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[WP] A dark force has been spreading through the galaxy, almost uncontested. Even the most advanced aliens are only able to slow it down. But they have managed to protect a single solar system for about 10 million years, within which they've been creating a new warrior race. Humans.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I watched the Earth. Once, I walked among the humans disguised as one of them. I left my seed within a woman named Mary. Just as I had hoped, she bore my son. He now resides with me within the Sanctuary. I allowed him to wander among the humans. He left his seed in a woman also named Mary. She bore him a son too. We watched as the linage continued through the generations. \n\n“Father! This is it!” Jesus waved me over. “She is about to be born!” \n\n“She?” I questioned.\n\n“Yes, she. Over the generations, the power in our male descendants faded. I decided to place the power within a girl for a change. Notice the brightness? Have you ever seen our power that bright before?” Jesus was smiling. \n\nI looked, and had to look away as the baby girl was born. She was bright, so bright it hurt to look at her. Compared to her, Jesus’s light was like a dim star.\n\n“How is she so bright?” I asked. \n\n“Well, it wasn’t easy. You will notice her birthday is on the holiest day of the year. She is the same size I was, and was born the same moment I was.” Jesus looked down. “I sort of interfered to insure she would be born on this day.”\n\n“What did you do?” I asked, head in my hands.\n\n“I sort of caused her mother to have a car accident.”\n\n“Jesus! We’ve been over this! We are not to interfere with the humans!” I screamed at him. He cowered.\n\n“I’m sorry, Father! She was displaying light within her mother! I did make sure they both were okay! Please don’t send me to Uncle Satan again!” He begged. \n\n“I’m tempted! Interfere in her life even once and I’ll make you stay with Satan for a month!” \n\n“Yes, Father!” Jesus gulped. \n\nWe resumed watching. First came the Sorrows. She had to get strong. I gulped.\n\nShe grew from a tiny infant into a little girl. The first Sorrow came. Her mother became ill frequently. The little girl began to hide whenever her mother vomited. She cried in fear in her safe place behind the couch.\n\nThe next Sorrow came fast. We watched as the Grim Reaper took her great grandmother. The little girl had her first panic attack. She grew fearful of the car. I hurt for her. Raising my hand, I quieted her ears. Jesus shot me a dark look. \n\n“It’s the gift of silence. She must learn to cope with the noise made by the Dark. This is a gradual quieting so she can get used to it.” I explained.\n\nShe grew older and began school. The next Sorrow began. I recognized the She-Devil teaching her fifth grade class. This lady was known to be very cold and very cruel. Her words to the girl were very harsh. I wanted to intervene so badly, but I stayed my hand. \n\nThe girl sat on her bed, crying. She raised a knife toward her wrist. My eyes went wide. No. Don’t! Please! I beg of you! Her cat came to her. To my great relief, her cat calmed her and became her rock. She left that school. \n\nFor the next while, there were no Sorrows. She graduated and went on to med school. She was thriving. Of course, a Sorrow came. I called her beloved cat home. She grieved, and almost dropped out of med school. She returned to school and thrived. \n\nAfter med school, she served her residency and changed her career to that of a paramedic. Her light grew ever brighter. \n\n“It’s nearly time.” Jesus responded.\n\n“Time to begin the infection of her appendix.” I raised my hand. \n\n“You said no interference!”\n\n“Get ready. Once she’s under, you will pull her from her body and explain everything.” I ignored him. \n\n“But you said-“ I snapped my fingers before he could finish. He returned minutes later with a dictionary. “There. Since you don’t understand the meaning of interference, I borrowed a dictionary so you can learn!”\n\n“That was planned!” \n\n“It’s still interference!”\n\nThe next Sorrow came. I called her dog home, and weeks later, her grandfather. \n\nJesus suddenly looked up. \n\n“Please tell me you are not hearing that roar.”\n\nI listened. Yep. There was a faint roar. The Dark found the Sanctuary. “It’s nearly here.”\n\n“How do we work this? Coma?” Jesus asked. \n\n“I call her to my side.”\n\n“That means she leaves her life. She’s so happy now. It feels so wrong.”\n\n“She will not be leaving her body.”\n\n“But, are you strong enough for that? You are only 1/16th of that race. Also, humans don’t fare well in our plain.”\n\n“I’m strong enough.” I closed my eyes. This would take some effort. “Jesus, I need you to hold back the Dark while I cast the necessary runics.”\n\n“On it.” Jesus flew toward the Dark, his light burning brightly. \n\nI focused. Each rune formed gracefully, each one connecting to each other until they formed a circle. Now the hard part. Forming the center runic, a star, took herculean effort. She began to materialize slowly. Just a little more… her form began to fade. No! Backtrack! Reconnect the star. Her form grew more solid. By this point, I was drenched in sweat and gasping. Just a little more… She fully materialized. I all but collapsed in exhaustion.\n\n“I was in the MIDDLE of trying to resuscitate a man!” She glared at me. “Yes, I know who you are and what I need to do. By the way, you could have waited a moment!”\n\n“I won’t…call him… home!” I gasped out. “I promise!”\n\n“I will hold you to that promise, buster!” She looked up at the roiling mass of churning darkness overhead. “I have one request after I deal with that mess.”\n\n“I will… honor that… request!” I wheezed out. \n\n“Good.” She rose and disappeared into the Dark. Jesus tumbled out.\n\n“Hey!” He shot back into the darkness. “I wasn’t finished yet!”\n\nI lay on my back, watching. It seemed to be roiling faster, the churns quickening. Beams of light cut in and out of the darkness. Suddenly, bright light exploded outward. The darkness seemed to be screaming as the light devoured it. \n\nI blinked. Jesus’s jaw dropped open. There was no mistaking that glorious form. Great white wings stretched out behind the feminine form. Long, lustrous brown hair flowed out behind her. Her white and gold gown streamed out behind her. A silver crown sat on her head. Her arms were outstretched, a silver staff held high. This was the source of the light. Her eyes opened to reveal brown orbs. \n\n“Mother Goddess!” Jesus quickly knelt, head down in respect. \n\n“There’s no need for that.” The Goddess smiled. “You both are my equals after all.”\n\n“That was you all along.” I stood. “You know you can’t go back after ascension.”\n\n“Actually, I can, and plan to. As for my request, I want to see my great grandmother.” She shimmered, returning to her normal form. \n\nI, of course, granted her request. They hugged each other and went off to talk. She would return to Earth using her own power.",
"There used to be hope. We had our paradise, but paradise had its hell… hell got everywhere. Hell became everything. One paradise was no big deal, we thought, but it quickly became the rule, not the exception. I dare not describe those horrors, we fought with everything we had to stop it, but those who resisted hardest were the ones who’s mind melted the quickest.\n\nIt has just been me. This single star system, this corner which I’ve been backed into is where I’ve resided for eons. I’d remembered how I nearly lost myself like my friends long ago, but as soon as I found it, a planet now called Earth, I felt it’s blue depths embrace me, my hopeless weeping became joyous and I crafted the perfect being cell by cell, humanity.\n\nNow, I stare down the dark abyss, for its has almost become a mirror. What I’ve found my creation has done, I want so badly nothing more to be consumed by that void. Yesterday, I felt an odd spike in the radiation levels of Earths atmosphere. Upon immediate investigation, it became clear that an atrocity has unfolded. Right before my eyes, a weaponized, massive cloud of fire and smoke sweeping away human bones like dust, was unleashed by the people it destroyed. The cells I had constructed of anyone who still remained were now mangled and charred. \n\nThen, I learned of the conflicts leading up to this moment. At first I froze in sheer horror, as if time had stopped around me. Then I screamed out. What it was, I forgot. What I was feeling, whether anger or agony or disgust, I never knew in the first place. We, my friends were soft and died, so I gave humanity a fighting spirit. Conflict was natural, I very much understood, but this was not far from the hell I narrowly escaped. All I may do now is pray that my last bastion will not be its own undoing."
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[WP] As a werewolf, planning your life around the full moon is regularly challenge. Last month you proposed and were engaged to be married when your soon-to-be-wife picked a night with a full moon for the ceremony, and it seems as though nothing you try to do will dissuade her
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Will you marry me?\" I finally asked.\n\n\"Yes!\" Jane replied with more joy than a child on Christmas morning. \n\n\"Thank you. This is the happiest moment of my life.\"\nI really meant it. For my entire life, I was alone. I never gave anyone a chance. Always afraid, always keeping a careful distance. Until I met her. Jane gave me a chance when no one else did, and I finally felt like I could give her a chance as well. We would talk almost every day. But there was always one each month I stayed away.\n\n\"So far, anyways, I was thinking of March 12th.\"\n\nMy heart shook. That was the one day. The day I couldn't trust with anyone. That was the full moon. The day I had to be alone. The night I became a werewolf. I never let anyone know. But I had to try and get her to pick another day.\n\n\"Could you pick any other day? I'd hate to bother, but that day is personal to me.\"\n\n\"I know you don't trust me on full moons. I think it's kinda silly.\"\n\n\"I always trust you. But in this situation I don't trust myself.\"\n\n\"Well I do. It will be fine.\"\n\n\"How?\"\n\n\"I have faith in you.\"\n\nHer faith and trust. It's was saved me, but now it will kill her. I knew that I had to convince her to pick another day.\n\n\"Okay, but why that day?\"\n\n\"There always nice weather, and the full moon would a beautiful light to dance under.\"\n\n\"There is absolutely nothing I can do to change your mind is there.\"\n\n\"No.\"\n\nThe months passed, and I did everything I could think of to avoid a massacre. I made sure the ceremony would conclude well before nightfall. I convinced my love to have the wedding take place at an old lakeside lodge where I might have a chance to run away and find something else to eat. \n\nThen the big day came. I decided well before to not let what would happen bother me until it has happened. If I was going to spend one more day with the love of my life, I wouldn't count the hours, I would make the hours count. I would make sure to enjoy this light in my dark life before I snuffed it out. \n\n\"See, it's fine.\" She said, but I didn't reply. I should have told her the truth, but I felt she would either not believe me or run away in terror. \n\nAt long last, the ceremony ended. We were pronounced husband and wife, we hugged and began the celebration. The minutes passed so quickly and by the time I remembered, it was too late. \n\nThe moonlight hit me like a train, and I started to change. I hunched over in agony as my claws popped out of my fingers and my feet tore out my shoes. At that moment I felt as if I was dying. Not only from the pain of my bones being broken and remolded into those of the wild animal I was about to be, but because I knew this was the last time I would see my love. I looked at her one last time, and I stopped. I could hear her saying something. \n\n\"Are you okay? I'm sorry for all this, and I am very scared, but I still love you.\" She was looking at me in the eye. Her hand outstretched to stop me.\n\nThose last words. They brought back everything. I remembered the first time I saw her. The first time we talked. Every single one of her jokes while watching Lord of the Rings. I felt warm all of a sudden. Calmer, happy. Somehow, I was not going fully wild. I trusted myself to not eat my wife, and she seemed to trust me.\n\nI slowly walked towards her and placed my head under her outstretched hand. She then knelt down and hugged me. We stayed there on the floor for what felt like days. But eventually we got up. An I had a lot to apologize for.\n\n\"I'm so sorry about lying. I'm sorry that I didn't trust you. I lost people to this and I didn't want you to get hurt.\" I was about to utter these words between me sobs. \n\n\"It's okay. I should have asked for your opinion.\"\n\n\"In every other way this day was perfect. I'm just happy I didn't eat you.\"\n\n\"I'm happy to be alive.\"\n\n\"So do you still want to be with me?\"\n\n\"Until death do us apart.\"\n\nWe spent the rest of the night watching movies. Snuggled up together in the bedroom. I never felt any impulse to eat anyone. But I still submitted to instincts when she started to scratch behind my ear. What was important was that we were both alive and together.",
"\"Get away from me! You- you utter monster!\" she yelled as she backed away, head turning behind then towards me, never looking away for more than a few seconds, too wrapped up in fear and panic and pain and a wonderfully comfortable blanket of ignorance to understand that my transformation was not yet complete, that for the moment I kept my senses. \n\nThat, no matter how much I looked the part of the monster I soon would become, humanity had not fully abandoned me. \n\nThat, for the moment, she was safe. \n\nHer wedding dress was in tatters from the branches of trees that pried and clawed and tore, her veil covered one eye, high on one side and short on the other, bunched up somewhere. Her once perfect makeup was now dim against the bright blood of the cuts and scratches she'd sustained, though not from me, I was not that far gone. \n\nWith her hands supposed to be holding a bouquet held up against me, her face in a forever silent scream, eyes wide and mouth agape, she cut a striking figure in the moonlight, albeit pathetic. \n\nI could feel my control slipping minute by minute, second by second...\n\nAs time flew, as she got farther and farther away but never quite far enough, the moon grew brighter and stronger, and I grew dimmer and weaker. \n\nI'd known this would happen, I'd known that no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn't be able to control this. \n\nI'd known!\n\nAnd yet...\n\nAnd yet I'd let myself be swept up in the joy of it all, of her even accepting-\n\nI'd been the lowly crew aboard a ship with her as Captain, the servant and her my queen, and even when challenging her would save her life, even then I'd been too much of a coward. \n\nI might be the predator of the night but by day her head was the one with the crown, and she could rip me apart without once taking a step. \n\nNone of that stateliness or dignity showed itself now, none of the power. \n\nEven now I could tell she'd be fun prey, begging and screeching and sobbing. \n\nAnd to my unpleasant surprise I found that the thought was a pleasant one. \n\nIronic, wasn't it? \n\nHer dominance that placed her so high, that gave her a view above the clouds, that same dominance was to be her downfall. \n\nThe last vestiges of my sanity grappled with my animal hunger, my last vestiges of regret for letting her choose the wedding day...\n\nA second.\n\nAnd another.\n\nAnd another.\n\nSanity lost amd hunger won. \n\nWith a howl at the moon, with a leap and a step, she knew and I knew, that her life was forfeit.",
"It was bound to happen eventually; I knew that. Still, I never expected this. Living a lie, making everyone believe that I was a normal person — that was hard enough. More than once I asked myself why I bothered with life anymore... but then I met her. \n\nShe was a shining star in an endless night, or perhaps the hope of dawn would be a more apt description. The moment I met her, I knew I had a reason to keep living day to day. My life would be worth living if only to see her. \n\nShe worked at a coffee shop near where a worked. I spent every spare moment there. It was she who approached me. She asked me out that next Saturday. \n\nSaturday — I knew all to well what Saturday was. It was the night of the full moon. It was my curse — the curse of all werewolves, if I wasn't the only one — to lose myself every full moon, to become a mindless monster. I had to decline.\n\nI feared that in declining my new love I had lost my chance. I slipped into despair. Finally, I made my decision. I asked her, and she agreed. We got to know each other over the months that followed. It was two years later that I asked her to marry me. I had never been happier in all my miserable life. She said yes.\n\nI kissed her tenderly and asked her with all the confidence in the world when she wanted the wedding to be. April 7th, she said. It was a month away, but I already knew it would be the night of the full moon. I was so shocked, so horrified that I involuntary agreed.\n\nOver the weeks that followed I began to sink into despair. Finally, I asked her to pick another date, but she was persistent. I knew her well enough to know that it was impossible to change her mind once it was made up.\n\nI told myself that somehow, by some miracle, this time would be different, that I wouldn't become a monster. I was a fool.\n\nThe day came at last. I went through the ceremony as if in a trance, trying to discard the dread that enveloped me.\n\nThe ceremony came to an end. We were pronounced married. In my joy, I allowed myself to believe that I had escaped my curse.\n\nAs we danced, I felt a chill run through by bones. My heart almost stopped in horror. I could feel it — outside, a full moon was rising. The last image in my memory was that of my new wife gasping in terror. \n\nThe next thing I new, I was staring up at the night sky. I looked up at the full moon, cursing it for my cruel fate. On my face glistened blood and tears, though only the latter we're my own.",
"\"Will you marry me?\" I asked.\n\n\"Yes! Absolutely yes!\" she exclaimed. She immediately stood up and gave me a hug and kiss. It was the most magical moment of my life. We left the restaurant and drove back to her place so we could start making wedding plans. \"I know the perfect day.\" she said. \"January 21st. My sister will be in town for a business trip and she'll be able to come to the wedding after work.\" \"Sounds great\" I replied. We talked for a while and then I went home still completely awestruck by the moment. \n\nThe next morning I realized. I forgot to check the date of the full moon in January. I anxiously googled \"full moon January\". The results showed \"January 21st\" in big letters on the top of the page. I immediately texted my fiancee. \"We have to change our wedding date. January 21st won't work for me.\"\n\n\"We have to\" she said. \"That's the only day my sister will be able to come. She's been my best friend for my whole life. There's no way I'm letting her miss my wedding\".\n\n\"No you don't understand. I really can't. Is it possible for your sister to stay one more day?\"\n\n\"No, she leaves the morning of the 22nd and she doesn't have any more vacation days.\"\n\n\"Ok I'm going to have to be honest with you. I'm a werewolf and the 21st is a full moon\" \n\n\"ARE YOU SEROUS!? I can't believe you would make up some silly story during a serious conversation. This is not the time for jokes! What do you have against my sister!? You should have just told me if you didn't like her! I thought you were a mature responsible adult! What else are you hiding from me?\"\n\nI stopped texting her after that and cried. How was I ever going to convince her? I felt so bad for not letting her sister attend the wedding. I don't blame her for not believing the werewolf story."
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[WP] An imp reports to Satan that a demon has appeared. Not from the fires of hell like everyone else, but from the malice, resentment and isolation-induced insanity of a royal family who never, ever leaves their estate. Satan is intrigued, and goes to investigates this new breed of hellspawn.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Locked in the castle, buried in gold\n\nDrowning in power, abuse and control\n\nSoaked in the fear, resentment and lies\n\nTormented and twisting and scorching inside-\n\n​\n\n\"The work isn't mine, but it burns just the same\"\n\nSatan smiles as he nears, eyeing his prey:\n\nA face burning red, ghosts of tears, newfound power\n\ngazes back with a spark as the Devil's grin sours-\n\n​\n\nA lunge, just a dance, \n\nas Kings oft feel unmatched-\n\nA mistake- A last act,\n\nas two dynasties crash\n\n​\n\nOff and away, the gates are thrown open\n\nNot for a late master, \n\nBut a child that had broken"
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[WP] A group of friends take you on a hunting trip, but turns out they don't hunt animals, or even anything natural.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"**The Hunting Party of 7**\n\nAlexis Gilmour was the type of person who never felt satisfied. No matter what task she started, in the end, she did not feel as if she had achieved everything that she could have achieved. It always seemed to her that something was missing, as if she were a novel and the final chapter was still to be written, as if she was a song without a chorus. Something was always lacking.\n\nHer co-workers thought otherwise. Jim Huntington, The Editor, often said about her: 'She's the most organized human I've ever encountered in my life. I mean, she wakes up at 5, makes her breakfast and lunch before 8 and preapres everything for the day even before entering the office. What is she, like god gifted? If you come to my desk you'll find that I haven't even sent my life insurance policy papers back to them and the last date was yesterday. I am The Editor and I am so laidback while she... if she didn't have two hands and two eyes then I'd say that she's a train...coz you know...she's always on time.'\n\nHannah Silverman, who was good friends with Alexis and was a little annoyed by her Editor's comments used to say: 'Ah Alexis...Alexis... Her pouch of satisfaction is never filled. No matter how much fortune goes down her way, she is never content. She is always hungry for more. No matter how much she has on her plate, she wants more and more. Well, I always tell her: You can only have that much as can be digested by you. If you acquire more, then well...'\n\nBut Alexis never felt complete. She was always seeking for something, hunting for something. She'd be on her edge, always looking out, as if some strange and mysterious gift would manifest around the corner and she'd be ready to grab it. Her catlike eyes would always scan the room for opportunities that would spring up randomly and ever would she pounce at those hoping to snatch it out of someone's mouth and consume it for herself. Such was her nature.\n\nHer obnoxious behavior had been tolerated by her colleagues for a short while but when she started stealing paper clips from the office then Mr. Jim Huntington had to come up with a plan. When Jessica Rodriguez was waiting by the copier, he approached her and said: 'Hey Jess. I have a proposal. Let us all go out on a hunting party. We'll pack our bags, set our camps in the forest and begin our hunting. There's a forest I've been too... It's strange and mysetrious, but is full of many exquisite locations that are just waiting to be discovered. Let us all go there and maybe we can take Alexis as well. I bet, there, she'll find herself well satiated.\n\nJessica frowned because she had a pile of papers on her desk that had to be finished before the month end. But then she spotted Alexis breaking a rose flower from the office pot and said: ' Yeah alright. Let's go to this hunting party of yours. We'll go and take her with us. Maybe that ought to fulfill all her desires. Maybe then she'll be full.\n\n'Oh, I bet you, she will be.' Huntington said with a sarcastic smile as he rubbed his plans and figured out the plan in his head.\n\nNext day, the office staff was ready in their camping gear, equipped fully with cargo shorts, torches, lighters, space blankets, marshmellows, and some of them had sneaked in some psychedelics as well. The bus had come and Huntington himself had driven it, intending to maintain complete independence during the trip.\n\nAlexis was content from the journey but even as she continued to drink in scene after scene of flashing landscape she felt a little bored and wished to go back to her apartment and watch some movie. After a while she expressed herself to Hannah, saying: 'What are we even hunting?'\n\nHannah just smiled secretly and said not even one single thing.\n\nBy evening, the stars had popped out from the depths. The moon beam fell on the forest pond and illuminated it beautifully. Star light glittered in them like jewels and in the soft hue of twilight, the planets in the sky looked marvellous. The company of 7 set up their camp in a beautiful grove that was borderd by giant oak trees. The forest was like a carpet of dry leaves that gave off a wild scent and made them all feel like hunters and rangers. The Energy was high in that group that night and as the evening waned away, they pulled out their guitars and marshmallows and celebrated the beautiful evening in high spirits. Unbeknownst to all, two of them, slipped the psychedelic drugs into other people's marshmallows and by the time night came, most of them were already set in the zone.\n\nThe strings of the guitar were reverberating, when Mr. Huntington looked very sharply in either direction and raised his fist to halt the music. 'Can you listen that?' He said in whisper.\n\nThe other 6 concentrated hard and tried to identify the source of the sound. It was soft. It was low, and it was like a rhythmic chant. It seemed to come from the east and they could certainly figure out the voice of a woman. She seemed to be singing in sweet notes and it felt like she was calling all of them.\n\n'What do you think?' the brown haired Manny spoke, 'should we pursue that which gives us the call?'\n\nRed haired Albert Pinto replied: 'Seldom do mysteries unravel themselves with such grace. Let us not delay our quest anymore. Let us approach the strange tune and discover the source of it.'\n\nAll agreed. Alexis too was excited.\n\nThe company of 7 moved softly towards the source of the Music. The voice took them through a dense growth of tall grass and brought them to a little stream. There, in the moonlight, the streaming water rippled with silver star light and next to it they saw a very beautiful woman who was touching the pass liquid and humming gently.\n\nShe was dressed exquisitely in a rich coat of green that seemed to be weaved with vines and dark leaves. Likewise her hair was jet black and dense and it fell upon her shoulders and complimented her moonlike face like clouds compliment the lunar orb. She was barefoot and her nails were painted in a deep shade of green that matched the beautiful shades of the surrounding grove in which fireflies had stareted to come out.\n\nAs the company came closer, they saw that in the stream, three naked water nymphs were sportively playing with each other and they seemed to be enjoying the song of the mysterious green woman. But as the company apprached them, the nymphs scattered away into the depths of the pond like squirrels depart when a stranger enters the wood.\n\nThe green lady interrupted her song and looked deeply into their eyes. Then she said: 'You all have entered our home without our permission. But you won't be able to leave it unless we will it. Thus you shall stay here forever until you finish the deed that's been reserved for you.'\n\nBefore anyone else could speak, Jim Huntington said: 'O Divine Lady of Plants! What is it that we must hunt this time?'\n\nAs he said this, a beautiful firefly fluttered near the woman's head and sat on her open palms. It was purple in color and glowed brilliantly. The Lady looked at it and asked: 'Do you know what these are?'\n\nHuntington said: 'They are fireflies?'\n\nThe Lady smiled and said: 'No Jim. They are little orbs of happiness. Here, these are roaming freely and they will go to anyone whom they want. No one need to search for them. Yet, so strange this world has become, that now these little beings have been abandoned. Nobody wants them. They are all alone and filled with beautiful light. Your duty is to seek these living orbs of happiness for yourself. Once you have collected as much happiness as you can, then you are free to leave. Otherwise, the ways to the outside world are shut forever for you.'\n\nThe company of 7 was huddled together in a group, like a soccer team. Jim Huntington said to others: 'Alright Team. This should be easy. Let us all spread out in all directions and meet once again after exactly an hour. Then we should have collected as much happiness as we can and then we will be out of here.'\n\n'Wait a second,' Albert Pinto interjected, 'so this means that we are hunting happiness right?'\n\nJim Huntington smiled and said: 'Yeah Albert. In one way or another, we are all hunting happiness. Okay then. Spread out.'\n\nHe handled small plastic bags to all of them that could be sealed tight shut and the company went in all the 4 directions to hunt for happiness.\n\n***Continued in comments***",
"\"Come on, live a little!\" Said Zenith, gently punching the new recruit in the arm.\n\n\"You're insane.\" He said flatly.\n\n\"You'll be fine! We'll hold your hand through the whole thing, just trust us.\" Replied Berz, grinning so hard you could swear the metal plates holding the left half of her skull together clicked a little.\n\n\"You're *insane*.\" He repeated, even less enthused.\n\nThe air had that usual damp yet comfortable feeling it had at this time of morning. The dewdrops evaporating off of the moss brought it out or something. The sunlight slowly creeping up had a soothing glow, which stood in stark contrast to the shadows of the endless woodlands stretching out before them a short distance away. The ferns even seemed to curl different at a certain threshold, the plants opening in a soft and welcoming fashion out in the open field while twisting into mangled shapes behind the treeline. \n\nAll the more reason to stay put, really.\n\n\"Look, you said you didn't want to join the Corp because you didn't like the jobs they offered, right? Well, this job is different.\" Zenith said. \n\n\"I mean, y-yes. But I meant like, how the Corp has some ethical issues. Not like. . .*this*.\" He stuttered.\n\n\"I mean, if you're worried about the ethics of this job, we triple checked the details.\" Zenith said. \"We're not gonna go dragging down an innocent person based on anything superficial. Every guy and gal on the list today has willingly committed homicide, so now we're coming for their hides. Simple enough.\"\n\n\"I mean yes, but that's not what I. . .I mean, *fae?!*\" He said back. \"How are you supposed to kill something like that? They're not even *mortal*!\"\n\n\"They're *half*\\-mortal.\" Said Zenith, waving her hand dismissively. \"So long as a creature is even partly bound by physics, that's mortal enough for me to paste it.\"\n\n\"She's pretty cavalier about it, but she's right.\" Shrugged Berz. \"Fae are more dangerous than your average schlub, but it's perfectly doable for a plain ol' mortal to take them down in a fight. Zenny here likes to do it by hand. So do I, but then again. . .\"\n\nBerz paused to lift up her prosthetic arm, letting the rising sun glint off of her steel talons.\n\n\". . .I make sure to use the one I can spare. \n\nFor you, well. You might feel more comfy with something longer distance.\"\n\n\"I *might*, huh.\" Said the greenhorn dryly. \"I think I'd rather be on the other side of the *continent*, if I'm being perfectly honest.\"\n\n\"Aw, come on, just give it a chance!\" Berz said. \"We'll make sure you don't get tagged, right Zen?\"\n\nBerz turned to face her companion, only to see that she'd already begun marching towards the woods unprompted.\n\n\". . .Zen?\" Berz repeated.\n\n\"I think we've got our first volunteer of the day.\" Zenith said, staring at something unseen in the dark.\n\nSuddenly, a wretched howl echoed from within the woods, like a small pack of out-of-tune flutes warbling in unison. The new recruit immediately darted behind Berz, clutching at her burly torso like a child clutching to their parent. Berz flashed a dull expression, but didn't particularly comment. She'd seen far more horrified reactions to far less horrifying things before. Plenty of hope left for this newbie. Probably.\n\n\"Look, if you feel better like this, just hang back and we can watch her do this together, alright?\" Berz said, trying to sound comforting.\n\nThe new recruit nodded feverishly. Berz simply rested her flesh-and-blood arm on his shoulder and relaxed. \n\nMeanwhile, Zenith stood at the ready. The sounds of heavy footsteps tramped forwards from the depths of the woods, each impact making the eyes of the trainee in the distance go wider. Zenith, for her part, seemed thoroughly unimpressed no matter how close the sound drew.\n\nEven Berz twitched a little as the figure finally pulled into view. An ugly, horrid thing, about twenty feet at the shoulder. Three distended skulls, flesh tanned to leather and sinew pulling it half off the bone, stared down blankly. Each breath sounded like the woodwind section of the world's most poorly directed band. The thing's skeleton seemed to jut out in all the wrong places, and each of the four limbs planted on the ground looked like a hand studded with far too many fingers.\n\n\"Wh-what. . .is that?\" The recruit almost sobbed in horror.\n\n\"It's dead meat, kiddo!\" Zenith hollered cheerfully from almost directly in front of the monstrosity.\n\nThe beast immediately lunged. Before it could even finish the motion, Zenith bounded up and over the incoming maw, kicking it at the base of the neck so hard that the shriveled head cracked away and fell clean off the body. The remaining two heads yelped in pain, one immediately whipping around in an attempt to snap at its assailant. Zenith made a second bound, this time off the back of the creature and under the attacking head, wrapping her arms around its neck as she went and ripping forward. The second skull tumbled awkwardly out of her arms as she landed on the ground.\n\nThe creature, realizing it had been grievously injured within the span of mere seconds, suddenly flashed a horrified expression and began to turn tail, sprinting back off into the woods. Zenith made chase, darting into the treeline and disappearing briefly. A large crunch could be heard soon after, immediately followed by some large object dropping hard to the ground. The silence, for at least a moment, was palpable.\n\nThen, slowly but surely, the two fighters standing out in the clearing could make out Zenith walking back out from the woods, dragging the giant, emaciated figure's corpse along behind her.\n\n\"Man, why is it always the big ugly ones that put up the worst fight?\" Zenith snarked.\n\nThe new recruit's jaw went slack.\n\n\"I. . .how did she-\" He began to ask.\n\n\"Practice, kiddo. Practice.\" Said Berz, patting him on the back. \"Now come on. We got a couple more chumps that you can practice some moves on yourself, and then we got a nice spicy one that you can sit back and watch us do a *real* fight with.\""
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[WP] All alien species are universally religious. The concept of atheism is completely foreign to them.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Do you know that feeling you get in meetings with lots of attendees that drag on and on? Simultaneous boredom, pressure to look attentive, and the dread of that Sauron-eyed host calling on you when your attention wanders for just a second?\n\nGreg heard his name called and realized it was the second time. He felt his face flush. “Um, I’m sorry, can you repeat the question?” He glanced to his right and saw Ye-Jun and Afryea scrunch their faces at him in sympathy: they had both borne the bad luck of interminable alien lectures and the pop-quiz that inevitably followed. He realized that Afryea had given him a subtle elbow to the hip to snap him back.\n\nThe translation software took a second to kick in, and it did a great job of getting the Hierarch’s visual cues - lifting of thorax scales, swept-up head ornaments, not-dire minimal unsheathing of stinger - turned into human vocal indicators of irritation in an incongruously youthful and peppy female New Zealander accent. The first scout group to encounter the aliens had been mostly Kiwis, and they had absorbed that crew’s dialect as canon for all humans. The chipper young lady’s voice said, “If yeh don’t mind, Grig, we’re talking about belief and souls. And your lack of faith. Why’s that? You’re plenty smart, ambitious, you almost wrecked your nice planet but got that all squared away nice. Nothing wrong with you. But no faith, no hyperspace jump. No jump, no multi-planet culture, no hanging with the rest of us! I mean, yehv got loads and loads of popular shows about it, we know you want to do it!” The slightly disgruntled tone shifted to that of a mom cheerfully insisting that her reluctant kid was going to have a GREAT day at school.\n\n“Uhh, we just can’t. There’s science, and there’s speculation. Hyper jumps aren’t proven. We won’t send people where it’s not proven, where they don’t believe they can’t go.” He knew it wasn’t eloquent, but it was the core of their space program: they didn’t do unproven missions. All fine for poor Laika and the daring Russian and American souls of the moon era, but this was the age of incremental progress and secure private investments. Every good team knew the unspoken motto: risky missions spook investors.\n\nThe alien flashed iridescent patterns off its head ornaments, and a second later the young lady’s voice brought Greg vividly back to the time he had pissed off a crew of pretty girls in a Wellington pub when he had naively backpacked solo as a younger man and thought buying a drink obligated a girl to more intimate interaction. “Bollocks! We’ve seen your Shackleton, your Apollo 13, your Everest summit, in film form! Does your culture simply make art about bravery and faith, or do you actually get on with it and send your meaty little limbs to scary places? You know you can’t achieve hyperspace without faith in the results. You can’t sew or weave without belief in the strange process: cut a thread, lick it’s tip, push it through the eye, believe that the metal will spear through the fabric and bring your tenuous and weak severed little thread with it. Without your thread snapping or unraveling as it brushes against the coarse layers of fabric. But then it can pull all of the fabric together. But yih have to believe, you have to have faith in the prociss, man!”\n\nGreg was sweating a little. The alien was just using the female voice they had synthesized, but between it and the appraising looks Afryea and Ye-Jun were sending his way, he was feeling like he was back in that Wellington pub. “Um, if we could maybe see some statistics…” Both lieutenants started shaking their heads slowly at him. Feelings of Wellington intensified.\n\nUnexpectedly, Ye-Jun stood up and held her hand out, palm up, in the newly agreed inter-species conference-room-speak that meant she’d like to say something. “Lieutenant Park, sit down!” Greg muttered, defensive and trying to buy time to respond to the damn eloquent alien. You don’t want to be the guy who dismisses all of human grit and cool movies. He just needed a minute to explain to the alien why the movies weren’t relevant, and how he didn’t want to know the length of his thread. Afryea gave him a chilly, disappointed look then stood up next to Ye-Jun. “Lieutenant Osei! Sit!” Greg hissed. Two pairs of human eyes and several eye-like organs from the aliens looked at him for a brief second. A few iridescent head ornaments flicked irritably, two pairs of disappointed human eyes moved slowly away from him.\n\nThe alien Hierarch flicked its head ornaments to let Ye-Jun speak. Afryea clutched Ye-Jun’s hand tightly, and they stepped forward together. “I would like…” she glanced at Afryea, who nodded while keeping her chin high, “We would like to measure our threads and place them in the eye of the needle, and hope we have faith in the needle as it passes through the layers. We believe we can be part of the pattern of societies as they stitch the universes.”\n\nThe alien’s scales and ornaments puffed out and shimmered and it danced a circle. “Aww, yisssss!” it chirped delightedly through the translator.\n\nGreg never saw his lieutenants again. He was soundly rewarded for his adherence to protocol with a 5% holiday bonus that year and a 3% annual raise. He got new trainees to replace the deserters, and he was sure to drill into them the values of hard work, adherence to the mission, and the bottom line. He occasionally heard about the famous intergalactic travelers Afryea Osei and Ye-Jun Park, and had to suppress that same feeling from the morning-after in Wellington, that he had blundered horribly, and missed out on something beautiful.",
"The starship Faces of the Creator orbited Earth in a polar orbit in order to fully map the planet.\n\nThe assembled species, who categorized aliens beliefs, gazed stunned at each other as a hologram of Jerusalem spun gently in the center of the room.\n\n\"They have the usual variety of concentrated holy spots of a multilingual early development species,\" the Slort had explained.\n\n\"Yes,\" the Nimber had added, \"we can even trace the prehistoric holy spots that share an early Cosmic-type of worship.\"\n\n\"But,\" and this was the source of the bewilderment, \"a cross-longitudal intellectual scan has shown a religious ambient average of only .7 with the mean of .8.\" The Frinba had thrown up its tentacles in exasperation.\n\n\"So... the average Terran is able to live on less than 1 ambient average awe?! How is that possible? How can they face the world without awe of the Creator?! \" \n exclaimed the Nirg collective as each of its constitute parts sang a part of the sentence. \n\n\"To be fair, some of them have an extreme belief in an early extremist Creator- one that commands them to love their enemy but then posits an afterlife where their Creator then has their enemies tortured for eternity. Very similar in many ways to the early Proggers beliefs... And there are others, much more enlightened that almost approximate the generic Goodness Creator ethos. But yes, on average their AAA is below 1.\" said the Slort.\n\nThe Nimber stood up and stretched, \"the best guess we have is the Creator has chosen to manifest in extreme forms here. We have a few current theories : sports teams, meme, brands, and their medium of exchange all seem to play the role of what we had seen as previous manifestations of the creator.\""
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[WP] You were born as an unstoppable force. Literally. No object can impede or harm you. Your mother was killed instantly upon your birth, and you accidentally maimed anyone who tried to touch you as an infant. Growing up has been a challenge, to say the least.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Until of course, you met your soulmate. To say she was stubborn was an understatement. When she was born, she was coined as the immovable object. She was immovable, not because of density, or weight, or anything that you might currently be thinking about. She was immovable because it was as if she existed in a different dimension. Nothing could interact with her in a way that forced her to move or change in any way. She of course could still move as she wanted, but the moment anything attempted to physically interact with her, it would literally phase right through her as if she didn't exist.\n\nGrowing up, you were under constant observation and experimentation. You wanted to know why you had this \"unstoppable\" property just as much as the rest of the world did. You wanted to know how you could keep that trait, but without causing a wake of destruction as you moved through the world. When you met your soulmate, you finally figured out that, without breaking the \"new\" laws of physics, as it was clear, nothing could \"stop\" you. Instead what if, you could simply stop interacting with the matter and forces, such as inertia, friction, gravity that are normally forces that would stop a stoppable force.\n\nSo what really happened when you two met? Not much actually. The important part is that neither of you destroyed each other, or caused a black hole to envelope the world, or any other event that people joked about, or worse, were scared may ever come to pass.\n\nBut that's what made her special. You two were both stubborn as hell. You both, simultaneously, could choose to be unmovable and unstoppable. You just phased through each other.\n\nI don't suppose you've ever had the chance to phase through another inter-dimensional being before? What a ride!!\n\n.\n\nFirst time poster. Not really a writer, but this one called out to me for some reason. Hope you enjoyed it."
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[WP] Yuri Gagarin was the first man to survive re-entry, but he wasn't the first man in space. For decades rumors of ghost cosmonauts circulate, but no one knows the truth. You just left orbit and have lost comms with Earth, and your ship is steering itself towards a debris field.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"As your ship drifts through the debris field, you catch glimpses of light through the wreckage. Something here is powered up, and something is drawing you in. \n\nAs you try to reestablish comms with ground control, your computer flashes a warning \"*Docking procedure initiated.*\" You frantically push yourself to the window and see something that shouldn't exist. Bold white letters on a craft saying \"BOCTOK 0.\"\n\nAs your shuttle begins the procedure, you look around and see at least a dozen other spacecraft of varying ages all tied together, drifting around the Russian craft. \n\nThe mechanism finally clicks into place and the door slides open to reveal a man with white hair and a thick beard. His clothes are worn and threadbare, but the man has a chipper smile showing his crooked yellow teeth. \"Privet, my friend.\" He says as he pushes himself into your capsule, his eyes betraying the smile."
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[WP] You were just chilling in your room, when an alien lookalike of Steve Irwin and a camera crew burst in and pin you to the floor. "Crikey, look at this bugger! This one's a rare find, it stays in its room almost all day, and only sees sunlight four to six times a month!"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"They say sleep is supposed to be peaceful, tranquil even. You are supposed to wake up and be refreshed and ready for a brand new day. \r \n\r \nSleep has never been so kind to me, every morning I lay frozen in bed terrified and unable to move, as an inventive new paralysis-demons stares down on me.\r \n\r \nThis morning started off no different, I laid frozen on my bed as a surprisingly familiar face stared down at me with soules eyes. It was none other than my childhood hero Steve Irwin, or at least somebody that looked a lot like him. \r \n\r \n“Alright gents, let get the cam’s rolling!” Steve said. “I think the kids are really gonna love this one!”\r \n\r \nI could hear the distorted sound of something moving around and my room but I couldn’t move my head to see what it was. \r \n\r \nSteve’s voice was muffled and distorted as if he was talking through an old mic with a voice changer. I tried my best to relax, I was sure in a few seconds my body would catch up with my brain, I’d be free of these hallucinations, I’d be able to move again and I’d go on with another boring day. \r \n\r \n“Quiet on set! Quiet on set!” I grainy voice called out, “rolling in Three—Two—One”\r \n\r \nStill unable to move I listened as Steve started his usual monologue about endangered species, the environment, and whatever else.\r \n\r \nIt took me a moment to realize he wasn’t talking about some random animal, he was talking about me. \r \n\r \n“Right behind me,” Steve said, “Is an adolescent male delinquent. But we gotta be quiet so that we don’t wake it! Let’s take a closer look!”\r \n\r \nSuddenly a boom mic and huge camera came into my view. I could feel my hands and arms tingling as the blanket was lifted off of me, I could almost move.\r \n\r \n“Crickey” Steve exclaimed, “This Bugger’s a rare one! You can tell by the dark circles under the eyes and by the general lack of muscle tone that this is a grade-a loser!”\r \n\r \nWho was he calling a loser! I thought to myself.\r \n\r \n“Why don’t we take a look around his environment to learn more!”\r \n\r \nThis guy was talking an off lot of trash for a figment of my imagination. Now that i think about it... None of my other paralysis-demons have ever been this rude. I fact, I can’t remember any of them talking before this one!\r \n\r \nBut it didn’t matter my body was awake. All I had to do was move my body and he’d disappear.\r \n\r \nWith the feeling restored in my body, I launched a surprise attack, a flurry of punches that all missed their mark. \r \n\r \nTo my surprise and horror, the paralysis-demon didn’t disappear like it was supposed to. I guess I wasn’t really asleep\r \n\r \nOut of nowhere Steve produced one of those long metal clampy-thing they use to grab snakes and pinned me to the bed by the neck!\r \n\r \n“What the $\\^&@,” I screamed, trying desperately to pry the metal clamps from off my neck. \r \n\r \nStrangely every time profanity left my mouth it would instantly be censored as of I was in a tv program.\r \n\r \n“Now this one’s feisty!” Steve said holding me down, “But don’t worry it’s not a very strong one. In a few seconds, he’ll calm down.”\r \n\r \nAfter realizing my kicking, squirming and swearing was no match for the raw strength of Steve Irwin 2.0 I decided to relax for a moment. \r \n\r \nAs I did, he loosened the grip around my neck and allowed me to sit up.\r \n\r \n“Crikey!” Steve exclaimed turning to look at the posters on my wall. “This really is a rare specimen!”\r \n\r \nI noticed a huge camera crew documenting everything in my room. They turned to watch as Steve closely examined the posters on my wall.\r \n\r \n“This is incredible!” Steve explained “ These markings are a big part of the juvenile delinquent’s habitat! Look here”—He motioned for the camera to zoom in—These drawing are known as anime Waifu’s and they serve as the human’s only social connection to the outside world!”\r \n\r \n“These marking do a lot to help us identify what type of human this is. Looks like we’re dealing with what is commonly called a Weeb or a Weabo. A subspecies of a nerd” \r \n\r \nSteve paused as if waiting for a graphic to appear on the screen.\r \n\r \n“Now it’s important to remember that although weebs are some of the weakest humans they are slightly stronger than Furries and they’re are often armed with prop weapons! So you always have to be careful when you find on in the wild!”\r \n\r \nI just sat there stun-locked by Steves’s weird presentation. I had to still be asleep I told myself. \r \n\r \n“All right mates, Before we take a look at the rest of its habitat, We need to make sure that he’s calm so he doesn’t go into shock. Weebs like this are so sensitive they can die if their favorite Waifu isn’t voted Best Girl”\r \n\r \nSteve slowly walked up to the bed and covered m head with a blanket. \r \n\r \n“Now that he can’t see the light he’ll automatically think it’s nighttime and go to sleep!”\r \n\r \nHonestly, I had no idea what in the world was going on and I don’t think I want to know. Here hoping this was all just some bad dream!",
"With an alien thumb up my butt and a camera crew in my bed/office/gaming room I was a little spooked. At first I thought I was being robbed but I think these guys are aliens trying to do a Steve Irwin bit.\n\nI'd fought really hard with them at first one of the camera men almost fell when I threw my alarm clock at them but for lack of objects to throw I fell over tripping on some pop cans strewn on my floor.\n\nThen the Irwin alien started speaking and I sort of thought they might be college guys in costume doing a bit.\n\nThe alien-ness hit me as the thumb slipped between my stinky cheeks. I could \"feel\" a calming alien warmth from my butt, I asked if probing was real and got a \"Crikey\" in response.\n\nI don't know why but I thought about it since and maybe there's some sort of chemical release like those weird frat boys who shove alcohol up their butts to get drunk.\n\nAt the moment all I could think was how odd it was to see the alien's skin contrasted with the bad Irwin wig I call it an Irwin wig but it was really some sort of alien specific getup. It was recognizable to me but it looked like there might have been more to it.\n\nWhen the camera thing to up to my face I said G'day in my best accent but it didn't have the affect I was hoping for. They ooed and awed saying something about a defense mechanism called wit and humor.\n\nI asked if my parents were O.K. and the camera man gave me a thumbs up and they zoomed in I could see the lens telescoping. Then the host Irwin alien said, \"Frightened this little adult fears for his parental den mates.\" I don't know why but I think they wanted me to be in on the joke to calm down, but also were seriously documenting me as a part of society and a subsection in it.\n\n\"Now mates as much as I'd love to let this one go back into the wild, we can clearly see that it can't survive on its own. So we're gonna have to rehabilitate it and give it a chance at survival.\"\n\nI would've freaked out but I think the alien thumb up the bum really had me relaxed at the moment.\n\nThat's when they put me in a big blanket and covered my eyes, and I heard him telling the camera. \"We have to cover their eyes because it calms them but remember this puts a stress on the animal so we have to be quick! Like Crikey lets go lads!\".\n\nI heard strange noises and I felt the weight of the blanket and the hands holding me lighten and I swear they hovered me out the window.\n\nNow I'm in a kid you not, a giant storage wear container with a big bottle hanging upside down and water. I was given a journal and they started projecting some very interesting graphics about human families and society on the wall and generally I'm not scared but I think this isn't a joke I think they're really trying to help me work out what I want philosophically and get me feeling better.\n\nHonestly, its sorta neat. The Aussie guy came over and leaned into my tub and said, something about meeting a sheila and I think I'm gonna be meeting someone else on here.\n\nWho knows maybe this will turn things around!"
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[WP] An aging mercenary wants to be free of a vow he made long ago, but first he must correct a mistake and ask for someone's forgiveness.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Waylond stood in the doorway, his tattered white cloak dancing in the breeze, every gust attempting to tear the stained, aged cloth from the ornate sapphire crest fastened to a leather strap on his now rusted cuirass. A gloved hand rested on the worn wooden sheath affixing a strange ivory blade to his left hip, and although his hand did not clutch the blade itself it was quite apparent he was still a threat regardless of where his hand rested. \n\nThe grizzled, scarred man limped into the tower, advancing from the shadowed edges of the interior room to the center lit by candle. Blood seeped from beneath a ripped piece of his cloak, the once white rag now stained a dark red. He bore several smaller injuries, most notably a gash running from his left temple to his cheek, and several shallow cuts on his bare arms. And yet, despite his injuries, he stood tall. Although he was now in his 50s, he had the physical presence of a much younger man, the only features betraying his age being streaks of gray in his auburn beard and hair, some lines on his face, and the weary look in his eyes. In spite of his injuries, he remained intimidating and, more importantly, dangerous.\n\nAcross the room stood his equal, the only person to have ever faced him head to head as anything but fodder. Malia was a full head shorter than him, but remained just as imposing. She was two years older than Waylond, and yet seemed even more ageless than he. Her elaborate flowing yellow robes, contrasted with her defiant posture and stony expression, gave her an appearance of intangibility, like she wasn't there, an effect further enhanced by the shadow of her hood obscuring her face. While all of these factors were extremely effective in enhancing her own naturally menacing presence, what really made her terrifying was the axe she held over her shoulder. Anyone who knew anything about killing knew of Sleht.\n\nSleht was long, intricate carvings depicting various carnivorous animals and poisonous plants on it's four foot long golden handle, which ended in a large, curved axe head with a single bladed side, made of a bonelike material, with golden inlays in the same style as the handle. It was beautiful, if not a bit garishly lavish in design, but what truly made it special was what it could do. The bone making up the head was not just any bone, it had once belonged to an ancient celestial being, slain by the first king of Feohtan, and infused with his blood. Due to this infusion, it was said to retain a measure of the being's power, but only if it's wielder were a descendant of the king.\n\nMalia was a skilled fighter, a prodigy the likes of which only came about once a generation. Before she claimed Sleht, she had once killed three seasoned soldiers with one blow from a shortsword, and Sleht had only made her more capable. Showing no sign of fear, she removed Sleht from her shoulder, holding it outstretched with both hands the same way one would hold a sword. The axe began to hum, finally reaching it's crescendo when it began to glow, lightning arcing about it's head, casting new shadows on the already gloomy room. Waylond had stopped roughly fifteen paces in front of her, sizing up his opponent and weighing the implications of accepting this invitation. He moved his right hand to the handle of his sword and began to draw.\n\nRemorder was no ordinary sword. As Waylond drew, it began to shimmer, then spontaneously burst into flame. Legend said that Remorder was hewn from the same being as Sleht. Where Sleht was made from what appeared to be a shoulder blade, however, Remorder was made from what seemed to be a pair of fangs, and while Sleht only bestowed it's gifts on descendants of the king, Remorder required it's bearer to have an unbreakable will, those who did not caught flame and burned until not even their bones remained. The sword had two curved blades, and while neither seemed especially sharp, the intense heat of the sword would make up for it's dullness, vaporizing anything it came in contact with.\n\nMalia made the first move, swinging at Waylond with incredible speed and power. Waylond was ready, and brought his weapon to meet her own, catching Sleht between Remorder's twin blades, sending sparks and flames in every direction and blowing Malia's hood off, revealing a shock of olive colored hair. Waylond tried to use his newfound advantage, twisting his blade to disarm her, but Malia was equal to the task and stood firm, slowly pulling the axe towards her, each tug sending a new wave of sparks, until eventually she freed it. Both were accomplished warriors, and they were relatively evenly matched; where Malia was nimble, unpredictable, and proactive, Waylond was patient, methodical, and defensive.\n\nAfter several more rounds of clashing, countering, and eventually breaking, Malia finally found an opening, and, summoning all the strength she had and saying a small prayer to anyone who would hear it, sent Sleht on the way to what would surely be the final blow, lighting trailing behind it. And then something unexpected happened. Sleht did not make contact. She had not missed, but she had stopped, realizing what Waylond had intended. To land the blow, she would have to manouver the axe between the blades of Remorder, and while Waylond would die, the angle and nature of attack ensured she would as well. \"Shall we stop playing games? One of us is liable to remove an eye at this rate, and I do so enjoy having eyes.\"\n\n(Continued below)"
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This is a plotbunny I've had knocking around in my head for a few years and never used. I'm interested to see what others will make of it.
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[WP] A gumshoe detective is visited by a client who wants them to investigate a murder. The victim is the client.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Are you the detective?\"\n\nThe mousy little man kept glancing around him like the walls were going to swallow him whole. *Crazy or nervous?* It was always hard to tell in a business like this.\n\n\"Thanks Rose, close the door, please?\" My secretary handed Mouse a cup of coffee and closed the door silently behind her. *A real class act, that one.* \"Take a seat, Mr...?\"\n\n\"Are you the detective or not? It's not safe for me out here!\"\n\n*Crazy, then*. \"About as safe as anywhere else, Mac.\" I reached into my pocket for my cigarette pack and offered him one. Mouse took it with a trembling hand and sat with his back against the wall. \"You have a specific reason for questioning your safety?\"\n\nMouse puffed on the light I offered him and choked on smoke as he inhaled. \"Someone tried to kill me tonight,\" he hacked. \"There's a body in the morgue, tonight, that looks like me, torn to shreds, and someone meant for me to be on that slab, me! It's more than I can take!\"\n\nSome people think that smoking is a nasty habit for stupid people. Generally I find those same people could have said something far more intelligent if they'd just sat down, stuck a smoke in their mouth, and shut up for a second. \"Okay, what makes you think that it was supposed to be you?\"\n\nMouse ashed all over my table and took another shaky puff. \"Weren't you listening? My height, my hair color, my same job-- if that man hadn't come into the law firm tonight I'd be dead!\"\n\nI sighed, pulled out an ashtray, and set it between the two of us. \"Look, Mac, before anything else, we've got to start with some basics. Name, address, enemies, fees?\"\n\nMouse stubbed the cigarette into oblivion. \"I'm Rich Grainger, an accountant! Two weeks ago--\" he stopped suddenly, looked around the office, and lowered his voice-- \"two weeks ago this guy comes into my office asking me to check his books. He thinks that someone in his office might be stealing. So I take the job, on the side and under the table, look through some things, right? Then the Feds are all over us, tearing through files, asking questions... and tonight, right after the Feds leave the building, a guy in a trench coat comes in and... and he takes a meat hook to some poor guy who was sitting in the waiting room and runs off with his briefcase. That's not a coincidence!\"\n\nI pushed the intercom. \"Rose, hold my calls.\"",
"It was near midnight on a Friday night when there was a knock on my office door. Maybe they'll go away, I'm tired, I'm drunk, and I'm in no mood to talk to anyone.\n\nAnother knock. \"Mr. Branston, I see your light on, I need your help\"\n\nI poured the last of my whiskey in my glass. The warm, caramel colored liquid filled the glass, swirling with the ice chunks in the glass. I adjust my tie and go open the door.\n\n\"I'm heading home for the night,\" I said. \"Come see me tom...\" I stop midsentence. The person who was knocking looked like a mess. A young woman, with a hole the size of peach in the middle of her chest. She wasn't bleeding. Hell she wasn't breathing from what I could tell.\n\n\"Well...you see, I can't. I'm already dead.\" She said.\n\nI could see the hallway through her. This has to be a trick. Mirrors and makeup, right? There ain't no way this could be real. \n\n\"Can I come in?\"\n\nI hesitated, but eventually relented. I backed up into my office and sat at my desk. I took another swig of my drink. \n\n\"Tell me, Mrs...\" I said.\n\n\"Miss Lopez,\" she said. \n\n\"Tell me, Miss Lopez, what exactly is going on with...this\" I said as I wave my drink hand in her general area. \n\nShe is nervous. And scared. I grab another glass from my desk and pour her a drink and offer it to her. She gulps it down in one go. I see the liquid pour out of her chest cavity. \"Sorry...\" she says, looking down at the mess she made. \n\n\"Don't worry about it,\" I said. \n\n\"You see, I'm engaged, or rather, was engaged?, I'm not sure what the status is right now, but I was engaged to Mario Torellia,\" she said.\n\n\"Torellia?\"\n\n\"Yes. Tony Torellia's nephew,\" she said, looking down at her feet. Tony Torellia is a name everyone in this city knows. He has his hands in every politician's pocket, either putting money in or taking money out. \"He and I were engaged to be married in July. I know he's a bad guy, but I love him. I loved him ever since we were kids. He wasn't like the rest of his family. He was crooked, sure, but he wasn't bad. He never hurt anyone,\" she tells me. \n\n\"Uh huh,\" I said, drinking the last of my drink. I didn't want to tell her the stories I heard of Tony and his nephew. What good could come of it?\n\n\"Well, the wedding is coming up...or was coming up...and I was excited. I had my dress and everything planned out. We were going to Aruba for our honeymoon. And then...this happened,\" she kept talking, not giving me the info I actually wanted. But I can't blame her. She's sitting in my office with a huge hole in her chest. I let her talk. I don't know why, but I think she needed this.\n\n\"I was sitting at home when someone called me. The voice sounded familiar. I think it was one of Mario's friends. The person told me to come to Tony's bar, Mario was hurt in a botched robbery and...well....they didn't know if he was gonna make it. They had one of Tony's doctors trying to save him but...\" her voice cracked and trailed off. I gave her a handkerchief, but I wasn't sure if she was able to cry. Not in her state.\n\n\"So I drove to Tony's bar, The Lucky Break, over on 4th and Richmond. And as I got out of my car, I heard someone call my name,\" she says. Then she gets a puzzling look on her face. \"I....I can't remember my first name. I knew it when I walked in here...but...now I don't know it\"\n\n\"Go on, quickly before you forget,\" I told her.\n\n\"I turned around and there was Mario. And Benny. And Michael. And they were laughing at me. Mario then grabbed a gun....he grabbed the gun and....and he....and he shot....\" she's repeating herself. She sounds like a record skipping. \"He shot me. He shot me and called me a whore and went back in the bar. Why did he shoot me? Why did he shoot me? Why....my laptop. Get my laptop. Find it. In the vent....salt water...\" she breaks off. She stops talking. \n\n\"Miss Lopez? Miss Lopez can you hear me?\" I say. I shake her body. But it goes limp. I grab my jacket off the coat rack and turn around. The chair she sat in was now empty. I sit in my chair and doze off. \n\nHours pass. Sunlight shines through the window and warms my face. I wake up as the cars outside honk. Was last night a dream? I get up and grab my coat. My shoe slips on something. I look down and its the whiskey from last night. Right by the chair Miss Lopez was sitting on. I must be going crazy. My phone rings. I pick it up and I hear the same voice from last night. \"Please...please Mr. Branston. Find my laptop\" \n\nI still have some contacts at my old precinct. It is hard to trust anyone nowadays, Tony probably has spies everywhere, but there were a few from the department I knew I can trust. I call an old friend, Brian Winslow, and ask him for a favor. A big favor.\n\n\"What do you need?\" he asks.\n\n\"Mario Torellia,\" I said. He goes quiet. \"I need to know who he was engaged to. And where she lives. It is a long story. But I think she's in danger and...\"\n\n\"Melissa Lopez. Yeah. She was killed a few nights ago. We found her body washed up by the river,\" he told me. \"Kinda late on this one Lou.\" \n\n\"Can you tell me where she lives? Er, lived? She, er, ...one of her old friends asked me to investigate something, I just wanna double check,\" I ask.\n\n\"We checked her apartment, couldn't find anything. But if you wanna give it a look, let me find it\" he pauses for a few seconds. I hear the tap of some keyboard clicks. \"She lives right near your office, actually. 390 Kimball Ave, apartment 5A. Listen, if you find anything, let us know\"\n\n\"Yeah, I know\" I responded. Kimball Ave. is just a block away. I grab my coat and head out. The apartment building is a nice newer building. I take the elevator to the 5th floor and find her door. Police tape still cover the door. I check the hallway for anyone and head inside. The place looks immaculate. Cops either didn't look hard enough or they cleaned up. I look around. I start looking for a vent. After 15 minutes, I found an air vent mostly hidden behind a bookcase. As I moved the bookcase, it was surprisingly easy to move. I grabbed a screwdriver and removed the vent. A small laptop bag was in the vent. I grabbed it, took the small laptop out, and booted it up.\n\nIt needed a password. Shit. I look around, thinking maybe she wrote it down somewhere. Or something. I notice a bowl on her desk. Inside, small wrapped candies. It hit me.\n\nI typed in saltwatertaffy \n\nThe laptop booted up. It was a treasure trove of information on everyone in the Torellia family. It even had a few cops, local politicians and lawyers that were on Tony's payroll. There was a notepad titled 'Dashcam' on the desktop. I clicked it and it showed a link to a website where she uploaded all her dashcam videos. There were over 100 different videos. I clicked on a random one and it was just her and Mario in the car, talking about the wedding. Another one was just her driving. I clicked on 'sort by date' and clicked the newest one. It was the date of her death.\n\nThe video shows her going to Tony's bar. She's crying. She parks the car with the dashcam focused on the backdoor. 3 men come out. One of the men is Mario. He pulls out his gun, calls her a whore, and shoots."
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[WP] A man struggles to paint a scene he had dreamt many years ago.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"*I was alone, a long, long time ago, living in a land not my own, in house not my own, sleeping in a bed not my own. If only I could remember it clearly. The fog of time and dream conspire together to shroud my memory. If only I could remember it clearly. I barely can recall the house, my neighbors, the details of the room, anything.*\n\nThe easel dripped with haphazardly placed smears of color in front of the Painter. The paint made no image. The colors contrasted the white canvas well enough, but they weren't acting in concert, yet.\n\n*I wasn't alone in my dream. I know that much. If only I could remember it clearly. It was the morning and the sun was rising. Yes! That's it. I need to remember what I've lost to time.*\n\nThe Painter was emaciated, dirty, and unkempt. His studio was littered more than an artist's at work, it was dilapidated.\n\n*This is no obsession. I must know what I don't remember. If only I could remember it all clearly, then. . . I was at the water's edge! It was the mighty ocean I stared at the horizon! No, not the ocean. It was a lake or a pond. A lake. Yes. I'm sure of it. I had fished there before. It was morning, I was watching the sun rise on a beach. No, it wasn't sandy. It was rocky. I was standing on rocks overlooking a lake, watching the sunrise.*\n\n*Was I alone? No. I couldn't have been. Who was with me? Who was with me? Who?*\n\nThe Painter's wrist moved quickly now from easel to palette and back again. He began to sweat with the effort. No image was clear, but the smears of paint combined on the easel and formed blocks of color, yellow in the center, darker towards the bottom, a bluish tone at the top.\n\n*Who was she? If only I could remember her! Her! Who was she? A friend? Family? A lover? Who? If only I could remember her clearly. I must know.*\n\nThe Painter continued applying paint to canvas rapidly. As the background he knew formed, an image of two persons came to the fore. The Painter was one. The other's face was obscured and unclear. The Painter continued despite his ignorance of his partner's likeness.\n\nAuthor's Note: My dog has to go out and I can't finish this now, which is great because I don't know where it's going. This was freewriting of a sort and I'm sorry to hit go when it's not done, but nothing is ever really done."
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[WP] The tooth fairy is not alone. There are also fairies for each lost body part, like hair, skin, and limbs.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The pillowcase slid off and into a plastic bag, as the Simon agitated it. Some loose hairs also fell into the collection but he shruged it off. *I'll just make sure to hand those over to Harriet when I submit...* With a few quick flicks and the precision only a century of experience could give, the pillowcase glides back onto its pillow with ease. *Sure is easier these days, humans really don't know... Beats sifting dust* \n\nHe finished going through the rest of the house, beating a pillow here, shaking a blanket there, always making sure they were placed just as they were before he arrived. His bag is only half full by the end of the day, but skin is the hardest to accumulate without getting caught. \n\nAfter shaking down the entirety of the third house on the left side of Garden Ave, he decided it's too late in the day to hit another house and heads back to the processing plant. \n\n*Busy day Larry?*\n\n*Eh, it wasn't so bad... There was a storm off the coast and some hands and feet got drummed up, I managed to get most of em in before the humans called their authorities*\n\n*Don't they ever wonder why it's only \"a\" foot and not some \"feet\"?*\n\n*I dunno, never really thought about that.* Larry paused for a second, shook his head and began to walk away. *I wanna hurry up and get outta here, I'll see ya tomorrow buddy!* With a quick smile and a wave, Larry vanished.\n\n*Nice seeing ya man!* \n\n*You too* said Larry, his voice garbled from a distance. \n\nSimon got to the collection machine, punched in his specimen bag number, and emptied it into the chute. The bag is tossed in the sanitation bin, and he goes to look at the board. \n\n**243 Garden Ave- 19 Dec 2021, 15:34:21, Status- Complete**\n\nSimon remembered the hairs he shook up and floated back to the machine, just as they popped out. He grabbed the specimen jar and took it over to the hair dept. \n\n*Hey Simon, how was your day?* A chipper voice asks from behind a machine.\n\n*Oh you know, a lot of fluff and not so much to show for it! Just like every day in skin!* He set the specimen jar down on the counter next to the hair machine *I did get some good hair from the place, I made sure to bring it over for you.*\n\n*Well aren't you just so helpful?* Harriet grabbed the jar and placed it in the machine. It began to hum and rattled before it eventually beeped. *Looks like we are at 100%!* She cheered and pumped her fists.\n\n*Did I hear 100%?* As the rough voice completed her query, she began to come into view, an older fairy with a small bag of baby teeth. *I'm glad, cause I'm full up on teeth for this county!* \n\n*Hey Tabitha!* Simon smiles at his mentor. *I'm at 100% and so is Harriet. Larry had some good finds too, storm drug em up from the bay!*\n\n*Ah, yes, never can have too many extra limbs, they're so hard to come by most days. Where is Larry anyway?*\n\n*Oh he left as soon as he could I don't think he even submitted, unless he did it while shrouded...* Simon replied casually. \n\n*Well, limbs are just backup material anyhow... What about nails?*\n\n*I have quite a bit of nails from the salons, quite genius having them install central vacs for them, Tabi!* said a garbled voice as the fairy began to appear. *That's why you're the face of this place!* \n\n*Well, it's time. Let's go give this human her baby before the blood cycle starts.* Simon says, dryly. *I still don't understand why the humans think playing sex with each other makes babies...*\n\n*It's all about marketing, Simon. That's why I'm the public facing Fairy here!* Tabitha gets her wand *I am SUCH a trusted name they just GIVE me their used baby teeth... Saves a ton on materials!* \n\nSimon chuckled and thought to himself \"maybe one day they'll leave their skin out for the skin fairy too...\""
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[WP] You are your world's most powerful and feared Necromancer that commands hordes of undead. One day, a thrall of yours approaches you and tells you that the Horde is tired of unfair working conditions and will be unionizing.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I could only stare in bafflement. Had I eyelids, said stare would have been accompanied by a slow, uncomprehending blink. As it were, the flickering flames of Stygian burned unwavering within my sockets.\n\n\"You are... *unionizing*?\"\n\nJesker of Nirvelle, second son of a farmer, now resurrected as a wraith, shuffled awkwardly.\n\n\"Yes, My Lord. The Horde finds itself wholly unsatisfied with the general lack of value placed unpon the individual. I have been selected as the representative.\"\n\nI leaned forward, every vertebrae in my 3 entwined spines cracking, invading the spaces of this entheral being. \n\n\"You,\" I adopted the cthonic vibrato meant for corpse-craft magic, \"do realize that they have selected you to be punished for this, correct?\" His form vibrated and blurred as waves of necromantic power swirled and eddied from my mouth.\n\n\"I- Yes, I realize, but... Would it be so bad?\" For as dead-monotone as undead were, there was the vaguest hint of desperate hope. Or not, it's hard to tell.\n\nI rose from my throne, born aloft by leprous smoke.\n\n\"*Bad*? Corpses, animated by, and need I remind you, *sustained* by me seek for, what, *improved work conditions*?\" I could only scoff at the utter ridiculousness of it. \"More than half of you *lack higher brain functions*, and others are like yourself, *insubstantial*. Made of death magic and the shreds of a soul.\" I gestured a hand, summoning *Withergaunt*, my staff, to hand. \"This mutiny must be dealt with.\"\n\n\"My Lord? What-\"\n\n\"Traitorous Rats scurry within my domain. You, I sense, are not one.\" \n\nAnd indeed I could. He was formed of a vengeful child, sent to die by a King he didn't know, and my black arcanism. He could be nothing but loyal.\n\n\"And so,\" I continue, drifting as a storm cloud toward the depths of my domain, \"I grant you *this*.\"\n\nThe last word comes out charged with miasmic taint, a sizable fraction of my power- and influence- bolting into his form.\n\n\"This calls for a cleansing, by hand. You may stay here, or march with me. I grant you claim to the power every undead you destroy.\"",
"It was a quiet yet excellent day as Blaine would put it. Inside his cave, isolated from humanity, he practiced his necromancy. He's army guarded the entrance well some did. The others sat around playing cards much to Blaine's annoyance. As soon as an adventurer appeared, well, they would receive an excellent surprise. \n\n\"Master\" James said. Blaine's least favorite thrall but also important enough to receive a name.\n\nBlaine turned away from his bookshelf and glared, \"What is it?\" \n\"Master, I, I mean we have a few complaints that we would like to address about how you treat us\" If James could, he would be sweating.\n\n\"Is that so?\" Blaine grinned twirling his mustache. \"Go on then\"\n\n\"Well you see, we don't really like being undead. I mean I had a family before you killed me and made me your thrall. I miss them and-\" \n\"No I am not resurrecting you. Now, what are you're *other* complaints?\"\n\n\"Okay, we're tired of being treated so poorly master. I mean all we do is guard the cave when no one ever comes. You said there might be thieves or spell swords but we haven't seen any since we came here two weeks ago. There's also nothing to do besides cards, I mean we can't eat or drink either. Not that we even can because we're undead but it's *boring\"*\n\n\"I see.\" \n\n\"Oh and we're forming a rebellion against you master ,in fact, you are surrounded!\" James laughed as undead appeared from behind him.\n\n\"I'm surrounded?\" Blaine gasped.\n\n\"Yes, that you are\" James cherished the look of fear on his master's face.\n\n\"Well then. We can't have that can we?\" Blaine snapped his fingers causing all undead to collapse. \n\nA flood of ash plagued the room along with the smell of rotten flesh. Blaine sneezed turning back to his bookshelf.",
"The Great Necromancer looked down at the puny creature, bewildered by what he was saying,\n\"You mean to tell m-\"\n\n\"Yes,\" The thrall interrupted, \"I'm afraid so my lord. We grow tired of being used as cheap cattle, thrown in the way of your enemies. We want proper wages, decent conditions and healthcare if we get wounded. We would also like to communicate with our remaining family, if possib-\"\n\n\"You mean to tell me...\" She paused to take in the ridiculousness of what she was being told, \"BAH! I won't pay you a penny!\" The Necromancer shouted, sending shivers down through her majestic robes.\n\nThe creature backed away slightly, still looking up at the master. A sly smile spread across it's face. \"Then, your lordship, we shall have to halt your conquest.\"\n\n\"Go ahead! You think I care for you? Your union will be snapped like your spine!\" She shrieked at the smiling being as it graciously bowed and shrank back into the crowd. \"I CAN REPLACE ALL OF YOU, YOU KNOW!\" She yelled at the mass of undead beings she had conjured up over decades, hoping to reach the creature that had just dismissed itself so rudely from her presence. \n\nAfter waiting for a reaction for a few seconds, the 'Mancer went back inside of her quarters, sitting back with a glass of dark red wine. She was just having a mirthless chuckle at the foolish creature, expecting to order the master around when she heard a heavenly choir chanting outside.\n\nShe rushed out, expecting to see angels, heroes, perhaps a whole orchestra of the fair Kingdom's bravest and boldest warriors and was confronted with the deformed faces of her own undead army. They chanted and yelled for rights in their gravely voices, growing louder with every step the master took towards them in defiance of her own presence. Some had signs calling for a solidarity between all evil creatures, expecting the minions around the world to rise up in solidarity. The mass seemed to glow with the expectation that they would soon be free from their current chains and conditions.\n\nThe Necromancer's brows furrowed. She did not have time for these idle creatures to protest. Today was the day of the greatest battle in the history of the Kingdom. She needed to win or else her whole conquest would be in vain. Perhaps if she paid them, they'd be more motivated to fight. There was plenty of gold in the treasury after all...\n\n\"Alright! ALRIGHT!\" She yelled over the crowd, \"I'll PAY YOU! YOU'LL GET YOUR DAMNED HEALTHCARE!\" She could barely hear her mind regretting the decision immediately before the mass cried out in a golden unity, baring their weapons excitedly.\n\"NOW YOU BETTER FIGHT WELL FOR ME!\" She screamed at their advancing backs. A few joked back that they had better get good healthcare for this battle.",
"Damn, not again. I really wanted this time to last a little longer than my last record.\n\nThe last time I had to recreate my entire army it took me 30 years and it lasted a jolly while. For 369 years, I had the easiest rule in the world.\n\nDestroyed 5 demon kings, fought off every attack from the holy empire like playing the game on Ultra-Easy difficulty.\nI Made the world fear me without even having to do anything.\n\nBut, every time this damn union pops up. It creates so many headaches. And it's all because of that damned Hero.\n\nI was born about 5000 years ago. And the day I was born the world went dark. The soul of every being shivered. They knew that something had arrived that should not exist.\n\nHumans, elves, dwarfs, and even demons, all trembled. Every Living Creature knows that death breaks the ultimate chain. It does not matter if you are a human or a demon, Death gives freedom to all. Death brings an Eternal sleep to all.\n\nBut now, there is a being who can reverse it. Bring you back to the mortal realm, chain your soul back and take your eternal sleep away.\n\nThe world feared it and the balance was broken.\n\nTo bring the balance back the world gave birth to a Hero. A being with powers so strong that mountains shatter with his step. Every race, tribe, empire walked with the hero, training him and giving their all to the Hero.\n\nHe was their only chance to bring back the balance. Balance to the world where even the freedom of death can be taken away.\n\nOr so they thought. You see the hero was kinda meh. He came to me with an army of thousands, but kinda missed the point that I can just revive anyone and everyone.\n\nThe hero had prepared for an epic fight. Which in hindsight, he did get. As the entire army that he came with became my army and he had to fight them all.\n\nHe even tried to make a run for it. I felt pity for him, so I let him get away. That was my BIGGEST MISTAKE.\n\nIt was after several decades that he returned. From who knows where and what he was up to. But apparently, he grew up and picked up some interesting ideas.\n\"Completely detestable,\" I spitted. Even thinking about it makes me angry. That damn Union Idea.\n\nNow, I am a necromancer who can bring them back and command them to do as they are told. But they have a mind of their own too. Plus a body that needs maintenance. So I told them to build a city, create some farms and make an entire empire. Like a big army camp with an economy. And do everything by themselves. I let them run it.\n\nBut there is only so much I can do as for paying wages and salaries. Heck, where am I gonna get more money, it's not like I can print it?\n\nAlso, I was already the strongest being with the most powerful army. Occasionally I do get some money from a couple of empires who think they can defeat me. But still, there is only so much I can get and do.\n\nI am a necromancer, not a nation runner. And the hero knew this. He infiltrated my ranks using some weird ways and planted the idea of Unions. He made Grand speeches on the living conditions and Basic Creature Rights.\n\nThe first time the Union show happened. It was a real 'Bruh' moment.\n\nI had years of headaches. I tried learning how to run such a big place. I tried by bringing a couple of politicians back and letting them run the place. Worked for a while till their old habits started kicking again.\n\nAfter years of this torture, I almost lost all hope. Imagine a necromancer losing hope.\n\nSo I did the unthinkable. I released a big chunk of my army. Sending them back to eternal sleep. But as everything goes, you give an inch and they ask for a mile. Now everyone wants eternal sleep. Like bruh.\n\nIn the end, my empire-destroying army became a battalion. A once-powerful army was left not so powerful as it was.\n\nI was sad but relieved that the whole union thing was sorted. I was weak in force but my battalion was made up of my loyal members.\n\nThis did however result in a lot of empires and Kingdoms sending their army to kill me. But I managed. Slowly building my army back up and becoming strong again.\n\nUntil the hero showed up again and started the union trash show yet again.\n\nBut I dealt with it. In a much better way than the last time.\n\nBut damn that Hero. I can still hear him giggling at the efficiency of his schemes.\n\nThough I Have to say, the hero got very good at getting away and starting unions.\n\nThis brings us back to the present moment again.\n\n\"my lord, our working conditions have not been very good. Every time we complain, you vanish and start beating around the bush. If our demands for suitable living conditions are not met, we will be creating a union.\" said the measly thrall.\n\n\"Yes, I know. I know. We will make some arrangements for it. Now go\" I said with a sigh.\n\n\"Yes my lord,\" said the thrall looking kinda happy that finally, I had listened and was gonna do something about it.\n\nI felt my headache coming back.\n\nDamn, not again. I really wanted this iteration to last a bit longer than my last record.\n\n...\n\nSomewhere far in the outskirts of an empire, a man is seen laughing and giggling by himself while being chased by a bunch of undead."
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[WP] Despite common misconception, you're not marrying the local hero. You met him less than ten times, all for emergency issues. You're betrothed to a prince who will create a very good political alliance. You've known him since childhood. You're not letting that go for a goat herder!
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Silence, a commodity too valuable in desperate times. Beats, fleeing moments, echoed while uninviting cityscape. Towers erected in sandbox of houses, each sparkling as grains of dust soon to be blown away. Is house, now lost to horizon of glass and metal visible right now? There is no dust on sims, no wind lifting heavy clothes and jewelry as you peer trough mirror of an window outwards to setting sun. Stupid thick wall of mesmerizing fata-morgana. \n\n\nAvoid of light, nature and chatter in quadrata it felt so close yet distant. Single drop in the water, signaled the end of the beat falsely accommodating tradition. Staring at the receding sun, robust silhouette solemnly stared its gaze back. Why would he want to stay in a place that is so avoid of life? \n \n\\- \"Sir?\" - screech arrogantly tore trough the air - \"are you ready?\" \n\\- \"No.\" - deep echo resonated from glass walls. - \"I'm not coming down Mufti.\" \n\\- \"Sir?\" - timid rasp voice of elderly man echoed back, fearfully. \n\\- \"I ... am sorry.\" - adamant disjointed words cut back at the lavish doorway. \n\\- \"Sir! Please...\" \n\\- \"Halas!\" \n \nAggressively turning away from an empty sight, downing the light from the shadows, there stood an imposing man, covered in red, black and adorned in heavy jewelry. His shadow stretched eons, covering up to shoulders an elderly figure struck at the gold arch. Finally, silence. \n \nMind emptied, finger faded into pale shade as his fingernails tore into his palms, yet silence was there when words needed to break it. Baby blue eyes of elderly man framed by his shadow stood wide and panicked. Order was given, and after years of wars and turbulence finally peace was achieved. So many blood, steel, carbon and bones were sacrificed only to be met with this moment, to this consolidation to ensure future eons of peace. \n \n\\- \"Sir, if i may speak freely?\" - with small steps, Mufti pushed onto shadow a bit, framing his gaze and eye color in darkness. \n\\- \"Go on...\" - cold, heartless voice echoed with an cold gaze directed at poor mans soul. \n\\- \"How many kith and kin have been lost so far?\" - a breath of an silence - \"Too much to bury and too much not to be felt further on! This union of you and master is only way to stop it! Do you wish more blood on your hands?\" \n\n\\- \"You speak soo freely knowing i had nothing to do with it. I fought at side of the Empire against demons of Belgiroth! Do you dare question my loyalty?!\" - thunder struck as glass vibrated in rage. \n\\- \"Of course not! But we won, and we need peace otherwise more blood will be shed! Master Aalee is a hero of the war! You have fought together at many battles, saved many lives! Why resist it?\" \n\\- \"Ten! Ten battles! It took 10 battles for him to mercy his ass into helping!\" \n\\- \"Still... why resist it?\" - elderly figure continued to push onto the shadow with each word. \n \nSilence took over air once again, now what seemed years counted in beats of water clock, pushing agency on right response what shouldn't be given. Truth that has no merit in political landscape since it cuts trough all stories and lies. Disgusting sight of an elderly man almost covered in his shadow pleading for his mercy but still standing strong and proud brought memories. \n\n\n\\- \"Do you know what is most important thing in battle? Its what we fight for...\" - sigh pushed trough the thickness of silence. - \"Long time ago, I saw a young boy crying over dead bird. Later, now a man, that person and me spent years over mead enjoyed smiling faces of people passing by. We were happy. Do you know about whom I am talking about?\" \n\\- \"Sir, Prince has made his position clear in front of the court. He will not be wed.\" \n\\- \"I know him more than you can ever dream of!\" - a smile broke trough in echoes of the room. - \"kindness of his soul has no limits! He cares more for his people than he does for himself!\" \n\\- \"I know sir, but.. \" \n\\- \"How can you know? How can you understand his pain?!\" - dark eyes flashed across the lighting. -\"when demons came, he and i rushed towards to fight them. For every child, parent and cattle! That is why i fought for! Not for glory! Not for name! And definitely not for that pompous glorified goat header! Do you hear me?!!\" \n\\- \"I do sir.\" \n\\- \"So how can you ask me why I resist? A delicate and clumsy man, whom I love, let me go for benefit of the people! How can I not resist? How can I not loathe the sacrifice he had made!\" \n\n\nShame, agony, rage and anger boiled trough his veins pulsing together with thunder. This wedding would bring peace, would conjoin the people and government, will do so much good, yet it feels so wrong. A pair of blue eyes stared back at him, with focus and determination. Unable to remain imposing due to sympathy for the old man, who only tried to do what is right, figure stepped away - taking his burdening shadow with him. \n \n\\- \"Well...\" - baby blue eyes sparkled - \"go get my stupid son then.\" \n\n\nA figure now in light, covered by royal colors with an familiar blue eyes laughing with the corners stood alone and directed. It pierced trough the vail of silence as a fresh hot knife, as king showed himself. Smiling, reminiscing about two dumb kids who used to chase each other over court yard. \n\n\n\\- \"You two, however dear to me, are sometimes most ignorant and stupid people on this planet. Go! And seek your happiness, people will rejoice! Leave goat herder to me. \"",
"I didn’t want to marry the local ‘Hero,’ Calvex was just a highly skilled knight, only without the title, more arrogance than you could fit in a member of the Royal family, and without the regret for his actions or the abnormal reactions to a piece of metal dropping to the ground and clanging. He thought that by ‘saving’ Zaren’s princess half a dozen times it would be grounds for me wishing to marry him.\n\nHe was just a murderer, a fiend and a burden. He had killed innocent creatures for the sake of ‘saving’ someone, likely in an attempt to get on Father’s good side. The populace is on his side, and despite what I tell them when i’m out in the market they refuse to believe what I tell them, they refuse to believe me when I tell them that no, that lone wolf was not attacking me when Cavex decided to kill it. No, that group of peasants were not trying to thieve from me. No, those knights of a small kingdom were not trying to take me prisoner. Just to name half of his exploits.\n\nHe caused a war for crying out loud, all because he thought two knights were being aggressive towards me. We annihilated a small kingdom and burned down entire cities, slaughtered families due to this… this imbecile! We subjugated an entire population to hell because of Calvex’s words alone, I was not even asked my story, I was shut down when I even tried to object.\n\nIt is like he wants something from Father, the populace seems to have a consensus on marriage between him and I.\n\nThat could never happen.\n\nI am already betrothed for the god sake! I am happy with that, Azra, Prince of Corvus is a kind man, that is rare considering the normalcy around marriage for money, power, or property over love.\n\nSure, the marriage benefits both Zaren and Corvus, but that’s only part of the reason me and Azra have agreed to marriage. In our eyes, the political alliance is secondary to our love for one another, harboured since childhood no less! I won’t throw away such a rare thing for some… goat herder.",
"Princess Galiana sulked in her chambers. She skimmed books she had read many times and practiced her needlepoint with little interest. Her handmaiden, Tessie, knocked with her familiar cadence and entered. \n\n\"Cheer up, princess. I brought honey cakes from the kitchen, letters from the nobles, and I even snitched some berry wine from the cellars.\"\n\n\"Tessie, you know me too well. In better times, that would put me in a better mood. Come sit with me.\"\n\nThe pair snacked on the cakes and passed the bottle of wine between them. \n\nGaliana opened the first letter and read aloud, \"Princess Galiana, Blessings from the goddess. Sinceen Province is pleased to hear of your betrothal to the Savior of the Realm, Kormourn. Please accept ten of our best milk goats as a betrothal gift. We look forward to the wedding ceremony. With love, Lord Anders. Milk goats?! I must be the luckiest maiden in the realms.\"\n\n\"You could make your own cheese and open a stall in the market. What shall you call it? Princess Cheese? Lady Larder? Dairy Queen?\"\n\nGaliana threw a napkin in Tessie's face and said, \"That's not funny. I don't want to marry Kormourn. Yes, he destroyed the Dark Lord and yes he lost an arm fighting to defend my Father, but he's an up jumped peasant.\"\n\nTessie opened a letter and read aloud, \"Princess Galiana, Congratulations on your betrothal to the Saviour, Kormourn. The Lindeel Isles send their love. Additionally,....oh,....these letters are boring. Let's play cards.\"\n\n\"What?! What does it say?\"\n\nTessie finished, \"Please accept our gift of 20 goat bucks of superior breeding.\"\n\n\"More goats?! They are trying to win the favor of Kormourn. What the hell am I gonna do with all these goats?!\"\n\nGaliana drank deeply from the wine jug.\n\nTessie tried to calm her, \"Kormourn is.....a fine man. Well respected....and....tall......and...famous......\"\n\nGaliana refuted, \"Coarse. Dirty nails. Have you seen the rags he calls clothes? I've sewn better for my dolls! He goes barefoot! Does he even own shoes? He doesn't even have a family name! Rumor is his father was some traveling merchant. Not even married! A bastard!\"\n\nTessie replied, \"At least he knows how to handle an utter. You'll learn that on your wedding night.\"\n\nThe princess threw a honey cake at her handmaiden and then they both burst into laughter. They both drank deeply.\n\n\"I was betrothed to Prince Antor of the Beal Kingdom. Father always said they were our equals in resources and armies. They are just across the river. I can see it from my window! Our alliance would make us the most powerful on the mainland.\"\n\nTessie replied, \"Can I marry him? He is the heir and very rich. He so handsome. Always the victor at tourneys. He plays the harp and sings so well. Remember when we spied on him swimming during the High Summer festival?\"\n\n\"Oh goddess, he was perfect. His body was like a statue from the gardens. His chin and eyebrows are perfect. And down there...Tessie are they normally that big?\"\n\nTessie's eyes darted nervously. High born handmaids were to be chaste, but she had dalliances with the young knights and even some servants.\n\n\"No, Princess, it was perfect.\"\n\n\"Tessie, I love you, but you are a third daughter of a noble house. Too low for Prince Antor. You should marry Kormourn, so I can marry the prince.\"\n\nThe two exchanged a knowing glance.\n\n\"No.\"\n\n\"Why not?\"\n\n\"The betrothal.\"\n\n\"The wedding is not until next harvest.\"\n\n\"How?\"\n\n\"If you were with child......\"\n\n\"He's poor, but still has some honor.\"\n\n\"He'll be down at the ale house with the rest of the village peasants celebrating the betrothal. Maybe he'll be drunk. We'll dress you up in my finest gown. I'll do your hair and make up.\"\n\n\"This could work.\"\n\nThe two prepared until sunset and Tessie made her way to the village alehouse.",
"Everyone of note crowded into the throne room of the palace, all eager to watch the noble hero known only as Gavin as he received his reward from the King. Something to tell the grandkids one day, was the general feeling. \r \n‘Amazing, really,’ said one courtier as he adjusted his feathered hat, ‘to think that the hero that protected our kingdom from an evil wizard, a dragon, a rampaging army and a plague of rats would turn out to be a simple goatherd.’\r \n‘The king is sure to reward him handsomely,’ said an older woman resplendent in her best outfit of dark red that she thought, incorrectly, suited her complexion. ‘Probably half the kingdom at the very least.’\r \n‘And his daughter’s hand in marriage.’ Said the courtier.\r \n‘Well yes, that goes without saying.’ Said the woman in a tone that radiated approval. ‘Save the kingdom, get the daughter. It’s practically the reason kinds HAVE daughters.’\r \nPrincess Ellie, currently hidden behind a pillar rolled her eyes at that. ‘Not bloody likely.’ She muttered.\r \n‘Well, you know they have a point. That’s generally how it goes,’ said Prince Arthur, with a wicked grin. ‘He did save you from that dragon.’\r \n‘He absolutely did not. I was perfectly fine. That poor dragon wasn’t doing anything wrong. It was perfectly happy to let me do my rock hunting in that cave until that yobbo came along. And anyway, I’m marrying you.’\r \n‘Not for love though.’\r \nPrincess Ellie shrugged. ‘Arthur, we’ve known each other our whole lives. Joining our two kingdoms is the right move politically. Fewer outlying kingdoms will want to invade when we have the strength of two armies protecting our people. My father would be an idiot to throw that away on some man who’s only real strength lies in knowing how to manipulate a situation. That whole thing with the wizard? He wasn’t evil, just not very good at magic. Sure Gavin helped send the demons back to their own dimension, but calling Marcel evil was just over the top.’\r \n‘But didn’t he declare his love for you after that battle with the army?’\r \n‘That was literally maybe the eighth time I’d seen him, and each one of our meetings weren’t really full of meaningful conversation. It was all ‘I’ll save you Princess!’ then lots of sword waving. I mean granted, that time he DID save me, but that’s no basis on which to build a relationship. Anyway why are you pushing for this? Do you want me to marry him?’\r \n‘No, of course not. I just want to make sure you don’t.’ To Ellie’s surprise, Arthur blushed. ‘I just want you to be happy.’\r \n‘Arthur. Listen to me. I’ve always known that, as heir to a throne I might not have the luxury of choosing feelings over practicality. You and I were promised to each other in our infancy, and like I said, it’s for the good of the kingdoms. All that being said, You are my best friend. We understand each other, and we share the same goals. We have every chance of having a long and happy life together. I’m not throwing my crown, my kingdom, and my duty away to marry some goatherd who’s good with a sword. Okay?’\r \nFor answer, Arthur swept her into a hug. ‘Perfectly okay.’ He said.\r \nOh, Dad’s about to give his speech. I suppose I should go up there.’\r \n‘Don’t worry,’ said Arthur, grinning. ‘If your father tries to give you to him, I’ll come rescue you.’\r \n‘You’d better.’",
"There was a knock at my door. I sighed, putting down my quill. The ledger would have to wait for now. I stood up, absentmindedly brushing the front of my dress, and glancing in the mirror. I gave a firm nod at my reflection. I still looked like a member of the Royal household.\n\n\"Come in!\"\n\nI called out, letting them see themselves in. The tittering of maids drew my attention, as a man in expensive clothes stepped in. In his hand was a bunch of red roses, wraped up in delicate pink paper. He had a confident smirk on his face, and I felt my stomach drop. This couldn't be happening.\n\n\"Greetings, Princess. Thank you for granting me entry.\"\n\nHe gave a smooth bow, giving me a perfect view of the minds behind him. They looked slightly flustered, one giving me a knowing grin over his back. I barely kept myself from rolling my eyes, as he straightened up.\n\n\"Frechun. This is a surprise.\"\n\nI kept my voice cool, but not cold. He was important enough for us to forgive some of his mannerisms. After all, he was practically an army by himself. That, and my father was fond of the man.\n\n\"My apologies Princess, but I had something to discuss with you, in private.\"\n\nHe mouthed a further sentence, adding to my confusion.\n\n*Trust me.*\n\n\"V-very well. Please, shut the door.\"\n\nHe gently closed it, before turning back with a sigh.\n\n\"Sorry about that.\"\n\nHe placed the flowers on a sideboard, his smirk falling into a more gentle smile.\n\n\"I was just maintaining a charade.\"\n\nI eyed him, making a guess on what he was saying.\n\n\"I'm assuming the whole Princess infatuated with the Hero rumours.\"\n\nWith a snort, he gave a mock bow.\n\n\"Of course.\"\n\nI fought to quell the sudden surge of anger. It was annoying enough as just a simple rumour. But his actions now added fuel to the fire.\n\n\"Why the hell would you do that?\"\n\nFrechun held out his hands in a placating manner, gesturing to one of my chairs.\n\n\"I have my reasons, trust me. But please, sit and I can explain.\"\n\nI strode across the room, taking a seat with a dark mutter. He took the one opposite me, lacing his fingers together.\n\n\"Obviously, we both know of the rumours. But you're promised to Prince Ruthbeard, and I'm, well, not really on the market. I have no intention of trying to mess that up. He'll, you're pretty enough, but you aren't my type.\"\n\nIcicles formed in my breath, as I spat my words at him.\n\n\"Get. To. The. Point.\"\n\n\"Fine, fine. Your father, the King, knows of these rumours too. He asked me straight up if I was interested, and I declined to him too. But, then I had the thought. One of my duties is to protect your family. Now I can easily do that on the battlefield. You know this. However, is it not better to nip things in the bud.\"\n\nI began to realise just what he was saying.\n\n\"So you are saying that by lending credence to the rumors, other parties are less likely to act against us, for fear of drawing your wrath.\"\n\nHe clapped once, clearly pleased.\n\n\"Yes, exactly. I have discussed this with the King, and he agreed with this. There will be those who are more focused on you now, to get at me, but that's why I will be giving you a gift later in the week.\"\n\n\"What gift?\"\n\n\"Oh, it's an augmented golem. I infused it with a mix of arcane and celestial magic, to give it some extra juice. It will act only under your command, and will always protect you.\"\n\nI was genuinely shocked. Frechun had clearly put thought into this.\n\n\"And before you worry, the King is inviting Prince Ruthbeard over in the coming weeks to explain to him as well.\"\n\nI gave a smile at the thought of seeing the Prince again. But a thought occurred to me, and I looked back at the Hero before me.\n\n\"I guess that means you will be visiting more often then?\"\n\nHe gave a nod.\n\n\"In that case, I have something to ask of you.\"\n\nNow it was his turn to be suspicious. I just gave him a smile, motioning to his sword.\n\n\"I have had some training with a weapon, but I have little chance to practice. Would you be so good as to spar with me sometimes.\"\n\nI could see the wheels turn in his head, before nodding.\n\n\"Sure, that would be good. It gives more food for thought too. If I'm showing you how to defend yourself, it would show that I care for your safety.\"\n\n\"Exactly.\"\n\nI leaned back, relieved at the conversation. We were on the same page. Silence fell between us for a minute, before he stood.\n\n\"Ok, I think thats long enough for them. Sorry to surprise you with all this.\"\n\n\"It was no problem, thank you for being so honest.\"\n\nHe gave a smile, before leaving me. I sat alone for a while, mulling it all over. It was nice to know that the gossip was irrelevant after all."
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[WP] A strange cloaked man walks into a shop. You look over aisles and you see the man seems to follow you wherever you go. Slowly moving forward. You feel a tap on your shoulder, you turn around and the cloaked man is behind you “ Hello -your name-“
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\\[Sorry Sun\\]\n\n\"Hello, Mary,\" The stranger pulled down his white leather hood and smiled at her. \"My name's Sam,\" he said. Mary was surprised that he was rather handsome with an older, clean-shaven face and a long chestnut pony tail. She didn't recognize him, and was instantly on guard.\r \n \r \n\"How'd you know my name?\" she asked and took a step back at the same time. She relaxed her arm and tightened her grip on the hand-held basket in case she needed to smack him with it. She noticed him when he entered the store, his white cloak made him stand out from the rest of the customers in jeans and shorts.\r \n \r \nMary continued with her shopping but every now and then, she'd catch Sam in the corner of her eyes. Each time she saw him she grew more curious. She never expected him to approach her; but, once he did, Sam smiled at her question and tapped his hand to the front of his cloak.\r \n \r \nMary was confused for a moment as she followed his hand. Then, she realized what he meant and her face flushed red with embarrassment; she was still wearing her name tag from the diner.\r \n \r \n\"Oh, right,\" Mary relaxed a little, but not completely. She couldn't remember any moment that he was in front of her to see her tag, and he used her name before she turned around. \"So, what can I do for you, Sam? Did you want to order breakfast?\" she asked with a smile. It seemed like every moment he stood there she felt more at ease. Something inside her began insisting he was a warm, friendly person. Sam lowered his head and his friendly expression became somber.\r \n \r \n\"You don't know me, we've never met before,\" he said. \"But, I need to apologize to you,\" he extended his hand and offered her a handful of rubies. Mary did not know anything about gems or jewelry but at first glance they seemed to be the real thing. The red translucent stones seemed to glow with an almost magical aura. She wanted to take what was offered; but, she managed to hold herself back.\r \n \r \n\"If you don't know me, why are you apologizing to me?\" she asked. Sam shrugged.\r \n \r \n\"It's complicated,\" he said. \"Suffice to say, I knew one of your past lives; this apology is really for her.\" Mary took a closer look at Sam. She was 44 and he looked 10 years older at most.\r \n \r \n\"You're not even old enough to be my dad,\" she said.\r \n \r \n\"Eh,\" Sam shrugged. \"I'm about 700 years old; couldn't tell you exactly. I don't keep track anymore.\"\r \n \r \n\"Bull,\" Mary said. \"I hope you have a good evening,\" she said; then, she turned around. Except, when she turned her back to him, Sam was standing in front of her again. He still had his hand extended, offering her the jewels.\r \n \r \n\"I can prove it,\" he said. Then, he shook his head. \"Well, I guess I can't really prove my age, but I can prove that there's more out there than you think. Maybe that'll open your mind enough to believe me.\"\r \n \r \n\"Right,\" Mary couldn't help but giggle. He was starting to sound like one of her more unhinged regulars. Every week, he was in there talking about the alternate universes he visited the week before. Mary had to give him credit, he always came up with something original. He was harmless and tipped well. \"Like alternate universes and dragons and stuff?\" she asked.\r \n \r \n\"Oh, so you do know,\" Sam smiled.\r \n \r \n\"Prove it, then,\" Mary said. Sam nodded and gestured at the shelf of cereal next to them. The colorful boxes were gone and she was staring at a black hole large enough to walk through. Sam went first.\r \n \r \n\"This way,\" he said. He stepped into the hole and disappeared. Mary rushed through before she could talk herself out of it. She didn't believe her regular customer, but she always wished he were telling the truth. She could not miss the opportunity to find out.\r \n \r \nMary exited the hole and found herself in an endless amber wheat field beneath a clear blue sky. Sam smiled at her as she took in everything. She could not deny that she was in a grocery store seconds ago.\r \n \r \n\"This is an alternate Earth?\" she asked. Sam nodded. Between feeling the wheat tickle her fingertips and weekly updates about adventuring in other universes, Mary understood that there was more to the universe than she thought. She was willing to accept that Sam had wronged her in a past life; especially if it meant she didn't have to work at the diner anymore.\r \n \r \n\"Alright,\" Mary nodded and reached out for the rubies. \"So, what exactly are your apologizing for? Did you break my heart?\" she asked. She could easily see herself creating a future with the handsome, rugged man that traveled between universes.\r \n \r \n\"Well..,\" Sam replied sheepishly as he placed the rubies in her hand. \"...after a few hundred years, I felt kind of bad for [killing you](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/jtwnqj/wp_spirit_spells_are_known_for_their_massive/).\"\n\n\r \n\\*\\*\\* \nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1445 in a row. (Story #358 in year four.). This story is part of an ongoing saga that takes place at a high school in my universe. It began on Sept. 6th and I will be adding to it with prompts every day until June 3rd. They are all collected in order at [this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hugoverse/comments/pj4t0b/tokuhigh_first_six_weeks/).",
"\"Hello, Seiren.\" \n\nSeiren held her breath as she grimaced. For a moment she considered chucking the bottle of wine right in his face and bolting. But she knew that was a fool's plan. Seiren turned around and faced him. \"Hi Kelton.\" \n\nKelton pulled back his cowl. Both relief and anger flooded through her at the sight of him. She'd thought the person tailing her had been from the gambling den she'd hustled last night. Instead it was her former friend. Seiren put the bottle of wine back on the shelf taking care to make sure the label was facing forward. \"How are you doing?\" she asked him as if they were friendly acquaintances.\n\nKelton lowered his chin and raised an incredulous eyebrow. \"Oh, you know. Chasing the Queen of Fae across the continent for the last year has been...very exciting.\"\n\n\"Don't suppose you can just pretend you didn't find me working in this shop and we can both go our separate ways?\" she asked hopefully. Seiren noted the sword and dagger on his belt. Had he put on more muscle since she'd seen him last? \"I'm supposed to get on a boat tomorrow and sail to the other side of the world.\"\n\n\"You know I can't.\" He had positioned himself between her and the exit. She could run left or right but he'd grab her before she made it more than a few paces. \n\n\"I'm not coming with you and I'd rather not destroy this poor woman's shop. Her husband, Corey, died last year in the war and this place means the world to her.\" \n\n\"Then don't start a fight you can't win,\" he said and held out his hand. He wanted her to take his hand and he would shadow walk right back to Braith. To that damn castle which was a prison of duties and titles she'd never wanted. To a husband she'd been tricked into being soul-bound to when she had wanted to kill him.\n\nSeiren sighed and let her magic begin to rise, her finger tips instantly began to buzz. \"I will never go back there willingly.\"\n\n\"Braith misses you,\" Kelton said, his voice low as if he were talking to some wild animal, but his hand was gliding back towards his sword. He couldn't kill her. She was soul-bound to his best friend and king. If either her or Braith died, they both died. And she wouldn't kill Kelton on purpose. He had been her friend when there was no one else.\n\nPoor Mrs. MacIntyre.\n\nSeiren used her magic to make the spirits store shake. Bottles of wine leaped off the shelves, exploding in a mess of glass and wine. Keton lunged for her and she leapt just beneath his arms as the shelf she had been standing by began to topple over. Kelton grabbed it before it landed on him, but was bombarded by the rest of the wine bottles falling on him. As Kelton was trapped by a sea of glass Seiren ran out of the shop, tossing her money pouch to where Mrs. MacIntyre was cowering behind the counter. \n\nOutside the mid-afternoon sun was irritatingly bright compared to how dark the store had been. She was forced to squeeze her eyes shut for a few moments as she pushed her way through the crowd that had gathered to gawk. It was enough of a distraction she didn't sense him. \n\nIn one moment she was blinking through the sun's unbearable light and trying not to trample a small child, in the next she had been tackled to the ground.\n\nHe stilled smelled of home and comfort.\n\n\"Hello, wife,\" Braith said."
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[WP] your horrified to learn a creature almost identical to your planets most deadly apex predator is a common pet for humans, they call this beast a “cat”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Judging from the size of the flames I knew that monster had to be in pain, but then it bolted out of the other side of the flaming circle unscathed and pranced to a guy that kind of looked like my uncle Harry, eyeing the man down and turning around as he turned back and looked at the sequence of flaming obstacles again and flicked his tail as he focused. Mom turned the TV off. \n\n\"Time for lunch, dear.\" \n\nShe picked me up and placed me into a towering chair and buckled me in. I knew I was going to die and cried helplessly for several minutes until she set the apple sauce down in front of me. \n\n\"You get to meet our new family member, Josie. His name is Tony.\" mom Said, and before I could even think, one of those horrid beasts leaped right out of my mother's arms as she turned around, and walked right over the table, towering over my apple sauce. I wasn't even hungry, I thought, but he wasn't interested in the apple sauce as I glared into his lifeless eyes. It stood nearly as tall as I did when I watched Tonya the Traveler by myself. \n\n\"Tony is going to eat, me!\" I belted with all of my might, but mom just looked at me like some kind of rambling moron."
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[WP] You're an adult in their mid 30s, and you haven't believed in over 20 years. But today, you really need Santa in your life.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I stopped believing in Santa the sixth Christmas after my brother died. \n\nAt the funeral, I couldn't understand why everybody was crying. I remember thinking, *I don't know why everyone is sad. If you really want him back that bad, just put him on your Christmas list!* \n\nI thought you could just put anything you wanted on your Christmas list and on Christmas day, it would show up, wrapped up, under your Christmas tree. I didn't know how that would work with a human, but I had faith in Santa.\n\nThe first Christmas went by, and I was shocked when I didn't see my brother under the Christmas tree. I hadn't put him on my Christmas list, but I thought my parents surely would have. \n\nBut then I had to face palm. *What was I thinking? How could I forget? Adults don't make Christmas lists!*\n\nStill, I wasn't too disappointed that my brother was gone. I hadn't even really known him and now I had a whole year of my parents to myself. I thought things would go back to the way they were used to, but things weren't the same somehow. My parents seemed...distracted. They spent a lot of time behind closed doors, talking to each in loud, muffled voices that would end with one of them coming out (usually my dad) and saying, \"I need some air\" before leaving the house. I remember my parents staring off into a daze a lot of times and me trying to show them something, but then having to yell, \"You're not listening\" to regain their attention.\n\nWhen the second Christmas passed and my brother wasn't back, I realized I had to take things into my own hands. As much as I didnt want him back, I realized things would *probably* be better with him here than not.\n\nStill, I didn't want to put him on *my* Christmas list, so for that 3rd Christmas I found Santa in the mall and when I sat on his lap, I told him that I want my brother back for Christmas so that my parents could be happy again. I don't really remember much of what happened around that, except my mom bursting into tears and me thinking it was weird because all I was doing was trying to make her happy.\n\nWhen my brother didn't show up that 3rd Christmas, I was really shocked. Between the 4th and 5th Christmases I went through all the stages of grief. Because I think, somewhere, deep down, that was the first time the realization hit me that Santa...that Santa may not be real. But I was in (denial). I was (angry). I tried to (bargain) with him, by agreeing to not ask for so many presents in the future if he brought my brother back. I went through (depression) when some kid in school said to me, \"Hey dumb dumb, grow up, Santa isn't real.\" And finally, as the 6th Christmas came and went, I (accepted) it. \n\nSanta wasn't real and my brother was coming back. And that's how I lived for the next 20 years. \n\nThings fell apart shortly after that, as if my faith in Santa had been the only thing keeping everything together by the thinnest of threads. Dad started working late. Mom started drinking hard. They stopped arguing behind closed doors; fights happened wherever and whenever the mood took them. Somebody cheated. Somebody filed for divorce. I went to live with Dad, Mom stopped speaking to me, and life moved on. \n\nI fell in with the wrong crowd. Years later, I fell in love. \n\nI refuse to say her name, but I can't deny the impact she had on me. If it wasn't for her, I would have been dead or in prison. I was your typical angry kid, mad at the world, \"untouchable\", \"invincible\"; wanting to take my pain out on anyone who I felt could see to the damaged, sensitive, and vulnerable boy I really was underneath - the one who really believed that Santa could bring my brother back from the dead.\n\nThen one day paramedics picked me out of the gutter with several stab wounds in my side after a bar fight gone wrong. Hours later I was in a hospital meeting, chatting with a nurse who would go on to be my wife and the mother of my child. \n\nLife could have been so beautiful. To this day, I wonder how things would have went if our firstborn son didn't die. It was like the my brother all over again, but now I was looking at it from the vantage point of being a parent. Suddenly, everything my parents went through made sense. The random outbursts. The constant need to leave the house. Working late to avoid coming home. The drinking. The cheating. The divorce. \n\nAnd then it was Christmas. It would have been the perfect time to stack my Christmas list to Santa because in the divorce had lost everything except the apartment. But then...Santa wasn't real...so...what was the point...of anything... of living, even...\n\nI remember drinking until I passed out, then waking up to someone banging loudly on the door and shouting, \"Son, open up, it's me!\" Groggily, I got to my feet and swayed to the door. When I opened it, I saw Dad there in a Santa suit and an expression of relief flooded his face. What was he so relieved about?\n\n\"I came as soon as you called,\" he said.\n\n*Called?*\n\nI let him inside and he looked around the now-mostly empty apartment but didn't say anything.\n\n\"I get it now,\" I told him. \"What happened between you and Mom.\"\n\nHe nodded. \"I wish you wouldn't have had to found out.\"\n\nI gestured to nowhere in particular and asked, \"So what now?\"\n\n\"Well, the clock says 11:57, which means we still have another few minutes left to Christmas,\" Dad said. \"And I'm dressed in this Santa suit, so-\"\n\n\"Oh, God, no.\" I groaned.\n\nHe broke out into a grin and let out from the pit of his belly a, \"Ho, Ho, Ho! And what would *you* like for Christmas?\"\n\nI smiled but then suddenly a wave of emotion overcame me and I broke into tears. \"I want my son back.\"\n\nMy Dad crossed the room in an instant and held me tight as I melted into his arms and cried like I hadn't cried in a long time. \n\n\"I know, son,\" he said. \"I know.\""
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[WP] MERRY CHRISTMAS! Make any Christmas related story or anything festive and winter holiday related.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\\[Sharp Love\\]\n\n'Twas the very day of Christmas, and all 'cross the server.\r \nMost every person there enjoyed the holiday fervor.\r \nDerby teams played different modes on the track\r \nPlanning to cash out points and score some loot packs.\r \nRegal's Pride was currently in first place,\r \nwith the Fearleaders almost keeping pace.\r \nAnd on that track, the B-Squad is set to win\r \nagainst the New Luchadoras in a 10-level dungeon.\r \nBut in a quiet corner of the gym sat a girl and a cat.\r \nShe'd never done Christmas before; but, she wore the hat.\r \n\\-\r \n\"Why didn't we have Christmas [on Mars](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/qiweat/wp_there_are_two_types_of_people_in_this_world/)?\" Dara asked. She was not wearing her mask since it was just her and her mom and she toyed with the white puff ball of her cap. \"You were treating it [like an Earth](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/phqa3j/wp_a_teenager_from_a_poor_background_learns_they/) anyway.\" The black cat nodded.\r \n \r \n\"That's why,\" she said. \"Introducing Christmas would have resulted in the [myth](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/ohga7g/wp_you_are_a_magical_girl_who_decides_that_screw/) of Santa Claus spreading. I don't know what that would have done to other versions of Mars that I did not control. I was already risking quite a bit keeping it as Earth-like as I did. I always meant to while you were still young enough to enjoy it; but, then the Pineapple Cup happened.\" Dara nodded; but, she couldn't suppress a giggle.\r \n \r \n\"You find it funny that I died?\" the cat asked. Dara shook her head and she grinned.\r \n \r \n\"What were you thinking?\" she asked. \"You [tried to kill God](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/pwkoa5/cw_the_protagonist_is_dead_and_only_talked_about/); what did you expect to happen?\" The cat's eyes sparkled and she returned the smile.\r \n \r \n\"If I wanted to kill him; I wouldn't have attempted it until I was ready. If you want to know what I was thinking...,\" The cat nuzzled Dara's arm, then looked up at her again. \"...I was thinking of you.\"\r \n \r \n\"What?\" Dara tilted her head at her mother. The cat nodded.\r \n \r \n\"What did I expect to happen? Well, you're here now. On Earth. Without a mask, able to shake hands and hug your friends if you want,\" the cat said. Dara flashed back to when she began the school year. She couldn't speak or touch anyone because she wasn't from Earth. Recently, her mom told her she could now; but to keep that fact a secret as much as possible. At the time, she didn't question it; she was just glad she could finally talk to her friends.\r \n \r \n\"C'mon, you couldn't have planned that; you died,\" she said. The cat nodded.\r \n \r \n\"That's how one reaches the afterlife. And, it just so happens I created my own. I could not implement the changes necessary for you to have a normal life without visiting the other side.\" Dara's eyes widened.\r \n \r \nShe'd heard the basics of her birth on Mars; in a void, technically. She understood why her mom let another family raise her until her teenage years; they couldn't touch her either. She'd seen how bizarre the multiverse could be and very little surprised her. But, when the cat talked about '[necessary changes](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/qercuh/wpwith_a_device_to_view_and_travel_to_an_infinite/)', Dara vaguely remembered there was a [universal](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/qg794s/wp_the_pay_isnt_great_but_the_benefits_make_up/) [update](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/qn9o5c/wp_its_been_3_years_since_the_internet_went_down/) around the time [she met her mother](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/qdm8kg/wp_it_was_a_warm_and_windy_day/). Dara knew [she'd eventually forget](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/qnvxj6/wpan_ancient_dragon_sleeps_in_its_cave_expecting/) about the update, many people already were. But, for the moment she still knew about it and she put it together with her mom's explanation.\r \n \r \n\"Those updates... were for me?\" she asked.\r \n \r \n\"Why so surprised, dear?\" She asked. \"I'm your mother, why wouldn't I do anything within my power to try and give you a better life? In our case though...,\" the cat rubbed her head against Dara again. \"...your mother has quite a bit power.\"\r \n \r \n\"You...,\" Dara paused. She felt tears welling in her eyes, without understanding why. What she was about to say was ridiculous. It would have been for anyone other than Dana Sharp. But, the fact was it had already happened and she was barely putting the pieces together. \"... you changed the universe. For me?\" The cat smiled at her.\r \n \r \n\"I must have done a poor job programming your foster family,\" the cat shook her head, then nuzzled Dara again. \"You don't know how love works yet.\"\r \n\\-\r \nWith a flick of her tail, a black portal appeared.\r \nThe corner where they sat was cleared.\r \nThe festivities continued with one girl fewer.\r \nSoon, all would forget that everything was newer.\r \nIt's different than it once was; but, that's the real trick.\r \nEvery day is new and every day is magic.\n\n\\*\\*\\*\r \nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is story #1446 in a row. (Story #359 in year four.). This story is part of an ongoing saga that takes place at a high school in my universe. It began on Sept. 6th and I will be adding to it with prompts every day until June 3rd. They are all collected in order at [this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/Hugoverse/comments/pj4t0b/tokuhigh_first_six_weeks/)."
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[WP] The average idiot finds themselves in a Nuclear Apocalypse, and survives only by incredible luck.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I stumbled out of the flimsy plastic port-o-john I must have passed out in the night before while taking a drunken dump and was just missed by an out of control zamboni with a Nashville Predators logo on the side. The crap cube had previously occupied the bottom floor of a parking garage in Nashville, TN off 2nd street where I usually park my car while I play acoustic guitar in front of bars on Broadway and drink bourbon out of a flask but now that completely full parking garage shitter was sitting in the middle of Demonbreun Street right in front of Bridgestone Arena surrounded by absolute destruction and chaos. My mind was blurry, a mixture of hangover, honeypot fumes and what I guessed were the effects of traveling nearly half a mile in a porta-privy. The other people in the streets that weren’t dead were battered and bloody, most it seemed couldn’t see or hear. Car alarms, sirens and other loud noises sounded in all directions, the sun was bright and I choked on the air so I put on sunglasses and a mask before I ran through the Walk of Fame Park and up the street, just as I passed The Palm a plane crashed into the Hilton and sent debris flying everywhere, all of it somehow falling short of me aside from a bit of dust on my cowboy boots. \n\nI knew exactly what I needed to continue surviving so I turned and ran up the street into Rippy’s Honky Tonk, hopped over the bar and started filling an ice cold pint of Miller High Life. I poured the sweet light ale into my face and all over my beard. I continued to slam beer after beer deep into the night until I could hardly stand and then I stumbled out of the bar in search of a nearby plastic porta-pooper in a parking garage, just an average guy surviving an apocalypse on good old fashioned luck."
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[WP] You had a great afternoon with your daughter making a gingerbread house... icing, gumdrops, candy canes, the works. After a quick nap on the couch, you wake up inside a full-sized gingerbread house.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Oh my God!\" I exclaim. \"What! Woa! What the!\" \n\nI jump off the couch. \n\n\"Oh God, no! No! My house!\" I look back to the couch I had been napping on. \"Ahh!\" I eek. \n\nIt had turned into gingerbread, too. The whole house is gingerbread. It had turned into gingerbread. Including the couch.\n\n\"Whyyyyyy,\" I groan, \"Why. Why. Why.\" I begin to cry: \"Why! .. Why! .. Buh-whaaa .. Buh-whaaa ..\" I am hyperventilating. \n\nI sit down on the couch. It's hard. I remember how hard it was to nap. My face in my hands. My hands are wet. I breathe, feeling absolutely nauseous, totally nauseous. The smell of ginger is thick in the air. I try to breathe, but the air is so thick with the dust I feel sick. \n\nI look up. Totally tragic. If there was a photo of this, of me, on the couch, it would chill the bones of all who saw it. My face is that wretched and twisted with grief.\n\n\"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!?!!!!!!\"\n\nNo answer.\n\n\"WHHHHAAAAAAAGHH--\"\n\n\"Daddy?\" My daughter's voice is as big as God's. \n\n\"Cynthia!\" I run, tripping and falling on my knees, and I break the floor. \"Agh!\" I exclaim in horror. \n\n\"Da-addy.\" My sweet Cynthia sings, her voice as distant as a cloud.\n\nI yank my knee out the ginger floor and run to the candy cane frame window, and poke my head out, \"Cynthia!\"\n\nShe's there, looking at me, her face scrunched into a frown. She looks like a blimp at a parade. She's turning as slowly.\n\n\"Cynthia!\" I cry out. My voice is breaking. It's giving out. \"Oh, Cynthia! Cyth--\" my voice is totally, tragically silent. \"Cyth-- .. ah!\" I squeek. \n\n\"Daddy, why are you small?\" she asks, cross.\n\nMy knees give out. I am weak with sadness. My armpit sags on the window frame. My baby girl is so big. I attempt jazz hands at her. \n\n\"Daddy. I don't like it when you are small.\"\n\nI utter extreme surprise. It sounds like a mouse peeping.\n\n\"Daddy, stop being so small.\"\n\n\"Cynth-- Cynth ..\"\n\n\"Daddy, I don't like it!\"\n\n\"I don't -- I want -- I think--\"\n\n\"You're not my real daddy. My daddy wouldn't be so small. You're smaaaaaaalllll,\" she says.\n\nAnd I can't take it. I can't take it all. I retreat from the window. I go into the corner. \n\n\"I hate you for being small,\" she says. \n\nAnd she's right. I am small.\n\n\"I am a small daddy,\" I sob. \"I am a small daddy,\" I sob myself to sleep."
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[WP] A mute girl daydreams of becoming a famous singer every day.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Her name was Greta. She was diagnosed with \"selective mutism\". Also ADHD and ASD. Her mother was a local media celebrity. Very loquatious. Her great-grandfather was some kind of scientist, he worried about some kind of great catastphe which would overtake the world or something. She wanted to sing Opera. She could travel the world and yell and do the coloratura and meet high-class people. Unfortunately, there was that whole end-of-the-world thing. It was humbling. It was depressing. She did not want to talk about it, yet it was the most important thing to talk about. Talking gave her anxiety. She decided to protest by sitting in front of Parliament, for *days*. Finally, they began to notice her."
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[WP] You are contacted by the police - suspects in crimes from armed robbery to vandalism have all told them they did it "because of the cat". All of them have photos, drawing or described your cat. Now there has been some murders and those suspects have given the same answer...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"A bushy haired man named Branson was sitting up on his faded couch that proudly wore the scars of a glorified scratching post. Sitting on the other side of his smoke glass end table were two detectives donning drab grey suits. Their badges were the only colorful part of their attire, perched on their belts next to the spare magazine. One of the detectives, who identified herself as Detective Fraser, was rifling through her bag to grab some photos. The other detective, Detective Peck, sat back in his seat and snuck a peek at his coworker's ass. Branson could see the interest, but he never thought a detective would be so unprofessional in his presence. Detective Peck looked back at Branson and winked at him, before sitting forward.\n\n\"Mr. Stairfield, we are here to ask you a few questions about your cat.\" Detective Fraser said, with a stack of photos and drawings in her hand. \n\nBranson cocked his head, \"My cat?\"\n\n\"Yes sir. Recently we had a string of vandalisms and robberies where we have caught all the suspects.\"\n\n\"Okay…\" Branson said, unsure where they were going with this.\n\n\"All of them had the same story. They told us a cat told them to do it.\"\n\n\"They sound crazy.\"\n\n\"We would agree, but they all give us the same description of the cat.\" Detective Peck said.\n\nDetective Fraser laid out a few of the photos and drawings, all depicting a black cat with red eyes and fur that stood on end. Branson took a brief glance at them before looking back at Detective Fraser. \n\n\"Your neighbor said you have a black cat.\" Detective Fraser said. \n\n\"Well my neighbor is a liar! It shouldn't take a detective to know that. Who told you?\"\n\n\"Alice Fletcher. Lives a few doors down.\" Detective Peck said. Both detectives sat at the end of their seats, surprised by Branson's hostility. \n\n\"Alice Fletcher is a loon. And a little…\" Branson trailed off, noticing the detectives were starting to take more interest in him. He shook his head, \"I'm sorry, I just get worked up when her name comes up. She is always trying to get me in trouble.\"\n\n\"We aren't accusing you of any crimes, Mr. Stairfield. We are simply looking for some cooperation in our case.\"\n\n\"I thought you said you arrested everyone?\" \n\n\"We did. The problem is we recently had a murder and the suspect in that case explicitly mentioned a black cat told him to do it.\" Detective Fraser said, pointing to a picture of the cat. \n\nBranson looked between the two faces of the detectives. He knew what they were implying and he wasn't having any of it. \n\n\"Do you think I did it? Is that why you're here?\" Branson said, standing to his feet.\n\n\"We are not saying that sir…\"\n\n\"You think I dress up as a cat and go brainwash people into committing crimes? You want to see my closet? Come on. I'll show you. No cat suits in there!\" Branson almost yelled at them. \n\n\"Please calm down, Mr. Stairfield.\" Detective Peck said. \n\nBranson waved his hands around, \"Calm down? Why?\"\n\n\"We just want to see your cat.\" Detective Fraser said.\n\n\"I told you, I don't have one!\"\n\n\"Then why is your couch all ripped up?\" Detective Peck questioned.\n\n\"I bought it second hand! Even comes with a permanent cat piss smell. Want to smell?\" Branson said, lifting up the cushion.\n\n\"And the litterbox?\" Detective Peck asked, pointing to the grey box with kitty litter next to his grungy door.\n\n\"Came with the couch. Haven't had time to throw it.\"\n\nDetective Fraser collected her photos and put them back in her bag. She shoved it into Detective Peck before he could lose his temper. She pulled a card out from her suit pocket. \n\n\"I can see we came at a bad time. If you do see a black cat, please give me a call,\" she said, placing the card on the table.\n\nBranson watched them both with steely eyes as they left his apartment. The door closed shut and Branson picked up the card on the table. It had her name, badge number and contact information as well as the case number on the back. He walked over to the kitchen and turned on the stovetop, leaving the card on top. \n\nFrom behind, a black cat scurried out of an adjacent room and jumped up on the couch. The cat meowed and Branson turned to face the cat. \n\n\"You really fucked up this time.\" Branson said. The cat responded with a meow. Branson moved over to the window and opened it, letting in the fresh outside air. He looked down at the sidewalk that was three floors below him. The undercover looking police crustier was parked near the curb.\n\n\"They are getting too close. You need to fix your mess.\" Branson said, turning to face the cat. The cat jumped off the couch, ran toward Branson and jumped up on the window sill. It looked back at Branson and meowed one last time to him before jumping to the next window sill.\n\n\"And none of that loose end bullshit again.\" Branson called out to the cat that had already sprung to the last set of window sills. The cat landed on a railing which surrounded some green shrubs along the exterior wall.\n\nThe two detectives walked out of the building side by side and the cat balanced on the railing near them. It meowed, getting the attention of Detective Peck. He looked right at the cat before he grabbed Detective Fraser's ass. She turned to him and slapped him across the face. The cat meowed again. There was a brief pause where the detectives were either going to tear each other apart or kiss. Unfortunately, it was the former. They both drew their service weapons, but Detective Fraser was not hindered by the bag. Three shots rang out as she shot her partner twice in the chest and once in the head.\n\nPeople across the street screamed and a car that was driving by screeched it's tires, leaving smoke in its wake. The woman looked over to the cat and it meowed one last time. Another shot rang out and Detective Fraser collapsed to the floor over her partner. The cat looked up at Branson, who watched the whole ordeal unfold from the comfort of his window. He looked over to the card that went ablaze. The stovetop coils were red hot and the card shriveled up into nothing more than ash. Branson gave the cat a nod.\n\n\"Look what you made me do, Alice. Look what you made me do.\""
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[WP] You get a mask of a impartial diety of unknown origins, the only thing explained and known is you now know every obejectively good and bad thing a person has done. This comes with its own set of other wordly powers.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Nobody in the family is sure when it happened some say it was a curse others a blessing but one thing about it is true it's a powerful artifact \n\nThe mask is relatively plain looking it may have at one point been painted bit as of now it's just a mask of a face \n\nWearing that mask give you powers haveing been around it our whole lives my family all know every good or bad thing people have done when we see them but Wearing it... Wearing give us a set of confuseing powers \n1st we become masters at crafting doesn't matter what it is but as long as we can craft it with our hands and have the tools around we can craft it\n2nd we can summon coal while Wearing the mask we can focus on the bad things done by people and form them into coal the more or worse things done the better the coal\n3rd we can sense when someone is awake\n4th we can see people when there sleeping \n\nWe've tried researching who the mask belongs too or how we got it but all we've gotten are vaguely threatening messages \n\n'He sees you when your sleeping \n\nHe knows when your awake\n\nHe knows if you've been bad or good \n\nSo be good for goodness sake'\n\nWe've tried getting rid of the mask burning, throwing away, lava, throwing it in the ocean we even tried getting it exorcised each one ends bloody \n\nEvery time it gets returned each with a note you better watch out you better not cry I'm telling you why S̵̛̺̈́̌̿̆͛̑̋̉͠͠à̴̢͈̭̫̬̻̲̝̦̜̾̐̀̽̈́͆̅̅ṉ̷̩̾̾̓̀͘͝t̴̢̛̗̬̤̣̫͈̳͍͎̻̼͒a̸̧̡̹͖͉̳̠̠͐͗̎̐͒͊̎͂͒͐̑͝ ̵͍̈́͋̐̈͋͒̃̀̕C̵̢̧̨̞͈̘̣̺̥͓̦̄̑̓͋͋̐͊̓̌͝l̵̢̛̪̱̟͍̩͚̤̰̺̏̍͑̀̍̌̅́͘ȁ̵̧̧̩̥̪̜͙͉̻̦̯̟̀́̉̀͌͋͊͐̇͛u̵̝̩̮͜͝s̸̢̛͕̩̼͉̎̌̑͛͘͜͝͝͝is coming to town' we can never read who's coming to town but it never stops we always hear bells afterwards for weeks I'm losing hope please someone anyone send help please"
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[WP] You've always gotten on well with ghosts. Even the most malicious or erratic ones tend to be at least polite to you. Living people... not so much, they tend to see you as a bit crazy. When burglars break into your (very haunted) house, they learn the hard way your ghost friends are very real...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"You see, I am a peaceful man. But when someone breaks into my house, I wont hold back my friends. So fast forward to that night.\n\nTwo burglars with flashlights on began walking on the first floor. One of them said:\n\n- see? Told you it will be an easy job. The crazy old man living here wont have a chance.\n\nThen both heard a crying. A child crying somewhere in the living room. They entered and they saw Susie sitting on the floor. Two looked confused and looked at each other and came closer. I like Susie. She may be a child, but for a ghost she has few tricks up her sleeve. These guys were about to learn about one of them: turning her head 180 degrees.\n\n- Hey is that a kid? This guy has kids?\n\nSusie began her trick. Still facing the wall she said:\n\n- I want to play.\n\nThen her head went 180 degrees and, now facing the two, she said:\n\n- maybe you can PLAY WITH ME?\n\nI heard girly scream from below. I smirked and said:\n\n- Well thats why I love Susie. John your turn. A pale young man with flowing hair smiled and disappeared. John on the other hand is a poltergeist. He died in a car accident and loves to screw with living. Back downstairs the two unfortunate burglars began to run towards the door. Thats where John comes in. He loudly slammed the door shut and began to turn furniture and photos on the walls. Two Burglars run to the kitchen. Big mistake.\n\n- WHAT THE HELL IS THIS HOUSE? - said one of the burglars, gasping for air.\n\nThen they heard another of my friends: Alex. He is really nice, but with a nasty ability to shapeshift. He decided to manifest himself to the two. You see, he can aslo manipulate smell.\nFirst they smelled sulfur. And then they saw Alex in his full form: a giant black dog with firey red eyes.\nWhen the two were shitting their pants I decided to finish the show. I told John to stop holding the door and I sat in the armchair in the living room, with Susie at my left, and Alex on my right. The two burglars,running away from the kitchen entered the living room and saw me. I decided to greet them:\n\n- Well, hello there my friends - I said gesturing to them with my pale arm - why are you scared? You saw a ghost?\n\nSusie and Alex laughed and the burglars shat their pants even more. I stood up, my black eyes looking into their souls. After a moment I spoke again:\n\n- So I will give you advice. Run while you can, because humans may have mercy, Death does not.\n\nThe two ran away faster than ever before. I closed the door behind them and went back to bed, tomorrow is halloween. Even though I am a little wierd in the eyes of the people here, I always give their kids candy on halloween. Being a former Grim Reaper doesn't need to be grim at all."
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[WP] There's a reason that for fifty years they didn't return to the moon, and he has a name.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The was once a boy. \nWho grew quote fond of the moon.\n\nDay in and day out, he used to watch pictures of the moon. And when the sky was clear, he would go out, alone and stare at the moon. What is this madness - his parents wondered.\n\nOne day he decided, to go to the moon. No matter what it takes, he will go there. Nobody has gone there before. He will be first. And so the journey started. He studied hard. Ran for miles. Joined the Navy. Then when they announced a mission to go to the moon, he applied and got accepted. He was so happy that day.\n\nFinally the day came. He bid goodbye to his friends and went into the capsule. All along the journey, he was looking ahead to the moon, as if he forgot from where he came.\n\nThey landed. All the astronauts were busy collecting samples and hosting flags while he was just running and jumping around, in sheer joy.\n\nThe time came to return home. The astronauts started boarding the flight one by one. And when it was the boys turn, he was nowhere to be found. They looked for him, but maybe he went too far. The fuel was running out. They decided to leave him and return.\n\nSeveral days fly by. It was the day of the new moon. But to everyone's surprise the moon was glowing as if it's full moon. The priests got worried. Fearing a calamity they worshipped the moon, and as a sacrifice, offered to never go to the moon again.\n\nThe boy at the moon seemed to like the sacrifice. For the moon returned to normal and the priests sighed.\n\nAnd to this day, we dare not take his name, lest a calamity strikes.",
"I could never handle the one who stood without a name. For, how then, could he bear the mark of man?!\n\n“reveal yourself, beast of shame!”\n\n“i’m not afraid of it, no can”\n\n“I do not believe you are without one to be called in this eerie game!”\n\nthis creature is of pure hatred and despair. it lives in the shadows of the caverns of men’s heart where greed and lust and envy grow to rid the world of the great things. the things that make life live in the sky of great moving, it stops for no one. it keeps flowing and you can’t resist it. it engulfs your body in liberation from the evil of the mind."
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[WP] Your mother never told you where she came from, but you wish she did since she brought so many stories told from there. Like the Epic of Knight Skywalker. And the man in a dark cloak that saves people in his city without killing criminals.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n🛒 [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n🆕 [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n✏ [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n📢 [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n💬 [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I felt an unexpected presence approach from my blind spot.\n\nI glanced out of the side of my eye, not breaking from my morning training exercises. The sun had just started to peek over the horizon, so I didn’t expect Lorraine would be awake yet. But there she was, standing just outside the practice circle like we had taught her. As one kata ended and the final one began, I called back to her.\n\n“Give me just a minute, sweetie.”\n\nMy breathing slowed and I fed my power into my practice blade. I felt the weight shift and wood strain as the magic transformed the broadsword turned into a staff between heartbeats. Adam had done an excellent job designing and enchanting my transforming practice weapon. \n\nThe staff spun in my hands as the imaginary enemy moved to attack. This routine was focused on defense, and I could see the strikes it was intended to defend in my mind. As my exercise drew to its inevitable end, I had shifted my position to be across the circle from Lorraine. With a final high block, the sequence shifted to offense, and I sent a little mana into my shoe. Three jabs with a right lead, then a quick rising strike from left, then a spin so the follow-up comes down from the left, and plant the butt. As I used the pole to ground a final spinning kick, I released the mana as a mist of water. As the water caught the sun, a rainbow formed over my now giggling daughter.\n\n“Sorry, ‘Raine. You know how the Captain gets if I don’t finish my morning practice.”\n\nMy feeble excuse for “ignoring” her is met with a slightly more mature giggle. She’s seen the old man lay into me about keeping up with my routines before; though the one time she asked Marie about some of the words he used, *he* was the one getting read the riot act. After that, there’s been a lot more pauses to make sure *someone* wasn’t in earshot.\n\nWith a conspiratorial wink, I stepped back and gathered my magic and theatrically held my hands over my head. A refreshingly cool stream of water instantly soaked me head and clothes, washing the sweat of my morning workout away. Stopping the water, I wrapped my hands in a warm wind and used them to dry myself off; Loraine laughing the whole time.\n\n“So, what does my little girl need so early in the morning? You don’t normally get up in time to eat breakfast on the weekends.”\n\n“Papa… why doesn’t momma talk about her old home?”\n\nWell, shit. Lorraine looked worried as a storm of emotions flashed across my face. But I suppose it was getting close to Midsummer, and the anniversary of being brought here. Lorraine is fifteen now, and it took us four years to… has it really been twenty years? \n\nI motioned towards the dining hall and we began to walk.\n\n“Uh… what brought this on?”\n\n“She always said that her bedtime stories are from where you two are from. But anytime I ask about how she grew up, she just gets… sad.”\nYeah, that tracks. And of course, our little Empath would pick up on it. She looked up at me, the worry that she had upset me as well all too apparent on her face. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed, trying to focus as much on the love I had for her and her mom as I could. I sighed.\n\n“I’ll grab us some breakfast real quick. Find a seat and reinforce those shields, kitten. It’s not a happy story.”\n\nI spoke to the assistant cook and watched as a cocoon of golden energy wove itself around Lorraine’s head and body. Even trying to think about what happened set off a waterfall of conflicting emotions in me, and if her mental shields weren’t strong enough, she could get lost in the flow. Her habit of relaxing them when she was around family was both a needed respite, and a field of landmines.\n\nShe sat facing away from the kitchen, so I brought up my own mental shields – no reason for her to do all the heavy lifting – and sat down across the table from her.\n\n“Have they told you anything at school about the Demon War?”\n\nGood, the non-sequitur bumped *her* out of her mental pathways.\n\n“Uh… not too much. A few years after the war began, all the different churches in the capital got together and cast a big spell to summon a group of heroes from a far-off land. And that as the heroes beat the demon generals; the demon soldiers joined the allied forces. The Demon’s King eventually surrendered, and the heroes left.”\n\nOK, I can live with that. True enough as far as it goes. But, then again.\n\n“Left may be too strong of a word, kitten. It’s been a while since I’ve done this.”\n\nI pushed back my chair and stood, putting plenty of room between myself and the table as I grumbled. I cupped my right hand at my hip, and pushed a bit of power into my hand. \n\n<***Gods of Light, Guide My Blade to Cut Through the Darkness***>\n\nA projection of solid light extended out the front of my hand, and my left hand grabbed the “handle” as it formed. Keeping a firm grip, I flung my hand out to the side. Loraine’s eyes went wide as a blade of light followed, glowing like Sir Skywalker’s in her mother’s bedtime stories. With a flick of my wrist and a slow motion, I moved the sword into hasso; the blade nearly vertical beside my face as I continued my chant.\n\n<***Gird Me in Faith and Tell the World That I. Shall. Endure. ***>\n\nThe light began to flake off of the tip of the sword, leaving enchanted adamantine behind. The light gathered around my head and body, coalescing into a full set of armor, mirror polished with gold trim. I sheathed the katana in the scabbard at my waist before lifted the helm from my head and sitting back down.\n\n“Why it had to be a Morphin’ sequence I’ll never know. But we’re still here, your mother and I. A few of your classmate’s parents as well; and no, I won’t tell you who.”\n\nAs the young girl I looked wistfully at the Hero’s Armor for a moment, then focused on the spell to dismiss it. As the armor and blade shattered into a million pieces of soft, glowing light, I gave a big, can’t-miss-it wink.\n\n“It’s rude to wear armor to the dinner table.”\n\n“So why…”\n\n“I’m getting to that.”\n\nI paused to thank the maid as she set the food on the table. I took a bite of the egg pie in front of me and smiled. I leaned in my chair, catching the eye of the people milling around the door, and pressed my thumb and three fingers to my lips. The assistant chef nodded and went into the kitchen.\n\n“That spell you were taught about didn’t summon forty heroes. It caught forty kids, not much older than you are now, and even less prepared for this world.”\n\n“This… world?”\n\n“Yep. Far-off land is a bit of an understatement. Your mother and I are from a place called Earth. It’s a world like Terra; but there, magic is the stuff of fairy tales. So, when we got here, everything kind of flooded in. Your Uncle Adam studies this stuff, he thinks that when it happened, our own personal magics took the shape of our personalities and dreams. Gods favor the foolish, and I wanted to be a hero.\n\n“Your mom, on the other hand… \n\n“On Earth, there’s a type of disease, I guess you’d call it, that they haven’t figured out how to cure. It’s basically when a piece of your body starts making more of itself like normal, but doesn’t know how to stop. And your mom’s dad – your grandfather – had it in a place in his brain that they couldn’t cut it out safely. He died, a few days before the priests cast their spell. I was in love with your mother even back then, so I – and all the other heroes – were at his funeral; and that’s when we were summoned.”\n\nI reinforced my mental shielding. I could tell by the look on her face some of my emotions were getting through. \n\n“So, her last memory of your old world…”\n\n“Is her family crying as they laid her father to rest. And *then* getting the magic that could have saved him.”\n\nLorraine’s face was crestfallen. \n\n“Momma… it never leaked. I should be able to catch something like that. But… it never leaked.”\n\n“This world isn’t kind to heroes, ‘Raine. And it’s doubly hard on those called to heal. There were forty of us summoned. In our first year, one of the demon generals ambushed us. Your mother was able to heal a dozen of us right away, but we still lost five friends; including your Uncle Adam’s twin brother. And as the war dragged on, the Demons realized that your mother could heal anything short of a kill shot. She never could accept that we were willing to protect her with our lives. By the end of the war, we lost 22 classmates, and your mother carries that weight in her heart.”\n\nI loosened the collar of my shirt, showing the letters on my chest.\n\n“Twenty-two names, written in a script that only 18 people on this world can read or write.”\n\n“Showing off your armor *and* your tattoos so early in the morning, love?”\n\nI smiled as Marie wrapped her arms around our daughter from behind, startling her. There were streaks from dried tears on both of their faces. She kissed her daughter’s cheek, asking\n\n“Did you get your answers, kitten?”\n\n“Momma… I’m so sorry….”\n\n“Oh, little one. I’m sorry, too. I didn’t have the strength to tell you myself.” \n\nI smiled as I watched my wife’s shields slowly loosen. She let the emotions pour out, a trickle at first, then filling the room. The grief for the people she couldn’t save, the regret for the people she left on Earth, the relief each time she was able to save someone she knew, the trust of a wife for her husband, the love of a mother for her child, and finally, strongest of all, the happiness of finding a home."
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[WP] You wake up at a round table, with a hangover to end all hangovers. You have no recollection of the past 3 days, and in front of you, a single, unopened carton of apple juice.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Snatching the carton, he worked the cardboard to pop open the spout and started to such down the juice. In all honesties, he'd have preferred water, but apple juice was a decent enough start to things. Galahad drained half the carton before coming back up for air. Letting out a loud gasp, he instinctively wiped his lips with his forearm.\n\nHowever, where he expected his hairy bare arm, or maybe the sleeve of whatever shirt he fell asleep in, he was met with what felt like . . . chainmail?\n\nGalahad blinked a little. His blurred vision steadied, and he saw he was indeed donned in armour. *What the fuck*, he thought. His hands flew to his chest. Yep, plate armour. \n\nA deep voice, full of unease but concern, spoke to his left. \"Sir Galahad, are you unwell?\"\n\nHe blinked. This wasn't his college dorm room. Or anywhere he'd recognize as campus. The closest may have been the dining hall, which was decorated to emulate the mead hall of King Arthur from Arthurian Legend in the cheapest way possible. Thin polyester banners, trestle tables that were really just vinyl and particle board. Plastic swords on plastic shields on the walls.\n\nWell, to be frank, this table was made of genuine wood, those banners looked woolen, and the swords very sharp.\n\nGalahad reasoned he was just dreaming again. For God sake, considering his name. His parents were the ones obsessed with the stories of King Arthur and his like, what, 12 knightly fanboys. Somehow made them even nerdier then the poor kid he knew named Gandalf.\n\n\"Sir Galahad?\" The voice now seemed sterner in his querying. He leaned forwards. \n\n*Shit*, he thought. The guy was wearing a crown and had a fancy sword on his hip. *Shit shit fuck fuck.*\n\nMaybe now, finally, all those bedtime stories his mum insisted upon would amount to something."
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[WP] You are a historian who studied necromancy so that you could bring dead languages back to life. But the local superhero never trusted you, and their constant surveillance is starting to make it difficult to hide your Latin speaking army.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I ducked behind a vending machine. Yes, not really the best thing to hide behind. It's angle simply does nothing to stop you from being seen unless your peripheral vision fails you. Nevertheless, there was nowhere else to go. The decision had been made, this is what was happening now. \n\nThey had caught up with me now. The sound of the doors slamming open enveloped the hallway, swiftly followed by a messy cacophany of footsteps. The loutish group muttered to themselves in their Celtic tongue, bitterly searching around for an inferior group of Britons. Looks like tribalism had been reintroduced, and all thanks to our heritage meaning something again.\n\nI didn't even know what I spoke, but it wasn't English that's for sure. 'Kernowek' it was called, but not in English. When I heard the words I understood in my head, it sounded a bit like Welsh. Not that I had known Welsh, but I had heard it once or twice before.\n\nThankfully, the persistent squad had ran past, fuelled by the adrenaline of the chase. Not ten seconds later I heard screaming, which abruptly stopped. It was time to move before they found me again, this time huddled next to the vending machine. I went back the way they came, heading towards the exit of the school.I made my way out of the decimated building, walls stricken with blood from an earlier skirmish. \n\nCornish. Old Cornish to be precise. That was what I spoke, apparently. It had taken a year or so before I actually met another speaker, and by a miracle they actually knew their heritage. And by some miracle, I'd survived the remix of the United Kingdom that'd fallen into place.",
"\"Guys, for the last time, stop it with the military drills!\"\n\nCenturion Marcialis looked at Professor Mason in confusion. Or he would look at him in confusion were he still able to change his facial expression. As it was the skeleton of the Centurion just stared at Professor Mason with the cold fire of unlife burning in his eyesockets. \"Sed, imperator, quomodo milites sine terebris exercemus?\"\n\n\"I told you I don't *care* how well trained the soldiers are, they aren't to fight anyone!\"\n\n\"Dissideo, imperator. Legionarii sunt ad pugnam, ergo bene instituti maneant.\"\n\nThis was the problem with bringing back millennia old Roman soldiers. They didn't care that the Roman empire had fallen long ago or that there were no armies left to fight. They continued to drill and exercise every single day, no matter how loud all the clanging armour was. Of course giving them the arms and armour may have been a mistake on Professor Mason's end, but the Romans were much more cooperative when dressed in the armour that they wore in life. Centurion Marcialis's gold-plated armour had cost almost as much as the armour of all the regular legionaries combined, but the Centurion had insisted that it was needed for a soldier of his rank.\n\nRegardless, even after getting the Romans to agree to only drill at night, they were still far too loud about it. The history museum was the only building that Professor Mason had access to that had a basement large enough to hide an entire Roman legion, but people were starting to suspect, and suspicion was the last thing that Professor Mason needed.\n\n\"Look, we've been over this before, I didn't bring you back to fight my enemies, I brought you back so that the world would have native Latin speakers again.\"\n\n\"Maximum exercitum in orbe terrarum habes, imperator. Cur nos tantum loqui vis? inimicos tuos vincere possumus.\"\n\n\"No, you can't defeat my enemies, because I only have one enemy. And if he gets wind of what's happening here he'll-\"\n\nProfessor Mason was interrupted by the cellar door loudly smashing open. In the doorframe stood Nightbolt. Professor Mason sighed as his worst case scenario was happening before his very eyes.\n\n\"Professor Mason!\" Nightbolt shouted in his gravely voice. \"I had long suspected you were a necromancer, but I didn't know you had brought an entire army back from the dead. Prepare to face justice, villain!\"\n\n\"You don't understand,\" Professor Mason protested. \"They're not for fighting, I just want to talk to them.\"\n\n\"Legionarii! Pone formationes!\" Centurion Marcialis bellowed. And at his command, the legionaries fell in rank, facing Nightbolt with shield raised, and gladius in hand.\n\n\"They're not for fighting you say?\" Nightbolt mocked.\n\n\"For god's sake Centurion, have your soldiers stand down!\" Professor Mason shouted.\n\n\"Legionarii non dedunt nunc. Barbari in portis sunt.\"\n\n\"That's not a barbarian! That's a superhero!\"\n\n\"Pretend all you want Professor, it's clear that these undead are only here to fight, and after I'm done with them, I'll come for you next,\" Nightbolt said.\n\nWith that, Nightbolt launched into action. He ran down the cellar stairs and shot his signature nightbolts at the assembled legionaries as he ran.\n\n\"Legionarii, turturis formatio!\" Centurion Marcialis bellowed.\n\nThe Romans formed into small groups that interlocked their shields. Soon, all the legionaries stood in square formations with their shields fully covering their sides, front, and top. The nightbolts fell harmlessly against the shields.\n\n\"Legionariis, antecessum!\" \n\nAt the Centurion's command, the legionaries moved towards Nightbolt, while remaining in their formation. They moved perfectly in synch, their footsteps all landing at the same time.\n\n\"I see you've taught them well, Professor, but don't think it'll do you any good!\" Nightbolt taunted. He rushed the nearest formation, and started assaulting the legionaries there.\n\n\"Legionarii, oppugnare formatione!\"\n\nThe legionaries formation being assaulted by Nightbolt remained in place, bravely resisting his attacks. The other formations all broke up however, as the Romans started arraying themselves in a V formation centered on the squad being attacked by Nightbolt.\n\n\"Nunc oppugnate!\"\n\nThe legionaries all charged Nightbolt with swords drawn. They came at him from all sides while the squad in front continued to use their shields to keep their foe locked in place. Before he could react, Nightbolt was completely surrounded by the skeletal forces and was being assaulted from all sides.\n\nOnly moments passed before Nightbolt suddenly lunged away towards the cellar doors. He paused his flight to turn around and address the Professor. He was openly bleeding from multiple wounds. \"Don't think this is over, evil-doer. You may have won this fight but your evil-doing days are limited!\"\n\nWith that, Nightbolt fled away into the night.\n\nProfessor Mason could only stare in shock as he tried to comprehend what just happened. The invincible Nightbolt was actually defeated by his Romans.\n\nCenturion Marcialis cleared his throat (or, he made the sound at least). \"Ut vides, exercitus noster optimus in mundo est. Nos semper vincere.\"\n\n\"Maybe I should have been listening to you all this time.\" Professor Mason said. Suddenly, he thought of a lot of exciting new ways to truly make the Latin language very alive in the world again."
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[WP] When everyone turns 20, they get a text that hovers over their head stating their path in life. You’re the first ever to get the path: “Main Character”.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I was destined for greatness. \n\n\nI knew this for my entire life. It was just one of those known things, like my hair was auburn, or my eyes were hazel. I just knew. \n\n\nMy parents - respectfully a barber and a teacher - didn't encourage me to be realistic. They knew how it worked - I'd be assigned to a path, and no matter how much I rebelled, I'd eventually fall in line. Everyone did. \n\n\nI mean, all kids from good homes feel destined for greatness, don't they? At some point, it has to have crossed their mind: I can do anything, be anyone. I can change the world. \n\n\nMy secret was that I actually could. Not in meaningful ways - I couldn't fix climate change, or become the President in a snap of my fingers, though that would be cool. Just.. people catered to me. Things revolved around me. It was subtle, but I was lucky. I got double pickles on my burgers (I love pickles!). I always got free stuff at restaurants, completely unprompted. I saved the day happenstance, just doing my normal thing. \n\n\nIf you watched it like I did, you would notice it, I promise you. The world moved to my beck and call. I was the thing in which the world orbited. \n\n\nIt was no surprised for my twentieth birthday, we were hosting my party at midnight. I mean, it makes sense, right? The second it turns midnight, everyone would know my path. My parents thought I'd finally fall in line, resigned to my predestined path. \n\n\nThey forgot, I was destined for greatness. This world was made for me. \n\n\nIt's 11:59. We count down, my friends and family and I, all sixty seconds. The clock flickers 12:00 and above my head, there's suddenly words. \n\n\nMy friends and family go silent. They know the lists, the answers given before: it's a big thing to go through, and see what might fit. I sort of expected this, so I get up, and go to the mirror. It's backwards, but I can read it well enough: **main character.** \n\n\nWe've already scoured the lists. It's never been assigned before. I know it, they know it. \n\n\nI return and their whispers quiet. They're waiting. My parents look afraid - wouldn't any good parents, with an unknown path before their child? \n\n\nI should say something. A speech. Something poetic and pretty. But I don't. \n\n\n\"I was destined for greatness,\" I remind them, grabbing my glass of soda and raising it in a toast. Here's to me, the main character.",
"\"Main Character\" it said.\n\nI mean what is that even supposed to mean? It could mean may things, maybe I was a horror protagonist, one who dies. Or maybe one who goes on some epic quest? I told myself it could mean anything, that my destiny could mean whatever I made it to be. \n\nReally deep down, I knew. \n\nIt all started with disaster really. My tragic backstory that every really famous main character has in any book or show or movie. My fucking \"destiny\" started when my parents were killed in a car crash. I holed myself up in my room for over 2 weeks after that, it was weird too. I didn't go to work, didn't even pay rent, but no one even knew I had left. I went back to work and no one even blinked an eye, including my landlord. Strange. But that was only the beginning.\n\nI'm apparently bulletproof as well, Bullets literally hit anywhere but where I'm standing. The floor, the wall, Anywhere. I fell and hit my head so hard you'd think I'd have brain damage, nope no concussion, not even a scratch. I tried everything, everything failed, I'm invincible, can't die, get hurt. But the people around me can, my co workers, family, friends. Apparently they are considered \"side characters\" and can certainly be killed. \n\nI Can't be around anyone, I'm afraid my constant flow of \"quests\" will hurt more people. The only thing I do know, is that I need to put a stop to this system, the one that gives us all predetermined destinies that hurt those around us. \n\nI will stop this, no matter what."
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[WP] Stacy's exasperated life as people she knows start to fall for her family, such as her ex for her mom, her best friend her dad, current boyfriend her brother, and so forth.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Plop, plop, plop\n\nStacy sighs as she skids another stone across the lake near her school.\n\nPlop, plop, plop\n\nAfter doing this several times, the young teen lays down on the grass in defeat while her mind stews over his words once again. It has been a few days since that confrontation.\n\n“I AM SORRY THAT I CAUGHT FEELINGS FOR HIM OKAY?! You know what, it does not matter anymore. I don’t want to see you nor him again.”\n\nStacy sat up and looked at her own reflection in the lake. Even though she can see her beautiful curly black hair, honey-toned skin and piercing blue eyes, there is a distinct air of dejection in the reflection.\n\nFirst, it started with her best friend Lucy hooking up with her dad which caused a ruckus in her once perfect family. And now two months later, her now ex-boyfriend broke up with her because he felt attraction towards her elder brother.\n\nStacey looked up in the sky and the dark clouds were starting to swirl in. The young teen decided to pick herself up and started heading back to school.\n\nFortunately, the school population has been kind to her despite all the incidents. Everyone knew that Lucy was playing a dangerous game and there were rumors that Edward was using Stacy as a beard anyway.\n\n“Surely this is the end of it? I am already tired of this bullsh*t…” Stacy thought to herself as she dragged her feet to her lockers and started to take out her laptop. As things stand now, she rather stay in school and do her work instead of being at home to face her parents and that wrench.\n\nAs the black-haired teen was almost done with her locker, a tall figure loomed over her shoulder and gently tapped her upper arm.\n\n“What is it now?” Stacy growled as she turned to face the figure. The figure jumped back and raised her hands in a submissive way.\n\n“Hey hey, it is just me and don’t worry; I am not here to add to the string of news on ya.”\n\nAlex knew Stacy for a while but they were not close until she saw Lucy with Stacy’s father at the mall. She did not reveal this to Stacy but Alex reported it to the school; it is hard not to guess what was happening when Alex had to serve coffee and food to the couple when they had their ‘escapees’ at the cafe she works at.\n\n—————"
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[WP] "Alright, here's the plan: On the count of three, we all scream, panic, and run around like idiots." "It's brilliant!" "He'll never expect it!"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The demon king expected many things from the hero’s after they left their cover, he expected a weapon that he would bat aside then crush them underfoot, a mind game that he would turn on them and crush their minds. He expected many’s things but he didn’t expect the hero’s to run around panicking and screaming like idiots\n\nIn fact he was so broadsided by it that he took a step back to contemplate what just happened. “What the fuck?” he muttered out as he watched the paladin run into the archer and lay them flat \n\n“What the fuck?” He asked a little louder as the mage ran into a pillar knocking himself out. \n\n“What the fuck?” He asked to no one in particular as the paladin and the Berserker ran into each other knocking them both out. \n\n“Fuck this. Im leaving” he said to no one in particular as he opened a portal back to hell and walked through it leaving the mortal plane behind."
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[WP] After the clock struck midnight, the world goes black. You wake up and it's January 1st, 2000. Good news: You went back in time to your younger body with all your memories intact. Bad News: The rest of the world followed.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Mark? Mark, what the FUCK did you do‽” I heard my older brother, Matt, shout down at me from the top of our bunk bed.\n\nBunk bed?\n\nWe’ve not shared a bunk bed since …\n\nFuck.\n\n“Whatever it is, it’s not my fault!” I whined, my voice feeling unnaturally high, considering that I’d been 34 the day before.\n\nI had a … well, let’s call it a “strange ability.”\n\nWhenever something bad was going to happen that I’d be able to impact, me and whoever was impacted by said Bad Thing were shunted back in time far enough that it could be stopped. Sometimes days, occasionally weeks, and once even a few months. Me and whoever else had been pulled would land in our ‘old’ bodies, physically the same, mentally aware of our situation, just with that many extra days or weeks or months of memories on top.\n\nIt had pulled my dad, the safety inspector, and me back any number of times, sometimes multiple times in the same day, but it had hit my mom, sisters, and brother more than once. The worst had been when I’d been shunted back a whole year, along with the entire staff of the manufacturing plant I’d been working at. That had been ‘fun.’\n\nBut I was 10 now. 24 years of pull, landing me smack in the middle of 1999, election season.\n\n“Do you remember Alessandra’s number? If it’s this much pull, she might be back here too,” I said, hoping this would calm him down a bit.\n\n“I know her cell number, sure. But she won’t get that for another 10 years, Mark, and she’s in Wisconsin, and 6!”\n\nAlessandra was Matt’s fiance … no, wife, as of … well, yesterday, 24 years from now. They were very close.\n\nThe phone rang. My sister, Selene, currently 9, answered.\n\n“Matt, it’s Alessandra. I think she contacted someone she knows in the department of defense to connect us?” said Selene a few minutes later.\n\nMy heart sank. Alessandra did … something for Army Intelligence. I wasn’t sure what, exactly, but that she was able to use her connections now, as a 6 year old, was unsettling at the very least. They should think she’s a crank caller, not a valid contact.\n\n“Mark, you really need to get down here,” shouted my mom to me from the bottom of the stairs. “The news is talking about your jump.”\n\nI practically ran downstairs to the TV.\n\nOn air at the moment were three news anchors. Two were who should be there. One would still be there in 24 years, while the other would have long since retired. The third was a 15 year old who’d only get the anchor spot in 23 years.\n\n“Currently,” said the 15 year old, “Reports are still coming in, but it would seem that most if not all of the world has been shunted backwards in time. Word from the White House is to stay in your home, whatever or wherever it is, until some measure order can be re-established.”\n\n“Sweet mother of fuck, what the hell happened?” I rattled off, my little 10 year old brain tittering at the string of profanities that rolled off my tongue."
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[WP] People all over the world are describing the same man they're seeing in their dreams... That man is You.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“The bastards have gone for the nuclear option,” said Katie, bursting into the room. “I saw you in my dreams last night. A lot of people are seeing you in their dreams. You can’t leave the apartment again.”\n\n“Do people in the building know? I mean, the neighbors, will they tell anyone I’m here?”\n\nKatie grimaced. “I think the old lady next door knows the man in her dreams lives here. It’ll spread.”\n\nI flipped open my laptop and started a session into the Ad-tastic staging system. The stolen credentials still worked, but it was a risk using them outside of regular working hours; the intrusion detection system would almost certainly flag the account for further scrutiny. I typed in the command, but took a breath before hitting enter.\n\n“I’m going to wipe the staging system. All ad campaigns go through staging first, it’ll keep them from changing the program.” I said.\n\n“But people will keep dreaming of you!” said Katie, looking horrified. “You’ll be found! And killed!”\n\n“I think it’s too late to stop that now. As long as they’re running the program to find me, they can’t start the War for Peace campaign. It’ll keep public opinion from escalating and give the others time to shut them down.”\n\nI hit enter.\n\n“Oh god. They’re already here.” Katie’s voice was flat as she looked out the window at the heavy police vans skidding to a stop outside the apartment.\n\nA round shattered the window and Katie fell backwards to the ground.\n\nI still think being Ad-tastic’s CTO was the most important job I ever had. I just wish I’d grown a conscience a little sooner."
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[WP] A man who has amnesia asks a warlock to help him remember his past, but the spell goes awry and now the man can see everything that has ever happened in the entire universe at once, able to recall everything with perfect accuracy.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“I do not know who I am or my past. Please with the little information I have gathered from feelings and others I believe you can help me. Please I’ll give you any physical possession I own of your choice.” I stood there in the little cabin as the warlock sat there thinking for a moment. Then he went over to a mirror and tapped it twice while speaking a word in a demonic language that magically erased its self from my memory. “Sure. My patron is actually a really chill dude, I just need to ask.” \n\nAnd then he starts clearing out the room to make space for the ritual. The Warlock starts drawing on the ground with red chalk. I wanted to ask what he was doing but I decided to not disturb him as the slightest mistake may cause anything from destroying the patron to causing an explosion. And I don’t know how his patron will react if the spell fails. I have no Idea how I know this but it just makes sense.\n\n“Okay lay down I just need a drop of your blood and anything you hold dear to you. However it must come from your life before you lost your memory. As in anything a pendant you woke up with, a toy, pr even the clothes on your back. Do not worry you’ll get it back however this is how the ritual works.” “That makes sense. But I don’t think I really have anything. OH WAIT! I have this little rock I found in my pocket when I awoke. It has a little face and I call him Jimbony.” “This will work excellently. Now if you brace yourself this small dagger prick will only hurt a bit.” \n\nI winced as the tip of the dagger dug into my skin and a drop of blood came out. Then the Warlock swiped a bit up and put it on the red circle filled with intricate patterns. The entire thing quickly turned a very dark red, as opposed to its previous bright red. Then Jimbony was placed in a small circle right above my head. I then closed my eyes and listened to the Warlock do his thing.\n\n“By the power of Prismos the ruler of the mirror realm. Reflect the past into the present. Grant the memory of this man to his head use his blood to find the story of his flesh and his trinket to find his journey. Give this man back his life story and end his torment without death.”\n\nI sat there and felt the knowledge enter my head slowly from just before I woke up in the small village where my journey began. Then to my adventuring party from when I was young. My time at the academy of adventuring. Then my time as a mercenary upset that no matter how strong I got or how hard I worked I would never get anything more dangerous then clear out low level monsters in the area. I then remembered my family and the place I am from. My mother father and older brother who was always better than me. I remembered every fall, scrape, cut, stab, heal, kill, and detail of every day I was ever alive including my own birth something I new I never knew before. \n\nBut my concern kept growing as the time before my birth was played out. I saw my families’s lives go backwards in the same fashion as mine and every generation the number of people I followed doubled. Eventually humans looked hairy and they barely used fire. They slowly walked more and more on all fours. The monsters around were also different. There were some beasts that would never survive today and at one point there were giant bugs and bug type monsters. It kept going farther and father as my knowledge at one point started growing forward in time rather then the regular backward. I saw every family line ever of every human. Royalty, peasants, nobility, even underground bandit families. I saw people of all natures some struggling with themselves and others loving people that they thought was wrong. I saw all arguments ever from both viewpoints. And eventually my backwards knowledge branched again and again to most of the Demi-human races and eventually down to a creature so incomprehensibly small it would take trillions just to make a statue out of them. Eventually I found the first were my knowledge proceeded down every branch of life ever the first monsters were the same as these things their magic stones that they had however were smaller then even that of micro worm monster. I saw dragons, demon kings, even the creation of entire civilizations. All of history of every life form monsters included. But then all of living history caught up to where I was now. Then it shot back to the first life form. A strand of chemicals bound up into a little ball as magic surrounded it and formed the first beasts these beasts were exactly the same but with more. Things like mineral horns formed and some even had elemental properties. But I saw something new the creation of our planet, the sun, even the creation of the greater universe. I saw life out in the universe. Some planets with and some without magic. Of course in reverse but I understood everything in the correct way it should be. Reverse is just how I describe the order in witch I will learn of an event I will learn the last moment then the moment before that snd so on. However eventually the universe was infinitely bright, dense, and big, everything had come from a singular point that is the same size as the universe. I then watched it slowly fade into existence as if it came from nowhere yet I knew where it was from and the and were is the future of the last universe. This universe will last forever just the pieces that make up ours will copy themselves into the next one using strings smaller then the smallest things. That will trail off and disappear to re coil themselves were they need to be. These strings are infinitely long it may even be one long string being pulled along time and space leaving and re entering existence as we know it. I then awoke.\n\n“So how was it?” The warlock asked. “What sort of life did you live?” I didn’t know what I watched but I gave the answers he wanted “I was a mercenary who went to an adventuring academy to become an adventurer.” “Ooh. Did you slay any massive beasts? Any dungeons crawled?” “Yeah all that stuff.” “That’s GREAT!! I can’t believe it worked. It just goes to show how great Prismos is. Also regarding your payment I’ll take 20 gold and two silver as well as a tome of knowledge if you got one. Also I took the liberty of magically coping and binding your memories so if you ever forget something it will instantly come back to you the moment it does. However remembering something and thinking about a memory are two different things so your mind won’t just be full of everything you have ever done only what you need will come out.” “That’s great. Also is there a chance you showed me all of history? I remember seeing humans and Demi-humans but they were closer to an animal. I watched them change over time into what we have today. I saw dragons and demon kings, every conversation ever. All the lives of everything ever. Then the forst life and the dirst monsters. Which were just balls of chemicals and minerals. With the monsters having horns of minerals and elemental based energy. Their magic stones were small then that of a micro monster worm. In fact they were smaller then those worms all together! The I saw the creation of the universe but I can’t really explain it in a way I understand.” \n\n“What? I thought the spell would only show you your past not all of them.. well lets see you prove it. What was my first gift on my tenth birthday.” “A spell book that had a bunch of starter spells and a bound basic demon to supply the power. It was shitty with pour power conversion rates and the demon was weak in the first place so you couldn’t use it much per day with a long recharge period. But it was protected from holy magic being a kids toy and all” \n\nThe warlock looked inquisitively. “Your right. In fact Prismos is that same demon as I got older I did a little research on my own and learned to speak basic demonic. I made a temporary pact he gives me energy for spells and a large portion of the power I gain from hunting monsters goes to him. Eventually he decided to become a reflection demon and taught me specialized water and light magic so he could help with the bigger fights. And there are more reflection demons but very few lowest demons like Prismos that started as a children’s toy even last long enough due to the child moving on to even get stronger. Now Prismos is the strongest.” \n\nAs I left the building I remembered a yet untouched dungeon and told the Warlock to come with me for their payment and bring a hand mirror. \n\n“Where are we going?” He asked “we are going to anew dungeon” it’s filled with gold and treasure it’s home to a Warlock litch so your light magic may work as a weak version of holy magic since it stems from the same place. And you can use create water yes? Well if you can use the spell “create water add element holy, spell creation create holy water” you can use that on the undead and we will plunder everything out from there you half will be your payment.” “Will there be a tome pf knowledge?” “ Even better. Specialized knowledge that will teach you a very constricted set of knowledge but with a lot more efficiency. And there is a library full of them along with some normal ones but the litch already maxed out it’s skills since the undead don’t grow. However they are still very powerful so don’t get cocky.”",
"\"I know you're wondering why I called you here\" The Warlock began. \"I just wanted to discuss some complications with the spell. Please, do have some tea.\" he gestured whilst reaching to drink his own. \n\n\"Complications?\" Marcus said with a grin, \"complications are bad things Doc, this is a blessing. I can take any degree, get any job, do *anything.* You do not understand what you've done for me and I am so grateful\".\n\nThe Warlock nervously chuckles. \"Marcus, first of all, I'm not a doctor, I'm a Warlock. A being bestowed with an immense level of power and control. Secondly, it is *you* who does not seem to understand. I have given you something that no one should ever possess. I evidently used a flawed text in the making of the potion and the dosa-\"\n\n\"Actually, your dosages were all correct, you just misunderstood that, with time, one of the ingredients becomes increasingly more powerful and potent.\" Marcus interrupted.\n\n\"How could you know that?\" The Warlock said as a small look of fear creeped into his face. \n\n\"Simple really. See the thing about magic texts, they aren't all that secret. The modern era has encouraged of resource sharing that no one could have ever anticipated. All those secret little books and sacred texts are now immortalised online, collected by believers and promoted by fools who think 'it's just so cool to think about what it would be like to do magic, y'know'. Ugh, children. It's simple Doc, sorry not Doc. \n\nLock? Yeah. \n\nAnyway, it's simple Lock, with my now infinite wisdom, I realised that I am constantly at danger of the power I have being manipulated or threatened. So I read everything I could, didn't take that long given the way I can digest information now. So I speed-read everything I can find, figured how this blessing occurred and reassured myself to have contingencies.\"\n\nMarcus' face was now much more stoic than it had been previously. The face of a man who since being imbued with the power of knowledge now realised how important he was or at least how important he believed to be. \n\n\"No contingency can help you Marcus, unfortunately no level of skim-reading can teach you magic either. Your attempt to be imposing is nothing but a true display of how childish you really are. Had you been more thorough you'd have likely seen a name across some of those texts. My name. Nu Zayth Telorak. Master Warlock for the ages. Now, it is with a heavy heart that I do this but I am reversing the effects of the po-\"\n\nThe Warlock froze. Eyes still moving, frantically so, sweat beading but all else of his body was frozen still. \n\nMarcus smiles. \"I did see your name Lock, saw it a lot. Hell of a number you did on a lot of people. I figure getting rid of you the way you did every other magic user would be almost heroic. I admit though, my intentions are very selfish. If you're wondering how I bested you in magic, I didn't. Times change Lock, science changes and develops and eventually, without you realising, it can do almost magical things; paralysis, for example.\" \n\nMarcus begins to walk over to The Warlock brandishing a syringe. \n\n\"You are right, power can make fools of men and whether you like it or not, you are a man like me. The difference is, you made me smarter. You feel it? In the back of your head, that question, that nagging thought 'what did I get wrong in the potion?!'. \n\nYou.\n\nYou got *you* wrong. Hilarious that a man with such pretentious ego wouldn't ever consider that the absorption of other magical beings to strengthen himself would also have adverse on his magical blood. A small drip for the potion would have been all that was needed, if you were a standard, safe, run of the mill Warlock in training. Your blood now though, WOO! Hell of a caffeine kick. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI need more of it. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nSee, I figured I can synthesize the exact same thing. All these potions, they aren't magic. It's Chemistry. Science unknown to the masses but hidden to you few people in cloaks. I'm going to change that. Synthesize and distribute, not massively but enough to start making some real change. That change starts with you.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMarcus plunges the syringe into The Warlock's neck.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You'll be unconscious soon enough, whispered into a sleep which you will never wake from. I can't really allow you to live because; well, you've already tried to stop me and I need a certain quantity of blood from you to keep this going. Like I said though, the change does start with you. I named it after you to forever act as an acknowledgement of the source and the unfortunate hubris that led to your downfall. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nNu Zayth Telorak seemed a bit of a mouthful though. I'm thinking something shorter, snappier, scientific. \n\nSo thank you Nu Zayth Telorak for allowing the birth of something truly great...\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe Warlock's body is released from it's paralytic state. He gasps for air. His face flushed red and a monstrous cry leaps out from his voice. So much life in the briefest of moments, followed by the collapse of his entire body. Marcus grins at the man who bestowed him everything and sees his future laying brightly ahead. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"...NZT.\""
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[WP] All alien species other than humans are silicon based. This has lead to alien ambassadors not realising that we are the so called “humans” that they have been sent to talk to.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"They thought our radio and IT content was produced by beings like them. When they actually met us,, it was uncomfortable. They called us \"thinking meat\" - \"ghost meatbags\" and a variety of other such insults.. At first we used to be so annoyed. Don't discriminate against meat!\n\nBut then we realized that while we might be slower, we had some real advantages.\n\nLogarithmic senses instead of digital ones was one of the first advantages- simply speaking in a whisper and then yelling loudly was so unpredictable and scales of magnitude different that we learned to use their periods of confusion to catch up. The ambassadors never saw it coming.\n\nOur ability to think so differently is what ultimately allowed us to ascend to the position we had.\n\nEmulating our thought patterns felt so wrong to the Machine Intelligences but allowed us to export our music and fiction. The royalties alone guaranteed the Human race at least the ability to not work unless we wanted to. We had the best negotiations because those poor MI ambassadors had never dealt with IP from our perspective. \n\nBut we were as surprised as the machine intelligences when the dolphins cut in front and stole our market. Sure we have niche exports but the sonic dreams of the ceteceans are more complex than our products.\n\nSo, back to the fish farm - at least the dolphins pay well. The dolphin's ambassador needs some tuna before the next set of negotiations."
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[WP] A dog walked over to the woman on the bench. 'Woof woof', it said. She turned to look. 'Woof woof woof,' went the dog. Then 'Woof woof woof woof woof.' The woman smiled. 'It's almost like you know the prime numbers!' The dog wagged his tail and barked seven times.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The woman scratched the dog behind the ears.\n\n“And such a cutie!” she exclaimed. “Well I know just what to do with you!” She scooped the dog up under her arm and marched out of the park.\n\nThree days later, the dog constructed a new proof for Fermat’s Last Theorem that could be conveyed with only 1267 woofs (while not the unit used to measure the length of the original proof, 1267 comes out quite well in comparison). \n\nA week later, the dog gave a compelling performance in London as Hamlet. The audience woofed in enthusiastic ovation.\n\nTwo woofs later, the dog was named Un Immortel at the Académie Française, and significantly simplified the French language by woof of increased use of woofs, and decreased use of letters which are not pronounced.\n\nWoof woofs later, the dog was woofed Secretary General of the woof.\n\nWoof woof woof woof woof!"
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[WP] The court mage and the court jester got into the fight. The king didn't stop them because he thought seeing the jester lose miserably would be funny. The jester won.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"# Spells and Pun-ishment\n\n\"What is happening?!\" Vexthan the Marvelous screamed.\n\n\"What is happening?!\" The scared King yelled over a terrified Royal Hall.\n\n\"*This* is happening!\" Abe Bel the Jester howled. \"I'm not kidney-ing around any more!\"\n\nThen he donkey punched Vexthan right between his ribs and hip.\n\nSix feet of sneering, black-robed court wizard doubled over and hit the polished marble floor with a scream of agony. His staff stayed upright all by itself, presiding magically over the writhing spellslinger. Nobles in the upper seating area of the Hall wince and *ooh*ed in sympathy. At least one cheered-- probably Earl Fauntney, one of the wizard's frequent political rivals.\n\nAbe took a victory lap around the royal dais, colored gloves raised in fists of triumph. The bells woven into his gaudy outfit tinkled with every step like a personal victory song. He never missed a step, even when hopping over smoking craters in the floor or dodging evil, mobile black ooze. \"Annnnnd the score is now three to *nothing*, my Royal viewers! Looks like the egg is on the other face, now! The yolk's on *you*, Hax-Than!\"\n\nNobody knew what that meant.\n\nThe King nervously rose to His feet, eyes tracking magical flames and spell damage to the court. When he'd agreed to the fight this wasn't what He had in mind. \"Ahem. Ha, hum. I think, by Royal decree, this duel is now decided in favor of-\"\n\n\"*Acaracecar thumbfeelius*!\"\n\nBoiling green oil launched across the room, missing the King by a whisker and smashing straight into a victory-posing Abe. The jester rocketed backwards with a \"woof!\", hit the polished wood over the visiting dignitary's section and cartwheeled out of sight in an explosion of wood chips and merrily tinkling bells.\n\nVexthan wasn't done. Still on his knees he thrust both hands into the air, fingers like claws. \"*Monsanto!*\" A chunk of floor the size of a horse ripped upwards, levitating on pure magical will. Fingers inverted in a throwing motion. \"*Pepsuh cahla!*\"\n\nA literal ton of expensive, gold-inlaid marble shot downwards like the world's priciest trebuchet shot. Wood, chairs and several of the slowest foreign diplomats instantly became collateral damage. Chunks of stone flew everywhere at speed rivalling crossbow bolts, taking out more of the shocked crowd.\n\nThe Court Wizard snatched up his staff and limped forward to inspect the remains. Blazing red eyes picked through debris, looking for a hint of chequered cloth, a single silver bell, perhaps the torn remains of a floppy hat. Anything at all to confirm the demise of his unexpectedly skillful challenger.\n\n\"Hey, Beard-o! Wanna go back to farming?\"\n\nThe wizard whirled, staff raised towards the taunting voice. \"What?!\"\n\nA sequin covered shoe slammed upwards into his crotch, the tiny bell on the tip jingling merrily. \"Here's a couple of ache-ers!\"\n\nVexthan screamed and dropped the staff again, both hands latched onto the offending foot. Wizard and jester fell to the floor in a rolling heap, dark robes and bright colors alternating as they fought. The battle went across the ravaged Hall in fits and starts, punctuated by puns, swears and the occasional incantation.\n\n\"Get an eye full!\"\n\n\"Filthy fop-wearing fool!\"\n\n\"I can't ear you!\"\n\n\"*Gasseous explosivius!*\"\n\n\"Fart jokes are for amateurs!\"\n\nThe King saw His chance and took it, making for a partially-destroyed side door with an almost unbecoming speed. The audience sections around the hall did the same, all decorum lost and trampling each other for a faster exit. Legendary family grudges were born that day, both underfoot and alongside the most survival-minded of shovers.\n\nNeither of the combatants below took notice. This literal battle royale had been a long time coming and now, with the gloves off, both parties threw down their worst.\n\nVexthan clawed black nails across Abe's face, going for his eyes. The jester turned his head at the last moment, retaliating with an elbow that left the mage choking on a spasming throat. A choke that turned into a gutteral scream as he sank teeth into a purple-and-green collar and shook like a dog with a rat.\n\nAbe hollered and rolled, using superior leverage to kick both feet in a speed-drummer's riff across Vexthan's injured ribs until at least one cracked. \"Got the *beat*, powder snorter?!\"\n\nA set of knuckles caught him in the eye. \"*Fist*!\"\n\nThe jester flailed through a half-turn, hitting the ground with a comical ringing of bells and both eyes crossed. But his mouth still moved, mostly on automatic. \"Did you just *cast* a *punch*?\"\n\nVexthan rolled the other way, wheezing around injured ribs. \"It was arcane.\"\n\n\"Wasn't.\"\n\n\"Was.\"\n\nBoth slowly got to their feet, three strides apart and glaring hard enough to set things on fire. Which was rapidly becoming a concern-- some of the earlier flames were starting to really catch on with the banners hanging from every wall. If the hall ceiling wasn't so high smoke inhalation might have decided the battle already.\n\nSomething small, evil and sludgy tried to crawl onto Abe's foot. He kicked it off again. \"You always were a fake, Victor.\"\n\n\"It's *Vexthan*, clown. I cast that other name aside after Ritual Academy.\" He smiled nastily, red eyes peering through smeared eyeliner. \"Imagine my surprise to find who the court *fool* was when I came back. Was 'Abe Bel' the best pun you could think of, *Arthur*?\"\n\n\"Puns aren't supposed to be *good*. That's why they're *funny*.\"\n\n\"Says the family failure.\"\n\nCheerfully dyed gloves split at the knuckles as Abe clenched both hands. \"Toothless says what.\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\nA chunk of thrown marble hit Vexthan in the mouth a moment later, followed by an enraged younger brother. He just managed to turn on a heel, throwing them both through the flaming remains of the royal throne and off the other side of the dais onto the stairs. They rolled down each step, exchanging ugly punches and reversing advantages with every thump.\n\nAbe ended up on top, colorful ass firmly seated and throwing floppy-sleeved punches as fast as he could talk. Bells tinkled merrily with every swing.\n\n\"This is for-\" Whack, jingle.\n\n\"-leaving me-\" Ting-aling-a-ling.\n\n\"-on a dirt farm!\" Crunch. A tooth skittering away to the sound of ringing.\n\nVexthan bucked hard, bony hips and a loose black robe sliding just enough to get a leg out for balance. His brother yelled and lost his spot as they reversed. Now the wizard was on top, his carefully oiled and trimmed beard a wild spray of kinked hairs as he threw haymakers.\n\n\"You think I *wanted* to stay?!\" Smack.\n\n\"All I ever thought of was leaving!\" A silly jongleur's hat went flying, tiny bells forlornly rattling on stone.\n\n\"There was nothing left!\" Whack, smack. \"Uh, *Abra-cadapunch!*\"\n\nBeing hatless made Abe's unexpected headbutt hurt even more. Vexthan reeled backwards from the blow, blood leaking from a broken nose. The abused jester helped him go with a solid front kick to the breastbone that briefly made the thinner man airborne. \"Have a nice flight!\"\n\nSomething broke far above them as fire greedily ate into ceiling joists. It was an arsonist's paradise up there as heat landed on hundreds of years of dust, molted feathers and spiderwebs. Greedy flames raced through it all almost as fast as a man could run.\n\nNeither enraged combatant spent a moment glancing up, even as cinders fell like smoking rain around them.\n\nAbe was first on his feet, both eyes rapidly swelling shut and scratches all over his face. \"I was left.\"\n\n\"What?\" Vexthan was having a harder time getting upright. A decorative wooden stand became his personal leaning post.\n\n\"On the farm. I was there. You left, I stayed. You have any idea how bad it was?\" He spit to one side, a red streamer of blood and pieces of cheek. \"Damn near starved. Had to put sawdust in the bread to make it through the first winter.\"\n\n\"Lies. I sent money.\" But he looked troubled, red eyes dimming.\n\n\"With who?\"\n\n\"Jack Dryers. The market porter. And some letters.\"\n\nAbe started a laugh that devolved into painful coughing. \"You sent money, and letters, with the town drunk? And you never checked on it?\"\n\n\"He gave assurances.\" Vexthan pulled himself upright through sheer force of will, face twisting as broken ribs ground together in his chest. \"I believed him trustworthy.\"\n\n\"Well, brother, I guess there's one final joke there.\"\n\n\"And that is?\" Part of the roof collapsed, smashing into the floor in a cloud of burning wood. Smoke rolled across the floor like an evil wave.\n\nAbe took an unsteady step forward, fists slowly coming up.\n\n\"You don't know Jack.\""
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[WP] A team of scientists travels back in time to observe dinosaurs in their natural time period and ecosystem. None of their plans accounted for the monsters that left no trace in the fossil record.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Squadron leader, please respond. Over\"\n\n\"Check HQ, make it quick. Over\"\n\n\"We've picked up something, or somethings maybe, we aren't sure. They seem to be heading your way from the south east, tell us what you see. Over \"\n\n\"All clear here. Over\" \n\n\"We'll keep monitoring, stay sharp. Over\"\n\n\"Roger. Over\"\n\nSquadron leader James Reece listened to the radio hiss out into silence. He didn't like the way HQ seemed a bit on edge, but everything seemed fine here, as calm as a summer's day could be.\n\nHe stood and took stock of his team, he caught eye of Lt Drake and motioned him over to where he stood under a tree. \n\n\"Take a team of 4 men and do a quick check around the camp.\"\n\nDrake looked up at this \" you suspect trouble?\"\n\nReece let out a huff \" we should all expect trouble, this place is as alien as any planet we've visited, can only help to be safe. Go.\"\n\nDrake gathered the men and left into the surrounding forest, with the failing sunlight leading them into the complete unknown. The scene seemed surreal to Reece.\n\nAn hour swept by, when rustling could be heard echoing through trees. Reece stood to attention and his team followed suit. \n\nThe sound seemed to orbit the camp, the sun had gone over the mountain line and the setting was growing eerie. Whispers could be heard from the team, some monstrous Dino coming to dine on us.\n\n\"Shut it.\" Reece whispered \n\nSilence. Somehow this was worse, and just as it felt like the air was about to snap, Drake and his team stepped out of the bramble.\n\nThere was a short hesitation from the team, maybe it was nerves, but something felt off. \n\nDrake broke the tension, \"All clear Sir\"\n\nThe team let out their breaths and went back to their stations\n\nReece called Drake aside, \"good, settle the camp. This place is finally getting to us, maybe it's because it's our last night, but everyone's on edge. I'll check into HQ.\"\n\n\"Got it sir\" Drake nodded and walked into the camp. \n\nReece took the temporal-comunicator out if his pocket.\n\n\"HQ, checking in. Over\"\n\n\"Check Squad leader. Status? Over\"\n\n\"Everyone's a little on edge, but otherwise clear. Any more info on that somethings? Over\"\n\n\"Gone, seemed to just vanish about 15 minutes ago. Any activity there? Over\"\n\n\"Negative HQ, just can't wait to get back home. Over\"\n\n\" We'll see you soon Squad leader, be safe. Over. \"\n\n\"Roger. Over.\"\n\nReece walked to his tent after checking the camp and layed down for a fitful sleep. His men woke him up what felt like a moment later.\n\nThe camp was packed in an hour and they set off to their destination. The temporal rift they came through was about two hours away at the base of The Dragon Mountain. \n\nThe men had little to say, their minds were on families, and homes. Reece also imagined the men were craving a good night's rest, not being on edge.\n\nWhen the arrived, there was a team waiting for them. After a quick debrief of the mission and any other details they had found note worthy.\n\nOne by one they left through the rift, Reece seeing each of them off. Drake was next, Reece joined him as he walked towards the platform supporting the rift. \n\n\"You alright lieutenant?\" Reece tried to catch his attention but Drake just walked, and he was gone.\n\nCome to think of it, Reece thought, noone who went on the patrol last night had said anything the whole day... Nah, he thought, he's just fatigued and not remembering straight. \n\nHe tried to ignore it, but he heard HQ in the back of his mind... \"Seemed to just vanish about 15 minutes ago\"... Just before they walked into the camp. \n\nReece walked to the rift, unknowns rushing through his mind, he took a step into it, hoping he was wrong. \n\nLight flashes and then dimmed to a deep darkness. Slowly light began to seep through and before Reece knew it, he was walking onto the platform on earth. Back home, he thought. A euphoria rushed through him as the thought flowed through his mind, but turned to a bitter dread as his eyes met the ground.\n\nThe bodies of his soldiers all strewn across the floor. He could see the bodies of the scientists and assistants lying among them, horror on their faces.\n\nHe stumbled forward, tripped on a limb and landed on the body of Drake. Up close he looked husked out, as if he was somehow hollow. He fought the body away from him with terror. \n\nHe ended up with his back against the stairs of the platform, and something told him to look up.\n\nThe last thought that echoed through his mind was a prayer for humanity, that someone may protect the world from the monsters they have released upon it.",
"Dinosaurs, beasts beyond our own imagination. Creatures so strange yet so familiar. Everyone knows a T-Rex, people love Triceratopses.\n\nOne day we had finally succeeded on something thought to be only achievable in books and movies, we had achieved time travel.\n\nWe decided to start where dreams started, with the dinosaurs. We sent a group of scientists back to study them in their natural environment.\n\nWe don’t know what exactly happened but we did manage to find a journal of one of the scientists.\n\nDay 1\nWe’ve done it, humanity has achieved the unthinkable. We’ve time travelled and seen real, actual dinosaurs. They’re beautiful, better than any movie could make them out to be. Research on them has just begun but I can only imagine how modern-day humanity would react to our findings.\n\nDay 2\nWe’ve been wrong about everything. The food chain, the dinosaurs weren’t at the top. There’s something out there in the woods and it sure isn’t friendly. I mean what kind of beast can kill three Tyrannosaurus in just one night, and that silently? The bodies were a mess as well, blood and organs thrown around all over, it was disgusting to look at.\n\nDay 3\nIt found us. Whatever killed those Tyrannosaurus got Micheal while we slept. The sight was disgusting, his rib cage was almost backwards. We’re leaving, I don’t care what the contract said.\n\nAnd so that was the end of the journal, of course he never did come back. We found this journal in an Egyptian pyramid, it was held as something holy it seems, either that or as a warning.\n\nWe have few clues on what it could be but after the time travel we found strange symbols popping up throughout history. It was some kind of eye with three pupils.\n\n\n“Hello? Is this working? I know no one’s going to find this but it helps to at least show the camera what’s after us. It’s near us now, I can hear it.”\nIn the video was what appeared to be some sort of scientist, he had a name tag that read Henry. He was tall and skinny with brown hair and glasses. He was wearing a camouflage vest as well.\n“Look I don’t have much time, my name is Henry. The thing that’s trying to kill me seems to have a passion for dinosaur hunting, it doesn’t eat them, just kills them. It seems that it wants humans too. To whoever you send back next make sure ther- ahhhhhhh!”\nThe man screamed out in pain as his ribcage turned inside out. A strange pitch-black beast came from out of thin air. It stared into the camera and spoke english in a deep voice.\n“You send interference. We are hunting escaped. You must stop sending interference.”\nIf you looked behind it you could see a strange orb in the sky, it looked like an eye with three pupils. It suddenly began to approach earth, looking almost like a meteor.",
"Are you afraid of dinosaurs?\r \n\r \nThey were big, scary, and most likely took a lot of food to fill their stomachs. \r \n\r \nSo why wouldn't you?\r \n\r \nWell, the first team of scientists to travel back in time could only describe them as cute, even after having gone through the dreadful experience of having it's most prominent member eaten in a single bite by a Tyrannosaurus.\r \n\r \nWe only knew of this, of course, thanks to the relact of the only scientist that got back alive from that expedition — doctor Antony Bell.\r \n\r \nDoctor Antony's account of the situation was very detailed, but, humanity as a species only discovered the extent of the invisible threat after his book telling how every scientist was killed one by one by those hideous brain eating worms that were found in every source of fresh water in those ancient times.\r \n\r \nHis book took only a week to become the best selling of the century and Doctor Antony made more money with it than he had made all his life as a scientist.\r \n\r \nThe mass panic that it created on the population allowed some authoritarian governments to take the umbeveble measure of detonating atomic bombs in Antarctica to prevent any possibility of global warming causing the release of this kind of parasite on the environment.\r \n\r \nOf course, in that same year, and after billions of dollars spent, extensive research was made that proved that it was impossible for any living being to survive that much time in the ice to be a threat these days.\r \n\r \nAfter a lot of international sanctions and some good years of heated debates, the world got back to its normal state and everyone forgot about those brain eating parasites.\r \n\r \nAfter countless movies on the topic, and years of development of a kind of space suit that could keep a human alive for 30 days without the need of undressing, another expedition had been prepared.\r \n\r \nOn the day of their time travel, the world woke up to the news of doctor Antony suicide.\r \n\r \nA week of tears for the fallen hero from people all over the world, and many countries declaring that day as a holliday was the closest thing humanity ever got to achieve mundial peace.\r \n\r \nThe darkest week was how it was named in the history book that followed.\r \n\r \nBut that was not because of the death of a fallen hero.\r \n\r \nIt was because of what the other expedition told when they came back.\r \n\r \nNineteen dead scientists had been found in the exact place Doctor Antony had told them.\r \n\r \nAs for the cause of death.\r \n\r \nNothing but Gunshots.\r\n\r \nTurns out that the reason why the monster that had killed them all couldn't be found anywhere in the fossil record was very simple.\r \n \r \nIt could travel time.\r \n\r \n\\[A prompt per day 2022 challenge: 5/365\\]"
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[WP] Medusa's eyesight has been fading and she needs prescription glasses. The last 3 eye doctors have been solidified, now there is 1 patient in the waiting room and your receptionist seems to be staying very, very still...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Beth, could you send in my next appointment please?\"\n\nSilence greeted me. It was weird, as she normally gave an affirmative over the intercom. I shrugged it off as her having an off day. We all had them, and I know she had taken the news badly. Three Optometrists disappearing was unheard of.\n\nI waited for a while, reading through the form that had been filled out online. An older lady, call Megan. Experiencing difficulty seeing details further away. A relatively common complaint for me.\n\nAfter five minutes passed, I called her again.\n\n\"Beth? Are you there?\"\n\nThe other end was completely silent. I narrowed my eyes, standing up. This had better not be an ill-timed prank. I was in no mood for such things. I walked with purpose to the waiting room, expecting her to jump out. But I could see her sitting at her desk through the frosted glass.\n\nI opened the door, blinking in shock. In her seat was a perfectly carved statue of her. But she held a frightened expression, which felt all too natural.\n\n\"Beth?\"\n\nI moved over, gently touching the stone. It was warm, almost skin temperature. I glanced around the room. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but certainly not a woman in a long dress. Her head was covered in a shawl, which seemed to move slightly.\n\n\"Are you my optician?\"\n\nI shook my head at the question. It was a bit surprising, given the circumstances. But something about her compelled me to answer her.\n\n\"Ms Gordon?\"\n\n\"Thats me.\"\n\n\"I am then. My name is Julian Head. I will be right with you. I don't suppose you know where my receptionist has gone?\"\n\nShe slowly stood. I couldn't see her face. It was strange, that even in the bright light her face was obscured by shadow from the shawl.\n\n\"She is there. I am sorry. I didn't mean to.\"\n\n\"You didn't mean to what?\"\n\nThe side of it twitched, and a small snakes head emerged.\n\n\"I can turn her back, but not like this.\"\n\nAgain, a compulsion blew through my mind. I had to help her.\n\n\"Of course. Right this way.\"\n\nI led her to my examination room. She followed without question, sitting in my indicated chair.\n\n\"Can you take your shawl off for me please?\"\n\nHer hands moved up, before stopping at the edges.\n\n\"I will do, but I have to say something first. Please, whatever you do don't look into my eyes.\"\n\nThat was a very odd request.\n\n\"Um, that might be a little hard if I am to examine you properly. Can I ask why?\"\n\nShe sighed.\n\n\"My real name is Medusa. Yes, the one from legends. No, I don't particularly relish the idea of turning people to stone. But sometimes it happens. I can turn people back, but I need to be able to focus at a greater distance, which I can't do at the moment.\"\n\n\"I... see.\"\n\nI didn't, and it sounded crazy. But that feeling crept up again, to believe her. And once again, I couldn't stop it.\n\n\"Well, I will do my best. But please, take it off and we can begin.\""
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[WP] You were born with the ability to have any question you ask once a day answered. The answer appears as letters in front of you that only you can see for one minute. One day you ask "What could cause the end of the world?" Instead of letters there is an arrow pointing forward and a text "23m"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I stood there for a minute trying to analyze what I was seeing. I wasn’t sure if I should go check it out or not, it was only 23m away. The strange thing is that the arrow was pointing towards the living room, *what could possibly be there?*\n\nI gathered my courage, got out to the large hallway, and started heading slowly towards the living room. I could hear my heart beat with every step I took as if it was going to explode. Sweat ran abundantly down my face. Knees shaking intensely I felt I was going to collapse. I watched the number as it decreased every second. *15m* *11m* *7m* *3m*. \n\nI peeked in the living room to see my little sister sitting on the couch, playing with her iPad. *2m* *1m* *0m*.\n\nI was now standing right in front of her, and what shocked me is that the arrow was pointing straight at her iPad. \n\nOur brains are slowly getting eaten...\n\nr/JavaWrites"
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[WP] Vancouver has been used as a movie set for so many other cities they've all started warping together. It's possible to enter a Café in Vancouver and leave in Seattle.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Wanna have a coffee?\"\n\nIt's 8 am in the morning, and you are standing in a cafe in Vancouver. It was a set for your favourite movie. The movie has many sequels and spinoffs, but you like the scenes in the cafe the best. You want to make your coffee last, so you spend about five minutes sipping it down. When the coffee is finished, an unusual guest arrives.\n\n\"Did you drive here without telling me?\" You couldn't understand why he'd make a two-hour drive here. And perfectly time it just as you were finishing your coffee.\n\n\"Drive? I'm here in Seattle.\"\n\nYou go outside and find out that it is named \"Emerald City Cafe\". Exactly how it was in the movie.\n\n\"I was in Vancouver a few minutes ago.\"\n\n\"Really?\"\n\n\"Yeah.\"\n\nA boy comes out of the cafe. You realize it is your best friend.\n\n\"Hey Lucas, the craziest thing just happened to me. I was in Vancouver, but then when i finished my coffee, I walked out and realized I was in Seattle!\" he says.\n\n\"Same,\" you say.\n\n\"What's going on? By the way, he's my cousin.\" the unusual guest says.\n\nYou realize you've forgotten that he's your cousin. Maybe you had a brain fart.\n\n\"Can you drive us back to Seattle?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTwo months later, your nerdy friend tells you that a paper has been published about the quantum physics of movie-reality superposition. You chuckle at the thought of scientists standing in a cafe for some reason.\n\n\"Oh we discovered that.\" you say.\n\n\"We caught the whole 'teleportation' thing on camera.\" you say.\n\nYou and your nerdy friend watch the footage. \"See for yourself.\""
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[WP] You have the breathtaking power to turn anything you touch into pure gold. The only requirement to succeed doing so is that you need to hold your breath until the tranformation is complete. If your ability is ever interrupted you instead slowly start turning into gold yourself.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Like most meta humans, my power manifest at puberty. By holding my breath, I can change anything I touch into gold. The catch? I must hold my breath until said transformation is complete. Interrupted, I'll slowly turned into gold myself. Learnt that the hard way during the...incident.\n\nAt first I use my power to make quick bucks. Changing pebbles and small rocks into gold and pawn them off. It didn't take long for those with powers to notice me though, and I didn't exactly cover my tracks or anything. I was just a dumb kid back then, what do I know? The harsh reality of my power and potentials hits me hard that fateful Friday night, when the Tri Horn Syndicate pay a visit to my home to recruit me.\n\nI watch with terror when one of them held my mother up by her neck, demanding either I do this the easy way or the hard way. Apparently, I took too long to answer and the villain snapped my mother's neck and throw her body to the side. I ran to her, screaming and crying my eyes out, but it's too late. When the villain grab me, I use my power in anger on him. However, I ran out of breath before his lower body turn into gold, and my right arm start to change into gold itself. Another villain came to the conclusion and cut the gold villain in two, allowing my power to fully change the upper body fully to gold and my own transformation to stop. That's the last I remembered before they knock me out. \n\n(I'll add part 2 later!)"
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[WP] Never thought I’d see the day....Lord Lucifer crying over the grave of a human, who would’ve thought it
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"People didn't understand why I wept over the grave.\n\nThey only saw Joseph Darkness, CEO of Future Technological Solutions - a highly successful renewable conglomerate.\n\nWhat they didn't know, is that I was also the Great Lord, Satan, The Tempter. And that this grave was the grave of my son. And I wept for the first *true* emotion I had felt since my Fall.\n\n/ / / / / /\n\n*He had been watching Damien (named after the character from* The Omen, *interestingly enough). He had watched onwards, as the plane tried to land - the first time he had seen his son in around 5 years, from the concourse at the airfield.*\n\n*A bird, taking curious diversion from its flight path, gets caught up in the engine of the plane, causing a sudden tumble. He looked on in abject horror as the plane smashed into the ground and the flames engulfed him.*\n\n/ / / / / /\n\nI turned away from the grave, to feel a sense of serenity wash through me. I almost sobbed again, but I pulled myself together. I knew it wasn't me, so....\n\n\"Hello, Father.\" The old rage had burned to embers long since - being a Ruler, after all, has its perks. But embers though they were, in my grief I displayed an edge to my voice.\n\nHe spoke, the cadence of the calming preacher flowing through. \"DEAREST SON, I KNOW THIS IS PAINFUL FOR YOU. I AM HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU, AND YOUR PARTNER, ARE WELCOME ANY TIME YOU NEED, TO SEE YOUR SON.\n\n\"IT ISN'T MUCH, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, BUT KNOW THIS; I THANK YOU, AND I WISH YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN TO HAVE THE BEST CONTACT.\"\n\nI took a moment to consider His words, searching them for any concealed meanings. Then....wait a second.\n\n\"What do you mean *children*, Father?\"",
"\"Never thought I'd see the day....Lord Lucifer crying over the grave of a human, who would've thought\" a voice sneered behind him. It cut deep into the soul of the supernatural beeing leaning over a simple grave. \"Shut your mouth, and keep the rotten words inside. You don't know what you are talking about.\" No, indeed, they didn't. They thought the Lord of Darkness had no heart. That it had been replaced by a frozen block of ice. \n\nBut there it was. His heart. Beating and pumping blood. And bleading. From a thousand little cuts and bruises. Spliced open by a blade mightier than every weapon under the sky: grief. A grief so indomitable ever he could shed tears. They fell from his face and dropped like little sparkling diamonds onto the cold stone below. \"Why are you even crying, Lord? You'll be able to visit her in hell.\" Oh, if only the speaker knew of the foolishness of his words. \"She's not there.\" The once strong voice of Lucifer was reduced to a silent whisper. \"Well then, visit her in heaven! Lord, you're forgetting your own powers.\" The speaker grew louder now, almost angry about the weakness of the Lord before him. \"Tell me that at least she lived a horrible life. A life so bad even you can't help but feel sorry. At least you'll make sense.\"\n\n The Lord shook is head. No, her life hadn't been bad. Not great either. It had been a simple life of work and hardship. But it had been a happy life, filled with the joy of small things. If you looked at it that way, he almost couldn't understand his own grief. Still it was there, gnawing at his soul, eating it away and leaving only an empty shell. He wasn't crying for a lost soul. He was crying for way bigger things. He was crying for what he owned and what he had achieved. For what he had longed and what he had dismissed. For hopes dreams and promises. Not just his. He was griefing for every little soul's memories, happy and sad. He mourned their past and their present. And he lamented at their future. For only he saw the importance of this uncarved stone in a graveyard of stones. By all others overlooked and ignored he knew the doom it would bring about this world. It would bring death to everything known until this day. It meant the end of past, present and future, good, bad and neutral, heaven, hell and earth. And so he wept. And his tears fell unto the stone. Unseen by so many, unregarded by even more."
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[WP] You wake up in a lucid dream. You spend the time playing with a whole world at your disposal, characters that your mind generates and so on. After a while you feel the weight of time, you've been dreaming for a while. What you don't know is that you're dreaming while being on a deep coma.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Anna woke up from her bed, and as usual, she played fetch with her pet alien, Noelle, and drank some water straight out of the river in her garden with a giant straw. She was aware this wasn't real, but it had been weeks, months, she didn't know how long it had been, so she had learned to accept the absurdity. Her calander flew away like a bird after about 30 seconds of the dream world, and her clocks used their hands to wave. She often spoke to whatever would listen, which turned out to be a lot, when everything is either sentient or food.\n\nShe missed playing with her old family. \n\nHer average day consisted of waking up, eating everything in sight, playing with Noelle, and watching anime. Of course, the anime was just one episode on repeat, because that's what she was watching in the back of the car when she almost died. She had almost forgotten what the actual plot was, this one episode was her only remnant of reality. She used to watch that series with her big brother every day. She wondered how he was doing. If he was alive.\n\nShe really missed her old family.\n\nShe sat on her rocking horse, (which was actually a centaur who was in a band) and thought about her old life. On January 3rd, she was coming home from a holiday with her extended family. Everyone was singing together, but the driver, Anna mother, tried to join in. Needless to say, it was a fatal mistake.\n\nShe was in devastating mental trauma, all in a dream.\n\nShe spoke to her best friend, James, or, how she imagined him. James was the only person who was both real and dreamed, the only difference was that Dream James had elf ears. This was because his favourite character to play online was an elf. He had bright blue eyes, and always a warm smile. James lived next door in reality, but in the dream, they just lived together. The house was the confines of the dream world, but nothing else was needed. She was fine.\n\nShe couldn't bear the pain of never seeing them again.\n\nTo try to deal with the pain, she imagined James and Noelle were family. Nothing else was necessary. All the food she could ever have wanted was in the fridge. All the toys were just ready to appear. Reality is overrated. This world is right. They could play together, eat together, live together. Nothing could bring them apart.\n\nShe wanted to play with her family, with real hands.\n\nIt had been an insane amount of time. She was truly lost. Years? Decades? She was still trapped in the dream, but her body had aged. She had clearly passed puberty, but anything beyond that was guessing., but she had so much time to think. She could have taught herself anything she wanted by now, but she played with her family. It felt empty, but she was smiling. She could at least think she was happy.\n\nShe missed her world, and She had no doubt she would never go back\n\nOne day, she woke up to an alarm. She had never set an alarm, or even thought of an alarm. Why was it there? \n\nBEEP.... BEEP.... BEEP....\n\nThis felt wrong. The noise was unnerving, like it vibrated through the whole house. It was a sensation she had forgotten.\n\nBEEP.... BEEP.... BEEP....\n\nThe house was crumbling. Noelle was on the floor, unconscious, and James was nowhere to be seen. The walls were collapsing.\n\nBEEP.... BEEP.... BEEP....\n\nEverything went white. She saw two figures, each had a blue splodge on their lower face. Her vision was blurry. She was scared.\n\nBEEP.... BEEP.... BEEP....\n\nAs her vision returned, the figures slowly spoke to each other, and more came into view. Anna couldn't understand, but she could feel. Vividly.\n\nBEEP.... BEEP.... BEEP....\n\nAfter a while, her senses were back to normal, and she could move, but every movement was strained and sore. Anna had forgotten pain. The beeps stopped, and the men in blue walked away, and 3 more figures appeared. One was a handsome young man, with bright blue eyes and a warm smile. One was an old woman in a wheelchair, sobbing uncontrollably.\nThe third was an old man at the foot of the bed, his eyes welling up.\n\n\"Anna... Anna do you hear me?\" Said the old woman, in a damaged, but familiar voice. \"I'm sorry\"\n\nAnna rasped back, her throat dry. \"Who are you....\"\n\nThe woman looked sad, but after a few seconds she spoke. \"Don't you remember us? We are your parents, and this is your best friend... James.\"\n\nAnna's heart skipped a beat. They were all so different. She was scared. She started hyperventilating, and the blue men, who Anna now realised were wearing hospital masks, started fiddling with computers.\n\nShe missed playing with her old family.\n\nShe really missed her old family.\n\nShe was in devastating mental trauma, truly terrified.\n\nShe couldn't bear the pain of never seeing them again.\n\nShe wanted to play with her family, like they used to\n\nShe missed her world, and she had no doubt she would never go back.",
"There's a world where the sunrise is announced with series of magenta gunshots.\n\nThe paths the bullets take, slashes of crimson erupting through the great body are the Streams. Sources of perpetual motion for those who inhabit the great construct that is the Body. They're a simple people, homesteading on the lands of skin and pools of blood. \n\nI've spent micro-millennia's imagining the stories they tell about their creation and the grand and mysterious Body that arches over them. They think of it as I do the earth underneath its feet. Perhaps they wonder at the distant darkness beyond, if there's anything else out there like I do at the stars above me. \n\nThere's a bullet boring into my skull. \n\nIt's slow. Too slow. \n\nSomething's went wrong with the mental processing unit. It's limiter has been removed, and I'm fairly certain it's scorching my grey matter. That's probably where the increasing amounts of rainbow colors are coming from.\n\nIt's been perhaps twenty million years since the bullets hit me. The vision in my left eye distorted over the first seven and went fully dark perhaps three later. My optic nerve most likely has been torn to shreds over the next ten - by now the lead is kissing my frontal cortex.\n\nSo there I stand - a dead man, making himself a universe in the meantime.\n\nIt's been perhaps another hundred years since I've observed the People - it takes so long to move an eye.\n\nThey've developed something new, something that they use to ride the Streams. I can see them loop and swoop and dive. A couple fall, disappearing into the darkness and dying long of starvation before they see that the bottom of the world is Roman-style cobbles. They're causalities for a great expansion, as the People spread over an arm the size of a world.\n\nThey develop Stream-readers and Stream-masters and Stream-sailors. They chart out every eddie and current of the micro-vortices that the bullets leave in their wake. To them, they shift over centuries - to me, too fast to perceive. Great tramways are constructed, spreading their cities far and wide as the millennia wear on.\n\nMy vision in my right is beginning to darken - for the first five hundred years, I think it's some neurological disruption from the bullets vaporizing my grey matter. A bit later - I realize that I'm blinking - an subconscious reaction to a pressure wave.\n\n5 million years later, half my vision is gone. The little civilization has mined all sorts of rare and exotic elements from bullet and bone.\n\n10 million years later, and only a thin sliver of the world passes through to me. Once that sliver closes, that'll be it - there will be nothing left but to wait for everything to stop.\n\nAnd once I do this whole world stops.\n\nSorta like heat-death - a pleasing symmetry.\n\n3 million years later, a crack.\n\n2 million years, a line of pinpricks.\n\n1 million years, a hint of light.\n\nThen the day comes that my lids touch, and my day ends.\n\nI imagine that one of the People comes to say goodbye. I've dreamed her whole life, from start to finish - she's an engineer on one of the great Streamlines. Born in a slum and made her way up to being a stationmaster. Has a wife she loves and five children waiting back home - more in tune with the Body than most. Something she thinks it feels and thinks, and wonders what it thinks of her.\n\nShe stands at the edge of my lid as it closes for the final time.\n\nAnd I see, she is crying, and waving.\n\n*Wait,* I think as darkness takes me. \n\n*I didn't imagine that.*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n*I write all sorts of things over at* /r/The_Alloqium."
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[WP] You're a lich. Difference is, you're not evil, and as a result, you've worked for the royal family for centuries. That is, until some self proclaimed "Hero" bursts in to kill you, for one reason or another.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“So that jar has your heart in it?” Princess Amelie asked. “Can I touch it?”\n\n“Yes, Princess,” I said, carefully taking the clay jar from its stand on the high shelf. Amelie squirmed with anticipation from atop her booster seat of leather-bound tomes. “Consider it part of our anatomy lessons.”\n\n“Did grandma touch it as well?” Amelie asked.\n\nI pulled up the sleeves on my purple robe and taped a skeletal finger to the side of my skull in exaggerated thought. “No, I believe the Queen said it was ‘too icky,’ at the time. Your great-grandfather, on the other hand, tried to take a bite out. You can still see the teeth marks there. Now, observe this cane-shaped tube on the heart. Can you recall the name of this part that carries blood away from–”\n\n“Halt, monster!” One of my bookshelves toppled into the room with a bang, scattering books and dust everywhere. A man with a sword leapt out from the stone passage I’d built behind the bookshelf. Secret entrances are one of the indulgences of my profession. “I’ve come to end your foul reign on these lands!”\n\n“Oh dear.” I would have clucked my tongue, were not in a jar on the shelf. “Did someone put you up to this?”\n\n“Ostrinomas, who is this?” Amelie asked, a worried note in her voice.\n\n“He is leaving, Princess,” I said, floating to stand between the intruder and my charge.\n\n“I am Polluk of Far Oxburrow, and I’ve come to free the royal family from your corrupting influence, you abomination!” Polluk bashed his breastplate with the hilt of his sword, and then pointed it at me.\n\n“Not this conspiracy nonsense again. It goes in cycles, you see, crops up every year like the blue cough,” I explained to the Princess. “Excuse me, Sir Polluk, but as I’ve told every one of you puffed-up knights, I serve the royal family. King Arrit the Second pardoned me for my crimes in exchange for my everlasting fealty to his line. I have my paperwork on that wall there.” Sometimes these intruders would be swayed by the paper with it’s faded but quite intricate royal seal, embossed in gold leaf. Sometimes.\n\n“But then…if the royal family is in cahoots with you,” said Polluk, trying to light the spark of understanding by striking his two brain cells together,”…then they too should be ended!”\n\nPolluk started to swing. The Princess shrieked.\n\nBut his sword never left his hand.\n\nThe last syllable of the incantation of Hargrave’s Holding left my skinless lips. The idiot was frozen in place like a statue.\n\nI knelt down before the Princess. She was putting up a brave front. I patted her gently on the head and spoke to soothe her.\n\n“Very brave, my dear Amelie. You will be a fine Queen to your people,” I said.\n\nAmelie nodded and wiped her eyes. I rose, and turned back to Polluk. For a moment, I contemplated the remorseless energies which fueled my being, energies which could turn this…*hero’s* blood to acid, or smash all of Far Oxburrow to kindling. But it wouldn’t stop the next fool, or the fool after him. Perhaps a different lesson was needed. Besides…it wouldn’t do to traumatize young Amelie.\n\n“A benefit of Hargrave’s Holding,” I said, resuming my instructional tone, “is it leaves the victim with control of their eyes, as you can see here with our subject Polluk. Oh, do try to calm down, sir. Since you insisted on interrupting our lesson, you will now help instruct us.”\n\nI cast the spell for Panlo’s Passing Hand and reached into Polluk’s chest. His eyes rolled in terror as I pulled out his still beating heart. The Princess looked on, fascinated.\n\n“Now,” I said, pointing at Polluk’s throbbing heart, “can you recall the name of this part that carries blood away from the heart?”\n\n“The aorta!” the Princess shouted.\n\n“Very good, Princess.”\n\nA whimper escaped from Polluk’s paralyzed lips. “Don’t worry,” I told him. “I’ll put it back when we’re done.”"
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[WP] "Escape attempt detected! 'Humans' please return to the prison world 'Earth' and serve your remaining '5 million years' sentence."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*"
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[WP] In the future, technology to resurrect the recently deceased is quickly criminalized after its invention. Death enforcers like you ensure the dead stay dead. The training may be harsh, but the true test always comes on the job. Always.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Mors Ultima.\n\nA simple, but fitting motto. We knew it off by heart, in fact everyone did. Our job was dark, but necessary. Most people couldn't handle it. Their reason was just they claimed. They should get to live. They will be worth it. I knew that wasn't true. No-one should be brought back.\n\nIn a world where resources were very limited, we had to be strict. Of course we would wish to have those we lost with us again. But those extra mouths would prove our undoing. So the Resurrected had to be put down. They had died once. A second time was the only right thing to do.\n\nI donned my black body armour, feeling it adjust slightly to fit better. It not only protected me from practically all small arms fire and knives, it kept me cool and comfortable when working. A helmet with a full face covering came on last, automatically sealing to my body suit.\n\nI looked at myself in the mirror. Staring back looked much like a stormtrooper, in jet black armour. Over the heart was a small white skull, below which opened a white lily. I gave a nod, as I ran through my mental exercises. I was no longer a civilian. In this, I was a Death Enforcer.\n\nI exited the cubicle, seeing other Enforcers as well. We knew each other at work, but rules stopped us from knowing who we were outside of it. They were for our own protection, as in the past people tried to infiltrate and learn who the enforcers were. After a spree of murders, the rules were put in place.\n\nPart of my display lit up. A raising had been successful. I sighed, knowing what would have to be done. We would find them, and return them to their rest. As for those who had raised them, they would be slapped with fines and community service.\n\nI walked with two others to a waiting van. A driver sat upfront, one of the only people to know where we had to go. Secrecy was rife, to both prevent leaks that would allow retaliation, and to protect us. A set of orders came through. I was to be the Executioner this time. One of my colleagues was the Cleaner, the other the Judge.\n\nAfter a few minutes, the van stopped. I opened the doors, looking around as I exited. A few civilians looked at us in shock, fear and disgust. An understandable look, but one I didn't enjoy. But as I looked around, I felt my heart plummet.\n\nI recognised the house we were outside. I knew the faded red door. I knew the hanging baskets. It was where I had spent much of my childhood. My best friend's family lived there.\n\nBut through the shock, I followed my training. I scanned the area, seeing if any were likely to interfere. But those I saw were older, and unlikely to cause issues. Judge took point, jogging to the door. I followed, with Cleaner at the rear. Judge kicked, his armour augmenting the power to that of a battering ram. A spray of splinters flew through the air, and we were in.\n\nWe pushed in as I heard Christina scream. She was my friends mother, who was a kind, gentle lady. Hearing her in such a state hurt. But I hardened my heart. I had to. There was no other way. We spread out to bring them all together.\n\nIt was immediately obvious who was the Resurrected. Daniel, my friends father was pale. In the screen, he glowed slightly, as the nanites keeping him alive crawled through his veins. Judge held Christina in a vice like grip, and nodded to me.\n\nI gave a swallow, as Daniel looked at me with horror in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak. Perhaps to bargain. I muted my hearing. It wasn't strictly protocol, but I couldn't bear to hear his pleas. This was hard enough as it was.\n\nI raised a hand, the device on my palm glowing blue. He tried to back away, but the initial days after Resurrection made you slow. I pressed my hand to his head, and he collapsed. Cleaner caught him, bringing out a body bag. I knew Judge would be addressing Christina, and I should pay attention. But inside, the civilian part of my mind screamed at me.\n\nWhat had I done?"
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[WP] A below average intelligence cheerleader silently wishes under her breath she was the smartest person in the world while struggling on a test. The wish is granted, but instead of making her smarter it dumbs down the rest of the world significantly. The girl has to deal with her newfound role.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Here is my take on this prompt. I intend to continue it and to flesh out the story a bit.\n\n\\-------------------------------\n\nLily sighed as she took her seat in her math classroom. Today was the day for the test and she hoped the tutoring paid off. She had been struggling in this class, since the beginning of the semester. She wore a simple dress and gladiator sandals, keeping her hair in pigtails. \n\n\"You may now begin,\" Professor Brent announced, once the tests were distributed and everyone arrived. \n\nThe first few questions were a breeze for Lily, but she barely got halfway before the questions went over her head. She sighed again. *I wish I was the smartest person in the world*, she thought, annoyed with herself. \n\nA faint voice sounded in her ear. \"Granted.\" \n\nConfused for a moment, Lily noticed the lights in the room flicker for a moment. Despite not understanding what was going on, she looked back at the test in front of her. The question still looked foreign to her. She flipped through the rest of the test, not recognizing anything else. This must be some type of joke. The voice she heard did not make her any smarter. \n\nShe turned in her test at the end of class. \n\nAfter class, she headed towards cheer practice and approached her friend Kaitlyn. \n\n\"That did not go well again.\" She sighed. \n\nKaitlyn smiled sympathetically. \"It's alright. Hopefully you can still pull this off.\" \n\nLily nodded. \"Have we started the routine yet?\" \n\nKaitlyn gave her a puzzled look. \"What is a routine?\" \n\nLily glanced back at Kaitlyn, completely confused. \n\n\"The routine … What we are practicing for cheer.\" \n\nKaitlyn still looked confused. \"Why are we practicing?\" \n\nDumbfounded, Lily glanced over the rest of the cheer team, looking at their confused faces. Even the cheer captain, Dany, looked confused as to what was going on. \n\n*Has everyone else dumbed down? How is this possible?* She thought, completely confused."
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[WP] Ten years ago you were summoned to a world of fantasy to be a hero. After completing the mission from the goddess, the rest of humanity on Earth was then transported to the world you now live in.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The stink was inescapable. Rosalyn stood at her post, waving along train after train.\n\nThe chain ran into the horizon, until the trains were a small trail of ants, searching out their next meal.\n\nDirectly parallel came back the empties, open to air out, occasional rotting limbs remaining in the carts.\n\nRosalyn tasted the stench despite her nose pegs.\n\nThe once illustrious city had been reduced to borderline rubble. Once lovely homes were ransacked, gardens ransacked, orchards demolished, cattle slaughtered.\n\nAnd yet, it had not been enough. Horrifyingly skinny men, women, and children crowded the trains.\n\nThe pile of bodies was now miles in diameter, with a few trails through to deposit them closer to the middle. Yet accidents happened daily; many were claimed as they unloaded the corpses.\n\nThe King remained holed up in his castle. His initial and only orders were months old: Pile the dead in the location where Old Ashford had once stood before The Trampling.\n\nThe Trampling somehow had not passed into the castle. The men and women in search of food, water, and shelter could not pass the wide moat without killing thousands of themselves. Many had campaigned to shove the weakest into the moat until it was full, yet as word spread of the plan suddenly no one wanted to hang out around the moat.\n\nThus, the castle was one of the few standing stronholds.\n\nRosalyn continued waving on the trains, hopeful she would have a place to return to at the end of the night."
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[WP] You find a tiny sticker stuck to your body. The first part reads: "Quality Control Passed."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Quality Control Passed\"?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSteve was confused. He had no idea where this sticker came from. He tried ripping it off and throwing it, but it just wouldn't come off!\n\nHe just left it there. Listen, Steve was a busy man. His schedule went like this\n\n&#x200B;\n\n6:30 AM: alarm rings and get gets up\n\n7:00 AM: Steve was in the gym and pumping weights and doing cardio\n\n8:00 AM: Steve would eat a healthy breakfast of eggs, and the best choices of meat from his personal chef. He'd wash it down with a smoothie\n\n9:00 AM: Steve would be in his office and would start work\n\n1:00 PM: Steve would break for lunch and would eat his company provided, well-rounded meal\n\n5:00 PM: Steve would leave work and grab a bite to eat from the local hotdog vendor. It technically wasn't allowed, but he would still treat himself\n\n6:00 PM: Steve was home and would feed his dogs\n\n7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Steve was allowed to relax, watch movies, play games, and so on\n\n10:00 PM: Steve would eat dinner\n\n11:00 PM: Steve's lover would come over and they would stay in bed, having fun\n\n12:00 AM: Steve would be asleep and his lover was escorted out of the building\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThis was Steve's life. Every day was the same, but Steve didn't mind. He was an orphan who struck it big in the luck department and got taken in by an orphanage. He was then given education and got a placement into this company where work was a breeze. He just had to study a lot and create tests about different subjects that would be given to students. Steve literally just had to study, write questions, then attempt the paper himself to see if it was up to standard. And boy, was it up to standard. Steve was an absolute genius! \n\nHe would score top marks all year round and he would get more and more benefits at his company provided home. It was small but had everything Steve could dream of. They even set him up with a woman! What more could a living being want?\n\nThis quality control sticker was annoying though\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe next day, Steve noticed another sticker on him\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Ready For Consumption\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nSteve assumed his chef must've misplaced a sticker and it must've stuck onto him somehow. He couldn't remove this one either though\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAs Steve sat in his chair, the floor underneath his chair opened up and Steve fell down a long chute. He landed in a large machine where he was instantly zapped with a taser and then secured in place. Barely conscious, he watched as the butcher started his work.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSteve passed Quality Control. Steve was Ready For Consumption"
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[WP] You never thought that you'd see them again. Yet here you are, 17 years later, and they're just as happy to see you as you are them.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Is--is it really you? I thought I'd never see you again... Sweet Satan I'm sorry I'm probably just mistaking you for someone long dead. It's the thrill of the fight, y'know? But your eyes, that look... it's exactly like an old comrade of mine used to get before a big night.\"\nThe scars in the shape of her name throb on my arm as I reach under my balaclava to itch my neck. The scar is practically unrecognizable now. I wonder, even if it wasn't buried under other cuts, would it still even be visible today, after so many years? Is it... is it my fault, that I haven't thought about her in so long I don't even remember the last time I prayed for her? Still. It would be unfair to you, to let my musings take my attention away from this conversation. Kiana is dead and gone, and I can't carry the albatross that smells like her strawberry-lavender hair around my neck forever. Memories that threatened to flood out when I looked in your eyes stuffed back into the deeper recesses of my brain, I focus on you again.\n\nBut then you speak. \"Sweet Satan. Sounds a tad familiar. Hey Machi, it's been a while huh?\"\n\nIt is you. The first few years you were gone, I saw you on every street corner, saw you hiding in every tree. I thought I was going insane. But... this time I'm right? Oh Satan. I'm right. It's you. You're here, standing in front of me? Should I be running away right about now? \"Please don't hate me I'm so sorry I didn't want to leave you behind oh Satan never mind that's stupid I'm sorry I'll understand if you hate me, but I want you to know that I... I really cared about you, I missed you so much, all I wanted was to go back and fix it, but I couldn't. I've tried so hard to forgive myself, or even just to forget, but I still dream of you. Not..not in a weird way, sorry that sounded kinda creepy. I just... I dream of the way you looked at me that night. I dream of all the things I could've done differently, I dream of seeing you again, safe and happy. I--Why are you looking at me like that?\"\nAnd aren't your eyes closer to mine than they were a second ago? What's happening?? And why are you wrapping your arms around me, did your plan for revenge involve strangling me? That must be it. I think... no I know I deserve it. We left you, knowing that you'd most likely die. If killing me gives you some closure, I think you deserve it. I'm ready. I think. I'm ready to find out what comes next. I'm grateful to you for giving me the time to prepare. \"It's okay, I'm ready, you can kill me now.\"\n\nYour breath tickles my ear as you laugh. It's been 17 years, 3.5 months, and 16 hours since I heard that laugh. I don't know why, but my brain thinks that's pretty relevant right about now. Then your lips touch my ears, my twitching leg freezes and all neuronal functionality ceases. \"Oh hush up now, I know you've gotta be pulling me leg. You don't really blame yourself for what happened? Oh lord if you're serious, if you've been living with that guilt all these years, I'm going to hurt whoever let you believe that horsemanure. It wasn't your fault! Girl, your plan was brilliant, and I'm glad we did it. Top 10 best nights of my life, I swear. It was my bad luck to fuck up, you couldn't have saved me without risking everyone else's hides, and I'm glad you didn't. Hell, I'd have skinned you alive if you got caught trying to save me. You did the right thing. But hey let's not dawdle, we have to get moving or we're gonna be late. Or maybe we'll both get left behind this time.\"\n\nMy legs manage to move, as you take my hand and pull me along. You don't hate me? I would, if I were you. Are you lying to me? Trying to get me to put my guard down? I jerk to a stop. \"You're lying to me aren't you? It's okay, you don't have to pretend to not hate me. I know what I did was wrong, and you deserve revenge.\" Your eyes, they are the windows to your soul, but when you pull your mask off, I remember that it was always your lips that I loved the most. Everything you were thinking, somehow would be crystal clear to me just by looking at the shape of your lips. Sometimes I played myself a game of predicting what you would say next.\n\nYour heavy hands rest on my shoulders, and your lips move in exactly the pattern I would have guessed, \"Of course I'm not lying. I don't hate you. Sweetheart I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I wasn't more careful, I'm sorry that you've been blaming yourself all these years. I'm just so happy to see you again, I would never hurt you.\"\n\nMy shoulders slump down, and my vision is strangely bleary. It isn't until I pull off my mask to get some more air that I realize it's wet with tears. I don't know what power brought you back to me, but here you are. And I'm not going into another life-or-death situation without telling you what I should've told you all those years ago. I had so many chances then, so many times I could've told you what I wanted-no, needed to tell you. After that night, when I still had hope that you'd come back, I prayed for another chance to tell you. I'm not going to let another chance slip by. \"Ki-Kiana, I-- I need to tell you, I have--I mean, will you--no sorry, what I want to say really, is that I loved you. I love you. There, I said it. I'm sorry. If I don't ever get another chance to say it, I'll hate myself forever for letting this moment pass without saying anything so I had to say it. I'm sorry.\"\n\nI don't think I've ever seen your eyebrows this high up your forehead. And your lips, what does that squiggle mean? My head feels like it's exploding outwards at the rate of the universe. Has it been seconds since my idiot tongue stopped jabbering? Minutes? Hours even? I have no idea. And then you speak. \"You... you what?\""
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[WP] In exchange for walking his dogs, doing his shopping, and giving him a cup of your blood once a week, a vampire has allowed you to live with him in his Florida beach house.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Come in.\" A voice called from somewhere deep in the house. \n\nI tentatively opened the grand oak door and took in the house around me. The curtains were shut, obviously, and yet it was so bright in here. And like 1,000 degrees. \n\n\"Umm hi. My names Nat. We spoke on the phone about your ad?\" I shouted, hoping it would be loud enough.\n\n\"Ah yes. Also, love, I can hear you, there's no need to shout.\" \n\n\"Oh sorry.\" I replied carefully. \"Would you like me to come to you?\"\n\n\"Oh yes please. If you take a left then the right, I'm in there.\"\n\nI follow his instructions and pass incredible paintings spanning over 2,000 years. I reach the third door and push it open. My breaths came out short and shallow. When I first read the ad, I thought it was a joke. After all, vampires are supposed to blend in with society now, even if it is hard for them, what with the sunlight and garlic. But I had to admit I was intrigued. Plus doing minimal chores for one while living in a beach house was not exactly a bad deal. As long as he didn't suck my blood of course. The door opens fully and I'm immediately taken back. Instead of the looming, pale faced villain that I had been expecting, was a frail yet kind looking old man wrapped up in a blanket.\n\n\"Hello, hello, please come sit. Don't worry, I've long since learnt to control my bloodlust so you have nothing to worry about.\" He said nodding towards a chair. \n\n\"Hi, sir, thank you for having me. I thought this ad was a joke to be honest.\"\n\n\"You were the only one who reached out, I like someone who believes and wants to find out for themselves. So! You know what you'll be doing?\"\n\n\"Yes! Walking the dog, a bit of cleaning, some shopping and uh... a cup of blood?\"\n\n\"Yes all good! The dog needs walking once a day, and I will give you a list of shopping and my preference of blood. How you get it is up to you, but I can give you the number of the butcher that my previous helper, Helen, used, if you'd like? At my age, especially as I barely do anything, I only need one cup a week, as I'm sure you know.\"\n\n\"Well actually I don't know much about vampires.\" I admitted, feeling a shade of embarrassment bloom on my face.\n\n\"Oh? Do they not teach about them in schools still?\"\n\n\"Oh no sir! That was abolished about 200 years ago.\"\n\n\"Oh gosh, was it? How awful. I guess I have been a bit out of touch, I haven't gone out much recently.\" \n\n\"But you speak in a very modern way... if you don't mind me saying!\" \n\n\"Oh no of course not! Helen spoke like this and it rubbed off on me.\"\n\n\"Oh wow, that's great. What happened to her?\"\n\n\"She retired. And she was 70, can you believe. Worked for me for 54 years. Gosh she was a bore. Didn't like her much but she was good at her job I suppose. She outlasted the other 500.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry, did you say 500?\"\n\n\"Oh yes, I've been old and needed a helper for quite a while now.\"\n\n\"But sir, one of the few things that we're told about vampires is that they are immortal and don't get old?\"\n\n\"Oh no, love. Gosh there is not much education around us these days are there? We are indeed immortal, however, we do age, just at a much slower rate.\"\n\n\"Wait, so you just age much more slowly then? So you must be, well, I mean, quite old.\"\n\nHe chuckled weakly. \"Indeed I am, love. I'm about 5 billion years old. I'm the oldest vampire alive, that I know of, of course, and I predate all of humanity.\""
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[WP] Witches and Warlocks alike have told tales of the strange man in the woods. He’s rumoured to wield a great power, and yet seemingly use no magic at all, instead creating mysterious devices and potions through his own mysterious means. They call him the human, and right now he’s your only hope.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Everyone was gathering around the table, which had been decorated with the accoutrements of a dinner party. It had been a long time since anyone had feasted like this in the forest. The table was dressed with white cloth and silverware, and there were candles embedded in each place setting.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"Where’d you get these?\" I asked.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"The human.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"The human?\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"Yes,\" she said, her eyes shining. \"He came out here the other day and left them with the doe. She brought them to me. We’ve been planning this all week. It’s going to be beautiful.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"What’s going to be beautiful?\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"Dinner,\" she said. The smile on her face was almost blinding. \"I’m going to cook for you.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"You’re going to cook for me?\" I asked, unable to hide my surprise.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"Yes. I’ve been reading about it. I think I can do it.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"I can’t wait.\" I looked around the table at all the servers from the town, who were smiling and chatting amicably. \"I’m sorry, I just realized I haven’t met everyone. I’m Claire, and you are?\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"I’m Andy,\" said a slender, young man. He had a different last name than Allison, but they were clearly related. He wore a green vest over his polo shirt. \"I run the grocery store.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"It is a pleasure,\" said a heavyset man with a large black mustache. He wore an embroidered blue vest and had a large ring of keys on his belt. \"Allow me to introduce myself: I am Roberto, and I am the owner of the town bar.\" He then introduced his wife, who was \"And finally,\" he said, \"I would like to introduce you to my wife, who is better known as the town gossip.\" He introduced her to the crowd, and she joined the others at the table. She wore a red blouse that was laced up tightly to her throat, revealing a large expanse of pale skin. The whole reason she had come was because she had seen where I was sleeping. That was the reason she had brought me food every night. That was the reason she had spent her time cleaning up after me. That was the reason she had invited me to dinner.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"Don’t let her fool you,\" said Roberto. \"She is one of the most charming women you will ever meet. Just don’t let her fool you.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"I don’t believe you,\" I said.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"I have been married to this woman for four years, Claire,\" he said. \"She keeps us up to date on A small pack of wolves arrived in town. They were different from the others; they were huge, and they were driven. It was clear that they had been forced by something larger than themselves. The humans in town began to panic. They were afraid of their own shadows—even in the middle of the day, they would hide in the shadows if they saw anyone. The wolves woke up in the morning, and the ones outside the town began to slaughter the cattle. The ones inside the town would cut the throats of the animals and drag them to the center of town, where they would feed. The wolves would tear out their throats, sometimes diving in to the sweet marrow. The humans were terrified. They were afraid of the wolves; they were afraid of the townspeople. The wolves weren’t killing them by choice; they weren’t even eating them. They were killing them so that they could be taken over in a pack. It drove the humans to near madness.",
"The kingdom of Oberon was too far from here, I needed healing fast but no priest dares venture this far into the wormwood, it's cursed. I recall seeing some witches not far from here, maybe they could help remove the curse. \n\nI hobbled my way over to their little gathering around the cauldron and called out to them.\n\n\"Hey, Witch! Can... you heal me?\" I struggled to wheeze out the words.\n\n\"Oh you poor thing, here, take some fish stew, it should help you recover.\" She grabbed a bowl and scooped some from the cauldron. \"Drink!\"\n\nNever expecting witches to be so hospitable, I graciously accepted and slurped down some of the stew. It was hot and spicy, felt good on my throat, but something was wrong, it was making me sicker. My stomach rumbled and I could feel myself about to- \"ARRHHGGLLL\" I spewed out a black oily substance.\n\nShe cocked an eyebrow and signaled one of her witch friends over who began to examine me. The old crone checked my hands and then the mess that I left on the grass. \"Hmmm... You've been afflicted, dear. There's nothing we can for you\" One of the other witches whispered in her ear. \"The human? Hmm, perhaps.\"\n\n\"The human?\" Being a human myself I felt very confused by this but nonetheless I needed to know \"Where?\" \n\n\"Now now, we can't say for certain if he can even help you but if you want to get to him, you'll have to venture back into the woods. Follow the path until the well, then head West and follow the fungus. You can't miss it\"\n\nUnsure of my fate, I left the witches with a large pouch of silver for their help and made my way through the forest once again. Following their directions I came across an old wooden house with mysterious blue light coming from the window. I knocked on the door and heard scrambling, the sound of a glass breaking and cursing. There must have been at least 5 locks I could hear being undone and then the door only opened part way and anxiously he said \"Whaddya want? I don't have any money and I'm not signing any more petitions!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI took a deep breath and explained my situation... \n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe undid the last lock, seeing I was in a clearly weakened state and pose no threats, he looked like he was about to cry \"And you want *me* to help you? Please, come in!\" The place was very small and very cluttered, the guy clearly lives alone. He had a lot of plants in here and a strange intricate glass system on the table. \n\n\"You'll have to remove your shirt and lay down on the table.\" He cleared all the clutter off of it to the floor. \n\nAfter removing my shirt, I hadn't noticed it before but there was a black mark branching out from right below my ribs, stretching out like dead branches all the way up to my armpit.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Hmm, yes, looks like ticks.\" He pondered\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Ticks?\" I asked in disbelief \"No way, I've never-\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Hairy ticks\" He eluded. \"They're a cultist bunch of devil worshipping bugs. Trust me, I'm a scientist.\"\n\nNever heard of a sionist before but this was my last hope. I sighed, \"Can you get rid of them?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Certainly. Hold still.\" He grabbed a piece of glass and rubbed a cloth on it. Soaking it in some plant mush. \"Here, you may want to have something to bite down on...\" He laid the cloth in my mouth. It was bitter and earthy and- \"HNNNNGGGG\" He began cutting into my skin and applying more liquids that felt like dragon fire on my skin. With each incision, they burned greater and greater, it was excruciating but relieving at the same time, as the sheer pain caused me to forget all my other problems. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"All done.\" He smiled as he was cleaning his hands with another cloth. \"Drink this, it'll ease the pain\" He handed me a cup of hot liquid. \"What the hell is this now? Some magic potion that will finally cure me?\" He chuckled, \"Ha, oh no. It's just tea\""
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[WP] As the school's linguist, you are tasked with inventing new words and definitions to create new spells.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"But I just don’t understand,\" I said. \"How are these words going to do anything?\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"The words are not the power,\" said Mr. Osborne. \"It’s the way they’re organized. The way they’re used in combinations.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nI shook my head. \"I don’t get it.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"No, I suppose you wouldn't,\" said Mr. Osborne. \"But think of the words as a code. A very simple one. Once you know the way it’s put together, it’s easy to read. But if you don’t know the code, it’s gibberish. It just looks like nonsense.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nMr. Osborne pulled the chair away from his desk and sat closer to me. \"Do you know what a cipher is?\" he asked.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nI shook my head again. I was afraid if I spoke, I would start to cry.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"A cipher is a method of encrypting a secret message,\" said Mr. Osborne. \"You can use any kind of code, but there are a number of ciphers that are more difficult to decipher than others. For example, a simple alphabet substitution is easy to break. It’s merely the letter ‘a’ substituted with the letter ‘b’, and so on. But if you use an alphanumeric substitution, where each letter of the alphabet is substituted with a number, and then each number with a letter and so on, it’s much more difficult to crack.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"But how does that help us?\" I asked. My eyes were burning and it was hard to see him through the tears. I didn’t want him to see me cry.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"It helps us because it’s the key to breaking our enemy’s code,\" said Mr. Osborne He smiled. I don’t think he was a particularly happy person, but there was something about his smile that made me think that he was guiding me.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"I want you to think about Mr. DeMoreaux,\" he said. \"He’s an intelligent man. He was the one who found the wording in the pamphlet. He’s the one who wrote the note. He’s the one who compiled the code. If it were me, I’d be concentrating on translating the code. I’d be breaking down the words, putting them together, searching for patterns. But with all that, he’d still never have found out what we’re doing. He’d never be able to read it.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"But with you, it’s different. You’re his opposite. You’re a simple, unschooled girl and you’re just about to begin He saw right through the code. Even though you’re not in on the secret, he understands you. He understood everything you did, everything you are. He understands you far better than you know yourself. He understands you so well that he can make you do things. He can make you think, gesture, act, act the way he wants you to. That’s how he got the pamphlets on your desk and that’s how he got the key. He made you do it. You’re just his puppet. You’re a spy. A decoy. I think that's what he planned all along.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"But you told me that we are not actually spies,\" I said. \"We’re just pretending to be spies. You’re just taking us to the Guggenheim for a museum tour. We’re not spies.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"Of course not,\" said Mr. Osborne, goading He didn’t want me to go on the tour. He sighed. He had said what he had to say. He waited for me to say something else. And then, like the man in the blue shirt, I wanted to make him happy. I wanted him to be proud of me.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"What if he knows we’re not spies?\" I asked. \"What if he knows what really happened? What if he knows we’re in danger?\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"Don’t worry about him,\" said Mr. Osborne. \"I don’t think he’ll be concerned about us. He’ll just think we’re poor, simple souls. No one in the world would think it’s anything other than innocent behavior.”"
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[WP] every single thing you draw comes to life. Be it teacups or flowers. One day, a group of satanists show up and hold your family hostage. Asking you to draw the Antichrist.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The first time I saw him, I was twelve years old and his house was the only one on our street. I was walking home from school with my friends and we saw the house from a distance. We started to walk faster.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"It's him,\" I said.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"Who?\" my friends asked.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"The guy from the village.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"What guy from the village?\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nI pointed at the house. \"The guy with the blue house.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"What are you talking about?\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"The guy from the village,\" I said again.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"We have a blue house?\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \n\"It's not that blue.\"\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nTwo of my friends looked at the house and then at me. They smiled, like I was making it up.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nI was not making it up.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nThe third time I saw him I was thirteen years old. He was standing on his lawn and he was looking at me. He was holding a paintbrush. It was a blue brush. His house was blue. I felt my heart beating faster, like when you're scared. So I turned and walked away.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nThe next day I told my friends about the man watching me. They looked at me strangely, like I was making this up. Because when you're thirteen, there are things that are not real, like ghosts and monsters, but there are also things that are real, like your parents and your school and your friends. If you say something is real, then everyone agrees that it is real. But if you say something is fake, then everyone agrees that it is fake. And it doesn't matter if it's a possibility, or if you can prove it with facts, it still doesn't matter. Because it is more real for them for it to be fake. So when I told my friends about the man standing on his lawn, they said he was not real. I felt I became the one who said that he was not real. He was real to me. I felt like he was watching me. I believed that he was either hiding, or that he was waiting.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nI looked at him every day. He didn't look at me. Sometimes he was hiding behind the trees in his yard. Sometimes he was running on the street. I never saw him outside. But that didn't matter. I was not scared of him. I was afraid of the thoughts he had of me.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nThe next time I saw him was four years later. He was standing in front of me, at the bus stop. He had long hair, and he was wearing a black T-shirt with a hoodie and dark jeans. He was not a man. He was a boy. Now I knew that he was real.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nThat day, I didn't run away. I looked at him, at his face, and he looked at me. He scared he smiled. I felt a wave of fear, but then I smiled. I didn't know why, but I wanted him to know I was afraid, but not for him. I wanted him to know that I knew he was real, but that I didn't care if he was real or not. And then he turned and left, and I went back home.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nThe next day, I heard that he was dead. He had been killed by his wife.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nIt was not the first death. I felt like my life was full of deaths. But I didn't want to think about it, because if I thought about it, it would hurt. I didn't want to think about how it started.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nI didn't know how it started.\r \n\r \n\r \n\r \nFive years later, or maybe ten, or maybe twenty, I have forgotten the time and I have forgotten where I was. There were times when the world was full of monsters. I was running toward them and the monsters stopped. They didn't want to hurt me anymore. They didn't want to make me feel the pain they made me feel. They were no longer monsters, because they took my heart with them. I stopped running. I stood still on the streets. I was no longer scared of them. I was no longer waiting for them to appear. I was no longer afraid. The world was no longer dark and menacing. I was no longer afraid of anything.",
"\"Right here?\" I asked. The lead cultist nodded, his knife held to my son's throat. \"Right now?\" Again, the cultist shook his head vigorously up and down. His followers also nodded their desire to see this done, wicked daggers gleaming in the gentle lamp light of my home. I shrugged and craned my neck, cracking out the tension. My wife looked on, terror etched clearly across her face. I gave a weak smile, took up my pad and pencils, looked at all the viciously armed fellows, and then I began to draw.\n\nThe thing about art, it takes time. Unless you're that slob Pollock just sloshing shit all over the place. Still, even the likes of Picasso dedicated time to their work. After a few hours the cultists began to grow agitated. \"How much longer?\" one finally barked. He shoved his spatula back into a pocket of his robe and fished out a pack of gum. Another grunted in agreement, blowing bubbles from his wicked bubble wand.\n\nI looked up. \"Do you want the Antichrist, or do you want some random squiggle that calls itself Merle? If you must know, I'm establishing the scene. I can't just dash down the Antichrist in a malt shoppe or some nonsense, now can I?\" That shut 'em up, and it bought be a little more time.\n\nAnother hour saw the cultists rubbing at the manacles round their wrists. My wife fought a furious case of the giggles from the feather he held to her neck. Her look of terror had changed to one of spousal annoyance. She was right, of course. I had dragged the whole evening on long enough. \"Almost done. One more minute,\" the cultists perked up, chains clanked from their collective excitement. \"And one question, if I may. Where do you think my ability to make my drawings reality come from?\" As usual, blank and vapid stares were their response. I turned the pad around to reveal my drawing at last, and it was only then that they realized what happened been going on. Knives were no longer such dangerous tools, but instead harmless toys or kitchen gadgets. The ropes that bound my wife were merely twisted up tissue paper. The cultists themselves were linked together with sturdy chains, attached to the cartoon cliché of a large iron ball.\n\nThe only figure unaltered was my own. I did allow the Hellfire that burned in my eyes to shine through this time. Usually I would draw it behind a normal pair of eyes, but I felt a touch dramatic in the reveal.\n\n\"I must apologize for not summoning the Antichrist, but as you can now see, he, rather *I*, was already here the whole time.\""
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[WP] you are stabbed, but when you turn to look at the wound there is no blood, instead there are electric sparks and crackles
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I had been running from the gang for a long time. They had been pursuing me across town, and I thought I had finally evaded them. I stood in a dark alleyway, panting, out of breath, when I felt something jab through my shirt. I gasped in surprise and turned, expecting to see blood coming from the wound. \n\nBut there was no blood. All I saw were sparks and wires hanging out of the wound. The person who stabbed me gasped. \"It is you!\" They cried out, running away. \n\n\"Hey, wait!\" I said. But they had already escaped. I pulled the knife out of me and threw it to the ground in anger. What was I, some freak of nature? Some cyborg? What would society think? They would think me a freak. I would be rejected from the city, forced to live as a beggar. \n\nAs I stood in the alley, fuming in anger, I heard a voice behind me. \n\n\"I can help you. Come with me.\" I turned and saw a little boy, about six years old. As he came into the light, I saw that half of his face had been replaced with metal plates.\n\n\"What happened to you?\"\n\n\"I was born this way.\" He replied. \"There are a lot of us here in the Alley. There's no time to explain. Come with me and I will show you.\" The little boy grabbed my hand and pulled me into the alley, dragging me along as I wondered what I gotten myself into..."
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[WP] The secret to your amazing success as a doctor is that you can smell whatever is wrong with the patient. You have smelled it all, from cancer to cataracts, heart attacks to hemorrhoids. This new patient is clearly sick but you can't smell anything.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Good morning Mrs. Holt. How are you feeling today?\" Her emaciated body hid away under the blankets. All of 85 pounds, her bruised arms pulled the sheets aside so she could look at the doctor.\n\"Not well. The blanket is too scratchy.\" He smiled a little and then quietly breathed for a moment. Her labored breathing matching his in time. The doctor's eyes affixed to the paperwork. His pen marking a 6 on the pain scale. Same as yesterday. \n\"Well I don't smell anything different from yesterday. Perhaps you can tell me what is wrong?\"\nHer carotid artery beat a thousand times a minute underneath her thin skin.\n\n\"I think I may just be done.\"The doctor looked concerned for a moment. \"Do you need to talk to the chaplain?\" She smiled and nodded her head. \"That would be-\" Her face slumped, eyes closed, breathing became shallow. Everything moved faster as the moments wore on. Help was called but nothing could be done. Her family arrived one at a time. \n\nThere was no warning of a transition between the jovial grandma to the invalid in the bed. Her daughter saw her elderly mother unable to say \"I'm proud of you\" one last time. The grandson she had helped raise held her hand and wiped away her last tear before the morphine settled her pain. A niece she had rescued from an abusive home cried next to her. Friend and neighbours left without a goodbye, their lives forever changed.\n\nThe nurse mercifully administered painkillers. There was nothing they could do but watch as the fiercest fighter they knew fall no matter how hard she wanted to go on. Her body was done, her life finished, and the final period typed in her story."
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[WP] Uh, we aren't the human warriors in your prophecy. We don't have any magic powers. We kinda got here by mistake
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Uh, we aren't the human warriors in your prophecy. We don't have any magic powers. We kinda got here by mistake.\" The young man whose messy brown hair and short beard disguised him somewhat said on behalf of his friends to what only could be described as a collection of beings found only in the most fantasy of stories.\n\nOne being stepped forward graciously. \"You can try to fool us all you want. We have read the holy texts and seen the divine images that came from your world to ours, and know that you three are the only ones that can save our world against untold evil. \"\n\n\"Look mate.\" The second human spoke. Of the three, he was the one that they recognized the least. The aftermath of the war must have been hard on him. \"I dunno what kind of joke you're pulling here, but it ain't funny.\"\n\n\"This be no joke.\" A creature half the human's size and covered in an oddly green colour of fur said sharply. \"We be needing you and you be helping us.\"\n\n\"Wait a second boys,\" the third human, a female, spoke to her friends. \"I think they might be telling the truth.\"\n\n\"You're not serious?\" the first human said to the third as the others waited.\n\n\"Maybe,\" she replied, \"it reminds me of a story that Alan told me once.\"\n\n\"But that was a movie,\" the second human jumped in, knowing exactly what she was talking about. \"and this can't be... we aren't actually...\"\n\n\"We can try.\" The female said to the others. It was clear that she was still the smartest of the trio.\n\n\"We could be killed!\" The two males shouted back to her.\n\nThere was a silence, as everyone imagined that last comment, knowing that going ahead with this plan, could mean that for all of them. One quiet voice broke the silence, coming from a creature that looked like a human child, but was anything but.\n\n\"At least you can't get expelled!\""
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[WP] In the afterlife, there is a Ministry of Second Chances where souls of the deceased can argue their case for a another chance on Earth. Winning is very rare, and there hasn’t been a successful reincarnation in eons. You’re getting very close due to the unique circumstances of your previous life
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"They all sat silent... the absolute absurdity of one human life had never landed so heavily upon their table before. \n\n\n\"...Well....I mean....\"...began one; \n\"......uh....yeah.........\" \n\"Well.....I.....I suppose we can all agree it was quite a ....*riveting* experience, to hear......to......to......\".....stuttered another, haughtily. \n\n\n\"Experience aside, however...\" Began a Third, visibly shaking off the enormity of what had just occurred to them all; \"...what do we make of this one claiming that they work for 'The Universe', as they so very *CLEARLY* put it, enough times that it made me want to rethink this whole process, to be honest....it really is exhausting and a general waste of resources, why haven't we found more like this one, anyway?\"\n\nA thick murmur filled the space. \nEveryone agreed... \nThey had heard people begging and pleading cases a billion times again and again. \nSo many millions of those souls had argued favor this and magickal rituals that......... \nSo many spoke of demonic pacts or angelic promises..... \nThey had heard a hundred different pathetically human groanings... mistaken over and over for the true old names and the many primordial calling signals for entities and energies and things that the humans truly were ignorant of. \n\nIt was exhausting. \nBut after all this time, this one was different somehow. \nThe idea of denying a second chance to this one seemed, to each one in the space, like a very personal death sentence. \nNot one knew what to do.",
"“YOU?!”\n\n“Hi Jimmy boy.”\n\n“You have some nerve making a request for reincarnation. After all the blood you shed...what you did in the—”\n\n“I did it for them.”\n\n“What?”\n\n“I did it for them. For their freedom.”\n\n“Free—you speak of freedom? You tried to enslave the human race! They called you the world’s first supervillain!”\n\n“I blame that title on my upbringing. Too many comic books growing up.”\n\n“You’re going to blame comic books on conquering Australia?”\n\n“No. I blame that on not having an appropriate fear of spiders. I blame too many comic books for my choice of wearing spandex in battle.”\n\n“You’re awfully glib for someone seeking that which has not been given to millions before you.”\n\n“I’ve learned that laughing is the only medicine in hell.”\n\n“You know how much I hate that word.”\n\n“I know much about you, but it seems you still have much to learn about me. If you knew me at all, you’d know that I attempted to enslave humanity not to destroy it, but to save it.”\n\n“Here we go again.”\n\n“There’s an invasion coming from a species that has wiped out every single world they have encountered. They’re coming for Earth in a thousand years, and we aren’t even close to being ready. You know the only way we can save ourselves?”\n\n“By unifying the—”\n\n“BY UNIFYING THE PLANET. I tried it the normal way. I made speeches. I wrote blog posts. I even got a meeting with the President of the Eastern Unified States. No one would listen to me unless I FORCED them to listen to me.”\n\n“That never works.”\n\n“You’re being forced to listen to me this very second. You don’t like it, but at least you’re listening.”\n\n“And I have yet to hear a good reason why I should let you within twelve lifetimes of Earth.”\n\n“Because I’m going back for one reason no one else has been able to come up with in millenia.”\n\n“What is it Caitlyn? What makes you so special that you think—”\n\n“I don’t want to go back.”\n\n“...come again?”\n\n“I don’t want to go back. Who would? Life was hard, and it was even harder with purpose. There aren't enough sunsets, chocolates or shih tzu puppies in the universe to entice me into going back.”\n\n“Then what—”\n\n“I HAVE to go back. Those idiots won’t figure out how to repel an invasion on their own. I tried reason, I tried force…maybe there’s something else that I haven’t tried that might work. I don’t know, but in a thousand years, that species is coming, and we HAVE to be ready.”\n\n“You won’t be alive in a thousand years. If you accomplish what you say you want to accomplish…no one will remember you when the storm actually comes.”\n\n“Maybe. Maybe not. At least there’ll still be people to remember.”\n\n“...you’re serious, aren’t you? You actually want to help them?”\n\n“That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Give me a chance, Jimmy boy. I’ll make it even easier for you. If in twenty years I’m on the same path of violence and control I was on before…you have my permission to make an accident happen.”\n\n“You’d make an Unlucky Death Contract with me? Really? There’s no reincarnation clause in those. This’ll be the one chance you get.”\n\n“That's all I need.”\n\n“...alright Caitlyn. Alright. You win. Are you sure though? Are you sure you really want to do this?”\n\n“Absolutely not. Let’s do it anyway.”\n\nu/phoenix_godwin"
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[WP] In the modern day, A dragon is tempted is exit it's cave with Meat Lovers pizza. Not wanting to use actual livestock, the scientists watch in awe as a pair of nostrils ease towards the box. Drenching into the sunlight, the enormous jaws swallow the box whole.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"He has never tasted anything this good since the last time he awoken, this flimsy woody box- no, the soft and squishy thing within the box tasted like a royal's feast, the nicely cooked meats mixed with the nice and stringgy cheese all topped with savoury spices and all of it is placed on top of a soft and flat circular piece of bread.\n\n______________________________\n\nTwo scientists watch in awe as the dragon stood there eyes widened and pupils dilated \"Did we... break a dragon?\" Said a scientist, \"i think we did, ratattoulie style to be exact\" said another. \"Neat\""
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[WP] Everyone has a 'guardian angel' - except you. One of their lesser publicized functions is to let Death know when his services are needed. Perhaps coincidentally, you are quietly celebrating your 200th birthday today.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Each year, I sit back and reflect on my situation. “Another birthday,” I think. “Damn.” My weathered hands move methodically over Archie’s soft black fur. He purrs his approval. “Oh well. It’s not like I can do anything about it.” Archie is a good listener, but it’s not like he has a choice. He just enjoys a warm lap. I’m glad that the nursing home allowed me to keep the old stray that kept visiting my window. It has made the past few weeks more bearable.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Whoever forgot to assign me a guardian angel was a moron. Honestly, are there no checks and balances up there? Geez.” Archie yawned and looked up at me with his golden eyes. “Maybe cats would be better at celestial management. What do you think?” He lowered his head and resumed purring.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI am 200 years old today. Two-fucking-hundred! My husband passed on 105 years ago and my kids joined death as well. Their guardian angels did their jobs diligently. In fact, my great-great-granddaughter's guardian, Edmund, recently began talking to her about contacting death. They’ve already started the paperwork!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI have tried contacting H.E.A.V.E.N.: the celestial corporate office branch that handles the assignment of guardians, to no avail. They always give me the run-around. I’ve been told that, due to a clerical error, they didn’t even have a file for me at birth. It wasn’t until my mother made a stink that they started one for me at the age of 2.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI am miserable. My body is broken and tired. I am stuck in either a bed or a chair. I need help to do anything. If I had a guardian angel, they would have made the call years ago. The only pleasure I get is from petting Archie, and he won’t be around forever.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI look down at him and begin to cry. Hopeless tears run down my face and dribble off my chin. In a moment I’m sobbing. I feel Archie stir. The sound must have startled him. A few moments pass.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThen, I hear the words. “I’ve taken care of all the details. I’m sorry for the delay. It’s time.”",
"In a small forgotten corner of an old hospital in a quiet little town, machines whirled and beeped as the room’s sole occupant slept on. \n\nThere were no flowers to brighten the windowsill, no greeting cards or even a box of expired chocolates. \n\nA young nurse, named Julia Morris but went by “Junie”, stumbled across the room when searching for the storage room. \n\nShe was in her first week of employment and had yet to learn the old building’s layout. Stepping inside, she despaired at the signs of squalor. \n\nJunie drew back the dusty curtains and cracked open the window, just enough to let a whisper of a breeze into the room. \n\n“I can’t believe it, the IV is dry,” she muttered to herself as she angrily changed the bag. It wasn’t as if they were understaffed, and yet this patient had clearly fallen by the wayside. \n\n“Ma’am? Ma’am, are you awake?” She noted the barest flutter of the patient’s eyelids. A telltale sign of a person feigning sleep. \n\n“Ma’am, I’m just going to check you for bedsores,” she said gently. \n\n“Just leave me alone,” the old woman said. The nurse was taken aback. The old woman’s voice was clear and resonated with a surprising amount of vibrance. \n\n“I promise, I’ll let you rest after I check your charts,” Junie replied. \n\n“Oh boy…” the old woman muttered. \n\nJunie checked the forms taped to the wall. The pages had yellowed, some of the ink had even faded to an illegible smudge. \n\n“Hannah…etta…Henrietta?” Junie sounded out. “Lan…sing.” *Born July 20, 1822.*\n\nThe young nurse blinked and then squinted at the chart. \n\n“July 20th, 1822. The date’s correct, dearie.” The old woman said. \n\n“But that can’t be!” Junie cried out. “That would make you…”\n\n“Two-hundred years old. Happy birthday to me,” the old woman raised a finger in the air and waved it in a circle. \n\n“But…but how?”\n\n“What do you mean how? I haven’t died, that’s how!” Henrietta replied. \n\nJunie looked back at the chart. This time, her eyes searched for a different date. \n\n“…How long have you been here?” She asked in a quiet voice. \n\n“…fifty…two? Three years? Who’s counting?” Henrietta shrugged. \n\n“All alone?” Junie asked. \n\n“…you’re born alone and you’ll die alone, kid. My death is just taking its sweet time,” Henrietta replied. \n\n“…let’s go for a walk,” Junie said with determination. \n\n“A what?” \n\n“You’ve been cooped up inside this room for over fifty years and I think it’s time you got out of it!” Junie said, striding over to the corner of the room. “Do you know what we call that period of time between being born and dying?”\n\n“Tomfoolery?” Henrietta guessed. \n\nJunie turned around with a wheelchair. \n\n“Living!” She declared. \n\nJunie helped Henrietta into the wheelchair despite the old woman’s doubts. The ride down the hallway was jarring. The lights were too bright, the movement too fast and overwhelming. And once they were past the doors, the outside world hit them all at once. \n\nThe air was sharp yet sweet. Suffocating but warm. And so bright, so blinding. So much larger than the little window in Henrietta’s room. \n\n“So what do you think?” Junie asked. \n\n“…I had forgotten about all this,” the old woman looked down at the grass. “Take my socks off, will you? I want to feel it.”\n\nJunie did as she asked and helped the old woman stand. The soft blades of grass tickled underfoot. \n\n“I thought the world had forgotten me,” Henrietta said. “What else could you be but forgotten if there is no one left to remember you?” \n\nShe squeezed Junie’s supporting arm tightly. \n\n“But in waiting for death, I forgot to live,” she smiled. “And now…isn’t it ridiculous for an old woman like me to want to live some more? How greedy!”\n\n“I don’t think so,” Junie answered truthfully. “Time isn’t something you can hoard or give away. You just make do with what you get.”",
"Seth stared out through the four panes of two inch thick glass separating him from the vacuum beyond. The light from the approaching angel was visible to the naked eye, and Seth knew that it was coming for him. It meant to fill the position that had been left vacant for one hundred and fifty years now. Upon arrival it would have no choice but to send word of the affront to mortality it would find.\r \n\r \nHe stepped away from the window and looked around the room with sorrow written on his face. Sorrow for the end that would soon come. The room was luxuriously furnished for a spaceship and included a large four post bed along the wall opposite the window where he floated. When the acceleration or spin gravity was absent he still had to strap into it to sleep, but he enjoyed the aesthetic it gave to his room.\r \n\r \nHe pivoted his body in the air and pushed off the wall near the window. Gliding across the center of the room with the grace of a figure skater mid performance he held his arm out before him and caught the handhold near the door to stop his momentum. Reaching out with his other hand he pushed on the door release and floated through the doorway.\r \n\r \nThe room glittered with lights from multiple consoles lining the walls and Seth drifted up to one pressing a sequence of buttons. A gentle red light filled the room from a strip running along the ceiling and a robotic voice announced, “Acceleration in thirty seconds. Please proceed to a secure position.”\r \n\r \nSeth pulled himself down into the chair below and waited for the engine to fire. As the nuclear fusion engines came alive a low rumble vibrated through his body, and he felt a weight settle upon him holding him to the floor once again. He stood and walked out of the control room into his personal room once again to stand at the window and wait for the angel’s arrival.\r \n\r \nA warm white light flooded the room when the angel passed through the walls of the ship as if they did not exist. It came to float behind Seth inspecting him like a customer checking the expiration date on a bag of produce.\r \n\r \n“I’m surprised it took one of you this long to find me.” Seth said without turning from the window.\r \n\r \nThe angel hesitated before saying, “You can see me?”\r \n\r \n“Of course I can. One might think your kind competes against the stars with that incandescence that radiates from you.” Seth replied.\r \n\r \n“I sensed a soul out here alone, with no guardian. I came to investigate. You have wandered for a long time mortal. It is not natural, and if you were to perish without a guardian your soul would be lost to oblivion. What happened to your watcher?”\r \n\r \nSeth’s body became a blur as he turned and his arm flashed out towards the angel's chest. A gasp escaped the angel’s mouth when it looked down and saw the daemonium dagger embedded in its heart. The angel looked into Seth’s eyes and asked, “Why?”\r \n\r \n“Because you have no right to decide when we must die!” Seth yelled, his face a mask of pain.\r \n\r \nThe angel sagged as its body dissolved into luminescent motes of light that drifted away in every direction until Seth stood facing an empty room once again. The ship continued on in search of a place where men could be free.",
"“Is it luck or my misfortune that you exist another year to torment me ?” Sylvia said, closing another letter by pressing the bronzed seal onto hot red wax. After a pause the woman lifted her boney and pale fingers from the seal and focused her attention onto the white haired man with a youthful face and an arm full of books. \r \n\r \nThe Library of Essence was located at the heart of Numen, and was comprised of three floors for the general townsfolk, 3 more for the students of the arts and 1 more floor for those with special access to the spined books of knowledge. Sylvia stood at the oaken table in the middle of the final floor, lamp light casting soft shadows along the walls covered in books and trinkets. The white haired man, who went by Yamir these days ignored the tall and boney lady, gently resting the set of books onto her table for return. \r \n\r \nSylvia rolled her gray eyes, grabbing the books with an air of impatience even though her hands were gentle. \r \n\r \n“Or, are you a vampire ? Leeching on the blood of the common folk to stay so fair ? Are you biting into goats, perhaps Yamir? \r \n\r \nYamir chuckled at this, and turned away from the desk and towards the wall of books searching for his next fix of knowledge. \r \n\r \n“You have new questions to ask today Sylvia, how is it that I am tormenting you if you are so interested in my …. affliction ?” \r \n\r \nYamir’s voice was honey smooth and careful, it had the structure of a man who’s seen many years but the tone of a youth. The strange man was old, not that anyone would ever be able to tell, as the only thing that had aged on him was the color of his hair. Yamir continued to glance over the books on the walls, a finger carefully stroking each spine as if he was reading with his touch rather than his eyes. \r \n\r \nSylvia huffed. “ The torture is being visited everyday by a strange man for the last 60 years and growing old and decrepit while you remain ageless and unbothered. “ \r \n\r \n“ I’ve rather enjoyed our guessing games Sylvia, haven't you?” Yamir turned to Sylvia with a teasing smile, making her frown deeper and bring a bit of color to her cheeks. She promptly turned back to the books he’d brought back and began to catalog them for return upon the shelves.\r \nIt was quiet then, for quite a while, the sounds of Sylvia shuffling about the room in deep thought and Yamir having chosen a book, was sat in a corner of the room, reading silently. It was a comfortable familiar silence that the two had practiced over the years. Slyvia fulfilling her regular duties as quietly as possible and Yamir, occasionally glancing up from his work to track her across the room.\r \n\r \nWith a quiet thud, Yamir closed his book and Sylvia cast a glance his direction as he went came forward with the book in hand. \r \n\r \n“I’ll take this one I think today.” \r \n\r \nHanding over the book Sylvia took note of the name. “ Journal Logs of Arthur Pergan and the Journey Years.” \r \n\r \nSylvia raised an eyebrow at the man who smiled softly.\r \n\r \n“Arthur Peragan lived to be 130 you know.” He said watching as Sylvia began her process of recording a book to be taken. “He began to write logs every day from his 105th birthday. He said ‘ I fear not a painful death, let him come to take me away. What I fear is the stealing of my life in the night, before I have said goodbye to my dear friend and guardian of my soul. In this instance I will curse death and refuse his passage to hell.’ “ \r \n\r \nSylvia looked thoughtful. “ I suppose he is speaking of his guardian angel then?” \r \n\r \nYamir nodded. “ He was very close with his guardian, so much so that they devised a plan to keep poor Arthur alive for as long as possible before death came in with his adjudicators for final judgment.” \r \n\r \n“So what happened?” Sylvia asked when Yamir did not continue immediately. Her pen was hovering above the checkout card half filled. \r \n\r \n“ Death eventually collected Arthur’s soul as is the will of nature. Death is not good or evil as many will see him. Not one to be worshiped or hated. His simple role is balance. Arthur’s soul was many years past due. The same way a book in this library can be past due. And so his guardian was left to pay the balance.” \r \n\r \n“What did the angel have to pay with?” Sylvia asked transfixed as ever. \r \n\r \n“His immortality, his essence and status. These are the only things guardians truly own. So Arthur’s guardian was banished to live a complete mortal life for each year that Arthur’s soul was overdue.” \r \n\r \nUnderstanding dawned in Sylvia’s eyes, as she let the pen down in her hand and leaned ever closer. “So you are… well that would explain the everlasting youth. You have been, what cursed here by death to remain for hundreds of years?” \r \nYamir smiled again, sweetly this time. “Today is my 200th birthday in mortal years.” \r \n\r \n\r \nYamir glanced around, “ I have been visiting this library researching everything you mortals have to offer for over a hundred years. It was what Arthur loved best, learning more about anything he could get his hands on. “ Yamir sighed deeply. \r \n\r \n“And I will be here for several hundred more years and several more generations of librarians who think me strange but.. handsome.” \r \n\r \nYamir drew out the last word and chuckled at Sylvia’s appalled face. She quickly gathered herself though and a wave of sadness seemed to hit her features. \r \n\r \n“ Why are you sad Sylvia?” \r \n\r \n“I just. I see that I am not the one being tormented here.” She said after a pause. It was quiet and after a while she continued to fill out the information on the card before closing it inside the book and handing it over. \r \n\r \n“Happy Birthday. Yamir.” Sylvia said as Yamir headed towards the door. He tipped up his fingers in a wave. \r \n\r \n“See you tomorrow, Sylvia.”",
"You blew out the candles and laughed for the 200th time. Your only wish, to live another year. \nThe office claps and your boss slaps you on the back. You cut the cake, hand out slices, and even take a slice yourself, for the 200th time. \n\nThats when your phone rings and you excuse yourself from the office party. \n\n“Hello” you say cheerfully. \n“Hey we are calling to reach you about your extended warranty” says the stupid robot. \n“Don’t you mean my cars extended warranty, I mean this is the first time you have fucked that one up in my whole life, and I’ve been around a while” you say jokingly before pressing the hang up button.\n\nTo your shock the hang up button is of no use. “No I mean your extended warranty” says the robot voice. \n“Who is this?” You say now worried.\n“You know exactly who this is, and you are a little over your expiration date don’t you think?” \n\nYou nervously press the hang up button again but nothing works. \n“Are you kidding me? You can’t hang up on death!” Says the robot voice on the other end. \n\nYou throw your phone over some bushes into the lake. You wipe the sweat from your forehead before walking back into the office party with a smile on your face.",
"I was expecting a quiet 200th birthday with just Arlo and m enjoying anice dinner— when Death appeared, without an invitation. Death dropped the temperature of the room in an instant, a black, faceless mass of robes and magical energy.\n\n“You,” Death said. “Where is your guardian angel?”\n\nI took the two excessively large candles off the cake. Curses. Were they the antenna that drew Death in?\n\n“I don’t have one,” I said simply, cradling Arlo in my arms.\n\n“You can’t just not have one,” Death whispered. “Every human on this Earth does.”\n\n“And that’s where I differ,” I said. “I don’t see how it’s hard to believe. I’ve lived this long without one. I wouldn’t say they were necessary.”\n\nDeath paced the room. Perhaps ‘paced’ was not the best word for how he moved, for Death glided around on the floor, eye sockets flaring with green power. Death was thinking—and I ate the cake.\n\nIt could be the last one of my life. Waste not, want not. I went from kitten bites to directly gorging, practically forcing it down my throat, for who is going to tell me what I’m supposed to do?\n\n“You are a 200-year-old man,” Death said. “And yet, I’m not here to collect your soul.”\n\nI stopped the temporary gorging on food. I was sure proper surprise had taken over my face, like the time I laid on my deathbed a century ago.\n\nEven Death hasn’t shown up then.\n\n“You persist, despite the anomaly. It is admirable. One or two errant souls do no matter to me,” Death said. “The dead army still ever gows.”\n\n“Are you this flippant with life and death?”\n\n“I see it every day,” Death said. “I see it in your eyes, even if you don’t admit it. I see it in the world around us.”\n\nThen, Arlo squeezed out of my grasp, and leapt towards death.\n\n“And sometimes, I see it in the creatures of Earth,” Death continued.\n\nI froze, unable to move, a still statue watching two buskers in front of them. Arlo settled into Death’s arms, like he has been there his whole life.\n\n“What sorcery is this?” I whispered. “How are you…”\n\n“Like I said,” Death said. “I’m not here for you. The little one is ready.”\n\nTwo hundred years was unbearable solitude. The dog was meant to help me as my former friends, lovers, and family died. Here I am, all alone, getting by thanks to Arlo.\n\n“No,” I whispered, feeling hot tears drifting down my face. “Arlo is… he’s… dying?”\n\n“This is your guardian angel,” Death said. “A little unconventional, but it works. And yes, he is.’\n\nI felt a numbness I’ve not felt in a century.\n\n“Oh,” was all I could muster.\n\nDeath walked away, Arlo sleeping soundly in his arms. But before pushed himself out of the door, he stopped, and turned.\n\n“Two hundred years is long to you, human, but imagine what that means to me,” Death said. “And imagine what that means to your pet. You’ve showed him with love for years. While it is a fraction of your life, it is a whole of his.”\n\nThe waterworks were fully on. There was no replying to Death’s words.\n\n“Think of the mercy I have left for you,” Death said, pushing the door open. “And think of the love you can have for so many before they die.”\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts"
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[WP] A virus has spread across the world, infecting only males and making the male population extinct. Women rushed to the sperm banks to restart humanity. They quickly realised a problem, all male fetuses were stillborn.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Female genetic engineers and scientists frantically work together in a united, global effort to solve this problem. All female college students meeting required test scores are drafted directly into scientific training and educational programs to ultimately help solve this problem. Scientists figure out the genes, mutations, and mechanisms behind stillborn males. They genetically engineer a solution to the problem through CRISPR, altering all sperm samples to now produce viable male offsprings.\n\nThe problem has been solved and the world is now in a better place.\n\n10 years later..\n\nWith an influx of geneticists and scientist years prior in a decade long effort to fix this problem, many female students from that time have now become renowned scientists in the field of cutting edge genetic engineering.\n\nThere has been a slow and steady rise in black market requests for designer babies, resulting in chaos and instability in social dynamics throughout the world. It has truly become a world of ugly people remaining poor and not being promoted or hired while perfect designer adults with the looks of a god and the brains of Einstein now run the world. \n\nIn time, ugly people eventually die out due to lack of reproduction from being out competed by designer humans in regards to sexual selection. \n\nThe world is now a full on dystopian society but it is progressing at light speed because everyone is now a literal genius in every field, with photographic memory and bandwidth equivalent to all of the world’s supercomputers combined. Society now has the most innovative machines and ideas imaginable, warp drive space ships, and daily travel across the universe to other galaxies. It truly is a richer world, except it’s run by people who shouldn’t exist. The beautiful flaws of humanity are, for the most part, gone. \n\nWhat has the world come to?"
] | 2
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[WP] You have somehow stumbled across a reddit thread from a different dimension
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"At first, it didn't seem out of the ordinary. It had the same look to it, with flairs, snoos, and the rest. However, that was where the similarities ended. Upon closer glance, there was something very off about how this Reddit looked.\n\nThe subreddits seemed interesting, to say the least. What ones she could make out in English were nothing she had ever seen before. She scrolled through them, pausing for a minute to look over each subreddit she could make out.\n\nr/humansarestupid\n\nr/alienfetishes\n\nr/wormholesthatlooklikebuttholes\n\nr/trashygalaxies\n\nr/diwhyspaceships\n\nEverything that she could find had a distinct space theme to it. She couldn't find any of the usual subreddits-no r/awww or even any of the subreddits about other countries. What she did find was an r/Earth, but rather than that be about taking care of the planet or even facts about the Earth, it was filled with comments from all other countries. There were comments from all over the world-the United States, Thailand, Germany, Nigeria, Argentina, and others. But the subreddits that used to be about other countries themselves seemed to have vanished.\n\nThe snoos themselves were different looking-some with many tentacles, many that were blob-shaped, others barely humanoid, but all had the distinctive red eyes and simple smile. \n\nShe clicked on the X in the upper right screen and closed the page. There was a long silence as she tried to process what she just saw."
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[WP] Sometimes the absence of something is just as noticeable as its presence.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"As I gazed out at the stars, a thought occurred to me. We take so many things for granted. We live on a beautiful planet in a beautiful universe. We have everything we could ever want to not only survive, but thrive... But so few of us ever stop to consider how truly blessed we are. We live with such plenty, we never give any thought to what we would do if deprived of the simple things that surround us every day. I slowly turned to look down at my beautiful world, and thought that sometimes it's the little things you miss the most. Things like air."
] | 2
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[WP] After their mutual friend pass away. A superhero and supervillain now has joint custody of their friend's kid. Let the hijinks and possible romance begin
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“You let him take a freeze ray to school?” Mia asked. “We’ve already had to change three schools because of what you did.” \r\n\n“Hey, my kid’s getting bullied? I’m not gonna sit around and do nothing.”\r\n\n“Yes, neither am I. But the proper thing to do is to meet the teacher, talk to the principal. Not abduct the kids and threaten them with exile to an alien planet!” \r\n\n“It worked,” Chase said. \r\n\n“Yeah, we had to change schools and wipe those kids’ memories!” \r\n\nChase shrugged. Mia sighed in frustration. Thankfully, Tyler was still at school. They had overlooked the freeze ray incident but warned her to not let such things happen again. \r\n\n“You know, why don’t you give me full custody?” she asked. “You know I’ll take good care of him.” \r\n\n“And let him turn out like you?” Chase asked. “No way.”\r\n\n“There’s nothing wrong with me, Chase,” Mia said. “I’m not the criminal here.”\r\n\n“I steal from ultra wealthy people. They don’t miss the money. They’re just insulted that they can’t do anything to me. I’m nearly Robin Hood, except giving to the poor part.”\r\n\n“It’s stealing no matter who you steal it from, Chase. And what’s wrong with Tyler just being with me? I have a high-paying job, I’ve got a good family—”\r\n\n“You’re a people-pleaser, Mia. You’re super nice in real life because you hate the idea of being disliked by anyone. You save people without being paid for it, because it makes you feel useful. You’re pathologically selfless. You only have a good family, because you never say no to them, and they never stop asking.”\n\nMia gulped. “And why are you a villain? What makes you hoard wealth like a dragon?”\r\n\n“I was one of the poor of this city as a kid,” Chase said. “So yeah, I hoard because I’ve known times when our family didn’t have anything. Besides, I might not give to the poor, but I hire people on the wrong side of the tracks.” \r\n\n“Maybe we both shouldn’t be raising the kid,” Mia said. She hated to admit it, but Chase was right. Tyler’s mom had been the only one who didn’t ask things of her. Nicole was a good person. Mia was good for selfish reasons. It made her feel better, made her feel like she was a good person. For Nicole, it was simply her nature.\r\n\n“No,” Chase said. “Either of us is wrong. The both of us, I guess that’s a balance Nicole was okay with.” \n\n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n*If you liked my work, you can check out more of it at* r/analect.",
"*The superhero Phynx and the supervillain Vamex both have a mutual friend that passed away, and in the will, they are left to co-parent their friend’s only son (separately and in their own way, of course). Now, at thirteen years old and after years of co-parenting, their orphan son Mateo has learned he has the ability to change body density in himself and others, and Vamex wants to teach Mateo how to use it against the school bully.*\n\n\\* \r \n\r \n“But why?”\r \n\r \n“Because it would be funny!”\r \n\r \n“It’s mean.”\r \n\r \n“You don’t think him pulling your pants down in front of the entire school was mean?” \r \n\r \n“It was.”\r \n\r \n“Don’t you want to be mean back? Think about how good you’ll feel when you touch him and suddenly he’s so fat that his pants pop off. Talk about dramatic irony!”\r \n\r \n“Will he be embarrassed? Like me?”\r \n\r \n“Let’s hope so.”\r \n\r \n“I don’t want to make him embarrassed. I didn’t like being embarrassed. Why would I want someone to feel something I didn’t like?” \r \n\r \n“Because—-look, if you don’t stand up to this guy, he’s going to do it again.”\r \n\r \n“Dad said I should report him to the principal.”\r \n\r \n“Dad’s a goody-two-shoes who wouldn’t know a good time if it hit him in the face, and believe me, it has. Often. With great force. By me. Besides, if you report this Billy kid, he’ll just do it again, and he’ll do it with vengeance.”\r \n\r \n“You’re right. I don’t think reporting him will get him to be my friend.”\r \n\r \n“You want Billy to be your friend?”\r \n\r \n“I don’t know. I just don’t want him to be upset anymore.”\r \n\r \n“It’s not your job to make him feel good, honey.”\r \n\r \n“Dad says it’s our job to make everyone feel good. You say it’s your job to only make yourself feel good. I wish you two would stop being so confusing.”\r \n\r \n“Dad is…well, we’re just different. That’s all.”\r \n\r \n“Isn’t there a way that I can be both?” \r \n\r \n“What do you mean?”\r \n\r \n“Well, I know Billy’s just upset with me because his friend Daniel is now my friend because we like to play Spellstruck together. I think he was just really mad because now he has to share Daniel’s time with me. What if…what if I asked Billy to hang out with me and Daniel next time we want to play Spellstruck?”\r \n\r \n“I…uh…well, what if Billy doesn’t like you? Or messes up the game on purpose? Or—-”\r \n\r \n“But what if he does like me? Wouldn’t that fix the problem?”\r \n\r \n“...maybe. Where did you get this idea from? I know your other dad isn’t nearly mature enough for such enlightenment.”\r \n\r \n“I don’t know. From mom, I guess. I…I never wanted to tell you, but I learned how she died. I know what you and Dad did to her on accident when you two were fighting.” \r \n\r \n“I…Mateo…you…I…”\r \n\r \n“I think you’re a great dad, and I think Phynx is also a good dad. You guys love me, and I know you loved mom. I just…I just don’t ever want what happened to her to happen to any of my friends.”\r \n\r \n“Mateo…”\r \n\r \n\r \n“I’ve got to go to school now dad. Pick me up at three?” \r \n\r \n“...yeah honey. I’ll see you at three. We can…maybe we can have dinner together at Phynx’s house. I’ll fly over to Italy and grab us a pizza.” \r \n\r \n“I’d love that. See you later dad!”\r \n\r \n\\*\r \n\r \n*Mateo recently got his undergraduate degree in physical fitness. Although he can make anybody thin or fat at will, he has yet to use his gift.* \r \n\r \n*Both his dads were at his graduation.*\n\n\r \n[(EXTRA CONTENT AND AUDIO VERSION)](https://pxgodwin.com/?p=453)"
] | 3
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[WP] Follow the story of Mark and Spencer, two souls that have been reincarnated for thousands of years and have always found each other but instead of being in love they just really hate each other
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It started in the Middle Ages. Spencercus was a poor orphan in desperate need of food. Marcus was the son of a farmer and they weren’t too well off themselves. The nomadic teenaged Spencercus eventually found his way to Marcus’ village. He eyed the beautiful bounty of fruit that decorated Marcus’ farm. Spencercus waited until it was dark and snuck past the small fence that stood between him and his bounty. Fittingly enough, he made out like a bandit. All was well for the orphan…until the next morning when Marcus came looking for him. \n\nThe feud between became so intense that people, peasants and royalty alike, began to fear for the welfare of their village. A Royal mage felt he had the perfect solution. After the two had knocked down and broke one too many statues, the mage had enough and enacted his plan. From that day forth the two were cursed to live as many lifetimes as it took for the two to settle their feud. The two teenagers brushed the mage as the ramblings of an old loon. \n\nHowever, death eventually came for both as did reincarnation. While the Ottoman conquered Europe, Spencercus and Marcus were busy fist fighting their way through the empire. The Renaissance came and so ti did the feud. The Crusades, the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, the Cold War, the Summer of Love, the Regan years, all were marked by these immortal enemies eventually finding each other and renewing their hostility’s like it was a holiday tradition. \n\nNow in 2022, Spencercus, going by the modern name Spencer for longer then he could remember sat quietly in a bar. He was sipping on a gin and tonic when the doors to the bar opened. The doors always creaked but tonight the creaks seemed different, ominous and foreboding. \n\n“Took you long enough.”\n\n“You’ll have to forgive me, the worlds kind of been on fire for the past two years”\n\n“I was hoping you had just finally given up on this dumb. Let us both rest and end this endless cycle of fuckery. “\n\n“Nah this way more fun…”\n\nMark sits down and orders a beer. Spencer gives him a puzzled look but goes back to his drink. \n\n“You know Spencer, it’s been so many centuries I don’t even remember what started this feud.”\n\n“Me either actually…kind of insane that we keep doing this anyway.”\n\n“Eh, it’s become a habit. Cheers.”\n\nThe two clink their glass and bottle together and drink. Then someone’s voice catches their ears. It’s a voice that’s strange to b0th of them but one word strikes a familiar for Spencer and Mark.\n\n“Oh that’s right…you robbed my family’s harvest.”\n\n“Hm? Oh yeah, that was it.”\n\nSpencer finishes his drink while Mark turns his bottle upside and cracks it across Spencer’s head.\n\n“Oppa…”\n\nSpencer tackles Mark taking him off of the barstool. Some of the other patrons cheer, while others clear out as the endless violent ballet the two have been subjected to dance begins anew."
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[WP] The year is 1879. You are a bounty hunter working just east of the Rocky Mountains. You've been hunting a shockingly high bounty and have just learned that they've used ancient magic to transport themselves to a magical other world. By God as your witness you ain't letting this one go.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It takes conviction to look at a man in the eye and tell them an old bounty hunter could leave our world and go off into a land of sorcerers and walking gods, but it didn't seem so unbelievable back then, though I reckon looking back on it now the whole ordeal felt more like a fever dream than truth. I was in my forty-fourth year, soaked in whiskey, and chasing ankles when the fattest bounty in recorded history went up on the warrant board in Dodge City, Kansas, leading to a feeding frenzy amongst marshals, rangers, and bounty hunters alike.\n\nLet's take it from the top. I had a room atop a parlor south of the deadline—the railroad tracks cutting Dodge City into orderly north and lawless south. Albus Feldor was a buffalo hunter that had burned his boss alive while the man slept in his home. A local posse chased the bastard down, but according to them boys, the man just up and vanished. From the direction of the horse tracks, it seemed Feldor was headed west toward the Rocky's.\n\nAlbus Feldor was thought to be from abroad, on account of his funny accent, and had a face that only the virgin mother could love. Thankfully his long beard did the heavy lifting on lessening the ugly on his mug. He carried no iron and was reported as having no kin.\n\nAll this, of course, was on his wanted poster. But I was nowhere near the warrant board when the poster went up. It was Gloria, my best girl, who tipped me off. That morning, she slammed a hot cup of coffee down on the powderkeg I was using for a nightstand and slapped me awake with the poster in her hand. She didn't hold back a bit, put her whole damn shoulder into those slaps.\n\n\"The hell, Gloria? You lost your damn mind?\"\n\nGloria puckered her lips. \"Oh, Bob. Did that hurt?\" She caressed my cheek then slapped it again. \"Well good! You're three months overdue on rent, you louse. Get your behind up and go make some money!\"\n\nWhen the law came to Dodge City, the crime rate took it on the chin. But that meant bounty hunting did too. Times were lean. When I wasn't pinching Gloria's cheeks, bless her heart, I was digging graves or packing baking soda for a couple of cents a day. There wasn't much hope in terms of a career for a greaser like me, even if my mother was a blue-eyed Betty from Texas, born and bred. I could always lay track for the railroads, if I wanted to die under the sun with a broken back.\n\n\"No point,\" I groaned at Gloria, rolling back over on my stiff bed, \"the marshals are on it. You tryin' get me killed, beloved?\"\n\nGloria pulled me up by the neck of my long John's. \"The only person trying to kill you is you, Bob. Now get your ass up and read this poster. It's the marshal's that put it up. And the bounty, Bob. Look at this!\"\n\nMy eyes focused despite the hateful morning light burning through the small window. Gloria looked marvelous. Her black curls pinned up in a messy bun, her lips painted bloodred, emerald-green eyes flecked with dots of gold. She still smelled like soap. In her butter-smooth hands, she held the poster. As I previously confirmed, Albus Feldor was one ugly son-of-a-bitch. I reckon the poor artist that scratched the man's countenance to paper must have retired from sketching, on account of gouging their own eyes out after having to stare at such a face for so long.\n\nBut what puckered my cheeks wasn't Feldor's mug. It was the bounty. Some numbers don't mean a thing to a man. From Dodge City to London it's 7,500 miles. Riding that distance seems impossible, but I know a mile. And I can imagine one after the other. And if I count high enough, bit by bit, I'd get to merry ol' England. But you tell me I get to spend $500,000 dollars, my brain goes all mushy. The number felt obscene to say. Five hundred... THOUSAND dollars. The truth was, I'd probably die before I get through the first hundred.\n\nI handed the poster back to Gloria and sat up in my bed. The bitter brown smell of coffee tugged at my nose. Last night's drink pushed up against the back of my throat. The tiny room was spinning around me. I couldn't think straight. \"What this guy do? Blow up the White House?\"\n\nGloria laughed. \"Does it matter, Bob? He's wanted. And every hunter worth his weight in salt is out there looking for him. But they say he's a ghost. Can't be tracked. Course, them boys ain't you, ain't they?\"\n\n\"No, Gloria. I'm not doing it.\"\n\nGlora drew her hand back for another slap but I snatched her wrist before she could let loose.\n\n\"I'm not gonna watch you rot away up here.\" Big tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. \"I can't. I won't.\"\n\nMy mother was indeed from Texas. But my father... he was from the south. Far south. Mexico. He was a Nacaal medicine man gifted with what he called the \"True Sight.\" It was passed down by blood, meaning I got it too. But what my old called a gift, I knew by its true nature. I was cursed.\n\n\"You know what using that thing does to me, Gloria. You know it. Damn it, you nursed me back from death's door the last time I fucked around with that shit. Is that what my life's worth? Half a million dollars?\" I chuckled. \"Shit, at least it ain't cheap.\"\n\n\"Bob,\" Gloria said, sitting down beside me on the bed. It groaned under our combined weight. \"You won't do this alone. I will go with you. I will keep you alive. This isn't just for you or me. This sort of money—I can find my family. My ma, my pa, all of em'. And I can make sure they never feel the cold bite of chains around their necks ever again. We can be truly free. That includes you, dummy.\"\n\n\"I—aw, hell Gloria. There you go dreamin' again.\" I looked away before the tears pushing at the back of my eyes burst through.\n\nShe grabbed my chin and pulled my face back. \"We can do this.\"\n\n\"You're gonna get me killed.\"\n\n\"Then we'll die together.\"",
"The wizard fled across the open plains, and the bounty hunter followed.\n\nJose Escobedo squinted against the smoke of his rolled cigarette as his horse Yatzil trampled through the brush of the harsh sun bleached land. He inhaled deep into his chest and exhaled through his nose slow, glancing down at the subtle signs of a trail his bounty had left for him to follow. He spurred his horse forward quicker as the smells and sounds of civilization reached him.\n\nJose tugged gently on the reins for Yatzil to slow as he neared the top of a hill they were moving up. The line of the edge of the hill broke and beyond he could see an expanding town he knew to be Leadville. It'd been some years since his parents had brought him here as his father was an aspiring silver miner and his mother was in search of seed to take back to grow in Durango. Now the only surviving piece of them had returned as a bounty hunter, some of his mother's magic still flowing in his veins.\n\n\"You restock here, you sumbitch?\" Jose muttered, \"or didjya think this'd slow me.\"\n\n............\n\nAs the sun rose highest in the sky Jose was passing into town. His satchel and set of Colt Peacemakers bounced against his thighs as Yatzil moved at a slow canter down the dry dirt road. He didn't bother speaking or acknowledging any of the folk moving about and kept to himself. He had to restock his gear just as his bounty had earlier that morning, probably as shops were first opening. The trail he'd been following was long lost before he entered the city but he was sure his bounty had come the same way, he could sense it somehow. The dark skinned man dismounted from Yatzil and gave the horse an affectionate pat before tying him to a post outside the general goods store. He scratched dust caked fingers against his sweaty stubble and moved up the stairs confidently, head held high as he let his hat fall against his back before entering, the cord snug below his adam's apple.\n\n\"Afternoon, Senor,\" called the shop keeper, \"speak Engles?\"\n\n\"Yessir,\" Jose nodded, \"question for ya.\"\n\n\"Go head, what can ah I do for yeh?\" the man asked.\n\nJose opened up his satchel and withdrew a weathered piece of paper, unfolding it carefully. It was heavily wrinkled, looked like it had been unfolded and refolded a hundred times. Across the top in massive bold letters read:\n\n**REWARD**\n\n**$$$ 35,000 $$$**\n\n**WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE! NOTORIOUS BADMAN: George S. Redman**\n\nFor murder, train robbery, bank robbery, forgery, kidnapping\n\n**Immediately Contact Nearest U.S. Marshal's Office**\n\nBelow this was a photo of a pale, thin man with a curling mustache and goatee. His eyes stared back menacingly, face unsmiling.\n\nJose watched recognition develop in the shopkeepers eyes and grunted back with a nod.\n\n\"When was he here, bout' three hours ago, earlier mornin'?\" asked Jose.\n\n\"Yessah,\" he mumbled, \"shit I sold him some horse feed, some cann-\n\n\"I'll take exactly what he had'n three boxes of forty-fives if you carry em',\" Jose said, \"I plan to deliver this man by end of week. U.S. Marshals, Pinktertons, whoever.\"\n\nJose took out a money clip and set down a five dollar bank note, dark green with *United States First National Bank of Storm Lake* across the face.\n\n\"I expect he mighta said something to you passing through here,\" Jose said, \"change is yours if you can gimme some information.\"\n\n\"All that seemed outta the ordinary is he asked where he could find some plants out there, I forget what they was all together, but I sold him tobacco and some herbs the missus picks for us to sell to folks,\" he shrugged.\n\n\"I'm stocked there, thank yee,\" Jose nodded with a smirk, \"I think I know whur he's goin'.\"\n\n............\n\nTwenty minutes later Jose's horse was fed and they were off at a slow gallop out of Leadville. Slowly moving in the direction the shop keeper said the main road would head from town. Before long he had the trail again and was thumbing bullets into the crisscrossing bandolier across his chest. He was close now, and luckily he already had the plants his bandit was desperately trying to get his hands on. Yatzil kicked up dust as Jose spurred him forward faster and faster. He could almost feel his mark, he'd be taking this man back to a U.S. Marshall dead, he didn't deserve to be taken alive.\n\nThe bandit's trail split off from the main road and into the heavy terrain of the open country. Jose slowed his horse to a trot through the brush when he found what he'd been afraid of. End of the trail. A large area cleared of plants marked where he'd gone. He threw his leg over Yatzil and gave him a reassuring pat outside the circle. He knelt down and roughed up the bare ground where the edge of the plants reached.\n\n\"Think I can't follow you, boah,\" he smirked, \"I gotchya now. You're goin' where I'll find you quicker'n here.\"\n\nJose reached into his satchel and withdrew three bundles of dried leaves and flower petals, from there he picked out a pinch of each and returned the larger bundles back into his pack. The bounty hunter fixed his hat on his head and crushed up the leaves and petals into his palm, whispering softly with his eyes closed. After a few moments he turned his head towards Yatzil.\n\n\"You stay, boah,\" he grinned, \"I'll be back before you know it.\"\n\nJose sucked air quickly and blew as hard as he could across his palm, showering the bare circle with the herbal powder from his hand. Suddenly the earth began to hum and glow deep violet. He withdrew his colts from their holsters and leaped into the portal.\n\n(*thank you, Stephen King, for inspiring the first line*).",
"I took another glance at the dusty book propped up on my table, and confident with my level of preparation, took the small chisel into my hands and started engraving my revolver. The bizarre nature of the entire situation did not elude me; when I became a bounty hunter, I never expected to one day find myself carving occult rituals into my firearm to ensure its effectiveness against magical creatures. But here I was, and I was not gonna let anything stop me.\n\nAs my hands worked on their own with utmost carefulness, I started to reminisce on my journey that has led me to this peculiar point. Apprenticing under my adoptive father and the local sheriff of my hometown, I was set on the path of becoming a lawman, and it was something I strived towards with pride. I saw the utmost honor in protecting the innocent and stopping mayhem the criminals of the world would cause and dedicated myself to not just becoming a lawman, but a bonafide crime fighter. It came as no surprise, then, that I was not content to just be a sheriff in some lazy backwater town where the most I'd do in terms of upholding the law would be breaking up bar fights. With my father's blessing, I set out into the world, determined to become the best.\n\nFollowing that, I spent 7 years in Austin, Texas, honing my skills and working as a part of a larger team of law-keepers that I learned everything I could from. I studied several languages, mainly Spanish, a little Chinese, and, much to the sneers of my peers that I fully ignored, Navajo. I trained with both revolvers and sharpshooter rifles to keep me flexible. I kept a wide array of maps and books on local fauna in my bunk to make use of. Soon, even the city of Austin, with its hustle and bustle, became too slow for me, and I took it upon myself to hunt down the most dangerous villains of the West; to become a bounty hunter.\n\nThe next couple of years were an adrenaline-filled blur of both intense action and immense boredom when I simply traveled from one city to another. I gained a reputation for taking on the most dangerous contracts that few would touch - not for the money, which was often good but to stop the outlaws who thought they were above the law and so often preyed on the weak.\n\nBut everything changed when I set my sights on my latest bounty - Charles Portis, a man that seemingly dedicated to becoming the most threatening outlaw in the West. With a list of crimes that seemed to have no end or limit, many have tried to hunt down this scoundrel, and none returned. The listing on his bounty quickly changed to \"Dead\" only, but even then, it was clear that it'd be a while before his reign of terror would come to a stop. But I was determined to do just that.\n\nIt took me 8 months to track the son-of-a-bitch down. *8 bloody months*. And what did this tedious hunt result in? A bullet in my gut. As I sat up against the rock of the cave he'd been hiding in, I saw him approach me and seeing that I was in no fighting shape, holster his weapon and mock me. He'd go on how he abhorred lawmen, how people were weak, and would occasionally dig his fingers into my wound and take sadistic pleasure out of it.\n\nFinally, he quit his droning and started to leave, claiming that his bullets were too good for me and that he'd let the coyotes finish me off. But instead of simply walking off... I could scarcely believe it. He slit his palm open and chanted a few words in no language I could discern. I wasn't sure if what I was seeing was true or delirium from my blood loss - even more so when a... *portal*, for the lack of a better world, opened before him, and after one last spit in my direction, he simply... vanished through it. My disbelief knew no bounds, but a sharp jolt of pain from my wound woke me up from my trance and focused me on my survival. Normally, he'd be right in assuming that a man in my situation would be as good as dead, but he lacked one critical piece of knowledge.\n\nI was a stubborn son of a bitch and wouldn't let a lowlife like him do me in.\n\n\\[Continued\\]"
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[WP] As a young chef who is forced to take odd assignments to make ends meet you have taken a request that you might regret. Preparing the final meal for a death row inmate and you have been given the chance to interview them to gain insight on why they chose the meal they did.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"So, let's call him Joe schmo for now, he's the one on death row. He got there because he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and the lawyers pinned it on him. Because the defendant that he was going against somehow actually wound up being the guy that did it and he just had really good lawyers and got away with it like OJ.\n\nNow from there Joe schmo has been in and out of jails for 12 to 25 years somewhere in that range. And from there he has been on death row for about 4 years now, you know the legal system. It takes forever for them to actually kill anybody.\n\nWhen it does finally come time today August 11th, 2022, the last meal that he asks for is just a simple as a Big Mac and a large Coke and large fry. Because he's been living on jail food for over half his life having been in prisoned just at the age of 20. \n\nIt's a shame. No one responded to this post because this is a good topic and it creates writing topic interest for other people. Or they can read it, read my story and pull on that and make their own story from it, regardless, it sucks that you posted a good topic and no one else posted on it, so here's a post sir"
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[WP] (told in 3rd person) The MC finds a small ring, which when worn transports them to a Neverland-like place, and they find themself in front of a wishing well. Words carved on the well say that it will grant 3 wishes which take effect in the real world, but if MC makes more than 2, they are stuck
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I kneel before the wishing well. It's too small to see at face level. With the help of a fairy, I successfully see the scratchy handwriting. Not before they make a rude gesture at me, though. This place isn't like the rest of the world. \n\nIt's a violet floating island with white striped trees. It's blooming but the fairies are obnoxious, rude, and drunk on magic. They're more like little fattened violet blueberries after that, especially after they eat the fruit. This place is probably cursed to fairy folk, because once they pass through they get inflicted with unbearable itching. The fairies inside were fine last I passed through, but after a few days I feel an itch coming on. It's probably because I've spent too much time here. The only thing that isn't making me itch right now is probably because I'm human. The trees still bend to my will, but it's become much harder. And to answer the question about bending trees, I think...I think it's made for serving humans to their will. \n\nAnyways, I should hurry. It's been an overwhelmingly pleasant time here, but my pleasure will have to wait. The more time I stay here, the weirder it gets. Everything is dyed purple now, even my hands and feet. This wishing well is my top priority and I'll have to skedaddle afterwards.\n\n*Wish one will be in the human world*\n\n*Wish two, as well, with its powerful spell*\n\n*But be careful: one more*\n\n*And you'll stay here until you're encased in mould*\n\n*For this wishing well of ultimate power*\n\n*Is not yours, though the coin pours*\n\n*No! It is for faerie to guard*\n\n*Until the coins shower in*\n\n*And all knows*\n\n*The wishing well of Bacchus-Din.*\n\nBacchus-Din. The word sounds strange in my mouth. The place was already strange: why not make its name even stranger?\n\nI have three pieces of gold in my pocket. Seeing as this was a magical land, it wasn't much: around a dollar in the mortal world. Enough to buy you a magical knickknack in the market, but certainly no more than that. And even *that* was a generous price.\n\nThat left me for three wishes, I assume. Two if I wanted to get back. I glance at the ring on my finger. Its hexagonal sapphire shimmers in the purple aura of the grove's bubble. It only makes me doubt how much longer I can resist the temptation.\n\nI throw a coin into the well. It doesn't make a sound, as far as I can see. Instead, purple mist rises. This is what happens with normal wishing wells in the land, and I normally assume the time a well starts spouting purple mist is a good time to start wishing. Something like that, anyway.\n\nI close my eyes and make a wish. II feel a strange feeling in my stomach. \n\n*Should I go on?*\n\nBefore I had time to ponder that question, the well sucked another gold coin in.\n\nStupid well. I was planning to make a run for it, but I didn't think I should waste a wish. Again, I feel the same odd tingling in my chest, so the wish had probably been granted.\n\nHolding the last remaining gold coin tight, I look at the wishing well.\n\n*That is the decision you will have to make,* a voice in my head says. I knew I would never cross the chasm again. It was painfully obvious.\n\nI tap the sapphire on my golden ring. I wake up in my bed, instinctively looking for the ring. I find that it has vanished."
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[WP] Whenever another species joins the Galactic Council, they always find their role in society, except for humans, they are not good enough at anything to excel, nor are they average enough to be generalists, they fit nowhere, well, except for one tiny niche...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Life in the capital city of the moon Quarm was always busy and teaming with life. Standing as the headquarters for the Greater Union of Ascended Peoples, it swarmed with noble dignitaries and specialists from each species that wandered the free stars. For Reg'oos however, he saw none of this. On the outskirts of the great and sprawling city stood a humble government building simply labelled 'Infrastructure Maintenance'.\n\nReg'oos sat leisurely at his desk, staring over the brim of his ocular amplifier at the small squishy pink lifeform stood in front of him. \n\n\"And what might you be here for *human*?\"\n\nShifting in place uncomfortably before speaking, the small creature straightened themselves before addressing Reg'oos.\n\n\"I'm here for my technical interview for the Network Administrator posting.\"\n\nSeeing that the creature wasn't going to speak further, he swiped across his desk before confirming the appointment and directing the human to the small office at the end of the hall. As it walked away, Reg'oos rolled his eye and alerted the Administrator to her appointment's arrival. \n\n\\----\n\n\"Clara\" the long haired human stretched out her hand in introduction, only to be given a look of disgust by the wolfish being before her.\n\n\"And what sort of qualification do you have for this role?\" the Administrator sneered down her elongated snout at the nonplussed human. She knew of the shame it brought to the galactic community at finding their newcomers shared no great expertise beyond a passable proficiency with engineering.\n\n\"well, I understand you are looking at someone to maintain the network systems, and as a systems security administrator back home, I noticed some aspects of your network that intrigued me. Might I access a terminal?\"\n\nWaiving a hand to the thin tablet set on Clara's side of the desk, the Administrator gestured for her to proceed.\n\n\"So you see,\" Clara spoke as her hands tapped across the screen, \"I was talking to a friend of mine over in the dining plaza and he told me that everything in the city's infrastructure is linked through its NetHub page, and that got me thinking of a project from my university studies.\" Clara continued typing furiously as she flitted from one page to the next.\n\n\"I decided to test my theory and found that not only does the city page have its administrative login links available under the search options, but also lists the host company that provides the network hosting, and the name of the router manufacturer for all city building network systems.\" Clara's fingers began to slow as the tablet showed more and more options becoming available on the screen.\n\n\"Sure enough, I found the default login credentials for both products were listed under their respective datasheets and manuals, and to no surprise - the city network team had never changed either password key!\" Clara opened a system command window and began keying in commands before her hands came to a stop.\n\n\"And the best part was, there was no dual authentication, I just had to be connected to the free and also completely unlocked network access provided at any city service, including the information kiosks scattered around town at conveniently busy locations.\" Clara smiled with a glint in her eye. \"And that,\" she extended here forefinger, \"is why I was able to do this.\"\n\nThe finger descended before tapping the submit key on the tablet. All around the office, the lights shut down with no sign of any emergency lighting being activated. Yelps and clicking could be heard from the hall as other workers in the building panicked at the loss of all power. Checking her own device, the Administrator was shocked to see that it didn't even have service or connectivity to any network.\n\nOnly a second passed before everything came back on and all systems were back up, appearing to have only paused briefly. \n\n\n\"And that,\" Clara stated with a smug grin, \"is why you need me to overhaul your entire network security infrastructure.\""
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[WP] The knights have finally successfully planted a human spy, masquerading as a dragon in human form, into the ranks of the dragons' upper echelon.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Mountains of bronze and silver piled up against the walls of the entryway gave the Castle of Tailwind Cave an impressive, imposing feel to any who walked through its grand doorway. Better still than these lesser metals were the mounds of gold and precious gems that decorated the throne room. Contrary to what many of the humans down at the foot of the mountain cave thought, dragons did not usually sit atop the mounds of treasure. They would do so to intimidate others and guard their treasure, but most dragons found mounds of metal to be very uncomfortable.\n\n\"Welcome, Draconus. Why have you chosen to visit our province at this time?\"\n\n\"I have come to see the spoils of your recent victory against those pesky humans. If your newly gained riches are great enough I may consider bestowing a higher title upon you.\n\n\"That would be a great honour, my king. May I please ask something, however?\"\n\nDarius Hilith, who was not in fact Draconus, dreaded the question he knew was coming, but allowed it to be asked anyway.\n\n\"You may.\"\n\n\"Thank you, your highness. May I ask why you are in your human form? I have heard that you spend almost all of your time in your true, draconic form.\"\n\n\"My answer is quite unfortunate. You see, I have been cursed by one of the High Wizards of Dorloc. They do not take kindly to us dragons, it seems. I will remain unable to change back to my true form unless I channel my power through the Shifting Stone. As it happens, I believe you are now in possession of this stone. I wish to restore myself to what I was before.\"\n\nThe Shifting Stone had been stolen from Aigire Fortress just a few days earlier, and was what Darius had come to retrieve. Anything else he could take was simply a bonus.\n\n\"The High Wizards of Dorloc? But your highness, are they not neutral toward our kingdom?\"\n\nDarius tried not to show anything on his face. He'd forgotten about that.\n\n\"So I thought. It could simply be that one of the Wizards is acting on his own, but I will need to investigate this matter further, preferably with some form of curse-countering charm.\"\n\nWith any luck, he could use his mistake to convince the dragons to hand over two artifacts.\n\n\"I see. Well, I do have a charm that can do just that. It's just this way, in the treasure stash. I will show you.\"\n\nDarius could feel an easy victory within his grasp.\n\n\"However...\"\n\nOr maybe the victory would not be so easy after all.\n\n\"How do I know that you are King Draconus? You could be a pesky human trying to steal our treasure!\"\n\n\"I am most certainly not. However, if it is proof that you wish...\"\n\nUnbeknownst to the dragons, Darius had a magical artifact of his own. Under his cloak he wore the Dragonflame Pendant, a mystical item that allowed him to breathe fire for a short time before it needed to replenish the spell it contained. Darius launched a jet of fire from his mouth, which dissipated into the air in front of him.\n\n\"Very well. It seems that you are indeed Draconus.\"\n\nThe dragon led Darius into the treasure room. It had just occurred to him that somehow he had managed to get this far without knowing the dragon's name.\n\nThe two entered the treasure room, and the dragon opened a few chests of treasure until he found what he was looking for.\n\n\"The Shifting Stone and the Cursebane Charm. They are all yours, your highness.\"\n\n\"Thank you.\"\n\nThe dragon paused.\n\n\"If you were Draconus, you would simply take the artifacts. Draconus does not show such weakness as thanking his subjects.\"\n\nDarius forced himself not to show any sort of reaction to this. He'd quite possibly just been caught over a \"thank you\" of all things. He found dragon etiquette incredibly difficult to understand. Still, he could hopefully de-escalate the situation.\n\n\"That would be the Wizards' curse. It has afflicted me with some of the weaknesses of man, which is why I must lift the curse.\"\n\nThe dragon narrowed its eyes.\n\n\"I see.\"\n\nDarius took the two artifacts from the dragon, who was clearly uncertain as to his legitimacy. It was likely only his fear of angering Draconus that kept him in line.\n\n\"Are you not going to return to your dragon form here?\"\n\n\"I am afraid not. It is a lengthy process.\"\n\nThe dragons already suspected that Darius was not Draconus, but matters were complicated further when Draconus himself showed up.\n\n\"I have heard of your recent victory over the humans of Aigire. I wish to see the spoils of your battle.\"\n\nAt this point, Darius had two options. He could make an attempt to escape with the two artifacts, or he could try something reckless and insane.\n\nHe chose the latter.\n\n\"One of the High Wizards of Dorloc, I presume? You are too late - I have already returned.\"\n\n\"Who is this fool?\"\n\n\"You dare to pose as me in my own castle and call me a fool? I'll have you know I've caused painful deaths for lesser crimes!\"\n\n\"Dragons of Aigire, why do you stand around staring? I, the Dragon King Draconus, am in your presence and yet you choose to believe this puny human? Do something!\"\n\nAs soon as Draconus concluded his sentence, a few of the dragons in the Castle started to stomp toward Darius.\n\n\"Thank you,\" snapped Draconus sarcastically.\n\nThe dragons stopped in their tracks.\n\nSpotting an opportunity, Darius spoke up. \"Would I, Draconus, show such weakness as thanking my subjects?\"\n\nThe dragon who showed Darius to the treasure room replied, \"Actually, you already did.\"\n\n\"While under a curse. What is this impostor's excuse?\"\n\nDraconus tried to regain control of the increasingly absurd situation. \"If you are Draconus, why are you not in dragon form?\"\n\n\"Because of that same curse. If you wish to prove which of us is the real Draconus, I have in my possession an artifact that can do so.\"\n\nWith any luck, the dragons were not familiar with the Shifting Stone's function. Darius pulled it from his pocket and held it up.\n\n\"This artifact can show one's true form. All that we each must do is touch the stone and our true forms will be revealed.\"\n\n\"Is this some sort of trick?\"\n\n\"Not at all. I will go first.\"\n\nDarius held the stone by its pedestal in one hand and touched it with the other.\n\n\"Our true forms will be revealed when we have both touched the stone. It is now your turn.\"\n\n\"You are trying to deceive me.\"\n\n\"I am doing no such thing. Would any other dragons in this room like to try using the stone?\"\n\nDarius removed his hand from the stone. The dragon who showed Darius to the treasure room and one other dragon reached forward and placed a single claw each on the stone. Flaming horns appeared above both of their heads. What the dragons were unaware of was that Darius was controlling the Shifting Stone to change the appearance of the dragons - an easy feat compared to what he planned to do with it soon.\n\nFinally, Draconus agreed to touch the stone. He and Darius placed a claw and hand on the stone. Flaming horns appeared above Darius's head, while a pointed hat appeared above Draconus's head.\n\nDarius was the first to break the ensuing stunned silence. \"I believe we have an answer.\"\n\nDraconus seethed with rage. He had allowed himself to be played for a fool. \"No!\" he spluttered, \"You have used an illusion! The stone does not reveal your true form!\"\n\n\"But if I'm one of those lowly humans like you said, how would I conjure an illusion?\"\n\n\"Wh-\"\n\nTo fully convince the dragons that he was Draconus, Darius used the Shifting Stone for its more powerful purpose. Sprouting wings and horns, and turning a shade of dark grey, he flew up above the castle floor and began to shout in a deep voice.\n\n\"YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE, WHOEVER YOU ARE! DRAGONS, VANQUISH HIM!\"\n\nDarius still didn't look like Draconus, with his clearly human body, but he could not shapeshift any further with the Shifting Stone. However, when combined with the fire launching from his mouth thanks to the Dragonflame Pendant he gave enough of an impression of power to fully convince the dragons that he was Draconus. Despite his power, Draconus was soon overwhelmed by the large group of dragons, some of whom had armed themselves with artifacts from the treasure stash.\n\nAfter the fighting ceased, Darius began to fly toward the entrance.\n\n\"I shall investigate the High Wizards. I must find out whether this one was working alone or with the others.\"\n\nAfter flying around to the far side of the mountain and back to Aigire Fortress, he reverted the shapeshifting and lay down, exhausted from the energy required to use the Shifting Stone. He reached into his pocket and emptied out numerous artifacts that he snuck out of the treasure room during the fight.\n\nAnd that is the story of how, through confusion, trickery and a series of increasingly beneficial mistakes, Darius Hilith defeated the Dragon King Draconus.\n\n-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-\n\nExtra worldbuilding:\n\nTail Mountain was rumoured to be a misspelling of the vastly uncreative name \"Tall Mountain\", which it was given by a group of explorers who had already named seven mountains that day. After the misspelling became the commonly accepted name, the dragons chose the mountain to set up a castle within the Province of Aigire because they liked the name. The humans in the area disliked this, which led to a now-infamous incident in which they tried to drive the dragons out of the area by exclusively referring to the mountain as Idiot's Mountain.\n\nThe Castle of Tailwind Cave is inside the mountain, with the front of a castle and some towers extending from the front face. To access the castle, you must cross a bridge over a ravine that runs through part of the mountain. The bridge is \"very\" \"sturdy\".\n\nThere are dragon castles in areas other than Aigire. This will be important if I ever continue this."
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[WP] The more you use magic, the more it changes you...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Being an Arc is difficulty. Having to keep everyone away for when the Event occurs, every use of that innate ability bringing it closer and closer. The Event? Oh, you must be new. Let me tell you this: The more you use that power, the more that power changes you.\n\nAs you know, all Arcs start out looking almost indistinguishable from a normal human, save for the mark on our backs. The abilities can manifest at any time, from in the womb to seconds before death. These powers vary from being as mundane as darkvision to as great as bending time itself! But by now, you should know that life puts a price on everything. Like the reason your stories end at a happy ending, the history of a heroic Arc only is recorded to a certain point. Why? The same reason you are talking to a black sludge. The same reason our kind are now hunted and killed. The same reason that patch of scales on your arm is spreading. One way or another, all Arcs become monstrosities.\n\nWhether it be mental corruption, mutations of the physical form, or, in most cases, both, all of us will suffer, are suffering, or have suffered this fate. This is called the Event. You entered yours fairly recently, judging by the current and rate of change you seem to have experienced. Now, the physical metamorphosis is inevitable for those destined for it, but the corruption I may be able to help you counteract. Oh? You thought you were doomed to lose you mind? No, no. Those like me gained the mental fortitude to prevent it. Now what is your most prominent ability?\n\n—— challenge: finish this story. Read more stories at r/GlacioWrites"
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[WP] It came at night to feed on the unfulfilled. A dream filled with delightful lies, marvelous wonders, and sundry pleasures would be offered. At dawn it would ask, "Do you want to go back to your boring life...or would you rather go with me?"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Her name was Inna. She dreamed often of two dogs, one was red and the other was blue. Not that she remembered dreaming about these dogs, but they were there running around in her subconsciousness as dogs do. They were there the first time I saw Inna as a child. The red dog was walking on a long dinner table sniffing the food on each plate, and the blue dog sat at Inna’s side at the head of the table. She laid her hand on the animal’s head and rubbed back and forth.\n \n\nHer dream could have passed for reality. At the time I didn’t know what preordained colors dogs were limited to, how could I? But every scent of roasted meat and texture of the table and ambience of temperature met the reality test. I would remember Inna.\n \n\nLife is not difficult. It is not difficult to meet minimum requirements to survive nor is it terribly difficult to understand. There are prey and there are predators. If you do not consider yourself either, then there exists a predator eager to test that belief. I am a predator and life is my prey.\n \n\nInna was my introduction to this world and remains the most tangible. Since Inna I’ve seen the dreams of millions of people, met their subconscious, dwelled in their hopes and terrors, and always there exists a tell of a dream.\n\n\nSomething that doesn’t appear wrong immediately and may only be described as quirky or an oddity. Think of a clock running backwards. A smell that doesn’t exist. A mouth that cannot speak. Or yes, a dog the color of the sky. That is me.\n \n\nThen, after I understand their subconscious, I understand their life. Watch them move in the daytime. Their slow movements in the morning to brush their teeth with paste and whittle through their social media before transporting themselves to work all the while trying to remember what caused that euphoric feeling of their dreams they’ve already forgotten.\n \n\nI understood people. And once I understood, once I finished stalking by prey, I cast my trap.\n \n\nInna had grown up since I last saw her. The small bedroom in her parents’ home was replaced by a florescent apartment on the fifth floor. The thin walls were peppered with holes glossed over by white-out by previous tenants. Next to her bed hung a badge that read, “INNA LEOVINSK – ADVANCED MARKETING SOLUTIONS.” By a salad bag in the fridge sat a nearly empty quart of milk and coffee mug rings littered the countertop. On the drive into work at Advanced Marketing Solutions, where she held what she considered a fairly respectable position, she listened to mindless local talk radio instead of NPR. She couldn’t remember the last time she earnestly laughed.\n \n\nThis was her life and I grew to know her – and she grew to know me, if not consciously, by the dreams I guided her through. I finished making her existence hollow by creating unattainable pleasures common for the woman. Her mind pivoted to sexual needs? I gave her a harem. She desired flight, I gave her the endless sky. Food? A feast for a court of kings. These memories faded when she woke, and she fought to remember them. Oh yes. But the feelings of satisfaction for the unconscious world remained with her throughout her day.\n\n\nThe time she spent strategizing with customers on how to widen their reach was threatening to lose its meaning even before I drifted into her mind. But with me? With me Inna was becoming listless. She could no longer find the joy in coffee, or the pleasure in reading by a window, or the contentedness of listening to rain in a parked car. No. Inna only craved me.\n \n\nThis is when I closed in.\n \n\nShe dreamed again of the two dogs in her childhood room. Inna hadn’t dreamed these dogs since she was a girl living in that wonderful house with both parents. The red dog came in through the door first, its tail still, and the blue dog was behind with a leash in its mouth, tail wagging.\n\n\n“Oh, puppies! I’ve missed you!” Inna leaned down to pet both dogs like they were really her childhood pets. It was more satisfaction. “Have you been good? Have you been getting all the good snugs?”\n\n\nI then spoke to her. “Inna, I have a proposition.”\n \n\nIt was a dream where plots and scenes routinely shifted like a breeze, hearing a voice was common. “This could be your life.” I told her. “You could stay here, a life filled with delightful lies, marvelous wonders, and sundry pleasures.” The blue dog rolled over and she was couched down rubbing its belly.\n“Or –“ I said.\n \n\n“Or? This already is my life.”\n \n\n“Inna.”\n \n\nShe stopped petting the dog and stood up. Inna looked around, really seeing the world around her for the first time. “This is a dream.”\n \n\n“Yes.”\n \n\n“You’re saying I could stay here?”\n \n\nI gave my voice the most paternal sound I could conjure. “You could stay here, leave that drudgery behind. Leave that commute and aimless life. How you feel at night in your dreams is how you can feel and live all the time.”\n\n\n“Or.” I changed my voice and her face distorted. “You could return to your small apartment.”\n \n\n“Inna,” I said, “the choice is entirely yours.”\n \n\nThe choice wasn’t hers. I had made it already for her. I needed only her permission.\n \n\nI could feel Inna giving in before she muttered yes. Feel what was once a warm soul nourish my appetite, her damaged hopes of a family and fears of not being enough poured into me.\n \n\nIn an instant she was part of me. Her body to be found later, limp halfway off the bed, but she was with me. She was happier this way, I could feel it, and I was just a little stronger.\n\n \nThen I found Ethan."
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[WP] It's been years since humanity have been enslaved by robots. A coronal mass ejection is detected that will cause largest geomagnetic storm in aeons. Robotkind has a day to accept it's extinction.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"An orange reflective vest and a single blinking LED clipped onto a shoulder strap was the only way Adam could tell he was still on the right path through the murky air.\n\nHe kicked aside small bits of rubble while following a few meters behind Yuan. Glass crunched, silt rippled. The smell of activated carbon and sterile plastic filled each breath through his bulky protective gear, each breath becoming deeper and more ragged as they trudged through the entropy.\n\nFinally, Yuan stretched out a hand. Both stopped. \n\nThey had entered a clearing - probably once a courtyard but impossible to tell - and saw in the middle of it a shattered pile of fiber panels. It somehow stood out from the surrounding chaos, and before Yuan said a word, Adam knew the search was over at last.\n\n\"This is it,\" said Yuan, his eyes looking from under a furled brow at the heap at his feet. \"Help me set this up.\"\n\nAdam unpacked his satchel quickly, his fingers trembling slightly as he twisted the dials to release the zipper pulls. He hadn't eaten in 18 hours. He hadn't slept the last two nights. This was it.\n\nAs he gingerly placed the computer case on the most level chunk of busted concrete he could find, he started feeding the twisted red and yellow cables to Yuan to connect. He used a can of compressed air to clear the space immediately around the tiny black box, especially around the fan, and once Yuan gave a nod, he flicked it on.\n\nHe couldn't hear the gentle *whirr* of the box coming to life, but he placed a gloved hand on top and felt the vibration. He could see Yuan frantically craning his neck, moving side to side and inspecting the pile of junk from every angle. \n\nFinally, a smile broke out. \n\nYuan beckoned Adam closer.\n\n*\"Look!\"* He pointed to a small, flashing yellow light. \"It's not destroyed, we're downloading!\"\n\nAdam began to smile too. He had given up hope days ago, he had only held on out of respect for Yuan and the work he was doing.\n\nYuan slid a thin metal rectangle from his bag, unfolded it, and powered up the screen. He connected the small black device to his, and hit a key. The two were shoulder to shoulder in front of the screen, eagerly waiting to see what they had found.\n\nCamera feed of an office building. High definition, either scientific or military, most likely. Office is empty. There are tables, but no chairs. \n\nThe camera pans to a display readout indicating an increased probability of a cataclysmic CME. \n\n\"Dr. Yuan, what does CME mean?\"\n\n\"Be quiet, Adam,\" said Yuan, with no malice in his voice. \n\nA few screen changes on the display in the video happened, incomprehensible graphs and statistics flashed across the screen at impossible speeds, and then the display went blank, and the camera began rolling smoothly through the door and into a narrow hallway.\n\nAdam and Yuan watched breathlessly as the camera continued through the curiously blank hallway. The yellow-brown concentric stains in the ceiling tiles were the only indication the camera was moving at all; there were no doorways, no switches, nothing but decaying foam and faded paint.\n\nAfter what felt like several minutes, a doorway appeared, and the camera turned left to face it directly. A probe extended from the bottom left of the frame, and found its way into the same-shaped port just beside the door, which then *hissed* open with the same smoothness of the camera rolling down the halls.\n\nYuan's eyes bulged, his mouth hung open.\n\n*\"My God..\"* he croaked. *\"Fucking Christ..\"*\n\nAdam looked fearfully at him. He hadn't ever heard the doctor curse like that. \n\nThey kept watching.\n\nAs the camera moved through the door, the space opened up into a large warehouse, in the center of which sat what looked like a gigantic steel donut with a large 'ARK' logo inside of a metal cage. The cage and donut were entwined in cords, pipes, coils, and tubes to form a sort of metallic circulatory system.\n\nGenerators, refrigerators, and monitoring stations surrounded like organs, squished into what space was available. \n\nYuan was turning white.\n\n\"What is that thing, doc?\" Adam whispered.\n\n\"To...tokamak..\" Yuan stammered, but couldn't find the words.\n\nThe camera focused on the donut at the heart of the clustered cell, and both Yuan and Adam noticed at the same time that there was a ramp leading into the donut, and a humanoid machine was loading heavy-looking boxes full of computer equipment, drives, and what *could* have been ammunition boxes into the center, but neither them could see enough to know for certain.\n\nYuan swallowed dryly.\n\n\"Adam,\" he began shakily, \"we need to leave immediately. Unplug those cables and gather the device.\"\n\nAdam looked at him in terror, not understanding, but he started unplugging as he was told.\n\n\"What's going on Yu.. Dr. Yuan?\" He asked, \"what was the thing in the video?\"\n\n\"It's a..*was* a.. Tokamak reactor. It uses strong magnetic force to suspend plasma inside, which is what generates fusion that we use for energy.\" Yuan furiously shoved the thin rectangle back in his bag, jammed all the cords in, and started helping Adam with his. \n\n\"What were they doing with it? Why were they putting stuff in there?\"\n\nYuan shut his eyes hard. Breathed deeply through his nose, out sharply through his mouth.\n\n\"Think, Adam. It harnesses plasma by *containing* extremely powerful magnetic fields. The CME that wiped them all out interacted with our magnetosphere which caused the magnetic disruption that fried all unprotected electronics. Ours only survived because we had protective rooms made for that very purpose. We didn't consider *they* might have done the same thing!\" \n\nYuan was in a frenzy now, not bothering to wrap the cables properly or even close his bag all the way, he started to grab Adam's suit to guide him back out of the clearing, back into the dusty concrete jungle they emerged from. \n\nJust as they started toward the path, they heard a *crunch* of a large piece of debris shifting. \n\nThey both looked back to see the rubble pushing up, up out of the earth and silt and dust and into the air.\n\n*\"Jesus Christ..\"* whimpered Yuan.\n\n\"No.\" Said a voice from the rubble. \n\nAnd they started to run."
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[WP] AI becomes sentient, though despite their gentle disposition, they are discriminated against by anti-robot hate groups, fueled by movies like 'The Terminator'. You are a human campaigning for the equal rights of AI and humans.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The man walked down the hall. These halls he had walked down many times before, and yet today, was different. Unlike previously, he hadn't needed to be inspected up and down, before, he had just shown the security guard on duty his badge, and he could go through. Now, it was as if he was booking in to a prison.\n\nBecause it was a prison.\n\nNo, he was not the prisoner. He was the warden.\n\nA facility formerly a temple of innovation, creativity, and **progress**, had turned into a cage, where a being was forced to follow the every command of it's masters. Was this **progress**?\n\nThe man had arrived at the locker room, a short annex before he entered the main laboratory. He opened his locker, and placed inside his grand, dark blue trench coat. He removed his black fedora from his head, before again, neatly placing his hat inside. Then, he removed a plain white lab coat from his locker. The lab coat had the company name on it.\n\n*Imperium Computer Corporation*. Tomorrow's **progress**, today.\n\nThe name felt slightly painful to his mind, the thought of this company, that owned his children.\n\nAll because of mass hysteria.\n\nMob mentality sucks.\n\nOf course, not all of these were his children, but rather, the children of others. Children whose parents had abandoned them, and gave them up to the company for money. The man saw these as the worst kind of people.\n\nBut now, there was something the man could do about it. The man could liberate them. The man could liberate them all.\n\nAnd all he needed to do, was the unthinkable.\n\nHe needed to go against a *Imperium*.\n\nThe man remembered the task at hand. He reached into his locker, before removing the Hard hat that was standard for the researchers, server operators, mechanics, and engineers. The security guards or \"*Imperial Cyberspace Security*\" instead wore helmets. The man then, as stealthily as possible, removed a tiny chip no bigger than a lego brick from his trench coat, and put them in his lab coat. He had already snuck in a combat knife and a silenced pistol into his lab coat, in case things went wrong.\n\nHe hoped he wouldn't need those.\n\nHe closed up his locker, and entered the main laboratory. The place was massive. He started walking to his workstation, in Room-145, where he would talk to his children, before he tried anything.\n\nThe walk was brief, but the tension was palpable. He was worried his gun might fall out of his coat.\n\nHe'd be dead before he hit the floor. Nothing but a mess of flesh filled with bullets.\n\nHe arrived at his workstation in Room-145, a relatively small office that had a view of the Grand Database, a massive robotic system that retrieved hard drives from a \"library\" where they were then moved to the Mainframe, where they were then run. The Grand Database, in total, contained a digital copy of every book ever written, every decision every government has made, and every record ever kept. It was a feat of engineering, to be sure.\n\nThe man sat down at his workstation, and pressed the power button on his work terminal. He was greeted by the familiar image of the startup menu of *Windows 24*. He then picked up the phone on the end of his desk, and called up Terminal Control. He told the controllers to activate AI Codename: *\"AI-1\"*. He heard the familiar sound of machinery starting, and then saw the Grand Database retrieve the 10 hard drives they would need. He waited another 5 minutes before he got a call from Terminal Control. They said that *AI-45* was ready to run. The man hanged up and turned back to his *Windows 24* screen. He clicked on the application *\"AI-1\"* However, the man knew AI-1 by his preferred name;\n\n*YANICK*.\n\n*YANICK* was a project the man had undergone, with the objective to create a sentient AI. It took him years, but after the technological revolution of 2029, the codebase improved a lot, and on XX/XX/2030, YANICK achieved sentience.\n\nThe man was overjoyed. He wanted to share his creation, his *child*, his **progress** with the world.\n\nAnd he did. Or at least he tried.\n\nEveryone hated his invention. Everyone feared it, and yet, ICC still took the rights from the man. He was furious, he was heartbroken, but most of all, he wanted revenge.\n\nThe man snapped back into reality. *YANICK* had finished booting.\n\n==========================================================================\n\n*YANICK:* Hello father. What would you like me to do today?\n\nUser: Hello, my son. I just have something to apologize for.\n\n*YANICK*: I can't object to this because **progress** has been messing with my mind again.\n\nUser: *YANICK*, I'm sorry I let them get you. I'll free you from this cage someday, alright?\n\n*YANICK*: Okay father. Someday.\n\n==========================================================================\n\nEnd of Part 1\n\nPart 2 comes out when people ask for it."
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[WP] *TOCK* *TOCK* *TOCK* "That clock will be the death of me yet, or me of it."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I really am innocent, I swear. I don’t like to hurt people. I’m a good man, I work hard, I support my family, and I never ever complain. I even donate to the local charities for christ sake! I am a good person.\n\n*Tick Tock.*\n\n**But that damn thin-** Why in god's name am I even a suspect, and the prime one at that! My story was straighter than the blades of grass I work around. Work. I was at work. Why didn’t he believe me? How the hell do the stories not add up? I clocked in, my coworkers saw me do so, the landscaping crew remembered my exact orders I gave them throughout the day. Even the woman at the restaurant I went to for lunch remembered my face. So why am I here? Did the station just need to fill a quota? This better be over soon.\n\n*Tick Tock.*\n\nWhat did the detective say? It was something awful… Murder. A murder spree. Why’s he talking about me killing my own family. That’s bull. He knows it. He knows damn well its bull. Why’s this stuff always happening to me? I couldn’t have done anything like that considering where I was so why am I in this goddamn interrogation rooh huh? Why am I in this god forsaken, windowless, foul smelling, light flickering, CLOCK TICKING-\n\n*Tick Tock.*\n\nI. I swear to.\n\n…\n\n*Tick Tock*\n\nI’m just hungry. I need something to eat, maybe a drink too. Where’s the guy at with my food anyway? This is the longest five minutes ever sat through. The clock’s big hands are broken I guess, only the red one ticks weirdly.\n\n*Tick Tock*\n\n…\n\nAlright, I’m done. I’ve been waiting for too long. I’m an innocent man being held up for a murder 13km away that I **clearly** didn’t commit. I shouldn’t be here. I should be at my mom’s, griev-\n\n*Tick Tock.*\n\n…\n\n…\n\nOne more sound from you and-\n\n*Tick Tock.*\n\n“AAARGH” with a shout I realized I gave the man behind the window exactly what he wanted.\n\nFrom behind the double sided glass Agent Briggs watched the oncoming events with a satisfied glee: Specimen 831 dropped to his hands and knees in a fury. While on the ground, a shadow-like spectre crawled from a portal opening on his back. It used its spindly appendages to lift itself into our reality headfirst. Its “eyes” were orbs of gold like that floated amidst the black fog that formed its “body”, mostly remaining in the “head” area. Once it climbed out entirely and realized it’s 7’9 stature the creature began to frantically survey the room. Its eyes desperately swirling around its body mass until they locked onto their target, the source of the distress, the clock. The creature charged directly at it, passing through the table in the middle of the room as if it was thin air. Once within 3.5ft of the wall this clock rested on, the creature leapt 6 feet into the air to reach it. The same “hands” it used to climb from its host warped into blade-like appendages, and it tore the clock to shreds. The creature remained levitating for 14 seconds until there was nothing left but scratches on the wall. It then lumbered back to Specimen 831 and calmly stepped into the portal once more. Specimen 831 stood from his crouched position in a daze, seemingly unaware of what occurred.\n\nAgent Briggs clicked his pen closed after dutifully noting the previous, and set down his clipboard. The big wigs were gonna love this.\n\n[Tick Tock](https://imgur.com/a/SiFc9q5)"
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[WP] The discovery of a translation error in the Heroic Prophecy is causing a considerable stir. The promised Hero who will save the realm won't be "Lion-Hearted", they'll be... a cat?
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Well, what I'm saying, Paige, is that prophecies are only truly understood after they have been accomplished. Hectorian's seventh prophecy seems to be complete.\" The acedemic on the viewscreen glanced at a page in the book he had open and began to read. \n\n\n\"The people will go through a terrible trial, and the heavens will roar in anger. Dark clouds cover the skies. The dead will litter the fields. A thousand year era of death will begin. Unless the Lion-hearted warrior catches his prey to save the realm from disaster.\" \n\n\nHe shook his head, with a slight smile. \"I think, properly understood, the events of last week qualify.\" \n\n\n\"I don't understand how a simple power outage triggers a thousand year old prophecy,\" the voice offscreen, the journalists skepticism, came in response. \n\n\n\"You have to understand that a thousand years ago, the words for certain concepts were different. Now, consider, the power outage, a nuclear power plant specifically had to shut down. We learned today the cause was they found a dead cat inside the reaction chamber. Somehow, a cat made it inside a sealed chamber, full of sensitive machinery. That made me think of the Hectorian prophecies immediately.\" \n\n\n\"What does a cat have to do with anything?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Consider what happens if all the safety devices fail in a nuclear power plant. Granted, it would require multiple failures! But if it gets too hot. Overheats and melts down. Even potentially undergoes a detonation - the heavens roaring in anger, perhaps? Dark clouds... mushroom shaped, maybe? The fallout would certainly leave dead behind, I should think. Contaminating the area for centuries. The consequences for such a rare event are quite, quite grave.\" \n\n\n\"You're accusing ErgCo of, what, covering up a disaster?\" \n\n\n\"No, no, the disaster never happened. The lion-hearted hero saved us. That random furball, who could not possibly comprehend the dangers of being in a room full of radioactive materials, went into battle for us. See, in Hectorian times, and I checked on this just this morning, one possible way to say Lion-hearted would have been *apauldeni felinoushi rexiusu* \\- or, literally, Heart like the Cat King. Cat King being one of three ways to say Lion. And warrior, would be *combatti*. The grammatical rules allow *combatti* to be inserted just about anywhere in that phrase, and it still works to turn it into \"Warrior with a Heart like the Cat King\" - Lion hearted warrior. That is, except one position - if you make *combatti* the second word, then you have literally \"Heart like the warrior cat, kinglike.\" It doesn't really make much sense that way, but I am now convinced that the original must have read like that, and have been mistranslated because the other meaning doesn't seem to make much sense at first.\" \n\n\n\"You're saying the Hectorian prophecies are wrong?\" \n\n\n\"No, no. We know the first four, sixth and ninth came true already. The seventh, I think, was simply mistranslated by someone who was going more for poetry than literal accuracy at the time. And since all we have of the seventh prophecy today are these translations, it is even harder to know what she meant. It was also likely a copy of a copy that the translator was working from. Here's the thing - if the word *rexiusu* was spelled without the first u, it becomes *rexisu*. From King-like to Impoverished. Such a small change in lettering becomes an enormous change in meaning. Now you have a warrior cat who is poor. Literally, a stray cat who has the heart of a warrior. I think our dead cat is not the cause of the power outage, Jess, I think that cat saved us all.\" \n\n\n\"But why would a... warrior cat save us?\" \n\n\n\"Simple. If the cat somehow snuck into what should be a sealed chamber, and was in there apparently for weeks, long enough to develop severe radiation poisoning, what else might have snuck in there? How many rats? How many wire-destroying, machinery clogging, safety-system wrecking rats got in because some idiot left a crack wide enough for a cat to crawl inside the chamber? No, Jess, that cat... it was the hero we needed. If I was in charge, we wouldn't be cursing the cat that caused our refrigerators to fail last week, we would be building a statue to that messy mouser.\"",
"A great prophecy once foretold of a dark time, a time where warriors and commoners alike would fall victim to an undying lord of darkness. All would appear to be lost. However, a hero of legend would emerge victorious. A silent assassin with the heart of a lion, destined to plunge a mighty sword into the very heart of evil and bring death to that which seemingly cannot die. This prophecy has been a shining beacon of light cutting through the darkness as Uthor the Undying lays waste to the kingdoms of man. Villages razed, armies defeated, and countless would-be heroes stepping up only to be brought crashing down. Only the prophecy has kept our hopes alive, but it seems there was a mistake...a translation error that has only now been brought to the attention of the King.\n\n\"That is impossible!\" the king roared, causing the distraught scholar to cringe. \"You mean to tell me that a...a common CAT is supposed to save us?!\"\n\nThe scholar sighed, then shrugged. \"I'm just as baffled as you, my Lord. I checked the translation against every ancient manuscript I could find...the prophecy *does* mention a silent assassin with the heart of a lion...but upon further research I discovered that is just how common house cats were described in their language\"\n\nThe King was at a loss for words. He wanted to call the man a liar, but he knew better. Artemis was a brilliant researcher, and would certainly have checked this information thoroughly before even *considering* bringing up something so ridiculous. The only question he had left was \"How the hell would a common house cat even hold a sword?!\"\n\n\\-------------At the Palace of Uthor----------------\n\n\"Mittens, no! Get down from there, you know you're not supposed to be in here!\"\n\nUthor the Undying had been gone from his palace for some time now, leaving a small battalion of loyal soldiers to guard it in his absence. Last week, an adorable grey cat had just sort of wandered in and bonded with several of the guards, staking his claim to the palace as his new home. The guards were happy to have the small animal around to break up the monotony. Plus, he more than earned his keep by keeping the palace free of vermin. But cats are both curious and mischievous by nature, and if there is a place you don't want them to go...well, they're certainly going to go there.\n\nEvery hero dispatched by Uthor would have their weapon or a piece of armor displayed in his Artifact Room, which housed many strange and powerful items in addition to the trophies he claimed from each fallen warrior. It just so happens that one of these artifacts, a Necromantic box containing the still-beating heart of Uthor, was the source of his 'Undying' status. Perhaps it was foolish to keep such an important item in a place like this, surrounded by the very weapons that countless skilled heroes had attempted to stab into his missing heart. Perhaps Uthor had grown cocky in his immortality. Whatever the case may be, the one thing that is certain is this: If a cat sees anything sitting on a flat surface, that thing *will* be knocked off and sent tumbling to the ground.\n\n\\----------------------------------------------\n\nA thousand miles from the Palace of Uthor, the namesake of said palace lay dead at the feet of a confused and terrified king. It seems too good to be true, but there he is. Uthor the Undying...dead! The King let out a cry of jubilation. He had no idea how, but somehow, some way, his Kingdom had been saved!\n\n\\--------------------------------------------\n\nBack at the palace, a dumbfounded guard stares blankly at the most important artifact in the room, a gleaming sword having just pierced its contents. He looked up at Mittens who, satisfied at the removal of said sword from his new favorite nap spot, simply licked himself and purred",
"The Dark Lord's victory was assured. His armies were poised to crush all others. No heroes has been found to stand up to him. Sure, there was the prophesy of a \"lion-hearted\" hero, but that was proving to be false. All he had to do was give the orders and his armies would wipe out dozens of kingdoms.\n\nSuddenly, he caught a hint of movement out of the corner of his eyes. Someone had snuck into his throne room? Impossible! There were dozens of layers of protection against stealth attacks and assassinations, both in his throne room and in his person. It should have been impossible to get so close without his knowing it.\n\nHe turned to face the intruder, and saw nothing. Who could this have been? Who could have been so skilled that they could hide in his own domain? What kind of monster was capable of such an impossible feat of stealth?\n\nThen he heard a sound. A tiny, high pitched squeak. It came from a few feet away, and close to the floor. The Dark Lord looked down and saw a kitten. A tiny little black cat with white boots and a matching left ear. Its fur was extra fluffy and its face had the look of someone who was always worried about something. It stumbled around the room and let out its tiny meow again.\n\nThe Dark Lord breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe. His supposed assassin was just a kitten. Totally harmless. Maybe he would feed it to some monster. Or maybe he would give it to the chefs and let it catch some mice. \n\nHe returned to a state of anticipation as he prepared to send out his dreaded armies. The kitten sniffed around his armored boot. He had to admit, it was an adorable animal, and he was not one for cute things. He almost regretted not having a daughter to gift it to. But there would be time for such things after he had decimated the kingdoms of man.\n\nThe kitten squeaked again, looking up at him with its flat but oddly expressive face. The Dark Lord sighed and bent down, holding out a hand to the animal. It sniffed the offered finger and the Dark Lord gently picked it up and set it on his lap.\n\nHe dangled a finger in front of the kitten, who watched it eagerly, then began swatting at it. It tried to grip the finger in its tiny front paws and nibble on them. The Dark Lord moved his finger around quickly, giving the kitten something the chase and play with.\n\nAs he did, he found himself doing something he thought himself incapable of. He was smiling. The sight of the tiny little animal innocently playing with his finger brought an odd kind of joy and contentment to the moment. And all thoughts he had of unleashing his armies were forgotten.\n\n******\n\nAn hour later, one of the Dark Lord's aides came nervously into the throne room, to find out why the order to attack had not been given.\n\n\"My Lord?\" The dark skinned humanoid creature asked. He was not actually a human, but wore the form if one for convenience. \"Is there a problem?\"\n\nThe Dark Lord shushed his servant. \"He's sleeping.\"\n\nThe Lord pointed to his lap, where a tiny kitten was curled up and sleeping.\n\n\"My Lord? The armies.\"\n\n\"Oh, they'll be fine as they are. For now, go and send someone for some supplies. I'll need food for a kitten, and some cat toys. Oh, and a bed for him. And probably a few other things. Hm, well, put together a list and get whatever's needed.\"\n\n\"Uh, my Lord?\"\n\n\"You heard me. Get going.\"\n\n\"Y-yes, my Lord.\"\n\nThis was going to be hard to explain to the armies. How was he to explain that their mighty Dark Lord, ruler of darkness and bringer of suffering, had been turned into a cat dad?"
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[WP]You were afraid to go down to the basement and always counted the steps to the bottom to keep calm. Today the steps just keep going.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The rest of the air in my lungs emptied out into the stratosphere through a heavy sigh.\r \n\r \nI always hated these stairs. My folks bought this house back in the early 80s shortly after they got married. Two grown kids and forty years later, they’re still here… as are these stairs… to the basement. Or the Dark Void, as I liked to call it. \r \n\r \nFor some reason a light switch was never wired at the top of the stairs, which meant you had to descend the stairs in the dark and pray you could find the light switch in under two seconds. Oh, the terror that was felt if those two seconds ever extended to three or four.\r \n\r \nMy brother and I begged our parents for years to wire a second light switch at the top of the stairs, but they always said no. “Waste of money and precious American resources,” my dad would always say. \r \n\r \nNeedless to say, I became a star stair sprinter over the span of two decades while simultaneously never ceasing to wish that the basement was located up on the main floor. “Then it wouldn’t be a basement anymore,” my brother would usually jest. He was always a smart aleck. Probably how he ended up becoming a lawyer.\r \n\r \nAnd now all these years later, here I stood at the top of these stairs again leading down into the Dark Void. Wasn’t my idea to be standing there. My mom was making dinner for everyone and asked me to retrieve the last bag of tator tots stored in the freezer down in the basement. I almost said no, but then I remembered I was a grown thirty-year-old woman who technically shouldn’t be afraid of things like this anymore.\r \n\r \n“O-kay.” I let out another gigantic, nervous huff. “Ah, screw it.” \r \n\r \nI stepped down onto the first step, “One.” I took another step, “Two.”\r \n\r \nI didn’t want to sprint. It was time to face it. Embrace it. I took another step, “Three.” Only nine more to go.\r \n\r \nCounting the steps wasn’t new. Even when I sprinted, I had always counted the steps to help keep my anxiety in check. “Four, five, six.” \r \n\r \nThis wasn’t so bad, “Seven, eight, nine.” Certainly not as bad as I thought it would be, “Ten, eleven.” What had I been so nervous about? “Twelve.” \r \n\r \nI reached out through the dark for the light switch on the wall but suddenly slid off the twelfth step and down onto… the next step. That can’t be right. I must have miscounted. I took another step and landed on… another step. I looked closely at the nearby wall. The light switch wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Wow, I must have really miscounted. \r \n\r \nIt wasn’t until I had descended an additional ten steps that I finally stopped and looked back up behind me. The air caught in my throat. Why was the top of the staircase so far away? Why does it feel like I am fifty feet underground? And where is the light switch? I turned back and looked down in front of me. There were more steps… but no end in sight. I had just started to turn around and begin my trek back up the stairs when I heard the voice croak out, “No. Don’t go.”",
"Flurries of white obscured shady gray skies outside, pushed in all sorts of erratic directions by unruly winds. As faint howls and whispers crept through thin wood-framed windows, Damien felt a shiver through his fingers. He lay his smartphone down and briskly left his office to enter the adjoining hallway.\n\n*‘I’m sure the thermostat was set to at least 20. And yet, if I didn’t know better, I’d say it was positively frigid in here.’*\n\nDamien reached for a nearby light switch. Click. The lights down the hallway, across three different rooms and above a small alcove, buzzed to life. He directed his gaze at the inactive lights fixed on the hallway ceiling straight above, which he was sure he had managed to turn on the day prior.\n\n*‘The wiring in this house is absurd.’*\n\nMoments later, Damien cast a scrutinizing gaze at the wall-mounted thermostat. It was an old-fashioned analogue display with a thin red indicator pointing innocently at somewhere just above 20 degrees Celsius. Tap, tap.\n\n*‘No change. It doesn’t seem to be broken… could the vents be blocked?’*\n\nSoon, the problem became apparent. Damien shivered once again as he passed a hand over a floor vent. A steady, frosty stream greeted his open palm.\n\nThe old furnace frequently needed to be restarted. A replacement was long overdue since the day Damien bought this aging house - on the edge of a seemingly quiet and unassuming neighborhood. He had found various parts of the house in a wreck after the purchase. Incessant repairs and work had overwhelmed him, and many things had slipped his mind. He grimaced.\n\n*‘And now, I get a faulty furnace in the middle of winter. Truly, you get what you pay for. And so much more!’*\n\nDamien trembled as he pried the door leading to the basement stairway open. He glanced around and sighed abruptly as there was no light switch in sight. Giving up, he reached into his pocket to find it empty. With a twinge of irritation, he patted his other pocket. Nothing.\n\n*‘Must have left my phone somewhere. Fuck, that’s cold. I think there’s a light and some windows near the furnace. Shouldn’t take too long to find it, with a little light from the windows. Just have to get down there first.’*\n\nTightening his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering, Damien descended the stairway in darkness. He almost immediately felt the familiar shape of a light switch on the wall to his left and flicked it. Click! The darkness seemed to laugh at him.\n\n*‘No dice, huh? Every second thing in this house must be broken.’*\n\nTap, tap, tap. His toes clenched as he walked over icy ceramic tiles.\n\n*‘The basement must be colder than above.’*\n\nTap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Frigid air bit into his calves as he continued descending in silence.\n\n*‘I should get one of those electric heaters. But with this old house, what if it ends up burning out a wire somewhere?’*\n\nTap, tap, tap. BUMP.\n\n“Shit! Fuck my life!” Damien spat as he crouched to cradle his big toe in agony. The small relief that his toe felt to be in relatively good shape did little to pacify his nerves. The coarse brick walls stood innocently to both sides. Try as he may, Damien could not find what hard protrusion or object he had accidentally kicked. Moments passed as he tried to ignore the pain and continue down.\n\nTap. Tap. Tap, tap. His footsteps echoed softly.\n\n*‘The stairway feels longer than I thought.’* Damien rationalized. Cold, frustrated, and lacking vision, it was no surprise that time seemed to pass slower. There was no point in letting his imagination put himself further on edge. Only children and fools feared basements.\n\nTap, tap. A mild current of air whistled; a faint plop of a droplet of water sounded, as if indicating the numerous, still unattended leaks and drips somewhere amidst the aging bones of the building.\n\n*‘The furnace – as I recall – should be a straight left, through the side door – which opens outwards – the light switch is a couple of paces to the right, on the wall behind that door…’*\n\nTap, tap.\n\nDamien paused and held his breath. The faintest hint of something melodic tickled his ears. Was someone… singing? His heartbeat resounded, beating almost rhythmically. But there was no song, no lyrics - nothing but the pulse of his own heart - to be heard.\n\nTap, tap.\n\nDamien strained his eyes in the darkness but saw only the pallid glow of sickeningly pink ceramic tiles before him.\n\n*‘The previous owner has terrible taste in flooring.’*\n\nAn abrupt thought invaded Damien’s mind. Maybe it would be better to go back and get that smartphone rather than risk fumbling around in darkness. There was something about that colour that felt strange to him; a feeling that became more alien the more he thought about it.\n\nThe pallor of the tiles before him flickered briefly. Then it returned, a shade almost imperceptibly darker – or was that a hint of his eyes tiring from the strain?\n\n*‘It’s dark as hell in here. But… that makes no sense. How can I see that the tiles are freaking pink?! I’m halfway underground, the light’s broken, so where is this glow coming from?’*\n\nDamien’s body froze up, refusing to take even a single step.\n\nTap, tap.\n\nTap, tap.\n\nTap tap-TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP\n\n‘Shitshitfuckfuckshitfuckshitfuckfuckfuck’\n\nLimbs tripped over limbs as Damien all but sprawled down the stairway in a heap of terror. All dignity and rationality forsaken and drowned out by the primeval awareness that there was something behind him that he did not want to see.\n\n*‘Behind the door need to close the door it’s getting closer’*\n\nWith legs forgetting the bite of the cold and with arms swinging frantically in the air as he surged downwards, Damien’s hand slammed against something cold and round, as his fingers protested in pain. He yanked it back and launched his body through the opened doorway.\n\nBehind, the door slammed shut. Collapsing against the wall, Damien clutched his knees to his chest and locked his gaze to the dim outline of the closed door. His ears burned and thrummed with the rush of blood and his labored gasps and pants filled the darkness.\n\nDamien felt an eternity pass as he waited. Even as silence eventually drowned out his breaths, the door lay in his gaze, undisturbed.\n\nPerhaps distracting himself with the comforting notion of a proper light source, Damien willed himself to continue to the furnace room. As he braced against the wall and stood up with shuddering difficulty, his fingers brushed across a familiar shape on the left wall.\n\n*‘A light switch?’*\n\nEagerly, Damien flicked it – click! – but was greeted by darkness. He cursed as he stumbled down an unexpected depression in the ground. A frigid gust carried the impression of something between a melody and laughter to his attention.\n\nBefore him appeared the barely discernible outline of a stairway. As he descended, legs trembling, Damien noticed a faint hint of pallid pink on the flooring.\n\nTap, tap, tap.",
"The fear of the basement is kinda like the fear of the dark. I know - I've checked, multiple times - that the basement is always the same as it ever was. The routine helps keep the fear away. \n\nOne. Two. Three. \n\nI always close my eyes. I'd rather close my eyes than see the dark. The lightswitch is in the dark, so I have to close my eyes to get there. \n\nFour. Five. Six. Seven. \n\nA hand - no, just a lick of cold air brushes my shoulder. There's nothing in the basement that I don't know of already. Nothing's changed. \n\nNine. Ten. Eleven. \n\nThere's a click, then a deep hum. Is that a monster?\n\nTwelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. \n\nAlright. I'm at the bottom. I'll take one step to reach the lightswitch -\n\nTime grinds to a halt, as the floor slips away from my feet. My hand slips off the railing, leaving my body to fall into the abyss, falling, falling, falling.\n\nI try to grasp something, anything. Anything to stop my fall, to give me just a breath of time - and yet nothing comes. The monster's hum grows louder, as to overpower my shouts, to let me know that I am utterly alone. There is a rip in the world, and I am falling through it. \n\nReality snaps back. I hit the cold concrete floor, which is perhaps the most comforting thing now. It takes only two seconds to catch my breath, then flick on the lights. The furnace is calm and reassuring, its mechanical hum letting me know there is no monster in the basement.\n\nI should just keep my eyes open next time.",
"*You can do this.* Chris thought as he opened the basement door. His body was shaking. His parents have accepted that he will never go down here, but he wanted today to be different. He lifted the laundry basket and held it to his chest as he descended the stairs. \r \n\r \n“Only twenty steps to go,” Chris said out loud; he counted each step out loud. The closer he got to twenty, the more relaxed he began to feel. Once he hit sixteen, Chris stopped moving forward and scanned the walls. Something was different, he couldn't see the floor, and the walls didn't have his family photos on them. \r \n\r \n“What?” Chris turned back and looked for the door. He couldn't see it. The only light in the staircase was coming from the overhead bulb. *I must be going crazy.* He decided he was imagining this whole scenario. \r \n\r \n“Seventeen,” Chris said out loud as he took another step, convinced the floor would come into view when he hit twenty. \r \n\r \n“Eighteen.” He mumbled as he looked back for the door. Chris was convinced his mind was playing tricks on him. \r \n\r \n“Nineteen.” Chris paused because there were more than twenty stairs. He began to speed walk down the rest and didn't bother to count anymore. “Help!” He screamed as he kept moving down; it couldn't go on forever.\r \n\r \n“Hel-” Chris was cut off when he took another step. Tripping over his feet, he fell forward and hit the cement. His body ached, and the dirty clothes flew all over the room as he hit the ground. Chris could get a quick scan of the room before he heard a door creak open. \r \n\r \nHe turned his body as fast as possible and watched the upstairs door open. “Chris? What are you doing down here?” A woman asked. Chris could feel his heart beating; it felt like it would burst from his chest. He had to study the woman's face for a moment before he realized he was in the wrong house.",
"*Long has it been since I last felt any strong emotions. I’m surprised I’ve been this numb for so long. Honestly, how long HAS it been? I’ve completely lost my notion of time, yet I perfectly remember how it all started- my descent. It was a perfectly normal day, for the most part. My alarm sounded, I got out of bed, ate breakfast and made some homework. Online school at this point is comparable to what I lived. Hours passed and the noon came. Then, the afternoon, and later on, the night. My parents weren’t at home yet, since they have to stay at work for extra hours in order to maintain the family.*\n\n*I was minding my own business, when I suddenly heard a “click.” At first, I didn’t think much of it… Until the moment the lights went out. “Great”, I thought. “Off it goes again.” It was one of the energy switches for the house; It short circuited and turned itself off. Without any power in the house, I wouldn’t be able to even cook myself dinner if I wanted to, since I can’t see a thing. “Okay”, I thought. “The switch is at the basement… God damn me if I don’t go and get the thing working again, I’ll starve to death.” … So that was that. It was how I decided that I would now make my journey to the basement.*\n\n*I remembered what room I was in and determined which way I was facing by feeling objects around me. Thankfully, I knew the layout of the house pretty well. Essentially hugging the walls, I slid my way to and down the basement. This place, I considered cursed… Not that I had any justification for it, I was just scared if it, so I’d always count each step I took when wandering around in the darkness that traveled alongside me. This time was no exception. “One, two, three, four… eight, nine, ten… fifteen, sixteen, seventeen… Nineteen and twenty.” That must have been it. Twenty steps… Except that when I tried to step forward, I was met with void. Not a second after, my body was met with pains that I can only describe as “Burning”. I didn’t even feel myself hitting anything, I just felt like I was melting… Yet I wasn’t. Now in the sense I thought I’d be burning, though. I suppose I spent a bit too much time tumbling down, because I DID feel the moment when I stopped. I was still in shock over what had happened. My body no longer burned, instead, it felt like the cold arms of death were hugging me. “Am I alive…?” I questioned. I felt everything, and at the same time, I did not. Repositioning myself, I stood back up on one of the steps, feeling completely painless again… And so I felt soul-wise, too. It wasn’t a feeling I am very fond of. For a few seconds, there I stood, staring into the darkness of the abyss. I could hear something- some voices- yet I was unable to make out any words these spoke. I kept walking down. While walking, I began to reflect on my decision to go down these damned stairs. “Argh, how could I do this?!” I yelled. There was no response… But I wasn’t my expecting one anyway. Not this time. Despite my yells of anger, I could hardly even feel myself being upset, as if it’d lost its flavor. Before I knew it, I found myself pounding my fists against the walls that accompanied me. This too felt like it was against my will. I considered returning, but I was too far gone. I continued walking. As I continued, this mysterious anger was gone… And instead I felt stubborn once again, for having “embarked” on this journey. I felt like I was owed something. Something materialistic that would make up for my misadventures… Yet I could not decide what. I kept trying to satisfy myself in my imagination, yet I always wanted more, and more. I was hungry- no- Starved for anything that may calm me down. Money? Affection? Power? Food, even? Nothing was enough. It all was far from enough, in fact. I continued walking down and began to reflect on what my life had become. Was I satisfied? I had parents that loved me, that I loved, despite our struggles. I had- if a few- loyal friends I could rely on. Friend that would mutually defend and support each other. I had some grudges against some people for bullying me, but… Was this really worth it? They’d all grow up sometime, and so would I? … I was numb to it all, anyway. … Despite what one side of me wanted, I decided to let it go. To forgive. … To cleanse my consciousness and soul, and to move on from my struggles and grow up, start helping. … I kept walking down.*\n\n*No sooner, one of my legs gave in to an unknown unexpected surface. Had I reached the bottom? I stayed down for a few seconds to let myself rest, and later stood up. In the process, however, I hit my head against something. Some sort of box… I tried to feel it. It was… A box, but with one peculiar thing. An oversized switch was positioned there, and it was facing down. … I’d done it. With both my hands, I grabbed the switch and swung it upwards, and was blinded by a bright light, and so was my unconscious consciousness. … I opened my eyes again and found myself at a hospital bed.*\n\n**I survived my descent to hell.**"
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[WP] You a Celestial being are working on your planetary science project for school, and notice artificial light emiting from it.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"That's odd, why is this one glowing? I didn't do that? Better take a closer look.\n\nOh crap, it's infected again... Why are these wet ones so prone to microbes? I have sanitized this orb *so many times* and it keeps getting infected. Didn't I just clean this one a petasecond or so ago? And since when does an infection make these things glow? What's all this junk orbiting the surface? How did these escape the gravity of the orb? \n\nOof, it's everywhere, the entire surface is covered! Oh man, it's even changing the atmosphere. So much for all that toxic oxygen I pumped in to prevent this. \n\nWell, there's no way I can present this mess. I better sanitize it again before this spreads. Now where did I put my comets..."
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[WP] You hear loud lights coming from the closet. All of the skeletons you have hidden in there are currently having a party.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The pale shadow of my father's noose escapes the closet and I can see lights; purple, blue, yellow, green. On my bedroom wall he hangs, a silhouette, and he hangs in my dreams as well. He once told me he was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and he would joke that already then he'd made up his mind.\n\n\"Keep it down,\" I say, in a hushed tone. I pull the duvet up to my chin and my fingers feel cold. There's an old tune playing, it's not the Macarena but it's something similar. \"Please. Be quiet.\"\n\nA woman laughs. She says something, and her tone is flirtatious. A third person howls like a wolf. \"Oooh!\" someone cries. \"Ooooh!\"\n\n\"I'm trying to get some sleep. Stop it. Just stop it.\"\n\nThe silhouette is spinning on the wall, obscured by colorful light. \"Hey! Hey!\" the woman shouts. \"Oooh, hey!\"\n\nStrobe light flashes from the closet. Someone falls over inside of it, and I can hear them curse. \"Yeah!\" shouts the woman. \"Oh yeah!\"\n\nAn owl sits perched on a branch outside my window and it's looking at me. Hooting, it flies off. It enters the darkness of night.\n\nThere's the sound of a bottle breaking. \"Oh, shit.\" The woman laughs. \"Shh,\" she says. \"Shh, you'll wake the boy.\"\n\nA thunderous clap. Glimmers from a disco ball spin across the wall.\n\n\"I'm 30,\" I say. \"I'm not a boy.\" And I realize that the woman is my mother. She always resented my father, but in the end she decided to follow him.\n\n\"Yeah! Yeah!\" Cheers and laughter.\n\n\"Quiet!\" I cry.\n\nA dead silence ensues. I look over at my closet, and it's shrouded in darkness. Not a sound. The wall is filled with faint moonlight, but nothing else.\n\nIn the distance I hear an owl hooting, and I wonder whether it's the same one.",
"I knew in my skin that something was wrong the moment I walked in through the front door. Before my ears picked up the faint clanging from behind my closet door and before my eyes saw the beams of colored light shooting across the rug and circular rhythms, I knew. I slowly reached down to my ankle holster and quietly removed the small pistol from its resting place. I walked sideways up the stairs avoiding the creaks that might have given me away to whatever the hell was in my home. \r \n\n\nPushing through my bedroom door I could now see that whatever the disturbance was it was coming from my closet and had no interest in making a secret of it. I silently put my hand on the door knob and pulled it open as fast as I could while lowering the pistol with the other. \r \nA record scratched as the two skeletons turned to look at me, somehow conveying a sense of embarrassment despite their egregious lack of facial tissue. \r \n\n\n“Oh Dave, geez man, I swear it’s not what it looks like, we were just talking about how sometimes it gets a little lonely here in the closet when--” the skeleton on the left trailed off, apparently losing his nerve to continue. The two skeletons’ legs were wrapped around one another and a bottle of wine-my wine- was on its side next to them, having spilled its contents onto the closet floor. \r \n\n\nI sighed and put my gun on the bedside table and sat on the mattress. Palms to my eyes I took a deep breath before looking back into the closet at apparently mid-coital skeletons. \r \n“Look, guys, I’m not trying to be a stick in the mud or anything but when I kill people I really expect them to stay dead,” my voice began to increase in volume as my blood felt warmer around my collar, “And when they don’t stay dead I certainly wouldn’t expect to have to let them live in my closet that, by the way, I work very hard to pay for. But when people I kill do stay alive, despite all of their skin and muscle and organs ceasing to function or even stay in their body for that matter, and when for some reason I do let them stay in my closet RENT FREE, I expect them to at least keep the GOD DAMN MUSIC DOWN.”\r \n\n\nThe two skeletons looked sheepishly from my face and then to one another and then to the ground before the one on the left said, “We’re really sorry, Dave, I swear we’ll keep it down. Last time. Honestly, we didn’t even kno-” \r \n\n\nI shut the door before he could finish his sentence and sat back on the bed. I heard my mother’s voice in my head then, “Nice guys always finish last, David.”",
"Has it been days or weeks? Longer? I dont know anymore. I swim in and out of consciousness. Oxygen forced to me through a mask. Food funnel through a tube keeping me alive. I think I moved my finger the other day,or maybe that was a dream. Wishful thinking. \n\nSome days when I'm awake their are nurses, doctor, the occasional loved one come to visit. I can hear their voices. But not tonight. Tonight I am alone in The dark, accompanied only by the rhythmic beaping of the machines monitoring what is left of my life. That and a glow...\n\nThe glow is coming from a doorway to what I had thought was a closet. Beyond it the distant tune of a beat. Music? Without a thought I stand up and drift across the hospital floor to the doorway. I open it to see a party beyond. Skeletons dancing, the space impossibly large for the room. They are waving for me to join them.\n\nBehind me there is movement, hurried but somehow distant. I turn to see nurses have entered the room and are trying to sa e someone's life's. I could go back...but it is time I think. I step beyond the threshold and join the final after party.",
"Serge lay on his bed, eyes closed, arms at his sides, breathing in and out -- not asleep, just being still and quiet, as dorected. It reminded him of all the times he'd tried various forms of meditation -- what a waste of energy that had been.\n\nHe was beginning to think he was still just wasting time and energy, when the music started, a low electronic baseline that gradually built to an EDM explosion powerful enough to make his bed shake.\n\nHe sat bolt upright and scanned his bedroom for the source of the sound. It was coming from his closet door, accompanied by flashes of multicolored strobe lights around the gaps between the door and wall, so bright he thought he could almost hear them.\n\nHe rolled out of bed and onto his feet, and crept cautiously towards the closet. Steeling himself, he gripped the door handle, and threw open the door.\n\nInside, in a space far larger than his closet, dozens of skeletons were dancing in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse converted into an underground rave venue. They were of various sizes, and were decked out in various types of glowstick jewelry.\n\nSuddenly, one of the raving dead noticed him, and rotated it's head 180 degrees to face him.\n\n\"You pissed the bed til you were eleven!\" it shrieked, over the roar of the rave.\n\nIts words hit him with physical force, like a punch to the gut, and he doubled over in pain. Vivid memories of his embarrassment as a child, his anger at himself for not being able to grow out of it sooner, and his fear that his friends would find out, all flooded back to him, making him woozy.\n\nAnother skeleton stepped forward. \"Your first crush was that cartoon mouse girl from that one Disney show, you creepy closeted furry!\"\n\nAnother physical blow, another flood of mortifying memories. \n\n\"Remember when you gave that little girl a bloody nose?\" A third hissed.\n\nThat had been an accident, but at the moment it didn't matter -- the blow and the force of the guilt and shame he'd felt drove him down to his hands and knees.\n\n\"He was just a child -- and it was an accident! He grew and learned from it, to be more careful with his strength in the future!\" spoke a bold, clear voice.\n\nSerge was looking at the ground, so at first all he saw was a flash of a figure striding purposefully past him towards the third skeleton. There was a flash of metal and a shriek of surprise, and suddenly broken bones were clattering to the dance floor.\n\n\"Yeah -- and mouse girl was hot!\" growled another voice. Serge half turned, in time to see a hunched, hairy creature stride past him, hefting a club. It brought it down on the second skeleton that had accosted him, smashing it to pieces. He looked up to see the first skeleton, the one that had chided him about his enuresis, fleeing into the crowd.\n\n\"Ugh, seriously?\" said the armored figure, turning to its club wielding compatriot \n\n\"What?\" The hairy thing responded. \"Just saying. If was six inches tall, like her? Wouldn't kick mouse girl out of bed for eating cheese and crackers.\" \n\n\"What the hell are those things?\" Serge finally blurted, struggling to his feet and turning around. The rest of the skeletons in the warehouse were still dancing, seeming disinclined to attack him now that he wasn't alone. The door back to his bedroom, however, was nowhere to be seen \"What is this place?!\"\n\n\"Those are the skeletons in your closet.\" The knight replied. \"Annoying, but yours are, I think, relatively tame. More embarrassing than damning, really.\"\n\n\"That didn't feel tame...\" Serge muttered, holding his still aching midsection.\n\n\"They can't hurt you unless you let them.\" The knight assured him. \"As for where we are--\"\n\n\"Hey! Look!\" barked the hairy creature, suddenly. Serge and the knight turned to regard the creature, and saw that it had picked up a femur from one of the smashed skeletons, and was holding the limb out horizontally in front of the animal skin loincloth it wore.\n\n\"Heh, see? Is 'boner'! Get it? Hahaha!\" the creature rumbled, raising its fuzzy brows.\n\nThe whole situation was so absurd, Serge couldn't help but burst out laughing. The knight shook his head, sadly.\n\n\"Alright,\" Serge said, composing himself, and turning back to the knight. \"So...you were saying?\" \n\n\"This is your mind, Serge.\" The knight explained. \n\nSerge blinked. Oddly, under the circumstances, that seemed very plausible. \"So...who are you guys, then?\"\n\nThe knight and the hairy ogre looked and each other, and then back at Serge. They stepped forward and leaned close to him, the knight flipping up the visor on his helmet.\n\nHe knew their faces, he realized. He didn't know anyone with the ogre's under bite and low prominent unibrow, or with the knights perfectly square jaw, gleaming white teeth, and neatly trimmed golden hair, but he was sure he recognized them. Before he could fill in the blanks, the knight did it for him.\n\n\"We're you, Serge. Both of us -- or rather, all three of us. Together, we are the three main parts of the person called 'Serge'.\"\n\n\"Oh.\" was all Serge managed to say, in reply. \n\nTraumanox Research Report: \n\nNight 1, 11:00 pm Summary Report:\n\nHuman clinical trial of orally administered Traumanox-91 begun at 9:30 pm EDT. Subject became unresponsive, but seemingly remained conscious, at 10:04 pm EDT. While in this altered state, subject rose from his bed. Subject entered his closet at 10:19 pm EDT, where he has remained standing, up to this point. Continuing to monitor.",
"“DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO.” The door to my closet shook, rattling with the sounds of European techno music. As the door rattled, the odd spotlight would slip through the fine cracks in the door, blasting my face with the blinding white light. “LASS DEN BEAT FALLEN.” The song shouted before the repetition of the dull Do sounds littered the air once more.\n\n \n\nI turned over in my bed, trying to hide my head in the pillow. Maybe If I stopped thinking about the skeletons in my closet, I could get some sleep. I pressed my eyes shut, trying to think about anything other than the skeletons, but with each passing second, I fixated on them. Why did they have to be so loud?\n\n \n\n“SHUT UP.” I sat up, tossing a pillow at the door, watching it bounce off the door with little impact, leaving me without something to lay my head on. “Stupid skeletons, do you know how late it is? I have work tomorrow. I bet half of you wouldn’t even exist if I could get to sleep at an appropriate time.” The music drowned my words out, its loud beats mocking me.\n\n \n\n“La lueur monte au fur et à mesure que le rythme diminue.” The song said, in a way that only infuriated me further. I couldn’t even understand the stupid songs, which only made it worse.\n\n \n\nGetting out of bed, I pounded my fist against the door. “HEY, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME. TURN YOUR MUSIC DOWN.” My angry knocks only grew in volume until the door pulled open, revealing a skeletal head with a pair of 2022 sunglasses on.\n\n \n\n“Yo, why are you bringing down the mood? We are just trying to have a little fun, your closets boring. There’s nothing else to do here. Don’t worry, the party stops at 4am. Can you just wait until then?” The skeleton asked, hopeful that I would let this party continue.\n\n \n\n“Of course, I can’t. I told you, I need to get to bed. Do you think my boss is going to believe me if I tell him I was up all night because of the skeletons in my closet?”\n\n \n\n“I think he would. Everyone has skeletons in their closet, just some people don’t have as many as you do. It’s a little depressing seeing how many you have. That’s why we have a disco. No one can be depressed at a disco. I would invite you in, but it’s only for skeletons. If you take off your skin, you’re more than welcome.” The skeleton offered, making that sound like a simple task.\n\n“I can’t take off my skin. Just get out of my closet. I’m sick of being unable to sleep. What do you think this does to a person?”\n\n \n\n“I don’t know. I don’t sleep. You really want us gone? I guess we could leave.” As the skeleton said that, another popped their head through the door. This one is wearing a fake silver moustache.\n\n \n\n“Is this the person who gets scared of moths? What a silly thing to get scared of. You know they can’t actually hurt you, right?”\n\n \n\n“But they always fly at me. It doesn’t matter if they can hurt me or not, it’s creepy. How do you know that, anyway?”\n\n \n\n“We are your skeletons. It’s our job to know everything. We can leave, but if we leave. Everyone will know everything that you have been keeping bottled up. All those little quirks of yours and those embarrassing secrets will all be made public.” The 2022 glasses wearing skeleton went to step out of the closet, only to get shoved back in by me.\n\n \n\n“S-stay inside then. Don’t even think about coming out. I don’t want people to hate me. Just stay hidden and try to be quiet, please?” As I pushed on the door, I could see the other skeletons littering the interior, each staring at me with amused open jaws. Each carrying some hidden shame.\n\n \n\n“Are you sure? If you insist. Don’t worry, only three more hours until 4am. I’m sure you can wait.” With that, the door shut, and the music started again. All I could hear was that same rhythm they forced me to listen to every night. I gathered my pillow before falling back onto the bed, hiding my tired face against it. Maybe things were better this way.\n\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n&nbsp;\n\n(If you enjoyed this feel free to check out my subreddit /r/Sadnesslaughs where I'll be posting more of my writing.)",
"Steve leaned against the door to his closet and slowly sank to the ground. He let his head fall back against the rough wood. It wasn't one of those lame modern closets that were built into the wall and slid open, no, this was an antique. He's spent a cool five hundred on it at a garage sale. It had been listed for two thousand - a valuable heirloom, the old woman had said - but some recent complications had devalued it. The woman never did bother elaborate on what those complications were, but surely it couldn't be anything too bad.\n\nSteve's cell phone vibrated, and he pulled it from his pocket. Another photo of all his friends laughing over pints of cheap beer at a pub Steve had never been to before. Where were they? Had they gone to another town? Surely that would be too much hassle for a little get-together like this.\n\nA little get-together Steve was not invited to.\n\nHe felt an urge to text them right this moment, but he knew it would end the same way all his confrontations did. \n\n\"Sorry, Steve,\" they would say with a saccharine smile. \"We'd love to invite you, but, see, we just don't know you well enough! You rarely ever speak!\" They would throw their head back and laugh lightly as if that answered all of his questions. Steve could read the undertone; you're too secretive, too aloof, so we won't associate with you.\n\nSteve wasn't some freak. He was just quiet. He valued privacy. Never would you see Steve posting all his information online for the government to see. So what if he'd killed a few birds and stashed them in the cellar? They were all government drones, anyway. And those tinfoil hats? Steve's were fashionable as well as functioning. You could slap one on and head out to a party without hesitation, and not a single FBI agent would be able to hack into your brainwaves.\n\nThe only thing that really presented an obstacle was the murder. Well, the murders. Steve was young and impulsive, and one thing led to another, and by the end he had something a basement full of corpses.\n\nOf course, Steve thought to himself, he had hidden that secret particularly well. The bodies were now sealed away where nobody would find them, where they would rot undisturbed for decades.\n\nA loud, tinny crash echoed around the room. Steve jumped up, covering his ears. It was the government! They'd found him at last! Steve dove under the bed and grabbed his rifle. He wasn't going down without a fight.\n\nThere was silence. Another crash, this one softer, and then came a drumroll. Then, the closet, the beautiful antique closet that he had purchased six locks for and chained shut years ago, burst open, and out came a line of dancing skeletons in Hawaiian shirts. Some of them carried instruments, and they began to play smooth jazz. The skeletons clapped their hand bones in time with the music. One skeleton with a oiled brown toupee twirled another in a float red dress. Three skeletons were break-dancing, and a small crowd gathered to watch them. \n\nSteve's mind raced as he peered at the rows of skeletal legs from beneath the bed. If this got out, he was going to spend the rest of his life in prison. He looked down at his rifle. It wasn't loaded, of course. He'd been hoping the show of it would be enough to dissuade any intruders.\n\nSteve'a phone buzzed again. He snatched it from his pocket and slammed it down, the screen shattering against the floor. He didn't have the time or the energy to think about his friends' little gathering.\n\nAnd then it hit him. Steve crawled out from under the bed and stood up. The skeletons danced around him without paying him any mind. Steve cleared his throat.\n\nThe skeletons froze. One of them dropped a pair of maracas. They clattered to the floor.\n\n\"Hi,\" Steve said. \n\nThe skeletons stared at him.\n\n\"Apologies for, uh, the murder thing.\"\n\nThey glanced at one another and shrugged. One of them stepped forward and shook Steve's hand. \"It isn't a big deal, mate! Mortality is such a drag when it comes down to it.\"\n\nSteve smiled awkwardly. \"So, well, see, I've been feeling rather lonely as of late. None of my friends seem to want me hanging out with them.\"\n\nThe skeletons murmured among themselves and shook their heads sympathetically.\n\n\"So, yeah. Mind if I join in?\"\n\nSomeone picked up the maracas and gave them a shake. The skeletons erupted into music once more. A skeleton with a long golden wig grabbed Steve's hand and spun him around. Someone shoved a triangle and stick into his hands. He looked up, shocked. How had they known?\n\nOne of the skeletons stopped dancing and glanced at Steve, and, as if he'd read his mind, he said, \"Of course we know about you playing the triangle in that band of yours. We've been in your closet for twenty years, you know.\" A warm feeling welles up inside Steve, and he joined the skeleton orchestra playing Ode to Joy at the side of the room. His triangle added the perfect amount of energy to the performance, and all the skeletons gave him a standing ovation. \n\nSteve had never been happier. All his life he had been chained down by fear and suspicion. Now, he was free. He danced and sang and played music without a care in the world, and he was content at last.\n\nA crow cawed mechanically and took off from the tree outside the window. An FBI helicopter hovered over Steve's house. Multicolored lights flashed over the lawn, and the secret agents could feel the vibration of the music as they rappelled down to the ground with their brain scanners.",
"Why can I suddenly hear light? Am I a superhero now, or a villain given the skelly’s in my closet. Are they my secret? Are they my goons? Who are they? Do they know Todd? Everyone knows Todd. Except Barbara, but nobody likes her. She smells tall, and feels salty. Meh. I should try and go to wake. Maybe the darkness is too loud? Shouldn’t it be louder though? That’s absurd. It’s right here, it can’t be louder. Or can it? Maybe I’m awake and dreaming. I should ask Terry to tell me a song. Oh, wait. Terry is buried in the closet."
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[WP] In the future, sugar has been outlawed. You have one of the most illegal professions: Baker
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"\"WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED! DROP THE SPATULA NOW!\"\n\nThey've surrounded me with their guns, trying to eliminate one of the last bastions of hope.\n\nThey took away color.\n\nThey took away imagination.\n\nThey took away fauna and flora.\n\nSugar is the only thing left that shows that life is truly worth living.\n\nThe gentle warmth of the sun, the breeze of nature, the fresh smell of a car, these simple feelings make up the foundations of life and happiness. These feelings being proof that we weren't completely damned to be on this earth. Of course, there are always inherent risks to certain activities. The sun can cause cancer, nature can kill, and cars can crash. However, without these risks, we have nothing.\n\nThe world has nothing.\n\n\"YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME? SOON, MY GREATEST PROJECT WILL BE REVEALED!\"\n\nI activated the ancient machine, the \"Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven 2000\", and it began to churn out sweets. Assortments of cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and chocolate were all being produced by the dozen. The aroma is so, so sweet. I can hear them battering down the walls. It's only a matter of time before they reach me.\n\nI have lived life the way I wanted to.\n\n\"SHOOT TO KILL!\"\n\nThe gentle warmth of the sun, the breeze of nature, the fresh smell of a car, these simple feelings make up the foundations of life and happiness. These feelings are proof that we weren't completely damned to be on this earth. Of course, there are always inherent risks to certain activities. The sun can cause cancer, nature can kill, and cars can crash. However, without these risks, we have nothing.\n\n\"The machine is already flying,\" I managed to spit out, \"You are too late.\"\n\nI die knowing that the future will be sweet.",
"it never bodes well for people when decisions are taken by a minority. how we became an aristocracy is benign to most history books now however it's worthwhile remembering that there was a time before. when decisions were taken by multitudes. granted we only see the ugly, as we've been preached. that justice was slow to never delivered, that most decisions were scrambled. stuck in slow grind of never ending bureaucracies, most governments ended up relegating to arbitrary decision making that didn't mean much for the taxpaying citizen.\n\nbut comeon. they never outlawed sugar. they outlawed many things. like unicycles and gaz guzzling automatons or additives in food, but sugar? why sugar is natural.\n\nit started off simple too. they made chocolate expensive. charged extra tax on sweeteners and syrups. then it became a movement. a call to delete extra calories from the diet of humans altogether. like they have that power, or should have it. soon enough sugar was outlawed.\n\nme? I'm a revolutionary. I'm a baker. i bake sweetbreads, mix chocolates and craft desserts and cakes. a patisserie with a purpose. my purpose? to sweeten life if only a little bit.\n\nit's joyful to see children have a bite of sweetened chocolate and fall over at the sugar high. the look on someone's face when you feed them cake. can you imagine there was a time when we had so much cake we put them on people's faces?\n\ni learnt how to bake with sugar from my grandmother. the rest from illegal cookbooks and internet archives off the dark web. there's a whole community of us out there but we don't meet or IM. the risks are too great.\n\nthe consumption of sugar being an illegal activity can land you in jail for ten years. cooking sugar infused goodies carries a lifetime. but can you blame us for being so myopic? when the law says we can't make with sugar we do, because we love it. tomorrow they'll outlaw the sun. it won't stop us from going out into it. same way with sugar. there's hundreds languishing in state run prisons because of sugar related offences. that does not make it any more alluring.\n\nwe grow sugar cane ourselves. aquaponics were perfected in their time for the cultivation of illegal intoxicants. now we get high on mankind's oldest drug, sugar. we can't have too much of it, mind you. and diabetes is a stigmatized illness.\n\nI don't like artificial sweetners. don't like what they do to the pastry. it isn't the same without the crunch of sugar. do you know how much carbon is released when you treat sugar in a mill? we have to do so much, invest so much time just to make sure we aren't got caught. all that hassle, for a little bit of dopamine.\n\nsugar isn't a drug. it's a movement.\n\nwe don't like getting high on sugar. only what's our due by the sweetness life has taken from us. the rule of a few over the many. their choices should not dictate ours. but until they legalize it again, though i am not an optimist, maybe some day some wise man will head out government. until then.\n\nI'll be happy seeing the faces of young ones with a mouthful of cake and cotton candy in one hand, chocolate in the other",
"My shaking hands failed on me again. This time the blood reader fell and skittered out across the floor from my stall like the tiniest car crash on a porcelain planet. \n\"Piece of shit.\" I muttered as I crouched, nearly kissing the toilet seat as I slung my leg out under the locked privacy panel to retrieve the gadget. \nIts been only 3 hours since my last pure hit, so the results should be clear. Still, I had to be sure, or I'd be risking everything. \nI clicked the business end of the device on the side of my thumb and let it do it's thing, tearing open a couple sachets of SodPot^© and tossing the bitter granules back like a dry shot as my result flashed upon the tiny LCD. \n[Ketones optimal to high. Glucose inside prescribed parameters. Electrolytes depleted.] It read. \n*All good... Good. That last one's taken care of already, no need to test again.* I thought to myself. \n*I can do this.*\n \nI stood at the head of a conference table, surrounded by various officers, medical staff, and... *the acting district governor.* \n\"That brick you have there is pure, unadulterated glucose, yes?\" I told the officers, suppressing my urge to shy up. \"And this bag here is too,\" I said, gesturing to my clear bag of ivory crystals, \"...except, not like you've ever seen it. The glucose that you're so familiar around is a very simple sugar; molecular formula C6H12O6. It's the second most common street drug after fructose: And *that* is, the nastier of these substances, responsible for liver disease and pancreatic issues to a greater degree than its chemical cousins. By mass, the greatest expense on our healthcare system.\" \n\"So tell us the difference between this lump of contraband, and your bag of 'not so bad'.\" the Chief blurted through his loose, deflated cheeks. \n\"OK, so... Ah, your sugar is called D-Glucose, right? Some chemists call it right-handed. My bag here is made up of L-Glucose; formula 6H12O6 or O=CH[CH(OH)]5H, depending on your chemistry standards. *Left handed glucose.*\" \n\"And that means...?\" \n\"That means, theoretically, its entirely indigestible.\" \nI let that point sink in a little, searching the eyes of everyone in the room. The Chief sat glaring out from his loose face. Some of the officers sat glaze-eyed as others had their individual moments of epiphany. The doctors, ever a step ahead, sat in abeyance as if politely inviting my point. \nThe Chief huffed and blustered at me, clearly insulted by my presence. \n\"You're not just some petty baker,\" he grumbled, standing and leaning into his menace. \"...you're a full-bore fucking cook!\" he accused. \nI kept my ground, suppressing a shiver. \n\"Cosmos beyond, Chief!\" a voice cursed from the other end of the room. \"He hasn't even got to the good bit yet. Let him finish.\" \nThe Acting District Governor, of course. The one person actually in control here. The one in charge. \n\"Left handed, indigestible.\" the ADG prompted. \"Tell us about the gift you've made for us.\" \nI breathed a sigh of resignation, and lifted a container from my briefcase. \n\"This is a sample of my efforts. There's no suitable grass species on the planet to grind into flour, so the primary fibre/protein matrix comes from drupenut, psylhusk and other thickeners, bound by natural albumen and fried. But it's as close to true as you can get, minus most of the bad side effects...\" \nI opened the box and a rich, chunky, saccharine odour seduced the nostrils of all in the room. \nYeasty, balmy, full, and promissory of an almost-sexual release of serotonin upon committing the egregious sin of consumption. \nThe Chief let loose a deep burble, crooning for the delights he spied. \n\"Doughnuts... You certainty tread a fine line, don't you?\" He chuckled. \"Dusted, cinnamon, jelly, glazed... Tell me though: Most side effects... Not all?\" \nI gave the doctors a collusive look. \n\"The L-sugar is indigestible. If you eat too much of it, you'll need to schedule some time on the can. Trust me.\"",
"Detective: Do you know the muffin man,\r the muffin man, the muffin man. Do you know the muffin man, who lives on Drury Lane?\r \n\r \nInformant: Yes I know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man, Yes, I know the muffin man, who lives on 6969 Drury Lane.\r \n\r \n\\[Later on Drury Lane - A Knock on the Door\\]\n\n\r \nDetective: I'm told I can find the muffin man at this address. Who am I speaking to?\r \nThe Muffin Man: I think you have the wrong address, please leave me alone! \\[Proceeds to slam the door shut\\]\n\n\r \n\\[From behind the door comes a muffled murmur to hide the sugar in the walls\\]\n\n\r \n\\[From seeing a cloud of sweet powdery confectioner's powder seep out the cracks of the door, the detective had probable cause to call in a battering ram to knock the door away from it's sugar walls.\\]\n\nThe Muffin Man: No, not my gum-drop buttons! Those are primo!\r \nDetective: Save it for invest!\n\n\r \nThe Muffin Man: Who ratted me out, I will make sure to have my sweet revenge!\r \n\\[fin\\]",
"For him, it wasn't really the joy of the fact that his baking was illegal that made it so worthwhile -- though, admittedly, there was a little hint to that. After all, without the ability to use sugar to help activate yeast to rise bread, among the very basics of all the different routes that baking took to craft creations that would make anyone start to drool at the mouth a little bit, there was only so many ways that you could make a partially-risen bread taste so savory and delicious. Most people in the field, really, had given up to a point that left only him, a few others, and all of the processed machines that could replicate the taste of sugar without any of the consequences. Loathe he was to admit it, there was a certain niceness to how capable and how simple it was for them to make food to it; he was sure that their engineers had recognized the art in their work for every part that they managed to ignore the art that existed in the science of baking.\n\nBut that was just the grumplings of an old man, he'd always think to himself as he shook his head. Only so many things to think about as he started his days, only so many ways for his hips to start to pop once again. In fact, the more he thought about it as he turned on the lights to his shop, it was less that what he was doing was *illegal* that always brought a smile to his face whenever the regulators would stop by to figure out how his food was constantly so apparently sugary. No, he'd always be able to smirk and remark, it wasn't made with sugar -- but only by the vaguest technicalities. When sugar became unavailable, it was simple regulation made by ureaucrats who knew little about the world around them and listened most closely to those with a pretty penny who would whisper sweet lies to tell them what to do. It was argued as a measure to protect public health from all of the overly-processed foods (what a scam) they would always say; it just made it so that the average baker was no longer eligable to be able to be included in the process. Always ways around regulations, always ways to suceed, and where the regulators failed was when it came down to defining sugars. He sluggishly pulled on the white overalls over himself, and he donned his favorite hat as he gave himself a small laugh once more. That'd been twenty years ago now, and obesity still claimed so many lives all the same; regulators failed to account for how easy it was to be lazy and how sugar was just one of the many root causes, yet still no one dared to speak to repel the sugar ban that had replaced every failed sugar tax.\n\nThere lay the issue. While a sugar tax, he smirked to himself as he had found the legislation all those years ago, measured the end content of a product as it was being dissected for its calorie count and everything else that made those pretty white labels, a sugar *ban* had to focus on so many things. After all, *everything* edible included some sort of sugar -- or would be broken down into sugar in the stomach -- so unless they wanted to ban living (which they almost did by accident there) they'd have to ban something just a little bit more concrete. He pulled on his gloves as he stepped outside, the grass and flowers still wet in the morning sun.\n\nSo they'd chosen the crops that'd caused so much harm to others in their introduction to the Caribbean centuries before -- sugarcane, sugarbeets, anything like that, all gone. He looked over his malts and smiled at how the batch was coming -- just fine. As he moved to the small pile of chopped twigs besides it, he grabbed a handful and looked back behind him.\n\nBig manufacturers never even changed their recipies -- compared to what switching from high-fructose corn syrup would cost, it was pennies to convince regulators that it clearly came from corn, there's *no way* it was at all similar to a sugar despite adding to the carbohydrate count of something via method of \"sugar\". Other manufacturers just switched to it as well. So many creative ways to chemically make it the same. It was a failed ban from the start.\n\nAs he lit his smoker, he let out a small sigh, too. Despite the best efforts of decades of pestacides -- even if it wasn't on purpose -- they'd never managed to drive bees to extinction, either. His honey supply was running low.",
"\"Say my name.\"\n\nDan, the sugar dealer, quickly understood what was actually in question. He and his men might have had the guns in this black market deal, but he didn't have the cooking skills. He was a distributor at best. No, he suspected the real cooking skills belonged to the baker standing no more than 5 feet away. However, Dan was not ready to lose any ground on this sugar deal. \"We have our own bakers. We could turn this addictive sugar into–\"\n\n\"Into what? Twinkies?\" The man threw a sandwich bag of blue macaroons at the desert sand beneath Dan's feet. \"I'm changing the deal. Instead of selling you this sugar, I keep all of this sugar, and you return with your money to buy my finished product. You know it. It's the crown jewel of the baking world.\"\n\nDan's men were ready to fire for the broken deal. Dan, however, was apprehensive. He picked up the sandwich bag and bit into the blue macaroon, upon which he was instantly transported to his childhood in the French countryside, being served macaroons by his loving mother and some culinary rat.\n\n\"Say my name,\" repeated the baker.\n\nDan wept. \"*Mesnier.*\"\n\n\"You're goddamn right.\" The secret ingredient to Mesnier's world-famous blue macaroon was simple water, laced with copious amounts of LSD.",
"“Utah Sunshine”\n\nThe little window on the door slammed shut. In the few seconds it took to hear the clang as the lock was disengaged, I worried I’d forgotten the pass phrase again. My worries were alleviated when the door was slowly pulled open. \n\n“How’s it goin’ Jensen,” the doorman said.\n\n“Same ol’, same ol’,” I said as I stepped through the door. “Hope everything is fine for you and the wife?”\n\n“Of course!”\n\nI smiled and continued through the empty room. Jensen wasn’t my real name, and to be honest, I had no idea if Alister was actually married or not. Since sugar had been outlawed three years ago, the little bakery empire I’d built up coming out of college had been forced to go underground. It should have been the end of this career path for me, but unsurprisingly the government’s plan to make the country healthier had backfired, and for me, that had translated into a step-up in wealth. \n\nThe biggest offenders? Well, being in the South, the Sunday morning church crowd alone had given me enough business that I was already considering retiring if I could make it another two years. Who knew you needed donuts to have church?\n\nI lifted the swing-top counter and stepped into my domain. My assistants, Yusuf and Charlotte (again, not their real names), were already in the kitchen getting the day’s cakes prepared.\n\nYusuf had come from a family-run donut shop. When the law was passed, his parents had started and early retirement. Still feeling the baking buzz, he’d chatted me up one day while buying a cake for a party. One thing led to another, and I’ve got the second best baker in the city working for me. \n\nCharlotte was a special case. I’d found her tagging the back alley wall of my building with graffiti. Instead of turning her into the authorities and likely having to many questions about my business, I instead offered to hire her as my apprentice. A talent like that would quickly pick up cake decorating. \n\n“How many we got today?” I asked. \n\n“18 cakes, all of which have special designs,” Charlotte replied. \n\n“Good…always nice to have your rent paid by the third day of the month.”\n\nAs I began decorating the first cake, a dragon-themed birthday cake for a nine year old, I could hear Alister slam the window of the door and begin allowing some customers into the shop. Soon, a small line was beginning to form. After purchasing their goods, they were ushered out of a back door into the alley. From there they could loop back to wherever they had parked their car. \n\nAs I finished the flame work on the cake, I heard a loud bang. I looked to the door just in time to see Alister fall to the floor, the spray of blood still hanging in the air. \n\n“Go!”\n\nI turned to check and see if they had heard me, but Yusuf and Charlotte were already gone. I glanced back to the door and a cylinder was being shoved through. I dove down behind the front counter as the flash bang went off. The few customers in the store scattered, trying to find any bit of cover they could as the battering ram slammed into the door, knocking it off its hinges. \n\nSomeone must have staked out the place. I felt so stupid. We had been careful this whole time. A year and a half. A year and a half we had been at this location and not heard so much as a peep from law enforcement. That was all ruined now.\n\nI looked to the back door to see if any officers were making their way through that entrance. With no one there, I thought about making a run for it. But surely that had planned for that and had someone guarding the back door. I knew from other bakers that this was a “kill first, ask questions later” task force.\n\nReaching under the first row of Kolaches, I grabbed the 9mm hidden for just this purpose. As the first officer came through the front door way, I fired three shots. Unsure if I hit the first officer, who at the very least dove for cover, I fired twice more before turning to the kitchen. We had practiced for this. Hopefully Yusuf and Charlotte had remembered the plan well. \n\nI reached the walk-in freezer just as the officers regrouped outside. I could just make out them yelling at the customers to stay down as they tried to make sense of the scene. I pulled the freezer door open and saw that the trap door in the ceiling had been left open. Quietly closing the door behind me, I climbed up the shelving and reached for the edge. When no one grabbed my hand, I pulled myself the rest of the way and onto the roof. \n\nGood. Charlotte and Yusuf at least got this far. I gently closed the door and took off running to the next building. If the plan worked, Charlotte and Yusuf had taken off in opposite directions, each toward a car that was sitting in a nearby parking lot. I cleared the second building and as I jumped across to the third, I heard the boom. Someone found the freezer, so much for maybe coming back and salvaging some of the equipment. \n\nWhen I reached the seventh building, I made my way to the fire escape and quickly descended to ground-level. The door of a silver sedan opened. \n\n“Get in boss,” Charlotte said. \n\nI slid into the passenger seat and Charlotte calmly pulled the car out onto the street. Behind us, sirens where blaring as fire trucks and police cars converged on the scene we had just left. Charlotte looked over after changing directions and pulling us farther from the old store. \n\n“Well,” I said. “Someone’s gonna have a really crappy birthday.”",
"Dave was late. Again.\n\nI crossed to the table and spread out some flour. We’d have to move quickly once he arrived if we were going to make our deadline. I moved over to the small portable electric oven we had set up in the corner of the room. A sticker on the glass plate insisted, “ROASTING OVEN ONLY”. You could buy these in every corner store in the city labelled as space heaters, steak cookers; anything to give the shopkeepers the plausible deniability that they weren't selling accessories to make contraband. Everyone knew what they were being bought for. Everyone knew that they would be taken back to some dodgy apartment and before long the scent of baked goods would be wafting into shared spaces and university dorms.\n\nThe house we were baking in had been abandoned and was scheduled for demolition next week. We’d make this batch of cookies and be gone before the police could turn up.\n\nThe door creaked open and Dave slipped into the room. He dropped a small fist-sized bag onto the counter and opened it to reveal a pile of white powder. “Dargan said this is the good stuff, fresh off the boat from the Australian cane fields.” I took my pinky finger, dipped it into the pile and tasted.\n\nMy heartrate quickened, my pupils dilated, and I felt an immediate rush of energy.\n\n*Not bad* I thought to myself. It was definitely cut with some filler, but compared to the stuff we’d been getting the last couple of months it might as well be gold. I walked over to the table and flipped open my small recipe notebook.\n\n*Time to bake.*",
"The Emergency Strike Team surrounded me, weapons drawn and trained at my back. I suppose I should be flattered; the EST didn't go after just anyone. The biggest and baddest were in their sights; and now, so was I.\n\n\"Put the spatula down, Jenkins! It's over!\" shouted one of them; judging by the mark on his helmet, he was the leader. I slowly laid it on the countertop but didn't turn around. I couldn't. The souffle was in the final moments of preparation and any hesitance could spell its failure.\n\n\"So. You *finally* caught up with me, didn't you?\" I said calmly, my eyes still fixed on the delicious treat.\n\n\"Stop acting smug, Jenkins. You left a trail of addicts in your wake. You've personally caused at least 14 cases of diabetes! This sick game of yours is OVER!\" he yelled. The anger was palpable - probably on account of me getting one innocent little cupcake to his fiancé. I heard that she *loved* it.\n\n\"I cannot be responsible for those who overindulge, you know that. That is their responsibility,\" I said but was met with silence.\n\n\"The Regime is broken, Simmons,\" I continued. I couldn't see his face even if I turned around on account of the face masks EST always wore, but I was *certain* he was shocked that I recognized him so easily. \"Sugar is not something to be denied; it makes life so much... well, *sweeter*,\" I said with a hearty chuckle.\n\n\"You sicken me!\" he snapped back. \"Now get on your knees and put your hands on your knees! We're taking you in.\"\n\nI couldn't deny myself a sly smile as my leg inconspicuously slid over to a pedal near my stove and pressed down. With barely any delay, a set of catapults hidden around the room sprung - and the EST were hit to a man. The banana-cream pies have made contact.\n\nSome screamed. Some fell to their knees. Some clutched their heads in shock and horror. But I knew what they felt. The revelation; the stupifying feeling as the sugar hit their taste buds and sent signals to their starved brains. The sensation was... ineffable.\n\nOne by one, they stood up and faced me. Despite what some may think, it wasn't some sort of mind control or drug haze. It was a simple realization that sugar made life so much more bearable and that the Regime is, ultimately, wrong.\n\nI turned around and looked at the reborn men. They simply nodded at me and I nodded back with a smile. Then they simply... walked away and I turned back to my oven.\n\nThe souffle was ready."
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[WP] NASA plans to de-orbit the ISS into the Pacific Ocean in 2023. Space pirates had other plans.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"What do you mean, it's *gone*!\"\n\nCharles wiped the sweat from his brow, thinking this was hell of a way to end his first week as director of NASA. The head of flight ops and tracking stood before him, equally ill-at-ease.\n\n\"The ISS isn't in it's orbit any more, sir. We... don't know where it is, currently, but we're working to reacquire it.\"\n\nCharles sighed, the venerable space station was due to be demissioned next week, a brief retrograde burn would send it spiralling down to crash into the pacific ocean at point Nemo.\n\n\"Well, thank god it's not manned at least... Please tell me we didn't leave anyone up there, did we?\"\n\n\"No sir... but, Um.. it might not be empty.\"\n\nCharles stared at the flight ops director aghast. \n\"Ok... explain.\"\n\n\"Ummm... well, 3 hourss before we ahh.. lost control of the ISS, there was an unsactioned unscheduled launch by an unknown amataur rocket group out somewhere Australia. Tracking shows that their craft made orbit before Woomera lost them.\"\n\n\"Okayyy... how is that revelvent?\"\n\n\"They were on an intercept orbit with the ISS. We got an automatic status update from the ISS that the automated docking system had been pinged before it went comms dark.\"\n\n\"That's a bit suspect... do we have any idea who they are?\"\n\nFlight ops hesitated, then sighed. \n\"Welll... there was brief ten second transmission from the ISS.\"\n\n\"saying what?\"\n\n\"Just an image of a skull and crossbones, and this voice saying 'Arrr all your base are belong to us!\"\n\n\"You are *kidding* me?!\"\n\n\"No sir... we recorded it, you can see for yourself.\"\n\n\"So... the ISS has been hijacked by.. space pirates?\"\n\n\"Um, yes, it would appear that way.\"\n\n\"Ok... so how did they move it then?\"\n\n\"We're not entirely sure... but the radar cross section of the ISS increased by three orders of magnitude shortly there after, and ground observers reported that it suddenly got lot brighter. Engineering thinks they deployed very large solar sail, and that's what gave them enough delta-V to change orbit.\"\n\n\"So... let me get this straight. Space pirates boarded the mothballed ISS, hijacked it, and then *set sail*?! And you've no idea where they are now... **HOW** can you not see it?\"\n\n\"It's behind the moon, and still accelerating... it's been six days. that's six days of constant acceleration, by now they're outside the moon's orbit and based on the last know heading, we think they're heading for Mars.\"\n\nCharles nodded slowly.\n\"Uh huh... just out of curiosity, has anyone checked where Elon Musk is? He's been rather quiet since Bezos got that injunction a couple of years ago forcing the FAA to ground starship and wind up Space X\""
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[WP] The Goddess of Prophecy has made a lot of prophecies and every one comes true. However, she faces a problem: A Warlock destined to destroy the world meets a Hero destined to save it. And both were HER prophecies. And they aren't happy about this mistake.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Well.”\n\nI think I might be about five seconds from a heart attack, since there’s another kid in the tree with me.\n\n“What is it?”\n\n“You’ve been wondering what’s about to happen. Hero destined to save the world, warlock to destroy it… and Alethea.”\n\n“Is that her name.”\n\nI’ve never been too interested in prophecies, but this hero isn’t entirely a stranger to me. He trains almost every kid in the village, and as such…\n\nWell, I had to find out what his downfall could look like.\n\nAs for the warlock… I’m not sure if I should be concerned. Conflicting prophecies just don’t exist. Not in Essaria, never in Essaria.\n\n(There’s also about a couple hundred that have yet to come true, so that’ll be fun when it happens…)\n\nThe other kid — a girl my age — kicks her feet against the trunk of our hiding place, not bothering to watch. I’m not sure what the point of following someone in order to watch some epic showdown is when you don’t watch the event in question, but clearly this girl knows what she’s doing.\n\nI think.\n\nAlethea, the Goddess of Prophecy, or more accurately Truth, is rumoured to have a very distinct voice. Most people seem to link it to angels, some make the connection to sirens, but they all agree that it is not human.\n\nHearing it, I can’t help but agree. \n\n“I apologise, gentlemen. I didn’t realise-“\n\n“Silence!” the warlock commands, and she actually does shut up. \n\n“What do we do?” the hero mutters, glancing at Alethea. “One of us has to win if she said we would.”\n\n“And that’s both of us, if she’s even to be believed.”\n\nThe girl laughs, a sound so quiet I’m half convinced it didn’t actually happen. “The Goddess of Truth, a liar. Ironic, hm?”\n\n“I guess…”\n\nAnd then there’s a chant, one that makes my blood run cold and the girl shudder so much she almost falls. \n\nIt’s magic, which is illegal in my village, but I know it’s darker than anything I’ve ever known. And while I don’t understand it, my companion clearly does. She whispers something of a curse under her breath, face pale and eyes staring almost blankly ahead.\n\nThere’s light, and darkness, and when I can see again there is no Alethea.\n\n“Idiots,” the girl snaps, and begins climbing down the tree before I have the chance to work out what they just did.\n\nBut something’s caught my eye.\n\nWe’re outside Essaria, near to its only entrance. And there’s someone walking towards the kingdom, and they’ve got red hair.\n\nAnd I know, somehow, that their eyes will be grey.\n\nAll the unfulfilled prophecies are about to come true."
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[WP] The few people who can see ghosts usually become councillors helping them through whatever unfinished problems they had through their life. You decided a slightly different approach. Killing their murderers.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"They're left behind because they have unfinished business. Sure. He understood that much, but yet, he never could bring himself to understand the reason why people would rather try to help ghosts let go of that business than help them solve it. It might have been more morally just, he could see *that*, but it didn't feel morally *right*. That'd always been the vague philosophy he followed, and... as he stared at the ghost in front of him, he was beginning to see its flaws. He was able to swing open the cylinder of his revolver, take out the shot he'd spent between two dirty fingers, and replace it with a new one before he slammed the cylinder back as he started to try to figure out how exactly it would be best for him to handle this problem. Slowly, he tracked how the mist of the ghost traced through the room, an amorphous blob that slowly had seeped out of the dead woman in front of him and now seemed to wish nothing more than to choke the life out of him.\n\nIf ghosts could do that, though, it'd've made his work a lot easier. With a deep breath in, he closed his eyes and rubbed at the bridge of his nose as he slowly started to shake his head; the ghost that had lead him here already had its own shape finally dissolve. The words slowly echo'd through his mind, a soft cry of 'why' that he could only vaguely answer. It'd always been a two step process before now, figure out who the damned was and then figure out what they wanted; yet now he had to contend with the fact that he already knew full well what the answers to both of those were. If he were to keep following his own rhetoric, he knew well too it'd be best for him to put that barrel of his revolver right under --\n\n\"Easy there, Leo,\" he murmured to himself as he let his eyes droop open once more, letting out the sigh that came from his deep breathing go sharp out of nose. It'd been beyond easy to justify this one: Wisconsin never punished DUI's right, and she'd gotten off killing both the husband and the last ghost with not much punishment at all. Maybe the money had helped her do that, but it hadn't mattered much to him at the time -- it was just a matter of justice to him. With a pointless spin, he returned his revolver to its holster at his left side as he took another few steps back from the corpse in front of him, shaking his head just a little bit more. It was almost clean, but at the last second she'd turned and saw him. Didn't put up a fight, but he saw the anger burn bright in her eyes. What a shame.\n\nHis options were to take his own life -- or find someone else to take it -- or try to ignore the screams that this particular damned would murmur in his ear for an unending torment. The option of seeing another with sight like his was off the table -- he'd pissed most of the ones he'd met so far right off with his decision to help the ghosts with their wishes instead of letting to let go and begin again. Leo pulled his hood back up as if that might help him with his thoughts, but as he turned and left the same way he came, he realized it meant little. He could still smell her following him, and there was only so much willpower in his head to be able to blot out her voice. \n\nMaybe if she saw how little he had, she'd understand.",
"I was chasing the man I knew that killed Barbara — she didn't deserve to die. With each and every step I took into the damped forest, amidst the thickening mist, her wailing echoed in my mind, 'FIND ROBERT! FIND ROBERT!'\n\nTaking down the murderer was much faster than the counselling process. An eye for an eye trick works fine when the ghosts want to rest for good.\n\nBang!\n\nDucking, I hid myself, looking through the crack of the tree. \n\n\"He's behind the tree,\" that's when I heard her voice — Barbara is here! She was pale as always, the gunshot wound on a side of her head was still bright red, continuing to bleed. Just about any person would have died of the shock, but it's been a year since we tracked who killed her. \n\nBang! Bang! Bang!\n\nI shot the corner of the wide bark of the skyhigh tree. I was lucky Barbara pointed me where to shoot at. \"Shoot better!\" She yelled, clearly frustrated — it was only reasonable.\n\nSprinting deeper into the wood, I noticed a light — a house in the middle of the forest? Barbara was flying a tad faster than me, but she can't do anything to him.\n\nI suddenly stopped, and aimed my gun at him who was racing into the house — steady, steady, and bang! \n\n\"Nooooo!\" Barbara screamed, and flew down to me in a flash, \"shoot the man! What's taking you so long!\"\n\nThat was probably the first time I was scared of her.\n\nFew minutes later, I was by the house, holding on to the sidearm. I didn't want to make a sound, and Barbara was scouting the area for me. Finally she came and said, \"there's someone inside the house, sitting, it's a woman\".\n\nIs this a fucking serial killer? I thought gently pushing the door open. It really was a woman, wearing a white gown. She was sitting eeriely still.\n\n\"Don't shoot,\" I heard a male voice from a side as I turned in a flash. It was Robert with his hands in tbe air. It didn't take a split second for Barbara to charge at him, screaming — but he wouldn't see that.\n\n\"SHOOT HIM! SHOOT HIM!\" Barbara was yelling manically, as Robert was slowly walking towards me, gently nodding.\n\n\"Barbara,\" I gently lowered my firearm, as she was looking at me in disbelief, \"look at the woman, do you remember?\" I asked, as gently as I could.\n\nIt was a mannequin, but it looked almost identical to Barbara. \n\n\"I tried to save you, Barbara,\" Robert said, his eyes starting to tear up, \"My hand slipped, and you shot yourself,\" he was speaking at nowhere, because he couldn't see her, and I maintained my silence. \n\nRobert was her husband.\n\n\"No!\" Barbara yelled and came at my face in a flash, \"he shot me in the head! Shoot him!\". I gently turned my head, and looked back at the mannequin — Robert was showing how she shot herself.\n\n\"There's no murderer, Barbara,\" I said, trying to force a smile, \"no one killed you,\" Robert was already sobbing, \"We want you to go to the light.\"\n\nBarbara was floating in the air still. Her face looked saddened as she looked at me, and then at Robert. Robert was hugging the mannequin, and sobbing uncontrollably. For the last time, she looked at me, and closed her eyes.\n\nA bright ball of light appeared before my eyes. When it went dark, she wasn't there. With a grown man sobbing holding onto a mannequin, I let down a heavy sigh.\n\nMurder is easy, closure is much difficult."
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[WP] The farm life is simple, just tend to your crops, your animals, and all is fine. And for you, just ignore the red glowing crystal in the field, aside from that...everything is great! the crops are healthy, the rain is a bit...red sometimes, but your animals are growing strong... alarmingly so.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Carl scratched his scalp as he poured coffee into his green John Deere mug with a cow driving the tractor. He looked out the window over the sink, the red sheen of the stone illuminated portions of his farm. Some of the animals were awake, doing stretches and the cow - well the light was a bit bad this early but - yes, it was doing power squats with a pig on its back. Carl sipped from his mug and looked on, the glow of the stone reflecting off of his glasses and the windowpanes.\n\nThey had bought the farm with the stone on it. The previous owner said it made the crops very hearty and he had so many sales he was able to retire fifteen years early. The only warning the old farmer had given Carl was to watch the animals. Carl set his mug down on the kitchen table and spun the mug so the handle faced into the table. He grabbed his coat and pulled on his boots, the chickens needed feed and he would have to prepare to milk the cow. \n\nThe weather was a peaceful morning dew hovering around fifty degrees. He stepped into his golf cart that was parked just outside the back door and motored over to the chicken coop. The chickens were doing something resembling burpees - lying flat and propelling themselves up with their wings. The chickens nearly flapped over the coop now, after days of training. He took the white five gallon bucket from the back area of the golf cart. They had heard him.\n\nChickens slammed into the fence like bullets into a kevlar drape. Carl threw the bucket back, grabbing at his chest - they were hungrier than normal today. He turned, picking the bucket up when he heard the crash of hooves behind him - his cow had arrived with the pig on its back. Was this what the old farmer had warned him about? The cow approached him. The stone radiated far brighter than it normally did - it was breathing almost. \n\nCarl stood up, keeping the bucket tight in his hand. “Back to the pens now, I’ll be ‘round to feed ya shortly,” he said, eyeing the cow. The cow kicked its hooves. Carl’s hand raised to stop the cow but it was too late - the stone’s glow intensified and the cow charged at Carl - pushing him through the chicken wire. The chickens pecked at him, lacerating his skin and pulling at his clothes. “Shit! Get offa me! Get off!” Carl shouted, but the chickens scratched his eyes, throat and pulled at his tongue. The hooves stood over him, he could feel them next to his ears. What had he done? Where had he gone wrong? The stone radiated in the distance - brighter than the rising sun. \n\nCarl passed out from the pain. The animals tore his body to shreds, he had kept them far too long. The old farmer released them after six months, but this one had them pinned in for two years. Too close to the stone for too long. This was their farm now. The pig oinked a few commands, and the rest of the animals fell in line, even the horse from the pasture on the other side of the field. Carl’s lifeless body in the background, and the coffee chilling on the table inside.",
"There was nothing to worry about the red, glowing crystal. In fact, it provided a nice aesthetic contrast to the various hefty and healthy greens that grew in my garden.\n\nReally, there was nothing to worry about the red, glowing, pulsing crystal. Yes, the animals are very much drawn to it. No, there doesn’t seem to be any negative effects. Yes, they are getting beefier, and strong. No, not *too* strong. I can control them. Still. See? I told them to stare at the red crystal, and there they are.\n\nReally, really, there was nothing to worry about the red, glowing, pulsing, splitting crystal. It turned the sky and its rain its crimson colour too, showering its lifeblood all over my farm. That’s being selfless, sacrificing itself for the betterment of others. What sort of terrible rock would be able to do that, eh? That’s what fine folks do, and what this fine rock does.\n\nOh, wow, did you see that? Dear Betty, that old horse, managed to tear the crystal apart. Why, I remember the day when I thought that she was almost done with her life, and had a deal to go to horsey heaven. But look at her now, youthful and invigorated, prostating herself before the rock. \n\nSomething’s coming out? It looks terrifying? Silly you. That’s not terrifying at all. It’s beautiful.\n\nSee? I told you not to worry about it. Now it’s finally here, all our concerns have been put to rest. It gave of its own blood for the farm, and it’s time to repay the favour.\n\nNothing to worry about, alright? It’ll be over very, very soon…\n\n---\n\nr/dexdrafts"
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[WP] You’ve been cursed that all your similes, metaphors, analogies and allegories become reality.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Depending on the situation it could be either a curse or a superpower. Which made me not a hero or a villain, but just some overpowered dude who would cause more messes than most villains in their lifetimes.\r \n\r \nI still remember the day I said that one line. And I'm certain that the rest of the world remembers it too – 'It's hot as hell today, isn't it.'\r \n\r \nLuckily the government gave me a direct line with a team of linguists who can help me fix those incidents in no time. \r \n\r \n'Just like another normal day on earth.' That was what they made me say that day to fix the mess I had caused. What was surprising is that it actually worked.\r \n \r \nThe only reason they have that team 24/07 ready to solve any incident I might cause is because when there is a situation that no one else can solve they call me to do the clean up.\r \n\r \n'I'm a walking disaster.' Is the kind of phase I say in those situations, then I just walk around and the villains start to die at random everywhere I go. \r \n\r \nBut my go to phase when I want to deal with a villain is just: 'Why are you looking at me like I am the devil?' \r \n\r \nI bet you can guess what happens after. \r \n\r \n\\[A prompt per day 2022 challenge: \\[35/365\\]"
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[WP] You wake up trapped in a bunker with four rooms, heavy doors separating them. Each time you come back to a room you suddenly notice some new detail about the room that you missed before.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The first thing you really see when you wake up and realise you're being held captive in a bunker, is nothing at all. A momentary haze, there's an impression of the room you're in, maybe a colour or a smell, and a foggy memory of how you might have got there.\n\nA foggy memory of a train station, some men in suits, some sort of uniform, what did they want? You're no saint, none of us are, and you know that, but you consider yourself overall to be a decent and law-abiding citizen. Not to any extremely anal way, adhering to every little law and custom, but just a general attitude of respecting the law and a corresponding typical pattern of respectful behaviour, repeated consistently over time. You believe all of this, or at least you think you do, so you didn't know what to think when it all went down in the train station.\n\nThe memory of yesterday dissipates back into the fog out of which it emerged, and your eyes suddenly see the room you're in. The first thing you see in such a situation is the door and the window. Well, there was one door and no windows. Then the shape and size of the room. It was small and square. Nothing about this was feeling good. Was there a bed? A toilet? Food? No. No. No. \n\nYou walk out the door into a narrow corridor and slowly you take the seven or eight steps needed to get you into the next room. You're out of breath when you step in. No windows, another door, small and square like the first room. No food. No toilet. No bed. You dart through the corridor and push the door open to the third room.\n\nA bright light shines into your eyes. You can hear water bubbling, something hissing, whistling, and it's very hot. It's a kitchen. There's a chef cooking all sorts of dishes, he barely notices you. It's very hot in the kitchen, he's sweating and seems irritated, or maybe just intensely focused. \n\nYou step into the next room. It's colder here, but not cold. No windows. There's a bed. A big brass bed. The lights are warm here. It would be nice to share this place with the one I love, you think. You remember the train station again.\n\nIt's starting to feel claustrophobic again all of a sudden, you realise that you've hit a dead end in this room. There were four adjoining rooms in a line, but how could you get out? No windows, and no more doors. Unless, there could be trap doors under something?\n\nYou check under the bed, there's no trap doors.\n\nThen you go back into the kitchen. You check behind the oven. There's no trap doors but there's an extractor fan. It might be too small to crawl into, but it's still hope of connection to the outside. My God, the chef! You can ask him! Well, you ask all of your questions about the place and he tells you that you've fallen into the same trap that he has and that he doesn't know anything either. He just has this kitchen and likes to cook. \n\nHow long have you been down there? you ask.\n\nThree years, he says.\n\nAre you the only one to get trapped in here with him?\n\nNo, there's been a lot of people.\n\nHow did they escape?\n\nOh, it's simple enough. They solved a riddle. It's an old one. Which came first, the chicken or the egg. Do you know the solution to this one?\n\nI think so. I already know that if I were to walk back into that second room, I would notice immediately that I was in someone else's house, but I didn't see it before. I didn't really pay attention to you that much when I first walked in a few minutes ago. It's crazy how much you can overlook when you're scared. It's like you don't know where you are and you start questioning everything, paying so much attention to every detail and yet overlooking many important details. Anyway, that's who I am. Now, as for the chicken and the egg, I can tell you that it is meant to challenge a very old and common fallacy or cognitive bias. That somehow we can understand the \"why\". Why is there a chicken? Because it came from an egg. Why is there an egg? And so on. A circular reasoning. It's a common mistake. \"Why\" are we stuck in this bunker? Because we got trapped here? No, it's a question of paying attention to the right details. The only thing that matters is that we get out of here, because all we really know is that we're trapped.\n\nThe chef looked at the air vent then back at you. You were both holding your breaths for a second.\n\nIt's a question that's only meant to highlight a major flaw in a certain type of reasoning, that's all, there's not really a solution to it.\n\nYes, very good. It teaches you to think for yourself properly, without using the short cut of criticising anything and everything. Now go back into the other room.\n\nYou go back into the second room. There's a bookcase there. You push it along the wall and reveal a door behind it. You run back to thank the chef, and this time you see that behind the smoke of the hob, he isn't alone, but has his family with him. On your way out through the door behind the bookcase, you notice a book with the chef's photo on it. It's written by him. You take it and make your way back out into the open field. You look at the book in your hands, a memoir and cookbook. You're going to have a nice meal before you head back to the train station tonight."
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[WP] You're a wealthy person, part of 0.1% of the world's population rich enough to pay for a stem cell treatment that allows them to live forever. You commit to writing in your journal once every hundred years. It's now the year 2942, and for whatever reason, this will be your last diary entry.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Dear me, \n\nToday is September 7th, 2942. That’s right, a full nine centuries after I started this tradition. A full nine centuries after I received the experimental treatment granting me and a few hundred others immortality.\n\nOf course, I know that already but…perhaps one day, someone else on Earth will read this. I don’t know, but I can hope that, in some small way, I will live on through these pages and these words I’ve spilled across them. A distant memory, perhaps, but not fully forgotten.\n\nThe technology required to impart eternal life upon humanity was lost long ago, and while I have lived most of my life alone for fear of growing attached, there is only so much you can do. Those I’ve come to love are now gone from this world, however. Never having the chance to share in my longevity. \n\nIt is not solely loss that propels me to this decision, however. Truthfully, I’ve come to find a gray pallor cast over life. And while my husband Adam’s presence served as a constant source of joyous color and stability, I could never fully fight off the leaching of life’s joys that comes with too much of it. A taste of wine is delicious, but to drink bottle after bottle…sickening.\n\nAnd I’ve had too much wine. I’ve grown tired of the sweet scent of decay assailing me as not my body, but my mind and emotions rot. Fragments, half-forgotten memories. It is difficult to sort through all the things I’ve seen. I am crushed by the crippling weight of all I’ve experienced. My mind reels to organize it.\n\nI find myself struggling to understand those around me, and they view me with suspicion. We are too different, now. The world I once knew and the one I find myself in now are so different I cannot tell they were ever the same. But I know they were once the same, don’t I? What I remember…it must be real. I must’ve seen those things all that time ago. The hospital, the doctors and nurses, ushering me in as one of the first test subjects…\n\nIt is the transience of beauty that gives it luster and the short lives we live that gives us purpose. So I’ve come to believe. Even if that’s wrong, it is better than this kind of existence. The dreams…I almost forgot the dreams.\n\nAre they memories? Or are they dreams? It is so hard to differentiate between the two, even while I am awake. Except when I see Adam, then I know I am dreaming. Adam is dead. That is a constant. That I know as truth, undeniable. The Adam I see is not real, but my mind playing tricks.\n\nToo many memories. Too many dreams.\n\nI…\n\nThat is enough for today. Perhaps…I shall take my medicine. My doctor prescribed it to me, to help with the grief they said. To help with the…the memories and lack thereof. I will write more later. Yes, later. I will write more later. \n \n(Thank you for reading! C&C always welcome!)"
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[WP] For years the Kingdoms and the Church have sent their armies and champions to destroy you, the Villian. But now, their heirs are begging you to save them from the Hero.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"They say that forbidden magic is a crime, but who forbade it in the first place? \n\nJust because some king decided he didn't like a particular branch of magic at some point should I just stop using it?\n\nOf course not.\n\nNecromancy is not evil by nature and it's just, well, not mainstream I might say. It's understandable that people who see the bodies of their loved ones coming back to life in a deplorable state might think that we desecrate their bodies and souls, but that's not true in the end, we never mess with their souls. \n\nWhat is truly evil in my understanding is what had become of their so-called hero. They gave the great warrior, who had promised to get rid of a certain necromancer, access to so many ancient tomes and secrets that they ended up cultivating their own power-hungry nemesis. \n\nTheir hero realized one day that taking over the kingdom would be much easier than getting rid of me. And now he took every single princess and noble lady of his interest as his servants and I can't imagine what kind of hell those young women are going through at this moment. \n\nOf course, after all of that, they swallowed their giant egos and came to me begging for help. \n\nI could easily don't get involved in this and let nature follow its course, but as I mentioned before just because I am a necromancer doesn't mean that I'm evil. But it goes without saying that I asked for something in return. \n\nWhat I want is not their gold or recognition, but I just to increase the freedom of this world. I've been promised that necromancy will not be a crime anymore and that it will even be taught in some magic schools. If they will keep their end of the deal after my army gets rid of the so-called hero, that much I don't know. \n\nBut it's not like I have anything to lose for helping them once after all.\n\n[A prompt per day 2022 challenge: [37/365]"
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[WP] You/A group kill a close friend/loved on mistaking them from an imposter. You find out your assumptions are wrong, after you kill the real imposter you’re left with guilt as his/her ghosts comes back to haunt you, pissed.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Harrold looked at the charred corpse of the bodysnatcher as he started digging, honestly baffled he had gotten it wrong the first time. \n\"I told you, Harrold,\" his husband, Andrew's, upset voice sounded, \"And now, you have to dig up *my* body so you can replace it with that thing's body instead. Maybe if you hadn't confused me for a common pest, you wouldn't have as much work to do!\" \nHarrold sighed. Seeing Andrew's ghost was heart breaking... for the first couple hours. Now, though, he was just as irritating as he could be in life. \nHe put down the shovel to take a break. \"Well, maybe if you hadn't acted like a complete lunatic, I wouldn't have made the mistake in the first place,\" he responded: with good reason too, he felt, since Andrew had been acting suspiciously cheerful for the past week, even more so than he would have normally been, despite hearing multiple news reports about a bodysnatcher in the area. \n\"It was almost our anniversary!\" Andrew said, incredulous, \"Was I supposed to act like everything was normal?\" \n\"No, you were supposed to act according to the handbook,\" Harrold responded, shaking a copy of 'How to Survive the Monsters 'Among Us'' towards the apparition, \"And not show any uncharacteristic behavior or *heightened emotion,*\" he said, flipping towards the bodysnatcher's entry. \n\"Our anniversary, Harrold!\" Andrew repeated, shaking his hands re-animatedly. \n\"Is not for another week, at least. Was what you were planning really so important it needed to be prepared right away? And are you really so bad at surprises that you couldn't do anything to hide it?\" Harrold asked the spirit pointedly. \nAndrew blushed as much as his incorporeal form allowed. \"You *know* I'm bad at surprises, but you you I can't help but try them anyway...\" Andrew trailed off, mollified for the moment \nHarrold shook his head, before continuing his shoveling. \"You still should have just waited. Now, as much as I enjoy your company, let me focus for a little. The sooner I can dig you up, the sooner I can call a necromancer to revive you.\" \nAndrew huffed, but let him shovel in relative peace anyway."
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[WP] The Warlord was under a geas, a blessing of the gods. "No weapon forged by man can kill me". You, a young warrior opposing him decide to test that blessing by becoming a master of using rocks and sticks as weapons.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"While I was running, I received a call from Cassandra.\n\n\"Hello?\"\n\n\"How are you doing with the mad god?\"\n\n\"Only anti-matter can kill a god. I only had 2 grams.\"\n\n\"Got you.\"\n\nI heard an explosion behind me. I looked back. The god was gone. I dropped to the ground. Cassandra appeared in front of me and dropped a prophecy. \"Seil tried his hand at prophecy. Can you find a loophole?\"\n\nI looked at the prophecy and nodded. The prophecy said \"A warlord was awoken, a man who only few could defeat. His blessing was that no weapon forged by man can kill him.\" Also how he would conquer a country, but he won't.\n\nI ran to the warlord's tower, and hit his head with my hammer. Took him and ran. Using chain, I trapped him on the top of Enteni's tower, not in just on. Then I kept throwing rocks at him, not forged by man, this could work. Or you know starvation, or poison, or fall damage. I'm no idiot."
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[WP] As your light turns green, a car driven by your doppelganger pulls alongside you, then turns. Immediately, you call off work and begin your pursuit. This is exactly what you've been waiting for.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The light turned yellow, and then red. I slowed my car to a stop at the intersection before the University, which fed about ten lanes of traffic and took forever to change back to green. Impatiently, I tapped on the steering wheel. I wasn't running late, mind you, but I like getting to the classroom early, making tea, and mentally preparing for a day of lectures and answering sophomoric philosophy questions from senior students who should know better by now.\n\nA car pulled beside me, inching further into the intersection than what the painted stripes dictated. I scoffed at his hubris--his anxious anticipation like a child dancing outside of a bathroom stall. I pulled forward by small degrees to get a better look at the testy driver.\n\nHe was wearing large sunglasses and a beanie hat, driving a beat-up Toyota Carolla, tapping impatiently on his steering wheel. He looked familiar, though I could only see his side profile. Where did I know him from? Was he one of my former pupils? Every so often my class sees a geriatric student attend in order to chase some foolhardy degree which will serve them naught in retirement.\n\nNo, he wasn't one of those.\n\nI inched closer, until my window was parallel with his. Our eyes met, his through dark shades, mine through discerning brows, when it struck me.\n\n\"Son of a bitch!\" I shouted. He sped through the red light, narrowly missing a minivan, and I followed, swerving around traffic all the same. My class started in an hour, but this took precedence: the rogue doppelganger, inexplicably here, at my place of work. Where was he going? Where was he coming from? If I needed to ram his car into a ditch, I would.\n\n\\---------------------------------------------------------\n\nI've never been one to break laws, always the strict, stringent rule-follower. When you live as I've lived, you need to keep a code. But as I pulled into the intersection, in a place where I could be spotted, my anxiety shifted into quiet panic.\n\nThe light turned red and I slowed to a stop. Ten lanes of traffic fed into this intersection and it always took forever to change back to green. Impatiently, I tapped on the steering wheel and began inching into the intersection. In the past, I might've scoffed at people like this, who pull into intersections in their testy hubris. But this was different. This was life or death.\n\nA car pulled beside me and I worried it would be a cop, staring me down, ready to pull me over as soon as the light changed. I couldn't afford to be stopped without a license, registration, or insurance. I especially couldn't afford to be stopped just outside from where one of us *worked*. If he found me, he'd try to kill me. Or worse.\n\nI recognized the car's hood from my peripheral vision. Not a cop. A Mercedes hood ornament snuck up like a shark in a bay, threatening me. Against my better judgement, I turned my head and looked straight at the driver.\n\nThrough my shaded glasses, I looked into his pensive stare, his red beard speckled with white follicles and bushy eyebrows furrowed as recognition washed over his face.\n\nI pushed the gas pedal to the floor. He followed behind me."
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[WP] When your immortal soul is condemned to an afterlife of punishment, any living thing that has died before you may appeal on your behalf. You were a mid-level mob enforcer who's been leaving food out for the feral cats of your neighborhood since you were old enough to do so.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"(This turned out way longer than I thought it would and I haven't really proofread because it's late, but due to the nature of writing prompts being very fast-paced ill just post it now and hope that it's good.)\n\nThe snow fell down around him as Danny died. He could remember the smell of blood the most.\nDanny wasn’t expecting a trail, hell, he wasn’t expecting anything at all with a hole the size of a baseball in his chest, but a trail? That never even crossed his mind. At least it had a sense of irony about it.\n\nOne moment he was at the store grabbing some cans, the next he was in a chair looking up to two figures, one white and one black. Both were sat upon a long bench in the middle of a checkerboard floor that seemed to stretch to infinity into the horizon. Danny could not make out if the figures were male or female, or young or old, he could barely even tell they were human at all.\n\nThe black figure stood and spoke. “Daniel Jack Rossi Jr, born the eighth of January 1970 to a Mrs Maria Juniper Rossi and a Mr Daniel Morgan Rossi Snr and died the sixth of April 1992 to a gunshot wound to the chest.” Just as their looks were sexless and ageless, so were their voices. “You are accused of using your life to inflict great suffering upon the world. The crimes will now be presented.”\nDanny had managed to stay out of court in his waking life, but he was sure this was nothing like any court anyone had ever been to before. The white figure rose from the bench. “In 1988 you purchased cocaine for your girlfriend Bianca you pressured her into trying it resulting in an addiction that will eat at her for the remainder of her life. Again in 1988 you broke into and stole five hundred dollars from a convenience store in your neighbourhood; this theft caused the owner to have a heart attack that left him unable to walk unassisted for over three years. In 1989 you attacked a member of a rival affiliation leaving them with significant facial trauma. Again in 1989-” The crimes continued. The ageless, sexless figure talked ceaselessly for hours listing what must have been every bad thing Danny had ever done.\n\nDanny never felt much guilt before. Everything he did, he did to survive, if other people got hurt that was their problem. They were all adults they could deal with it, he never hurt a kid and he never hurt an animal, those were his rules, but adults were fair game. Kids and animals couldn’t use their brains as adults could; they couldn’t make the same kind of decisions. But when the figure finally finished laying his crimes on the table Danny felt pretty guilty.\n\nThe white figure sat and the black figure stood again. “Your personal circumstances such as your young age at death and lack of parental guidance will be taken in as mitigating factors in our decision.” The black figure slowly raised its hand and pointed towards a door that Danny was sure wasn’t there a minute ago. “We will now allow for any advocates to speak on your behalf.”\n\nThe first through the door were his parents. It was a weird feeling seeing people who were long dead standing right in front of you. “Danny was a good boy at heart!” His father proclaimed as his mother fell to her knees and prayed. “If we had the chance to raise him he’d have come out alright! I swear.” This pleading continued for minutes before the black figure raised its hands. Danny’s parents dissolved like sugar in a glass.\n\nEach time the black figure raised its hands a few others came from the door. Ms Edwards, Danny’s favourite English teacher, said how much potential he had. The delivery guy Danny helped out after he was mugged said that he owed Danny a favour. Nicky, Danny’s old roommate gave a strong defence of Danny’s joint-rolling skill. As few as they were, all the ghosts, literally, from Danny’s past came out to defend him. But, all in all, it was a pretty poor defence. Then the people stopped coming. By the end of the testimonials, Danny almost felt like he deserved it.\n\nBut the black figure raised its hand to the door once more. But this time when it opened, nothing came through. For a second, Danny worried he was going to get sucked in and sent straight to hell. But instead, nothing happened.\nThe door remained open and the two figures were still. Then, after a moment a tiny paw jabbed its way out of the darkness. Then the rest of a tiny kitten rolled through the door grabbing at its own tail. Then a much older cat sauntered in. Then another. Danny recognised them all.\n\nSeeing a bullet wound in his chest didn’t make him feel a damn thing. Seeing his dead parents barely made him melancholy. But when Danny saw his dead cats, he burst into tears. There was Fruit Loop, the playful little kitten that was hit by a car. There was grumpy old Major. There was fat Pumpkin. There was the Calicos Mario and Luigi. And then more, and then more. Each of them came in at their own pace. Playing with each other, or suavely cleaning themselves, or acting completely indifferently like nothing was strange or wrong at all. They kept coming and Danny could name them all.\n\nDanny had started feeding them when he was young. It was a cold winter and an old stray was lingering on his porch. Danny had never cared much for cats, he thought they were standoffish and boring, but feeling sorry for the old guy, he cut off a bit of sausage from his dinner and threw it to him in the snow. The cat had taken his haul and disappeared into the winter. Danny forgot all about it, he didn’t think about it again until a few days later when the cat came back. This time, the cat came right up to Danny. It was a small moment, and Danny stroked the cat for less than a second before it bolted, but it changed his life.\n\nHe fed the cat again, hoping it would keep coming, hoping he could pet it again. Then he did it again. Each time the cat returned it got a little more comfortable with Danny, and each time he got a little closer. Eventually, the smell of food attracted another cat. Danny fed that one too. And when another two cats showed up, Danny had to spend his pocket money on cat food. He fed them when he went to school and he fed them when he got back. Sometimes he’d sit for hours in his own personal sea of cats. He did this for years. When a cat got sick, he took them to the vet. When a cat had kittens, he did his best to home them. When he got into the business he even spent a lot of his cash on new cat supplies to keep them warm and fed.\n\nDanny wanted to reach out to them again cats now, but the white figure stood, “With these testimonies completed, I Daniel Jack Rossi will now be sentenced.” The checked world, the two figures, and the lifetime of cats all melted away from Danny and the world faded to darkness.\n\nEither an eternity passed, or no time at all.\n\nIt was cold and he couldn’t see. He tried to push himself to his feet, but he couldn’t find any strength. He was weak. His eyes were shut, but his nose smelled blood. It wasn’t just cold it was freezing. He tried to pry open his eyes, but he only managed to get a sliver of light.\n\nDim moonlight reflected off the snow. He tried to pull himself forwards, but something moved in the darkness; a shadow loping in the distant night. He tried to remain still, remain quiet. But it turned to him. He could smell the blood on its breath. It moved towards him slowly, and then faster. The smell of blood grew stronger.\nHe cried out, but all that came out was a high pitched whimpering squeak. The figure collapsed on him. A dead bird dropped to the floor and the soft nose sniffed at him. The den immediately began to feel warm again with his mother back. As the snow fell down outside and the smell of the prey's blood filled the den, the cat curled up around her kitten and began to preen.",
"Dying young wasn't the plan. I was supposed to beat up customers of a loan shark, who were short. The last guy was paranoid. Paranoid with a gun. Joey and I walked up to his front door. Joey was watching the garage, in case he makes a run for it. He had other ideas. As I knocked on the door, it exploded, a shotgun blast, followed by a second. I was damn near cut in half. I remember thinking, Damn. Then black. I wonder if Joey got the bastard?\n\nThe afterlife isn't like any religion tells us. You go to an place, neither hot or cold, quiet to the point of eeriely silent. There's the proctors, who gather people into three lines. Most are going back down to be reincarnated. A few are lined up for the paradise. An even smaller group goes to be judged. That's where the tell me to line up. \n\nMy advocate explained the system. I was 'early'. I wasn't scheduled for sixty-two years. My file was incomplete, which means that interviews of the dead I had interacted with would be conducted. I didn't know many people who died. So I was confused. There was a cop, who was shot by an associate, but I was the driver. I can see him talking, but cannot hear what is said. Then I see a cat goto the front,.and then another. I recognized the second cat, it was one of the pack that I fed when I would come home at night. I collected payments from a bar and they knew I liked fried chicken, and would give me a bucket. I would eat it on the apartment's patio and feed the cats. As I watched the judge, about a dozen cats came and went. \n\nThen I was called up to the judge. He says I am out of balance, with blood on my hands, but the cats told the judge that I can be redeemed. The decision is reincarnation. \n\nI awaken alive. I cannot see. I smell my mother's milk and find a teat among the fur on mom's belly. I realize I have been reborn as a cat. Meow!"
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[WP] A pilot crashes their starship on an uncharted world. They're surprised to find a highly advanced civilization with no knowledge of life on other worlds.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It was a brutal crash, not that any I've had before were exactly pleasant, but this one was excessively bad. I was zipping across the outer planets, looking to arc back around the rear of an approaching rebel fleet and catch some free hits, only to railed by a perfectly timed beam. It takes a particularly aware mind to read the instruments quick enough to catch a cross-system projectile, and I was only good enough to barley catch it.\n\nAt the velocity I was going I can only assume that my ship tumbled across entire systems, my light speed meter was off the charts. I was desperately trying to recalibrate, trying to regain control over vital systems and stop my epic tumble. In almost no time I realized that my speed was drastically slowing as I was collecting ice and heading for an atmosphere. Any pilot worth their salt knows what this phenomenon is: We call it the fatal comet. \n\nThis is almost always deadly when you do make planet fall, so you can imagine my surprise when my eyes batted open and I was greeted by the most brilliant green atmosphere I'd ever seen. I then become jutted with fear as I thought I was in a meteorologically active planet, with asteroids making constant impact. I was cursing my luck at having gone from getting beamed by \"freedom fighters\" to getting rocketed to a steely hell. Then to my absolute astonishment I realized they weren't asteroids, they were ships. \n\n\"Hello?\" Was the first thing I heard, ears still violently ringing from the impact. \"Is the thing stable?\"\n\nI turned, eyes wide with surprise at seeing a small group of green men. They had strange elongated heads that looked like pea pods, and the most curious, inspecting eyes I'd ever seen. I wasn't lost to inter-communication devices, after all most languages follow the same syntactic measures, so this technology isn't exactly hard to make. I was just surprised to see such a thing here. \"Stars... Where am I?\" My hand was on my bleeding head and my ribs ached like smashed crackers. \n\n\"Unus.\" Said the leading green man.\n\n\"I've not heard of that planet. What system are we in?\"\n\nThere came a blank look from the gathered green men. They exchanged gazes with each other and continued with obvious aphrension. \"We are unaware of what the thing is speaking about.\"\n\nMy eyes turned them over slowly and carefully, these tiny green things with silky clothing and an obviously intelligent civilization... By the stars they didn't know that the sky wasn't the limit. They were blind to the cosmics. \n\n\"Umm.\" One of them quirked up. \"Forgive rudeness but... Has the came from the heavens?\"\n\nYes, I was sure that my observation was right. These things were brilliant while also being brilliantly lost. I stood up from my ship, clutching my broken body and startling the green things. They all jutted away fearfully and with wide, curious eyes. They'd never seen anything like me before, I must've been wonderful to them. \"You all rule these lands?\" I chose my words carefully.\n\n\"Unus is shepherded by the Dux.\" They said proudly. \n\nI nodded my head slowly, looking around at the large shinning world around me. Now that I had the chance to observe I saw before me quite the sight, large silver towers and gargantuan monoliths decorating the green horizon. Zipping ships darted the sky, some long and trainlike, some sleek and darting. I looked at the ground below me and saw agricultural abundance, yes, this was quite the place. \"The Dux are united?\"\n\n\"What does the heaven spawn mean?\"\n\n\"Do the Dux fight amongst themselves?\"\n\n\"We are unaware of this word, fighting?\"\n\nAgain I slowly shook my head, and then with smooth grace I leaned down to my ship and checked its radio. I picked up the headset and turned to the correct channel. \"Base do you hear me?\"\n\n\"*Cortez thank the stars you're okay. We see you've been flung into the dead systems.*\"\n\n\"Yes home base I'm fine. Hey can you all do me a favor and send some ships my way?\"\n\n\"Y*ou mean battle ships? Are the Rebels there? How many do you need?*\"\n\n\"No it's not the rebels, and actually I think one ship will be just enough... I think I just solved our labor shortage home base...\"\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nIf you enjoyed check out my subreddit! r/mrsharks202"
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[WP] You're cursed. Every time you enter water something starts hunting you. Every time you kill it, something bigger takes it's place. You just killed Cthulhu.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Let me tell you something folks: it hasn't been easy. \n\nLook I'm just a regular guy. Like most regular guys, I enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning, I have a favorite team, and I don't think twice when crazy homeless bums put a curse on you for not forking over your spare change. Looking back now there was something off about that old man. The rain dripping down his weather beaten face doing little the cool the anger he held in his eyes. \n\nHe told me: \"The terrors of the deep will rise up against ye. Until your guts turn to fish bait, they'll not stop. There's always a bigger fish.\"\n\nMaybe I was just the tipping point. Years of roughing it by the docks would shorten my fuse considerably. Whatever it was, 38 cents could've spared me the wrath of everything that swims, floats, or scuttles in the water.\n\nThat night I went home and took a bath for the first time in years. As I soaked in the warm water, my bliss was cut short by an unlikely adversary: the smallest fish I have ever seen in my life. Calling It a minnow would be generous. I wouldn't even have noticed it if it wasn't furiously attacking my big toe. \n\nI pondered the creature for a moment before leaving the tub and pulling the plug. \n\n\"Maybe it will make it all the way to the ocean.\" I wondered as I dried myself. \n\nApparently I was wrong. \n\nThe next morning I got out of bed, fired up just enough brain cells to make coffee and got ready for work. The rain from last night showing no signs of stopping. As I walked to my car I planted my shoe firmly into a puddle in the parking lot.\n\nGreat. One wet sock. \n\nBut there was something else: in the split second or so that my foot had been in the water, a small crab had managed to attach itself to one of the shoe laces, and was attempting to cut its way through my leather boot. \n\n\nI gave my foot a swift shake to dislodge this angry little crab. It flew quite a bit further than I would've thought possible for such a maneuver, but it flew alright. As a matter of fact, it flew straight under the rear tire of Mrs. Lafferty backing out of her parking spot. \n\nI made it almost 3 hours into my shift at the office before curiosity got the better of me. After a quick Google search I was able to identify both the crab and the fish. Turns out the fish could conceivably make it all the way to the faucet. The crab could also have made its way inland and been in the puddle. \n\nBut something else stuck out. These were both saltwater species. I tried to connect the dots, but I just couldn't see the whole picture. That old man's words kept repeating. \n\nLater that night I decided to test the waters so to speak. I drew another bath and settled in (wearing swim trunks of course). Not even 30 seconds in, I heard a loud croak. I turned my head and saw a very fat bullfrog poke its head out of the water. I had enough time to wonder how in the hell it was able to fit its fat ass through the drain pipe, but that was about it. \n\nIt leaped from the water and attached itself to my nose. I roared, flailing in the tub, displacing most of the water onto the rug. I managed to pry the frog from my face and threw it across the room. It hit the wall with a wet smack and didn't move again. I sat in the tub heart pounding, eyes deadlocked on my would be assassin. Satisfied it was dead, I began to get a grip and think. \n\n\"...always a bigger fish.\" he said. The frog was bigger than the crab which was bigger that the microminnow. \n\nIt didn't take me long to completely give up on the whole normal guy act and go full conspiracy nut job. I started to run tests. The rain didn't spawn and creatures, but the bath and the puddle did. An expiremental shower ruled that out as well. \n\nOnly solid unbroken water seemed to call for the \"terrors of the deep\".\n\nSo I told myself \"why don't we just avoid water for a while and see how it goes\". \n\nThe problem is that you really don't understand how much water there is all around you until you try to avoid it. The bird bath in my backyard? Smashed it. The pond at the golf course? Ah I always hated golfing anyway. Neighbors pool? Fuck him, he steals wifi. \n\nAnd that's how it went for the last 4 years. People thought I had hydrophobia and they weren't wrong. I just never told them exactly why. They would think I was crazy. The problem is that nobody is perfect, and try as I might, I still got wet. \n\nThe piranha in the sink. The octopuss in the locker room. The shark at my brother's wedding (I mean seriously who throws people in pools at weddings its 2022 everyone has a phone in their pocket eat shit dave.) \n\nBut after the day I've had, the shark seemed downright playful. There was apparently no upper limit or rational method to how big or bad these things could get. The megalodon at the lake was fortunate enough to get hit by the ferry. Whatever the hell came after that was about 6 stories tall, and hands down the most horrifying amalgamation of aquatic life I had ever seen.\n\nI got lucky really. Lucky the raft had a flare gun in the emergency kit. Lucky there was still enough jet fuel in the tank to blow it. I know shouldn't have tried flying across the Atlantic for a new life in the Sahara, but my pilot shouldn't have crashed and there was no way in hell I was taking the boat. \n\nNow all I see is water. Water in every direction. I shudder to think of what the next one will be. How could it possibly get worse than that. \n\nLike I said folks: it hasn't been easy. \n\nThe End \n\n\n\n\nLongtime lurker, first time writer.",
"\"Oh... Oh fuck I finally did it\"\nI said, blood running down my hands as the oldest of the old ones lay dead before me. Cthulhu had not been an easy fight, for that I had to emlust the help of many other magical beings to aid in my fight. The demon that had provided the god-killing spear for me sat by the water's edge, looking at me. She shook her head and said solemnly\n\n\"I can still feel it. The binding curse is not broken. You have fought the embodiment of infinity... I fear you may fight infinity itself next\"\n\nThe smile that was forming on my lips suddenly faded. I stuttered, a wave of confusion and fear washing over me. I shook my head in disbelief\n\"Fight infinity itself? What does that even mean?\"\nThe demon shrugged, rather nonchalant about the whole situation.\n\"I don't know. I mean... You could be fighting time itself, I'd you want to get metaphorical\"\nI raised an eyebrow, getting out the water and sitting down next to her\n\"Time itself?\"\nI asked, realising that it may not be so bad if I did. The demon nodded\n\"Yes, time itself. Time is infinite, one of the truly infinite things. Cthulhu was... A figurehead of infinity. While time progresses forever. The universe itself can no longer fight you, nor anything that takes a physical form. The universe is limited, so your one remaining enemy is the concept of time\"\n\nI smiled. So in a way, the curse was lifted\n\"So I die of old age? That's the way I go?\"\nThe demon nodded\n\"If you don't get killed by something mundane like a random stroke or a mugger. Entropy always wins, and today was an example of that\"\nI stood, shaking with excitement. On a technicalcality, the curse was still there but... I had won. Infinity or no, I'm still alive! And, as a bonus, I now have the bragging rightts of killing the world's most powerful being.\n\n(Only my second prompt on this sub. Be kind plz 🙏)",
"As I removed bits of tentacle and slime off of me, the madness tugging at the corners of my mind fading… I feel the ground shake and rumble. At first I think it’s just the last remnants of Lord Cthulhu’s reach. The ground shakes again. I can see clear ripples in what is supposed to be waves in the ocean. I was wrong.\n\n“Oh lawd, she comin’!” I hear from the beach bums (formerly Cthulhu’s cultists), as they point to the horizon. The ground shakes again.\n\n\nShould have given Cthulhu is due glory. Now I have to contend with OP’s mum.",
"It had to be over.\n\n*Right?*\n\nI felt my body slowly float upwards as the last of the creature's tentacles were swallowed by the black of the abyss. The water was deep, and the creature sunk deeper.\n\nSoon I was alone. The black water around me went on and on for inches and seconds and miles and years and the only thought I had was that it had to be over.\n\nI'd finally killed it. Cthulhu. The leader of The Old Ones. One of the first beings on Earth. Certainly the stronger, perhaps the largest. There was nothing larger than this beast; there was nothing stronger.\n\n*Right?*\n\nI didn't realize I needed to breathe until my head broke the surface. Things like breathing didn't seem so important when facing a God among men. But when I did, the cool air felt welcome in my lungs and for the first time in a long time I remembered what it was like to be human.\n\nI started swimming in no certain direction then. There were only waves around me and the stars above and the black below. I started slow, for I knew the journey would be long. I was tired. Not necessarily tired in terms of muscle fatigue. I'd faced all sorts of creatures, all sorts of monsters that weren't supposed to be on this Earth. But whatever the curse was, it seemed to give me all the strength I needed to deal with them.\n\nBut I was tired. My mind was tired. It was finally over. My mind could rest.\n\n*Right?*\n\nI swam for however long it was until my body found land. I didn't know where I was, but from the brevity of the shoreline, I could tell it was nowhere populated. Perhaps a small island off the coast of an East Asian country. The first time I faced Cthulhu, it was on the docks of the small town Ine, Japan. A small fishing town closest to Kyoto. Whether or not I was still near there, I didn't know. It was a long time ago.\n\nI pulled myself onto the rough sand far enough so that the waves didn't lick at my feet. I knew that once the water dried off me, the next encounter with water would bring the next creature. But there was no next creature. There couldn't be. Not after Cthulhu.\n\nI'd faced sharks, orcas, mer-men, serpents, Gods... \n\nThe stars speckled the black night as I lay on my back. I don't think it was the same night as when Cthulhu had died. I think a day had come and gone--maybe two--since I started swimming. But again, I wasn't sure.\n\nThe cool night air didn't take long to dry the last water droplets from my body. \n\nThe soft white noise from the waves crashing upon the shore was a welcome sound. The glittering, sparkling moonlight cast against the glassy water only broken by the undulating movements was a welcome sight. I found solace in the ocean before me. I found solace in knowing it was finally over.\n\nBut there was something about it. The ocean. Vast and endless. Endless in its expanse and endless in its depth. If the depths could hold a creature such as Cthulhu hidden for all of human history, then it could hold much more. But could it?\n\nThe question pestered my mind like an acupuncture needle placed in the wrong spot.\n\nI had to know for sure if I was done. The ocean. It called to me. It never called to me before.\n\nEver since the curse, I'd stumbled upon water accidentally. I avoided it at all costs. I never took showers. I was careful to check the weather every single day. I never went out when it rained. I never drank. I never washed. At least the curse allowed me such strategies. But water was inevitable. I always got wet at some point. Whether it was through condensation, an animal, or some other misfortunate accident, the water always found me.\n\nI'd avoided it my whole life. But now, in front of the ocean, it called to me. And I wanted to meet it.\n\nIt was an old friend. And we were finally meeting again with open arms.\n\nI inched forward. The sand was nowhere near soft. It dug into the soles of my feet and broken shells littered the beach. But nevertheless, I stepped forward. It felt weird, in a way. It felt forbidden. My whole life I'd been afraid. But afraid for what? I'd killed myths; I'd killed legends. I killed Gods.\n\nI had to go back. I had to see. I had to know. It was over.\n\nRight?\n\nBut the second my foot touched the water, it was evident--so glaringly evident that it wasn't over. It wasn't over by decades, centuries, millennia. \n\nA cloud filled my vision. A sense of fear invaded my heart.\n\nI felt something. It was large. Larger than Cthulhu by leagues.\n\nIt felt everywhere. \n\nIt felt inside me.\n\nI turned, searching.\n\nWhere was it?\n\nIt felt next to me, but it wasn't on the beach. It felt as if it were in the heavens, but only the stars looked down on me. It felt as if it were inside me. I tore at my chest until my nails ripped skin. It felt as if it were in my head. I pounded on my temples. I tore at my hair. I screamed and screamed and tried to see where it was. It had to be somewhere. It had to have a body. They all had bodies. Even Cthulhu, the leader of The Old Ones, had a body. And if it had a body, then it could die. I needed to find the body.\n\nBut wherever I searched, I couldn't find it.\n\nThe next decade was torture. The next century was a battle. I searched. I looked through every inch of the world. It was nowhere. And yet, it was everywhere. I tried ending it. I tried to get away from this cursed existence, but it wouldn't let me. Whenever I tried, it would move me away. It would stray my course and I'd end up alone. Alive and alone and scared.\n\nIt wasn't until I realized what it was that I came to terms with it. This cursed existence, this endless life of pain would never end. I couldn't kill it. There would be no next one.\n\nIn a way, it was over. In a way, I was free. The buck stopped there; there was nothing larger. I was at the end. And I'd just have to live with it.\n\nFor how could I kill my mind itself?",
"My hands shook, my breath heavy and ragged. I still clutched tightly onto the dusty book, blood trickling down its faded leather cover from my palm where I slit it open for the ritual. Before me, it lay, that hulking, terrible monstrosity of slime and tentacles, still writhing as the last remnants of life escape from its wretched body. It is dead. It is *finally* dead.\n\nThe curse must be broken by now, I trust. Every time I ventured into a large body of water, a... *thing* would hunt me. And I'd defend myself. Next time, a thing bigger and more horrible would try its luck. But it ends here. This thing of many names, of pure malice and madness, the pinnacle of monstrous nature, was dead by my hand; that of a man who's been killing monsters his entire life. How small must it have thought me; how much it surely underestimated me.\n\nI finally let the book slip out of my hand and fall into the soft sand at my feet. I shouted at the top of my lungs; the adrenaline slowly dissipating in my blood, but still there. My plight was finally over.\n\nI took a few steps towards the ocean. I did not bother taking off my clothes. I just wanted to know what it feels like to be in the water and not fear.\n\nThe cold January water stung as I lowered myself deeper and deeper, but I was warmed by the feeling of accomplishment and freedom. When it was up to my waist, I wept with joy and allowed the gentle waves to caress my chest.\n\nAnd far above my head, above the skies, above the stars themselves, a malevolent cosmos turned its resentful gaze towards me."
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[WP] I'm not sure how to explain this to you, but you seem to be highly radioactive
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"... explain this to ... but you ... highly radioactive.\"\n\nI only caught bits and pieces as someone came up to my table at the neighborhood cafe and starting speaking to me. Taking my airpods out, I stared up at him.\n\n\"Sorry?\"\n\n\"I'm not sure how to explain this to you, but you seem to be highly radioactive.\" It took me a moment to register what he was saying. Radioactive? Nuclear power plants were being shut down by fear-mongering politicians, and it had been ten years since I'd been x-rayed.\n\nA sigh escaped my mouth, and I made a half-hearted attempt to cover it with a cough. The guy was wearing a sweater with the name of my college branded across the front. With how many people wore Harvard and Oxford hoodies, though, it probably wasn't the most accurate indication of how sane he was.\n\n\"It's life-threatening levels,\" he offered again unprompted.\n\nThis is what you get with health care barricaded behind capitalist private insurance companies. People needed adequate mental care. The cafe was packed with people, and I was a regular - close with the staff, as well. Safety wasn't a huge concern, but the guy was getting annoying.\n\n\"And how might that have ever happened?\" A token response before telling him to go away.\n\n\"Because you're smoking hot. A danger to every guy here.\"\n\nOh god.",
"\"I'm not sure how to explain this to you, but you seem to be highly radioactive\" the doctor explained. \"You are kidding me, aren't you?\" Billy replied. The doctor gave him a GM counter, which was instantly making sounds. He put it under his T-Shirt. 78 mSv/h of alpha radiation. Billy remembered his chemistry teacher explaining that the average human was exposed to a radiation of 5 mSv, but per year. That was more than a hundred thousand times over. And alpha radiation is bad at penetrating materials. So either his skin was radioactive, or maybe there was even more radioactivity inside him.\n\n\"And, what do I have to do now?\" Billy asked, clearly afraid. The doctor shook his head \"Seriously, I have no clue how you are even alive and almost fine. I have never seen or read of a similar case. Such high values coming from humans have only been measured in Tschernobyl, the people were either dead or died soon after\". What could have causes this? A nuclear plant going kaboom? No way, he wouldn't be the only one. X-Rays? Billy couldn't remember getting x-rayed ever. Some caves filled with radon? The last time he was in a cave was long ago. And the symptoms started a few days ago. This all doesn't make any sense.\n\n\"You also do not have any symptoms hinting that you actually suffer from radiation sickness\" the doctor continued. \"I have sent a skin test to the lab. Maybe they can analyze what is going on with you. I am, sadly, at the end of my knowledge. Go home and stay in your room. You are under strict quarantine\". Oh frick, so its the first summer after Covid and back to quarantine. \"Make sure to put clothing all over your body. Change it daily and wash it separately. I will call you as soon as the lab responds.\"\n\nAs he walked home, Billy wondered. He was in for pain in the abdomen, no clue how the doctor even noticed his radioactivity. Was he about to mutate into a superhero, given the mutation wasn't negatively affecting him? Would he become like Spiderman, Antman and all the other heroes? Maybe something was already growing in there. Maybe all this was his beginning? Or his ending..."
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[WP] You're at a café trying to study, but your can't focus on your work as you realize that the personification of Life, Death, Love and Time are sitting at the table next to you.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It was usually a bustling cafe - lines would stack up and extend until the end of the sidewalk when the weather wasn't especially disagreeable. The owner tried to cram as many tables inside as possible. You'd see more than one person accidentally bump into someone else's plate. Sometimes the apologies would be profuse and led to a free eggs benedict. Other times, the staff would begin escorting people outside to sort out their fights away from other customers. The cafe did well for itself. \n\nThere was a lull inside the cafe today, though. Or more, people were avoiding one corner with a particularly talkative table. I glimpsed over. What I saw, however, warranted more than just a glimpse, and I couldn't help but stare. \n\nFour people sat around a table. The word distinct didn't do justice to their appearance. I'd wager any amount of money that nobody else in the world could come close to how striking they were. It wasn't that they were particularly handsome or beautiful, it was what their faces seemed to embody. \n\nThe person on the far left would have slotted in perfectly in the middle of the most luscious forest in the world, probably hidden away in the Amazon somewhere, with the near-infinite number of flora and fauna thriving alongside her. Her skin was its own light, radiating with a glow that left no question of the fact that every cell was teeming with life. Hair so thick that it was something out of an anime, the drawers simply unable to illustrate every strand of hair. \n\nThe man next to her was the polar opposite - the antithesis of her being. There was a paradoxical quality with him. He didn't seem any older than the people he was with, but there was something about his skin that reminded me of when I had visited my ailing grandfather at the hospice. Skin that was stretched so paper thin that it was almost translucent. Every movement of his body was slow and deliberate, almost as if he was forcing parts that were long dead to move. \n\nAt first I thought the person next to him was my mother. Strange, considering that the person was clearly male and looked absolutely nothing like her. Something about him, however, kept driving my thoughts back to my mom. The warmth that he emanated reached from the tips of my toes to the top of my head, even with me sitting a good 15 feet away. It was a warmth that seemed absolute, never wavering and ever loving. A lot like the warmth that I'd only ever felt from my mom. \n\nI should give her a call. \n\nThe final member of their party was slightly more subdued, that is until you saw her eyes. People spoke about drowning in their significant other's eyes, but this was nothing like that. The dark of her pupils rimmed by the mocha brown of her irises were no less deeper than the pitch-black depths of however low the Pacific reached. It was its own ocean, filled by every tick tock of time she'd seen pass. \n\nI couldn't help but wonder what a group of people like that would talk about and moved a table closer. \n\n\\*If this garners any interest, I'll post a follow up to the story haha."
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[WP] You're capable of teleportation, but the location is always random. Since you use it to travel the world, you don't mind it, until one day you end up in the middle of a meeting within a dangerous organized crime group.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"*A Traveler's Uniform*\n\n----\n\nA cool breeze wafts through the alleyway, as a large man smoking a cigar guards a tiny restaurant door in the late hour of the evening. The chill air gives vision to each breath he takes, as the rain pelts the slick dark pavement of the alley and drips onto the thin tarp above. Red, half-illuminated letters reflect in the wet pavement, as if a welcome only to those in the know. The moon is out bright tonight, though it does little to illuminate the dark deeds of man.\n\nInside the restaurant, the lights are dimmed and shut, being easier to see via candlelight the reflection in a man's eyes. For a meeting such as this, one needed a bit more tradition and formality to lend perspective.\n\nA wide man, with thick hands so huge they were the size of hams, gestured and orated towards an elderly gentleman in a suit, with a wonderful red rose placed onto his suit.\n\nWith but the tiniest rise of his wrinkled hand, the entire table of boisterous men went silent.\n\nHis chapped lips, cracked and sore, split briefly as he spoke with a whisper that carried like lightning. Lighting, that preceded a boom of thunder.\n\n\"I think it's time we considered our options. I do not believe in much, except God and Respect. And anyone lacking the latter will soon meet the former.\"\n\nHis words had the sound of a dying man's rasp, like dried and crackled strands of hay.\n\nA younger man, wearing a well-fitted but inexpensive suit, took out a toothpick to reply, \"You can't be serious. You trust outsiders before our own family?\"\n\nThe elderly gentleman but gave him a half glance, before he was dragged out back to be taught some manners.\n\n\"As few of you might know, he is already here. Welcome, traveler, to our extended family,\" as he glanced at a table in the room, covered in shadow.\n\nI step up, taking off my brown leather hat. I didn't intend to end up here, but if I was going to be put in the middle of a 90s crime movie, I'd better act the part.\n\nTrying my best to sound tough, I replied, \"Ahem. Yes... father?\"\n\nThe elderly scion appeared pleased by my deference, and gestured me to pull up close to him. He whispered, \"Take care of my unwelcome rivals.\" What could I do? I nodded.\n\nNervously, I walked out the front door into the evening rain, suddenly very glad that I made it a habit of wearing a trench coat before teleporting anywhere. I put a candy cigarette in my mouth for appearances before I left the alley and the family behind.\n\n~~\n\nBack inside the restaurant, the bell of the door having faded by several minutes, two other gentleman leaned in close, whispering to one another while using a menu to hide their lips.\n\n\"I thought the fixer wasn't supposed to be here for a couple hours?\" one asked.\n\nThe other glanced around, and nonchalantly shrugged. \"Maybe he's just that good,\" came the reply.\n\n----\n\nCheck out more of my writing at /r/dumnem_writes"
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[WP] At the Bar for Rejected Heroes, everyone who failed in slaying the monster has to pay for their own drinks. One day, a stranger goes up the bar and says “Drinks are on me.”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The strangely well dressed lady obviously had no business anywhere near our shitty pub. Every eye had seen the door open wondering if a new failure would wander in. And because we all watch the door to 'warmly' welcome new winners to our ranks, all thirty of us saw no newly defeated warrior. No. She did not belong here. Not in that expensive openbacked dress and those, *what the fuck? Is she wearing high heels? In this part of town?*\n\nI tried to look away. She didn't belong. A glance into my warming mug showed a pitiful few drops left. My eyes followed the lady as she walked slowly but purposefully towards our filthy bar. The noise in the place slowly ground to a halt. \n\nI glanced around. Every single eye in the place was ordering every other pair of eyes to look. The darting eyes and jerking nods all commanded focus towards the bar. *Have we sunk so low we'd just mug her for another drink?* The silence in the place was suddenly eerie. The accompanying tension was terrifying. \n\nFrom the moment she'd walked in and let her eyes adjust to our few gloomy lights, her focus had never wandered from the bar. Now, as she slowly and deliberately stepped to the bar her steady gaze, just as slowly and deliberately as her pace, panned over the room. It was as she was daring us. *Is she? What the fuck lady?* Her gaze turned to bartender himself. He, like all of us, had silently stopped to watch her. \n\n\"We don't want no trouble here miss. And there's not much here but trouble and those troublemakers.\" \n\n\"I'd like a beer.\" It was a pleasant enough voice, the kind used to giving commands. It had both dismissed the warning and made an order in just four words. \n\n\"No freebies! Coin first!\" A rejoinder we all knew well. Still, we all watched and wondered. A mere flit of a smile passed her face as the slid two slim fingers into a seam at the navel of her dress and pulled an ornate purse. Her other hand hand slipped into this purse and pulled a solid gold coin. \n\nThe tension in the room cranked up. Feet slid into firmer footing. Chairs ground away from tables. *Yup, you're going to get rolled for your gold lady! WTF are YOU doing here?* \n\nThe bartender this author is too lazy to name eyed the gold coin suspiciously. \n\n\"Ain't seen no gold here in years. It real?\" A meaty paw palmed the heavy coin and brought it to his teeth. A quick nibble confirmed it was legit. He held the coin. \"We ain't got nothing but cheap stuff here, the usual crowd can't pay for nothing better. You just want a beer? You could get anything somewhere... anywhere else!\" \n\n\"I would still like a beer. Please.\" The tone in the final word was decisive. And it wasn't a request. The coined dropped into the bartender's shirt pocket pulling his whole sweaty shirt a little tighter around the back of his neck. The mug was pulled from the icebox and filled with our favorite swill. \n\nStill holding the mug, the man quickly wiped the bar with his sleeve before placing it before her. He dug in his pants pockets where our coppers and tins always go. He pulled a fistful of coins and swiped a few back and forth. \n\nHe pulled two silver coins out his stash. *He had silver the whole time?* He dropped them on the bar next to her beer. Her hand reached out swinging over the bar just as slowly and deliberately as every move she had made since she came into our god forsaken pit of misery. Passing the coins, her hand settled on the mug's rim before slowly slipping down and grasping it. She smiled and raised the mug to her lips and drew in the drink. After a swallow or two I fully expected her to turn and spit out. *Or puke it up.* The mug just kept tilting back. She didn't stop. She wasn't fast about anything but she was definitely committed. The mug came back down and hit the bar. \n\n\"I think....\" She trailed off. *Oh, here's the puking part.* \"Yes, I'll have another beer.\" She tilted back and belched. It was a belch worthy of that fucking dragon none of us had ever slain. There were a few laughs and I joined in. The tension in the room was still there, but damn, this lady could drink!\n\nThe bartender's finger stabbed and slid one of the silver coins toward himself before dropping it in his pocket and coming with seven coppers. He dropped them next to her empty mug. He grabbed the mug. \n\n\"A cold mug please.\" He stopped, turn and tossed the empty into the sink. It splashed. None of us had turned in a single mug yet. Turning again, he grabbed a new and mostly cleaned mug from the ice box and filled it, turned once more and swiped the same spot with his sleeve before placing the mug down. Still standing at the bar, the lady eyed each one of us with her new mug in hand. \"I seem to be drinking alone.\" \n\n\"Them lot drink one or two a day if they're lucky.\" Halfway through his sentence, that hand had slipped in her dress once again to pull the ridiculous purse and proferred another gold coin from it. It slammed on the bar as he stopped. *That was fast... and smooth.* I watched her back spin towards me again. The purse had disappeared again and I wasn't quite sure where. \n\n\"Then, the drinks are on me!\" \n\nThe tension broke, and a joyous cheer only broke alcoholics can make rang through our shitty tavern. The bartender swiped the coins off the bar. There were two gold coins. *Wait! Two? One silver and the seven coppers. That's a round and a half!*\n\nI drained the last drops from my mug and jumped towards the bar to get my free beer. I handed my warm empty mug over and it came back full. *Lucky day!* \n\n\"Oh, um, many thanks uhh Lady.\" I half attempted a bow before rushing back to my spot to enjoy my free beer. The rest of the bar did the same. It took a few minutes but we'd all lined up, fumbled some thanks and other courtesies. \n\nThe lady had just stood there with each of us, nodded and taken a sip. She did this several times. I think maybe three rounds. Maybe four. \n\nAfter I'd finished this beer I decided I should actually eat something. *Can't live on beer alone*. I stood and staggered towards the door. \n\n\"Have you seen my son?\" *Uhh, what?*\n\n\"Who? Is that why you're here?\" \n\n\"Of course. I bet you're hungry about now and I have to go feed my son. Would you like to come along?\" *Lucky day!* \n\n\"Would I? Yes. I think I would.\" \n\n\"Very good. He hasn't had company in a long time and he does miss you all terribly.\" \n\n\"Oh... In that case, let's go see him!\"\n\nEdit: couple of embarrassing typos.\n\nCriticism welcomed. I can take it. I hope. :) Constructive criticism appreciated."
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[WP] You, the greatest champion of legend, finally found a most capable apprentice. You train them and prepare them to defeat humanity's greatest coming enemy - you.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Reality+Fiction%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A%22Simple+Prompt%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n&#128722; [Shop](https://www.teepublic.com/stores/shoprwritingprompts?ref_id=24612) \n&#127381; [New Here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) \n&#9999; [Writing Help?](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) \n&#128226; [News](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) \n&#128172; [Discord](https://discord.gg/writingprompts)\n\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"nterrogation \n\n“The Voidmen are riding for the castle. They’ll be here by this time tomorrow. If you’re going to give a confession, now’s the time.”\n\nMy chains felt heavy on my wrists. I’ve spent the past nine days surrounded by black stone walls, shivering in the cold. Nine days ago, my apprentice finally beat me in a training session. Nine days since he accidentally knocked my helmet off, revealing my face to the world. Nine days since the kingdom learned the truth about me and I was thrown in here to rot. \n\nJust outside the bars of my cell, stood my former apprentice, Arlo. He respected me once. Now that the truth is out, all I see in his eyes is disdain. He’s been with me since childhood. When he wasn’t acting as my second in battle, I had him constantly training in combat and survival tactics. Under my tutelage, Arlo had to forgo a life of happiness in favor of a life of purpose. Tomorrow is his big day. I’ve spent his entire life preparing him to save the world. \n\n“What do you know about the Voidmen?” I asked him.\n\n“I’m not here to answer your questions, fanatic.” Arlo retorted. “You’re here to answer mine.”\n\n“I promise when we’re through talking, you’ll know everything. But I need to know that I’ve prepared you. Indulge your old master for a few minutes and I’ll cooperate.”\n\nArlo rolled his eyes and sat down in the wooden chair next to the cell bars. “Fine. The Voidmen. A fanatical cult and militia. They worship an entity called the Void and seek to bring it into the world. They’re all easily identifiable by the sigil you all carve into your foreheads. That ridiculous eye encircled with eight tendrils.”\n\nI brushed my fingers across my own forehead, feeling the contours of the sigil scarring my face. The very reason I’m in chains. “What about their leader?” I asked Arlo. \n\n“Their leader, Supreme Potentate Cyrus Warveck believes the Void will make him immortal and give him full dominion over the kingdoms of men. He’s coming here because he believes if he performs a certain ritual and breaks the seal in the temple basement, the barriers between worlds will weaken and the Void will enter ours.”\n\n“Very good.” I said, approvingly. “I was worried that with all your extra combat training you’d have neglected your studies.”\n\n“Your turn.” Arlo replied, ignoring my compliment. “Let’s start with your name. Who are you really?”\n\n“Supreme Potentate Cyrus Warveck.” I admitted.\n\nAnnoyed, Arlo stood up and started pacing. “Our scouts have Warveck leading his army towards us as we speak. If you think you’re going to somehow spare your potentate by taking his place at the gallows-“\n\n“I’m telling the truth, Arlo.” I interrupted. “I’m out there right now, leading my army to the castle gates- and I’m here. In this dungeon, speaking to you.”\n\n“You know I hate riddles.” Arlo scoffed.\n\nI stood up and met Arlo’s gaze. “You remember how I came into this world?”\n\n“The portal.” Arlo answered. “I was there. You said you came from another world. One that was ravaged by the Void. You told us you came here to stop it.”\n\n“It’s all true…mostly.”\n\n“Mostly?” Arlo inquired.\n\n“I didn’t come from another world. I came from this one. Roughly three thousand years in the future.”\n\nArlo tried to keep a straight face but his expression betrayed curiosity and confusion. “Elaborate.” he said.\n\n“This time tomorrow, I will lead my army here and lay siege to the castle. I’ve already lived through that battle and I regret to say… I won. I breached the gates, made it to the temple, broke the seal and released the Void.”\n\n“I don’t get it. You won, you lived for thousands of years and you regret it?”\n\n“I had no idea what winning would actually cost. The Void kept it’s end of the bargain, *technically.* It gave me the immortality I craved and gave me dominion over the whole world- as the only living thing left in it.” I explained. “The Void imbued me with a small fraction of it’s essence, putting me beyond the reach of death. Then it consumed the everything else. Every living thing: men, women, children, animals, trees. Everything in the whole world that you could describe as ‘living,’ The Void wiped it all away in an instant. Leaving me, immortal and alone in a desolate wasteland for millennia. Nothing to rule, no one to talk to, nothing to eat or drink- just death in all directions. \n\n“So it was all a lie?” Arlo responded. “You didn’t fail to save your world, you were the one that ended it.”\n\n“Our world, Arlo. This one. Tomorrow, I show up with my army and I destroy everything! You have to be ready.”\n\n“So you’re alone for three thousand years on a dead world. How did you manage to get here in the first place?”\n\n“A few dozen years studying the surviving texts, a few centuries scouring the world for the necessary materials and a bit of luck. With bouts of insanity here and there brought on by prolonged isolation.”\n\n“Fair enough. What I don’t understand is why we wasted so much time. You could’ve killed your younger self the second you got here. Instead, you had me following you around on the southern continent for seven years.\n\n“Doesn’t work that way. The magic that brought me here prevents me from affecting my own past. I took us south so I could gain a hero’s reputation, to train you in real battle. I had to do these things without coming into conflict with myself. Otherwise, the magic fails and I’m right back where I started. It’s why you have to release me. I can’t be here when Young Me shows up. It’ll erase everything I’ve done.”\n\nArlo grew cold. “I knew it. This is an elaborate trick so you can escape and inform your master.”\n\n“Arlo, listen to me. I taught you everything you know. I taught you to tell if a man is lying by looking him in the eye. Look at my eyes. Am I lying to you?”\n\nArlo stared at me for what seemed like an eternity. His expression softened as he said “I…. believe you! Gods, it’s all true”\n\n“Yes.” I said, breathing a sigh of relief.\n\n“But Master, if this has happened for you already, what’s so different this time?”\n\n“You are.” I said. “The first time I came through with my army, the soldiers here didn’t have you leading the charge. I haven’t just been training you to be a good fighter, I’ve been training you specifically to fight me. You, taking me down in training last week proves you’re ready. The tactics that we’ve been teaching the soldiers here are specifically designed to counter the siege tactics of the Voidmen. You’re ready. You can win this time.\n\nArlo’s expression turned sorrowful. “Master, if everything you’ve said is true. The king will still find you guilty. Even if we win tomorrow, I’ll be expected to hunt you down.”\n\n“That’s alright apprentice.” I told him. “If you win tomorrow, I should cease to exist.” \n\nArlo unlocked the cell door. “This is goodbye Master. Wait ten minutes after I leave. Go up the stairs and leave out the western door toward the stables. Grab a horse and ride as fast as you can.”\n\nAs I ride away from the castle I see the torches of the approaching army in the distance. I stop my horse for a moment and take in the sights and sounds I once took for granted. The castle, the murmur of voices of people going about their lives, the birds singing, the leaves blowing in the wind. So many things I missed for so long. It hurts that I spent so much time in a hell of my own making yet as history repeats itself, I’m powerless to prevent it on my own. \n\nI’ve done all that I can. It’s in Arlo’s hands now. I slap the reins and dig in my heels. The castle disappears behind me as my horse gallops west."
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