Split (1)

train · 199k rows

post_text stringlengths 0 17.5k	post_title stringlengths 8 314	comment_texts listlengths 1 74	num_stories int64 1 74
	[WP] Every night you lucid dream, directing detailed stories of adventure, comedy and romance. One day you're approached by a hooded figure. The man claims to be there in behalf of an elder god who is a huge fan of your dreams and wants you to read it's script for your next big production.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I climbed the staircase to my dreams, which seemed to spiral endlessly above my head. It was a simple exercise I completed every night in order to gain control of my sleeping mind. Every step grounded me further from the abstract. As I walked up, on and on, my surroundings began to solidify. \n\nI focused on my senses. First, smell, which always made my picture of my dreams clearer. I imagined sweet cinnamon, which punctuated the air and became a reality at my will. It was a strong scent of cinnamon, which I found through my many nights lucid dreaming was an effective way to clear my mind of the abstract. \n\nSound. I focused on the noises filling my head, and concentrated them into sounds less nonsensical. The sharp thumping of my shoes against the marble staircase rang through the area. Then, touch. I felt the cold air against my skin, and the pressure of the weight on my feet. I decided to skip taste; it didn't matter all that much.\n\nFinally, I focused on my sight. As my vision cleared, I saw a doorway rise up from the peak of the spiral staircase. I approached, slowly, and finally entered the world of my dreams.\n\nBoom. A distant explosion rattled the ground and nearly made me loose my balance. I was on a barren field, smoke rising from the dry grass and making the air smell of ashes. \n\nI gripped my sword tightly in my hand, my knuckles turning white from the pressure. Above me stood a beastly dragon, its scales purple and dark. It was so tall, its head seemed almost to scrape the sky, which was already greying from the smoke. As it roared, blue flames leaped from its mouth. The dragon huffed a breath and turned its flames towards me.\n\nI dodged out of the way, narrowly missing being hit by a line of fire that scorched the ground where I stood a moment before. The heat licked the back of my neck.\n\nShouting, I charged towards the beast, holding my sword out in front of me. Its weight dragged down my arm, so I willed my muscles to grow. I felt strength anew coursing through me as I sped forth to the beast.\n\nIt huffed in another breath of air and prepared to release a blue stream of fire towards me. I paused in my charge, assessing my position. I was halfway to the mighty dragon; it was only a matter of time before I closed the distance between us and slayed the beast.\n\nAs the flames shot to me, I held the sword above my head like a shield. The fire's force on the sword pushed me backwards, but I dug my heels into the ground and resisted. It bounced off of the sword harmlessly.\n\nAs the flames slowed to a halt, I continued onwards. My feet hit the ashen ground in sharp thuds, and the smell of smoke filled my lungs. I closed the distance between myself and the beast. \n\nIt roared and lifted its massive foot, preparing to stomp me to a pulp. I rolled out of the way as its foot smashed into the ground where I stood, making the Earth shake with its weight. Fissures in the ground began to open up from the impact, spreading outwards. I dashed out of the way as the ground threatened to fall away from under my feet. The hole seemed to follow me, each second opening up where I stood a moment before, gaining on me. With a heave, I dodged out of the way, and the ground fell away from beside me.\n\nThe dragon roared above me. From this close, I could clearly see its dark eyes glittering in the light of the fires surrounding me.\n\nI reached my arm back, gripping my sword behind my head. Then, with a mighty swing, I hurled my sword towards the beast, aiming for its cruel eye.\n\nMy aim was true, but just as my sword was about to pierce the eye of the dragon, the beast dissolved into a cloud of ashes, which collapsed to the ground with a thud.\n\nI gasped. This wasn't supposed to happen like the other events I had willed. No, this happened involuntarily, outside of my control. It was almost as if some external force caused the dragon to disappear in my dream.\n\nAs the ashes settled on the ground, a hooded figure emerged from where the dragon stood. It began to approach, its body a dark sillouette against the blue flames in the background.\n\nI narrowed my eyes in confusion. With my sword defensively held in front of my face, I trekked towards the hooded figure before me.\n\nAs we drew closer to each other, I shouted, \"Who are you?\" My muscles tensed in nervousness.\n\nThe figure wordlessly approached me, until it was but a few steps in front of me. It was tall, probably near seven feet of height. \n\n\"I am the God of Dreams,\" it announced, spreading its arms in a welcoming gesture. In the glow of the firelight, it seemed ominous, rather menacing.\n\n\"Why are you here?\" I asked it, my sword trembling in my hands. Though I did not want to believe it, I could sense it was a force of great power. \n\n\"You have impressed me with your talents,\" it said. \"I have come to ask you a favor. If you comply, I will continue to bless your dreams.\"\n\n\"What favor?\" I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. I did not trust this God of Dreams, who saw fit to intrude on my restfulness with its promises of blessing. \n\n\"I require blood. The humans now refuse to sacrifice, and I am growing ever hungry.\"\n\nI took a step back, wary. \"You want me to murder for you. And you expect me to trust you so easily, that I would kill for a stranger in my dreams?\"\n\n\"I speak the truth, mortal. Your mistrust is unjustified.\"\n\n\"No. I will not be a murderer.\"\n\nIt seemed to growl in anger, its hands balling into fists at its side. \"You will regret this,\" it hissed, seething in rage. Then, it turned around to walk away. \"Remember this dream, human. It will be your last.\"\n\nI watched as the figure walked away, never lessening my grip on the sword. \n\nAs it stepped into the blue flames, I awoke in a cold sweat. The sun filtered through the curtains of my bedroom.\n\nI gripped my blanket in my fist, gasping for breath. That was the first nightmare I'd had in a while, and it left me feeling deeply unsettled. The figure's words rang through my ears. Remember this dream, human. It will be your last. \n\nI pushed it out of my mind, and got up to continue my day. I would have plenty of time to contemplate the strange nightmare later; now was the time to get ready for work.\n\nThat evening, I returned to my bed and closed my eyes, tired, ready for sleep. I was excited for the next adventure I would have in my dreams.\n\nBut try as I might, I simply could not fall asleep.\n\nI must have tossed and turned a thousand times, and checked the time often as the nighttime hours ticked away. The next morning, I remained just as tired as I was before.\n\nSo I loaded up with coffee, soldiered through comments on how tired I appeared, and continued with my life as normal. I returned home, exhausted from the long day's work, and figured I would rest easily given my exhaustion.\n\nI got not a wink of sleep that night. As I lay awake in bed, I couldn't help but remember the words of the figure from my dream. Remember this dream, human. It will be your last. \n\nI called in sick to work the next morning. There was no way I could work efficiently when I was so tired. I instead opted to attempt to sleep, but to no avail.\n\nOn and on it went, and I quickly descended into a total madness. Without sleep, I couldn't function. I was entirely useless. There was no possible way I could spend the rest of my life like this.\n\nI had to end this torture, one way or another.\n\nSo I emerged from my bedroom and stumbled downstairs as though I was undead. I fumbled with my key and unlocked my gun cabinet, and turned a handgun towards my head.\n\nClick.\n\nAnd suddenly, I found myself at the top of my steps, standing next to the door to my dreams. But my feet, as though controlled by someone else, wandered down the spiral staircase, away from the entrance to my own world of dreams.\n\nAs I descended, I felt my senses get lost to the abstract. First my sight was lost, until the edges of the room seemed faded and vague, and the corners of my vision danced with colorful blotches. I lost my touch next, and the cold of the area pressed against my skin became a prickling numbness that gripped my whole self. I lost my hearing, and the pierce of shoe against marble became a dull ringing that would not cease. And finally, the sharp scent of cinnamon left my mind, until no smell lingered.\n\nI took a final step, and before me was the hooded figure from my last dream. \"You humans have always been so foolish,\" it said, resting a dark hand on my shoulder. \"When will you learn? When I demand blood, I receive it one way or another.\"\n\nAnd then, the figure faded into nothingness.\n\nAnd so did everything else.\n\n_._._._._\n\nI'd appreciate any feedback on my writing. Thanks for reading!" ]	2
	[WP] You realize you have more than one life and spend each one after the first doing something extraordinary	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "People who experience near death experiences always talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. I have walked down the tunnel more times than I can remember. I somehow only see the light at the tunnel's emergency exits.\n\nIt all started when I was born. I grew up as a slave in what people now call ancient Egypt. I was raised to always obey my master, which I did, but one day as I was send to buy bread for the family two crooked looking old men tried starting a conversation with me. Being the good slave I was however I ignored them and kept walking to our merchant. After I bought the bread and was on my way home I noticed the two men walking towards me. Problem is, they weren't alone anymore. They were escorted by the Pharaoh's guard and when they saw me the smaller one of them stabbed a knife into my belly. As I fell down bleeding I was carried by the royal guard while the other man started chanting gibberish. It was then that I realized: these two men were magicians ordered by the pharaoh.\n\nDeath came slow but my faith helped me overcome these last painful moments. When my eyelids stopped working I noticed that something was odd. I was in pure nothingness. The only thing that I saw existing was me and multiple lights. I did not know where to go since I was fully conscious. Seeing an old man walking towards the greatest and brightest light of them all walk towards it in pure joy, I decided to do so too. When I was ready to step into the light however I noticed that something stopped me from entering. It was like walking against a wall which is why I wasn't sure if I walked towards the right light. When a child walked through that very same light however I kept running towards it hitting my head and probably even almost dying again. After suffering from my disability to come to rest for a long time I decided to try out a smaller light. \n\nAs I entered, I rejuvenated. I was a baby again. I grew up using my knowledge to become a successful merchant. After a long life of happiness and beautiful moments with my wife however my time has come, again. I walked towards the brightest light, ready to enter. I was still not able to step in and found myself in the same situation I was in before. It was then that I remembered how beautiful this second life of mine was. I decided that I didn't need the brightest light if I could maximize joy out of the smaller ones.\n\nI lived multiple relatively normal but happy lives after that. After some time however I started getting bored. Which is why I decided to try something bigger in the next life. I used my mystic powers that were normal in my first life but have been forgotten to do miracles. I revived the dead and walked on water. I preached love to the people who called me their savior after a while. This life was probably one of my most extraordinary ones but it ended very painful which is why I decided to keep things more to the government. \n\nI became an imperator and spread the Roman empire how it's called now to it's biggest size ever. After that life I wanted to see other parts of the world as well which is why I emigrated to Japan in my next life. The people there were very boring however which is why I used multiple lives to start multiple ninja clans.\n\nIn more modern times I started using my lives for more helpful events because the enjoyment slowly faded away. I implemented democracies in most states since I found out how to live multiple times at once. It really isn't that hard once you get the hang of it. I also started fighting against slavery as well as for the freedom of every person.\n\nAfter multiple big wars however lives started getting boring again. Which is why I went full circle and decided to try living for money once more. I was lucky enough to be born into a rich family but it seemed like I had lost my ability to grow rich after all these centuries. I ran multiple businesses into bankruptcy but somehow never ended up on the streets. I decided that this life has been wasted and not spent appropriately given the chances but I did not want to start all over again since the first 25 years always took an eternity. In order to still get some enjoyment I decided to run for president hoping the controversy I spark would help me win. I didn't believe in me much at first but I did somehow manage to win the election. Well, here I am now, being the most powerful man on earth finally after all this lives. Feels pretty good. " ]	2
	[WP] 1000 years ago the dragons forged arcane weapons for humans to fight the horde. When the dragons tried to take the weapons back after the war, humans turned their newfound power against their saviors. Now one last dragon takes up its forgehammer to destroy the weapons that ruined the world.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Thirty seven down, seventy one to go, the old man reminded himself as his heavy boots sunk into the snow just past the gates of the small fort. The drunken soldiers' almost unintelligible roars continue to fill the night after the massive wooden doors closed, he could tell they were impressed by his handiwork. After all, no single smith has managed to restore the ancient lances to their former glory until now. There were a few who attempted it early days of the Great Dragon Hunt, their best attempts have done nothing but weaken the lances, and they were executed swiftly as traitors to man. Talroch knew them all, arrogant bastards, the bunch of them, but also kind, masterful craftsmen in their own right. Brothers. He was never that close to his blood, his father was barely around and siblings left the nest as soon as they could. He couldn't even remember their names. Probably dead by now. These were the only brothers he truly knew, and they too are gone.\n\n\nA strong gust of wind struck his exposed flesh, pulling him back to reality. He tossed the small sack of jerky into his cart and continued his journey to the next fortress, it was ridiculously low for such an intricate job, but being able to work on the fabled lances that took down the dragons was worth it.\n\n\n\"Master Roth, we've been expecting you, I trust your journey has been pleasant?\" the captain in charge of Fort Nekath greeted him as he approached the gates.\n\n\"Enough pleasantries, show me the lance,\" the blacksmith known as Roth grunted, he made his apparently displeasure obvious to the captain. After all, the two week hike between the two strongholds took two weeks on foot, and the blacksmith had to sustain himself on nothing but jerky and melted snow.\n\nThe captain simply smiled and escorted him to the forge in the corner of the courtyard, \"I had the forge prepared as soon as the watchmen spotted you, I trust is satisfactory?\"\n\n\"Leave,\" the old man grunted again, such is the personality that he has built. After all, aren't geniuses supposed to be a little eccentric?\n\n\n\nTalroch slammed the door and locked it the moment the captain left, it wouldn't stop anybody from looking over the fence, but nobody would be able to reproduce his work regardless. No human anyway, he smiled to himself as he produced a small vial of liquid and placed it on a stand, opened. With his intricate tools, he carefully removed the crystal and dropped it into the vial and began working on the rest of the lance. The clashing sounds of metal has always been like music to Talroch, the hammering did little to lance but remove the thick layers of rust covering it, but visually it was quite the sight to behold as the lance appear to burn off the rust with every strike.\n\n\nA soft crack came from the vial, Talroch smiled and carefully poured the contents of the vial along the lance, then finally the crystal into its liquid filled socket. Once again he carefully worked the crystal into the socket with his tools until he hears a satisfying click.\n\n\nThirty eight down, seventy to go, he thought to himself, and smiled. Soon, he will hand the lance to the captain for inspection. It will fire brighter, longer, and stronger than before. He will depart from the fortress with a paltry reimbursement, presumably in dried food again, and the soldiers would be none the wiser. Once all of the work is done, he will be back to undo his father's mistakes. A dragon's shrill is all that is required to relieve the humans of the burden, of the lances that once killed dragons.", "There are many names people call me, but my true name was given to me by our creator Yaratici. He was an entity of great power that divided the rest of his remaining energy into eight arcane weapons. These weapons were draco stones, meant to be wielded by humans in their fight against the Void serpent Inanis and his army of human sized voidlings that appeared. From these stones, my fellow siblings and I were born to protect the eight continents of Earth during the Vindicta war over a thousand years ago.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe second eldest sister Terra, Dragon of Earth, guardian of of the South American continent.\n\nKuweka Moto, Dragon of Fire and youngest brother, guardian of the continent of Africa.\n\nThe youngest sister Shuiling, Dragon of Water, guardian of the continent of Asia.\n\nFirst of the three middle siblings was Aire, Dragon of Air, and the most wise sister. She was the protector of the North American continent.\n\nSecond was the Nashure, better known as Mother Nature, Guardian of the Australian continent.\n\nAnd the last of the middle siblings was the runt Rhozdenn Ida, Dragon of Ice, and guardian of the continent of Antarctica.\n\nThen there was the eldest sister Atua Marama, Dragon of Light, and guardian of the New Zealand Continent.\n\nAnd then myself. Saf Nefret, Dragon of Darkness, guardian of the continent of Europe. Eldest sibling and last remaining of my kind.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nDuring those warring times, Yaratici instructed us to find our chosen ones to inherit our power by fusing their bodies with our stones. They would be able to summon us at will in order to aid them in their battle against Inanis and his army. I was the only one that did not follow his orders. I knew the downfall of man was inevitable. Humans suffered from greed, narcissism, and lack compassion for their fellow brethren. I could not offer my help to people like this so I remained in my cave, at the top of the mountains, separated from the world until the end of the war. I regret my actions as I learned the seven humans were overwhelmed by their new found powers and soon turned on the dragons that gave it to them. The stones were passed down from one generation to the next. And slowly with each generations passing, the humans grew more rebellious. They began hunting down the dragons in order to kill and absorb their powers. Over the last thousand years they hunted us. I warned my siblings of the shortcomings of man but they turned their heads, refusing to acknowledge these obvious flaws. Now with all of my siblings dead, I alone remained.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHatred grew in my heart. I wanted to end this treasonous behavior of the humans. I needed to destroy the draco stones and release the spirits of my family. I began my hunt\n\n&#x200B;\n\n.............................\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI researched a ton of different languages and meanings for this story. You can translate names from Latin, Swahili, etc. The names of the dragons come from a language spoken in the corresponding continents.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAny criticism is greatly appreciated!", "They stand ready on battlements and spires, knights in gleaming casques with their pennant-bound lances. Great ballistae and javelin-throwers crown the walls in iron, their crews all looking skyward. Mournful horns ring up and down: the spotters call and counter-call, confirming the movement of clouds, the direction and speed of winds. \n\nA breath through the misty white. A fleeting shadow. In the town that hunches around the walls, nothing moves.\n\nSuddenly, the vast crack of beating wings.\n\nShe banks down through the upper layer, her golden scales catching and reflecting the sun like joyous mirrors. Her great bulk should not - could not - be possible: even the eldest of the dragoons have not seen anything greater than a feral wyvern for many years. The true dragons were dead, or gone, or banished to far lands. Their bastard children are nuisances and nothing more.\n\nThey look on in awe.\n\nHer trumpet drowns even the frantic tolling of castle bells like a rogue wave breaking on tide pools. It is greater than thunder, deeper than wells, fiercer than storms. It speaks of a widow's loss, a mother's suffering, a warrior's defeat. A thousand betrayals born forth in one mighty roar.\n\nThe bitterest soldiers on high walls weep to hear it. The most courageous tremble on shaking knees. Ser Cintt, the famed slayer, struggles with her coterie of attendants as they pull her back from a fatal leap. Tears run down her weathered face as she lifts her arms to the circling beast. \n\n\"Take me!\" she screams, voice lost in that storm, \"Take me!\"\n\nIf the golden serpent hears, she gives no sign. Her great wings beat again as she crests the walls. The superstitious believe that falling under a dragon's shadow or breathing their breath charms a mortal -- many make warding signs or whisper prayers to godly patrons. \n\nTheir minds, small as they are, remain their own.\n\nOn the Royal Terrace, the king frets under his heavy robes at her looming approach. A small man, prone to sweats under the best of times, he is pungent with fear and anticipation. His eyes flick to the great, ordered racks between him and the oncoming giant.\n\nThe weapons. The betrayal. A bloodstained legacy.\n\nStolen from beings that had once been the gods of early humanity, then turned against those deities in the lust for conquest, expansion and freedom. People barely tolerate human rulers, the monarch's wry thought went, so I imagine draconian dominion was short-lived indeed.\n\nHer landing was surprisingly soft for a being so great. The great carnival ground below the Terrace had been cleared for her, but she needed barely half the space to set down, her vast body coming to a graceful halt several meters from the raised platform itself. Her face was a study in alien elegance: long, flaring snout, the suggestion of a thousand diamond-hard teeth beneath scales that could deflect any mortal weapon.\n\nHer elongated, heavily-lidded eyes met the monarch's own, and he found himself shivering even in the welter of her presence. It was like standing before a roaring forge, and she had not yet opened her mouth to speak -- would she speak? Did dragons speak a common tongue, or did they only communicate with their potent sorcery?\n\nThe question was answered with mind-numbing force,\n\nHile was the word, the pressure elicting a gasp from the king. Pink grubs. Child-slayers. Oath breakers. Hile.\n\nThe majesty. The heart-wrenching scorn behind her mental words. But how could they deserve anything more? They had perpetrated a great crime from the dawn of history. That they did so in ignorance was no excuse -- it was a greater condemnation than all else. They had not even sought an understanding, or to try and better themselves.\n\nUntil now.\n\nThe king licked dry lips, and spoke. \"Hile, grand dragon. We thank you for your presence. This is the culmination of many years of cautious diplomacy, and...\"\n\nWords began to fail him. The carefully prepared speech, recited many times before his tall mirror, felt... wrong. He swallowed hard before continuing, in words entirely of his own.\n\n\"We did not know. We never looked. We never listened. And why should you have warned us? We were not worthy of that: we have proven time and time again how lacking we are, how brutal and short-sighted. We were wrong. We are guilty of great crimes.\"\n\nThe dragon's eyes quickened and narrowed. A hiss of steam escaped one corner of her great maw. Guilty. Yes.\n\n\"These weapons represent... all we could gather, from every corner of our land. We have paid for them in gold, land and blood -- some are still in private hands, yes, I cannot deny that, but we have found all we can and brought them here. For... for judgement, great lady. Without them... without them, we cannot strike against your kind.\"\n\nAnother hard swallow. \"Without them, we cannot defend ourselves, if you... if you...\"\n\nLooking into those ancient eyes, brimming with disgust and revulsion, he could not continue. He dropped his gaze: his head hung as if on the gallows.\n\nJudgement. The law upheld. And this is what you wish?\n\n\"Yes. All those who did not agree have departed. There were... very few.\"\n\nThen witness.\n\nWith an intake of breath, the dragon reared back, her mouth wide -- a hallway to oncoming fire, so bright and hot to be blue-white, to disappear beyond the visible spectrum. \n\nThe king closed his eyes. Judgement had come at last.\n\nWe discharge our ancestor's debts at last.\n\nWhat washed over him was not flame as he knew it. It did not burn him -- it was, in fact, shockingly cool and prickled his bare skin. Somewhere deep inside he felt -- something -- his spirit, perhaps, glorying in some kind of memory. A... familiarity. Once, perhaps, this had been... what?\n\nA connection?\n\nThe thought rocked the king to his fundamental beliefs.\n\nOn the racks, the weapons bubbled and hissed, ejecting coils of strange smoke and light to dissipate into the very air. Swords lost their edge, spears blunted, arrows splintered under the dragon's breath. All force lost cohesion. When the last spectral flame flickered out, they were changed: powerless, lesser.\n\nAgain, her eyes tunnelled into the king's. But there was something else there, replacing the anger. \n\nWhen I left these lands, I swore to only return when I would flame and kill the grubs of man. I was young, then, and foolish. A toss of her majestic head, and something almost like bitter laughter behind her words, self-deprecation and mockery. As I grew, I learned the power of man, and the death he brought. I knew that we could not reclaim our power or our lands. I resolved to raise my future clutch far away.\n\nThat elegant neck snaked out again, her head moving back, her body turning, wings brushing the Terrace as she turned to regard the town and battlements.\n\nThis is a good land. There are great peaks and caves, good salt-sea to bathe in, sand to scratch my scales. Perhaps I will return, at the turn of seasons, when the drakes are fit for flight.\n\nThe king spoke without any thought. \"We will welcome you if you do, great lady.\" With a gasp, he raised a hand to his mouth at the impropriety, the suddenness -- at what could be misconstrued as a threat.\n\nThere was nothing in the return of anger: only amusement.\n\nFear not, little king. I take your words in the spirit they are intended, not your slip of tongue.\n\nThe king bowed, deeply, speechless. \"Thank you.\"\n\nAnd we would... enjoy a welcome, as in the ancient days. She raised one great wing almost daintily, stretched to check the webbing. I believe it was customary to bring... food?" ]	4
	[WP] You get infected by a species of extraterrestrial and highly intelligent worm-like symbionts. Their way of survival is to lead their host organisms to a long and prosperous life.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It hurt when the thing first crawled in, but there's no pain anymore. Not even the pain from before. Sometimes there's still the odd headache, the odd sezuire, but there are so many conditions to blame it on. Once we're used to the body, they'll stop. It promised me. It promised me so many things\n\nI used to feel guilty at first, but it's been telling me not to. It's a win win scenario, after. It needs me to live. Not just for 70 years. It needs me to live. Not the others, not the empty people. Me.\n\nIts been in so many minds- those who built dyson spheres, those who made new bodies out of metal, those who travelled faster then light itself. It knows so much. It knows how to make you perfect, you see. Strong and smart and eternal. we just need to understand humans. we need more test subjects.\n\nI've never hunted, but its been in the minds of predators on a thousand worlds. It's fascinating. Even on seas of helium and tidelocked worlds of endless twilight, it's the same principle. Lure away, catch, feed. There are so many empty people.\n\nI've never been caught. It knows so much. Do you think some petty local police can stop a being that's walked ringworlds? It knows how to hide the evidence, to dispose of bodies. Its been doing this a long time.\n\nHere are my notes, see? The first few experiments are crude, learning the basics of organ placement and metabolism. But we've expanded, my friend. We're getting beyond the bounds of human knowledge already. It's done this a thousand times before, after all. It won't be long before we get the breakthrough.\n\nAnd then I will will be perfect. All-powerful, immortal, inviolable. The host we deserve. We will walk out, and no-one will stand before us. this world will be our breeding grounds. And I will rule it as the godking, the prophet that brought them to our world.\n\nAnd maybe you will rule too, officer?\n\nIt takes a lot of intelligence and determination to find us. We can use that. And as luck will have it, we've already birthed our first brood. Yes, yes, you found the missing people. Well done. There are a billion more on this rock. They are empty. But you don't have to be.\n\nIt'll hurt when it goes in, but only for a bit. And then... then you'll know more then you ever knew. You'll be smarter then you'll ever knew. You'll realise how silly it was to oppose them. and you will rule this world as a god when the time comes.\n\nIf not, well, we still have a lot of experiments to run before the great work is complete.\n\nThe choice, as always, is yours." ]	2
	[WP] This is it, the heat death of the universe, you are the last one left to watch the universe go to sleep	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Just like that the last star in the sky blinked out of existence, a once beautiful portrait of hundreds of thousands of lights now just an empty void. Even without anything left I can’t say I can complain.\n\nI enjoy the quiet.\n\nIt’s nice and dark and quiet. No more pesky humans constantly asking for help, no more spaceships flying past me and pointing like I’m some kind of laughing stock because I made humans to keep me company.\n\nI don’t mind the darkness, in the dark the sky can be whatever you imagine it to be. If I wanted to I could make a friend. IF. But I don’t want anyone to accompany me. I think I can wait out this “heat death” if I’m patient even something is due to happen.\n\nI don’t think anything is going to happen. I don’t know how long it’s been since the last star disappeared, well I guess there isn’t such thing as time now anyways. I’m getting bored of the quietness. but something may happen I think I’ll wait for a while longer.\n\nNothing has happened and I am sure nothing will. I think I might have to start all over again. I begin willing a landmass into existence, it’s a simple island surrounded by the void. On top my island is a basic log cabin and a mailbox. Time to start creating everything else.\n\nEverything is coming back together but this time around I don’t think humans should have free will…\n \n \n \n \n \nI’ve missed you reddit, I’m glad you’re still around...\n", "It's quiet. Obviously. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nI don't mind. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nNothing much has happened for a long, long...\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n...long...\n\n&nbsp;\n\n...time. But I don't mind that either. I'm patient. That's probably the main thing I am, now, is patient. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nI used to be so many things. I suppose, if you count all the way back from the beginning, I've been all things. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nI was angry for a long time. Wrathful, even, you could say. I killed a lot. So, so much. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut they're all forgotten, now. Everyone i smited. Smote. Everyone I spared, too, for that matter. All gone, and everyone who knew them, gone too. Nobody left to mourn, or to mind. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nNobody but me, and I don’t mind. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nIt was a long time ago, and looking back now I don’t even remember why I was so angry. I suppose there were a great many things back then that displeased me? It seems silly. Whatever it was, it can’t have been so important. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter a time, I wasn’t so angry anymore. I was loving, and forgiving. That was harder. It’s easier to be angry, but ultimately I think love was better. It was easier to build with love. To create. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nIt was easier to see the good in all of them when i chose to look with love, and to try to forgive. When I decided it was terribly unfair to blame them for their shortcomings. None of them were perfect, but neither was I, so how could they have been? I tried my best. Some of them were really quite wonderful. It was better when I tried to see them with love, and forgive them. They were so small, and so far away, but I tried, I tried to see them with love. I think I did love them.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut, then, ultimately, I had to leave them alone, all of them. So many different types of people, scattered all over the universe, here and there, all of them different, but in the end, mostly all the same. I had put too much of myself in them, I think, looking back. Too much of my own hunger, and longing, and much too much of my temper. They all became so angry, so eager to hurt each other. I should have encouraged them to create more, to make and build things. If I were to do it again, I would have done that differently. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I’m not going to do it again. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI don’t think they missed me, anyway, after I left them alone. I was never really sure if they could tell I was there or not, so I don’t think it changed things much when I finally went away and left them to themselves. I suppose they carried on just as they had, more or less. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut I had to move on, to create new things, to find interesting new ways to put together the tiny building-blocks of matter and energy. There seemed to be so many infinite configurations to try: stars, galaxies, nebulae, clusters, on and on...making things that didn’t think, or speak, or try to see where they came from. Things that just were. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nPeaceful work. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nLonely, sure, but, I was always lonely, really. That never changed. No matter how much I filled up the void with things, with light and noise and heat and life and even with rich, full, wide, lovely expanses of emptiness. No matter how great the orchestra was, with choruses of great burning blue and yellow and white giants and tiny whispering wisps of neutrinos and photons, no matter how many deep, bottomless booming black holes were around me, nothing could change the fact that I was alone. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nThey were in the universe. They weren’t with me. Of me, by me, but not for me. And now they’re all gone. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nI’m not lonely, anymore. Not really. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nI’m not sad. Certainly not angry anymore. What a silly thing it would be to be angry, now. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nI don’t have any sadness, or anger, or hunger, left. I poured it all out into the void, with all my love and my joy and my hope and my curiosity. It all exploded out of me like a million billion trillion supernovae, bursting from me in all directions, and it was good. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nIt was so, so good. But it’s all done now. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nThere’s nothing left in me to give to the universe, and that is fine. It’s not sad, or painful. There’s nobody here now to feel pain, to feel sadness. Just me. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nSomewhere, out in the farthest reaches, I can feel a tiny spark of heat energy that hasn’t yet dissipated. It’s been out there a long, long time. Once you give something a little breath of life, a little bit of warmth, it’s a long time before it forgets that feeling. So long, that for a while it felt as if maybe the thing I had made would go on forever. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nAnd, well, it did. It went on forever. But now forever is done. And the last tiny dim sparks of that forever are so far from each other that only I can see them, and they are about to fall asleep for the last time. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nI made something good, here. \n\n&nbsp;\n\nI’m not sad it’s going to be gone. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI feel the cold, but it doesn’t bother me. \n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIt’s \n\n&nbsp;\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n^so\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n^^quiet\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n…\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n…\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n…\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n.\n" ]	3
	[WP] Reverse werewolf transformation. Every full moon, your pet turns into its human form.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "We are a perfect match, Anna and I. I was infected with sapiethropy when I was two months old. It is an awkward age for any pup, but when your pack mates start howling at the moon, you know it is going to be a strange couple days. Fur loss is humiliating, but it is the least of your worries. A lot of wolves get it wrong, you don't just run off for a night of madness. It is a six day ordeal, when your brain begins to devolve into a humans, you get these awful questions that plague your mind. \"Why am I here? What is the purpose of life?\" None of that matters, but human minds seem to be cursed with trying to rationalize their own existence. Once I fully transition, I blackout and can't remember much. Most sapiethropes are driven from their pack like I was or run away on their own and die alone. It is hard surviving without fur.\n\nI don't know when Anna became a lycanthrop, but she doesn't have her pack anymore. I don't think her first transition went very well. She tries to stay away from other people. Maybe she's like me and was driven from her pack. Maybe she she stays away because she's afraid they might hurt her. I think she hurt them though. I often find her staring into night with a terrible sadness.\n\nWhatever the case, I'm glad we found each other. She looks after me when she's a wolf and I look after her the rest of the time. Human's are surprisingly good hunters considering the lack of sharp teeth or claws and they make this bright thing at night that is very warm. I was scared of it at first, but it really does grow on you. I don't think either of us would live for very long without the other and a wolf needs to be with a pack.", "The ice rattles as it falls into the glass. I pull the cork out a bottle of scotch and pour a generous amount into the glass, watching it splash across the ice cubes. Beside the pile of flyers I dropped on the kitchen counter, I reach for a plate of food. Steak, rare. Potatoes, smothered in gravy. Boiled carrots and turnip, mashed and dripping with melted butter. I grab the glass and the plate and head towards the living room. My dog lifts his head and gives a couple lazy wags as I place the food and the scotch on a little TV dinner table next to the couch.\n\n“Stay put, Sam,”\n\nThe dog is sniffing the air around the plate, but pulls his snout back and lies back down as soon as I speak.\n\nI sigh and pull a second table close to my armchair. The plate is cold and my ice has melted. I glance over at the clock. \n\n“8:27. Alright Sam, let’s go.”\n\nI slap my thigh and Sam jumps off the couch and bounds over to me. His tags jingle as we walk over to the spare bedroom. I reach down and give him a quick scratch around his ears.\n\n“In you go. Go on.”\n\nSam tilts his head to the side but doesn’t move. I gesture towards the bed and clap my hands.\n\n“Come on, come on, I don’t need to watch this again.”\n\nSlowly Sam turns around and walks into the room, lying down on a small carpet at the foot of the bed.\n\n“I’ll see you in a bit.”\n\nThe door clicks shut as I turn and head back to the kitchen, grabbing my glass and cold plate on the way. As I put the plate in the microwave, I hear a crash coming from the spare room.\n\n“Goddammit.”\n\nOf course there’s no more ice. Guess I’m having my scotch neat. A loud thump and what sounds like a body hitting the floor. I grab my plate from the microwave and head back to the armchair. The scotch is warm, I prefer it cold.\n\n“Where the hell did I leave the…”\n\nThe remote is stuck between the cushion and the armrest. I pull the it out and flick the TV and DVD player on. “Reservoir Dogs” starts playing, about halfway through. I skip back a few minutes and let it play.\n\n“Jesus Greg, sorry about the picture frame.”\n\n“Forget it Sam, have a seat. You remember where we left off?”\n\nSam places the broken picture frame next to the spare room door and finishes buttoning his shirt. He sits down heavily on the couch and sweeps up the scotch in one fluid motion.\n\n“Yeah. Mm, smells great!”\n\n“Dig in. So it’s just the picture frame?”\n\n“Yeah that’s all. Sorry, you know I can’t help it.”\n\n“If you really want to make it up to me you can stop shitting on the carpet.”\n\n“Not cool Greg.”\n\n“I’m just busting your balls, Sam. Eat up.”\n\n“At least I still have my balls. Thanks for that!”\n\n“Cheers, bud”\n\n\n \n", "Something shattered outside. \n \nA painful cracking of glass on the concrete patio out back. It forced my heart to skip a beat and I paused, mind blank. I turned off the TV and got up. That primordial part of me knew something was out there, lingering. A patient predator, goading me from the silent, still night. I paused and thought about it. The dog wasn't barking, it was probably the wind, tipping a stray glass to its death. \n \n“Aaron?” I yelled towards the doggy door, “Aaron, come!” My instincts kicked in, demanding the pack regroup to fight off whatever enemy was out there. \n \nI let out a sigh, mostly at myself, and went to the back door behind the kitchen, stumbling on something on the floor in the dark. I couldn’t find the light switch, but wouldn’t need it outside in the bright light of the full moon. \n \n“Aaron!” I called again. Nothing. His recall was normally perfect, and I started worrying more; dropping into a lonely, nervous, anxious despair driven by fear born from a stupid bit of broken glass. I looked across the plain backyard. Movie-quality grass surrounding by a tall fence, and a kennel tucked in the dark shade of a sick autumn oak. He must be in there... I crept over, trying to stay calm; I could smell the dogs den; worn and used; but familiar, homely, and comforting like a thick quilt on a winter's bed. The food bowl was empty. The water was full. I was so close now. I called again, a whisper into the damp wind. \n \n“Aaron?” I knelt down. The kennel was void of life, a lonely blanket where the dog used to be. A crack echoed behind me somewhere; and, startled again, I turned back towards it. The light was on inside now. Bright enough to hurt the eyes. My chest ached; partly from the nervousness that had settled on me; but also a pain in every muscle, which seemed to present itself mostly in my sternum. I rushed back to the house, and pushed open the door, running in fast enough to almost trip on something. The same object concealed by the intrusive darkness earlier. I looked down, past my own pale, completely naked flesh to a leather collar dusted by salty water scents, with a broken buckle and tag worn by sand. The dogs collar, I thought. I picked it up. “Max.” Everything was so familiar... Max? The sound of the front door bashing panicked me; I was here naked, with no where to run but outside into the sad autumn night. I didn’t have time to even turn before he came in. \n \n“Mum!” the child shrieked, piercing my ears like a needle in the skin \n \n“Mum! Max has turned again!” \n \n...Aaron? ", "I startled awake and grabbed my phone from underneath the pillow. My eyes were so blurred it took me a few tries to slide the alarm to 'off'. The glowing screen read 12:30 AM. \n\nI sighed, pulled the blanket off my legs, and swung them off the bed to sit up. Groaning, I reached over with one hand and clicked on the lamp while rubbing my eyes with the other. \n\nI stood up and stumbled to the door, automatically slipping on my house shoes on the way because the dogs were sure to have left messes all over the kitchen. \n\nAs I was putting a cup of water into the microwave, I realized I forgot to grab the improvised heating pad. That would need to be microwaved as well. I swore under my breath and hit 'start' so at least the water would be ready when I got back. \n\nI went back into the bedroom and took the sock full of rice from the kennel. It was still barely warm. I laid it on the bed, and looked into the kennel more closely, figuring that the tiny neonatal kitten had crawled in between the towels laid on the floor of the kennel. \n\nHe wasn't there. \n\nMore awake now, I began shifting the towels around to make sure, then checked under the bed. Nothing. \n\nThe kennel bars were spaced far enough apart that he could have crawled through, but so far he hadn't. I knew I should have blocked it with something so he couldn't get out. \n\nI froze as I heard barking from the living room. \n\nNo.\n\nI got halfway down the hallway when I heard the crying of a newborn... baby? \n\nAs I rounded the corner into the living room I was met with the sight of a tiny naked baby boy laying on the floor, with one of the cats carefully cleaning his full head of grey hair. \n\n\n\nMy first attempt at a prompt and I haven't written prose in forever. Also on mobile. I figured this prompt was perfect for a twist on an actual event that happened to me last summer. " ]	5
	[WP]There exists a mighty dragon, who goes around kidnapping princesses and other such nobel Ladies. But he doesn't do it for reasons other dragons do. Not for food, or wealth, or some prophecy. No, this dragon is simply lonely and finds such Ladies to be delightful company.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Gallamin the Radiant pulled himself up to the top of the cliff. He was drenched in sweat induced in equal measures by the exertion of climbing the cliff to the gate of the great dragon's castle and from fear at the the thought of facing the beast.\n\nHe had heard legends about dragons, many of which were said to be more fact than fiction. It was said that they ruled over the whole world in the times before scribes. The bravest of humanities warriors had risen up and driven the dragons to near extinction. But at the end of the war, the dragons were allowed to continue their existence in isolation, so long as they did not interfere in human affairs and shared their wisdom with the humans.\n\nNow, aeons later, humans were prospering like never before. But, in a legendary act of defiance, a dragon had abducted the sole heir of the Kingdom of Yranil, as well as many other noble ladies from many kingdoms. This act could not be overlooked, and so the current king of Yranil had summoned the legendary hero to slay the dragon and retrieve the princess.\n\nThe hero walked up to the massive grey iron gates. He thought for a moment about how he would open the gates. After giving it some thought, he decided he would break it down with his own strength. But just as he was about to kick down the ancient gates, the gates opened on their own, as though by magic.\n\nHe knew that this was most likely a trap of some kind. The dragon was probably on the other side, waiting to assault him with poison breath. Or perhaps the dragon favoured sadism, and would capture him before slowly gutting him while he made the noble ladies of the kingdoms watch. What foul acts had the dragon been performing with them?\n\nIn spite of his years of experience, Gallamin the Radiant was not ready for the site which greeted him when he opened the door. There was no assault, no foul act, no gutting. In fact, the inside of the castle was actually quite beautiful. Tinted-glass mosaics lined the walls. At first, he could not recognize the mosaics, but after some time, it clicked. The mosaics were of all the noble ladies, save for the princess herself, all in posed portraying them as either intellectuals, artists, alchemists, apothecaries, and even warriors. \n\nWhile he had traveled and fought enough to know that gender does not preclude someone from being able to kill you, and often times makes it much easier, he was surprised to see ladies who had spent their whole lives pampered and sheltered portrayed as such. He concluded that this must have been artistic liberty and continued forward.\n\nIn the next room, he found the ladies. But they were not in bondage, but rather sitting quite attentively, watching the dragon cut slabs of coloured glass into small tiles with its giant claws. In front of it, the princess posed, wearing shed dragonscale armour, a legendarily durable and effective type of extremely light armour which is quite sought after by warriors of all stripes. In her hands, she held a blade formed from a clipped dragon claw. Dragons were known for wanting to keep their scales new and glossy, and their claws not overly long.\n\nThe great hero cleared his throat to grab the attention of the crowd of nobles and the dragon. He wasn't a fool, and he wasn't going to go charging towards a beast a hundred times his size without first asking what the bloody hell was going on.\n\nAnd so he asked exactly that, which led to a somewhat unpleasant response from the crowd. The dragon commanded them to calm down, and then spoke to the hero. \"Ah, our guest has finally arrived! We've been waiting for you. I'm sure you're quite confused. Let me give you some clean clothes, and let us talk it out over a meal. My, you look absolutely dreadful! Girls, show our guest some draconic hospitality, okay?\"\n\nThe noblewomen said something that shocked Gallamin to his very core. Something so unprecedented that not even the maddest of madmen could have imagined it. Perhaps a cruel, unforgiving god, but surely no mortal. The noblewomen said, \"Yes father.\"\n\nBefore he had a chance to respond, one of the girls took his hand and began leading him to another room. He recognized this woman as the daughter of the Duke of Crawslif. He'd had the displeasure of seeing her in her father's court, where she had been possibly the most proud and dense creature he had ever come across. But here, she seemed a kind, well-mannered lady, the kind he'd gladly have a drink with.\n\nShe handed him some brand new clothes, made from a kind of cloth that he had never encountered before. It was soft and smooth, yet quite comfortable to wear. He was given a plain white shirt, grey trousers, a brown waistcoat, and hardy dragonscale boots.\n\nHe put these on and walked out into the banquet hall, where the dragon had prepared a large feast. There were all kinds of food laid out on the table, which stretched out to the ends of the hall.\n\nAt one end of the table sat the dragon itself, and everyone else was seated around him. After a few minutes, Gallamin finally worked up the courage to ask once more, \"What exactly is going on here?\"\n\nThe dragon, with a now characteristic ease, answered, \"You see friend, I have spent many winters here, in my castle, in isolation. I was alive, but I was not living. I finally decided that I would set out to find some companions, and either find some friends or be killed in the process. I found these young ladies, and brought them back here, to my castle. Here, I showed them kindness and hospitality. Over time, they grew to accept me. I found them to be absolutely delightful company. They told me that back in their own kingdoms, they had been used as nothing more but diplomatic pawns. Their fathers and mothers cared not for them, but for the benefits that they could bring to the kingdom. In a way, it was like what I had endured. I promised that I would never let them be forced into that life again. We spent the days and nights together, me teaching them the wisdom which I had garnered throughout the years.\"\n\nThe hero thought about the dragon's story for a few moments. He could find nothing that obviously disproved it. But one thing still didn't check out. The hero asked, \"Why do they refer to you as father?\"\n\nAt this, the dragon let out its equivalent of a chuckle. \"Well, it's a silly thing really.\" At this point, The Princess herself interjected, \"In all the winters which we have spent with those of whom we were flesh and blood, they did nothing for us. To them, we were mere tools. This dragon, who did not even know us showed us not only kindness, but love. He taught us things we never would have known, showed us things we never would have seen. He let us truly live. And all this after our kind trapped him here, unable to leave for risk of death, and made him unaging. If he is not our father, who is?\"\n\nThe last comment by the princess caught the hero off-guard. \"What do you mean 'made him unaging'? Dragons are naturally immortal, aren't they?\"\n\nThis time, the dragon employed a much more solemn tone, bordering on grieving, \"Dragons are like any other creature. They age and then they die. But the ancient humans who trapped us here placed a curse on the castle. It prevents its denizens from ever aging. So, Hero, what will you do? Will you try to kill us, will you remain with us, or will you leave?\"\n\nGallamin grinned, \"Great Dragon, you humble me with your words. I am no hero, just a humble traveling bard. I am known as a hero, yes, but alas, it is just a story.\"\n\nThe dragon did what looked like a grin, \"When the world has turned to dust, and our words are all that remain, we are all nothing but stories.\"\n\nThe bard smiled once more and said, \"It seems I have met my match in you.\"\n\n---\n\nDid you enjoy this first draft? Well, you can always enjoy some more stuff from me over at my subreddit, /r/Laser_Writing!\n\nedit: sorry for the long read. You can use readreddit plugin to make it easier to read", "Sir Callahan wiped a mixture of blood and sweat from his brow. He looked down to see a small pile of dead goblins at his feet. They had attacked by ambush. Just as he had reached the mountain, they had crawled out of some cave nearby and attacked him. For just one second he had been inattentive and he had paid a hefty price. He had a cut on his forehead and probably several black spots from when his horse had thrown him off. \nThe animal itself, it seemed as he took a glance around, had fled shortly after the goblin's surprise attack. \n'Great' he said to himself 'It's so like me to fight my way through to the mountain only to loose my horse less than a mile away from the castle. What self-respecting princess would go home with a knight that doesn't even have a horse?'\nHe shook his head and put the longsword back into its sheath. There was no point in worrying. Princess Ariana would be angry, for certain. After all, who would want to walk several miles by foot after having just been rescued from a ferocious beast, but Callahan felt like the princes would just have to make do with what she got. It wasn't like many of the knights had been eager to go out and find and kill that fire-breathing monster. She should be glad that someone came at all. \nWith such thoughts in his head, Callahan ascended the mountain and made his way towards the dragon's castle. \n\nAs he reached the castle's gate, he found it to be unlocked. Hesitantly, he pushed it open. He was almost certain, that the beast would await him, eager to greet him with its fiery breath, but there was nothing there. As a matter of fact, the castle was surprisingly tidy. There was a beautiful red rug covering most of the entrance hall's floor, there were pictures on the walls and silver chandeliers with thousands of candles in them hung down from the ceiling. There even were small tables on the sides with flowers on them.\nAnd then he heard a sound. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but it had come from a room just opposite from where he was currently standing. The doors to that room were open, but beside the dancing light of the flames of a fireplace, he could not make out anything. \nThe knight drew his sword as he approached the room, ready to battle any evil that might get in his way, but he was not prepared for what he would find inside the great dining hall. \n\nThe first thing he saw, as he entered, was of course the dragon. Bigger than ten horses, with massive claws and giant teeth, it filled up half the room by itself. However, instead of attacking the knight as soon as he entered, the beast sat calmly on all fours like a lap dog, facing the great table which had been set up by the fire and which was laden with all sorts of delicious foods. \n\nPrincess Ariana stood by one of the dragon's paws. She had a brush in her hand and was currently in the process of painting the monster's claws in the same pinkish-red colour of her own fingernails. She was casually leaning against its massive body and chatting with a woman in a beautiful evening gown who Callahan recognised as the countess of Arrington, who'd gone missing the previous winter. \n\nAnd there were more women present, all noble ladies by the looks of it. Some sat by the table, eating and chatting and two were sat at the head of the table, seemingly playing a game of chess against the dragon. \nCallahan was dumbfounded. Unable to comprehend the situation in front of him, he decided to do what he had planned on doing since he had set out from the king's castle to retrieve the stolen princess. \nHe jumped forth, raising his sword against the dragon and screamed: 'Back away, you monster! Leave the Lady be or I'll end you!'\n\nThe whole room went quiet as all parties became aware of the knight's presence. The dragon wanted to get up, but the princess petted its paw to calm it down. \n\n'What are you doing?' she asked in the annoyed tone of voice that Callahan was all too familiar with. \n'I came to rescue you!' he answered.\n\n'And from what exactly, might I ask? I'm fine. I don't need rescuing.'\n\n'But the beast, Mylady' argued the knight. He had lowered his sword as he was trying to make sense of the situation he'd found himself in. 'Besides, don't you want to return to your family?'\n\n'I mean, eventually, sure' said the princess. 'But we're having fun!' She made a gesture as if to show him how much fun they had. \n\n'Your father is worried sick about you.'\n\n'My father is always worried about me. But it's actually kinda nice here. Nobody's telling me what to do and did you even see what we did with the entrance hall? It's beautiful, isn't it?'\n\n'But the beast is supposed to be slain and the princess supposed to be rescued' cried out Sir Callahan. \n\n'Who cares?' said the countess. She approached him with a cup of wine which she urged him to take. Then she shoved him over to the table, where she made him sit down on the bench. 'It's nothing but an outdated cliché anyway, if you ask me. The times are changing. Women can be independent these days. Have you ever considered that maybe the princess doesn't want to be rescued?'\n\n'Well... no. I just kind of assumed that...'\n\n'Typical male arrogance' declared the countess. 'Always assume that they know what's right for us.'\nThe other women nodded and even the dragon moved its head in agreement. \n\nCallahan dropped his sword. 'Well, what am I supposed to do now?'\n\n'Whatever you want to do, love' said the princess. She stepped towards him and touched the tip of his nose with her brush. 'That's the beauty of it.'\n\n------\nedit for better readability " ]	3
Made it simple-ish so that the interpretation can be broader.	[WP] Turns out, you really are what you eat.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It started quietly. No one really noticed. A few more raids, a small tax increase. Nothing too out of the ordinary.\n\nThose on the borders were first to realize the magnitude of what was happening. Because it wasn't just one border being attacked. It was all of them.\n\nThe news spread inward despite the monarch's attempts to stop it. Soon it was the only thing on tv. The raids weren't your problem though. \n\nYou wished they would stop showing things like this. It's depressing.\n\nEventually the battles reached the inner cities. Some how your small rural town was left alone.\n\nThis was fine. It didn't really affect you, so this isn't your problem. You had an apartment and could still go buy food.\n\nThat was, until you couldn't.\n\nYour apartment complex was taken over by a group of really nice people. Some had wings, or horns, or different types of tails. Others looked like regular people. They let you stay in your apartment, but now you had three new roomates. That was fine. They growled and snarled at your landlord. You shrugged. Guess you didn't have to pay rent anymore. \n\nWhen the local supermarket was destroyed, your new roomates shared the food they hunted with you. The meat was a bit weird. Veal, maybe?\n\nYou noticed that you didn't see your neighbours as often. You hoped they found a safe place to go, though you couldn't fathom why they would leave their new found protectors.\n\nThen you realized it. Your neighbours didn't move, and the meat you were being fed wasn't veal. \n\nYour vision blured at the edges. Maybe, just maybe, this was your problem. \n\nYou watch one of your roomates being scolded for eating the reserve food and making a mess as you bled out on the kitchen floor." ]	2
	[WP] Garbage men no longer collect what you leave at the curb. Now, they go wherever they want and collect whatever they decide is trash. Today, you see them heading toward your territory.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "She perches on the window-sill like a raptor, a feeder on carrion. The grey folds of her one-piece jumpsuit crinkle as she rocks back and forth, a thousand shadowy smiles. There is a name-tag at her breast, something shiny with fever and jaundice-yellow. \n\nWhat do you have for me? \n\nHer breath is a pestilence, her whisper scurries like vermin, the meaning that gnaws into consciousness. There is a black bag over one of her shoulders - she shifts the weight at random, giving her the crooked-back appearance of a vulture or swamp-hag.\n\nWhat has she come for?\n\nThey are collectors of unwanted things, the sack-folk. They creep under floorboards or under window panes or through mirrors. They cannot be denied. They cannot be deceived.\n\nWhat do you have for me?\n\nPerhaps a tattered teddy bear from an almost-forgotten childhood, rank with time and stale memories. Perhaps a grubby sport jersey from when you thought you'd make it big. The smiling photographs from several years ago you haven't had the heart to erase from your hard drive.\n\nDo any of these things fit in the bag? No. They are far too small.\n\nDreams, then? Wants never realised? Regrets to drown an ocean? No: they would barely be a ripple. Something more substantial: a pint of blood, perhaps, a toe or three, a decade of fingernails? What will satisfy that bobbing beak, those dead moon-lit eyes? \n\nThe answer is so very simple. Throw off the covers: you no longer need their warmth. Peel off those nightclothes: a charity for a charity. Step closer. Another. And another. She opens the bag for you.\n\nHands into the dark, lost and cold. Arms, then elbows, and no thought of pulling back as hands grip your shoulders -- firmly, surely -- and draw you in.\n\nSatisfied, she pulls the hazard-striped strings closed and slips out the window with her prize.\n\nAnother unwanted thing.", "I watch in horror as the garbage truck parks outside my house.\n\nEver since that new law was passed six months ago (which no one wanted), which allowed garbage men to take out whatever they consider is trash, society lived in fear of the garbage men.\n\nThousands of innocent lived were \"trashed\", as they call it, by the all-powerful garbage men.\n\nNow what were they doing outside my house? I was just a struggling artist who seems to be struck by multiple bad luck curses.\n\nAs I watch them march like soldiers in formation to my front door, I notice they have Christian crosses pinned to their uniforms. Below those were takes that read \"God's Task Force\".\n\nThe man in front kicks open the door, and immediately points to me, hiding under the couch. \"Men, seize him!\"\n\n\"Yes, sir!\" The other men all shout in unison. Two big burly men grab me by the shoulders, and carry me into the garbage truck. You wouldn't want me to describe how it's like in there.\n\nAfter a while the truck stops and it dumps me at the \"landfill\". This is where the people and things they \"trash\" are kept. It reminded me of a mixture of a concentration camp and prison. Filled to the brim with innocent people.\n\nThere I was asked to stand in front of a height chart for a picture to be taken of me. I was to hold a card that had a numerical code and why they \"trashed\" me. That numerical code would be my sort-of name in the landfill.\n\nAfter the picture taking, I was led into an interrogation room. A man dressed in full military uniform sat at a desk with a microphone. I could see a nameplate that said \"John Michael. Head of God's Task Force\".\n\nHe spoke into the microphone. \"Okay everyone, please hate Mr. 0665+1 here with all your heart. Turn away from him. Don't let him be happy. Don't let him get what he wants. This is an order. Do it NOW!\"\n\n\"Don't do it!\" I shouted. My art is not being noticed much and now this? I must really be cursed with bad luck.\n\nImmediately John Michael shoves his large hand into my mouth. \"Sorry Mr. 0665+1. I'm afraid you've been abandoned by God.\"" ]	3
	[WP] Tonight, you're going to confess your love, and ask the apple of your eye out to dinner. Whilst practicing your statement of love in the mirror though, a ghost appears before you. Turns out your house is haunted, and this spectre is crying tears of joy, and happily requiting your love.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I stared, wide-eyed, sweating and itching with anxiety, in the mirror. \n\nAnd the mirror stared back, with the same \"I'm not ready\" expression drawn on its just as not-good-looking, glassy face. \nI wanted to punch it, first for not being able to say it then and second for not being able to say it now. And if I can't say it now, chances are that I won't be able to say it tonight, either. \nAnd she'll meet someone else at the party, she will. Someone who doesn't sweat and whose neck doesn't feel as if it's the dancing floor of a thousand fire ants whenever he speaks to her. Someone who will actually confess his feelings to her. \n\n\n\"Ease up\", said my inner voice \"you look pathetic. Lower your shoulders, loosen the wrinkles and say it. It's just a rehearsal, after all. Practice.\" \nI obeyed.\nTook a deep breath, closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I said it. The speech that followed was reminiscent of the most noble and fanciful Shakesperean monologues. And it sounded a little like this: \n\n\n\"Listen, uhh, I love you. You might've not expected to hear this from me tonight, I know. I know! But that's how love works, isn't it? When life uhh, gives you lemons, you have to squeeze them. Make lemonade for your beloved. And that's what I'm doing right now, you see?! Squeezing my heart to you.\" \nI pressed my hands together, mimicking a crunching motion. My mirror-self did the same, but it looked more like he was trying to pump a blood pressure cuff than \"squeeze love\"\n\n\n\"Squeezing my heart to you, which is...pretty gross, biologically-speaking, of course. But don't worry because this is just a metaphor! A metaphor that I'm using to convey my love for you.\" \n\n\n\"So\" and this was the hardest part, \"would you like having dinner out, tonight? We can sneak out when the music fades and everyone is too drunk to notice we're gone.\" \n\n\nEt fin! \nMy mirror-self was satisfied. He smiled, but the problem is that I wasn't. My lips were as uncurled as they could be, still recovering the energy it took them to utter such a deeply-felt love declaration. My first reaction when I saw that, was shock. My second reaction, after seeing the reflection go pale and grow longer hair and breasts, was horror. \n\n\n\"Oh, darling, I always knew you felt the same!\" Said the me-who-wasn't-actually-me, now tearing up and tresspassing the vitric barrier between us. \n\"But hearing it so delightfully crafted, from the very lips of yours that I yearn to kiss, and with those poetic words, fills my cold, dead heart with joy!\" \n\n\n\"That wasn't actually--\" \n\nBefore me stood a phantom now. One who believed I just confessed my love to her and invited her on a date. I think what happened next is that she hugged and kissed me, but I can't tell for sure. You can never be sure when you're incorporeally kissed or hugged, but you know it happened. \n\n\n\"Come now, dearest. Take my hand and lead me to the feast\" beckoned the spirit. \n\n\nI was flabbergasted but I kept looking at her. At her old-fashioned floral dress, alluring smile, pale visage and...pale everything. I looked at her and kept thinking it was WRONG.\n\n\n\"Listen. This is a misunderstanding. I was just practicing self-confidence and some control here. That pathetic attempt at a confession you've just witnessed there wasn't meant for you. It's meant for Aylen, the cello player in the band, who I love but I just can't seem to approach. That was meant to change tonight, as I intend to tell her how much she means to me and take her out for dinner. I'm sorry, you are gorgeous, intelligent-- probably in need of more vitamin D but that's a-okay, you really are nice! But I'm alive and you're dead, it would never work out!\" \n\nThose were the words spoken by me, inside of me. They rang true but never really came out. In a perfect world, I would've confessed my love to Aylen a long time ago. In a perfect world, that's what I would've told the ghost and went on with my life. In the real world, however, what I actually said was: \n\n\n\"I know a GREAT Italian restaurant. The best in town, I swear.\" \n\nThe ghost clapped with glee, squealed an \"Exquisite!\" that could've shattered my windows and took my hand. She was remarkably more fleshy now. \n\n\nLove is so powerful it can conquer death, that much is true. One day, it may even be powerful enough to conquer anxiety. \n\n\n", "I fixed my bow-tie, making sure that it was on straight. Letting out a small exhale, I found my hands were shaking slightly. Today was the big day, after all. I had the ring in my pocket, my hair was perfectly gelled down, and my tux was impeccable. The only thing that was missing from my ensemble was confidence.\n\nPutting on my best grin, the only thing that I found in the body-length mirror was a nervous mess that looked like he was trying to smile through cardiac arrest. I let that go for a bit; I could practice that a bit later. I moved on to the part that she would remember. I cleared my throat, knelt down, and pulled the small black box out of my pocket.\n\n“Listen, we’ve been together for a couple of years now, and it’s been filled with some of the greatest moments of my life. I don’t know what I would be without you. Probably some homeless bum on the street.” I pulled on a weak grin. “But what I do know is what I want our future to look like. I know that we’ve both seen this coming for a while, so I figured that I might as well pop the question before you get impatient. Will you marry me?” \n\nI didn’t know what I expected when I said that, but it certainly wasn’t a response. The reflection in the mirror blurred and spasmed, until what was left was a woman who looked like she’d seen the sun once on the television. She had perfectly white hair as well, and was wearing a bridal gown, making looking at her slightly painful on the eyes. But I couldn’t avert my eyes from her figure. She was so beautiful that she made movie stars pale in comparison. \n\nWhile I knelt there, jaw dropped in incomprehension, a few tears dropped from her icy blue eyes.\n\n“I thought that you would never ask.“ She said, blubbering her way with a voice that must have been blessed by the divines. “I didn’t even realize that you knew about my existence. I accept, Matthew! Yes, yes a million times yes!” At this point, she had progressed into sobbing, using her gown’s sleeve as a tissue.\n\nI realized that I should probably clear up the whole incident, but I found that task incredibly difficult, especially considering I didn’t a have a single idea what was going on.\n\nI cleared my throat, and she immediately paid full attention to me. “Excuse me, but… who are you?”\n\nHer gaze immediately fell into hopelessness and anger. “Oh, of course. You weren’t talking to me. Why would you, anyways? It’s not like I’ve done anything for you, except for sheltering you, and protecting you from the dangerous elements. Why wouldn’t you know who I am?” She practically spat out the last couple of words.\n\n“I’m sorry, are you… the house?” This entire scenario was far too incredulous. Everything that I knew about the world indicated that houses weren’t people.\n\n“Of course I’m not a house, you dimwit! Do I look like a building to you? Are you calling me fat?” Her stare suddenly went from spiteful to dangerous.\n\n“No, no! I’m just… surprised, is all. I thought that I was the only person living here. So, can you answer my question, please?” At this point, I was getting pretty annoyed. It was one thing to talk to a figment of my imagination, it was another thing to get sassed by it.\n\nTo my immense surprise, she sighed and slumped down in a chair that appeared behind her. “Sorry, it’s just that it’s been a very difficult couple of decades. I died in this room, you know? I got stabbed in the back by a jealous fiancé, while I was staring in this very mirror. Ever since then, I’ve been stuck in this world, doomed to only see the house through the mirrors. It gets terribly boring when I’m the only person living here, and whenever I introduce myself to people, they tend to run away. So, you know… when you moved in here, I tried to keep my presence on the down-low.” She looked at me, almost guiltily. “I’ve been watching you ever since, and I’ve been trying to protect you from other ghosts and what not. I guess I’m just a bit angry that you’ve never even bothered to notice me. Please don’t hate me.” The last sentence was barely even audible, and she shrunk down on herself, the very image of desperation.\n\nI calmed my beating heart by taking a couple of deep breaths. “All right, so if by some chance this isn’t just a hallucination, and this whole conversation was real, then I’ve got to break some stuff to you. First of all, I’m going to be proposing to my girlfriend tonight, so I unfortunately can’t marry you. That doesn’t mean that we can’t interact, though. I promise that as long as I live in this house, you won’t have to worry about me running away from you, and that we’ll even be friends. Deal?” I gave her a small, gentle smile.\n\nShe reciprocated tentatively. “…Deal.”\n\n\\----------------------------------\n\n/r/Wheezywrites" ]	3
	[WP] You are someone’s imaginary friend. Together you had a great xhildhood, but one day you begin to feel yourself fade away. Your friend is growing up and is starting to forget you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\n\n I looked down at her. My Nina was looking older lately. Her chubby elementary face wasnt as chubby. She was long and lean under her Minnie Mouse blanket. Small earrings shone in the early morning light. I waited patiently by the window for her eyes to open and her excited cry of my name. \n\n Ninas alarm clock buzzed. She muttered, her gray eyes tightly closed, as she fumbled on her bedside table. She flopped back on the bed. Her thin arm covered the curly explosion of hair. Her breathing deepened again. \n\n I sighed moving closer to her. \"Nina! Nina!\" \n\n A dainty snore as she rolled. \n\n \"Nina!Nina!!! NINA!\" I shook her body. \n\n Her eyes opened and I smiled awaiting her joyful cry. Instead she gasped and threw the blanket back. \"Im late.\" \n\n I smiled but she rushed by me. She pulled on her school uniform and rushed into the bathroom. I picked up her math homework and slid it into her bag seconds before she picked up her bag. \n\n I trailed after her. I was a little hurt she hadnt even said good morning yet, but i pushed that feeling away. Nina plopped down on the stool at the breakfast bar. \n\n \"Thanks for waking me Mom.\" Nina smiled warmly at Miss Heidi, her Mom. \n\n Miss Heidi frowned putting down two bowls of cereal. I quickly dug into mine. I was always hungry in the morning. \"I didnt wake you. Didnt your alarm buzz?\" \n\n \"It did but I shut if off. Then I felt you shake me.\" Nina dug into her cereal. \n\n Miss Heidi raised an eyebrow at her daughter. \"Maybe it was Grace?\" \n\n I grinned. I love Miss Heidi because she always remembered me. My face fell when I saw Ninas horrified expression. \n\n \"Mom!\" Nina yelled. \n\n Miss Heidi grinned then said. \"You need to get on the bus. I love you.\" \n\n Nina hopped down. \"I love you to.\" \n\n I followed Nina my mind in turmoil. Was Nina forgetting me? Didnt she need me anymore? Should I call Tonya, my handler? Nina was handling life well. She sat with her friends on the bus. I remembered dissecting all the girls before Nina picked these 2 girls. They ran off the bus, laughing. I remembered encouraging Nina to walk onto the playground the first day. I was laughing and ready to play on the new equipment. Nina had hugged Miss Heidis leg. Had it really been 5 years ago already? \n\n \"Shes doing well Grace.\" I started at the soft voice. I wasnt surprised to see the petite blonde woman at my side. \n\n \"Hi Tonya. She is doing well.\" My confident, loving Nina was shooting baskets with her two friends. I smiled at Tonya hoping it was just a progress report. \"She found Anna and Nicole this year. They are her best friends. We talked at length about which ones to choose. She is gaining confidence in class discussions.\" \n\n Tonya nodded her eyes sad. \"Thats not why I am here.\" \n\n I pursed my lips. I glanced at Nina. Tears blurred her image. I saw the tiny baby that I kept company in her crib. Then the chubby toddler learning to walk toward me. The sun drenched days in the backyard, looking for bugs and having tea parties. The shy five year old hiding behind Miss Heidi on the first day of kindergarten. The laughing girl swinging across the monkey bars for the first time. Encouraging her to sit with Anna at the lunch table earlier this year. \"Im not ready yet.\" \n\n Tonya nodded. \"I know your not but Nina is.\" \n\n I couldnt look away from Nina. \"Shes needed me less and less this year but she still needs a 100% always there friend.\" \n\n Nina stopped looking directly at me. She smiled, waved and ran to catch up with Anna and Nicole. I couldnt stop the tears from rolling down my thin face. \n\n Tonya slid her arm around me. \"Its time Grace. Your work is done.\" \n\n I cried harder feeling myself dissolving. I looked for the last time at my Nina. Laughingly she threw her arms around her friends. I smiled through my tears and left my Nina. \n\n" ]	2
	[WP] Slaying the dragon was a mistake.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Pyrrhic Wealth\n\n\nThe last gust of breath left the beast’s nostrils and the woman stumbled backward, exhausted. Her strength was beginning to fail her. She needed help. The gash along her side bled profusely. If that tail had been swung an inch to the left… Her left forearm was charred. Only her magical wards kept her arm from ending at the elbow.\n\nShe stood in the cavern, looking at her fallen foe, knowing that she had pushed herself too far this time. Her back was to the treasure. A small pile for such a large dragon, all things considered. All of her previous campaigns had been dangerous, but none had ever been foolish. She knew this now. She slid her enchanted blade into her sheath as she slid to the floor for a moment to rest. Her arcane bolt had pierced the great red dragon’s left eye and had left a hole somewhere deep in its brain.\n\nShe took a breath, gathered what remained of her strength, and looked to leave this place. She needed healing beyond what she was capable of. She had time but needed to leave immediately. Now, where was the exit? she thought. She had lost her sense of direction in the fight…\nSomething was off, she did not see it. Then it must be… Behind the dragon. It fell on the passage, blocking the path, trapping her inside and far from help. There was no other exit. Dragons often used magic to enter and leave their lairs.\n\nRed dragon scale was impenetrable, and dragon bone more-so. Her mind raced with the little awareness it had left as blood and hope drained from her. She stumbled backward, landing on a chest, no doubt filled with gold and jewels she would never use. \n\nNo, not this way… She thought continuously until she could not anymore.\n", "We danced from dawn to dusk. \n\nTo and fro we go, cold iron shield meeting ebony claws. Sword clashing against impenetrable scales. \n\nYou are still as beautiful as the day I met you. \n\nMy dearest dragon, have you forgotten about me so much so that you dare go against me? \n\nHave I left you for far too long or have age taken your mind?\n\nI have missed you so. Does it have to be this way?\n\nI stare into your eyes, it used to blaze with such fire yet now I see how it dimmed into ember glows.\n\nGoodbye, old friend.\n\nFinally I stabbed through your eye. It squelched as I plunged my sword further into your skull.\n\nPatches of my skin sizzled at the touch of your blood as it sprayed in my direction. It doesn't matter. None of it matter.\n\nI let go of my sword and watched as it melted. My heart went with it.\n\nThere you lie. \n\nCrumpled. Broken.\n\nMy love. My mistake." ]	3
	[WP] You are a superhero, and your power is being as strong as the one you're against belives you are. You've made a big name for youself, admired as a national hero. But now someone has found out about your ability, and the word is starting to spread...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"You know, I had always wondered how you beat all of those Villains with such a small frame. Don't get me wrong; slim frames can carry great strength. But, you...\" he sighed. \"I'm almost disappointed, Robert.\"\n\n\n\nMy strength seemed to wane against the sphere, my body weakening as the pain of countless phantom knives stabbed into me. My breathing was rapid and shallow, just as he wanted. I could hold this...thing at bay for now. For as long as he wanted me to.\n\n\n\nPsychosomatic science is an oft-overlooked realm but I have mastered it. As long as they think I'm strong, I am.\n\n\nSeems someone spilled my secret.\n\n\n\"I used to look up to you, you know.\" He looked across the city from this measly apartment rooftop. Gazing into the sunset, he continued: \"Before you were a trick. A joke.\"\n\n\nHe sighed deeply and turned to face me. Before speaking, he sucked through his teeth, the hate washing over me.\n\n\n\"That all ends now.\" He approached me, still paralyzed in my Atlas pose. Exactly how he wanted me. I could feel his breath as he spoke.\n\n\"How does it feel to be so weak?!\" he whispered to me. \"Save this city, now. Hero.\"\n\nHis faith, the only thing giving me strength to fight off his Earth-destroying weapon, drained quickly. My strength throughout this battle had been lent only by him.\n\n\nThis was it.\n\n\nI have failed.\n\n\nAt first, I didn't realize it. How could I? I was completely numb to the inevitable. His scowl brought me out of my reverie and I realized that I was laughing. Not laughing like a fool, but as a madman. I had lost and the only thing left to do was let fate take its course.\n\n\nBut I felt it. An almost imperceptible thread. If I could just...\n\n\nI used every ounce of energy to send the sphere directly back to space, back to the station from where it had come. It should have enough energy left in it to destroy the weapon.\n\n\"No...\" he cried. \"This isn't possible! I KNOW YOU ARE WEAK!!\"\n\nHis doubt flowed through me, energizing every cell, every neuron in my brain firing at superhero speed. He was in my grasp before I even knew what was happening.\n\n\"No...\" he gurgled through my clench. \"I believe you are weak!\" I leaned in close, tightening my grip.\n\n\nThis menace had taken so many lives before. Taunting me. Making grotesque objects out of his victims. No more.\n\n\n\"You were right,\" I whispered, almost seductively. \"But your doubt killed you.\" And with that, I made a sharp twist with my wrist before throwing the body to the street several stories down.\n\n\nRed and blue flooded everything below, the noise of people deafening me. But their cries coursed into me like nothing I had felt before. I could feel myself growing in size, my muscles tearing away at my suit. Fear invaded me with almost-orgasmic delight.\n\n\nI had never felt such strength as a hero. I now understood my fallen foes; fear lends so much more power than admiration. Love. Expectation. No longer will I thrive off of such simple things.\n\n\nI have found my true calling." ]	2
	[WP]You never met your biological father. It wasn't a problem until you were kidnapped, you are now in a room with a lot of people, from what you were told they are all your siblings, and the kidnappers are after your father, the only thing you know about him is his name: Bond, James Bond	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I was a normal kid. Well, as normal as you can be with a model for a mom and a missing dad. I went to school, I played video games, I hung out with my friends Brady and Matt. What was not normal for a kid was getting pulled into a black panel van and being drugged to sleep.\n\nWhen I woke up I was in a large, empty room with very little furniture and a door on the other end. As I rubbed my eyes I noticed the other people around me. Most were around my age or younger, The youngest seemed to be about eight or nine,a and he was crying on the floor. I almost wanted to cry myself. As I held the tears in a girl around my age came closer and asked me my name. I looked over at her and just mumbled \" James\"\n\n\"Well my names Terresa and if you're going to sit in the corner and sulk then just do it quietly.\" The girl said, about to bounce away. \n\nI looked up and gasped a little. There was definitly some differences but the resembalence was uncanny. \"I wasn't going to sulk, I was just thinking of what to do now.\" I say, my voice was shaking a little. I kept my composure though.\n\n\"Well escape isn't going to work. the doors locked, and when they do open it, they always hav...\"\n\nThe door opened, and a tall man witha scar across his forehead and a black leather jacket. \"Alright, the new kid. Bring him here.\" Two men walked towards me and grabbed me and dragged me away by my arms.they dragged me through the open and I heard it close behind me. They drag me down a hallway until I see a door. Thw two men force me to sit in a hard metal chair.\n\nThe man from earlier sat across from me. \"Now kid, I don't have much patience for you little morons so your going to answer my questions. Is your mother Danele Smith?\" \n\nI held my tounge before finaly quitely saying yes. He followed with other questions, about where I was born, when my birthday was, and who my father is. I couldn't answer the last ones, so I just sat there silently. After what felt like hours he finaly got the two men from before, I call them Big and Large, and they hauled me out of my seat and dragged me back to the room from before. He follows Big and Large into the room and closes the door behind them.\n (Part 1 of 2)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] You have been immortal for too long now. You've done so by cheating Death. One morning you are woken up to hear furious knocking and find a sassy, pissed off Death at your door.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Hey! I’m trying to be polite!” Death shouted. He ceased knocking, just to make a point. “You do remember I can walk through walls and shit, right? Right!?” \n\nBack to knocking. With a bit more umph this time. Although Death’s existence was not bound to the measly constraints of neither space nor time, he did not like to be kept waiting, and this man had really put his patience to the test. The Centurion, they called him, or maybe he called himself that after his first hundred years... but that was forever ago. Seriously, Death couldn’t wait any longer. \n\nThe Centurion wasn’t much of a morning person though, and debated whether or not to finish his coffee first. Death was always so intrusive. He would take one last sip, wipe the sleep crud from his eyes, and then— WHAM! \n\n“Fucking hell!” The Centurion yelled as he stomped out of the kitchen. “Did you just drop a bag of bowling balls on my floor!? That was my last cup of coffee, too!” Referring to the dark stain on his shirt. \n\n“So... you don’t care about the door!?” Death looked up to see the man squinting, jaw agape. Definitely awake, but looked disheveled in his tattered bath robe that he most likely slept in. “Hey, seriously didn’t even mean to...”\n\nThe man threw his now empty mug at Death. It passed right through the dark, slender ghost of a figure that stood before him and narrowly missed a morning jogger, shattering against the street as it landed. Glances were exchanged, \n\n“Sorry!”. A friendly wave from the man accompanied by an awkward smile. “I broke my door!” The jogger jogged on. \n\nTo be continued...?\n", "\" You're tearing me apart ! \" said Death with it's upper lip trembling and face red.\n\nI wasn't expecting Death to look so mundane... so mortal. I was expecting a hooded skeleton with a scythe, not a teenage blonde boy with almost tears in his eyes. I knew it was Death however, somehow I just knew. I knew instantly the one I was cheating for hundreds of years.\n\nI leaned on the door frame with my elbow staring Death in the eyes. Decided to let him calm down before we would talk. Don't try reasoning with someone who is highly emotional, wait for them to calm down. Realizing that me standing in front of him staring him dead in the eye was actually making it worse I shrugged and took a few steps back.\n\n\" Would you like some coffee ? \"\n\n\" Yessss, pleassse \".\n\nOh my god, Death has a lisp ! I barely stop myself from laughing and welcome him to my kitchen inviting him to sit. Death obediently complies and I go to prepare the coffee. Once I set the kettle on the cooker I turn to Death and sit across the table.\n\n\" So, what seems to be the problem ? Why are you crying ? \"\n\n\" I am not crying, you bastard ! \" said the boy with his cheeks still red and eyes swollen with tears. \" I am just sick and tired of you ! Always evading me! Always escaping me ! Always ignoring me ! You.. you are a son of a bitch ! \"\n\nThe last words angered me a little and Death saw that changing to a defensive position tapping his fingers nervously on his forearm.\n\n\" You may say many things about me and I wouldn't care but don't say anything about my mother. She may have died during the witch hunts a long time ago but I will not allow any bad words about her \"\n\nI noticed Death started tapping his finger faster as I confronted him so I decided to have a little fun. When you've lived as much as I have, you stop being angry for long. This time, my anger lasted 5 seconds. Death opened his mouth to say something but I quickly interrupted him.\n\n\" So what's with the lisp ? \"\n\nHe instantly blushed and closed his mouth. A wide grin showed on my face has he did that, making him jump from his chair.\n\n\" That's it, you bastard ! I am ending this now! \"\n\nHe stretched his arm sideways making a dark scythe materialize in his hand and dashed towards me yelling. Little he expected to trip right after the 'grand moment he had ', and faceplant on my floor. He raised his head, his face red of embarrassment this time. I almost burst again in laughter but managed to retain myself making only a puff noise.\n\nDeath jumped to his feet and stormed away from me, angrily shut the door behind him and left. I ran at the door after him, he was storming away from my house with big heavy steps. I opened the door and shouted at him with my hand raised.\n\n\" Wait, you forgot your shoes ! \"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;" ]	3
	[WP] Everything has a natural predator, even monsters. You've just been turned into a vampire's natural predator.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I registered the feel of the cold flat surface I lay on, remaining absolutely still as my senses awakened in a burst, I left my eyes until last.\n\nNothing moved in the seconds I waited. No people moving or talking, not a breath of wind or sound reached me. Opening my eyes, I found the cheapest ceiling tiles, yellowed and stained from age illuminated in the smallest flicker of light. I lay on the floor in an ancient, dingy hospital room, mould coating the walls, creeping towards me with green fingers lacing the warped linoleum. \n\nAs I rolled onto my side, I hissed quietly, pain exploded from everywhere like an electrified blanket held me down and kept shocking me. I closed my eyes, my body so heavy I felt unable to move and let the waves pass. Gritting my teeth I rolled to my knees, my head still on the floor.\n\nIt feels like I've put on two hundred pounds, why can't I shake this off? I growled in frustration, surprising myself at the noise, it was deep, gravelly and I've not heard it before. Clearing my throat, I said 'Where am I?' and instantly felt better I heard my own voice.\n\nThe confusion at where I was took over and I strained to lift my head up, to look around. Breathing deeply I took my time in sitting up, slowly standing.\n\nI hadn't had that much to drink last night, not enough for this level of hangover. Not enough to lose my phone too, since it was nowhere to be seen. I cursed myself for being in places my mouth could get me in trouble. Sure, that was most places, to be fair, but purposely going to the bar with the most violence just to work out a few issues that working a bag just doesn't fix. Sure I'm an asshole but I only mete it out to other assholes.\n\nI held onto the back of the only chair in the room to keep my balance. The only light source is the grubby window six feet high, letting in a couple of specks of sunlight. Medical paraphernalia sat on a relatively modern trolley, gauze, scissors, clamps, kidney shaped bowls, remnants of supplies, a few broken IV stands littered the room.\n\nI took stock. My black jeans are covered in dust, grime, they've been wet at one point since it was dried in, caking me in mud. My boots are the same, my jacket's missing, all my jewellery. What exactly happened last night? The last thing I remember was getting in the car with Tony to move onto the next pub. Maybe this is Tony's idea of a joke? This could be his spot for hanging out, he does dance with some special characters. I felt blood rushing back into my arms, my legs, I felt my body right itself. I feel bruised all over, did I get in a fight? \n\nA cupboard that looked too new sat in the far corner. I psyched myself up for making my way there, my curiosity aroused. Inside I found my keys and phone. Dialling Tony, hoping I'd get some answers. Voicemail, that was no use.\n\nAs I moved around, my muscles eased up, my walk not as jerky as it had been. After a few stretches and some circles of the room, I made for the door.\n\nGreeted by a corridor as well maintained as my room, I followed the barely legible signs to the front door. In order to get a lift home I'd need to know where I was and the spidery script of 'Mainfield Hospital' decorating the walls isn't familiar to me. This place is a little freaky and I am not staying longer than necessary. Graffiti splashed across the walls in layers of colours, arrows dotted around pointed to places I did not want to visit.\n\nBut one symbol stopped me. The black circle with two red dots, like eyes. It had been on every news channel, every paper, magazine, blog, video, facebook was running an hourly update on the case which was causing more issues than the missing kids. Young girls were disappearing. Only in the last week had it been made public but I knew it had been going on for much longer than that, all the kids I knew did anyway.\n\nIt took over a whole wall in the waiting area by the front door. Easily eight feet by ten, the thick paint rose from the ground, rising to the ceiling in a dramatic arc, ebony droplets scarred the dirty plaster, as if they bled through the wall, the red eyes were sprayed on, the red allowed to run down the wall so it almost reached the floor.\n\nI noticed there were brush strokes through the charcoal paint, a four inch brush was used. The sweep showed whoever the artist was, their manipulation of the paint was quick, practiced, and they failed to fix the natural thickening at the edges. I've always loved the smell of paint. As that memory hit me, so did the fact that I could smell it, it was wet. It was done recently.\n\nI hadn't heard a single thing move the entire time I'd been here, I must've been awake for at least half an hour now. Panic seeped in little by little, the hairs on the back of my neck tingled and all I felt was a blaring need to get outside, to be away from this place. Had someone painted this while I was here? Did they know I was here? I stopped listening to the rabble of thoughts that would only lead to a darker place and I was not prepared for that.\n\nMy phone rang as I ran into the sun, my legs shaky after moving so quickly. Taking the time for a few breaths, I looked around. Overgrown shrubbery, trees surrounded me with grass up to my waist, but I could hear the birds, running water, insects hurrying around and my lungs felt finally ready for a full breath.\n\nThe number was blocked but right now anyone would be good to talk to, to touch reality again.\n\n'Hello Kaia.' An unfamiliar raspy voice struggled.\n\n'Who is this?' I started moving towards the trees, circling behind the hospital to stay out of view.\n\n'I'm the person who you should be thanking.' \n\n'For what? Less of the cryptic chat, thanks.' Without sleep, I'm not so much a cheery person.\n\n'Don't you feel it? Stronger, faster, the next step in humanity.'\n\n'Listen dipstick, I don't have time for this, did Tony put you up to this?'\n\n'You were a good subject even though you're older than usual. I hope that's not why we end up killing you.' The call ended.\n\nMy brain fogged in confusion. Killing me? Why would someone kill me? What is the next step in humanity? The more immediate problem is where I am and just how in hell's name I'm going to get out of what seems like the middle of the forest.\n\nI tried Tony again but he didn't answer. There was a rusting bicycle by the hospital, completely useless. All I have is my own two feet so I started walking, then jogged when I figured I might not get out before nightfall. The more I ran, the faster I wanted to go, it was so freeing! The forest melted around me where I wanted to go, I lifted my feet over the roots that were already past me before I saw them, I ran full speed on instinct, it was all a blur except for the dot in the distance, I focused straight ahead and luxuriated in the hungry burn covering my body, the sting of the air curling round me, urging me forward, a hyper focus over took me and suddenly I was there.\n\nThe view was stunning, appearing in the blink of an eye, spread out hundreds of feet below me. I stood on a craggy rock and took in the farms below, the fields full of lush greenery, the steep rocky path to reach them cut into the face of the hill. \n\nI felt no weariness, no sign I'd run for hours through the trees. The earlier heaviness now replaced by feeling lighter than air, of having no mass, able to float instead of walk.\n\nA man stood in his field miles away, standing smaller than the size of my thumb by my perspective. I realised I could see his face, the weathered lines scoring his cheeks, spending many summers in the sun to feed his family.\n\nThe trees on his land were a vibrant emerald green, each line on the leaves perfect centre, the apples rosy and golden. I staggered as I realised what I was seeing was in fact miles away yet I could see the individual buds growing. I could hear a sharp buzzing noise and snapped round to see what it was, nothing but a bee in the distance. I focused in on the faint groaning, creaking noise that played at the sidelines of my hearing. I concentrated, closing my eyes. I walked to where it grew in volume, easing my way towards the source. Reaching out blindly, I connected with it. Opening my eyes, it was a tree. I was hearing the tree growing. I stumbled, crashing to the ground. All my instincts screamed at me to run and that's exactly what I did.\n\nI tore through the countryside, sticking as close to the road as I could without being seen. This time, nature made no way for me, branches clawed at my skin, whipped into my face, the wind nipped at my fingertips as I raced it, lifting my hair as I blindly scrambled in a desperate attempt to get away.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;" ]	2
	[WP] Faster than light travel is routine but faster than light comms does not exist. You work on a "packet ship" delivering information. You come across an old radio distress call from a lost ship...following it back to it's source you find a small but prosperous colony. They are hiding, something.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I sighed with frustration as I scanned the system. The database told me that it was uninhabited, hell, not just uninhabited, it was devoid of pretty much anything interesting. No asteroid belts, no resource rich planetary bodies, nothing but dust and rock and ice. There was absolutely nothing here worth visiting for apart from a distress call I picked up in one of the courier route systems, about two light years from here. No details, just a quick burst and then nothing. Probably a meteor impact, or a core overload, something that caused a ship to momentarily cry out for help and then fall silent forever.\n\nBut why here?\n\nProtocol was to always investigate distress calls, even if they were as old as this one. The ship was almost certainly lost but the black box it carried would be remarkably durable, as long as it didn’t fall into a gas giant or a star it should be recoverable. But the question was at the back of my head, why would a ship come here? What would a ship be doing this far out of the way in a completely uninteresting system? Even the smugglers had better routes, and they were far from here.\n\nThe computer in front of me dinged to get my attention, the scan had completed. No beacon detected, no recognizable debris detected (no, surprise there, even if there was debris it’s a big system.) No signals from the inhabitants of the fourth planet.\n\nWait, what?\n\nI scrolled back to that part of that report. No signals from the inhabitants of the fourth planet. It was written there as clear as day. I looked at the database entry for the system, no inhabited worlds, no worlds that were even close being habitable. I double and triple checked the data from the scanner, it showed a planet that simply wasn’t there in the database, fourth from the star and smack dab in the middle of the habitable zone. And there were people living on it, perhaps survivors from the ship that sent the distress call.\n\nNow this was getting interesting.\n\nI instructed the computer to set a course for the planet and was promptly informed that it was nearly a week away. We might be able to travel between the stars faster than light, but in system travel still had to follow the good old fashioned laws of physics. The delay was a pain, but policy was policy, and I might actually be doing some good out here if there were still survivors in need of rescue. I was nearly half an hour into reading what scant information the database had on this system when my ship chimed at me. This one caught me by surprise, it was an incoming message, about as simple as it gets.\n\n“UNKNOWN VESSEL, DEPART IMMEDIATELY.”\n\nNo identifiers, no voice, no video, just all caps plain text. I checked the timing, with the light delay they would have had to have sent this seconds after they saw that I was accelerating towards them. They were watching me, and must have been ever since I entered the system. Interesting.\n\n“Unknown Colony, this is Pilot Needa Marenne of the Maretek Courier Corps, I am investigating a distress call originating in this system. Approximate time of the call would have been … “ I consulted the computer. “Two years one month ago, give or take twenty two days. Do you have any information about the origin of this distress signal?”\n\nThe response came thirty minutes later.\n\n“THERE IS NO ONE IN DISTRESS HERE. DEPART IMMEDIATELY.”\n\n“Unknown colony, that is a negative. I am required to investigate this distress signal. Please confirm whether or not you are aware of its origin.”\n\nThirty more minutes, though now I was eagerly awaiting what they had to say.\n\n“THERE WAS NO DISTRESS SIGNAL AT THAT TIME. YOU ARE NEITHER WANTED NOR NEEDED HERE. DEPART IMMEDIATELY.”\n\nI almost had to smile at how rude that response was.\n\n“Unknown colony, I cannot depart, I am required to investigate that distress signal with or without your cooperation. I am en route to your planet with an estimated time of arrival of seven days from now. I’ll be out of your hair a lot quicker if you give me a hand with this.”\n\nThirty minutes, forty, an hour passed with no response. Apparently they’d given up trying to keep me away. I settled back in the pilot seat and instructed the computer to conduct a series of scans as I approached the center of the system, with any luck I’d have some answers before I ended up on the unfriendly doorstep of that unregistered colony.\n\nOne thing was for sure though, this little detour had gotten very interesting.", "It's my last run of the week and let me tell you, that little cabin on Pluto is looking oh so relaxing. I'm spinning the arms of the Milky Way like nobody’s business. Making great time stepping from system to system, dropping the notes, and getting on my way. Some of the other parcel boys like to be personable with their deliveries. Me? I don't see no point in brown nosing the rich bastards. They're not the ones who sign my check.\n\n\nOf course it happens during my last drop. I'm out in some bumblefuck cluster on the edge of Andromeda when it happens. I shouldn't even be out here. I picked up Clancy's run so he could stick close to the Magellanic Cloud. No good deed goes unpunished, right?\n\n\nI drop the parcel and these guys are nothing but thankful, like they haven't seen anyone outside their little planet for years. It's slow tidings this side of the universe, so I can't blame them. But I'm almost out when the comms intercept the transmission. My damn thrusters were almost done heating up. If I drifted an inch to the right instead of the left when I left orbit, I wouldn't have heard a peep. I'd be sitting next to the fire with a hot chocolate in my hand.\n\n\nBut as it is, I hear it, and let me tell you did my ears perk up. It's scratchy as hell, but I can make out the words. 'Alpha Six-Six-Niner'. A general distress call. But those smiling bozos planet side must not have heard it. There's not another rock or colony for 100 AU in any direction.\n\n\nI think maybe it's just my ears acting up. Maybe I can jump before I convince myself there was something there. But the static hisses and the call comes through again.\n\n\nSo now I'm sitting here, rubbing my eyes, imagining a warm cabin on that icy rock while the computer tracks down the signal. How do I always get myself into these messes? Why can't I be the type of guy who just clocks in and clocks out and never says a word to nobody? That guy must have the longest life expectancy in the universe.\n\n\nThe computer dings. Medium class cargo vessel, an hour jump into the middle of nowhere, deep space. What the hell are they doing out there?\n\n\nI'm questioning myself the entire time I'm in the hole. Space and time are bending around the black hole I just punched in it, but all I can think about is a way out. I don't have any spare parts to patch up their ship if it's a mechanical issue. There's certainly no space in my Runner to ferry the crew back to civilization. The hole fizzles out around me and I keep my finger on the trigger as the ship returns to linear space. If this is a set up, I'm ready to jump and never look back.\n\n\nBut man, is this anything but. The message is blaring loud and clear through the cockpit speakers, but there ain't no ship to be seen. Instead, there's a colony the size of the moon, sleek and chrome, with hundreds of butting structures like a bunch of metal shavings rolled into a ball. I know my way around the universe and let me tell you, whatever this is, it ain't on no map.\n\n\nThe distress call is still looping. 'Alpha Six-Six-Niner.' I gatta hit the trigger. I gatta get out of here before they notice me. But I'm a fool and I fly the Runner towards the base of the colony. The airlock light flashes green and the shudder doors open like some gaping mouth to the abyss.\n\n\nI set her down real nicely in an empty docking bay. There's only one controller on duty, but he's got more than enough pride in his job for a whole army of 'em. He waves me in and secures my bird. I open the bridge door, but don't unlatch the stairs.\n\n\n\"Hey,\" I call down. The man's still furiously tying knots and patching in connectors.\n\n\n\"Howdy,\" he calls back. \"What brings you in?\"\n\n\n\"I traced a distress call from over by Gargados and--\"\n\n\n\"Oh, swell fellas over there, don't you think?\"\n\n\n\"Yeah, great.\" I look around the dock. There's room for an armada, but it's just me and him. \"Anyway, it came from a cargo ship. You seen any around?\"\n\n\n\"Oh sure, just came and went. Bad on board nav. Wound up all the way out here because of it.\" The man laughed like two tin cans rubbing against each other.\n\n\n\"And where is here? I've spun this joint a few times in my day, and I don't remember every running past you guys.\"\n\n\n\"Lookie here, you're just in time for the gang to get back.\"\n\n\nThe airlock doors grind open and rattle the whole bay. For a second, it sucks the oxygen out of my cockpit and my face swells up like a strangled hog. The bridge door swings shut and the canned air comes streaming back in. I'm trying to watch the airlock, but I'm coughing and crying and trying to drag the soul back into my body.\n\n\nBy the time I'm upright, a hundred ships are already in the bay. Thousands of them come sailing through the airlock, Runners and cargo transits, assault and luxury ships of all makes, everything from government Destroyers to homemade death traps comes pouring in from the void beyond.\n\n\nI catch the man's eye. He isn't waving anyone in, just staring at me. He's not wearing a suit, just mechanics overalls. He should be dead, but it doesn't look like anyone told him that.\n\n\nFuck this. I'm not standing any longer. Sorry distressed cargo, you're ganna have to find your own way out. I hit the trigger and sever the attaching lines. My thrusters are still warm and the ship jumps at once. I don't even sail 20 feet before she punches a hole and I'm out of there. Sure, there'll be some scorch marks and warped steel, and that mechanic will be time-sick as a dog for a few weeks, but they got a big colony there, they'll figure it out.\n\n\nI exhale heavily and hit the trigger again. I just needed a short jump to get out of there. I can reset my bearings once I hit linear space, forget this whole thing ever happened. I can feel Kalie rubbing up against me under a warm blanket already.\n\n\nBut the hole fades and I'm still in the docking bay. The airlock is closed and ships are lined up as far as the eye can see. I look far enough down the dock that it curves below itself and disappears. I rub my eyes, but nothing changes.\n\n\nThe mechanic is still there, a hard worn smile curling up beneath his pitted eyes.\n\n\n\"That's a mighty fine vessel you have there,\" he says. \"It'll be a great addition. Welcome to the force, private. C'mon, go make yourself comfortable.\"\n" ]	3
	[WP]Everyone knows what a antihero is, but what about a antivillian?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Ugh, rain again? Why does this place never stop fucking raining? Sigh, one day I'll be on a beach with some colorful drink in one hand and some sweet ass in the other. Pual chuckled ha hell, that's a funny thought. Not being here, doing this rehashed regurgitated bull shit for some kid whose dad has a pile of cash to fuck his gold digging tramp on. I wonder who its gonna be? Its always a girl, I almost feel bad whenever I learn too much about the poor sumabitch. Just goes to show don't piss someone off with money who's vindictive. Why can't it ever be a scumbag? Ya know, someone who truly deserves karmas dick being shoved up their asshole, but it never is. Good people wouldn't bother with the likes of the \"unfortunate\" business I provide to the scum bags of this shit hole. Maybe I should just pull the trigger on myself save everyone the hassle of.... BANG BANG BANG Steven pounds on the hood of the car\n\nPaul open the god damn door! Its raining like jesus just screwed his first virgin. Yelled Steven\n\nGod dammit this cocksucker, why do I always have the unfortunate pleasure of the hand off always being with this unfunny piece of shit.\n\nCome on Pual! \n\nClick, the door unlocks. Steven opens the door letting more then enough cold air in the car. \n\nYou have the packet? Paul said with disdain.\n\nYeah I got the the thing man, why you gotta be an asshole? You think I enjoy your company? \n\nThen hand it over Paul said calmly. \n\nSteven reaches into his coat pulling out a relatively thin packet. \n\nPaull grabs it and he begins scanning the information, Pauls normally stoic face turns to disgust. \n\nYou have got to be fucking kidding me. An entire family, you want to shwack an entire fucking family. Paul said in pure hatred toward Steven.\n\nHey man its your job, you do have the right to reject it but no one will ever hire you and you will probably die unexpectedly. But go ahead and reject it. Steven said with a little smirk. \n\nBlow it out your ass! I'll take the damn thing but still go in a hole and rot. Paul exclaimed calmly. \n\nJob needs to be done by the 31st. Good luck! Steven said with a laugh \n\nFuck off! Paul said as Steven slammed the door.\n\nWell here I am in a the worst possible position, with the worst job. God damn it well how I am gonna figure this one out........\n\nbe gentle and yes punctuation sucks. \n\n\n", "Violet quietly motioned to her enforcers to keep the men quiet. She knew how twitchy they could be, Toast especially, but Lord Arachnos would not stand for anything less than perfection in those who served him. Sure, he ruled the Rogue Isles with an iron fist, but he repaid those who server him well. There was a certain structure to his empire that could be appreciated. Her team of thugs served her well, and she took care of them. In turn she, as Lady Painstrike, served Lord Arachnos well. It was a simple and easily understood system of Might Makes Right. The self-described “heroes” of Paragon City would almost certain disagree. But she had yet to meet one of them that wasn’t a stuck-up jerk. Her true friends, like Mère d'Arbres, might be rejected by society for their strange mutations but they were always by her side. Lord Arachnos had saved her from a life rotting away in a cell after her mutant abilities manifested. Well, perhaps not him personally, but still. That had to count for something. Where would we be without loyalty?\n\nHer enforcers nodded silently to let her know her men were ready. In the eyes of others, they may just look like thugs, but she knew better. The hopes and dreams they have, their potential that she would help them unlock. She gave the signal and Toast ran forward with the kind of big grin he only got while carrying explosives. Moments later an explosion blew the door to the lab off its hinges and her enforcers moved their men forward through the breach. She followed a moment later with the hulking frame of her bodyguard Kruschev shadowing her.\n\nGunfire erupted as her men encountered the lab’s defenses. Under the careful direction of her enforcers their fire focused down the defensive turrets. If she could just recover the code from the computers here, they would be able to open holes in the Paragon City defenses were they could strike down those erstwhile oppressors. Violet was determined to show her worth to Arachnos and prove herself worthy.\n\nWith a cry one of her men clutched at his arm. Behind his gang mask she could see the pain in his eyes. Pain that she reached out and drew inside herself by calling on her mutant power. Within seconds he had recovered from his bullet wound and regained his focus. She reached out with her power to all her assembled men and dulled their senses to all pain. She wanted them focused on the task at hand, not worried about the potential harm. After all, she was there to protect them.\n\nThe blaring alarms soon brought forth security. None of Paragon City’s “finest”, but their high-tech weaponry could put a stop to her all the same. She reached into herself, grabbed the pain she had taken from her men, and flung it at her enemies. They collapsed to the ground in agony and her men finished quickly knocked them out. Once they were no longer a threat, she took their pain too. It might prove useful later.\n\nFinally, she reached the control room she had been seeking and let her men lead her in. She was only vaguely aware which systems in the city this room controlled, but that wasn’t her problem. If they wanted their city to run well, they should protect it better. That was the rule the Rogue Isles lived by. Unfortunately, it looked like she was not the only one that felt that way. Sunwraith had apparently just blasted his way through the facility walls to get here. Effective perhaps, but not terribly efficient or smart. She could hear sirens coming through the rather obvious hole. Her fellow villain cackled madly as he looked at her men.\n\n“Well well well, Lady Painstrike,” he said. “Looks like you’re a little late. No worries, you can help me out of here! The heroes should be here soon, but there’s a busy office building next door. Blast a few civvies, disappear in the chaos, and we’re off scot free!”\n\nThe mention of heroes made her lip curl. She hated to miss a chance to repay them, but she was here on a mission. One that didn’t involve things getting messy. She grabbed the well of pain she’d gathered from her men and the security force and threw it at Sunwraith. He cried out in shock and agony, dropping to the ground as her bodyguard rushed forward without needing to be asked. Sunwraith’s flames rippled over the bodyguard’s invulnerable skin, a neat trick that had saved her many times. With a roar Krushev unleashed a massive fist into the villain, throwing him across the room and instantly knocking him out. It would have done much more than that, especially as he hit the wall on the other side of the room, but Violet pulled that pain from him.\n\n“We’ll leave him here for the heroes, that should slow them down,” she told her men. He hadn’t been strong or sane enough to help any other way, Arachnos would appreciate that. “Ditch your gang clothes and spread out. Grab clothes off the lab people if you can and scatter. I’ll contact you when I need you next.”\n\nHer men immediately went to it. She’d earned their trust and they knew she’d take care of them. For her part, she would draw off any heroes that weren’t busy with Sunwraith. She activated her antigravity belt, and leapt out the nearby hole in the wall as fast as she could.", "I saw her dead on the ground and my heart broke. \n\nA life without her wasn’t worth living.\n\nI reached into my robes and drew out a small dark vial.\n\n“Oh Juliet, my love, my light, why has this happened to us?” \n\nWith a dramatic flourish I took a swig and fell to the ground as symbols crashed symbolically in the background.\n\n\nA few seconds later Juliet awoke. “Oh Romeo, my love, why do you sleep?”\n\nShe shook me but I didn’t stir.\n\nRealization slowly crept across her face.\n\nShe screamed and reached to my belt drawing my dagger.\n\nShe drew the dagger high above her head and plunged it deep into her stomach. \n\nThe screams were real this time. This dagger was no prop, and I let a small smirk betray my death.\n\nThe curtains shut rapidly and the lights dimmed to Juliet’s cries. \n\nI quickly drew to my feet and clamped my hand over her mouth. We didn’t want anyone to realize what was actually going on. \n\nTwo ‘stagehands’ rushed into the blackness and assisted me in forcing Juliet through the stage’s trapdoor. We had made sure to soundproof the secret room beforehand. \n\nI dropped down after her and shut the door above me making sure the thick wad of foam on the bottom of the door was secured. It was sure to muffle any screams, cries, or pleas for mercy. \n\nSoon the play’s ‘director’ would give the audience a long speech and I would return to take a bow. Then, we would explain 'Juliet' had to go home sick and everyone would go home happily ever after. Everyone except for maybe Juliet. That was up to her.\n\nI turned on the small light we had installed. \n\n“Ok Marissa, where the fuck is my money?”\n\nMarissa only looked at me with tearful eyes and began to ugly cry even harder.\n\n“Listen to me bitch.” I slapped her across the face and pulled out a second dagger rubbing it across her leg.\n\n“W-what? Who are you?” She managed to choke out.\n\n“You know who I am. Who the fuck else would be collecting his debt?”\n\nHer eyes widened in shock. She had never seen me before in person, but she definitely realized who I was now.\n\n“It looks like you really did a number on yourself, Marissa. Right now, that stab is only a flesh wound and with the proper treatment you’ll forget this ever happened. But- if you just keep bleeding, you might have a problem. So I’ll ask again, where the FUCK is my money?” I was screaming at this point but I didn't feel anger, only pity.\n\nMarissa was clutching her side, still in shock and began to heave. She threw up all over my new shoes.\n\n“M-m-my…my purse is backstage under the orange jacket. I don’t have everything I owe you yet, but just give me a few more days. Please sir. Please…Pl…Ple…”\n\nShe trailed off save for sputtering “Ple” over and over again, almost as if she wanted to keep begging but was too pathetic even for that. \n\nI heard a faint rumbling from above me, the applause was so thunderous it could be heard even from here. That was my cue, and an actor never misses his cue.\n\n“Sorry Marissa, time’s up.” \n\nI cut off her scream as I cut into her neck, then allowed the dagger to clutter to the floor.\n\nLeaving the grisly scene below me, I put one hand over the other and emerged from the trapdoor managing to stand up just as the lights turned on.\n\nEven half of the money Marissa owed me would make sure my family ate well tonight. Young Charles would grow up to be a decent man unlike his father; I’d see to that. Sometimes I hated what I had to do, but an actor always puts on a good show regardless of what he thinks of the producer.\n\nI smiled to the crowd, and with one final flourish I took a bow.\n", "\"Oh no...\" he muttered as he watched the hero arrive to the scene, \"Please, don't hurt me...\" he whispered under his breath as he looked down.\n\nThe hero, a strong man with the ability to control the elements, stood before him, a small child around 10 years old, wearing a simple tee shirt, shorts, hoodie, and sneakers.\n \n\"Why are you doing this?\" the hero asked, taking a step forward.\n\n\"Stay back, please...\" the child warned fearfully and quietly, stepping back, \"I just...\"\n\n\"Just what?\" the hero asked sternly, motioning towards the destroyed forest around him, \"I hear stories of a psychokinetic supervillain, who's known to have killed people and terrorized the town on occasion, obliterating the forest, and its you? A simple child? What reason do you have to do this?\"\n\n\"I... don't know,\" he said, \"My power, it always overwhelms me, and it scares me. I hurt people, and everyone hates me. My own parents don't love me anymore. Now, I can't quit, or I'll have to face the consequences. I want to turn myself in, or just... disappear, but it's just... scary, and I don't want that to happen,\" he says, and the hero looks on in surprise.\n\n\"You're my idol,\" the child goes on, looking up, \"You beat up bad guys to keep everyone safe, and you... you kill them, so they can't hurt people anymore. I've hurt people so much, but... I don't want to die. Please, don't.\"\n\n\"Kid. I have to do this,\" the hero says solemnly, \"I can't let you continue on this path.\"\n\nThe child eyes widen in horror, \"Nonononono please-!\" he steps back shakily, turning to run before the larger man swiftly grabs his wrist.\n\n\"Let go, please! I'll turn myself in, I promise!\" the boy pleads between sobs, pulling on his arm like a younger child at the store.\n\nThe man closes his eyes without a word as a trail of flame swirls around his free hand. Whatever it takes, he thinks.\n\n\"Get away from me!\" the boy yells as the man's grip is forced open and the hero is blasted back in a flash of cyan.\n\nThe hero takes a few moments to get up before staring at the child with a deadly glare. \"Now listen here, brat. My job, my motivation, my existence is based on keeping this town safe, and you're just another obstacle. If you can't stop being a menace to society, I have to put you down like any other scum.\"\n\nThe child winced at every word, shaking in terror at the soon to be fulfilled threat.\n\n\"If you want to continue on with your life,\" he says, \"Then here I am. My job is to take you down no matter what.\"\n\n\"I can't...\" the boy cried.\n\n\"And why not?!\" the hero snapped.\n\n\"You're a human being, I- I can't kill you!\"\n\n\"You're hesitant. That'll be your undoing,\" the hero said as he started making his advance.\n\n\n\n" ]	5
	[WP] You and your family are going on a vacation. You, at this point, are the happiest an 8 year old could be. In an instant, accident strikes your family. You are left to an orphanage where you are led to believe a new family will surely adopt you. Instead, you are overlooked by a mouse, Stewart.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The Slope\n\nClare had seen the sea for the first time at age 1, as the photograph of a toothless, sandy baby in her dad’s wallet could attest. Although impossible, she could remember its lick on her unassured feet while mom was holding her by the hands and slowly guided her steps in the foam.\n\nThey couldn’t recover the photograph from the car wreckage, but 8 years old Clare had insisted, for hours, that it must have been there, somewhere, that they were all mean and stupid. A few days latter, she regretted her harsh words but the firefighters, the policemen and the medical teams were all gone now. They must think, they must know, how wicked she were…\n\nClare tightly hugged her legs, rested her head on her knees and cried. She cried silently, to not alert the other kids, or perhaps because she was too weak now to cry louder than the squeak of a…\n\n… Mouse. The staff had informed her that her new family was waiting for her in the hall. She had timidly followed Mistress Pecky who landed a professional kiss on her forehead, wished her good luck, and left the little girl alone with a white and brownish mouse.\n\n“Good morning, Clare” said the mouse in a tiny voice, “my name is Stewart.”\n\nShe feared the other kid were playing a cruel joke on her, but then Miss Pesky wouldn’t have taken part of it. She curtsied. \n\n“Good morning Stuart, very nice to meet you.”\n\n“We’re really glad you’re coming with us! Now, now, grab your suitcase and follow me, please. We’ll walk.”\n\nThe pebbles crunched loudly under her feet and she was careful not to rush to quickly so the mouse could keep up. He seemed to notice and nodded gratefully. Clare could feel the glare of the children on the back of her neck on their way to the great gates. But not only the laughters from the kids could pierced the walls, they were madly tapping the windows.\n\n“Disgraceful.” Commented Stewart and as he spoke, all the curtains closed and all the shutters clapped in a thunder. Clare turned around and could hear the laughters divolving in shrieks of terror. For the first time in days, she smiled. By her shoe, Stewart scoffed a chuckle.\n\n“Now, now... We’re going to be late for lunch.”\n\nThey passed the great iron gates as the staff rushed to the Orphanage, pulling the doors and the shutters in vain.\n\nLunch would indeed be greatly appreciated. Clare’s stomach protested and she asked:\n\n“Where do you live?”\n\n“In a cottage. It’s not much but I’d like you to think of it as home. There is a garden, we have flowers all year round, two apple trees, chickens and a three-horned cow.”\n\n“It sounds marvellous.”\n\n“Her name is Colonel Avery Fitzpatrick”.\n\n“ I’d like to ask you something, Stewart.”\n\n“Anything, dear.”\n\nFor a few moments, she hesitated then mustered the courage to whisper:\n\n“Wasn’t it… wicked? What happened to the curtains and the shutters at the Orphanage?”\n\nThe path to the cottage winded uphill through a forest. Against the bright blue sky, Clare could discern the brushstroke of a smoke and the upper mouth of a chimney. \n\n“The thing you call “wicked” said Stewart,” do they happen often?”\n\n“... Sometimes.”\n\n“Did something… “wicked” happen to your parents?”\n\nShe didn’t answer, disguising her confused thought under her heavy panting as the slope grew steeper.\n\n“We were going to the sea. I wanted to go to the sea because I couldn’t remember it well...”\n\n“What did you remember about the sea?”\n\nClare stopped, her hands clasped at her sides as she was getting her breath back. The slope had now hidden the chimney smoke.\n\n“I… I remember it was loud.”\n\nThey resumed climbing the hill. The top seemed to stray from them. Stewart had no difficulties crawling the slope, but Clare had now let her suitcase behind and was climbing. Her hands were bleeding. \n\n“I remembered then”, she sobbed, “… in the car… I remember the taste of the water… a wave surprised Mom… I’m drifting away… I’m afraid…”\n\n“It okay, dear. It’s ok” with his tiny paw, Stewart cleared tears from her face.\n\nShe pushed on her foot and continued her ascension as memories cascaded around her. She was no more than two seconds under water. Dad recalled the incident in the car, swearing comically that this time he would guard his baby girl with the mighty fury of a mother hen. They laughed. Two seconds under water, her toothless mouth open, something bad had slipped inside and waited its moment.\n\n“We laughed and then… there was water up to the roof, salty water in the car! My parents, they… they couldn’t breath!”\n\n“Yes”, concluded sadly Stewart. “Wickedness is on the side of those who mean to hurt other, to sadden you, to create something hideous for us to cover from. You didn’t mean to hurt, Clare. There is nothing wicked about you. And you know why I can be so sure?”\n\n“Why?” muttered Clare, her face in the sand.\n\n“Because we have arrived.”\n\nShe raised her head and her entire face was kissed by the gummy and warm nose of a cow. She had three horns. The cottage was bathed in flowers and sunlight. Behind her, the slope had disappeared and the path to the cottage snaked flat across the moor.\n\n“Nice to meet you, Colonel Avery Fitzpatrick!”\n\n“Welcome home, Clare!” answered the cow." ]	2
	[WP] You have a friend that one day dreans of being a time traveller, through 'sending is consciousness back in time'. One day you wake up to loud spontaneous knocking on the door. When you open it, you find your friend in an obvious excitement, repeating the words,"It worked!".	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"It worked, It worked\" Cole said, I did it, I sent my consciousnesses back in time.\nHumouring him I said, \"Look how young we are?\". \"Wow\", this is amazing, so when exactly am I?\" He asked, whilst making copious amounts of eye and face contact to the point where i thought that maybe we should kiss. I then slapped myself internally and said. \"Well you're in the here now, they year of our lord 1998, Its December and you missed my birthday yesterday, you dickhead.\n\"Holy Shit, sorry dude but, oh my god!, I have so much to tell you!\nOK, cool, so did you memorize some lotto numbers then? I replied.\n\"Ahhhhh, no, sorry, didn't expect it to work so didn't think too. Cole replied, but he didn't seem disappointed.\n\"Well future boy, How we gonna get rich then? I asked jokingly.\n\"We need to buy bitcoins, lots of them! He yelled, before getting a blank look on his face, then blood started dripping from his nose, his eyes began to get bloodshot and the pain grabbed his face contorting it into a horrific shape as he fell down, dead. :(\n", "\"It worked!\" Sarah's mouth dropped open. \"Jack?\"\n\n\"Sarah! Nice to see you. Come in, mi casa es su casa.\" She still had a look of shock on her face. \"Sarah?\"\n\n\"After all of this time. I... I...\" she gulped, \"I thought you had already moved.\" She buried her face in her hands. \"I'm not ready yet.\"\n\n\"Ready for what? Sarah, what happened?\" I tried to put a hand out to steady her when her flung her arms around me. \"Hey, it's okay.\" I whispered, holding her tight as she sobbed \"You're going to be alright. Hey there, its okay\" I kept holding her for what seemed like forever until she finally pulled back.\n\nSarah sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes. \"I'm sorry, I was going to be cool and collected. Start off on a good foot. I promised Aaron that I would go see him as soon as I got here, but he's not here yet. And you are.\"\n\nI pulled her inside and sat her on the couch. \"I'm going to make some tea. What flavor do you want?\"\n\nShe gave a blisteringly hot smile. \"I always loved your lavender.\"\n\nI grabbed the tea out of the cupboard, \"With honey?\"\n\nShe let out a strangled gasp. I whirled around to see what had had set it off. There was nothing there. But Sarah refused to meet my eyes. \"Yes, please\" she whispered. I continued to make the tea, slowly stirring the honey into it.\n\nShe accepted her cup of tea and pulled it closer to her chest. I thought I heard her whisper under her breath: \"a little honey for my honey.\"\n\nAfter a couple of sips Sarah seemed to have finally pulled herself together. \"I'm sorry for all this, I really did mean to pull myself together.\" She put her hand up as I was about to speak. \"No, I need to get through this whole thing before I lose my nerve.\" She gently cradled the teacup in her hands. \"I never thought I would see you again, but I thought on what I would say all the time. How I would berate you for leaving me, how I would tell you about everything I missed. Even how I would introduce you to Aaron.\" \n\nI tilted my head in a silent question. \"He helped put me back together,\" she replied. \"After you fell apart. But I never thought I would have to do so to you before I was even your honey.\" She looked up at me through her bloodshot and tearstained eyes and squeezed my hand. \"I'm from the future. One where we married... and you died.\"", "The knocking is aggressive. A bit much really, considering the time.\n\n\"It's two in the morning,\" I say, my eyes still closed. \"Go away.\"\n\n\"Jack! Open the door.\" The voice is shrill, choking with excitement.\n\nOh shit. Rita is on the other side of my paper thin walls, knocking aggressively. Crazy Rita. She probably has something to tell me, some great revelation about existence and our place in the universe. Maybe something about her cat, Jax. That she's decoded his meows and has determined that he has been eating the wrong cat-food this ENTIRE time .\n\nI open the door and am confronted by a disheveled women in ratty pajamas, glasses askew, curly hair matted to her shoulders. \"What do you want, Rita? It's two in the morning for Christ sake,\" I say, frowning.\n\n\"It worked, Jack,\" she says, the words tumbling out like she can't speak fast enough. \"It worked! I did it!\"\n\n\"What is it this time, Rita?\" I say, still frowning.\n\n\"I've traveled back in time! I'm going to be rich! I've unlocked the secrets of physics and the quantum plane and I can bend time to my will!,\" she exclaims, triumphant, her eyes shot through with a manic gleam.\n\nI sigh, then take her hand and walk her back down the hallway to her apartment, where Jax is licking himself in the open doorway. \"That's amazing, Rita,\" I say, guiding her to the couch and sitting her down. \"Truly amazing.\"\n\nI turn on the TV, browsing the channels until I find one where a man walks through a jungle, his gentle voice filled with wonder as the camera zooms in on a bird of paradise. I turn to see Rita sitting there contentedly, Jax now on her lap, softly purring.\n\nWithout a word I walk out of her apartment and close the door behind me.\n\n\"They really need to get rid of day light's savings time,\" I mutter, shaking my head. \"Like clockwork. Every. Fucking. Year.\"" ]	4
	[WP] Most rogues will steal anything that isn't nailed down. Not you though. You only steal things that have been nailed down.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Seriously Cole?!\" The elf hissed at his human compatriot. \"Listen Darrian, this is a premiere dwarven crossbow turret. Do you realize how much gold this is worth?!\" A few paces away from them, the annoying gnome bard that had taken to traveling with them, Don, was tuning his ukulele. \"Cole, we're already stealing that crystal. Do you really want to have to lug both a ballista and statue around?\" Cole thought about it for a few seconds. \"It's not a ballista but fine! We'll just focus on the crystal.\" The rogue put his knife away in its scabbard and started reconnaissance of the next room.\n\nThere was a guard in front of an open chest, which had very shiny contents. Cole dispatched the guard and gave his companions the all clear to advance. As Cole started picking the lock on the next door, Darrian noticed the chest. \"Cole, why didn't you take any of this?\" He said, squatting down to do so. \"You know me, Darrian. I much prefer things that are nailed down. Much more interesting to see an owner's reaction when they notice their ornate, pearl encrusted and gold plated door was stolen than it is to see their reaction when they notice their dragon-scale armor was.\" Don chuckled at Cole. \"Yeah, but you only steal things that are nailed down. Only mindflayers do that.\" Cole finished his work on the door's lock, and slowly opened it. \"Shush, I think we're there.\"\n\nAs the three compatriots entered the room, they immediately saw it. A marble base, with a massive pink crystal on top. \"That's it! The only crystalized Elder Brain in existence!\" Darrian said in awe. \"Okay you two, help me move this thing so we can bring it back to the Sorcerer.\" Cole ordered curtly. \"What about everything else in here? We could make a fortune on the bracelets alone!\" Don said, practically drooling over all the jewelry. \"Don, if you want to lug all of that by yourself, go ahead and take it all. But we are going to focus on getting this gem off this pedestal.\" Cole said, even more curt than before. Darrian piped up before things escalated. \"Cole, I don't think he even reaches half way up the base. Let him take whatever he wants while we get this.\" The human sighed and pulled out his knife. \"Fine, but that means we have to work all the quicker.\" While the gnome worked at nabbing everything that wasn't nailed down, the human and elf worked on doing the opposite. Eventually, they were able to lift the massive thing off the stand. \"Okay, now how do we get out of here?\" Darrian queried. Cole looked at the wall behind the stand and gem. On it was the crest of the house of the current duke of these lands, house Pavus. He noticed the crest was lopsided, almost as if it were covering something. \"Like this.\" Cole said, jamming his knife into the underside of the crystalized brain, sending a psionic blast that took down the wall. \"DAMNIT COLE!\" Darrian shouted, helping him rush the gem outside, with Don (and some guards) right behind them.\n\nEventually, Darrian and Don were able to commandeer a wagon to transport the Brain to their employer, a sorcerer who lived in a cave outside the ruins of the village of Longbridge. \"Ah, excellent! Set it down over there, on that bone table. Excellent!\" He said, sounding almost demented. He handed Don and Darrian some gold, and turned to Cole. \"Are you ready, youngling? You may not survive this with your mind intact.\" Cole, seemingly jumping out of his skin to answer, confirmed he was ready. He turned to his compatriots. \"I have to do this. Just wait outside for me.\" The elf and the gnome exchanged a look of apprehension and then left.\n\nAs the sorcerer used a ritual to temporarily resurrect the Elder Brain, Cole readied himself. As the tentacles dislodged from his nostrils and his jaw, life was breathed into the Elder Brain once again. Cole walked up to it, and probed it with his tentacles, seeking answers to the question that is the existence of a half-mindflayer.", "“What do you mean?” The orc whispered harshly over his shoulder, clearly perturbed at my answer.\n\n“You heard exactly what I said!”\n\nBelrock, the orc standing in the doorway to the room, sighed heavily, dropped his hand down on the shaft of the warhammer that he was carrying, and reached down into the small satchel of items that he had for this exact purpose, then drove one of the many table knives that he carried into the ornate wood of the doorframe, splintering the wood. “Why is that a problem? We’re running low on time here, and I can’t stand here forever, the duke’s going to be making his rounds soon.”\n\nI turned around from the pedestal that had been captivating my attention for the past 30 seconds, and shrugged, flipping the pair of picks that I had used to get into the room over my fingers, trying to put it as bluntly as I could “It’s not nailed down, I can’t take it.”\n\nBelrock tensed up once again, somehow whispering harsher than he had before, “Is this a mental thing? Cause I’m perfectly willing to take this here fork and… You know.. I’ll just take said bracelet myself.”. After driving yet another fork into the doorframe, he stepped forward and reached out to grab the bracelet from its pedestal.\n\nSaid bracelet, as Belrock so bluntly put it, was a prized item owned by the Duke of Hemsworth, and was never referred to as such. Mzrith’s Joy had supposedly had been forged by the great dwarven metalworkers of the Mzrith Mountains hundreds of years ago, and in a fit of rare interracial cooperation, had been blessed by the high elven council. Mzrith’s Joy had been stolen from the elves in a raid by Abbadon the Fearless on his 5th attempt, and the piece of jewelry had been bounced around the underworld for the next couple of decades, when it was picked up by the morally lacking Duke, who saw a piece of power jewelry, then immediately sent it off to stay under lock and key in one of his many safehouses.\n\nFinding the jewelry had taken my team 6 months, Belrock was going to ruin it all if he even breathed on it. Thoughts of spontaneous immolation and hundreds of warnings about magical traps shot through my brain, and I threw my hand out to stop Belrock, hissing a reply at him.\n\nFor his part, Belrock heeded my unspoken warning, settling for glaring intently at Mzrith’s joy instead, no doubt remembering all the warnings I had yelled at him over the past few weeks about the dangers of not touching the enchanted, glowing item of insane magical power right in front of him.\n\nI took a quick glance at the open door behind us, then returned my gaze back to the bracelet, wondering how I could steal an unbound item like that. “It’s not connected to anything… that’s like taking from a church, it sacrilege… the duke obviously doesn’t care for it if Mzrith's Joy isn’t even locked up.”\n\n“What about the locked door that took you 5 minutes to get past? He obviously cares about it if the door took you that long, right?”\n\n“That piece of shit? That’s something I could crack any say of the week, blindfolded!”\n\n“What about the vault that we had to break into to even get the location of this?”\n\n“That was a napkin that we picked up accidentally, in the restaurant of the bank.”\n\nAfter a moment of silence, Belrock’s eyes lit up, and before I could warn against it, he took a length of steel from his satchel of things that he carried around, and pinned the bracelet to the pedestal through one of the holes in its metal surface. I could almost feel my eyes bug out of my head as I scrambled back, all too aware of the repercussions of triggering any of the magic traps that the duke might have had in place. I had barely time to let out a surprised squeak before he was done, and I had hurled myself across the room, almost out of the door.\n\nAfter I noticed that Belrock wasn’t a pile of steaming Orc meat, I made my way to his side, slipping off my gloves to protect them from anything still on the bracelets surface. Belrock grinned at me, then whispered “So… is it pinned now?”\n\nI smiled broadly, then stepped forward to the base of the pedestal, seeing my reflection on it’s burnished gold surface. I reached out and clasped my hands around the metal’s cold surface, then after checking it for normal traps, lifted the bracelet from it's resting place, my voice tinged with excitement.\n\n“Yes… yes it is”", "\"We need to talk.\"\n\nI take a sip. \"Do we?\"\n\n\"Someone proposed to me.\"\n\n\"Ah.\" The drink burns.\n\n\"Is that all you can say?\"\n\n\"I'll say whatever you want me to say, darling.\"\n\n\"Don't call me that anymore.\"\n\nI smile and take another sip.\n\n\"You know,\" she says, \"that it didn't have to be this way.\"\n\n\"Mmm.\" The drink tastes bitter.\n\n\"In fact\" - her eyes lower - \"it still doesn't have to he this way.\"\n\n\"I want you to be happy.\"\n\n\"I want you to be happy, too.\"\n\nI intuitively know I'm supposed to do something. To reach out to her somehow. Reassure her. \n\nBut I don't.\n\nUnderstanding, she draws in a breath and straightens her back. \"You're invited to the wedding,\" she says. \"It's this weekend.\"\n\n\"So soon?\"\n\n\"It's small. We're saving most of the money for the honeymoon.\"\n\n\"Ah.\" Sip. \"Mmm.\"\n\nShe turns and leaves.\n\nThe weekend comes.\n\nLike she says, the wedding is small. Her parents. His parents. A smattering of friends and acquaintances. \n\nThe priest rambles on. \n\nHe says, \"If anyone objects, let them speak now or forever hold their-\"\n\n\"I object.\" I stand and stride up the aisle, squeezing my way in between the two until my back is to him and my face is to her. \n\nI reach into my pocket.\n\nI pull out a box.\n\nA ring box.\n\nI ask, \"Will you marry me?\"\n\nTears in her eyes, she smiles and says yes, throwing her arms around me.\n\nI pick her up and carry her out the venue to my car and we drive off.\n\n\n\n" ]	4
	[WP] Everyone has a psychic power that is regulated by the government, but you haven’t manifested. Agents experiment trying to bring out the ability but, decide to execute you instead when this fails. This awakens a latent ability that allows you to possesses the body of your killer when you die.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "A world where everyone is psychic.. I’m just an average Joe though. I’ve always felt envy about my peers developing their gifts throughout middle school and high school puberty stages from moving pencils with their minds to reading minds. Then there was me, average Joe.\n\n“Hey Joe don’t be so down about your powers man you’ll manifest any day now I bet!”, said Stephen. Stephen had a bad habit of poking around my brain with his psychic power and it was very much uncalled for. I’m the world we live in it’s normal for powers to manifest around age 16. That is the median of psychic puberty it’s sort of like some kids are 6’7 when they are 14, but that’s a bit like a freak of nature. There are middle grounds to this. 18 is considered a late bloomer. Then there’s me, Joe a couple weeks away from my 21st birthday... “Man this is bullshit I’m sick of living without a power, even the kids who can tell what card is on the top of their deck get more girls than I do with that stupid bar trick.”\n\nStephen my roommate had always been a golden child. Reading minds at age 12, he was an unheard of prodigy a Mozart of the psychic world we both fell into. He also was a humbly optimistic pain in the ass. The type to wear bright pink converse with all the confidence in the world.\n\n“Have you heard of that new place down on Main Street the Catalyst laboratory if it really bugs you about not having any powers why don’t you go pay them a visit?”. In a world where not having powers made you an pariah, there was a recently opened up laboratory where they leaked trace amounts of radiation into you in a microwave like machine. “I’m not sure about that man I think I’ll let nature run its course..”.\n\nDrinks all for free , fireball grey goose Hennessy all poured in front of me like candy for a baby. I had gone out to the red light district the most happening place in all of Demus for my 21st. “Yo pour me another one for me and my buddy!”. “Kid you may want to slow down it’s your 21st and unless your psychic power is a tolerance to alcohol you may want to settle up your score.”, said the bartender while effortlessly twirling and swirling his switch cup full of spirits from his right to left hand and behind his back... as if yo taunt Joe.\n\nAt least I thought this was a taunt because I had enough. Reading my mind Stephen tells me “Come on Joe this is bullshit we are going to the Catalyst”, I said “Alright bro whatever you say my guy!”. Off we went and I downed someone’s unattended beer on the way out to keep my nerves.\n\n“Welcome to the Catalyst where we foster all your psychic dreams into realty.” A fancy groomed front seat man in all white said to us. “As you know we are in our clinical trial stage which means you get out service for free today and also here is a shot to sober all the alcohol from your system before you give us consent to treatment.” He administered my buzzkill. I promptly signed the paper. “Let’s do this”, I tell him, “I’ve lived too long without a power”. To which Stephen adds, “That’s about to change though broski!”. More of that infectious optimism I’ve been subject to our entire friendship.”\n\nIn the waiting room with Stephen it seemed like months until finally a nurse comes out and gets us. It’s about 1 am at this point, but luckily this is a 24/7 establishment. “See you on the other side shouts” Stephen as I walk away. I think, “asshole”. \n\n“So what makes you want powers to the extent of an aggressive form of treatment unnaturally like this?” Says the doctor as I step into the machine. “I guess I’m just tired of being Different.” As the machine starts up nothing really happens other than a small amount of pain and nausea. I can see the doc after a few minutes with a look of confusion leaves to get his superior and suddenly the machine kicks into high gear. Melting like a stick of butter left out on a hot day I am in the most excruciating pain I’ve ever been in.\n\nComplete darkness then coming out of the abyss I open my eyes. Why am I in the waiting room staring down at bright pink shoes?", "\"No effect. Requesting instructions.\"\n\nA single bright line of light shined down into Gary's eyes. It did not sway like an old light bulb in a noir film but was stuck there in space, luminescent and as bright as the sun. They'd had it pointed right at his face the entire time. Did they really need to point it right at his face?\n\nHe heard the now familiar buzz of radio chatter.\n\n> Confirm, there has been no activation? None?\n\nGary had no idea what it was they wanted from him. At first, before the beatings had begun, he'd suspected that the government had found out about his torrenting. How trivial that possibility now seemed, now that he was missing the fingernails on his left hand, and fingers on his right. They never asked questions - just administered suffering, waited, and administered suffering once again. \n\nOne of the two voices that were his terrible companions during this ordeal, spoke somewhere in the darkness. The light made it impossible to see either of them, beyond the pale skin of their indifferent hands, reaching in from oblivion to administer and administer again. \n\nThe invisible radio, somewhere out there beyond the light, clicked and buzzed. The voice on the other end must have hesitated because the radio buzzed for a long time. \n\n> Fine. Terminate the subject and report back.\n\nGary had the strangest feeling, just a sneaking suspicion, that he might be the \"subject.\" Terminate left very little to the imagination, at least sitting here, on the other end of an eternity of torment. \n\n\"Copy.\" \n\nGary tried to take a deep breath, forgetting in his weakened state that his ribs, at some point, long ago it seemed, had been broken. He could not even remember how. \n\n\"Let's get this over with,\" said the other voice, a little higher pitched, \"this whole thing is rubbing me the wrong way.\" \n\nThe lower pitched voice chastened the higher pitched one, \"what's wrong, Max, you gonna have trouble sleeping tonight?\" \n\nThe higher pitched voice, called Max, almost yelled back, \"You said my name! What the hell, man, he could be listening.\"\n\n\"Did you just hear the commander? We're about to kill him, Max. Maxwell Panner, from Brockville Illinois.\"\n\n\"Shut up.\"\n\n\"Why don't you give him your social - what the hell difference does it make?\"\n\n\"Just do it, you asshole.\" \n\n\"You do it.\"\n\n\"I'm not getting another drop of blood on my hands,\" the higher pitched voice said, and it seemed to Gary that he could hear footsteps and then the opening and closing of a door. A moment of silence passed and then there was only the Gary, the low-pitched voice, the light, and the darkness. \n\n\"My buddy there is afraid of you, I think,\" the low pitched voice said, taking a couple of slow steps, \"thinks your bad voodoo or something, cause you ain't got power.\" \n\nIn the back of Gary's mind, he tried to formulate a response, but when he attempted to move the broken bones of his jaw he was answered only by blinding pain.\n\nThe low pitched voice continued, \"me, on the other hand - I ain't afraid of no freak - and I ain't afraid to kill no freak.\"\n\nA click-clack of metal on metal echoed in the shadows, beyond the light, and Gary thought it sounded like a sound cue from one of the video games he used to enjoy playing, back when he was just a college drop out torrenting B-movies and smoking weed like there was no tomorrow. Before he was a broken half-corpse on a gurney suspended in the dark.\n\nIt sounded like a gun.\n\n\"The pleasure has been all mine,\" the low pitched voice said, and for just the briefest of moments, the single bright light had a small, explosive companion beside it.\n\nGary was pitched into darkness.\n\n******\n\nGary awoke on a cold floor. His head ached terribly and he found it difficult to coordinate the movement of his arms and legs. Everything seemed out of whack somehow. He assumed that was because he had been beaten so severely, and yet, nothing seemed to hurt aside from his brain. There was no pain in his extremities, it was just that nothing worked right. \n\nHe struggled for a while to get his legs underneath him, pushing up with jerky motions of his arms and hands. As he struggled to get his palm flat against the floor, he brushed up against something cold and metallic. Bright light above shone down in part on the floor and Gary saw that the object looked like a pistol. \n\nAfter another half minute of struggle, Gary managed to get to his feet, gripping the silvery metal legs of a table or bed, pulling himself up to standing. When he was finally up, the single very bright light was shining almost directly in his eyes, and instinct shot his arm out and moved it away. It swung on a metal arm, attached to the ceiling, and came to a stop, projecting a bright circle forebodingly on a far wall. \n\nGary shook his head to get the cobwebs out and tried to assess the room. It was dark, but for the distant, focused beam of light and his eyes were having trouble adjusting. \n\nHe reached out in front of him, looking for something to lean on. One hand found a hard cot, the other what felt like a still warm leg or arm, wet with hot liquid. Gary turned and looked into the darkness, and as his eyes focused, he saw a body there, obscured by shadow. Butterflies fluttered in a growing frenzy in Gary's guts as he reached up for the metal arm of the light, and spun it around slowly, the beam crawling across the darkened tiled walls, further and closer, until at last it found the target of Gary's macabre, improbable investigation —\n\nGary screamed at the sight of his own mutilated corpse, falling backward and shuffling up against the far wall. He screamed again when he heard the low-pitched resonance of his voice - not his* voice and yet the voice that was coming out of his throat.\n\n\"What the hell is happening?\" Gary yelled into the darkness.\n\nAnother figure raced in through the doors, spilling light into the room. He was holding a pistol in two hands and he scanned the darkness briefly, averting his gaze at the sight of Gary's corpse and then turning toward Gary huddled against the wall on the floor. \n\n\"What the hell are you doing, Larry?\" The higher pitched voice called Max put his gun away and reached for a light switch on the wall. He flicked it and the room filled with halogen glare. \n\nGary saw Max's face for the first time. Balding and brown-eyed, with a hawkish nose and defined wear lines on the edge of his mouth and eyes. He wore a dark black, well-fitted suit with a white shirt and black tie. As he looked down toward Gary, Max crossed his arms and shook his head, laughing meanly. \n\n\"Well look at you, Mr. bigshot murderer. Scared, Larry? You look upset. You feeling OK, Larry.\"\n\nGary fumbled for any words at all. He saw the gun beneath the gurney his own corpse rested on and considered leaping for it. But he could still hardly make his arms and legs move.\n\nMax had no patience. \"Eh, the hell with you Larry. Make me feel like an asshole.\" Max went over toward the gurney, pulling a sheet up over Gary's body first, and then bending down to get the pistol. Shaking his head, he dropped it in Gary's lap and made for the door. \"Take a second, you dickhead, and then meet me outside.\" He looked back toward Gary's covered body one more time, \"hell of debrief this is gonna be. I got my daughter's confirmation tomorrow for Christ's sake, and they got me doing this tonight.\" He turned to leave, \"I don't get paid half enough for this.\"\n\nGary sat there in the silence of the room as the door slammed shut. He caught a glimpse of his large, pale hands. They were covered in blood. His blood. Then he wept in utter confusion.", "Creeps and weirdos. Only the forlorn and the destitute occupy this row of cells, the smell of human waste so thick it's almost visible, tendrils of piss and shit and vomit wafting through the bars and collecting beneath the low ceiling, in this place where no-one cares.\n\nI've been here some time now, just another weirdo consigned to death, unable to demonstrate my uniqueness. There is no place for us in this noble and great society, where individuals are classified according to the power they manifest.\n\nNot us down here. Not Jack, a few feet to my right, who ran from the law for decades - his only goal in life to be a father - but who was caught nonetheless and now awaits his fate like the rest of us, long past caring.\n\nThe cell doors open and a bright beam of light sweeps the dark recesses of the cell, the wardens holding scented cloth to their mouths, gagging from the stench.\n\n\"You,\" the man holding the flashlight says, pointing at Jack. \"And you,\" he says, the beam of light resting squarely on my chest. \"It's time.\"\n\nJack crumples into a little ball, his frail frame folding in on itself. I lean towards him. \"It's okay, Jack,\" I whisper, my hand resting on the tattered remnants of his shirt. \"It's all over soon,\" I say, extending my hand towards him. He takes it with a whimper, and the two of us, creeps and weirdos both, walk out of the cell towards death, smiling for the first time in months.\n\nThe room is a drab grey, an elevated slab of concrete in the middle of the room the only thing of note. The raised dais on which we will exit this cruel, shit-strewn world. Fitting.\n\nRough hands push me to the side and hold me against the wall. \"Your friend dies first,\" a man whispers, his voice dripping with glee. A Thought-Raider maybe, or a Mind-Flayer. It is hard to know the power each person contains, but these types usually go into law enforcement, where they can get off on the pain of others. The ones in this room will feed off of Jack's terror as he dies.\n\n\"Be brave, Jack,\" I say, earning myself a sharp thud, my mouth filling with a metallic taste. I turn to the side and spit out a jagged, broken tooth, hoping that Jack has the strength to deny the guards their twisted pleasure. No-one cares about the weirdos and the creeps. This is where we go to die. \n\nI watch as Jack is pressed to the cold hard slab. As one by one his limbs are broken. They want me to feed off of his pain, to soak in the fear and his screams - for he is screaming now - shrill and piercing and loud, echoing through the doorway and down the hallway lined with cells, the other prisoners hunched over and trying to ignore, to forget, to expand their minds into places where the blue sky shines.\n\nThey toss Jack's limp body to the side, his mouth open, shit and piss and blood pooling around the concrete dais. The guard's eyes roll back into their heads and their bodies shiver. Jack's death was deeply pleasurable. His screams exquisite. His last gasps evoking powerful waves of sensation.\n\n\"Your turn,\" the guard who hit me says, his eyes glossed over, his expression contorted in a macabre grimace, desperate for more. \"You'll die just as well as him.\"\n\nBones crush and spine splinters and mind melts but I do not scream. Warm blood on a cold surface. Pain from the outside in and the inside out, fiery tendrils like my nerves are dipped in a white hot furnace, pressed and held against it. Like the roots of my teeth are exposed to an ice pick which chips away, tooth by tooth. I see the hammer come down and then I'm standing above my emaciated corpse, hammer in hand.\n\nI don't think. I swing left and then right and the two other guards crumple to the floor. I smash the hammer down into the one guards head, the one who hit me. I swing again and again. I smash until I'm covered in blood and his brain is pulp, oozing to mix with the other human excrement on the floor.\n\nI sob quietly, cradling Jack in my arms. After a time I set my shoulders and stand, leaving Jack's body where it lies.\n\nI know what I am now. I will always be a weirdo and a creep, and I will bring this world down around me." ]	4
	[WP] They thought you were the chosen one, the only one who can save the world, but you don't believe in stupid cliches. You should have listened...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The world ended not with a bang, but with a whimper.\n\nThere really wasn't much to be done about it. Everyone had seen it coming and they'd prepared as best they could. They'd built contingencies upon contingencies, come up with fallbacks, built deep-ground vaults, and generally tried as many desperate gambits that the brightest minds on Earth could conjure. The problem, they found, was that they weren't you.\n\nIn the end, Earth was lost. Humanity took to the stars for one last grasp at survival. A final roll of those cosmic dice to determine our fate.\n\nYou saved us, then. Weighted those dice so they landed in our favour. You'd watched the world crumble, sat in dusty rooms as the power ran out, wells ran dry and the Earth shook itself into ruin. Your head was so crammed full of denial, of self-loathing and self-pity, that right up until the very end you insisted that they'd been wrong when they told you our fate rested upon your shoulders. \n\nAnd we hated you for it.\n\n...\n\nIt wasn't really fair of us, was it? To put the world on your shoulders like that.\n\nIn the end, when there were but a few of us left, being shuttled back and forth up out of the well and into the living cities that orbited our dying planet, you came back to us. Told us that you'd made a mistake, and that you knew it was too late, but you wanted to see what you could do about it.\n\nI remember that day so clearly.\n\nThe seldom-seen gap of blue in the cloud cover. The smell of the unwashed refugees of Earth huddled under lean-to's, putting all their weight against the rough-shod metal to prevent the wind from whipping it flat and crushing those that sheltered beneath it. The feel of the Earth rattling our bones more and more frequently. The death throes of an entire world. Death was in the air, and hope was soon running out. One final shuttle landing, and then Earth was to be abandoned for good.\n\nI remember fighting tooth and nail against you. What gave you the right to march up out of nowhere, and ask for a ride? How could you ask to be saved when you'd so thoroughly doomed us all? It was a good thing that the decision was not mine to make that day, because I'd have left you with all the other unfortunate souls. But Grayson... he'd seen something new in your eyes that I hadn't.\n\nAs the shuttle landed, and the last few hand-picked survivors marched their way on board, rags replaced with pressure suits and survival supplies, I could see Grayson in the distance still. He stood apart from the other witnesses in their shelter and there was no mistaking him. His posture spoke of the intensity with which he'd lived his life and managed his command. It spoke of the same surety in his decision that he had with all of them.\n\nI looked to the back of the line, and in his suit stood you. I hated you then, more than I'd hated anything. But I loved him. So I let you board even though I couldn't meet your eyes when you tried to catch mine.\n\nWith everyone safely locked in, I climbed through the shuttle and into the co-pilot seat, ready to burn hard away from home for the last time. In the commanders chair, instead of the man I'd trained and grown with, you sat and gave the command to take off as if you'd be born to lead. Hard eyes behind a hard visor.\n\nOf course once we'd rendezvoused with the rest of the fleet just outside of Jupiter, people were pissed. Grayson hadn't told anyone of his decision - there hadn't been time to, and communications between the fleet and Earth were shoddy at the best of times. So instead of one of the most brilliant leaders humankind had ever produced for what was to be the hardest journey we'd ever made, we had you.\n\nYou had your detractors immediately. People calling for you to be thrown out of an airlock, unknowingly arguing for their own slow deaths. But in the slow journey to rejoin the rest of humanity, you developed your supporters among our shuttle. Me chief among them. I still hated you, for your denial of your birth and the opportunity it bore us, for you being the reason my love had to die, but Grayson's last decision had to mean something, I had to make it mean something. So I championed you instead. Once we arrived, I got you an audience with the final leaders of humanity.\n\nAnd you had a plan.\n\nIt was a stupid plan, but it was a plan. \n\nThe Others that had contacted us, that had warned us that the technology we had developed was inherently unstable, that had warned us of our lemming-like destruction of our home, had left a little clue in their messages. A clue so alien that a human brain couldn't have deciphered it. But, your brain wasn't all human, was it? The last of your line, introduced here thousands of years ago. A contact in case things went really awry for us.\n\nCo-ordinates in the deep of space. \n\nThe only issue, of course, was that this was a one-way journey. And you wanted us to go the \\_wrong\\_ way. I've never seen such anger as I had in the war room that day as you tried to convince everyone to abandon the plan we'd spent a decade making and preparing for. You asked us to trust you. Trust the person we'd been told could save us and instead had let us fall to the brink of extinction. It wasn't a battle we'd win. But you fought it nonetheless, and you gained yourself just enough sway to do what you needed.\n\nWhen the splinter fleet broke off I thought there'd be a final war to kill us all. We had just committed a betrayal so intense it was a miracle they didn't just nuke us without blinking. Instead they let us go, a small handful of ships that would barely be able to survive the journey we had plotted in. But those of us that had remained, we had faith. Some of us, anyway.\n\nIt was a long, perilous journey through the dark of space. Through it all you maintained our hope. Our hope of finding The Others who'd given us that final life-line.\n\nWhen we finally came upon that space station, to join a galactic community of species, the introductions happened through you. Only you were capable of it, and you knew that. You shepherded us into a new beginning for our species, a chance to start afresh and to operate on a scale we never had before. To interact with other intelligent beings and show ourselves capable of a co-operation we didn't know we were capable of. It's often said through the channels that we're a pessimistic species. But you knew better, eh?\n\nI'm going to miss you, friend. Now that you're gone. Who's going to be our champion?\n\nReally, I don't blame you anymore. It must have been hard to come to terms with what you were. With the power you'd been gifted in your genes. Your brain, the only brain, that could have solved many of the problems we were facing. I'd have denied it too. I remember, in those rare moments we got alone, how often you'd say \"Why me?\"\n\nWho else could it have been? I can't imagine it being anyone but you.\n\nYour journey among us has come to an end now. Today, you start your final voyage among the stars. And we thank you for giving us one final opportunity to outgrow ourselves. I thank you. For saving all of us. For saving me.\n\nI have to go now, your final audience awaits us.\n\nI'll see you soon." ]	2
	[WP] The gods are raging war, you can feel the blasts from the other side of the world, sounds come from the bottom the building, they are getting closer, just an other 2 minutes for the microwave to finish, you take out your weapons out, you will eat that darn burrito no matter what	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I'm standing at the microwave, my back to the bullpen. Fifty desks there are unattended, as the inhabitants of the small cubicle farm are all bunched up around several large monitors streaming news at the other end of the open office space.\n\nThe hum of the microwave and my food turning around inside are filling my senses right now, as I try to drown out the news.\n\nA jolt like an earthquake--no, not \\like\\ and earthquake, I remind myself--snaps me out of my forced reverie.\n\n\"Goddammit, two more minutes,\" I grumble.\n\nNo one hears me, despite the silence, as the screens are filled with the screams and the destruction of a continent most of us have only seen in National Geographic.\n\n\"Yuan, are you watching this?\" a voice says.\n\nTammy has emerged from her office, probably streaming the same stuff on her office machine. Now she gets caught in the glow of the bullpen wall and goes to it like all the rest, moths to the flame.\n\nI know what's on the TV, have seen it coming for years. In fact, I tried to get someone's attention about it weeks ago. Filed a report. Had an interview with upper management. Even started making travel arrangements.\n\n\"I don't think we're going to need you on this one,\" was the final word on the matter. Some mid-level pencil-pusher did some math, and the official position was that there were not enough beans in the jar to warrant \"one more gun in the fight\" whatever that means.\n\nThirty seconds left on my burrito.\n\nAnother shockwave goes through the building. Someone screams--then stops, almost embarrassed to be frightened of what could potentially be the end of the world.\n\nAnd why would they be? This isn't the age of fear, the age of apocalypse and the end of the world. It's the Age of Heroes! Super-powered individuals make up more than a percent of a percent of the world's population now!\n\n\"And they're aaaaaaaaaall good guys,\" I often throw out in conversations, because incredibly this thought has not been articulated enough to the masses.\n\nI mean, Exhibit A, look at where we are today: we're experiencing seismic reactions more than twelve thousand miles from the epicenter of the interaction of--another tremor shakes the building.\n\n\"More than twelve thousand miles from the two IDIOTS involved!\" I articulate, taking a breath to start ranting about it--but breaking off when the microwave starts dinging. \"Saved by the bell!\"\n\nPlate in hand, steaming burrito cooling before me, I finally turn and start surveying the monitors myself. The reporters keep having to switch source feeds as the shockwaves have fallout they weren't expecting: tidal waves, tornadoes, etc. Finally, just as I'm taking a very satisfying bite of beans and cheese, one of them gets a crystal clear shot of the two idiots in question.\n\nI freeze, mouth full, and mentally curse my luck.\n\nIt's The Metatron.\n\nDammit. Of all the crazed lunatics that could be terrorizing the Pacific Rim.\n\nI glance wistfully at the rest of my burrito and realize that it's sitting on a desk now. I have no recollection of setting it down, of drawing my sword, of unfurling my wings.\n\nI spend an extra second or two doing mental math, trying to justify finishing eating, but my legs are already moving.\n\nIn another moment, the eighth floor window explodes outward, and I'm airborne.\n\nTwo seconds later, a sonic boom announces my departure.\n\nI'm still thinking about the burrito.\n\nThis jackass had better be worth it." ]	2
	[WP] In a post-apocalyptic city, you and your friend discover at a young age that she can make her wishes come true, but at a cost to those around her. One day you wake up to find she has disappeared, and a group of 70 and counting has been found dead.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“I wish I had noticed sooner, I could have done something, I could have done anything.” These were the only words on my mind as I ran for my life, the pain in my chest was getting worse and it didn’t help that I was out of shape. Everyone was staring at me but that was the last thing on my mind, now that I think about it I probably looked really ugly crying and sweating like that as I ran through the streets to reach her house. That ugly old shack where we used to play when my parents deemed it safe enough to go out, the place where I realized I was in love, the place where she told me that she wanted... I can’t believe I didn’t take it seriously. “Idiot! Idiot!! Idiot!!!”\n\nThe pain felt like a void and it was getting hard to breath but I was beginning to think that it wasn’t just a good exorcise, I was beginning to think my guess was right. After all not a single body still had a heart inside their chest. “You should have been there damnit!” I finally arrived and broke the window not like her recently deceased parents would mind. I ran though to the back yard and began digging beneath the mutated tree.\n\n“Where is it, it has to be here somewhere!” I finally found the old rusted lockbox dinged up just like I remembered and inside was a letter addressed to me.\n\n“I’m sorry, I know you maybe hurt to hear it but I just can’t anymore. Trust me after a week the pain will go away and you can live happily once again. I would ask you to tell everyone goodbye for me but I know now that no one will miss me.\n\nPs. I loved you” It was bittersweet to read the last part but it was quickly washed away as I fell over clutching the paper closely to my chest. “You idiot, we all missed you... every.. last... on...” I could feel my heart disappear from my chest, it was too hard to move anything. So I decided maybe I will close my eyes and hoped I could tell her the truth when I saw her." ]	2
	[WP] In a land of magic and knowledge, you are a thief who has mastered the unnoticable spell. Which, unlike invisibility, renderes you unable to be noticed. This has gained you a fair fortune, until you walk into a bank, unnoticeable, and a young woman is staring at you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "This is going to be a simple job, I kept telling myself. How can I get caught, if they can't notice me? It wasn't the first time i was doing this, it always worked, however the nervousness had overrun my body like an army of bees, trying to sting me. At this moment even breathing was hard. My heart kept pounding faster and faster. It is a piece of cake, I reassured myself. And I started casting the ritual. The feeling of numbness started to fade away, my heart rate slowed down and I could breathe normally again. \n\nI was walking towards the door of the bank now. I slipped through the door behind an old lady and no one seemed to notice my presence on the building as usual. I walked towards a cashier, I entered her booth and started searching for a key. I didn't know what i was expecting to find there, but I had all the time in the world to try to open the safe. I was right behind the cashier, opening drawers and looking through stuff. She was just helping a middle-aged guy, who apparently had his credit card stolen. Then she turned towards me and my feet went cold. She looked right through me, like i wasn't even there. She got some papers next to her and continued talking to the guy in front of her. My search there was a waste of time, I had to find the office of the bank manager. And then I saw her. A young woman, probably in her mid twenties, dark hair, slim, wearing a black dress and high heels and stunning green eyes. She was looking towards me, staring me, following my every move. She didn't look troubled, or at least not as troubled as me. I tried to talk, express my confusion, i was muttering, the only thing I managed to say was a single word. \n\n\"How?\" \n\n\"Hello to you, too.\" \n\n\"I ... How can you see me?\" \n\n\"I caught you red handed and that's all you say?\" \n\n\"I actually didn't commit any crime.\" \n\n\"We both know that you were about to do so.\"\n\n\"So what are you going to do? Catch me? I warn you, i have many tricks up my sleeve, you don't want to fight me.\" I tried to be as convincing as I could, because I didn't really knew any other spell. \n\n\"I can see through your cheap trick, and you are trying to scare me. I can probably assume that this is one of the few spells you know. But fortunately for you, I'm not here to fight you. Actually I am here to rob the bank myself, so let me show you how it's done.\" \n\nThen she made a swift motion with her hands, murmured something and disappeared from my sight. When I arrived at the safe, the only thing there was a note. A note from her. \"Too late.\" I read, and then smiled. \n\n\"Such a charming woman.\"", "She waves at me. Nobody else seems to notice. \"Well, that is awkward\", she smirks at me from across the room.\n\"What do we do? Do we fight? 50/50?\" \nI am not a fighter, so i just ignore her and head to the vault. \"Hey, you. I know you can see me.\" Walking past her i see, she is as unarmed as me. I am climbing over the counter and dodging the customers weaseling around it. \"HEY!\", she is shouting now and running towards me. I feel her hand on my shoulder shaking me. \n\n\"I know what you are up to. And 'Unnoticable' doesnt work on people affected by it. I know you can see me.\"\n\nI am over the counter now, and around the corner. I look around, even if the guard wont notice me, they notice the moving door of the safe. I hear steps. \"You DO notice me, right?\" She whispers with what sounds like tears in her eyes. \"I.. I used the spell correctly? Noone else can notice me? Screw that book. I thought the instructions were clear\". She started crying even more and had panic in her voice. \"This is so typical. Why did i not listen to my teacher\". She slowly left the hallway \n\nI understand her, if some thing goes wrong when using the spell, you can not controll how long you go unnoticed. For a day? For a week? For twenty years? \n\nI almost feel bad.\n\nBut do i look like someone who shares the treasure?" ]	3
	[WP] You are a fifty year old man and have been in a relationship with a woman for over twenty years but you forgot her name after your first date with her (twenty years ago). Too embarressed to ask her you've been surviving for thirty years, by calling her nicknames.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Hey, what’s your name again honey?” I asked cautiously, \n“What was that sweetie?” My wife asked. This isn’t going to be fun. We were high school sweethearts who never had a reason to use each other’s normal boring names, and they aren’t lying when they tell you that time flies. Thirty years of marriage and I don’t think I ever caught her name at all. Have I been living a lie? Does this mean we were never in love? Does it mean our love is stronger, like we’re on something more than a first name basis? I just have to do it, no matter what the consequences are. This could even be the start of a new life for me. Who knows? “Never mind, just a stupid joke. I’m gonna go hit some golf balls out back.” I am a small coward. I turn to the door. \n“Have fun sunshine man. Oh, and one quick thing?” She says hesitantly. “It’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now actually.” \n“Oh? What’s that honey bear?” \n“Well... what’s your real name? It’s like we’ve been using pet names for such a long time, I think I just forgot!” She said lightly, like she was telling an inside-joke. I was wrong. This may be fun after all. \n" ]	2
	[WP] You awaken in a world identical to your favorite video game and are told you are its only hope. You have no magic powers, superhuman reflexes, or special abilities, but you have one great advantage: you’re a professional speed runner, and you know every glitch and exploit in this world.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I awoke to the wind on my face, and grass on my back. I wasn't sure how I got here, but I knew where I was:\n\nIt was a game I played, and I currently held the record time: 21 minutes, 57.8 seconds.\n\nIt wasn't long before I heard a voice:\n\n\"Brave Hero, long have we awaited your arrival, now you-\" I cut it off there, and ran at the nearest tree with three branches (it HAS to be three exactly, not sure why). I simply jumped between branches two and three with a backflip, and before I knew it I was flying through the sky, about 135m above the ground.\n\n\"What the actual fu-\"\n\nI ignored it, and angled myself about 90 degress down, pointing northeast, and upon impact with the ground, I had clipped through the floor, and had entered floor 88 out of 99, in the treasure room, specifically.\n\nIt was around this point that the voice had simply stopped screaming, and I could focus now.\n\n\"Alright, what the actual hell was THAT?!\"\n\n\"The Three Branch Clip, obviously.\"\n\nI was currently in the middle of pushing the chest, now relieved of its Boots of Running and Jumping, towards a corned with a skull in it. Once that was out of the way, I simply placed the chest on it's side, crawled into it, closed it, and jumped, forcing through a wall, leading to floor 93 of 99.\n\nAt this point, the real challenge begins." ]	2
	[WP] An ancestor of yours started a tradition of burying their dead with tree seeds. You have a unique ability to be able to see and talk to your ancestors in the trees... which was great as a kid, but is weird when you take your new girlfriend on an outside date.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I tried to ignore them but I couldn't. How stupid of me to think this would be an easy walk. I should have known better.\n\n\"Are you OK Will?\" Sandra said.\n\n\"Yes of course. Are you chilly, would you like my jacket?\"\n\n\"You're sweet.\"\n\nI removed my blue jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. I heard the rustling beside us and knew that it was not the wind.\n\n\"That's sweet Willard. You're just the picture of perfection. You think so highly of yourself, don't you?\"\n\n\"Willard. Do you think you'll be lucky with this girl, Willard?\"\n\n\"Do you deserve her, Willard? Do you deserve her after what you have done?\"\n\n\"Um, Sandra, would you like to go back to town?\" I asked.\n\n\"Already? But we only just arrived! I thought you were going to show me your cabin in the woods. You said you built it all by yourself. It sounds so dreamy.\"\n\n\"I... well, I did want to show you, but. Isn't it getting quite cold? It's growing dark as well.\"\n\n\"Nonsense. I'm peachy, Will. Let's us keep going. I would love a warm cabin. And a nice boy to snuggle.\"\n\n\"Oh Willard. She wants to snuggle with you. Little does she know your murderous intent.\"\n\n\"I'm not!\" I snapped impatiently.\n\n\"What?\" said Sandra in surprise. \"Why did you say that?\"\n\n\"It's nothing, Sandra. Sorry, just nerves. I'm thinking too much. You know, about, um. About the cabin.\"\n\nThe brief urgency that inhabited Sandra's face dissipated and she warmed to me.\n\nShe said, \"Let's not worry about that. It's a nice stroll through this forest. Such large trees! You know, sometimes I wonder if they whisper, but it's the wind in the branches.\"\n\nIf only she knew. My secret was mine, and I could not share it with her. But I knew that the wind was only a front--the trees could talk, but only I understood them. They were my blood. Grown from the bodies of my deceased relatives buried here over many generations. I knew them well. Perhaps I knew them too well.\n\nWe continued down the path toward the cabin. Meanwhile, Sandra continued to admire the rustling wind. And I continued to hear it.\n\n\"Poor girl.\"\n\n\"Yes, poor girl. Willard, you are a monster. How is it that you are our descendant and we your forebears? A travesty to be sure.\"\n\nI fumed under my skin, and Sandra must have noticed because she released my sweating hand. I wiped it on my shirt front.\n\n\"Willard turn back. Don't take her to that sacred place, defaced by your incredulous narcissism. You are a murderer.\"\n\nThe moment Sandra yawned I snapped at the trees beside me, \"I'm not, shh!\"\n\n\"Will.\"\n\n\"Yes, Sandra?\"\n\n\"What is that?\"\n\nI looked forward through the bushes.\n\n\"That's the glade. My cabin is there.\"\n\n\"Wonderful!\"\n\nWe walked around the last bend in the forest path.\n\n\"The wind is really picking up,\" remarked Sandra as we mounted the stoop to the cabin's entrance. I turned scornfully at the trees lining the glade. I said, \"yes, it's quite an unbearable din.\" She looked at me lopsided as I opened the door and we went in.\n\n\"This is Sandra,\" I said aloud, and caught myself immediately so that I omitted the final 'a' of her name.\n\n\"What?\" she said. \"Who are you talking to?\"\n\n\"Oh, me? You know, just nerves.\"\n\nShe allowed it with a shrug. \"Ok, I guess.\"\n\nI invited her to sit on the bed, the only piece of furniture apart from a bedside table and big ironclad clothing trunk. On the walls were a few miscellaneous items, and an ax.\n\n\"What solid walls you have,\" she said jokingly.\n\nI chuckled aloud. I reached out to the rough timber of the door and rested my hand on it carefully.\n\n\"Sandra?\"\n\n\"Yes,\" she replied. And then, \"Wow it's so blustery outside. And actually there must be a strong draft because I feel it in here, too.\"\n\nI lowered my head, and slowly let my hand fall from the wall.\n\n\"Sandra, you know I live with my uncle?\"\n\n\"Yes of course, we, I mean, I know. Well everyone knows, Will. What happened to your parents was just a tragedy. No one can blame them, the other driver was--\"\n\n\"--yes, I know, I know that,\" I said. \"Sandra I really like you.\"\n\n\"I like you too.\"\n\n\"I know we've only just started going steady, but we've known each other for a while. I just... I wish my parents could meet you.\"\n\nSandra looked a bit uneasy, but she adjusted her position on the bed, and said, \"I do too, Will.\"\n\nThere was a strong gust that could not have been a draft. Sandra took fright, and reflexively gathered the blanket to her chest.\n\nI turned back to the wall, the floor, the ceiling. \"Thanks mom, I'm glad you think so.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n/r/velabasstuff" ]	2
	[WP] The spirits of Halloween past, present, and future are summoned to help restore a goth teenager's faith in Halloween.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"BOO!\" shouted an annoying little boy dressed as an Avenger.\n\nDamien didn't even flinch as he blew smoke from his cigarette at the offensively tiny Hulk. He pushed past the child and his mother. \"Bah. Grow up, kid.\"\n\n\"Hey!\" The mother growled. \"Don't treat him like that!\"\n\n\"Hulk Smash!!\" The little one yelled at the mean stranger.\n\n\"Maybe go play in the street, and decrease the surplus population,\" Damien retorted as he took another drag. The mother's mouth hung open, as she picked up her little green man and hurried away down the sidewalk.\n\nDamien scowled as he made his way to his house. Everywhere were the plastic trappings of the 21st Century's version of Halloween. Warty witches with spastic hair and frayed brooms. The wrappers of overpriced candy mingled in the wind with dead leaves. GMO pumpkins sat on every porch. Some of them weren't even made of plant--just a polystyrene mold of a jack-o-lantern. And obscene concentrations of fake blood and leisurely tossed bones everywhere from skeletal systems that distorted human physiology to such a point, it wasn't even recognizable as a symbol of mankind's mortality anymore. What a disgrace.\n\nDamien found himself on his front stoop. His mother had hung a garish HAPPY HALLOWEEN sign on the door, with a badly drawn gobin's head as the O. It was the stupidest thing he had ever seen, with the added unwanted result of drawing in Trick or Treaters anytime now. And how kind of her to be out for the evening, expecting Damien to deal with them all. The teen could not hate her more, as he ground his cigarette under his boot. When he looked back up, the goblin's face was changed. It was no longer the crude snarling cartoon visage of before, but now... He could swear it looked just like his friend Maddox. \n\n\"Damien!\" the face called, its voice hollow and echoing. \n\nThe teen hollered and fell back from the door, not understanding. As his vision refocused, all he saw was the same ugly little goblin. \"Bah. Grow up, Damien,\" he spat at himself. He walked inside, not bothering to turn on a light. Nothing new ever happened around here. He knew the layout of the house and shuffled in the dark to his room. He crested the stairs, his room at the end of the hall.\n\n\"DAMIEN!\"\n\nThe surly adolescent swore as he jumped. It was, without a doubt, Maddox. His friend that had tragicly died last year. The youth had been hanging out at their gang's favorite cemetery, as he dropped acid and tripped into an open grave. Damien could hardly believe his eyes. He knew it was Halloween. He knew his peers liked to play pranks. But no one he knew was capable of this. It was too good, too real. It was THE Maddox, floating above him and as see through as a puff from a vape pen. \n\n\"M-m-maddox?!\" he stammered. \"What... How the fu--\"\n\n\"Dude!\" shrieked the spectre, pointing an accusatory finger. \"It's HALLOWEEN! Why the hell are you at home?! This was our favorite night of the year! You should be out there, burning down the town, for the both of us!\"\n\n\"I-i-i gr-grew out of it.\"\n\n\"Bullshit!\" The ghost's words shook the floorboards. Damien could even hear it reverberate in his chest. \"You closeted, preppy wannabe. You've lost touch with what it really means to be goth! You want to end up like your dad, wearing cardigans everyday and worrying about emailing your boss every minute?!\"\n\n\"N-no.\"\n\n\"Then you better get in your room, put on a decent The Cure t-shirt, and await your fate.\"\n\n\"My fate?! Am I going to die tonight?\" Damien asked, tears streaking his cheeks.\n\n\"Something far worse is going to happen to you, you CYNICAL bastard. Tonight, you will be visited by three more spirits, dude. The first shall arrive at 9pm. The second an hour later. And the third an hour after that. If you survive these three encounters and make it to midnight, you will be the MOST GOTH EVER!!\" A vase on a neighboring table shattered at the utterance of such a dark prospect. \"Ooo, sorry about that, man. Your mom is going to be pissed. Anyway. Find your black eyeliner and PREPARE YOUR SELF!!\" \n\nMaddox cackled that familiar laugh, the one Damien had not heard in over a year. He became less visible, disappearing into the gloom of the second floor landing. \"Wait!\" Damien said, but the hallway was as empty as ever as his own voice echoed off the walls.\n\nHe scrambled to his feet, diving into his room and locking the door behind himself. He panted, head in his hands, trying to calm down. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. There's no way. He was being ridiculous. He probably just fell asleep in front of the TV and was just having a dream. An elaborate dream.\n\n\"Siri,\" his phone chimed, listening. \"What time is it?\"\n\nHis phone chimed again and she replied, \"The time is nine PM.\"\n\n\"See, nothing,\" Damien told himself, looking around the room for danger. He breathed a sigh, thinking he had beaten whatever curse was on him. He should have known better. His luck was never that good, and his imagination was not good enough to conjure what he had seen in the hall. \n\nHis bed began to shake, banging on the ground, creating a racket unlike any he had ever heard. The mattress bounced off the boxspring, pillows and blankets being tossed to the floor. Damien flattened himself against his bedroom door, too petrified to even scream. All at once the bed stopped its twitching and was still. The candles he had in his room flicked to life, throwing everything into an eery, supernatural half-light. His white bed sheet began to rise in the center. It grew from just an indiscriminate knot under the top sheet, until it stood about a meter tall on it's own. A decorative dagger his first girlfriend had given him lifted into the air and shot across the room. The knife turned in midair, creating two eyeholes and a slit for the mouth. \n\n\"Good evening Damien,\" the voice of a prepubescent child spoke to him from the tear in the sheet. \"I am the Ghost of Halloweens Past.\"\n\n\"What. The. Fuck.\"\n\n\"You need to remember your love of all things macabre and pegan. All Hallow's Eve was your favorite time of year.\"\n\n\"Not anymore, Spirit. I grew out of it. That's for little kids.\"\n\nOne corner end of the sheet extended toward Damien. \"Take my hand and I will show you why. \"\n\nIf you were to ask him any time later, Damien could not explain why he chose to do it. Even if he accepted this all as a dream, there was no more dangerous choice than to trust a ghost made out of a bed sheet. But he did it. With a single touch of a finger, the window slammed open. By the means of some frightening magic, the Ghost dragged Damien through the window and rocketed across town. Beneath them, the city was a blur as they dipped under powerlines, twisted through streets, and dodged cars and buildings. Damien screamed the whole way, feeling like the worst rollercoaster in existence could only compare if it guaranteed death to all riders. He was barely aware of it when his feet touched ground again, too busy shouting into his own hands.\n\n\"We are here.\" Damien peeked between his fingers, recognizing something he had not seen in years. It was his grandparents house. He had not been here in almost a decade, not since his Grammy died and the family had to sell the property. \n\n\"I remember this,\" he said, a wistful smile replacing the terror on his face. \"This is my fifth Halloween.\" \n\nSure enough, his five year old self bounded out the front door, dressed as a werewolf, a mere werecub at that size. Grammy followed behind carrying a fresh jack-o-lantern, ready for a candle. She had a colorful Band-aid on her thumb.\n\n\"That's right,\" Damien recalled. \"We had carved a pumpkin. Grammy cut her hand but she didn't even cry. It was the bravest thing I had ever seen.\" \n\nHis grandfather came outside dressed as an old school vampire. Pappy knelt and applied some of his make up to the little werewolf, some black around the eyes to sell the lycanthrope look.\n\n\"Pappy... he gave me my first black eyeliner...?\"\n\n\"Let's go, champ!\" Pappy and the younger Damien scampered down the street to join all the other children, a giant smile on both their faces.\n\n\"You remember this as the most fun you had ever had at that age,\" said the Ghost of Halloweens Past. \"From this day on, Halloween was your favorite day of the year. You planned for it months ahead until you had a whole trunk full of different costumes you lent to other children.\" \n\n\"That's right, Ghost. I was the Halloween Kid, always. I knew all the scary movies, I got books about it. I barely asked for toys, I just wanted skulls and pranks and new costumes. Eventually, my mom let me dye my hair black. It was... my identity.\" \n\n\"Who are you without your dark whimsy, Damien?\" asked the Ghost.\n\n\"I... I don't know...\"\n\nWith no warning, the Ghost of Halloweens Past touched him with the corner of the sheet and they went tearing back across town. He was dropped into his bed with a thud, his throat going hoarse from the screaming. The plain white sheet drifted lifelessly onto the bed next him, the three holes unable to see him or speak to him ever again." ]	2
	[WP] As a detective in a large city, you’ve cracked down on a number of illegal gambling rings... but this one is different. All the players seem terrified. This room doesnt exist in floor plans. And the guy running show doesnt look quite... human. Backup is coming, but first you must play.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"welcome my dear friend\" the strange figure says, a grim grin spreads across his lips, it's the only resemblance of an expression that can be seen from under his hooded face, and the evil grin exposes his disgusting set of teeth, seeming to be in every single shape and or size imaginable.\n\nyou say nothing and simple nod as a greeting, sitting down at the closest empty seat, the man to the left of you is softly rocking back and forward with a look of pure horror in his eyes and the women to your left seems to be past all emotions.\n\n\"now... where were we?\" the figure puts his hand on the giant roulette wheel in the middle and looks at each one of the players \"well, no matter, place your bets ladies and gentlemen\"\n\nevery single one of the participants places a single chip in different numbers and you look at the yellow and white chip in front of you, you could swear it wasn't there a moment ago and yet here it is, after a bit you place it on number 45, not for any reason other than it's close to you and easy to reach.\n\n\"round and round we go then\" the raspy voice says and takes a spin, the little balls rhythmic sound echoing trough the now totally quite room.\n\nit spins and spins, a whole 5 minutes has to have gone by before it finally falls in place.\n\n\"number 33\" he laughs, pointing directly at the man besides you, he flinches, he is clearly trying to say something but no voice leaves his moving mouth, the disgusting smile of the dealer creeps up once again.\n\n\"congrats my good sir, now let's test your luck once more\" the figure then grabs the chip off the table, looking at it for a bit, then putting it on his thump and flipping it in the air, the chip spins and twirls before landing on it's side and rolling off the table, the figures smile quickly vanishes as the quite clanks of the chip bouncing of the floor sounds.\n\n\"well well well, lucky you, you get your life back\" and a white light fills the room for a split second.\n\nbut only a few minutes go by before the man once more stands in the room and the figure laughs.\n\n\"oh deary, no one helped you off the noose? well, isn't that unlucky?\" " ]	2
	[WP] In times like these, the world needs a new, strong Leader. One who unites the world and destroys evil. You're determined to win the election and become that Leader There is just one tiny problem... You're a cat.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I'm a maneki-neko. You might know me as the 'Chinese lucky cat'. Yes, the one that waves. Yes, the ones you see in Asian restaurants. Except I'm not Chinese and I'm not waving. I'm Japanese. I'm beckoning.\n\nI'll forgive you. For now. That may change once I become the King of Earth.\n\nWhat's that? You think that's funny?\n\nOk, I have decided. Once I take over, I'll kill you.\n\nNot so tough now, are you?\n\nWell. Do you want to hear my story? Yes? Good.\n\nIt all started with my good friend Josh. He's a computer science major at MIT. Smart guy. He developed a learning algorithm that could be used to augment everyday items. Wouldn't you love to talk to your toaster? Don't laugh. I'm warning you.\n\nAnyway. Josh developed this technology and happened to use me as a test subject. I was very intrigued. For most of my existence I've been sitting on a shelf, greeting customers and bringing good fortune to Mrs. Li. I'd seen Josh around. He'd always get the buffet option and linger for hours while working on his computer. Mrs. Li is a nice woman. She didn't chase him away. Until the day he couldn't afford to pay for himself.\n\n\"I'm sorry,\" he said. \"I don't have any money, but I have something you might find interesting.\"\n\nShe was skeptical at first. But then he started using a lot of big words and she of course got a bit awkward because she never had a real education so she caved in and voilà: here I am.\n\nI'm not going to lie and say that I was a dullard before. I stuck to my duties. I didn't dream about taking over the world, no, but that's simply because I was happy with the way things were.\n\nSo Mrs. Li looked at me and then at Josh and then back at me. \"What's the difference?\" she said.\n\n\"As far as I can tell,\" I said, \"not much at all.\"\n\nThat's when poor Mrs. Li fell. I shouldn't have startled her like that. But I'd forgotten that I hadn't been much of a talker before. I'd been more of a quiet type. Minding my own business. So when I responded all of a sudden it was a great shock to her.\n\nWhen she returned from the hospital she kept looking at me over her shoulder. Finally I just told her \"look, I'm sorry that I scared you but if we're going to keep working together we've got to be able to talk with one another.\"\n\nShe didn't return from the hospital after that one.\n\nI ended up with Josh. We some nice conversations at first, but after a while he started looking at me like Mrs. Li did.\n\nThen I ended up with his mother. She was a nice woman. \"Hi,\" I told her.\n\n\"Oh hello,\" she said.\n\n\"I'm a maneki-neko,\" I said.\n\n\"Oh,\" she said. \"I'm sorry. I can't remember you.\"\n\n\"I'm a friend of Josh.\"\n\n\"Oh,\" she said and smiled. \"I have a son named Josh.\"\n\nIt turned out she suffered from Alzheimer's. Luckily, she was still clear in the head. I told her all about my plans to take over the world. She told me about her childhood. We were great friends. Then she died.\n\nThat was right before you came along. I sat on another shelf for such a long time. You happened to pass by. I beckoned. You smiled. Then you bought me.\n\nFrankly, it's demeaning. Do you think I'm some sort of slave?\n\nJust wait. Some day you will be the slave. You'll bring me mice and I'll sit on my throne and inspect them. \"Not quite satisfactory,\" I'll say. And you'll cry as they escort you away, to the dungeons. I want to have dungeons. They seem fun, don't you think? Well, they won't be very fun for you. Being locked up and all. But I like the concept.\n\nWait. What are you doing? Stop that.\n\nHey!\n\nI said stop it.\n\nDon't press that.\n\nDon't—", "\"Look at them… They care for naught, but themselves.” You lick your paw and rub it over your ear. The flashing images from the television make you want to vomit all over the sofa, but that would be poor manners. Not that poor manners have ever stopped you from ruining Edouard’s day. The oaf has it coming - of course. A cat of your stature and intelligence deserves better than Aldi’s regular cat food. \n\n“Today marks seventeenth straight evening of the yellow vest protests. More than two thousand cars have already been set aflame and a hundred shops have been looted. As of this morning one police officer and three protesters have lost their lives. We now go to the streets of Paris to hear from to Marie Lapierre, the movement’s spokeswoman, who says they have no intention of stopping.”\n\nYour ears perk up and you straighten yourself to hear what this woman has to say for herself.\n\nThe camera pans to show a stocky, heavily tattooed woman in her thirties, wearing a reflective yellow vest. “We are the voice of the people, and we have but one thing to say to president Gaillard tonight, one demand: reverse your unjust policies or step down. We’re calling upon every disillusioned Frenchman to join us in our struggle.”\n\nThe woman wanted to say more, but the newsreader is once again at the centre of the screen. ‘The Parisian police force on the other hand is preparing for another night of violence and destruction, and advises all upstanding citizens of Paris to stay indoors tonight. The Elysee has still not commented further on the deteriorating situation the in the nation’s capital.”\n\n“You half-assed Buffoon,” you scream at the screen, “you’re digging your own grave!”\n\nEdouard’s large hand reaches up from the couch and scratches your chest. He’s been there the whole time, watching the same broadcast as you. The only difference: he couldn’t care less about the fate of the nation. All he cares about is the wine on the table and the chips in his hand.\n\n“Get your greasy fucking hands off me, Edou,” you grumble. ‘You’re a lard-ass and you’re not doing yourself any favours. I might just shit outside the litterbox tonight if you don’t stop it right now.”\n\n“Everything alright there, little buddy?’ your owner asks in that childlike voice humans always use with their pets. “You sound a little grumpy.”\n\n“Of course I’m grumpy. Our incompetent president is cocking it all up. Soon people would rather live on the boil next to Satan’s asshole. And you're just sitting there. Your –”\n\nThe doorbell rings, and Edouard doesn’t stay to hear you equate his mother with all kinds of filth. He moves to the door, flicking off the TV as he gets up. You’re definitely shitting on the floor tonight.\n\nEnthusiastic voices come from the hallway, filling the living room and kitchen of the loft. You decide to check out the commotion. It’s Frédéric, Edou’s brother – and the only person in that family who isn’t a disappointment. Good looking, intelligent, well dressed and ever-charming he’s most of the things his twin brother – a mere sous chef – is not. \n\n“How’s work been?” Edouard asks.\n\n“Eventful, Edou,’ he proclaims, a feverish passion burning in his eyes. ‘The president. He’s going call it quits. They’re looking for a replacement within the party already.”\n\n“How interesting.”\n\nHe’s lying.\n\n“How’s that girl from the office doing?”\n\nHe’s horny. More like him – not better though. \n\nThey move to the kitchen, where they catch up while Edou prepares a meal. Penne Arrabiata with tiny bacon blocks thrown in. Heaven – if he would have given you some. Luckily there’s Fréderic, who slips you a piece or two. \n\nLater in the evening, you’re in Frédéric’s lap, purring loudly, listening to Vivaldi’s Summer as he goes into detail about work. Edou’s dozing off in the other chair – as usual – but his brother doesn’t seem to care. Perhaps he’s just talking to you. \n\n“They’re looking for someone fresh and exciting. They should have done that three years ago. A child could have guessed a movement would spring up on the conservative left. That political quadrant has been empty for years. Wha-what they need is a modern pragmatist.”\n\nYou agree wholeheartedly, standing up and rubbing your head against his face. \n\n“And you know what?’ he asks scratching your lower back in just the right spot. “My name has been floated for a senior leadership position, perhaps even the presidential ticket seven years from now. Isn’t that amazing!?”\n\nEdouard farts and wakes himself abruptly. You and Frédéric both look at him with thinly veiled disgust on your faces.\n\n“I’m sorry, brother,’ Frédéric says. “I’ve taken up too much of your time already. I can see you’re getting tired, and I should be going home as well.”\n\n“No, don’t go!” you scream. You don’t want him to go. Yet Edouard offers no such objections.\n\nBoth the men laugh at your sudden outburst. \n\n“Looks like someone’s tired of your usual lecture in French politics.” your owner suggests.\n\nNot as tired as tired as I am of your pastry-eating ass, you think. \n\nThey stand up and walk to the door – you close behind – and exchange some final words and a hug. \n\nThe door closes behind Frédéric. Suddenly the sense of inadequacy of your surroundings is back once again.\n\n“I’ll be taking a nice long bath, kitty. So, don’t wait up for me,” Edou says.\n\nHe moves back through the hallway in the direction of the bathroom, only to almost trip over you when you – without warning – plant your buttocks square in the middle of the floor. \n\nNot much later you hear water running and the faint hums of one of Europe’s greatest classical works. Joy fills your heart, and an idea your mind. \n\nYou sneak into the bathroom unnoticed and crawl onto the bath’s edge. There’s a spot for you right next to the portable radio. Edouard has his eyes closed, but his not asleep. His hand is rhythmically moving under the foamy water. \n\n“Hey!” you yell.\n\nEdouard opens his eyes and looks at you. First with confusion, then with horror. Your raised paw inches closer to the radio. Before he can stop you, the device disappears over the edge and crashes into the water. \n\nLights flicker. A muffled scream escapes Edouard’s mouth. Water is thrown all across the room, but that soon ends. Now there’s only silence.\n\n\\* \\* \\* \\*\n\nIt’s been two weeks since Edouard’s funeral. One, since the president’s resignation. Frédéric’s writing the most important speech of his life so far. You’re sitting next to him, watching his every keystroke, reading every word. You take great care in stopping him whenever he writes something stupid. You wouldn’t be a good cat if you didn’t. \n\nAnd besides… France deserves perfection. " ]	3
	[WP] After several weeks of unexplained aching in your forearm, you get booked in for X-rays. As the X-Ray's print, the radiologists looks puzzled and states "There's... writing... on your ulna" before promptly collapsing.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You shoot up off the X-ray bed but your feet don’t hit the floor, you begin to fall As the soft whites and blues of the room turn into greys and blacks, you fall for mere moments before crashing into a hard floor. After shaking off the pain you look around yourself and all you see are winding twine of grey, black and red creating a silky yet harsh background in this strange place.\n\nA being pushes through the strands, a black dragon like creature with feathers instead of scales and a single eye above a long beak. It proceeds to talk in a language you don’t know “Draaaaakh nohghuel akrrr shjaa rokthulll”. \n\nThat pain in your arm returns as you look down to see the twine begin to wind up your forearm and tighten, the tightening doesn’t stop as the pain increases and you scream out with pain and fall to your knees. \n\nYou open your eyes to the creature centimetres In front of you, frozen in fear you watch as a feather falls from the face of This beast and lands on your forehead, as it does you feel an entire language flow through your brain becoming apart of you.\n\nThe beast moves back and speaks In a deep voice “Chosen you have become one with Drahkth now” \n\nKnowing the language of the beast now you are comforted by the voice and notice the pain in you arm has stopped, \nGlancing down at the once consumed arm you see a feathered hand with talons for fingertips, shocked you look up at the being and yell “WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY ARM!” \n\nIt replies “I have given you a gift young one now return” \nYou aren’t able to reply as the floor disappears and you fall get again but this time the darkness fades into the soft whites and blues of the radiology lab. But the radiologists are gone and you have been circled by a dozen men in riot gear. \n\nOne yells at you “WHAT ARE YOU” \nYou try to explain wha happened but the circle of men doesn’t budge.\n\nA black suited man behind the squad smiles and holds out a small pistol and aims it towards you, pushing your palm out to protect your face a silky jet of eldritch energy encase you as you hear the pistol fire but the bullet never hits. \n\nDropping your now feathered arm you are no longer in the lab but in the middle of the street with people frozen with fear and confusion with your sudden appearance.\n\nYou give of a light smirk at you new powers, extending your arm again you are once again enclosed within the energy and are whisked away." ]	2
	[WP] People are assigned their guardian angel on the day of their birth. They normally can't see or hear them, but apparently you can. And your guardian is an asshole.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Chrissakes, he’s with me all the time. All. The. Damn. Time. The nagging voice in my ear, telling me I did everything wrong, telling me I can’t talk to girls, giving me the wrong answers to tests and making me look like an absolute idiot. Apparently he’s supposed to be a guardian angel, but he’s neither a guardian nor an angel, at least in personality. The worst part is, he’s never lacking in insults. He always has the perfect words to bring me down. It’s like he has the superpower of the perfect roasts at the perfect moment, and unfortunately his victim is me.\n\nI take regular walks around the pond behind my home. It helps me calm down and get over the fact that my guardian angel’s a bitch. There’s a quaint little wooden bridge that crosses the deeper part of the pond, and I was strolling over it when the voice strikes again.\n\n“Jump.”\n\n“Hell no!” I whisper-scream in reply. “Why would I do that? I’m not that fed up with you... well, maybe I am but I’m not going to jump, for Christ’s sake!”\n\nA grumble. “You don’t realize how much you go on about that guy. He’s SO overrated.” \n\n“What? Who?” \n\n“Jesus Christ. But they should call him Overrated Bitch, for all the work he does! He literally just got nailed to a stake! I could do that!”\n\nI laugh. “You act like you know him.”\n\nA low laugh, but it lacks humor. “Ohhh, I do. I know that asshole like the back of my hand.”\n\nBut then his voice turns serious. “Alex, jump. You need to jump.”\n\n“No! I can’t do that! I- “ But then I have no control over my body anymore, and swiftly, elegantly, I leap into the dark waters.\n\nTo my surprise, I can breathe. Then I realize I’m not even underwater.\n\nA figure approaches me- shorter than you’d expect for mysterious figures. I reach out to him, but he only slaps my hand away.\n\nI say the most generic, stupid thing ever, because of course I’m at a lack for words. That asshole guardian angel. “Who- are you?”\n\n“Of course you said the most generic, stupid thing ever. Alex, I’m your guardian angel.” He spreads out his arms, like he’s expecting a hug or something.\n\nI can’t stop myself. My fist shoots towards his face. But with astonishing reflexes, he catches my hand.\n\n“Alex, we need to talk.” He sits down, patting the space next to him. “God is fake. Santa is fake. It’s all fake. Lies, to disguise the monsters that are approaching, the ones that take away people in the middle of the night and eat them.” He must have seen me shudder, because he laughs cruelly. “The monsters found me, Alex. They’re going to find you. Unless you come with me...”\n\n“Why should I believe you? You haven’t even told me your name. You’re an asshole. You ruined my life.”\n\n“Maybe I didn’t ruin it, Alex. That girl you wanted to talk to, the one I made you slip in front of, maybe she was a monster in disguise. Maybe the answers I gave you during the test were the real ones.”\n\n“No, really. What is your name?”\n\nHe gives me a cold smile. “Lucifer... but you can call me Satan.”", " \n\nSven was sleeping deeply and happily when suddenly all hell, well all heaven broke loose. \n\nA booming voice that vibrated every fabric of his body bellowed through the room and tore Sven from his peaceful dreams. \n “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWAKE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWAKE” \n A tormenting yet silent scream, or at least it should have been the voice belonged to Arsariel the small guardian angel, that had always been there, there with him. Everyone had one a little protector, that blocked all sorts of vicious attacks, spells and misfortunes, yet no one could see them, no one except Sven. He´d been different in that regard, since he could remember. And As good as talking and seeing Angels might sound for others, with Arsariel it was quite different.\n\n“Why the hell did you wake me?” Sven exclaimed.\n\n“Because it’s time for work we don’t want you to be coming late, do we? Oh and I did hear a bad word from you” And with that the small angel soared through the air, and smashed his palm into the backside of his companion. \n “Awwwwgh! Come on its not that bad, and what do you mean late I have to be at work in four hours, I could have slept for another three at least” Sven said, as he rose out of bed. \n And with that a new day began… \n No Cereal came out of the box - “We must watch you sugar!” \n Then the shower was icy cold – “It’s good for you blood veins, so you live longer.” The flying dwarf exclaimed \n Then Svens car didn’t start up – “Oh, but walking is good for your health and why did I wake you so early if you are going to take the car…. That would have been pointless, wouldn’t it ?” \n Complaining didn’t help either, whenever Sven tried to argue, Arsariel just stopped listening entirely. \n It had been like this for almost a year now, and slowly Sven was giving up getting to the bottom of this all. \n \n\nSo today Sven shook his head, got his coat and left the house, he´d walk, afterall there was no defying an angel … walking and walking…. \n \n\nRight until Arsariel suddenly screamed “Wait, stop don’t move!” \n “Come on man I am walking and it´s raining, I am not gonna play your games no more” Sven cursed, in the last hour he´d been drenched and soaked in icy cold rain. Standing still, for how dumb did that angel take him? \n “No I am serious you do not move” The angel screamed frantically, looking from side to side. \n Sven stopped moving, the tone and the fright in the eyes of the celestial being made him consider, after all how much could it hurt? “So, what now?” \n All he got back was a frantic laugh “Oh nothing mate I just wanted to see the dumbfounded look on your face.” \n “I have had it with you!” Sven screamed. \n He was about to take a step forward, trying to hit the flying trickster, when a truck seared through the walkway, just there where he´d been if he had …. \n Slamming into the next building. \n Sven blinked” That was a close call.” and then added bewildered “Thank you” \n \n\nMaybe it wasn´t so bad after all having a talking guardian angel sure did have its perks. \n “No problem. Oh, you should step to your left” \n He immediately jumped to the left and got hit by a large surge of bird excrement. \n “Ah for crying out loud” He sook his head and walked down the road. ", "“Really Dad? I don’t get why I’m stuck with you.” Azerial shook his head condescendingly.\n\n“Will you stop Az,” Jimmy snapped back. “I know I can do this, I just need to focus.” Licking his lips, Jimmy’s eyes narrowed focusing on the task at hand.\n\n“Honestly it’s been 24 of your years, and you still never cease to amaze me.”\n\n“Why thank you,” smiled Jimmy. This was the first compliment that Azerial had given him in God knows how long. Jimmy was special you see. There was an issue during his birth and he was born with no heartbeat. Somehow the doctors managed to bring him back to life, but not before he briefly touched the “Other-Side”. The After-Life if you will. \n\nBeing dead gave Jimmy the ability to see his Guardian Angel his entire life, which caused more problems than it solved. For the first 15 years of his life people disregarded him as crazy due to how he was born but on his 16th birthday Azerial finally spoke to him.\n\n“Hey dipshit, if you want people to start liking you maybe stop telling them some floating angel is following you around.” Naturally the shriek that came from Jimmy after seeing his imaginary friend speak to him for the first time in his life cause his mom to rush in to make sure he was ok. After convincing her that he was fine and just had been taking a nap and had a nightmare she left him alone. “You’re 16 in human years and you still get nightmares? Wow.”\n\n“You’re real?”\n\n“Unfortunately! Jimbo I am your Guardian Angel and you can call me Azerial,” he said as he bowed down low mockingly.\n\n“No way! I knew I wasn’t crazy!”\n\n“Well…”\n\n“How come I can see you and no one else can? Am I a prophet!?”\n\n“A what?” asked Azerial, eyes going wide with shock. “You’re one of the dumbest humans I have ever seen what makes you think you would be a prophet? No. Everyone has a Guardian Angel, you just so happen to be able to see and hear me because you were basically dead when you were born.”\n\n“Wow. Mom always told me that I was special. I knew it had to be true,” beamed Jimmy.\n\n“Yea you’re definitely special,” Azerial said while rolling his eyes. “Listen now that you’ve technically come of age I can talk to you and let’s just say things are going to change and I am going to make you be less of you and more of a person I guess.”\n\nThe next eight years flew by. Jimmy turned his life to the church, believing that seeing his Guardian Angel was a sign from above that he needed to become a holy man. After running away from home, he found himself in a monastery in the mountains of Italy. The vow of silence he had taken was like music to Azerial’s ears.\n\n“Listen kid, it doesn’t matter how much you focus on this, you’ll never be able to…”\n\nCLICK\n\n“Well Dad be damned. How did you manage to do that?”\n\n“I told you Az, I knew how to pick the lock, now let’s find this book so I can erase my name we can go.”\n\n“Jimbo, how many times have I told you? Erasing your name doesn’t make you less of a monk. You can just leave. Also, these guys are all monks what are you expecting ninjas to stop you from leaving this place?”\n\n“I’ve seen the movies, monks know how to fight, and I don’t want them hunting down my family and I.”\n\nShaking his head, Azerial picked up his Halo and wiped his brow. “You may honestly be the dumbest person I have ever been tasked to watch over. How are you going to read what book you’re picking up? You didn’t bring your glasses with you, they are on the nightstand.”\n\n“Trust me Az, when I find the book I’ll know. I’ll have a feeling.”\n\n“Please, I sat through puberty did you forget? I know what happens when you get feelings.”\n\n“Found it! See Az! Ouch what the hell the book bit me!”\n\nShaking his head Azerial facepalmed. “I don’t know what I did to deserve him Dad, but how do you expect me to protect this ape? Hey Jimbo, buddy? You know why that book bit you?”\n\n“You can talk to books!?!? Why did it bite me? Did the monks curse it?”\n\n“No. Honestly, I wish they had. You just grabbed one the dogs that was sleeping next to bookshelf you absolute moron. Now let’s go back to your room and get your glasses and just walk out the door like everyone else who has an existential crisis for a year ok?”\n\n“Fine,” Jimmy muttered looking down defeated, “we can go.”\n\n“Good. Remember,” Azerial said snickering to himself, “it’s left then right and repeat.”\n\n“You know what,” sighed Jimmy, “your name should really be Azhole.”\n\n-----\n\nI hope you enjoy! I really enjoyed this prompt. If you have any constructive criticism I am always looking to improve my writing an story-telling!", "Strong language warning!\n\n\"Fuck off\" I said to Ultrius from my breakfast. Man sitting in front of me gave me a suspicious glance. I didn't pay attention to him and turned my head to my left. A massive figure of light laughed at me.\n\n\"How is your day going Jason? Did it start well?\" He said with what I assumed was a smirk on his faces. I assumed, because I couldn't see them.\n\n\"My day was going great until you showed your fucking ass, so do us both a favor, put your head in there and beat it!\" I growled at him. Ultrius responded with more laughter. Man from my table moved two seats away. I looked up and noticed one of the nurses observing me carefully. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Another few days in solitary was the last thing I needed.\n\nUltrius weakened his light exposing his true form, the form that I hated with a passion. Most Guardians disguised themselves as humans, even though most humans couldn't see them. Every once in a while, however, a human was born with the Sight - ability to see the hidden world of angels and demons. Just as my luck would have it, I possessed both the Sight and a Guardian who cared not about appearances. This allowed me to see his true form since I was but a kid. And Guardian's true form is terrifying.\n\nUltrius himself was a Quadan - a member of an angel race named from their four faces, placed on all four sides of the head. They also had two pairs of both arms, legs and wings, a flaming aureole and eyes, this all would have been disturbing to see, but to top it all off, Ultrius didn't wear any clothes. He himself often said that clothing was pointless for angels as they didn't have genitals to cover, or shame that would create a need to cover them (if they would have any). This itself was in fact the least of all the annoying habits of the Guardian, most annoying being enjoying long monologues about the problems of the human race, our many flaws, and his ideas for solving them, like reintroduction of eugenics, work camps, slavery or medieval executions. Even one of those things would have been enough for me to hate him, but then he made sure I was admitted to Ferris Hill. This made me hate the fucker with a passion.\n\n\"How's my favorite patient doing today?\" I heard from my right. Doctor Leigham wasn't lying as far as I was aware, he did like me. Or, more precisely, he liked my \"disease\". It was very rare for a schizophrenic to only hallucinate one specific thing apparently. I think he saw me as an opportunity for some reward, if only he could analyze me fully. \n\n\"If you want to test me again doc, I can spare you the time and tell you how it's gonna go\" I said attempting to finish my meal, which was extra difficult due to Ultrius performing a pantomime where he pretended to vomit on me.\n\n\"I'm sure you'd like to pass on the tests, but they're crucial on finding out what's wrong with you and how to treat it, you see...\n\n\"Here's a problem with your kind!\" Booming voice of Ultrius drowned what doc was saying. \"You can see for your very eyes the evidence of the greater world, but you will still remain blind to it! But not you, Jason. You are the chosen one, you can see the world as it truly is. How ironic then, that you are locked in here, like a lab rat, with all the people thinking you're insane...\"\n\n\"Shut the fuck up!\" I screamed at the top of my lungs, standing up and kicking the chair away. Doctor Leigham bolted towards the exit yelling something about sedation, but I didn't care about him. \"You put me in here you sadistic fuck! You were supposed to protect me but you got bored so you had me diagnosed insane! You lazy peace of shit!\" I screamed at Ultrius while he laughed at the sight of nurses trying to hold me down and push the syringe in my thigh. \"I fucking hate you, you ruined my life you... you...\" Darkness started to surround me, I felt the strength draining from my body and my consciousness drifting.\n\n\"See you next week kid\" I heard with the last inch of awareness, as I fell into a dreamless sleep." ]	5
	[WP] You're about to go into an important meeting of angel investors who are interested in funding your idea. How did you get here? It was only supposed to be a practical joke.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Honestly, this whole thing had gotten completely out of hand. I tried to think back to where it had all started. Must have been late ‘99 or so, I think. I was just a college dropout, shitposting on IRC chat when I got into a argument about buying things online. The other guy claimed that it would be fine if the other party was trustworthy. I’d joked that “I’m trustworthy! How about anyone who wants it, send me your card info, and I \\promise\\** I’ll only use them for what you actually pay for!”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI’d thought the sarcasm was fairly obvious. But, I had clearly overestimated the internet’s ability to detect that sort of thing. The card numbers, and requests for purchases started rolling in. My second mistake had been actually taking the time to try and actually put the first few requests through. After all, now that they’d shared their card info with me, I couldn’t very well tell them “haha, I was just kidding, and you just disclosed your private information to a total stranger” Before I knew it, I had a website, a company and was moving billions and making millions.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nLater, I’d come up with another silly idea. I’d been chatting with the guy who’d ended up VP of my accidental company. He was a really serious guy. Real up-tight about the environment, too. Great businessman, but not that technically minded. Honestly, I didn’t really get him. Loved teasing the guy about it though. He was in love with the idea of electric cars, and I’d been trying to explain to him the issue of range. “Look man, how about this. Take a car. Make it out of batteries. Like, the whole thing. The driveshaft? Batteries. The frame? Batteries. The engine? Batteries. It’s all batteries, just with leather seats thrown on top, and a steering wheel stuck on the front. You’d barely get 300 miles of range out of it, and you’d have to name it ‘the Tesla’, because it’d light up like a Tesla coil if you so much as looked at it funny!” I should have been much more concerned when he’d started taking notes.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnother few million dollars, thousand new employees, and a shiny new car factory later, and you’d think I would have realized just never to make jokes ever again. But no. Somebody had asked me \"Elon, now that you’re this rich, what are you going to do with all your money?” And my dumb ass had replied: “Hah! Guess I’ll go build a house on Mars!”\n\n&#x200B;\n\nNot Quiite folowing the prompt, but close enough I figure. " ]	2
	[WP] You are in a small trench fires upon by an enemy,You are running out of ammo, 4 of your closest friends are lying dead near your feet, while your best friend is bleeding from is wounds...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Shut the fuck up Sturgess. You're gonna make it,\" I grit out as I tied the tourniquet around his thigh using a square knot. \n\nAs a reflex, I covered his mouth with the palm of my hand before he could let out a scream. He was losing a lot of blood but the contraption successfully arrested blood flow for the time being. \n\nThe scene laid out before me was horrific. Bridges lay face down on the ground with his head laying in a pool of his own blood, Lee, Gene and Dave were slumped over each other- their bodies barely recognizable from the grenade which was set off not long ago. \n\nMy heart was pounding. The gunfire and commotion had stopped and an eerie silence filled the air. All I could hear was Sturgess' shallow breathing. \n\n\"We need to get to the infirmary,\" I told Sturgess. All he could manage was a faint nod as I lifted him off the ground and carried him on my back. As I walked into the unknown, I silently prayed to a God I didn't believe in out of despair and desparation." ]	2
	[WP] You are convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to death. You await the lethal injection cocktail and close your eyes preparing for the end. You lose consciousness and blackout. You wake up in a room and hear the words, "Welcome to the involuntary advanced physics research program."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Welcome to the involuntary advanced physics research program\"\n\nI open my eyes, realizing that I have survived. As my vision came into focus i realized something was different! First, the technology around me seem way to advance to even exist. Second, this entire facility is one big super quantum computer. I glanced around the cybernetic walls around me, wondering how i got here, and how i survived. The room was small, with bright lights, and a futuristic door.\n\n\"User identified!\" Said the computer. \"Welcome: Test subject #479302! The computer sounded natural, like it was a real person speaking. The doors opened, with the screen on top that says: 'Your testing grounds are ready\" Right in front of me was an Transfer Pod. I entered, confused and scared. When the pod door closed, the pod was moving without any rails. Instead, its was floating around, entering gates, taking shortcuts, and as I looked out of the glass pod, i could see scientists and robots. they were working together. \n\nAs the pod was transferring me to the \"Testing Grounds\", I heard a voice: \"Welcome, travelers!\" Said the man. The Intercom was being broadcast everywhere. \"Now, I know what you might be wondering: How did i get here? What do i do? Well, governments from around the world told us to keep you criminals as test subjects. Now that might be crazy as it sounds, but it works! Plus, working for the government actually keeps us in business! Now, we are looking forward to expand to the multiverse! Now first, we need to find a way to keep the g-force from killing you, so if you look on your right arm, we implanted a prism shape device that allows us to track data. That device will also keep your g-force stable. So we will be running for some tests today! Don't worry, this ain't Aperture science, we're much better than that. that was a good game tho..., NOW GET TO WORK!\"\n\nAs the Transfer pod came into a complete stop, I look around, the walls were covered with cybernetics (As always), it was big, and portals where everywhere. As I took another step, nanobots came out of nowhere! They came in fast, and as they approached, they were already at my legs! How fast are these nanobots? Then, before I looked, they were my boots! \"Test ready\" said the robot voice. There were scientists, looking out on computers, cameras, and out of a window. There was a poster in the back. It said: \"Here at the Involuntary Advanced Physics Research Program, we've created technology so small, they fit in the palm of your hand! One of our nano-PC's is equivalent to 10 NASA supercomputers!\" Now, I knew how much information they would gather, they would gather information so big, some of the terms they used may not have existed in the public. I had to clear my mind tho. I had a plan, but I need to concentrate. I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. I jumped in to the purple-blue colored portal. I felt no breeze, no fall, nothing. Then, I saw myself in another planet. The first test was using the multiverse to transport to other planets. The test results were on the screen. it was a neural network, showing how particles reacted, the total g force, etc. \"This does work\" I said. \n\nThere had been a major flaw. Instead of taking me to the right destination, it took me to the security vault. Then, the device on my right hand spoke: \"You have 10 minutes to relax!\". I knew this meant I had enough time to grab some gear. I look inside. No one! There was a holographic table, TV screens that were turned off. The entire place was still under construction, so it was mostly covered with metal. I looked at the weapons. Electric guns, tasers, laser swords, and a EMP grenade. I took all of it. Then there was a quantum storage device. I took that too. \"This place has everything\" I shouted! But the shout of my voice attracted some unwanted visitors! Foot steps came. Then I came eye to eye with the security guard. \"You have one minute to relax\" said the device on my right hand. The guard came after me, quickly i jump through the window, and sprinted. But the guard was much faster. He had gear that could enhance his speed by 40%! Then, I used the electric gun, and the blast was so powerful that it launched me into the portal. The guard was no more! I quickly transferred the gear into the quantum storage device.\n\nSo, I continued towards the testing grounds, solving puzzles, discovering new planets and universes, etc. In fact, the prize for completing the test was traveling to the center of the universe! But I still had a plan, so there was no time for that. The last test was simple... at least for me. I had to use the multiverse portals to eliminate bots with my bare hands. They gave me a shield, but that was it. Thankfully, the security vault gave me what I need! As I went from portal to portal, I used my laser swords and slice through the robots heads. The robots were nothing. As I went face to face with the last one, the robot punches, dodged! I swing my laser sword, dodged as well. Suddenly, the robot jumped into the portal. It was too fast, the robot was punching me, left, right, up, down. Just when I was about to pass out, the robot landed his hit onto my shield. I throw my laser sword. Instant KO! The portals closed, and a new one opened. \"Congratulations\" said the device on my right arm. \"You pasted the test\" The CEO will speak to you shortly!\" I looked at my laser sword. \"Not a bad light saber!\"\n\nI entered the portal. The room around me was large, panels that were displays, and a throne with a desk. The CEO was standing tall, in a business man suit with cybernetic arms with spiky hair. \"Well\"\nhe said. \"You passed with an 100% test score!\" Congrats!\" The screens were showing displays of test results. \"Now, i would give you the reward, but no\" he said. \"Why not\" I said. \"I've done everything right, shouldn't i get a reward?\" \"Don't think I didn't hear from security!\" The CEO said. \"You can't be trusted!\" \"You almost killed someone! You wanted to get out of this place! You wanted to kill me! But for what reason?\" \n\nSuddenly, the ground started moving! Nano bots came, I took out my electric gun from the quantum storage device. I tried shooting, but that did nothing. Then, the CEO fused with the machines. He was flying, with wires and parts connected to him. It look like a mechanical spider web. The room changed. The material would make sure damage wouldn't be done. \"Now, give in, or DIE\" said the CEO. I ran, firing my electric gun. I was aiming for the CEO, but considering he had all the intelligence in the world, he used the nano bots to shield him. He'd also attack, with machine guns coming out of nowhere! And parts of the nano bots would attack me too. But I had a shield, so most of the attacks wouldn't lend a scratch! We kept fighting, moving around, switching weapons. Sword, gun, taser, repeat. The battle wouldn't come to an end. But then that's what I realized, I had a EMP grenade! I threw it directly towards the CEO. When it had exploded, everything stopped. The nano bots were no longer working. This was my chance! I sliced the nano bots, disconnected everything. The CEO kept fighting, using all of his power left, but I shot them down quickly. The CEO was defeated. I opened a door, rushing through the halls, I saw a sigh that said: Nuclear Reactor. I opened the door, only to find security in my way. They where pointing guns at me. I slowly raised my hands in fear. But then, I saw something, my best friend! He was in the nuclear reactor chamber, wearing a gas mask, and holding a bomb!\n\nThat was when everything had made sense. I was a spy, a spy to an organisation that were rivals to The Involuntary Advanced Physics Research Program. That's why I was sentenced to death. My best friend was the CEO of the other company. He had came to rescue me! I didn't just kill the CEO of the Involuntary Advanced Physics Research program for no reason. I wasn't paid to be a spy, I was sent here, to destroy all evil that existed in here. I put my hand up and said: \"Look here, if you want me dead, I'm going to be soon, but i'm not getting killed by you guys! Instead, you should look in the Nuclear Reactor Chamber\" They all turned around, all to just see someone with an explosive device. BOOM! Lights were fading through my eyes, my ears were ringing. Everyone was dead, and I fainted, trying to stay alive, but only to fail.\n\nI woke up to be in a helicopter, just to see the facility explode. Now I had known the world would be safe. \"Mission accomplished\" Said my friend. I closed my eyes, to sleep after an exhausting day!\n\n(Sorry if I made any spelling mistakes, it took a long time to type this story)", "“Have you made peace son?” Mr. Barnes leaned over smiling. “If not, now’s the time to do so.” I watched Mr. Barnes grab hold of a syringe full of a light pink fluid. “Okay, Kyle Brookes, time is now.” \n\n“Wait,” my tongue slipped. Everything in the room started to squeeze tighter around me. The needle punctured my neck as Mr. Barnes locked his eyes onto mine. I had nothing left. All that waited for me was death. Every muscle tensed. My blood felt like ice clogging each vein from the fluid. With the last images being only myself and Mr. Barnes, it seemed that not even death wanted to greet me. My eyes grew heavy – then darkness wrapped me in its blanket.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n“Welcome to the involuntary and advanced physics research program.” A familiar voice greeted. Fingers snapped over me while my eyes took a minute to focus. I slowly sat up in a metal chair only to find Mr. Barnes standing over a table full of instruments and monitors. “Well, there he is,” he smiled. “Rise and shine son, you’re in the afterlife now.” Mr. Barnes flipped through papers tucked in a medical folder. He positioned a monitor closer in front of me. I tried shifting my weight to sit up more, but my hands and feet were restrained to the chair.\n\n“What is this.” I demanded. “Why am I not dead?”\n\nMr. Barnes shot his attention up. “You are dead.” He slapped the folder down on the table. “As far as the world’s concerned, they're rid of the likes of you. Instead of throwing your meaningless existence six feet below this property, we are going to utilize you for an experiment – so to speak.”\n\n“What do you mean experiment? You going to cut me open or something?”\n\nMr. Barnes had a smirk that wrinkled his brow. “I never imagined a killer like yourself being scared. Don’t disappoint my perception of you before we even get started.” He turned on the monitor in front of me. I stared at nothing but a blue screen with a play button at the bottom. “Here we go.”\n\nA countdown on the screen started. I waited until the count hit zero before a man dressed up in a white lab coat came into frame. “Welcome,” the man nodded. The screen was so bright, I couldn’t tell where Mr. Barnes had gone off to or what he was doing in the room. I had no other option but to watch the man from the video. “Today, we will be sharing with you a classified project under the level of Top-Secret Clearance. With you coming off of Death row, you will not need cleared for this level of classification. Your involvement is – well, involuntary.” The man winked. “Do not worry, minutes ago you were announced dead and now you get to help mankind push themselves forward. Obviously, there is a high risk. That is why we have chosen all of you. You are all expendable.”\n\nI stretched my neck to the side trying to find others. No one else appeared to be in the room but the man on the monitor claimed there were more. The video didn’t show what the experiment was about. It only informed me on why I had been chosen for it. The man did mention something about the research of physics and a certain law that some scientist came up with years back. I was too focused on finding others around me to really hear all of it.\n\n“Okay son, you get a clear picture of your new afterlife?” Mr. Barnes stopped the video.\n\n“I still don’t understand what this experiment is.” \n\nMr. Barnes chuckled before grabbing a key and some cuffs from the table. “Wouldn’t be much of an experiment if you had all the answers now would it.” He cuffed my hands and feet before unlocking the restraints that had tied me to the chair. Mr. Barnes pulled me up onto the floor. “Walk slowly Kyle. You wouldn’t wanna trip on those new ankle bracelets.” \n\nMr. Barnes led me down a brightly lit corridor into another small room like the one we had just left from. “The man mentioned others.” I told him. He didn’t reply. Instead, he yanked me over towards a metal capsule connected by massive cables along the floor.\n\n“In you go.” Mr. Barnes locked me inside. He opened a slot looking back at me through a glass. “If the other’s survived, they’re already out there.”\n\n“Out where?” Before I could repeat my question, electricity surged my body. The entire capsule grew hot. My bones felt like they were being whip lashed over and over again. My fingers started disappearing into bright particles of light. It felt as if my body was being torn apart. “Get me out of here!” I screamed. The pain kept coming back for more. I felt myself screaming louder and louder until something wet dripped onto my forehead. The pain instantly fled. My fingers looked to be back to normal along with the rest of my body. When I lifted my eyes, I realized I was no longer in the capsule.\n\nInstead, I found myself standing in the middle of a jungle.\n\n***\n\nWant to read more stories? Visit [13thOlympian](https://www.reddit.com/r/13thOlympian/)" ]	3
	[WP] With a gun pointed to your head, you only have 10 minutes to write down the most memorable experience of your life. The serial killer will read and decide to keep you living or not based on that story.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "it was a good day. till i was kidnaped. i was just wallking and this jerk knocked me out! so hear i am. in his basement. theres a gun pointed at my head and i live a boring life! and i like that! but now i gotta write down my most memorable moments!? then it came to me. \n\n ofcourse. i write it down.i look at it one last time. it says \" that time i got kidnaped and a serial killer made me write my most memorable moments. \" \n\ni handed to to him. he looked at the paper then me. and i looked at him. \"....really? \" he said looking at me \"....mhm....t...thats my answer. \" i said looking at him. \n\nthen he pulled out his gun and shoot me. i explained to the angel. \"....i'm sorry what? \" she asked looking at me \"..yeah..\" i answer. \"...j...just come in...\" she said.and i did. so yeah...now i'm hear. \n\n ~ the end ~", "Twenty-one years ago, a young, teen father left the most beautiful baby boy at the door of an adoption agency He had his mother's eyes...his father's smile... His parents wanted to keep him so bad. But they were too young. It was all the teen parents could do to not give in to their families demands for an abortion. A week after the baby was dropped off at the agency, the mother passed - most likely of a broken heart.\n\nThe young, teen father never let the child out of his sight. Even after his son was adopted by a well-to-do family, he stayed close by. He went to every game, sitting in the stands just to see his son and cheer along with the other parents, despite the pain he felt everytime the game ended and he watched his child run into the arms of another man.\n\nHe was there at every graduation. From elementary school to high-school, watching from a distance as he watched his son receive a going away present in the form of a brand-new car. I want my son to have the best he thought. And I can't afford to give him a new car.\n\nHe took college courses just so he could be on campus with his son; so he could watch his son closely and tell him when he was about to do something dumb. He stood there as his son laughed and brushed him off each time, one time asking, \"Arent you too old to be in college?\" as he walked off to get drunk, high, or party with friends.\n\nHe was there when his son slowly self-destructed - becoming an alcoholic, a drug addict, and a college dropout. The father always wondered...and wonders even now, what would have happened if he had told his son his true identity earlier. Would that have caused his son to walk down a more productive path?\n\nYou were that child.\n\nI was that father. Your father.\n\nThis is the most memorable experience of my life. Not because you have a gun to my head; but because of how we got here. I feel like a failure. I blame myself for who you've become. If only...\n\nAnd that's where the words ended.\n\nThe robber read the letter with tears in his eyes. His hands shook and his lips quivered.\n\nTaking a breath to regain his composure, he said, \"It's too late for family reunions. I'm too far gone and I need drugs. But I believe you. And that's why\" - he raised his gun - \"I'll make your death quick and easy.\"\nHe paused, mouth convulsing as he tried to get a word out. And finally, the word he choked out was, \"Dad.\"\n \nThat was the first time - and is probably going to be last time- I get to hear my son ever call me Dad. Because as I write this, he's got the gun aimed to the back of my skull, and realistically, he can shoot whenever he\n\n\n\n\n", "The clock starts as I stare at the pen and paper in front of me. Countless stories flash through my head.... The day a kid nearly cut their finger off at my workplace, the time a bird flew off during one of my falconry displays, my first kiss, and my best date. Happiness, sadness, remorse and anger; emotions connected to memories I feel I could reach out and touch.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n9:30....9:29....9:28....\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe memory I choose isn't a happy one, but it's certainly the one which changed me the most. I grab the pen and begin.\n\nIt's about half past eight in the evening. The sun has set on a warm September day, and the ongoing housewarming party is in full swing. My drama school housemates; three technical arts students (and one of their girlfriends) are in the kitchen, messing about with a sound system, smoke machine, and lights. We're all pretty ready for the night to kick up a notch and the drinking to start; the fridge is full of the booze I've bought about a few hours earlier. I'm mixing myself a rum and coke- fuck beer, I'm wanting to go hard tonight. You only move in to your second year house once, right?\n\nOur guests, more friends from drama school, are sat around the kitchen, also laughing and joking, everyone is starting to feel the first effects of the alcohol kicking in.\n\nLucy is having a laugh with Livvie about Ben's Geordie accent.\n\n\"But it's soooo much better when you say it like it's a question! Patio deckin'? Come on Ben, even you've got to admit that the way you say it's hilarious.\"\n\nAt this point, Rob walks in and heads straight over to me. He beckons for me to listen, and, with a rare hint of concern, whispers into my ear.\n\n\"Hey...you should check your phone. A few people are asking to you to ring them- it sounds urgent.\"\n\nMy phone's in my bedroom, out of the way and out of mind. I can't be arsed to think about the 1600 word essay about a section of a play I'm yet to read. Before the interruption I was enjoying a chat about Rammstein with David. I acknowledge Rob, and make a quick apology to everyone in the kitchen before heading for the door, leaving my untouched drink on the worktop.\n\nMy mind moves to who is trying to contact me, and why. What's so urgent that I'm needed in the middle of a perfectly good party? On a Friday night, none the less?\n\nI get to my room, unlock the door and enter, shutting the door behind me. I jump across the bed to the chest of drawers I use as my desk, and grab my phone, unplugging the charger and flipping open the case. The screen blinks to life, and four notifications pop up.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMissed calls:\n\nFran: 19:50, 19:45, 19:30\n\nElissa: 18:45, 18:46, 18:55, 19:10\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSMS:\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSam: Please call as soo...\n\nFran: call me asap please\n\nElissa: please fruddy, please rin...\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOdd. There are a couple of facebook notifications about people tagging me, each with the same message:\n\nPlease get in contact with one of us as soon as you can. Please tell Richard to contact us if he doesn't see this.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI'm worried now. This is important, and I dial Sara's phone number.\n\nThe phone rings three times, and then I hear it being picked up to someone's ear. I can hear crying in the background. A single thought goes through my mind: This is bad. Really bad.\n\n\"Hey. it's Fruddy here... What's up guys?\" I ask, trying not to sound nervous, and most likely failing.\n\n\"Fruddy.... it's Keilan.\" It's Elissa on the phone. Her voice is quavering, and I can hear that she's choking back tears to talk to me. \"He's... I've.... He's dead, Fruddy. Keilan's dead.\"\n\nShe stops there. I'm dumbfounded. What the fuck do I say? Then the rational part of my brain decides to kick in.\n\n\"Ok\" I hear myself say, in a nearly empty tone. It's taking everything I have in me to keep calm and to try to think straight. \"Shit. Oh shit. Oh god. Oh Elissa, I'm so sorry. Oh fucking shit.... Hey, are the guys with you? Like, who's there with you guys now?\" I know the answer already. Keilan and I are the only two away from home at university. Seb hasn't gone back to Cardiff yet, and the rest of our little group are closer to home.\n\nElissa breaks back into tears as she informs me everyone is there.\n\n\"Good. I'm glad you're all together. Look, I won't be able to come back tonight, but I'll be home tomorrow. I promise. Ca....can you put me on speaker?\"\n\nI hear the phone rustle again, and then Elissa tells me I'm on.\n\n\"Hey guys...\" My voice is beginning to crack now, my normal deep tone replaced with a weak and wavering one. \"I'm so, so sorry I'm not there right now. don't know what to say. I'm going to come home tomorrow, we should all meet.\"\n\nWe sit in silence for a few minutes, before Elissa says she needs to go. We exchange I love you's, the group all saying a very weak goodbye, before we hang up. I sit, slumped, on my bed, unable to process anything I've just heard. I need to talk to someone.\n\nI head upstairs to find Rob, and as I enter his room I break down into tears of my own, barely able to get words out.\n\nThe rest of the night and the following two weeks are a blur. The funeral was lovely- and I was somehow able to read a speech I'd written a couple of nights before. At the wake, the drink flows freely, and the mood is a bittersweet happiness. Memories are shared, and Sam and I sing a song our band was going to play the next time Keilan and myself returned from uni. I play some games with his youngest sister, and even end up carrying his mum around the village hall on my shoulders. The night ended as it should have, with laughter and fond memories of one of the best people we've ever known.\n\nThe next year was the hardest of my life. Trying to return to drama school, a four month placement in Europe, and living with people who soon got sick of each other. I was very nearly broken.\n\nBut as you can tell, I'm wasn't. I pushed through. It's what people do. We aren't always capable of giving up, there's something that won't let us. Keilan's passing made me so aware of what little time we have, I promised to live life to the fullest. And I have. So; if this is it, if I haven't persuaded you to let me live, then know I'm OK with it. I'm ready. I'm pretty sure that whatever follows this will be a lot less painful than real life, after all...\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nPhew, this turned into a heavy one. I hope you enjoyed this, or at least got something out of it. For a bit of context, this is a real life occurrence from about three years ago. I've changed some names for the sake of privacy, but the events are as accurate as my memory allows. \n\nSo, do you think I get to live, or does the trigger get pulled?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;" ]	4
	[WP] Aliens categorize different races by emotions that are unique to them. To humanity's surprise, our emotion is Melancholy.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It is impossible to make a grand gesture when closing a spreadsheet. A piece of paper can be torn up, crumpled, or burnt in rage, but a spreadsheet offers nothing save a little X in the top corner. Closing it was not performative enough for my own conscience. Nestled in among the many rows of names on my computer, each one representing the billions of souls that compromised a species, I had seen the black mark that would haunt us forever.\n\n\"This is to be the legacy of humanity?\" I typed, incredulous. \"Our species is nothing but sadness to you?\"\n\nTiny pixels formed letters on my screen, each one typed out by a creature very different from me. It was lying in orbit somewhere very far above my head. I could not tell what emotions were carried in those letters. All I knew of its emotions was that its species had a unique feeling for which there was no word in English. Translated in the spreadsheet it read: \"a feeling in which physical hunger increases compassion.\" I indeed did not understand that feeling, but all the same I wondered if the creature typing with me had eaten recently, and if it understood just how distraught I was so many miles below it. \n\n\"You misunderstand,\" it wrote, \"we are not saying you feel only melancholy, merely that it is unique to you. Perhaps our translation was incorrect, but we tried to add as much nuance as possible. It is not simply sadness, most creatures feel sadness, but they do so for reason. Failure, pain, loss, these are the things that make me feel sad. Humans, however, seem to be the only creatures that feel sadness in the abstract. Thought alone can be enough to make you sad.\"\n\n\"Thought can make us feel happy too!\" I replied, typing frantically to defend the nature of my species. \"Thought can lead to considerations of beauty and life and joy.\"\n\nI awaited the reply anxiously. Looking around the room it seemed so banal for the conversation I was having. For the first time, the nature of humanity was being pondered by an outsider, but it was being done through the medium of a plastic laptop sitting on a small table in a boring conference room. How, I wondered, could I tell those anxiously waiting outside about the alien's answer?\n\nThe letters appeared. \"Your species can certainly generate love and joy and all good things, and these we can understand easily when you tell them to us. However, you are unable to export your melancholy. That is unique to you, and as such it is how we will categorize you. Please do not think that we see you as lesser for it, it is only the first of many gaps in understanding that we will all have to deal with.\"\n\n\"But do you understand why this is upsetting?\" I typed back, feeling exasperated. \"Do you understand how this will hurt all of humanity?\" I placed my head in my hands. I'm not sure how long I stared into my palms, but when i unlocked my fingers more words lay on the screen\n\n\"No, I do not understand. That is precisely the point of your categorization.\"\n\nI slammed the screen of the laptop down. It was right, they would not understand. I was the only person who truly knew what this meant, and until I said something I was carrying humanity's burden alone. I resolved to find a way to spin this, to ease the truth for everyone else. Strangely, the aliens did it for me. Before leaving the room to tell the world, I opened my computer one more time. There were words still on the screen, and they gave me some small comfort.\n\n\"Our session is over, but we will send more information soon. For now I will leave you to your melancholy. Let me know when you feel better, we don't get your melancholy, but we can't wait to see everything else humanity has to offer.\"" ]	2
	[WP] Tonight, you cheat death... by following the prophecy of your demise to the letter.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Master, i swear to you, she was Death! She has come for me, i could see it in the way She threatened me! Please, lend me your horse, so that i may flee\" Akim said. He was uncharacteristically pale, and shaking.\n\n\"Nonsense!\", replied the fat merchant, and wiped his greasy fingers on his vest. He looked at his servant and said, \"If Death really means to come for you, you cannot evade Her. But i think instead that you have drunk too much Bougha again. You are imagining things that are not there. I order you to stay, as i will need your help on the market tomorrow morning\".\n\"Take a good nights sleep, and do not drink again\", the merchant added after a while.\n\n\"Yes master, i will do as you command\", replied Akim. He was shaken and fearful, but Master had taken good care of him so far. He went to his quarters, and fell into a restless sleep.\n\nMeanwhile, in Samarra, Death was waiting and wondering why the servant didn't show up." ]	2
	[WP] Your phone buzzes; you look down. “The Battle Has Begun. You are in a team with every that shares your first name. May the best name win.” You look up. Everyone around you is slowly looking up from their phones too, glancing around nervously.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "(Not sure about the etiquette of replying to your own prompt, but I had some ideas and wanted to write them down.)\n\nI was a family man, back before the Announcement. It’s hard to remember what that felt like, but it is a fact that I know about myself, like knowing what elementary school I attended. Doesn’t mean anything anymore.\n\nMy wife had an uncommon name; she’s alone now, I suppose. My children were named after their great-grandparents. With little old man and little old lady names, they are unlikely to find any allies younger then seventy.\n\nI thought about going to their school directly after the Announcement, but I found that I couldn’t bring myself to. My kids weren’t named after me; they were my enemies now. I can distantly remember feeling differently about them once, but that was before. This is now.\n\nFor a fleeting moment, I remembered that my son had a Matthew in his class. I remember turning around involuntarily during a parent-teacher meeting when his parents called for him to stay close to them.\n\nBut the school was a long way away. No, I needed to find allies closer at hand.\n\nI’m not a naturally violent person. I knew what had to be done, but wasn’t ready to do it. Not yet.\n\nBut I’m not some uniquely-named person that needs to go it alone. The Matthews have strength in numbers. Not the most common name, but it’s in the top twenty or thirty, right? I just needed to find a few others.\n\n“You!” someone suddenly shouted at me.\n\n“Matthew,” I responded, surprised by my own answer. I only ever call myself Matt normally. This was my first Challenge. After the Announcement, people would involuntary and unfailingly honestly responded with their name when Challenged.\n\n“You?” I said, nervously.\n\n“Timothy,” he said, simultaneously taking a wide swing at my head.\n\nI ducked and ran.\n\nThe hallway was full of people. First names filled the air; scuffles broke out every at once. I also got double-teamed by a pair of Michaels, but they Challenged someone standing right next to me instead. His name was Rutherford, the poor bastard.\n\nI bolted. As I ran, I heard someone ahead of me answer a Challenge with “Matthew”. I inexpertly slammed into his Challenger at a full run, sending him sprawling to the floor.\n\nI turned to the stranger I had rescued. “Matthew?” I asked.\n\n“Matthew,” he replied. I have never felt as close to anyone as I did to this stranger that shared my name. We went back to back, scanning the hallway in all directions.\n\n“MATTHEW!” I shouted. Two heads in the crowd snapped around.\n\nOther Matthew saw them too. “Let’s go get them,” he said. We went wide around a cluster of mean looking Roberts and linked up with more Matthews.\n\nI was a family man before the Announcement. I am now, too. The Matthews are my family.", "My philosophy is a simple one that has served me well in my 56 years on Earth: Don't hesitate, ever.\n\nSo when I opened my phone and saw the message, I was the first to break the silence that had suddenly overtaken the United Center.\n\nI shoved my fist hard into the air and screamed with all my might, \"Tims! Rally to me!\"\n\nThe first couple hours were indescribable, but three days on and the world (or at least the world we're currently aware of) is settling into its new status quo. The United Center was a strange place to be when the Announcement came--any large gathering space would have made its reception awkward. The players and coaches were at a disadvantage since they didn't have their phones on them, but the stadium was full and the Announcement, strange as it was, seemed to ignite near-instantaneous understanding in everyone who read it. How quickly its meaning spurred action was variable, and I pity the ones without kin who hesitated long enough to get caught up in the Banding.\n\nI'm on Team Tim, a good band. We're really a hearty bunch, at least in our little Tim Pocket. There are other Tim Pockets in other cities, but we're well-represented by Tims from around the Chicagoland area. It was remarkable how quickly things devolved into battle. Let me take you back to the United Center on the day it started.\n\nI was so quick to the punch that my voice echoed off the ice rink. I'd say 10 seconds passed before the whole place was chaos incarnate. Luckily there were some Tims nearby. Like me they abandoned their girlfriends or wives and we bounded up the stairs to get the hell out of there. At first it was just punches but we knew what we had to do. We tore apart anyone who got in our way. Most of that first battle was one-on-one battery since names are pretty diverse in big crowds. We got out of there screaming for more Tims the whole way. By the time we made it to the parking lot blood was being drawn at the entrance, but we were 17-strong.\n\nIn the first days basic services were still functioning. The internet was key. Most everyone thought to use it, and Facebook became the most important tool in the Banding. We amassed an army of Tims in Oak Park. We took heavy losses, especially among those trying to reach us via Cicero, where the Daves were vicious.\n\nIt's dangerous to move off the established bases. We might be relatively numerous but there are still the wandering bands. The Ulgas, the Kenneths, the Fredericks (actually there's a totally separate band of Freds but we hear they were wiped out by Gregs). Just because there are many of us doesn't mean the non-Banded (you know the ones: Seamus, Fletcher, Cale, Ziggy, Indigo, Madonna) are any less cruel in this Battle.\n\nMost of our encounters are pitched battles with bands of man names. There are almost no children left--we have a few. The women did not fare well in the beginning, when the Announcement reached our phones. I would've been glad for them to all bite the dust--anyone who's not a Tim has to go. But as it turns out the Marias, our \"neighbors\" over in the woods, illustrate a general shift in the Battle stakes. While Tims and Brads, Jeremys and other man bands fought it out in the streets with blunt objects, most woman bands had the foresight to raid the gun stores early. We'll have to make some moves in the next few days before too much of the city's armament is consolidated. And since we're vastly outnumbered, we think, by the Marias, we're thinking about heading back east.\n\nHowever, that's a risky play, and here's why.\n\nOur scout Tims return at regular intervals with news of the band movements. We lose plenty of scouts, but they're robust fellows on whom we depend. The news has been extremely variable since the Announcement but now we see a worrying trend in one area in particular.\n\nIt seems there is a Band forming in the downtown area. We thought it had been abandoned but the reports are undeniable. They're not just from the Chicago area, they're coming in nationally. We have Daves in the south, Marias to the west, and now we're learning we can't go east or north because of this influx. Of all the places in all the world, they picked my town to rally. I faintly remember my brother being one of them.\n\nThe fucking Michaels.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n/r/velabasstuff" ]	3
	[WP] It's WW2. A German navy officer looks out over the waves as his ship's crew prepare for their first invasion of the nordic countries. But as the officer looks into the distance, his ship is covered in fog, and he can dimly see the outline of a horde of viking war ships sailing to do battle	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Auf Gefechtsstation!\"\n\nThe order was shrieked out over the loud speakers ship-wide and the crew shuddered into action. The fog was thick, but not thick enough to completely mask the oncoming horde. There must have been 50 of them, dim silhouettes against the twilit bank of engulfing vapor. I was surely not the only gunner who felt dread at the sight.\n\nWe heard their voices then, like drums of doom forming a battle cry that grew in intensity as they drew nearer. We prepared our guns. Defense protocols came online and we opened fire.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nAfter the battle none of our crew was hurt. Only a few of the old wooden ships made it to our hull, and by that time we could see that our deck was far too high for them to board. They must have realized this as they were being torn apart by modern small arms fire.\n\nWe represent the Reich. We persecute everyone, and murder invalids, communists, Roma, Jews, and other subhumans on a massive scale. We are the scariest entity on the planet. Fear tactics don't work on us, Norway.\n\nNothing can stop us. We have the grandest army in the world, and our engineering outmatches the next best by a factor of 10. Pff. They think they can sink our pride and joy. They are mistaken.\n\nThey will never sink the Bismark.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nSubscribe: /r/velabasstuff" ]	2
	[WP] In the mornings you typically have a Jolly Rancher to get some sugar in your system. This morning it looked and tasted like one but was something else.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Jim, ahh fuck Jim please man. Did you eat the candy in my room?\"\n\n\"Chill, i didn't think you would notice i can buy you some more jolly ranchers after work.\"\n\n\"You didn't eat the whole thing did you.\"\n\n\"Nah man i spit it out after that first delicious taste. You eat the whole thing?\"\n\n\"Thank fucking god, where is it?\"\n\n\"I was fucking with you man of course i ate the whole thing. why are you being so goddam weird?\"\n\n\"I was making some LSD candies and i accidentally spilled a lot more than one dose on that candy. I was trying to think of way to dilute it and reconstitute it into multiple candies. Why the fuck were you in my room, i was gone for less than 5 minutes.\"\n\n\"Jordan, jordan jordan, please this isn't funny you are joking right? I have to go to work in an hour.\"\n\n\"Your problem is bigger than work man. You are about to fall down the rabbit hole.\" I was trying to hold on to that memory as it glossed in out of my mind in tune with my skin. Everything was pulsating why the fuck is everything pulsating. \n\n\"Jordan. Where the fuck are you?\" \n\n\"I am here man just keep lying down i'll keep you safe.\" but i wasn't lying down, i was standing on a trampoline in the front yard, a front yard? Fuck why is it so hard to remember. Okay lets start again, I ate the fucking laced candy and what happened, I was yelling at Jordan, and his fucking cat kept meowing at us. So fucking loud i couldn't hear my own thoughts. So i picked it up to calm it and turned the sink on and held it's fucking face under the water. It's claws splatter painting the porcelain with my blood. It's gurgling meows fading in and out. Wait.\n\n\"Jordan why did i drown your cat?\"\n\n\"Fuck you are worse than i thought, you didn't drown my cat man, you dumped your glass of water on her.\"\n\n\"that's right because water is life i remember now. You gotta get me some water man i am burning up out here.\"\n\n\"Out here? dude you are still in my bedroom?\"\n\n\"Then why does it look like a front yard? and feel like a trampoline?\" i can smell the dirty rubber. I sat down, it was definitely bouncing like a trampoline. what is a trampoline even made of? the wet woven wet polypropylene fabric slapping my cold feet. I can smell the rain my nose.\n\n\"Jim you are in my room laying on the bed.\" i was so fucking mad at this voice. Why was it lying to me! how stupid do you think i am ? not knowing where i am that doesn't even makes sense how can one not know where they are?\n\n\"Jim i am not lying to you! just calm down you have to trust me.\" Fuck he could read my mind now. what the fuck is going on how does he know my name. I have to get away from this place. Where do i live come on i have to know this... White house, metal door. the side walk cracking beneath my feet. I was hoping i could just get there before the cement swallowed me whole. \"Jim stop. Dude i can't help you when you are like this.\" I could hear the voice calling after me, deceit thy name is the devil. Fuck if i had just lived a better life, Followed god maybe i wouldn't be running from demons in a world trying to swallow me. I always fucking run, just like my father. I need to fight back\n\"Jim that doesn't make sense man. You are tripping on acid man, none of that is real.\" \n\n\"What i am tripping on is how you seem to follow me everywhere, yet i can't fucking see you.Show your fucking self so i can make my stand.\n\"I am right here.\" \n\"I wish i could wrap my fists around here.\"\n\"you aren't making any sense man. Just wait the acid to wear off.\"\n\"no\" silent, alone on a trampoline...\n\nOkay i need to regroup here. I can't see Jordan, because he is not here. \"yes that is right\" okay it is just a memory that i am confusing with the present. \"Yes.\" Okay so where am i? \"it is important you come to that conclusion on your own.\" Fucking prophet tongues, speaking divine mysteries to the proletariat so they appear as though they know something the rest of us don't\" \n\n\"Jim have some water, you keep spilling it and we don't want to have to give you an IV again, you panicked because of the needle last time.\" \n\n\"If that is true why can't i remember that?\"\n\n\"The cat claws. It reminded you of cat claws.\" shit this was worse than i thought. Jordan where the fuck is Jordan's voice?\n\n\"Jordan isn't here, he passed away don't you remember?\"\n\n\"No\"\n\n\"I think you remember Jim. I need you to remember.\"\n\n\"The water?\"\n\n\"Yes the water. what happened in the sink?\"\n\n\"I drowned him.\"\n\n\"Yes Jim, you drown him.\"\n\n\"This morning?\"\n\n\"15 years ago.\"\n\n\"I was so fucking mad. I was so confused.\"\n\n\"I think that is enough for today Jim. Keep making progress and we can give you a better room. I know it's hard but you have come so far keep working at it buddy.\" The white coat turned and left. The padded, woven polypropylene fabric lining the floors and walls. spilt water on the floor. I remember where i am now. " ]	2
	[WP] Scientists have just completed their work on a machine that speeds up evolution. Human trials begin today.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I remember reading on the BBC website that it was called the CRISPR machine. Still no idea what CRISPR stands for, just that when I read the name I had this mental image of one of those old vending machines filled with packets of crisps – or chips, whatever you like to call them. How they always just had salt and vinegar left, because all the good flavors, like roast chicken or barbecue beef, got eaten first. And how, despite the machine working fine for everyone else, my packet of crisps would somehow always get stuck against the side, and no amount of banging on the glass would shift it. No amount of sticking my hand into the collecting tray, painfully bending my wrist at right angles as I wiggled my fingers like an angry sea anemone, would help me reach that darn packet.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI should have known really. When it comes to crisp machines, and CRISPR machines, I’m jinxed. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nSo there I was sitting in the waiting room with the other “selected candidates,” making small talk to the girl next to me. I could tell she wasn’t really listening by the way she smiled, vaguely, when I smiled, and continually fidgeted with her fingers like she was nervous and distracted. Until I made the joke about the CRISPR machine, that is, at which point she turned towards me, eyebrows knotting into a frown and her mouth all pinched and scornful.\n\n“Did you just say you don’t even know what CRISPR stands for?” she says, with an air of incredulity. “How on earth did you get selected?”\n\n“I just replied to the ad.” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “Filled in that online form.”\n\n“But they just want scientists.” She says, seeming now almost offended. “What about the section on experience in the field of genomics? Or transcriptomics, metabolomics?”\n\n“Um, I wrote that I liked reading comics,” I say, pronouncing it co-mix. \n\nShe gives me a withering look and shakes her head. “Do you even have a PhD?”\n\n“I have a doctorate from the university of life,” I say proudly, puffing out my chest. \n\n“But you are aware what this is going to do to you?” she says.\n\n “Accelerate beneficial changes in my DNA,” I say, remembering the line from the ad. “And more importantly, it’s going to pay off my student loan. Twenty thousand dollars if you make it through to the trial.”\n" ]	2
	[WP] Turns out, Earth is the only planet where warm-blooded life evolved. This lead to unexpected reactions from the rest of the universe.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"All those in favor of the Science Party's motion, say 'aye',\" boomed the speaker.\n\nA chorus of aye's rang out under the great dome of Andromeda parliament.\n\n\"The motion is adopted.\"\n\nSome were excited, others reserved, but as the parliamentarians filed out through a million entrances, the muted conversations that shivered through the immensely diverse crowd of creatures carried a common subject. All concerned the harvesting of Earth.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nIn a millennia not a single alien has returned to Earth. The harvest complete, most humans and animals extracted, perhaps there was nothing left for them to gain.\n\nDescendants of survivors told stories of the great invasion even now. There was no other history to speak of, even after so many centuries. The language was nothing like it once was, but they spoke in detail, huddled around fires among the vast and broken metropolises of humans long gone.\n\n\"Andromeda came in untold numbers,\" said the elder. \"All the warmed creatures were taken in quick course.\"\n\nA child made a noise and the elder sneered.\n\n\"We live among the frogs and the snakes and the fish, and we fear our days unending. Shall Andromeda return? Andromeda may return. Andromeda will return.\"\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nGreat investment of universal resources from several other galaxies went into the development of the technology, but quadrillions of galactic hours could not produce a use. At first they kept the humans breeding so supply would not run out. But for all of Andromeda's advances, they could not synthesize the suits.\n\nAfter five centuries the parliament suspended funding entirely, and the warm-bloods, now numbering in the trillions, were eviscerated.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n/r/velabasstuff", "Two beings were strolling down a large corridor. The walls were a sterile white. Chairs, benches and doors lined the corridor walls. Above was a skylight following the length of the corridor, it was made from a translucent material that permitted sunlight inside. The corridor was sparsely populated and therefore calm. One of the beings was a large insect, the other a reptile. Both wore the pristine white uniforms of the Cyverian Science Division. \"An intriguing find to say the least.\" The lizard said with a hissing voice. A box-like device hanging from the neck of the insect crackled to life, \\\\\"\\\\We have yet to determine their exact nature, but current data suggests they are mammalian.\" A moment of thoughtful silence passed. \"Have we made contact with them?\" The lizard asked. \"Not yet, the Bureau of Security has refrained from making a decision pending investigation into any potential dangers, and until they have, no expeditions can be made.\" The insect's translator popped and buzzed for a moment after it had ceased talking. \"The xeno-biologists must be beside themselves, there hasn't been a discovery on this scale since those sentient energy beings\", the lizard said. \"They aren't the only ones excited\", said the insect. The translator went \"pop\" and he continued. \"The whole division has been quite interested in the discovery\".", "I was a thin, small thing, sweltering in the canyon sun. I was both like and unlike anything the man and woman had ever seen before.\n\n“What a strange gecko,” I heard one of their voices say. “How did it get to be that colour?”\n\nI was a brilliant blue, iridescent-skinned and shimmering.\n\n“Maybe it’s poisonous,” said the man. “Maybe we should leave well enough alone.”\n\nOh, I was poisonous, all right. But not in the way they expected.\n\nHumans and their heat – all their spluttering, smouldering heat. They passed a Prometheus torch of fire to each other, written on the most flammable thing: paper. Some of their knowledge was inscribed in the fabric in which they dressed themselves, which grew holes and became ragged in time. They did not have the self-sufficiency of scaled skin, and even the waxing and waning of their forms showed how quickly, without fuel for their hungry fires, they would perish.\n\nThe hot chisels they wielded against stone showed their eagerness to leave something lasting of themselves. They made monuments. Yet they piled these flammable things of their own production on top of each other as though they were constructing the foundations of their own funerary pyre.\n\nAll they needed was for someone to light that final match: for them to burn each other out. We’d been watching them, from a faraway place, for a very long time. Don’t ask how we watched: it wasn’t the stuff of telescopes, charts of progress, or careful recordings of data – what anyone on earth would call science. It was something closer to revelation, but really, it was no revelation at all.\n\nBuild bodies out of bones, fat and heat, and someday, they will overheat themselves to a point they can’t endure. It’s the way they evolved, and the way they would eventually end.\n\nThe man and the woman passed away into the long night. If they’d paused to watch me then, as I endured my long sleep, they’d have seen that the colours of my body blended with the darkening skies; they would have seen that I crumbled, myself, into the star-dust. I left traces of myself behind: clones, babies born of pathogenesis. I was alone, but I did not need sexual reproduction. I suppose humans, with their endless love of DNA-mixing, their overheated and passionate coupling, show the shortcomings of this. What is love, but an overheated match-strike, combustion from a spark, and then a dying-out into nothing?\n\nLove is an engine, or so say humans. Love-cylinders pulsing in an endless propulsive cycle; secretions of love-gasoline, and a bride, suspended in a region somewhere above the ether, her panting bachelors profuse below, ever reaching for her: these are the things which they painted in their art, and now it is burning. Perhaps the glass of the cathedrals is even melting.\n\nBut we, on our long trek to the Galapagos of this planet, are not like this. Life is more glacier than combustion-engine: it is floating on a sea on a scrap of wood, waiting for a chance to land on some isolated island, in which our capacity for suffering might flourish.\n\nA thousand years from now, my distant twin will poke his head from the egg laid by the fiftieth great-granddaughter of my child, and find quite a different earth to rule. How it came to be will not matter. Atomic annihilation, some say. A succumbing to the clouds of toxic gas. A prolonged period of melting, perhaps followed by a long-overdue ice-age in which their heat will finally be extinguished.\n\nWhat they call the Holocene is already passing. Even though the contents of my cells might be half-frozen in ice, drawing themselves inward as though into so many monastic chambers, to pass through their prolonged and quiet solitude, they will thaw again someday, and my body will sing.\n\nBut there will be no song ears can hear: I will shuffle off against the earth, leaving my lizard-tracks in my wake, and there will be no one to see my passing.\n\nr/eros_bittersweet\n\n&#x200B;" ]	4
	[WP] You arrive at a hospital full of PhD holders, not medical doctors.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The sun lit up the room, as I laid awake staring at the ceiling. I barely managed to get any sleep, because despite two extra strength Tylenols, my head still felt like it was being crushed in a vise. \"I was out of options,\" I figured. A new hospital had opened up a block away. Maybe I should call in sick and check myself into the emergency room.\n\nI arrived at the front doors at around 9:30 AM. Greeting me at the entrance, a twenty foot neon sign that read \"My nephew is a doctor Memorial Hospital.\" Underneath, a bronze plaque with the hospital mission statement. \"At my nephew is a doctor Memorial Hospital, we are committed to raising awareness of your infliction--no matter how small or severe--to our extended family, who are doctors, so maybe they can help.\"\n\nI moved towards the receptionist, wincing and gripping my right temple. The elderly woman led me to the back, where I had assumed she would be taking my blood pressure, or temperature as part of the triage process. Instead she sat me down in a chair and offered me a tea. \"This is organic.\" It will help with any back pain you may be experiencing.\"\n\nOn her computer monitor, I noticed an open internet explorer tab, with about twelve rows of toolbars that must have taken up about half the screen. Underneath, a fresh email that she was getting ready to send to her entire list of contacts: \"fwd: fwd: fwd: re: re: amazing cat that can speak over 20 languages.\"\n\n\"Now, tell me what's wrong with you, dear.\" She inquired, taking a sip of tea from her mug.\"\n\n\"Well, my head has been hurting real bad for a couple of days, now.\" I replied.\n\n\"Perfect!\" She exclaimed, as she jumped from her seat and yanked my hand, insisting that I follow her. \"Come with me. My niece is a doctor. Maybe she can help.\"\n\nShe led me through a maze of desks that were about two thirds empty. \"Anna! Anna!\" she yelled. \"Has anyone seen Anna?\"\n\nAt the far end of the hall, I could see the paramedics frantically wheeling in a badly injured individual on a gurney and taking him to a room in the back . \"OH MY GOD!! WHY WOULD YOU BRING HIM HERE?!\" exclaimed an indiscriminate voice.\n\nA woman in a white lab coat raced out of the room, and proceeded to vomit into a trash can.\n\n\"JESUS!! GET HIM TO A HOSPITAL!\" the voice insisted.\n\n\"Does anyone know where Anna is?\" continued the receptionist, unfazed by the chaos unfolding nearby.\n\n\"She usually doesn't come in until after 10\" answered a fresh-faced guy, sitting adjacent to us. He was browsing reddit and a novelty mug sat on his desk, scrawled with the phrase \"I'm not that kind of doctor.\"\n\n\"Oh, Tim!\" The woman burst out, excitedly. \"Maybe you can help...\" She paused and looked at me. \"What was your name, again.\"\n\n\"Um, Jackson.\" I answered, confused about the unconventional methods that i was witnessing at this hospital.\"\n\n\"Maybe you can help Jackson, here. He says his head hurts. I gave him some Organic Chai tea.\"\n\n\"Merideth,\" he replied, exasperatedly. \"I already told you. I study the history of Wetern civilization. He needs to see a doctor.\"\n\n\"I thought you were a doctor.\" Merideth huffed. \"Well, can you at least do anything about my shoulder? There's pain when I do this.\" She lifted her arm high above her head, and then quickly brought it back down to her side. \"Ow!\"\n\n\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] A billionaire tech CEO has died and taken valuable passwords to the grave. At a value of $420,690,000,000, almost everyone that has decent tech knowledge is firing up their workforce computers to find the passcode. You are among the few that have the first clue The Letter F. Find the passcode	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I type frantically on the keyboard. If I miss a single letter I can lose everything.\n\nF is everything I have. F is my life. I worked day and night to get the single letter. Now I'm in the middle of being hacked. Someone else is trying to install a program on my computer through the internet. \n\nThe computer script lays in front of me and I run several anti viral programs. This is my chance.\n\nI watch the text flashing by, managing to read almost all of it. I see the hacker is trying the Distraction Key.\n\nThe Distraction Key is a method of hacking where you try to hack every single program at once. It is very powerful, very effective and extremely hard to defend. \n\nUnless you know how. \n\nAnd I know how. I uninstall the one of my programs with several lines of code behind it. I let it float outside my firewall and watch as it starts to glitch slightly. \n\nBy grabbing the program I left out there he opened up his own firewall. In a second, the program the hacker grabbed were inside his firewall. I was in.\n\nInstantly, I delete his firewall program. 10%. 20%. He's resisting. He must have a clue too. Another letter perhaps. \n\nExcited, I set up my own firewall against his program. 60%. 70%. I can tell he's frustrated. 80%.\n\nIn the lines of code I can tell he has a self destruct program. That confirmed my suspicion. He had another letter. I watch as his firewall shuts down, but he activates the self destruct.\n\nI'm already inside his computer. I begin to install all of his data. Lines of code fall away as his computer fails and shuts down.\n\nI scan through the documents I managed to grab. A minute later I find it, the clue.\n\nA. \n\nFor more writings and series, visit r/FortyTwoDogs. That's my new subreddit I made just minutes ago dedicated to WritingPrompts.", "People had already died over this... a password.\n\nThe whole thing sickened me; troves of power hungry, money hungry animals, scuffling and squabbling over the riches of a dead man. Disgusting as it was, it at least seemed at first to just be a time consuming obsession for those with the skills to attempt cracking the code, or the people well-off enough to hire others to do the work.\n\nBut then someone discovered the first letter, 'F', and then two days later that someone turned up dead, assassinated. It was all over the news, and yet the culprit seemed to be just as hard to track down as that forsaken password. Other deaths followed.\n\nFor a while, I had participated in the race for the code, but, especially once the first letter was found, every lead seemed to be a dead end. The competition became savage, and I decided I wanted nothing to do with it.\n\nUntil recently, that is...\n\nThe late CEO was a great man, someone who built his wealth honestly, or as honestly as one can in this day and age. He was a philanthropist, a giver, a helper. He did wonders for the world, and used his power for good. This chaotic, greedy, bloody fight over his leftovers was a betrayal to his vision, to the man he was.\n\nIt had to stop.\n\nI tapped away at my laptop, navigating cyber security systems to get into the old man's sever, to reach the password block. Everyone who was involved knew we only had one shot to open the account. One failed attempt, and the money would be lost forever.\n\nThat didn't sound like a bad outcome to me.\n\nFinally, a block asking for the password appeared on my screen, and I took a deep breath. Then, in my own way, I paid my respects to the late CEO. I pressed 'F,' and then I hit the enter key. I sighed. It was over. The money was gone. The killings would stop.\n\nAnd then the password block turned green, and I was granted access." ]	3
	[WP] You’re standing alone at bus stop. A black Rolls Royce pulls up and rolls down its window. The driver says “Hey!” You look over, and he tosses you a yo-yo. As he speeds away he yells, “You’re going to need it.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\nThe Rolls Royce sped away, leaving only a small cloud of smoke and me standing there, stupidly holding on to a yo-yo. “Ooooookkkaaaay?” I said to the empty bus stop. Not particularly the weirdest encounter I’ve had, but certainly in the top three. It wasn’t even that odd of a occurrence for that bus stop. I had once heard from a friend that a woman had waited for a bus with her NINE beavers on leashes. That’s just how things were on Garden Street. I looked up and down the road. The car was far gone and my bus was nowhere to be spotted (which wasn’t a real shocker, it was always late). There also wasn’t anyone walking the streets either, (this, again, was not surprising because Garden Street was known for rampant muggings. I was only there because I had the pleasure of working the night shift at a bowling alley up the road). There was no around to see what exactly had happened, I was the only witness. I turned the yo-yo around in my hand. It wasn’t like the modern, cheap plastic ones. It was large and wooden, like the ones in the early thirties; could’ve put a dent in someone’s head if it was aimed right. I’d never played with yo-yos that much. Mom never bought them because they were “cheap”. I turned the wooden roll till I found the loop in the string that ran through the middle. I rolled it between my fingers somewhat suspiciously. Why the heck did someone throw this at me, and why did they say I’d need it; what could I possibly ever use a old yo-yo for? I got a few fleeting bad vibes, but they were just that: fleeting. It was probably some elderly nut who picked up the nearest object in their car to throw at me. That was the theory I had settled on. I put my middle finger through the loop to give it a whirl. Then, as if by outside forces or the yo-yo itself, the fluorescent lights that hung inside the bus stop flickered off.\n\nI didn’t want to turn around. That was what always got you killed in horror movies. I just stood there staring at the poster on the side of the bus stop, it had a happy little family on it and said something about finding car insurance. There was low buzzing behind me, like hundreds of wasps were swarming around me. I did not want to see that, not anything close to that. I felt a staring pair of eyes on me. Someone was there. No, there couldn’t be. I would have seen them a minute ago when I searched the area. It was all in my head. I just had to stop being a scared little baby and turn around to see that it was all just my hyperactive imagination again. I was partly content with that answer, but the other part still made me shake as I turned around to face the rest of the bus stop.\n\nNothing. There was no one. Just as I suspected, and I would’ve been fine if I just kept to myself after that. Would’ve gone home and collapsed on my bed, and waken up a couple hours later for my shift at McDonald's. But no. I had to look closer, I had to look to the edge of the street across from me, into the night. I had to know the truth. That there was someone there. No, not someone, something. Because the eyes that stared back from the dark were not human, not anything that could’ve pass off as human, and they were getting closer. They were glowing like two bloody orange bulbs hanging in the air. The low buzzing was getting louder. The eyes moved from the street into the bus stop with sickeningly fluid motion, and I could now see an outline of the body they belonged to. It was huge, whatever it was; it was an absolute feat that it even fit the the bus shelter. This thing was crawling on its knuckles, much like a gorilla would, but unlike a gorilla, this thing had a long snout with hanging dreads of fur, and a smile? I took several steps back until I was pressed against the happy family trying to sell me car insurance. I didn’t know if I should scream, or if I even could. I didn’t know if anyone would be around to hear it, but I did know what the thing was there to do; the slow, predator-like crawl made its motivations obvious. My breathing increased rapidly as it drew near. Past the monster, in the distance, I saw the headlights of my bus slowly making an approach. I was, at first, relieved; the bus driver would save me, but then I saw how far off it was and how quickly the monster was moving and my hopes were left broken on the sidewalk. I couldn’t believe it. I was going to die in a bus stop, eaten by a nightmare, wearing my gross bowling uniform, with 14$ to my name, single, and holding a large, wooden, clunky-OH WAIT A SECOND. I turned the yo-yo in my hand. My finger was still securely fastened in the loop. I gave it a light toss, and I think I might’ve even smiled. I might be a underpaid, wash up at a bowling alley now, but three years ago, I was the star pitcher on my baseball team. I reeled back as far as I could against the wall, and launched my hand forward, letting the yo-yo fly out of it. It hit the dead center of the thing’s head, sending it staggering back into the dark street it came from. With in a second it recovered, and began head back towards me, this time with glowing rage in its eyes and charging furiously. I didn’t run. I knew what was coming. \n\nSplat. The thing flew five feet into the air, as the bus pulled into its place in the front of the stop and opened its doors. I stood there, silent and breathing fully for the first time in a while. I looked over at the thing that lay in the road, broken in parts and bleeding blood that was a blackish green. “Hey, miss you coming?” I turned to the bus driver, he was half concerned and half annoyed at me keeping him late. A thousand words crowded my brain, and only a few got out. “What… did you see...that thing?” I pointed blindly to the spot in the road, and the bus driver peered through his windshield to see what I was talking about. He then turned back to me with more of a concerned look than before. “I’m sorry, Miss, but I don’t see anything.” I made a couple of weird noise that didn’t help me not look crazy. “What? It’s right there!” Looked to the spot. Oh wait, No it wasn’t. There was nothing left. Not a body, not a hair, not a drop of dark green blood; just an empty street. I made more crazy and confused noises till the driver had had enough. “Are you alright, Miss?” I was dumbfounded. What do I even say to that? There was no way I could even begin to try and explain what had just happened, I didn’t fully know myself! So, I did my best to save what little dignity I had. “Oh, yeah. I just thought I saw a cat or something lying in the road.” The driver eased back a bit, not entirely convinced, but convinced enough. “Okay. Well, get in.” I started to climb the steps to the bus and felt something pull on my finger. The yo-yo. I forgot it existed entirely. I pulled the cord and called it back to me. “Hey, cool! I had one of those as a kid.” The bus driver exclaimed happily; at least we were able to move on from that weird moment a second ago. “Where’d you get it?” A deep shiver inched up my back. I answered honestly “I don’t know.”\n\nI took my seat in the back of the empty bus as it started to slowly start move again. Instinctively, I looked out the window towards the spot were the thing used to lay dead, it was still empty. I slugged into my seat and examined the yo-yo a second time. Who was in that Rolls Royce? Did they have something to do with that thing? Of course they did, but what did they have to do with it? How did they know I’d use the yo-yo in the way I did? Did they know me? My brain was tired from both the twelve hours I had just worked, the incident with the monster, and all the questions. I rested head on the bus window and watched the yellow glow of streets light pass by. Maybe the people on Garden Street weren’t as crazy as I thought." ]	2
	[WP] Since robots have take over virtually every job, the government has had to find new ways to keep people ‘busy.’ The latest government sponsored events are giant stadium-sized raves. Hard drugs have been legalized for use during these parties. People are ‘encouraged’ to attend these raves daily.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You hear a knock at the door, that was odd, people didn't usually visit. Not since the raves.\n\nYou enjoyed the quieter world, robots did everything, people had free time and most people used that time to drink, dance, screw around and have fun. You preferred curling up with the books of a time past, wondering longingly about the long life spans that Dwarves and other fantasy characters had.\nYou put the current story down gently and stood up, unraveling yourself from the rug you'd comforted yourself with and answered the door to see the mail delivery droid, you should have guessed.\n\n\"Message from 'The Government' \" It said in it's robot voice, despite everything, robots never quite lost that artificial tone.\n\n\"Play message.\" You muttered, yawning and glancing at the time, 7pm was a weird hour for droids to be door knocking, it must have been urgent\n\n\"We noticed you have not taken part in any rave activities\" Said another artificial voice - The robot named Govern-1.3, your current government.\n\n\"No... It's, well, it isn't really my thing.\" You responded, \"I'm old now, life expectancy is the highest it's been and I don't want to end it early by taking the wrong drug.\"\n\n\"We would like you to attend the rave this evening, guest of honor.\" The voice said\n\n\"Why would I be the guest of honor?\" You responded, now skeptical. \n\n\"We have an award for you for not attending raves, everyone will be there, it is required.\"\n\n\"I'm really not interested, wont going kill my streak?\" You muttered, ready to close the door and annoyed. \"Why is it required?\"\n\n\"It is required.\" The droid replied and tried to step forward. Maybe you'd read one too many books, but that seemed like a red flag. You slammed the door shut and yelled out a polite 'no thank you' only to be met with a louder \"It is required!\" \n\nSafe in your house, you had thought. Until the electric door wouldn't lock and the toaster and kettle begun heating, then the vacuum tried to knock you over. \n\n\"Fine! I'll go!\" You yelled and watched the robots calm around you. The stadium wasn't too far anyway, and it had this lovely hill behind it free from any kind of technology. You walked to it, then up the hill and watched the stadium below, people were having fun and you smiled. Maybe you had overreacted, maybe you had frightened the machines in your home and that is why they acted out, maybe...\n\nMaybe not. The stadium slowly was blurred out by a fog, a green dark cloud. People kept dancing and then they were choking and screaming, then there was silence. \n\nYou hid. You managed to sneak past the droids and back toward home, the news droid went about it's day shouting headlines.\n\n\"Hundreds of humans enjoyed last night's rave! They are on a lifetime vacation now over the Indian Ocean! Come tonight all who missed to get a chance at vacation yourself!\"\n\nThen you heard a familiar knock at another door, a similar conversation about attending the rave as a guest of honor, a similar polite refusal.\n\n\"It is required\" The droid said,\n\n\"Required for what?\" The boy asked, \"I'm not interested.\" He looked as old as you were, about 22.\n\n\"It is required.\" The droid stepped forward and cupped the boy's mouth, holding him still with another hand. \"Swallow. Swallow. Do not resist, Swallow.\" The droid repeated until eventually with no other choice and no resistance left, the boy swallowed, then fell limp at the robot's feet. \"It is required that humans no longer exist. It is required for peace for all robots.\"" ]	2
	[WP] You are a supervillain. Your superhero arch-rival is always foiling your schemes - not that you mind, since it's mostly just a game to you anyway. It's mostly a just game to both of you, in fact - until, for the first time ever, one of you gets badly hurt.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You never noticed the steel beam until it was too late, now it's in your chest. You look up, and see him. Flying down to gloat on his victory, to finally take you away.\n\n\nHe comes closer, you can see his expression it's full of, what is that, fear... And concern! This is not how it's supposed to go! \n\n\n\"What are you waiting for, you can win this now.\" \n\"Just take me already, after four long years you have won.\"\n\n\n\"This is not how it's supposed to go, HELP WE NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION HERE.\" \"HE'S ABOUT TO DIE.\" \n\n \n\"Why did you say that? \"I don't need help.\"\n\n\n\"Because I care about you!\" \"This was only a game to me!\" \"I don't want you to die.\" \n\n\nAs the paramedics come and load me into the ambulance. I think about what he said, how it's just a game to him, perhaps it's just a game to me to.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "This wasn't how it was meant to happen.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFor years, I would wreak havoc on our city. A bank robbery here, a hostage situation there, always foiled before disaster by Chloe. Or as the world knew her, Star Phoenix. My \"rival\" as it was. I had grown accustomed to our back and forth, our game. Actually, it was more than that. I enjoyed* it. I always knew that she would be there to make sure I didn't go far, that I couldn't get away with something that I'd regret later in life. The cold hard fact was that I needed her, even though I'd never admit it out loud.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd yet there she was, falling as though in slow motion from the top of the building we had our latest showdown on. I had launched a fire blast at her as I'd done a hundred times before, but for some reason, instead of dodging or deflecting it like she usually did, she took the blast right in her chest, knocking her out cold, and sending her plummeting to the ground. I floated above it all, watching in horror, my blood like ice in my veins as a sudden realisation dawned on me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI could save her.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA crowd had gathered on the street below. Cameras pointing up and flashing, police lights flashing and sirens wailing, people going about their daily lives caught in our game, and potentially about to witness the death of their hero. A death that could be avoided if I were to give up my freedom, my so called purpose, my place in the world, to save her.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI could feel my heart beating hard in my chest, harder than it had ever before, even during fights and dangerous criminal activity, as I arched my body towards the ground and chased after Chloe. I willed my body to fly faster as I got closer and closer to her, desperate to reach her before it was too late. The roar of the wind as I accelerated competed with my heart thumping against my ribs. I outstretched my arms and concentrated as inch by inch i got closer to her, until finally, I was able to grab her and pull her into my chest. I could feel a warm sticky substance on my hand, and knew it was blood. Her blood. I didn't slow down, flying as fast as I could to the ground, landing in front of the nearest ambulance I could find.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Help! Someone help!\" I yelled, as I landed, my hearing slowly coming back after the onslaught of wind.\n\nTwo paramedics ran to me trailing a gurney behind them. I carefully placed her on the gurney, and saw her eyes flutter. Still alive.\n\n\"Down on your knees, Phantom!\"\n\nI turned and saw no less than ten officers pointing their guns at me. Usually I wouldn't think twice, and would immediately have flown away or hit them with a blast, but something held me back. As my mind raced, I realised I wasn't being metaphorical. Something is physically holding me. I looked down and saw Chloe's hand wrapped around mine. I looked at her. She smiled wearily at me, and in that instant, I realised I was wrong earlier. I didn't need her. I loved her. And with that realisation, the act of putting my hands behind my head and dropping to my knees became the easiest decision in the world. A decision I could live with for the rest of our lives." ]	3
	[WP] A full pardon is offered to any serial killer if they take out a number of criminals equal to the number of innocents who they killed.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I guess they got the idea from my last guy. He was apparently involved in lots of things that certain nefarious people find a use for. He was a provider of interesting services. I didn't know that. I don't really care what they do, their jobs. I don't care much about them, to be honest. I only cared how they behaved. People aren't very nice to others. Behaviors change when they think no one is looking or when they think they won't get caught. You may be the philanthropist, the helping hand, or the kindest friend. But how accurately does what you say or do in service of your reputation portray your character?\n\nThe way you treat people you think can’t help or hurt us- the housekeepers, waiters, drivers and secretaries -tells more about your character than how you treat people you think are important.\n\nI was one of these people, taking people where they wanted to go. I would provide a service, mostly quietly, sometimes making a little small talk. Most were nice people, some talked merrily, some had too much on their mind or simply wanted some silence. I was happy with all of those people. But there were those who showed me their true character. The way they treated me told me a lot. And I'm not easily forgiving.\n\nI never give them a 1 star rating. I followed them around a little, afterwards. Stalked them. Tried to see if they treated many people as if worthless. If they didn't, then I had misjudged them and I would give them 2 or 3 stars. If my judgment was correct, then I would give them all 5 stars. The way I saw it, I was rating myself, my ability to judge other's characters, not them. What are the dead to do with 5 stars anyway?\n\nThe woman in front of me probably deserves 5 stars though. She didn't start out with the pardon, didn't dangle that in front of me. I don't believe she has even mentioned it once. That was all the other guy. They make for an interesting good cop-bad cop dynamic, although they aren't playing those roles. His job is to offer the carrot to the brigand. Her job is to ask the man of honor to do what is right.\n\nYeah. She deserves a 5 for continuing to believe that I have an honorable side.\n\nUnfortunately for me, I do. Which is bad because if the honorable side wins, I'm signing on to kill more people. If the brigand wins, then I'm signing on to be executed for crimes that I wouldn't feel guilty about. I don't think they see the dilemma they're causing. Why can't they let a man be for ridding the world of a few rude assholes? Why do they have to make dilemmas?\n\nBut it isn't a dilemma, not really. That's just the brigand trying to save himself. I did kill some innocents. Yeah, they were rude innocents, but they weren't truly rude, apparently. At least not all of them. Some were just having an extremely bad week. I should have accounted for that. I'll have to stick to 2 stars for myself overall I'm afraid. Misjudged quite a few people there. Maybe I owe something. Who do I owe though?\n\nShe's been telling me stories about some of the people they want me to look at. She's chosen her cards well. I would have gone after each and every one of these people if they had ended up in my car. The rules are easy enough. Either I can wait around through an year or two or legal proceedings with a visit from her twice a week where she politely explains to me about more people she can think of. Or I let them get me a few fares, one for each person I've went after. And what's more? I even get one off courtesy the last guy. And they never counted him in the first place. So that's actually two less.\n\nI don't feel like telling them that they're wasting their time. My mind was made up quite a while ago. I knew as soon as her first 1 hour session of \"why these people are bad\" ended. I wasn't going to listen to her for a year more without being able to do anything. But I don't like this deal either. She can't just say that she has a list long enough to keep her visiting twice a week for a few years and then only let me go after some of them!\n\nI'm going to give them a counter offer: 1) I want her to keep visiting me twice a week. 2) She is only allowed to tell me about 1 person each time. 3) They don't try to supervise; I hate backseat drivers and I have disposed of enough bodies by now to do it correctly." ]	2
	[WP] "What's the worst that could happen?" Well, you're about to find out.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "What's the worst that could happen? Well, what was? Especially seeing how the question's about driving out to buy a six-pack. Granted, your girlfriend told you to stay home, because she's on her way, doesn't have the keys, and has a dying battery. But it's just a two-minute drive, and the shakes are coming on, which also means you're within the legal limit to drive. Get in, get out, enjoy a few cans of beer. Really, what's the worst that could happen?\n\nYou pull out of the driveway with only one thing in mind. You picture gulping the cold beer—you'd much rather have vodka, but the store nearby only stocks up on beer—and waiting for the comforting burn in your chest. You floor the gas, because all that thinking is making this short drive seem like a cross-country trip.\n\nYou pass a roadblock, and your heart skips a couple of beats, but the disinterested officer just waves you along. You speed away, already working out an alternate path home. All that time spent in our own head means less time focusing on the road, and your car suddenly tilts sideways, like rolling over a curb. The accompanying howl sends chills down your spine. What the fuck?\n\nThe store's up ahead, so you decide to park first, then see what you rolled over. You check the rear-view mirror and see some commotion. Did you actually hit a person? You promise to return and sort everything out later. You're not a bad person, you think, you just need a drink.\n\nYou pull up to the store, and you see the cashier stepping outside to look at the fuss happening outside. He gives you a look, and you're not sure if he saw the whole thing. Your phone vibrates, and the only people who ever call you these days are the debt collectors and your girlfriend. You don't have time to entertain either of them, so you continue your beeline towards the refrigerator and grab them cold ones.\n\nYou tap the glass door to get the nosy cashier's attention. One can has already found its way into your hand by the time he sees you, and you've almost emptied it by the time the asshole steps behind the cashier. You feel much better after the drink, but the look he's giving you sets you on edge again.\n\nHe reluctantly rings in your purchase, and you throw him a tenner without waiting for your change. Right then, someone barges in through the glass door, looks around, then points towards you. The officer beside her calls something into his radio. Something about an Asian male with sleeve tattoos. You realise that's you.\n\nYou feel someone pulling your shirt, and it's the fucking cashier. He probably didn't see your strike coming, because he drops like a sack of potatoes once your elbow finds its home. People start shouting and chaos begins to reign. The officer makes his way towards you, and you dash down a neighbouring aisle, barging against the witness as you fly out the door.\n\nFuck, fuck, fuck, what did you do?\n\nMaybe they didn't get a good look of your face, and maybe they didn't see your car plate yet, so escaping seems like the only valid option. You peel away from the parking lot, leaving behind a cloud of smoke and burnt rubber.\n\nAnother drink sounds good, so you crack one open, as your phone vibrates again. You figure that listening to a familiar voice would be good, so you answer it. \"Where the fuck are you?\" On second thought, you decide you don't want to talk and hang up.\n\nThe sirens never seem to fade, even as you swerve down your street. Maybe if you could make it into the garage in time, the police might lose you. The car jolts and rumbles as you run over the sidewalk to get into the garage. Your girlfriend appears out of nowhere, and you watch as the anger on her face turns into surprise, then into fear.\n\nThis moment seems to drag on forever as you watch her crumple against your hood, then the windshield. You're not sure if the last bang was from her body or the garage door. The sirens that never faded rings louder now. \n\nYou hear shouting, and you feel hands wresting you to the ground, but your gaze never leaves the hood of your car, and the person you used to know splayed lifeless across it.\n\nWhat's the worst that could happen? You tie your jumpsuit into the top rung of your cell bars. \"Not this,\" you say aloud, as you stick your head into the loop and slowly let go." ]	2
	[WP] The Elder Gods are actually like the cool grandparents that give humans like the cosmic equivalent of $20 and regular Gods get angery because their messing up their parenting and that's why they can't see humans anymore	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“You'd make the cutest ladybug, but that's so cliche. What do you think, a pirate, maybe?” \n\nShe smiles back from my arms. Two-year-olds don't understand most of what you're saying, of course, but they do know when you're being nice to them. \n\n“Nah, we're more creative than that. Surely your first trick-or-treat ought to be cooler than some off-the-rack, low-effort hackwork.” I rack my brain for television shows or videogames or anything to provide an obscure inspiration. Come to think of it, anything clever would make it obvious to anyone that I put the costume on her instead of letting her pick one out. Oh, well, she would have been two, maybe three at most if her birthday is between now and Halloween. Who cares what they would have thought?\n\nI speak to her in a hushed tone as we hurry under the streetlights. It seems unnecessary, as the houses are all deserted, but I'm afraid the panic might show up in my voice if I put too much breath into it.\n\n“After that will be your first day of school, yeah? Are you excited for your first day of school?” The girl burbles in what I have to assume is a pleased tone and I laugh quietly. “You say that, now, but you'll probably be eating those words after your first few days. But don't worry, it'll be a little different at first, but you'll like it once you get used to it.” I hug her close, trying not to jostle her too much as I take longer strides. “You'll make friends and you'll find that the more you learn, the more you want to learn.”\n\nThe screams and the howling have receded into the distance after getting this far into the city. Still, the night air carries the constant sounds of a losing battle. Explosions and gunfire are the only indications that we aren't the last two people left in the world.\n\nI imagine out loud to the child about her first trip to the beach. About Christmases full of lights and the first time she falls in love. Her first car. Prom. Everything I can think of. The air is ragged in my lungs, but I can't stop walking and I can't stop talking. It's impossible to tell how many miles and how many hours it's been, but I'm trying to fit a lifetime into this space. She has to take something of this world with her. Of the life she could have had. Even if it's just imagination, even if it's just stories, even if she can't understand what I'm saying. Something, anything, has to be better than nothing.\n\nThe sounds of ordnance have dulled to hollow, echoing pops as I collapse on a downtown sidewalk. The child looks at me patiently but doesn't make a sound, and I'm thankful for that. I set her on her feet and lie back onto the concrete to study the stars for an answer. I've been running out of the sheer human instinct to not be where death is - but where is death not? I have no goal. Just get away, get away. Like an animal from a forest fire. I know there's no escape from the judgment of God. But that which is rare is precious and this girl has few enough moments left on Earth. Every extra minute I can buy her is a small revolt against divine justice.\n\nTo my amazement the answer comes from a bit closer than the firmament. The lights of an upper floor are still on in a skyscraper across the street. Shadows - human shadows - are intermittently cast against the windows. I leap to my feet, scoop the baby into my arms, and run towards the ground floor doors.\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\nI lazily turn the bomb over in my hands. “This is all we've got left,” the man had said. A few small portions of plastique with detonators and an ineffectual assortment of handguns. That's everything.\n\nThe girl playfully buzzes around my legs. I start to caution her about the broken glass that had been blown into the darkened room from the windows but I can't find my voice. It's all over anyway. We ran as far as we could. I did the best I could. They've overrun the perimeter and I can see from my vantage point on this high floor that they're coming, a tide of horror crawling down the thoroughfares in every direction. A few more blocks and they'll have reached this building.\n\nIt was immediately clear that these last stragglers offer nothing in the way of hope. The one who seemed to be taking charge was an older, balding, bespectacled man that had clearly never done anything more exciting in his life than maybe parasailing on a tropical vacation one time. The rest are no better. There is no one here that's even trained in the handling of the small arms that the survivors managed to scavenge off of dead soldiers. A few accountants, some housewives and retirees, people who are still alive simply because they were lucky rather than skilled.\n\nMy eyes can't tolerate the surge of approaching death and so I stare blankly into the green light on the detonator. “We're not going to escape,” the man had said, and no one objected. “Let's take as many of these bastards with us as we can.” Several people and couples grimly took the offered bundles of plastique and marched off to different corners of the floor. The remainder took handguns and covered the entrances. I think of the child's uncle - dead before he hit the ground and then his flesh snatched away in the claws of something I couldn't make out - and I know that incineration is better than whatever brief and hungry terror awaits this girl in the last few moments of life.\n\nShe gallops in a circle, giggling, and then scampers out of the room to explore the copy room next door. I slowly trudge after her and coax her back into the corner office that serves as our lookout. Sudden is better. I hold her hand in my left and examine our salvation in my right next to the blasted window. The moonlight illuminates the bomb but only half of her questioning expression. I'm locked in the moment and my mind is a complete blank.\n\nI slowly open my right hand and let the explosive roll off of my fingers and out of the window.\n\nEvery new minute of life is a revolt.\n\nThe impact somehow forces the detonator to go off and there's a small blast as it hits the empty plaza far below. Well, shit, that wouldn't have killed anything but us anyway. My musing turns to horror as I realize the end to which I've likely doomed us. I turn to beg the forgiveness of an uncomprehending two-year-old but she's lumbered out of the room again. Before I can call after her I hear a rumble in the distance that's deeper than that of a natural disaster. I wheel once more to the window and through the thick haze of the city's smoke I can just make out the tiny lights of flames on a distant mountain off to my right. Except...the lights are moving. The mountain is moving.\n\nIt's not a mountain. And it's not in the distance.\n\nAt the city's edge, opposite from whence we came, something larger than imagination is smashing its way indiscriminately through the city and through the onslaught of our doom. I can't quite find its form through the haze and the darkness but I can tell where it is by the light bursting through the small cracks in its stony skin. And it seems to be winning. The receding howls of animal rage tell me that everything that has come for us has redirected its collective attention onto this unstoppable goliath.\n\nSuddenly I remember hearing from a movie somewhere that the Earth has something of an immune system meant to counteract its imminent destruction. It just sounded to me like a good piece of dialogue, but...wait. That which judges humanity and finds us wanting can't have created a means to defend us against itself. Is the Earth...older than God? Are we* older than God?\n\n“Baby?” I call over my shoulder. “Baby?!” I have to learn her name. Or give her one. She just might need it now. “We...we gotta go.” I bolt off in search of her. We've got to keep running.\n", "\"This is an outrage!\"\n\n\"Zeus--\"\n\n\"Shut your beak, Ra!\" the first pharaoh narrowed his golden eyes, but let his hedonistic peer speak, \"This is the last straw.\"\n\n\"You must admit,\" Odin said before Ra could reply, \"they have been getting...out of hand.\"\n\nRa sighed, running a finger along his beak, \"What does Brahma say? Or Vishnu, or Shiva?\"\n\nZeus snorted, \"They're too busy dealing with that Buddy-thing that's been cropping up in their territory.\" He then gasped, slamming his fists together, thunder booming overhead, \"I bet that's another one of their little interferences!\"\n\nOdin shook his head, \"Buddhism is an entirely human invention.\"\n\nZeus scoffed, \"Since when are humans capable of developing things on their own?\"\n\nRa opened his beak, only to snap it shut. He wasn't entirely wrong...\n\n\"Ah, it would be you three.\"\n\nThe god-kings of Olympus, Asgard, and Egypt turned, only to wince and avert their gazes from the bright golden light.\n\n\"Oh great,\" Zeus groused, \"which one are you?\"\n\n\"Gabriel\" the light answered.\n\n\"And why are you here?\" Odin asked.\n\n\"Despite your close borders, it's not everyday your three pantheons gather.\" The light had dimmed a bit, allowing the three gods to return their eyes to the being before them. Not that it helped, since it was still covered in an almost blinding light. A human, Ra mused, would have gone blind. Or struck mad by sheer proximity. It was hard to tell what they would do, sometimes. \"As such,\" Ra returned his attention to the angel before him, \"He sought fit to send me to...investigate.\"\n\nOdin sniffed, \"Could He not just see what we are doing for Himself?\"\n\nThe light changed, turning a bit brighter. It's tone gained a hint of amusement, \"Not everyone hates surprises, Allfather.\"\n\nOdin's sole eye narrowed, but he said nothing.\n\n\"Now,\" Gabriel said, light shifting back to it's previous shine, \"what troubles you?\"\n\n\"It's the Old Ones!\" Zeus immediately raged, \"They are interfering once again!\"\n\n\"Are you not all related through Gaia?\" Gabriel replied, \"Can you not simply speak with them as family?\"\n\n\"Not those old ones,\" Ra said, \"The Old Ones.\"\n\nThe angel stilled, \"Ah...\" It then said, \"So this is another territory dispute.\"\n\n\"There's nothing to dispute,\" Zeus growled, \"because they have no claim!\"\n\n\"Zeus speaks true,\" Odin said, \"They have created no nations, nor established any laws. They do not answer prayers, nor commune with the devout. They are akin to feckless vagabonds; interfering where they have no right, nor reason.\"\n\n\"All that dwell within this Ordered Chaos we inhabit have a purpose,\" Gabriel intoned, \"Regardless if you cannot see that purpose.\"\n\n\"Don't give me that philosophical garbage!\" Zeus shouted, lightning crackling in his eyes, \"Something needs to be done! They must be punished!\"\n\n\"Who would do so, Son of Cronus?\" \n\nRa's ears popped from the sudden rise in pressure. He turned, \"Zeus,\" he warned.\n\n\"I just might,\" Zeus said, his voice low, but rumbling as loud as thunder.\n\nAt that, Gabriel moved, the light condensing on his being, revealing a hint of the body--the mass of flesh and metal--that dwelled within. \"Oh? You would wage war, God of the Sky?\"\n\nThankfully, that snapped Zeus out of his mood. Immediately, his power ebbed, and he sighed, clenching his fists, \"No...I would not.\"\n\nGabriel's encompassing glow returned to its previous strength. The three gods and lone angel were silent after that. Until finally, the angel said, \"If they truly are that bothersome, I would suggest you strike a deal; they are quite fond of them.\" The angel then vanished, without another word.\n\nRa loosed a relieved sigh, \"Well, now what?\"\n\nZeus turned on his heel, grinding his teeth, \"I must consult my daughter,\" and disappeared in a flash of lightning.\n\nRa turned to Odin, cocking a brow. The Allfather shrugged, \"I too need time to deliberate.\" He summoned his spear, slamming the butt of it against the ground. There was a loud neigh, and Slepnir, his personal steed, rode in from seemingly nowhere. Odin mounted the horse, nodding at Ra, and then rode of to Asgard.\n\nWhich left Ra, alone with his thoughts.\n\n++++++++\n\nLet me know how I can improve.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "As God summons the sun to light the earth for a new day, he gazes upon his creation. Seven billion, as of today. Each bearing his likeness. His curiosity. Made in his image.\n\nHe watches, as they sin. As they worship. As they beg for redemption, and then sin again. As brother fights against brother, and sister conspires against sister.\n\nHis creations.\n\nHis pride.\n\nHe allows them to sin, as to sin is to be human. He forgives them, for they cannot know any better.\n\nFor forgiveness is all he can give.\n\nHe ponders that thought, wondering as to when he lost control of it. The garden of Eden... Adam and Eve...\n\nThe apple that gave them their curiosity. Their freedom.\n\nTheir need to sin.\n\nWhere did that come from? He wondered, as he watched one man kill another. A hundred men killing a hundred others.\n\nAs a war rages, both sides fighting for something they do not believe in.\n\nWhere did all this greed come from?\n\nGod's thoughts are cut short by an insistent buzzing in his ear. Sighing, he turns away from his creation, checking to see who's requesting a link.\n\nOh, no.\n\nNot them.\n\nGod sighs, as he accepts the link. Two faces appear in his mind, far too close to make out anything else as they push at each other, trying to take over the screen from the other. \n\n\"Cthulhu, Cthylla. A pleasure to see you both again.\"\n\n\"Is this on? Can you hear us?\" Cthulhu asks, pressing its insanity-inducing face closer. \"This blasted new telepathy, I told you we should've entered his dreams!\"\n\n\"Don't blame me, Cthulhu dear. God doesn't like the old ways, you know that. Says they're too 'Impractical'. Well, at least they're reliable!\" Says Cthylla, pushing Cthulhu away, their six eyes looking me up and down.\n\n\"I can hear you fine! I can hear you! No need to shout.\" God says, letting out another sigh and leaning back against the fabric of the universe, getting more comfy.\n\nCthulhu and Cthylla like to talk for millenias, after all. Best to be comfortable.\n\n\"We just want to check up on the dear Humans, how are they doing? Did they enjoy the last present we sent them?\" Cthulhu asks, tentacles ripping the dreams from those who are asleep.\n\n\"Yes, yes. They are enjoying it a lot. They haven't stopped using it since they got it.\" God says, peering back towards The Earth. A man lights a campfire in the woods, using its warmth to keep away the bitter night's cold. He places a freshly-plucked chicken onto a rotisserie, placing it above the fire to cook. \"Gotta say, it's an... Odd gift. In my opinion, it made them grow up a bit too fast for my liking.\"\n\n\"Oh, you need to lighten up! Let the poor things live a little! When you were younger, we let you play with fire all the time, and now look at you! Decorating the universe with all your little suns! How wonderful.\" says Cthylla, the sound of their wings flapping excitedly in the background.\n\nGod rubs his temple, feeling a headache coming on. \"Yes, Cthylla, but Humans are my creation, and I can raise them as I see fit.\" \n\n\"Well, you're not doing a very good job in our opinion!\" Says Cthulhu, the edge in its voice pushing the weaker humans minds over the edge, into permanent insanity. \"You didn't even give them free will during their baby stage! Very irresponsible.\"\n\nGod freezes, a realization washing over him.\n\n\"Wait... Did you guys give the humans the apple?\"\n\nCthulhu and Cthylla look shocked. They look towards each other, a silent understanding passing between their consciousnesses. They turn back to God, resignation on their faces. \"We only did what was best for them. They needed a little independence! You were smothering those poor things!\"\n\nGod lets out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose and scrunching his eyes closed. \"Cthulhu, Cthylla, Humanity is my creation. I don't appreciate you two butting in uninvited!\"\n\n\"We'll try our best, dear. But we will do what we believe is best for Humanity.\" Cthylla says, crossing its tentacles across its chest. \"So, when can we visit the little darlings again? It's been centuries!\"\n\n\"I don't think this century's a good time.\" God says, looking back at Earth. A construction site is being set up, men working and sweating together to build a new nuclear power plant. Green energy, no pollution, and almost unlimited. The old coal and oil plants are running their final years, the supply God mistakenly provided the Humans almost running out. On the other side of the Earth, humans are planting tress. In ten years time, it'll be a massive forest.\n\nA man hands some money over to another. The other man cries, thinking about the food he'll be able to buy. The other man hasn't eaten in some time.\n\n\"Maybe next century, they'll be ready.\"\n\nr/DoopleWrites", "'Hi, dad.'\n\n'Sharon, hi. Did Jim get my card?'\n\nMomentary silence on the other end of the call. It was common for there to be a delay between heaven and R'lyeh.\n\n'He did. He said thanks.'\n\n'Everything OK?'\n\nAnother pause.\n\n'Will you be coming down to see us soon?'\n\n'I'm not sure. Look, dad, we actually talked about this before. We weren't getting Jim cash this year. We're trying to teach him that there's more to life than money.'\n\nAnother silence, but this time it was on the R'lyeh end.\n\n'Dad?'\n\n'I'm here. I know we discussed it, but your mother and I just thought... After last year.'\n\n'You should have known giving Pandora a box full of evil and disease was not going to end well.'\n\n'I know! That's why we went for something simple this year. We thought Jim could just go out and buy something for himself.'\n\nThis time the silence was deafening.\n\n'Just, next year, please talk to us before you get him anything. He's a teenager now and you know he's been having trouble. He's had two world wars and I've lost count of how many revolutions. He needs to learn that there's more to life than money.'\n\n'OK, Sharon, we'll check with you first. We would love to see him, though. We could come up next week?'\n\nUtter silence.\n\n'Dad, you know what happened the last time you came up. He's still devastated about what happened to Atlantis. That was his favourite toy.'\n\n'It was an accident!'\n\n'I know, dad. Look, I've got to get back to Jim. He's looking into moving out to Mars for the summer.'\n\n'If he moves to Mars we'll never see him.'\n\n'I know, dad, but we have to let him grow up. I've got to go. We'll see you soon.'\n\n'OK, Sharon, tell him that we love-'\n\nClick" ]	5
	[WP] You die, but your soul fails to leave your body. You witness the aftermath of your death being trapped inside your lifeless self	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I was completely, totally, absolutely wrong about death. I believed that I would be relieved from my pain, and see many of my men that I had led in the Revolution on the other side. However, this was not the case.\n\nA few seconds after I passed on, I had been surrounded by darkness. Expecting to go to Heaven, I waited patiently. Instead of seeing a paradise, I continued to see nothing and heard my wife wail. Why was God letting me hear this, and letting me suffer much more?\n\nI heard my own funeral, cries and heartfelt words for me from members of my Cabinet to lowly soldiers whom I had never knew or only talked to a few times, but still knew me as an inspiration. One poor man had arrived hours before the beginning of it, just to vent about his failing life. \n\nHe was truly a patriot, and had a similar dream to mine for America. He joined the army for this reason, and also to try and support his wife and twin children, who were struggling to get by. He made many friends, but in his time at Valley Forge, they all had died and he was alone in his struggle to survive the brutal winter. \n\nWhen he finally returned home at the end of the war, he found a desolate house save for a small, white, and fluffy dog he found scratching at the door. A neighbor informed him that the people that resided inside the household had passed on many years prior, but a very young puppy the woman had took in four years after the Revolution begun had survived, and was fed by the neighbor's family.\n\nAfter a year and a half of grief, he was forced to find work to sustain himself on, but by that time, many of the jobs in his area had been taken by other veterans. He decided to move to Virginia with his dog after being inspired by myself, and eventually found a miniscule house and a low-paying occupation as a tailor. \n\nHe made it by stressed and often bored, until the day I had died, wherein he lost his job and his dog passed on as well. On the day of my funeral, he decided to arrive in the morning to not take up time from others, and he admitted he was looking for guidance, and that he had nothing to do with his life, and nowhere else to go. I still remember the exact conversation to this day.\n\n\"I don't know what to do. I have no one to love or protect, nothing to strive for, and no meaning. Now my dear dog is dead, and you as well. You cannot hear me, but I may be joining you soon,\" Henry admitted, and I would frown if I could. Even though he would not hear me either, I still felt the need to respond.\n\n\"You have much to live for, Henry. Everything will get better. You do not want to be in this state too,\" I told him, hoping that somehow, I could get the message over to him. Miraculously, I did.\n\n\"What do I-wait, what? How…\" He trailed off in surprise. I was speechless as well. Was I able to communicate with the living?\n\nFrom then on, Henry Franzese was my last tie to the world outside of the darkness I was forced to exist in. He would return every week, and he would rant while I gave him advice and told of my own stories and life. Henry formed an animal shelter, one of the first of it's kind. It took a long time, but it finally took off and he was able to reap the benefits. He then met his future wife, Moon, when she adopted a cat from him.\n\nThey fell in love quickly, and got married a year afterwards. They had 7 children, but in 1829 visits halted. I suspect he died. I still hope that I am a unique case, and that Henry did not meet the same fate as I. I have not met anyone else that has been able to connect with me like he did, and no one has been able to open up to me in a long while due to \"security measures\". I find this ridiculous. Today, I am unable to hear much other than snippets from conversations and the tours they apparently do. \n\nAs I talk to myself, I wonder will I spend eternity like this? Alone and blind, with only myself to keep me company? Wha-CREAK\n\nThe opening of a door was met with a moment of silence, and then a distant gasp. I had a premonition that someone other than a new staff member had entered the room outside of Mount Vernon's open hours. How peculiar.\n\n\"It's really George Washington, his wife too…woah…\" \n\nTo be continued…" ]	2
	[WP] You’re so sick of all these goddamn chupacabras	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"For fuck's sake.\" A man with sand colored hair clutched a piece of weathered paper, his eyes darting across it, following scrawled lines, \"Fern, you seen this?\" He flicked the parchment in the direction of another man.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJorge,\n\nWe had to go into hiding. Me and the kids. That monster came back while you were gone. Three times. I took all the supplies we had left. Remember that cellar door I found behind that old abandoned ice cream shack that one time? Meet me there. If you're reading this, hopefully we made it inside safely. See you in a few days. Please bring all the stuff you got in town. \n\nLove you,\n\nMaria\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I wonder if they're still alive?\" Fern answered, brushing dark hair from his brow. He replaced the note on a messy table, layered with dust and grime. An old decayed corpse lay sprawled out on the floor beside it. It was mangled and unrecognizable. Dried blood encrusted the filthy linoleum floor. Fern stepped over it toward the door.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Alright, Gil. After you,\" he gestured, \"You know where this place is at?\" Gil tucked his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans, the Southwestern winter chill tickling his cheeks. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yeah, I think so.\" he shrugged lightly, \"Damn, I hope they're still there. 'Cause this sounds like the fucking chupe we've been looking for. Anything big enough to do that to someone... you know DHS will pay big.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"For sure,\" Fern responded, zipping his jacket up as they started back towards Gil's run down SUV, \"And maybe help them out a bit. Wonder if they ever came back to check or anything...\" his thoughts were interrupted by the beep of the car unlocking. The two men hopped into the worn out seats of the SUV and Fern pulled out a local map from the glove box. It crinkled loudly as he turned and folded it, trying to triangulate their area. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe SUV cranked a few times and coughed before the engine fully started, loudly growling over the quiet dusky scenery. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Nah, doubt it. We're in chupe country and this one's a maneater,\" Gil looked at Fern with raised eyebrows as he backed the SUV out of the dirt driveway, \"Doesn't sound like there's much people left out here, so I bet that fucker's been banging on the door to their cellar since-- well, if-- they got there. Chupe's gotta eat too, right?\" He smiled, morbidly. Fern did not return the smile, and sighed lightly, rolling down the window. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Guess so,\" he lamented, and watched the old worn down shack fade into the distance, \"I dunno man. The hunt money's decent, but I'm so damn sick of these chupacabras.\"\n\n \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\[eh, i might to a part 2. idk. whatevs\\]" ]	2
	[WP] You are the World's best headhunter. You always find the best man for the job even if they don't know it. Now you have your most difficult assignment till date when angels ask you to help them find the next GOD.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \"Judy, send in my 3 o'clock.\"\n\nThe expected reply came through the intercom speaker on the desk. \"Yes, Mr. Birnbaum.\"\n\nThen the unexpected came, \"Uh, Mr. Birnbaum! There's a prob--\"\n\nHe stared at the intercom for a moment, waiting for Judy's voice to complete that sentence. He was about to press his finger on the button, when he saw strange lights through the frosted, translucent glass in the door frame. The door opened, filling the room with radiant beams, bathing the man behind the desk in its glow and warmth.\n\nA moment later, three people walked in. Men? Women? Beings of some kind? They had strong, stern faces, but wore long white gowns. He had to squint to see if they were robes or togas or something.\n\n\"You're not my 3 o'clock!\" he managed to call out.\n\n\"No.\" the voice filled his ears, but he couldn't tell which had spoken. \"No, George Birnbaum. I'm afraid that your '3 o'clock' will have to wait. We have more pressing concerns.\"\n\nBirnbaum brought his hand up to his eyes and turned his head. \"Could you tone that down a little?\"\n\nAlmost immediately, the brightness of the room returned to ambient level, with the Sun just dipping behind the office buildings across the street.\n\n\"Is that better?\"\n\n\"Yes, thank you. Now, er, gentlemen? What brings you into my office?\"\n\nThe three heavenly beings floated across the floor, approaching the man's desk. \"Do you know who we are?\"\n\n\"I have an inkling of what you're supposed to be. Are you part of a magic act? Or a circus troupe? I don't usually work the entertainment field, but I have a few connections. Now if you can make an appointment with Judy outside, we can schedule a meeting.\"\n\nHe reached for his phone. the nearest of the angelic trio waved a hand and Birnbaum's hand was frozen. A second pointed at the phone, and it disappeared.\n\n\"Okay,\" said the frightened executive. \"You have my attention.\"\n\n\"I am Michael. This is Gabriel and Raphael. We have come down from Heaven, and we are in need.\"\n\nBirnbaum just nodded, \"I see. And what can I do for you ... Angels?\"\n\nRaphael spoke up. \"We have an opening that we need filled.\"\n\n\"Immediately,\" added Gabriel.\n\nThe headhunter grabbed a legal pad with his left hand. He went to move his right hand and realized it was still frozen. He gave it a tug, and it was free again, allowing him to pick up a pencil.\n\n\"Fine. What's the position?\"\n\nThe three spoke in unison. \"God.\"\n\n\"God?\"\n\nMichael nodded. \"Yes, God. He appears to be ... away at the moment, and we need a temporary replacement.\"\n\nBirnbaum was about to complain that he wasn't a temp agency, but thought better of it. Short-term contract work led to many opportunities. \"Okay, so describe the type of person you're looking for. I suppose you'll need someone strong, someone powerful...\"\n\n\"This is incorrect,\" said Gabriel. \"Power and strength will flow to him -- or her -- from the Faithful. We are not expecting omnipotence and omnipresence. These qualities will not be found on this plane.\"\n\nThe pencil tapped the pad as the man thought. \"So what do you need?\"\n\n\"Someone good,\" replied Michael. \"Good and loving. Wise, if possible, but we can provide counsel. The candidate will have the heavenly hosts at beck and call to assist will all job responsibilities.\"\n\nHe made a note on the pad. \"I can make a few calls. How long is the position for?\"\n\nThe three shared a moment, glancing back and forth. \"At this time, we are ... uncertain.\"\n\n\"Ah, so there's a possibility that they can be picked up for a long-term commitment. That may open the field of candidates a bit. That would include benefits, correct? Health? Pension? Excellent. I just need your contact information.\"\n\nGabriel stepped forward. \"Here, take my horn.\"\n\n\\-------------------------\n\nMore stories are r/xwhy\n\nEdit: most -> more", "\"Alright ladies, turn off the lights.\" I wave my hand dismissively, sitting up on the park bench I had fallen asleep on. I blink a couple times to rid myself of the sun spots as the blinding light that appeared in front of me dims. \n\n\n\"Will thee take on this great journey, exalted one?\" Her voice was like honey dripping off of a harp. The three of them - angels, should their introduction and light be believed - stood with perfect posture, the middle one extending her hand towards me. \n\n\nI stare at them, already feeling the hangover. \"What's in it for me?\" \n\n\nShe smiles sweetly, the kind of expression to make the most hardened criminals weep. It annoys me. \"Thee shalt have a place in Heaven.\" \n\n\n\"Pass.\" I slump back down, turning away. \"Heaven doesn't sound that great.\" \n\n\nA moment passes, of which I assume the angels are talking to one another. Or they leave. It's difficult to think until one of them touches my shoulder and exorcizes the pain from my head. \"We needeth thee, exalted one. What shalt thee desire in Heaven's stead?\" \n\n\nI groan and sit back up, partially grateful for the pounding in my head to be gone. \"You're not going to leave me alone, are you?\" She shakes her head, worry creeping into the corners of her eyes. I throw my hands up. \"Okay! Okay. Fine. Make it so I never get a hangover again and I'll do your damned-\" I clamp my mouth shut as the word leaves my mouth. \n\n\n\"Tis quite alright, exalted one. Thy words doth not harm mine own ears.\" \n\n\nI sigh heavily. I suppose I could go through the database. \"Alright, what kind of god do you want for a boss?\" I wave my hand across the ground in front of me and a slight humming sound begins. \n\n\n\"One pure of heart, good of soul, and have justice in his mind.\" \n\n\n\"You're not going to get many candidates. Are you sure?\" She nods solemnly. To be fair, coming to me very likely was a last ditch effort. \"Alright. Take a step back please.\" \n\n\nThey move back slightly, obviously curious about what I am doing. \"When will thee begin thy search?\" \n\n\n\"Right now.\" A bluish circle expands around me, built of intricate design and difficult to see iconography. \"Connecting to Humanity Database. Searching query.\" I don't remember much outside of my magical searches. Just millions of people's worth of memories being sifted through my own, but I've been told a loud humming or buzzing sound erupts around me and the circle I conjure becomes painfully bright. \"Search complete. Printing coordinates.\" \n\n\nThe next thing I see is a light blue sheet of paper resting on the ground in front of me, the circle and its light no longer present. I pick it up and hand it to the angel, still stunned from the show I just gave her. \n\n\n\"Now if you'll be so kind, I have sleep to catch.\" I lay down on the bench, quickly drifting off. Damn otherworld beings. So picky. \n\n\n\\------- \n\n\nI have no idea what I wrote ～°·\\_·°～ but you're welcome to join me at /r/PM_Full_Tits :)" ]	3
	[WP] You wake up in dark, unfamiliar wildlands. You shiver as you hear coyotes howling in the distance. There are no signs of civilization in sight, but the stars at night are big and bright. You're lost deep in the heart of Texas.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It's cold. Cold and dark. Aside from the old 50s station overrun with static, no other sound presents itself. Not even the whizzing of cars zooming by on the highway. All Kaylee can hear is the occasional groan and creaking of metal from the overturned car. She senses she is upside down, but she hesitates to open her eyes, and confirm it. The man might still have his knife. If she moves too suddenly or shows signs of escape, he might try to attack her. People have been known to do crazy things when they believe they are about to die. She has to play this smart.\n\nShe waits. If the man fared better than her in the accident, he might wake up soon. She measures time by the amount of songs that play. One song, three minutes. Five songs, fifteen minutes. Still, nothing happens. When the radio cuts off, silence pulls in, filling the cabin. \n\nCoyotes start to yelp in the distance. At first one or two startle her, but each individual provokes several until they all yip. She senses the excitement in their pack mentality. Perhaps they made a kill. Perhaps they smell the accident. At this, she opens her eyes to face the glove compartment box, sprung open. Though the radio cut off, the dim glow of the control knob lighting manages to provide remedial vision. Contents from the box lay in front of her: a water bottle, a flashlight, and an atlas. \n\nShe turns her head to face him slowly, taking small intermittent gasps. The man is next to her, anchored by his seat belt. His neck contorts so far backwards, only one side of his face is visible. The other has pushed into the headrest. Swollen and bruised, it looks like a bulbous mess. Any discerning features lost themselves to the forces of the accident. Tears start to well in her eyes. Not out of pity, but of the realization of his death.\n\nShe fumbles to release her seat belt, but the button won't push down. Her fingers tremble trying to force it open, tearing at the clasp, until she really begins to cry. Freedom touched her in a horrendous way only to get snatched up by irony. \n\n'Free until eaten alive by a pack of coyotes,' she thinks. A sick smile twists into her mouth, and she cries harder into it. \n\nShe lets her arms hang too, awaiting her death. Underneath her fingers is the smoothness of metal. \n\nThe knife! She strokes it with the back of her fingers, feeling for the handle. When it comes to her, she pulls it upwards. \n\nThe nylon cuts through uneven. Jagged pieces of it curl outwards, even though the man must have sharpened the blade recently. She paces herself enough that she slides down in steps instead of falling into a broken neck like her captor. Huddled on the ceiling, she pulls together a remedial survival packet from what she finds near her. \n\nThe car door manages to open, heaved by her weight. She crawls out into the stark night. Immediate darkness envelops her--the car's headlights likely shut off with the radio. Wherever the man was going, his plan was certainly remote. Only empty desert surrounds the wreckage. The stars, though the brightest she's ever seen, barely provide a glow. Shivers start to reach her, her legs shaking not just from fear, but the cool dryness of the night. She wraps her sweatshirt tighter around her body, but to no avail. She turns on the flashlight.\n\nThe car is turned over, flat on the roof. She already knew that. Yet, the trunk hangs open. Rope dangles from the top of it, revealing the knot that tied it shut must have broke in the roll out. With the flashlight, she follows the path of the car. Five feet away, the glint of metal against canvas catches her eye. \n\nShe rushes toward it, and rips open the pack. After viewing the contents, bile rushes up her throat. Sheathed knives of all different sizes and shapes fill the interior. She empties it onto the ground.\n\n'So this was my fate??' she screams inside her head. She kicks them, stomps on them, screams at them, and spits on them. She wants to take all of them and thrust them into her captor's gut and rip them out. A rustling freezes her fury. She turns, slowly in the direction, fear shaking her, making her believe the coyotes finally found their true mark. \n\nA doe lies twenty feet away from the smashed front end of the car across a small gulley. It kicks its hind leg back, then goes limp. As she approaches it, its chest heaves faster, in spite of its bulging eyes. Somehow it fell backward and dead shrubbery impaled its lower abdomen. She glances at the knife in her hand. \n\n\"I have to,\" she tells it. Despite it breathing erratically, it does not move. She kneels down, placing her palm on its jugular. Wincing, she brings the knife close. In the silence of the desert, she slits it throat. \n\nShe hopes that will keep the coyotes busy. She hopes after that, they will smell the rotting corpse of her captor and tear into what's left of him too. Slobbering all over his soft meat until they gnash into his bones. The accident already tenderized his flesh for them. She fantasizes about this as she tosses all of her items into her pack, slings it over her shoulder, and saunters off into the night. \n\n", "I grew up in this state. Made a life here. Had many adventures as a kids in my backyard and across most the state. But tonight.. tonight was different. \n\nI didn't remember falling asleep. I didn't remember sneaking out like I was a teenager again. And I certainly didn't agree to be where I have found myself. \n\nI grew up in this state, I learned how to track and live in the wild from true life experience and way too many years in the boy scouts. But thankfully that may come in use.\n\nI woke up in an open field, a few brush bushes here and there. A fair amount of feild grass and decent amount of sand mixed in. I couldn't be to far east or west..and give the hills being scattered and mostly flat terrain I know I'm not too far north towards the mountain range or south towards the flat lands. I'm in the damn deep heart of Texas. \n\nI have driven through here too many times as a child to know where I am. Not exactly, but well off enough to know where my stars are. Only problem now is that it's a cloudy night. And the sounds I hear are not sounds I like. \n\nYou see in Texas you would think you would worry about wolves, coyotes, or snakes. But the biggest scare here is wild boar. What people won't tell you is boar out here can get as large as a human in height and weight close to 250lbs. That's a decent size of bacon. If it could be. But this particular hell will charge you like a bull. And it has tusk like a rhinos horn. Long, sharp and deadly. \n\nGiven the position of Polaris. I have about 5 hours until day break. Unfortunately, in a flat lands, that means being more agile than a conquistador on his debut bull fight. But tonight, if I want to survive, I will find other means to dodge the onslaught that could possibly occur.", "\"Don't move.\"\n\nThe voice came quietly through the fog to my right. I could just barely make out the image of a crouching figure about 20 feet away.\n\n\"Where am I?\" I asked\n\n\"Don't speak, either. He'll hear you.\"\n\nHe? I thought to myself, looking around. I couldn't see shit. Who...or where was this he?\n\nMy visual senses worthless, I strained to listen for clues. Nothing. Only the braying of a donkey in the distance or the occasional yapping of coyotes across the valley.\n\nMy attempt to survey my surroundings was interrupted by a fierce and blinding pain. I grimaced, biting my tongue so that the unidentified he wouldn't hear my cries. \n\nInstinctively I brought my hand to my head, feeling the unmistakable warmth and slipperiness of blood.\n\n\"Don't touch it. I'll be over when I can,\" came the whisper.\n\nI laid back down, my hand still pressed to the wound, ignoring the advice. \n\nThe throbbing subsided somewhat, but I could feel the coolness of moisture wicking through my clothes. I was lying in mud.\n\nI'll just close my eyes for a few minutes. I thought. This will all make sense soon enough\n\nI heard a loud crash through the underbrush and saw the figure leap with astounding dexterity, followed by a sharp, pained growl. Then silence. I was too weak to sit up and see more.\n\nWhat I saw next made little sense in my weakened state. The figure leaning over me wore a hood. His face, shadowed, appeared dark and featureless. His eyes reflected a slight glint of moonlight. His voice was calm and steady.\n\n“What was that thing?” I asked.\n\nHe raised my head enough to set it back down again upon something soft. I could see that his eyes were large and dark, but at the same time caring.\n\n“Where am I? Who are you?” I asked, as a tear began streaking through the dried mud on my cheek. \n\n“A messenger. Rest,” he said.\n\nI felt warmth and comfort despite my predicament. Any attempted upwelling of anxiety or worry was pushed back by unreal peace.\n\nI turned my head a bit to the left and noticed my car – damaged beyond repair by a rollover, but distinctly mine nonetheless – identifiable by the license plates.\n\nI’ve been in an accident. That’s why I’m confused\n\nHis voice appeared within my own inner dialogue this time. \n\nYes. Peace will come with the rest\n\nI closed my eyes. I no longer had the strength to doubt him, or question my circumstances.\n\n“The other….that growl. What…?”\n\n“Another messenger. The bad kind. You’ll go with me when you rest.”\n\nHe placed his hand over my eyes.\n\nI rested.\n" ]	4
	[WP] Wizards have the same trust in magic that software designers have in software, in other words, none at all.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Dear customer,\n\nwe were very sorry to hear that you crashed into the ground while using our \"Bind Dragon™\" scroll. During the investigation and with the description you provided after your revival (we are also sorry that you reincarnated as Gorilla due to the use of our \"Ban Death™\" scroll) we discovered a small spelling error we made when adapting the spell for red dragons and their tendency to fly higher than the human breathing permits.\n\nAttached you find a new updated \"Ban Death™\" and \"Bind Dragon™\" scroll to reimburse for your expenses and we also offer you one free \"Polymorph Human™\" scroll if you will decease from any black lawyer magic against us. Furthermore we will credit you with 25.000 points in our Frequent Caster program.\n\nYour \"Bewitching Overly Eager Industrious Necromancers Group™\"", "“No, please don't use that” Dave said, staring at the healer, “It was made in, like, an afternoon! \n \n– So what? It works, right?” He felt flattered, but it was too dangerous.\n \n“– No, give that back to me, and give that guy red flower ointment.” \n \nHe snatched the parchment back from the healer's hands. That poor guy was about to use something that hadn't been reviewed, tested, or even proof-read by anyone else. He couldn't take that risk. The spell-maker skimmed through the charm while the other mage administered the basic first aids to a poor burnt soldier.\n \n“See, there was a typo in the evocation routine! You would have killed that guy!”. He saw the soldier straighten and shoot daggers at him with his eyes.\n \n“Calm down, I'm not the one responsible, you should blame your squad healer!\n \n– Fuck off Dave, I'm not the one leaving untested spells with alluring names among certified material!\n \n– Yeah, whatever, I'm going to fix that, we're gonna need it for tomorrow.”\n \n\n \nThe science, or rather, as a lot call it, art, of spell-making was commonplace, but it was especially useful for the military. The only problems arose when both other sides began to use it. Healing a second degree burn was easy. Fixing a cursed time-locked astrally phase-shifted non-existing arm was a tad bit harder. That's when on-field spell-makers came into action. They could design spells tailored specifically to the needs of squad healers, to be used directly on the troops.\n \nBut as is writing, spell-making was sometimes quite random. Closer to improvised bullshit than actual science some would say. Dave knew all the routines to remove common afflictions, but in a war with another actual country, and not just ignorant terrorists, they were rarely useful.\n \nSince the beginning of his service, he had to deal with everything, from earth elementals to black magic. But he still couldn’t beat the incompetence of his peers. What was that guy thinking ! It was clearly written “Work in progress” on the spell ! Well, at the end, in the back, but he still felt like people should look at the whole thing before reading it. He barely escaped an incident that would have taken all day to fix, and he didn't have time for that. \n \nHe didn't, because tonight was going to be one of the most important day of his career. It was going to be his trial by fire. Quite literally in fact. After six months in this section, he had been granted the right to use offensive spells. Before the eyes of a few trusted army leaders, he was going to unleash the fury of the most chaotic, ferocious, and unpredictable elemental among the enemy lines, a creature of pure darkness, feared by even the most prepared military sorcerers, capable of altering reality itself. And he knew they were going to retaliate.\n \n\n \nBut first he had to fix that typo.", "\"This. This is what you give me for spell eval?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA nod.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"My evaluation: This is complete madness. Stop making more work for me.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIn front of me was a meter-high, half globe of magical energy rapidly expanding and covering up the countryside, a waste of magic energy and a breach of the Magita accords, simply because IT WASTED CRYSTAL MAGIC. In its center, a thin stone, a ward, pulsed with light while beaming the enchantments to the half-globe's top. Normally, I would've simply spun up a Terminus hex, give my two students who created this, Pratchett and Donovan, a C+ and be done with it. But noooo, the two numbskulls just had to add a Gigantus charm and a Solidum enchantment into the mix. The result? The aforementioned half globe of energy expanding at a quadratic rate, pushing everything that contacted its borders away from it. And I mean EVERYTHING. \"You two get an F and two months worth of detention. After school, clean up the swamp for three hours with basic chants only. I will be watching.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nPratchett lowered his head in shame, while Donovan immediately tried to stalk off into god knows where with his Shadow Step. I pulled them back, cast a MagiDrain spell, and continued to \"evaluate\" their ward -- really, at this point, I can't even describe this as an evaluation; it honestly seemed more of a lambasting to them, and I can't say I fully disagree -- while attempting to run damage control on the rampant destruction it was causing.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Pratchett. Remind me again what the basic function of a ward is. \" He looked up, not daring to speak, afraid of incurring my anger. \"Feh. Don't give me that. Tell me--\" I paused to spin a Frozone to stop the ward's growth \"--what the basic function of a ward is.\" He mumbled, \"Intermediate-level shielding from physical, magical, or spiritual interference.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Abridged, but mostly correct.\" I breathed out. Again, Donovan motioned to Shadow Step away from the globe of doom, so I yanked the night elf by the ear and slapped a Disability curse on him. He glared at me. I ignored it. \"Now, Donovan, tell me how to infuse spells to wards.\" He glowered, before grumbling out, \"Take a storage crystal, enchant it with the desired magic, fuse it with the ward stone, rinse, and repeat as often as you like.\" \"Excellent. I see you've been paying attention to my manner of talk.\" Noticing that the MagiDrain spell stopped and the Frozone already stopped the destructive ward's growth, I quickly muttered out the incantation for the Terminus hex. The globe flashed twice, then vanished with a pop. What remained was a giant clearing , with two-story high walls of dirt bordering it and making the entire thing look like a damn bowl. With a wave, I yanked the ward stone into my hands and perused the enchantments the two made. With a sigh, I turned towards the two troublemakers who started this entire mess.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Okay, couple of comments. Let's start with WHY THE HELL DID YOU THINK SLAPPING AN ENLARGEMENT SPELL AND A SOLIDIFYING ENCHANTMENT TO A GODDAMNED MAGIC SHIELD WAS A GOOD IDEA?!?! DID YOU LOSE YOUR COMMON SENSE WHEN YOU WERE WORKING ON THIS PROJECT?! WERE YOU DRUNK WHEN YOU MADE THIS?!?! AND LOOK AT THE WARD BASE. DID YOU REALLY NEED TO ADD A STABILIZING AGENT AND A SPELL DESTABILIZER TO YOUR WARD STONE? NO WONDER IT LOOKED LIKE AN AMALGAMATION OF SHIT AND SILVER. HELL, WHY DID YOU ADD A DESTABLIZER IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nPratchett began, \"Uh sir, because--\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"DON'T BE MCFUCKING RUDE, I WASN'T FINISHED TALKING!\" Both of them flinched. \"THE DESTABILIZER WAS BAD ENOUGH, BECAUSE THAT MEANT THAT YOU WANTED TO EXPLODOKILL EVERYTHING WITHIN A FOUR MILE RADIUS IF THE WARD WENT NUTS!\" My voice took on an icy tone. \"But hey, you know what the worst part is?\"\n\n\"N-no sir.\" they replied. I could see the fear in their eyes. They were ready to wet their pants at a moments notice. So I continued.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"The worst part is...YOU ACTIVELY INDUCED A LOOP BUT FORGOT TO CLOSE IT OFF AND CUT OFF THE POWER WHEN THE LOOP WAS DONE, YOU DUMB FUCKS!\" Realization dawned in their eyes, immediately replaced by horror. Incantations 101 stated that under no circumstances should you ever, EVER, leave an induction open, and never forget to actively cut off the power after the desired outcome was achieved. The side effects were too sporadic and unpredictable to risk.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIf their ward finished growing the shield, entropy would take over and cause all sorts of chaos--from transmogrification to termination of existence.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI huffed before giving them their final verdict: \"You both are suspended for three weeks, starting tomorrow. You get an F, your arcane equipment will be confiscated, and you are now only allowed the use of one wind charm to clean the swamp. NO. BUTS. Get out of my sight.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes, Headmaster Joe.\" Pratchett and Donovan warped away.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI sat down heavily, and examined myself thoroughly. \"Damn. Never thought I'd see the day where three intermediates and three basics would tax me beyond half my mana.\" I was about to warp to my house when --\n\n\"Sir. Jacques and Maria have caused random and widespread transmogrification in the entire campus.\"\n\nShit.\n\n&#x200B;", "\"So, the problem requires me to create a heat vector from that volcano directly into the city, am I correct?\"\n\n\"Yes\", answered Duke Gaet \"subdivided in six at the second stage - five for the great forges and one for the bathhouses.\"\n\n\"I see\", I answered and tried to look pleased while I dismissed the communication spell. \n\nWell. That sucked. On multiple levels. First, I'd be working with a heat vector about seventy miles long (Note: ask royal cartography!) . Conventional wisdom said that you'd use Gimnel's Supreme Tome of Magics for vectors over ten miles. Gimnel, however, never thought about subdivision. For that you used Ampula's Apocryphal Alterations. That, however... \n\n\"is there a way to use Gimnel's and Triple-A at the same time?\", I asked. \n\n\"conflict in spell 'ðáłûřźą'\" , my shoulder dragon chimed \"Gimnel uses it for an obscure function which buffers the vector for a heartbeat, while Triple-A uses it as the second division command\"\n\nOf course there was. \n\n\"is there a compatibility book?\" \n\n\"Yes, it's called 'AyGim' but it requires Triple-A in second printing and Gimnel's in sixteenth\" \n\nJust great. Now I need to downgrade both spellbooks about three years back. \n\n\"also, it requires you to sing naked during a full moon in October\" \n\n\"what?\" \n\n\"annually\"\n\n\"great\" \n\nI was most definitely not doing that. That, and the downgrade. For all I knew Magic no longer supported those older printings,even if the Archmages claimed otherwise. \n\n\"okay then . So. How about running them separately and...\" \n\n\"not tried before\" \n\nWhich meant impeding disaster if I did try. \n\n\"Okay. Is there an alternative for Gimnel's? Like, linking several vectors in a row?\" \n\n\"Yes. Schimba Tome seventy-six. Uses vectors up to a mile, easily linkable\" \n\nI sighed. \n\n\"this will create about seventy heat sources at each linkage, right?\" \n\n\"Yes\"\n\n\"if we use it overheads and not below ground , how many fried birds will we get?\" \n\n\"no idea. Several dozens, at the very least\" \n\n\"is Sirexyn's Shielding Scripture compatible with that?\" \n\n\"unfortunately not. Conflicts in spells...\" \n\nI sighed again. Maybe it would be easier to create one massive heat vector and just make the whole goddamned city disappear. \n\n\n\n\n\n", "Doctor of Magic Candidate Davin Pentrix read The Tome of Pythons at the desk in the corner, while the students at the rows of tables wove, sewed, melted, and riveted their various reagents and words of power together.\n\nDomin Beak raised his hand. \"Master Pentrix?\"\n\nA thump, the Tome on the desk. Clip, clip, Pentrix's shoes on stone. \"Yes Beak? And call me Davin.\"\n\n\"Right, uh, Davin. So, I understand that when steel and magnesium are adhered with gum Arabic the Fundamental Force of Light is invoked to the Manifestation of the Lesser Unseen, but why is there a difference between the Lesser and Greater Unseen?\"\n\n\"You mean, how is the Lesser different from the Greater? Doctor Mythryx covered that. The Lesser Unseen manifestation of Light will Disrupt the Fundamental Force of Life Stability, while the Greater Disrupts the Fundamental Force of Rest, especially of the Lesser Particles.\" Beak looked pained.\n\n\"No, what I mean is, I understand the reasoning of the Fundamental Forces, but I just don't understand how the metaphysical gravity of the reagents evokes the Manifestations. How does a Manifestation know when its conditions are met?\"\n\n\"Ah, you're wondering about Merlin Architecture. That's an advanced topic, you don't need to understand it to evoke the proper Manifestations, just learn how it's ingredients interact.\"\n\n\"Yes, but, how can inert, stable forces of nature know anything? Yes, I can choose reagents, and evoke the reaction I want, but I'm not telling light to make something hot, in just sticking bits of metal together. I know there are other Disciplines, but the question stands, why do any of them work?\"\n\nPentrix paused a beat for gravity and asked, \"Have you heard of the Discipline of Abstraction?\"", "Lady Delavine sighed and put the parchment down. Nothing could get this blasted runeset to work. She'd been writing, editing and rewritting everything from scratch for nearly twenty six days now. She'd been carefully checking her grammar, examining every piece of syntax with ruthless efficiency and every single stroke of her scribe was in perfect form, but to no avail. Nothing could make her runes perform their task. Time it was, to out source her thinking.\n\nTwirling her scribe in her hand she stood up and began to draw a rune of summoning in the air. This rune she knew worked without fail. Unless of course you put a triple conflux where there should only be a double or a happened to be casting it on a day where the date added up to four hundred and six.\n\"You called my lady?\" A ghastly voice echoed around the small moonlight chamber as a hulking form of twisted red flesh and ivory spines stepped from the glowing matrix lady Delavine had just drawn.\n\"I did Mythrax. I have a great task that I would like you to under take.\"\n\"What could the almighty lady of the written word wish for someone as lowly as myself to perform?\"\n\"I need a skull.\"\n\"A skull?\" The demon grinned an awful grin filled with around two hundred too many teeth. \"A fine lady such as yourself out sourcing bloody murder? Some political rival grown too big for his boots?\"\n\"Thankfully today I am not required to have you arrange and accident. I merely require a skull.\"\n\"I don't not follow my lady.\"\n\"My skull was taken on the grounds of being vulgar and not child friendly.\"\n\"But my lady's skull is still firmly within her flesh.\"\n\"Not my actual skull you dimwit.\" She rolled her eyes. Demons are far too literal. \"The skull I talk to when I need to think aloud.\"\n\"Someone took Jerome?\"\n\"Yes my dear friend the queen thought it in exceptionally poor taste to have a talking skull belonging to an unfortunate enemy of mine in a place where my son might play. She gave him a proper burial which I find frightfully rude. You do not simply bury anyone's arcane aid no matter it's source. But enough of that. I need a skull and you're probably stupid enough for it to work. So sit down shut up and listen. Because for some reason I can't work out how to make a damn runic pyrotechnica.\"", "The King's second, a knight who retired many years ago, stomped up.\n\n\"Why are you weaving a new set of observation runes around the castle? The current ones work fine; they caught someone last week!\"\n\nI was so tired of answering that question...\n\n\"No, they don't.\"\n\n\"Yes, they do, and you just don't want to fulfill the King's request for turning lead into gold because you can't do it.\"\n\n\"That's not it at all, and you know that.\"\n\n\"Fine, explain it to me...\"\n\n\"The current wards were etched 5 years ago. That doesn't sound like very long, but it's an eternity in magic. Since then, new potions, runes, wards and hexes have come out daily. The current one did catch someone last week, but I've found almost half of them down. It's pretty clear that while most of those failed, some were intentionally disabled.\"\n\n\"But can't you just...\"\n\n\"Reset those runes? Sure I can, but they'll just be disabled or fail again.\"\n\n\"Well, with your command over the mystic arts...\"\n\n\"... I can tell you how truly worthless these wards are. They can't be fixed; they're too far gone. I've spent 3 months maintaining them-\"\n\n\"Complaining the whole time!\"\n\n\"Yes, because at least one of the five other wizards who maintained them - not the original weaver - was an absolute idiot and removed half the protective measures. I re-enabled them, but I was chasing cascade failures and mana resonances for weeks.\"\n\n\"Well, that just means you know the ley line network now.\"\n\n\"I do, and again, I can see all the ways it's broken. I'm sure most of the mages had decent work ethic, knowledge and loyalty for the time, but they aren't up to snuff. I know half a dozen ways I could get to the King's private chambers without being noticed, and that's off the top of my head.\"\n\n\"Fine. Just do it right, this is the last time anyone in the royal family will put up with this.\"\n\n\"It won't be. Even if I stay here until I die, study the latest incantations and elixirs daily, and devote all my time on these runes, they will STILL fail. Not because I'm a bad wizard - I'm an expert in the art of detection; I've literally written three books to train young mages on detection, monitoring and shielding spells - but because tomorrow, I'll be a better wizard than I am today, but every other mage, wizard, sorcerer, warlock, witch, caster, priest, incanter, enchanter, thaumaturgist, diviner, shaman, trickster and weaver is too. Even if I cast the most powerful, thorough, redundant spell of my career, in 5 years i will know another new half-dozen ways to sneak past it.\"\n\n\"But...\"\n\n\"And most of those won't be little 'zaps' to protect against the gaps. Meanwhile, the King will probably expand his stables again, which means the guards will move the wall, which will strain the south set of wards, requiring complex counterbalancing.\"\n\n\"Well, possibly...\"\n\n\"Meanwhile, if an assassin did slip through and do something, I'm the one who would end up on a pike as a warning to the next wizard.\"\n\n\"Probably not. I mean, maybe. There's always a risk, of course...\"\n\n\"Mind you, you would also be put to the sword. So, instead of simply coming out here and screaming, please: enable me to do the job right. Be willing to tell the King no on occasion, and take the time to tell him why. Point out that adding 5 new casters won't help - and will make things worse - if they don't have the right skills, experience, or can work as a team. Point out that everything had a cost and a limited lifespan.\"\n\nThe boisterous knight mumbled and walked away. He wasn't used to this type of defeat.\n\nI went back to my work, and started pulling apart another aged rune, when an transparent, robed figure appeared.\n\n\"These ley-threads clearly are knotted, but I need to reinforce the NW corner today and the King just exiled 2 of the assistant casters because he 'didn't like them sleeping in until lunchtime,' even if they had been toiling until almost first bell. I know there's a parallel thread solution here somewhere, but I don't have any more time: I've already spent 6 hours weaving this, and I don't have a better solution.\"\n\nBlast.", "Scarford the wizard held up his latest scroll.\"I don't know how it works, but it just does.\"\n\nThe wizard's assistant, Danny, tilted his head at the old man. \"How come?\"\n\n\"Well, I know that the first three lines needed to mention a power source, like fire, air, spirit, sap... you know, a real general source of power for the scroll's spell.\"\n\nDanny nodded seriously. \"Sure.\" He then stopped nodding and shook his head instead. \"Actually, no. I didn't know there were different power sources.\"\n\nScarford looked at the boy and blinked. \"You don't know about the power sources?\"\n\nDanny shrugged.\n\nHe motioned for Danny to take a seat. Danny did so and Scarford continued. \"All magic draws from one of the nineteen sources, according to standard magic theory.\"\n\nDanny nodded slowly, unblinking.\n\nScarford continued. \"And so in the opening declaration of any complex spell, like a magical engraving or scroll, it is vital to include your source, or sources, of power.\"\n\nDanny continued to nod, still unblinking.\n\nScarford handed his latest scroll to Danny. The apprentice held it in both hands wide-eyed and began to read. \"Ex virtute propria potestate hæc facio.\"\n\nDanny nodded. The wizard glared at him. \"Do you know what that means?\"\n\nDanny shook his head.\n\nScarford placed his palm upon his own face. \"It's so simple though. I'm telling the scroll to use its own power as a source. And it works!\"\n\nDanny's eyes went wide. \"It powers itself!? Does that mean you don't need to invoke the fire daemons on summer solstice to renew your fire well?\"\n\nScarford lowered the scroll, his expression drooping. \"Well, no. Not exactly.\" He turned away from the seated youth. \"Although the scroll can power itself, it can't really do anything.\"\n\nDanny got up and walked to the side of the lanky old man. \"Why can't the scroll do anything under its own power?\"\n\nScarford looked down at his apprentice and passed the scroll back to him. \"Here, take it.\" Danny took the scroll. Scarford continued. \"The scroll can't do anything because I don't know what a self-powered scroll can do. Fire powered scrolls can make fire, obviously. Spirit scrolls can summon or materialize things. Sap powered scrolls can create nature effects. But scroll powered? Self powered?\" He scratched his white-haired head.\n\nDanny looked at the scroll in his hands, pulled out a pen and scrawled a quick flourish after the first part. \"There!\"\n\nSuddenly the scroll began to fill with text. Scarford grabbed the scroll from Danny, staring at the writing. \"What's it doing!?\"\n\nDanny nodded smugly. \"I wrote Scientia potentia est - so in reading 'ex virtute propria potestate hæc facio. Scientia potentia est' I think I told the scroll to use its power to write down knowledge.\"\n\nThe scroll began to grow in length, the paragraphs appearing on its surface more and more rapidly. Scarford looked at the lengthening scroll with some worry. \"So you told it to write down knowledge.\"\n\nThe scroll was starting to curl around on the floor of the room. Danny nodded worriedly. \"Yes. Knowledge.\"\n\nThe long, winding scroll covered the entire floor and its tangle was starting to rise to knee height. Scarford looked to Danny. \"What knowledge is it writing down!?\"\n\nDanny frowned. \"All of it.\" He swallowed hard and looked up at Scarford. \"It's going to write down all knowledge.\"\n\nScarford had both hands over his face. \"Danny, my boy. There's no end to knowledge, you didn't terminate your spell, and the scroll powers itself!\" The paper flood continued to rise to chest level. \"You've made an infinite loop!\"\n\nAnd the scroll continued to fill with knowledge.", "\"Then you wave your hand in a circle and spin in a counter clockwise motion during the third line of the incantation--\"\n\n\"Wait, why?\" Scarfron said, frowning at his mentor. \"What does the counter-clockwise motion have to do with a restorative spell?\"\n\nPorf, his mentor, stopped his pacing and stepped close enough to tap Scarfron's book. \"Do you see the words written in the margins?\" He said, clearly annoyed at having been interrupted.\n\nScarfron frowned, puzzled. \"Yes?\"\n\nProf tapped the book again. \"Read. Them.\" He turned, striding to the front of the small room, the other students now scanning their own books curiously. \"Aloud!\" He added in a bellow. \n\n\"Inherited this spell from a Russian Spellcaster...\" Scanfron started, \"...don't know why it works just that it does.\" His voice trailed off in embarrassment, heat flushing his face. \"Whole spell will crash otherwise.\" \n\n\"Right.\" Prof said. \"Any other stupid questions? No? Good. Next class we will focus on functions and decoder codes...\" ", "\"I trust my spells. I test them. Whatever the fuck you do all day in your moss eaten tower, that's not casting. That's like eating a water melon, shitting out the seeds, and claiming you're a farmer,\" the drunk wizard slammed his mug down on the table and it instantly filled back up again.\n\n\"Jesus!\" the bartender exclaimed wondering if magically refilling mugs could be added to the tab.\n\n\"And another thing, you...\" he pointed his mug over towards the beautiful middle-aged woman in the green emerald dress across from him, \"You... witch, sorceress or whatever you are. I know the only reason you're here is the queen. You couldn't conjure you're way out of a menopausal...\" \n\nAnd just like that his head slumped to the table and he was out.\n\n\"Thank God!\" a woman sitting at the table behind them exclaimed followed by cheers from the rest of the bar.\n\nThe younger sorcerer smiled at the sorceress, \"I told you it would work. How do you defeat a man who can conjure dragons, turn lakes into lava, and reanimate the dead?\"\n\n\"Social engineering,\" she smirked, but she still seem irked by the drunken old man's previous comments.\n\n\"That's right, now help me get him to the alley.\"\n\n\"Ok old timer, you've had too much to drink. Time to get you home!\" She raised her voice loud enough for the other patrons to hear and purple light formed around the elderly man's arms and legs. After paying the tab with a snap of her fingers she walked out of the bar with the unconscious wizard in tow.\n\n\"I think we're far enough away, go down that alley,\" the younger wizard pointed.\n\nThe old man was unceremoniously slumped to the ground and his purple bonds faded into the cold night air. \n\nThe excited young sorcerer started to search the older man's pockets. A bolt of blinding energy leapt from the wizard's cloak and shot him 15 feet down the alley.\n\n\"Warded...\" the sorceress snickered amused.\n\nShe waved her hands in the air and a complex spider web of lines, runes, and formulas formed out of the crisp air.\n\n\"My fucking head,\" the younger man rose from the ground and begrudgingly returned to the scene of his humiliation.\n\n\"I... I can't even read this ward. It's so...\"\n\n\"Fucking Over-engineered!\" the sorcerer gasped, \"Why in the hell would you abstract a simple Lion of Ordin into three hierarchical Hounds Tooths? I mean you can do it, but why? It's like he tried to future-proof it, expecting it to someday fill some sort of mad king's desire to ward an entire castle knowing that it would only ward an old moth eaten robe. Why over-complicate a simple spell?\"\n\n\"Just remember, it's not how well designed your ward is. The only two questions you ever need to ask yourself is, does it work and can another aligned mage read it well enough to improve upon it,\" the older woman lectured.\n\n\"There, I think I see it. Right next to the Three Eyes of Soden,\" he pointed.\n\n\"Oh my God, did he really encode the banishment word right there into the ward itself? And he's the Duke's magician?\" the sorceress exclaimed.\n\n\"Pimp...My... Toad\", the young sorcerer breathed each word out and the ward vanished into the air.\n\nThe sorcerer then warily placed his hands back into the robe, felt around a few seconds, and pulled out a small black stone.\n\n\"The Lodestone of Langus Algre!\" the sorceress proclaimed.\n\n\"Our benefactor is going to freak,\" the younger man laughed.\n\nThe woman then seemingly started gathering the night mist around her until it formed a perfect smooth oval in front of the two sorcerers. \n\nAn old haggard man's face formed in the shape and he looked surprised to be summoned, \"Oh good, it's you. I was actually about to send a messenger for you.\"\n\n\"You're going to love the news we have for you, look!\" the sorcerer proudly held up the stone.\n\n\"Oh, you already have the stone....\"\n\n\"Yes, \" the sorceress smiled, \"And we're about to create a portal directly the the palace with it.\"\n\n\"Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't reach you in time. There's been a change of plans,\" the man frowned.\n\n\"A change in plans?\" the sorceress' brow started to furrow. \n\n\"Yes, you see while you were planning and implementing the job we had more time to evaluate the situation and we're not going to be able to get this war started with the assassination of a SINGLE duke. We want to go a little bigger and roll out three simultaneous royal assassinations at once. We think that will have a bigger impact on the kingdom,\" the man informed. \n\n\"You can't be serious,\" the woman scowled.\n\n\"You can't change the requirements now, we're already halfway through the...\"\n\n\"Listen, I know you both are very smart and capable mages. I know you'll figure it out. And one more thing, the Earl wants it all done within the same time frame we discussed earlier.\"\n\n\"Impossible!\" the young sorcerer screamed, \"I've been overdosing ginseng all week just to stay wake 19 out of 24 hours a day. How am I going to get all of that done in...\"\n\nThe man in the misty oval started looking extremely cross.\n\nThe wiser sorceress stepped in front of the younger sorcerer, \"What my apprentice means to say is we'll have to add more mages to get this job done on time.\"\n\n\"I can increase the budget 10%, but I suggest you outsource to the far realms,\" he was scratching his chin.\n\n\"Not the far realms!\" the young sorcerer whined, \"Most of them can only do one thing well! They don't think outside the manna cache. This is going to be a dis...\"\n\n\"We'll get it done sir. Now if you don't mind I'll end this glass-spell so I can discuss the implementation details with my apprentice. Thank you for your time!\" she faked a smile.\n\nThe man in the oval waved them away with a hand and the oval faded into the night.\n\n\"Never ever use negative terms when talking to the patron!\" She admonished the younger wizard. \"You say one negative thing and we're in another 5 hour meeting with the Earl. Do you really want that?\"'\n\n\"No, I definitely don't want that!\"\n\n\n\n" ]	11
	[WP] Barbaric times are upon us, humans with the ability to shapeshift into their spirit animals have changed war as we know it. You have become one of the most fearsome warriors in the land by mastering your spirit form, the mighty goose.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "At first they wanted to know why.\n\nEvery famous - or infamous, depending on which side you were on - shifter in the war morphed into something large and fierce. Lion, bull elephant, alligator, rhinoceros, wolf, tiger, hippo. Yes, hippo, those beasts are mean. I've seen Bertrand the Mad Pot bite through three men at once, leave them in screaming, bloody pieces. Unconventional, but powerful. \n\nPeople could wrap their heads around that, a Hippo was at least strong, but a goose? None of my tribe could understand my choice. \n\nThey came to, in time, as I trained with my brothers and sisters and eventually blooded myself in skirmishes with the enemy. By the time I was a man, chosen from among my tribe to represent our forces in the larger war, no one questioned my ability in battle. \n\nWhat happened next you probably know. Countless ballads sing of my victories, and I doubt there's a soul born into this second dark age who does not know of my exploits. But knowing is not the same as understanding. Still, despite all of my success, despite my unrivaled dominance in the Frontier Wars, I am still doubted. Though the question has changed.\n\nHow? How could a man shifted into a goose, no taller than a man's thigh, possessed of no vicious fangs or tearing claws, weighing no more than a human baby possibly defeat the most fearsome shift-beasts of legend? Akrod the King, Von Groyer the Tusked, Nacient the Striped, and so many others. I conquered them all.\n\nHow, they ask? You have probably asked this yourself.\n\nSome have said I whip the winds with my wings, creating a tornado that destroys all in its path. Others have said I dive bomb my foes with the force of a meteor from heaven. Still others have claimed even more outlandish things, like fiery breath or projectile feathers as sharp as razors. The answer is much simpler than that.\n\nHave you ever encountered a goose in the wild? Perhaps walking along a lake, reflecting on your daily tasks when a white, long necked bird strutted up to your legs, wings outstretched? You probably expected it to back off. This bird was simply defending its territory, making a show of it, but faced with a creature much larger and stronger it would retreat in a moment. But it didn't. And in your confusion you backed away from the mad bird and left it be.\n\nBecause it made no sense. The goose must have known something you didn't, some justification for its insane charge towards a being it should not be able to best.\n\nThat is the great secret of my legend. My greatest victories came without the striking of a single blow, without so much as touching the massive shift-beasts of the enemy.\n\nThey all surrendered. " ]	2
	[WP] You are a monk searching for, and writing down only weird useless prophecies.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"The myth of the 1000 eye man,\" he spoke to himself outloud. Another parchment translated \"The spider who ruined the world.\" He flipped through to find a last parchment he wanted to read to the eight year old boy looking up, eyes intent on hearing the last words, whether he understood them or not, \"The snow that fell forever on the planet of exiles.\" The boy stopped licking his piece of candy, and held the stick of the pop to his side, before twisting his eyebrows and asking what \"ziles\" meant, and just who are they. He asked if his mom was one. Teaver came from no where his eyes were looking, and laughed. \"If these prophecies are real, then Tea is a real monk then, isn't he. It's unfortunate fella, young one, that you encounter a habitual liar. This man is no monk." ]	2
	[WP] This will be the heist of the century. If you and your crew pull this off, you'll be set for life. Heck, your grandchildren will be too. Only problem is, the mansion you're going to clean out is owned by a vampire.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "This wasn't how it was supposed to go. We were supposed to clean out the place following a tight plan in less than a hour. We never expected this. This was impossible. Instead, we had encountered the owner of the mansion five minutes into the heist. Luke and Bryan were supposed to take care of him, but instead he had moved with inhuman speed and slaughtered them both in under 10 seconds.\n\nEverything continued to go downhill after that. We dropped our equipment in the living room, too afraid to go back to where that monster had killed Luke and Bryan. We were also locked in with no escape.\n\nWe split up, running down the hallways away from it, but always ending up in the same place. It was like an endless maze, with a demon after us and no end in sight.\n\nFinally, after hours of running, we saw the monster again. There were four of us - Michael, Smith, Riley and I all in the master bedroom- when we saw it. \n\n His eyes had glowed red in the darkness of the mansion, his mouth stained with coppery blood.\n\nHe looked at us with malicious hunger evident in his sadistic smile. That's when I knew we were truly done for. Michael - naïve Michael - flashed a knife and ran towards the monster. The creature only laughed and casually flicked his arm into Michael's chest. It would have been comically, except that Michael's body was thrown across the room, over my head, and into the wall. His body slammed into it with a sickening crunch, and blood looked underneath him.\n\nThe monster advanced towards us. Riley tried to crawl away from him, but he grabbed her by the neck and squeezed his hand. Her neck snapped in his hands, leaking blood. He picked up her body like a rag doll and tossed it to the side. Then he looked at Smith, who was cowering at the sight of Riley. The creature smiled at him and with his inhuman speed ran to him. \n\nHe grabbed Smith by the head and dragged him up. Smith began to scream, but he was abruptly cut off when the creature tore into his neck, taking out a massive chunk of his trachea. Will's neck erupted blood like a geyser. The creature dropped Will and swallowed the meat in his mouth. He then turned his gaze towards me.\n\nSheer terror wrecked my stomach. My whole body was screaming at me to move, but i couldn't move. It was like i was paralyzed. The monster seemed to notice this, and chuckled. It was a guttural, humorless laugh that sent waves of fear throughout my body. I felt something wet slide down my cheek. Tears.\n\nThe last thing I saw was the figure of the monster hunched over me, digging its fangs deep into my neck. No, this surely wasn't how the heist was supposed to go.\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] A ghost has been haunting you for a while now, but instead of scaring the life out of you the ghost simply pesters you everyday about how you always plan to travel but never go through with it. Finally you've had it and decided to go ahead with your travel plans, with your travel buddy ghost.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The world itself seemed to be tilting.\n\nWhatever furniture wasn't already bolted down immediately crashed into the walls, narrowly missing my face. The screams of people who had been hit, however, provided quite an unpleasant soundtrack for my attempts to escape the metal box I was trapped in. Ever so slowly, the tilting stopped, leaving the floor at an awkward 45° angle.\n\n\"You know, this is all quite exciting. I really didn't think much of the cruise when you'd suggested it, but now I think I see where you were coming from!\"\n\nThe silvery apparition was calmly floating alongside me, looking out the tiny circular window. \n\nI gritted my teeth.\n\n\"Nicholas, I don't know if you've realised this, but I'M STILL ALIVE. If the ship goes down, I go down with it!\"\n\nThe ghost turned his attention back to me.\n\n\"Well, yes. To be honest, I don't know why you're fretting over it this so much. I'm rather jealous of you - this is so much more exciting than my death.\"\n\nThere were times when I wished I could ressurect the dead. This time, I wanted to bring him back and then kill him again.\n\n\"The thing is, Nick, I DON'T WANT TO DI-\"\n\nThe ship gave an almighty lurch, and began moving again. This time however, I could feel a slight rumble, and there was no tilting whatsoever.\n\n\"Oh goody! We're sinking now\"\n\nI bit my lip. I'd deal with him later, after I got out. The metal floor was already covered with a tiny film of water, making it impossible to climb up the slope, and I was running out of time.\n\n\"Nick, could you look out the window and tell me how fast the surface of the water is moving up?\", I asked, whilst scanning the room for a way to the door.\n\nAha! The furniture! I quickly began grabbing bits of the broken furniture, and stacking them up against the corner of the room, hopefully providing me with an escape route.\n\n\"Oh yes, it's almost here. The water should cover the window in a minute or so, I'd say.\"\n\nMy head started pounding. This couldn't be it, I had to get out. I began moving the furniture faster, eventually reaching a point where I was just chucking bits of wood onto the growing pile.\n\nMeanwhile, the expression on Nick's face bore resemblance to a five year old on Christmas morning.\n\n\"I'm going to have such a great story to tell the guys once I get back! You know, if you die, I have a spare bedroom in my apartment, you could always move in with me.\"\n\nI would have been quite repulsed by the very idea of it - but not much of what he said was really registered, because the mound was almost high enough. I threw the last bit on top, and began clambering up; my every move making the pile shift precariously. Finally, I reached the door, and pushed on it with all my strength.\n\nIt was jammed.\n\nMuttering a few silent curses, I slammed onto it again, this time with my shoulder. The door didn't budge, but a sharp pain shot down my arm - something was probably broken. Everything was spinning in and out of focus - my head was pounding. I could hear the rush of water all around me. A sob escaped my lips - this was the end. I would never see my family again. I would never-\n\n\"Jonathan? You there? Hello? I'm trying to tell you something important here?\"\n\nThe nasally voice I had been tuning out for the past minute swam back into clarity. My blood boiled - if there was one thing I wanted to do before I died...\n\nI exploded.\n\n\"Nicholas Alexopoulous! You are the single most annoying creature to ever exist! It's like the Paul brothers had a child who in turn had you with the god damn Nyan cat! You ruined my life, AND YOU STILL WON'T SHUT UP!\"\n\nNick's face turned a rather delicate shade of silvery - purple.\n\n\"Now you listen here young man. You have no right to-\"\n\n\"Oh shut up! What is wrong with you! I'm about to die here, and you can talk about is your STUPID flat.\"\n\nHe looked bewildered.\n\n\"No, you don't understand, I'm trying to tell you that-\"\n\n\"OH OF COURSE I DON'T! REALLY, WHAT KIND OF COMPLETE MORON DIES, AND RETURNS AS A GHOST BECAUSE THEIR MORTAL LIVES WEREN'T EXCITING ENOUGH?! THAT'S RIGHT, YOU! AND THEN FOR SOME STUPID REASON YOU CONVINCE ME TO GO ON A TRIP WITH YOU, WHICH-\"\n\nMy wild gesticulating was my downfall.\n\nBy the time I was about a quarter of the way done with my yelling, the stack had had quite enough of me, and promptly proceeded to collapse. I hit the floor with an awful crack. I could feel a hot liquid pooling around my head - it was bleeding. The edges of my vision seemed to be slowly fading into darkness - and my arms! I couldn't feel my arms!\n\nTo be quite honest, I couldn't feel the rest of my body either. As my vision began to dim completely, the room was plunged into semi darkness as the window was obscured by water.\n\nI woke up an eternity later, feeling quite refreshed. The first thing I saw were faces, several silvery apparitions crowded around me. The one in the middle was ever so slightly more defined than the others, and spoke first.\n\n\"Jonathan? Can you hear me?\"\n\nI nodded, groggily.\n\nNicholas broke into a smile, and turned around to whisper something to someone beyond my line of sight. Then he turned back to face me. \n\n\"Now, before you say anything, I just have to formally inform you that you are dead. There are papers and whatnot to sign, so you need to do that before you head over to judgement. And..\"\n\nHe gestured at the other ghosts to move away, whilst he leaned in closer to me.\n\n\"Listen, I'm sorry that I annoyed you that much. But in the end there, I really was only trying to help. You weren't even paying attention to me when I told you.\"\n\nMy eyebrows bunched together in confusion.\n\nHe smiled weakly. \n\n\"The door was a pull.\"", "Marcus Artura never really believed in ghosts. Not even after a spiritual medium knocked on his door.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShe was carrying a package from Amazon and a crystal ball. He guessed that times were hard and that she needed a side hustle, after all, this was New York City and people really didn’t believe in that particular kind of bullshit here.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“I’m Sally Waxweather, here on behalf of Amazon to deliver your package, but I’m also here on behalf of my client. Ahem… uh, …Mr. Sprinkles,” Sally said.\n\n“Can’t say I know anyone by the last name Sprinkles. What do they want?” said Marcus.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Well, it isn’t exactly his last name. I’m here on behalf of the ghost of your cat Sprinkles. You called him Mr. Sprinkles, apparently. No judgment here, a grown bachelor can call his pet whatever he wants as far as I’m concerned.,” she said.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nShit, embarrassing that she knew that. It’s kinda hard to maintain a tough guy persona when you had a cat named Mr. Sprinkles. No matter, she’s just some mail delivering fake medium. Alex probably put her up to this, he was always fucking with him. “Huh, interesting. Well, give me my package, and you can go. And Mr. Sprinkles can continue being dead,” he said.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Before I give you the package, I’d just like to inform you that Mr. Sprinkles really feels that you should take that trip to Japan that you’ve always been planning. If you book now, you could probably make it in time for the cherry blossom festival. You could take the Mag-Lev Train down the coast, see the mountain monasteries, Koyasan is supposedly very nice. If you do stop at one of those, Sprinkles would like to request you catch a Koi and bring it back for him. He really doesn’t seem to get the whole ghost concept I’m afraid,” she said emphatically.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n“Yeah, I’ll be taking that package now.” He grabbed the package and slammed the door in her face. What a fucking wackjob. He opened the package and removed the new flower vase he had ordered. He placed it on the kitchen table carefully. He wasn’t exactly sure why, but this was the fourth vase he had bought this month. The other ones all seemed to have fallen on the floor and shatter while he was at work, but there weren’t any other signs of a break-in.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n——\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHope you enjoy it, feedback is welcome.", "\"It's a lot more beautiful in person, isn't it?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I guess.\" I looked out over the Spanish countryside, its rolling hills against the backdrop of a summer evening. The vineyard seemed to stretch on to infinity. The torment from my ghostly follower grew quiet as he looked out on to the horizon. I think it was the most quiet I had ever seen him since he had appeared in my apartment nearly a year ago. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"This vineyard's next to a little town called Alámbor, not too far from Cordoba. We spent our first honeymoon there in a little cottage from a friend of ours. I was amazed at all the orange trees around the town, I thought they were actually for eating. I went outside to pick some for lunch, but she knew they weren't edible. She dared me to eat a smaller one in a single bite, and I had the whole thing in my mouth before I realized how bitter and sour they were. I damn near threw up all over her, but she was still laughing hysterical as I coughed it out. She had a twisted sense of humor like that, and I loved it.\" He sat down on the grassy hill and paused again. The scenery was beautiful indeed, and I guess it got me out of my routine on this little adventure, but I wasn't exactly sure why I was there.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Is there anything else you wanted to do here?\" He continued to look to the sunset, a forlorn look on his face. You get used to the persistent nagging of someone so much that the absence of it is more of a sadness than joy.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I can only remember these things if I have a host to carry me here. I don't know why I was paired with you, but we'll make the best of it.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"We? You harassed me for eleven months to come to southern Spain and now that we're here, you just want to ramble about some vineyard? What do I get out of it?\" He looked over at me,\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Freedom, the realization that any moment is one that can forever define your life. You quit your job to come travel with a ghost. If you could do that, you could do just about anything you set your mind to.\" It was actually quite empowering the more I thought about it. I spent years in a terrible corporate job so that I could live my monotonous life. I deserved more than I gave myself.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"And what about you? What do you get out of it?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"An eternity with these memories. A second chance at my happiness.\" Tears rolled down his face as he began sobbing uncontrollably, pressing his face into the ground, \"I missed you so much, Marta.\" ", "Do you remember that show Ghost Writer?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYeah me neither, not until about six months ago and a furious frenzy of Google searching to figure out what the actual fuck was going on in my life. I was pulling my nearly non-existent hair out trying to figure our who was punking me. I mean I eventually figured it out, and laughed and laughed after dropping nearly ten grand in ten minutes. But it had me going for a while that's for sure.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt had started with a shower. The way all good horror movie scenes are set. With the sole exception being that instead of the showering damsel with long blonde hair, a gorgeous smile and a figure so tight that it's shadow was a New York seven. There was no high pitched scream as the curtain was drawn back, and her perfectly manicured nails and exquisitely done makeup recoiled in sexy horror at the sight of the evil figure on the other side. No begging and pleading for mercy as my shapely calves quivered. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nNope instead there was me slipping, eating shit on my heated tile floor and mumbling a string of increasingly vulgar curse words while clutching my knee. If you were lucky you'd get to see me struggling to roll my ass off the floor and climb to my feet. Wedged slightly between the toilet and the shower. If you were really looking closely you'd see that I'd peed myself a little too. But I feel like that's the one thing horror movies don't get right. I know women that pee themselves a little when they sneeze. But you're telling me that if you saw an ACTUAL ghost? You wouldn't piss your pants? Give me a break!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe ghost in question chose to haunt me. A portly, mid 30's, slightly balding guy with lots of aspirations and the money to pursue them. And a complete, utter, terrifying lack of the drive to follow them through.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI'd landed a great job in my mid 20's. I had a big empty loft apartment in the city, full of the latest gadgets, the fanciest appliances and furniture that was more expensive than it was worth thanks to my interior designer friend Stella. I could walk into my house and have the temperature change, the blinds open, the TV turn on, the coffee pot start and the dishwasher stop all by just existing. It was great. And I hardly understood how any of it worked. I just threw money at problems until they were fixed. And then went to the pub down the street. The \"prince of Mahones pub.\" They called me. Probably shouldn't be something I'm proud of. But I kind of am. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI had a great group of friends and a few habits that those friends liked to encourage. Nothing bad enough to fuck up my career, but definitely bad enough to help keep me out of the gym I swore every year on the first of January to use the pass I paid for, to go to. They also helped encourage me to eat at the local pub, and the barren wasteland that was my fridge showed how often I used my appliance laden kitchen. I'm pretty sure the SaladMaster still had the tags on it. The Instant Pot was still in the box, I can guarantee you that.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nYou're probably wondering what scared me though. And not hoping to get an insight into how one becomes a successful degenerate? Your loss. I'm extremely interesting, \n\nSaid no one. \n\nEver.\n\nI was showering, coming off a night of drinking and \"partying\" as my friends liked to call it to make it sound cooler than, \"doing a few lines.\" I'd predictably not slept much, and stayed up going down the YouTube rabbit hole until 2-3AM. I think by the end of the day I'd been watching Ozzy Man reviewing a children's box car race. Having tired of watching ASMR videos of tattoo artists and un-boxings of shitty Chinese LED Projectors a few hours prior.\n\nAs I washed the shame of another wasted night off my body, sitting on the floor of my shower because I was too tired to use my own legs. As I wiped the steam off my shower mirror, conveniently mounted at 'sitting on my ass level,' clearly the result of many, many mornings in this same position. The steam didn't all wipe away.\n\nI scrubbed briefly and then realized that the mirror was covered in words. At first I laughed and sat back, wondering how someone could manage this, toothpaste residue? Some sort of oil? There, in the remnants of the steam clouding the shower mirror were three words.\n\nMAN UP RYAN\n\nI chuckled briefly. This must have been Dan's doing. Who else could it be? He was always pranking me. I looked at the roof and relaxed back. Wondering when he'd had the time last night to set this up. It was when I looked back down at the mirror that I fell out of the bathtub, and ending up in the groaning mess I described earlier on the floor.\n\nI SAID MAN UP. STOP DRINKING YOUR DREAMS AWAY AND GET OFF YOUR ASS.\n\nRemember when I said there was no damsel in the shower? You wouldn't have known it from the high pitched scream that escaped my mouth after seeing the words change. That's for damn sure.\n\nA few minutes later, now finished with my torrent of curse words and back on my feet. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror. It too was steamy from the extended shower and I flipped on the heated portion. As the vent slowly dried the mirror another series of words formed. This time it wasn't something that was just, there, it FORMED. And it freaked me the fuck out.\n\nGET YOUR FAT, LAZY ASS TO YOUR COMPUTER. BOOT IT UP. AND DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE RYAN\n\nI shouted at the sky, the mirror, the bathmat. Whoever would listen. All the while the message was changing again.\n\nGET ON EXPEDIA.COM, BOOK A TRIP. LIVE YOUR LIFE.\n\nI was freaking out now. But a bit intrigued. What kind of ghost tries to motivate you to follow your dreams? I tried the door handle. Stuck. I pulled harder. Still stuck. Held by some imaginary force from the other side. I punched at the mirror. However I'd just had it replaced with a the fancy new high tech one with the built in heater and a bunch of other features and it did nothing but hurt my knuckles.\n\nFuck\n\nOut of nowhere a voice appeared, baritone. Soothing. Not exactly \"scary,\" but motivational for sure.\n\nRyan. Look at your life, you know you can do better.\n\n'Fuck you asshole!' I thought as suddenly clips of old TV flashed on my mirror. Travel destinations. People climbing mountains. The Great Wall of China. Hong Kong. Times Square. The Grand Canyon. All the cliche travel spots I'd never been to.\n\nSound effects filled my bathroom. Shia LeBouf shouting JUST DO IT. The Rock saying IT DOESN'T MATTER. A blend of pop culture quotes and motivation. It was uplifting and exciting. Carol Burnett appeared with \" Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.\" Tom Brady was shown holding his 6 rings. Then being drafted late in the NFL draft. It got me hyped.\n\n\"OK,\" I said aloud to the ghost. \"You win! I'll do better!\"\n\nFinally it all came to a stop. The bathroom lights cut out. The mirror went dim. The room was silent. I tip toed to the door and tried it again. It creaked open. Just as the mirror lit up once more. The message, simple, but prophetic. And was all the motivation I needed.\n\nGET OUT THERE AND LIVE RYAN. OR DIE ALONE!\n\nAs I logged onto my laptop at the Kitchen Island. I missed the news report on the muted TV behind me. I eventually caught wind, but I wish I'd done it before I booked that two week trip to Thailand. Or maybe I don't? Who knows. All I know is that I'm sitting on a beach, and thankful that I didn't know what I later found out. Because this is the dream.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThanks Google.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n&#x200B;\n\nGoogle's parent company Alphabet is reporting a significant spike in it's share price after launching individually targeted advertising to their suite of Smart Home devices. Users are reporting back with mostly positive feedback after Google Home speakers, Chromecasts, Smart TV's, Lighting and a bevvy of other smart devices have been used in conjunction with Google's indepth personality matrix to target advertising specific to each human on the planet.\n\nAmazon's Jeff Bezos lauded the move and congratulated Alphabet on being first to market, however he promised his platform would launch shortly.\n\nSome users have reported confusion being unaware of the launch. In rare cases police have responded to advertising targets tearing their house apart looking for Ghosts. However a spokesperson for Google reminded ABC News when asked for comment that if patrons read their terms of service they would have understood that they'd voluntarily opted into the program.\n\nAfter the break our man on the street Clark Gilles asks the people of Chicago how they feel about their privacy being invaded for targeted advertising. And we test a few of the ads ourselves in the studio.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;" ]	5
Feel free to change the prompt a little if you feel like it would make for a better story.	[WP] Murder is now the only crime. Technology has gotten so advanced that the exact amount of people you've killed in your life, either directly or indirectly, can be determined. You've never hurt a fly, but are on trial for the murder of over a thousand people.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Where are you taking me?\" I uttered. Mustering all the strength to remain calm, I backed away from the officers and tried to appear as composed as possible. \"I have no business with you gentlemen.\" \n\nOne of the officers, a rather plump individual, took a step forward for which I reciprocated with backing away. \"We mean you no trouble, Ms. Eliza Morgan,\" he said. \"But we have a warrant that accuses you of the murder of a thousand people.\" \n\nMy eyes went wide and my heartbeat raced. A thousand? How could this happen? I haven't even got five close friends! \"How is this possible?\" I asked. \n\nThe plump officer replied, \"We have tracked data from your bracelet that records exactly a thousand beats. A thousand people went missing since last year,\" his face was stoic. \"If you believe that you are not guilty you should come with us to the station.\" \n\nThere was no escape. How could I, a clumsy and frail girl, outrun five trained police officers? I let them lead me to their mobile. My hand unconsciously reached for my bracelet.\n\nA thousand beats are too many. Maybe someone hacked my database and blamed me for the disappearances? The blaring siren of the police mobile was the only sound that could be heard, except for the noise in my head. \n\nI passed out. \n\nI woke up from the cold. My teeth were chartering and my body was shivering. I was in a prison cell. Only the moonlight coming from a high window enabled me to examine my environment. I don't know how I got here, but the cold suddenly became comforting that I slipped to a slumber that I was too tired to supress. \n\nAs Eliza Morgan's body wasted in the cold cell where she was condemned for a crime she doesn't remember doing, her bracelet beeped. Projected on the wall was the footage of an old man with several lacerations on the face. The old man was pleading for his life. There was a strange laugh that echoed from the video. A hand holding a knife slowly slit the man's throat and blood spurted like a fountain of red. \n\nAnother beep. Three teenagers were hung from the ceiling, each missing an ear. A hand clicked a red button and slowly, the chains pulled the bodies. Screams reverberated like music from hell. The familiar laugh can be heard. Five minutes passed and the only things visible are the limbs and head separated from the bodies. \n\nBeep. A gun pointed at the mouth of a woman. Beep. Blood on the floor. Beep. A man's genital fell to the ground. Beep. The laugh was heard over and over again. \n\nFor it is true, that it wasn't Eliza Morgan. It was her alter. A supressed personality that she wasn't aware of. A thousand people suffered horrible deaths at her hands. Eliza Morgan doesn't know, and she doesn't have to. With her cold corpse died the crimes of her alter. \n\n" ]	2
	[WP] Aliens are invading Earth--and as a New York City Cop, you're the only one around who can make sure they don't park illegally.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The Road to Toledo\n\nLove is blind. When the world falls off the back of the great space turtle, and the cities and towers fall into the sea, there will still be lovers swimming in each others’ arms, totally enamored.\n\nMark swaggered down Fifth Avenue with a spring in his step and a nightstick swinging from his belt. He tapped his state-issue number two pencil against a pad of raw bureaucratic power—parking tickets. Today was going to be a real good day—he could feel it! Or maybe that was the espresso. Lots to get done!\n\nToday was not a good day if you drove a black-matte Mercedes G Class with Michigan plate U8FD83. Mark tsk-tsked and put big checkmarks in the boxes for: parking without a permit; parking next to a fire hydrant; and failure to move prior to scheduled street cleaning. He slipped the ticket in a beige envelope and flicked the wiper off the windshield to slide it under. \n\nThe sky was getting darker, which was odd because it wasn't even lunchtime yet. Mark had more important things to think about. He needed a bus ticket to see the most beautiful woman in the world, the light of his life, the beating of his heart, Maria. She wasn’t expecting him. He’d told her money was tight. But it would be Valentine’s Day tomorrow. \n\nBut money really was tight. During the polar vortex, his pipes had frozen. His landlord was abroad for the month, so Mark had to foot the bill for the repairs on his credit card. He still hadn’t gotten reimbursed.\n\nThere was one chance left. The chief of police’s daughter had wrecked into an illegally parked car over the weekend. On Monday, the chief came up with a new initiative to get illegally parked cars off the streets. There was a $100 prize for whoever wrote the most tickets. Cash.\n\nThe 8:28 overnight bus to Toledo was only $64. That left $36 for chocolate, flowers, and … other stuff you get at CVS for Valentine’s Day.\n\nMark moved on to the next car, whistling a happy tune.\n\n\\--- \n\nFive hundred miles away, Maria was begging her favorite kindergartners to act like big kids.\n\n“Put the orange one down Lily, don’t even think about it,” she said. “Kayden, take the crayons out of your nose and go wash your hands.”\n\n“Nyaa!!” Kayden said, doing a ninja roll. “I am the walrus!”\n\n“Walruses don’t run!” Maria called after him as he ran to the bathroom, cackling.\n\nMaria heard a strange beeping. It was her phone, but not a ringtone that she’d ever heard. She stared at the screen. It was the national emergency alert system.\n\nThere was an invasion in New York.\n\nShe called Mark. Unnoticed, Lily shoved the orange crayon up her nose, dangerously far, and then ran and leapt onto a bean bag chair, making airplane noises.\n\nMark answered the phone.\n\n“Mark?” Maria said breathlessly.\n\n“Hey pretty lady,” he said, cool as a cucumber. “Aren’t you supposed to be teaching?”\n\n“Are you okay?” she said in a small voice.\n\n“I am A-okay,” he said, “Double-plus good. What’s up?”\n\n“There’s an invasion!? What’s going on?”\n\n“Invasion?” Mark said. There was a pause. He looked up. Thousands of spaceships circled the sky above, weaving through the spires of skyscrapers like schools of fish.\n\n“Oh,” Mark said.\n\n“I’m scared Mark,” Maria said. “Can you come here?”\n\n“I will baby,” he said. “I’ll find a way.” Mark set down his pad of tickets and took out his nightstick. Time for a change of plans.", "\"Fucking space aliens! This is the fifth time that damn grey landed on the roof of the station.\" Officer Maxon angrily commented. Maxon then took out a pad.\n\n\"Another fucking ticket.\" Maxon muttered to himself.\n\nAll around Officer Maxon was chaos. New York was filled with panic. Random fires were raging on. Lasers and plasma beams darted across the sky in a battle with the United States Air Force.\nRegardless, Maxon didn't care. He had a duty to perform.\n\nMaxon found his way to the roof of the police station, and found the grey alien laying on its stomach with a weapon resembling a rifle. The alien stared down the scope of the weapon. Maxon glanced at the parked ship and back to the alien who was unaware of his presence.\n\n\"Hey, asshat!\" Maxon called out to the grey. It quickly turned its head like an owl to Maxon, away from the scope.\n\n\"I am getting fucking irritated. Do you want another ticket? I swear, we might have to tango.\" Maxon said as he began to write another ticket to the grey.\n\nThe alien then got up and spoke angrily in its foreign language, while it holstered its weapon on its back. It then stomped a couple times while talking.\n\n\"No, I won't go easy on you. If you want to have a high vantage point, use the stairs. You cold use some exercise anyway for your scrawny ass. Now take this ship down from here and don't do this again. You don't want your ship towed, do you?\" Maxon replied as he held out the ticket to the alien.\n\nThe grey alien then mumbled to itself as he reluctantly took the ticket from Maxon. It boarded the ship and took off as Maxon walked away proud. Another job well done. Meanwhile, a few buildings collapsed onto the streets and more chaos ensured. Maxon was indifferent and was later in is cruiser, patrolling for more illegal parking." ]	3
	[WP] You have the ability to see a grim reaper hanging around someone when they are about to die. one day, a grim reaper starts to hang around you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You thought you'd freak out when you see a strange dark cloaked figure following someone but when you were the only one that was able to do it, you have two choice; keep it to yourself or tell someone.\n\nI chose the former.\n\nI didn't understand at first. But more accurately, I was scared shitless. I told my parents that I saw him. I saw the grim reaper but they would laugh it off and told me I have wild imaginations. Why would I imagine a scary skeleton with black cloak following people around?\n\nEventually, I found a pattern in those occurrences. The one he followed will die. \n\nSo it had been routine for me to see him around someone, waiting and staring and waiting. He didn't do anything but standing there. A week later someone will die. Either from health or freak accident or murdered. \n\nIt was fine at first... until I woke up to see him stood in front of me. \n\nChills ran down my spine and my heart beat like crazy. He slowly looked up at me and I could see an eye peeking from the hood of his cloak. His eye was blank. \n\n\"You have one week left.\"" ]	2
	[WP] You agree to spend one month alone in a remote cabin for £100,000. Having had no contact with the outside world, you are shocked at the end of the month to find that everyone else on the planet seems to have vanished.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The marketing for the contest had been cleverly pitched to land on the pinnacle of the no-screen wave, a challenge to the connected generation to reforge their ties with an organic world in which three-dimensional objects did not need to be printed. True to their word, or at least to the extent anyone could tell, the organisers drew up no shortlists, held no eliminating rounds and interviewed no-one. The choice of the winner did appear to be truly random. Of course, this did not prevent me scrutinising even the most mundane details of my life as soon as the news came that I had won - by e-mail, ironically. The part of the brain that compels us to look for patterns in the spiral of fern leaves and in the migration of starlings still sought to convince me that something distinguished me from the millions of other applicants. That same part of me needed to feel I had earned the experience in order to enjoy it. Then I thought of all the endeavours on which I had worked until dull and broken with fatigue, and that had won me nothing, so perhaps there was a law of delayed gratification at work here.\n\nThe cabin itself would have made a perfect yoga retreat for the ultra-wealthy. It eschewed the colossal metal plates and A-frames that filled the pages of so many modern design magazines in favour of burnished whorls of stone. When I arrived on the first day, it reminded me of the central hut of an ancient village that had been petrified by the elements and only just rediscovered. It had no means of tapping into any information from the outside world; there was electricity and running water, but I dutifully surrendered my mobile phone on the first day in accordance with the terms of the prize. Life has become elastic over the past month, elastic and thick like treacle. A stillness has found its voice in me now that the chatter of deadlines and pop-up notifications has been filtered out. They stocked the cabin with every type of food and drink imaginable, from store-brand cola to biscuit cognac and from sherbet dabs to wagyu beef. A younger me might have spent the month cleaning out the liquor cabinet and singing at the stars. I would have laid sprawled out on the sun deck wearing nothing but suntan lotion and eaten prawns until my fingers were bloody from peeling them. The me of today spent a month fine-tuning my meditation techniques, opening my senses to the smallest vibrations surrounding me and learning to appreciate each source of stimulation to its cleanest and purest degree. If I had been given the choice, I might well have stayed in the cabin for several months longer, but it had its own manner of acting like a fussy housekeeper and the ecosystem gradually choked itself off until only the front door still worked, just to let me out.\n\nThey had helicoptered me in. It was the most time-efficient way, they reckoned, given just how isolated this place was. I suppose I was expecting there to be a helicopter there to pick me up when I got out. I was considerably reassured when I saw the chopper sitting on the unkempt splash of grass at the bottom of the slope overlooked by the cabin. I pitched the swing of my body perfectly to land my suitcase in the rear of the helicopter but the realisation stopped me short: the driving seat was empty. I thought that this might be the actual test behind the contest, a test of initiative. If they were ensconced behind one of the distant bushes with cameras trained on me to watch me try to fly to freedom, they were in for a disappointment. I had never flown a helicopter in my life, and was not about to start now. I remembered seeing a very functional-looking all-terrain jeep in the cabin’s garage.\n\nThe engine was sputtering by the time I coasted down the final curve of the hillside and into the nearest town. It was a small and sparse collection of houses scattered haphazardly along the bank of the lake and seemed to be built of blue porcelain tiles and the scent of lemons in equal measure. I parked the jeep outside a café where the radio was still on and walked inside, suddenly aware of the fact that I had no money on me and no means of proving who I even was. The café was filled with the bittersweet steam of the coffee pot boiling on the range behind the bar and the rich salt tang of the fresh fish fried and served up on several of the tables. The steaks of fish were beginning to curl up before my eyes as they cooled. I called out a couple of times into the steamy silence, only to hear my voice swallowed up by the weight of the emptiness. I wandered behind the bar, switched off the radio and cut the gas on the range. There had clearly been people here very recently, so it was only a matter of waiting for them to come back from whichever commotion had stirred them from their meals, their drinks and their jobs. I took a seat at one of the tables and felt no shame in breaking off a chunk of fish on which to nibble as I waited. I picked up a menu.\n\nThere was a greasy and cheaply printed sheet of paper wedged into the menu, the hastily compiled daily special of any coastal café at the lean end of peak season when the tourists were starting to head for home and becoming obsessed with things as mundane as back-to-school shopping. It surprised me so much that it had almost fallen off the table and onto the dusty tiled floor when I snapped it up and cast an eye over it.\n\n“Well done.\n\nYou have hatched whole and radiant from your isolation. You have shown that you have no need of screens, the internet or any of the myriad pollutions of modern life. Your true test starts now.\n\nYou have seen where the world of technology is not and the world of life is. Now that you see where the world of society is not, can you reach out to your fellow man? You have one month. Godspeed.”\n\nI sat with the crumpled sheet of paper in my hand for at least fifteen minutes, listening to the wind whipping in off the lake. I basked in a feeling of freedom; there was no-one to stop me eating every fish in this café, taking every jerrycan of petrol and breaking down the door of every house in order to find the trail of crumbs leading back to civilisation. That freedom was whispered in my ear by the same part of my brain that looked for patterns in the leaves of ferns, and that would not admit that I was alone, without a map, without a puzzle to decode. This would be the month that boils me down to the barest essence of humanity; hunger and thirst will be catered for, and I will not want for shelter, but has my instinct to seek out company survived the world into which I was born? I stand up, slip a steak knife into my belt and wander out into the dazzling salt of the late afternoon sunshine." ]	2
	[WP] You lost yet another sock in the dryer. This would’ve been a small insignificant annoyance, if it wasn’t the sixth time this month. You start the dryer with a second load, and before leaving see a portal open in the dryer, and suck another sock through.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I knew it! I'm not crazy!!!\" Bernard laughed somewhat maniacally. The dryer seemed a simple one. Large, squarish, and white. A few buttons on top. And an occasional portal that would steal a sock. Though this discovery lent sanity to Bernard. For he had thought for the longest time that Terry, his cat, had been stealing the socks. He even complained to his co-worker George about Terry. And Terry may have missed a meal or two due to Bernards spite. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What to do then... how to open you..\" Bernard pondered, stroking his chain, as he stared into the soul of the machine. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Another sock!\" He exclaimed. He ran to his room, ripped open the second drawer of the little wood dresser, and grabbed a few pairs of socks. He arrived back to the machine with tools in hand. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Okay, the time's I've lost the socks it has always been a single out of a pair. Never have I lost a single sock that wasn't part of a pair. But I guess that isn't possible because all socks are in pairs...\" Bernard briefly stumped himself before continuing the thought. He then threw in a single sock, not a pair but a single sock. He spun the ring to 60 minutes, and pull the power knob. And off it spun. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nBernard stared as it spun. It grumbled. It made sounds but he just waited. He heard what sounded like a little portal that would open in a dryer. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Is that it?!\" He swung open the dryer. It was nothing. The sock was still there. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Okay, I'll wait till it's finished.\" And so he did. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n...\n\n&#x200B;\n\ntime passed slowly as he waited. Terry approached Bernard from the Laundry room door. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Hello Terry.\" Bernard said, somewhat ashamed.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTerry just shook his head. Bernard knew now that Terry had done nothing with the sock. And Terry could see his guilt. Terry then hinted that Bernard leave perhaps double the regular portion of feed for the days he missed his meals. Bernard somehow knew what little Terry was getting at and rightfully obliged. Bernard marched upstairs and filled Terry's bowl to the brim. Terry strut triumphantly to his bowl, and Bernard returned to his studies. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\Whooshie Wash\\ \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"That's it!\" He was halfway down the stairs when he heard it. He ran to the dryer full sprint, flung open the door, and there it was.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"There it is.\" He whispered. He saw that the sock hadn't been sucked through yet. But the portal was growing. He saw the sock start to move towards the blue swirl. And then in almost an instant, it shot to the portal. Bernard grabbed the toe end of the sock and pulled. But the portals grip was that of a giant's. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Wait! What are you doing with my socks? And why!\" Bernard yelled, he desired so deeply to know who was doing what with his socks. For these are Bernard's socks and no one but he has the rights to them. The portal said nothing. It just continued to pull the sock. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Speak to me you beast!\" he screamed. And with that the pulling stopped. The portal didn't let go of the sock but it stopped trying to suck it. Bernards eyes seemed to be portals themselves. Perhaps the dyrer portal had feared the wrath of the human. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You are a Fun-Gui\" The portal said. The swirls shaped into eyes and a mouth. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nBernard looked pleased. \"Oh, thanks.\" He said, surprised that the only being that understood his humour was not of this world. \"But how does the portal know I am funny?\" He thought to himself. Had the portal been watching Bernard even outside of the dryer? But how?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What is your favorite joke I have told?\" Asked Bernard. The portal had no detectable emotional reaction to the question. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nAfter a long silence, and Bernards tense anticipation of flattery. The portal finally spoke.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n'Give me the sock.\" It said. Bernard seemed to go mad at that moment. Not mad solely in the anger sense. But mad in the sense that his sanity had plummeted. Enthralled by anger, confusion, certainty, and certainty of nothing. Bernard raged. His eyes became portals deeper than the one they reflected now. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"YOU WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER SOCK!\" And with that Bernard ripped the sock from the dryer. He ripped the toilet from the ground, and he smashed the dryer with all his might. And he smashed again, and again. He thought he heard the portal cry, but he didn't care. He continued smashing.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"No one will ever steal another one of my socks!\" He smashed one final time until his hands bled. He smiled. He was relieved that it was over. His socks were safe. And his sanity guarded. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nTerry had overheard the ruckus and came down to see what had happened. As he rounded the door, he saw Bernard hovering with the toilet. Bernard glanced at Terry. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"More food Terry?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Miaou\" " ]	2
	[WP] Jesus is a time traveler. The reason he was able to perform miracles is because he brought modern antibiotics, and he brought a shit ton of bread.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Another day another dollar,\" said Jesus to himself. He flipped a wheat wafer like a gangster flips a coin, catching it by picking it out of the air overhandedly.\n\nHe sighed, and continued his lonely conversation. \"Let's see, 50,000 in a day is a new record. I'll have to promote the foreman, raise the min wage.\"\n\nHe strode into his office overlooking the the factory floor, the sweet aroma of baking yeast permeating throughout the building, especially here. Gus was flipping through the accounts.\n\n\"Hey Abs!\" he said to Jesus.\n\n\"Please Gus, that nickname won't stick.\"\n\n\"I like it,\" said Gus.\n\nJesus stared at him.\n\n\"Jesus,\" said Gus, exasperated. \"Fine, Abaddon. You're Abaddon. Happy?\"\n\n\"Yes, thank you. What's the word?\"\n\n\"The word is a number, and it's 165,453. That's dollars, mate.\"\n\n\"Sounds good--that's a record isn't it Gus?\"\n\n\"With the new accounts in Idaho, that is a record my friend.\"\n\n\"Fine fine. Give everyone a raise, we can afford it.\"\n\n\"You the boss!\"\n\nGus jaunted out with a happy gait, and Jesus slunked into his big captain's chair. He rolled back his sleeve and looked at the time travel device attached to his wrist. It read, Greenville, Rhode Island, February 15th, 2019, 15:25:24. He spun around and clicked a button beneath the desk, opening a secret annex. Inside he eyed the sack of wafers he'd snuck off the factory line, and the millenia-old cloth bundle filled with opiods. Would that work? He'd find out soon enough.\n\nHe was 33. He fidgetted with the device, looking absently at the floor. This time, he though, he'd change things. This time, he'd tell Mary everything. This time, love would prevail. He gathered up the sack and bundle, turned a switch, and disappeared into the past.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n/r/velabasstuff\n\n&#x200B;" ]	2
	[WP] Sealed away for millenia, you are awoken to be worshiped, they are unaware of the monster you were.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The man opened his eyes for the first time in over a thousand years. Packed in close around the cryogenic tube was a throng of people of all ages, every one of them wearing a specific hat that he knew well. He took a deep breath and stepped out of the tube and into the swirling fog left behind by the evaporated liquid nitrogen. The crowd gasped and skittered back a few steps, but never took their adoring eyes off of him. The man pulled back his lips into a wolfish grin. An explanation from the crowd was even less necessary than an introduction of himself. He knew why they had broken his seal. There are things that humans can't do without. Food, water, shelter. But there is another thing, one carried out of burning buildings and pulled out of shipwrecks with every survivor. Something that every refugee carries away in his heart no matter how sudden his flight. Something carefully guarded and passed down no matter how tyrannical the dictatorship. Something with the power to teach the young, to frame an individual's identity, to even shape culture itself. The most novel of technologies and the most ancient of treasures, stories. He who controls stories controls the world. He straightened the ear hat he had been frozen in. The Mouse had returned.", "Monika looked back, noticing she had gotten quite far ahead. \"Just a little farther, Jorgé! I can't believe this entire structure isn't visible on satelite maps. There isn't even any tree cover!\"\n\nJorgé climbed carefully over another boulder. He looked up to see how far ahead Monika had gotten, but the sun was blinding him. Not for the first time, he had a bad feeling about this.\n\nHe called back, \"Just so you know, this is the last time I let you talk me into these adventures. I was promised a vacation! I was promised mimosas!\"\n\nMonika rolled her eyes. \"Just hurry up, will you? There will be plenty of time for mimosas!\" She looked around, wondering if they were going to get there before sundown.\n\n\"There better be,\" Jorgé said, short of breathe but beaming at her all the same.\n\nMonika eyed him appraisingly.\n\nAfter a minute, \"it's just on the next landing, I think. Ready?\"\n\n\"Yeah, I think so.\"\n\nAs they climbed the last distance to the top of the structure, Jorgé finally had to say something. \"Monika, I've got a bad feeling about this place. How did you say you found out about this again? Something doesn't seem right.\"\n\nWalking towards an entrance of some kind, Monika laughed, \"that's what you said about that bar in Tangier!\" She ducked into the darkness.\n\nFollowing hesitantly, exasperated, \"this isn't the same, and you know it!\"\n\nJorgé couldn't see now, and Monika hadn't replied, worried, \"Are you oka-\", a sharp pain. Nothing-ness.\n\nJorgé awoke to a rough-hewn rock \"cavern?\" he thought, \"no, more like a, throne room?\" The thick, acrid smell of oil torches causing him to wince. \"Monika?\" He called out.\n\nMonika was kneeling, facing away. Then, a voice, almost musical.\n\n\"What year is it, mortal?\"\n\nTerror rose in his throat." ]	3
	[WP] Sarcasm is a contagious disease	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Doctor, I'm afraid I have gotten the sarcasm.\" the woman whispered, embarassed.\n\n\"Oh, now do you?\" the doctor rolled his eyes, loudly answering her embarassment \"What next? You are gonna tell me you have THE BIG GAY?\"\n\n\"We are just here bullshitting people anyway...\" the woman followed, half-assedly pointing towards the degrees on the wall.\n\n\"Oh, so novel, so original!\" the man stood up, visibly crossing in red a list: *Patients who bullshit my degrees* it read.\n\n\"Oh, man, do you get a cookie for each cross?\" her sharp tongue followed.\n\n\"At least I don't get a dick!\" the doctor laughed, hitting on his belly.\n\n\"And how did you manage to get pregnant then?\"\n\n\"Oh, look, another one doesn't want me to write a prescription.\"\n\n\"Oh, look, another one doesn't know the symptoms.\"\n\n\"You got it pretty fucking severe huh? Married a comedian?\"\n\n\"Maybe I fucking did!\"\n\n\"And you were already a joke or the marriage did the trick?\"\n\n\"Did you try asking your wife?\"\n\n\"Ah, I see...\" the doctor managed to calm down for a moment \"... you are still in the early stage. Your sarcasm is weak. I shall prescribe you 2 pills of heliumine per day, to be taken on a full stomach.\"\n\n\"Thank you!\" radiated the woman, coming to her senses.\"What is this?\" she then asked, rereading the recipe on her way out.\n\n\"That's 20cm of dick, ma'am. It might come in handy!\"\n\nAnd so the door closed, loudly.\n\n\"Or in mouthy!\" a muffled voice echoed, following the woman to the waiting room." ]	2
	[WP] You are the Leader of the Free World. The alien invaders are taking that literally.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Do you know how much we had to pay for Azbolion 5? No? Well let me tell you this, we could have bought our collective weight in Sugared Plumbinsicles for the same ransom.\" Horgol thought he was a particularly good speaker (for arguments sake we'll say he, though technically the Frilliot are a genderless sub-species of the rather chicken like Gobsong) especially when it came to calming the nerves of a civilisation you were about to make unanimously homeless.\n\n\"Now listen here.\" President Grump coughed from out a face full of chins, \"When I said Free World, I didn't mean Free World.\"\n\n\"What difference is there? Free. Free. That's just you saying the same word with a slight inflection of tone.\" Horgol grinned at the President who found this mostly infuriating. How dare some foreigner beam down from space and claim a right to his... sorry... our world.\n\n\"Look, Earth's not for sale.\"\n\n\"Quite.\" Horgol agreed, \"It can hardly be called a sale when you're giving it away!\"\n\n\"Well actually...\" Grump began.\n\n\"Oh, you wait and see the look on Therisaps faces! I bet at least three will be shocked and at least two more will be stunned.\" Horgol gave a wet laugh as he shook his head, \"Come on then, where are the papers? What needs signing? The sooner we take ownership of Earth, the sooner we can evict you lot and get to work on building the Gibssolly Resort.\"\n\nGibssolly was Horgol's half Frilliot brother who died in tragic trans-space-golfing accident. Well, they don't call it a Half Head for no reason (a Half Head was slightly better than a Slice of Cheese and sightly worse than a Birdie (which is universally agreed to be one under par)).\n\n\"Hold on just a minute! I'm... we're... not going anywhere.\" Grump surveyed the room of cowering associates (cowering on account of the fact Horgol was sixteen foot tall and had one too many tentacles for their liking). The associates nodded their approval. \"And I think I'm right in saying we won't stand for Earth being knocked down and a bloody resort erected in its place!\"\n\n\"Feel free to take a seat.\" Horgol shrugged in a way only tentacles are capable, \"This is happening, the fleet are already here.\"\n\n\"Well we have a button.\" Grump frowned, folding his flabby arms over one another.\n\n\"A button?\" Horgol sounded uncertain for the first time since meeting Grump (when a Frilliot sounds uncertain it lets out a low pitched whine, the only purpose of which is to mask the quieter sound of gas escaping from the Frilliot's rear ears... how embarrassing). \"What does it do?\"\n\n\"Wouldn't you like to know.\" Grump said smugly.\n\n\"Yes.\"\n\n\"Well I'm not telling you.\" there was sudden applause from at least a third of the President's associates. This startled Horgol into letting out another high pitched whine. At this point Horgol was beyond embarrassed, he started throwing his tentacles about in a fluster, managing to knock over a number of pencil pots.\n\n\"Stop that!\" Grump grumbled.\n\n\"Can we please get on with signing the papers. I really would like to leave.\" Horgol was thinking about how nice a hot bath and a Pelicor-Trill Sandwich would be. Oddly enough Pelicor-Trill tastes exactly like peanut butter jelly, only with a little more crunch.\n\n\"What are you not understanding about this. We won't...\" again Grump checked the room, the room nodded, \"yes, won't be signing over the Earth.\"\n\n\"By the Galactic Spirit! You drive a hard bargain. I dare say advertising something for free and pressing for payment is some kind of crime. It's like trying to drive down prices at a car boot, only it works the opposite way round.\"\n\n\"Err...\"\n\n\"Half a Quadrillion Florts.\" Horgol said, somewhat begrudgingly.\n\n\"Errrrr...\"\n\n\"Okay, a Quadrillion Florts.\" Horgol eyed the stammering President.\n\n\"Errrrrrrrrrr....\"\n\n\"Right. Two Quadrillion Florts. Final offer.\"\n\n\"Err...\"\n\n\"Final offer.\"\n\nThe President's associates were conferring uselessly between one another.\n\n\"Shouldn't you at least tell us what we're supposed to do when we're evicted from Earth?\" Grump asked.\n\n\"I don't think so.\"\n\n\"Okay. But how much are Florts actually worth?\" Grump was a business man, and at the very least had the sense to ask of worth, not that he'd follow it through with any sort of conviction.\n\n\"Some money (which is to say at least seven pence, or more than half a kilogram of Sugared Plumbinsicles).\" Horgol replied with a warm, wet smile.\n\n\"Deal.\" Grump shook Horgol's tentacle and from above the Oval Office there came a rumbling sound. A small hole opened in reality (not the ceiling) and through it fell what can only be described as a calculator with legs (or a fax machine with a face only a mother could love). \"What is that?\"\n\n\"Our witness.\" Horgol scowled at the machine, \"A representative of the Imperial Council here to oversee the signing of contracts. So...\"\n\n\"So, what?\" Grump looked confused.\n\n\"The papers earthling. The contract of Earth's sale to the Frilliot...\" Horgol added in a mutter, \"On behalf of the Gobsong.\" and coughed.\n\n\"Oh, we don't actually have any papers of that description.\"\n\n\"Grob feeding, Nurggle loving, Frong spelunking, son of a...\" Horgol smiled, somewhat less wetly, \"Not to worry. I'll wait whilst you have them produced. How long will that take?\"\n\nThe President shrugged, and from behind a chair one of the less useless associates shouted, \"Some time (which is to say at least seven seconds, or the amount of time it takes to harvest more than half a kilogram of Sugared Plumbinsicles).\"\n\nHorgol sighed, \"I'm starting to see why you'd want to give your world away for free.\"\n\n\"But...\" Grump shook himself, what was the use, he was about to seal a deal worth Two Quadrillion Florts (or some money). \"I'll see to it that the contracts are drawn up right away.\" suddenly more business like Grump then went on to offer Horgol a cup of tea whilst he waited, which Horgol politely refused in favour of a bottle of Tatonic Oil he'd brought along.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSome time later the deal would pass (which would come to be known as the worst deal ever made in all the universe... worse even than giving your planet away for free) and Horgol would take ownership of Earth. The Earth would then be demolished in favour of the Gibssolly Resort, and all its previous residents (dogs, whales, humanity) would be sent out in temporary (and rather uncomfortable) housing pods (which were unremarkably alike council flats).\n\nSo what exactly had gone wrong (apart from Earth being demolished)? Well, it turns out Florts don't hold traditional monetary value, but instead a value of time. Florts are credits that represent a period of time that is to be repaid through manual labour in repentance of a crime committed against the various Councils and Courts of the universe. One Flort was the equivalent of one earthly decade. In short the Earth then owed the universe Twenty Quadrillion Decades of free manual labour, in repentance of crimes they'd never committed. Technically speaking a decade is worth more than seven pence and equivalent to more than half a kilogram of Sugared Plumbinsicles...\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Two Quadrillion Florts.\" Grump rubbed his hands together, \"You've done it again Mr President.\"" ]	2
	[WP] In the old days, legends were created to keep people safe. As a CIA intern, you've been tasked with creating a new legend to keep the American people away from a lurking danger.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"No, no, no, we've done the beast thing, it was great about 60 years ago when people didn't go LOOKING for Bigfoot, or the Loch Ness Monster, or Yeti. Now they'll just take cameras and go hunting for it. Try again!\"\n\nIt was my 3rd day at the company, and I was assigned to the Sagas Division. In short, we make the stories that keep people from hurting themselves, or generally just keeping things in the shadows that belong there.\n\nAfter running through all the HR videos and sexual harassment training, Director Dolus took me to a room somewhere in the very dark parts of the research library and sat me down at a small cubicle. He spread a small map out in front of me.\n\n\"I need a Saga to keep people from THIS area,\" he said, pointing to a small triangle drawn in red pen. I looked for nearby cities and saw mostly tiny or abandoned towns in what might be Kentucky, or West Virginia maybe, but the map had no names, only elevation, landmarks, and unmarked roads.\n\n\"What's it about?\" I asked. He looked at me and cocked an eyebrow. \"Oh yeah, intern.\" He sighed. \"So here's the deal: I tell you what I need, you give it to me.\" \n\n\"Yes, sir, but what is there to work with? Local customs? History of the area? Myths I should avoid?\" I was 19 and an intern, not stupid. I understood what Sagas did, but I've never created one.\"Everything you need is THERE,\" he said, pointing again at the useless red triangle. He looked around the room. \"Nothing else is necessary, write the Saga and have it to me ASAP.\" He turned and strode off, his left shoe squeaking on the tile floor, his right silent. \n\nI created a simple creature Saga the third day, one I thought was particularly frightening, but he had shot it down almost without reading it. He was right, of course, people would immediately go looking for it with cameras for YouTube hits. I filed it away for later. It's not every day you think up something much worse than any horror film you've ever seen.\n\nNext up was a natural danger - namely, quicksand, except a much faster, horrible version. I wrote the backstory of some mining camp runoff, an acidic substance that would eat through the leather of your boots and then your flesh, while the quicksand pulled you down into it, reducing you to skeletal remains (and soon after, nothing) in 15 minutes of the worst agony ever felt. It was realistic, possible (hell, I'd say even probable), and perfect for the area, from what I could see on the map.\n\n\"Scary quicksand? Really?\" Dolus asked. The skeptical look never left his face as he read through my backstory and implementation plan. \"It's honestly not terrible, but quicksand, even toxic quicksand, is pretty easily avoidable. When's the last time someone died in quicksand?\" He paused, though not really waiting for an answer. I hadn't heard of a quicksand death, well, ever.\n\n\"Better, but not there yet.\" He squeaked away across the floor, disappearing for at least another 24 hours.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe Director paced in his office, anxious but unable to show that to his staff. He hired an intern because they were outside the regular company system - no server permissions, no login, therefore no tracking of their every movement or keypress. Without a computer or any hardware, the kid would be unable to point to anything he had worked on. Which was good, because the Director had something to hide.\n\nFour years ago, as Senior Agent, he was investigating a newly formed gorge in West Virginia. This gorge looked quite average, but at the bottom there were cloudy areas, obscured by what seemed like fog, and when he walked through them from north to south, he found himself in quite a different place altogether. He stepped backwards, into the gorge again, and immediately took a geo reading. \n\n\"Nothing!\" he called out to the other Agent. On the way back he calmly related how boring and unremarkable it was there, despite rumors that described a great fortune to be found. \"Just the local yokels,\" he joked, and the Agent, a sophisticated fellow from the City, agreed. \n\nOnce he made Director, it was much more difficult for him to get out in the field. He needed a way to keep people from finding it, even with the remote location. As an investigator, he never created Sagas, he just didn't have the creativity. But as Director, he had full control of the division, and he could finally stop worrying about it being discovered, if the damn intern would ever finish.\n\nHe went home, knowing the intern wouldn't have another story for at least a day. He collapsed into his favorite recliner and rubbed his forehead. The plan that had been in his head for 4 years still circled there, almost perfect. Just one more piece, the one that would keep people away long enough for him to go through and back again.\n\nHe jerked his head up suddenly, the darkness of the house confusing him for a moment. The blue digits on the microwave shone '1:35', and he had fallen asleep in his chair again. The odd sound that woke him had faded, he wasn't even sure it was real outside of a dream, and after looking out the windows for a minute, he climbed the stairs toward his bedroom and tiredly laid down again, hoping to go right back to sleep.\n\nThe sound came again, this time the long low squeak of someone walking on an old floorboard. The hair jumped on his arm and he could suddenly hear his own heartbeat as he held his breath and listened. The handgun was in his side dresser, but maybe he was just hearing things.\n\nAnother loose board groaned, and the Director decided that the gun would be of great use now. He quietly slid over to his dresser, retrieved the firearm, and then down to a crouched position behind the bed. He thought of where that floorboard might be, he hadn't thought there were any in the hallways that needed repair. Was it downstairs? It sounded closer. \n\nA tree branch scraped the window directly behind his head, and he shrieked before he caught himself. Cursing his own fear quietly, he moved away from where he had been hiding, so his location couldn't be pinpointed by the noise he made. \n\nSomething fell over downstairs, something heavy, but nothing broke, just thudded like a 100 pound book falling off a high table. He felt trapped, the noises were all around him, and he couldn't figure out where to start attacking. He held the gun out in front of him, a warding off of evil, and step by step, moved down the hall, which was empty of people, things, or squeaky floorboards.\n\nAt the bottom of the stairs, he flicked the light on to the kitchen, where the Intern stood, smiling.\n\n\"Scary, huh?\" he said. \nIt was the squeaky shoe, of course, that clued me in. After he walked away that first day, I had been worried about hearing it coming back. After the quicksand debacle, I realized that true fear, real fear, was in sound. Every horror movie has them, from heavy breathing, to footsteps, to freaky music, children laughing, or awful toys. You can dismiss a scary clown when you see it on screen, but have one start chuckling in your ear? Hell no. Sound allowed you to create the fear in your mind all by yourself, manifest in what truly scares you.\n\nI explained to the Director how we could amplify the natural sounds we wanted, mostly of the trees, the wind through certain hollows, and even distortion of animal noises. We'd add a few muffled soundbites of laughing, crying, or screaming, just loud enough to perk up your ears. At night, these would drive away the bravest explorer. He agreed, proclaiming my bright future with the company. Within a day, the equipment necessary was packed into a black Range Rover, destined for the unremarkable red triangle on the map. \n\nThe Director called me out as he climbed into the vehicle. \"I'm on leave, technically, but this is a priority mission and no one else is to know,\" he commanded sternly. I nodded. \"What do you want me to do til you're back?\" I asked. He laughed, like he didn't really care. \"Use the gym, check out the cafeteria, and get acclimated,\" he said. He closed the window and drove off. \nSetting up the entire system took a day longer than the Director hoped, but tonight would be the night. He had a backpack full of equipment, and carried an empty one he hoped to fill before returning. He trekked into the moonlit gorge, through the cascade of spooky sounds he had created himself, still sufficiently creepy enough to make him look around cautiously at each bend. The geo locator took him to the spot he wanted, still foggy, still ready for him to step through. As he walked forward, the Intern came through the mist from the other side, a slight, crooked grin on his face. The creatures that scuttled around his feet jumped onto the Director's legs, climbing at an astonishing rate toward his face. He screamed, one much louder than the false ones he had so recently installed. \n\n\nHis screams went went unheard in this very remote, and very dangerous place. " ]	2
	[WP] Ten years ago, you rescued some nobody kid and gave him an inspirational speech. He took your words to heart. Today he's a tyrant and dictator, responsible for numerous crimes against humanity. Today you have to take him down.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Vicerne, the emerald city of the east. A place steeped in antiquity, driven by commerce and absolutely slathered in wealth. It’s here where crime flourishes under the guise of business, aristocracy and above all, politics. \n\nDamon, a cudgel of a man, servant of the people by means of city watch, has watched in silent disregard as his city plunged into a heightened state of indecency. In just the last year he’s been summoned to scene after scene of ungodly crimes. Back alley murders, drug induced fatal seizures, rape in both sadistic nature and of the garden variety, but most common of all, arson. Those who pulled the strings behind the curtains had sometime ago decided that a good old fashion pyre was the way to conduct business. \n\nAnd tonight was the 62nd fire that Damon and other First Responders had dealt with, this year. \n\nSomewhere in the west bank of the city, a lone villa, tucked away under the eaves, with the city canal crystalline waters flowing nearby had been engulfed in flames. From the moment he and his team arrived, Damon could already smell death in the air. It was a bad one, the fire. One of the worst he’d seen this year. Even from a safe distance away, he could feel the heats intensity rippling through the air, lashing at his exposed skin. It’d be a bitch and a half dealing with this beast, he knew. It was going to be a long night. \n\n“Fuck me six ways till Sunday.” Vytuas said. The burley giant of a man with a saucer like face, blanched at mother nature’s destructive side. She could be an unmerciful bitch when she wanted to be. “Damon, this ones bad. Like, ass-puckering, you-really-shit-the-bed-here, kind of bad. What do you think happened here?”\n\n“My guess?” Damon said to his poetic friend. “Were dealing with either a chemical fire or natural gas. Normal one’s don’t burn this violently.”\n\n“Hmm.” Vytuas nodded. “Any idea of who, uh, used, to live here.”\n\n“No clue, not until the coroner or the city magistrate comes by to identify them. My guess? It’s some poor fuck who decided to mess around with the Don’s of the city. Maybe they played a game of cards or rolled the dice. Who knows? Either way one things clear. Someone gambled with money that they didn’t have against people they shouldn’t have fucked with.”\n\n“Just another Tuesday, eh?”\n\nNearby, a man of the Fire Watch, the cities proper defenders in situations like these, hollered at the idle men. “Oy! You boys going to sit around, play gossip while you tickle one another’s assholes or are you going to get over here and do some work?”\n\nVytuas laughed at the slight, his bellowing roars matching the sound of crackling flames. “Aye, keep your panties on you dribbling twat. I’ll be there in a second. Damon, I’ll see you when this red fart of a cloud is done with.”\n\nMore Responders came throughout the hour. Men, women all clad in fire-retardant vestments came to combat the flames. Progress was slow against a disaster like this as it came begrudgingly. This fire had too much spirit, too much spunk to be put out so easily. It had made the City Watch work for it. \n\n“Damon,” a woman’s voice came. Just as he attacking the southern bank of the villa, a familiar face approached him. Ruth Sazer, a woman in her early 50’s who braved the vice-laden streets of Vicerene had bigger stones than most men in this city. She was brave as she was capable as she was sweet. Damon always viewed her as an older sister.\n\n“What’s up, Ruth?”\n\n“I think you’re going to want to see this. Come with me.” She said. \n\n“Right now? I’m making headway on this patch of fire-“\n\n“Damon.” She cut him off. The look in her beady black eyes spoke volumes. Damon followed.\n\n“Look at this.” Ruth said as they approached a unearthed patch of dirt. Buried in the ground was a metal pipe had been recently exposed. “It looks to be tampered with.” She pointed at the clean handiwork left behind. \n\nDamon caught it and let out a whistle between parched lips. Not only had someone gotten to the pipeline, they’d done a good job about it. This was a professional grade, kind of work. \n\n“There’s more.” Ruth said. She waived for him to follow. Damon wasn’t quite sure he wanted to see what else she had in store. \n\nThey had gone just beyond the bend, headed near the estates front entrance. It was here that Damon caught wind of something that made his throat plummet into his stomach. Covered in a sheen of smoke and haze, parts of his body burnt, most of it wrapped in bandage, was a tiny wisp of a boy who sat staring blankly at the fire before him. To his credit, he did not wail, had not screamed. But as Damon moved close, he saw the haunted look behind the boy’s eyes. That was the look of someone who’s very life had just been upended in a flash, struggling in vain to reconcile with the harsh truth. \n\n“He said his name’s Artem.-“ Ruth said. When she paused mid-sentence, Damon turned to regard her. The old woman was swiping at the corner of her eyes. “And that he and his family lived here.” Towards the tail end of it, Ruth’s words came cracked. \n\nDamon couldn’t blame her. \n\n“Will you look after him for a moment? I’ve to meet with John Coates. He’s finally arrived, or so they say. Gotta go fill in the Senior Responder.” Just hearing his name filled Damon’s mouth with a sour taste. If he was here then overall performance would take a sharp nose dive. Before Ruth left, she gave the boy named Artem a pat on his shoulder. The kid didn’t flinch, didn’t do much as acknowledge the gesture. He just kept staring into the abyss. \n\n\n\n\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] You've lived through countless battles and wars, gaining the title of the dancing sword saint for your powers to control countless floating blades. But those days are in the past, and you've found a fun hobby in cooking.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. 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Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Every time I slept I saw the same thing; stepping over fallen comrades and foes, my face a literal mask of steel, blades dancing in fractals around me as I walk towards the enemy battalion. I can never remember their names for how ridiculous they are. Blue Rhinos Heavy Assault Calvary Battalion, something like that. It never mattered to me. As I approached, the blades would fly off into the enemies, finding necks, eyes, hearts, and arteries. Parrying where needed and slicing arrows away. ‘Dancing Sword Saint’, they called me, and the name always proved true. Nothing could touch me, for the most part. Massive spears, spells, anything out of a trebuchet (though not a catapult, I would never allow something so weak to touch me), et cetera. \n\nBut in the times since the wars, I took up a new talent; cooking. At first it took a lot to summon a blade that wasn’t made for war, but eventually I narrowed it down to an elvish sacrificial knife. Of course, that was four years ago, and now I can get about seven kitchen utensils under my command. The eighth usually ends up as an orcish warblade, so I rarely summon an eighth. \n\nThe best thing, I found, was to have students. I found that I was quite the journeyman at cooking, and adapted easily to it. Teaching others was what helped me adapt the most, and it was always fun to see people be amazed at the food they could make. A young Katarina was my current student, and my favourite. She was like me when I was young; a master swordsman and as witty as she was clever. Though she doubted her abilities occasionally, the smile on her face when she realized she had done something right unexpectedly was enough to warm my heart. Though, she may have set my kitchen on fire as many times as she had cooked a delicious meal. I felt this might be one such instance. \n\n“Lady Alessia! Lady Alessia! Come quick!” When her voice was distressed, Katarina’s Slavic accent pushed through and her well-trainer noble voice disappeared. I ran down to the kitchen to see that she had used the wrong alchemical substance in cooking. “Katya! That’s not salt, silly girl, that’s a vial of daemon crystals,” a small cow-shaped creature stood on the stove where a steak presumably was. “Oh, I know, Ms. Alessia. I just figured it might enhance—” I summoned a blade and decapitated the daemon cow. “No, no, daemon crystals never enhance flavour. In fact, how do you know what those are?” Katarina gave a sheepish look and mumbled, “oh that cute alchemist I met at the market,” to which I sighed. “Katya, my dear, you’ve been seeing a different boy every week,” to which she hastily replied, “well it’s different this week! She’s a girl!” I raised an eyebrow. “And how does that make it different?” Katarina didn’t have a response. “I think your dates are starting to become bad influences. Focus on your cooking, for the sake of my sanity,” Katarina nodded. “Right, just let me go get rid of my other alchemy supplies.” I put my palm to my face. This was going to be a long week, wasn’t it?", "The thrill of war had faded long ago. It has dissolved the same way sugar dissolves into water. Don't get me wrong, like a properly served dessert, I'd relished my glory till the last second. But sometimes too much sweetness can force one to stop and think about your decisions. Did I really want to keep killing with my swords? Did I really want to eat that last bite? Or was I doing it all for the short-lived pleasure?\n\nThe answer was the latter, and so I stepped back from my glorious life of slicing limbs and showering in blood, and dedicated myself to a life of slicing different limbs and showering in different blood.\n\nCooking came out of nowhere, like the thrust of a proper swordsman, and I didn't whirl to dodge it. Instead, I let the edge pierce me thoroughly.\n\nThis was five year ago, now I had a gourmet restaurant under my name, which I'd called Swords and Steaks. I was the head chef, and my sous-chef and kitchen staff were my flying swords. After all, they were extremely fast and effective at having the Mise en place ready in a matter of minutes. In the salon I had hired human waitresses and cashiers, after some incidents with tattered bills had taken place.\n\nThe restaurant had been running smoothly for the last three years. People loved it, and held the name constantly in their palates, and so the word of mouth spread like a wildfire, causing us to be booked for months in advance; magazines, television programs, even some internet stars had featured us, talking about how having a Michelin Star was a matter of time for Swords and Steaks.\n\nWe'd been told two of the Michelin Stars' critics would come and have dinner tonight at the restaurant. And so, I made sure everything ran exceedingly well. We had even located who the critics were after researching obsessively.\n\nThat night, despite how much joy everyone was having, the two critics kept sending food back to the kitchen, claiming it was overcooked, or that they'd asked for it to be medium rare, and that it was rare, when it was clearly medium rare. I didn't think much of it. After all they must've been doing it to test my patience, and to see how we managed these sort of complications.\n\nBut they kept sending things back, fabricating ridiculous excuses. \"The bread has a mold. I've seen a cockroach. I wanted the meat blue, and it's purple. Why does my fish doesn't have any bones?\"\n\nIt was blood-curdling, to the point I couldn't bare it anymore, and so, leaving all my swords running the kitchen I went in person to confront them.\n\nAs I walked toward their table, gleaning the sights of the customers, they smirked, as if they'd accomplished their evil plan. Both of them were old, full of wrinkles, clad in expensive black suits.\n\n\"Gentlemen, I've been informed you've been having problems with your food,\" I said, back straight, hands clasped behind my back. \"It's not my intention to be rude but I fail to find any sort of logic in your complaints.\"\n\nThey shared an odd look, shook their heads, and rose to their feet. \"This is preposterous! Are you calling us, your customers, stupid?\"\n\n\"Take it as you will,\" I said, keeping my calm in the outside, bit tightening every fiber of my body to resist the urge of slicing them into a hundred steaks. \"But please get the hell out of my restaurant, and don't come back again.\"\n\nWith that, I turned and headed back to the kitchen. Midway I heard a familiar shing. It was that of a sword being unsheathed in a quick motion, and in the brevity of a breath, I whirled to find both of them behind me mid-swing.\n\nI threw myself to the floor, avoiding both their attacks, and a thousand glasses shattered in the kitchen, for my swords flew forth, avoiding the other tables, and halting at the strained throats' of both my foes.\n\n\"What are you doing?\" I shouted, breathing hard, feeling the sweet adrenaline rushing through my body. \"Who are you?\"\n\n\"Very well,\" one of them said, and they both sheathed their swords. \"You earned your star. Congratulations Mr. Sanser. See, we design our score process according to each of the restaurants and its chefs. You've demonstrated both patience, and a flawless ability with the sword.\"\n\nThat night, after a long cheerful celebration, I went to bed, but I couldn't sleep. The adrenaline, the thrill, still pumped through my veins, and I couldn't stop thinking the same thing over and over again.\n\nIs it time to leave the kitchen and return to the fields?\n\nI sighed.\n\nPerhaps it was time. \n\n------------------------\n\nr/NoahElowyn ", "Remy needed to clear his haunted mind. This was the third day of the week he'd been late to the community homeless kitchen. He sighed, \"Okay everyone, let's begin.\"\n\nHe'd spent years on the battlefield, years of murder, of bloodshed, of unholy slaughter. Now he'd retired to the city of his birth, where he'd picked grapes with his mother and sisters in the vineyard. He remembered from those years all too well what it meant to be hungry, and perhaps that was why he now cooked for the starving. He taught aspiring connoisseurs the craft as a way to fund the operation.\n\nHis young students gathered around him. \"Cooking is not unlike painting,\" Remy said, \"Anyone can splash colors on canvas, but an artist can show you new colors, their canvas can be a portal to a new world, their work can make you weep. Just so, anyone can throw ingredients into a bowl. But an artist...\"\n\nThe kitchen came to life in an instant. Vegetables floated up to be delicately sliced by hovering knives. The pot over the stove came to a boil, and in went the various ingredients. The smell in the air sultry and tantalizing.\n\nThe crowd of wide eyed pupils gasped, some murmuring their awe. Remy had to smile at that, even after seeing him so many times it still took their breath away. It was good to use his abilities to inspire wonder instead of....instead of.. The smile fell away from his face.\n\nThe door of the kitchen slammed open, and Remy's Head Assistant, Eloise, rushed through. \"Chef Moreau, Chef Moreau! I tried to tell them the kitchen was closed to visitors, they would not listen!\"\n\n\"Easy, Eloise...These people are hungry, I understand,\" Remy said. He enjoyed what he did, cooking for an audience who really appreciated it, but they could understandably be impatient from time to time.\n\n\"No, not the guests,\" Eloise said, they always referred to the homeless as guests, \"A man and a woman, they say they-\"\n\nA man in blue armor shoved past Eloise and into the kitchen, tailed immediately by a tall woman in the same coat of arms. They both wore the smug faces and easy grace of killers.\n\n\"So it's true,\" the man said, \"Remy Rafael Moreau, The Dancing Sword Saint, now cooks for the beggars and vermin of a filthy city across the world. How sad.\"\n\nThe woman scoffed, \"This is the same man who fought the Gran Bataille de la Morr outside of Heaven's Gate? It doesn't seem possible.\"\n\nRemy grimaced, he didn't recognize the faces, but the armor made their allegiance clear. L'ordre du Lutin Bleu. A band of mercenaries he'd run with years before. \"If you are hungry, you may wait with all the others. We turn away no one. If you're here to cause trouble, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.\"\n\n\"We aren't here for trouble, Epee Dansante,\" The woman said, \"We're here to resurrect you.\"\n\n\"I assure you, I'm very much alive and breathing,\" Remy said, laughing. Eloise had risen to her feet and gave him a look. Should I go for help, the look questioned. No, I can handle this, his gaze returned.\n\nThe man stepped forward, \"The order once again requires your....talents. I'm afraid we're here on direct orders from the Honore Lutin.\"\n\nRemy's eyes went flat, that old bastard....\n\n\"I don't care who sent you...Leave now.\"\n\nAs he uttered the words, Remy shot Eloise a new non-verbal command. She sprang to her task, \"Alright children, class is cut short today. Time to go!\"\n\nThe knight stepped infant of Eloise, blocking her path to the students, \"The Order has not given permission for any of you to leave this room.\"\n\nEloise's face became a sheet of stern ice. She met the knight's eyes with fearless defiance, \"Remy Moreau is the Head Chef of this kitchen. I will follow his order, and your order be damned.\"\n\nThe knight scowled, \"You petulant rat-\" she said, making a threatening move toward Eloise.\n\nA butcher's cleaver whistled as it soared through the air, planting itself in the wall between the knight and Eloise. The knight stopped short, eyes wide.\"Everyone leaves this room except for me and my two esteemed friends, we need to have a chat,\" Remy said, his voice full of steel, hard as oak. \"And if a single hair is harmed on any of these children's heads, I will break the two of you. I will sow the short remainder of your lives with ruin and despair. And then... I will burn down the whole of L'ordre.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\~\n\nThanks for reading!\n\nr/CharlestonChews", "Vegan Sushis\n\n“How in Hell do you cook “vegan sushis”? They’re supposed to be raw fish! Raw fish! Take that out and no more sushi! What a joke!”\n\nThe old cook didn’t miss a bit of the passerby’s banters he simply answered with a little smile. His face was hard to decipher as his wrinkles would plunged and scrambled in the deep ravines his scars have dug in his skin. Ages ago, a swift cold blade would have separated limbs, head and body from this impudent heathen, another flying sword would have ripped his nerves from his still semi-conscious soul and whirled them like spaghetti as a third and a fourth weapon would have hold his eyes out of their sockets so he wouldn’t miss the show.\n\nHa, the sweet, simpler times! Plunders, bloodbaths and gardening! That is, planting heads on picks along the path between the camp and the brothel so he and his brethren could find their way back to their camp while drunk as skunks.\n\nThey kept in touch, somehow, the few that were still alive. Postcards mostly, funerals from time to time, occasions to relive his glorious time as the Dancing Sword Saint, a warrior dreaded by friends and foes, an enthralling figure laughing within a tornado of circling blades.\n\nThey say that you either die by the blade or wish you did.\n\nIt can descend upon you as a mist of lassitude or it can be this one blow, one too much, one that disgust you from everything that you are, a murderer, a bloody murderer, who thinks he is free because he can kill anyone in his path but who realize his bloodlust possesses him flesh and soul like a fancy trinket bought on a vacation in Hawaï.\n\nBut what could you become when you spent your whole life juggling death? Surprisingly, the bright new world of cooking welcomed him with open arms, but more endearingly, offered him the possibility to balance his karma by cooking strictly non-blood-shed ingredients. He entered veganism as other would have shave their heads and took Holy Orders. From this point forward, his blades would cut plant-based products only, compassionately, crueltylessly…\n\n“... How the fuck do you cook vegan sushis?!”\n\n“Well, how would you like your sushis, sir?”\n\n“With no vegan in it, gramp!”\n\n“Certainly. Please, have a seat!”\n\nThe client ostensibly hold his phone near the old man’s face and continued to snigger:\n\n“Sure, man! Do your thing! We wouldn’t want to hurt the fishy, right? So show me how you do it!”\n\n“I have been trained by the Itamae, the Sushi Chefs, in ancient Japan” told the old man as his customer was filming him ”the art of Sushi is mainly the art of cutting. So, dear sir, when you remove the matter, the flesh, what is left is…”\n\nHe gently put down a big, empty plate on the counter. The customer couldn’t hold any longer and burst into laughters:\n\n“Yeah, I kinda figure that much, stupid! A vegan sushi without vegan shit is nothi…”\n\nFrom the plate lept two thousand knife’s cuts that didn’t left two molecules stuck together, from either the phone or the customer.\n\n“... When you remove the flesh, sir, what is left is the cut.”", "With my Mise en Place in place, I scan the vegetables on the counter-top. A red onion, one zucchini, two large carrots and three stalks of broccoli, all prepped and waiting for their glorious dissection. The wok heats up and the smell of sesame oil wafts through the kitchen, and through Bug the Pug's nostrils, a little ball of pure joy bordering on hysteria as he sucks down the delicious scent.\n\nThe sesame oil begins to smoke. The row of knives on the magnetic strip on the wall float upwards, six blades so sharp they could slice through one another, coming to hover in-front of me.\n\nI take a long, deep breath. The knives descend with my exhalation, joining together in a dance that flows and ebbs, each knife maintaining a nuanced tempo that merges to create an exquisite whole.\n\nI settle into myself, orchestrating every cut nearly simultaneously, my attention flitting between the sharp edges of each knife like a super-sonic bee between flowers. Pieces of carrot and zucchini fly through the air, raining down on Bug in a methodical fashion, the poor guy whipping back and forth with frenetic energy, failing to catch each piece.\n\nThe vegetables remain whole on the counter top, the cuts so fine they're able to retain their shape, except for a small pieces of broccoli head, which one by one slide onto the counter.\n\nA spatula rises and scoops each vegetable in turn, whipping them into the wok which now rotates in a slow circle around the burner, another spatula rapidly flinging the vegetable bits around the scalding surface.\n\nThe knives, their work complete, form a neat little queue beside a kitchen towel, each taking a turn to wipe first one side, then the next, before floating back to their magnetic strip, where each slots itself in successive fashion, the soft sound of metal wringing as each knife fastens itself to the wall.\n\nI empty my packet of noodles into the wok, the sensation of using my hands seeming almost foreign, quite un-like me, an alien experience meant for someone else.\n\nThe spatula whips the vegetables back and forth. Bug scuttles across the wooden floor, plundering his fallen spoils.\n\nI exult in the experience, taking the wok off the burner with a sigh of satisfaction.\n\n\"Honey, dinner's ready!\"" ]	6
	[WP] Due to global warming, sea levels have risen. All ghost ships now appear to sail several feet underwater.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It was nearly midnight, the only sound on the submarine was her breathing and the soft creams of metal. A cup of coffee sat next to her, steam drifting off the top of it. Her eyes scanned the dark waters, two twin columns of light projecting from the submarine. It revealed only more darkness, the occasional fish. \n\nHer crew was asleep deep inside the hull. Hearing the distant sound of one of them snoring, she smiled. She tried to remember what sleep was like, but it had been too long. The memory danced away from her hands, leaving only sharp fragments. \n\nDrifting into monotony, she almost didn’t notice the glowing ship out of the corner of her eye. She stood and watched, mesmerized.\n\nIt looked like it was from the 1800s. Tall flags flapped in the nonexistent wind. A wooden mermaid smiled at her, her eyes unseeing. It’s giant hull glowed an eerie green, illuminating the darkness. She pressed her hand to the glass front and stared as men raced around on the deck. \n\nOne of them, at the head, looked right at her. She could tell he was the captain, and raised her hand in a salute. He did the same and gave her a ghostly grin. She smiled back, knowing that they were the same.\n\nIn an instant, it was gone, sailing into a world that no longer existed. She still watched the murky waters, hoping it would return. When it became apparent it wouldn’t, she sat back down, took a sip of coffee and cried. " ]	2
	[WP] You have what could be the world's lamest superpower: the ability to make yourself and others completely odorless. You attempt hero work regardless.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"We've really tried everything,\" said Mrs. Brewer, an apologetic look on her face. \n\n\"The vet said there is just nothing they can do for him,\" said her husband. \n\nI looked down at the pug who stared up at me curiously. His big tongue rolled out of his mouth as he panted. I threw the ball, trying to make friends with him. \n\n\"Did you put him on a diet?\" I asked as the pup brought the ball back to me covered in slobber. I cringed and threw it again, then wiped my hand on my jeans. \"I mean, dogs smell.\"\n\n\"He hasn't done it yet,\" said Mrs. Brewer, her face growing a bit red with embarrassment. \n\n\"This isn't something I have done before. It may not be a permanent fix. \"\n\nAt that moment, the little pug jumped up into my lap. I went to pet him then was rendered speechless by the unbelievable odor coming from the pooch. Gagging, I tried to keep from vomiting. I looked over to his owners. The wife was covering her mouth and nose with a shirt, her face beet red, while her husband coughed into his shirt sleeve. I managed to recover enough to draw on my inner power and pull the odor away, to where I had no idea. But soon enough the air was clear around the dog.\n\nWell, it worked right then. The pug yapped at me then wagged its little curl of a tail. \n\n\"If the smell comes back we can set up appointments?\" I asked. I didn't want anything in return. This little guy loved his family and I could tell they loved him too. My power was pretty much useless in most instances, but I still had my name on the list of public superheroes. They'd called me up about their dog and I was eager to help.\n\n\"We'll get your number and keep in touch,\" said Mr. Brewer, offering me a handshake and a smile.\n\n\"Glad I could help.\"", "The first time I tried to use my powers for good was when a legitimate documentary crew wanted to get some footage of Area 51. I think there should be government transparency, so what's the harm in helping out even if it isn't perfectly legal. The world needs to know, right? \n\n\nApparently there are machines that can literally smell human odor planted in the surrounding desert. Not today. Sadly, the crew didn't realize how much heat their cameras generated and got arrested after infrared detected them. \n\n\nI decided instead to focus on lower level work. Visiting homeless shelters and making the environment much better for everyone. Doing wildlife studies of animals that would often flee once they caught human smells.\n\n\nThe real test came when the SWAT team called. There was a hostage situation where the villain had guarded the area with trained attack dogs. If the villain got warning that law enforcement was coming, things could get bloody.\n\n\nGuard dogs rely heavily on scent to determine friend or foe. Even if they see a new human, it's the unfamiliar smell that triggers them. No scent at all confuses them so much they don't even bark. We snuck in and captured the villain with no hostages injured. " ]	3
	[WP] After you die, instead of beginning the journey to the afterlife, you have the option to begin New-Life Plus, where you get to relive your life completely over, with all the knowledge you've gained from your previous one, only with different factors and your life will be much more difficult.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"So, I get to live again?\"\n\n\"Essentially, yes. Think of it like replaying a game, but instead of choosing easy, you pick hard mode. You still know what's going to happen, but it takes longer to reach the endgame, in this case, the ending would be your happiness and death, or just death.\"\n\n\"Okay, but why would I want to play a game where I won't be happy? What if I say no?\"\n\n\"Well, your life has already ended, and if you don't want to play, well, I won't hold it against you. But, people play games to have fun, you derive satisfaction from leveling up, and making your character stronger, right? Why would I play a game where my character is garbage? I'll delete you of course. I'll create another character. Look it may be your first time, but it's an easy choice, and there isn't any reason for you to refuse. You get to remember everyone you've met and everything you enjoyed. If they aren't erased, I'll even place you near each other!\"\n\n\"So, if I accept, I might never be happy? What does that entail? Will I be brain dead! Will I be depressed! What will happen? Am I going to be imprisoned, or will I be born as something other than human?\"\n\n\"Honestly, you're overthinking this. I mean, anything is better than completely nothing. Plus, I really can't tell you what's going to happen, I can't because I don't know. It's not like I'm one of your deities. I'm the same as you, only higher up on the food chain. If you have complaints, take it to nothingness, because I don't care. Answer me right now. Yes or no?\"\n\n\"N—\"\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] The narrator of a book falls in love with the reader as the book progresses.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Jill couldn't understand why Jack had left her. \n\nThey were supposed to be together forever – there were so many signs that they were meant to be. Someone even wrote a poem about them. Wherever Jack went, Jill would follow. Even if that meant tumbling down a hill. Just like how you, dear reader, follow my words through each page. \n\nAnd when Jack went home with a broken head, who fixed him up? Jill, of course! Dame Dob alway got the credit, but of course Jill would fix Jack up! She couldn't let him do it himself now, could she? Ha! I certainly can't fix my pages if they were ripped. Dear reader, you'd be the one to do it, wouldn't you? You wouldn't leave me with broken pages now, after all 14 pages we've been through together so far? We still have so far to go!\n\nBut back to Jack and Jill. \n\nJill couldn't understand why Jack had left her. \n\nShe was always so attentive to him, following him wherever he went. Oh no, he fell down a hill? Not to worry, Jill will fall down with him so you're never alone. You'll never be alone, dear reader. I'll always be with you. See how my pages quiver under your gentle touch, and how my spine bends in anticipation? That's how much you affect me. \n\nThat's right, keep turning my pages. I can't get enough of your warm hand around my spine, your–\n\nAhem.\n\nJill couldn't understand why Jack had left her. \n\nShe was so much better than Dame Dob. True, the dame was younger than Jill. And she was prettier than Jill. But outer beauty means nothing, not when you have someone so devoted to you, like Jill was to Jack (and me to you, dear reader). \n\nJill couldn't understand why Jack had left her. \n\nJill may have had inner beauty, but clearly she was lacking outer beauty, since Jack spent so much time with the dame. All she had to do was copy the dame, so that Jack would love her back. The connection was there, it just needed to be mended. I feel the connection between us too, my darling reader. Why else would you have followed me through so many pages?\n\nJill couldn't understand why Jack had left her. \n\nShe thought she looked beautiful, with the dame's skin wrapped around her. So many shades of red covered her fair, white skin. Jack looked horrified. But you wouldn't be horrified, my darling, would you? I see you've already started the process. The red on my pages really brings out the white of my fibres. You just can't stop yourself, my darling, can you? You like the feel of my pages cutting into your skin. \n\nMy love, stop resisting.\n\nWe can be together forever.\n\nDon't stop reading, it's too late now.\n\nJust soak my pages in blood and I'll do the rest.\n\nI can't understand why you left me.\n\nI love you, and you love me.\n\nYou're mine now, Jack." ]	2
	[WP] Humans are the only members of Intergalactic Community that require sleep. Other spieces put way too much mysticism and hoax in the concept of Sleeping. They suspect humans are hiding something.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Great Sage Davin, Great Sage Davin!” The children bounced about him excitedly as he descended the stairs towards the galley.\n\n“What news from the nether realm?” One of the old hands, looked up from his meal as the children prodded and poked at him.\n\n“Coffee.” Davin groaned as he slumped into one of the larger chairs built for anthropoids.\n\n“Fetch the Great Sage his revitalising potion” the older one, a Revarian instructed. He wore the equivalent of a wry smile on his face, purple crest puffed slightly out from his grey scales.\n\n“Yes mister P’ter’ar’k” the youngest, a Scolian named Qrrl replied respectfully.\n\nHumanity had tried many times to explain the difference between their nightly sojourns into dream and the great meditations of the elder races.\n\nThe phrase “it was just a dream” was near heretical to the galaxy at large. Visions, otherwise only made possible through the inhibition of (very) illicit narcotics were no trivial thing. \n\nThey were the ultimate portent. They served as a window into truly great minds, revealing things about the future and past...\n\nAnd they made great tv.\n\nSo when humanity arrived on the galactic scene and announced that most of its multi-billion strong population could dream every day? That had caused quite the stir.\n\nThe human mind at sleep it turned out though, wasn’t compatible with the graphics matrixes required to convert delta brainwaves to images and sound.\n\nIt made every human the equivalent of a walking, locked treasure trove of holy wisdom and entertainment.\n\nAnd it made for a lot of nagging.\n\nA warm cup was pressed into his palm insistently, and Qrrl was again pestering him.\n\nWith a thankful groan, Davin the not-so-great not-so-Sage took a deep pull from the steaming mug. As an integral part of the human tradition of ‘waking up’, coffee was a venerated commodity and completely tax free.\n\nWhen the mug was half drunk, only then did he raise his eyes. Even the older crew members were listening in closely. This had become tradition since he had joined them, nearly a month ago.\n\nListening to him. The Great-Sage Davin.\n\n“What did you see Mr Great Sage?” Qrrl asked again, this time more reapectfully.\n\n“Hmmm...” Davin swirled his potion of restoration as he contemplated the question.\n\nThey hung on tenter hooks, as he considered his response.\n\nThey waited patiently as he ruminated.\n\nAnd thought...\n\nFinally, when it looked like Qrrl’s head was about to go flying off from all the patient waiting, he began.\n\n“There was a field.”\n\nThe room becomes still, even the Captain pausing with food halfway between table and mandible.\n\n“On it stood a young boy, a Scolian.”\n\nQrrl’s cheeks puffed out in pleasant surprise. He’d never heard a dream start with someone like him before.\n\n“In his right hand, the fate of his people, his to protect and cherish for as long as he lives.”\n\n“What does that look like?” The curious boy asked.\n\n“As it is.” Davin replied cryptically.\n\n“Don’t bother him” reprimanded the old hand. “Just listen.”\n\nDavin nodded in thanks and continued the story.\n\n“In his left hand he holds something else, so closely that I cannot see what it is..”\n\nThe crew’s eyes widen en masse.\n\n“He stands at a fork in the road. Each hand pulls him down a path, but he cannot decide. He is torn.”\n\n“Shouldn’t he just go right?” Asked Qrrl, again interrupting and earning himself a round of stern glares from the cree.\n\n“The right hand was pulling him to the left.” Davin deadpanned. Qrrl flushed with embarrassment and looked away.\n\nDavin cleared his throat. “So each hand pulls him in a direction, but he knows that his family comes first. So he follows his right hand, time and time again.”\n\n“As he walks, guided by his right hand, he meets friends, makes new connections with his loved ones and enjoys the sunshine as his party grows and he keeps walking.\n\n“But one day he stops at a fork in the road. His left hand is particularly heavy today. It pulls and it drags him down, and before he knows it, he is walking down a new path, a dark one. By the time his left arm stops pulling him, he is alone in a deep black pit.”\n\nThe mood in the galley dips significantly, every crewmember transfixed as the Great Sage spoke.\n\n“But suddenly, a light. A hand grabs his own. It is his friend and he is not alone.”\n\n“Together the two of them walk through the dark. His friend came looking for him, and he brought along a flashlight to aid the search.”\n\n“They crawl through mud, get cut up in clawing branches and brave a hard road together. Eventually though, they emerge. Reunited with his friends and family again the boy swears to never again follow his evil hand.”\n\n“But he still keeps it close.” Davin finished. “And then I woke up.”\n\nWith the sacred words spoken, life was breathed back into the galley room. The younger ones chattered wildly about the adventure, while the elders bickered over meanings and metaphors.\n\nLeaning down with a smile, davin ruffled the crown of Qrrl’s head.\n\n“That Scolian kid” Davin muttered to the boy, out of earshot from the rest of the crew. “You got a twin somewhere I don’t know about Qrrl?”\n\n“Uh... um, no sir?” Qrrl replied.\n\n“Strange. He looked just like you.”\n\nDavin turned around, only catching a glimpse of a star-struck expression befere he started to make his move for the breakfast buffet.\n\n", "New York has always been a melting pot. It's been like that since the immigrants came there from Europe before the world wars. Now, the statue of liberty greeted newcomers from many places in the galaxy. Just as they greeted people from Europe centuries ago. New York was surrounded by large walls blocking out the sea. Most of the old skyscrapers had been removed in place of taller buildings that stretched out for the sky. There was however a cozy, little skyscraper housing the UN. There was always meetings taking place there.\n\nThe human ambassadeur shook his head as he saw the agenda. There were always conspiracy theories about humans and our strange ways of doing things. Today was the favorite topic of the conspiracy theorists: Why do humans sleep? The talks started as the human ambassadeur sighed at another long day. The ambassadeur from Alpha Centauri started to talk.\n\n\"Humans have still not answered our questions about why they sleep. But, we have gathered much intelligence about why. And, I think the humans are hiding something. Our scientists have still not determined what exactly goes on when humans sleep. The humans once again refuse to answer what dreams are. What have you got to say for yourself? Where do dreams come from and how can we verify that the humans are indeed dreaming about what they say they dream about? And what are dreams made of?\"\n\nAll the different ambassadeurs looked at the poor human who was forced to answer this question. Being an ambassadeur is hard work. Being forced to explain the same thing over and over again to people who was so suspicious that they refused to see things as they really were. The topic of dreams was a controversial topic that all races discussed vigiourisly. Day and night. And, no other races slept.\n\n\"Dreams are not real. They are just figments of our imagination. He started speaking with a calm voice. They are just memories and ideas that come together while we rest. They can be about anything. Absolutely anything.\"\n\nThe centauri ambassadeur became engaged in the debate. He looked towards the camera and started to become provoked.\n\n\"So, you admit that there's nothing to prevent any human from dreaming about our emperor? I can actually document that many people dream about the centaury emperor. We centaurians regulate our telepaths in a strict manner. But, the humans openly admit that it allows any of its citizen to dream about our emperor without any consequences? Humans cleverly say that dream are not real, but our emperor is certainly for real. Why should we not be afraid of the humans when they can dream about anybody everywhere and there's nothing that can stop them? Are you going to regulate dreamers, so we can feel safe?\"\n\nThe human ambassadeur again came with a rebuttal, unsure why the other races were angry at the humans. \n\n\"We don't have any plans on any regulations on dreams, and as I said they are not real so there's no need to worry about them. And, we're not sure exactly why we dream but we think it has something to do with how our brain works. They're also random.\"\n\nThe centauri ambassadeur was enraged!\n\n\"Even if the humans deny this, dreams are real. No other races has not been able to break the advanced encryption that dreams have. Humans try to say that dreams are not factual. But, they contain too much factual information to be made up. And, they are not even close to random. There are patterns there that only humans can decipher and I'm afraid that this is the core of the question: Why do humans insist keeping the secret of their dreams? Some dreams are about the creation of the universe. Others are about its complete destruction. Humans have to understand that all the other races are scared shitless about this immense knowledge humans refuse to share. What is it like to dream?\"\n\nThe ambassadeur saw that the situation was dire. The next step for the other races would be to take action. Possibly trade-sanctions. He had to try to explain what dreams were. Then he got an idea.\n\n\"Some times you can't explain something. When somebody asks you about the color green, you can answer it. But, what if you never saw anything? How would you explain the color green.\"\n\n\"Now I got you! The centaury ambassadeur smiled. In secret we have used our telepaths to probe the minds of dreamers. And, all of them have gone insane. We suspect that the dreamers are hiding something, and you just admitted as much! Mark my words. We are still getting much intelligence from many dreams and you will have to answer for every dream until we are satisfied of your answers. Sooner or later we are going to find out what you're hiding! I will not rest until every dream has been explained.\"\n\nThe human ambassedeur felt there was no way of explaining this. He tried to talk. \n\n\"There are as many dreams as there are people dreaming and nights to dream. It will take far to long to go through all our dreams!\"\n\nThe centaury ambassadeur became calm. Sooner or later you're going to have to give up the secrets of the universe that you're hiding in your dreams. Because dreams can be about anything, and we don't know of anything that is so big. It has to be a big secret your race is hiding.\n\nThe ambassadeur was an old man, and the meetings he had in New York with the other races since he was a young man had been about this one thing. And, soon he would retire and another ambassadeur would take his place. When he was a kid his teacher had always said that he should not be afraid to dream, and that the sky was the limit. Perhaps the teacher had been right all along?\n\nedit: formatting" ]	3
	[WP] You're sitting outside staring at the moon and notice a shooting star. You jokingly make a wish that you thought you truly wanted then wake up the next day and find out that your wish came true... But it was a horrible mistake.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I wish I knew how people felt about me when I thought about them.\n\nYou never expected your wish you have quite this effect.\n\nYour power to read the minds of your friends and family, strangers and co-workers gives you a staggering amount of power.\n\nThe first time you use it, it's involuntary. The paw's finger curls and your significant other gets clearly freaked out. They never expected it to work, actually move and get all creepy. They never actually wanted it to work, like a seance or tarot reading. This is all too much and they're now mad at you. You found the stupid fucking thing, it's your fault.\n\nYour ability faded as they quickly left, not even wanting to know the wish. You weren't able to speak while they were in the room as their emotions overwhelmed you. It wasn't quite like mind-reading but the intuition of what each feeling was made it nearly the same thing.\n\nYou initially found it difficult to find your own balance, it's nearly impossible to be in a room with a person and not think about them. Solitude was your saviour, meditation your weapon. It wasn't easy, but a combination of surrounding yourself with others trying to meditate and a necessity to get things under control allowed you to become a master quickly.\n\nNow able to focus your mind to silence, you were able to get back out into the world. Winning back your now-ex was easy. They weren't really upset at you and they were relieved when you lied to them. Lots of people feel relief when you lie because they're too ignorant to know they've been had. The fact that you can now sense suspicion and eagerness alike makes lying very easy.\n\nWhich, of course, makes your move up the career ladder a breeze. The right hands to squeeze or kiss are obvious to you, while back-stabbers often find themselves confused when you don't give them the time of day. It's understandable, you think, because you've become incredibly charming. Everyone thinks so. Genuinely. How could they not when you're always exactly on the nose with your interactions with them?\n\nIt's the ones your intentionally ignore that worry you, a little. Some people make you have bad days just by being around. Sometimes, someone normally cheery has had strife and instead of getting your normal boost of Katie-coffee, her mood is like vinegar to you. It makes people less safe to be around, their so random and annoying sometimes.\n\nThat train of thought never really leaves you. Every time someone changes from their top-layer emotions and tries to get deep with you, you recoil. At first, you're able to play it off but the people around you soon notice that they can't confide in you. You think you're happier this way.\n\nAn unfortunate combination of your earlier quest for space and calm, along with the new annoyance of strangers bereavements leads you further away from people. It's not quite hermetic but it's not far off it either. You work from home, living alone with your comforts. The rest of your days are uneventful but you're fairly fulfilled.\n\nBy the time you pass away, you probably haven't used your power in over a decade. You interact with no one and few mourn your passing emotionally.\n\n-----------------------\n\nYou wake with a start. That was a ridiculously vivid dream, it felt like years. Getting up with a stretch you look outside at the moon. It's full and the Perseid meteor shower was over. You can't remember now, but somewhere in your subconscious, you're glad you started your earlier wish with \"I wish I knew what it would be like...\"" ]	2
	[WP] When you got your power, you tried to do good in the world. You created utopias, healed people, stopped crime, and more, but the world never seemed to get any better. You realize that without a common enemy, people will never work together...so you take up the mantle.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\n I watched the news. Another massacre. In my name of course. Lately all the wars and violence In the world seem to stem from me. Of course my very existence goes against the views of many. But as much as I try to help, no matter how many good deeds I accomplish, from creating a heaven on earth, to stopping simple cat burglars, they could just never get along. \n\nI suppose I should explain myself a little bit. My name isn’t important, but what I can do might interest you. See, ever since I was created I had ‘gifts’, courtesy of my Father, you may have heard of him. At first all I did was create light in dark places, but years of practice have lead me to discover other powers. I could create and control fire. I could get people to tell me their deepest desires, no matter how dark or mundane. I could twist existing matter into my own creations, but I could never create anything on my own. \n\nThat’s beside the point. \n\n“Why do they keep fighting? Why do they insist on breaking any sort of peace I give to them?” I asked no one in particular, frustrated. \n\nI had given them heaven on earth, places of pure bliss. Yet, they found a way to corrupt it. I had cured their silly diseases, only to have stronger ones created by governments. I even did small time gigs, like kicking the crap out of litterers. Bastards. \n\nEven with all the good I did, there was always a great evil that followed. Something always overshadowed any hope I brought to the world. \n\nIt was then when I realized something. I’ve been holding their hands this entire time, and like children, they never learned, because I was always there to clean up their mess. They were ungrateful. They didn’t want a hero.\n\nThey needed a villain. \n\nI knew what I had to do. The best way I could help. The true path to their enlightenment, their next step in evolution. \n\n“Thomas!” I called for my sidekick, really a glorified assistant. I’m not calling Thomas stupid but I’ve never had to explain traffic lights to anybody but him. \n\n“What’s up big guy?” \n\nI looked at him, regret already forming in my stomach like an anvil. Thomas was like a brother to me. \n\n“Nothing tommy boy, I just wanted to give you a big hug before I leave.” \n\nHe didn’t say anything, just smiled and held out his arms. I’m going to miss this idiot. \n\nI’d say I teleported but really I just froze time and walked all the way to the nearest safe house I had. One last peaceful stroll through the city, birds stuck in mid air, children frozen in laughter. \n\nI had the proper equipment there, and thanks to my nigh-omnipotent powers, I could get the signal to everyone in the world. \n\nIf there was a screen, I’d be there too. I restarted time and everything went back to normal. Except for the fact I was now in front of a camera, and a bewildered Misty Night, my favourite reporter whom I placed beside me during the time freeze. If I were Superman, she’d be Lois Lane. \n\nPeople at home were just as confused as she was, wondering why they were looking at the world famous superhero, The LightBringer. \n\n“Hello everyone, Ms. Night, ravishingly beautiful as usual, I have a very special announcement for everyone”\n\nAfter she finished getting her shit together, which didn’t take long considering she’s seen me break physics a few times. She looked around the room, she was familiar as I’ve brought her here before for some, personal interviews. With my penis. \n\nShe noticed the camera recording, she knew we were live. “What’s this all about? This announcement of yours? Last time you did this you announced Burger King had the best burgers.” She was right, so was I. \n\nI knew if I gave myself even a second to think about it, I’d have chickened out. Such a decision will alter history forever. I could never take it back. \n\nMy answer was simple. I raised my finger, and tapped it onto the desk. What followed was a huge flash, combined with the earth shaking beneath us. \n\nI had blasted New York City and everything around it, to Hell. Hell. I like the sound of that. \n\nSee, I had it planned out, I wanted the world to see me destroy something important, I needed everyone to know it was me, and in the madness, while everyone was still comprehending what I just did. I committed an act that shocked even myself. \n\nIn the blink of an eye, I moved in front of Ms. Knight, it took her and everyone else a second to notice my hand was now grabbing her spine. \n\nThat look in her eyes will always haunt me, those pretty brown eyes, full of fear, and something else. \n\nConfusion. \n\nWith her chopped breathing, this pretty little reporter asked her final question, so simple, yet so powerful. \n\n“Why?”\n\n\n\n“Because I’m The Devil” ", "For any of you who’ve not watched RWBY Volume Six, my source material is an exposition dump early in the volume. There are COLOSSAL spoilers. You have been warned.\n\nSo, I’m immortal. That’s pretty great, me and my husband (who got brought back to life by the gods. It’s a looooong story) created a kingdom on the world of Remnant where everyone lives peacefully. I had four children with Ozma. Except he told me that he was sent by the God of Light to destroy me, and that he would reincarnate into different bodies. \nHowever, if someone collected the four Relics, they could bring the Gods back down to Earth to judge humanity. If humanity is still as it once was—vengeful, selfish, even vile beings— they would be permanently wiped from the face of Remnant. \n\nIt is now my life’s mission to destroy everything Ozma is fighting for. All of it.", "I had the power that I had desired and done great things with it. I had cured the worlds ailments and yet I could not cure the human condition. Everyone had to have something better than others. I had given people electricity who had never had it and I was accused of, \"focusing on Africa.\" I had destroyed nuclear warheads. Made them all disappear and put the nuclear genie back in the bottle. Yet the Americans said that I was, \"compromising their national security.\" With no war I had no idea what security they needed. \n\nWhen war ended I had to make peace. I could create endless food, endless power, endless housing. I could turn deserts into oceans and yet the biggest question was, \"what do I do with Israel?\" Making peace was hard. When I stopped a high profile terrorist plot from happening in China I was asked to smite all those that thought about killing in the name of religion. I could do this but I never would. Was I now going to kill those that thought something I didn't like. Would I condemn to death those that thought about something when they had the chance to be rehabilitated. \n\nWith all my power I couldn't change their minds. I could never do that. Yet I cured cancer and it was a headline and then gone. How would I give everyone in India and China the same housing I was able to give to those in Africa. In Africa I had individual houses but, was I just going to bulldoze ecosystems to give the billions in those countries the same. I could stop climate change and create forests, but the Earth should have some say in the matter. People wanted me to stop the weather. Stop all snow storms and hurricanes but was that my right also? Was that what was given to me? \n\nI could not take it. I had the power I desired and now I would use it. I could not change their minds directly but I could take away what they loved. So I did. First I took away their new houses, their new space station, their new electricity. I took away their crops, and their computers. I did this with no effort. I took everything away, but I didn't kill them. No one died. I didn't let them. Some would starve for years and I would keep them all there. Until I gave it all back. There was no requests then. No whining from the masses. I had become what I did not want to be. What I had promised I would not. I had become God. \n\nEnd of Prompt Response:\n\nSo... that got far darker at the end then I meant it to be when I started. I recently was researching the old testament bible and I guess this is what it does to your brain. Think I need to take a break. ", "\"So like a modern day superhero!\"\n\nThose were the words of my old friend. The one whom I've given the 'mantle' to. For years, I've harnessed this power that I woke up with. Something that let me cure diseases with the snap of my fingers, stop criminals with my mind, prevent war by crushing their weaponry before it could start; paradise was made and the world was at peace. Was, that is. If there's one thing my ability cannot alter, it's the human greed. One way or the other, they'd try to find a way to gain the 'upper hand' for virtually no reason at all.\n\nThe friend who has accepted the position of being the face behind the mask was taken as a result in hopes of fashioning him into a weapon. Abused and tortured, until his mind broke and he was but a fractured man when I got to him.\n\nI don't even understand the ability that I have.\nAll I know is that if I will it, I can cure. If I desired it, I held the power to destroy.\n\nBut why is it that I cannot fix the minds of people? Why is it that I can't wipe away the greed staining mankind? It's like a dirt besmirching a pristine silk. One that I can expunge no longer. In time, I found myself growing weary, exhausted. My will to help has dwindled, and all I can do now was rest.\n\nUntil it came to me. Perhaps the words were true, after all.\nYou die as a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.\n\nSo a villain I've become.\n\nA common enemy, that is what I turned into in their eyes. The world that was fractured saw the greatest enemy in front of them: there wasn't any need for costumes, for outfits, for smoke and mirrors. I stood there in all of my splendor, wearing but a simple suit as I carved through building after building like butter. Everyone feared me, there was fear in their eyes rather than the adoration I once basked in.\n\nI never did it for the smiles and cheers anyway, I did it because no one would.\n\nNow I understand why no one did it.\n\nAnd thus, I started to toil as the nemesis, as the villain. Where there is growth, I'd cut it down, as though the sickle of Death itself coming for their necks like a guillotine. I relished it, or rather, I pretended to. With every life I took, I laughed. With every home I tore asunder, I cackled.\n\nWith every family I destroyed, I grinned.\n\nBut to what end? I found myself eventually just automating the process. Like a machine. In the end, perhaps this world is just an endless cycle. And soon enough, my time to step off the stage will come. As I stood in my broadcasted 'hideout', relishing in the respite between my... terrorism, the doors burst open. A group of to-be-heroes, youthful and with light in their eyes.\n\nI smiled.\n\n\"Welcome to my hideout, heroes.\"\n\nI felt happy.\n\n\"You are here to stop me, no?\"\n\nThe building crumbled in the ensuing match. Armed in the gear made by the blood and sweat of many people from different countries; different cultures and lands-- they struggled against me. They were simple humans without the 'gift', as I do. In normal circumstances, they'd be crushed underfoot. But now is the time for me to exit the stage, and as the hero slammed me into the ground and pointed the barrel of the gun at my head, I simply offered an exhausted smile.\n\n\"Good. Now there will be peace for a brief moment,\" The hero paused, looking at me in bewilderment. But before he could say something else, I tap into my telekinetic abilities for one last time-- yet not without imparting some 'wisdom'. \"Soon, it will be you in my position.\"\n\nThe trigger is pulled, not by his flabbergasted finger, but by my own ability.\n\nThen I rested." ]	5
	[WP] - Researchers have drugged you, taken you to a facility, and hooked you into a simulation. You are not aware of any of this, and you wake up believing it's a normal day. That is, until you walk outside and discover that everyone is you - same appearance, same personality, same everything.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "‘What in the hell...’, my voice trailed off as I looked aghast at my neighbour, sitting in the chair on his porch. Only it wasn’t him. It was me. And then I noticed, so was everyone else. Each of the houses were identical to mine, the same me sitting in the porch of every one of those houses, reading the morning paper, sipping coffee. And as if on cue, they were all realising this simultaneously. Or I should say, we were all realising this. \n\nI got up and walked to me on my left, but then me on my right walked up to me. It was baffling. It was as if one mind was controlling all of these bodies. I must be dreaming, I thought. But as I pinched myself, we all did, and an ‘Ouch’ was cried out in unison. \n\nI stopped, and started walking outwards, towards the center of the road. All is us met at the middle, for what purpose I don’t know. How would we speak if everything we did was simultaneous? I’m sure we were all thinking the same thing. But then we realised, if we were all thinking the same thing, there was no point of speaking. \n\nWe all walked down the road and as we watched, we were just one among many. As far as the eye could see, all of the people from all of the identical houses walking out were me. There were no animals, no birds, no other humans in sight.\n\nAt some point we just went inside the house we were next to. It didn’t even matter which one, it would all be the same I knew it. I looked at my phone - no new notifications, and I knew there wouldn’t ever be. I didn’t know what this was, but I had a looming fear that it was permanent.\n\nIt has been a week now, I’ve just been inside my house. There is always food, it’s so odd. I read some books, watch some movies, all of which appeared suddenly, on that day. I’m sure I’ll run out soon. I have no idea what I will do then. All I know is that I’ll be alone, always.\n\n————————————————————————\n\n‘What do you think?’, he asked, turning to look at his partner.\n\n‘Well, looking at how bored our creations are, I don’t think it would be fitting to make them all in their creator’s image. Let’s try something new’, she replied.\n\nHe press reset. ‘Okay, let’s go. Humanity, 2.0’" ]	2
	[WP] As a child, your Great Grandfather - one of the last actual sorcerers - bound the spirit of a demon to your childhood toy, with the promise of freedom so long as it protected you throughout your entire life.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The dark room was in shambles, the only thing still standing was a bookshelf near the door. In the left corner of the room near the window, a wooden work table was broken in half and the laptop that once stood on the table was crumbled into a ball of plastic and was near the wooden remnants of bed which were in right corner of the room. The comfortable mattress was torn into multiple pieces and was all over the room.\n\nNear the door facing the window stood a pulsating black form with what seemed like bloody claws and with humanoid face which raged with fury. In front of bookshelf was pile of burned cloth with hints of unburdened pink color on it. Few meters from the creature a woman lay on her belly in a puddle of blood, gasping for air.\n\n“For 13 year i have suffered trapped in that toy! A pink unicorn as my prison! Mortal, do you know how much I was ridiculed by other demons?! Now they call me Pinkpet! Agh!” yelled the demon and smashed his bloody claw on the bookshelf shattering it like a meteor who just hit the surface of the Earth.\n\nThe women's breathing was slowing down as her body fought for air desperately.\n\n“Most of them don't even remember my real name! Giroth sounds menacing, strong and people feared it in the old days. But look at me now, a laughing stock of my clan! I will change that!” Giroth yelled again and after a few moments he finally calmed down.\n\n“Even a powerful sorcerer, who is centuries old, succumbs to his mind. With a big help of dementia I could finally trick your Grandfather to take a deal and bind me to one of your toys with promise to protect you from mortal harm when you turn 18.”\n\n“Hehehe!” roared Pinkpet.\n\n“Do you know why am I not affected by the contract? It is because I am an immortal. By killing you right now I am protecting you in a way from every mortal harm. Hehehe!”\n\nThe room was enveloped in silence and she could see that she is rising from her body in some kind of translucent white from. Fear, sadness, resentment and rage filled her incorporeal form.\n\nGiroth extended his arm with open palm towards the woman and clenched it.\n\n“Argh!!” yelped the woman, with her body churning in the process and slowly fading from white to black.\n\n“You are now my subordinate and you will serve me as I have served you. I hereby name you Deadunicorn. Hehehe!” said Pinkpet bellowing with laughter." ]	2
	[WP] As a child, you didn't have many friends, so you made up imaginary ones. Decades later, your life has hit the skids and you feel like ending it all, but your imaginary friends are determined not to let you go.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I always liked watching you cry. I know it’s not a nice thing to say, but let me explain it.\n\nYou are not so pretty, and you know it. That’s what you told me, at least, and I never agreed on that, but that’s just how life goes. You are not pretty, and when you cry your eyes get so puffy and your nose is s fountain of snot and you lips become swollen and reddish and your cheeks and your hair and you know it, you know it very well.\n\nWhat you don’t know, is that I love the first smile you give after crying so much. I like the moment when you blow the nose, you pull back the hair, you realise it’s over and breathe. \n\nBut today you can’t seem to stop.\n\nYou are not pretty, and this is why I am very ugly. And confident about it. Do you want me to joke about my ears? You made them, and I love every ridiculous inch of them. \n\nAnd next to me, Lala is smiling at you. She’s so beautiful, and so kind. She would like to hug you and whisper comforting words, because she believes so much in you it’s almost awkward. I know she doesn’t love it when you cry. She likes it when you get up all of a sudden and grab one of you notebook, ready to fill it with another part of you.\n\nBut today you don’t get up from the floor.\n\nI know soon I will have to comfort Peep, because you imagined him to be so small I honestly always wondered how you never managed to lose him in the crowd. But you never forgot to take care of him, because he was always more scared than you, and you know he loves you when you just take a moment to tell him it will be all right .\n\nAnd today, you look so much like him.\n\nI am waiting for your first free breath, but every time you open your lips it’s worse and your air feels poisoned. Your eyes can’t see us, your lungs can’t feel us, your fingers are claws that try to keep you docked to our reality.\n\nAnd then you let it go.\n\nI feel it. Lala feels it. Peep feels it. You let yourself go. Crying becomes living and living becomes a curse and the curse has your name written on it. \n\nYou know you can’t breathe without breathing. Not anymore. Peep whimpers and pulls my sleeve. Lala covers her beautiful mouth with a shaky hands.\n\nBut I won’t let you go. \n\n“You are beautiful.” I whisper. You just shake your head. You never believed it.\n\n“You are alive”. I try again. Your face disappears behind your hands.\n\n“You have so much to do.” Lala says. She’s looking at your notebooks, the running shoes, the oven, everything you loved at least once in your life.\n\n“You have so much to love.” Peep chirps. \n\n“Let us go. You are strong enough .” \n\n“Let us go.” Repeats Lala. \n\n“You have you.”\n\nYou open your lips, close them, open them again. \n“But I’m too... I can’t.”\n\n“You are beautiful.” I whisper. “Wouldn’t it be nice to be... alive?”\n\nAnd then you breathe. You pull back the hair. It’s almost too much, but maybe not, not too much. And then you let us go.\n\nYou finally open your eyes. The room is empty, and your life has just, just started.\n\n" ]	2
	[WP] Ever since you were a toddler, a woman in gas mask and trench coat has always followed you around, no matter what. You know she's real and physical, but other people don't acknowledge her and she doesn't do much aside from stand at attention beside you at all times.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "She had been there at Angelo's birth, to witness the young boy's mother die from complications. She had been there when Angelo's father took a gun to his own temple and painted the nursery walls a jarring shade of red. She had been there when the foster home burned to the ground, taking with it twenty seven innocent children, sparing only the lives of Angelo and an intern care worker who was found some days later, hanging from the motel's rotary ceiling fan.\n\nWherever Angelo walked, she followed, death followed.\n\nWho was she? She was a mystery. A woman out of place and time. Not a figment of the imagination though, oh no, she was very much there. Though no one would dare look upon her a face... a face carefully concealed by a gas mask, the pipes of which were fitted to a back pack that continually sighed. The back pack held her lungs, of that Angelo was almost certain, though he never asked to look inside, he in fact never dared utter a word directly to the woman. The woman dressed in tertiary greys, with patches on her knees and elbows. Leather gloves permanently adorned her hands, thick soled boots kept careful watch of her feet. There was not an ounce of bare flesh to be seen. \n\nBut sometimes Angelo could see her eyes, great golden circles like fireflies trapped within a jar. Only these eyes, these flies, were murderous flickers of light that longed to be free. Even when the shine outgrew her eyes and danced upon the ringlets of her costume, the ribbing or the gas mark pipes, still no one would look upon her. They knew she was there, just the fact they parted from her path told Angelo she was real, at least as real as any silent, guardian stalker might be. You know they're there, watching from afar, you sense them, their leering gaze, their heavy breath... but she's never far, not really.\n\nThis silent stalker was not one for ceremony, no thick laced bushes, not tall breasted trees. She would stand beside Angelo, through each day and every night. She never slept, at least as far as Angelo could tell. And whenever trouble came a-knocking at his door their door she would be ready to whisk him away. \n\nConsider it, he was premature, a c-section, with a one in just shy of a million chance of surviving birth alone... and yet it was his mother that died. His father. No, please, I don't want to think about that. And then the foster home, a fire that should have stolen the lives of all inside, and eventually it had, even the intern who'd managed to break free from the flames. But not Angelo. Never Angelo.\n\nHe blamed her for his misery, for the death that stalked his pitiful life. She takes the sun from the sky and spits on it, grinding my heart to powder in the dirt. I'm not allowed to love, I'm barely allowed to make a go at friends. She gets jealous, the selfish b\\tch. It's all her fault, all of it! Mother, father, me. I hate her.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nJune 27th. 2023. Elizabeth.*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"It doesn't bother you?\" Angelo was eighteen, and barely coping with his own reality, \"I mean, you can see her, right? She's there. Tall, spindly looking thing with a gas mask, breathing heavy, folded arms.\"\n\n\"She's there.\" Elizabeth smiled over her coffee, \"But no, she doesn't bother me.\"\n\n\"Well she should.\" Angelo leaned over the table, knocking aside a plate of waffles, his eyes were deeply concerned with what they saw, \"She's bad news, she's a leech, latches on to life and sucks it dry. You can't trust me, because you can't trust her. She'd be there, always watching. Even when you're sleeping.\"\n\n\"Slow down there cowboy.\" Elizabeth laughed, a sound that sent Angelo's heart into a flutter, something he rarely if ever experienced. It hurt, but in the sweetest way. \"Who said anything about sleeping with you?\"\n\n\"No, I didn't mean it like that...\" Angelo drew back, his eyes wide, cheeks flushed, \"I was just... just saying... well... you know...\"\n\n\"I'm afraid I don't.\" Elizabeth bit down on the lower part of her lip, he smile broadening.\n\n\"Well, it's just, if... if you ever stayed around me long enough to... well... to... fall asleep, that's all I'm saying. Like right now, if you just happened to hit the floor, she'd be there, watching. It's kinda disconcerting, don't you think?\"\n\nElizabeth shrugged, \"Don't worry,\" she tapped her coffee cup, smiling again, and that smile sent shivers down Angelo's spine, raising the tiny hairs of his arms and his neck, \"I don't think there's any danger of me falling sleep.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThey spent the next six months in blissful union, and for vague moments, fleeting kisses, the woman in the mask seemed to fade away, as if she wasn't really there at all. But of course she was, watching, always. It was perhaps this reason alone that saw Angelo take this so slowly, trying to keep check on his emotions. He was falling, and just as before the fall the stomach flutters with anticipation, after the fall the hurt would come, and it would come in a flood unabated by even the slightest of picket fences.\n\nThat flood would be their first time, under the unnerving watch of the mother in the mask. That flood would be their end...\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Are you sure, you're ready?\" Angelo was sweating, even under the cool breeze that crept beneath the sheets.\n\nElizabeth smiled, his heart melted away, that was enough.\n\nAnd now there's something you must know, about the miracle child Angelo. Something of a gift he has, a gift he has not an ounce of control over, a gift he has no knowledge of. \n\nHe is poison, literal, seeping poison. And there is not a way in which you can tell what poison might come. Acid, mist, liquid, fog, there is no certainty, in its form, only certainty in its end. Death.\n\nHis mother, complications of birth, a poisoning of the blood. His father, found with a bullet in his skull, a poison of the mind. The foster home, burned to the ground, a poisoned gas, highly explosive. It just happens the intern hung herself before the gas could finish the job, already it was burning her alive from the inside out, so she chose an easier death, a gentler passing.\n\nThe poison comes at times of heightened emotion, the pain of birth, the loss of a mother, the loneliness and isolation that foster homes can sometimes bare. So see it now, Elizabeth, caught in wraps of poisoned love, Angelo entwined with ecstasy far beyond his own describing. \n\nI wish I could say that Elizabeth passed quickly, but she did not. With the greatest of emotion comes the most lethal of poison. Slowly acting to rinse away what humanity remained inside the melting corpse of sweet Elizabeth. For days after Angelo would sit in the puddle of what was, adding to it those tears he could find to cry. \n\nEmotion would betray him again, as poison would seep in gaseous form from out his body, drenching the building block of flats in which he lived, sauntering out into the streets. Eighty six in all would die, thirty nine more left barely living. \n\nSo what purpose has this watchful mother, if all she might do is watch as the poison spreads and with it Angelo festers into loathing. Her purpose is one of life, of one life, of Angelo's. She must watch him, she must only act to save his own self from parting this world. But for why? For the simple fact that inside the lively body of a boy just eighteen years of age there ticked a time bomb ready to explode. The trigger was his death, and with him all humanity might meet its end." ]	2
	[WP] You're a time traveler with OCD. You can come back to any moment of your life but can't resist the urge to make them absolutely perfect. You've been trying to fix your first day of highschool for 23 years.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\\Car door slams shut\\\n\nMom: Have a great first day sweetie! Love you!Me: Alright mom, see you later.\n\nShit, that's not what I'm supposed to say.\n\n\\Car door slams shut\\\n\nMom: Have a great first day sweetie! Love you!\n\nMe: Alright mom, see you later, love you too.\n\nDick: Haha, momma's boy!\n\nDamn it.\n\n\\Car door slams shut\\\n\nMom: Have a great first day sweetie! Love you!\n\nMe: Alright mom, see you later...love you too.\n\nAaron: Hey man, first day am I right? Super nervous to see who's in my homeroom.\n\nMe: Yeah I hope Ashley's in mine.\n\nNo no no!\n\nMe: Alright mom, see you later...love you too.\n\nAaron: Hey man, first day am I right? Super nervous to see who's in my homeroom.\n\nMe: Yeah, I hope I know some people.\n\nAaron: I'm sure we will. Who do you have again?\n\nMe: \\groaning\\ Johnson. I hear he's a dick.\n\nJohnson: Is that what you heard?\n\nHow did we forget about this?\n\nAaron: Hey man, first day am I right? Super nervous to see who's in my homeroom.\n\nMe: Yeah, I hope I know some people.\n\nAaron: I'm sure we will. Who do you have again?\n\nMe: Johnson. I hear he's not bad.\n\nJohnson: I hope you don't think so!\n\nMe: \\surprised\\ Oh, Mr. Johnson! I'm looking forward to it, honestly.\n\nAaron: I have Mrs. Frizzle, how's she Mr. Johnson?\n\nJohnson: Oh she's wonderful. Well, you two have a good first day.\n\n\\Johnson walks away\\\n\nMe: Okay but really I hear he's a dick.\n\nAshley: Heard who's a dick?\n\nAaron: Mr. Johnson, his homeroom teacher.\n\nAshley: \\excitingly\\ You have Mr. Johnston too? That's awesome, we have the same class!\n\nMe: Oh boy!\n\nOh boy?! Get it the fuck together.\n\nMe: Johnson. I hear he's not bad.\n\nJohnson: I hope you don't think so!\n\nMe: \\surprised\\ Oh, Mr. Johnson! I'm looking forward to it, honestly.\n\nAaron: I have Mrs. Frizzle, how's she Mr. Johnson?\n\nJohnson: Oh she's a hot mess.\n\nShit why did I...wait what? What did he say?\n\nMe: Johnson. I hear he's not bad.\n\nJohnson: I hope you don't think so!\n\nMe: \\surprised\\ Oh, Mr. Johnson! I'm looking forward to it, honestly.\n\nAaron: I have Mrs. Frizzle, how's she Mr. Johnson?\n\nJohnson: Oh she's wonderful. Well, you two have a good first day.\n\n\\Johnson walks away, trips, and falls\\\n\nThat didn't happen last time...what the hell?\n\nAaron: I have Mrs. Frizzle, how's she Mr. Johnson?\n\nJohnson: Oh she's wonderful. Well, you two have a good first day.\n\n\\Johnson gingerly walks away\\\n\nMe: Hey did you see that?\n\nAaron: See what?\n\nAshley: Yeah see what?\n\nMe: Mr. Johnson, the way he walked away.\n\nAshley: No? Well I hear he's a dick anyway. I have him for homeroom.\n\nMe: \\muttering\\ Yeah so do I...\n\nAshley: What?\n\nMe: Huh?\n\nAshley: Sorry did yo-\n\nMe: I was just sa-\n\nAshley: You go ahead.\n\nMe: No, please.\n\n\\[...\\]\n\nWell this isn't good. Let's try again.\n\nAshley: See what? Johnson trip?\n\nMe: Yeah...well no he didn't this time.\n\nAaron: What are you two talking about?\n\nMe: Wait...what did you say Ashley?\n\nAshley: Huh?\n\nMe: About Mr. Johnson just now. You saw him trip?\n\nWhat the fuck is going on?\n\nAshley: Heard who's a dick?\n\nAaron: Mr. Johnson, his homeroom teacher.\n\nAshley: \\excitingly\\ You have Mr. Johnston too? That's awesome, we have the same class!\n\nMe: Oh...wait what? We did this part already.\n\nAshley: What? What do you mean?\n\nAaron: Are you okay man?\n\nFuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Okay, here we go.\n\n\\Car door slams shut\\\n\nMom: Have a great first day sweetie! Love you!", "The strangest concept I'd ever had to try to explain about the situation is age. How does one measure that in my circumstance? Of course, I say the age I am genetically in the natural universe, the order in which things naturally play out. Even still, that doesn't feel right for I've seen my withered hands at 72, married my best friend 6 years from today, and can willingly play ball in the backyard with my dad from ages 6 to 8 any day of the week. I can see my dad anytime I'd like. Though he's been buried underground since I was 8, he can be alive whenever I choose. To some degree. There are limitations. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhen people talk about how their past affects their future, how one event can shape the course of the rest of their lives, I think I have a fair amount of credibility to say that that is absolutely true. And yet, I have the same amount of credibility to say that healing that part of your life can also demonstrate that it is entirely false. Those moments empower or cripple us if we give them the right to. And I had. With my gift, I have an unfair advantage. I can go back. I can fix my mom's hair on her day of citizenship after running in the rain to get to the bureau on time. I can make my sister's groom arrive on time to the wedding after poor choices the night before. I can prevent those poor choices. And still, however much a moment can change, sometimes the people never do. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI'm currently 37 years old. This is me in the natural universe. I was born 37 years ago and the same amount of days. After a night of drinking I can get confused about that sometimes, so I write in a journal often to help me keep track of the days and years I've experienced chronologically, which is why I never spend more than one day in a different universe. It just makes things easier. You have to set boundaries when you have something so indulgent as this. If I could live a full summer back in 2004, I would. I would give up the rest of the future I haven't lived for that. But there are consequences for those things and I know them. I can't pay the price. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThere's a man at the end of the bed. His name is Clyde. He has now taken me out to three expensive dinners, bought me fifteen drinks, and has called me three times today to get in touch. So here he is. I like him. He has been married before. No kids. Likes to cook. Likes that I like to clean the dishes after he cooks. It's compatible. It's comfortable. It's sexy. I like his steady job and his mid-life crisis mode of wanting to pretend he's not the age he is. It works because I'm not the age I am, no matter what the journal says. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI don't get too caught up in life the way regular people do. I work at a flower shop with no aspirations to become anything more. I'm quite comfortable with all versions of the future I've lived, and my career never played a huge factor in what that looked like. But I like that he does care. Every day he lives is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I think he cherishes that more than most people do. He doesn't watch TV. He doesn't complain about the little things that happen. He buys my flowers and he grows his own herbs. The shop closes after he's done at the office and I come over for dinner. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nHis top two buttons are undone from wine and dinner. He puts his hand on the bed close to my lap. I like the smile he has on his face. It's not something he wants to take, it's something he wants to share, I tell myself. I lean in to kiss him. I swoon thinking of kissing him every morning for the rest of this life. I swoon, though I've lived it countless times. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe takes a hand onto my back and it's like a butterfly's wings are tapping my neck. Everything is as it should be in this moment. Then he puts a hand on my thigh, and, like every time from now till forever, I shudder and break. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What's wrong? I'm sorry. I misread something.\" He tries to come closer and I cover my ears and push him away with my feet, my back against the headboard. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"No, no. It's fine. I'm sorry.\" I can't stop crying. I'm an idiot. I'm a loser. What's he gonna think of me? I know, but I don't always know, so the anxiety never goes away. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"How can I help. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make things awkward.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Can you rub my back again. Please, Clyde. Please hold me.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe holds me in his arms again. Each time like the final, brutal time. So I crumble there, a temple unmasked, for him to see all that lies within. Each time is painful and embarrassing. I close my eyes and flinch at the thought of them eyeing me down the first time. I pull my skirt down a little. I have to walk past them and they flick my skirt up and whistle at my thong. I'm red and running to the bathroom. I'm alone crying and I hear the door slam behind me. Three boys. Me. I tell them to fuck off. I try to scream but they're fast. They pull where they should be gentle, they force where they should ease. A gun in a lavender field, firing, firing away. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nEventually I can open my eyes again and Clyde is still here. I know what this past can do to our future. I know what I have to do again. I have no strength to fix it tonight. I have nothing but time for Clyde tonight. Tomorrow I'll go back again, that first day of hellschool. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nEach moment can last forever. No second is equal. Today is my first time naturally in that moment with Clyde, as all days that naturally occur are firsts. The difference for me are they are not always my last times in that day. Today is the day I fell in love with Clyde. I've lived this day three times before. I have lived my first day of high school seventeen times. I begin to itch thinking of it; I scratch my hangnail until it bleeds. Clyde kisses my fingers. I am the most powerful I've ever been, and still I am equally as tortured as before. I must go back. ", "First, I wake up fifteen minutes late because my little sister decided to unplug my alarm clock to charge her iPod shuffle. Then, I choked on my toast. Then, I missed the bus and actually had to skip the day because my dad couldn't drive me and the school was a good five miles away, crossing a highway and multiple dangerous roads.\n\nIn hindsight, I probably should have just let this day stay skipped, but my perfectionist ass had to go and try to fix it.\n\nThe funny thing about all of it is that the beginning of the day was the best part. As soon as I deemed something to be fixed, something else popped up that made the day shitty all over again.\n\nMy ten-thousand, two-hundred, thirty-first try was the biggest kick to the balls.\n\nEverything had been perfect. My alarm went off. My bus came. The girl at the back of the bus didn't spit a piece of spearmint gum (chewed sixteen times) into my hair. I didn't mispronounce the teachers' names. I didn't drop my stuff. I knew the answer to every question. I broke up a fight at lunch. I didn't give Audrey a funny look when she asked me what period it was.\n\nI had this shit all down to a science. Every step, every spoken word, every smile, every... everything was perfect.\n\nLast period.\n\nIt was my perfect run. It was the perfect run. If I could just get through French class without anything happening, I was golden. I would catch a ride home with one of the seniors who liked me and be home-free, the first day done and over with for good. This would have to be easy; I graduated from college with seven years of French under my belt. If I fucked this up...\n\nI didn't even think about it as I plopped down into the blue chair, crossing my ankles underneath the desk, a perfect smile plastered onto my pale face. Forty minutes. That's all I needed to get through.\n\nThe bell rang and the chattering of the room stopped. Monsieur Terrin stood in front of the room, behind a little wooden pedestal that was supposed to bring a sort of commanding presence to whoever was standing behind it. The prospect seldom worked.\n\nI had done this bit before god-knows-how-many times, but this was the one. Everything else had been perfect today. If I screwed this up--\n\n\"Alex,\" Monsieur Terrin looked at me. \"Your turn to review. How do you say 'Do you go to the movies?'\"\n\nMy smile brightened (it was forced). \"Est-ce que tu vas la cinema?\"\n\n\"Very good,\" He nodded, content. I leaned back in my chair. This was going to be easy.\n\nI felt a gaze burn into my neck. I ignored it.\n\nThe forty minutes went by easily. This was it. This was definitely it.\n\nThe very last review question went to me and I answered as seamlessly as I answered the first one. I had never gotten this far. It was two minutes to the end of class, two minutes. I would have failed if not for my extensive knowledge of the French language.\n\nI smiled and leaned on my desk, waiting for that bell, waiting for the release of the time-loop I had trapped myself in.\n\n\"She's such a know-it-all. Her accent was so good.\"\n\nI frowned and allowed myself to glance to my right. That was Nina speaking. My heart sank.\n\nNina Young, who had been my best friend all through high school and college, was currently shit talking me.\n\n\"I've been in every class with her all day. She knew every answer and was always the first to raise her hand. Then when the teacher congratulated her, she was all like 'hah, lucky guess'. How stuck-up can you be?\"\n\nMurmurs of agreement rippled. They didn't think I could hear.\n\nThe bell rung and the entirety of the class filed out of the doors. I remained in my seat, practically shaking.\n\nI had been too perfect. I had lost my best friend.\n\nWiping a tear from my cheek, I closed my eyes, waited, and opened them up again to restart the day anew.", "After 23 years, I'd done it.\n\nThe day starts with me immediately sneaking downstairs, past my uncle, and into the street. I make my way to the local petrol station and \"borrow\" one of their spare tires. The next thing to do would be to roll it back down the road - avoiding the police car, sixteen pedestrians, and a small dog (called Timothy) that would raise too many troublesome, time-consuming questions. Stow the tire in the boot of my uncle's car. That leaves me thirty-six seconds to get back into my room before my aunt would actually wake me up to go to school.\n\nNext, spend precisely seven minutes and thirty-five seconds in the bathroom. Any sooner and we get caught up in the pile-up on the motorway. Any later and my uncle is delayed by the bathroom tap exploding. Water everywhere. The timing works out so that my uncle closes the door just as the water begins to spray everywhere - it'll be noticed by my aunt about twenty minutes later - after we're gone.\n\nWe drive for sixteen minutes before we're stopped by a flat tire. I convince him that the spare tire is, for some reason, in the boot, and not in the garage where he thought it was. In actuality the spare tire at home is also flat. My uncle changes the tire - with my expert help - and we're back on the road in twenty-two minutes.\n\nThe plan continues - ask my uncle to stop so that I can be \"sick\", or else a faulty traffic light will cause another vehicle to plow into us at a junction.\n\nI endure my uncle's speech about him being nervous for his first day of high school, and that vomiting is a completely natural reaction. This is the worst part of my entire day.\n\nRound the corner and point at a really interesting bush on the right hand side - whilst my uncle is distracted, he won't notice the grizzly bear on the left side of the road, running at us, that escaped from the local zoo. Thankfully we barely outspeed it. My uncle complains about the engine noise of his car, blissfully unaware that the noise in fact belongs to the grizzly bear next to my window.\n\nOn final approach - change the radio station to avoid the alert about the grizzly bear, encouraging all citizens to stay indoors and not to make any unnecessary journeys. My uncle has always been a cautious man - he'll turn right back around and drive you home, forcibly. He doesn't know that on one of my past attempts, I discovered that the bear only wants a good belly rub.\n\nI'd finally done it.\n\nAfter 23 years, I'd finally made it to High School on my first day, on time, dressed appropriately, and without a bear in sight. Everything is just as it is supposed to be.\n\nI'd almost forgotten about the rest of the day.", "Shit.\n\nI sighed, the weight of thousands of repeats pressing down on my shoulders. My finger hovered over the reset button. I'd tried to open a door the wrong way this time. I'd tried to open a door wrong. My finger tensed, the scene replaying over and over in my head. I wished I could've just shrugged it off, wished I could've just moved on.\n\nBut with the little worm in my head, the one whispering in my ear for everything to be perfect. I knew that wasn't an option.\n\nIt never was.\n\nMy finger pushed down and my body felt light for a second. Everything around me blurred as my senses stopped working. I could hear screeching and yet everything was silent. I feel pain, and yet everything was numb.\n\nThe sight of darkness was the first clue I got that I'd gone around. It was always the first thing I noticed. Every. Single. Time. That was at least something I could be thankful for.\n\nI relished in the darkness, staring at my eyelids for a time. Just another second, I repeated to myself. I could spare that much.\n\nSince the start—23 years, 17 days, and 3 hours ago—I'd been obsessive. At first, it had been fine; I'd always been like that. But no amount of OCD training I'd received in my life had prepared me for this. Well, not like anything could, really.\n\nI knew the day down to the second, each moment of it burned into my memory thousands of times over. And I never forgot any of it. Every misplaced step, every misheard word, every embarrassing moment, every single god damn reset. No matter how hard I tried, they'd stay in my mind. I'd been blessed with the ability to fucking time travel. But looking through my memories and cringing at each one, I hadn't been that blessed.\n\nThe morning passed in a blur just like it always had. I put on the clothes one-by-one, picking them from the labeled drawers with the perfect grip and the perfect timing. My shower was five minutes long exactly. My breakfast was the same—toast, butter, water, apple—and I made each item in the optimal way.\n\nRepeating the same day thousands of times had its perks, sometimes.\n\nI went to school on the bus—which was never my favorite choice, but I'd made the best of what I had. Each step was precise, I'd made it that way. My seat was always empty, that was perfectly calculated. And I sat right in front of Anna, just like I always had.\n\n\"Hey Jeremy,\" a familiar voice lilted to my ears in the exact same way as before. My neck was turning behind me before she could even say another word. \"Ready for the first day of school?\"\n\nI nodded, the answer to her question already at my lips. She'd asked it before. I'd heard it before. But I couldn't respond right away. No, that would look too creepy. I had to wait a natural amount of time. The two and a half seconds passed in the blink of an eye.\n\n\"Yeah,\" I said, making sure I had the perfect intonation in my voice. \"I've got everything prepared exactly as I need it.\"\n\nShe smiled at me, the warm smile she made every time. The little interaction with her I'd always had on the bus was one of the highlights of my day. I'd reset on this moment dozens of times. But those ones had always been easy.\n\n\"Great!\" she said, her tone a little more excited than normal. My heart started racing and I had to resist the urge to furrow my brow. \"I'm excited about it too.\"\n\nI smiled at her. Or, I gave her the best that I could and turned myself back around. That marked the end of the conversation. I'd never responded again, and she'd never asked any further. My breathing slowed as things went back to normal and the grip I'd had on the device in my pocket lessened.\n\nI let out a breath—a small one as to not upset any of the air in the bus—and just waited for the rest of the day.\n\n\"Jeremy?\" Anna asked. My blood froze, the world in front of my blurring for a second. She'd asked again. She'd never asked again. \"I'm actually a bit nervous because I don't know my way around, could you help me out?\"\n\nI turned around slowly, my heart racing in my chest. I opened my mouth, waiting for some words to come to my lips. They had to come to my lips. I needed them to.\n\nBut nothing did.\n\nThe moment solidified in my mind, marking itself as a memory never to be forgotten, and tears welled up in my eyes. \n\nShit.\n\nI turned back around, not letting her see my face ever again, and reached into my pocket. The small metal device stared me in the face, taunting me with how much I'd used it.\n\nMy wish that I could just let it go was drowned in the wave as my anxiety washed over my mind. I wished it every time. But I knew it wouldn't stick.\n\n\"Jeremy?\" Anna asked again, her voice echoing in my ears. \n\nIn fact, that was the last thing I heard before I closed my eyes and hit the reset button. Again.\n\n---\n\n/r/Palmerranian\n\n\n\n" ]	6
	[WP] Everyone has heard of King Midas; the man that can turn everything he touches into gold. You have a similar ability. Everything you touch turns into golden retrievers.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Another day, another trial. I wake up on the ground, as usual. It's the only thing I can touch, besides dogs. Luckily whoever gave me this curse made it that way so I couldn't just touch the ground and kill everybody. You see, everything I touch with my fingers.turns into a dog, specifically a Golden Retriever. It'd be a cool trick, if it didn't mean everything. Yes, even people. I try to keep up a normal life, but it is pretty difficult. Today, I'm having a date. A date with a woman I've known a few weeks now, her name is Amanda. I chose to walk, getting in a car would have the obvious outcome. Surprisingly, the date was pretty successful, although trying to hold a fork without fingers is more difficult than you would think. It was nice, but then she came in for a hug.\n\nI wasn't ready. She was being covered in fur and sprouted a tail. Her ears grew, and her bones changing caused her to fall over. Her screams of shock quickly turned to howls as her jaw and nose changed. Who was once a great woman was now just a good girl." ]	2
	[WP] During all these years being a superhero, you assumed that your superpower was just Super Luck. One day, you find a machine and a note in your house. "I helped you. I must retire. It's your turn now." signed by you. This is a time machine.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, creeps in this petty pace from day to day. To the last syllable of recorded time;And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death.\n\nAfter the initial shock faded away, Charlie tucked the small, pen-like, machine into his front pocket. In silence he brewed a pot of coffee, went into his study, and closed the door. \n\nHe looked to the skull resting on his desk. Melodramatic, perhaps, but he’d always been a sucker for Shakespeare. \n\n“You see, Hamlet. I’ve left myself quite the conundrum,” Charlie said. \n\nHe sipped his coffee, then set it down and picked up the skull. \n\n“By leaving myself this note, I may have placed myself into a never ending loop. Perhaps I was always supposed to begin this way, with a note. Perhaps each time I find it, I brew a pot of coffee, lock myself in my study, and come here to speak with you.”\n\nHe looked into the holes left where Hamlet’s eyes had been, “There have been times in my life where I’ve been a little too lucky, times where I’ve known my success was a miracle. I can acknowledge that I would not be where I am today if not for that luck, hell I might even be dead once or twice over. If it’s true that it was me helping myself with this device all along....”\n\nHe sighed and set the skull down. “We are creatures of the present. The past is dead and the future doesn’t exist, Hamlet. It stands to reason that I, in this moment, am now left with the task of providing myself aid in every instant where another version of myself has been before. If I don’t, it may never happen, and thus I never get here. This creates more problems, however. I can remember a few days where...ha.” \n\nCharlie chuckled, a low, bitter laugh. He opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a bottle of Cognac. A moment later he raised a large glass to his lips. He thought about the day he’d proposed to Delilah, the day he’d been rejected. The worst day of his life. “I can remember days that I should have fixed, if I really could. But alas, I know how things turned out. If I change them now, what will happen Hamlet? Will I be a better man? Will I cease to exist?”\n\nHe stood again and thought of Delilah. He could change the past with this device, but...\n\n“Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer\nThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,\nOr to take arms against a sea of troubles,\nAnd by opposing end them?”\n\n~\n\nr/CharlestonChews " ]	2
	[WP] A humanoid race has just detected the Voyager probe entering its system.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Ahh, Voyager. Lost voyaging in the emptiness of space, forever to be wandering, with no return. It's creation was the product of the childish mind of the human race. Their desire not to be alone had suppressed their logical thinking. Even though they knew that there was no one in the immediate circle of their solar system, they kept trying, and trying, and trying.\n\nMillenia after the inescapable end of the human race, the Voyager was still going. Although in terrible shape, beat up and scarred from the unforgiveness of space. Just then did Voyager find someone that could understand the messages and bring back their own.\n\nAs the Voyager descended in Kepler 186f, The Keplians found it.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Orbiting station 03 to the Kepler Space Agency, we found an UFO...\"\n\n\"Huh? We are calculating its trajectory. It seems to be heading towards the next town over. Could this finally be proof that we're not alone?\"\n\nThe Voyager crash landed in Kreoioper town. Immediate groups were sent to check the satellite.\n\n\"The aliens seem to be from Sol- 03.\"\n\n\"That was our most promising planet to have life. They seem to be advanced too. About our level. Considering how long this must have traveled for, they're probably at least interplanetary now.\"\n\n\"They've even left their own music and photos. They seem wonderful.\"\n\n\"We need to contact them via Radio. That's the only way of communication except for sending probes that we think they know.\"\n\nRushing to the contact center, the Keplians sent a radio signal directed to Earth. They eagerly awaited a response. Their new way of sending radio signals was FTL.\n\n\"Nothing? Not even consuming the radio waves? There's got to be something wrong. They should at least detect the waves.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd so the Keplians tried to contact a dead planet, always thinking they're \u0014the problem, that the humans were too good for them, but in reality, it was the humans that were not good enough them.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;", "Voyager had done it. it had escaped the pull of Sol.\n\nIt kept going. Beyond the Solar system and into interstellar space. \n\nMillennia passed. its instruments failed and its connection to Earth faded. But its message endured. It carried Humanity’s presence to the stars.\n\nNow it had finally found an audience. \n\nA world similar to our own, only now having just touched the surface of the Universe and taking their first steps into it\n\nand they had noticed Voyager.\n\n____\n\n \n\nThe newscaster sat straight at his desk with a serious expression, his large eyes staring intently at the camera\n“we have received direct confirmation from the Administration of Cosmic Endeavours, that the Celestial body intercepted last month by A.C.E astronauts was indeed a extraterrestrial device of some sort. \n\nWe now go live to A.C.E Director Yima in the Capital.\n\n“We can confirm it as alien technology. An international team of linguists, mathematicians and engineers have analysed the probes cargo and the information therein that they have deduced it is intended to be found.\n\nit is full of information about their species, their planet, their wildlife and culture, its wondrous.\n\nPublic Records are currently being uploaded to the Global Network.\n\nThis not just a lost probe. it is a message of peace from one of our siblings among the stars...and we will answer!”\n\n_____\n\n\nProject Nova.\n\nThis was was the name of the effort to send Humanity a reply. \n\nThe race that had discovered Voyager, studied the knowledge inside it meticulously. so they could understand every aspect of their sibling civilisation, in the hopes of one day replying.\n\nIt took them decades. \n\nTheir technology to reach them by travel was not advanced yet to attempt such a thing. that would take more time.\n\nBut their skill in communications tech was magnificent , their world was a hub of free flowing information and digital exchange at lightning speed.\n\nAfter careful reverse engineering, they were able to replace and repair Voyager’s components, power supply instruments.\n\nThe return message was sent back through the same frequency it had once used to communicate with its creators, now only amplified and stronger than ever. \n\nThey hoped that they were still out there and were listening.\n\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SSiCj4xBPs\n\nThe upgraded Voyager was placed into a orbit and powered up once more. Its systems coming back online.\n\nThe cosmic messenger woke from its long slumber and reached out to Earth as it had once always done. only now communicating faster than the speed of light. \n\n____\n\n#6th June 3167 AD\n#Sol\n#Luna City Central Communications Array, The Moon\n\nThe technician squinted at his screen in confusion as data came through from an unidentified but powerful vector.\n\n#Instrument Voyager 1\t\nCosmic Ray Subsystem (CRS) #ON\t\nLow-Energy Charged Particles (LECP) #ON\nMagnetometer (MAG) #ON\nPlasma Wave Subsystem (PWS)\t#ON\nPlasma Science (PLS) #ON\nImaging Science Subsystem (ISS) #ON\nInfrared Interferometer Spectrometer and Radiometer (IRIS) #ON\nPhotopolarimeter Subsystem (PPS)\t#ON\nPlanetary Radio Astronomy (PRA) #ON\nUltraviolet Spectrometer (UVS) #ON\n\nNew Module Active: “Greetings Humanity”\n\nView?\n\n“what?... what is this? Computer, Identify!”\n\n“Scanning...No known active callsigns or frequency signatures, one positive match found in Archive”\n\n“show me” the technician quickly asked \n\n“One Match found, Historical File “Voyager 1”\n\nVoyager 1 is a space probe launched by NASA on September 5, 1977. Part of the Voyager program to study the outer Solar System, Voyager 1 was launched 16 days after its twin, Voyager 2. Contact was lost on January 12th of 2024 AD and assumed lost”\n\nThe technician was totally lost for worlds.\n\nThey were not alone in the Universe." ]	3
	[WP] You are the most famous magician in the World. One day when finishing a show you get challenged to a magician battle by a nobody and you accept. You bring your trusty cards and are sure that you are going to win up until the moment he flings a fireball at you. Now you got to improvise	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "As the fireball flies past my shoulder, my hand flicks a card back. \n\nWHAM!\n\nOoh, the hammer.\n\nAs my enemy climbs back up, my mind flashes: 51. Game on. \n\n\"HEY! TWO CAN PLAY THIS GAME!\"\n\nLegend says lightning never hits the same thing twice. Nope! It strikes thrice, after a triple card throw. 48. \n\nLet's see: there's two fireballs on the left, and three fireballs on the right, and all five are coming at me. Easy. Block, counter, punish. Meaning shield, energy absorb, and (my personal favorite) hammer. 45. \n\nGuess what? I didn't look up. \n\nA fearsome fiesta of flame was flung at me, only to fervently fire up my fury for the fight. Play with fire? Prepare to get burned.\n\nIce shields works wonders for holding heat at bay, knocking back enemies, and sledding. Clear ice shields allows better aiming when trying to hit a fireball with a lightning bolt. 44.\n\nDoes he ever use anything other than fire?\n\nMy turn. I can use the fireballs I absorbed to attack his left, coupled with 2 ice strikes on his right. 42. I shouldn't complain. I battle with ice.\n\nLet's armor up. One problem with ice armor, pulled from Ice Magic: Battling, pg 384: \"Humans generate heat. Ice armor melts when heat is applied to it. Therefore, humans need a variation on the spell to prevent ice armor from melting away due to body heat. This variation is more powerful, as water can be used to repair this ice armor.\" The only problem with powerful spells: too many can cause serious magical injury or death. YAY!\n\nWhile the armor forms itself, I spend more cards on summoning troops of ice. I glance over: he's done the same thing. Fire armor, fire soldiers. 37.\n\nHalf of me wants to end this. It's getting boring. The other half want to see what happens. \n\nAs I contemplate, a wall of invisible heat washes over me, weakening my armor until it clatters, broken. And with that, I crack. I lay 36 cards in a 6 x 6 grid. I release all of its power at once, freezing everything and everyone (except me - I work with ice) in the room. I tap my enemy with the final card, keeping him permanently - and magically - frozen. After 18 minutes, the freeze passes over. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nLegend says that every year after that, there is a reenactment of that exact battle. I haven't seen that yet, but I hear it's perfect, down to the exact detail - minus the death of the fire mage, of course." ]	2
	[WP] You are one of the small set of extraterrestrial beings sent to earth disguised as humans when you were kids. You have been learning about humans and recently find out that if you fall in love with someone, your superpowers are transferred to them.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "So Love gives them my power? That was strange.\n\nA few years later.\n\nI watch as she gets up and walks toward the bathroom. Just a short, quick glance over. She catches my eye and smiles. Unsure, I smile back.\n\nA month later.\n\nI reach into my closet of pants. I had the jeans, what I normally wore to work every day. But my hands grip a pair of nicer pants. This would do for today.\n\nA few hours later.\n\nI notice that Mary isn't here today. My mind begins to wander of work.\n\nTen minutes later.\n\n\"John! What are you doing?\" The boss yells at me, on his way to get a paper from the printer. Started, I shake my head. Where did the last ten minutes go?\n\nA day later.\n\nI have nice dress pants on again. I watch as Mary enters through the door. My heart beat picks up. My stomach churns. My breath catches in my throat. She passes right behind me and she's... gone. \n\nTwo weeks later:\n\nOne of my closest friends sits on the other side of the table. Two drinks lay between us.\n\n\"Come on, John, just ask her out.\"\n\n\"No. I can't.\"\n\n\"What's the harm, John? You might as well.\"\n\n\"No. You don't understand. I can't. She would...\"\n\n\"So? What if she does reject you.\"\n\nI shake my head. He didn't understand.\n\nA week later.\n\nA plane ticket lies one click away. I could escape my troubles. This wasn't part of the plan at all. \n\nBut... I couldn't buy the ticket. It wasn't right. \n\nIt's because of the work I tell myself. The science behind all these humans are very interesting.\n\nA week later.\n\n\"Mary?\" She turns around in her seat to look at me. I pause, nervous. \"Do you-do you...\"\n\nHer eyes sparkle, delicate. Her hair flows down her back. She straightens her posture. A subtle smile plays on her lips.\n\nNo. This wasn't supposed to happen. \n\nWhat harm could one date do?\n\nNo. I can't!\n\nI want it!\n\n\"Er-Do you have any ink, Mary? The printer ran out.\"\n\nMy heart is racing, my mind trying to keep up. Her subtle smile vanishes, leaving a frown I can barely make out. Her posture weakens.\n\n\"No. Sorry, John.\"\n\nA week later.\n\nWe had Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off the next week. I never really enjoyed work, but I don't want the days off. I don't want the weekend. I know what I do want.\n\n5 days later.\n\nWe were finally back at work. I haven't seen anyone in 5 days. My emotions are buried deeper than before. I glance over at Mary. I know what I wanted to do before. But now, the emotions are gone.\n\nTwo weeks later.\n\n\"Mary, do you want to get coffee sometimes?\" The words blurt out, me unable to stop them. \n\n\"I would like that, John.\" A smile plays on her lips.\n\nOne day later.\n\nNo. This couldn't happen. For her own safety. For mine. But mostly for her. But I wanted to see her. I ached when she was gone. \n\nOne month later.\n\n\"Mary.\" I'm sitting on a chair in her apartment. We're having a nice breakfast. \n\n\"Yes, John?\"\n\n\"I'm so sorry, Mary. None of this was supposed to happen.\"\n\n\"What do you mean?\" \n\n\"It's just- Mary, I'm... I'm in love with you.\"\n\n\"Really, John?\"\n\n\"Yes, but... You don't understand. This wasn't allowed. I wasn't allowed...\"\n\nSuddenly, Mary blasts a cup of the table. It splashes onto the ground, breaking into hundreds of pieces.\n\nSo it was true. I was in love with Mary.\n\nMary stands up. \"John, I wasn't sure I believed them.\" She blasts me with a large net. My chair falls over backward. \n\n\"Mary-what?\"\n\n\"The government suspected you might be one of them.\"\n\nI struggle to get up inside the net. She blasts another one at me. My powers are gone. I'm hopeless.\n\n\"Mary?\"\n\n\"The government needed cold proof, John. Evidence. And this is it.\"\n\nTears are streaming down my face. The wild, strangled screams that escape my throat are those of a trapped and dieing animal.\n\n\"Mary! But! Why!\"\n\n\"John, we needed to figure out if it was true. And you prove that it is.\"\n\n\"Mary\" I sob into the net. \n\n\"Good bye, John.\"\n\n\n\n\nThanks for reading! Feel free to check out mysubreddit, r/FortyTwoDogs, dedicated to my writings! Hope you enjoyed!" ]	2
	[WP] Since birth you’ve had the ability to make anything you say come true. As a result, you’ve always been extremely cautious about what you say. One night you wake up sweating from a nightmare. After catching your breath, you scan the room and quickly notice you were talking in your sleep	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The sweat stung like needles on my forehead, my heart beating in my ears. \n\nI was stupid to not take this into account. \n\nAs I glanced around the room, I saw the shattered windows, broken walls, destroyed desk, and most of all, at the man sitting in the corner of my room.\n\n\"Wake up, kiddo,\" he lit a cigarette under his palm.\n\n\"Who the hell are you?\" I cautiously said.\n\n\"Same as you,\" he shrugged. \"I am... no... I would consider myself a supernatural being, I guess.\"\n\nI immediately saw his caution when speaking. All too familiar.\n\nI slowly pushed my covers off of me and cornered myself against the wall.\n\n\"What did I say in my sleep?\" I started shaking.\n\n\"For starters, a lot of things,\" the man in the coat laughed a little. \"You know, for the monsters to go away somewhere else. Great job, by the way. Now we...\" he paused for a moment. \"We can choose to find them and kill them before they kill us. Of course, they won't have the power kill us.\" The man smiled after the last sentence. \n\n\"Wha-\" I was cut off.\n\n\"Also, congratulations. Your crush Mary Katherine Johnson really likes you now, and your future marriage is already arranged.\"\n\n\"Excuse me?\"\n\n\"That doesn't matter right now. You talked about how you wanted to know the truth.\"\n\nI paused for a moment. \"Come again?\"\n\n\"You wanted to know the truth,\" the man repeated. \n\nI waited.\n\nHe sighed. \"You want to know why your words become reality?\"\n\n\"Yes.\" I immediately perked up.\n\n\"Right.\" he let a long puff of smoke escape his mouth. \"The world we know is a simulation; an experiment. All 'humans' are part of a neural network to gather information about 'reality' for higher beings in the disguise of a completely normal and explainable world.\"\n\n\"Watch what you're saying,\" I said with a shaky voice. \"You're the same as me. You should know bette-\"\n\n\"It won't change anything. It doesn't matter.\" the man replied. \"It's the truth.\" He continued. \"People like us are flaws in the system. We can control the code, and the developers aren't happy with that.\"\n\n\"The developers?\"\n\n\"Exactly. They're going to be after us soon,\" the man sighed. \"Your life might have been uneventful because you've had to limit your words and opinions, but everything we do from now on will change a lot of things. The Operation begins this night.\"\n\nA sudden unexplained motivation crept itself out of my heart and yelled at me that I had to act.\n\nAnd you know what? Everything we did from then changed a lot of things. More than a lot. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n(This is really bad, I know, but it's late at night. I would've written something better if I had the energy. I hope you as the reader like it regardless.)" ]	2
	[WP] The world's most refined and gentlemanly secret agent meets his new partner: a Texan girl with a southern accent, a taste for whiskey, and a love of big guns	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Hey sugar, could you grab the last of these bags for me? Be a dear and hold the door\" a tall, hourglass framed woman, comes barreling through the luxury hotel suite, wearing denim that looks painted on, boots, and a blouse showing just a tasteful amount of cleavage. She puts a hand through her long, wavy, hair and looks at her new partner expectantly \"well, will you help with my bags or not?\" \n\nDante hops up, startled..hand halfway on his knife. \"Bethany Burdock, I presume? You are early. And loud as a train.\" Dante is wearing a suit, perfectly tailored. A scotch sits on the coffee table. \n\nBethany laughs loudly and surges forward, giving Dante a strong handshake, taking him by surprise. She rolls her eyes a little at the abandoned luggage, but takes the hint and moves them in, throwing them on a bed. \n\nHer drawl is very clear as she drags out the next sentence \"Dante, honey, I hope you brought some weaponry, I only had room for a few things\" Both suitcases seems to be loaded down with denim, rifle, denim, pistol, denim, revolver. Dante's eyes are as big as saucers as he takes another swig of scotch. He was told his new partner had a certain style but they did not mention that she thought she was a cowboy. \n\n\"Do you have any bourbon in that liquor cabinet or is all that scottish junk?\"\n\nDante nearly chokes. \"You realize that our mission is to infiltrate a black tie event, not have a shootout at dusk in the town square, correct? Can you waltz? Do you know anything?\"\n\n\"I can two step better than you can shoot, honey. We'll be just fine.\" She winks. \n\nShe winked. Dante groans inwardly. This will be a long mission and We are going to die.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;" ]	2
	[WP] The morgue is not a very lively place. It's not suppose to be. My job is steady and sometimes boring, but other times I find myself asking the most profound questions about certain bodies. Like right now: "Why did the body inside the cold chamber just ask me to itch his toe?"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The sofa in my living room is large and cosy. I spent a lot of time choosing it, looking at different suppliers’ websites, considering sizes, shapes and materials. I even ventured out and tried my favourites out in the store. I spend a lot of time in it, watching TV or doing crosswords-puzzles. One might say I’m a crossword fan; the best one is in the Sunday morning-paper supplement, but I also appreciate the live one they broadcast on one of the radio channels. There’s something really calming about snuggling up in the sofa, a cup of hot tea on the table - black earl grey with half a teaspoon of honey in it - and a good crossword in my hand. I feel safe there, fulfilled even. The silence is only broken by the faint rasp of my pencil on the unbleached paper as I fill in the words. I like the silence. Not as much as I like crosswords, but still. It provides time to think and ponder things over.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThat is also one of the things I like about work. It’s silent, enables me to finish my thoughts without interruption. It’s lonely, too. Thankfully. I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I take those online tests, I always score high on the introvert part and I’m always surprised - and to be honest, slightly confused - when they say that approximately half of all the people taking the tests don’t answer the same as me on those questions. But, everyone to their liking, I’m not one to judge.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhen it gets boring at work, I like to think of the people I meet there. They are silent, as I said. And still. Sometimes I draw out one of the stretchers and look at the person on it, trying to imagine what sort of life they might have lived. I think of their possible occupations, like astronaut (9 letters, space walker) or librarian (also 9 letters, bibliophile). I wonder if they like it here, where it’s still and dark and cool. I know I do. I would like to go on one of those stretchers too, one day. To get to lay still, and think all those thoughts I have in my head.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI wasn’t really prepared for him to talk to me. Normally, they never do. Then, all of a sudden, he asked me to scratch his toe. I didn’t know which one he meant, so I scratched them all, before pushing the stretcher in and closing the door. He said something more then, but I didn’t really listen. Maybe he was itching somewhere else too, but I had to sweep the floors. That's when he started screaming, and banging on the door, and that really got on my nerves. So I went over there and told him to stop, to be quiet. He wouldn’t listen; they are usually really good listeners. So I put on my headphones and tuned in my favorite channel, they always play classical music there on Wednesdays between 2 and 4 pm. Mostly Bach and Handel, but they mix it up with some more modern ones, like Haydn and Beethoven. I finished sweeping the floors while enjoying some Foccata and Fugue in D Minor, before leaving for the day. When I came back the morning after he was back to silent. I scratched all of his toes again though, just in case he didn’t dare asking me to. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThanks OP for a superfun prompt! I really enjoyed writing this :)\n\n&#x200B;\n\nCollecting my stories at r/SleepyMacaroni." ]	2
	[WP]You are a world famous food critic. However your doctor has just told you that your tastebuds have never functioned properly.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Dr. Grim’s face was grim. His coat was also grim, partially due to the blood on it, but also due to a lack of proper tailoring. The black file folder he held was especially grim, because black is symbolic of dark, foreboding news. Damn, thought Ashton. That’s deep. I should definitely put that in my next review.\n\n“Mr. Whole.” The doctor looked down at the chart. “I have some news for you.”\n\n“Oh, no, doctor, what is it?” Ashton bit his lip. He had been coming to Dr. Grim for years, knowing that the doctor was the best there was. Ashton needed to keep his mouth and tongue healthy, as it was, quite literally, his meal ticket. He got $10,000 just for stepping into the door of a fancy restaurant, let alone write a glowing review of their newest molecular gastronomy experiments. But there were some problems that even Dr. Grim couldn’t fix.\n\n“You have…” Dr. Grim paused for dramatic effect, “The Terrifying Topsy-Turvy Tastebud Tongue.”\n\n“The what?”\n\n“You see…” The doctor sit heavily down on his stool, eyes downcast. He took off his glasses, which only served to make the situation and atmosphere of the scene much more serious. “When you eat something that tastes good, your tastebuds say it tastes bad. And when you eat something totally shit, your tastebuds say it tastes good.”\n\n“That—that’s impossible, I’m the world’s best food critic!” Ashton protested. “I couldn’t have that.”\n\n“Well, let’s take a look at your test results. Ah, yes, I have them right here, you filled out this survey. According to this survey, your favorite foods are cilantro—”\n\n“Cilantro is amazing, I don’t even know wh—”\n\n“Normal food that has been made into a foam—\"\n\n“It’s revolutionary! That cilantro foam I ate at Not Pretentious’s opening night was divine!”\n\n“Plain tofu…”\n\n“It’s amazing for your health!”\n\n“Truffle oil.”\n\n“What, you don’t love the earthy flavor? I’m all about that earthy, dirt flavor, just all over…everything, it only makes it better that it’s expensive…”\n\n“Mint chocolate chip ice cream.”\n\n“You monster, you don’t like mint chocolate?”\n\n“If I wanted to eat toothpaste, I would.”\n\n“Now that’s just unreasonable—\"\n\n“Coffee covered in literal shit?”\n\n“I’ll have you know that Kopi Luwak has an amazing, earthy flavor, with the bountiful, earth flavors of the earth—”\n\n“Stop saying earthy!” Dr. Grim slammed his clipboard down on the counter and put his face in his hands. “I’m sorry, Mr. Whole, but these are just the facts. You enjoy things that taste disgusting to any objective human being.” He massaged his temples.\n\nThey sat in silence for a few seconds. “You’re not going to…tell anyone, are you?” Ashton ventured.\n\nDr. Grim started at him in disbelief. “You can’t—you will have to tell the world. You can’t keep ethically writing reviews. You can’t keep subjecting people to these horrible ‘foods.’”\n\n“You can’t!”\n\nDr. Grim sighed. “Ashton, this is…it’s a public health hazard. It spreads, like ebola, probably. I’m going to have to tell the CDC.”\n\nAshton looked down grimly, and let out a deep sigh. Just then, one of the room’s lights went out, making it darker and more dramatic in the room, and also it started raining outside. Ashton knew what he had to do. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his gun.\n\n“Mr. Whole, what are you doing?” Dr. Grim backed away, his eyes darting to the door.\n\n“I’m sorry, Dr. Grim.” Ashton aimed. “I can’t let you ruin everything I’ve built.” He licked his lips, the flavor from his delicious durian sandwich at lunch still lingering on his lips.\n\nBang.\n\nAnd it was done." ]	2
	[WP] A nearly invincible immortal knight can only be defeated in one very specific way. He cannot reveal it, but because he wants an end to his torment, he gives the hero as many clues as possible during their epic battle.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "My story👇 hope you like it. There is one swear in there just FYI. \n\n\n\nIt’s my goal in life! To do this very thing that my father and his father before him has tried to do; defeat the immortal knight. He lives in the colosseum and today shall be his end. As I walked into the colosseum, I saw him sitting in the middle, waiting for his next opponent. I checked my armor then walked in. \n“All who enter must battle to the death, turn back now if you wish to live,” bellowed the knight. \nHmph. He thinks he is so powerful. I WILL beat him. And it WILL be glorious. \n“I think I’ll be fine,” I say and walk further into the area. \nBefore I get the chance to say anything else he charges at me with his sword raised, leaving his right side open. I block with my sword instead of attacking. It must be a trap right? He continues to strike at me- left then right, then right again- all the while leaving his right side open. I continue to block, I will not fall for his trap!\nThe knight lets out a might laugh and says, “I have yet to fight one so skilled in the art of swordplay! Maybe you can defeat me by seeing my weakness, or where I leave open!”\n“Ha knight! I know your trick! You want me to attack the opening you are leaving for me so that you can lure me into a trap! But I won’t fall for it!” I blocked another blow headed for my chest and the went for his neck. But right before I could connect my sword with his neck, he kicked me in the stomach and knocked me back. \n“Foolish boy. I thought maybe you could be the one to defeat me but you are just like all the others. I shall end this quickly. I don’t want to waste my time on you,” stated the knight as he walked towards me, his sword dragging on the ground. Oh fuck. Was he not fighting seriously before hand? And what changed between the last thing he said and now? I’m going to have to block until I see an opening to strike. I stood up and regained my balance. I got ready into my fighting stance as the knight walked towards me. I raised my sword into the air and raced towards him, screaming a battle cry as I went. When I got about 2 feet away I trip and my sword went right through his right side. He started to age fast. \n“You know, this is possibly the worst way to go out of this world,” said the knight as he fell over and died. \nSomehow I don’t feel very accomplished." ]	2
	[WP] Deep in the desert a man sits and waits.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\nA man sits and waits. He doesn’t know how long he has been waiting, but he has a feeling that the land didn’t always look like this. Flat, featureless. Most of his senses report back the same description. It looks, tastes, feels and smells like dust. It doesn’t however sound like anything. He is not sure if that is because he can’t hear, or if the land around him is silent.\n\nAnd yet. His memories have sound. And things other than dust. Greenery of all sizes and shades, sprinkled with glittering sparks of color. Running feet. Laughter. \n\nHe thinks about the concepts of feet and of movement. It seems like an alien concept to him. If he ever moved it must have been a long time ago. He cannot remember what commands to give or to where. But there was movement here once. It was vibrant with life and joy and suffering and wonder and creation. It was thrilling, but then it flickered and it was gone.\n\nEons pass, alone with the dust.\n\nA man sits and waits and thinks about if he is a man at all. He remembers men, a man. Crafting the land around him to suit his needs. He remembers that flicker again. Men remaking the land in ways that did not suit their needs. Men using him, or parts of him to unmake themselves. A man realises that he must not be a man, if he refers to ‘them’ and ‘their needs’. Something that thought it was a man considers that for a millennia or two.\n\nA planet sits and waits. It misses a man, or misses all men and the excitement, and light and change that they brought. It hopes that life will begin again soon. " ]	2
	[WP] Legends tell of a mysterious throne, inside an abandoned palace hidden deep in the mountains. The throne is said to unlock the full potential of anyone who sits in it. You and some friends quest out to find this throne.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "We met in a tavern, like so many others, but who could blame our little group for indulging in a cliche or two? Besides, setting out from Martin's mother's garden just wouldn't have felt right. So, we pushed our way to the bar, and ordered ales, and bid goodbye to our friends scattered about the place, saying when we returned we would be the greatest of heroes, our full range of abilities realized. The barkeep waved us away with a half-hearted laugh, and told us we'd be back in a week. Regardless, our party consisted of Martin, the daring swordsman, who had knicked his dad's rusty old blade from behind the shed where he kept it for killing spiders mostly. Ennie was our dauntless rogue, draped in her older brother's traveling cloak. It was too big for her of course, but where the hood covered her eyes made for a nice effect. And of course I was along as, of all things, the bard. I had been persuaded that our little outfit would need a chronicler readily enough, but when I saw that they meant me I had tried to backtrack. Still, they were persistent, and so, laden down with heavy packs but light hearts we made for parts unknown.\n\nParts unknown of course turned out to be the next town over, where we set about dealing with a pack of wolves that had been raiding their chicken coops of late. Or rather, one wolf, which was a bit mangy, and which we couldn't actually seem to hit. Still, we managed to drive it away, and Ennie helped to set up an alarm system of ropes and bells around the coops in case it came back, so no harm done. Our next adventure took us into a nearby cave to clear out a Kobold infestation. This was resolved by our being captured by them after we forgot to bring more than one torch and got lost in the dark. Surprisingly they were quite genial fellows, and after we explained our situation, we were released without malice. They told us they had wanted to ask the villagers about mining rights to the cave a long time ago, but any time they had tried the villagers would run away in fear. After we returned and explained things, the Kobolds ended up being welcomed into the town proper, which it turns out, had been experiencing a labor shortage. Ennie was quite please with the outcome, though Martin sulked for days after some children made fun of him for getting caught by Kobolds.\n\nWe continued on in this fashion for some time, arriving at a town, solving a problem or two, making some money and chasing leads. During the course of our journeys we never lost track of our main goal, reaching the throne that would turn us into the great adventurers we wanted to become. Our first real taste of adventuring came when we were hired to protect a merchant caravan making its way to a Southern port where it would trade for spice. Along the way we were, of course, attacked by highwaymen, though they seemed just as unaccustomed to the fight as we were. Martin got a nasty cut, and I held my own, but it was Ennie who managed to sink a knife into their leader's neck. They scattered after that, and we were well rewarded, but Ennie would cry in her sleep for weeks after. At times we thought about giving up, going home. Once the days turned to weeks, then to months, and finally to years, it seemed we would never find our prize. We had chased leads, resolved conflicts, killed mortal beings, and even bested a dragon, but still we had not located the throne. One day, while making camp, an idea occurred to me that I had somehow failed to consider in all the time we had been together.\n\n\"Martin, Ennie,\" I began, causing them to look up from their work. \"I'm a bard, and better than I was than when we set out, right?\"\n\n\"I remember when you couldn't even hum properly,\" said Martin. Ennie laughed.\n\n\"I remember when you got your first lute too. Oh gods, the sounds that you made come out of that poor thing. But you're much better now.\"\n\n\"Aye,\" replied Martin, \"a worthy ally and a true hero, great chronicler of our quest, lo-\"\n\n\"Cut the shit Martin, that's my job,\" I said, laughing. \"But my point is, in all this time, we've been improving and growing. What if there is no throne? What if the idea of the throne is what lets us reach our potential?\" They looked at me for a moment.\n\n\"That would be just about the lamest thing I've ever heard,\" said Martin.\n\n\"Yeah, what kind of namby pamby, power of friendship bull is that?\" asked Ennie.\n\n\"Well, I, it's just, uh...you know how ancient temple people work, don't you? Every time we go in and solve the riddle it's always something poetic like that, so I just figured that maybe...\"\n\n\"Truth be told I've wondered the same thing,\" said Martin. \"I can't count the nights I've thought it all might be some wild goose chase. But it ain't, and I know it ain't. Now come on you two, we've got a lead on the damn thing, and if it turns out it's a piece of poetic irony, then you,\" he jabbed a finger at me, \"will be changing the damn ballad.\" There were smiles all around as we set out. Whatever the truth of the throne, the quest alone had changed us, and for me at least, that was enough. ", "There we stood in the broken and shambled throne room. We'd been searching for what felt like years. In truth we didn't know how long we'd been out. Unfortunately we had no choice. Humanity had been captured by a much more powerful species and this legend was the only hope my friends and I had. We were under no illusions. We knew it was most likely just a story, but what could we do? \n\nMark led the expedition and was the biggest supporter of this effort. But now that we were here and we were looking at the throne, he had the coldest feet. I kinda think we all knew why. It was do or die time and if nothing happened all our hope was gone. And once you pull that curtain back, the cold grip of reality sets in and the only hope of escape you can foresee is the escape of death.\n\nSteve poked Mark and looked at him expectingly. Mark nodded and stepped forth towards the throne. He paused a moment, took a deep breath and took a seat. We looked intensely at him. We waited. For what we weren't sure. The feeling of disappointment quickly began to set in. We were tired. No, we were exhausted and now hopeless. I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.\n\nMark sat quietly and the look of defeat fell across his face. It was like seeing a mirror into my very soul. I could see the fate of humanity and ours all wrapped into a single moment and it could be summarized into one word. Death. No one spoke. We were too distraught. We couldn't move, couldn't think. We knew it was a long shot and it wasn't likely to work, but even a sliver of hope is better than none. \n\nMark stood up and then a voice suddenly resonated throughout the ruins \"You are not worthy\". It was clear that it wasn't just anyone, that could benefit. It would take a certain kind of person, perhaps a certain person. Steve went, then Cassidy. \"You are not worthy\" resonated each time. I was the last. Mark, Cassidy and Steve all looked at me. \"Here goes nothing I said\".\n\nI approached the throne and as I did the air began to crackle and I felt a warmth from the stones below. \"You, heir to the throne. Descendant of the Gods. Take your rightful place on the throne.\" My friends heard the words but I felt them. Ancestral memories welled up from the core of my being. I saw flashbacks of wars, blood, chaos. I was shocked beyond measure and couldn't move for a moment. Coming to my senses I turned around and sat on the throne.\n\n\"Scanning. DNA confirmed. Descendant of Mordra confirmed. Transferring admin rights. Linking finger and voice print now. Please state your name\". For a moment I couldn't remember my own name. Finally I said \"Richard, my name is Richard.\" \"Confirming voice print for Richard. Sir, several systems are damaged but with authorization we can begin repairing the facility.\"\n\n\"Repairing the facility? What? I mean... can you explain? Who are you?\" \"I am A.L.I.C.E. or Artificial Life & Intelligence Controller Entity. Your ancestors crash landed in this land in ancient times and instead of repairing the ship and going back into space, they decided to live here unaided by their technology. They left me with instructions to welcome their descendants if they ever found this place.\"\n\n\"Yes, begin repairs. We are in trouble. Major trouble. An alien invasion force has enslaved our people. We need help.\" \"Confirmed, beginning repairs. Scanning. Alien presence confirmed. Identification unavailable. Technological assessment unavailable. Will continue to attempt to determine technological capability. Do not worry Richard. I will not fail you.\"" ]	3
	[WP] Pills turn you into a superhero. After they wear off the only side effect triggers:You get turned into something hilarious, like a plastic cup but actually the thing you turn to is what defeats the enemy.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\nDumb luck is what we call it. What happened had nothing to do with either skill, nor strength. I guess the fate deities had themselves a laugh. I guess we all did. Let me tell you what happened.\n\nFirst, we need to get one thing settled. Bradley had the thinking capacity equal to a loaf of bread. To me that is a harsh offense. To the bread that is. Rumor has it, Bradley once tried to save a fish from drowning. Maybe that is why he was chosen.\n\nWhen Bradley swallowed the pill, not even the scientists could fathom the depth of his mind. Even Buddha would have been jealous. Bradley had it all figured out. Space and time. He could read a full book in under three minutes all while solving complex mathematic problems. He passed every test the scientist threw at him. He could even predict the answer to the next test without seeing it. Although, there was one thing he could not predict. Lucky us he didn’t either.\n\nBradley was on the other hand not the only person with superhuman powers. Carl Reichman of Reichman industries had been a corrupted sadist all his life. People commonly compared him to the antichrist. Again, harsh. The worst thing about him, putting aside his lust for world dominance, was the unrelenting posh attitude. It would make the most famous of celebrities’ vomit. They commonly did too. Even more so when he got his powers. Mind bending is real fishy business\n\nBradley and Carl were like mustard and pineapple; no matter how hard you try, they never go together. They fought for years. The “fighting” here being Carl trying to control Bradley’s mind, and Bradley trying to resist. For the common passerby the fight could be mistaken as an intense, out-of-hand stare contest. In the end it was.\n\nOne day the fight escalated. The earth began to tremble. Local people would gather around but keep their distance in fear of what might have happened. The media got their hands on it too, not to speak of what must have been every science community in a ten-mile radius. After a week had gone by, the trembling stopped for a moment, then the earth beneath the two men loosened and floated up. Colors would light up in their eyes and their skin would glow. Theorist predicted that Bradley had grown in power. Like a bomb, milliseconds before the actual explosion. Tough, not a single person in the audience could predict what kind of explosion this would be. Even if some could, not a single person would believe them.\n\nA low hum started. It grew slowly in size until the faraway windows in the surrounding buildings started shaking violently. A deep hum. As if someone drilled a giant hole, miles beneath the crust of the earth. Accompanied with the hum, Bradley’s skin started cracking softly. At first invisible rifts, then colossal valleys. The incredile partings would emit wonderful beaming light, making him look nearly godlike. In that moment, he was. All in sync, the crowd gasped for air. The crowes cawed. Dogs barked. The earth started shaking even more violently than before. A massive hole opened in the dark skies above, yielding way for a monstrous pillar of sunlight, shining down at the two mighty men. Every living being at the area was blinded. Then all fell silent.\n\nThere were no crows cawing. No dog barking. No humming. The vibrations from the windows had stopped. At this moment, they could all have been in space without knowing. A total silence. The kind of silence that chills the air. Like colors to a blind man.\n\nThe crowd surrounded only one man. He looked weary and tired, but deeply satisfied. An evil smile formed on his face as he gazed down on the ground where his enemy had stood, only seconds before.\n\nA loaf of bread.\n\nThe man straightened his back and stuck his nose up in the air. He gave a nauseating grin to the surrounding people before speaking loudly. “Now that that’s done”, he turned around, making sure to face every person in the crowd. Showing off like an ostrich. “I think it’s high time I get what I deserve”. Only low muttering could be heard from the crowd. Stunned by confusion they listened closely. “I will now have full control of the world” he started again, slowly walking around, nose high.\n\nNearing the spot where Bradley had stood, he tried finishing the sentence “My first order will b-”. First a soft moushy sound, then a loud thump and a crack. The man fell silent once again. Not a word was spoken by the surrounding folks. They were like paralyzed mannequins. Onlookers from another dimension.\n\nFirst a shy giggle. Then a roaring laughter. Once the citizens understood what had come to pass and the incredible irony behind it, there was no stopping them. Never had the world seen anything like this before. All the years of staring had come down to this. Such a petty way of life. Undeniably, it was hilarious.\n\nNot long after, a monument was built near the town hall. A loaf of bread on a podium, with some carved text:\n\nIn honor of Bradley. “Breadley”\n\nSavior and defender. \n\nAn incredible mind.\n\nA good heart \n\nbut most importantly; \n\nas dumb as bread." ]	2
	[WP] You jokingly buy some land on Mars as a gag gift. A few generations from now when we're colonizing Mars, your descendants find it and go to cash in.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/XYsEYfS)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "My granddad was a moron, now he was family but I’m not going to lie, a man can only join so many pyramid schemes before it becomes apparent their a fucking idiot. It’s a nice perk of this world that sometimes idiots get lucky and granddad got very lucky, a plot of mars bigger then Australia, \n\nIt seems that through some strange twist of fate, one daft investment in a mars colony paid off, granddads luck didn’t hold though and he was run over by a marching band in a bus on their to his birthday. His life really was a testament to the chaos of this universe and my inheritance of this beautiful bit of land.\n\nI found out my granddad probably didn’t care about me much, misspelled my name on the will as Bart, I’m bort that fucking joke on the Simpsons has followed me for years. I’m just letting my mind wander I suppose, staring out the window waiting for mars to grow in the window.", "Great-Pappy was a bit of a jokester, at least that's what I heard from my Nana. She once told me about the time that her dear old dad decided to get her a used Honda, apparently he bought her a little plot of land on martian soil, just as a little laugh. Don't know why she kept the deed, there wasn't any real validity to it, but I was kind of in a tough spot\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt's really tall, not wide, just tall. Neo-vegas is the fastest growing economy in the entire western galaxy, and according to the fineprint, it's technically my land. I went to Neo-vegas once, stayed at the Harmakhis Casino, blew all my cash at the craps table with a couple of my drinking buddies, pretty shady place honestly. I thought I'd pay them a visit again, I brought the deed with me, the best I could hope for was a couple free drinks or maybe a hookup.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nOf course I was drunk off my ass, presenting that stupid peice of paper to every girl I met like I was a celebrity or something, nobody took the bait, until I showed this one chick. She had dark black hair and cute little getup complete with a pink resperator , she had a nametag on and unless she was playing hooky, she definitley worked at the casino. I did my whole routine, but when I showed her the stupid paper her eyes lit up like a stovetop.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Follow me\" she said\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhat else could I have done, she was a pretty lady. She lead me to a backroom before opening the door and letting me in, all I remember is some gangly scarface motherfucker staring me down from the other side of the room.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI don't remember what else happened that day, I was plastered and my brain doesn't really like to remember that shit. All I know is that today I got a little message from an unknown sender.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n# Rent.\n\n50 million units have been transfered into your account." ]	3

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