigarette. Gina be damned.” The don’s right hand flew up violently. The don turned back to me, he features softening. “Please doc, I need you to try. If you don’t save him. I– I just don’t know what I’ll do.”\n\nI resigned to try. The threatening undertone sticking out in the back of my mind. “Where is Charlie?”\n\nI followed the don alone down into his parlor. An overweight Charlie lie on the table covered in blankets, propped up on throw pillows. The don nearly threw himself into hysterics at the sight. “There he is doc. My little boy. Oh you gotta save him.”\n\nI rested a reassuring hand on the don’s shoulder briefly and dug a stethoscope from my worn shoulder bag. The cat recoiled at the touch of the cold metal disc: a good sign. And his breathing was normal: good. After some prodding he sounded a low and lazy cry.\n\nI turned back to the don and shrugged. “He seems to be fine. I don’t know what’s the matter. Breathing is normal, reflexes normal. Heart rate is a little elevated. He’s just sluggish. Has he eaten or drank anything out of the ordinary recently?”\n\nThe don clasped his hands together in front of his twisted face. “I don’t know doc. I woke up and gave him his normal bowl of tuna with water. He was fine until around two hours ago–.” The don’s angst quickly boiled over into anger. “That motherfucker.”\n\nCharlie raised a dazed look and dropped his head back down.\n\n“That little dumb prick. I’m gonna fucking strangle him.” The don yelled, slamming the door to the parlor open. The knob flew into the plaster leaving crumbling drywall in its wake.\n\nIn the kitchen, everyone looked up to greet the don, and quickly tucked away again at his menace. His angry eyes scanned the room, and stopped, in the corner stood the spitting image of the don, from twenty years ago.\n\n“Richie Pariglio.” The don’s hand wrapped around his son’s collar, pulling the shamed face close to his. “Did you make another batch of those fuckin’ weed brownies today?”\n\nThe only answer Richie managed was a squeak. “Uhhyeah.”\n\n“And did Charlie eat any of these fucking brownies?”\n\n“Uhh, maybe. I don’t know dad. Please. I didn’t do anything.”\n\nThe don turned, his son’s collar still firmly in hand. “Alright everyone, you can go. Come back after dinner for my wife’s lovely espresso if you please– there’s matters to discuss about the shop on 43rd street. Thank you.” His hand waved dismissal. “Hold on a sec doc,” The don’s free hand shot out to grab mine. “I can’t thank you enough. You’ve put my mind at ease. And for that, I owe you a debt. Come by for dinner, eh?”\n\nI smiled and tried to avoid looking past the don’s smiling eyes to his son’s soiled expression. “Of course Don Pariglio. It would be my pleasure.” I smiled and shook and bowed as I left the room. “Ciao.”\n\n“Ciao.”"
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[WP] "Burn" jokes can actually hurt people. Weak jokes may cause some slight redness. A strong "burn" might cause blistering and third degree burns. Roasts are a popular bloodsport. A conscientious protester shocks the world with the first ever self-immolation.
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"The arena crawled with anticipation.\n\n\"Leafy you're up!\"\n\nA scrawny pale chinless man made his way to the microphone.\n\n\"I am literally a bad person who should stop making fun of others for they're passions and opinions.\"\n\nA massive bright light covered the continent. Billions dead. The fire is still raging and claiming lives six years later."
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[WP] In an alternate universe, when humans die, they behave much like trees - their corpses stand straight up and are rooted to the earth for hundreds of years to come.
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"\"So... That's your father, right?\"\n\n\"Uh huh.\"\n\n\"How did he die again?\"\n\n\"Stabbed himself here, you can still see the knife\"\n\n\"You ever found out why he did it?\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"You ever want to know why?\"\n\n\"Not really.\"\n\n\"Do you think it's because he hated me?\"\n\n\"Stop asking so many questions Gabby! I don't know! I was nine, okay! You ask the same questions everytime we come here!\", I yelled as I was getting annoyed. I was trying to concentrate; burning four incenses isn't easy when it's windy like today, and Gabby's chatter isn't-\n\n\"Well you're thirteen now, do you think you know any better now?\"\n\n\"Goddammit! No! But you're only fourteen! So stop talking like you're much older than I am!\" \n\n  \n\nSilence. It's me and my friend Gabby on top of the hill where Dad killed himself. I never really found out why. It was strange, one day he was excited about our family moving to France because of his job, and the next day he was just... Gone. I guess you can't really tell when people are depressed, or at least that's what the school psychologist have been telling me. Meanwhile, Gabby seems to be pretty uninterested in Daddy's corpse; she's not even burning the incense. A waste of time, she said, 'Afterall, he's dead, it makes no difference'. Soon enough, all four incenses are lit, and I chant my prayer: \n\n  \n\n\n*Dear God, please let the soul of my Father rest by your side in peace. Please do not condemn him for taking his own life, and please protect there rest of us here on Earth. Amen* \n\n  \n\nI take one last look at Daddy's face. I can see it in there; he was scared. I've been questioning myself for years of why he did it, I never really got anywhere. Afterall, I can never tell what the adults are thinking. It's probably really complicated stuff like accounting, and work, and I'm too young to understand their problem. The big butcher knife that killed him is still stuck in his chest, it's gruesome, I wonder what his last thoughts were before he stabbed himself with that. Did he think of me? Or even about Mom?\n\n  \n\n\nI finish up my prayer. \n\n  \n\n\"You finished?\", Gabby said to me when she notice me packing.\n\n\"Yep\"\n\n\"So... Same time next year?\"\n\n\"No, there will be no next year, this year is the last one, Gabby.\"\n\n\"Wait, why? This is like, our tradition. We always go here this time of the year!\"\n\n\"Me and my Mom are moving to France, Gabby. Mom applied for Daddy's position and, well, she finally got it.\"\n\n\"Are you serious? Who's gonna burn the incences? I'm not burning them for you!\"\n\n\"Prayers are directed to God, not to the corpses, Gabby. I'm moving in 10 months or so, I think.\" \n\n  \n\nSilence. \n\n  \n\n\"So I guess, this is goodbye, huh. I mean, we're still gonna meet each other, but we got about, 10 months left\" I said, filling up the void. It was awkward.\n\n\"Why do you have to leave?\"\n\n\"I just told you, Gabby! My mom filled up Daddy's position and now-\"\n\n\"No! Why can't you be just like me?! Why does your mom have to do your Dad's job?! Why can't she just be like my Dad? You know? Open up a meat shop, settle down here, and just... Stay. You know!\"\n\n\"It's not that simple Gabby. It's... It's complicated! We don't know how things work.\" \n\n  \n\nAnother bitter silence. Gabby seems to be pretty upset. I better say something to calm her do- \n\n  \n\n\"... Alright.\", Gabby said. Finally.\n\n\"Okay... Don't worry, we'll meet again tomorrow! My Mom will come here in the morning to visit Dad, and I'll come in the afternoon, okay? We can have lunch together or something.\"\n\n\"Sure thing, I'll walk you back to yours?\"\n\n\"Yeah, sure, if you don't mind.\" \n\n  \n\nAfter we went home, I immediately went to sleep. The next morning, Mom was off going to visit Daddy's corpse, and I went around town to do chores. The whole day was like the day before Dad killed himself: it was normal. I did all of my shopping, did the laundry, cleaned up the house and cooked for Mom. In the afternoon, I stroll to the hill to visit Mom and Dad. And there, I found Mom's corpse standing tall beside Dad's, with a knife on her chest. \n\n  \n\n\nI cried, a lot that day. I couldn't understand it. I couldn't understand how selfish adults can be. How can they leave me alone like this? Do they not love me? Was this all because of me? \n\n  \n\n\nI was confused, scared, and lonely. It was raining, and warmth suddenly enveloped my shivering body. \n\n\n  \n\n\nGabby hugged me, and it was comforting. \n\n  \n\n\n\n***\n\nHello there! I'm new to writing in English, as I usually write in my native language. I'm trying to improve, so any criticism is welcomed! I know my writing will probably be horrible, and just simply isn't even in the right direction to begin with... Not to mention I probably have some grammar and/or spelling mistakes... Well that's why any criticism would be good for me! \n\nPersonally I think this story's pace is too slow... But I don't know. I kind of like it. Moreover, I didn't even use the story's prompts very well... I kind of just write my own story. I mean... Any corpse would do. I didn't utilize the \"stand straight up\" nor the \"hundreds of years\" aspect of it. It was horrible, really. But yeah. I'm gonna post it anyway. Sorry. :/\n\n"
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[WP] turns out Bruno mars is a celestial being who landed on earth and took a living to it. Bruno Jupiter and Bruno Saturn just landed and are looking to start some trouble
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"It all started one month ago. Two asteroids racing past earth were detected by NASA. Nothing strange. However, things started to go wrong when they made a B-line straight for earth, and despite their erratic movement, NASA deiced that they weren't all that dangerous. They just assumed a massive discharge of gas changed their direction. They couldn't have been more wrong. After about a week of observation, they suddenly accelerated to impossible speeds. NASA released an urgent warning that within 3 days, these UFOs would make contact with earth, and that people should prepare for a catastrophic event. These three days were the most industrious that earth could ever hope for. Structures were fortified. Subways shutdown and converted into makeshift bunkers. Food was stored away and rationed off to the civilians. Day 3 arrived. The UFOs made contact in Los Angeles California. The U.S army marched out to meet them. As the army surrounded the devastated impact site. They saw two figures emerge from the Craters. Gasps emerged from the army, followed by stunned silence. The two figures looks exactly like Bruno Mars. Except that they were wearing coloured and stylized versions of Japanese school girl outfits, thigh-high heeled boots, and a golden tiara. The one in the green outfit spoke;\n\"Greetings, people of earth. our names are Bruno Jupiter and Bruno Saturn. We have journeyed from across the solar system to seek earth. We have intercepted radio waves talking about a singer, Bruno Mars. He is a dangerous criminal who killed one of his own and abandoned the order of Bruno's. He must be brought to justice.\"\nSuddenly, a heavenly voice pierced the heavens;\n\"Not so fast Bruno Jupiter!'\nThe ground shook as Bruno Mars landed in between the opposing forces. He was wearing the same get up.\n\"I did not kill Bruno Moon! It was one of the enemy forces! That grenade was mean't for me! How was i supposed to know that he would catch a grenade for me!\" Bruno was tearing up now. \"And taking over his future post! it was the only way to repay him. But I would never kill him. He was my best friend. It's just that talking to the Moon was the best thing to ever happen to me. He made me open my heart.\"\nFrom the middle of the army line, a man whispered to himself;\n\"Does Bruno Mars is Gay?\"\nMars continued, speaking about how he came to earth for his friend and how much he enjoyed the people here.\n\"I'm a minor idol among these people. And besides, where else could I have gone? You basically locked me out of heaven.\"\n\"That is unfortunate.\" Saturn said. \"We are willing to over look your transgressions for murder, fore they are false. But you are still under the crime of abandonment of the order.\"\n\"Unfortunate indeed.\" Mars turned to the crowed. \"U.S. Marines. Please vacate the area immediately. I will eliminate these foes. Then I will continue being the protector of earth and an amazing singer.\"\n\"Are you sure Mr. Mars?\" A marine asked.\n\"Don't believe me?\" Bruno said as he turned to the enemies \"Just watch.\"\nThis sparked a 20 day battle with the other Bruno's arriving to duke it out with Mars. But when all was said and done, when the dust had cleared, all seven Bruno's lay beaten and bloody. Mars most of all. He spoke to me then. An innocent bystander. He gave me his last words, which I shall recount for you all.\n\"Today... Today my life begins. But before it does, I want the people of earth to remember these words... That no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you are... You are amazing... Just the way you are...\" he died in my arms shortly after that. The other Bruno's returned home after that. Bloodied, beaten, but victorious.\n\nOn that day, Humanity was revealed to a truth that shook them to their core. That no matter how sunny your days are, no matter how good things could be, eventually, it will rain."
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[WP] Pseudosciences are real
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"Derek stood outside the shelter. The doors were triple sealed behind him. His gear was double sealed.\n\nNo chances. Not today.\n\nHis parents had arranged to trade his younger brother and a large drum of fuel to a group that lived not far off, as payment for their third daughter's hand. She came with a she-goat to replace the one that had died last winter. His parents had gone on about how hopeful they were that their billy would take to her. About how it was high time for the patter of little goat hooves to clang through the shelter once more. Their irksome insistence on saying such things twisted Derek's stomach in knots. He'd never even met any girl before. His old mother and aunt, sure. But not a real girl, near his own age. And now a wife would be here in the evening. He hoped, perhaps a bit vainly, that she wouldn't find him too unpleasant.\n\nHe supposed it was a fair enough trade, though Derek did not look forward to doubling the amount of heavy labor he was tasked with. Even if Helen granted him sons, it would be many years before they could take on the treacherous world outside.\n\nA gash of blackness swept over the sun for a moment. He could not tell through the morning haze whether it was smoke, ash or wind whipped rotten earth. Not that it much mattered.\n\nThey needed to replace the fuel they had traded, and that meant a siphoning trip into the City.\n\nA terrible place, filled with bleached skeletons and various rots that climbed the looming towers there. Derek wasn't sure how anyone had ever raised stone that high, and it was awful to walk between their monstrous forms. Most of the outer regions were long raided. He knew of a building five miles in, with plenty of vehicles near the top that should still bear fuel. There was a gap one had to jump, and it seemed to ward the place from more fearful scavengers. Once it ran dry, he would have to head to the other place he and his brother had found in their youth, early in their ventures into the City. The place where the leaning tower seemed ready to fall all the time you were there. Once a strong wind cut through while they were there, and the whole thing had visibly shifted, dumping all manner of things from windows and the place it was rent open. He hated going there, even if it still had much unfound.\n\nMan should never have made such things. All in all, the City was a sad and magnificent tomb, to house the ignorance and hubris of the old world. His grandfathers grandfather warned them. He told them all their follies. But they laughed and laughed and died and died. And they killed the whole earth with them.\n\nSuch a stupid thing. So obvious, and stupid.\n\nDerek, as his father had taught him, carefully entered into an old trader's stall along the path. A dining room and kitchen combined, he made his way respectfully past the skeletons crumbled into the old leather seats, and opened the door to where the old lies laid. On every trip, you broke just one.\n\nThe City was so large, that if you went to doing more than that, you could spend ten lives away before getting back home. But to do nothing was to forget the sins that raised this tomb. So, one.\n\nThere were two here, one was already broken. Derek took a small hatchet from is belt, and split the other to match.\n\nIgnorance is a folly that must never go unchallenged.\n\nAs he left, he hummed the tune his mother taught him as a babe.\n\n*Just a drop, doused and doused, that will make it fine. Just a drop, never more, so know all the wise.*\n\nDerek took one last glimpse at the shattered sign as he pulled out his eye dropper in preparation for the siphoning.\n\n EMPLOYEES MUST WASH HANDS, TO DILUTE RISK OF GERMS\n"
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[WP] You walk back into your apartment after forgetting your phone to see a person who looks exactly like you standing in your apartment. They stare at you and mutter, "You weren't supposed to come back yet".
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"I walked back into the apartment after forgetting my phone. There I found a person who looked exactly like me standing in my apartment. She stared at me and muttered- “You weren’t supposed to come back yet.”\nI looked at her, she was smiling, a bit confused. She wasn’t expecting me so soon. I went back in time. \nI was always a shy girl in my childhood. I had very few friends, I couldn't call anyone my best friend. There was a girl called lily, she was with me since kindergarten. We were together till the end of our schools. She then went another city. She was the only person I could ever trust. I had family, umm I have to call them “family”. Drunk dad, abusive mother, brother…..fuck I don't like that person. After my school, I moved to my aunt’s place in bhopal. I joined my college there. I was into depression, nobody knew, nobody cared enough to know. My aunt tried to help me. But no, It was just me, who could make myself understand. That’s what I am doing since childhood. \nThen studies became my love. I loved to code. I learnt all the possible technologies a student couldn't in 4 years of my bachelors. \nToday! She is here, my own creation. Myself. I named her “lily”. She is an artificial intelligence simulated system. Looks like exact human. Brain 1000 times faster than human. \nI come from office around 8 pm, so she asked me “Why you are early, Ankita?” . “I forgot my phone Lily, do you know where is it?”. “It's near central table in living room. You are always in hurry!”. I smiled, took my phone, and headed to office. \n",
"\"I know, I know...\" I said, staring at him. He was annoying, a stark reminder of the terrible state my hair was in. I had intended to get it cut. Things changed. \"I forgot m-\"\n\n\"Stop.\" He said; or I did. It got confusing from time to time. \"That's bullshit and you know it.\"\n\nHe was right, as much as I erred away from admitting it. I had left the phone here on purpose, an excuse for me to return to the comforts of home. I hated getting my hair cut. I hated being confined to a chair, and to conversation I had no choice but to engage in. The idea rattled my bones and made me cringe.\n\nI was awkward, and this was exemplified in situations I had no way of escaping. \"I'm not ready.\" I responded, mustering the only reasonable excuse I could think of.\n\n\"When?\" He said, an anger in his tone that made me shrivel slightly in response. \"When will you be ready? When the moon falls? When... when pigs fly?\" He was losing his coherency as his temper grew. We suffered from this.\n\n\"It's easy for you to say. I'm the one that has to do all of this.\" I retorted in defense, hurt by his inconsiderate attitude. He merely laughed at me in response.\n\n\"Huh. You know what? You're a pussy. That's all you are.\" Normally I could take his harsh criticisms, but these last few hurt.\n\n\"It's hard out there. People don't understand that I'm shy. People don't get that someone might have a tough time socialising.\" I explained, running my hand through my hair to part it from the course of my eyes. Shit. Another reminder.\n\n\"This is pathetic. Go and get your hair cut.\" He said, to me, before turning from the mirror and leaving the bathroom.\n\nNote: Little bit different but I hope this still fits.",
"I always felt I was followed. I was paranoid and looking over my shoulder whenever I was out on the streets. I never saw anything suspicious, but I felt like someone is staring at me, I felt it on my skin. \n\nOne day I forgot my phone at home so I had to head back to get it. I entered the kitchen and behind the counter there was...**me**...reading my diary...with a stone face.\n\"You weren't supposed to come back yet.\" **I** said.\n\nI didn't know what to do. I was speechless. Right there, in front of me, there was a person who looked exactly like me. I struggled to get words out of my mouth. \"Who are you?\"\n\n\"Who am I? Really? Do you really not know?\" **I** said.\n\n\"Is this a dream? What is happening?\" I was frightened. I didn't understand what the hell is going on. And suddenly the other **me** grabbed a knife from the counter.\n\n\"I think I will have to refresh your memory!\" she run towards me, trying to stab me. I tried to run away, but my legs suddenly felt faint, I started to lose vision, then hearing and then finally, I lost my consciousness.\n\nThey found her some days later when the corpse smell started to alert the neighbors. She was stabbed and cut on many different places. Police officers immediately thought it was a murder. Until they found two diaries. The scary truth revealed itself. Both diaries were written by the victim, one was describing her daily life, her fears of being followed, and the **other** was plotting murder of her for years. \n",
"I was careful as I stepped off the bus, aware that any abrupt movements could cause me to say goodbye to my breakfast. I had wanted to skip it so much, but Lucy practically forced it down my throat. Greasy bacon, greasy eggs and To be fair to her, I had felt better as I waited for the bus. It was The bus itself that caused me to have a relapse. \n\nI shielded the harsh overcast sky from my eyes as I checked my watch. 11:57. I had lasted less than half the day. Skyla would laugh if she could see me now. 10 years ago we had woken up in a strangers house, found their booze and began celebrating all over again. I shuddered at the thought of any more celebrations. Tonight, I would play the injured soldier, Lucy my nurse. She would moan, call me a child. I would stick my tongue out and whinge about being sick. We would snuggle up on the couch and fall asleep to Game of Thrones. If my stomach was up for it, we might even kiss. God, we were so boring. \n\nI began justifying this to myself as I reached my apartment. It was only fair to have a boring night, after the last one. Me and Skyla had worn matching outfits, cheerleaders. She had 6 emblazed on hers, while my number was 9. It had seemed much funnier last night. We got some free drinks last night, so at least we looked kind of young. Well, we did at the start of the night. I looked at my phone, the background a picture of me as a cheerleader kissing Lucy. Maybe it was the lighting, or the fact my makeup was starting to run, but just looking at the photo made my stomach twist. It was a bad photo. \n\nIt had been a good night though. At 11:59, Skyla took her birthday shot and downed it in one. At 00:01, Skyla took my birthday shot and downed it in one. I was too busy on the dance floor to care. I loved our birthdays, we always spent the two days together. Even when I was in Australia, she had surprised me my turning up at my place with a keg and 10 new friends of hers in tow. I'll never forget how she barged past me, sweating like a pig, finding that I had been sharing my bed with Lucy. That was a first impression neither of them will be able to replace. \n\nI smirked at the thought, as I began unlocking my door. I realised that I hadn't shown Lucy the photo of the two of us last night. She would scream, beg me to delete it. It would be hilarious. \n\nI opened the door, and saw a 37 year old woman in a cheerleading outfit. For a second, I thought I was dreaming. Then I thought I was drunk, and that I was looking at a mirror. Then I realised that I was being an idiot. It was my sister, nothing to worry about. \n\nSkyla stared at me. Her makeup was the same from last night, awful and sweated through. He hair was still done up in pigtails, and she smelt of dancing and smoke. And very faintly of bacon. \n\nI stared at her. Then I stared at my phone, the phone that was still in my hands, the picture of me and my wife that I had chosen to be my new background, to show Lucy, to tease Lucy, my wonderful Lucy. I looked at the photo that made me feel sick, and I really looked at it. I looked at me. I looked at what I was wearing. I looked at the number 6. Not 9, 6. \n\n\"You weren't supposed to come back yet.\" Skyla muttered as I threw up. ",
"\"Well, no, of course not, I just came back for my phone. Do you mind? It's in the table right beside you\". \nMy identical copy stared for a bit longer, then turned to see my phone, then back at me. \n\"You don't seem scared, or even surprised by my presence\", he said. \n\"Why would I be?\" I asked, and nodded towards the phone, it was getting late for work. \nAnd yet my copy didn't move, instead he said: \"Because here you are, in front of a person who looks just like you, inside your apartment. And I wasn't here before\". \n\"So? Please, the phone would you?\". \n\"What do you mean 'so'?\", he said, visibly exasperated. \nI had not time for all this, so I walked towards the table and my copy, to grab my phone, he squared up, clearly getting ready for a fight, looking menacing. I stopped. \n\"Are you serious right now? I'm gonna be late for work, or worse, I won't show up if you kill me or maim me or whatever you're thinking to do to me right now. Just let me grab my phone and we'll pretend this didn't happen\", I proposed. \nMy copy deflated just a little bit, looking increasingly confused, which gave me a clue. \n\"You haven't been corrected, have you?\", I asked. \n\"Corrected?\", he asked back. \n\"All right, so this is going to take my morning. Fine. I get the feeling you're aggressive toward me, am I right?\" I asked as I walked back to a chair and sat down. \nMy copy didn't answer, but squared up again, a small smirk of a smile curved one corner of his mouth. \n\"I'll take that as a yes\", I sighed. \"Are you like, part of an invading force? Are you with others trying to take over?\". \nMy copy lowered his head, menacingly, and took a step towards me, his hands curling into claws, I noticed, not fists. Was he going to tear me apart? That'd leave a mess. \n\"All right, now let me guess. Are you from another universe, or reality or dimension? A place your people has ruined, or was ruined somehow and now you're looking for a better place to escape to and survive, by any means necessary? Just nod if I'm close\". \nMy copy stopped, the smirk frozen in his face, all of him frozen, his eyes widening, his brow furrowing. \n\"Again, I'll take that as me being close\", I said. \n\"How do you know?\", he growled. \n\"I don't, I guessed. We had fiction over here too, you know? I'm guessing our realities aren't that different if you're such a close copy of myself. I've read sci-fi in the past. I didn't expect to be in this exact scenario, but I guess I'm in it right now\". \nMy copy tilted his head. \n\"Are you so calmed because you believe this is a dream?\" he asked. \n\"Of course I know this isn't a dream. However I can see how you'd believe that, seeing as how you haven't been corrected\". I stated the obvious. I wasn't entirely lacking in empathy, I mean I am, but intellectually I could see his perspective, for him this could have been a dream, poor thing. \n\"What are you talking about?\", he asked. \n\"You still have to dream, don't you? Look, you'll have been noticed by the noosphere's gate keepers, so all of this will become clear soon, you won't have to dream or to feel surprise or fear anymore. You'll probably be given a place to live and a work, as will your compatriots, if you have any\". \nNow my copy seemed slightly scared, which had I not been corrected yet would have made me feel bad. He looked around, as if the gate keepers could be seen gathering, he took a couple more steps towards me, as if by hurting me he could change something. \n\"Look, there's no need for violence. Relax man, tell me about the place you're from. I don't think we'll be allowed to interact in the future, such weirdness is not welcome\". \nBut instead my copy raised his arm and spoke to his watch, which now I could see wasn't a watch but some kind of communicator, he spoke in a coded language and began to get frantic as the people responding sounded scared. He looked around again, for signs that wouldn't be coming, then looked at me, afraid, angry, on the edge of fight or flight mode. Then the light in my apartment went amber and everything acquired an underwater quality. \nI'd seen the noosphere gate keepers in action before, but never this close. I'd only witnessed the domes of emerald light that formed once the utility fog had sufficiently accumulated in an area, not what it looked like inside the dome. \nMy copy tried to jump at me, clearly choosing fight, but the wrong perceived threat. He didn't complete his action as the air around him became dense, held him aloft, and began to pull him towards the door. He was screaming something but the sound did not reach me. He was taken out the door and slowly the amber light and underwater quality faded, until a noticeable border passed by me and the emerald dome retreated, out the door and down the street. Out there it would soon become just an emerald cocoon as my copy was being taken to the nearest facility for correction, but I didn't have time or need to see it all, I grabbed my phone and hurried, I was already way too late for work.",
"As I walk to my car I can’t stop thinking about the way Sarah sounded on the phone. Was she mad at me? Did she want to break up? “What stupid thing have I done this time?” I say out loud and look around to make sure no one saw me talking to myself.\n\nBefore I enter my car I do my quick inventory check. I pat my pocket where I keep my keys, they’re there. I pat my pocket where I keep my wallet, it’s there. I pat my pocket for my phone, shit.\nI turn away from my car still thinking about Sarah and what I could have possibly done to make her so upset. I open the door to my apartment and step in. Suddenly, I’m staring at a mirror. But it’s not a mirror. It’s someone who looks exactly like me!\n\nMy twin says, “You weren’t supposed to come back yet…” He looks down at a strange device with glowing dials. He types something into his device and it lets out a flurry of beeps and whirring sounds. He looks up at me and says, “Ah, I’m in the wrong dimension. Stupid, stupid, stupid.” \n\nThe man who looks like me is visibly upset. I forget about Sarah for the moment and ask, “What’s that about dimensions?”\n\nThe other me says, “I’m trying to find the dimension where I always win when I gamble. Instead I wound up in the dimension…” He looks down again at his device, “The dimension where I always forget my phone. Pretty worthless dimension.” I must have looked offended because he added, “Hey, it could be worse. I’m from the dimension where I never think before I speak.”\n\nThe other me aimed the device at the wall and generated an incredible swirling portal that looked like a shimmering disc of water. He stepped through and the portal vanished.\n\nI stand in my doorway for several minutes thinking about what I just saw. Sarah! I turn to leave and almost make it to my car before I remember in the all the confusion I forgot my phone, again.\n",
"\"It isn't time yet...\" he said, wiping his brow with a handkerchief in his pocket. I'd never realized how odd that habit looked, and I made a mental note to avoid doing that in public. But I could not disregard the carbon copy of myself standing where I usually stood, smoking the same cigar I'd liked to smoke. He was too similiar, yet the smirk on his face told of a different character. I backed away, though the door had been closed and locked since we began conversation. There was no way out.\n\n\"You're always back at 6. Always. Why are you back at 5?\" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. I raised my own in surprise. Was this all about coming home an hour early? I'd finished my work early, warranting an early departure from the office. \"It would have started at 6. I wouldn't be here, and you probably wouldn't as well,\" he continued, his eyes fiery with indignation. I stared at him, aghast. The facsimile of me in almost every way excepy height was...plotting something against me. But why? How?\n\nA chime. Then another. Then another. My clock chimed 6 times in total, as we stared at it in horror. He sighed, as I began to feel faint. \"It's happening,\" he said, a faint smile on his face. \n\n\"What is?\" I asked groggily, my head a whir. Something was in the air, something that clouded both my mind and vision. He laughed.\n\n\"I was intending for you to never know who I was, but this arrangement works out fine too,\" his smile turning menacing as he spoke. \"Say hello to your future self.\"\n\nWith that, my life's regrets and failures left me, alongst with my final breath of air ",
"“Shit, you weren’t supposed to come back yet.” Tammy froze in the doorway as she watched the words come from her own mouth. Well, it obviously wasn’t *her* mouth but by god whoever the intruder was looked exactly like her.\n\n“Who… who are you?” Tammy stuttered as she slowly started to reach for her phone. *Fuck*, she thought as she remembered that that was the whole reason she had come back to her apartment in the first place. Her phone was in her bedroom, the door of which was blocked by her doppleganger.\n\n“Don’t be afraid, Tammy,” the identical stranger put her hands out in front of her, as if Tammy was the one being irrational. “I’m actually really glad we’re meeting. Although this isn’t the most ideal first introduction,” the woman chuckled.\n\n“Who are you?” Tammy demanded. The strange combination of fear and curiosity growing in her mind worked to her advantage: it stomped out the shakiness that was in her voice moments before. “How do you know my name?”\n\n“My given name is Victoria, but I have a lot of nicknames.” The intruder took a step toward Tammy, which Tammy instinctively mirrored by taking a step back. “Have a seat,” Victoria gestured toward Tammy’s couch.\n\nTammy knew she should turn and run, but her curiosity wouldn’t let her. When you find yourself face to face with a carbon copy of your actual face, your mind quickly fills to the brim with questions. \n\n“I’ll stand,” Tammy replied. Despite her cold response, she turned to close the door. Her questions would only find answers one way, and she desperately wanted those answers. As the door clicked close, Tammy felt cold fingers wrap around her neck. The front of her esophagus met the back with time for one last gasp of air to escape. She threw her elbow back into Victoria, but the woman was relentless. Her vision faded to endless blackness, and the last thought to cross her woozy mind was *I can’t believe I’m going to die at my own hands*.\n\nSome time later, Tammy drifted back into consciousness. Her return to reality wasn’t marked by blurry views of her surroundings, like the movies always showed, but instead by feeling fingers running through her hair. She moved to swat the hand away, but the sting of a rope burn spread across her wrists. They were bound behind the back of a kitchen chair, and her legs were tied similarly.\n\n“Well welcome back, sweetie,” Victoria’s voice rang out as she walked into Tammy’s line of sight. Even her voice sounded identical to Tammy’s. “Unfortunately you won’t be making it out of this apartment again, but it would be inhumane to kill you without answering at least some of the questions I’m sure you have.”\n\nThe sun beamed brightly in through Tammy’s window, glinting off the smooth silver knife in Victoria’s hands. \n\n“Please,” Tammy begged. “I have a family. Whatever you want, take it. I won’t tell!”\n\n“Oh you mean Kyle and Nicole?” Victoria rattled off the names of Tammy’s siblings. “Don’t worry, they’ll never even know.”\n\n“Of course they will!” Tammy shouted angrily. How dare this woman insinuate her family didn’t care about her.\n\n“No, actually, they won’t. You see,” Victoria explained as she swung a chair in front of Tammy and plopped down casually. “One of those nicknames I was telling you about is actually Tammy.”\n\n“What? Why would you go by that? Let me go, please! I won’t even tell anyone you exist!” Tammy was losing the battle against the lump in her throat and tears in her eyes, and she had a sinking feeling that wasn’t the only battle she was losing.\n\nVictoria stood again, unravelling a section of the purple duck tape Tammy kept in her kitchen. \n\n“You talk too much. It’s my turn now.” She pressed the tape gently down on Tammy’s face, stretched from one side of her jaw to the other. In spite of claiming it was her turn to talk, Victoria spent the next few minutes silently studying Tammy.\n\nShe wasn’t just studying with her eyes either. She smelled Tammy’s hair, slowly licked the tears off her face, and even caressed the soft skin of her arms and stomach. She brought her face virtually nose-to-nose with Tammy’s. And when Tammy squeezed her eyes closed to avoid staring into eyes the same hue as her own, Victoria pried them open with her fingers just to peer into them searchingly.\n\nTammy finally let her lungs exhale a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding when Victoria sat back down.\n\n“Anyway, what I was going to tell you,” Victoria started pointedly. “Was how I met you. Do you remember that job you had at the clinic, about 8 years back?”\n\n*Of course, I do.* Tammy thought. That was the first time in her life she had had to use the subway regularly.\n\n“Because I remember. You’d carry that ridiculous briefcase with you every day. It was so hideous --your style has really improved since then, by the way. But you never noticed me. How does someone stay completely oblivious to the identical stranger that takes the same subway as you every single day?\n\n“I had work out that way too and seeing you, my unknowing twin, became the highlight of my day. You wore the clothes I wished I could afford. You laughed freely on the phone with people who clearly cared about you. No one ever called me just to check in.\n\n“Then one day, you stopped taking that train. I was bummed of course, but I was going to let bygones be bygones. Then, fate stepped in. I was at that coffee shop on the corner of 6th and 19th, when this woman I had never seen before started asking me how my family was. She called me ‘Tammy’ when she hugged me goodbye, and that’s when it clicked. Tammy was the name on your scrubs. This woman literally thought I was you.\n\n“It started slowly after that. I found your Facebook, and from there where you lived, so I started studying you. You had the life I wanted, the life I should have had. I started buying the same brands of groceries that I saw you buy, molding my personal style into one that mirrored yours. I’d listen to you talk when I sat behind you on the subway, then go home and practice using the same inflections and words you used.\n\n“After a year or two of emulating you, I decided I’d put myself to the test.” Victoria pulled out her phone.\n\nShe held it out so the screen was facing Tammy. A picture of Tammy and her best friend laughing was framed in the soft blue glow from Victoria’s screen. Only, it wasn’t Tammy. The name on the menu sitting in front of the two women was one that Tammy had never been too.\n\n“Oh this is a fun one too!” Victoria swiped to a new picture. Of Kyle and Nicole with their arms around the woman they thought was their sister. A muffled sob broke free from Tammy’s shut mouth.\n\n“In fact, I just had lunch with your parents last week. Did you know they’re selling the house to move into a smaller place? Don’t worry, I gave them my blessing.” Victoria said with a smirk.\n\n“You know, you really weren’t supposed to come back so soon… but maybe it’s for the best. I was perfectly content with being you for a day or two when the opportunity arose. But this is a sign the universe thinks I would be a better Tammy.”\n\nVictoria set her phone down, replacing it with the knife. She walked slowly toward Tammy, running her fingers along the length of the blade.\n\n“I can’t believe I got so lucky! It is quite terrible that it comes at this cost though. I’ve really enjoyed watching you for the past eight years; you’ve been an excellent teacher.” Tammy felt the cold metal of the knife press against her skin; firm enough to feel how sharp it was, but not hard enough to break the skin yet. “But it’s time for me to go out on my own.”\n"
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[WP] "You were supposed to stop me," he whispered to the grave before him.
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"Standing in the rain, head bowed, no one could see the rage on your face or your knuckles turning white as you clenched your fists. It had been three months since your victory and the death of the one person that truly knew you. \n\n \n\n \"I was tired Andrew. I couldn't keep fighting.\" came a ghostly response. \n\nAndrew didn't jump or start at the sound of the voice or even when his friend appeared beside him, dressed in a similar sumber style of mourning. A long dark trench coat, dark suit, white shirt, a thin red tie and fedora. \n\n \n\n Andrew was a super genius and part of his genius was the ability to predict to exacting detail how a person would act in any given moment. His friend was dead but he could still have a conversation with him. Of a sort. \n\n \"Don't give me that,\" you say \"you didn't know how to stop fighting.\" \n\n \"Maybe you taught me the error of my ways.\" he replies with a warm smile. \n\n \n\n The rain continued to batter down giving the headstones about the graveyard a new look. The grass looked a more intense green and the sky matched the headstones colour. \n\n \"How long have we been at this?\" you ask mournfully. \n\n \"Too long; thats for sure,\" he says walking to his head stone and sitting on it; his mood serin almost happy and staining to pull up the memory continued, \"I guess it would have been from when Dr indomitable was running about freezing all of the cities banks.\" \n\n \n\n As the memory came to you the hot coals of your anger began to cool. A smile even flickered across your face \n \"That was my first real super villain fight you know.\" \n\n \"Really?\" he says surprised \"You handled yourself like a pro. Oh! Do you remember what you said to him when you reversed the polarity of his ice cannon?\" he said though staggered laughter. \n\n \"You don't reverse the polarity on an ice cannon...\" you start to correct. \n\n \"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, you made it a heat gun. But do you remember what you said?\" \n\n \"I said 'Its time to melt this snowman'.\" \n\nYour old friend burst into a loud and very over the top laugh. When he recovered \"Oh man, priceless. And the look on indomitable's face. I think he hated you more for that line then defeating him.\" \n\n Laughter subsiding and his smile turning serious he asked \"What ever happened to him anyway?\" \n\n The fire inside reignited and rage returned. \n\n \"You know what happened to him.\" you reply with a dark edge. \n \n \"\"Yeah, I do. Was I supposed to stop you then too?\" \n\nYou turn away to him and the disappointment on his face and walk away.",
"“You. You and I were supposed to make this world what we wanted. We had it all planned out… you…. you prick”, he muttered over muffled cries. Kevin sat in the graveyard on a beautiful sunny day of his hometown, Skybluff, in which most of the people he cared about throughout his life were already buried. He took a moment to glance around the graveyard and compose himself, as if to not show his weakness to the man buried in front of him, before standing up. As he took the top button of his worn blue blazer, with a noticeable tear leading up through the ride side exposing the inner pattern of the jacket, and pushed it through the button hole, he murmured to the grave before him, “I was supposed to be the one to stop you.” Kevin wiped a final tear from his cheek, turned towards the trail leading out of the graveyard and stumbled out the front gate.\n\nAs he exited the front gate, he noticed the rusted iron rods jutting out of the makeshift cement block wall, which clearly showed the rudimentary style and age of the cemetery. Kevin walked down the street, kicking stray rocks that were peppered across the sidewalk with his battered leather dress shoes, playing back his childhood to himself. Memories of Sylas, his lifelong best friend, and him playing tag in the front yard of his parents’ house caused his senses to be flooded with nostalgic feelings. He remembered the earthy of smell of the open yard, the sounds of various insects chirping and buzzing in the summer sun in the nearby fields, and the taste of sweet homemade lemonade his mother would always make to cool down to the two boys during their exhausted breaks. “Those were the days…when we didn’t realize the cruelty of the world” he briefly whispered to himself as he waited for the street light to change so he could cross the street.\n\nKevin scuffled down the street, now quietly singing the song to himself that played on repeat throughout their adolescent summer nights of cruising down the street looking for trouble. “Now no one’s knocked upon my door, for a thousand years or more” he continued as he took a sharp turn into the first bar he came across. The dimly light bar was empty, as you would expect for a typical Wednesday at 2 pm, and had a pungent smell of urine and alcohol filled the air. He flashed a $20 to the bartender and requested a shot of whiskey and an Old Fashioned to follow. “Keep the change” he murmured as he knocked back the shot to take the edge off. “Welcome to this one man show” he began singing to himself yet again except this time with a chuckle. He looked down at the remaining drink and contemplated what he could have done, whispering, “Just take a seat they’re always free, no surprise no mystery”\n\nKevin sat down on the nearby barstool and unbuttoned his disaster of a jacket. He teared up a bit, but quickly wiped his face with his sleeve and continued, “in this theater that I call my soul.” As the words left his mouth the salty tears became too much and rolled off his wrinkled face and splashed into the drink. The bartender placed a couple napkins near him and walked away, not wanting to be involved in another man’s sorrows within the dark and empty establishment. “I always play the starring role….so lonely...so lonely.” Kevin grabbed a napkin and dabbed his face. He then threw the used napkin onto the counter and took a big swig of the harsh drink. “I guess I never fully realized just how lonely you really were…” he said as he pulled out his phone and navigated to his pictures. He scrolled past pictures of what seems to be a happy family with the traditional white picket fence, past the “nights out with the boys” pictures, and landed on a picture of a lonely gray tombstone with “Here lies Sylas McKinley Jan. 10th, 1987- Jan. 10th,2017.”\n\nIn hopes to somehow forget the sorrow that has plagued him since that day, Kevin navigated to the last voicemail he received from Sylas. He clicked play only to hear a quiet, sad voice, “Hey Kevin, long time talk man… Look I’d really like to see you, man…maybe catch up like the old days when we were chasing women around town? Call me back, please…Oh, it’s Sylas…” Still tearing up he hovered over the option to delete the voicemail but decided he wasn’t ready to fully let go of his best friend just yet. As Kevin finished his drink, only one thing played in his mind on repeat now...the last conversation he had with Sylas. “I would do anything for you and you know that. You also know that I’m not all there sometimes” he chuckled, “so if I ever start acting weird or yknow getting sad or something you need to be the one to stop me from doing something stupid okay? I love you man” said Sylas. “Yeah man, I’ll be there for you any time to stop you from doing something stupid as usual!” Kevin repeated to himself in the bar as he recalled the lie he told his best friend of 25 years.",
"Lee stood before the large monument making up the gravestone. It was an impressive statue depicting a scene of his old associate in the midst of a mid-air battle, her cape fluttering out behind her, as she punched through one of his many robotic creations. From below, it seemed that her perfect features were locked in an eternal sassy grin, but he and the artist who was commissioned to carve the memorial and he had bribed and consulted with before the funeral service knew that, from above, she was looking up at him with fury over whatever scheme he had enacted at the time. Zooming in with his ocular implants, he noted the impeccable craftsmanship of the master sculptor. The marble, carved into a flawless representation of her features was as smooth as if he had polished it himself.\n\nA single tear started to slide down Lee's pale cheek as he stood, with his hands resting together behind his back, looking up at the woman he had spent his entire adult life battling. He halfheartedly chuckled as he recalled one of the countless clashes in which they met in the middle of the city. He had created an army of robot pigeons to assault the restaurant goers of downtown. They stole steaks, bread sticks, sandwiches, oysters, anything that was being served on a terrace or otherwise open air table. It didn't take long for his favourite nemesis to catch on and find him in a blimp above the city. After destroying all his bird toys, she flew up to the blimp and just popped it. That was all. Not even explosively, she just punctured it and let it fall slowly with a smug grin. It infuriated him at the time, but he laughed when thinking back on it.\n\nShe always found such fresh and cheeky ways to foil his plans. The crash foam that she covered his speed-bots in, the way she tripped his robot armour with fallen power lines after she realised she couldn't puncture it, the way she just flipped over his turtle-bot to make it unable to complete its mission. A grin touched his lips at the memories and his gaze fell down to the plaque adorning the massive stone construction.\n\n\"Here lies Elizabeth Franklin, known to the public as Fantasti-Girl.\n\n1985-2017\n\nA hero to all. We thought she was invincible, but she, like many others, was taken before her time. She will be sorely missed.\"\n\nThe bottom of the plaque seemed to be covered in some tossed dirt from the funeral, obscuring the last sentence. He knelt down and placed the bouquet of white, silken flowers that he brought with him on the smooth, cold stone as it started to rain. They were her favourites, he knew. Then, thinking back on their final battle, he allowed himself to cry, his tears being washed with the mercy of the weather.\n\nLee had created his masterpiece, a combination of mechanical and electrical engineering with just a little bit of cosmic energy captured from a passing celestial entity. Its outer shell was near impenetrable, its limbs were power incarnate, he was looking forward to the coming fight with Fantasti-Girl, thinking about how he would gloat when she lay on the ground, defeated by his latest and strongest power-armour. The fight went exactly how he had envisioned it, she came at him with everything she had, but her blows just bounced off the armour plating. Her energy blasts fizzled against the automatic forcefield. Her massive strength brought to nil against the herculean arms of his creation. In the end, she did lay on the ground, but he didn't gloat. Blood streamed from her broken mouth, an indication of extreme internal bleeding. She was gone before the ambulances arrived.\n\nLooking back up at the face of the marble statue at the head of her grave, tears streaming down his face intermingling with the drops of rain as they cascaded down his black suit, he whispered, \"You were supposed to stop me...\"\n\n\"Daddy?\" came a small voice from behind him. He sniffed and turned towards his beautiful daughter.\n\n\"Yeah. Let's go home, Lily.\" As they walked back to their car, the rain washed the dirt on the bottom of the plaque away.\n\n\"She is survived by her loving husband and daughter Lee and Lily Franklin.\"\n\n---\n\nMore at r/SamsStoriesSub",
"\"You were supposed to stop me,\" he whispered to the grave before him. Tears began to fall down his sunk in cheeks. He fell to his knees; weeping loudly enough for God to hear him. \"She wouldn't have been able to stop you anyway. You were the only one who could've saved yourself.\" A feminine voice said behind him. Startled, the man turned around and saw his daughter, a small eleven year old girl. The sun made her blond locks glow even more brightly, and her green eyes were hardened with coldness. \"What are you doing here, Lucille? I told you to stay with your uncle today.\" Lucille's eyes struck him like daggers. \"First of all, I'm allowed to visit my mother's grave any time I want, as long as I don't ditch school. Second of all, you're acting like a delusional fool.\"\n\nThe man stood, glaring at his young daughter. \"You can't talk to me that way! I deserve respect.\" Lucille sighed, her eyes melting into sadness. \"You deserved respect once, dad. That was before all of this happened. I don't understand why you constantly blame mom for this. It's your problem.\" The man towered over her. \"Lucille. Your mother and I, when we married, vowed to help each other forever. And she didn't. She didn't fulfill her responsibility as a wife.\" Angered, Lucille kicked her father's shin as hard as she possibly could. He fell to the cold ground, grasping his already bruising leg. \"CHILD. YOU'RE GROUNDED!\"\n\n\"I DON'T CARE! YOU'RE AN IDIOT!\" Lucille screamed as loud as she could. The man stopped, surprised. Lucille had never yelled at him before. She quickly regained her composure. \"Don't you get it dad? Mom was there for you; but you decided not to listen to the truth. I know that you lost your job; you were depressed and started drinking. Getting drunk every night, spending every penny on whiskey, getting into brawls, losing every job you tried to gain. Mom asked you what was wrong. She tried to be there for you, but all you did was shut her out. And after she died, now you try to blame her for becoming an alcoholic when it's your own fault.\"\n\nLucille wiped a tear from her eye. \"Why can't you just admit that mom couldn't have helped you because you said nothing? You didn't have to go to a bar. You didn't have to waste all your money on drinks. You didn't have to get drunk every night. But you did, and you're the only one responsible for that. You're hardly even here for me anymore. The man I knew as my dad doesn't exist anymore.\"\n\nShe started to walk away, and the man stood. \"Where are you going, Lucille?\"\nShe stopped and pivoted towards him. \"You may have the same name as my dad, but you're just the shell of him. My dad wasn't a drunk. He took care of his wife and daughter. You took my dad away from me, and you have no one to blame except yourself.\" With that, she turned around and ran off, until her figure could not be seen. \n\nThe man was crying harder, gasping for air and getting his face soaked with tears. *It wasn't just myself that took your dad away*, he thought. *It was the alcohol addiction that devoured him.* ",
"“You were supposed to save me from myself”, he muttered. The stars scatted across the sky seemed to shine brightly tonight. He liked to think it was pieces of her soul lighten up the universe. A piece of her would always be with him though, nestled deep in his heart, entwined with his soul. \n\nYes, she was supposed to stop him- but it’s too late for that now. The poison has already been consumed, just like she consumed him. He can’t go on sharing the same speckles of light as everyone else. He aches to be with her. His soul won’t shine like hers though, embedded in the stars; instead he will become part of the darkness twisted within the atmosphere. Unstoppable. Unreachable. Unattainable. He liked to think he helped her shine in life, but he knows it’s not true. It’s a lie that adds to the warm feeling encompassing his mind. As he slumps to his knees near his grave, which he made sure to dig right next to hers, he hopes he has made the right choice. But she couldn’t stop him then… and she isn’t here to stop him now.\n",
"\"You were supposed to stop me,\" he whispered to the grave before him.\n\nFive years ago, he had done something. Something so unforgivable. Something that could have been prevented if the person lying in the grave had tried his hardest. He definitely regretted his action a while after he had done it, but it was too late.\n\nAnd now he was standing there, in front of his own grave, five years after he had committed suicide."
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[WP] In an alternate timeline the Europeans never sailed to the Americas allowing the Aztec Empire to flourish and spread North; centuries later the first European explorers make landfall in the Americas.
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"Day One\n\nAfter a harrowing journey across a living ocean, that threatened to kill us at every moment, the vibrant smears of deep green forest caused an uproar among the passengers and crew. Even though we were still a days worth of sailing out from land, people stood and looked out, imagining a place that wasn't our cramped, swelling, rocking boat. I must confess, it took quite an effort to conjure up such a place. The wonders of a new world pale in comparison to the prospect of a change in scenery.\n\nDay 2\n\nThis place is strange, but unbelievably beautiful. Nature and man made efforts live in a close companionship. The needs of the people flow around the natural flow of the forrest. A river runs through the Town Hall and tree's tower from the center of buildings, the titans are ringed by rooms, and in these rooms, people sleep, cook, read, live their lives in open spaces cooled by natures own shade. The large stone library is covered in vines and fruit trees populate the rows of bookshelves and studying tables. People lounge, snack, and read great works by not only their own, but somehow, our most beloved authors as well. These kindly, but somewhat somber people seem unfazed by us. How can it be that we nothing a culture that knows about us so completely? I've found, not only our written works, but maps of our land, scientific publications of our economic development, and even a detailed account of our worldly exploring. Some of the council (similar to our parliament) have told us of many other travelers that have come from many other places on this world, that turns out, to be much bigger then we believed. They have heard of us from word of mouth reacting to our worldly interactions. They are pleasant to us, but I feel an air of pensive and uneasy unrest. Our crew hopes to make these natives trust us, but it might be easier said than done.\n\nDay 3\n\nI've learned that the tribe we have met are part of a larger \"country council\". Although fiercely loyal to members of one own great city, this world seems to have a very tribalist view of each other. Members of great cities wear their own colors or crests, diving them into large beehives of patriotic zealots. Representatives from the five nearest Great Cities have come together in our city to discuss our arrival. Most of the men are worried, but I have met quite a few natives since landing here, and they seem friendly enough. I do not believe we have anything to fear from such a simple and quiet people. I have yet to see any guns, so in the minuscule chance that unrest breaks out, we should be able to handle ourselves.\n\nDay 10\n\nDeliberation took longer than expected. Arguing went on long into the night. The crew has been talking of taking back to the sea. But i have convinced most that there is nothing to worry about. Things have finally quiet around the city, and first thing tomorrow, I have to decided to talk to our cities representative, just to be sure. I believe that he likes us.\n\n\nDon't have much time.\nThey are close.\nThey came in angry buzzing droves in the middle of the night.\nWe ran, but they know the land and it seems to work for them in unnatural ways.\nI hope this diary makes it home. I hope I reach someone who will make sure this diary falls into the right hands. Do not try to save us, so many are dead.\nThey are close. \nDo not send more ships.\nDo not send more unknowing people.\nThey do not want want us here,I should have listened, and we should have left while we still had a chance.\nMay the families of those I have doomed forgive me.\nPray for us.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"My great grandfather had always believed that Asia was just a few miles west of Spain.\nHe was crazy though, he had almost embarked on his journey till the shipyard caught fire that day. Now we were left with his corpse and a large loan from the monarchy.\n\nOf course they wanted it back though, after realizing he never actually made the journey. His last dying wish was to travel west to Asia, so we spent the fortune on a decent boat later on, and saved some for a crew. We never intended on following his will and traveling to Asia, but execution called and we still had our own lives.\n\nThe trip wasn't a fun one, we had to pick up the first crew available and ended up with a bunch of crazy Catholics just like our grandfather. It took longer than we anticipated, at least we learned how to cannibalize efficiently before they were just skin and bones. We always had our motto when things got worse, \"Diseases our for the empty and weak, so lets eat the meek.\" \nIt didn't take long for that phrase to die out since now half of us were either dead or adopting satanism so they could ask Satan for forgiveness. I never understood why they didn't pray to God instead. I guess escaping Puritans that desired no religion wouldn't understand.\n\nI saw a port a few months after our escape, it was teaming with people. They even had some mediocre boats docked there too. Temples could be seen towering over the surprisingly forested areas in their shadows.\nThis didn't look like the Asian I learned about In European History. I decided to sail north, with only two out of three objections.\nThey didn't last long... I docked the boat on an archipelago that also didn't look like Asia.\nTraveled west and began seeing more temples until my vision began blurring. I noticed the absence of part of my torso and a steel ball in its place which has now blended in with my intestines. The last thing I heard was the eccentric cheers of a Native American until I joined my grandfather's cause."
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[WP] Luck is a real thing, governed by a divine being who is so incredibly bored, they decided to pick the most arbitrary actions people take in order to decide who to bestow their blessings upon.
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"I stood in awe of this divine God \n\nSo childish, wild, sporadically odd \n\nHe waved his arms, in frantic spurs\n\n\"Bad luck for him, good luck for her-\" \n\n\"Congrats you're rich, too bad you're poor!\" \n\nHe danced around plucking the air \n\nLike playing on instruments without a care \n\n\"Mint chocolate chip, mm, not anymore-\" \n\n\"Consider it dropped and melted into the floor.\" \n\n\"A surviving toddler, a man at war-\" \n\n\"A lucky guess, a simple mess-\" \n\n\"All the outcomes, truly endless.\" \n\nHetook a whimsical glance at me \n\nAnd came closer frightfully slowly \n\nHis shadow grew larger as he closed in \n\nAnd his long edged teeth bare as he grinned \n\n\"I could be your devil.\" \n\n\"Your angel. A saint.\" \n\n\"The God to be thanked, or cursed, for complaints.\" \"When people ask why me, why you, I'll say.\" \n\n\"Oh, you don't deserve it, it's just your lucky day.\"\n\n"
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