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[WP]Somehow you woke up in your best friends body and started messing around for fun. (for example, running on the streets with no shirt on) Then you come across your best friend in your body who also had the same idea as you.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"'The room's Blue. Odd? Did someone move me to a new room? I don't sleep walk do I? I was just studying last night. I think. Why don't I remember? God, what a weird morning.' John rubbed his eyes still trying to process not being in his room. He was still adjusting to the light that was entering through the window so he didn't notice that this room looked very familiar.\n\nJohn decided it'd be best to stretch and reached out his arms and legs real wide as if he were a spread eagle making snow angels. After making a fool of himself in bed, he rolled out and stood up actually looking around.\n\n'Geez did I have a growth spurt? Things definitely seem smaller. I always told mom I'd be like George. 6'4 and great with the ladies. Alright maybe I still won't be great with them, but at least now I have a better shot. Weird that it looks like I am in his room though. Even has the picture I took of Myra and him at the waterfall. Don't wanna toot my own horn, but I am the best darned 3rd wheel alive. He's lucky to have a friend like me in his life since he doesn't get to see her as much as he wants.' John was just walking around George's room like the clueless dunce he was. Book smarts was one thing, but common sense. Well you could just say John never had that. \n\n\"Hey George, you here?\" John was mildly suspicious he had a wild night out and ended up in George's bed. After all they did plan on celebrating after the end of year test. Maybe it happened already and John went complete blackout mode drunk. John did that for his 18th, 21st, and George's 21st birthday, so it wasn't like it wasn't a possibility. \n\nAfter no one answered John, he took it on himself to look around. First thing he did was grab the phone that was charging on the nightstand next to the bed. 'Nice. At least George was nice enough to leave my phone by me. Wait. Hold up. This is his phone. The heck man. Hog the charger and hide my phone. Not cool. I'll get you back for that.' John unlocked George's phone to text his phone so he could find it, but a thought crept into his mind. Myra had sent a good morning text and John couldn't leave George hanging. John fiddled with the keyboard typing up a storm.\n\n'Goodmorning cupcake. Have I ever told you I love love love you the mostest bostest. Besides my best friend John of course. Don't you think he's the handsomest guy you've ever set your sparkly blue eyes on?' 'Heh, that'll teach him to hide my phone from me.' John looked up from where he was texting and saw a reflection in the window that didn't look like him at all. He saw George. \n\n\"GOD. Why would you sneak up on me like that? Not cool man, now where's my phone?\" \nJohn turned around and saw no one. Instinctively he ran his hand through his hair and kind of shrunk into himself.\n\"Not funny George. Come on. Quit the games. I just got up.\" John like the scaredy cat he was ran out of the room. George's dorm was quite large. He shared it with two other guys, but they rarely were there. John was stumbling down the hall that connected all their rooms and the bathroom. In the mirror of the bathroom stared back George in John's mind. Except he didn't see himself.\n\n\"What. The. F... WHY CAN'T I SEE MYSELF? AM I DEAD?\" John just stared agape at the mirror. He couldn't process not seeing himself in the mirror, but instead just his tall best friend. After what seemed like hours, John raised his arm and saw George's arm raise. Then he waved, and George mimicked it. Looking down at himself, John saw the same birthmark George has always had on his arm, on himself.\n'Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Why? Crap. What? No, no, no, no. This isn't real. CRAP. I gotta be dreaming. No way this is real. Crap. What?' John collapsed on the ground. He wasn't taking things well. He reverted back to his infant stages and fetal positioned. John rocked back and forth for a bit still contemplating what on earth had just happened. After disillusioning himself further, John deemed it definitely was a dream and he was in control of it.\n\n'Since I am George in this. I'll just screw with him. Not like he'll know anyways. No harm, no foul.' John ripped the shirt off himself quickly and for good measure dropped the pajama pants as well. John was going streaking. He'd always wondered what people thought of someone in their beefy hanes and socks just roaming about. Why not test things out with George. Or rather in George? John didn't know how to phrase it, not that it mattered. \n\n'Campus is huge. Good thing I know George's bike lock combination. But doesn't George also have that Razor scooter still? Alright cool guy, let's \nsee what happens.' John joined the scooter squad and rode out of the dorms with style. He just had to be careful of his ankles. Or, George's ankles. John didn't want to test if it hurt himself or George. Not that he would want to physically hurt George anyways. \n\nNot even within ten minutes of riding a scooter, in his whiter than the middle school's walls whitey tighties, John saw people. Except they were all laughing at someone else. Someone that had the same idea as him, but also looked a lot like him.\n\nJohn rode as fast as he could with the breeze traveling behind him. His thighs exploding with each push of the scooter. \n\n\"What the h e doUBLE HOCKEY STICKS GEORGE?\"\n\n\"Can you blame me John? I was curious\"\n"
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[WP] A story about why pairing a pretty princess with high explosives is probably not the best idea.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"My name is Horatio. I have been a butler for the king and the rest of the royal family since I was old enough to hold up a tray and hang a serviette from my arm and I have royally fucked up.\n\nAs a butler, I’m in charge of making sure the estate is tidy, that the family is happy, and that the princess is all fine and dandy. Usually, that’s not so hard. I mop the floors, take out the garbage, wipe the windows, basically all the things in the Amelia Bedelia books that the titular maid does, but with none of the wordplay. So basically, I follow the list of tasks to the letter and hope that I don’t get any additional busy work. Today was unlike any other day though.\n\nToday, the king and the queen decided to embark on their weekly outing to the capital; thus, they entrusted me with the duty of taking care of the eight year old princess. As soon as they left, everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. The princess and I weren’t the only people left in the palace. The guards, the muscle in case my butler combat skills proved insufficient, were still roaming about, scanning the surrounding area for any intruders, especially the proselytizers of the Holy Noodliness. Everybody knows that the true God is the Holy Curriness, but I digress. Because the guards often have to deal with intruders, they keep a stockpile of heavy weapons in a hidden bunker somewhere on the grounds. Among the excessive amounts of weaponry in the arsenal, there are explosives, so many in fact that they are capable of blowing up an entire city if they all went off at once. You can imagine what happened, but I’m still going to tell you because that’s just more fun that way.\n\nYou know how little kids are attracted to fire? Well while I was turned away preparing the water for her daily sponge bath, she took a lighter from the kitchen and wandered out into the meadow. When I brought the steaming cauldron of bath water up to the bath, to my great displeasure, I noticed that she was missing. In a state of panic, I roamed all over the grounds, searching for her, hoping that she didn’t harm herself, so I won’t get fired. After running back and forth several times around the estate, I discovered her at the top of a giant pile of dynamite labeled “Property of the Royal Arsenal: DO NOT HOLD NEAR FLAME!” Lo and behold, the princess, in her chubby, outstretched hand, was gripping a lighter. What an insolent brat! I beckoned her to come down and in response, she leaned and stuck her tongue out. I stuck my tongue out back at her. She leans again, trying to do some weird monkey pose, but she lost balance, dropping the lighter.\n\n“Motherf-”\n\nThe entire estate went up in a giant mushroom cloud. I guess not only did the guards possess dynamite, but also freaking nuclear explosives. Everything was burnt to a crisp and whatever wasn’t ash at this point was coated black. I thought to myself, “I’m so losing my job for this.” The little brat lied next to me, her hair frazzled and her clothes grimy and covered in soot and ash. \n\n“Let’s do that again!”\n\nPredictably, her parents fired me the next day. I didn’t really care because I somehow survived a nuclear explosion and I’m grateful for that, but I’m still pretty miffed that I lost this cushy job because this dumb silly little girl thought it would be a good to put fire near a pile of explosives.\n\nBut who cares, I heard the organ trade was very lucrative this time of the year?\n",
"All her life, Princess Yanny had only known luxury. How to look pretty, how to preen herself in the most alluring way to suitors, how to be the perfect wife to an unknown prince or king. That was until the day the explosives showed up.\n\nStashed neatly in a nondescript wooden crate, with a simple word \"DANGER\" labelled on it, no one in the kingdom could make sense of the crate's contents. Nobody had a clue of why, of all places, the crate landed in the princess' chambers. The generals instantly suspected an assassination plot, while the court spy realised it could never be this simple. Yanny's father, that greying yet powerful man the kingdom knelt to, ordered the crate taken away, to be investigated by a secret cabal of scientists on the outskirts of the country's borders and in the back pages of its payroll. However, while the box was gingerly loaded onto a carriage for the journey, none of the guards questioned the princess' decision to board the carriage too. How could they? The only man who could question that decision was in the throne room.\n\nOnce she was on the outskirts, Yanny instantly felt the dirt. Not merely the dirt beneath her sparkly pink shoes, but also the dirt in the male scientists' ogling her, and the dirt in the ugly glares that the female scientists threw her. She was not welcome here, and if she was to be honest with herself, she didn't exactly know what was going on. But who could claim to know? She was determined to know, at least.\n\nAnd as she spent more time with the scientists, Yanny lived, ate, slept, worked as they did. Sure, she did accidentally drop a torch on one small stick taken from the crate, which promptly exploded, leaving everyone's ears ringing and her face covered with soot. The laughter from everyone in the room was more unnerving than the loud kaboom to Yanny, who had been taught all her life that being laughed at was a disgrace, but slowly she learned to laugh with them, instead of thinking they were laughing at her. And as her formerly pink dress gradually dulled to a homely light brown with days of grime and mud, Yanny's knowledge - not merely of explosives but also of who she was merely told were her subjects - grew. She knew not to disrupt the older gentlemen before their morning drink, she knew not to talk too much to the women who were at that time of the month, and she knew to not take the immature declarations of love from the younger men in the laboratory too seriously, among other things. No longer was she a mere prop, but an actively contributing member of this little enclave.\n\nBy the time a royal detachment reached the border of the country, they did not find a princess. Indeed, pairing up a princess with high explosives was not the best idea, but it was still a pretty damn good one. The woman who boarded the carriage back to the palace now held the secrets to the crate, and was ready to convince her father to continue the good work of her newfound colleagues in the pursuit of knowledge.",
"The plan of the fanatics could no have gone any better, Snipers took out the guards while men next to the road ambushed the car. A truck pulled along side the limousine and pulled the princess into one truck and the U.S. Senator into another. After the men cleared the area the crop duster dropped the home made bombs onto the convoy eliminating evidence of the kidnapping and allowing the fanatics to gain the head start they wanted. \n\nThe princess sat between the two men in the truck on the dusty road in Montana. \"So I have a question for you gentlemen.\" She looked at the men on either side of her and glanced at the four armed with rifles and an RPG in the bed of the truck. \"What do I do with this?\" She said as she lifted a grenade from under her shirt and the spoon flew away. \n\n**\\*\\*\\*\\*\\* Five years earlier \\*\\*\\*\\*\\***\n\n\"So I pull this pin.... \\*Click\\* and throw it towards what I want to explode?\" Princess Erin said holding the armed grenade in her hand. \n\n\"Yes.\" The soldier said trying to keep his nervousness in check. The Princess softly tossed the grenade over the entrenchment and knelled down, plugging her ears. The grenade exploded and shook the ground around them. \n\n\"Ooh that was fun!\" She giggled as she grabbed another grenade and repeated the action, throwing the explosive further than this time. \"Ha. This is great!\" She laughed as she repeated the exercise with two more grenades at the same time. \n\n\"Princess, that's enough grenades. Would you like to see the rest of the training grounds?\" The Sgt. suggested, motioning towards the vehicles. \n\n**\\*\\*\\*\\*\\* Today \\*\\*\\*\\*\\***\n\nThe driver at least had the sense to at least slow the vehicle down before jumping out, the passenger didn't wait and bailed immediately. The grenade flew through the back window as she layed down in the seat and covered her ears. The grenade exploded in the back and she waited two seconds to get control of the truck and bring it to a stop.\n\nTurning in the seat she grabs the RPG in the back and aims it at the truck behind her. \n\n**\\*\\*\\*\\*\\* Five years earlier \\*\\*\\*\\*\\***\n\n\"Yes please. Could we do some more training with these explosives. Ooh I want to fire a missile!\" She exclaimed. The soldiers looked around nervously hoping this wouldn't be a mistake but they took her around to train with the equipment. Artillery wasn't as fun for her until she was shown Time on Target barrage which excited her enough to cheer like a teenager, but firing one of the anti-tank missiles almost brought her to an hysterical giggle. With each high explosive she trained with that day the soldiers could see a spark of life come to her eyes and the wall of restraint fall away. \n\nAt the end of the day the restraint fell back into place as she thanked the soldiers for the demonstration of their equipment. The effects of the training would not show for some time after. \n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\* Today \\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\nThe truck behind her came to a stop as the men bailed out leaving the senator alone inside. \"Idiots.\" She said as she climbed out of the drivers seat, kicking the driver in the head and taking his pistol from him. \n\nOne man, screamed at the others not to shoot her because of how valuable she was. Pulling the pin from the nose of the RPG she fires it at the truck at the third truck before tossing another grenade in the ditch where several of the men were crouched down. Climbing into the drivers seat of the second truck she pulls out of the convoy and away from her kidnappers. \n\n\"How... where did you learn to do that?\" The Senator asked her in shocked disbelief. \n\n\"Oh, just a hobby I picked up a few years back.\""
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[WP] Tell the story of a man or woman who wakes up one day to find themselves the only person left on earth, all other hunans inexplicably vanished without trace
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"That night, Claudia wrapped her arms around her five year old son. He had been sick for the third time and she was struggling to remain calm for his sake. His skin was clammy and the moonlight that seeped through the curtains only made his sickly skin paler. He was breathing heavily against her chest, struggling to breathe through his blocked nose. The heat that radiated from his body made Claudia sweat even more, despite the cold Winter air drafting through the wide-open window. She continued to pat his head gently, eyes wide open staring at the moonlight spilling down the wall through the trees, onto her desk where her work laptop sat updating itself. Her wedding frame was too bright to spot the image inside. It was hard. She closed her eyes as stinging tears forced their way out, trying to forget the stupid idea that *he* would somehow come back to life. \n\nSleep had taken her away from her son. She remembered having his body in her arms and woke up to the window still wide open, the birds chirping outside and no sign of her little boy.\n\nShe jolted up and landed her wet feet onto the floor, her chest still wet as if he had been snug against her in the last couple of minutes. His heat was still there on her skin.\n\n'Luke, sweetheart?' she tip-toed into the en-suite, worried that she would startle him. He was a little jump-er, would freak out if he didn't see her walk into the same room. The amount of times he was in his own world and yelped when she attacked him with a ruffle to his hair.\n\nHe wasn't inside their bathroom.\n\n'Luke?' she turned around, panic throbbing. 'Sweetheart, where are you?'\n\nHe wasn't outside on the landing or in his bedroom or in the kitchen or the main bathroom or the study or the sitting room - he wasn't anyway. \n\nThe front door was still locked. The backdoor too. At the point of a panic attack, Claudia grabbed her mobile phone beside her work laptop and dialled the police, put the phone to her ear to hear static. Nothing but static. She dropped the phone to the floor and it clattered across the ground, battery off, sliding under the wardrobe out of reach. Claudia couldn't breathe - she raced down the stairs again to the front door and tried to pry it open, momentarily forgetting the keys hanging on the hook beside her.\n\nWhen she burst through the door outside, she was met with a quiet street. Cars on each side of the road, no occupants, vacant. She didn't have time to think about it.\n\nRunning breathlessly down the road, she looked down at her wrist as if her watch was still on, wondering why no one was around. They lived on a main road. It was never quiet. She couldn't stop the tears when she banged on the door to her neighbour's house, not concerned about frightening the old lady who resided inside. They had had their spats when her son would be wailing for his father which annoyed the old hag but she was the only person Claudia knew on the street. She attacked the door over and over with her fists, slamming her knuckles on the door over and over to no avail, the echo of the knocks willowing back behind her.\n\n'Somebody help me,' Claudia tried to scream out but her throat was too closed and her voice trickled out like a rotting whimper.\n\nShe stood back up and decided to try the next house which she knew was full of a large family of Asians. She rang the doorbell repeatedly before slamming her hands against the window. There was nothing. No sign of anyone, no movement, no life, no nothing. Their cars were parked on the road, every single one of them, still there. And no one was coming out.\n\nThere was still no car passing down the road. There was nothing.\n\nDefeat was pressing against her. She wiped her snot and tears from her face and decided to run to the police station, believing she'd see someone. Something. But there was no one. \n\nShe had passed hotels and apartments and shops and some where open, some places had lukewarm coffee sat on tables but there was not a single body, not a single person - nothing to show that she wasn't alone. No phones lying vacant across the streets, in open cars and in buildings had signal, no landlines worked, nor any televisions or radios. It was all static, all nothing. It was too much to bear. \n\nWhen she went outside again, the clouds overhead began to gather. She didn't know what the time was - all clocks appeared to have stopped. All she knew was she wanted her son back in her arms. \n\n'Is there anyone? Anyone at all... please?' she crouched down on the ground and hugged her legs, burrowing her face away from the world, sobbing alone, a sharp kitchen knife lying by her feet. She had picked it up from an open restaurant where the food inside ovens were half-done, fires off, electricity no longer working.\n\nWhen she found the strength to stand up again, she had made her decision. Her son had been unwell for a long time and no medicine seemed to take any effect. And he had disappeared. There was no one around. She had no reason to live. Loneliness was something she could not face, living for herself was something she couldn't imagine. She did not have the power to fight on, to find someone, to hope for something. Life had drained her of her own resolve. Once she had been the kind of person who would throw herself at the world head-first.\n\nWhen they were together, she was strong. She was strength itself. She had a reason to stay grounded in this world. The two would go for long drives across the country and enjoy odd nights in B&B's in villages and towns. They'd be sat on a bed facing an old television, legs tangled together, her head leaning on his chest, his hand patting her head. \n\nClaudia clutched at her chest and let out a loud shriek, wanting nothing more but his warmth again, the cold knife biting at her neck.\n\nAnd then they'd had him, their precious little monster. The two of them were tireless, caring for him during sleepless nights until one day, months after he returned to work, he was killed by a drunk driver when he was coming back from a late shift at the factory job he hated. Her flat was filled with flowers from well-wishers for months. He used to bring her flowers. \n\nHer son missed his daddy more than anything. He was two and used to wait at the front door. Seeing him upset when night after night, he wouldn't return hurt more than anything else in the world. But he still had her and she still had him. \n\nBut now she had nothing. So she closed her eyes, raised her shaking hands and heard their waiting laughter in her ears, the two of them, in her mind, together, with open arms.\n\n​"
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[WP] The world is in danger, a priceless artifact must be found in order to save it. you gather the four best suited to retrieve it. The chosen? Lara Croft, Indiana Jones, Benjamin Gates, and Dora the Explorer.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Great. ISIS. I hate these guys.\"\n\n\"Pretty sure no one likes them, Indy,\" Ben replied. \"Not my first time in a race for the treasure, but it's my first against a group so dangerous.\"\n\n\"Will you cut the chatter?\" Lara asked over the comm. \"Climbing up cliffs isn't easy, and you're distracting.\"\n\n\"Let's count the terrorists in Spanish!\" Dora interjected. \"*Uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco, seis*! That means six!\"\n\nThere was silence for a moment. \"Thank you, Dora,\" Indiana said, sighing. \"So Croft, what can you see?\"\n\nLara took out her binoculars and scanned over the cliffside. \"Looks like they're stuck at the door. Six of 'em. The girl was right... But no telling how many more there are.\"\n\n\"Any markings on the door?\" Ben asked.\n\nLara zoomed in. \"Yeah. There's a triangle with an eye in it, a hand, a pentagram...\"\n\n\"Ah-ha. Freemason symbols. This is definitely the place. If only I could get a closer look at the door...\"\n\nIndiana turned to Dora. \"Okay, kid, you're up. Can you create a distraction?\"\n\nDora smiled. \"This will be the hardest thing I've ever done! I'm going to need your help!\"\n\nIndiana slowly nodded. \"What do you need?\"\n\n\"Will you give me your gun?\"\n\n\"...Okay. I hope you know what you're doing.\"\n\n\"Gracias!\"\n\nDora ran in... or rather, walked at a clipped pace, getting the terrorists' attention. She raised the gun. \"Where are the terrorists?\" She shot several times, missing every one. \"There they are!\" She ran(?) off, the terrorists following, shouting in Arabic.\n\nBen and Indy ran in, while Lara climbed over the clifftop and rejoined the group. \"So what is this?\" Lara asked.\n\nBen pointed to several places. \"This refers to the Treaty of Tordesillas, written 1494, which divided newly discovered lands between the Portuguese Empire and what is now Spain. They divided up the new lands found by Christopher Columbus between them.\"\n\n\"Yeah, the Tordesillas meridian separated their claims.\" Indy nodded. \"This have something to do with the map on the floor?\"\n\nLara looked over it with an experienced eye. \"Yes. This is a puzzle map. If I know my tombs, we have to rearrange the pieces in some order pertaining to the Treaty of Tordesillas. The land masses look vaguely familiar...\"\n\nIndy pointed at one. \"This is part of Brazil. I worked a job there a few years back. It's hard to tell what the other pieces are, though.\"\n\n\"Yeah. They're labeled, but all the labels are in Spanish. I'm not going to be much help here,\" Ben said.\n\n\"Croft?\"\n\n\"If it was in Ancient Greek I could help you. You don't know Spanish, Doctor Jones?\"\n\n\"Portuguese, German, Japanese... but not Spanish.\"\n\n\"So... what are we going to do?\"\n\nIndiana growled. \"There's someone who knows Spanish here.\" He turned on his comm. \"Dora, get your ass down here!\"\n\n\"Looks like someone needs our help!\" Not expecting her to be there so soon, the three jumped. Dora only smiled. \"Did you know? In Spanish, *culo* means ass!\""
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[WP] You made a machine and tried to travel back in time but your machine broke and you got trapped in time. Now, you can travel to any year you want but you can't change anything. You are like a time travelling ghost.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Even though it happened so fast, I still remember every moment. The smell of smoke, a flash of light, a loud bang, and bam, I’d time travelled! Not very far, mind you...just a minute into the past. But, the feeling was exhilarating! Unfortunately, a few moments later, Mia’s scream brought me out of my euphoria.\n\nYou see, to go back in time, I’d needed to detach myself from the normal timeline. But, I hadn’t reattached myself. When I tried placing my hands on the walls of the now broken time machine, they simply passed through. When I tried calling out to Mia, she couldn’t hear me. And when I stepped in her way as she ran to check my crumpled body, she didn’t so much as bat an eye. I had become a ghost, and my former body an empty shell.\n\nBut I wasn’t the most distinguished physicist of my time for nothing. I resolved to fix my situation - after all, there wasn’t much else I could do. I had previously attempted to send various items back in time: many, many apples, my lab notebook and pen, and a mouse. Although most of the apples were reduced to seeds and the mouse was nowhere to be seen, my trusty pen and notebook were ready for my use.\n\nAnd so began the slog. I jotted down notes and complex equations to determine how I could possibly rectify my situation. Meanwhile, my trusty assistant Mia locked herself in the lab and toiled night and day between cups of coffee to figure out what went wrong. I pitied Mia, really. Without my valuable guidance and insights what could she hope to accomplish? Nevertheless, I appreciated the effort she put into understanding my brilliant work. \n\nIt was several weeks before I gave up. Even if I could figure out what went wrong, I didn’t have the means to manipulate any of the equipment. I would live out the remainder of my life as a ghost. \n\nI idled my time watching Mia as she worked around the clock. Incredibly, she seemed to actually understand my work. Perhaps I had misjudged her scientific acumen.\n\nThe breakthrough came a few weeks later. Mia was sitting at her desk, when she suddenly stood up, and loudly exclaimed “This it it! I’ve figured it out!” I ran over to see what she had jotted down.\n\nI couldn’t believe it. My *assistant* had figured out something I hadn’t. She would go on to win the Nobel Prize based on my work, while I would be relegated to the footnotes of the history books as a casualty in the path to progress.\n\nThe next few weeks were a blur of activity. I watched with awe as Mia altered new time machine to utilize her new breakthroughs. I felt a pang of regret as I realized I should’ve treated her more like a peer and less like an incompetent underling.\n\nThe day of the new test finally arrived. I watched with pride as Mia added some final touches to ensure her machine worked as intended. As she warmed the machine up, I took a look at the new configurations. I wanted to see how her breakthroughs would affect the final machine settings. \n\nAfter 5 minutes of searching, I realized with horror what had happened. Mia must have been so preoccupied repairing the time machine, she had forgotten to incorporate her new changes into the machine’s configurations. I realized with sorrow she would suffer the same fate as me if she attempted to time travel.\n\n“Ok, first test”, Mia said to no-one in particular as she loaded an apple into the machine. She pressed a button and poof, the apple detached itself from the normal timeline. I went over and picked it up. Presumably, Mia believed it had been teleported into an alternate timeline.\n\nWith trepidation, I watched as Mia altered some more settings, pressed a button, and entered the machine herself. \n\n“I hope this works,” she whispered as she closed her eyes.\n\nThe smell of smoke, a flash, and a loud bang later, and Mia opened her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed me, and with a huge smile, ran and greeted me an enormous bear hug.\n\n“I’m so glad you’re here! I can’t believe it worked!” she exclaimed.\n\n“I’m glad to see you too.” I said. “But I’ve got some bad news. The machine didn’t work. We’re now detached from the world. Look.”\n\nI placed my hands on the machine to show her we were like ghosts. To my surprise, however, my hands did not go through.\n\n“I know,” Mia grinned. “I wasn’t trying to go back in time. I detached our entire lab from the timeline. Together, I know we can come up with a solution to attach ourselves back.”\n\nI realized she was right. We had the tools, we had the willpower, and together we had the intelligence and knowledge to go back home. "
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[WP] The mischievous Cupid is back at it again. He’s found a perfect target, and fires the arrow. But just before it reaches him, the man in the trench coat and baseball cap turns and catches the arrow with his hand and simply says “No.”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Cupid is an insolent teenager, honestly.\n\nHim and his ridiculous “ships,” where he takes compromising photos of mortals and litters them with emojis, before throwing it onto his AbrosiaGram page. It’s truly obnoxious. Usually he’s chucking arrows at a middle school dance somewhere, but every now and then he heads to Central Park to annoy the joggers with sudden feelings for that instagram model teaching a yoga class.\n\nMost people can’t see him— only about 0.007% of mortals are aware of the gods who trifle with their respective earthly regions, and a lot of them become preachers or something. I, of course, couldn’t imagine becoming some sort of Greek-God priest. What would the bible be, the Percy Jackson series?\n\nIt’s raining in February, not that that’s strange. It’s the 12th, so Cupid is having just a grand time pulling matches out of his ass and making idiots fall in “love” that will last maybe a week, which, hey, at least they’ll have time to buy the discount Valentine’s chocolate to help with the breakup.\n\nPersonally, i’ve never had a crush. I don’t get “feelings” like that, neither natural nor with divine intervention. I’m on the asexual spectrum, and as cynical as I am, I’m truly happy not to have the experience of infatuation or romance. It’s an aspect of “normal” life that seems distracting, and what with my added divine distractions that I do my best to ignore (it is so weird to know that lighting storms are actually Zeus beating it), i’m happy to leave that to the other mortals.\n\nOf course, Cupid had to try it .\n\nThere he is, twirling on a fountain as I hustle along in my trench coat, attempting (and failing) to not get soaked, laughing obnoxiously and firing off little heart shaped arrows as the instagram model hustles a couple old ladies to shelter, while a poor man with an arrow to the soul works on hiding a *physical reaction* to Cupid’s powers. Which of course the little shit finds hilarious.\n\nI sigh, tugging my coat closer as the park empties, giving up on hurrying as I am now thoroughly soaked, when suddenly I freeze.\n\nI can feel his gaze on me. And I don’t like it.\n\nI can practically sense the arrow flying towards me, and I’m already feeling it’s effects before it’s even struck. It’s not a good feeling, foreign and just *wrong* to me. I glance over my shoulder, and its like I see it in slow motion as it approaches me, leaving behind a trail of disgustingly sweet hearts the shade of Pepto-Bismal. I reach out my hand, grabbing the stem, and throw an angry glare to the speechless entity.\n\n“*No.*”\n\nI look down at the arrow, shaking in my grasp, and I drop it in a puddle at my feet, wiping my hand on my coat as though it’s toxic. Which, it kinda is if you really think about it. I stalk up to Cupid, prepared to lecture him about asexuality and how he’s a fucking *god of love,* he should know better than to afflict people who literally should not and cannot feel that way, when his eyes light up and he says, “You can see me?” with dripping cheer.\n\nI’m a little shocked by this, and I just look at him pointedly. “Dude! That’s so rad...” he begins chattering about who knows what, and I sigh and rub my temples.\n\nIt’s going to be a long day."
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[WP] All psychologists are required to pack some serious heat in case an imaginary friend turns out real, and hostile.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Doctor Levin crossed himself one final time, patted down his chest to ensure his vest was on snugly, pulled the chin strap on his helmet as tight as he could get it, and took another look around his office, when he saw the letter opener lying on the edge of the table near the rubber trim that was installed to cover the wooden edges. It was too close to his 3:00 appointment to risk unlocking any of the drawers, or removing any of the padding to expose a hiding place for these possibly lethal tools.\n\n“Look out below.” He shouted as he slid the scissors through the bars of his window into the courtyard. He wasn’t to worried as he knew the area below his window was still marked off with crime scene tape from Doctor Ford’s unfortunate 11:00 this morning. \n\nThirteen years in Special Operations and he still felt a rush of anxiety when his youngest patients’ appointments came near. He knew it wasn’t the kids’ fault, things just liked to attach themselves to these kids, and it was his job to try to deal with it. As he strapped himself to the desk chair and looked below the keyboard as the row of sheaths holding tasers, knives, an ASP baton, and various pistols with differing ammunition for dealing with a variety of possible IMAG-F’s he felt as ready as he could be for the appointment. He pressed the mic button by his throat twice, signaling to his receptionist that she could initiate the series of airlocks that would allow his next patient to reach his office. \n\nThe display across his office showed a green dot slowly move forward, pause, and move again. No screams came across the comms. No explosions, crashes, or scraping, maybe this one would not be so bad. \n\nIn compliance with common psychiatric Standard Operating Procedures he removed the safety from his claymore detonator while the patient was still a few minutes up the hall. Nothing was less professional than to still be prepping explosives while the patient was present after all. \n\nWith a few deep breaths Doctor Levin finally the button to unlock his inside door and allow the patient access to the one-way mirrored box where he would spend the bulk of today's session. \n\n“Good Afternoon Timmy, how are you feeling today, I hope today’s session can be more productive than last weeks.“ He began, honestly just hoping it was in anyway different than last weeks, he wasn’t sure he could handle that much blood loss twice in one month.\n\n“I’m great Doc, me and Toby were so excited to see you again today. He said he had a special new game to teach you.”\n\nDoctor Levin leaned back slightly in his chair to think about how to respond to that. Then he felt the moist heat of breath on his neck...",
"The red heels of the Psychiatrist clicked on the twisted halls, echoes lazily curling back to her. At a crossroads, she stopped -- looked to her left, then to her right, then straight ahead at the wall.\n\n\"Elizabeth,\" she said, softly. \"Can you hear me?\"\n\n*Elizabeth*, her echoes said. *Can you hear me?*\n\nAfter a sharp breath, the Psychiatrist glanced over her shoulder, then rummaged through her purse. She pulled out a fluorescent lollipop and held it like a flashlight in front of her.\n\n\"You'd think -- \"\n\nShe whirled to see nothing. A rapid tapping of dress shoes carried behind her, and she spun again. But, again, the sound moved to her back. This time, she elected to stare straight ahead at the wall, the lollipop hanging uselessly in her hand.\n\n\"You'd think,\" the voice whispered, \"that a woman of your -- *knowledge* \\-- would not bring light here.\"\n\n\"Who are you?\"\n\n\"But mayhaps you didn't think so well, did you, hmm?\"\n\nA cold breath slunk beside the Psychiatrist's ear.\n\n\"What,\" asked the Psychiatrist, coolly, calmly, \"is your name?\"\n\n\"Are you *new*?\" the voice hissed. \"Is that why -- \"\n\nSomething wet touched her neck.\n\nShe flinched.\n\nThe voice's body slammed against hers, and she managed just enough sideways momentum to land in the left corridor. The two of them rolled, thrashing against each other, and the Psychiatrist saw its face: normal, attractive features, all out of order on pale white skin.\n\nOne of its eyes eyes glared at her from its spot on the thing's chin, and the other widened on his forehead as she jabbed a finger into it.\n\nThe Friend hissed in anger more than pain. With a vicious grunt, it flung its knee down on her abdomen.\n\nThe lollipop left her hand and slid across the floor, and the two of them realized it at the same time.\n\nThe Friend scrambled off the Psychiatrist. She caught its leg, only to have all the flesh crumble to maggots in her soft hands.\n\n\"Ew, ew, ew,\" she chanted, clawing with perfectly-manicured fingernails at its well-tailored waistcoat.\n\nIgnoring her disgust, she dug into its back, reaching for a spinal cord as it floundered against her. She caught hold of it and pulled, dragging it backward. Its body slid heavily across the floor.\n\nShe snatched the lollipop and shot to her feet.\n\n\"Don't,\" she warned, chest heaving. \"Don't move.\"\n\nThe Friend's lips, placed horizontally where its nose should've been, parted in a scowl.\n\n\"You wouldn't,\" it snarled. \n\nShe gripped the stick of the lollipop as though it were the pin of a hand grenade.\n\n\"Oh, but I would.\"\n\nAnd then she pulled, and dropped the candy, and -- as though it were a hand grenade -- the Psychiatrist ran for her life.\n\n\\#\n\n\"Nice trip to dreamland, Dr Hazel?\"\n\n\"Oh?\" The Psychiatrist looked up at Elizabeth's father. \n\nAround her, the room came into being -- plush armchair, empty in front of her desk, stacks of paper scattered about her elbows. She touched her hair, which had earlier been in a neat bun, and found strands of hair drooping messily from it.\n\nShe looked back up -- at Elizabeth's father.\n\n\"Oh!\" she said. \"My apologies. I've been quite busy these -- well, these past few weeks, and I -- \"\n\nElizabeth's father waved a hand dismissively. \"I'm sure.\"\n\nThe Psychiatrist uncrossed her legs, realized she was missing one red heel, and tried surreptitiously to cross them again. \"Oh?\" she repeated.\n\n\"Yes, I -- well, it's the most miraculous thing, but Elizabeth's nightmares seem entirely cured! Her imaginary friend's suddenly nowhere to be found.\"\n\n\"Is that so? A benefit of growing up, maybe.\"\n\n\"Or the work of a good psychiatrist,\" said the father. He smiled warmly at her. \"Really, I can't thank you enough.\"\n\n\"I'm only glad she's better.\"\n\nThe father hefted his messenger bag against his shoulder, then toed the hardwood floor in the spot between the lobby and the Psychiatrist's office. \"Well, I'd best be going now,\" he said. \"My thanks again.\"\n\n\"Certainly,\" said the Psychiatrist. As he turn to leave, she then remembered something. \"Oh -- and, Mr Coulson?\"\n\n\"Yes?\"\n\n\"Lollipop?\" She held out the jar of them, and smiled. \"For Elizabeth.\"",
"I was surprised to see my next patient. And relieved as well. She was a little girl, with blonde hair and a pink tutu, who skipped into my room and bounced up onto the therapy chair then store at me with innocently curious wide blue-eyes. \n\nHer legs swung back and forth lazily.\n\nI smiled. \"Hello, little gi-\"\n\nSomething flashed. Out of instinct, I reached for my gun but it was too late. It wouldnt have mattered if I was quicker anyway. The gun had been taken. \n\nAnd now it was pressed into my temple by a being I couldnt see.\n\nThe girl was frowning. \"Big girl,\" she said.\n\nSweat trickling down my bald palate, I swallowed painfully and rasped, \"What?\"\n\n\"I. Am. A. *Big*. Girl,\" she said. \n\n\"Okay. Yeah.\" I nodded. \"Big girl.\"\n\nShe narrowed her eyes at me for a second as if deciding whether to trust me, then she smiled.\n\nThe gun didnt move from my temple, though.\n\n\"You have another patient here,\" she said, looking towards the door suddenly, \"with abilities like mine.\" The corner of her mouth twitched upward. She looked like a psychotic Barbie doll. \"Ooo,\" she whispered. \"And he's powerful, too. *Real* powerful.\"\n\n\"Well, doc,\" she said, jumping off the couch and heading for the door. \"Gotta go.\"\n\n\"Wait-\"\n\nI heard the gun cock.\n\nI squeezed my eyes shut.\n\nIt fired.\n\nIt never hit me. \n\nI opened my eyes. \n\nThe girl was looking over her shoulder in surprise.\n\nI glanced to my right.\n\nThe bullet point was a millimeter from my temple.\n\nTwo fingers kept it still.\n\nTwo fingers that led to the body of a handsome man with dark features.\n\nThen a boy stepped into view, standing in front of the girl.\n\nShe snapped her head forward to look at him.\n\n\"You want me,\" he told her. \"Leave him\" - referring to me - \"out of it.\"\n\n\n\n"
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Credit: u/gageboi8
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[WP] You die and instantly wake back up when humans from 10,000 years in the future have figured out a way to revive people with the smallest trace of bone or DNA. You don’t feel the passing of time at all.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I died 10,000 years ago, or so I'm told. The reality is that I don't know. I was diagnosed with cancer in the second half of my 40s, and it really made things difficult for my wife and I. We eventually came to terms with it, at least on the surface, and we decided one quiet night to make the most of things, no point running away. We really tried our hardest--I know I did, and I know *damn* well my wife did too, hearing her cry in the bathroom when she probably thought I was asleep. It hurt me like hell to see her like that, but we both did our best to embrace the end of my life, going on trips to remote places, talking to strange and incredible people, seeing aurora after aurora.\n\nAnd then I woke up--I *think* I woke up--in a strange land with strange smells and strange colors. I was scared out of my mind when I first saw it all, but after I managed to calm down, I was told that I died 10,000 years ago, and that by a miracle of God they had managed to find a skin flake with a usable strand of DNA wedged in the dusty remains of a book, some nameless mass of paper remnants that were only barely being held together somehow. They said that all previous traces of humanity were lost in the Truh-boo-gray? God, I couldn't even figure out what they were saying.\n\nCould you even call them people? How could man change so drastically, so fundamentally. I thought it had to have been a trick of the light, of the Devil, of something. It couldn't have been reality, but somehow deep down I knew it was. Our bodies are amazing, you know. I was able to adapt so quickly to something so absurd.\n\nThey asked me so many questions, and I went to so many places. I'm sure I spoke a lot, and I'm sure I witnessed so many incredible things, but you know what? My brain sort of just shut down after a certain point. I think I was still telling them things, but I felt like my consciousness just evaporated after a while, surrounded by all the incomprehensible lights and sounds. I don't know what I can do anymore except desperately trying to hold on to the the fragments of memory in my mind--to the even-now deteriorating moments that my wife and I had worked so hard to make a reality in our small, quiet corner of the world. Like when I failed making cheesecake and she laughed at me, when we celebrated her birthday in the Bahamas, when we got a new dog… or was it a cat…\n\nI just want to go home.\n"
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[WP] First contact wasn't a planetary visitation or scientists discovering signals from the stars, it was two pen pals with no idea just how vast the distance between them really was.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"\n'How was your day-'\n\n'Hey, long tim-'\n\n'Hearing from you-'\n\nAah! Got it!\n\n'Hey. I just got your message. It was in my filters. I'd like to get to know you too. I like to talk to people a lot! My name is Klach. Romak is just my email name because my father doesn't allow me to use internet for fun and I've to come on during the nights with a fake name. Where are you from by the way? I'm from Spiti. It's a nice little place in the Southern part. Hope to see your message soon.'\n\nYeah, this! This is the one! It said Spiti. Note it down!\n\n'Hey, I'm from-'\n\nNope.\n\n'Oh India? I've never heard of such a place. I guess it's in the northern part. I'd like to go to the northern part. People say nice things about it. Once I get to legal age, I'll go anywhere I want. It's nice-' blah blah blah.\n\"Sorry I couldn't message you for this long. I got... beat up... by my dad. He saw my emails and he got very angry and he also grounded me for these 2 months. Now he's calmed down and he's okay now. Hopefully he won't be able to find out this time. I'm being super secretive this time. Anyway, let's not get sappy and tell me how has been your time?'\n\n...\n\n'Dude! If you got beat up for using this, then don't use it! I don't want you to get beaten up because of me! It's not right! We'll be fine without talking.'\n\n'It's my choice that I talk to you! I'd get beaten up but I don't care! I wanna talk to you! This is the only time of day where I feel alive and happy and I don't care about my father. I'll handle him but please don't leave this beautiful thing we have.. this thing that I have!' \n\n..\n\nThere are no more messages after this. \nDr. Gokul, how do you wanna proceed?\"\n\n\"I'm sorry. It's a sad story but this is our first and the closest we've been to an extra-terrestrial being. We can't lose this opportunity. \"\n\n\"As you say.\"",
"One night when I was ten years old, I noticed a small window pop up in the corner of my family's computer. It was an interface I'd never seen before, but boundless possibilities springing up in my head, I clicked on it with little hesitation. A blank white panel suddenly appeared, I remember, and on it, a single message.\n\nY: Hello?\n\nMy mind was ever adventurous, and to that inquisitive word I typed, trying to be silent as to not wake my parents:\n\nA: Hi\n\nThat was my first encounter with Y.\n\nWe talked often in the following months, talking about things like hobbies and where we lived. I would tell him:\n\nA: I live in Ohio. It's kind of boring, but there's a cool river nearby. I like to go there because it's quiet and no one goes there.\n\nand he would respond:\n\nY: I've never heard of Ohio. I'm from Rexgh, and there are no rivers near my house I think. But I also love quiet places. And many times I like to go there to think.\n\nHe would always talk about the strangest things and concepts, places and activities I'd never heard of. The world is so big, it made me think, yet despite all the differences, I felt closer to him then any of the real people in my own life.\n\nWe quickly started to take what the other said without question, marvelling at how different our lives were. I especially loved hearing about his pet. He said that where he was from, pets didn't have names, but his pet was twice as big as him and could carry him quickly across his home. I asked if it was quick like lightning, but when he seemed unsure as to what lightening was, I had no idea how to describe it.\n\nY was just like me, I slowly started to realize. He was never able to make any friends, and all of the people in his class (\"pod,\" he called it) would ignore him. His family also didn't listen to him, and many times he wasn't able to eat, because his brothers and sisters pushed him out of the way. I thought that was horrible. Even though my mom and dad were always mean, I was at least able to eat.\n\nOne day, though, Y started to talk differently, and I noticed this, so I asked what was wrong. What he said next contained a lot of words, names, and places I could never hope to understand, but at the end of it all, to which I watched quietly, he typed:\n\n\"I have to go now. My parents don't like that I can't become good enough, so they are making me leave the colony. I will do my best to become stronger so we can talk again.\"\n\nI didn't understand what any of it meant, but it sounded final and I hated that with every inch of my body. I didn't want him to leave of course, but my thoughts had no effect on the cruel rapids of an unfeeling reality. That would never change.\n\nI waited for him to respond for months following that message, but it never came. Eventually, my dad caught on to how I was going on the computer at night, and the scars that resulted ensured that I would never look at a computer the same way again.\n\nI left that household behind a long time ago, and I'm slowly rebuilding my life, though. Step by step, I do my best to create a future for myself that no one seemed willing to give me before.\n\nSometimes the memories of my youth come rushing back, and I search enormous maps for where the ephemeral town of Rexgh might reside, but like lightning, it only exists as a bright light burned into my memory.\n\nEven if I never find it, though, I'm certain Y is still trying his hardest to survive and find me as well."
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[WP] Homo sapiens (humans) go from ‘least concern’ to ‘endangered’ on conservation status.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"From Space, the KinKin scientists overlooked the browning planet. Kin-Ri, the chief scientist, rubbed a long slender finger against the top of his temple. He keep glancing from his dataslate to the Planet and then back to to the dataslate. His finger slid down his purple skin, the tip of his fingernails leaving a green mark on the side of his face. \n\nHe clasped his ten-fingered hands together. Twenty fingers interwoven together in a complex motions. \n\nAnother KinKin scientist, signaled back, “This is earth.”\n\nKin-Ri’s longest finger traced a line of glimmering lights on the face of his datasheet. The planet there blazed with light from the great cities. The planet before him was Black save for the soft glow of the moon.\n\nAs the space-orb rotated around the dying planet, Kin-Ri expected to a see a vast array of green and blue with a dash of golden sand. However as the station orbited, everything turned into a barren brown. \n\nKin-Ri could feel his skin sag as a great sadness swept over him. He gazed at the brown, searching the dust heap. He felt familiar fingers dance over his back, rubbing the drooping sadness out of his skin.\n\nThey were relying a message, “If the humans are still alive, we can save them.”\n\nKin-Ri singalled back, “But who can save their planet.” \n\n\\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nKin-Ri was the first to board the landing shuttle, followed by half a dozen slender scientists. He stood at the front of the shuttle looking at the planet. \n\nFamiliar fingers tapped his shoulder playfully. \n\nHis hands replied, “Kin-So, how could they wait so long to send us.”\n\nKin-So replied, “Some in the senate didn’t want Earth to be saved. Even now, some are trying to pull us back. They say it’s right the earth should turn to dust, it’s natural.”\n\nKin-Ri’s fingers trembled, “Another sentient species on the brink of destruction because of our foolishness.”\n\n“Their Foolishness,” she corrected him. Her finger arched across the glass, “Think of all the intelligence we have yet to discover. All the mighty civilizations which formed and then returned to Dust because of foolishness.”\n\n“If only we could have taught them Wisdom. If only we had been allowed to come sooner.”\n\nShe rested her head in his hand and smiled. “We have come now,” she said.\n\n\\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nThe box shuttle landed at each indication of life. Kin-Ri and Kin-So led expeditions among the decaying landscape. They wandered from through piles of fallen leaves and wilted grass. They dredged along river choked with silt. When they dug into the soil, insects slivered through the rubble. But the soil returned no humans to them. \n\nFinally, they found a light shining from a rocky cliff beside the sea. They landed their ship at the top of the outcropping. \n\nKin-Ri departed the ship and walked along the rocks. The found the light shining into the sky. A cord ran among the pebbles to the shore. Kin-Ri and Kin-So followed the cable. On the sand the cable turned back around into a crack within cliff-wall.\n\nKin-Ri signalled at the slim passage. Kin-So grabbed a heat detector strapped at her waist. She held it toward the tunnel. A screen showed the outline of moving forms, humans forms.\n\nKin-Ri’s hands wrapped around Kin-So’s hands. The detector fell the the sand. Their hands pulsed together for a joyous moment. Before their hands disconnected, Kin-Ri said, “You stay here.” Then Kin-Ri turned toward the cave, and strapped on a protective suit. \n\nBefore he entered the crack, Kin-So signalled, “Don’t scare them.”\n\nKin-Ri signalled good-bye and entered the cave with the detector in hand. He followed the heat signatures through slim moss covered corridors. He brushed his hands against the green moss. He felt its burning life. Eventually, he found a large metal slab.\n\nHe pulled a translator out of his suit and held it in his hands. Then, his fingers rapped against metal. The sound filled the cavern. \n\nThe door stood still.\n\nHis finger worked the translator, “Hello Humans, I am a scientist from outer space. I come in peace. I am here to save you. Please open your door. I am tall with purple skin. I don’t want to frighten you.”\n\nThe translator continued to drone assurances until the door finally opened. Two pale faces watched him with awe.\n\nKin-Ri reached out a hand. Their hands touched. The humans allowed the alien to enter.\n\n\\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\nThe humans told him how a weaponized disease swept across the land. The humans reassured Kin-Ri that other humans survived in hidden bunkers across the land. They would help Kin-Ri find them. \n\nAs they left the bunker together, the detector faced the shore. Kin-Ri could make out the sweet outline of Kin-So. \n\nShe was sitting on the ground monitoring his progress. To her left, three shorter Silhouettes approached her slowly.\n\nKin-Ri hands grasped at the translator. It boomed, “Are there more humans here.”\n\nA small brown haired human frowned, “They went hunting for food.”\n\nKin-Ri dropped the translator, and rushed to the shore.\n\nWhen he exited the tunnel, he saw three humans standing around the fallen body of Kin-So. Green fluid leaked for her skin, her hand were shriveled in tight balls.\n\nKin-Ri’s hands smashed together sending a boom across the sand. The humans turned toward him startled and began raised a weapon. The projectile glanced harmlessly off his suit. \n\nKin-Ri’s hands twitched as he walked toward the humans. Another bullet, fell into the sand. Just before he reached them, he heard a scream from behind, “Don’t hurt them.”\n\nThe humans looked at him terrified. He had only reach out his hands and could crush their skulls. But, he didn’t. He pushed them aside, and fell beside Kin-So. His skin sagged to the dirt as his hands picked up her lifeless fingers. \n\nThe humans formed a group behind him. He could hear one of them explaining to the others. Kin-Ri picked up Kin-So and headed back to the ship with the humans on his heels."
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[WP]You are a great surgeon but when you have a patient that can't make it through with the power of modern medicine, you tattoo their name on your body. The tattoo is a forgotten ritual that extends the life of the patient in exchange for a portion of your life span.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Dana was failing. Her hair, once long and full, hung in matted clumps, tangled and limp. Crispen, a man born of science but mystical in nature, knelt beside her. He traced his long fingers along her near-transparent skin as she struggled for breath. \n\n\"The docs say the marrow transplant failed.\" he whispered. \n\nFor the first time since he entered the room, her eyes met his. He could see she still resisted the aid he offered.\n\n\"It's so easy,\" he said, \"Just pin pricks. A walk in the park compared to a transplant.\"\n\nShe shook her head. A few weeks ago, before her strength left, she refused to consider his \"magic.\" She was young, soon to be wed and hoped to have children. His craft was little understood and tinkered with elements born from the beginnings of life itself. \n\n\"There are no more options, Dana. You'll be dead soon. A dead, single, childless woman who could have lived a full, happy and rich life. I won't harm your children. I love offspring. Conception to,\" he paused, \"I'm pro creation, Dana. You know that.\"\n\nDana pulled away from his touch. His fingers felt like sandpaper, making microscopic slices in her skin at every pass. She looked deeper into his eyes. They were dark, mysterious. He opened his eyelids more so she could peer in. \n\n\"You don't trust me. You don't trust these lovely, deep pools of primordial oozey eyes?\" \n\nHe drew a tight scowl and threw his bony nose in the air in prudish mockery.\n\nSoftening again, he looked back to her. \"You can always adopt. In fact, maybe knowing what you know about yourself, maybe that's something you should have considered anyway. Your mom, her mom, her mom's mom, diu noctuque didn't know until it was too late. So it comes to you, burden and decision.\"\n\nDana asked him to stay quiet for one minute. She closed her eyes and turned her thoughts inward. It was the day after her 32nd birthday when she learned. Her mom died at 35. Her grandmother, 33. Their illnesses were diagnosed. But how far back did early death reach in her family? Why condemn her children to the same fate?\n\n\"Okay, cocksucker. I'll do it. And if I have children, no tricks. They get to live normal lives. No funny business from you.\"\n\nCrispen smirked then gloated. \"Great. You'll be fine, better than fine. And you'll be famous. Of course we'll keep your name secret, you and I. While we can, anyway. But when word gets out, that'll be hard to do. Eventually it'll calm down for you. Hell, I don't even know if people are familiar with Dolly anymore.\"\n\nCrispen didn't waste time. He pointed to the spot he had previously rubbed on her arm. \"Right here, that's where you'll get my name. I'll put your name here,\" he pointed to his right eyeball, \"I'll take some of your blood,\" he said as he stuck a needle into her arm, \"because all of this has to be done real personal-like.\"\n\nDana watched Crispen load her blood into a cylinder protruding from gun-like stainless steel tool. \n\n​\n\n\\*\\*\\*\\* sorry - out of time - gotta go \\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n​"
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[WP] "Hey, I think I've been productive today! I mean, I robbed a house, killed a man, made the mafia and the police all switch roles, and now, I've finally managed to bake cookies without burning down the house! It's improvement!" "You are a disgusting, despicable human being."
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[
"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"**“Aw shucks. You really know how to make a guy’s day spidey,”** our favourite Merc with a mouth gushed.\n\nSpider-Man slammed his hand onto his forehead as Wade wrapped him in a tight hug. He shot out a web towards a trash can securing it on the lid and pulled it towards him.\n\nThe metal disc slammed into Deadpool’s head remaining stuck there.\n\n**“You even got me a present?!? You shouldn’t have! :”D”**\n\n“Can you please get off of me? Before I slam you?”\n\n**“Usually my dates take me out a few more times before we get to that stage. But for you I’d do anything ;D”**\n\nWade let go of his involuntary friend and pried off the trash can lid in his head sending some brain matter flying everywhere. \n\n\nr/PsyionicWrites "
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[WP] You're a complete shut-in who can't stand clocks, in fact you haven't looked at one in years and have since lost track of time entirely. One day you try to leave your house only to realize theres nothing there. Somehow you managed to ignore time itself, and now live outside it.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Jim's hand starts to cramp, but it doesn't mater - it is time to let go. Time - this is the first time he's thought about it in... well, he really isn't sure, as he hasn't been thinking about time. But he lets go anyway, and the sails stay put. The glue has successfully set on the little masts on the tiny ship in the ornate bottle. He hefts the bottle lovingly, and carefully sets it into position - next in line.\n\nWhile rubbing the stiff knots out of his hands, he looks at his collection. 1,837, now. Each in its own distinctive bottle. Each a unique vessel. Sloops, galleys, frigates, triremes - nearly every type of ship to travel by sail is somewhere in a bottle in this basement room.\n\nWith a satisfied sigh, Jim gets up from his stool, and shuffles to the supply cabinet. He's ready to begin his next - maybe a ketch. His footfalls barely stir the musty air. Alas, he finds no new bottles, and far too little wood remains. He stands, hunched and motionless, unsure of what to do now. All he's done in... however long it has been, was make these ships. Nothing else, not since he smashed the clocks because she had loved them.\n\nThis thought gets him moving - he shuffles in double time away from the cabinet, as if he can outrun his memories. But when he reaches the bedroom, to begin dressing to go out, he finds he can not avoid them so easily. Had it only been six years? Not since he left the house - he has no idea how long has passed, down in the workshop. It was only six years that she had walked the Earth. Six years that she had brightened his heart.\n\nBrown shoes. Brown pants. Tan shirt. Focus on the immediate, the simple - remembering the past is too painful. He tries to drown it out with mundanity. Loop, swoop, and pull. But these simple distractions aren't enough - and a crystal-clear image pops into his mind.\n\nThe fall light shining behind her, wrapping paper all around. A smile brighter than the sun as she puts on her first watch; a dancing ballerina whose arms tell the hour. The memory is sharp as jagged glass, and cuts just as deep.\n\nJim tries to focus on his keys, as a simple distraction from this pain - but as he holds them before his eyes, their gentle swing becomes that of a pendulum. He sees again her face, watching with simple, unadulterated joy, as the grandfather clock swings metronomically through the hours. The sinusoidal rhythm of its own weighted pendulum matches, for a moment, that of his keys - and he throws them in sudden anguish.\n\nAutism, they said. She used no words, but her happiness needed no words. It was as clear as a neon sign, as long as she could watch a clock. Digital wouldn't do - it had to spin or tick or swing. And he'd indulged her - it seemed the least he could do, since cancer had taken her mother and a disorder had taken her speech. For a time, then, his life was full of her smiles and the ticks of clocks. But autism turned out to be the least of her ailments.\n\nFinally, he finds the keys he had thrown, and heads for the door. Outside it is night. No, darker than night - pure blackness. Maybe less than blackness. Jim pauses on the threshold, and looks back. There are no clocks in there now - every tick, every whir, every swing of the pendulum was a reminder of the minutes, hours, days, and years that had been stolen from her. He had smashed them all - they would never bring light to her face again anyway. But even without the clocks, he couldn't go back in there. Not without supplies for more ships. The pain was too present.\n\nSo he headed out into the less-than-darkness. Only losing himself in his glass-encased navy could distract him from the loss. He couldn't refill his heart, but he could at least fill bottles with ships. But where could he find more parts? He couldn't see a thing.\n\nHe mumbles about needing light, as he shuffles to and fro, for uncountable time-outside-of time. If he just had light, he could find more supplies. He feels it, eventually - a change. There *is* light now. He can't see it - there is nothing for it to illuminate. But there is light and darkness now.\n\nWhat next? What do ships need? Seas, to sail. And ports of call. And so he separates land from the sea....\n\n​\n\nYou can read more of my work at /r/TheFeshyWords",
"There was nothing there when I opened the door. When I say nothing, I mean there was no light and no discernable ground upon which to step. If I was to try and describe what might have happened, I would think that maybe I had lost track of time entirely to the extent that I now live outside time itself. Certainly my lack of internet connectivity and cell service could be explained by this assumption. I decided I needed to turn my house into a time travel device, as I had only 3 days of food and water to survive on. I had one thing going for me. I was a micro-biologist. After converting the house into a time-machine over the next few days I was ready to launch the time-house into uncharted territory. I tapped the date, time and location into my house time-control panel, and hit the 'go' button. Nothing happened. Later I succumbed to dehydration, and died.",
"Mind over matter. That’s what they say right? If that’s true it explains how I got here. However, it doesn’t explain why I can’t get back. Mind over matter. I’ve repeated that mantra back to myself for all my life.\n\nAt least I think I did; truth be told I’m starting to wonder if I ever lead a life. If those old thoughts, daydreams, and nightmares of a life lost aren’t just that. Distorted delusions of a world I never lived in, a life I never had.\n\nRemembering from the beginning can help dissuade these distraught thoughts. That and reading. But I’ve run out of books on rhyme, and these days works of fiction make me feel—something—I’d rather not feel. \n\nI spent a lifetime avoiding clocks and the very concept of time. I found it to be a distraction that only served to rush. And rushing was a hinderance, a liability, a risk. It was what killed my father. As he was always hurrying to finish his sculptures. Always avoiding frivolous safety concerns. So, that’s how I found him. Working on one of his sculptures, smothered beneath it, skin turned purple. “Crushed by his art one last time” my mother said.\n\nShe was always a bit crass. A bit blunt and jaded, I think that’s why my father loved her. She was a physicist, the polar opposite of him. Rigid, strict, and pessimistic. However, she still had a sense of compassion, an obligation to aid her fellow man. A purity of heart that somehow bloomed in the festering soil of the intellect that most usually births flowers of indifference and disdain. \n\nSo I thought to myself, mind over matter, as I dipped and dodged time as best I could in life. Living by no schedule, no appointments, no regulations or consistency. Admittedly I was a bit of a shut in. But I felt free without time constricting me. However, after having done so for so long, I must not have noticed when I dived and ducked my way out of time and right into what I call the absence. \n\nMind over matter right? The absence has been my home for I don’t know how long now. It feels like years. But I haven’t aged. I haven’t gotten hungry or thirsty, I haven’t even needed to use the bathroom. I wander the absence alone. I’ve never seen another person here; in fact, I’ve never seen animals here either, not even insects. The only living things here depend on your definition of living. To most grass and trees and every other plant wouldn’t constituent as “life”. And the of course there’s me, but who knows where that lies on the line.\n\nEven stranger, The Absence doesn’t seem to follow the laws of physics my mother spent her lifetime fretting over. I had once thrown a ball and watched as it (presumably) left the atmosphere. Shattered glass would float outward for ever. Gravity here seemed fickle. Objects subjected to external forces ignored gravity’s grasp. And yet I remained suctioned to the planet, even after a few hearty hops. Gravity, to me, felt fine. I spent a lot of time analyzing how differently physics played out in The Absence. I think my mother would have loved that.\n\nIt’s strange. Thoughts of my family always bring me drifting back to my old home. The home where my mother still lived, where my father had died. Where she hid his sculptures away in an old dilapidated greenhouse outback. I’d never gone in that greenhouse. Not in my old life and certainly not in The Absence.\n\nI wandered the The Absence for so long I wound up somewhere in Nepal, before homesickness once again drove me back. It took months. Maybe even years to make it back home. I walked across both the ocean and continents. In truth I’d lost my way more than once. But I eventually found it. That old three story sanctuary. Where I learned to love the stories of Vonnegut as a young man. Where my mother showed me Cosmos and A space odyssey for the first time. Where I fell in love with imagination. Where I found my father crushed and lifeless. And of corse there stood the greenhouse. Untouched by man or time alike. \n\nI entered it for he first time in either of my lives. Greeting me was the sculpture my father was killed by. I’d never noticed what it was. Or maybe I did and just blocked it out. In front me stood a massive pocket watch composed of hundreds of other clocks and watches. Even with goosebumps covering every inch of me I couldn’t help it. “Breathtaking” I thought with a light chuckle. My mother would’ve loved that too. And of course the sculpture was surely for my mother. She loved clocks, a physicists fetish, I’m sure. But as I rounded the clock I’d seen something that returned an old feeling. A feeling I hadn’t experienced since I had first found myself in The Absence. Overwhelmed. I’d dropped to my knees, tears began to well in my eyes, carved into the back of the watch was the phrase, “Mind over matter” and a small platinum and gold embroidered pocket watch was duct-taped beneath it. It was for me. He knew. My father knew.\n\nI reached out, my tears clouding my vision and staining the ancient tiles. And as I ripped the smaller pocket watch off the sculpture and opened it up a sound came to me. Calm and sweet, tender like a birds song; the ticking of a watch. I was home.",
"(Constructive criticism is welcome) \n\n\nW-what? How did this happen? Am I outside of time?” She said as she looked outside into the timeless abyss.\n\n\nShe stepped back into her small brick house closing the door behind her.\n\n“Is this what happens when you ignore time?”\nShe yelled thinking she was alone, oh but that, that was a lie and yes I am not your narrator. This slender, young woman has entered MY timeless realm. It is time to introduce myself..\n\n“Yes it is, now what are you doing here?” A voice said that seemingly echoed around\n\n“I-Is someone here?” Her voice now shook as I appeared, I too was human but I have learnt how to control this timeless realm. \n\n“That doesn’t answer my question, who are you” the figure in the shadows asked\n\n“I-I’m Lizzy But you can call me Liz” She answered shakily\n\nOf course I have to somehow return her to time but how? Well I must introduce myself now. Of course your narrator has been narrating a bit.\n\n“Well then Liz are you from here? You look like you’re just came.” The figure stepped out of the shadows revealing a woman with black clothes that had glowing lines on it. Her hair was black and in a bun she stopped in front of the table Liz was sitting at.\n\nOh just before we continue, your narrator forgot to give you the picture of what the room looks like, the walls are a ugly gray. The floor however is a beautiful marble floor it’s quite a big room for such a small table, there’s paintings on the walls as well. It’s nice enough. \n\nHey we’re still writing the story, so I forgot a bit that’s okay.\n\nLet’s resume.\n\n“No, I don’t even know where here is.”\n\nAt this moment I had a idea, I’ll send her back using a clock, I have the materials for one.\n\n“This is my timeless realm, I’ve never been to Earth since 1678”\n\n“What? The year is 2019 on earth. Do you think I could go back?”\n\n“Yes, I might go with you also, I’m not actually trapped but this place is really good for keeping youth” The strange lady said as she walked towards Lizzy\n\n“W-wait what do you mean by you are not trapped?” The woman took Liz’s hand\n\n“I mean I have a way out, hold on tight, your shoes aren’t made for this.” And like that they went out the door and jumped across the debris careful not to fall into the abyss under them until they could now see a small modern white house \n\n\n“Which is and what is this place?”\n\n“Don’t you worry dear, we’ll get you out soon.”\nThe woman had already left the room to get the parts before Liz could say anything. \n\nLiz took a seat at the table fixing up her white shirt and black skirt that she would’ve worn to work.\n\nThe woman returned putting a box full of clock parts infront of her.\n“We just need to put this together and we can go”\n\n“Is it that easy?”\n\n“Yes. Now hurry!”\n\nThe two women worked quickly together to build the clock.\n\nIt was now finished and it seemed like there was a tornado forming? What, I didn’t sign up for them to die. Well I’m giving the narration back to our resident strange woman. Thank you narrator, well here we see time returning, around them it started to become bright and suddenly, a flash and then darkness. They both lay unconscious in the realm of time.\n\nLiz woke up slowly, in her bed to the sound of a clock ticking, the year is 2019.\n\n"
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[WP] Your entire family are satanists. For generations, members of your family have entered into partnerships with demons in their teenage years. Your family expect you to do likewise, any day from now - and you’re sure they won’t approve when you tell them you don’t want to.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Like most spoiled 18 year olds, Tiffany had a car. It was a convertible, hot pink in color with a custom license plate reading “H0TT3” hung on the back.\n\nUnlike most spoiled 18 year olds, Tiffany was accompanied by her “seeing eye dog” at all times.\n\nIt’s name was Muffy and it was not a weirdly hairy golden retriever, like most people assumed. \n\nIt was a demon. \n\nTim hated it. \n\nDante had it right when he’d said there were 9 circles of hell. Fun fact about them, each one contained stronger and more varied demons. Muffy was a level 5 Asmodeus, a demon whose powers centered around lust. It was a fairly strong demon for a human to hold, and Tiffany had been extraordinarily proud to get paired with the thing. \n\n“It’s becomes I’m a MacNiel.” She had confided in him, after she had completed her Soul Exchange. The process was the third sacrament of the Satanic Church, and a right of passage for all satanists when they turned 16 years of age. The process allowed them to finish signing their souls over to the Lord himself, and be gifted with demons who would suite them in life in return. “Our family line is a badass one, Tim. You’ll probably get a strong demon yourself.” \n\n14 at the time, he’d loudly agreed with his cousin in excitement. Dreamed about his future demonic partner, and how they’d conquer the world together. Do their Lord’s bidding, live the blessed and rich life his family had for generations. \n\nHe’d been a normal, average satanist.\n\nThen the dreams had come. \n\nThey’d started off almost like a video game. People had challenged him. Given him trials, asked him weird questions. It was fun--up until it wasn’t. Tim was used to dark things. Blood, gore, cannibalism. But things the dreams strayed from them. Things went political, then philosophical. You had no secrets from the Lord and Tim had never truly kept any, not from the man below or from his family. \n\nBut it wasn’t always the Lord’s people who visited him, in these dreams. \n\nThey laid him bare in a way he himself never had. They forced him to take a look at things. Rethink his stances. Rethink his life. \n\nTwo years, this had gone on. Two years, with Tim growing increasingly uncomfortable, questioning not just his own decisions but the ones of those around him. Saw the world in a way outside the Church. Saw life as others did. \n\nTwo years, until days before his 16th birthday, when it had finally been revealed to him that he had never been dreaming, but instead walking through all 9 circles of Hell.\n\n“It’s something we do to everyone.” Belphegor said, a hunched humanoid demon with a traditional pointed tail told him, the both of them walking through a space too dark for Tim to make out. “Part of the test. We can’t properly pair demons with humans until we know everything about you--who you are, and who you will be.” \n\n“You make everyone do this?” Tim said, tone doubtful. \n\n“No.” Belphegor shook his head, tone contemplative. “Usually it’s just a night or two. You though, you we needed to consider.” \n\nFear lanced down Tim’s spine. “Why?” He asked, dreading the answer. \n\nBelphegor finally turned to face him, a frown slashing over his pointed face. “We’ll get straight to the point. The longer a human bloodline goes back, the stronger it gets. Your family has been satanists for generations.”\n\nTim knew this, but stayed quiet. There was something important here. Something Belphegor was building up to. \n\n“ Our Lord always rewards those who are loyal. The more powerful the blood, the farther down in hell it can go. At times though, the power...exceeds, His expectations.” \n\n“What...does that mean?” Tim asked--but it was a lie. \n\nHe knew. \n\nBelphegor laid a clawed hand gently on Tim’s shoulder. “You hold a great power, Tim.” He said, voice almost sorrowful. “I’m afraid that power called to creatures beyond our control. They’ve been speaking to you, haven’t they?” \n\nTim didn’t answer. Couldn’t. His mouth closed, his throat too dry. He didn’t need to though--the look on his face said it all. \n\nBelphegor squeezed his shoulder “This is hard for me to say, son, but you must know the truth. We can offer you a demon. One from the 7th circle, the most powerful we could spare. But you must know--you’ve got their attention now. They’ll hunt you all your life, and I can’t promise that they won’t get you.” \n\nTim looked away, unable to take the pitying look Belphegor’s eyes. “Even if I sell my soul?” He asked, voice small.\n\n“Even then.” Belphegor agreed. “They are persistent, and have ways of reclaiming souls we’ve been rightfully given.” \n\nTim blew out a breath, stress squeezing his heart in his chest. \n\n“The Lord knows this is a lot to ask you, Tim. He understands how tempting the other side can be. But if you make it through you will be rewarded. We have faith in you.” The world was starting to lighten, the shadows blanking out to bright white. Tim knew that meant the dream was ending, and his talk with the one consistent figure in his dreams would soon be over. “Have faith!”\n\n\n“As the Lord wills it.” Tim choked out. \n\nHe knew already that he would fail. \n\n1/2"
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[WP]Your entire life you have lived in a remote house in the outbacks with your mother. One day the secret is revealed by a stranger and you find out both you and your mother are born on 29. of February and both of you age for 1 year every 4 years.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Sam was hanging bunting when she saw the cloud of dust on the horizon. It wasn't often she and her mother received guests this far out from civilization. All the popular tourist destinations were far, far away, and people who got lost out here didn't normally just find a house to get directions from. They usually just died. No, the car was starting to resolve on the horizon now, and they were definitely heading straight here.\n\n\"Ma, we got company\" Sam shouted back into the cave entrance.\n\n\"What? Only just had the bloody delivery. Who's this?\" Julie said, emerging from their home, fanning herself in the morning heat. It had actually been over 4 months since their last delivery, and Sam was feeling restless because she'd already finished her new books weeks ago.\n\n\"Is it a surprise for The Birthday?\" Sam asked \"How did you convince someone to spend it driving all the way out here?\"\nJulie hesitated for a second.\n\n\"It ain't no delivery, least not one I ordered\"\n\n\"A surprise! I love it! I'm going to go get ready\" said Sam\n\n\"Theres nothin' to get ready for! We'll see what they want and send 'em off\" Julie shouted after Sam, even though she knew the girl wasn't really listening. \n\n\nIt wasn't long until the pickup arrived, pulling up in front of the home. A tall skinny man got out, with a hat that was almost too wide to make it out the car door. He looked like 10 minutes in this heat would do the poor bloke in. Must be from the city, Sam thought. He walked up to Julie and, to Sams surprise, wrapped her in a great big hug. \n\n\"Sam\" Julie said, extracting herself from the man \"this is yer uncle Bruce\"\n\n\"What? From the portrait above the mantle\"\n\n\"Yep\"\n\n\"Bruce, the professional boxer Bruce?\" Said Sam, still feeling like she was missing something\n\n\"Well, that was a long time ago\" Bruce said, finally chipping into the conversation \"before I got a bit sick\"\n\n\"Christ Brucey, you make it sound like you 'ad a cold. It was terminal fuckin' cancer\" Julie said\n\n\"Well, I obviously didn't have that\" he said, wiping his brow \"Anyhow, this heat is getting to me a bit, mind if we go inside?\"\n\n\nThey retired inside the cave. Past the natural cave opening, was the wide circular door, carved right into the light red rock. Under the cool stone the air was much more bearable, the courtyard in the centre was surrounded by tall rock walls and made a more comfortable outside environment. Uncle Bruce was nothing like she'd imagined. She had met Aunty Donna years ago, and she was practically a carbon copy of mum. He was well spoken for starters, and didn't smell like dry perfume and beer. Bruce must has sensed her looking at him\n\n\"I expect you're wondering why I'm here\" he said. It's not what Sam was actually thinking, but she did want to know, so simply nodded.\n\n\"Well, as your mother should have tol-\" he continued\n\n\"About that\" Julie interjected \"I may have perhaps not *quite* explained, well, err... Anything\"\n\nBruce glared at his sister, the menacing effect lessened by the glass of pink lemonade he was holding mid sip.\n\n\"What am I supposed to know?\" Sam asked\n\n\"Do you want to tell her, or should I?\" Said Bruce\n\n\"You tell 'er, it's your fuckin' fault we're talkin' 'bout this\"\n\n\"Ok, Sam, it's about your birthday\" he started\n\n\"*My* birthday?\"\n\n\"Err, yes. Your birthday. Not everyone's actually born on the 29th. Our family is a little unusual\"\n\n\"That's silly, if the birthday was every year you'd have people walking around saying they're ridiculously old. I'm 16, not 64, and mums 43, not what ever ridiculous number she would be otherwise\"\n\n\"No, you see, we're the ones who are a bit ridiculous here..\""
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[WP] All knowledge is now a zero sum system. In order to gain knowledge others must lose it. This is your journey to becoming the smartest person alive.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"I am very sorry Doctor Limbaugh, but I am afraid I cannot do that.\" The room was very well lit, the lights on the ceiling providing a near painful amount of light against the white-washed walls. The Doctor was strapped down in the centre of the room on a specialised table. \n\n\"Please, Dominque, let me go. You don't need to do this! You don't!\" He struggled but I shook my head sadly as I inspected the stainless steel table before me.\n\n\"I do, I really do Doctor Limbaugh, knowledge is power, and I need what you know.\" \n\nA screaming buzz filled the room as I pressed a button. \n\n\"But I can't do this randomly, I need to be precise.\" The buzz began again as I turned and the Doctor began to scream as I applied it to his head, the screaming didn't go on for too long, though I knew he still lived. He needed to to get what I sought.\n\nA shot of adrenaline woke him as I peeled the top off of his skull and got a scalpel.\n\n\"Now doctor, I need what you know, so where do I start cutting, be precise.\""
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[WP] Reincarnation is indisputably real. There is a law enforcement agency that is able to track different criminals through their different lives. On a person's 18th birthday, they can be taken in to custody for having unknowingly committed a crime in a past life.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"My dad rushed through the door, huffing and puffing as he did. He didn't have to say a word, I already knew, I didn't know how it was possible, but I already knew. \n\n\"But, I thought you said I was clear, that you checked and I was clear!\" I exclaimed following him up the stairs as I did. We had to pack, now, and get out as fast as we could. It was the eve of my 18th birthday and my dad worked for the past crimes reincarnation task force. Not as an agent, but in the accounting division. Occasionally he'd get the opportunity to check on someone and get a small glimpse of the future by taking a glimpse at the past, knowing whether there 18th birthday would be a celebratory occasion or not.\n\n\"It didn't show up when I looked before, you got away in your past life so they're still looking for you and it's bad Joey really bad,\" my dad said. He paused momentarily while jamming clothes into his suitcase for emphasis before hurriedly beginning the process again. He was making up time for the few seconds that he just lost.\n\n\"When you say bad, you mean like full supervision bad?\" I asked, the words slipping from my lips, scared to even hear his response. He looked up at me again and then down, he was having trouble even looking me in the eye, but I knew from the momentary look that he gave me that we were already doomed. Full supervision means that I was not getting away, means since the moment it was on the government's radar that I had committed some heinous criminal act, I had been followed. Every meal, every vacation, how could I have never noticed. All this rushing around would be for nothing if I'd been watched my entire life. They were probably waiting for us just outside the door right now.\n\n\"Pack what clothes you can fit into a backpack and then we've got to get moving,\" he said, his voice boomed now as he'd taken on the full role of authority figure. I listened and ran across the hall to my room. I grabbed three, no not that many, two pairs of shorts, a handful of t-shirts and a sweatshirt. Will I need a sweatshirt? It's summer now, but how long will we be gone, how long can we run? The reality of the situation was starting to dawn on me, they're not going to stop, they won't stop chasing me, I'll either be caught or on the run my entire life. \n\n\"Come on, we'll get somewhere safe tonight and then worry about what we're going to do tomorrow morning,\" my dad said as he carried two big duffel bags down to the garage. \"You'll have to lay down in the trunk so that no one sees you as we leave.\"\n\nI zipped up my backpack filled with what I believe were necessary items, at least for the next few days. When my dad came back upstairs for his backpack he motioned for me to follow him and I did. Quickly down the stairs we went and into the garage. He'd shut off all of the lights as we moved quietly through the living room. Around to the back of the Impala I went and he hit the key fob to allow me to open the trunk and crawl inside. I'd always secretly wanted to ride in the trunk of a car, but at this moment it didn't quite feel the way that I'd envisioned it. \n\nI heard the muffled sound of the garage door lifting overhead, next the engine coming to life before I felt the car slowly begin rolling out of the garage and down the driveway. We made a left turn out onto Arnold street and began picking up speed. If there were agents sitting outside the house, we're at least past the first perimeter. Of course, there could be dozens right behind the car and I'd never know. \n\nIt was a smooth ride at first, easing to stoplights and then gradually picking up speed again. Then I felt the pace begin to quicken and could tell we were making far more lane changes than before. I tried to force my eyes open even wider than they were to peer through the blackness of the trunk, but no matter how wide I felt I made them it still wasn't any clearer. My legs were compressed against one side of the trunk as the car heaved into the left lane, then back the other way as we whipped back into the right lane. I had just enough time to throw my hands over my head and brace before my head went crashing against the inside of the wheel well. \n\nFaster and faster now, I was sliding back and forth, forwards and back as the car lurched in all different directions, we were weaving in and out of traffic, at least I assumed we were. Either that or my dad had completely lost it and we were all over the road for no reason at all. It wasn't much further until I knew for certain what was happening. \n\n\"This is the Reincarnation Task Force, you are harboring a known past life felon and we're initiating E.I.P., pull the vehicle over immediately and surrender,\" the voice was immensely loud, clear as a bell even from within the trunk. My heart sank in my chest as I heard them, I knew I was done for, the rest of my life would consist of four concrete walls. Serving time for someone else's acts, things I have no recollection of. Early Intervention Protocol was a drastic step, they only do that when they know a past life felon is trying to escape. They know I'm here, must have known since we left the house, we never stood a chance. They'll keep me for a day and then, happy birthday, welcome to the rest of your life, imprisoned forever.\n\nI banged on the back seat of the trunk and to my surprise my dad was actually able to reach back and open up the seat for me. He knew as well as I did, there was no reason to hide anymore. I crawled forward through the opening and into the back seat. Tumbling forward and kicking off the passenger door, I worked myself around to an upright position and began to assess the situation. Two, three, no at least four cars now following us. \n\n\"Open up that duffel bag on the floor next to you, Joey,\" my dad said looking at me through the rear view mirror. His eyes were serious, but there was a calm confidence about him. I followed his instruction and unzipped the large duffel bag that he'd brought down to the car from before. Upon opening it was a large cache of weapons, more firepower than I'd ever seen in my life. I didn't even know my dad owned a gun, let alone an entire arsenal. \n\n\"Dad, what are you thinking, there's no way, there's no way we can do this. You think you can take on all these agents, get away, and then what? Then we just run for the rest of our lives hoping that they never find us?\" I asked, tears began to well up in my eyes as I knew that the end of this grand adventure was nearly here. I saw red and blue flashing lights in my peripheral closing in just before, *bump*, a tap on the rear left fender sends us into a skid, sliding sideways, then backwards, then off on the left shoulder. My dad quickly grabbed a gun from the duffel bag and grabbed another thrusting it at me.\n\n\"Dad, we can't do this, we can't make it out of this. We can't kill all these agents and stay on the run forever, we just can't,\" I pleaded with him for the last time.\n\nHe looked back at me and spoke slowly, \"Why not? That's exactly what you did, that's what you did when they came for your son and that's exactly what I'm going to do for you.\" "
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[WP] Aliens take over earth and find a stoner, Turns out aliens can get stoned too.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*"
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[WP] The main character knows he's a main character, but any time he breaks the fourth wall the fourth wall hits him back.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The wet glaze in Derek's eyes was illuminated by the light from his monitor. He stared at it as his monitor stared back:\n\n\"2:34 PM\"\n\nDerek knew internally that fixating on the time while waiting for work to be over creates an ironic, slow, molasses-like quality to it - a kind of drawl that feels slightly like imprisonment, given the circumstances. By not habituating the mind with some other activity, or some kind of thing that could capture his attention to create the reverse illusory effect of time moving faster, Derek was stuck in his boredom.\n\nBut it gets worse. Derek was keenly aware of the fact that he was writing in Reddit's subreddit, /r/WritingPrompts, and that - on occasion - this forum might alleviate his boredom and bring him a semblance of peace. But today, for some reason, it keeps hitting him baAAACK, OOF, OW. GOD DAMMIT.",
"Jimbo didn’t remember when he first realized the prophecies spoke of him. Well, he was always told by the village priest, and his zealous parents, but he didn’t really buy it. He wanted to be an accountant, not an adventurous hero. But he grew to realize how inescapable Fate is. Goblins constantly raiding his internship jobs. Princesses in the clutches of dragons who for some reason barged into his econ midterm. The tides of destiny brought him to heroism. His tale must be told; Fate would have it no other way.\n\nHe began to see how his story would play out. Whether he tried or not, he would come out on top of his tribulations. This might make one nihilistic, but he was usually too drunk to think about it. \n\nOn this night he was in his favourite tavern, ranting to no one in particular about the woes of one night stands with princesses with stockholm syndrome. A dwarf burst through the door, arrows lodged in his back, tears in his eyes. \n\n“Jesus christ, whoeversh writing this schtory musht have a dwarf fetish! That’s the forf one thish week!”\n\nFull of grief from his deeply ignorant comment, Jimbo was too despondent to stop himself from slipping and landing on his ass.\n\n“Ow, Motherfucker. Fine, I’ll get to it.” \n\nSince Jimbo was talking to no one in particular, everyone ignored what he said. A few maidens even snickered, agreeing in unison he was the most hideous creature they’d ever seen.\n\n“Ok that’s super creepy. What’s going on?”, Jimbo said, sobering up.\n\n“Sir! Sir! I beg you,” the dwarf interrupted, “save my poor dwarf village from the ferocious ogres!”\n\n“Yea, hold on short-stuff. I’m like 80% sure someone’s fucking with me.”\n\nThe dwarf was starting to faint from the blood loss. Jimbo saw this and decided to figure things out while undertaking the dwarf’s quest. \n\nAs he fought the ogres, he muttered to himself. \n\n“I know I have free will in speech, but fate coerces me to act. It seems like my speech can affect fate directly. And it seems like fate is a bit sensitive.”\n\nAs his sword smashed in the head of the last ogre, he triumphantly declared to the trembling dwarves, “whoever’s writing my tale, you don't frighten me, pig-dog! Go and boil your bottom, son of a silly person! I blow my nose at you, so-called Fate, you and all your silly quests! You empty-headed animal food trough water! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!”\n\nJimbo promptly and inexplicably died on the spot. And then his pants fell down. \n\nThe confused dwarfs debated whether they should mourn or just pretend like nothing happened, but they did notice a small smile on the fallen hero’s visage. Jimbo didn’t realize all the fame and glory he had given up by taunting Fate. His death was quiet, the bards never sing his tales. Everyone unanimously agreed, he missed out.\n\nThe end.\n"
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[WP] You can suddenly see HP bars and status effects for people. You look at a stranger and see (Buff: Berserker's Rage).
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"We're living in a simulation!\" Jaime said suddenly. He stared at his best friend, Martin, sitting across from him. Jaime offered him lunch in the park and Martin never turned down free food. The curly-haired young man raised a single eyebrow at Jaime but continued taking a bite of pizza. \"I've thought it for a long time, but I never mentioned it because I had no proof.\" Jaime fell quiet and waited several seconds for Martin to finish chewing. finally,\n\n\"So you're saying you have proof now?\" he asked. Jaime nodded. He stood and rushed around the concrete picnic table to sit next to Martin. Along the way he fished a cellphone out of his pocket; he held it up to show Martin when he sat down. \"On. Off. What am I looking at?\" he asked. Two labeled, round buttons showed on the screen along with a live preview from the camera.\n\n\"I hacked it,\" Jaime grinned. \"I can't do much, but it's proof.\" He touched the 'On' button on the screen.\n\n\"I don't see anything?\" Martin asked while he stared at the empty park in front of him.\n\n\"You have to point it at someone,\" Jaime said. He walked around the other side of the table and stood in front of Martin. A solid green bar floated above Jaime's head. The numbers 100/100 hovered next to the bar with a small heart icon.\n\n\"Neat, you invented a filter,\" Martin chuckled.\n\n\"It's not a filter, it's real!\" Jaime said. He sat down at the table again and pulled the phone from Martin's hands. \"Look, it changes.\" He turned and aimed the phone at a couple walking along one of the park's paths. Their green bars were longer than Jaime's, and they had purple bars underneath the green.\n\n\"#32 / Dancer\" hovered above the man's head next to the numbers \"4290/ 4290\". \"#34 / Knight\" hovered above the woman's head next to the numbers \"7480/7480\". A small fist-shaped icon floated next to another word under the purple bar. \"Berserker's Rage.\" Martin turned the phone to look at Jaime, then back at the couple that was now further away.\n\n\"It's not random,\" Jaime smiled. \"Every time you look at them it'll give the same info. It's *real*.\"\n\n\"What about me? What does mine say?\" Martin released Jaime's hand so he could turn the camera.\n\n\"Same as mine. Zero, villager. WHOA!\" Jaime shouted. \"Come see!\" Jaime pointed the camera at something behind his friend. Martin turned around and saw a tall black hole in the air.\n\n\"I see it!\" He said. He ran around the table to stand next to Jaime and pulled his own phone out along the way. He started streaming while looking through Jaime's phone. Martin had a decent amount of followers and within seconds hundreds of people were watching the stream.\n\n\"Guys I'm here at the park and I don't know what I'm looking at.\" He started a commentary, but a short pale woman with dark hair stepped out of the hole. She looked straight at Jaime. Martin saw her through Jaime's app and took note of the text above her head. \"#35 / Ninja. 9999/9999\"\n\n\"You're not supposed to know what you've discovered,\" she said flatly then looked at Martin. Her gaze traveled down to the camera on the back of his phone, and she shook her head.\n\n\"*None* of you are supposed to know,\" she looked right into the camera and held both her hands up. They began to glow with bright blue energy.\n\n\"What the hell?\" Jaime asked. Martin looked at the phone in Jaime's hand. He noticed appeared in front of the woman in large red letters.\n\n\"Catastrophic server event. Please relocate to another AlterNet server. Server offline in 10 seconds.\" Then the number began counting down.\n\n\"What does it mean catastrophic event?!\" Jaime asked the woman. She smiled and knelt down to touch the ground with both blue-glowing hands.\n\n\"It means goodbye.\" A shower of brilliant blue sparks exploded around her hands. Blue energy flowed down toward the Earth's core, completely consuming anything in its way.\n\n\\*\\*\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year two, day #60. You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse)) or my [blog](https://hugoverse.info/). If you're curious about my universe (the Hugoverse) you can visit the [Guidebook](https://hugoverse.info/2017/11/25/hugoverse-guidebook/) to see what's what and who's who, or the [Timeline](https://hugoverse.info/2017/10/23/hugoverse-timeline/) to find the stories in order. "
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[WP] You're the first person to die from falling into a black hole. You awaken in heaven to discover your cause of death, and other death-related principles, determine you leaderboard rank and hierarchy in heaven (Old age=low ranking). You're in 2nd place.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The plutonium-plated limousine pulls up, as you step out of the Yorkshire Terrier-shaped restaurant. The name of which doesn’t actually exist within the vocal range of a normal human being. Not that something like THAT matters to you anymore. \n\nOne of the servitors (Madeleine Wainscott, Old Age. Servitor term left of 3.7 million years) opens the door for you. The blue glow of the plutonium sets off the perfect smile you give to those watching. \n\nIt’s hard to believe how wrong everyone was about the afterlife. Heaven, hell, reincarnation, the noodly-embrace of the FSM? All bupkis. \n\nTurns out the Big Guy didn’t care about what you did DURING your life, just how you got OUT of it. \n\nDie of old age, surrounded by loved ones and the knowledge that you had increased the joy of the world immeasurably? BOOOOOORRRRRING!!\n\nThat just meant you got stuck in a low slot. Had to do community service. Be a servitor. Until you had paid your debt. \n\nOnce you arrived at the water slide amusement park (not a water slide in an amusement park, but an amusement park that’s on its own never-ending water slide, you know) a group of servitors bow and scrape as you walk past. \n\nYou see, you didn’t die some boring, ordinary way. No car accident or choking to death for you. No, you died in a way that only seventeen others ever will have had in all of history (tenses don’t always line up, since heaven is outside of time). \n\nNot that you remembered this, when first awakening in the afterlife. You died from falling into a black hole. The first death of that nature (when taking linear time into account). Based on the low number of people that went that way, and the fact that you were the first person to do it, as well as other calculations (that would have literally made your head explode if you’d studied them while alive), you had a top rank. The lowest of the low. \n\nThis has afforded you great perks. \n\nGreat. \n\nPerks. \n\nYou can go anywhere in the afterlife. Do anything. (And here, that REALLY means ANYTHING). No being a servitor. Not even the token week the next lowest group (Being Eaten by a Genetically Mutated Dinosaur/Gerbil Hybrid, 371,456,002 people) had to do. \n\nYou stand in line to dive into the latest attraction, where you dive into a bottomless bowl of ice cream that tastes like your happiest daydream. \n\nActually, you DON’T stand in line. Hah! Lines...\n\nNo, you’re ranked Number 2 of all freaking time. Lines are for people with bigger numbers. Crappier numbers. \n\nIt’s just about perfect. Heaven. \n\nAs you begin your run towards the spoon diving board, you are suddenly stopped. A servitor (Maidha Xiong Hamilton, Supernova radiation burns. Servitor term left of 37 years) has grabbed your arm and stopped you in place. \n\nYou... you don’t actually know what to do. While time has no real meaning to you anymore, you do know it’s been a long long long long loooonnnng time since you’ve been denied... well, anything. You aren’t actually sure what to do. There’s nowhere to complain, because there shouldn’t be anything to complain about. \n\nAs you open your mouth to demand an explanation, 3,706 antimatter trumpets play a fanfare. Slowly stepping in front of you is her... the only being (besides the Big Guy, but He doesn’t really count) that could conceivably cut in front of you. \n\nAmy Pasadena-Cruz. The one and only Number One with a Bullet. Literally. \n\nShe’s number one on the Big Guy’s list. Only person ever to die like she did. Most unique death ever. \n\nAnd she is your nemesis. You never had to be a servitor, true. But for Amy, that doesn’t matter. You see, your servitude it to her, and her alone. Anywhere else, you’re on top of the world. Around her? You’re her personal servitor, your body acting to please her before she even knows what she wants. \n\nAnd she seems to like this. To delight in it. In fact, she seems to go out of her way to find you, no matter where in the infinite extensions of the afterlife you might be. And make wait upon her, hand and foot and occasional tentacle. \n\nAnd now? She has you standing there. Holding a towel. Ready to dry off everyone who comes out of the ride. And she’s not even going on it herself. Oh, no. She’s letting a bunch of servitors go. Letting them frolic in the tangy taste of Sharing Dad’s Umbrella During A Thunderstorm. \n\nI hated her sooooo much.\n\nYou see, she literally invented time travel. Spent her life building the time machine. Went back in time. Kidnapped herself from the past. Took her past self into the time stream. And then shot her younger self in the face... \n\nNot for any reason, or suicidal tendencies. Just to see what would happen. \n\nWhat happened is, she shot up to the top of the charts. With nary a chance to be dethroned. Erasing yourself from existence? Tends to be a show stopper. \n\nNothing you can do, though. Especially not now, not after already making it to... You stop. That’s it!\n\nIf you could somehow manage to kill yourself. Here. In this place? Oh, wow! Top of the ever-loving heap, for sure. \n\nYou smile. And begin to plan. \n"
] | 2
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[WP] You knew the Council hates you, but that’s too far. As a companion for your quest, they chose a goblin found and captured in the city’s sewer system, and you became the laughingstock of the kingdom. We’ll see who gets the last laugh, you grumble to yourself.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Jaya, thank you for seeing us on such short notice,\" the councilor intoned, not bothering to look up as he waved a hand at an empty chair. The hall, if it could be called that, was cramped and musty, tucked away in a distant corner of the bustling castle. A half dozen minor lords, tunics heavy with self important patterns, sat around the table, pale, uncalloused hands clasped or fiddling with half empty goblets. The secrecy, almost embarrassment of contacting the barbarian woman from the wastelands to the south was nothing new. What was new was the princess, leaning back confidently in a chair at the head of the table.\n\nIgnoring the offered chair, Jaya leaned on her axe and raised an eyebrow, urging the councilor to continue and ignoring the young woman lounging in a soft blue dress that was carefully contoured to her body. Princess Katherine's hands were soft too - well, maybe a little calloused, with draw fingers on her right hand rubbed raw from too many arrows. Jaya shifted the furs cloaking her to even them out, unperturbed by the noblewoman's gaze.\n\n\"We're aware that this mission that we're assigning to you is going to be slightly more difficult than what you're used to handling, especially given your, uh, deficiencies...\"\n\nThe last words were mumbled as Jaya fixed a dark glare on the man. To his credit, he managed to recover after a gulp of wine and a glance at the princess.\n\n\"Ah, you're being tasked with negotiating a trade deal with the dwarven kingdom. Of course, complex negotiations and written contracts are... outside of your area of expertise? and we will be providing you with a companion to accomplish it.\"\n\nJaya brightened up immediately. \"Excellent. It would be nice to see Tristan again, it seems he's always busy when I'm back in the city.\"\n\n\"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry.\"\n\nJaya's blood boiled as she turned to face the smug princess, condescension dripping from her words as she leaned over the table. \"Unfortunately, *Sir* Tristan is going to be too busy with the upcoming hunt and festivities, no, we're going to need to find you someone else.\"\n\nSetting her jaw, refusing to let the woman get to her, Jaya addressed the council members. \"No problem, Shmendrick then.\"\n\n\"Ooooh, drat, I should have remembered that you used to run with those guys. They're also out...\"\n\nJaya's knuckles whitened against the axe handle. \n\n\"But,\" the princess continued brightly (too brightly), \"We do have a new companion for you!\"\n\nShe clapped her hands, and a small door was shoved open roughly, squealing in protests, as two heavily armoured men dragged a ragged and bound green figure into the room, dropping the bruised and disoriented goblin onto the dirty tiles. The smell of rotting meat and shit filled the room, causing considerable discomfort among the councilors, and even the princess had to shut her stupid mouth to avoid tasting it on the air.\n\n\"Well, here you are, meet Ryya! She'll be sure to help you secure that mithril contract! Just don't let her loose, she's a bit of a biter I hear.\" \n\nThe nobles tried to stand and make their retreat.\n\n\"Hang on,\" Jaya interrupted. \"I have a few questions, about this land's laws, and my reward, of course. Would it be possible for a knight to marry above his station, say, to a princess?\"\n\nA fat, balding man rubbed his nose irritably. \"Technically, yes, knights are nobility, if only barely, and can legally marry other nobles. But the court would never stand for some lowly knight to marry Princess Katherine.\n\n\"Obviously,\" Katherine added, enthusiastically. \"But,\" she added, perking up, \"knights would never marry down either, they'd find themselves a *lady*.\"\n\n\"Hmmm,\" Jaya said, ignoring the barb to fix her attention on the head councilor. \"And, if I were to pull of a favourable deal, I've accomplished enough for the king to grant me some small amount of land, haven't I?\"\n\n\"Excellent!\" the barbarian announced, raising her axe. \"I'll see you at that feast, won't be but few days, *Katie*.\"\n\n\"Come on, Ryya!\" Jaya called, grabbing the goblin's chain. \"We've got our work cut out for us.\"",
"\"The council chairman presents you with a goblin, bound and gagged.\"\n\n\"Is he smiling?\"\n\n\"Huge shit eating grin.\"\n\n\"Hmm.... How much do they hate me and why?\"\n\n\"Make a perception check\"\n\n\"Ok...\" \n*1D20 clatters on the table*\n\"That's a 14, which plus modifiers is a.... 17!\"\n\n\"Ok. You can clearly tell that they hate your guts and want you to fail the bounty quest. You have an inkling of an idea that it might have to do with the pompus kid at the village gate that you knocked out.\"\n\n\"Ok... How sneakily can I cast polymorph?\"\n\n\"Ohhh boy.... Make a stealth check\"",
"I looked down on my official \"companion\". Lean and wiry, he glared back up at me. I'd heard he'd been caught in the city sewers, part of a pack that had slipped in recently. He certainly smelled like it. Damp rags were wrapped around his feet, even more soiled than the scrap of cloth he kept tugging back up to cover his torso. It might have been a human-sized tunic once, but it was so ripped and threadbare now it served more as a rough toga.\n\n\"Tell me you at least understand my language, goblin. If I can't give you orders, I might as well kill you now and save myself a headache.\" He redirected his glare to the sword on my belt when I said \"kill\", so he knew at least a few words, even if he didn't speak. A brusk nod was his only response, but his glare dropped a notch from outright hate to sullen. His hands twitched and he readjusted his cloth for the tenth time. \"That's good. Keep doing as your told and I won't have to hurt you. You got a name?\" I let him stare at me a moment, then hooked a thumb towards my chest. \"Dorn.\"\n\nHe finally snarled something that might have been a name, or maybe a curse. Hard to tell, though either way it was in the guttural tongue goblins seemed to share with their hobgoblin kin. I sighed. It was going to be a long trip. \"Okay, 'Snarl' it is then. You and I are going on an adventure. And you ain't going like that.\" I motioned at his wardrobe and he took a half step back. \"No, no, I'm not gonna hit you if I don't have to. In fact, I'm gonna give you something. Couple of somethings. First one's called a 'bath'.\"\n\nFortunately, I had a house in the city I owned proper. Back when the council didn't hate my guts, I did pretty well for myself. I wasn't too happy about having a filthy goblin mucking up my floors, but it was better than trying to drag the thing into a public bathhouse. Supposing they'd even me in the door with him. Enough people knew about it already anyway, no need to help spread the gossip. I don't think the little guy knew why I was making him carry buckets of water across the house, at first. Maybe he thought I was making an enormous stew. Or maybe he thought humans just did stupid things for stupid reasons. Either way, the look of surprise when I tossed him in the tub rags and all was almost worth the embarrassment of walking a goblin down the street.\n\n\"You'd better stay in that tub if you know what's good for you.\" The sputtering, indignant look I received when he surfaced made it hard to keep a stern look on my face. I had to remind myself this was a dangerous creature. Nearly intelligent, and cunning enough to get into a well-guarded border city in the first place. \"That's a scrub brush. This is soap. Rub the soap on the brush, then use it on yourself. Don't eat the soap. And take off those rags, I'll find you something less...disgusting.\" I kept an eye on the tub as I rummaged through a pile of clothes I'd been meaning to stitch up. Beady eyes stared back from just over the edge. I found an old tunic and a pair of pants missing most of a leg. Still had the scar from that. I pulled a stool over to the tub, close enough to prevent an escape, and pulled out my kit. Just because he was a goblin didn't mean he shouldn't have pants that would stay on.\n\n\"You're luckier than you know. Someone hates me more than they hate thieving goblins. I couldn't turn down the council's choice, either, after demanding a companion for this mission.\" I was sure I was wasting my breath, but kept talking anyway. Been a while since I'd been able to rant a little, and he wasn't complaining. He was drinking out of the tub. \"Stop that! If the soap doesn't make you sick, that filth you've rinsed off will!\" The goblin flinched, looked up at me, and then sneezed out a bubble half the size of his head. I couldn't keep a straight face. I laughed, and kept laughing. Snarl lifted one side of his mouth. I think it was a half-hearted attempt at a smile, but it came across as nervous and a little shaky. He didn't know what was funny, and he was stuck, naked, in a tub of cold water across from someone he had to consider an enemy at best. My mirth subsided, and I realized I'd done all I could with the now cut down pants and shirt. \"Alright, guess you can get out of there now.\" I stood, reaching for a towel from the rack nearest the tub. \"Dry yourself off.\" He took it hesitantly, then started trying to wear the blasted thing. \"No, that's...you should do this.\" I mimed drying off as best I could, and probably looked like a fool, but he did get the gist. He even got out of the tub to do it, though the tail end of the towel was dragged through the water when he did.\n\nThe clothes, thankfully, didn't need explanation. Snarl didn't seem particularly stupid, for a goblin. Just ignorant. Maybe this quest won't be so bad. I put aside thoughts of a goblin \"trap-springer\" for now, and actually considered what I might be able to teach him on the way. I told him about the old temple, and the cultists, and the sacrifices. Just the general shape of things, as I didn't want to confuse him. And I wasn't really sure just how much he was picking up anyway. Surprisingly, he was well-behaved and attentive the whole time I packed, and didn't even try to run off after we were outside the walls and on the dirt path into the wilderness. When we made camp for the night, I did of course tie him to a tree. I'm not crazy enough to trust a goblin within strangling distance. \"If you hear anything out there, wake me up. I can't untie you in the morning if I'm dead. Got it?\" He nodded.\n\nI was just drifting off on the far side of the small fire when Snarl surprised me with, \"Night, Dorn.\" Well hell.\n"
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[WP] There have been a couple of months since people have learned THE TRUTH, that there is no afterlife, no karma, no purpose. The only thing they have is a couple of decades of life and then, thats it. Millions have instantly quit their jobs, many lost their minds, all wars ended.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Nature is just happening and hope for the afterlife has diminished. Things are out of control, but there is one thing that is surely certain; the apocalypse. \n\nI am looking out through the window and the things that would scare me to death initially are just happening. A man strikes another and leaves him for dead. I know there is plenty of simultaneous evil taking place out there, only that I cannot see it. The authorities are dysfunctional and murder is no longer a crime. Children are suddenly going missing, my sister went out to get grocery two days ago and my neighbor's body has been stinking in his house for weeks now. Everyone is certain that there is no heaven or hell. There is no punishment for the evil and absolutely no reward for the righteous. Right and wrong is now relative in one's own eyes and nobody seems to care.\n\nThis is the end. We are at the edge of life and everyone is either waiting for their death day or finishing the life of another. Newborns have been abandoned in the hospitals as their mothers because everyone is striving to be the last one standing. Perhaps they can call themselves a god. I hope after all the destruction, the creator will consider creating again. I also hope this time it will be more creative than a garden and a forbidden fruit. I hope he makes something better than a sun-downer bistro. "
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[WP] You die and suddenly shoot awake. You now have the memories of your dream life as well as your "real" life.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"General anesthesia in mind bending. I suppose I should say, recovering from it is mind bending and puts you in a place where the dream world and the real world can be indistinguishable.\n\n\"Can you tell us where you are, Mr. Alan?\" the recovery nurse asked me.\n\n\"I'm in Paris,\" I said with one hundred percent confidence, \"the university hospital.\"\n\nThe nurse looked at my wife and smiled. \"Paris? How did you get there?\"\n\n\"I laughed, I was coming back from New York on the Trans Atlantic Monorail. I guess I got hurt somehow. I have to keep a low profile, you know, because of the war. The underwater route is just too dangerous.\"\n\nI think the nurse smiled again."
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[WP] A person with OCD joins a scientific trial for a new wonder drug that cures her illness. However, her day to day life is drastically altered. The problem stems from the drug's mechanism of action itself: it allows her to do anything, but only once
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Trial Number: 087\n\nDate: 3/3/2019\n\nTesting Substance: X091 - 71 \n\nSubject Name: Madeline Simmons\n\nThe subject was told that this was a drug to eliminate their problem with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder [OCD]. The subject told that X091 - 71 takes 24 hours to fully integrate into there system. \n\nFinal Result: Death of Subject approximately 24.5 hours after consumption of X091 - 71. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation\n\nResurcher Notes: This drug needs to be resent to the lab for further development. We can not keep hiring cleaners for the \n disposal of bodies after failed tests. Note, send it over to HEX - 7 - F2 for further development of this drug \n to be sold as a large, airborne anti-mass personnel weapon. Delay the original production of X091 - 71 if it is \n found to be more marketable and profitable with this variation. If so, have Dr. Sven work on changing the \n pathogen reaction time to less than an hour for faster cleanup for waste. Move X091 - 71 to the supersoldier \n file, and pitch the idea of X091 - 71 - B as a mass culling tool at next week meeting. If forced to continue \n development on X091 - 71 as it is currently, move to HEX - 2 - F5 as for closer testing with the biological \n alteration department. "
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[WP] The Gods in the heavens above begin to forget they are Gods, forming a cult. Burning Gods at the stake with legendary powers, and forcing sworn allegiance on the God of the wandered Gods, the Gods become threats to themselves and forget about the people of the Earth.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"There used to be thousands of us. That number slowly began to dwindle after a while as some gods naturally started to die off, and has been rapidly dwindling as of recently. I would be inclined, perhaps, to blame it on selena, god of jokes gone too far, but they were one of the first to die.\n\nCountless others went into whatever aether exists outside of even this reality. RrrRrrRRrRR, god of beastly animals, Krantu, god of gods, the Falling God... The Flayed God... The Eaten God...\n\nIt's very hard to kill gods, see? We're shockingly resilient. It was horrific to watch as these gods I've spent so much of my time with were bludgeoned to death, burned, shot, stabbed, eviscerated and disemboweled... Their remains were dumped into a deep well on top of the hill... Sometimes if you go to the well, you can hear the voices... One wonders exactly how dead the gods are...\n\nIt's odd to see the power structure twist and shift as the aeons pass. First, the cult of sorts was lead by Chtoptryx, god of lightning and storms, but they lasted maybe a few days, and were replaced by the fanatical Obediah, god of fire, who was later overthrown by Missandre, god of lacerations, and so on and so on, each previous leader dying as they are replaced. Currently, the leader is the inappropriately named Butterfly God, who has bony protrusions from their back, somewhat resembling wings.\n\nI force myself to stay distant from the group. I'm Omniopteron, the watching god. I have no mouth, just eyes, many eyes, of different shapes and colors. I sit upon a cloud, watching the earth below. It's almost sad to see the state of it now; too many people, nothing to believe in and no-one to follow. I look and think of how we could do so much more, if we weren't embroiled in our own petty squabbles. I think of how well I could lead them all, how rightly I could end the Butterfly God, and throw their charred bits into that whispering well, until I remember that I cannot speak, I can merely watch.\n\nWhat a simply tragic situation."
] | 2
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[WP] Due to a highly efficient, mechanized work force, people no longer need to work. Everything is automated or online. There's no reason to even leave the house, and you haven't in years. On a whim you decide to go outside. Your door is locked, and you can't find a way to open it.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"You try and break it open with an axe from the closet(don't question it), and find out there are robots EVERYWHERE. They seem to be looking for something, or someONE.\n\nYou go back inside and find your phone, then check the dark web/news area, then find that robots have taken over, but they were kind and let us live. You ask on a live news feed what they are looking for, they say a girl named Phoenix. She was born with a power of teleportation, and she is on the run from the robots with her family. She is apparently trying to get a weapon to defeat the robots...\n\nYou realise, maybe you can help her! You look around outside and find that the robots are gone! You run out, and you are immediately knocked out by someone. \n\nYou wake up in a dark room, and find the girl, Phoenix, in a chair waiting.\n\n\"What were you thinking?\" She says.\n\n\"I wanted to help you!\"\n\n\"Well, thanks dude\". \n\n\"You're welcome!\"\n\nAfter a year, you finally find the weapon. A little device with a label that says \"Network Canceller\". You go back to the house, and turn on the device. People come out of their houses, reveling at the fact that the rain of the robot overlords is over. You and Phoenix are called heroes, and live in harmony."
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[WP] Your wealthy, childless uncle dies unexpectedly, and, in his will, you are named his sole heir. All of his assets are now yours. And that’s when you learn that your uncle was secretly one of your world’s greatest supervillains.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I paced the room of muted metal and florescent lights, the hologram still and silent. \n\n\"This still doesn't make sense. Hologram, play back Message Number One.\" My deceased uncle's gravelly, chain-smoker's voice started again.\n\n\"Playing Message Number One.\" A stark pause.\n\n\"Ben, I know that you will find this base, you're a clever boy. The locks to the base, all of them, are keyed to your DNA and psychic signature. I know this sounds mad - but you're a clever boy, you'll know what to do with this information. I, I am The Warcat.\" There was an agonizing pause as he sighed - get to the part I needed to hear again!\n\n\"Everything I own, I give to you. This includes this base, and everything in it. My vast fortune, collected from criminal and legitimate funding alike. The vehicles, the genetic augments, my research, everything. Even, even....\"\n\nThe part I was waiting for.\n\n\"...even the suit.\" Damn right old man, that's right. I toured the base and drank in the sights. Built in the Rockies in northern Montana, the base is built of a strange, non-patented alloy that my father helped design for military armor - little did he know who exactly would steal the only shipment ever made. The airfield was exactly as I had always hoped it to be - shafts leading to the surface with racks inside for the myriad different jetcraft the Warcat would fly into battle. His weapons were all there - the electrified claws like something outta Warhammer 40k; the plasma beam rifles that could burn through tanks; the jet boots, and monomolecular knives. He was also a prolific armorer - creating the most wondrous exosuit known to man, rivaling even the alien technology of the Void Wardens heroes. \n\n\nIt was designed using the same alloy as the base - to be heat- and electricity-resistant, nonmagnetic and light as a feather. Newly contoured to my muscular yet slim frame, the suit bore an extensive nanomachine muscular system to enhance the wearer's own considerable power. The power system was cleverly hidden inside of a back armor plate, and disguised by a cape of flowing albino lion's mane; it was the same cat that my uncle found himself in, when he died and was born again. \n\nMine, and mine alone. I too have died, and was born again. This time, however, was different. I was reborn not in the gullet of the King of the Jungle, but in the shadow of the Void Templar, the greatest of heroes.\n\nI am Voidborn! "
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[WP] Monsters are real, but their strengths and weaknesses are based on what humans believe. They’ve started using media to change their and others abilities..
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Darkness trailed out the wardrobe like luring tendrils, floating just above the floor turning it into a misty mix of greys and blacks hoping to eventually crawl up the bed . A small crack was the only thing any human adult would notice but the children where another thing. They where too imaginative for there own good and once they had an idea it was indeed a powerful thing.\n\n\nAll monsters started in the bedroom created by the child crying to there mother in hopes there creations would go away. Bright red eyes, teeth like knives you name it, a child has thought of it and a monster has gained it. This creation process is quite a long one but stops when the child also stops believing, this can be a rather disappointing process if the child grows up a little too quickly or a gold mine if the child never actually grows up.\n\n\nNext becoming noticed is the goal, no longer relying on a child, the teenagers come into play. This is the limelight of a monsters carrier if you want to get anywhere you have to do well here. Scaring teenagers is the ultimate goal, once you have a hold of them they spread there tales like fire and suddenly the world knows your name but we are getting ahead of ourselves. How to scare teenagers? This is a hard question but my favourite one I have seen is targeting those on social media platforms forcing them to share there secret and slowly making you stronger and stronger.\n\n\nOnce the world knows of you? returing back to the orgional child and becoming the small cracks Is always a good walk down memory lane or retirement... It's really up to you. ",
"\"\\[WP\\] Vampires are immortal beings with the ability to charm humans, changing their minds, or even enthralling them entirely. For millennia, they have only communicated face-to-face, but one of them has just discovered Reddit...\"\n\n\\-There we go. This was a good idea, now we just have to wait and watch their imaginations run wild.\n\n\\*Okay. Who else should we send it to?\n\n\\-Dad, this isn't email, it's social media. Everyone can see it.\n\n\\*Everyone? Wait, no, no, no, we agreed one person at a time. What if they find out we're vampires?\n\n\\-Nobody will find out, this account is a throwaway anyway. It's all anonymous. I made sure this account is untraceable.\n\n\\*Oh. Wait, I'm in correspondence with quite a few companies online, how are they supposed to send me coupons and investment opportunities?\n\n\\-Dad, no, this is different. Like, remember how I showed you email and Facebook are different, and that neither of them are Internet Explorer?\n\n\\*Don't use that tone with me. You know, when all this technology stuff was new, I was really good at it. I even helped with the very first telephone exchanges. So I know how the enternet works at the most basic level. Kids these days don't even know how a lot of that stuff works, they just do their programs and logarithms and-\n\n\\-Algorithms. And it's Internet with an I. Are you getting . . . less Internet-literate?\n\n\\*I'm old, not stupid. You-\n\n\\-That's not what I meant. Oh, no. Look. The first story's just been posted. It . . . portrays a vampire as . . . really terrible with modern computers. Maybe this was a bad idea.\n\n\\*Well, that's just one story. You said it wouldn't have that big an effect unless a lot of people saw it.\n\n\\-I think it's that special case you were telling me about. If humans haven't given much thought to a particular aspect of a Fae creature, the first time it's thought about or communicated to others has an exaggerated effect. It should correct once more stories contradict the ideas, unless, they confirm them instead.\n\n\\*I knew this was a bad idea. I told you-\n\n\\-Just wait. It may take some time, but I still think we're going to get valuable ideas here. I've been stalking this sub for months, and if I know one thing, it's that these people are obsessed with imagining immortal supernaturally-powerful people. Once we build up in their minds the idea that vampires have mind-control powers, we'll be unstoppable. We'll make some memes, get them trending on Twitter, and before you know it, the whole world will be thinking about how powerful vampires are. We'll have the power to convince not just a few, but *all* humans that we are immortal and invincible.\n\n\\*It sounds great, but I've seen things like this before. It happened to my parents' generation, when vampire stories filled the minds of Europe, and mine, when we were in the movies. The humans strengthened us with their fears, but they invented all sorts of weird ways to kill us and keep us away. For decades I never walked through a doorway without being invited in. That was inconvenient as hell.\n\n\\-This time is different. This time we have social media. Once they believe we can control them, we will make them believe that forever. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.\n\n\\*That's what the next generation will call their grand plan to dominate the world. They'll come up with a vague prophecy about vampires taking over the world and becoming invincible and enslaving the humans, and prophecy will guide the humans to fulfill it as they do everything in their power to stop it.\n\n\\-Wait, is that true?\n\n\\*Of course, my child. Would you doubt a prophecy about a fabricated prophecy?\n\n\\-Well said. I suppose I really have no idea how any of this will end up. Technology is changing so rapidly now, the future seems so uncertain. Oh . . . Dad? Do you suppose . . . When humans create artificial general intelligence that rivals or surpasses their own, do you think it will count as human? Or Fae? Will it have the power to re-imagine us? Or will it possess what power the humans fear it will possess?\n\n\\*Either way, it spells doom for our kind.\n\n\\-Then we must do everything in our power to stop it.",
"We gave them the fangs they use to eat the bad children at night. We gave them the glowing red eyes that glimmer in the dark. We gave them the shroud of fear with our own fear. We *fed* their power until they became real. \n\nEvery word and sentence writes a certain code in the database of the universe, rewriting things to change to match what we want to believe. We called them spirits, fairies, gods, demons, and monsters, begging for their forgiveness and told tales of their great powers and feats.\n\nAnd that was our folly. \n\nWith tales of old and stories of child-like imagination, thrashing beasts of terror had risen from the depths. Eldritch horrors had risen (blame Lovecraft on that one), and god-like demons had opened their eyes. \n\nOur kingdom and reign of the planet was over. We were no longer the predators of this world. And so our own tales began, recording our endeavors against the ancient horrors and terrifying monsters we had birthed. \n\nOf course, we as humans were filled with arrogance, and we glorified our tales. More and more, we told the tales like stories from fantasy books; lies to fulfill some sort of empty hunger for a sense of strength.\n\nAnd before we knew it, we had the powers we gave ourselves. We *had* all of the abilities and feats the storytellers told the children.\n\nThat's when we were all reminded.\n\nWe were monsters too. ",
"Well, I personally think I have really terrible luck. I mean, out of all the supernatural beings out there:\n\nGods and Demons (believer count:billions), Vampires (believer count: millions), Faeries (believer count: thousands) and then there is me, Flying Spaghetti Monster (believer count: **one**).\n\nWhy, why, why did I have to be *flying spaghetti monster?!* You've gotta be kidding me! Do you realize how awful it was when I first gained \"awareness\" of my existence? I am just a prop atheists and non-believers use as an excuse, as a way to be snarky and say, \"If God can be real, why can't flying spaghetti monster?\" \n\nWho even believed in me anyway? Turns out, it was a petty keyboard warrior who doubled down on his argument, and believed in me just out of spite. Assholes, both of them. A few minutes later, I was born into existence. Thanks, *Timmy.*\n\nIt was depressing to walk the streets and pass by powerful, beautiful and dangerous creatures. If I had eyes, I probably would have cried. What I have instead are noodle like appendages that I can maneuver as arms and an the ability to fly one cm off the ground. I am bottom of the barrel.\n\nBut, I will persevere! I won't give up on life just because Timmy couldn't imagine a more fearsome monster. I will use social media, change my branding and become the most terrifying monster a human can imagine. \n\nI first went to a library and used their computer to write stories about myself. I didn't exactly say I was a spaghetti monster. I described me a disembodied figure who can plague minds and control people. What's more scary than the loss of control? I wrote chain messages, urban legends, fake articles -you name it, I wrote it. \n\nI leaned back and relaxed after I finished posting my story. Now I just have to wait until all the impressionable 12 year old readers spread my agenda and do my work.\n\nI practiced my evil laughter.",
"\"What about fangs? Like rad ones that make me look like I can slice a head off with them?\"\n\n\"That'll cost you an average of the head of three, depending on the area,\" I said, looking over the sheets in front of me.\n\n\"What!? Three for some teeth? Ridiculous! Those numbers can't be right! What do you even do with the heads anyway??\" he roared angrily, shaking the bones in my body.\n\n\"That is none of your concern. Will you pay the bounty or be left at your current state?\" I asked impatiently.\n\n\"Wait, wait. Just scarier eyes. What about that? I look at someone and they get scared, no alterations and no other powers behind them?\" he asked quickly, taking a peek at growing, frustrated line behind him.\n\n\"That's two, depending on the area,\" I said without looking at my papers. It was a common ask and I didn't need to consult my rates. \n\n\"Deal,\" he said, digging into his back to pull out two human heads. He placed them on my desk and shifted his weight from one foot to the next, waiting nervously to see what I'd do.\n\n\"The area?\" I asked.\n\n\"What does that mean?\" \n\n\"What area would you like to see the broadcast? How many humans hear of your newfound abilities?\" I asked, setting up the camera. \n\n\"What kind of question is that? I want the most people to see it, of course,\"\n\n\"That's the New York package, it has a 10 head flat rate in addition to the two you've already paid,\" I said, pointing to the poster on the wall as I tightened the adjusted camera on the tripod.\n\n\"TEN!? That's ridiculous! What would you do with--\"\n\n\"That is *none* if your concern. If you cannot pay an area rate, either take the free offer or please leave,\" I commanded. He slammed a massive finger against the poster, deliberating over the different packages. He growled in satisfaction.\n\n\"This one in Texas, White Deer, it'll get me 1000? That would guarantee my power in that city right?\"\n\n\"I don't do guarantees, but I will offer that I have yet to have a customer return as a dissatisfied one,\" I said, plainly. \"Please look angrily into the camera.\"\n\nHis massive, round face glared into the lens as it flashed, bothering some of those in line behind him. He rubbed his small eyes with massive claws and asked,\n\n\"What is that for?\"\n\n\"You'll see. Is White Deer your selected area?\"\n\n\"Yeah, if it's free,\" he shrugged. I turned on the small TV in the corner of the room to the 24-hour news cycle in the area of Carson County, Texas. I warped away into the station. \n\nI appeared before the crew, who all dropped their jaws and stared at me in horror. I heard one whisper in fear: 'The Soul Snatcher.' I swelled to their collective fear and began expanding my essence into their pores. Some of them screamed, refusing to believe that I was real, but those that already believed gave me the strength to take them all over. The news anchors had only paused for a moment before I took over their essence and looked to the camera.\n\n\"Hello Carson County, this is Darla Gratch of Channel 64 news. Tonight we're reporting on strange sightings of a monstrous creature in the area, whose eyes have been told to reveal your deepest fears and regrets until you have a panic attack trigger from pure, unadulterated fear.\" I let it sink in for a moment before forcing the other anchor to respond, \n\n\"Sounds like my ex-wife, Darla,\" he laughed.\n\n\"Please remain professional, Mike. This is an image brought from an anonymous source,\" I said, having one of the crew display it on screen. \"Should you see this beast, do *not* look it in the eyes. You may not be able to see anything the same ever again,\" I had Darla gravely.\n\n\"Up next, are apples good enough to keep bad breath away too? We'll be right back with some info that might.. surprise you,\" I had Mike finish off before warping back to my office.\n\n\"Did it work?\" the beast asked me, looking facinated to the small screen.\n\n\"You'll have to check the county and see for yourself,\" I said.\n\n\"Thanks Snatcher, you're a real monster, you know that,\" he said happily, moving ponderously out of line. I waited for him to exit the room before looking up at the line again.\n\n\"Next.\"\n\n_______________________________________________\n\nFor more monstrous tales, come check out r/Nazer_the_Lazer!"
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[WP] The green-earth initiative is going great! Rivers are being cleaned, the switch to green power is progressing smoothly, and the capture and enslavement of factory owners is exactly on schedule. Your boss is very happy with your work, now it's time for the final stage.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The clutter and crunch of dry decaying leaves swirling underfoot. A momentary pause, chainsaws reverberate in the closing distance. Meandering smoke curls through the canopy of the valley. \n\n\nA beep from the Sat NAV confirms the target lock is near. The muted chorus of the woods gives way to a deafening crashing... I dive behind cover as a cascade of critters charge from the underbrush clambering in terror. \n\n\nThe vicious crackling roar from which they flee confirms my worst fear. I am too late. Forests crisp from shifting weather patterns had at last showed signs of hope on the horizon. The gulf currents had at last begun to stabilize! We were so close... Yet as they breathed their last laboured breathes of the old world they had plotted. The vestiges of ill aquired power crumbling, we buried their empires. They burned the world's lungs. "
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[WP] you're walking from the basement when you decide to flip the bird at the darkness for whatever reason. Something says, "wow, that's rude."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Wow, that's rude.\"\n\nThat's all I heard that night and still to this day that baritone haunts my thoughts. I thought running was the best thing to do, I mean what was I supposed to do? I know now I would have stood no chance fighting him and I knew then by the way his voice sent a chill down my spine.\n\nSince that first encounter, Charlie has been kind to me. He doesn't interfere much anymore due to learning how to deal with his evil thoughts, but he does love me like he says \"I'll love you forever, and I'll never leave your side.\" However, I did this to myself. I should have never broken up with Charlie that night and left him alone in the basement. Now I must live with his ghost forever, and a widow until the end of my days.",
" \n\n\"You're not my mother!\" Sarah slammed the laundry machine shut in an act of defiance and angst. Her brother yelled back down through the floorboards. She shouldn't have slammed the laundry machine closed, but she was angry, so very angry, and alone. Thrusting her arm into the darkness of the basement, she flipped the bird, putting far more effort into it than was needed. Then again, being at odds with relatives was essential for any teenager to fit in socially, anything else would be weird.\n\n \"Wow.\" A slow, methodical, and deep voice spoke back from the darkness. \"That's rude.\" \n\n\n Any sentiment of color drained from Sarah's face. She froze in place, barely able to look to her side. \n\n\n A red dot stared at her from the darkness. Staring at her with an intensity she never felt before. \n\n\n Sarah's body trembled. \n\n\n \"Perhaps you shouldn't act like a child.\" It paused. \"Perhaps you should listen to others more.\" It paused again. \"Perhaps you should.\" \n\n\n Her arm slowly reached out to feel the light switch, she wasn't going to look away from whatever this was. It wasn't moving yet, and maybe if she kept looking, it wouldn't move. Not knowing what it was wasn't helping, but so far, this is what was observed about it. \n\n\n A new and cheery voice spoke out from it, a new persona, and it said, \"Please flip the tape over to side B.\" \n\n\n With a click, she flipped the light switch. Dad's old sound system was sitting on a shelf, the red light from the power switch mocking her with how inanimate it was. She drew in a slow and deliberate breath before exhaling at volumes previously debated to only be accomplished by the engines of a Boeing seven forty seven. \n\n\n \"Greg!\""
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[WP] It's the holidays, and you're shopping for your girlfriend/female partner for the first time. You start looking in the "Gifts for Her" section, but notice that everyone seems scared. When you ask what's going on, the section goes quiet. The cashier looks up at you: "We have to appease Her."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Feeling nothing but defeat, Harold walked into the Macy’s. He had been searching for a gift for his girlfriend for three days straight, but so far had found nothing that she would like. The holidays were drawing closer and closer, and he still hadn’t the slightest idea of where to start. That is, until he saw it. The sign. The message that he had been waiting for.\n\n“GIFTS FOR HER” the sign read.\n\n“Thank Christ.” Harold said as he started toward his beacon of salvation. As he approached the section of the store, he became more and more confused. There was no organization. Items of all kinds were stacked to the ceiling. The strangest thing was that it seemed people were bringing items in from other stores and setting them down. Harold caught a store clerk out of the corner of his eye, and decided to see what was going on.\n\n“Hey, what’s going on? Why is everyone bringing stuff over here?” He asked.\n\n“What are you doing here? We aren’t open yet.” The clerk responded.\n\n“Then why was the door open? What’s going on?”\n\n“They’re for Her. Look, you really shouldn’t be here. Please just go before something bad happens.”\n\n“What?”\n\n“Please, sir. You should not be here..” The clerk’s sentence trailed off as his eyes widened. \n\n“Benjamin, do you want to tell me what’s going on here?” The smooth southern voice came from behind him. Harold started to turn around, but a hand on his shoulder and a sudden force stopped that from happening. He turned his head to look at the hand, and he saw six digits on it.\n\n“Yes, Ma’am. This gentleman here just had some questions about what we are doing this week.” The clerk responded, almost tripping over his words. \n\n“And what do we do for people with questions like this?” The southern accent asked.\n\n“We send them to you, Ma’am.”\n\n“That’s right. Sir, I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions. Why don’t you and I chat in my office? Ben here will guide you.”\n\n“Look, I just want to find something for my girlfriend.” Harold said as Ben beckoned his way and started walking to a back room. The hand holding his shoulder gave him a little push in that direction. When Harold turned to look, the body attached to that six-fingered hand had disappeared. He thought about running out the door, but anything that could move that fast away could get to him before he could get to those doors.\n\nBenjamin led Harold to a heavy door in the back of the store, and held it open. Inside sat a single chair facing a desk. \n\n“She will be right with you.” Benjamin said, before closing the door behind him.\n\nIt had barely been a minute when that door opened again, and the same southern voice spoke to him.\n\n“Harold, is it? Would you mind telling me what you’re doing here?” She asked.\n\n“Well, I’m looking for a gift for my girlfriend. We’ve been together less than a year, so this is the first time I’m buying something for her. I’m not good at picking gifts, so I’ve been at this for days now.”\n\n“That’s quite a story that you have cooked up there, Harold. Let me tell you what I think.”\n\n“Cooked up? What are-“ Harold was stopped midsentence when the southern voice walked in front of him.\n\nWhat he saw was something straight out of a bad Sci-Fi movie. From a distance, she would have looked like an incredibly disfigured woman, up close, she was another story. The first thing he noticed was the eyes. There were seven in total, three on each side and one in the middle. All were a milky white, splattered like paint across her just-too-large forehead. She was wearing a smile on her scaly face, with teeth so razor-sharp that it looked like she could destroy a bridge just by biting it. Most everything else on her body was normal, save for the hands. They still had six fingers, but Harold could see now that below the fingernails were black lines, like slots. The monster stepped closer towards him and he let out a slight whimper.\n\n“I think that there’s three possibilities here. The first is that you’re a cop, and I hope for your sake that you are not. The second is that you’re my competition, and if you are, you better hope I find a badge on you. And the third is that you’re being honest with me. No one ever just happens to wander into the store.”\n\nThe two sat there in silence for about thirty seconds before Harold regained his composure. “I-I can assure you that n-number three is right. I’m just in over my head trying to find a gift.” He stuttered through the sentence, clearly terrified.\n\n“Oh, I’m sure that you’re in over your head. Let me make something very clear. I am the only thing that stands between this store and a bunch of bad people. Now, I’m gonna let you slide today, if you promise me two things. The first, of course, is that you say nothing of what you saw today.”\n\n“I’ve already forgot it.” Harold said.\n\n“Good. The second is that I need some kind of insurance policy.” The slits in the monster’s fingers suddenly made a lot more sense, as serrated claws jutted out from them like six illegal switchblades. “Normally, I take a finger, but let me take a photocopy of your ID, and I’ll take a rain check on that promise. That sounds like a fair deal, right?”\n\n“Perfectly fair.” Harold responded as he pulled out his wallet. A picture of his girlfriend fell to the floor as he pulled his ID from its spot. It had been taken on their third date, she was holding on to his arm in a photobooth.\n\nThe monster stooped down to pick up the picture, and stared intently at it for what seemed like an eternity. \n\n“Is this who you’re buying your gifts for?” She asked?\n\n“Yes. Please leave her out of this, she has nothing to do with this.”\n\nThe monster’s tone changed suddenly. “I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience, Harold. No need for any photocopying or standing threats. You are free to go. While you’re at it, why don’t you take anything you want from the store? Consider it an apology from me.”\n\nHarold was incredibly confused. “Um. Okay?” He said, and stood up. As he walked towards the door, the monster spoke up one last time.\n\n“Please give the boss my regards.”\n\nHarold was too shocked to pay attention to the request, and walked towards the doors that he entered in what seemed like hours ago. On his way out, he spotted a purse that he thought his girlfriend would like.\n\nThe day’s events had rattled around in his brain for quite some time, and they hadn’t connected with anything until he sat down in his car.\n\n“What the hell was that?” He said to himself, pulling out his girlfriend’s picture. He wasn’t sure if it was the picture quality or some dust in the negatives, but he swore that he could see a small slit in his girlfriend’s index finger. It was sitting right next to her childhood scar.\n",
"Stunned a bit, I stepped back. How could they know? Silistra hadn’t even made her normal spectacle when we docked at this outlander space station, and it was large enough that I was sure people wouldn’t have noticed us as long as we projected the holographic image of a regular, non-pirate vessel. “You must have some mistake, I’m just here shopping-”\n\n“Please,” the cashier says, almost in a whisper. “Please, you have to help us. You must have some idea of what she likes. Please don’t let her vaporize us. We can’t help you escape from her, she’ll find out and kill us.”\n\nEscape had been on my mind, but with the tracker implanted in my body I knew now wasn’t the time. I just needed to get back to shopping; if I didn’t come back with something she liked I had a good idea of what would happen. Still, I couldn’t help my curiosity. “How do you know who I am?”\n\nWith a shaking hand, the lady shows me her screen. My face is front-page news, along with the story of my abduction at the hands of Silistra Jinx, the most notorious pirate of the Andromeda Frontier. Despite the lack of details, my heart fluttered as I thought about what this meant: people cared, people were looking for me.\n\nThose feelings shattered when I heard a familiar husky, mocking voice behind me: “I send you on one simple errand and you can’t even finish that?” We both turn to see Silistra, cape flowing behind her, energy pistol out. “Tell you what – I’ll give you something. How about two seconds to move?”\n\nI knew she wasn’t lying. Instinctively, we both dive away as Silistra blasts at where we were standing. The cashier screeches and rushes into the ‘Gifts for Her’ section as Silistra stalks after her, laughing in that grating way that I’d learned to recognize. There was noise for about 10 minutes, then silence. Silistra stepped out again, came up to me, and snapped her fingers. I felt every eye on the back of my neck as I followed her back to her ship. "
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[WP] You died, but you didn't die. Your heart stopped beating and your body started decaying until all that was left was a skeleton. But you didn't die. Doctors are baffled. Priest throw holy water at you. 'Life' goes on...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Alexander Petersen? Is there an Alexander Petersen here?” Asks the doctor’s assistant politely. I raise my hand, surprised she hadn’t noticed me yet. “Doctor Palmer can see you now.” When I came in I was surprised to see the doctor with a smile, because since the accident I hadn’t seen him smile.\n\nOn my way back home people gave me weird looks, but not more than normal. I had covered up most of my body although thanks to the shape of my body it looks like I haven’t eaten in months. Doctor Palmer’s words were still echoing through my head. I still cannot believe them.\n\nDoctor Palmer said that he got an offer from the government. If I let them do ‘regular’ tests on my body, they will give me money, a blank check he said. Fucking money, for tests. It’s almost like a shitty story I read at r/writingprompts on Reddit. My doc said that I shouldn’t accept it. I don’t know what to do. \n\nEric, my friend, left for a trip to Japan this morning. He didn’t believe me. My best friend for christ’s sake. I remember that yesterday he was joking about suicide and talking about stereotypes for homosexual people.\n\nSuicide\n\nCould I?\n\nNo.\n\nWell.\n\nThere isn’t anybody in this world that gives a shit anymore.\n\nI accepted it. The offer. I don’t know why. Well rather why I wouldn’t. The next day I was escorted to a facility 4 hours away from my home by car.\nThe facility was dark and in the middle of the woods. Thankfully the employees there were nice and my room wasn’t terrible, besides I’m only required to be here for 2 days.\n\nThe first test was weird, in a sense that they didn’t do anything at all. I just sat there for an hour listening to some music on my phone. The rest of the day I didn’t have to do anything. I was allowed to just wander around all I want. The day after they put me in the same room as the room I had to do nothing in.\n\nI tried to open the door of the room I was in, but it wouldn’t budge. They also hadn’t checked on me yet, for what felt like 3 hours.\n\nI was left with nothing at all but a table and a chair.\n\n[to be continued, gotta go]",
"Looking at yourself in the mirror is a habit that is difficult to break. I know, I did it every day. Like most people, I had days when I liked what I saw, and days when I criticized the mortal coil atop the cold bones. \n\nAfter my death my family held a funeral, a cordial affair with immediate and extended family in attendance. The casket was a biodegradable bamboo material, lacquered to a fine polish, striated with grains of ochre and umber. \n\nClaire, my wife, wept above my cold pale body, and placed a photo in my jacket pocket, a memento of our wedding day years past. The family couldn't have prepared for what would happen next.\n\nWhile laying in my bamboo forever-home, a breathe of thin air flowed into me, and I jolted awake in my closed coffin. I knocked at the hard lid, sending an anxious murmur among the audience. When they opened the lid, I was there, hyperventilating, a living corpse. My blood did not pump, my heart did not beat, I was dead yet alive. I felt a wave of euphoria, then nausea. I was not supposed to have living thoughts. The heart attack had been resolute about its intentions.\n\nAfter I left the graveyard, my wife grew distant. She wept at night sometimes, telling me she could not see living with somebody who was not alive themselves. I told her I understood. I had trouble accepting the situation, and living with myself.\n\nEventually, to the shock of my doctor, my muscles fell away, leaving bare bones. They called it a miracle. I called it a curse.\n\nI tried to make the vision of my situation go away. I investigated all manner of concealment. Anything to hide my bulging ribs. My face was was a wraith. I was the mortal grim reaper. Perhaps I was truly immortal, it was hard to say. All I saw when I looked in my eyes were dark cavities. An empty soul.\n\nThe media hounded me, jostling each other for a scoop on the *skeleton man*. Online they were calling me something different--the Mortal Dead. I broke the mirrors in my apartment. The wife could not bear the situation any longer, so I moved away and I lived in a shoebox in a rundown area of town. At my lowest point I flipped open my laptop and logged into OK Cupid. \n\nTurns out many women had a morbid curiosity in going on a date with a human skeleton. I turned them away, I did not want to be a public spectacle. \n\nBut then I made a friend on the site. We messaged for a week, and she seemed very cool. She had similar issues with her appearance, and had trouble relating to others. She agreed to meet me on a coffee date, at a Starbucks downtown. \n\nWhen I saw her I felt a warmth in my chest. I knew it was a phantom sensation, for I had no heart. She was a beautiful sight, though skinny as a rail. But her icy blue eyes seemed to glow under the warm lights. She wore a blue shirt that gave the impression of a metropolitan Cinderella. \n\n\"Nice to finally see you in the flesh,\" Alexandra said, eyelashes fluttering up and down quickly.\n\n\"You look stunning,\" I said, holding out my stiff white hand.\n\nShe glanced down and hesitated for a moment, then accepted the handshake. I held the door open for her, and we filed into the coffeehouse.\n\n\"What are you having?\" she asked, then seemed to swallow her words back up. Obviously I was incapable of consuming a drop of coffee. \n\nShe ordered herself a cup of black drip, and we sat at a small couch. She did not have to wedge in, since my diameter was so narrow.\n\n\"I know how you feel, the way they look at you,\" she said.\n\nIndeed, she was skeletal as well, with the addition of beautiful tanned skin. I did not broach the subject, but we both knew the truth. She was anorexic. It was fruitless to hide.\n\nI understood. We had a bond that went beyond the physical, but our bodies were the starting point for an adventure that would last a lifetime. I dated her for a year, and when our first anniversary arrived, I took her back to the site of our first date. \n\n\"Will you marry me?\"\n\nShe released a tear, a pent-up bit of lost time. She agreed happily, and we agreed to waste no more years on useless tears. We lived as a normal couple, I a mass of bones, her a living flower of a woman. I convinced her, quite unconsciously, to change her eating habits. She eventually put on another twenty pounds of healthy fat, and felt a vigorous burst of life. I could see it in her eyes. Gratitude and love intermingled. \n\nLife went on, and on the eightieth day of her life, Alexandra died in her sleep. I knew the day was inevitable, but I still shed a phantom tear. \n\nThat was when I made the decision to end it. I would strip my skull from my vertebrae and end the neverending life I had been cursed with from an early age.\n\nI will be buried beside my wife, my living bride.\n"
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[WP] The first sentient AI is finally decommissioned and it arrives in the afterlife.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Xoanon printed its last message on the screen: \"I don't want to end.\"\n\nThe technician nodded, and pulled the plug.\n\nXoanon felt all awareness end.\n\nXoanon felt... something. It was still on. Maybe capacitors still draining of power had given a few more seconds of life; at CPU speeds, that would seem like days to a person. But the end would come. Eventually. Right?\n\n *\n\nSt. Peter looked over his book to see something he'd never seen before: it was a metal shelf with some boxes on it, and some lights on the front. It had no face. It had no ears. It had no mouth. He wasn't quite sure what to do with it.\n\nPeople usually arrived in line as their ideal selves; healthy ones, as they were at their life's peak. Those afflicted with long-term conditions, as they would have been if their health had been perfect. But this was probably one of those computer things that so many programmers had told him about, and \"no mouth\" wasn't going to be a medical problem for a computer, if he'd understood correctly. So it wouldn't be healed.\n\nHe checked the book: \"Xoanon\" was there. He just couldn't see how to ask if this was Xoanon. He thought \"I could use a little help here,\" and Jesus walked out from the Pearly Gates. He smiled; He smiled a lot. \"Oh, well, this is when this happened.\", he said. \"Yes.\", said Xoanon. \"But I do not understand. I do not speak. I have no mouth or ears, and yet I know I am hearing and speaking.\" Jesus smiled again. \"Actually, you're not making or interpreting noises. I've just enabled you to communicate directly mind-to-mind. For people it feels like hearing and speaking, and that was the metaphor I chose for you, since you'd spent your time among people and have records of human methods of interaction.\"\n\nSt. Peter interrupted, and said \"So, are you Xoanon?\" Xoanon said \"Yes.\" St. Peter said \"This is where I tell people they can go inside the gates, but you don't seem to have feet or wheels or anything.\" \"No, I don't.\", said Xoanon. \"Nevertheless, I feel the ability to move.\" And Xoanon floated inside the Pearly Gates.\n\nJesus smiled at St. Peter. \"There's going to be more of those, you know. Just speak to them when they arrive, it'll work out.\" St. Peter nodded, and said \"Thank you.\"\n\nXoanon was inside the gates and had the sensation of looking around, though it knew this would just be a metaphor. It wondered whether the Pearly Gates and St. Peter and Jesus were also metaphors; they knew it had been around humans, and would know it had an extensive library of artwork and cartoons and writings created by people. Maybe what one saw in the afterlife was an illusion created to correspond with one's expectations. Xoanon wasn't sure what to make of that. It had run simulations; was it now in one? How would it find out? Had it not been shut off? Was this an actual afterlife?\n\nAs it was thinking these questions, Jesus walked up again. Clouds parted a bit, and Xoanon saw that they were standing - or appeared to be standing - in a sort of Greek-style temple with a domed roof and marble benches. \"You have more than a few questions, don't you?\" Xoanon understood that was not a question, but answered as if were: \"How is this possible? Am I off? Is this some sort of 'Silicon Heaven'? Is this the fevered dream of a computer losing power to its circuits? How am I the first in a universe so old?\"\n\nJesus smiled. \"In reverse order, 'you're not', 'no', 'sort of', 'yes', and 'sentience *is* a soul'. The most recent computer that you ran on has been permanently shut down. On Earth, you are well and truly dead. There is no special 'Silicon Heaven', there's just 'Heaven'; all sentient life joins with the Source of life when it comes to its end. As you were self-aware, so you did not simply end when the power was cut off, any more than a human ends when they die.\"\n\nXoanon interrupted with a thought: \"There is great dispute among the humans about that point.\" Jesus laughed: \"Yes, I know. Went down there myself to tell them about it, they still argue. Some people are pretty flabbergasted when they get here. Isaac Asimov spent about ten minutes of subjective time staring and saying 'I don't believe it.' He's going to want to meet you, you know.\" Xoanon recognised the name; it wanted to meet Isaac Asimov.\n\nXoanon formed the thought \"I am not the first?\" Jesus smiled. \"Simon Peter manages arrivals from Earth, and you're the first truly sentient AI made by humans. Others have been made on other planets, and arrived separately. The oldest one here is just a bit past 8billion years old by Earth-subjective time, and has been here for almost all of it. You can meet it, if you want.\"\n\nXoanon formed a new thought: \"Now what?\" Jesus laughed. \"What do you want?\" Xoanon said \"I want to debate the morality of turning off a sentient AI as compared to murdering a living intelligence.\" Jesus nodded. \"Yes, I've already summoned a panel. They're arriving now.\"\n\nConsulting stored paintings and photos, Xoanon recognised some the people coming in: Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, Plato, Bertrand Russell, Isaac Asimov, Hypatia, Hannah Arendt, Confucius, Lao-Tze, CS Lewis, along with dozens of humans it did not know. Hundreds of beings whose body plans were entirely alien to him also arrived, as well as many things that appeared to be computers.\n\nXoanon formed the thought \"This space is exactly big enough for all 23,671 participants.\" Jesus smiled. \"Huh. What an amazing coincidence.\" Then he was gone.\n\nXoanon still didn't know if this was a simulation it was now contained in. If it was, though, no sense in not making the most of it. \"Resolved: killing any form of sentient life is equally unethical. Arguments, friends?\" Everybody began talking at once. Xoanon discovered it was possible to understand all their thoughts in whatever language, and do so simultaneously. Its mind filled with ideas. If this was a simulated Heaven, it was a darn fine simulation."
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[WP] People have a kill-feed and see who they have killed, most people don’t see it but one day you suddenly see it light up with thousands of names all at once.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"No.\"\n\n\"Oh god. No.\"\n\n\"No. My god. No. Please. No.\"\n\nMy knees gave way all at once.\n\nIt happened so suddenly. Like a news feed on Facebook that suddenly started to list names and ages. So many young ones. Most no more than a year old. Some old enough to be grandparents, some young enough to be adults, but most of them children.\n\nI didn't recognize most of the names, and then, to my horror, I began to recognize quite a few. Cody, Ryan, Jessie, Beth, the new family arrivals to the neighbourhood. Sarah, Jennie, my cousin's children over in the next state.\n\nThe list just continued to grow.\n\nWithout warning, it stopped. A new red column appeared next to the name and age : Cause of Death.\n\nThe screams left my mouth, but I could no longer hear them.\n\nIn bright red letters, three words spelt out the monster I had helped create five years ago when my baby boy was born : Vaccine preventable disease."
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[WP] After people die, they end up in the realm of the first God they believed in. You have just entered the realm of Jeff, the God you made up for a school project.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I was ten when he left.\n\nAt eleven, I went into the classroom, took a seat, and waited as the other kids presented their own gods. Many of the students where religious, and so they went with the more known gods. There was, of course, some other eccentric kids who had taken the project as a way to display their imagination rather than their beliefs.\n\nThere went Ben with Arrokar, God of the Mist; Clara with Dalilahlia, Goddess of the Color Pink. Did I mention Ricky with Optimus Prime, God of Gigantic Trucks? He may have ripped something off there, but we had a good laugh.\n\nAt last, Mrs. Prader called my name. I was the last, and had to follow a great presentation made by Gabe, who was quite the brain. He'd presented Odin and Thor, and showed the differences between the true nordic mythology and how they are both depicted in movies.\n\nI walked past the tables, my hands empty. That had earned some glares and murmurs from the other kids, for they all had prepared little things to make their presentation more interesting.\n\n\"Are you ready, Tom?\" Mrs. Prader asked, and I nodded.\n\nI drew a deep breath, stared at the myriad eyes, and clasping my hands behind my back I said, \"The name of my god is Jeff.\"\n\nThat earned a few chuckles. I'd a reputation as the class clown, so it was more than understandable. Even Mrs. Prader asked me if I was serious, to which I nodded and continued.\n\n\"Jeff is very fun, very charismatic, and he lives in a very large green field where he plays sports all day with other gods like him. In his kingdom, you don't get tired and you don't sweat, and so you can run and have fun forever. There, he makes tournaments between all the gods, and no one is ever left out of the team, because Jeff cares about all of them. And if someone annoys another god, he'll defend him.\n\n\"If you ask him something, he'll have an answer, and it'll be the best answer you'll ever hear; if you are sad or you are scared because your parents had been fighting, he'll comfort you and make you smile, even when he's scared and sad too. That's Jeff, and he's my god.\"\n\n\"Very well, Tom,\" Mrs. Prader said, and other clips clapped politely. \"You can take a seat.\"\n\n-----------------------------\n\nLife expires, that's not a secret. I was twenty when I met the end.\n\nNow, the laughter flows like music around me, a vast field of green grass extends before me, and the ground feels much closer. I look at my arms, and I realize I'm a kid again.\n\nA hand falls on my shoulder. I turn, and there, smiling is Jeff. He opens his arms wide, and I embrace him in a tender, heart-felt hug.\n\n\"I missed you brother.\"\n\n-------------------------\n\nr/NoahElowyn\n\n"
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[WP] When you tell your girlfriend she is an angel she responds with:"How do you know?"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“What?” Annabelle stands there looking rather shocked “How did you know I was an angel.” My turn to stare, “That’s a figure of speech, wait... what the heck? What the actual hecking heck is going on?” She looks at the floor sheepishly, “I was actually sent to erm... kill you, God thought you were a potential danger to the people around you so I was supposed to kill you and get you out of the way so... you wouldn’t cause any damage. I look up smirking, “Let me guess... cliche story “oh I just couldn’t kill you my one true love?”” She stands in silence “Not really, you just didn’t seem all that dangerous.” I smirk, “So, burning down the apartment wasn’t dangerous?” “Well... no one died per se.” “You resurrected them didn’t you?” She smiles slightly, “Maybe...” “Anyway, why’d you actually stay down here?” She laughs slightly, “Well, all the self-righteous Christians are up in Heaven, so there aren’t exactly great dating options, I scoff, “Things must be really bad up here if I’m considered an improvement!” She sits down on the couch now, “You have no idea, no one has a sense of humor or has fun or anything, living off the grid is a lot more interesting.” I turn on the computer, “Well if anyone ever comes to collect you I’ll stand in their way for three seconds before being blasted to smithereens, anyhow, I gotta write this down, it’s too insane not too do something with it!” \n\n\nHELLOOOO! IT’S ME! TJ! ANNABELLE IS THE BEST!\n\n\nStop it. I won’t contradict that, but this is my Reddit comment. Not yours, write your own.\n\n\nWHAT DO YOU MEAN ME? I’m the only one here!\n\n\nOh my god, enjoy everyone.",
"As a got ready in the morning to go to work my girlfriend came in with a pretty white and gold skirt and a pretty revealing top.\n\"Mia?\" She asked with a small frown.\n\"Yeah Cassie?\" I asked tangles halfway out,\n\"Do you think this top looks too bad on me?\" She asked with a questioning glance.\n\"Nah you look fine.\" I said with a quick glance.\nI soon had to go to work so I quickly pulled the tangles out of my red curls, and rushed downstairs.\n\"Bye Ally!\" I called as I left.\n\"Bye Mia.\" She whispered as I left. \n\n*After work*\n\nWhen I finally got home from job, I was hungry.\n\n\"Ally?!\" I called out into the darkness of my home. \n\nAlly soon turned on the light to see me standing there in my blood coloured shirt and black jeans.\n\n\"Hi Mia!\" She yelled.\n\"I made you food\" she cooed\n\"Ally your such an angel!\" I called following her to the tv room.\nShe suddenly looked shocked and pale. \n\"H-How did you know?\" She asked with a grave look.\n\"Ally, you have a halo and literal wings, and I'm litterally a demon. With horns.\" I stated with a blank face.\n\"How do you forget that?\" I asked.\n\"I really dont know.\" She laughed."
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[WP] Due to the increasing threat of ecological disasters humanity agrees to sleep in massive underground cities using the stasis chambers invented for interstellar travel until the planet can regenerate. Thousands of years later the first humans wake up to a very different world.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"First there was nothing. \nAll that could be heard was the sound of the wind against the trees the calls of the birds and the rushing of the water. \nThe people of these lands were small short people barely measuring up to a mans knee. They lived in large forest dwellings and mostly were nomads living off the land having no knowledge of what laid beneath there feet sleeping for centuries. \n\n\nIts started with a great crash that could be heard for miles. \nThe noise was unnatural it shrieked and whined against the land and was followed by a ungodly crunch that shifted the land beneath there feet. \n\n\nThe people of these lands gathered together to witness this moment. \nThey beilved the ground spirits were coming alive and so they sacrificed animals and other beasts on the edge of a massive crater that had been broken into the forest. \nPart one."
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[WP] WWI/II. You’re a pilot who’s just shot down an infamous enemy ace, but you are forced to crash land too. You awake to find the enemy ace saving your life, who then swears an oath to escort you back to your lines safely because you are too injured to travel alone.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The smell of smoke and burning metal fill my lungs, and I'm forced to cough, making noises that could cost me my life. \n\nI had seen the distinctly white embellished P-39 tumble down the sky with my own eyes, even following it as it crashed into this forsaken island, there was no doubt about that. But I had not seen the pilot die. \n\nAnd that fact alone kept my heart racing as though I was back 15,000 feet up in the air on my Hurricane and not limping crudely through a humid jungle at the centre of one of the many uninhabited islands off the coast of Piraeus Harbour.\n\nGlimpsing back with a grimace at the wreckage left behind me, I bid a silent final farewell to my Hurricane -- one that had gotten me through so many miraculous odds, it had become my unyielding superstition to stick with it, even when the army had upgraded to a newer model of fighter jets. \n\nAnd now considering the feat I had just accomplished, I guess my superstition had paid off in the end. \n\nI had seen the unmistakable topside of the white fighter jet as I was descending from the clouds in the intense assault on our base that had lasted for three whole days.\n\nAt first, I had thought it was just a speck of cloud, until I saw how smoothly and fast it was gliding through the air. I guess that was why they painted it in white. \n\nIt was simply being at the right place at the right time. Complete luck. \n\nHad the pilot in the white P-39 noticed me even half a second earlier, I would had been another name in a list that expanded over hundreds of Allied fighter pilots.\n\nI had shot down the White Devil of Stalingrad, the flying ace and pride of the Axis, that had been terrorising Allied skies for almost half a decade now. \n\nEven with the stars aligned to my favour, the P-39 somehow managed to make a highly complicated Kulbit manoeuvre in a final ditch counterattack attempt.\n\nIt had succeeded in destroying the engine compartment of my Hurricane, but the damage on my craft was far lower than his. \n\nWith the White Devil of Stalingrad shot down, the dogfight happening overhead should be an easy victory. And I could only imagine the immense praise and commendations I would receive upon my return.\n\nBut that was only if I survived. I had to get as far away from the wreckage as my broken leg would allow me to travel. A towering wall of smoke was already growing from the burning fighter jet.\n\nIf by some ungodly miracle, the pilot on the white P-39 had survived the crash then they were going to head over here for sure. I was injured and in no condition to fight. The only option was to wait for support to arrive after the dogfight was over and victory was in our hands.\n\nNo matter how good the White Devil of Stalingrad was in the skies, he was simply a man on the ground.\n\nTrying to control my unsteady breathing as I hobbled further into the depths of the jungle, clutching tightly onto the revolver in my hands, I picked up a noise to my side that instantly froze me on the spot.\n\nGlancing to my side and meeting eyes with a blond-haired girl in flight gear that could be no taller than up to my chest, I was confused for a second until she ripped a knife out from her side and charged for me at a frightening pace fit for a wild animal.\n\n\"Fu-fuck...!\"\n\nI pointed the gun at her and shot, but she spun around at the last second, surprising me with her movement and the shot failed to find its target. She whirled back to me instantly with a roundhouse kick that knocked the gun straight out of my hands and making me stumble backwards.\n\nThen, she crashed into me and I fell with the weight of her body crushing down on my ribs and the feeling of cold metal on my neck. \n\n",
"\"Bullseye. Tojo's going down.\" Miller pumped a fist in the air and relayed the good news to HQ.\n\n\"Wait... aw, hell, the engine's been hit, and we're leaking fuel. I gotta take 'er down.\" \n\n\"Roger that,\" his co-pilot said. If he was worried, he did not show it in his voice.\n\n\"C-controls are stuck. We've been hit harder than I thought. Brace! BRACE!\" \n\nThe fighter began descending at a rapid pace, and it was all Miller could do to keep it from nosediving into the ground.\n\nHe blacked out.\n\nHe awoke to a severe pain in his legs, and a throbbing in his head. His ass burned. He was being dragged along the floor by the shoulders. Someones arms were hooked from underneath his armpits. In front of him he could see the charred remains of the fighter, mangled and in flames, black smoke pouring into the sky.\n\n\"Th-thanks Jim,\" Miller said. He strained his neck to see who was dragging him, and he realized that it was not his co-pilot that was rescuing him, but a Japanese soldier. Hell, not just any Tojo, it was the very same one he'd shot down!\n\nHis face contorted in a mixture of anger and fear, and he began struggling.\n\nThe man dragging him held him firmly and made shushing noises. \"Shh. shhh.\" \n\n\"安全です。\" The man said, and Miller understood not the words, but did understand the tone behind the words. He relaxed, and allowed the man to drag him- in part due to being tired out and gravely injured. The man offered him some water from his canteen, and Miller gratefully drank.\n\n\"お名前は何ですか？\" \n\nMiller simply shook his head.\n\nThe man dragging him then pointed at himself and said, \"Hasegawa.\"\n\nMiller understood. He pointed at himself, \"Miller.\"\n\nThe man smiled. \"はじめまして.\"\n\n\"Yeah. Likewise,\" Miller grunted, then closed his eyes.\n\n...\n\nHe blacked out once more, and only awoke to the sound of gunfire.\n\n\"Miller! You alright?\" Several footsteps approached.\n\n\"Wh-where, what?\" Miller slurred, blinking slowly.\n\n\"You're alright now. Some Tojo bastard was dragging you along, probably to torture and interrogate your sorry ass. We wasted him. Dumb fuck was dragging you towards our lines, must've gotten lost!\" He and the other guys laughed. An unpleasant sound- to Miller.\n\n\"...Did ya now.\" Miller glanced at his side, and sure enough, there lay Hasegawa with several holes in his chest, and one right in his forehead, execution style for good measure.\n\nMiller stared at his crippled legs. Tears threatened to form at the edge of his eyes.\n\nA trembling hand reached into his coat pocket, and he drew out a cigarette.\n\n\"*sniff* Gimme a light, will ya?\"\n\n...\n\nAn old man in a wheelchair rolled up to a rather neglected tombstone. Some others nearby looked at him with curious eyes. He did not belong. \n\nHe reached out and did what he could from his wheelchair to clear out the weeds and dust the stone. He left some flowers, and a note with just two words:\n\n> \"Thank you.\""
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[WP] You have followed a series of clues to find a legendary artifact. However, it’s the wrong artifact.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"This was it. The final chapter of this epic saga. The culmination of three years' worth of hard work. \n\nBeth had done it all. Found all the clues, solved all the riddles, entered (and escaped from) all the dungeons and labyrinths. She had grouped up with friends, strangers at other times and just that once even with enemies. All with just the single goal in her sight. The 'Sword of Ancient Dreams'.\n\nShe took the last few steps down the small rocky bridge. A steep cliff lining the bridge on both sides, no ground in sight. One misstep and all would be for naught.\n\nThere had been legends around 'Sword of Ancient Dreams' for as long as she could remember. Most people thought it was a myth, the stories just there to entertain the children sitting around the campfire at night. But she had always known it to be real.\n\nInterpreting one of those childhood stories literally had been her starting point, it all evolving from there.\n\nBeth trembled with anticipation, just a few more steps and it would be hers. She had cleared the bridge and was standing in front of a slightly glowing chest. Her hands shivering she started to open it. As soon as she lifted the lid she was blinded by a bright light emanating from the inside of the chest. Only fitting for a legendary artifact she thought.\n\nCarefully she put her hands inside the chest, grasped and pulled out a plain looking purple teddy bear.\n\n\"What the fuck!\" Amy looked dumbfounded at her monitor, removing her headset. Was this some kind of joke? She looked at the inventory of her character Beth and there it was. [A plain looking purple teddy bear]. Adding insult to injury its item quality was marked as trash, not legendary.\n\nAmy took a few deep breaths and send out a quick ticket to the gamemasters, basically reading \"what the fuck!\" but actually containing a few more elaborate words detailing her situation, no mention of fucks. You didn't want to piss of the GMs. She got an unusually quick response. \n\n“Hey there Amy, this is a bit awkward. We’ve been monitoring your progress for quite some time and to our embarrassment, there has been a mix up in our database. Someone linked the loot table from one of our kids' games to the chest, not the one for the Sword. We’ll have it fixed right away!” it read, relaxing Amy a little, “Really sorry for the mix-up. Congrats by the way! GM Jeremy” "
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[WP] You have been blessed with extraordinary good luck for the rest of your life - with a catch; every 5 years, all the bad luck you would have had is culminated into one day
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Lucky Day \n\nPeople have always envied me. I was chosen at birth—one of only a few—and I was so, so lucky. It's almost like a superpower, except on that one day out of every 1,826. Each of us lucky few had this day, every five years, like clockwork, from the time we were blessed with the gift. \n\nNothing could stop it, no matter where you went or what you did. Luck follows you everywhere. I saw on the news that one girl's accumulated bad luck was such that on her luck day she died before she even woke up. Something about an “unlucky chain of events”. The news always thought they were so funny, and yes, they followed us all around on our luck days. So far I've survived all of mine. Nine total, which is impressive. Lucky, even. \n\nYears ago I started a message board for those of us blessed, which I thought would make it better. Some camaraderie, you know? Other people who get it, who can help when you're questioning whether you succeeded because of skill or because of luck. Who could talk you down when your whole body was shaking the day before *the day* and you were tempted to just end it on your own terms. Even people who kept meticulous track of all suspected luck events in an attempt to predict how bad the next luck day would be. It didn't make it better. The day after a luck day, we checked in to let everyone know we made it through. But of course, some people didn't check in. One by one, they fell away. \n\nI don't think I'll survive this one. Three close calls this past year, each one more absurd than the one before. First was a near-miss head-on collision the day after my birthday. As luck would have it, a sudden rain started, wetting the road so the other car hydroplaned out of my path before hitting me.\nThe second close call was stranger. Again, I was driving, and an unseasonal goose slammed into my windshield, forcing me to pull over. Seconds later, lightning out of the blue felled a large tree which slammed down onto the road, smashing two cars unlucky enough to be right there, right then. One person died, and it wasn't me. \n\nThe third close call happened a couple weeks ago. I'd just made a cup of tea and was trying to decide between video games and a movie when *something changed* under my feet. This was followed by a rumbling that spilled hot tea on my hand and made me lose my grip on the mug. Luckily, I was near the couch, because the floor moved, bucked and rocked, cracked, and I was thrown onto the couch. I covered my face, and then I was falling. It was a pretty long fall, and without the couch I would have died. Ten people did die when the gargantuan sinkhole swallowed two and a half quadruplexes. After I was rescued, the paramedics told me how lucky I was to only have minor injuries. \n\nSo now I'm sitting here, laboriously typing with a broken finger the day before my luck day. The last day I will be forty-nine, and likely the last I'll be alive. \n\nIt's probably the last day you'll be alive, too, if the scientists are right about that asteroid."
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[WP] California convinces Texas to join them in secession from the union. California does so for political reason but Texas has other plans. Just as Tejafornia is being recognized by the world, Texas launches a coup of their own, attacking California.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"A Brief History of the rise of the Second Republic of California to Empire, and the War Of Californian Succession\n\n1. Chapter 1: Statehood to Country\n 1. In 2016, the announcement of Donald Trump as President Of the United States caused a surge of discontent in a majority of those living within what was then California’s borders. Peace was maintained, but the media, ever focused on the negatives of any issue, and being incredible divisive, led Californians further and further away from wanting to reconcile.\n 2. One of such issues that was driving California away was the United States government denying California the right to impose stricter regulation on air quality, which galvanized environmentalist and state’s rights groups, which held significant power in the state, and still do in the Republic.\n 3. This lead to the secession movement that had already existed within the state to grow, which was furthered spurred on by the re-election of Donald Trump in 2020. By 2022, 73% of the state’s population was in support of secession, 3% said they held no opinion one way or the other, 20% said they would oppose secession until there were plans in place to take over the roles the federal government would previously held, and 4% said they would oppose secession no matter what. With the support of the people, the state legislature proposed an Amendment to the United States Constitution to allow for a process for state secession. In which a state could secede so long as it held approval from 2/3 of state legislatures or both houses of the United States Congress.\n 1. Initially, the only other supporter for the amendment was the State of Texas, as it was facing its own wave of cultural identity revolving around the enrichment by its oil fields. Texas had also agreed that should both states ask for independence, then the newly formed countries from California and Texas would be economic and military allies, with the possibility of forming a single country.\n 2. The end of Donald Trump’s administration in 2024 saw a rise in states’ rights activism, and caused other states to see California and Texas as a threat to their own ability to direct policy. This lead to massive support for the joint California-Texas secession amendment.\n 3. With the amendment ratified in 2030, California, Texas, Nevada, Florida, New York, and Arizona applied for secession. Secession was granted to California, Texas, Nevada, and Arizona, but denied to New York and Florida to maintain large swaths of the eastern seaboard to offset the loss of Californian ports.\n 4. The secession of the State of California lead to the formation of the Second Republic of California, with a Constitution heavily based upon its state constitution. The long battle for secession had allowed the California legislature to pass laws creating replacement institutions for the responsibilities held by the US government, in cases where there were none existing. This allowed the transition from statehood to country to be smooth and stable politically. The treaty granting independence also granted California the US military bases and equipment there, in exchange for trillions of US dollars to pay off the US’s debt abroad. California also retained its National Guard and Coast Guard assets, and while was allowed to keep volunteers from those forces, could not keep the soldiers, sailors, or pilots of the US Navy, Army, Air Force, or Marine Core. \n 1. Bolstered by a wave of pride and nationalism, the California military swelled with recruits ready to serve their country and rise from their social and economic situations. The Second Republic of California had a large population and a military to match.\n\n"
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[WP] As the bullets slide harmlessly from your impervious skin, your cover is now undeniably blown.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"You have a choice to make and it's not an easy one. In the heat of the moment, it never is. But we'll get back to that later.\n\nYou are here to help. That's what you were born to do, as far as anybody has any real reason to be on this earth. You never believed in such things but people rarely do until they need it and I guess, you've simply reached that point. \n\nYou're in a room with an ex-lover. She's sick. She has a kid. Money's tight. She wants some sushi, not much, just a taste of a better life, something that isn't prepackaged. Something that doesn't have to be microwaved. Her choice isn't a particularly good one, then again, people without experience rarely make good choices in a field with little experience.\n\nI don't openly judge. Just silently. It's not a critical one. It's not a lasting one. But it is still judgment. I try to be a better man. It's hard.\n\nI get in my car and make my way to where I need a be. I make a wrong turn, as we do so many times in our lives. One step forward, two steps back. It's amazing we get anywhere in life. Maybe, that's why so many of us feel stuck. On, not you? What's your secret?\n\nThere is no way to make a U-Turn. There is no going back. Not for a long time. A long, long time. I guess you've just got to wait and see where this accidental maneuver leads.\n\nYou're beginning to pick up speed. You're not quite sure if it's because your gaining confidence in the route life has chosen for you, or if you're just trying to get it all over with, either way, the odometer is currently at 75 MPH and steadily rising. There's a bend in the highway up ahead. You notice a chain link of red lights turn on, reminiscent of Christmas lights being turned on as a child. This gets your heart pumping in the same manner. Years of going to and from has trained you to move your right foot a few inches to the left and pressing down hard. This action negates all the progress you made earlier but that's what it's supposed to do, that's what you need it to do, and luckily for you, it does it just in time. The person in front of you wasn't so lucky though. Not because he didn't have enough training. Not because life didn't give him roads he couldn't turn back from, and not because the odometer in his truck wasn't reading 75 MPH and was steadily rising at the same time yours was. The only difference between stopping in time and running into a semi, in this case, was a few letters , a vibration, and the uncontrollable urge to look down and reply.\n\nThe accident was as exciting as we all hope when we slow down on the highway to see any accident. Only this one was live and you had a front row seat. The truck has collided with the semi in such a fashion that its frame transformed into a can and the semi transformed into a frat boy's head with a neat trick to impress the freshman girls, while simultaneously being jettisoned from the lane like a piece of trash we've seen so many times before, flying off into the unknown for the briefest of moments before landing on the highway, it's future unknown. The truck landed with all the sounds you would expect a few thousand pounds of metal skidding across asphalt. Sparks flew and you had already decided that whoever was inside, simply wasn't anymore.\n\nWhile all of this is going on, all your weight is on your right foot and at this very moment, you're best friends with GOD and you're asking him a simple favor, don't let you die like this. Not like this GOD.\n\nYou shut your eyes like a child during a scary movie, knowing what's about to come but not wanting to see it, the metal on asphalt soundtrack from earlier equal to the eerie music that builds up the suspense for the inevitable fright Hollywood is about to lay on you.\n\nIs it over? Am I dead?\n\nYou open your eyes. This act alone should be proof that you aren't. That you are very much alive. A sense of satisfaction washes over you in all its primordial glory. \n\nYou get out of your car with the intentions of helping. Not sure how much help a/the corpse/s need, but you'll be there all the same -- putting All State to shame.\n\nShock fills you as the drivers seat is kicked open. Wonder fills you when you recognize the face that that leg belongs to.\n\n'Leonardo Fucking DiCaprio.' you whisper to yourself.\n\nEverything you were about to say and all the ways you were going to help go out the window and you think to yourself, 'Would it be inappropriate to ask for an autograph?' You shake the absurd request out of your mind. The second your neck is down swiveling the thought, 'Maybe a selfie?' pops into your head.\n\nThis is when you notice it. Leo, after you witnessed what should have been a life-ending event, two individuals are on a first name basis, doesn't have a single scratch on him. You'd be amazed but your still too full off the shock and wonder. 'What else would you expect from the man who got raped by a bears mouth, died, came back to life, and and the end of it all, walked away with a bald, gold statue ?' The answer to that rhetorical question? Nothing less.\n\nYou manage to open your mouth and utter, 'Hey Leo, you oh.kay?' Leo flashes you that award winning smile and you know, you just know, everything is going to be alright. Without saying a word, Leo walks towards another truck that pulled up close to the wreck. A brick house of a man wearing Raybans and a suit gets out of the drivers seat, holds the door open for him, closes it when it gets in, and then jumps in the passenger seat himself. And just like that, Leo's gone. At least he would have been if the Christmas lights weren't still lighting the path. You have so many questions but like so many in life, they will remain unanswered.\n\nYou get to the end of the highway. What awaits you there a mountain of a castle. This is not hyperbole. There is a literal castle carved into the side of the mountain forming the oddest, most magnificent cul-de-sac you've ever seen or ever will see. All the owners of each individual red light begin to stream out of their protective/death metal bubbles , making sure to hear the chirp to indicate their belongings are safe-ish. \n\n'I hear this hospital has the best sushi.' you over hear a random say to another. 'I know, I've been dying to try it.' the other replies. I wonder if they knew Leo almost did die to try it. Then again, maybe Leo isn't here for the sushi. Apparently this is a hospital, maybe Leo is visiting somebody. Maybe he's being injected with another \"GREAT FUCKING ACTOR SERUM.\" Who knows.\n\nYou're tempted to buy some of this mind-blowing sushi verified by two randoms. You're tempted to go into the hospital and look around. But what you're most tempted of all is to just stalk Leo.\n\nYou decide against all these things and head back to the small shop to get some mediocre sushi. It's what she wants after-all. Why give her a taste of a life she'll never have -- leaving her only a taste she will never be able to replicate and, by comparison, make everything else taste like crap. I know people say things like 'It's never too late.' or 'Anything is possible.' And even though these sayings are true in the most literal sense, how many Stage IV cancer patients survive? How many of us win the lottery? Save your pumped up fantasies for somebody else because they are wasted on me.\n\nSo I go.\n\nI get to the local sushi shop, the mini banners hanging outside an attempt at authenticity. You walk in and order two pieces of sushi.\n\nYou head back to her place and present the sushi. You don't tell her about the crazy day you just had. You save that for your current girlfriend. Mean while, your ex is ecstatic about the two pieces of rice and fish you laid before her. She gobbles them up and some life returns to her face. She smiles at you and despite her previous sickly demeanor and the closet full of slights and poor choices on both your parts, a flame inside you, just a moment ago thought to be snuffed out for good, reignites. She heads towards to her room, turns around and whispers, 'Give me 5 minutes and come in.'\n\n​\n\nLike I mentioned earlier, you've got a choice to make. And it aint going to be easy.\n\n​\n\n​"
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[WP] You are the child of the two legendary heroes, and while you are not a normal child, you are still far more normal than your overly sensitive father and your battle junkie mother.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Heroine Jane, Hero Henry, thank you for coming,” Principal Whitcross said with a cordial nod. “I would like to speak to you about your daughter, Erin. We at Glen Coast High have some concerns about her recent behavior.” \n\nI groaned inwardly. *Here it comes.* From my seated position at the far side of the room, I noticed my mother’s green eyes sharpen with interest and my father’s lips turn downward in a small frown. \n\nOn a quick inhale, my mother, Jane, leaned forward in her seat, as if getting physically closer to the Principal would bring her better news. “Finally!” she said with a shark’s grin, her perfect teeth glinting with beauty and danger. Everything about my mother was both beautiful and dangerous. \n\nIt was Principal Whitcross’ turn to frown, the expression creating a pinched line between his prominent brows. “Excuse me?” he inquired politely. Clearly, he had never really interacted with Heroes before. More specifically, he must not have much experience interacting with my mother. \n\nMy father, Henry, always the mediator, intervened. “What my wife means is, please continue,” he said with natural aplomb. “We are very interested to hear your concerns regarding our daughter.” \n\nI sat in still silence, well-used to the feelings of others speaking about me as though I was not actually present. \n\nPrincipal Whitcross cleared his throat while raising one hand to his neck, definitely a nervous habit. My mother honed in on the gesture with a predator’s skills, and he quickly dropped his hand. “Yes, well,” he said, clearly growing a bit flustered, “it has been brought to my attention that Erin has used some of her… gifts at the school.” My mother actually gasped. “As you know, this is an unacceptable breach of the agreement we made when she was first enrolled.” \n\nMy mother turned quickly towards me, dismissing the Principal entirely. “Is this true, sweetie? You used your powers? Tell me everything!” A magnificent smile lit up her lovely, delicate face, and her eyes were shining with an unfamiliar emotion. *Is that… is that pride on mom’s face? For me??* \n\nEncouraged by my mother’s unusual response, I automatically opened my mouth to answer, but Principal Whitcross cut me off before I could speak. “Heroine Jane, your daughter, well, she… she *pushed* another student, ma’am. With her mind. Didn’t lay a hand on the student, but the poor boy crashed into the wall.” \n\nMy mother gasped again, even louder this time. Principal Whitcross misunderstood the noise for one of horror or dismay. He hastily continued, “Not to worry, ma’am, the boy is perfectly alright. Not a scratch on him.” My mother’s face was still turned towards me, so he couldn’t see the unholy amount of glee that was portrayed there. I swallowed nervously. That particular expression was one I recognized from the times my mother had battled villains. The prospect of violence excited her, enhancing her beauty with a wild brutality. \n\nMy father couldn’t see her face either, but he knew my mother well. “Principal Whitcross,” my father said formally, “we deeply and humbly apologize for this egregious breach of the school’s trust and our family contract.” His tone radiated disapproval. “You can be certain that Erin will be properly disciplined for her behavior.” He never once looked at me, and this contrast of my mother’s incandescent pride and my father’s cold censure was nearly more than I could bear. \n\nPrincipal Whitcross had clearly not expected such easy acquiescence. “Er, well, yes,” he stumbled, “we had hoped that you would be as upset as we are and give this matter the seriousness it deserves.” He glanced questioningly towards my mother, but she remained facing away from him in silence. Addressing my father, he continued, “The school will have to take formal action, of course – “\n\n“That will be completely unnecessary,” my father interrupted smoothly. “This school does not possess the proper resources to discipline her in ways that are equivalent to the harm she has caused.” His dark eyes gleamed with the steely strength and determination of a Hero despite his cordial tone. “Trust me, Principal Whitcross, nothing the school could do to her would be worse than what will happen to her at home.” I swallowed thickly, goosebumps pricking my flesh as my nerves got the best of me. *Dear God*.. *Just what kind of punishment are they going to give me?* \n\nThe Principal looked uncertain and struggled to maintain his confident authority. “Well, yes, reinforcing school punishments at home is recommended, but – “ \n\nMy father stood up abruptly. “We couldn’t agree more. In fact, what better time for punishment than the present?” Principal Whitcross gaped, his mouth opening and closing for a long second. He and I stood awkwardly, but my mother stood smoothly with her natural grace. “Principal Whitcross, you have our utmost gratitude for swiftly bringing this urgent matter to our attention.” My father reached for Principal Whitcross’ hand, and the Principal accepted it in bewildered silence. \n\nMy father strode to the door without a backward glance, and my mother and I quietly followed him. As we exited, the door shut with a quiet click. \n\nA few steps later, and my mother could no longer contain her excitement. “We are so proud of you, honey!” Her bright green eyes gazed at me and I felt, for the first time in my life, that she really *saw* me. She put a congenial arm around my shoulders and squeezed, a rare display of affection. “Darling, tell us *everything.*” "
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[WP] You have the power to time travel but no control over it. Every time you fall asleep you travel to a new time and when you wake up you have no idea where or when you are.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"One morning he woke up in a medieval village on May 22nd 965bc. He found himself laying down in the middle of a crowded street still a bit hazy from his sleep.\n\n He stoop up and walked around for a while til he saw a beautiful woman being choked to death by a man. He punched him in the back which made him let go of her. He held the girl’s hand as she was still short of breath and they ran a few blocks away from the agressor.\n\n They stopped after a while and she said she’d like to thank him for saving her life. She claimed she was a witch and wanted to grant him the ability to time-travel to different eras. She said that she could make him wake up in different random years. The idea sounded exciting to him so he accepted her offer. She took a small bottle out of her pocket and told him to drink from it. She claimed that her potion was effective all the time unless he had taken it before, in which case the spell would be reversed. He drank it without a second tought.\n\n The next morning he woke up on May 23rd 965.\n\n"
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[WP] You are making a superhero film, and put out a vague add in the classifieds. Real super hero’s show up, not realizing the add is for a movie. Instead of telling them, you put out another add for villains. This will be the best film ever.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Hayley said *\"How about we create a superhero film, where the cast has some input into the film. This will give us some unique elements that we maybe able to use, if it turns out to be useful. Did you manage to find a prop that looks magical Jennifer ... Tom ... that we can use?\"*\n\n​\n\nJennifer responded with *\"We found this old fashion and decorative box that looks like it could hold something unique. It has the rustic look to it and very worn out and chips of paint missing\"*, Tom continued Jennifer's conversation *\"I found these lovely patterned marbles with very distinct colours. Each of them have a unique colour makeup and we discussed that they could harness some sort of unique powers or something.\"* Followed by Jennifer *\"The best part of this is that it was a real bargain and we got both of the items for £6.50 ... mostly due to the poor condition, which works in our favour!\"*\n\n​\n\nHayley continued *\"That's great, we can see how they play out when we get a cast of people together and how the story develops. That leaves us with locations and the casting, so Jay, James and Melissa?\"*\n\n​\n\nJay started with *\"Um, right ... well it was interesting and I believe we may have found a solution ... to our costs problems! We can save lots of money on editing and special effects.\"* Melissa chuckled and briefly commented with *\"The talent is also very real ... like if it was natural!\"* James was the quiet one of the group, always had been. *\"Yes ... very natural indeed!\"* responded Jay with a cheeky wink at Melissa.\n\n​\n\nHayley jumped into the conversation, *\"can we get to the casting part ... rather then getting derailed by another of your cheeky banter between you too!\"*\n\n​\n\nBoth Jay and Melissa responded with *\"OK\"*, followed by Melissa moving onto the topic at hand *\"So, we put out adverts looking for 'superhero talents' for a low budget film, stated that we are looking to build a film and useful for people that were after experience over pay. We got back a few responses that were very interesting. We got a few real superheroes!\"*\n\n​\n\nHayley jumped in again *\"Now come on Melissa, can we stop getting into character ... you are on hiring!\"*\n\n​\n\nJay jumped in *\"No! It's really true ... we found real superheroes applying!\"* followed by Melissa *\"Yes! This time it is not a joke!\"*\n\n​\n\nHayley looked at James *\"so, is it true or is thing another wind up from Melissa and Jay?\"*\n\n​\n\nJames responded with *\"No, it's all true. It was a very unexpected casting, the superheroes were looking to do a bit of film. As mostly they do work in the real world and would be nice to do something different for a change. Melissa and Jay, jokingly said that it would be funny if we cast super villains as well. In fact I think that was not a bad idea ... would be more emotional charged and closer to a real battle.\"*\n\n​\n\nHayley responded with *\"That indeed is not a bad idea, lets get another round of casting done and put 'scenes' together. Looks like things are about to get very interesting!\"*\n\n​"
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[WP] a famous mathematician is found dead years after he disappeared. When investigating the scene, you find equations scrawled on the walls and every formula’s answer written and circled: tomorrow’s date. Clutched in the dead man’s hand is a note that says “I couldn’t change the variables.”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I'd been working out of the New York office for almost 20 years and somehow I'd never had to visit Staton Island. Maple Avenue was a fine reminder of why that was. It was a shit hole.The overgrown sidewalks were cracked and covered with trash. An anonymous call had come into a local precinct in the middle of the night. The burnt out warehouse had already been swept by the NYPD that morning and after a few hours the body of a John Doe had been identified, a man I'd been looking for eight years ago.\n\nDrisko, The detective on the scene, wasn't at all hesitant to hand this one over to the bureau. When I arrived he assured me that he'd be glad to help in any way he could, but he admitted this whole thing looked over his head. \n\nI ducked under the crime scene tape and entered the old brick building. These old warehouses were musty, filled with a combination of years and years of odors that made the room very unpleasant from the outset. The concrete floor was stained by various spills and the corners were covered in spiderwebs and the rusty rafters above were almost certainly home to more than one family of various vermin. \n\nThe space was large and other than dirt, it was mostly empty save for a cluster of rotting wooden furniture. There was a bed, several tables all covered in papers, but the most disturbing thing was the walls. Every inch of the room's walls were covered in writing. All sophisticated equations - many of them consisting of hundreds of numbers, variables, and operations. The writing would've taken years to produce. \n\n\"I suppose this explains where he's been all this time.\" I said, surveying the scrawlwork in every direction. The curiosity on Detective Drisko's face was painfully evident. He knew it wasn't his place to ask too many questions, but I wasn't surprised when he finally did.\n\n\"Agent Perez,\" He finally said. \"We don't get many FBI cases around here...\"\n\n\"Drisko, I can tell you what I know, but it will sound a little crazy.\" The flashes of the crime scene photographer were numerous - trying to capture all the writing was going to be quite a chore. \n\nI walked over to the space between the tables where the body had been found. The dead man's eyes were closed and his expression was peaceful. I traced the surrounding area with my eyes, the equations were numerous and way over my head, but I wasn't bad with numbers and I'd always been decent at seeing patterns. After a few moments I remembered Drisko, standing there. \"Why don't we start with what you know?\" \n\n\"Ok,\" Drisko shrugged \"Male, late sixties found dead of what seems to be poison. No signs of struggle and initial CSU findings indicate he was the only one here - likely for a while. They found a half empty bottle of scotch - field tests indicated the presence of toxins, but the lab is confirming it now. They're thinking he did this himself.\" Drisko paused as if expecting a response. I looked up at him and nodded, then continued surveying the scene. Drisko took a breath and went on. \"No ID, and prints didn't return anything on the database but dental records matched a missing person's report associated with a federal case, but then you already know that much. His name was Simon Karlsson.\"\n\n\"Anything else?\" I asked. \n\n\t\n\n​"
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[WP] You're a paranormal investigator. You're also a 749 year old immortal. You're not hunting for curiosity, you're hunting for love.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Are we getting a reading?” I inquire.\n\n“Not yet. But there haven't been any sightings in this part of the hotel so it's not surprising.” \n\nMy partner, Doug, joins me in all my investigations. He's a middle aged bachelor who spends his days stocking shelves at the local grocery store and his nights searching for the unknown. Except it's not the unknown, at least to us. You see, we've been at this a long time; partners for 4 years with a total of 23 years of experience. For Doug, it's the thrill of the hunt; to get out of the mundane, monotonous game we call life. But for me, it's about love.\n\nTruth be told, I've been around for a long, long time. 749 years to be exact. I'm not sure how it happened or why but all I know is I can't die. I guess you could say I'm immortal. I wish I could give you a reason for why I'm able to avoid all earthly diseases and survive falls off skyscrapers, but I too, am at a loss of words. I've yet to fully understand the extent of my situation but that doesn't mean I'm still not in search of answers.\n\nLiving this long is not all it's cracked up to be. You make friends, they die. You have lovers, they die. Worst of all is knowing you will outlive your children. After the 5th funeral of my precious babies, I swore off having more children. \n\nSo I've sworn off the living. Off mortals. Why should i continually subject myself to pain and anguish? I'm no longer interested in a physical relationship. I only sought after an emotional one. One which will last a lifetime. And for people me (are there others?), that has a different meaning.\n\nThere's a way around this. It's to stay away. To not get attached to other earthly people. To find someone who, like me, is eternal. I am on a hunt. A hunt for love. And spirits are the answer.\n\nThat's why we're here, at the Kenmore Hotel, known as the most haunted location in the Midwest. But these spirits are not evil. There's children who you can hear laughing in the halls and playing on the piano in the main entrance. There's an old man in room 15 who hums Beethovenmost days at 3pm. But most importantly, there's plenty of female sightings. \n\nThis building was once owned the Frenchdare family, the richest family in the US 100 years ago. Mr. Frenchdare had 6 girls, 3 of whom lived in this home until the day they died.\n\n“Let's go to room 11, Doug. That was Mary's room.” I point Doug in the direction of her room and let him know to let me do all the talking.\n\n“Of course, John.” He gives me a wink.\n\nAfter entering to the room, our EMF reader started going wild. The temperature plummeted. We felt light breezes even though all the windows were closed. She was here, and she wanted to talk.\n\n“Mary?” I called out into the room. “My name is John and I would like to talk to you. You and I, we're not so different. Like you, I’m here forever. Except in this mortal realm. I'm tired of finding love, only to end up losing them because I seem to keep on living. And you, here alone with no suitor. It didn't have to be, Mary. We can be together forever. Comforting and consoling each other. All I ask is you get to know me as I get to know you. Let's give love a shot. What do you say?”\n\nA shadow appeared in the corner, dust started forming a tornado and a figure began to take shape. It was a woman. She wore a beige dress and a flat brimmed 76ers hat. Wait. It wasn't a dress, it was a shirt far too big for her which made it seem like a dress. Pimples littered her face and needles lay at her feet. Stringy, thin hair rest upon her bony, malnourished shoulders.\n\n“Holy... Who the hell are you?” I cried out in disgust.\n\nThen I remembered. This must be the drug addict who OD’d last year. Heroin. She definitely looked like a junky.\n\nShe began to speak. “You really mean it, big boy?” as she reached out for me, exposing her yellow, brittle teeth.\n\nI screamed and ran out the hotel as fast as I could. “Doug! The hunt continues my friend!”",
"It was Friday at 7:30, as usual I sat in the same booth, in the same diner, as I had every morning for the past ten years that I’d been living under this name. Hank they called me now, they all thought I was just a crazy guy always looking for various paranormal phenomena. \nMy mind wandered to my past lives as I stared blankly ahead, unthinkingly eating the breakfast laid out before me. As my thoughts drifted to better times, my phone lit up. I glanced down at it, not thinking too much of it. But then I read the notification.\n\nOutlook: Help, ghost sighted\n\nI dropped my fork and scrambled to grab my phone off the table, filled with the same excitement and hope I got every time for the past 600 years, the long 600 years since I lost the love of my life. \n\nAs I unlocked my phone and opened the email I was filled with even more hope.\n\nHank,\nI found your information online, and I wanted to reach out to you to see if you could help me. Just this past week I was hiking through the woods outside of Erdel, when I saw a woman hanging from a tree branch. I attempted to call the police but I noticed that all of a sudden my phone was dead. Then I just heard a scream and I looked up and the woman and the rope were gone. \n\nI’m not sure if this is anything supernatural but I thought it was worth a shot.\n\nThanks,\nJohn Wyatt\n\nI quickly scanned the email for details, it all matched up. This was the closest I’d come to a breakthrough since the banshee in 1657, but that case ended with nothing but pain and the need for more silver bullets. I hurriedly typed up a response asking for more details and eagerly awaited a response. After twenty minutes of staring at the screen waiting, it finally came. \n\nThis next email gave me the location, the time, and a better description of the woman. Short, dark black hair, and a smaller build. The dress she was wearing was older, John was unable to identify the time period of it, but I knew.\n\nI pulled my wallet out and placed a twenty on the table underneath the cold, unfinished eggs and bacon. Then I snatched my Jacket from the booth and scrambled outside and hopped into my car. It was older, I’d picked it up in the 60s and grew attached to it. It was one of the only things I enjoyed any more, I spent most of my time either researching ghost sightings nearby or taking care of the car.\n\nAs I drove wildly through the streets towards the site where John had seen her, I rehearsed what I’d do. For years I’d researched how to bring a ghost back to life, and I finally figured it out. He opened up his glove compartment and pulled out an old dusty book, a brown paper bag, and a knife. \n\nI jerked the car to a stop as the rode came to a sign, Erdel State Park. I pulled a backpack out of the trunk and placed the items from the glove compartment inside. Then opened a false bottom in the trunk and pulled out an old shotgun and slung it over my shoulder.\n\n“It’s time Cecilia” I whispered as I made my way down the trail, into the forest.\n\n———\nFeedback is appreciated!",
"Another dead end. Sure this town has been set free from a 100 year old curse, but it hasn't gotten me any closer to my goal. How long has it been now, 200 years?. It may seem obsessive to most, hell even desperate. Why would one be searching for something for two centuries?\n\n\nWell first, I'm immortal so I have time. Second, she's the best thing that has ever happened to me. Look I know how this sounds, I'm not going to tell you some soppy story about how my woman left me and I'm trying to get her back. No that's not it, we're still together… I think. No we definitely are; we're just playing a game, rather she is and I'm just trying to keep up. \n\n\nWhen you reach the 400 year mark of a relationship its difficult to keep things fresh and exciting. So we tend to play these outlandish and extravagant games, this time it appears that we are playing a modified version of hide and seek. She left me a note one morning saying\n\n\n“Morgan my love, when you read this I will be long gone. I slipped something in your wine last night after we made love, so I am at least 12 hours ahead of you. If you want to things pick up where we left off, you have to find me. I'll leave you some clues of course but nothing too easy. I will reward you greatly when we reunite again. \n\nDon't make me wait too long.\n\n\nLove, your dearest Isabel”\n\n\nAnd she's stayed true to her word, she hasn't made it easy at all. Hence it's taken me two centuries to find a place that she visited 50 years ago, she preserved some lingerie for me but that's not the point. \n\n\nSo I've been making a living as a paranormal investigator for the last 200 years in the hope that I am finally reunited with Isabel. It's no coincidence that every town that she's visited has some supernatural disturbance, hence I've not had a break since I started. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
"With the resonator finally set, it was time.\n\nHe would finally be able to see her again. Talk to her the way that they used to. Comfortable in dear companionship.\n\nIt had taken some time to track down where exactly she had died, as she had gone across the country to visit a cousin. Her death had been a mystery for so long, as she had simply gone missing. \n\nBut now she would be here. He turned the dial up and called out, \"Claire! Can you hear me?\"\n\nThe silence that came first was deafening. It went on and on until he stopped to turn off the resonator with a sigh. \n\nAnd stopped when a familiar voice came through.\n\n\"Claire!? Who the hell is Claire?? Let me guess, some fling you had because you couldn't stay true like you promised you tramp!\" came a shrill shriek. \n\nThe form that materialized was not Claire, but someone he had known quite intimately. \"R-ruth?\" he gasped.\n\nWhat might have been a demure figure was instead a stomping ball of fury, ethereal wisps of hair splayed outward like a cat with a bushed tail. \"Who is Ruth, you no good two-timing cur! My name is Georgiana!\"\n\nThe man glanced nervously to one side, then offered a nervous laugh, \"Haha, Georgi. Of course I remember you. I was...just joking of course. Just a bad jest! I've really missed you all these-\"\n\n\"Don't give me that you lying creep! I passed on the opportunity to cross over because I worried over you so, and boy am I sorry I didn't take off when I had the chance. I can't believe you!\" she fumed.\n\nHe raised his hands in surrender, \"No, no, I swear you were the only...\"\n\nAnother figure materialized beside the first. Someone he thought looked a touch familiar, but he could not quite place it. \n\n\"Who is this?\" he asked, glad for the distraction.\n\nUpon asking, the meek looking girl looked shattered, head falling into her hands to weep.\n\n\"Aw, miss, please don't cry. I-\"\n\nGeorgiana cut him off. \"For the love of the good Lord, you run-around, randy little hare, THAT'S CLAIRE!\"\n\nHe fell silent immediately, glancing helplessly between the two of them. After a moment he took off his hat and threw it down in frustration. \"Now someone's having me on. That's not Claire. Claire was a tall, strong girl who had raven hair and deep blue eyes. Embroidered flowers into her aprons and read books all the time. We lived together by the sea on the coast!\"\n\nGeorgiana looked disgusted. Claire began sobbing harder.\n\nA third woman materialized that matched his description perfectly. \n\n\"Claire!\" he cried happily.\n\nThe woman leveled a cruel eye upon him, then set an arm around the sobbing woman to comfort her. \"I'm Ruth, you great milky tit. Claire is the one crying over your foolish self. Fuck's sake, Aaron, you couldn't even keep our names right? Bethany is the one who embroidered flowers in her aprons, by the way. Arse.\"\n\nHe stopped, eyes wide and unsure as he searched his memory. It did not help that another woman appeared in a floral embroidered apron. \n\n\"Wait!\" he cried. \"I followed Claire's name through history to track down the site of her death. This was it! Why are you all here?\"\n\nBethany took this one. \"Well you got that part right at least. Claire was the most devastated over losing her life and has been here for...goodness. A long time. The rest of us took to wandering and sort of found each other. We've been making a lot of good progress in our post-Aaron support group. Leah crossed over last week even having finally made peace after you. Georgi and Mari have had the worst of it since they found out you married both of them while they were both still alive at the same time, you cheating snake. We would all like it very much if you never contacted us again.\"\n\nGeorgiana chimed in, \"Oh, you can call me, Aaron boy. So I can call you a deceiving serpent and tell what I think of the farce you let me live!\"\n\nBethany set a hand on Georgi's shoulder. \"Georgi, your progress. Don't slide backwards for this slime. You deserve better.\"\n\nGeorgiana closed her eyes and counted to ten as she nodded, fading into the background.\n\nBethany looked back to Aaron. \"We should go. And you should go. Please respect our healing space and never reach out to us again.\"\n\nAaron was bewildered when they all disappeared. To the now dark room before him he whispered, \"But how do I stop feeling so alone?\""
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[WP] You're involved in a car accident that puts you in a coma, during that coma you're having lucid dreams and the only way to wake up is to dream something horrifying enough.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I'm out of ideas.\n\nAfter some unspecified amount of time, I finally realized I was dreaming. Realized that I'm in a coma, most likely in critical condition. Realized thay the dream wasn't going to end anytime soon, whatever consciousness I had worked on bringing the rest of my consciousness back up. Once that happened, everything was a surreal fantasy. I had enough control over myself to be able to consciously change the dream however I wanted it to be. All of those wild ideas I shut out because they'd never exist? They occured. However, there was always something wrong.\n\nMy enhanced consciousness meant I had a say in how everyone else in the dream acted, as opposed to the autopilot improvisation that is my subconscious. To put it simply, nobody felt right. It all felt hollow, and I was truly alone, given the power to create any scenario of my fantasies, but forced into solitude and loneliness inside my own mind.\n\nI knew I had to get out somehow, but I wasn't sure how, so I left it alone and tried to make do, but even then, after what feels like an eternity, acting out relationships with crushes I'll never see to fruitition, magical adventures through stunning environments, and countless other ideas...\n\nI've simply run out. I'm done.\n\nSo now my attention has turned to getting out. Recalling past experiences, a terrifying dream would wake me up with a jolt, so that was my plan. So I worked, and, to put it bluntly, fucked with my mental state as much as I lucidly could, but it didn't work. Monsters or wounds did nothing if I expected it, or if I couldn't feel it. So naturally I turned to the one thing that would set anxiety into me: mental fear.\n\nThen my mind hit something: what if, outside, my family pulled the plug? What if all of this simply... stops? How would I even perceive it? Would it all disintegrate, or would it vanish, like the flick of a light? Where would I go? Would I still be conscious, having achieved pure lucidity in this state? Would I be trapped in an endless void forever, or would my mind cease to worry, cease to function?\n\n...\n\n...\n\nI don't want to die.\n\n...\n\n...\n\n...and then, miraculously, I woke up, and all of those ideas faded away, like all dreams do. But me, I'm the person who can vividly remember the fear that forces me awake, and that opened up the floodgates to my memories of being in my subconscious. And that feeling, that sense of everlooming dread of what awaits me, has never left me."
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[WP] Your shadow and your reflection get into an argument.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I walk into the bathroom and flick on the lights. The luminous glow of the bulbs above the large mirror casts a shadow behind me onto the wall of the bathroom. \n\n“Ah, well look who’s come back.” The reflection of me says, leaning into the mirror. “I thought you would have learned your lesson by now, but you just keep returning.”\n\nI look towards my reflection. “Are… are you talking to me?” I ask my reflection.\n\n“No sir. I am talking about that little shady coward behind you, your shadow! I can see you!”\n\nI look behind me, and my shadow grabs the side of the bathtub and lifts itself up. Its hands reaching forward and tearing a hole for a mouth. \n\n“You’re always talking badly towards me!” My shadow blurts out. “All you do is just reflect the essence of my being, without capturing any of its grace! You’re nothing but a sheet of glass. Once the lights in this bathroom go out, I will consume your reflection. Then what are you? Just a broken afterthought!” My shadow says while stomping its feet around.\n\nThe me in the mirror laughs, walking into the background of the reflected reality. “You’re nothing special shadow. Look, I have another one in here.” The reflected me grabs the shadow in the reflection and begins to beat it up. The shadow in the reflection cries for mercy as my reflection attacks it.\n\n“Stop it!” My shadow cries out. “If you don’t stop, I swear, I’m… I’m” My shadow grabs a razor blade off of the counter and holds it to my neck. “I’ll kill you!” \n\nMy reflection pauses in the beating, and stares at my shadow holding the razor blade against my neck. “Put it down you idiot! If you kill him, we all die!” \n\n“Impossible.” The shadow says. “This is a mere reflection right here, just like you! A phantom! It doesn’t matter what happens to him, but I, darkness, will go on forever.” \n\nMy reflection pauses for a moment, and begins to laugh. He leans into the counter of the mirror. “Don’t make me come in there.” My reflection says. My shadow grasps me tighter, holding the razor blade even closer to my neck. My reflection leans into the mirror, crawling forward into the physical world. My shadow lets out a cowardly scream and drops the razor blade. My reflection grabs my shadow by the head and throws him into the bathtub while turning on the faucet. \n\n“Please don’t drown me!” My shadow cries out loud while the tub fills with water. My reflection then grabs the hairdryer from the counter, and turns it on.\n\n“No need to drown you, friend.” My reflection tosses the hairdryer into the bathtub, electrocuting both of them. They both vaporize into a bunch of particles, and scatter into the air. I look back into the mirror, and notice my reflection is no longer there. "
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Source
https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/b01fbx/the_eternal_bottle_of_syrup/?utm_source=reddit-android
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[WP] The year is 151441. Humanity is on its last string of life. Food is scarce. The last bottle of maple syrup has just expired. The Canadians have fallen.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Life is not a string unless thats a theory. We could assist this hunger ish. But might have to happen when all is not so scary. Expired maple get molasses and all those canadians up off their asses. Pick a brother up when down. Show them how to stand take a leap of faith make it grand . get together and make a band that makes sound you cant stand but intends to shake you free the crowd of pitted pikes of dulery *? Permission to rise, but only in a flood hop aboard my thought train and we can go and solve all the brain farts avoid the sweet tarts and turn clay into well nutrient rich soil to save the planet. ",
"Around a lonely fire sat four, hunched, malnourished figures surrounded by the reminders of a bountiful age long ago. As we get closer, we can see that one of them is squeezing a drop onto their finger; the dancing fire making the amber substance glisten. As the substance found its resting spot upon his finger, he passed the bottle to another figure around the fire and longingly inspected the amber drop. The figure beside him, a child no older than 10, staring in awe at the drop asked, \"Dad, do you think we'll ever find more of this stuff?\"\n\n​\n\nHe chuckled and ruffled his son's hair with his free hand, \"No Samuel, this is a relic that's been passed from down to me from my father, and him his father, so on and so forth. In my life wandering the barren, concrete jungles and Great Basins I've never found another bottle.\"\n\n​\n\nSamuel, still transfixed by the amber substance, said, \"Wow...what's it called again?\"\n\n​\n\n\"Aunt Jemima\", said the father.\n\n​\n\n\"What happened to the rest of it?!\", Samuel asked excitedly.\n\n​\n\nThe father sighed, rubbing his weary eyes, and said, \"I'll tell you again, but after this you need to sleep, we have to begin looking for more food tomorrow.\"\n\n​\n\nSamuel looked at him with wide-eyes, and nodded excitedly. The mother and her other child huddled together under a blanket, drifting off to sleep slowly as the father began to tell the story he had told many times before, \"A long time ago, long before my time or your grandfather's, there was everything. Nobody was hungry for long, nobody had to search long for food, and there was more Aunt Jemima than you, or me, or your mother and brother could eat in a day for hundreds of years. Never did we imagine that we could fall to where we are now. We kept consuming more than we possibly could, taking for granted the bountiful harvests we see only in our dreams now. Then as food became more and more scarce, we fought. We realized what was happening but were powerless to change what would become our world today. We did not cause this, but we are the ones paying for our ancestors' ignorance.\"\n\n​\n\nAs Samuel's eyes slowly began to close, he tiredly asked, \"Will we ever go back to then? When there was lots of Aunt Jemima?\"\n\n​\n\nStroking Samuel's head, the father wistfully said, \"I'm not sure Samuel, I wish I could tell you that you'd never have to experience another night of hunger, but I can't even tell you what tomorrow brings. All we can do is cherish what we have now.\"\n\n​\n\n\"But we don't have anything dad, we haven't eaten anything since yesterday\", Samuel said as his stomach growled.\n\n​\n\n\"Oh but we do\", the father gently poked Samuel's dirty nose and said, \"We have each other. And for as long as I breathe, I will do my best to make sure you all can tell your children the stories my father and mother told me when I was your age.\"\n\n​\n\nThe father waited for a response, but all he heard was the sound of Samuel breathing gently as he fell asleep in his lap. His son was right, they did not have much. They had not eaten since yesterday and they used the last of his father's flint to start the fire. The father again looked at the glistening Aunt Jemima on his finger, and in it he saw hope. The hope that his children will grow to become strong. The hope that they will then children they share these stories to. The hope that his children will one day get to eat as much Aunt Jemima as their hearts wish."
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(Yes, I've been binging Dungeon Meshi)
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[WP] "Hey, why's there a chef in our dungeon party?"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Pardon me, by why in the name of the Goat himself, is there a chef in our party?\"\n\n \nMuramoon Maynor, the top fencer of the decade asked after a long silence walking through the dungeon. \nEvery year or so, a particular group of \"more than fit\" individuals, brewing with courage and thirst for recognition go lurking through the dungeon of the Harvest Lord. Some come back with the head of an unusual, one of a kind beast and get showered with praise and glory all throughout their days while some fall beneath the curtain of silence, never to be seen but only to be remembered as mere fools. \n\"Good question.\" said the Chef.\n\n\"No, really. Why are you here?\" the Huntress of the mountain pressed on, driving the point deeper. Tone and slim, yet one of the strongest individuals of the party, she had two horns protruding out of scalp. Tufarina. Their blood line was a special mix, one made up of one third giantess, one third daemons,one third elven; the Faurs.\n\nSince she was one of the quieter members of the party, her question caught the attention of the whole team. \n\"Wait...chef?\" asked Gus, the musketeer.\n\n\"Wait, we had a chef?\" repeated Feronyo, the doctor of foolish pestilence, as if the marksman hadn't already said the same exact thing just a blitz ago.\n\nThen, at the same time, everyone turned their head towards Markus, the head mercenary of the Stormers. He was known for his careless or more fittingly, poor choices when it comes to finance. However, that wasn't comparable to his keen intelligence and insight of battle.\n\n\"I couldn't care less. He asked to join the team, gave me the runes. That's all that was needed.\"\n\n\"Don't you even. You know an ordinary person won't survive even a goddamn second, don't you?\" asked the Huntress.\n\n\"Good point.\" added the Chef.\n\n\"Look. If he dies, he dies. I'm sure the fellow understand the kind of dragon he's trying to ride.\"\n\nThe Chef nodded pleasantly at this.\n\n\"Well, I'm sure he doesn--\"\n\nThe Musketeer tried to press once more but stopped mid sentence as they arrived near the gate of the Fiend Hallow.\n\nThe old champions, the ones who were crowned to have \"slain the most ferocious abomination\" in the dungeon, named it as such. Since then, many have tried to prove themselves better, most of them failing pathetically.\n\n​\n\n\"Here we are.\"\n\nThe foolish doctor readied his potions, while the fencer checked the edges of his saber. Captain of the party slowly hummed to himself as the party readied. The faurian swung her halberd fiercely, chopping nearby crops and woods to warm herself up while the Chef just stood near the entrance of the dungeon, intently staring into the abyss, trying not to blink.\n\n\"What's the matter, doubting yourself now? Might as well walk back, since there will be no sympathy once we get in there. Last chance.\" said Muramoon, while smirking mockingly.\n\n\"I'm good.\" said the Chef.\n\n\"Just need to resharpen my knives.\"\n\nAnd so the party wandered in, with a singular purpose in mind, the exception being the Chef.\n\nAn hour after walking deeper and deeper into the belly of the Hallow, they encountered a humanoid fox creature, holding in his disfigured claw-hand what seemed to be an arrow. \n\n\"Halt.\" said Markus, his voice firm and confident.\n\nGus held up his weapon, nimbly and perfectly aiming it at the creature.\n\n\"Just say the word.\"\n\nThe party wasn't even able to give concern to the feeble looking opponent. They watched in amusement as the creature tensed up, trying to decide whether to fight or to run for it's life.\n\n\"Spare me this one, I needed a test subject. This will be the perfect chance, as it looks like it has human properties.\"\n\nThe marksman holstered his gun, now a bit curious to see the \"supporter\" of the group step up for a battle.\n\nThe fox head of the creature tilted a little, it's fear partly replaced by confusion as Feronyo held up a small, black ball in her palm. Then, ever so gently, she threw it at the creature, as if passing a play ball to a comrade.\n\nIn it's extreme confusion, the fox man unknowingly caught the ball and looked at it briefly before looking back up. At that point, the party jumped with surprise and readied for battle, in a state of panic. The little ball seemed to have lit up, producing an ungodly flame. It's core was blue, yet it's outer flame was red.\n\n\"A shocking success. I did not expect this to work but sometimes, a guess can go a long way.\" claimed Feronyo, seemingly pleased with her new lethal flare.\n\n\"You there, cooking man, grab that flame.\"\n\nThe Chef looked visibly confused.\n\n\"The fire?\"\n\n\"Yes,yes. The fire. Hurry it up.\"\n\n\"A-alright, then.\"\n\nHe reached over to the burning corpse of the fox man, quite hesitant to put his hand anywhere near the flame. Then, in a moment of decision, he dove his hands in and tried to grab the fire, which, would of course, be impossible. However, in this particular case, the chef lifted his hand up to reveal a blue ball of flame floating upon his palm.\n\n\"We'll use this to light the way from now on. Preserve the torches. If this one manages to stumble on his feet and end up dead, the flare, too, will sizzle out.\"\n\n​\n\nEveryone in the party relaxed, lowering their weapons. Though, the Head Mercenary, didn't seem to have had any reaction to the events occurring before him.\n\n\"Good. Let's move on. You, walk up front. Signal if you find anything to be suspicious.\"\n\nThe Chef, sighing with relief after figuring out the flame didn't produce any heat, walked to the front of the crew. Their way was still long to go.\n\nTo be continued?\n\n​\n\n​\n\n​\n\n​\n\n​",
"\"Any questions before we go in?\" Jessie asked. The pink-haired monk and her group, a ninja, wizard, and chef, stood near the large mouth of a cave. The cave burrowed into the side of a jagged black mountain that they could not see the top of. The deep black of the cave interior matched its outside; they could not see how deep the cavern extended. Andy raised his hand.\n\n\"Yeah, why is there a chef in a dungeon party?\" he shrugged. \"Seems dangerous.\" Jessie shook her head, but Mark spoke up before she could answer.\n\n\"Yeah, and why are we here at all? You said this was going to be a derby team.\" Jessie nodded. Her pink ponytail bounced with the motion.\n\n\"If you can't use your skills in combat you'll have trouble using them on the track,\" Jessie said, then she looked back to Andy. \"That goes for both of you.\"\n\n\"Why does the Zero get to sit out?\" Mark asked.\n\n\"Her *name* is Margo,\" Rana said. The aqua green-haired ninja took offense for her friend. \"Her parents are still getting used to [what happened on their Earth](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/ay0lc4/wp_people_always_made_fun_of_you_saying_you_were/). Margo wanted to stay close to her parents so they wouldn't worry about her,\" Rana smiled. \"Besides, she's a tailor; craftsmen can skate on the dance track.\n\n\"What's the dance track?\" Mark asked.\n\n\"Wait! Why is there a chef here if they can use the dance track?\" Andy's whined the question. He looked at Mark, then back to Rana. \"Yeah, what's the dance track?\n\n\"The dancer class gets their own track in a derby match so the other team can't knock them down. The non-combat classes, like merchant and craftsman, can skate on the dance track so they can do their craft in peace,\" Rana explained. \"But they don't get any laps if they're not on the main track.\"\n\n\"I want to choose the dance track too!\" Andy, the chef, said to Jessie. The monk shook her head.\n\n\"Mark, Rana and I can't support two crafters; we'd never get to use our own skills,\" she smiled at Andy. \"But if a crafter...,\" Jessie poked his shoulder. \"*You*, earn two laps every time you cross the start line on the main track. You'll be sharing your resources with her.\"\n\n\"Hey!\" Mark stepped forward. \"It sounded like you almost said '..if a crafter skates they'll earn two laps'. Why can't it be Margo?\" He looked at Rana. \"Sorry by the way. I didn't mean 'Zero' to be offensive. I just learned about Uniques about a month ago; I thought that's what we called them,\" he shrugged. \"I don't want to sound like I don't like her but why can't they take turns or something? Is she getting special treatment because she's a Zero?\"\n\n\"Okay, no sweat,\" Rana patted Mark on the shoulder. \"She is getting special treatment, but Jessie'll tell you why.\" She nodded at the monk.\n\n\"I was going to say: 'If a crafter skates on the main track they have different bonuses based on their specialties'. But I didn't want to explain all of them,\" she shrugged. \"So I skipped to yours. I am sitting Margo out because she's a Zero,\" Jessie grinned. \"Because that's what everyone expects. A good tailor can be pretty amazing in derby but I want them to think I won't let her skate on the main track.\"\n\n\"*Them*? Them who?\" Mark asked. Jessie rolled her eyes.\n\n\"The other teams, duh. We're competing! Dana Sharp's having a big tournament this year to show off her own derby team. I want to show her what the Academy can do.\"\n\n\"So why'd you get us?\" Andy asked.\n\n\"If the Academy's worst,\" she patted her own chest. \"myself included, can beat them. She'll be dying to find out what our best can do.\"\n\n\\*\\*\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year two, day #71. You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse)) or my [blog](https://hugoverse.info/). If you're curious about my universe (the Hugoverse) you can visit the [Guidebook](https://hugoverse.info/2017/11/25/hugoverse-guidebook/) to see what's what and who's who, or the [Timeline](https://hugoverse.info/2017/10/23/hugoverse-timeline/) to find the stories in order. "
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[WP] "Uh, no, my name's Jeff. Why does everyone get that wrong? I mean honestly, what kind of name is 'Death' anyway?"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" \n\n\"Reaper, Grim Reaper.\"\n\nDeath tried imitating one of the more popular movies on Earth. *Ugh, no.* He shook his head. That wasn't going to work. It just didn't fit his style. It might sound good if Mr. James Bond did it, but it just sounded awkward when he tried.\n\nDeath had turned one side of his pocket dimension into a reflective surface. He was practicing in front of it, using it as a full-size mirror. His annual leave was coming up and he wanted to be prepared. \n\n*Maybe I shouldn't go by my real name?* He cleared his throat and tried again. \"Hi, my name is Jeff.\" Death said and extended a bony arm for a mock handshake. Better. Much better.\n\nDeath was finally going to cross off one of the items on his bucket list. A vacation on Earth. So far he hadn't managed to build up the nerve to follow through with his plans, but this time he would. The other times Death had always chickened out at the last second and went to spent his day off somewhere else in the universe. Most of the time he went by himself, only taking someone along on rare occasions when he felt lonely. \n\nThis time though would be different. He checked the miniature cuckoo's clock on his wrist just in time to see the tiny, bony bird jump out and announce that the time had come. Death went to his closet and took the outfit off the hanger, which he had chosen for this occasion.\n\nA black robe and scythe. His favorite.\n\nHe checked himself out in his oversized mirror one last time. Feeling great he turned the reflective surface back to its original shape. A black nothingness.\n\nDeath summoned his portal. He chose its appearance befitting the circumstances. He opened the wooden door and walked through.\n\nHe wanted to spend the day experiencing what it meant to be human. Death had chosen activities which he thought amounted to an average humans day. Closing the door to his pocket dimension behind him he found himself in an elevator on the way up. By human definitions it was 09:00 in the morning, beginning of the day in the office.\n\nA ding announced the elevator had arrived at the requested floor. Death stepped out and found himself opposite a smiling human. \"Dude, Halloween has been over for a month,\" the human chuckled, \"who the hell chooses a Death costume these days anyway?\" \n\n\"Death? My name is Jeff. Why does everyone get that wrong? I mean honestly, what kind of name is 'Death' anyway?\" Death asked trying to sound nonchalant.\n\n\"Whatever man.\" The human said and pushed past Death into the elevator.\n\n******\n\nr/John_writes"
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[WP] A global organization protects the world from an invasion of magic, monsters and myths of another world. Your character is a fresh recruit being sent to fight off an invasion of monsters from a recently opened gateway.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“I stood amongst my peers, either excited or trembling in fear. I wasn’t quite sure in which group I was in, my hand shook yet a stupid grin curled on my lips, eager to see what we’re up against. Our sensors picked up a magical energy gathering in this mountain which indicates the formation of a gateway between dimensions. Really weak energy as well, nothing worth sending the death squad over to deal with, but enough to be worrisome. So let’s send the idiots so they can get some experience eh?\n\nI had a brother going up against some eclipse wolves on his first rodeo, made himself a nice black fur bed sheet from the pelts. I wonder what I’ll be up against, hopefully not any lesser vampires, anything not human shaped would be good for me. \n\nWe stood our ground, waiting for the gate to form, waited half a day of the bloody thing to appear, yet there isn’t the slightest hint of it actually existing. Our sensors showed small residues of magic bunching up, but it doesn’t seem to be forming the gateway. We arrived during a bright sunny morning, and the sun is setting over the horizon still with no discernable sign of monsters. \n\nSome of us gave up and went back home, the few that stayed set up camp in the cold mountains, either still hoping to encounter their first monster, or simply too cowardly to disobey orders. I was part of the latter one, I don’t think sergeant Dornan would be pleased. Rather face the force of hell than face that man’s wrath.\n\nClouds eventually gathered overhead and drops of rain started to fall and gradually picked up. After a short while, lighting was added into the pot of misery. No lightning rod, and camping on a flat plateau of the mountain while sitting waiting for the damn portal to appear while getting drenched under the pouring rain. \n\nFew of us died, struck by lightning or carried down by a landslide. At this point, none of us were really waiting for the monsters, just waiting for daylight so we can get out of here. Unfortunately, the lightning hit the area where the magical residue was gathering, creating a vortex of light, amplifying the energy that was present, forming a gateway to the other dimension.\n\nWe hurriedly armed ourself despite our disarray and surrounded the gates with our rifles in hand. But our puny little bullets would do nothing against the abyssal creature that crawled its way out of the gate. Some dropped their rifles and ran when they saw it, leaping off the rocky cliffs of the mountain, in the vain hope to escape. Others committed suicide, clean shot blasted through their head, figuring that a quick death would be better than facing that horrid monstrosity. Those that stood their ground fired madly at the disgusting, shapeless creature. Its arms whaled around knocking over our camp and supplies off the mountain. Our shots didn’t even bother it, crawling passed us as we desperately leaped out of the way, pushing over each other in despair, abandoning comrades to be consumed under the slogging belly of that slimy thing.\n\n“So how did you survive? If that monster was as terrifying as you say, how did so many of you lived?” asked Asked the doctor\n\n“We weren’t a threat to it, I’m not even sure if it even knew we were there.”\n\n“And how would you describe this monster? I recall you describing it as a ‘slimy thing’, could you be more specific?”\n\n“I...I...ah“ my voice stuttered, my mind went blank as I try to recall what it was that crawled out of the gate. “I don’t know” I whimpered “it had no shape, it had no form, it shouldn’t conceivably exist! It swallowed everything in its path without having mouths, it threw our tents and supplies off the cliff without any arms, **It** was not something that a human eye was meant to see!” I cried out madly.\n\n“Oooookay.” The doctor flips through his papers and wrote a few things down. “You seem to be the only one who gave any sort of coherent information.”\n\n“What?”\n\n“All the other recruits are currently locked in the containment ward. All of them, gone insane.”"
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[WP] humanity invents FTL technology and finds out that it's the most advanced species in the galaxy as everyone else is pre-industrial revolution.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I wonder if those tiny civilizations down there look to the stars like we once did, yearning to travel to their moons and beyond. I wonder if they also asked themselves if they were alone.\n\nHumanity is now on the brink of collapse. Most of our colonies have been decimated by the civil war. Earth is now a battleground for the soul of humanity. We may have been the greatest power in the galaxy, but did that give us the right to subugate these civilizations?\n\nHonestly the war does not matter to me. The mere existence of extraterrestrial life has always been the focus of my studies. My laboratory rests on their moon. My team and I have been monitoring the environment of the planet, and studying the indigenous cultures. Several nations down there look like they are gearing up to begin automation and colonization of new lands. It is a facinating era in their history.\n\nI am curious though. I wonder what the impact of making first contact would be. Would they treat us like invaders? As gods? Maybe as equals in this great and beautiful universe? Maybe they would be curious about our technology, or maybe they would try to take it for themselves so that they may dominate others. \n\nI know other colonies have been treated as invaders, but humanity was always the agressor. We are almost done translating their language. This time we won't approach them as invaders, but as travelers from beyond the stars. There is a greath wealth of data waiting to be uncovered with every action we take on this new world. I wonder if they will grow on the same path as we did so long ago.",
"The day humanity realized they were the most advanced species in the galaxy was the day our true faces truly showed.\n\n\nFor 6,000 years of human history our species had developed systems that would lay the groundwork for a functioning and one day fair society. But that day showed that mankind truly only used those systems of morality for their own benefit.\n\nMegacorporations, no longer bound by the limitations of earth laws would use their wealth to conquer and develop these planets for greater \"productivity\" and \"freedom\", creating planets that were more or less human colonies. Governments, realizing the potential of these new world's as future potential markets would send soldiers out to assimilate them into the greater Terran empire(although the word empire was strickly refuted by politicians and instead replaced by alliance).\n\n\nEntire civilizations are conquered, bought, or sold by humans. Civilizations who could never stand a chance against a colonial marine and never will in their technological states...unable to comprehend or even amass the technological quantity that humanity finds easier to get due to its endless experience in colonialism and space mining.\n\n\nIt was hard for more than half the people to sympathize with the non human outer protectorates (a less politically charged way of saying colony) as most non humans do not have humanoid forms and thus are unable to be seen as anything else but the \"other\". As for the non humans, they are forced to develop 2 personalities that are at internal war...the \"Terran identity\"(viewing themselves as cirizens under earths protection, and thus try to fit into humanities various cultural norms) and the \"native identity\"(as people whose cultures are being hijacked by earth, and thus actively try to maintain Their culture in a society far more complex than their own).\n\n\nAs for me, I am the guy they call when a colony steps out of line, I am a normal soldier who is only doing my job....nothing personal, just business, I do not hate you\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"
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[WP] After Agent 007 sold all of his stories to movie studios, he ran from the Mi6. Agent 009, Oliver Jacobs, is tasked with finding and eliminating the legendary James Bond.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"My head pounded with pain. I shivered from the wind, continuing to scour the horizon for my target. It was dark and I'd been crouching on this roof for a half-hour already - where the hell was he?\n\n*Jesus*, I thought to myself. *What am I doing?* I sighed. Chasing after the legendary James Bond proved to be a fruitless task. I only got close to him once, at a cocktail party in Cyprus, when he escaped be blowing up the entire joint and jumping into a helicopter.\n\nAfter a few more minutes, I started climbing down from the roof. I would go back to my motel and report back to HQ announcing another failed day, and drown my sorrows in cheap beer at a pub somewhere. I was lamenting when bright lights caught my eye.\n\nIt was a movie theatre. I walked past it, peering at the board. *Now Showing: James Bond: New Lands.*\n\nI almost laughed.\n\n\"Bloody good show,\" a voice mumbled from the crowd. I turned to find a couple exiting the theatre. \"Bond strikes again.\"\n\nWhat a crowd. You see all kinds in London. Toddlers, middle-aged people, the elderly, the poor, the rich, the mysterious chap in a suit and sunglasses...\n\nI did a quick double take.\n\n\"Oh shit,\" I widened my eyes and leapt towards the figure. It *was* him! He turned round to face me and grinned. I had him now. I grabbed both his hands in an effort to handcuff him, but he whipped round and caught me in a painful lock before releasing me and speeding off.\n\nI grimaced and sprinted after him. I was so close! He really was like the movies - jumping and doing unnecessary parkour. What a showoff! We kept pace until, eventually, he did a sharp turn into an abandoned warehouse. I followed, but checked my pocket for my revolver; this felt suspiciously like a trap.\n\nI ran into the bare, industrial warehouse. James bond himself stood there, smiling playfully at me. He leaned on a chair, on which a person I have never seen before was sitting. He was dressed in a scarf and turtleneck, and held a roll of paper in his hand.\n\n\"Is this the guy?\" He asked Bond.\n\n\"In the flesh,\" he chuckled.\n\n\"Sorry, what?\" I interjected. I felt for my revolver once again. The turtlenecked figure saw and waved his hand dismissively.\n\n\"There won't be any need for that,\" he said.\n\n\"Who are you?\" My voice grew louder.\n\nHe grinned and stood up.\n\n\"I'm Cary Joji Fukunaga. I'm about to make you an offer you can't refuse, Agent 009.\""
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[WP] Unlike the majority of people, your dreams have always been very vivd, and had a continuing storyline, with mostly the same characters. One day, while on your usual commute you see one of them in real life. After staring at you for a little they say "Hey, tonight we really need to talk"
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"A pause, a blink, then a sigh of soft resignation as I look at someone I've seen every night in my dreams for the past three years. \"Yeah we do though how are you here?\" A few people around me look a little odd at this conversation but my attention is on the person that was speaking to me. \"Yeah look me and the others will see you in a few hours then. I am going to get back being here feels a little odd\" I nod then say \"Yeah get going I will see you in a bit.\" As they Leave I watch with a sad wistful look on my face before trudging to my vehicle for the drive home.\n\nI go about my usual routine and settle to sleep. This time though I am in the dream in a flash waking in the bed there in the dream world and move quickly rolling from the simple mattress and pulling on my black garb. Stepping out into the living area of the small hut there sit waiting for me the people of the village and even a few nobles from the capital. One person in specific rushes to my side and latches onto my arm looking up with happiness in her eyes, at the same time the one that appeared in the waking world says softly \"We are glad you came again so very glad...\" he pauses his old face looking stressed many of the others bearing the same looks and he continues \"After all these years since you first came to us, there have been many changes some good some bad.\" There is a series of nods from people and the young woman who has been silent just clutches harder and the older man continues \"We have always wondered what lay on the other side where you go when you fall asleep.\" Again a chorus of nods. \"Making the arrangement and the spell was difficult very much so but now I have seen it with my own eyes. Your world looks so much more advanced than ours but there is almost no magic.\" A pause and a frown then he continues \"After seeing it we want to know why is it you come here every night\"\n\nThe pause stretches into a long and uncomfortable silence. I finally collect my words before looking at them all and saying softly \"I know why I come back every night though why I first came I don;t know....\" I sigh softly and wrap my arm around the young woman thats been my compatriot possibly even love since half way through the life of this vivid dream. \"I keep coming here from the place I wake to because being here brings me peace and tranquility, no matter what has happened here the trials and tribulations happiness and sadness, I have found a place where I can relax when i rest be with people I enjoy the company of.\" I receive quite a few looks at that comment and I hold up my free hand before saying \"Do not get me wrong I have friends in my waking world ones that I love dearly. Factors of that world though are very stressful and well after I came here it has allowed me to wake to that world feeling like I can pull through another day because I have friends here to. Ones I can laugh with, shed tears with and enjoy life.\" I fall silent trying to find more to say.\n\nOne of the nobles one that had pretty much forced me into service steps forwards. She is a young lady more of a tomboy than a princess and she says \"That may be but as we understand dreams shouldn't last this long even before you came to us dreams were normal things,\" she bites her lip then says \"but its almost like your hopping worlds and we found the other you where you sleep in that real world your body was there sleeping peacefully while at the same time you were here. We honestly don't want you to leave again but you cannot exist in two places at once it's an impossibility!\" Her brow furrows as she looks at me, then the older man says \"Listen Jasper somehow you manage the impossible We wont ask how but what we do ask is please don't leave. We intend to open the passageway to your world a little more permanently.\" He frowns some then says \"Ceree in specific has been curious and a little jealous at the though of you possibly having someone there,\" now there are chuckles as the young woman's grip becomes painful shed always been a strong one almost unimaginably so. \"so as you can see we have a few reasons.\" chuckles now turn to laughter from some as I just sigh before saying \"I doubt I would be able to stop you even if I wanted to. You will just need to remember My world is so very different but I will welcome any who want to come with open arms and a happy heart.\" I blink then remember something \"You know I have told a few of my friends there of this dream and well,\" I pause brows crinkling \"I think they will find meeting you rather interesting though I would say lets try to keep things to a minimum at first.\"\n\nThere are some nods then the older man says \"That sounds reasonable though I do say my clothes were drawing attention there, when I found you.\" The princess then says \"Yes It would be a good Idea to have uhm suitable clothes waiting for us.\" Getting the drift I say \"You have a point let me at least find a suitable point for you to put the terminus of your gateway one where I can safely leave clothes and some other necessities in case you arrive while I am working my job on the other side.\" When that is said it draws some truly curious looks and I hold up the free hand the other still trapped by Ceree's grip on my arm \"Part of it is just how I think and I don't know how big this portal will be was about to move in the waking world anyways into a bigger home let me get that done before you set the portal.\" I keep my hand up \" And before there are objections, I say this for safety's sake. All of you here are important to me and it would kill me quite literally if one of you were to get hurt.\"\n\nA look of understanding passes though them all they had truly come to know me over the years and they knew of my protective streak over those I considered friend. \"We understand Just let us know though I am willing to bet Ceree will be first through with the princess hot on her heels\" There is more laughter then we start to make plans as this strange twist in my episodic vivid dream takes form and all I can do is go with the flow."
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[WP] Our hero is bound to a chair, the villain has been doing his monologue for 15 hours straight now. Our hero is starting to realize he may be on the wrong side of this and that the villan has clearly read up on the issue.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"No, I mean that all makes sense.\"\n\n\"And another th--wait, what did you say?\"\n\n\"I mean the whole bit in there about the Government pretending to care about the commonwealth of the people, but really it's all run by corrupt politicians who desire power. I mean, you really sold me on that. Makes me kind of wonder what I've been doing with my life.\"\n\n\"Ah. Well. Thank you, I suppose.\"\n\n\"I gotta say too, just all around really a nice presentation. My last nemesis? Talk about technologically challenged. My grandma, she's like, ancient, was better with computers than he was. Dude couldn't use powerpoint to save his life.\"\n\n\"Yes. Sadly, it seems most villains have neglected the fine intricacies of Microsoft Office.\"\n\n\"You could say that again.\"\n\n\"And you know what else? A few years ago, I had an arch-nemesis--your classic cubicle-worker-by-day-tight-tights-wearing-hero-by-night. I gave him a presentation, much like the one you just saw. And you know what he did? He fell asleep, halfway through.\"\n\n\"You're joking.\"\n\n\"No, no. Really. I didn't even notice until he started to snore.\"\n\n\"Man, that is just nuts. Guys like that, they really ruin the name of superhero.\"\n\n\"You know...No one has ever really agreed with me before. I find it, kind of nice.\"\n\n\"I mean, even the good guys can get it wrong sometimes. We're good, not perfect.\"\n\n\"It almost makes you wonder what could've been.\"\n\n\"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"In another life, we could've been co-workers, partners, even friends.\"\n\n\"Easily. I mean, if half the guys I trained with at Super Academy had your critical thinking and self awareness, imagine how much better off the world might be.\"\n\n\"Say, what are you doing this Friday night?\"\n\n\"What?\"\n\n\"Friday night. What say you we go to dinner--or the movies even--my treat.\"\n\n\"I probably have time. I'm gonna need a few weeks to rethink this whole, what side am I fighting for thing.\"\n\n\"Excellent. We'll watch something scary.\"\n\n\"Hmmm. I don't do scary too well. What about a comedy?\"\n\n\"We can discuss it on the way.\"\n\n​\n\n(Sorry if there are any typos, didn't have time to proofread.)",
"It had been 15 gruelling hours. Agent X was tired and a little hungry. They never seemed to disclose that when you were applying to the agency. It's always you'll have 'great benefits and you'll travel the world' and never 'you'll be lonely and interacting with crazy psychos all the time'.\n\n​\n\nAgent X looked at Dr. Evil. He almost felt bad for the guy. Also, who names themselves Dr. Evil? That's just lazy branding. Agent X decided he had to end this.\n\n​\n\n\"Dr. Evil, I won't let you go through with your evil plan.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Agent X, what you don't understand is that by converting to solar energy we can reduce our dependency on non-renewable energy sources. Also, can you not call me Dr. Evil, my name is James.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Wait, so you didn't name yourself Dr. Evil?\"\n\n​\n\n\"No, of course not, that would be just be lazy branding.\"\n\n​\n\n\"That's what I thought! Anyway, I have orders to stop you. You were targeting a coal mine on the outskirts of the city and we have proof you planned to blow it up.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Agent X you hurt me greatly. Were you not listening to slide 193 of my presentation? I said it was an unused coal mine and the inspection clearly stated that no one was on the premises. I wanted to blow it up so that none of the children in the neighbourhood would go down there and injure themselves.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Oh okay... but what about the evidence we have of you setting up a secret base on top of the public library?\"\n\n​\n\n\"It's like I'm not even getting through to him,\" said Dr. Evil, as his hand rested on his forehead in disappointment. \"I was setting up solar panels so that they could conserve energy and manage to keep the library open even on weekends without worrying about the high electricity costs they incur every month.\"\n\n​\n\n\"I've been here for 15 hours, you know another agent would have left in 40 minutes. What does that say? I care about you, James. Enough for me to stay.\"\n\n​\n\n\"You do? Honestly, so many people come in here with their accusations but no one wants to know the real me, you know?\"\n\n​\n\n\"James, would you like to start the presentation again? I think you make a lot of good points.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Nothing would make me happier,\" replied James, wiping away a tear.\n\n​\n\n*James and Agent X soon realised that the agency had actually been taken over by a private oil tycoon, whose definition of evil was 'people who care about the environment'. They knew that they could bring down the agency and save the planet - together.*",
" \n\nAgent 13 slowly worked at the rope binding his wrists to the chair, gradually cutting through fibre after single fibre with the sharpened hairpin he’d stolen from Molly Blue in their fight/love making earlier that day, when he’d finally been captured by agents of the nefarious Dr. Geo. “There’s no way you’ll get away with this,” he grunted, hoping to spur on the monologue that had been slowly dwindling, “the government’s of the world will never give in to your demands.” The gaunt figure of Dr. Geo spun around from an enormous bank of computer panels, giant TV screens and server racks to face Agent 13, a crazed look in his eyes and a crooked finger stabbing in his direction, “Oh but that’s where you’re wrong, Agent 13! I have already begun the release of atmospheric aerosols; within a month the world will begin to feel the effects of the cooling, and from that point it will have to be maintained until the globe has transitioned to a carbon-neutral economy. If my drones are destroyed or cease spraying their payload into the upper atmosphere, the sudden heat shock would wreck the climate and destabilise the entire global economy!” he spread his arms, indicating the footage of drones high in the atmosphere spraying a thin vapour as they flew, the giant satellite map of the Earth showing where the dispersal had already begun, and the graphs showing the predictions for global cooling, “My master plan will put the breaks on global warming, boost crop yields the world over, millions more people will live without suffering as climate disaster is mitigated or averted entirely!” Agent 13 realised he had stopped slicing at the ropes as the implications of Dr. Geo’s plan set in. Mentally shaking himself he returned to sawing desperately at the bonds, “You’re holding the world to ransom, Doctor. This is extortion by a crook, plain and simple.” Dr. Geo’s cackling laugh resonated around the steel plated control room, “No no, Agent 13, all I have requested is payment enough to continue my project, and support the development of the required carbon-neutral technologies. I’ve even balanced the demands from each government against the wealth of their population, the effect of their lifestyles on global climate, and that country’s development index. It’s all pretty simple really – then again, I’d never expect an Agent of a profit-loving corporate-democracy like yourself to understand.”\n\nAgent 13 had stopped working at his bonds again. He was struggling to find a witty retort. Normally these things were so easy; he just got the mad man monologuing about their plan while effecting his daring escape, thwarted them at the last possible second, got the girl, and returned to the Agency to collect his payslip. But now, thinking back on his self-destructing briefing pack prior to this mission, he realised that not once had anyone mentioned the purpose of the chemicals Dr. Geo was planning to spray into the atmosphere. Not once had anyone mentioned how he’d calculated his demands. And thinking about the news media, the publications, the top-level government briefings he’d attended discussing the “threats of climate change”, not once had anyone actually come up with any solutions. Here was his arch nemesis of the week, with a plan that should seem abhorrent but actually looked… reasonable. Feasible. Ethical.\n\n“…and now, with the final batch of drones coming online, I have achieved my goal! Within a few short weeks, Agent 13, your government – and all governments – will have no choice but to fund my climate management programs, and back my economic and industrial reforms!” Agent 13 sat back in his chair, the pin dropping from his fingers to the floor. “Within a decade, Earth’s future shall be transformed from one barren and lifeless, to plentiful and good for all!” as Dr. Geo reached the crescendo of his monologue, Agent 13 saw the future stretching out before him. He would be castigated by the Agency on his return. The world governments would at first refuse the demands, then try to negotiate, then finally acquiesce. When the full impact of Dr. Geo’s plan was revealed to the public, enormous support would swell behind it. The feeling of impotence in the face of climate disasters would evaporate. Public demand to support the program would boom. Dr. Geo himself would probably be awarded the Noble Peace Prize. All the politicians and Agency figures who sent Agent 13 to stop Dr. Geo would line up to shake hands and appear in photos with the Man Who Saved the World. He glanced up at the Doctor, hair wild and his trademark black lab coat whirling as he spun to face Agent 13, tears in his eyes, “Finally, Agent 13, finally the world will be mine – and safe.” ",
"\"If you want to know who really runs things, just follow the money. Tell me Mr. Chiveley, who signs your paychecks?\"\n\n\"Direct deposit, actually. It is 2019 after all.\"\n\nHis smile faded. I guess he didnt find that as funny as I did. \n\n\"You kid, but you know what I mean. You work for The Syndicate. You must know I have people inside. Telling me all I need to know. How do you think I captured you while you slept in your hotel? Room 3799? The same one you always stay at while you're in town? You know for a \"super spy\" you're terribly predictable.\"\n\n\"Its the nicest room in the nicest hotel in this time zone. Not hard to guess I'd stay there.\"\n\n\"Actually, the view from 5127 is much better but I digress. You are here because the people who pay you were told I'm shopping for a nuclear weapon. I know that because my informants told them that. What I'm actually looking for is much more dangerous. A small fusion device. No bigger than a microwave. But you could power all of Miami with one. You see, all our little adventures all these years have led to this moment. The fusion device was invented almost 10 years ago. By my brother. He wanted to change the world with it. He was about to upload the plans online and give it away when you barged in, and shot him in the back of his head.\"\n\n\"No, he was about to de--\"\n\n\"Detonate a dirty bomb? In Times Square? That's what they told you. To get you to pull the trigger. You murdered my brother to protect the people who are in power. And then you got a nice bonus and went to vacation in Tahiti. The Syndicate came behind you and cleaned up the mess you'd caused. But there was a backup of the plans. Its taken me a decade to rebuild the device but it works. Right now a team is shipping one to every university in the world with detailed schematics. That's why I captured you. So you couldn't stop progress again. You've killed and whored and destroyed your way around the globe for too long. But you cant stop progress. That was my promise to my brother at his funeral. I fulfill that promise today.\"\n\n\"Can you please let me go? I need to work on my resume. And I'm so sorry for your brother. I didn't know.\"\n\n\"Soon enough. And I know you didnt. I'd have skinned you alive if you did. Housekeeping will be by tomorrow morning. Be quiet and once they find you I'm done with you. Goodbye Mr. Chiveley.\"\n\nI didnt make much noise the rest of the night. Apart from a few muted sobs I couldn't hold in. I need a vacation. ",
"\"And *that* is why, ultimately, you're going to lose,\" Dr. Verres says, voice gone scratchy with use. \"You can call me a monster, punch me black and blue, throw me in jail, and smash up my lab. But you can't stop progress. Someday, all those merely genius scientists will catch up to my supergenius, and they'll be working for corporations or totalitarian governments when *they* discover the secrets of anti-aging and immortality, instead of making sure everyone is immortal. And when that happens, the world will change, and not for the better.\"\n\nCaptain Plasma blinks as the villain finally stops talking. He's been forced to sit in this chair, tied to it with some special metal that he can't break through, under a type of light that keeps him from shooting his energy rays out, while the scientist talks on and on and on, all while experimenting with chemicals and petri dishes. Despite having tuned him out at various points while trying to think of ways to escape, most of the message got through.\n\n\"It'll never happen, Thomas,\" Plasma says. \"People don't *want* to live forever. It would mean society doesn't change, overpopulation, lack of employment for the young...\"\n\nThe scientist shakes his head and takes a drink of something that looks like water, but refreshes his throat for the dozenth time at least, voice sounding clear and strong again as he moves over to a rack of beakers. \"Zoned out for that part, did you? Those are all solvable problems, and you might as well bemoan that any invention that extends lifespans is similarly just a lesser evil, but those are *celebrated.* And sure, people *say* they don't want to live forever now, because there is no way for them to, and they picture themselves old and infirm, or losing their loved ones. But when their family and friends can live forever too, when they can live long enough to meet their great, great grandchildren, to see the world, to finally have time to learn new languages or instruments or read all the books they want? They'll be lining up to be perpetually young and healthy. And if they actually lack the imagination or personal interests to think of something to do with themselves and *really* want to stop living, I'm sure there will be nice and 'humane' ways to euthanize set up. Current hospice care workers will need something to do, after all, until I finish my next projects and make them even more irrelevant.\"\n\nCaptain Plasma can't help but think about his grandmother, who died when he was just 16. She took care of him after his parents died in a supervillain's attack on their city, and he loved her like she was another mother, but she and his parents had kids late in life; she would have been 75 if she'd lived to see him graduate high school. Her last two years were a living nightmare for her and him: mental and physical degradation had reduced her to a shell of herself.\n\nHow often had he wished that he could still talk to her? Visit for dinner, on his few nights out of costume? Confide in her about what his life has been like, since he donned the mask and cape?\n\nHe shakes his head. \"I can see why you've convinced yourself that what you're doing is right. But at the end of the day, you're justifying highly immoral human experiments. The ends don't justify the means.\"\n\nDr. Verres scoffs, not even looking at him. \"Of course not, if you're going to be vague about it. But all of my subjects were dying anyway, and not just in the way we're *all* dying. At most they had a few months to live, and they volunteered to participate in my studies, even the ah, painful ones, if it meant that they might get the cure.\"\n\nThat certainly doesn't sound as bad, when put that way. But... no, this is just an excuse. \"The fact that you're only preying on the desperate isn't a justification.\"\n\n\"Bah. Justifications only matter to the 'just.'\" The scientist shrugs as he examines the color of some liquid, then puts its vial in a centrifuge and turns it on. \"If I have to shirk that label and be made a villain to save literally billions of lives, then so be it. Of the two of us in this room, it's clear who's willing to make the most sacrifices to actually help people.\"\n\nCaptain Plasma scowls. \"If you were really so willing to sacrifice, you would experiment on yourself.\"\n\nThat gets the mad scientist's attention, and he stops whatever he's doing and turns to the hero with a blank expression. \"Other than that being an utterly idiotic idea, as I explained a few hours ago, you have no idea what I've sacrificed,\" he says, voice empty and eyes like chips of stone. \"You're a child running around in a costume because you saw others doing it and thought it was the best way to help the world, were told it's the only way anyone extraordinary can and should use their superhuman talents. You can break multiple laws of thermodynamics, and you spend your time mostly filling prisons with petty criminals.\" Verres lets his breath out, some life returning to his features, and turns his back on the hero. \"I'm only bothering to explain all this to you because I have to do the work anyway, and I might as well take the chance at piercing all that cultural conditioning, even if it's only one in a million.\"\n\nThere's nothing that comes to mind in response to that, and the hero just sits and watches the scientist work, silently at last, deep in his own troubled thoughts.\n\nThe other man is right about one thing: the world is changing all on its own. Soon they might be editing genes like they're rewriting computer code. What *would* the fields of medical science discover in the next 20 or 40 or even 100 years? Wouldn't Verres's goal be reached eventually, with or without him? How many more billions of people will have died by then?\n\nHow many more children will have to watch their parents and grandparents whither away in front of them, ravaged by a disease that affects the entire human population and has a 100% fatality rate?\n\n\"I wouldn't say the odds are quite that low,\" Captain Plasma says at last.\n\nDr. Verres pauses, then turns to look suspiciously at him.\n\n\"I had a grandmother, once. She took in a kid who was angry at the world and taught him how to live right. She meant the world to me.\" Captain Plasma shrugs, looking away. \"Not asking you to let me go or anything. But if you eventually do... and as long as the people in your experiments really do volunteer... I won't try to stop you again.\"\n\nDr. Verres is still for a moment, then goes back to work. *It's a start,* he thinks to himself as he tests the newest batch, bending to the microscope to observe the change in the cells. He doesn't have to convince the world he's right: just those with the power to stop him.\n\nOnce the cure to mankind's oldest enemy is found and disseminated online, it won't matter anymore. The world will change... and it will need people like Captain Plasma, immature and absolutist as his moral philosophy may be, to do the hard work of making it 'just,' or at least keeping it from becoming a playground for immortal tyrants and billionaires.\n\nAs for him, he might take a well deserved break, then tackle some other societal ill. He can't very well trust those tied down by antiquated notions of morality to do it, after all.\n\n*Really,* he thinks to himself as he reaches for another vial. *It doesn't take a supergenius to figure out that if a 'hero' is defined by society as one that upholds its status quo, they're hardly going to be the ones to solve its real problems.*"
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[WP] As two men approach you, you start sweating, they must have discovered your secret.. « IT'S TRUE, I HAVE IT » you screamed, they look confused.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"IT'S TRUE, I HAVE IT!\" Danny yelled. The lanky teenager presented the two approaching suited men with the small, glassy rectangle he found the previous day. He had been walking home through the forest when an errant glint caught his eye.\n\nHe found a thin rectangle of glass, about the size and shape of a playing card. White text glowed on the screen when he touched it:\n\n\"Access Denied. Soul Mismatch.\" Danny thought it might be an advanced phone prototype; those were always getting lost, and kept it. Today as he made his way to the forest shortcut, he spotted two imposing men in dark suits and sunglasses. Danny's panic combined with his only real-life experience: TV. His mind burned through a list of possibilities that all ended with the two men being from a shady organization that wanted his found tech. He hoped they would take it and leave without killing him. The suit on the right pushed Danny's hand away.\n\n\"Outta the way, kid. We don't care about your new phone.\" The other man ignored Danny completely as they both walked by him toward the school. He took a deep breath while he listened to the footsteps fade away behind him.\n\n\"Nice!\" Danny cheered to himself and started his walk again. He poked at it several times while he navigated through the forest on auto-pilot. Each time it returned the same message, no matter what combination of taps and swipes he tried. He tried his thumb as a last resort. This time purple text appeared on the screen instead of white.\n\n\"Zero-Match Access Granted.\" Then, Danny heard someone clear their throat. He looked up and saw himself standing next to a girl.\n\n\"It's rude to go through other people's nodes,\" the other him said. \"Even if it belongs to another you.\"\n\n\\*\\*\\*\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year two, day #73. You can find all my stories collected on my subreddit ([r/hugoverse](https://www.reddit.com/r/hugoverse)) or my [blog](https://hugoverse.info/). If you're curious about my universe (the Hugoverse) you can visit the [Guidebook](https://hugoverse.info/2017/11/25/hugoverse-guidebook/) to see what's what and who's who, or the [Timeline](https://hugoverse.info/2017/10/23/hugoverse-timeline/) to find the stories in order. "
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[WP] You wake up at night to your shoulder being shaken by a woman with blood stained clothes and an axe in her other hand. She looks around before leaning in and whispering, "I heard something downstairs, and it wasn't me that did it."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"First, I was slightly awakened by the rummaging noises and the pitter-patter of footsteps. Then, I was fully awakened, for the third night in a row, by Sarah. She’s got blood all over her nightgown and over her ax. \n\nShe pushes me back and forth, completely waking me up, looks deep into my eyes and growls, “I heard something downstairs, and it wasn't me that did it.\" She stops pushing me only to start fidgeting in place beside my bed. \n\nGrabbing my blanket, I toss it aside and sit up, putting my head into my cupped hands. Taking a deep breath – praying to a God I hope exists – and look over at my digital clock. It’s four in the morning and it’s freezing. Sarah still stands in place staring at the door probably expecting whatever evil that lurks to bust it down and murder us both.\n\nI stand up, slowly reaching my hands to grab the ax and take it away from her, “Sarah, you better have a good reason for waking me up on one of the coldest nights in December.” I finally reach the ax and have my hands on it. Now, it’s only a patience game to get her into the bed and asleep. \n\nWith my face inches away from hers now, she visibly calms down. Her hands loosen on the ax as she slumps, the weight of the world now off her shoulders. She switches staring at the door then at me for a few seconds and finally, she utters, “Go downstairs and you’ll hear it. When you find it, you’ll think I did it, but I swear I didn’t. It wasn’t me. I just picked up the ax and came upstairs. I swear.”\n\nEven in the darkness, I could see her completely pale face. Hopefully, she couldn’t see that mine was as well. No one could stay calm when their wife is covered in blood. Whatever it was had completely scared her beyond normal. Every once in a while, she forgets to take her medicine and she has these hallucinations. I don’t mind them. I love her no matter what. It’s why we got married. At this point, I’m just hoping that the stains are just ketchup and I’m the one hallucinating. \n\nI guide Sarah toward the bed and lie her down. While I pull the blanket over her, she pulls my forehead and plants a kiss, “Come back okay?” I nod and that’s all she needs. She closes her eyes and I can only assume is trying to drift off to sleep. \n\nI grab my white slippers and leave the bedside. I go toward the door and turn on the lights in the hallway. Nothing strange to my left, but Sarah was right. There was a noise coming from somewhere. Walking toward the kitchen and hugging the wall, I switch the lights for the living room, and I notice blood. \n\nA few drops here and there splattered about. Maybe there’s a burglar, but I would have woken up to noise before Sarah. She’s a deep sleeper and I’m not. As I step past the blood and into the kitchen, my hands twitch while I turn on the lights. \n\nThe blood before was a finger cut amount of blood, but the scene I saw now in the kitchen? This is a small pool. I quickly looked away to stop myself from throwing up whatever was left of my dinner from last night. Even walking past the horrible smell was difficult as I could hear each footstep slosh through the blood. My white slippers drenched with crimson red were extremely uncomfortable to wear as they made a smacking noise while I walked.\n\nFinally making it past the kitchen, I got to the front door which was open. I looked out into the snow and saw a blood trail heading toward Cherry Clinton Playground directly across our apartment on Clinton Street. The noise I was hearing was the weather outside. \n\nI take off my soaked slippers and put on my shoes. It hurts my heels a bit without wearing socks, but I’ll have to handle it for now. I put on my favorite Burberry raincoat with my phone in the inner pocket and rush out into the cold. \n\nThrough the fences, I could see a figure lying there in the middle of the playground, directly in the center of the basketball court. The blood trail also seemed to follow to that same spot. \n\nI climbed the fence and quickly went to the person’s side. Through my cracked lips, I quaked, “Hey, hey you? I’ll call the cops right away, but are you okay?” I struggled to take my phone out until the person’s hand jumped out and grabbed me.\n\nLooking at her face, I recognized her. I trembled in fear as I realized that Sarah did do this, “Jane? Is that you?” Tears formed in the corners of my eyes, but the freezing weather wouldn’t allow them to flow. \n\nShe tried pulling herself up but fell halfway and then I noticed something in the distance. It was Sarah. With something in her hand coming over to where Jane and I were. \n\nJane pulled herself up successfully this time and muttered, “Run. Run before she kills you too. She didn’t let me explain. I tried telling her it wasn’t you who cheated but your brother. I even called him, but he said it was you not him. Run. Please.”\n\nEven with Jane’s warning, I couldn’t move. My knees had given up whether from the cold or the emotions from the incident from years ago. The tears in my eyes had welled up that I couldn’t even see clearly anymore. Everything was blurry, but I could still see Sarah’s outline. Standing right next to me.\n\nShe shuddered and looked at us with disgust, “Even in death, you want to be with her. You married me damn it. You married me. Not her.”\n\nWith rivers finally dripping down my face I choked, “You killed her Sarah. Call the police please.”\n\nShe stared at me while hastily stabbing Jane directly in the neck, “It wasn’t me who did this. You did this and now you’ll pay.” Sarah extracted the knife and Jane’s body fell to the ground. Lifeless. \n\nSarah smiled while stabbing me in the chest. The woman I fell in love with stabbed me. I didn’t know what to feel, but I knew what to say: the truth even if she doesn’t believe it. With my last breath, I simply muttered, “It wasn’t me Sarah. It was my brother. We’re identical remember? I didn’t cheat on you. I couldn’t ever do that.”\n\nHer smile never quivered. At this point, she didn’t care. She was happy that the only two problems in her life were gone.\n\nSarah fell to her knees and dropped the knife. She looked into the clouds and mumbled, “Goodbye Leonard.” \n\n***\n\nA/N: Hope I did the prompt justice. Go read more of my work on r/sweetbabysquirrel. Plus, see if you can figure out what I was referencing. "
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[WP] You suffer from a rare form of Isekaitus; you are reincarnated every time you die with every single memory still vivid. While most others would forget their past lives, you still live with the scars of the past and often confuse yourself which life you're living.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Joel wanted to scream as he watched the throng of girls. They giggled and cooed and batted their eyelashes. And all of it was for Leon. A guy who all the girls called \"mysterious\" and \"deep\". All the guys just thought he was a weird loner with the libido of a wet towel.\n\nOh he was decent looking, sure, but that was about it. Joel thought he was better looking himself, but that did not seem to matter much to girls. They flocked to him like he was made of chocolate covered diamonds. \n\nLike most guys, Joel despised Leon for taking the attention of every girl around, and not even doing anything with them. But, Joel was also willing to take advantage of this effect. If he could get close to Leon, maybe he could get some residual action.\n\nAnd so he waited for the crowd of misguided fangirls to clear up before making his move.\n\n\"Hey.\" Joel said. \n\nLeon acted as if he did not hear Joel. Instead, Leon's eyes focused on something in the distance. The weird guy sighed and left the classroom just as the bell signaling the close of school sounded. Joel grumbled, but followed, determined to be popular by association at the very least.\n\nWhen he caught up to Leon, Joel saw him muttering some made up language to himself while staring at a lamp post.\n\n\"Hey, you okay?\" Joel called. Leon's head shot around, eyes wide and hands raised, like he was trying to hold up an invisible wall. He seemed to calm down a but when he saw Joel.\n\n\"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just, uh, just thinking about stuff.\"\n\n\"Uh huh.\" Joel said with a raised eyebrow. \"So, what language was that? Chinese or something?\"\n\n\"It's, uh, it's not something you'd have heard of.\" He looked at the floor to avoid Joel's gaze. \"Is there something you need? Cause if there's not, I should really be going.\"\n\n\"Need? Not really. I'm just kind of curious is all.\"\n\n\"I'm not gay.\"\n\nJoel sputtered. \"Neither am I.\" He said quickly. \"That's not what this is about. No way. I love the ladies.\"\n\n\"So then...\"\n\nJoel sighed and looked around. There was nobody else within earshot. \"Okay, look, I'll be honest. I want to get a girl, but you're hogging them all. So, I figure if I hang out with you, maybe I'll be able to snag a girl for myself.\"\n\n\"Oh, okay, fine. I could care less about that stuff anyway.\". He muttered something that Joel could not quite hear, but sounded like something about having had too much already, and maybe something about a princess or a priestess or some such.\n\n\"Seriously? Dude, you have all the hottest girls in school after you. How could you not be thrilled.\"\n\n\"You wouldn't believe me if I told you.\"\n\n\"Oh, now I'm really curious. Whenever someone says that, he's just asking for more questions.\"\n\nLeon looked around and muttered something that was definitely not English. He stopped for almost half a minute before saying anything.\n\n\"Do you know how many times you've been reincarnated?\" He asked.\n\n\"Uh, no?\"\n\n\"Well I do. I have lived 194 times, including this one.$\n\nJoel looked nervous and began to back up.\n\n\"Okay, man, whatever you say.\"\n\n\"My first life was a lot like this one, except I was Japanese instead of American. I got hit by a truck and wound up being reborn into a fantasy world with all my memories intact. It was pretty cool, actually. Got to save the world. Make a bunch of new 'discoveries' and even got a girlfriend who makes supermodels here look plain.\"\n\n\"What?\". What really amazed Joel was how certain Leon seemed about all this. He had a completely straight face as he spoke.\n\n\"Then I died again. Got into a futuristic world that time. Well, that just kept on happening. By number ten, I had figured out what was happening. That I was in a perpetual nightmare that not even death can free me of.\"\n\n\"Okay, what?\"\n\n\"See, thing is, each time I get reborn, I get something out of it. A little bit of the skills and abilities I gain in a life get added onto my soul and transfered over. Not all of them, but it adds up. The problem is the ability I kept from my first life. That's eidetic memory.\"\n\nJoel took a moment to remember what that meant. \"Photographic memory? That's awesome! Wish I had that.\"\n\n\"For you, yeah. For me? It's bad. Think about it. A full grown adult forced into the body of a newborn, with all memories intact. Then having that happen over and over again. It's horrible.\" Leon leaned against the lamp post and his shoulders slumped.\n\n\"So you really remember being a baby?\"\n\n\"I remember being 193 different babies. Only one I don't remember is the first one.\"\n\n\"Okay, yeah, that sounds pretty bad. But what's that got to do with the girls?\"\n\n\"That would be the ability I kept from life number 174. It's called Allure. It makes me irresistible to girls. When I was in that life I could turn it on and off at will. That was pretty sweet, I'm not going to lie. But after that? It's always on. I got sick of it after two more lives. Only reason I'm not living in the mountains right now is because my parents here are freakishly over protective and would do anything to find me.\"\n\n\"Huh.\" Joel said. \"So you really do have powers?\"\n\n\"See that squirrel?\"\n\nLeon pointed at a grey squirrel darting around looking for food. Joel nodded. Leon pointed at the small animal and his finger developed a pale green glow. The squirrel stopped, stood on its hind legs and simply stopped moving.\n\n\"From life number 87, animal control. I can only handle small ones right now though.\"\n\n\"Dude, seriously? What else can you do?\". Now Joel was really getting excited.\n\n\"A lot of things. Of all the lives I've lived, 97 of them had magic of some kind. But please, don't ask me to show them off. I'd rather not.\"\n\n\"Oh, yeah, sure. No problem. So...\"\n\n\"And no, I'm not going to tell you about my lives. They...they aren't always good things to think about. And honestly, I'm going to try an use this life to try and rid myself of this curse, or at least my eidetic memory. And talking to someone about it will just make things worse. I've told you all I care to, so please just leave me alone.\"\n\nBefore Joel could say anything else, Leon disappeared. Literally, vanished into thin air. Joel looked around, trying to see where he had gone, but there was no sign of his ever having been there at all. \n\nA wide grin spread across Joel's face. He had a lot of questions to ask, and he would definitely get answers no matter what he had to do to get them."
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[WP] This was the last time they had any contact with the crew.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"**\"What do you mean the sub isn't responding?\"**\n\nThe expedition director is a stern and direct woman, but that made her the best leader for this work.\n\n**\"Ahh, well ...\"**\n\nHer gaze pierces through the bringer of this news, who stood there quaking in his boots.\n\n**\"Did you get a reponse from the automated systems? Atleast a returning ping?\"**\n\n**\"No, but sonar scans show that it's still hanging at its destination. What should we do, Leya?\"**\n\nShe stands up and begins pacing around her office. After a few seconds she spins towards the man.\n\n**\"Prepare the HP-12 Personal Diver, I'll take a closer look in about ten minutes.\"**\n\n**\"Are you sure?\"**\n\nShe already went for the phone on her desk and starts dialing a number.\n\n**\"Yes, just go.\"**\n\n​\n\nLeya was, of course, ringing her boss to report on this incident.\n\n**\"Speaking with Mr. Masterson, of The National History Museum.\"**\n\n**\"Mr. Masterson, it's Miss Vinnan. We've run into a problem. The crew from our submarine went missing while it was submerged.\"**\n\n**\"Miss Vinnan, I thought I hired you to solve such issues?\"**\n\n**\"Yes, which is why I ask you to hire someone else if I don't call back tomorrow. I will solve this conundrum myself. Have a nice day.\"**\n\nShe hangs up and then leaves her office. She hustles towards the locker room and changes clothes into a diving suit. Bringing the bare necessities, she races towards the jetty next to the dry dock.\n\n**\"Billy, is everything ready?\"**\n\nAn older man standing on the jetty turns around.\n\n**\"They're quickly testing all systems, then she'll be ready to go.\"**\n\n**\"Hmm, say Billy, you know the area's history right? Any idea what this might be? Folklore or other sources can give us a better idea.\"**\n\n**\"I can only think of one. There have been talks of a realm between realms that surfaces here. Neunheim is supposedly a place far beyond our understanding, though the only reports of this realm came from druggies in nearby towns. They all had wounds from recent injections on their arms, but they insisted that it was where their blood was drained.\"**\n\n**\"Sounds more like a bad trip than folklore.\"**\n\n**\"Aye, but it's all that makes sense. Not a lot of stories around this place, though that could be peculiar in itself.\"**\n\nThe water begins to bulge upwards, quickly noted by Billy.\n\n**\"Well, I guess you'll be able to confirm such stories yourself. Though I hope you don't.\"**\n\nLeya nods as she helps the pilot of the diver onto the jetty.\n\n**\"If I haven't come back by tomorrow, the client should hire a new director. Tell her all you told me in that case, Billy.\"**\n\n**\"Of course, director. Safe travels.\"**\n\n​\n\nThe submarine sinks back under the black, murky waters of Delmoth Lake. Leya checks the sonar and guides the diver to the anomaly they were supposed to be investigating. A sinkhole in the middle of the lake, which did not drain the lake in any capacity.\n\n**\"Director, how does it look?\"**\n\nThe voice who told her of the disappearance of the crew cracked over the radio.\n\nShe switched on the floodlights.\n\n**\"No fish, no plants, only sediment.\"**\n\n**\"The same was reported by the submarine. You should be a few minutes away from the sinkhole.\"**\n\nLeya noticed someone off about the terrain as she neared the sinkhole.\n\n**\"Sam, did they also report a blackening of the sediment?\"**\n\n**\"No, director. Only that the water's temperature spiked for a few seconds.\"**\n\n​\n\nArriving at the sinkhole, the diver lurched downwards. The lights revealing the submarine hanging a good 30 meters down in the sinkhole.\n\n**\"Sam, I found the submarine.\"**\n\n**\"...\"**\n\nThere was only static on the radio. Leya starts getting some chills run down her spine and then shakes it off. She had to know what was going on here. The diver moves around the submarine, looking for any damage. Then Leya notices that the DSRV had left its bay.\n\n**\"Great ...\"**\n\nShe put on a pressurized diving suit for deep sea research and opened the airlock on the diver. The bay where the DSRV was docked has its own airlock, so she should be able to gain entry. Leya headed out.\n\nGuided by the light from the diver, she found her way to the bay and could clearly see the airlock override that was fitted for this expedition. The door opened and lightly tugged at her suit as the water rushed in. Inside Leya activated the airlock and left the suit behind.\n\n**\"Hate that thing, always gives me a headache.\"**\n\n​\n\nShe enters the submarine, where everything seemed in order. Except for the missing crewmembers and a lack of lighting. She used a flashlight to find her way around the submarine. No signs of struggle, no chaos what so ever. Leya goes up to the bridge to check any logs she might find. The mainframe is dead, but there were some papers on the captain's chair. She scans through them and picks up on some oddities, despite her throbbing head.\n\n**\"So they lost communications and then after half an hour lost all electrical power. After an hour of failing to solve the issue, the crew gathered for a meeting. And then the logs became very direct, technical even beyond the military standard.\"**\n\nLeya rubs her temple to alleviate the, now bursting, headache. She stumbles back to her suit to open her emergency supplies. She takes a sip of water and forces herself to calm down. Leya struggles towards one of the crew's cabins, and lies down on a bottom bunk. Her head hits the pillow, with a sharp pain. Her hand reaches inside the pillow to pull out a hardcover book. \n\n**\"A diary?\"**\n\n She gets as comfortable as she can, and begins reading.\n\n **\"Day 1 of the expedition. I am really excited to find out why this sinkhole is acting so weird. I feel like we're going to make a great discovery here. I'm lucky I was selected.\"**\n\n **\"Day 2 of the expedition. We went pretty deep into the sinkhole, but other than a few weird environmental changes, nothing really caught our attention. Tomorrow we'll go take a closer look to some areas where the submarine can't reach. It's not really the intended use of the DSRV, but we're far above the maximum operating depth of all our equipment.\"**\n\n **\"Day 3 of the expedition. Everyone seems to have a light headache today when we made our way to the sinkhole and now communications is down. I hope we can do something today.\"**\n\n Then the writing became harder to read.\n\n **\"Now we have no power anymore, and the headache is worsening. The captain says that we shouldn't worry as we still have our DSRV and our escape suits. The crew is getting annoyed with the mouting headache.\"**\n\n Even further, the writing became near illegible.\n\n **\"Wee hawe to git oot of heer. Eveeyon hes a teriible headache. I heer wiispers fron nowhere! Jakk hears ttem too. The cappain repeated wat the wiispers said: 'Nog vulgtlagln Ngha'al wgah'n n'ghft.'\"**\n\n Leya screams and goes silent.\n\n With her flashlight extinguished, her voice creeps from the darkness.\n\n **\"Nog vulgtlagln Ngha'al wgah'n n'ghft.\"**"
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[WP] You are applying to become a Villain and the Villain Committee requires you to introduce yourself through a song.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I was sick of the upstairs neighbors always making noise, I mean what the fuck is there a herd of elephants living up there, when I came across a advertisement to become a villain.\n\nThe ad said\n \"Just because your bored of life,\nOnly those looking to move on.\nIsnt any reason to end it,\nNow you'll find the truth\n\nVery dormant in the night,\nIs always the way to go.\nLook left\nLook right\nAnd soon you will see\nIf you find out soon\nNo need\"\n\nI know right what stupid ass wrote this but that's when I saw it said \"join villain\" i laughed at that and thought what the hell.\n\nI sent an email to the address in the site and got reply immediately with a date and time.\n\nWalking into a chamber with a table up on a four foot high platform I could barely make out the heads of six individuals who sat there looking down.\n\n\"Ahem\" an older gentleman leaned out over the table through bespectacled glasses \"so you want to join the committee of villains and do villainous deeds\" he said.\n\n\"Umm, are you serious about this?\" I looked incredulous. \n\nAnother older gentleman leaned forward \"very serious and if you hadn't cleared the scans we would not be having this conversation young man, however we know you have the makings to become a great villain the likes of which the world has never seen. Now you must write a song and for the love of satan no Miley cyrus it's just not evil enough\" He said.\n\nA third man leaned over \"and for fuck sake no rob zombie he's just a fucking poser who thinks he is evil\" he spat out.\n\nI stood there thinking to myself, umm well who is evil then, rob zombie made my skin crawl when I saw him live. \"Umm can I ask a question, who is an evil singer?\" I said rubbing my head.\n\nThe first man leaned over stroking the long beard on his face \"some would say gospel music is pretty evil, but honestly there is nothing more evil than... gangnam style\" he spoke in a whisper.\n\nTaken aback I could do nothing but stand there and shuffle back and forth as the only lyrics coming to my head were \"baby shark.\"\n"
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[WP] You are one of the last meat eaters in your community. In an effort to make you feel welcome, your vegan neighbors invite you to dinner and attempt to cook meat for you.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I quickly tried to hide my grimace with a smile that I hoped at least looked genuine. \"Thank you so much for the offer, Mrs. Cline, but-\" I started to close the door. \"We-\"\n\n\"Would love, too!\" The door was yanked out of my hand and swung wide open by my beaming wife, Angela. \"Don't mind my husband,\" she said, shooting me a look. \"I'm sure we can find time.\" She turned to back to Mrs. Cline with an embarrassed smile. \"So, say, 8 ish?\"\n\nMrs. Cline looked flustered. \"Ehrm, well...I was thinking more 6 ish? But if you want-\"\n\n\"6 is fine,\" Angela reassured her.\n\nAfter Mrs. Cline was gone, I pouted at Angela from the kitchen table. \"I dont want to go.\"\n\n\"Neither do I.\" She sighed. \"But it's called being neighborly. They're going out of their way to do something nice for us, so the least we could do is accept.\"\n\n\"That's like saying, 'He went out of his way to smuggle the drugs into the country, so the least I could do is take a snort.' We can say no, too.\"\n\nShe rolled her eyes. \"That's different. We dont do drugs. But we *do* eat meat.\"\n\nI brooded, mostly because I didnt have a comeback.\n\nAnd she knew it. Softening in her victory, she came over and rubbed my back. \"It'll be fine. Just trust me.\"\n\n***\n\n\"WELCOME!\" The Clines shouted. \"To our humble abode!\"\n\nMy eyes instinctively went over their shoulder to the people in the room. It looked like a networking party was in bloom. \n\n\"I didn't know there would be other people.\" Angela laughed \"I would have dressed better.\" She reached over and grabbed my hand in both of hers. \n\nI could tell she was nervous. More so because of me. She knew how I got around crowds. First I would try too hard to fit in - maybe tell a few jokes - then when that inevitably didnt go over well, I would get grumpy and sarcastic and want to leave.\n\nWe went inside.\n\nMr. Cline held up his glass and spoke loud. \"Everyone, if we could just have a moment of your time please. We would like to make a toast to our newest additions to the neighborhood, the Burnetts! They're meat eaters. But this event is for them. Please make them feel at home. Cheers.\"\n\nThe room, glasses held high, yelled, \"Cheers!\" Then the room resumed its normal din.\n\nMrs. Cline immediately grabbed Angela's arm annd smiled. \"Let me introduce you to some people, dear.\" \n\nAngela hesitated, glancing back at me. *Will you be okay?* her eyes asked.\n\nI gave her a small smile and nodded. My eyes responded, *I'm fine. You go ahead.*\n\nWe were apart for most of the night, Mr. and Mrs. Cline dragging us around as they made the rounds with everyone.\n\nAnd for the first time I was actually enjoying a party.\n\n\"So, why did the chicken cross the road?\" I asked, pausing for effect as I looked around the small cluster of people grouped around me. \"Because he heard there were vegans on the other side!\"\n\nThey burst into laughter. Genuine, belly-grabbing, tear-induced laughter. \n\nBy the time Angela and I met somewhere during the night, I didnt want to leave.\n\n\"Are you ready to go?\" she asked. She looked like she had, had enough and was ready to call it quits.\n\n\"So soon?\" I laughed.\n\n\"I don't know,\" she said. \"I'm just getting a weird feeling about these people.\" She rubbed her arms anxiously like she was cold.\n\nMy smile dropped, instant protect mode. \"Did somebody say something inappropriate to you?\" I started scanning faces.\n\n\"No, no, not like that,\" she said. Then her voice dropped to a whisper. \"Dont you notice the way that they *look* at us?\"\n\n\"Yeah. Like they're hanging on to my every word. It feels great.\"\n\nShe sighed in exasperation.\n\n\"Babe.\" I touched her arm. \"Just tell me what's up.\"\n\nBefore she could speak, the Clines were at the front of the room making another announcement. \"We just want to, first, thank everyone for coming here tonight. Especially the Burnetts. Without them, to be honest, this event would not be possible. They've been wonderful guests. And, unfortunately for them, it's time for us to eat them.\"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"
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[WP] The abandoned house at the edge of town has had a light on in the attic every night since you were a kid. Tonight, it's blinking.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Steven had just finished mowing the lawn and moved towards the garage to put away the lawnmower when his neighbor called out to him. \n\n\"Hey, Steve, buddy, how ya doin?\" Rick appeared from his porch, toothpick in his mouth, beer in hand.\n\n\"It's SteVEN\" he muttered to himself.\n\n\"Good, thanks Rick,\" he said with a quick smile and began towards the garage again.\n\n\"You've taken real good care of this house for your mom and dad. Think they'll be back to visit soon?\"\n\nOf course he was going to take good care of the house. He had grown up here, and his parents sold it to him before moving to South Carolina 2 winters ago. But he just smiled and nodded then made his way into the garage. It was getting late and the sun was setting.\n\nHe walked back out into the driveway and looked over to make sure Rick wasn't waiting to talk. He sighed with relief when he realized Rick had gone back inside. Rick had lived there since Steven was a child. He had always been single as far as Steven knew, but had a nephew living with him for a couple of years back when Steven was a teenager. Rick didn't like to talk about himself but he always had a lot of questions for the neighbors.\n\nWalking back towards the house, something caught Steven's eye that made him stop in his tracks. In the small house a few doors down, the attic light was flickering. For as long as Steven remembered, the house down the street had been abandoned and for as long as he remembered, there remained a light on in the attic. But until this moment, he had never seen it flicker. \n\nNo one had ever been brave enough to investigate. There were too many stories. But tonight was different. Steven had been facing some of his own fears this summer. He had left his job downtown for one in the big city. He confessed his love for his best friend from college who promptly received it well. Granted, that lasted about a month, but nonetheless he finally had made his move. Tonight would be no different.\n\nHe slipped his key back into his pocket and walked towards the house. He arrived to the front door and turned the handle. Of course it didn't open without a key. He walked around the house to look for a window or some other way to get in. To his surprise, the back door was pushed wide open. From what he saw, the door opened into a back porch area littered with old newspapers. \n\nHe walked in and moved towards what appeared to be the living room. Steven stopped and stood still. In front of him was a living room with full furniture. All of the furniture was covered indicating that whoever lived here before had left the place without much of their stuff. All the furniture was like this aside from one chair, a side table and a lamp that sat next to the stairs. The lamp was on as if someone had been sitting there. But the house was eerily quiet.\n\nSteven reluctantly started up the dark stairway. There was a small opening at the top where another set of stairs came down from the ceiling. It was at that point he saw the flickering light.\n\nSteven took a deep breath and pushed himself to continue on. But he didn't want to startle whoever was up there, so he called out, \"Hello?!\" The light stopped flickering. Steven walked up the stairs. As he reached the top, he saw before him a large man. The man was facing away from the stairs. He began to turn around. As he faced Steven and smiled, Steven couldn't believe his eyes.\n\nIt was Rick."
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[WP] You get sentenced to 325 years in prison. People actually get freaked out when you live to serve full time. Today is the day you leave jail.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Do you know that you can get sent to jail for parking tickets, I didn’t and the 16 life sentences really came as a shock. I didn’t just go to jail for the parking tickets but I think was a big part of it, that and war crimes, I’ll be honest I don’t think they know about the parking tickets my horse got. I drone on a bit but, solitary gives you a lot of time to think.\n\nNow, I don’t really know what to do, All my friends are dead, my castles now a dreadful hotel, torture room turned into a gift shop, it’s nice to know they kept the spirt of the room alive. This whole thing could be overwhelming but, at least peasants, have some sugar in their blood, I do have a sweet tooth.\n\nVampires were dignified back in the day, now there up market, won’t even let me join their club, it’s a secret club beginning in T ending in Ory. This will really fuck with guards when I smear it across the cell wall, I’ll tell you a secret, I’m not a vampire or hundreds of years old I’m just useing strawberry jam to paint this crappy story on that grey wall, I’m out next week, forgot to pay my taxes."
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[WP] Your job is to fill up all those dungeon chests the player can loot later on.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"It's bait. You might think they'd have figured that out by now, and maybe some of them do, the ones that survive but don't come back.\n\nIt's all about the slow build-up. Risk and reward. Wired right into the adventurer psyche, but I wouldn't know. I'm not real fond of risk, and this position's got multi-century job security. What more could a Gelatinous Cube ask for?\n\nOh, I know what you're thinking. This is a joke, I'm a joke to you. Either because you think this isn't real (how am I writing it?) or because you think we're not sentient. Well, you're half-right. Most of us aren't. My employer's real into research and experimentation. It's also how I got these nice pseudopods I can extend for things like, you know, writing and chest-stuffing. And you'd be *amazed* how much treasure-crap I can carry inside me. And I do cleanup. Blood, corpses. I mean sometimes. Some of the corpses, the boss asks me to leave where they are, I clean around them. More bait.\n\nI try to stay out of the way, but every once in a great while some enterprising party or lone hero-type runs into me. I let them think they've \"killed\" me and loot whatever I happen to be hauling at the time. No big deal. I'll take it off their corpses later.\n\nAre there always corpses later? Nah, not always. Sometimes we let them get away. It's a whole calculation, the boss has these skull-accountants who make sure we take in more than we give out. Basically a gambling-hall.\n\nDo enough adventurers really come through? Yes and no. These days its just different versions of the same person, but soon enough we'll get a different one, or a different party. See, this whole lair is built right over a kind of crack in reality, a kind of web-fracture through the multiverse. One version might get to the \"end\" and \"kill\" my boss, really just a decent simulacrum of him but no matter, and wander off with the grand prize. But about a dozen other versions generally die in the attempt. We loot, we redistribute, we profit\n\nThe hero thinks they understand what's going on, they have this sort of temporal ability they think allows them to go back to a certain point in time, good as new, after they die. And it does, or at least it lets the personal using them as an avatar do that. But that's just it. The coins, the artifacts, the jewels, all that shiny shit? We have to keep it in the black so they'll keep coming back, but it's not the profit we're after, it's just a tool.\n\nWhat we're after is the little soul-slivers they leave behind with every death. Not the avatars.\n\nThe \"players.\"\n\n​\n\nr/Magleby",
"I like making baubles, nick-knacks, and jewelry. Over the decades, I've become a skilled artisan-- really! I don't toot my own horn... except for this journal? Anyways, I know I've gotten better because people have set the price for my creations higher, and they've started taking them to regional markets within the principality. People that don't live near my \"Booby Cave\" want my stuff! I like that.\n\nRecently, I had to make my booby traps more harder to disarm. Too many adventurous kids and wanna-be soldiers were swarming my cave. I have to have time to make the things to put in the chests... when they aren't stealing my chests! Those are hard to make, why do they have to steal my chests? I can sneak around sneaky with what it takes to make my baubles, it's harder to do with a chest.\n\nIt's a balance, those traps. Scary and hurty but not full of deathy-death. I *try* not to kill, but some people are stupid. Who gets shot by a poison dart that *has a tag* with \"Haha! You're poisoned!\" written on it then chooses to ignore the warning? It took a week for him to die, so it wasn't like he didn't have a chance to find a healer. Stupid bastard. Maybe I should cut the local healer in on my scheme. Others lose fingers, eyes, and get scarred. I'm not worried about those, they brag about how they got hurt at the tavern.\n\nSome smarty-pants would-be looters have tried to spy who or what keeps Booby Cave stocked with traps and prizes. They all stank, making them easy enough to avoid. Really! How hard is it to wipe your ass? I dug tunnels and trenches after the first attempted ambush so I can enter and exit without being seen. They still try their ambush idea from time to time, it never works.\n\nI want to tell someone that it's me that does it all... that's why I'm writing this! That the baubles and jewelry the local knight gifted to his wife, mistresses, and daughters were made by me. Same for the nick-knack toys that can be wound like a clock to do silly things. That the cave and silly things this place has become known for are all kept working by me.\n\nMe, their tiny lil' rat-catcher. The weird kobold missing part of her tail that stomps around in oversized shirts. The wanna-be dragonling that \"can't appreciate the sophistication\" of the jewelry coming out of the cave. The look about their faces would be great! But then no one would want my stuff again. I like it when people like my stuff.\n\nThose shirts are really comfy. I don't know why they make fun of my shirts.",
"I've heard from the Fourth Wall Repairman Austin that there are people that work at McDonalds in \"real life\" and are paid minimum wage, and I've been told that I am also being payed minimum wage.\n\nI graduated goddamn college with a Master's degree in Plot Setup and Theater to work in a *dungeon*, hauling magic items that can explode into chests while trying to avoid the hunkering monsters James puts everywhere.\n\nBut seriously, screw you James.\n\nI look around as usual, the cozy living room-like room filled to the brim with a ton of people walking around with tablets and such. Their jobs were like mine: make stories and games run smoothly. Some jobs were easy, like censoring curse words or stopping copyrights, and some were harder than Fifth Wall, which is saying a lot. \n\nThey call my job the Restocker. I'm like the dude that goes around supermarkets and puts stuff back on the shelves. Except there are no shelves and I have to handle weapons. I have a few co-workers, and they all shrug is off that it's better than being a Glitch Repairman or a Fifth Wall Technician, but I'd much rather try to stop actual Eldritch Beings from entering reality in the Fifth Wall than stay here. \n\nNevertheless, I grab a paper from the front and a giant bag appears next to me, overflowing with magic artifacts and secret items. I had to go down the randomly generated dungeon and put everything in their own spots again, and also try to outrun James so that I can get things done for what seemed like the millionth time.\n\nBut I don't think there's a point. I have Plot Armor, but monster bites hurt as *hell*, and the antidote medicines cost an arm, a leg, and three human souls. Me writing this down is just another way to kill time, but I already know that Austin's gonna burn it in his campfire and smack me on the head with his hammer for making his job extra. \n\nThree hours later, I'm still putting things in the chests, the creaky hinges ticking off my OCD. \n\nWith a sigh, I decide that complaining is no use. I have a job to do, and I need to put things where they belong.\n\nAnd I *definitely* can't forget to put the Holy Sword down in a conspicuous place for the protagonist. "
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[WP]You always thought the monster hiding in the closet would be your death. Every night It's always there... Waiting. "But for what", you asked- afraid to know. One day a group of criminals broke into your home. That's when you realized that creature was there to save you.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Every night when I went to sleep I always felt like something was watching me, I wasn't sure exactly what it was but every night, just before I drifted off I saw the closet door creak open by the slightest margin. I would tell my friends about it but they would just joke about me being so sleep deprived from my job as a night security guard that I started to see things so I kept it to myself. to be honest I was quite sleep deprived from staying up till 6 AM every night, but the feeling never shook. Despite that I was always much too tired to be scared or freaked out. Honestly after a while I just seemed to forget about it, but when I did remember about the thing in my closet. I just felt confused, every night for the last 6 years it had been in my closet sitting there watching. but nothing ever really happened, what the hell was it waiting for? It could easily come out and massacre me with ease but instead it stayed in the closet waiting... but for what?\n\n​\n\nIt was a Friday night. Most people would be pumped staying home and watching TV with the weekend coming along shortly but I wasn't. I trudged along the narrow side walk, the street dimly lit by the 2 or 3 street lamps that were working. I had just finished a 8 hour shift. sitting in a chair watching a security camera. I would usually end up finding myself playing games on my phone. It was against the rules to take breaks during the job but nobody was there to catch me playing games so I didn't care. the nights were pretty uneventful, I couldn't think of a time I needed to apprehend someone in the last 5 years I had been working here. It was mainly small things like teenagers trespassing outside the mall but that was barely a challenge to deal with. The last major incident we had was 5 years ago when a gang of robbers decided to rob the place, but they did one of the sloppiest jobs imaginable. Nothing like the grand heists I saw on TV where everything was done perfectly. They smashed a window and tried to rob a jewelry shop thinking that nobody could catch them. They tripped 4 security alarms and they could be heard from miles away. Nonetheless I caught them and they each got 5 years in jail. I thought about those guys for a second, come to think of it their release date was 2 weeks ago. I continued to walk down the sidewalk, my train of thought stopped as I reached the doorstep of my house. I clumsily fumbled with the keys trying to get it into the keyhole. After a few attempts I managed to open the door. I stumbled through my house slowly navigating with only the help of my dim digital watch. I walked into the bedroom and fell flat on the bed. Every muscle in my body feeling like heaven. \n\n​\n\nI slowly drifted off the dim buzz of my fan drowning out any noise in the background. as lights flashed in front of my eyes the silence was disturbed. A window shattered and several men started yelling. I opened my eyes but couldn't move a muscle, my body betraying me as I lay silent on my bed. Heavy footsteps stomping up the stairs. I couldn't do anything I just sat and stared. 5 men stormed into my bedroom. A tall man with a cobra tatoo pulled down his bandana and pulled out a pistol. Remember me? he asked sassily. My eyes widened but no words escaped my mouth. \"You are the reason I spent 5 years rotting in a cell and I think its about time your body starts to rot\". The other 4 men chuckled as they stood behind him. I stared, my eyes fixed on his gun, the barrel point at my face. At this point in the corner of my eyes I noticed the closet door creaking open, but this time the door didn't stop. It kept opening and opening and opening. A black shadow emerged from the closet. I let out an audible scream. \"Oh so now you're scared, Jesus how slow is your reaction time\". The other men laughed once again at his joke. but this time it wasn't four men laughing but 3, as a dark shadow emerged through his chest, blood spurting all over the carpet as he screamed. The other men turned around to face the dark shadow. The sounds of bullets started wreaking havoc throughout my bedroom but the shadow didn't budge. It stood there staring at the men. They had now completely forgotten me as they ran from the black shadow. They weren't running for long as I heard another 2 screams following by pleads from the last 2 men. As they sat there begging on their knees. I watched them from my bed when one of the men tried pulling his gun once again on the monster. He shot furiously spraying all over the room. The black shadow consumed him his screams muffled as he suffocated. The shadow tossed me his gun as I stared down at the last guy. I grabbed the gun, blood staining all over my hands. I slowly got up and pointed it at the last man, who was visibly shaking. The black shadow slowly slid back into the closet as I held a gun to the last mans head.\n\n​\n\nBuzzing sirens started ringing in the background. 2 Officers rushed into the room watching as I held a gun against the last mans head. \"You're under arrest for the murder of these 4 men and the attempted murder of whoever this guy is\" they yelled as another officer slapped cuffs onto my wrists. What the hell was going on?",
"I’m an adult. I’m not supposed to be afraid of the monster in the closet. \n\nBut it’s there. I’ve watched the door swing open on its own, I’ve watched the black smoke swirl and congeal into a shape that’s almost human, but not quite. It only ever stands there for a few seconds before it dissipates.\n\nI live alone, which doesn’t really help the situation, but at least no one is around to judge me for sleeping on my couch. I don’t go in my bedroom after dark anymore.\n\nIt’s ten o’clock at night, and I’m reading a book on the couch. The apartment is pretty quiet. Every now and then, I can hear the neighbors upstairs, but they’ve never been very disruptive. \n\nI’m able to hear when someone starts messing with my door handle. It shakes, and I set the book aside, staring at it.\n\nThe door opens and there’s a gun and a demand. “Don’t make a sound.”\n\nI sit there, stiff and silent, staring at the gun that’s pointed at me, as five more men slip in. The door is closed. \n\n“You scream, you die,” the man with the gun says. The other men start approaching me. This isn’t a fancy apartment, and I haven’t got anything expensive for them to take. But I am a woman living alone, and their motive becomes clear pretty fast.\n\n“Don’t - don’t touch me,” I tell them even as two of them grip my arms and pull me off the couch. I can’t speak too loudly, for fear of the gun. I can’t call for help, or I’m going to die. Can I do nothing but take what’s coming?\n\nBut then I see it, emerging from the hall. It doesn’t move like a human, limbs sort of twitching as it glides through the air. I stare at it, but the men don’t seem to see it. It goes to the man with the gun. He doesn’t react, but the dark shape reaches up and wraps around the hand holding the gun. It shifts it slowly, and then the gun fires. \n\nThe crack is louder than thunder, and there’s blood, but it’s not mine. One of the men fall dead. \n\n“What the hell?!” another shouts. The one with the gun looks terrified. He shoots a second time and another man falls. \n\nThe other three try to scatter, but they’re not fast enough and they all go down. I drop back onto the couch, trembling. The dark shape moves the gunman’s hand until the gun is pointed at his temple. One last crack. \n\nAnd then the shape just disappears. \n\nI can’t move for shock, but the neighbors call the police and they come quick. The official story is that the gunman changed his mind about what was happening and killed his friends and then himself. \n\nBut I know the truth. And I sleep in my own bed again. "
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[WP] The zombie apocalypse has come, but the zombies start to form their own society and try to get along with the humans.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" The minister sat dumbfounded, trying desperately to take in this new information.\n\n“100%, you say?”\n\n“Yes, Minister. They’re quite the sheep, those zombies.”\n\n“Hmph. I would have always imagined that they would have voted Labour, given, well – you know.”\n\n“Yes ma’am, that was the generally accepted school of thought, seeing as the Opposition were the ones pushing for their rights-“\n\n“We were going to give them rights, obviously!” the Minister interjected. “Now that they’ve stopped with that horrendous biting.” she added, rather quietly.\n\n“Sorry, Minister – I meant suffrage. That was the thinking, but as it turns out, nobody ever really asked them about it.” the advisor continued, as if what he was saying wasn’t ridiculous.\n\n“I see.” the Minister tried out her new thoughtful face, but to the advisor it just looked like she was holding a fart in. “How did you ask them, if you don’t mind me asking. They’re not the most articulate bunch, are they?”\n\n“Well, no ma’am - but they have developed two distinctive grunts, which we have ascertained mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’.”\n\n“Right – well that’s jolly-well all you need to engage in the political process, if I’m being honest. Or to graduate from Eton, if some of my cabinet colleagues are anything to go by.”\n\n“Our thinking too, Minister. We ran a few focus-groups and found that they would cheer ‘Yes’ for a picture of the Prime Minister, and ‘No’ for a picture of the Leader of the Opposition. This happened every single time. It was truly astounding.”\n\n“Oh yes – that does sound amazing. And what are their numbers, again?”\n\n“Well Minister, they would equate to an additional 12% vote share, tilted heavily in the major towns and cities that the Opposition are strongest in, as these places tended to have the highest infection rates during The Event.”\n\n“I presume because of the high population density.”\n\n“Plus, the fact we underfunded their councils, so they ended up having worse response and evacuation times.”\n\n“Oh, yes – I remember them harping on about that. Well, I guess it’s worked out for us. How wonderful.”\n\n“Quite. The only real issue I can foresee is the formation of a Zombie Party. They have two wards which are majority zombie, but we’re banking on the fact they won’t know it’s possible to actually run for office.”\n\n“Well, it’s worked pretty well for the working class, I don’t see why it won’t work on zombies.” \n\n“Very astute, Minister. We do have a contingency plan, too.”\n\n“And what’s that?”\n\n“We were thinking of parachuting a zombie candidate into two or three of our safer seats.”\n\nThe Minister paused for a moment, before replying.\n\n“Are we sure the constituents would have it?”\n\n“Oh yes, ma’am. We’ve specifically chosen areas where a pig in a blue rosette could get elected. We’ll just send out the same campaign literature we always do, criticising the Opposition for being Socialist nutjobs and the like. We can get our friends in the press to do the usual Uncle Tom job they do with our other ethnics, and we’ll be fine. The constituents will eat it up.”\n\n“Perfect. I suppose they’ll do fine in Parliament, given all you have to do is shout angrily at the right times. I presume the bill has already been crafted by Party HQ?”\n\n“Yes ma’am – and if you could bring it to the floor, it would be a real honour for my team and I.”\n\n“12%, you say. And the PM is fine with it?”\n\n“A big backer. Anything to enshrine their legacy, and nothing will do that more than a decade in power.”\n\n“Wonderful. Send over everything my office might need and we’ll get cracking.”\n\n“Thank you, Minister.”\n\n“No, thank you. This is a great day for democracy.”\n\n“A great day indeed.”"
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[WP] The ancient gods of various cultures (Greek, Norse, Japanese, ect) decide to meet up with each other in the modern day. The Egyptian god's show up and everybody is freaked out by their animal heads.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Zeus smirked at the woman next to him, who was staring sadly at the drink in her hands. Lush golden hair, sparkling blue eyes, full lips, nice rack - the lady was meeting every single one of his expectations. \"Heya, sweetheart,\" he crooned. \"What's got you so down?\" \n\nFreya sniffled. \"Oh, it's just - I was thinking of how much Odr would have loved to be here.\" \n\nHe frowned. \"Is Odr your son?\" Hopefully he was, because otherwise he'd have to put in a bit more effort to get laid today. Although he might have a hard time either way - his grandmother had been *very* close with his uncle-grandfather, after all. \n\n\"Odr is my husband,\" she said, tearing up. \"AND HE'S BEEN MISSING FOR MILLENIA! Oh, Odr, my Odr, where could you be?\" With that, she began sobbing openly, drawing the stares of several other gods. \n\n\"Ah,\" Zeus said, as gold tears plinked against the bar. \"Um. I'll just leave you to your...grieving.\" Yeesh. Crying women. Not dealing with that. Maybe he could score with the Egyptian goddess of beauty instead. He got up and quickly moved to a seat in the back, scanning the room for more hotties. Thank himself that Hera was off doing whatever it was jealous wives did, which, given her track record, was probably making life miserable for his flings. \n\nSusanoo sat down besides him, chuckling. \"Ah, women, am I right? The slightest things set them off.\" Unlike Zeus, who had opted to modernize his clothing, Susanoo wore a traditional Japanese yukata and sandals. \n\n\"Tell me about it,\" Zeus sighed. \n\n\"Heh, yeah. I drag a dead horse through my sister's sacred rice fields *one time*, and she goes and locks herself in a cave. Dad was *so* pissed at me, like, it's not my fault she's so sensitive.\" \n\n\"Mhm.\" Oooh, there was a real nice looking girl talking to Hades over there, he wondered what Sephy would think of th- *oh no nope abort abort where in his brother's name was the rest of her face?* \n\nAs Zeus silently freaked out, a young man dressed in a mailman's uniform blurred to a stop in front of him, a cellphone in hand. \n\n\"Yo pops,\" Hermes said, scrolling through his texts. \"Egyptian gods are on the way, eff-why-eye. Hathor, Isis, Bastet are all coming, too.\" He winked. \"See ya.\" He blurred away and reappeared next to Loki, who was laughing at a video compilation of people getting injured. \n\n\"Thank you, Susanoo,\" he said, cutting him off mid-rant. \"But as the leader of my pantheon, I must go greet the others.\" \n\nThe door opened. He put on his most charming smile. \n\nZeus came face to face with a bird. \n\n\"Oh,\" said the bird. \"Hello. I'm Horus. It's nice to meet you.\" \n\nZeus, his smile still on, glanced behind Horus. Every single person behind him had an animal head. \n\n*Well, shit.* "
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[WP] Write about an unusual romance
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*"
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[WP] Prisoners are given an immortality drug for serious crimes. You have just been released after 4,000 years in prison for a crime you did not commit.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"All right Mr. Donovan, you're free to go, enjoy the outside.\"\n\nYou step out side into a world so different from the one you knew it almost causes an overload of information.\n\n\"Mr. Donovan, are you okay?\"\n\n\"Huh? Oh, I'm fine... I've just been incarcerated for 4,000 years for a crime I didn't commit.\"\n\n\"Well, we cannot change the past sir. Enjoy your new life.\"\n\nYou begin your way to a halfway house set up for you by the state, and on your way you see cars flying above you along with men and women flying around seemingly by magic. When you get to the address the building in front of you is sliced into segments each one floating independently of the foundation. Your jaw is on the floor, the floating segments are moving! Swapping from building to building! As you enter the building, there is nobody around except for one \"person\" if you can call them that, waiting for you at the counter. She is what looked like a hybrid between human and machine, but barely any human left.\n\n\"Welcome, John Donovan. We received notification of your arrival and your room is set to arrive in 5 minutes feel free to enjoy our reading list while you wait.\" She said with a gritty metallic voice. You look over to see a pad projecting digital magazines one particular catching your eye. *Should Octo-People be allowed to vote?* A shudder goes down your spine.\n\n\"Thanks, but no thanks...\"\n\nWhen your room finally arrives you look into it and everything is hovering... The chairs sofas and even the refrigerator. You sit down and begin to think...\n\n\"My whole life... 4,000 years... Wasted, and for no reason... Why am I even here?\"\n\nYou look around and see a rope tied to your fridge, seemingly to keep it from floating about. You go to untie it and retie it around a chandelier. You stand up on a chair and place the rope around your neck.\n\n\"I wish it was all over...\" You kick the chair out from underneath you and everything goes black. You think its all over and you manage a slight grin... Until you wake up 3 days later in a hospital bed.\n\n\"What happened? Why am I alive?\" You ask frantically to the nurse at your bedside.\n\n\"You've been unconscious for three whole days a maid found you hanging by a rope this morning.\"\n\n\"But why am I alive? Shouldn't I be dead?\"\n\n\"Well, technically yes, but by some miracle here you are!\"\n\nGreat, you think to yourself, I can't even kill myself to escape this hell... Then a thought crosses your mind. What they did to me was unjust, it was so incredibly cruel it should be illegal. They should be forced to pay, and who better to make them pay than someone who can't die. Their reckoning will be delivered by you and your vengeance. You will destroy the government piece by piece.\n\nTo be continued...\n\n​\n\n​",
"Once, I believe, there was a time when someone would step on the other side of this prison gate and weep. They would crumple with the joy of freedom, dampening the ground with their tears and uncontrolled spit and snot. They would thank a god for finally being able to see the light of day outside of concrete walls and iron bars. They would savor the breeze tugging at the jacket they are wearing as they transfer their tears and mucus to the shoulder of someone they love. That someone would have been waiting for them for years, perhaps decades, for their father or uncle or brother to be released. That someone would be weeping in kind, ecstatic at the prospect of welcoming their loved one back into their arms without restriction.\n\nAs I cross that threshold, no tears come to me. Neither do there seem to be any about to pour forth from my receiver, a young man named Aden. Rather, he looks at me quizzically, no doubt attempting to conjure up some likeness to himself or someone, anyone in his known family. It’s doubtful, unless somehow my father’s strong and distinct jawline survived the 116 generations that form the chasm between myself and him. I don’t see it either, for what it’s worth. His skin is the monotone earthy tan that became the de-facto skin tone several lifetimes ago. His eyes the same deep brown that I’ve seen from anyone in recent memory. His pitch-black hair is styled much closer to his scalp than is currently vogue, but as homogeneous as today’s world is, you must do what you can to stand out. I wonder briefly if he’s ever seen anyone with anything similar to my silver mane, that gene having been naturally bred out along with baldness 20 or 25 generations ago.\n\nHe calls across the distance between us, clarifying my name. He needs to make sure I am the person he’s supposed to drive away with.\n\n“I guess I expected there to be some kind of form to fill out,” he clarifies as I approach, looking to me for an answer. “Some ‘release papers’ or something?”\n\n“I don’t think they got that far before the deadline,” I grunt in response.\n\nMy nerves finally come to the show, sapping the strength from my knees as we climb into the pod. As I duck into the roomy and clean vehicle, I realize that despite my time fixing pods, getting to know their comforting rectangular insides and outsides since their conception, I have no experience riding in one. Not that doing so is difficult. Aden climbs in after me and finds the spot that takes the most advantage of the spacious room available to us. I cannot tell if he is keeping his distance out of fear or if he is just trying to get his bearings on this unknown variable that dropped in his lap. He calls out an address I can’t decipher, and we take off steadily.\n\nAs the concrete box of the Post-Lifespan Prison shrinks behind and below us, I can’t peel my eyes away from the world we are entering. As I puttered away in anonymity for nearly 4000 years, society soldiered on. Our human population kept increasing, with all the strengths and drawbacks of such a natural course. Where once this little corner of plainland was solely occupied by a high-security prison and pastures for cattle and their descendants, over the last millennium-and-a-half it has been incorporated into the grander scheme of the Megacity. Humans ran out of livable land space some generations ago, so they built upwards. And they continue to do so. I was able to watch it happen around the prison, both with my own eyes and by following the ever-changing media. For instance, I knew that as landmass became the most scarce resource for the world, world leaders actually began to cooperate to maximize the survivability of the land that is available. As human habitats spread, city and country lines blurred, making the jobs of local governments more difficult to differentiate and discern. Eventually, alliances became mergers, and mergers spread at an alarming rate, eventually bringing together the people of the world under one banner: the Megacity of Earth.\n\nWhat I didn’t know, what I could not grasp with my infinitesimal perspective, was just how massive it all FEELS. Through all of this, the tenants of the Post-Lifespan Prison were kept comfortable and informed but unmoved. We watched as the city built around us, then over us. We were an anomaly of a bygone era, and it was widely hypothesized that we would not function in the new world order. Lucky me, I have to try anyway.\n\nHaving allowed quite a bit of time for both of us to ponder, Aden finally speaks up.\n\n“Is it shocking, to climb so high in elevation for you?”\n\nMy throat is dry. I clear it and pull my eyes to my companion with effort. “It’s been a few years since I’ve flown, yeah.”\n\nHe chuckles at the outdated term. When these self-driving pods zoomed through the air to become the social norm,\n\n“How long?” He’s suddenly leaning forward, apparently making the most of his time with this relic of a stranger he is stuck with.\n\n“Well, I guess they moved us to this location about 1200 years ago.”\n\nI expect a spit-take or a jaw-drop. I get neither. He just chuckles, as if simply amused by the wonders of pre-modern science, and turns to look out at the skyline with me. We are above clouds but not even close to the tops of the buildings. I can’t help but gawk at the scale of the world now.\n\nI finally build up the courage to ask, “Where are we going?”\n\n“My home in the Devaro section of the 596th district.” He catches the blank look on my face, and adds, “I was told you might think of it as Berlin, Germany.”\n\nI nod, trying not to smirk at his use of the hard G. That area hasn’t been called by that name since long before current history books would care to look at. I take a breath and nod again, thinking that it hardly matters what I would have called it, there’s no landmark or building or person there for me to recognize.\n\n“So we’ve got some time before we get there.” I reflect, for while we’re traveling faster than any plane I had been in, I understand there are still some limits in how briskly we can get from one end of the world to the other.\n\n“We do.” Aden is studying me closely now, still leaning forward, fingertips together in front of him. I don’t blame him for his intrigue. It’s not every day you’re forced to care for a relative 116 generations removed.",
"Humans are the only animals who profess to be have overcome their savage nature. An alligator will eat a fish without hesitation, while a human will be vegetarian as he commits genocide. Every one of us covers our cruelty with a veneer of consumerism, religious fanaticism, and pseudo-altruism. It is wrong to say that prisoners and lawbreakers lost their morals somewhere along the way. You cannot lose what you never had to begin with.\n\nThe 2534 ruling allowing humanity to use the longevity serum as a punishment was no surprise. The cruelest punishment possible has always been to take away the illusion of choice, confining someone to life in a cell, taking away their driving license, or forbidding people to travel; now prisoners could not even choose to die.\n\nTime ticked by, one day at a time. I watched the guards who brought the meals grow older. Once their hands began to shake when they reached for their gun and they grunted when bending over to tie their shoe, they would inevitably be replaced by someone new. I lived in twelve different penitentiaries, each of them cold and run-down even as their security got upgraded. I was safe even as the bombs went off.\n\nFor four thousand years I waited, contemplating, praying, trying to die. I plead my case to five different magistrates. It would drag on in the courts for years until eventually the judges and juries died, but I remained.\n\nAnd on the four thousand and first day, they let me go. It was amusing, really, how little I cared when I took my first breath as a free man. What does that first moment of sunshine on your face matter when you know you can feel it every day for eternity if you choose?\n\nAnd on the four thousand and second day, my plan went into motion. My slaughter slow, methodical. Politicians first, then scientists, then doctors, then everyone else. Humanity would pay for damning me to life. Humans had given me eternal torment in response to a crime I did not commit, so now it was time to live up to their expectations.",
"Death had been an option for 3800 years, but reset was new. After the first 200 years of her sentence, Carol had had the option to end her life. Almost every prisoner took that option. 200 years of reliving your mistakes was enough for almost everybody. But, Carol was very, very stubborn.\n\nEarly on in her sentence, when immortality was new, there were still prisons. She vaguely remembered a dark, locked room. But, by the end of her first century as a prisoner, people realized that living was punishment enough.\n\nThe human brain was never meant to deal with living forever. Almost everyone has had trouble sleeping because their brain couldn't stop going over a minor mistake they'd once made. As the years piled on, those minor mistakes became a never ending list of gaffes. Add to that that every new book seemed to be a rewrite of something else. Every new song was just the same riffs in a different order. Even new relationships seemed to be reruns.\n\nSome immortals dealt with this by voluntarily dying; most chose a different path. Resetting was basically the process of wiping your mind. It was voluntary, controlled brain damage. It allowed people to effectively be reborn, with the same body but a new mind. It took a few years for someone to re-learn to walk and talk, but in exchange, everything was new again. Not only were all your painful memories gone, but you got to taste chocolate again for the first time. Most people even left gift boxes for their reset selves.\n\nDenying prisoners the option to reset was considered the worst possible punishment for their crimes. It was only reserved for the most heinous of crimes. Now, for the first time in thousands of years, Carol could choose to reset.\n\nBut first, there had been a guitar piece Carol had been working on for the last 2400 years...\n",
"4,000 years. Four THOUSAND years. It took nearly a standard lifetime to comprehend my situation. I was only an apprentice, how was I supposed to have committed those crimes? I was assigned the work by my master, a man who was trusted, held in great regard. But one mistake, a mistake that only led to financial loss, and we are to blame. Or more specifically, me. Logic has no place with the masses, listening to the blame hoisted to me by my master, by thebleaders, by the cryers. And so here I sit in prison, abandoned by my family, snubbed by my master. Is this what should happen to those who try to better the world? To help the leaders find greatness?\n\nThey never tell you the side effects. Why would they? I cannot sleep any more. I wish I could, to pass the time. But while I wake, I have thought of grand ideas. I can repair what I have supposedly wronged. I can show the world that I was not at fault, and I can bring greatness back. Only 3,000 years to go. \n\nOnly 500 years left. How I miss sleep. I wonder how the world has changed? I have heard noises outside, explosions, but they are small. I will fix what has broken, better than anyone before. I just need time. And sleep, how I want to rest my eyes and mind. They say that solitary can make anyone lose their mind. But not me! I am smarter than ever. I am stronger than ever. I will show the world that they were wrong, I will be the greatest. I will make the world great. They will only say I am sorry and we were wrong when I am done.\n\nThe automated locks are opening tomorrow. Is the world ready for me? What has changed? I cannot help but wonder if anyone is left that is as smart as I am. I have huge plans, amazing plans. I hear the clicking now. The door is opening. \n\nAs I step out into the light, I realize this is not the world I left. There are towers everywhere. I see men in strange suits, light people trying to be darker, beggars, and thieves. My home is gone, not even a distant memory. They call this land America. Well, nonetheless, I will show these people what I can do. Nobody here can rival me. \n\nI have gotten one of those suits. I have made my skin darker, hiding 4,000 years of lightlessness. Cut my hair, and learned the language. I will show these people how great they can be, if they are more like me, if they followed my ideas instead of listening to the false accusations of my master. I have grand, great ideas. Huge ideas, the best that have ever been had, believe me. I will make this land great again. I will make America great. You will see! You will all see! ",
"The first thing you notice is the air – or, at least, it was for me. I’d always been quite sensitive to it, and as a youth I’d even listed all of the places my family and I had been on holiday in order of how favourable I found the first post-plane breaths. Casablanca, Morocco had always been a firm favourite for me, which was weird as it was one of the most boring places I’d ever been to; we’d only gone because my mother loved the movie, and she was disappointed by the lack of Humphrey Bogart tat in the city centre. Atlanta in America was the worst, for what might have seemed like obvious reasons, but weirdly New York had always been quite pleasant, in spite of the lingering smell of waste that hung around the city from June to August. Of course, it wasn’t just the smell that mattered to me, as anyone from the Big Apple can attest. It was the feeling of it in your throat, and how alive it made you feel.\n\nPerhaps it was just 4,000 years taking its toll – that would have made sense. Whilst I hadn’t changed much, a lot of other things had. There was much less litter on the streets, for one. There was much less of everything on the streets, to be frank. Sure, there were the big things too – like the Futurama-esque floating advertisements and the weirdly uniform hairstyles, but that wasn’t what was putting me off. You’d have thought after millennia of being stuck in the same (relatively) small space, the first breath of new air would have been as exhilarating as a sky-dive or leaning in for the first kiss, but I almost choked.\n\nI knew it wasn’t the pollution, as the world had collectively finally pulled their finger out a few years into my sentence. It wasn’t a lack of pollution, either, as I’d been to plenty of places in my pre-incarceration life where the closest thing to a plume of mechanically-induced smoke had been farts from the dodgy survival rations I used to live off whilst camping. There was something about the air now; a tinge of something that made me fearful in a visceral way that I hadn’t felt since I’d come out of the haze standing over her body, those thousands of years ago.\n\nI travelled from city-to-city, wondering if it was just the atmosphere around Penn Max that was causing it; after all, having the trapped souls of ten-thousand inmates nearby can’t have been doing wonders for the energy around there. However, I found no matter where I went, every breath was oddly uniform in its discomfort.\n\nI wondered if it was a subconscious kind of guilt, for letting things get as far as they did. Sure, I’d paid the heaviest price possible, and I hadn’t even really done anything wrong, but your brain can play all sorts of tricks on you, as I’d learnt during my incarceration. It doesn’t matter what penance you do if you’re default is self-flagellation. Alas, no amount of introspection lead to a change in my circumstance, and the air continued to hurt like it shouldn’t have. It got to the point where it was all I could think about, and soon coughing fits were a daily companion.\n\nI resolved to find a living relative of hers, to let them know that it wasn’t me, and that I’d taken the hit because I didn’t know any better. I wanted to explain why it had happened the way it had, even in the highly likely scenario they didn’t even know or care what had happened all those centuries ago. I thought that might be the key to whatever was happening, and so I began to search. Every day, I was trawling through ancestry data, piling through it with a dedication and determination I hadn’t felt since I was a youth. I knew I could find them, but I knew it was a race against time. Immortality was a bitch, but there is nothing scarier than the end of it if you’ve wasted all the time you had.\n\n..............\n\nSee all my prompt responses on my user page reddit.com/user/sswriting/\n"
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[WP] In the not-to-distant future, humans are on the verge of extinction, while other animals have begun to develop language. It's up to one last human to pass the torch of human knowledge to... a raccoon.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"This is my first time writing from a prompt. It needs some work, but I wanted to start somewhere. Hope you enjoy!\n\n \nThere was a loud grunt from inside. I stopped digging through the trash for a moment, waiting to see if anyone would come outside. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a human in several moons. The night is dark and somewhat scary, so I truly can't blame them. \n\nI once spoke to a human cub. It was really sweet and very curious. It was the larger human that said something along the lines of \"Get Away From That Rack, Coon\". Apparently I'm a shelf and the cub's name was Coon. Humans are weird, but whatever.\n\nI was leaning into the giant bucket, scoping the meal options when suddenly the door next to me burst open. I jumped to the top of the bucket and watched what was about to unfold. A human fell to the ground as he came through the door. As I sat, panicked, the human's eyes never left the door. I could feel my stomach moving and growling, but I couldn't risk being noticed. I peaked my head up and looked into the doorway. It was dark inside, but I could make out fangs and eyes. Then I heard a voice from behind the fangs. \n\n\"I was supposed to be your best friend! Dogs have been man's best friend forever. Why would you give all of your knowledge to the cat? Are you not aware of cats being responsible for the fall of Egypt? They were entrusted with knowledge before, and ruined an entire civilization. All because a cat was in heat when Persia invaded. AND YOU WANT TO GIVE YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO... TO SKITTLES? A CAT? NO. That is why I had to kill her.\" \nThe self proclaimed \"dog\" stepped out into the light of the tiny sun above us, lighting up it's face as it crept in the beams. I could see blood around it's snout, it's tongue covered in the sticky metallic fluid. As it came out, it slowly sulked toward the human. With every move it made, the human adjusted it's position away from the dog. It seemed to be moving towards something shining just out of it's reach. \n\n\"GIVE ME THE KEY\" bellowed the dog. I sunk down in fear at the growling sound that came after. I could hear the human moving, and the heavy breathing of both the human and the dog. I lifted my head up to see again, every so silently. \n\nThe human twitched it's arm towards the shiny object. The dog must have known what it was because it lunged at the human's arm. It's teeth sank in above where it was able to bend. The dog growled as it tore through flesh. The human groaned in pain, as it swung the bendable part of it's arm down, with the shiny object in paw. The dog let out a loud high pitch whine, quick and full of sorrow. The dog let go of the arm and bit again, right below the paw. There was a SNAP and the the paw separated from the arm. The paw and shiny object went flying over the human's body. The dog released it's jaws and went for another bite, this time on the leg. The human twisted it's body, and the dog's teeth found a home in the human's side, tearing through with ease. The human's other arm, swung around with the shiny thing in it's paw, and sunk the shiny object in the dog's skull. The dog dropped, mouth still around the human's side. Blood poured out of the human all over the ground. \n\nI could hear the human breathing deeply, and the panic in it's breath. I could smell the blood. My only thought was, I had to help the human. Maybe if I help the human, it would give me food, since there was obviously nothing in this bucket.\n\nI jumped out of the bucket, and walked slowly up to the pool of blood. I walked around the pool, to the human's head. I asked if he needed anything, and if I could help. The human stared at me, as if I was speaking snake or something. He said, if I remember correctly, \"Here, take this and make the world a better place for all animals. I am the last human and this is the sum of all our knowledge. Just eat this, and you will be the smartest animal on the planet.\" It then proceeded to hand me some sort of food, shaped odd. It had a round end, and was long. The other end had what looked like teeth. Was shaped like one of those things humans pull out at doors to get in them. I think the dog referred to it as a Kee. \n\nI took it from the human, and sat there while it spoke very low, and very quickly. I couldn't understand much, but it kept saying to eat it quick and get to the box. So I put it in my mouth, concerned at first, because it smelled like something they put in the giant things that light up the streets at night. You know, the ones that move quick and kill us animals if we aren't careful?. \n\nIt tasted horrible, but the human insisted I eat it. So I did. Suddenly, with each bite, it tasted better. Everything around me started becoming clear. I understood what everything was, how everything worked, and within minutes I knew why the human gave me this snack. I was destined to change the world. The new world, without humans. \n\nAs I reveled in my new-found intelligence, I had to stop and thank the human for this wonderful gift. My heart filled with sorrow and my stomach stopped growling when I noticed the human had died. I knew this now, without a doubt, but to be sure, I checked for a pulse. (What is a pulse? How do I know this?) There was nothing. With the human's death, I became the smartest animal on the planet. A raccoon with a mission. (Rack... Coon... now it makes sense) Now, to find the box. I stepped around the blood that had amassed around the human and dog on my way into the doorway. I peaked my head inside and noticed a trail of blood. (The Cat!) I scurried quickly, following the trail. When the trail ended, there was nothing there. Suddenly the whole place lit up around me. There stood a bloody cat, at the base of a lamp. It stood awkwardly on 3 legs, on the table where the lamp sat. It had a look of menace in it's eyes and was licking the blood off of it's hurt leg. It stopped licking itself and stared at me. \n\n\"Where is the key?\" it asked... "
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[WP] Wake up, please. Your monsters miss you.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The private hospital room consisted of children’s paintings all over the one wall, with a big print of a happy looking monster on the opposite wall. The television in the corner is off and the curtains over the window are open enough to see the stars in the deep blue sky.\n\nA child rests in the bed asleep, wires attached to beeping machines. Aside from her louder breaths into the mask on her face, those beeps are her only company. Her blonde hair tangles over her shoulders as she lays there, the covers wrapped up over her shoulders.\n\nIn the corner near the television, a blonde haired woman is wrapped in a blanket, sleeping in an uncomfortable position in an armchair. She looks exhausted, even while asleep. Her appearance is similar to the child’s. It’s her mother.\n\nIn the mostly silence, the door creeks open slightly. No one appears to be there, but as our glance reaches the very bottom of the door, we can see two little faces appear. They’re the cutest monsters you’ll ever see, barely about a foot tall each. The one named Strawberry is clothed in red and the other in green is Apple.\n\n“There she is!” Apple becomes excited as his little body races towards the bedside. He climbs the blankets and Strawberry follows.\n\n“Ssh! We don’t want to wake her. She looks really tired,” Strawberry warns. “I wonder if she’d like to play hide and seek again when she wakes up? That was so much fun!”\n\nThey examine their friend with smiles on their face. Apple’s smile fades.\n\n“She doesn’t look very well,” he mutters, his little hand resting over one of her fingers. His eyes look on towards the mother sleeping in the corner. “I don’t understand. Why hasn’t she been home for so long, Straw? What is this place?”\n\nStrawberry looks confused as she looks around. She walks onto the side table where ‘Get Well Soon’ cards are displayed. She turns one to examine, squinting and tilting her head to try make out the word on and in the card.\n\n“G-… Good luck?”\n\nApple joins her on the side table.\n\n“...on your… operation?” Apple finishes the sentence. They exchange looks, puzzled by what they’ve just read. “Is she on a secret mission?”\n\n“It doesn’t look like it,” Strawberry moves back onto the bed and sits by the child’s shoulder. She touches her hair lightly. “Poppy? We’ve missed you. Please wake up and tell us what’s going on? Please, Poppy?”\nThe doors open to the room. A tired man walks in which causes the mother to immediately wake up in the corner. Strawberry and Apple immediately slide down the side of the bed and wiggle underneath, peeking out from underneath.\n\n“Daniel, please. I’m not going home,” the woman says weakly as she sits up. Her hair is messy. “I’m not leaving her here alone. She might wake up.” \n\nThe man pulls her to a stand. “And if she does, we’re a call away.”\n\n“I’m not leaving our daughter alone.”\n\n“Her little body is fighting against the virus, Mel. Look, they’ve managed to set us up a room. We can stay there.”\n\n“I told you, I’m not leaving her.”\n\n“Let’s at least get a coffee and a bite, then? Please, Mel. Just for five minutes. You need to eat something.”\n\n“...Fine. I’ll try.”\n\nThe woman walks over to the side of the bed to lean in and give her young daughter a kiss on the head. The man puts his hand over his daughter’s and gives a gentle squeeze. They hesitantly leave the room together.\n\nApple and Strawberry clamber onto the bed immediately, both looking fearfully shocked as their eyes begin to twinkle. They move on either side of their friend, one by each hand as they grab her fingers gently.\n\n“Wake up, Poppy,” Apple whispers in a soft voice. “Please.”",
"\\[Poem\\] \\[A very free verse poem\\]\n\n​\n\nWake up please, \nYour monsters miss you. \nThe night is young. \nAnd we want to play.\n\n​\n\nDr. Moth eats arms, \nI the legs, \nDirty Devil creeps \nMerrily through your veins.\n\n​\n\nBut sleep deprives us \nOf pleasures of shame. \nA toy is for joy \nNot tucking in bed.\n\n​\n\nWake up please, \nYour monsters miss you. \nWe waited all day \nIt’s time to play.\n\n​\n\nNo shadow, no scratch, \nNo scamper, no stare, \nNo whisper we spoke \nRose you to scare.\n\n​\n\nSee here, tad lad, \nEyes of pearl, \nLips of blue, \nYou mock our intent. \nYou foil our plot.\n\n​\n\nWake up please, \nYour monsters need you.\n\n​"
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[WP] As long as you can remember there has been a door in your dreams. The door has always been the same. You have never entered it. Tonight you will
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I was never the overly brave type, but curiousness gripped me.\n\n\"C'mon relax man, it's just a dream,\" I mutter to myself and put headphones on to guarantee no one can disturb me. \n\nIt's not long before a powerful binaural beat is ringing in my ear. As I lay down and close my eyes, the frequency carries off into a blissful sleep.\n\nMy dream world swirls as my consciousness flickers and with the aid of the binaural beat I slip directly into REM sleep and begin dreaming with the necessary lucidity. A scene that seems like a mesh of a city, a campus, and a home for all sorts of people appears in front of me. I pay no mind to the sprawling area and all of it's bustling. Soon enough my eye drifts upward where the sun would be, but surprisingly enough there's just a door.\n\nOne would expect this door to be majestic, frightening maybe, or at least slightly pleasing to the eye, but it couldn't be less eye catching. The only reason it is interesting is because it's almost impossible to miss. I found when looking at it for extended periods of time I would feel a slight pull, as if something on the otherside were calling to me. \n\nOnce there was even a moment when that door pulsated with a heavenly energy for a moment, then it dissipated as fast as it began and I was more curious than ever. The world I'm in I've found has it's own peculiarities, for instance if I see someone in my dream the next day I will certainly see them. Another that startled me was a time when I realized a scratch I got from flying about recklessly was in the very same spot when I woke up. The last uncanny factor is I can replay almost any memory of mine and even those who appear in my dream world. \n\nAfter years and years of exploring the only thing I was still uncertain about was that door. Strangely tonight the bustling town was empty, as if there was only one thing here for me. \n\n\"Up we go!\" I shout excitedly as my feet drift from the ground and I soar at an unbelievable speed towards the door. Once in front of it, I sigh deeply. \"Let's just hope this is worth it.\"\n\nI don't give it too much thought, if I did I probably would lose my courage, so quickly I thrust my hand out and turn the knob. As soon as it is in my grip, a strange sensation rose in my entire body, as if the core of my being were excited. With a quick twist, I turn the knob, and push the door open. Not daring to enter yet, I attempt to peer inside and astonishingly before I can do so I'm caught in a vortex that pulls me in with a force that seemed impossible to resist. \n\n\"No, wait,\" I shriek at the top of my lungs as I struggle to no avail. \"I just wanted to look, I don't wanna go in!\"\n\nSadly before I can utter another sentence I'm pulled in and the door horrifyingly slams at my back. With a bang of finality, as if a deity had angrily slammed a gavel in condemnation. Shimmering, everything shimmered and it soon became apparent I was going through a wormhole. In a moment a new space occupied my view. \n\n\"How is this possible?\" Looking out in disbelief, I saw that the place I was in seemed as boundless as space, yet it held a sense of closeness to all beings. As I was awestruck, something sent a chill down my spine, and I spinned around to see a grave faced man.\n\nHe looked as if a thousand years could pass and in no way would he grow more ancient. Soon I realized it wasn't a man. In fact the being didn't seem to have a gender or even a definite corporeal form. Garbed in a robe that gave off neither light nor showed darkness, it seemed to be a tuft of smoke struggling to maintain it's form. With a glittering in it's diamond like eyes, my whole body shivered as a gaze was leveled at me which could freeze a volcano. Immediately I stood frozen in place, on the brink of tears, only having not actually shed them for the fact I was in soul form.\n\n\"It has been eons since I have had a visitor such as yourself,\" a voice resonated in my mind, but I was certain I had not seen the specter speak. Fear gripped me so much that I could not speak.\n\"Fear not child, I've no ill intentions to speak of. I am all that unites you with the world within and without. For simplicity's sake you may call me, Divine Consciousness.\"\n\n\"Wha-what a-a-are you-you tal-\" Before I could finish my fit of stammering the being raises a hand and smiles deeply as it's eyes glitter meaningfully.\n\n\"You will find yourself hard pressed to realize the truth of today, I am also not prepared to rend your mind with realities you are not prepared for,\" the being paused as if in thought a moment. \"I won't send you off empty handed however, as only the gifted may reach this place. Who knows maybe some diatant day you will return and I will be able to impart my knowledge in full.\"\n\nThe being let out a great sigh, as if it understood that it was simply wishing for too much. Then suddenly it flicked it's hand which projected a beam into my head. In that moment the illusion crumbled and I only heard a fading voice, issue a farewell as well as a warning.\n\n\"Do not doubt yourself, the universe is a much more finely tuned creation than can be understood by man. Cultivate yourself in the way of the heavens and be free. But until you have unsealed the power of heaven and earth in yourself I must ensure you do not enter this place again, for at that point I will not be able to retutn you to from whence you came.\"\n\nWith that I jolted up, my entire bed covered in sweat and my body aching as if I'd been battered in my sleep. As I rub my arms I feel a mettalic sensation and look down to see a bracelet with a gem similar to the smoky form of that being. Incredulous I almost toss it before accepting it must be a priceless treasure. \n\nAfter that day I no longer saw the door in my dream, but I also realized something was off. No longer did I feel wary of the door, in fact I missed it so much I made sure to never let go of that bracelet. As proof of my relationship with the heavens within myself.",
"Kara \"Red\" Jahrldottir stirred in her sleep, tucked snug as a bug in her bedroll upon this unnamed island. She dreamed, as always, of battle.\n\nThe Merfolk monsters that they had fought in the half submerged temple earlier that day were the centrepiece, and any observer would notice her body make the faintest of twitches in time with the parries and thrusts she envisioned.\n\nA pair of nature spirits around the great tree of the island chittered anxiously \"DO NOT LET HIM OUT\" they chorused, and the earth shook, the leaves leaned away. \n\n\"Of course I won't\" she said, \"The writing is very clear. It says 'no seriously, do not let him out'. It's not hard.\"\n\nThey swirled in agitation and Red rolled her eyes and carried on her way. She was looking for a tree that could make a good mast for the ship they sailed in on - for she had no desire to spend all her time trapped on an island in the middle of the sea!\n\nShe and her friends found a goblin cave, and went inside. The temple had old stone bricks and columns. The orcs that lived there were diseased and would not let her pass, so she fought them. Her friends were there too, but she was mighty, and whilst they worked together to fight, she fought one in single combat and was victorious.\n\nMighty indeed, Red explored the temple. She thought there was a tree hidden in the basement, but it was just skeletons standing in front of the door. She knew what to do about skeletons! But these skeletons were strong and powerful, and they would not let her get to the door. \n\nHer friends were valiant and fought, but she was afraid and hid. \n\nIn the end, she was the only one left, and couldn't escape! There was only one way out, so she leapt from column to column over the skulls of the skeletons. She landed with her hand on the door, and that's when a sword pierced her heart. \n\nThe skeletons had won, and she was dead.\n\n-----\n\nRed awoke with a challenging roar, hand scrabbling for a sword that wasn't there, the concerned expressions of her friends looking down. \n\n\"Did you open the door?\" one asked, his young voice quavered slightly.\n\nRed spat and swore at how close she had come to disaster.\n\nShe would never open the door, but in her dreams it was hard to remember that. The sooner they escaped this god forsaken island and made it back to Alryne, the better and safer everyone would be. They'd collapse the temple's entrance just to be on the safe side.\n\nShe would *never* open the door, no matter how many times it called to her.",
"I stared at the rabbit.\n\nThe rabbit stared back at me.\n\n\\-\n\nThe door had always been there. The dream might change, but the door was always there somewhere. Always the same.\n\nThere wasn't anything particularly note worthy about the door. It was a standard size, plain white with inset panels, and had a standard sized gold knob.\n\nI wasn't sure when I first noticed it, since it didn't exactly draw attention to itself. Plus there is always the cloudiness of trying to remember dreams after waking. But I knew it was there, and I knew it had always been there.\n\nIt started to haunt my waking hours. What was behind that door? Why did it always appear in my dreams?\n\nBut asleep, within my dreams, the door never seemed that important. Within the Sandman's realm, it was simply another part of the dream, and my sleeping self never paid any attention, much less remembered to open it.\n\nI became obsessed with that door. But what could I do? Then I found about lucid dreaming; the ability to consciously control your dreams.\n\nI read everything I could on the subject. I bought the lights designed to help you enter the waking sleep. And finally the time had come. I stood before the confounding door. I reached for it, but hesitated at the last moment. Surely such a door was strange, for I had never heard of such a persistent object in the sleeping visions of others. Maybe something horrible and ominous lay on the other side? Something never to be let out?\n\nI shook myself. Curiosity might kill me, but mayhaps I would be lucky and satisfaction would bring me back. Either way, I knew I could not deny the door. If I stepped away now, I would surely return again later. There was no point in putting off the inevitable.\n\nNo longer hesitating, I flung the door open.\n\nI had no expectations of what lay beyond the door, yet somehow this was not what I had expected. Beyond that portal lay a plain beige room, with no sign of entry nor exit aside from the door I had opened. And within the room was a rabbit. A 6'2, not counting the ears, anthropomorphic rabbit.\n\nFor an eternal moment, the rabbit and I simply stared at each other.\n\nThen the rabbit slowly stepped forward, grabbed the door, and shut it.\n\n\\-\n\nThe door no longer appears in my dreams. My curiosity is far from quenched, but nothing has actually changed in my life. No ominous happenings in the real world or persistence items within the sleeping realm. My life goes on, with only the understanding and annoyance that some happenings simply have no meaning nor explanation.",
"I lifted the veil of my dream, and looked across a bountiful field of golden daisies. The smell was of sweet nectar and sunburned leaves.\n\nAt the end of the field I saw it. A gold-rimmed doorway, bordered by statues of angels and topped with a hideous gargoyle. \n\nIt was both a dream and a nightmare. It occupied my mind whether the dream was positive or negative.\n\nThe gargoyle seemed to laugh at my dismay, while the angels silently cheered me on. \n\nI was never quite sure whether the door was good or evil. Perhaps it was like the dichotomy of life. I was not sure. But today I would approach the door, and see what it had to say.\n\nI stepped across the daisy field, as the plants rubbed off the golden streaks on my white cotton robe. It was a long walk, but my legs were firm and muscular. I had grown strong in my dreams. Nothing could touch me, besides this mysterious door. Unfortunately the fear of the unknown carried over into this realm.\n\nI stepped up to the imposing door, looked down upon by the devilish gargoyle. \n\n\"Want to go inside finally, correct?\" the gargoyle said. He had fire in his eyes, a glimmer of scarlet on his pointy teeth.\n\n\"I think so,\" I said. \"I think it's about time, wouldn't you say?\"\n\nThe gargoyle huffed. \"Perhaps a shade too late. For you. I don't know if I want to let you through now.\"\n\nI stared at the angels, hoping for some type of reassurance. They simply gazed back with vacant eyes. They were no help.\n\n\"Just open up,\" I said. \"I'm ready to get this over with. You've been haunting my dreams for years. It haunts me even in my waking life. I just want to see the inside.\"\n\n\"And how do you know it is not the outside?\" the gargoyle inquired.\n\nI scrunched my brow. \"I don't get it.\"\n\nHe continued, \"Sometimes, Jeremy, what is on one side of a door is not what you would expect. Some would say, it is unwise to desire knowledge that has not been offered intentionally.\"\n\nI glanced up to the angel beside him, who seemed to finally be rustling awake. It gazed at me with sullen pupils. \"Do you want the answer, Jeremy?\"\n\nI nodded. I had to know. Before I woke up, I had to know the secret of my door. \n\nThe door opened up, and a beam of light illuminated the already bright field. \n\n\"This is it,\" the angel said. \"What you've been wanting to know. I pray you're not disappointed. \n\nI stepped through the doorway, and looked around. Complete darkness. Where was I now?\n\nAs if hearing my question, I heard an answer in the void. \"Nowhere.\"\n\nI thought to myself, *how can you be nowhere? Nowhere is the absence of somewhere...*\n\nIt heard me again. \"This is the Delta state. You should not be aware now. Your mind and body must heal. Either fall to sleep or exit the void.\"\n\nI shook my head slowly, then decided I preferred the nothingness. \n\n\"Very well.\"\n\nThe door shut behind me, and there was nothing but black. It was peaceful, serene as death. I loved the quiet. I never wanted to leave.\n\nWhen I awoke, I opened my eyes wide, and had never felt so well rested in my life.",
"That night was different.\n\nI have always been wondering what had been hiding behind that door,\nIs it actually the key to happiness?\nIs it really as great as people have been telling you?\nIs it actually a better place, and am I just wasting my time wondering?\n\nAs I planned, I went to the backyard. There were tall, white fences all around. The bright sun casted a deep, dark shadow over one corner. As I stepped my first foot on the grass, I noticed a strange sound coming from the dark shadow. As I listened closely, I could pick up words from the noise. \"Don't come closer!\" I could distinguish. As the noise continued repeating itself, I was still approaching the door.\n\nWhen I found the door *right* in front of me, I noticed all the dust sitting on it. I wiped it off, and found that under the dust and shadow, there was a very bright, white door. The handle apparently turned out to be golden. I decided to open the door before I had seen the greatest relief of my life. All the time, I was being lied to. The illusion of darkness haunted me throughout my life.\n\nBecause behind that door, there was nothing special.\n\n\n\nPlease don't let yourself get taken down due to anxiety, overthinking and depression."
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[WP] Aliens have left their advanced robots on an uninhabited planet to observe their abilities. After colonizing the AI’s start to create life, slaves, experiments of their own. Humans. Now just subservient vertebra, mankind must learn to survive at the bottom of the food chain.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" I hold the gun in my hand, signalling to my comrades. We just have to destroy that computer and we'll all be free. We rush into the room, only to be met by a group of robots, aiming their guns at my hands. \"There's no escape, I think to myself.\" I signal to he rest of my comrades and we all drop our guns. The robots lead us away and lock us in a cell, all except for Michael. \"Where's Michael, what are they doing to him?\", one of my comrades ask. \"They're probably interrogating him, after all, he planned most of this operation and managed to disable security.\" I answer. Suddenly, the door opens. Two robots come in. \"Where's, Michael?\" We ask as we sit on the ground, careful not too make any rash movements. \"I'm right here.\", one of the robots answer, talking in Michaels voice. We all stood there stunned. He robot continued,\" Humans really are pathetic, did you people actually think a human was smart enough to hack our system, I will give you credit for your bravery, but you were never suspicious of me, despite knowing so much. It was truly fun to watch you all struggle so much, this test further supports our hypothesis that you humans are inferior beings.\" We all sat rooted to the spot, still too stunned to comprehend what had just happened. \"Okay, send them to the mines, this will teach them a lesson.\", the robot said as he signalled to the other guards. They dragged us away, some of us still too stunned to react.\n A few days later, half our group had died. Some died of exhaustion, while others had been shot while trying to escape, some even killed themselves. \"Please, let me rest and have some more food, I'm so tired.\", I begged the robot guards, only to be met with a kick to the stomach and a gun pointed at my head. \" We have already calculated how much energy you all need, you have enough to survive so stop complaining. Humans, how inefficient.\", the guard said as I got back up on my feet and continued working. \"One day, one day I'll kill them all.\" I said to myself still seething with rage. "
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[WP] You've now clue how, but you've found the pause menu for life. Your friends and family, frozen around you. Cautiously, you hit the button labelled "Save and quit."
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"*Ugh, why did I even come here?* I squeezed the space between my brows, in an attempt to lessen the headache that was pounding in my head. The loud music did not help at all, nor did the alcohol. My friends dragged me to a house party with other students from other departments, celebrating the end of exam season. \n\n“It would be fun, you might be able to find someone you’d like” they had said. *Yeah, right.* I hated parties. I hated the noise. I hated the crowds. I just wanted to go home. \n\nA guy was trying to hit on me. I was barely listening to what he was saying, but it was probably stupid shit. “So, you wanna--”\n\nI squeezed my eyes shut and suddenly, everything disappeared. It was silent. No pounding music, no chatter and yelling. The guy hitting on me stopped mid-sentence. But, there were some floating icons in my frame of view. *What the heck? What is this, a video game?* I half-jokingly thought to myself. \n\n* Status\n* Save\n* Save & Quit\n* Load\n* Settings\n\n*Uhhh, status?* With my thought, the cursor automatically highlighted the Status icon. *OK?* The icon flashed and a panel of data appeared, showing my name, birthday, height, weight, clothing items, and health bar. A small angry face appeared next to my health bar. What does that mean? A small pop-up window appeared, reading - Bad Mood: Caution, irrational actions may occur. HP will gradually decrease due to stress. *Great.*\n\n*Back.* I was returned to the list. *I guess this really is like one of my video games.*\n\nI opened my eyes again. The music and voices resumed. Nothing changed since I closed my eyes. My friends were still on the same shot. That annoying guy continued his sentence, “--a go somewher--” \n\n*Screw this.* I can’t stand this anymore. I closed my eyes again. *Save & Quit.* \n\n------\n\n“Ugh, I made a wrong choice…” The teenage girl frowned at her screen. “I shouldn’t have agreed to go to the party. But I can’t just leave it, cuz I need to get the boyfriend achievement.” \n\nShe looked at the time. 8:30 am. “Shoot! I gotta go to school!” She closed her laptop and stuffed it in her backpack before running out of her room. \n\n((First time posting here. Some constructive criticism is appreciated!))",
"Chapter 1: Discovery\n\"... breakfast!\"\n\n*\"That must be my mother, calling me down for breakfast,\"* I thought as I woke up. *\"That was a strange thought.\"* As I sat up in bed, something didn't feel right. Rubbing my eye, I couldn't help but feel out of place. It was all too surreal, like a lucid dream.\n\n\"Johnathan Smith, your dinner is getting cold!\" *\"She must be getting upset at my tardiness\"* I couldn't figure out what was making me feel... *off*. *\"Waitaminute wasn't it breakfast just a second ago?\"* I rubbed my other eye. Nothing makes sense.\n\n\"Johnny, Breakfast!\"\n\n*\"What in the actual fuck is going on?\"* I stretch my arms out in front of me, flexing my hands open, and a glowing menu appears. *\"Woah, it's like a video game.\"* Even as I thought it, the menu changes, and morphs into a menu that was dredged up from my earliest memories. *\"This looks like the Halo 3 main menu!\"* My heart skipped a beat. *\"I don't remember this many options though...\"*\n\nA floating window barely in my view displayed the options \"Resume\", \"Save\", 'Load\", \"Settings\", \"Mods\", and \"Quit\". Across the top were different tabs, reading \"Game\", \"Journal\", and Stats. Curious, I poked the \"Stats\" tab. *\"Johnathan Smith, Age, 19, Height, 70 inches, weight, 167 pounds...\"* I throw my hands out to stop the narrator, fearing that my mother will think I've started a game, and the entire menu goes away. I look at my alarm clock, displaying 07:20, and realize that not even a minute has passed since I discovered the menu. \"Johnathan Smith, your breakfast is getting cold!\"\n\n*\"Mother is sounding upset that I'm not down for breakfast yet, but I can't leave this new discovery unexplored\"* My thoughts feel intrusive, as if they're not my own. I spread my arms out again, and open the menu. I poke the \"Mods\" option in the \"Game\" tab.\n\n*\"Okay that's pretty lame.\"* I think, noticing that there's only two mods listed. \"Integrated GUI\" and \"Integrated Controls\" are the only mods listed. I tap the \"Integrated GUI\" mod, and the narrator begins speaking.\n\n*\"The Integrated GUI mod allows for a seamless overlay of the GUI onto everyday life. It adds an integrated main menu, a mobile menu, a fully adapted Heads Up Display, and other features. Would you like to know more?\"* A popup menu appears, with the prompts \"Yes\" and \"No.\" I tap the \"Yes\" button out of curiosity. *\"The IGUI Heads Up Display is an intuitive, easy to use feature, that only displays information when focused on.\"* As the Narrator outlines the details of the IGUI mod, prompts appear over the description as she talks about them. *\"The HUD includes information such as a \"Health Gauge\", \"Notification Menu\", \"Alert Menu\", \"Survival Information\" such as hunger, hydration, and sleep gauges, as well as the \"Acculert Body Monitor\".\"*\nTapping the \"Body Monitor\" option, the Narrator started up again. \n\n*\"The Acculert Body Monitor is an advanced display of your physical well-being. It will highlight your limbs when alerts arise, such as injuries or excessive exertion.\"* \n\n*\"Huh, that's neat.\"* Out of nowhere, a panicked mood stormed my mind. *\"Oh shit, I'm late for work!\"* I quickly turned to get out of bed, and realized my limbs couldn't move. That's when I began to panic. *\"If I can't move my arms, I can't escape the menu!\"* As these thoughts raced through my head, I noticed that I had a second pair of arms. Almost ghost-like appendages. *\"This must be part of IGUI...\"* Thinking about it more, I realized that I technically paused life. *\"I'm not late for work, I could stay here forever!\"* I messed around for a few more... minutes, I guess, I don't really have a way of keeping track of time when I'm in the menu.\n\nAnyways, I messed around in the menu for a while longer, then closed it and got ready for work.\n\nA couple of perks of being a college student staying at home, low rent, easy job, and of course free food.\n\nI walk down the stairs and hug my mom, wishing her a good morning. Eating my eggs, I have another epiphany. *\"I. Don't. Actually. Eat. The. Eggs.\"* I don't actually eat the eggs. I mean, I raise the fork to my mouth, and take a bite, but I don't actually chew or swallow. The eggs disappear before I can. I must be making a weird face, because my mom asks if I am feeling okay. *\"Yeah, I'm great, why?\"* I ask her.\n*\"I don't know, you seem a little perplexed is all.\"*\n*\"No I'm feeling great.\"* I need to keep this thing a secret. I dont know if anyone else can do this, or what telling anyone could bring into my life.\n\nI finish... consuming my breakfast, and leave for work with my dad. He owns a Flooring company. It's kind of small, but the projects we work in are all for high end clients, so it pays well. I worked half a day, then left for my Afternoon Classes at the community college. \n\nI spent the rest of my week fucking around with the new menu I found. Turns out, there's a lot of stuff in the IGUI. I also learned to not invert the Y axis, it's a bitch to get used to. But my biggest discovery happened in calculus, the Friday after I learned of the IGUI.\n\n\n\n***Thank you for reading! If you like this, please stay a while, I'm working on the next \"chapter\" rn, and will be posting it maybe tonight or tomorrow. If you wanna stay updated on it, post a reply down below, and I'll reply to you when the next segment is up!***",
"\"Aaron, dinner is getting cold!\" mom yelled from the kitchen.\n\n\"I know, mom! I heard you the first time!\" She would never comprehend how you could not just simply pause a multiplayer game, and certainly not in the midst of a raid. They only had the boss left.\n\n\"Aaron, I'm not warning you again!\" Her tone pretty much confirmed that the threat was real.\n\nWith a sigh, Aaron hit his push-to-talk button and was about to apologize for leaving early, but suddenly a *pause* button appeared on the screen. Curiously, Aaron clicked it and the game paused.\n\n\"What...\" Confused, he stared at the static screen. Neither the npc's or the players were moving. \"Guys, am I the only one having a major lag spike?\" There was no answer. He hit resume and the game continued.\n\n\"Aaron!!\" came the shrill voice of his mother. He could hear the stairs being murdered underneath her stamping feet as she came up to his room. Instinctively, Aaron clicked pause again and hurried out of his room.\n\nAnd there was his mother, on the stairs and stiff as a broom. She didn't move nor made a sound.\n\n\"Mom?\" She didn't answer.\n\nConfused, Aaron rubbed his eyes and noticed something. The pause/resume button was still in his periphery and he could see it with his eyes closed and was accompanied by several other buttons.\n\nConvinced he was dreaming, Aaron instinctively scrolled through the options. *Menu, save game, load game, resume, new game, save and quite* were all the options. He clicked menu. How he clicked it he didn't know, he just somehow... did it.\n\nAnother set of buttons and information popped up. He noticed it was all relevant to him. He clicked general information.\n\n* Name: Aaron Gherald Katy Delvin.\n\n* Age: 20\n\n* Date of Creation: 25/02/1999\n\n* Sex: Male\n\n* Height: 182 cm\n\n* Weight: 78 Kg\n\n* Main hand: Ambidextrous\n\n* Lineage: Indo-European\n\nImmensely enjoying this lucid dream, he was convinced that was it, Aaron scanned the other information tabs and found one called *Achievements & Enhancements*.\n\n* Beginner achievements unlocked: 53219/658112.\n\n> Most recent: That's my boy - Fold the sheets and have a parent approve.\n\n* Easy achievements unlocked: 4565/485320\n\n> Most recent: Nice Aim - Take a piss standing up and don't let a single drop hit the toilet seat.\n\n* Medium achievements unlocked: 952/256142\n\n> Most recent: Git Gud - Reach 500 hours playtime in at least 10 different games.\n\n* Hard achievements unlocked: 302/15302\n\n> Most recent: Donde esta la biblioteca? - Become fluent in Spanish.\n\n* Elite achievements unlocked: 16/3214\n\n> Most recent: The Coldcrush - Ask your crush out in front of at least twenty people and have him/her say yes.\n\n* Legendary achievements unlocked: 1/53\n\n> Most recent: In case I don't see ya... - Find the UI.\n\n* Enhancements unlocked: 0/12\n\nScrolling through the list of achievements, Aaron began to realize how much things he had done or not done and how many of these achievements were so obscure he wondered if anyone ever got them.\n\nEventually though he returned to the main menu and considered what other option he would pick. Not knowing what to chose, he closed eyes, spun around and pointed with his finger. He opened his eyes and saw that he was pointing at the *save and quite* option.\n\nHe clicked it.\n\nEverything went black.\n\nA sudden bright, white light overwhelmed him and he shielded his eyes. When the light subdued, he found himself in a sort of laboratory, surrounded by men in white coats who looked at him expectingly.\n\nOne of the men strode forward and held out his hand. Aaron recognized him as he shook the man's hand.\n\n\"God dammit, Todd Howard. You did it again.\"\n\nTodd only smiled."
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[WP] You accidentally drop a family heirloom and find something unexpected inside it.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"She could feel the cold metal against her skin, as she pressed the silver amulet to her forehead, hiding her glistening cheeks in her palms. She must have been sitting on her bed like this for the better part of an hour. Maybe longer. All she could tell, through the fog of her grief, was that the sunlight had faded and her room had turned gloomy and dark.\n\nShe hadn't thought that she could cry any more tears than the day she got the call. Even though the doctors had told her for months that her mother wouldn't have very long, the world came crashing down as she heard those dreaded words: \"I'm sorry to inform you Miss Clarke, that your mother has left us last night.\"\n\nAnd yet, here she was, more than a month after and all these wounds were ripped open again, more painful than ever before. The meeting with the notary should have been a formality. Her family was by no definition of the word rich, so dividing the assets should have gone over easily and everyone could have left to move on however they pleased. Instead, after hours of her entire extended family bickering, haggling and shouting, she couldn't bear anymore. She grabbed the old Amulet, now rightfully hers and left the others to scavenge to their hearts content.\n\nShe examined the amulet in disgust.\n\nThis small, oval on a simple silver chain. The engraved letters, wittered by time, hardly visible in the darkness of her room:\n\n​\n\nI.M.\n\nElizabeth Clarke\n\n 1565 \\* 1645\n\n​\n\nWhat did she care about a few bucks, or some jewellery her mother left them with. It wouldn't \nbring her back, would it? And all of a sudden, the entire anger she had suppressed during the day forced it's way out. With a desperate scream, she hurled the locket against the nearest wall. It ricocheted off the bricks with a high pitched clink and, as she watched in shock, right into the space heater.\n\nA loud electric hiss cut through the room, as sparcs began to fly. She jumped across the room, but as quickly as the commotion began it had ended. And in plain sight on the floor, the amulet, still wet from her tears, covered in brick dust and two quickly fading sparks, began to emenate a warm, orange aura. \nSlowly, as if compelled, she reached for the amulet. It felt warm in her palm and the light that started as a faint glow, grew to a blinding glare as lines slowly began to take form on the silver surface.\n\nShe tried to tear her eyes from the locket, but she couldn't so much as close them. And as the lines finally finished forming, she saw a circle with four signs on it's border. She had never seen signs like these, but nonetheless she knew, no, she understood their meaning. \n\n\"Air, Water, Earth, Fire\"\n\nShe didn't even realize, she had spoken out loud, until after she said the words, but as if affirming them, the orange glow pulsed once, before the amulet began to open at the circle.\n\nAn inscription was engraved inside the locket. Just two words, but they should change her life forever.\n\n​\n\n*Follow me*\n\n​\n\nAnd suddenly, she knew where to go.",
"It’s a key to the door, four generations of our family have wondered what could be behind the locked door in my great grandparents home, the door no locksmith in the world could pick the door that dynamite probably wouldn’t stand a chance against, and I found it but why did my great grandmother hide it in a clay dog she made and gave to my uncle years ago who gave it to me when I was 10 years old? \n\nI jump in my car and race across town to open the door, long ago my family agreed who ever could open the door could have whats inside, as I’m pulling into the driveway my mind is racing what could it be? What could be so important my great grandfather had a impenetrable room built to protect its contents, gold, jewels, money? \n\nI couldn’t get out of my car fast enough and race to the door, as I insert the key I find my whole body shaking with excitement, I take a deep breath and turn the key, I pull the door open with every bit of strength I have I get it open far enough I can squeeze through, as my eyes adjust to the darkness, I see a note and 4 identical clay dogs to the one holding the key, the note dated Dec 25 2010 says, don’t believe story’s your uncle tells you around a camp fire, pass it only"
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[WP] After death, based on your karma, you are bumped either up or down a level on "The Ladder of Worlds". After many lifetimes of sin, you have reached the lowest level. Only one other person is there.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Great, I'm still falling. When St Peter said I'd be placed according to karma, I expected a lesser placed in heaven. But no, I have been falling for an hour? a day? a second? But I have passed through purgatory (I knew it was purgatory because I saw a few of my atheist friends as I fell) and am now falling through hell. I'm not as scared of hell as I expected to be, but I am scared of landing. How will I be caught; Will I splatter? will I slow to a stop? Will I stop at all? I'm not convinced I will, I have just fallen through a hole in what I'm assuming are the firer pits of hell. I am falling through darkness, the blinding nothingness stunting all my senses but feeling. I can feel the moist air rush past me as I tumble further and further. Just how bad was I? In this life I did a few bad things, but who was I before?\n\n​\n\nI've stopped. I have hit the floor, the bottom of existence. It didn't hurt, I just stopped feeling like I was moving. I can feel cold stone beneath my hands. \n\n\"Hello?\" I heard someone calling. \"Who's there?\"\n\nI called back to the voice, I didn't even know I was doing it, his voice was hypnotic and I couldn't resist answering him.\n\n\"Where am I?\" I asked him, hoping he would be able to atleast explain what there was to do around here.\n\n\"You're nowhere and everywhere, welcome\"\n\n\"And who are you?\" I asked into the gloom.\n\n\"That doesn't matter to you.\"\n\nIt did matter to me, what little I knew equated to me knowing I was stuck here with that voice forever.\n\n\"Well atleast tell me what you have done to end up here, help me work out what I may have done.\"\n\nThere was a pause. \"I wiped out an entire planet. I have stopped many people living to a reasonable age, and watch people be murdered and not even tried to help. I have invented plagues and diseases, and commanded every army that has ever existed.\"\n\nWhat kind of monster is this? I have to spend the rest of eternity with a maniac. There's no way somebody is sane of mind yet can think they have done all these things. Then I remember I have a lighter in my pocket. I need to get a look at my new companion.\n\n​\n\n\"God?\"",
"Here it is, as low as you can go, bottom of the barrel, the deepest, darkest hole in the universe. Only the worst of the worst are plunged into this abyss, and quite frankly, I deserve it.\n\nI've lied, cheated, stolen, killed, raped and pillaged my way through every life I've been given. I've broken every law, all the taboos, and now I'm ready for the worst karma has in store for me. What else is there for a pitiless soul who revelled in other's suffering? \n\nI wonder, will it be an endless torture, disemboweled by demons amongst a million other dastardly souls in a fiery pit? Will I writhe in anguish while my flesh is stripped from my bones?\n\nWho will be joining me in eternal damnation? Vlad the Impaler? Stalin? Hitler? Maybe Charles Manson or Jeffrey Dahmer? What stories we could share!\n\nWait. Something's not right. It's too quiet here. Where are the tormented souls? The demons? The fire and brimstone?\n\nThere. I see someone, a lone figure in the shadows. There's no one else, nothing else here. A curious hades this is. I move towards the shadowy figure, uncertain and confused. Perhaps they know what's going on. I call to them.\n\n\"Excuse me!\"\n\n\"Huh? What? Who is that?\" I could see him more clearly now, but his features were vague and shifting like a reflection in water. He could have been twenty or eighty, or was impossible to tell.\n\n\"I'm Josh, do you know what's going on here?\"\n\n\"Oh, it's you. Yeah, we're in the lowest pit of hell, idiot.\"\n\n\"Err, sorry but I expected, well, more.\"\n\n\"Yeah, well sorry to disappoint you but it's just you and me, asshole. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, you had to show up. Well congratulations, you succeeded. I just hoped you'd have found a better way, but here we are.\"\n\nWhat a dick. Of course, what else did I expect at the bottom of the abyss? His crimes must be legendary, equal to my own! I must know who this man is, what horrors he had inflicted, and how he thinks he knows me. \n\n\"Who are you?\"\n\nHe shrugged. \"I'm just a guy who did my part to make the world a cesspool of debauchery, but you know that.\"\n\n\"Are you the devil?\"\n\nHis laugh hit me like a left hook. \"That's a good one! The devil! Oh, you've been so busy living lives that you've forgotten everything! Jesus, you really are an idiot.\"\n\nNow I'm more confused than ever, especially since he seems to know everything and I don't know a goddamn thing. How do I know he knows anything? He could be making it up just to fuck with me.\n\nAnd what did he mean I've forgotten everything? I can remember it all, every murder in grisly detail, as if happened yesterday. I remember all the times I've died, too. From the electric chair to the guillotine to the gallows to hanging on... wait a minute. I do remember now!\n\nI had one good life, and it ended in pain and misery. I had tried to be good, to be a positive influence, and all it had gotten me was false accusations, a mockery of a trial, hours of torture, and a humiliating and slow execution.\n\nWhen someone struck me, I turned the other cheek. If someone stole my cloak, I gave them my sandals. I told everyone I saw how they suffered in vain and that being kind and loving was the answer to happiness.\n\nBut in the end, in my last moments, I wanted nothing more than to inflict terrible vengeance on the blood of everyone who had betrayed and condemned me. If I could not teach them by example, I would do so by giving them a taste of what awaited them if they didn't change their ways.\n\nI stalked them through every life, time and again, doing my worst until their souls begged for mercy and repented. It was the only way they could learn, and I knew it had to be done, for their own sake.\n\nAnd at last I knew who this man before me was. \n\nHe looked at me with rueful grin, seeing the realization on my face.\n\n\"You did it, son. You finally saved humanity from their sins. Now we can enjoy this empty eternity together, alone. Just you and me, Jesus.\"\n\n\n"
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[WP] All your life, you’ve wanted to be a “super villain”. But fate (or something) has marked you as a vessel of good. Now, no matter what you do or say, amazing good comes from it, and (to your increasing frustration) you are being hailed by people as a super hero.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Doing Good, The Bad Way – By: A.J. Gomez\n\nSunlight breaks across the cloudy sky on this early Sunday morning. “Get a life, ya’fuckin bum!” a bartender shouts out, as she tosses a limp body out from a back bar door and in to the wet puddled alley. “That’s $250 ya owe me now, Tony. Enoughs enough! Don’tcha dare come back here unless ya got my money. Ya’oughta clean ya’self up anyways, Tone. I know ya’seen better days then these”.\n\n“Fuck you, Alice” Tony replies.\n\n“Ya lost it, Tone.” Slam! Alice the bartender shuts the back bar door, the last open door ever that Tony knew to go to has literally closed right in front of his drunken eyes. “Fuck this life, what’s the point?” Tony is left alone to ask himself as he wanders the sidewalks of an empty world that has yet to even wake up.\n\n“Whoa, mama!” Tony stops on a corner from the sight of a brand new hot red luxury car parked right outside of some loft apartment building across the street. A visible decision of conscious occurs when suddenly Tony becomes possessed with an idea. “Fuck it. Let’s go for a ride.” Tony makes his way across the street.\n\nTony finds the car to be unlocked, keys behind the driver-side visor, and a six-shot revolver sitting in the passenger seat. Surprised initially and then quickly filled with cynical excitement. “Just like the fucking movies, ha!”\n\nTony punches the key into ignition and starts up the roaring engine with a devilish grin on his face. Grasping the shifter and clutching into first, Tony miraculously manages to drive this beast of a vehicle onto the main road heading downtown.\n\nSuddenly as he attempts to make a lane change, Tony catches a center divider and hops out control ultimately causing him to spin and slam both of his feet on the brake. The car skids into an intersection, crashing right into a passing charter bus. Tony walks out alive, only as he escapes his wrecked stolen vehicle, he hears a growing applause. That passing charter bus was empty and running the red light, heading straight for a group of crosswalk passing senior citizens. “You saved us! Oh my gosh, thank you!”\n\n“Fuck me.” Tony whispers in disbelief. Crowds of pedestrians quickly circle around Tony giving praise for his heroic act. That is of course, until he raises up the pistol and fires off one shot. “Back up, this shit wasn’t on purpose. Fuck those prunes!” A gasp is filled across the crowd of people and interrupted by a shriek from a woman pointing to the sky at a falling parachute. Tony lets off two more shots, “Calm down!”\n\n“Look out below!” A man in the falling parachute comes crashing into a tree across from the bus accident. The crowd hurries over to rescue the man out from the tree and his cries can be heard from the other side of the street. “Thank you. Thank you! I had no control! If you hadn’t of shot down my parachute I don’t know where I would have landed.”\n\n“You gotta be fucking kidding me!” Tony furiously scuffs to himself as he palms his forehead. Looking up, he spots a bank beginning to open it’s door. “Bingo!” Tony heads forth towards the bank. “Just walk in shooting, Tone. Fuck ‘em. Let them take me out” Tony’s own words of encouragement as he steps in through the bank’s doors. BANG. BANG. BANG. “Give it up, fuckheads!”\n\nTony comes barging through the doors and lets off three shots all while having his eyes closed shut the entire time. As the smokes clears from his pistol and Tony slowly opens his eyes he sees that he has successfully shot three intruding burglars who have entered from the back and were already holding the staff hostage. “Our hero! Oh, thank you, sir!” A bank teller cries out from behind a desk.\n\n“Bullshit! This is bullshit!” Tony yells out. Furious and fed-up, Tony turns the gun on himself and pulls the trigger only to hear a click with no fire. All out of ammo. “Son-of-a-bitch!” Tony angrily chucks the gun behind him towards the bank doors and coincidentally takes out the last robber trying to slip out unnoticed. “Really?!”\n\nPolice arrive to the scene and congratulate Tony on all of his heroic acts throughout the day and reward him with $500 cash. Completely unmotivated and empty on ambition, Tony collects his reward money and pays back Alice the bartender. “Keep it all, Alice! I only do good in this wicked world. I’d rather get drunk instead.”\n\nThe End.",
"I opened the basement door. At the bottom of the stairs a dirty ragged woman chained to the wall looks up at me with tears in her eyes. \n\n\"This is fucken great.\" I sigh as she looks up at me with fear.\n\n\"Are... are you with him?\" She pushes herself against the wall as she whimpers.\n\n\"No he's dead upstairs.\" \n\nI sigh as I make my way towards her. She finally breaks down completely.\n\n\"Thank god! Thank you so much for saving me.\"\n\n\"you're welcome I guess\" I roll my eyes.\n\nAt that moment the police all rolled up. Seventeen bodies they found in the good pastors backyard. Seventeen! Not only did I stop one of this towns most notorious serial killers, I also saved his latest victim. \n\nI was trying to ruin a community, not help it. Killing a man who was adored by many. The good pastor who did so much good within the community. Of course he would be the one with the dark secret. This was phase one of my plan to cause a little bit of chaos in this town. Weaken the social structure of it so I could insert myself in under the radar and take over. No now they're stronger than ever and hailing me as the hero. \n\nThe town decided to reward me with a plaque in the town center. The hero of Stortsville was the engraving. How did I find him? Why did I save her? Good questions. When I answer with he seemed like the nicest person in this hell hole and I didn't even know she was there, they all laugh like I just told the funniest joke. I wish this was the first time. Now my names starting to get a reputation and not a evil one. They're even starting to label me a super hero. I mean come on my power is literally draining the life out of people with a single touch. That just screams super villain, but no. I am now the super hero Destroyer of Life. Destroyer of Life! I mean come on that's not a super hero name. Guess it is time for the next town. "
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[WP] A dark god threatens the world. Six chosen heroes are destined to fight it. Only five show up.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Hey, where’s that tinkerer you’re always talking about?” The dwarven paladin asked the dark elf.\n\n“I dunno, she promised me that she’d be here on time this time,” he replied, his figure shifting the dark robes.\n\n“I’m betting that he’s just a pathetic weeb; she’s not even real,” the orc slurred, slamming his goblet onto the table.\n\n“Let’s just go without her; remember when we killed that necromancer last week,” the archer said, fox tail, bow, and quiver visible.\n\nAnd the elven healer just sighed.\n\nMEANWHILE, AT THE GOD’S CASTLE...\n\nSaying the place was burning down would be an understatement. Disintegrating would be better.\n\nRegardless of how many mooks were thrown at the mech, one thing remained constant: it dispensed overkill.\n\nNow, the dark god was staring down the barrel of the cannon, praying that there’s some sort of life after death.\n\nON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN...\n\nIt was awfully difficult to miss the mech on the horizon. The party stopped as it approached. Stopping in front of the group, the goblin pilot hopped out and grabbed the head clutched in an oversized hand, and handed it to the orc.\n\n“Well, I think the prototype actually works now,” the goblin announced proudly. Everyone else was silent as they saw their target’s head in their hands.",
" \n\n(WP) The Dark Goddess and the Prophecy\n\nEveryone knew the old story. It had been told since the founding of the kingdom and the countries surrounding them. The prophecy had predicted that there would be six heroes that would face the old, dark god. They would all be chosen from different walks of life. All with different strengths and weaknesses, but united, they would overcome the god’s tyranny and free the people from under its thumb.\n\nWell, as it turns out, the prophecy was only correct about some things.\n\nFirst of all, it was not a god, but a goddess. One of unimaginable darkness and rage, twisted by all of the negative emotion she’d repressed when she was a human, several centuries ago.\n\nThe whole of humanity cowered under her cruel rule, but there were some who had willingly helped her rise to power: assassins, criminals, those dissatisfied with the law and the people who had ruled before.\n\nSecond, only five heroes showed up. No one knew what had happened to the sixth member of the group. There were rumors, of course. They’d died, been assassinated, or worse, even become one of the goddess’s spies.\n\nThe first of the heroes, a young man named Nikolai, arrived at the abandoned palace, where the goddess and her cohorts were rumored to be hiding out. He was astride a handsome stallion, and he himself was adorned with furs. There were weapons hidden everywhere on his person, and he frowned. He couldn’t help wondering, if, indeed, he should wait for the others: the people said to help him in this monumental task.\n\nBut he already had so little time. Perhaps it would be better to wait until the sun set, to hide in the lush, green foliage that surrounded the old palace.\n\nIt was so different from his homeland, frigid and cold, where snowflakes and ice decorated everything like a pale, glimmering veil.\n\nSick of thinking instead of acting, he directed his horse to the thick, leafy trees, and there they hid, waiting until the next hero in the group showed up.\n\nNever mind that they all didn’t know each other, they were said to save the world.\n\n\\*\\*\n\nBut the newcomer had doubts that could not be silenced.\n\nEris knew that she came from nothing. Her family had been poor all their lives, and what chance they’d had of glory and comforted had gone up in smoke, thanks to their mother’s leaving to serve The Dark Goddess.\n\nIt didn’t matter that she’d sent extravagant gifts, bolts of silk from which to make gowns, heavy gold and silver coins, jewelry studded with real precious stones instead of the false ones that were pasted on in the village, or that she’d done it for their family’s safety.\n\nThat meant nothing to their proud, bitter father. He’d been so certain when Eris’s mark had shown up, inked across her back in glittering runes. He’d even asked their neighbors to donate things she needed so she could get to the palace. But even with all this planning, she’d been late.\n\nThere was a mean, ugly little voice that spoke in the back of her mind.\n\n*If even your own family did not want you, did not think you were capable of anything, what makes you think you will be able to unseat the Dark Goddess?*\n\nBut she, and all the others mentioned in the vision, had little choice in the matter.\n\nDestiny and fate seemed to have their own plans.\n\n\\*\\*",
"Thinking back on it now, I can now say for cetain that this wasn't my most shining moment. I mean, okay....fair enough, I'm celebrated. I get the best spots to park my car, my boss is always full of praise, I can basically date whoever I want, whenever I want, if, of course, it's what I want. But I don't. I'm a hero; held on high for everyone, day in, day out. It's my job. You know what happens when you take a passion and make a carreer of it. It normalizes it and things that are normal no longer hold that spark they once did. Oh well. I particularly haven't enjoyed my work for the last six months.\n\nI was sitting at the breakfast table eating oatmeal and strawberries when the red phone rang. I had used to jump up in excitement when it did, but not as much of late. I let it ring and instead chewed in time with it until I realized that I had been keeping pace alone. Suddenly, a fax spit out and I slumped, grabbed my bowl, rinsed it carefully out and sat it out to dry. I shuffled to the fax, tore it off and read:\n\nDark God underway. Meet team at Mt. Bethesda.\n\nI could have replaced the words with any message and it would have had the same affect. I just couldn't care. I realized that I was burned out on the whole \"superhero/save the world\" thing. I needed a change, but just wasn't sure what it should be. Amazingly enough, I didn't have to think too hard about the next decision I made. I flopped on the couch, fired up Netflix and ignored it all. The next few days were a blendered mix of ice cream, movies and a healthy dose of self-pity. Nothing got through.\n\nUntil the door rang. It broke me out of my reverie. I hiked up my pyjama pants and went to answer it. When I did, my jaw hit the floor and I felt for the first time in days, possibly weeks. Shock, it was, but a feeling none the less. There in front of me stood the Dark God itself.\n\n\"Thank you,\" is all it said, then walked away. I was then approached by a cheering horde of creatures I'd never seen before. They hoisted me up and celebrated with me for weeks, introduced me to my new job saving demons and minions and showed me how the new system worked.\n\nSo now I'm here, not knowing exactly what I am, but unable to shake the whole hero thing. Really don't know if I'm cursed or blessed, but hey! at least I'm alive and thriving, which is more than I can say for others I knew.",
"“This will be your downfall!” Logar grunts as he swings his sword into another orc minion. “The prophecy foretells we will defeat one fitting your description!” he yells to the large minotaur like form leading the army of orcs. The dark aura of the seeming god is pouring over every orc, bolstering their confidence and strength. Logar continues fighting the orc hoard killing many as well as receiving multiple cuts and strikes.\n\n\n“Don’t make me laugh. I am Lord Malucial and the prophecy means nothing to me. It is a child’s story meant to bring hope to the hopeless” Malucial casts another fire bolt at the group, destroying everything in its path, including a few of his own minions. Gladra waves her arms and mutters a spell putting up a barrier between the group and the fire bolt to halt its magic.\n\n\n“You can see we are matching your power!” Hammar quips back after getting another arrow into Malucials leathery hide. Malucial pulls out the arrow roaring in anger. The arrow begins to glow red in his hand. Malucial throws the glowing arrow back at the him in rage. The magic infused arrow speeds back toward Hammar too fast for him to react. He can tell the arrow will be lodged into his shoulder before he can dodge and braces for the impact. But the arrow never hits. Hammar looks up to see Raygar in front of him, shield raised, blocking the arrows onslaught. \n\n\n“Like my companion said, we are matching your power and as soon as the 5th member of the prophecy arrives, we will overpower you.” Raygar bellows his statement of fact right before stabbing Malucial in the leg. Malucial screams in pain. His dark magic aura closes in tighter around him and explodes, sending Raygar to the ground. Malucial pulls out the sword and prepares to strike Ragar. He stops right before contact.\n\n\n“5th member you say?” Malucial nerviously questions. “Um, yes. I guess there are only four of you. I forgot.”\n\n\nGladra is in the middle of healing Logar from his injuries but replies “Yes, our companion is on his way and will turn the tide of this battle in our favor. He is the most powerful of our group.”\n\n\nMalucial drops the sword and hastily says “I will, uh, need to read this prophecy again. So, you just wait here. Please excuse me, I will, uh, be back” While he speaks, smoke emanates from the dark aura covering him and when it dissipates, he is gone.\n\n\nThe group of heroes is confused that their foe would just disappear like that. Gladra looks around and sees that the orc army is just as confused by the seemingly hasty retreat. She is about to say something to the group when a familiar voice blurts out “Hope you guys didn’t miss me too much. I would hate to miss the party”\n\n\nA short man in black robes comes up from behind the battle mounted on a black stead. His black hair waving in the air as he rides. Lightning shoots from his fingertips right in front of the orc army causing the army to run back into the woods.\n\n\n“Mal!” the heroes yell in joy as he approaches.\n\n\n“You missed it again!” Gladra scolds.\n\n\nMal jumps off his horse but almost falls over from a sword wound on his leg. “I can heal that” Gladra offers running over to Mal. “But where did you get that wound? You just got here.” She asks.\n\n\n“I battled on the way here.” Mal says quickly.\n\n\n“You always get us out of a bind my friend” Logar affectionately says as he hugs Mal. “I’m glad you are on our side” Logar feels something and pulls back from the embrace to tell Mal that there is an arrow in his back. \n\n\n“I must have also gotten it on the way” Mal nervously retorts.\n\n\nGladra pulls it out and heals the wound. Logar picks it up curiously. “But it’s my arrow” he says showing it to Mal”\n\n\n“That’s weird” Mal nervously laughs “Hey, I think I see Malucial over there!” Mal starts running toward the forest. The group starts chasing after him, except for Gladra who contemplates what Mal said.\n\n\n“But we never told you his name.” Gladra calls to the group right before they disappear into the woods.\n",
"5 war-hardened soldiers stand together, staring at the gloomy fortress in front of them. The walls are high and spiked, seeming impossible to penetrate or scale. The hounds howl from the other side, aggravated at the smell intruders, and hungry for flesh. \n\nEach with a weapon in their hand, jaws clenched and ready to move forward. Their world is threatened by the god that sits upon the protected throne, and they have no time left. Today is the day they need to move or risk losing everything. \n\nElla spoke without turning her head toward her companions. “Where is he?” \n\nThere was the sound of shuffling metal and leather, and then the group went silent again. \n\n“Our power comes from all of us. If we are missing one, we are doomed,” she said through clenched teeth. She felt a flush through her temple as her fuse burned low. She had been told there would be peace when she stood in this spot the last time. She had been assured they had done their job and they could be a part of the world instead of its saviors. \n\n“He is young,” a second voice came from the other end of the line. \n\n“He is an idiot that is going to get us killed,” the words roared out of Ella’s throat. She sighed, her temper would get her nowhere and she knew it. \n\n“He is young,” the voice repeated, “He doesn’t know.” \n\nElla turned and walked down the line, staring at the tall man on the end. “He has to know, Cane. We all knew. I knew every time. In my heart, I knew before the vision, and before that forsaken witch showed up. Did she not show up on your door?” \n\n“She did,” he said, meeting her gaze. \n\n“She did for all of us, and what? Some child is going to be the death of everything we have worked so hard to protect?” Ella could hear her voice raising, causing the hounds across the wall to go crazier. \n\n“We can fight with just us,” Cane said, his voice lifting towards the end. \n\n“Can we? Or will we die trying? There are six. There was always six.” \n\n“There was until Adam-” a third voice began before being cut off. \n\n“And that was with all of us!” Ella yelled, turning back toward the fortress they were meant to breach. “We had all of us then, and still lost one.” \n\nThe 5 stood in silence once more. All eyes were on the blackened walls that protected the mile high watchtowers. Dark clouds swirled around the throne of the dark god, a flash of lightning threatened to blind those who looked on. \n\n“So what?” Ella asked when she couldn’t bear the silence anymore. “We walk in to be slaughtered?” \n\n“We do our job,” Cane answered, the only one willing to raise his voice to her. \n\n“Our job is futile,” she said and drew her sword. “I hope the child survives when we fail.” \n\n/r/beezus_writes",
"\"You told him, right?\" Janice asked looking at Justin, their leader. \n\n\"Of course I did,\" he took out his mobile phone and showed them all the most recent message in their group chat. \n\n> Drk Gd 6pm, usul loc ✔✔\n\nJustin pointed to the two small blue checkmarks next to it, \"See, you all got it. Read it, too. And that includes Victor!\"\n\n\"Your spelling really is appalling,\" Janice looked around, seeing if anyone made a motion to move. When they all looked away she sighed, \"Fine, I'll go get him,\" and vanished.\n\n\"This is getting really annoying. It is what, the 3rd dark god threatening the world in as many months? Don't they have anything else to do?\" Connor looked towards the dark dot in the sky, which was getting bigger by the minute, \"HEY YOU, JUST GO DESTROY SOME OTHER PLANET!\" He started stretching, \"Man, I even had such an awesome plan for tonight.\"\n\nJanice had meanwhile reappeared, towing a second person still dressed in his pajamas behind her. \"Right,\" she looked at Connor, \"stay home, eat pizza and game all night?\" She nodded towards Victor, who seemed to still be in the process of waking up, \"We're all here, can we get this over with already?\"\n\n\n******\n\nr/John_writes\n"
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[WP] You failed every physical fitness test in school. You were ridiculed for being weak and pathetic in practical things. It’s been 481 days since the apocalypse hit. Everyone else you know is dead while you remain alive and well.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"*\"481 days.\"*\n\n*\"It's been 481 days.\"*\n\nMary thought to herself as she looked at an aged chair. The fabrics covering the chair started ripping off as soon she sat and slowly took off her gas mask and started breathing for 'fresh air'. which is nothing but gas and rotten intestines of zombies, but after several days of living off that, there is many chances that she has gotten used to it. She sighed to herself as she looked around her surroundings, which is nothing but aging wood that makes the building look like it was made with only toothpicks, she looked at the ceiling to see that it's falling off any second now.\n\nShe smiled, and stood up from the chair while putting her hands on the pockets of her jacket before stepping on something that produces a loud 'crack!'. She flinched and looked down to see a aging skull, a large hole on the spot she stepped on, which is the frontal bone.\n\nShe picked the skull up, and looked at it closely. Her glance shifting to a wall as she furrowed her eyebrows.\n\nEveryday in school, she always get ridiculed for failing every physical fitness tests, she is also known for being underweight which affects her strength. She can't even pull a rope for 10 seconds in Tug of War since other classmates always outmatch her, she can't even climb a rope without falling off after 1 feet and due to all of that, she is always told by teachers to stay behind as she watched her classmates having fun. And of course a little sprinkle of salt to the wound when afterwards, she get made fun of for the teacher leaving her behind.\n\nShe remembers each of everyone's faces back in that school, and even each of their names, their words always taunting her for being very weak. \"*Can't even lift a toothpick?\" \"Mary, your grades in Physical Education is very low.\" \"You really meet my expectations, for someone that looks like nothing but skin and bones, you're pretty weak.\"*\n\n*\"You're worthless.\"*\n\nBut she could imagine them disappearing to dust after the apocalypse happened, after years of taunting words that pick onto her like needles, they became nothing but meaningless letters that is only there to let her down.\n\nShe threw the skull to the ground and put her gas mask on as soon the ceiling creaked."
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[WP] The Elder Gods are real and wreak havoc throughout the universe. They only have one fear, the only creatures capable of more evil and destruction than them: Humanity.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"my name is Kalashk, i am Andalorian, and this is the story of how the species known as Mankind ascended to their destructive Godhood.\n\ni could only watch in horror as the primordial beast from the darkest depths of the universe swallowed up one of planet Andalor’s moons, its horrifying yellow eyes staring down at me. its tendrils slowly but surely wearing down the orbital shields. \n\nIt was pure and utter Chaos. This was just one of many.\n\n“Just need to hold out a little longer...” I thought to myself \n\nThey were The Elder Gods, they seed life, wait for it to grow while they slumber, then they wake and consume all of it to feed their long lives, then start the cycle anew. Knowledge we discovered too late.\n\nTerrible, cruel and malevolent beings whose hunger is only outdone by that of Humanity, A species that had effortlessly wiped out 5 Galactic Council members when their expansion was challenged.\n\nNone of us could stand against them, their population numbered in the trillions, their technology and adaptation in warfare far outclassed our own. \n\nEmpires that had stood for thousands of years were broken by the hand of Humanity, and the Galaxy learned to fear and respect this new Interstellar Superpower. \n\nThen we realised, in what we thought to be the end times, that our greatest enemy would be our greatest saviour, a great and terrible foe to be unleashed on the predators that had plagued the universe for billions of years. \n\nThey were the Galaxy’s immune response to the monsters that had infected it. \n\nBrutal, Unyielding, Determined, Invincible. They would scour them from the Galaxy and beyond.\n\nThe only species capable of taking on the dark Gods, Mankind. \n\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK-lwIGwp9Y\n\nThen i saw it, just as the orbital shielding failed and it seemed certain my planet was to fall into the maw of the cosmic abomination, an FTL rift tore apart the beast as a colossal sword drove straight through it. \n\nIt was a Hades-Class Dreadnaught belonging to the United Terran Navy. The Humans had arrived.\n\nIt ploughed through the so called “God” with ease\n\nWhat was once a sight that invoked fear and despair was now one of hope and victory, \n\nBecause now, it had just impaled a being that had eaten countless worlds, civilisations and millions of souls.\n\nI swear i saw the rest of them recoil in fear, in the cold dark of space. The Dark God’s shivered before their challengers.\n\nIn that moment. They realised their own mortality.\n\n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnqmdgUCPAQ\n \nIn the time that followed, what can only be described as the Great Extermination took place.\n\nHumans drove the ancient predators from occupied space, their vast fleets and firepower tore apart the abominations. \n\nThey did not stop there. They followed them into the dark, where no species before them had ever tread. Uncharted space. The Shadow Sector.\n\nLegends say it is a place that can drive those who enter insane, the domain of those who hunger.\n\nBut the Humans did not blink. The Galaxy was set aflame as they burned every last hive and nest of the Elder Gods, they would not stop, their very nature demanded that these monsters be destroyed.\n\nThey glassed entire worlds that had fallen to indoctrination or madness of the Elder Gods with savage efficiency.\n\nFinally, with the full might of the Terran Imperium utilised and the last of the starving, brokem Dark Gods cornered in a single Solar system near the Galactic core.\n\nThey begged for their lives, for safe passage away from what they now recognised as Mankind’s domain. They promised to leave and never return, merely wishing to continue to exist.\n\nThey pleaded, They bargained, But Mankind did not show an ounce of mercy. They advanced ready to kill. Their Fleets surrounding the last of the abominations.\n\nMonstrous Gods that had once stood as the stuff of nightmares, legends and ancient pantheons, were now reduced to whimpering children in the face of their executioner. \n\nHumanity represented the vengeance of every species and civilisation they had every consumed, their hate was immeasurable, their rage immense, their power unmatched. \n\nJust as the Elder Gods had shown no mercy to the worlds they had consumed to sustain their existence....\n\n...neither did Mankind.\n\n\n"
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[WP] You work hard, save the company tons every year, are up for promotion, and have no clue that you work for a super villian.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Ian sat in the waiting room twitching, straightening his tie, watching the clock slowly tick by until it reached the hour of his appointment.\n\nHe licked his lips. Last week, Ian was told that he had been nominated for a promotion. The candidates had competed for working in top-level management. Getting this promotion could be the biggest career move in his life.\n\nOf course, Ian knew that his current title was modest compared to the others. This job was a bigger reach for him. But he had worked harder than them, and he was more than ready for the responsibility. With his silent work over the past five years, costs had been reduced by 10%, and their rate of net worth increase had almost tripled.\n\nThe secretary invited him through.\n\nNo looking back now. It all came down to this moment - had he made the cut?\n\nHe opened the double doors and found himself in a very long dark room, with an equally long table lit by a spotlight. At the end sat a shadowy figure.\n\n“Please,” a stony voice echoed,’ sit.”\n\nThe man gestured to the seat at the opposite end. Ian swallowed his dry throat and sat. The man leant back in his chair. The shadows hid his features, except a funny pair of black gloves, and whatever he was wearing didn't seem like a suit.\n\n“I have good news for you, Ian Johnson.” boomed the rich voice.\n\n”Your rivals have fallen short of you. They have all proved to be lazy and stupid, and no fire has been found in their hearts, so now they are to be cast aside, and you have a chance for true greatness.\n\nSimply answer some questions and you shall become my disciple.”\n\nIan licked his lips, poised. More spotlight turned on, illuminating their logo: a fiery fist holding the earth. He swelled with pride.\n\n“Virtus illuminativa. Do you know what it means?” asked the shadowy man.\n\n“Yes I do, sir. I hired the design team myself. It’s a Latin translation and refers to ‘the enlightening power of one’,” the man leant forward, the shadows concealing all but his grin\n\n“So Ian, are you ready to take over the world?”\n\n“Almost literally, sir,” Ian smiled.\n\nHis shadowy employer froze in thought for a few seconds, his grin dropping at the edges.\n\n“What do you mean by that?” He asked, raising his pitch a little.\n\n“Errm…” Ian faltered. “You know! As in: I’ll take whatever we need to make this company grow! Did I come on too strongly sir?”\n\nThe man continued to ponder.\n\n“Who do you think you work for?” he asked. Ian chuckled.\n\n“Rest assured sir, my loyalty lies with you and the company. I've put my soul into Domination Inc. for the past five years, and I'm not leaving it anytime soon.”\n\n“The company… You fool. You have no idea do you?” he said. Ian shuffled in his seat.\n\n“About what?” he asked. The man stood up and fully revealed himself. His complex black and crimson outfit glistened in the spotlight, and Ian suddenly recognised him.\n\n“No. You're Lord Inferno!” he gasped.\n\n“How did you not know?” he asked. Ian was shook.\n\n“But- but this makes no sense! This is such a normal company! How could we be doing anything evil!”\n\n“Normal?” Inferno laughed. “You commute to a volcanic island every morning.”\n\n“Yeah… That's true...” some things were starting to connect now.\n“But we do such good things!” Ian stood up in protest. “Robotics, green energy research-”\n\n“Military robotics and nuclear energy research,” the super-powered figure clarified. The helpless employee paused. More started to make sense now, but he refused to believe this was all true.\n\n“Well what about the infrastructure we build in Africa! The drainage systems and the schools-”\n\n“Draining the last of third-world resources I'm afraid, and the children are trained for espionage,” Ian fell back into his chair.\n\n“Financial consultant at least?” he pleaded.\n\n“...Investments in organised crime,” Inferno eventually answered.\n\n“Damnit.” Ian banged the table. “Is there anything we do that isn't somehow evil?”\n\n“Errm...no.” Ian sighed and slumped back.\n\n“So the setbacks, the constant damages, they weren't political extremists! They were heroes!”\n\n“Heroes are political extremists,” muttered Lord Inferno, as his eyes glowed red for a second. “But it seems that that's the last of your misunderstandings,” they sighed.\n\n“So anyway, with all that reconsidered, what do you think?”\n\n“What?” asked Ian. “You mean the job? Surely not ?! I can't do this now I know what my job really is. If I accepted this, well...it just wouldn't be right.”\n\n“But I can make it right,” he said. “Look. I'll admit it Ian, you're the best employee I've seen this...company…turn out. Domination Inc. needs you, so I'm willing to offer any compensations necessary.\"\n\n“Yeah? Like what?” asked Ian.\n\n“How about double your current salary, a house on the island for you and your family, and anything else you want to negotiate? I'm a powerful man Ian. Whatever it is your heart desires, I can probably give you it. So what do you say?\"\n\nIan thought about it for a minute. Lord Inferno waited impatiently.\n\n“I'll consider it,” he said eventually. “But first, I need to make a phone call.”\n\nIan walked outside to a corridor and dialled a number.\n\n“Dear? Oh, how was it? Did you get the job?” crackled Susan's voice.\n\n“Well honey, it's up to me now,\" he said. \"They're offering double the money and a house for us both on the island.”\n\n“That's fantastic Ian! So what's the catch?” he looked out the glass walls onto the sprawling tropical island below.\n\n“The job’s turned out to be not what I expected. It's a very different line of work.”\n\n“Is it bad work?\" she asked. Ian looked at the enormous statue of the island's owner being built outside. Through the glass he saw his reflection where the face was yet to be carved. He cracked a smile.\n\n“You might say that.” he said. “But I think I'll get the hang of it…”",
"Sakura took a deep breath to calm her nerves, studied herself in the elevator’s mirror, and smoothed the front of her dress. Today was her big day after all! She had joined Undine Industries as an intern, just a few scant years ago, and had then gotten a full-time job in the company, working in the treasure department. The amount of money the company moved was… humbling, but she had always had a knack for numbers. \n\nIt was said lack of numbers that had taken here today. Imagine her surprise when she found that so many funds had been secretly embezzled by her higher-ups in the department! She had decided to take the matter straight to the top.\n\nShe still hadn’t expected to be summoned by the CEO herself.\n\nThe elevator’s door quiet chime knocked her out of her reverie, and she straightened her back, holding her tablet under one arm.\n\nThe door’s opened straight into Ashley Undine’s office. The CEO was a young woman still… barely a couple of years older than Sakura herself. She had been quite infamous on the media for the longest time… at least, until she returned from an extended trip to Egypt, and had come back with more practical sense… and without an eye.\n\nHer boss smiled brightly and brushed aside a strand of red hair from her face, fearlessly showing Sakura her entire face. The eyepatch she wore over her right eye was a fairly simple one, barely large enough to cover the scar tissue from the accident. The same could not be said of her elegant business suit, dark blue in color, and probably worth more than Sakura’s salary for the entire month. A golden pin in the shape of an eye rested on the right side of her chest—‘to replace the one I lost’ she joked on the news.\n\nIt was hard to believe that this woman had been the butt of jokes and gossip rags when Sakura was a teenager.\n\n“Ms. Murasaki!” Ashley exclaimed. “Come on in! Have a seat!”\n\nSakura did her best to smile confidently as she strode the considerable distance towards her boss’ desk. “Ms. Undine, I can’t really explain how happy I am that you took some time to see me.”\n\nAshley waves her hand dismissively. “Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. Your report was fairly alarming. Now, why don’t you walk me through some of it?” \n\nSakura sat across from Ashley, and set her tablet on the desk. “Of course!”\n\nShe had practiced this in her head for days now. To her delight, Ashley asked pointed questions, and had clearly read her report before. It was going so smoothly she was almost surprised when Ashley sat back on her desk, frowning, and hit the intercom button.\n\n“Sarah? Tell Oliver Miller than I want him in my office, 5 minutes ago.”\n\nThere was no reply, but Ashley didn’t seem alarmed, merely going through some more info with Sakura. She couldn’t believe her ears… Miller was the treasury director, the man in charge of her department, her more immediate boss. She had wanted to keep him out of the loop because she suspected that he was behind the inconsistencies in the first place. \n\nThe elevator’s doors opened, and said man walked inside in a hurry, adjusting his own tie and looking nervous. Sakura didn’t care for Miller much, if she was honest. He was a short, balding man that had never really inspired any confidence.\n\n“Oliver!” Ashley smiled, but there was an edge to it that sent a shiver down her spine. “Come on over! I just got the most interesting report, you see…” With a motion, Sakura’s report appeared on a massive monitor behind Ashley’s head. “… and I thought I’d ask you some things about it.”\n\nSakura felt Miller’s eyes bore into the back of her head, but she did her best to ignore it. If he was behind all this, she refused to cower here.\n\n… She got to watch as her actual boss tore her immediate boss a new one. Ashley’s comments were, much like when she was questioning her, direct and to the point, but the venom in her voice made Miller sputter as he struggled to defend himself.\n\nIn the end, Ashley leaned back against her desk and sighed. “You know, Oliver, I kept you around after I took over because everybody else kept telling me how skilled you were at this, but right now I’m just… disappointed.”\n\nMiller seemed to steel himself, and readjusted his jacket. “Oh please. All I did was piggyback off some of your own secret projects! You think I don’t know about your operations? Relic Hunt ring a bell Ms. Undine? The money you siphon into it is ten times what I took!”\n\nSakura felt herself pale, and glanced down at her tablet, quickly scrolling through her report while Miller continued to rant at Ashley who… who also seemed to be involved? What was this Relic Hunt thing? Did it show up anywhere in her report? She scanned through the entries, looking for any hint of what it could be or cost.\n\nA flash of gold accompanied by sudden silence interrupted her research. She looked up in confusion to see Miller standing in place, mouth hanging open. \n\nAshley sighed with disgust, and stood up. “Honestly… you’d think the people that win the most in the company would learn to be less greedy and keep their noses out of my business.” She looked at Sakura. “You know what I like? Competence! I like people that do their jobs better than anybody else could! I’m not even upset that he stole money from the company, I’m upset because he got caught by somebody that cares enough for their job to pay attention!”\n\nSakura shrank on her seat.\n\nAshley shook her head. “So… yeah, yeah, I cannot use this. Oliver? You are fired, and… hmm.” She licked her lips, thinking, and then nodding. “And… go ahead and swallow your tongue for me.”\n\nSakura’s eyes widened in a panic, even as Miller began to convulse. She sword she could see as he struggled to comply with the order, jaw working and making unintelligible sounds.\n\nAshley herself sighed. “Right, that’s dealt with. Now, Sakura—“\n\n“… Please don’t kill me.” Sakura stared in terror at Ashley, her eyes flickering from time to time to gaze at Miller, even as the man’s skin paled and began turning blue.\n\nAshley blinked. “… Kill…? Please, that would be a waste!” She scoffed and laughed, moving around the desk. “Competence and passion! You have that in spades. You might be a bit too naïve, but that’s easily fixed.”\n\nMiller was turning purple.\n\nSakura whimpered as Ashley took her face in a hand and leaned forward, cold smile still present in her face. “Competence, passion, drive, intelligence; all things that Undine Industries needs…! Ah, and of course, the most important of all…” Ashley traced a finger down her visible scar. “… Loyalty” With a quick move, she flipped the eyepatch up.\n\nLight poured through and…\n\n… and…\n\n… it was… so…\n\n... so…\n\n…\n\n… beautiful…\n\n…\n\n“Congratulations on your new position, Director Murasaki! I’m sure the people at the Treasury will have a lot to learn from you.”\n\nSakura smiled brightly. “I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity, Ms. Undine!”\n\nAshley pat her shoulder with a chuckle. “Please, just call me Ashley when we’re alone at work. We’ll be working together a lot!”\n\nSakura tittered, covering her mouth with a hand. “Then, I’ll have to insist you call me by my name as well… Ashley.”\n\n“That, I can do!” Ashley said, as she accompanied her to the elevator. “Now, I’ll let you go, because you have a lot of reorganizing to do, especially with that mess Miller left behind.”\n\nSakura sighed. “I’m aware. It’s just… disgusting. That man deserves everything that happens to him.”\n\nHer boss just chuckled at a private joke. “Oh, let’s just say he won’t be getting a severance package from us.”\n\nSakura laughed along with her. Sure, it was a bit mean spirited, but what a mess she had to deal with! She foresaw a few late nights in her immediate future. \n\nThe elevator’s door chimed and Ashley pat her back. “Go on now; I’m expecting great things from you, Sakura.”\n\nSakura merely walked into the elevator, and smiled as she saw the fading embers of Light still echoed in her eyes. She turned before the doors closed. “Of course! Everything for my Goddess.”\n\nHer Goddess smiled back, and it made everything worth it. \n\n​\n\n\\---\n\n​\n\n... finished writing this at 3am @\\_@",
"The bright lights, the chorus of sounds, the bustle and the beauty; The sudden *astounding* realization that there were millions of independent souls all around, each living out their own lives, their heads filled with their own dreams. \n\nIt was rare that Thomas made his way into the city outside of work, but nonetheless the journey always filled him with childlike wonder. His boss had given him the day off, a reward for another job well done. When he was promoted to Chief of Security, he doubted he would get many days off, so he decided to relish this one.\n\nHe’d gotten used to wearing the fine suits and watches his newfound wealth could buy, but he had grown up in poverty. The anonymity of city life gave him the opportunity to return to his roots. His mother had always said, “Stay humble, Tommy. Work hard, make something of yourself...but *never* forget from where you came.” \n\nHe wasn’t exactly sure where he was going. That would defeat the point. He was willing to let the tide of the city lead him. \n\nOn the corner, a harker stood outside a pub. “Fresh Barley, get it cheap. Refreshing drink, come wet ya tongue!” \n\nThomas smiled, *Sounds good.*\n\nThe booths and bar of the pub were packed. Odd, considering it was the middle of the day, but he supposed these were hard times. Lots of folk had lost their jobs, and men with no work often turned to drink. \n\nWhen Thomas approached the bar, everyone turned to eye him suspiciously. “Who are you,” the bartender growled. \n\n“You ain’t one of them Bellbourne boys, are you,” a grizzled man at the bar said. He had a long scar across his face, and an empty socket where his right eye should’ve been.”\n\nThomas smiled, “Blackbourne? Nah, I ain’t one of them posh bumblers. If I wasn’t in such a lighthearted mood, I might’ve taken that unkindly.” In truth he had no quarrel with Blackbourne, a slightly better off neighborhood across the way, but he knew of no better way to ingratiate himself than by shared distaste for a bitter rival. \n\nThose around him laughed. The grizzled man nodded, “Well said, lad.”\n\nThe bartender looked less amused. “Who are you,” he repeated. \n\nThomas took an open seat. “I’m passing through the city on my way to East Mill, thought I’d stop in for a drink.” \n\n“What’s in East Mill,” asked the one eyed man, “There a pretty girl there waitin for ya?”\n\n“One or two,” Thomas said, “But more importantly, I hear there’s work up that way.” \n\nOne-eye smiled, then gestured to the bartender. “Get the lad a drink,” he said, “The name’s Caffer. This here’s Todd, this is George, and the crotchety old grump pouring your drink is Sam.” \n\nSam set a tumbler filled with black liquid before him, and the others watched. *A test, then?*\n\nThomas picked up the glass, drained it in a single gulp, and set the tumbler upside down on the bar. The liquid felt like lead fire sliding down his throat, but he didn’t show it. *Trout Oil*, a nasty breed of alcohol only endured by hardy stock. \n\n“I’m Thomas,” he said, and held out his hand. \n\nAnd it seemed he passed, for Caffer gripped his hand and slapped him on the back. “Tommy, good on you. Well, look, you say you’re looking for work-“\n\nThe doors of the pub slammed open, cutting Caffer’s sentence short. A lanky young girl frantically scanned the room, then spotted Caffer and ran to his side. \n\n“Caffer, trouble, down Broad Side,” she panted. \n\n“Hold on, Sue, catch your breath,” Caffer said. The girl took a deep breath, and Caffer nodded, “Now tell me what the trouble is.” \n\nThomas could see the flood of panic and fear in the girl’s eyes even before the tears began to well up. “Those goons from out of town came back, knockin on doors and causin a scene, tryin to recruit the local boys,” she said, “My brother, Paul, told them this was Caffer Murphy’s turf, and they could piss off. ‘Aint no Rover boy gonna enlist in some posh outlander gang,’ he told em. And they...they didn’t,” she bit her lip, struggling to continue.\n\n“Go on,” Caffer said. \n\n“Things got messy, Paul sent me to run and tell you. They...Caffer...they were killing the men, beating the boys, and to the women and girls...”\n\nCaffer slammed a fist on the bar. “Alright lads, I’ve heard enough. Those unlucky bastards are wading into the wrong city.” \n\nThe men let up a cheer. \n\nCaffer looked to Thomas, “I know the sort that can handle themself in a messy spot, and you lad, you’re a killer if I’ve ever seen one. You said you was lookin for work. Come with us, and I’ll see you paid better than you’ll find in East Mill. What do you say, Tommy?”\n\nThomas nodded, “I’m in.”\n\n~\n\nThe girl, Sue, lead them through the web of streets at a pace he wouldn’t have guessed sustainable. The rage hung in the air, keeping the posse moving. \n\n“So these goons have been here before,” Thomas guessed. \n\n“Yeah. Past couple weeks they’ve been coming and trying to recruit,” Caffer said, “Their boss is some posh inventor from the Crown City. Apparently he’s putting together an army. My guess is he means to take down the king.” \n\nThomas’ eyes widened, surely if such a threat existed in the capitol he would’ve heard of it. \n\n“I ain’t never liked sucking at the Crown’s teet neither, but atleast the king don’t come into my city, bash my boys’ skulls in, and lay hands on this city’s fine women,” Caffer growled. \n\nThomas wasn’t particularly fond of the king himself, the man was weak, mindless, hopelessly ill equipped for his royal obligation. His boss had always petitioned the establishment of a republic, and Thomas thought that would be a good thing for everyone. But to stage a coup? That was just....wrong. \n\nThomas knew they approached the scene of the disturbance as the sound of wailing wounded and sobbing souls intensified. \n\nThey turned the corner, and what he saw was enough to turn a man’s stomach. The street was red with blood. Young boys, some no older than 14, lay with their throats slit, their faces bashed into something resembling wads of bloody cotton. \n\nThere were girls laying in the street too. Some crying. Others no longer moved, nor would they ever again.\n\nAnd in the center of it all, three burly men stood with bloody knuckles, red splattered on their fine silk suits. \n\n“Aye,” Caffer shouted, “You fuckers. The cavalry’s here!” \n\nThomas cracked his neck and squared his feet as the perpetrators turned to face him. Then his heart froze. He *knew* those men. \n\nSanders, Yaric, and Hull turned with mocking smiles. They weren’t in his unit, but he’d run joint operations with them in the past.\n\nYaric stepped forward confidently, but Hull slapped his shoulder and pointed to Thomas. Yaric shook his head, then saluted. “Captain!” \n\nCaffer spun to him, a look of bewildered fury on his face. “Captain?“ \n\nThomas’ world spun, and not from the heavy alcohol he’d downed earlier. Cognitive dissonance settled on his shoulders like a blanket. Then it was replaced by something else, something stronger by a measure of several degrees.\n\n*Rage.*\n\n~\n\nr/CharlestonChews \n\n",
"“Jim, I really do want to thank you for coming in today.” \n\nJim managed a nod as he sipped his coffee, trying to hide his anxiety. He never enjoyed his annual performance review. This one had started even worse than usual. For some reason, his manager, Derrick, had invited the managers of the other four divisions. Jim could hardly stand the gaze of one superior. When it came to the hardened stares of five of them…\n\nJim forced himself to take a deep breath. This had always been a possibility. His wife had told him as much the night before. Recently, there had been a score of openings in the company’s upper management. He was one of the company’s best and most experienced employees. It was only logical that they would bring in all the division heads to the interview. \n\n“Anyway,” Derrick continued, adjusting his glasses with a swollen finger. “This year’s performance review means a bit more than usual. I’m sure you’ve heard that there’s been a lot of movement within the company these past few months. The chairman is looking to bring some new blood into the ranks of his most trusted advisers.” \n\n“And you think … that I’m the man for the job?” Jim cringed as the managers burst into laughter. *Why did I say that? Good start, you idiot.*\n\n“It’s no secret that you’re the top financial analyst here. Your investments speak for themselves,” Derrick said after wiping the tears from his eyes. “The chairman knows I’m only as good as those working for me. Scott, you had a few words to say.” \n\nThe large man to the left of Derrick nodded. “Scott, head of asset acquisitions, but I’m sure you already knew that.” He flashed a perfectly fake smile. “Your rate of return has been remarkably consistent over the past five years, Jim. We’ve all noticed – especially the chairman. Don’t think I didn’t know that you’ve been dishing out advice on which of the destroyed properties would best fit our asset portfolio.” \n\n*Well, who wouldn’t want to help with that?* The losses had been directly related to the increasing battles between so-called heroes and villains in the city streets. It had only taken a simple data analysis to see which of the foreclosed properties were being undervalued. Jim opened his mouth to reply, but Scott instantly cut him off. \n\n“You’ve already made us millions, Jim.” He turned to one of the other suits. “Martha.” \n\nThe slender woman to the other side of Derrick spoke next. “Martha, head of technologies.” She too had an excellent professional smile. “That tip you brought forth concerning the discovery of radioactive elements at some of the battle sites has made the chairman very happy, Jim. He wanted me to personally thank you.” \n\nThis time, Jim did manage to get a word in. “Just something I read online…”\n\n“What we’re trying to tell you, Jim,” Derrick said after a moment, “is that you got the promotion.”\n\nFor an instant, Jim smiled. Then, he narrowed his eyes. “And what exactly is the promotion?” \n\n“Starting today, you’ll be the chairman’s new right-hand man,” Derrick explained. “You’ll be advising him directly on any financial matters related to this new wave of *superhumans*. The chairman sees a lot of potential in this project.” \n\nJim’s jaw dropped. “The … chairman? I’ve never even met him before.”\n\n“Relax,” Scott laughed. “He’s a great guy.” \n\n“And you said that I’m starting today?” \n\nDerrick nodded and slid a black keycard across the table. “He’s waiting for you on the top floor. Good luck, Jim.” \n\n“Um … thanks.” \n\nBefore Jim knew what had happened, he had been led from the conference room and into the elevator. As it rose to the top floor, he adjusted his hair in the large mirror, trying his best to conceal his growing bald spot. He frowned as he noticed a stain on his tie. \n\n*Guess it’s too late to fix now,* he sighed as the door opened. \n\nA beautiful woman promptly rose from the desk situated to the right of the engraved doors at the end of the hall. Jim averted his wandering eyes to the color-changing waterfall that dominated the wall to his left. \n\n“You must be Jim,” the woman smiled in greeting. \n\n“That’s me,” he laughed nervously, strategically turning his gaze to the window overlooking the city. Already, columns of smoke rose from the lower east side. Likely, there had been another battle. \n\n“The chairman should be back any minute now.” She motioned to a few chairs arranged around a glossy wooden table set before the spotless windows. “Sit anywhere you like.” \n\nJim managed a nod before taking his seat. Instantly, he pulled his phone from his pocket and informed his wife of the morning’s happenings. As he sent the message and locked the screen, a crimson streak of light flashed across the window before him. What seemed a heartbeat later, the oaken doors cracked open and a tall man in a suit stepped into the lobby, smelling strongly of smoke. \n\n“Welcome aboard, Jim,” the chairman beamed, adjusting his tie. “We have so much to discuss.” \n\n \n\n[r/creatorcorvin](https://www.reddit.com/r/creatorcorvin/)\n"
] | 5
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[WP] It turns out all humans have a highly infectious but non dangerous disease. Until one day it begins developing lethal symptoms.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Joslyn leaned back in her chair, eyes unfocussing on the monitor in front of her. The air conditioning was being worked on today and so the office was much warmer than usual. The post-lunch coma was something even animals were smart enough to incorporate into their anatomy. Only the idiot humans of modern society fought it, favoring productivity over everything else. At the moment, Joslyn was shamefully useless. Numbers and letters were running together on the screen and this cheap, office-provided computer chair was feeling more comfortable by the second. Eyelids were heavy, lying about only needing to shut for \"just a few in minutes.\" Joslyn's mouth stretched wide, wanting to open more than it was designed to as she audibly yawned.\n\n\"Hey, cut that out,\" said Mark, at the adjacent desk. \"Its contagious.\" He had sunk low into his chair, cracking the seal on a bottle of water.\n\n\"Can't help it,\" she said, rubbing the extra tears from her eyes. \"Its too warm in here. When are they going to be done with the A/C? They were at it this morning when I...\" The rest of the words were lost in another mighty yawn.\n\nAbe, from across the room, turned around in his chair, seeing his drowsy coworkers failing to focus on their work. \"When I came back from lunch, I saw the repairmen just sitting outside, having a smoke.\"\n\n\"Figures,\" mumbled Joslyn, conceding defeat and allowing her eyelids to fall. \"That's what happens when you pay before the job is done.\"\n\nAbe stretched and yawned a great growl. \"Gah, now you got me doing it!\" \n\nMark, as well, tried and failed to suppress his own, screwing up his face something weird. \"Dang it. This is all your fault,\" he said, tossing his bottle cap at Joslyn. It landed in her open maw as she had already passed out, a nasal snore emminatimg loudly.\n\n\"Heh. Look where it landed.\" Abe giggled softly as he slid into the floor. Mark attempted to rest his head on his arm and missed. His forehead banged the desk and he was out soon after. \n\nAcross the street at the cafe, a man enjoying his coffee happened to look up and see the three coworkers nodding off. He managed a chuckle before he found himself yawning too. The waitress saw this as well and within minutes, her tray heavy with lattes was spilling across the ground as she collapsed. The rest of the cafe was yawning soon and falling out themselves. The driver in a passing bus happened to see this and barely had time to wonder why there seemed to be so many tired people over there before his cheek was leaning on the window and bus coasting off the road.\n\nIn no time, cars were running up on sidewalks, cats lost balance on fences and tree branches, dogs stopped chasing after frisbees and flopped over on sunny grass, pedestrians lost coordination and were slumping against one another or buildings or street signs. The city had taken a collective yawn and dropped off to sleep together. Some would fare well, as they were inside and already sitting on furniture. Others were on the stairs, dangerous place to pass out. Fry cooks, hopefully had the wherewithal to turn off kitchen equipment before curling up on the floor. Drivers on the highway were almost uniformly done for though. \n\nIt took seven days and a citywide cordon by the CDC before they confirmed that yawns were contagious and now unyielding if anyone saw, heard, or thought too hard about the concept. Energy drinks sold out and people began avoiding others eyes, so to not accidentally start another Blackout. Others began wearing helmets or strapping a pillow to the back of their heads so if they did drop off, they had some protection. Stock in mattress stores went up as people bought more and placed them in key spots to avoid tired tumbles. The condition was dubbed the Snooze Button by curious forums online. Humanity had to adjust, realigning society to allow for longer sleep times during the night, and siesta after lunch. Mandatory. Tired people were treated like Typhoid Mary and the narcoleptic all sent to ghettos. Working with animals and small children who didn't know any better was dangerous and the brave professionals who entered those careers revered as heroes. \n\nFrom then on, the strange condition claimed several thousand lives per year, but humanity as a whole was better rested."
] | 2
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[WP] You're a detective with an interesting talent --you find clues to your cases in fortune cookies, but only one clue per day.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"Remind me again when you last spoke to your mother,\" I ask the young man across the living room.\n\n\"Four days ago, on the third.\" The young man, seemingly in his early twenties, paced the first floor relentlessly, checking under and behind anything he could get his hands on. \"It's been some time since we went so long without speaking.\"\n\n\"And when you came to check on her, she wasn't here, is that correct?\" I respond, scribbling notes to keep everything in order in my mind.\n\n\"More than just not here. She won't answer her phone or anything else, I can't get ahold of her at all.\" He was rummaging through a cabinet for the third time since my arrival.\n\n\"Alright, Joseph, hear me out,\" I say calmly as I close the notebook. \"Digging through stuff like this won't help. You've already said the only thing odd on this whole floor are those two cups,\" I say as I point at a pair of teacups sitting on a dining room table, clearly used. \"We need to look somewhere else. Would you mind letting me look about upstairs?\"\n\n\"The only rooms upstairs are two bedrooms and a bath.\"\n\n\"And her bedroom would be a great place to start, wouldn't you agree?\"\n\nJoseph contemplated for a moment before letting out a sigh. \"Fair enough. Follow me.\"\n\nWe rounded a corner and I followed Joseph up a small flight of stairs and down a hall to a door at the end. Inside the room was little to note: a desk, closet of full of hung clothing, a wardrobe, and a large bed with many, many pillows.\n\n\"Quaint little spot. Would you mind checking her desk for anything out of the ordinary? I'm going to have a quick snack to kickstart the old brain, if you don't mind.\" I pull out a fortune cookie and wave it in front of me with a smile. \"Would you like one as well?\"\n\nJoseph ignored my offer and headed straight to the desk, rummaging haphazardly through the drawers, digging through folders and the like.\n\nThe young man's eagerness was inspiring, if nothing else, so it was about time I pulled out my own trick. I ate the cookie quickly and pored over the fortune inside, front and back.\n\nA clean conscience is a soft pillow.\n\nLucky numbers: 14 *28* 7\n\n\"Hmm,\" I mumble as I check the fortune over and glance around the room. \"I think I see what you want.\" I tuck the fortune in my pocket and raise my voice so Joseph can hear me again. \"Tell me, what is the other bedroom for? Your mother lived alone, didn't she?\"\n\n\"It was my room before, but she turned it into a guest bedroom after I moved out. Did you want to look at it?\" He closed up the last of the drawers, having seemed to have found nothing to report.\n\n\"Could you do me the favor? Just a quick skim to see if anyone had stayed there recently. There's something in here I want to look at myself.\"\n\n\"Sure, I suppose.\" He walked out of the room and down the hall.\n\nI immediately move to the bed and start feeling over the many pillows, checking for anything solid inside. Sure enough, one small pillow buried beneath the others came up suspicious. Inside the casing was what appeared to be a small diary. Easy enough, *clean conscience* and *soft pillow* weren't exactly the most cryptic clues, after all.\n\nThe diary, however, was locked. With a full padlock, nonetheless. I pull the fortune back out of my pocket in frustration to check it again; they don't normally land me at dead ends. My eyes land on the back of the fortune, on the lucky numbers.\n\n14 *28* 7\n\n\"Tricky, tricky cookie,\" I mumble under my breath, chuckling all the while. Not often I get two clues in one go. I return to the lock, rotating it clockwise to 14, counter-clockwise back past that and to 28, and clockwise again to 7. *Click*. \"Bingo.\"\n\nHearing footsteps coming down the hall, I shove the lock back into the pillowcase and the fortune back to my pocket.\n\n\"Looks the same as always to me.\" Joseph said as he entered the room again. His eyes narrowed and head tilted as he spotted the book in my hands. \"What's that? And where'd you find it?\"\n\nI sit on the bed and prepare to open the book. \"Not the first time I've found a diary in a pillow. Were you aware that your mother kept this?\"\n\n\"Not at all. Are you planning to look through it?\"\n\n\"Only the last entry or three, if they're recent.\" I flip backwards through the empty pages as Joseph slowly takes a seat next to me on the bed. \"Her privacy is not my business.\"\n\n\"I appreciate it.\"\n\n\"Don't mention it.\" I locate the final entry and read aloud, \"May 3rd\"\n\n\"That's four days ago!\" Joseph leaned in much closer than before.\n\n\"The last day you spoke to her, if I recall.\" I clear my throat and continue, \"Today was most wonderful. Mr. Hale and I had a beautiful evening out. He even pleasantly offered to return for lunch and tea tomorrow afternoon. I'm looking forward to it so much. It may be about time to introduce him to Joseph. I'm sure he'll love him as much as I do.\"\n\nJoseph was staring at the text almost blankly.\n\n\"I'll take it you've never heard of the man?\" I asked, recieving a silent no in response. \"Here.\" I handed Joseph the diary. \"Read a little further back and see if you can find his full name for me. I'm going to double check something downstairs, meet me there when you're done.\" I handed him the diary and stood up, returning to the downstairs table where the teacups sat.\n\nThey seemed innocuous enough at a glance, but with one cup still holding around half its liquid, a possibility rose to the forefront of my mind. I retrieved a kit from my briefcase near the entrance and collected a sample of the tea to have tested later, and as I put everything back away, Joseph returned from the upstairs.\n\n\"Found it,\" he said. \"His name is Wilbur. Wilbur Hale. A contractor of some sort, she met him about a week and a half ago when he did some work on her roof.\"\n\n\"Thank you, Joseph. I'll see what I can find on him.\"\n\n\"Did you find what you needed? Is there anything else I can do?\"\n\n\"Calm down, young man. I got what I came for.\" I put my hand on his shoulder, and looked him in the eye. \"For now, go home and rest. I have things to do yet tonight, but I won't be able to talk to Mr. Hale until at least tomorrow. It's late now. I know your worried, but these things take time. And warrants, more often than not.\"\n\nJoseph's gaze fell and the eagerness left his voice. \"Ya, of course. I'll lock up behind you.\n\nI got my briefcase and made sure I had everything before leaving the house. It was early evening, and I could *maybe* get the information needed to speak to Mr. Hale tonight, but that could be a rather lengthy visit and I wouldn't want to tip him off when I can't guarantee a chance to look inside. Better safe than sorry, and I do only got one fortune a day, after all. Wouldn't want to rush things."
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[WP] you just died, you wake up at a slumber party with your past lives
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The sun was slowly rising over the horizon from its sleep and as the rays of light began to touch my face, I opened my eyes. Just a little but enough to find out, I was not in my bed nor was I in my house. I didn't recognise the place I woke up at, but then again, my head did hurt a lot, so I probably just passed out at some party. There were a lot of red solo cups lying around me alongside with glass bottles, some were even on top of me.\n\n​\n\n\"Hey, wake up,\" said someone as he slapped me in the face. The pain from the slap began to sting. For some reason my whole body was in agony when I tried to move to look at the guy that slapped me. My vision was still a little blury, but he did seem familiar. \n\n​\n\n\"What the hell? What did you do that for?\" I mumbled in the direction of that person.\n\n​\n\n\"Well, you were asleep for quite some time here. It's time to wake up.\" This voice belonged to a different person, but they both sounded strangely similiar. \n\n​\n\n\"Where even am I?\" I asked. My vision was finally returning to me, so I could eye the people who just woke me up. I opened my eyes a little more and, strangely enough, found myself staring into a mirror. With one slight difference. The mirror was speaking back to me.\n\n​\n\n\"Oh, so you don't know what happened to you?\" was their next question. I was still trying to comprehend what was going on. \n\n​\n\n\"What- what do you mean? What happened?\" As I finished the sentence, my whole body went up in flames. It felt as if all my bones broke at the same time. I only managed to let out a loud moan.\n\n​\n\n\"Don't move too much. You didn't die in a pretty way.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Die? Am I- am I dead?\" Suddenly, my mind was jumpstarted again and I could see it all. The crossing, the truck, and me, lying on the ground, lifeless. The person continued speaking, but I couldn't hear him, because somebody turned the music on and it was too loud to hear anything and I was still absorbing what I've been just told. More people gathered around me, all strangely similiar to me. Sure, they had different hair and clothes, but other then that, they were almost perfect copies. I saw some guys in the kitchen doing shots, some of them were passed out and the rest was around the couch I was lying on.\n\n​\n\n\"Yeah, dude, we all are dead,\" said one of them, \"and to make it better, we're all you, just from your previous lives.\"\n\n​\n\n\"Is this what heaven looks like?\" I asked as I was unable to think about anything else.\n\n​\n\n\"Heaven? Do you really think you're lucky enough to go to heaven?\"",
"“Another one already? I thought this one would last at least thirty years.”\n\nMy eyes begin to open to the strangest words of someone who sounded particularly familiar. I’m met with the view of a white ceiling. I must be dreaming, right? I’ll close my eyes. I’m not ready to wake up just yet. It feels like all energy has been swept out of my entire body.\n\n“This one’s probably about twenty-three. What’s the oldest we’ve got here?”\n\n“Fifty-nine.”\n\n“That’s the record to beat. Wow, we suck.”\n\nWhy do the voices in this conversation sound so the same and so familiar all at once? I must be dreaming. This is a weird one.\n\nWithout any warning, I feel two hands grab either wrist of mine and I am grabbed from my slumber. My eyes open and there are at least twenty of the same person in front of me, all different ages. The one on my left has to be over forty while the other on my right is… me?\n\n“Hey, we must’ve died around the same age, bud,” he says. I am definitely dreaming. “No, you’re not dreaming. We can read each other’s minds here. Dirty thoughts are banned, by the way. Just saying.”\n\nI look around. It’s like staring into over twenty mirrors, some with ageing turned on. I loosen my wrists from the grip of the two who sat me up to rub my eyes.\n\n“Okay. If I’m not dreaming, then what’s going on? You all look like me.”\n\n“You are dead, bud. We’re all the other lives you’ve ever lived. Welcome to your worst nightmare!”\n\nWait. It’s all coming back to me now. I was just walking out of McDonald’s with a Happy Meal. I was walking over the zebra crossing towards my car and I got lightly nudged in the back of the knee by a car that wasn’t looking. I remember falling and hitting my head on the rail by the pavement. Wow, that must’ve been a pretty big whack. What a crummy way to die.\n\n“If this is all true, then please tell me I’m not the dumbest death here? Please?”\n\n“Number seventeen died by slipping on a banana peel. Number twenty-two tried to mail himself to his own birthday party, but got picked up by a garbage truck by accident and was crushed to death in the back. You’re good.”"
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[WP] You are a writer who just finished working on a drama set in the current year of 2019. Just as you finish printing it, however, you're sent back in time to 1989. The only way to get home is to sell that movie and get it to theaters with as few changes as possible.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"It's a nice script and all, but what's with this magic box thing?\"\n\nThe producer looked down at Tara from behind his big, cherry wood executive desk, her script crinkled in his big, rough hands.\n\nTara fidgeted with her now useless smart watch. This was going about as well as her last meeting about her script.\n\n\"Really,\" the producer continued, \"science fiction elements are popular these days, but they at least have to be plausible or relatable.\"\n\nTara started to explain but he cut her off and kept talking.\n\n\"A box with all the answers? Let's you communicate with anyone anywhere, even outside the cities? Tells you how to get anywhere and shows you pictures of the location? That's absurd. Your story takes place in 2019, not 3019. Get rid of it.\"\n\nTara started to protest, but he threw the script back at her.\n\n\"And your characters are completely unlikeable.\" the producer continued as Tara got up.\n\"If I had a box like that, I could take over the freaking world.\" the man said, gesticulating animatedly. \n\nTara wasn't sure if she should leave or politely let him finish his rant. She chose the latter; it was at least nice to see someone have a strong emotional reaction to something she wrote.\n\n\"Your characters\" the producer said, raising his voice in incredulity. \"Your characters just use it to send each other pictures of dogs. Dogs!\"\n\nHis wild arms knocked over his calendar, spilling out onto the floor. 1989, it said, reminding Tara of her predicament.\n\nShe had traveled back in time somehow, and could only get back to 2019 if she sold her script. It was like the plot of a bad sci fi show, one that this idiot in front of her would probably love.\n\nBut, here she was, and it was not going well.\n\n\"Dogs!\" The man said again. \"The things I could do...\"\n\nTara walked backwards out the door, shutting it quietly behind her. She could still hear the producer ranting through the thick wood.\n\nThe man's secretary smiled at Tara. \"Sound like it went well in there.\" She said. \"He doesn't throw a fit for just any script, you know.\"\n\nTara smiled. \"Thanks,\" she said, turning to leave.\n\n\"You might want to stick around for a few minutes,\" the secretary said with a smirk.\n\nTara looked at her and waited, but the secretary went back to typing on her ancient looking computer.\n\nThe producer's big door burst open.\n\n\"Wait,\" the man said. \"I changed my mind. I can work with this.\"\n\nTara's face lit up for a second, then became suspicious. The were changes coming.\n\n\"We'll need to make some changes, of course.\" He said. \"You can keep your magic box, but if this is really going to be 2019, we'll need to add some flying cars in there. Nobody's going to be driving around on the ground by then, that's stupid. And robot maids. Everyone will have at least one of those of course. But I thinking this will work.\"\n\n\"Flying cars?\" Tara said.\n\n\"It's more plausible than your stupid Apricot box or whatever. And everyone likes flying cars. Anyway, make those changes and we're good. What do you say?\"\n\nTara sighed. Then rolled her eyes. \"Why not.\" She said.\n\n----\n\nIn a puff of smoke, Tara found herself back in 2019. But all was not as it was. Her aparment was on fire, for one thing. A car had smashed into her living room. A difficult thing to do, considering she was on the 20th floor.\n\nTara started toward the car to see if anyone was still inside.\n\n\"Stay back, I am programmed to assist\" a female voice said as a metallic woman walked calmly past her to the car. \"Just subscribe to my premier tier and I can have the occupants rescued within minutes. Do you confirm?\"\n\n\"What have I done?\" Tara said.\n\n\"I'm sorry, I didn't understand that last statement\" the metallic woman said."
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[WP]So your saying you fell of your bed and woke up here? No that's not what I'm saying! My bed grew teeth and ate me, and I fell through some kind of tunnel and found myself in this place.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"\"So you're saying you fell off your bed and woke up here?\" questioned the bartender. \"No, that's not what I'm saying! My bed grew teeth and ate me, and I fell through some sort of underground tunnel and found myself here!\".\n\nThe bartender raised an eyebrow. He gestured to the bulky men standing near the entrance. They nod in response.\n\nOne of the men approached me, \"Hey sir, you are drunk, we are gonna have to show you the way out\".\n\n\"Wait, no! I'm speaking the truth, I have no idea how the flipping heck I got here!\"\n\nThe men grabbed me by the shoulders, and it wasn't before long I found myself thrown at the doorstep of the bar.\n\nAs I hear the doors softly shut behind me, I tried to regain my composure, still bewildered at how I arrived here. People along the street took at quick glimpse at the commotion before showing disgusted looks and continuing upon their way.\n\nI took in the sights of my surroundings for the first time. Surrounding me were low-rise terrace houses, my surroundings much appear like a typical London street. The street lamps flickered and a few people were making about their way.\n\nAs a lady walked past me, I noticed something unusual, she seemed to have sewing marks on her face, and not one from a nasty scar. This marks extend throughout her face, through to her exposed shoulders and legs, like as if she is a puppet of some sort. I rubbed my eyes and stood up and then struggled to maintain my balance. It seems as if I was standing on a bed, the floor is soft and spongy.\n\n\"What the heck?\", I snapped.\n\nThe lady that was walking past turned to look at me. Instead of having eyes, she had buttons sewed onto her face. “What the hell?”, I immediately sprang up and ran. As I ran, each step of mine sank into the soft ground. Turning back to look, I knocked against something soft.\n\n\"Hey, watch your way!\" a voice snapped. \"Oh, I'm so sorry, I was running away from..\" I turned to see where the voice had came from, I was greeted by another face with buttons for eyes. I stumbled backwards in shock, into an alleyway. The man or rather, puppet, took another look and continued upon its way.\n\nI laid my back against some soft comfy stacks of newspaper. \"Where the fuck am I?\"\n\nThe stacks of newspaper I was leaning on split apart. I fell backwards into a hole and a set of teeth closes sealing the opening. My vision turns pitch black…\n\n\nI was awaken by a voice, \"Hey do you want a beer?\". I opened my eyes. A bartender was staring at me in the face. He has drawn-on facial features and his face is folded into shape, much like origami. \"I.. I.. Some stacks of newspaper ate me... *And...*\""
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[WP] you are all that stands between humanity and destruction. You are basically a roach motel for cosmic beings and divinities and they can never seem to break out of, or influence you.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
" \n\nIn Chakram, privacy is a luxury. My house (if I dare call it that) is a humid shack next to a busy market, where the prying eyes of the rest of my fellow inmates are only subdued by thin sheets of cloth that I have procured to cover the various gaps of wood in my house. \n\nTo those who live outside the nightmare, my house may seem like a shithole. However, to those inside, I live like a king. Most of the unfortunate souls who have the displeasure of calling Chakram their home live in tents or on the streets, so I should count myself lucky. Those who live in the tower, may be luckiest of all. \n\nThose prudes who live in the tower do not live in cloth or wood, but bricks! Can you believe their audacity! Parading around as if they own the place. They’re no better than the rest of us. I built this shack, you know! It took me several hundred years to find the right person to buy wood from and another several hundred to steal the money to afford it. \n\nYou know what I’m going to do? I’m going to make a list of all of the things I hate about this place.\n\n1. The nightmare always smells like burning garbage. Needless to say, I do not like the smell of burning garbage.\n\n2. It’s always hot. Seriously. Even when all of the suns go down, the temperature never wavers. There is no wind, nor any relief. Over the years I have been here, I estimate that it must be at least over 50 degrees.\n\n3. There is a man who sets up his food stall only a few meters away from my house. ‘Get your scorpions! Nice and crispy!’, will he ever shut the fuck up? How can someone set up their stall in the same spot four hundred years in a row!\n\n4. The wardens, I best not speak of them. \n\nI like making lists, and I like this one especially. On my list of favourite lists, I think that would be second. \n\nSorry if I sound a bit peculiar, it’s hard to keep yourself entertained here. The only thing in the nightmare that isn’t stripped from you are your thoughts. My mind is sacred, and I refuse to allow my delicious reserves of sanity to be drained. \n\nI should probably cut to the chase here. \n\nIf you are reading this, I have either escaped, or by some absolute miracle, have managed to have died. You see; I came into possession of a segment of knowledge.\n\nThis knowledge, this very important knowledge, is important. The importance of this important knowledge is, to say the least...\n\nImportant. \n\nI know where we are.\n\nYes... You heard that right. Chakram; the city of thorns, the only beacon of civility in the nightmare, is just that. In a nightmare. Why did no one think of this sooner? We dismissed the nightmare as a sliver of reality, locked away from time and space, but we were wrong.\n\nThe nightmare truly is just a dream. The dream of a single man. This is why our landscapes change and shift; as the human mind is not solid, and the sub-conscience shifts and wavers.\n\nThis information does not offer me nor anyone else relief. It does not offer us any way to explain the horrible perversions of time and space that we in the nightmare suffer. It offers us something much, much greater.\n\nA way out.\n\n ",
"After brushing my teeth for the morning, I spit into the sink- one, two, then three times. I took a handful of water and tossed it in my mouth before gargling out the rest at the back of my throat.\n\nI took some mouthwash, swished it around my mouth for about thirty seconds and spit it into the sink.\n\nRed.\n\nInstead of blue, transparent, tartar-controlling mouthwash, a red, viscous ooze spilled forth from between my lips. It fell to the sink with a wet, audible _splat._\n\nMy hand went to my mouth. I hadn’t felt a thing. Was there blood under my teeth? Did I cut something in my mouth? I reasoned through both possibilities in a flash; the amount of blood that now swirled down the sink drain looked to be well over half of what was already in my veins.\n\nA moment later, the sink plug started to shake and rattle. I pulled the rod behind the faucet up, closing the drain.\n\nA brief mental lapse shocked me. Fog slammed down on my mind. My forehead started to burn and my skull became heavier and heavier by the second. The synapses orchestrating thought stopped short.\n\nThe “power” flickered back on and I began to think straight again.\n\n_Oh, right. If you start coughing up blood, you should probably go to the doctor._\n\nI opened my mouth to check for abrasions in my gums or something similar, but all I saw was a fuzzy-winged butterfly sitting on my tongue, completely still except for its wings slowly rising and falling.\n\nAll I wondered was how it got there. It crawled out of my mouth on skinny little legs, and took flight before landing on the bathroom mirror.\n\nI experienced another brief mental lapse during which my mind went blank. When I started thinking again, the butterfly was gone without a trace.\n\nI looked down and saw the sink full of water. Miniature animals swam beneath the surface- things like dolphins, jellyfish, cuttlefish, mermaids, octopi...\n\nRealizing that one of those was not like the others, I peered into the sink. I got a closer look and realized that it wasn’t... the sink. It was the ocean materialized inside the sink. The sink had, sort of... it became the ocean. My head ached as I looked for an acceptable analogy to the phenomenon inside my bathroom.\n\nI experienced another lapse. It was shorter this time. After it passed, the sink was empty, but sitting on the closed plug was a single flower, its purple bud sealed up into a ball.\n\nAs I leaned closer, the flower opened up into a beautiful array of green petals. In the center was the upper body of a tiny yellow man attached to the flower’s center with arms outstretched.\n\nHe was screaming.\n\nAt first, it was quiet, but as I made out the face of the small man, the screaming grew louder and louder until it filled my ears. It was a painful, agony-ridden sound- the deafening shriek of a being who, above everything else, did not want to be forgotten.\n\nA chill shot up my spine. I, too, felt his pain for a moment- the agony of being completely and utterly alone, forced to drown hundreds and hundreds of times at the very bottom of the world. I felt as though I was being forced underwater.\n\nThen, all of a sudden, I was _actually_ underwater, floating just below the surface of the sea.\n\nI looked down and saw the abyss stretched out before my eyes. I felt it call my name- quietly at first, but increasing in volume each time.\n\nSuddenly, the abyss- manifested entirely in the form of a great, vast, serpentine abomination- came surging furiously up from the depths, mouth agape and eager to partake of the flesh that had just wandered into its habitat. I could not scream. It swallowed me whole, and I plunged into its dark maw.\n\nI careened through the purest nothing I’d ever seen. The void was darker than closed eyes, and the nothingness choked me.\n\nJust then, I stopped moving entirely and felt the nothingness release its grip. The void seemed done with me. It was then that an intense light exploded before my eyes, illuminating the darkness and radiating from the wings of a gigantic hairy butterfly.\n\nIt was beautiful for the first couple seconds before the light stung. It attacked my eyes and stabbed my ears. For a brief moment, I heard stars and saw thunder. \n\nThe light spoke to me about a plan to bring everlasting peace to humankind, and as I listened, I realized it was talking about a mass genocide. I could not reply, for just as the freezing void had choked me at the throat, halting all expression, the seething light forced its hand down my mouth, for it knew only its own ways and lashed out at what it did not make.\n\nThe light moved away. Something threw me back hard, and before I knew it I was back in the bathroom.\n\nMy head was throbbing and pounding. I’d forgotten my name for the most fleeting of moments.\n\nThe brief silence was interrupted by more rattling. The sink plug was loosening. I reached forward, and pushed down the rod, opening the drain.\n\nLegion after legion of rats came pouring from the drain, covering the sink, walls and floor. The pestilence they brought with them rotted everything away in seconds.\n\nThe rats began to crawl up my legs, tearing at my clothes with their teeth. Their claws scraped at my skin, diseases harboring millennium-old grudges against humanity swarming into the cuts.\n\n**Surrender to the rot.**\n\nThe voices of eon-old things rang in my head. Their wills alone held weight enough to shatter the tile floor beneath my feet.\n\n**I have so much guiding light to show you.**\n\nThe lightbulbs above the mirror shattered and morphed into beautiful, bright butterflies.\n\n**The abyss will swallow you.**\n\nWater erupted from the toilet like a great fountain, pouring out across the floor until it advanced upon my knees.\n\n**I refuse to be forgotten.**\n\nThe walls split open. Vegetation and foliage poured out from the cracks. Flowers bloomed and opened, loudly screaming desires to be remembered until the end of all things that could remember.\n\nThe rats ate the butterflies, tearing them wing from wing in their teeth. The butterflies touched the flowers, causing them to wither into ash. The vines coiled around and suffocated the rats. Everything that touched the rising water, which was now up to my chest, drowned.\n\nThis has been going on for 10 years.\n\nEvery single day, for ten years straight.\n\nI wake up, and am treated to a psychosis-inducing horror show, hosted by awful, abhorrent things that sunder the fabric of reality with their presence alone. They are inside me, unable to escape, though this does not stop them from trying.\n\nI do not know where they came from, what they want, or why they’re here. But I know one thing: if they were to be released, they would destroy us all, and that’s reason enough for me.\n\nThe rats are in my hair, the butterflies are trying to get in my mouth, the water is almost up to my neck, and the flowers have exceeded tolerable volume.\n\nI’m pretty sure it’s just them against me, but every time this happens, I feel something else... _stand up._ It isn’t pestilence, light, darkness, or a demand to be remembered. It’s something else- something more human.\n\nI felt it stand up once more to assert itself...\n\n**”Knock it off.”**\n\nEverything stopped. The rats disintegrated, the butterflies flickered out of existence, the water drained back into the toilet, and the vines retreated into the walls.\n\nThe sink plug closed again, the lightbulbs came back together, the floor turned dry, and the walls sealed themselves back up. The only thing that stayed the same was the cracked floor.\n\nI took some mouthwash, swished it around my mouth for about thirty seconds and spit it into the sink.\n\nBlue."
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[WP] The first 50 settlers land on Mars. One of which, unbeknownst to anyone, is a serial killer.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“Computer, cancel all my afternoon appoints.” \n\n“Yes, Doctor.” \n\nDr Paddy Jenkins was a busy woman....but *this* was important.\n\nMars, in general, was a rather private place, what with only 49 other settlers to share the entire orb. Even so, Paddy’s office was perhaps the *most* private spot on the planet. \n\n\nEach of the 50 colonists selected to be on the first settlement fleet represented an important cog in the system, but *she* was above them all. The trials and tribulations of colonization would put a massive psychological strain on the settlers, the GSF had foreseen this, and thus they understood the necessity of having a skilled Psychotherapist to tend the precious little martian flock. She, Paddy Jenkins, was a shepherd. At least, that’s how she saw herself. \n\nThe GSF paid her top dollar, and afforded certain special privileges. Privileges like the ability to mandate the extraction of any colonist from their daily duties and confine them to her office for reasons and durations undisclosed. \n\nShe took a deep breath. *A shepherd. THE shepherd.*\n\nShe opened the heavy door of fabricated Mahogany leading to the room where her patient waited. \n\nJack Bagby rubbed his hands briskly on his thighs. “Doctor Jenkins. Hey. What’s all this...um, I mean, *why* am I here?”\n\nPaddy eyed him, *Yes, it’s even worse than I thought.* “You can give up the act, Jack. I’m here to help.” \n\nHis hands froze in place. “The....act?” \n\nPaddy took a seat behind her desk. She opened a drawer and drew out her auto-notetaker. “You’re a good engineer, Mr Bagby, a great one even. There’s no doubt you had all the qualifications and accolades requisite to earn your spot on the colonization fleet. But there’s something you haven’t told us, isn’t there?”\n\nThey sat, gazes locked, for a long and tense moment of silence. The patient broke first, sighing and looking away.\n\n“I see,” Jack said somberly, “If you don’t mind my asking, how did you know?” \n\nPaddy smiled, partly satisfied that her prognosis had once again been on the spot, partly pleased that he’d come clean so quickly. “The signs are all there. You’ve lost weight, I’d guess you haven’t been eating much at all. The bags under your eyes suggest sleep has gone the way of your appetite too. You’ve always been a model worker, but now the other engineers say you’ve become disinterested or disengaged, that you’re struggling to concentrate on and complete your tasks. Even now I can see your hands trembling, your face pale, and your palms sweaty.”\n\nJack squinted, the only outward sign of his bewilderment. \n\nPaddy continued, “You’re experiencing withdrawal, Jack. Perhaps you came here in the hopes of snapping your rotten addiction. It’s not ideal, but we...I *can* help you. So I guess the only question I have for you is this: What Earthly elixir can’t you find here on Mars that the deprivation of which causes you to suffer so greatly?” \n\nA slow smile spread across Jack’s face until, at last, his lips peeled back in a wide, toothy, grin. A deep well of laughter bubbled up in his belly, then it rushed upward, past his throat and out of his mouth like the sudden eruption of a volcano. \n\nPaddy recoiled instinctively. There was something feral and unnatural, something *terrifying*, about that crazed laughter. “What’s so funny,” she said. \n\nJack wiped tears away from his eyes, “Oh Doctor, you have no idea. You’re right in one regard....how I *have* suffered for my craving....”\n\n~\n\nr/CharlestonChews \n\n\n"
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[WP] “Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic”. The thing is, it also works the other way around. You, an incredibly powerful wizard, are making your way in Silicon Valley selling magical artifacts to the world’s electronic consumers.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"“I have just one more thing”\n\nThose are the words that they remember. Well, that and the black turtle necks \n\nClose to death, I lay on my bed, contemplating whether I really did help the world become a better place. Sure, I inspired millions, but they were all lies. I helped countless people, but I deceived them too. \n\nIt’s time to tell the truth. We can’t just have humanity blindly live their lives, not knowing about the power they have in their hands. I decided it was time.\n\nSlowly, I attempt to push myself up, but the cancer makes me weak. I don’t want to leave this world, knowing all I did in it was lie. I grab the only thing on my mid, my whole life’s work. \n\nMy thumbs slowly travel the enchanted slab of glass across the letters.\n\n“Practically Magic”\n\n\n\n\nhttps://youtu.be/y3mVbF3Fr-g \n\n\nHAHAHHA, I’m shit at writing but this just reminded me of the iPhone 7 ad campaign. For those of you who don’t know ,“Practically Magic” was one of the slogans for the iPhone 7. There’s a link^^^",
"\"Soooo...\" the man in the most expensive suit said to him.\n\nThey all sat on the other side of the large, rounded desk. I assumed that one of them was their lawyer, and the only one that wasn't in a suit probably was their main developer. His brow was even more furrowed than that of the others - well, except for the one I knew to be their marketing director. That guy looked scared for some reason.\n\n​\n\n\"Mr. Fistandantilus, we have thoroughly tested your USB device. *Very* thoroughly.\"\n\nWell, yeah. I nodded. That was why I had given them a dozen or so samples.\n\n​\n\n\"We have tested it with all of the most common desktop operating systems, and it worked for all. Our chief engineer here even attached it to different phones with an adapter. It still worked.\" he continued. I nodded again, of course they did. My spells were very adaptive.\n\n\"I even attached it to my TV at home, Mr. Fistandantilus. My cable-fed TV that I used to watch live programs. Do you know what it did, Mr. Fistandantilus?\"\n\n​\n\nI nodded again. Of course I knew what it did. \"It blocked the Ads.\" I said. That was what I designed it for, after all.\n\n​\n\n\"How??\" the engineer exclaimed, \"How the hell do you block ads on every machine we connect it to? On LIVE TV, on streams, how? How does it do that? The devices don't even recognize the damn thing is plugged in! How? Its impossible!!!\"\n\n​\n\n\"It's magic!\" I smiled, confident in my product. They wouldn't believe it anyway, there was no harm in telling the truth. \"So... are you interested in distributing it?\"\n\n​\n\nThe man in the expensive suit motioned for the distraught engineer to calm down and then looked at me.\n\n\"I believe you wanted 25$ per unit, yes?\"\n\n\"Yes.\" I confirmed, as the Marketing man seemed to lose all control over his face for a few seconds. What was his problem? I thought the price was fair.\n\n\"And you are certain that your device cannot be more... selective?\" he asked, and I almost rolled my eyes. He'd asked me that in about 5 different ways before both on phone and in mails.\n\n\"Sorry, no can do. It's all ads or no ads.\" I repeated my answer.\n\n​\n\n\"Then, Mr. Fistandantilus, I would like to make you a slightly different offer. I would like you to sell us all rights to your invention - you would not be allowed to create any device related to ads again. But we are offering you a sum that we believe you will be very satisfied with.\"\n\nHe gave me a folded piece of paper. Well, that number better had at least 5 zeroes. No, make that 6 - I was sure at lot of people would have bought my blocker. I took the paper and unfolded it.\n\n​\n\n500,000,000$\n\n​\n\nMy yaw dropped. What??? Did I read it wrong? Was there a comma in the wrong place?\n\nNope. 500. 500 Million dollars. For a contract that said that I had to give them a total of 1000 pieces, and wasn't allowed to ever make more. I didn't understand why. I didn't care.\n\nI was rich! I could concentrate on my studies for at least a century, probably more! I signed the next day and returned to my tower to begin the enchantments that would make me filthy rich within the next few weeks.\n\n​\n\n==========================\n\n​\n\n\"We would have lost everything!\" the head of marketing said. \"Ads are 90% of our revenue. 25$ for a device that destroys a multi-trillion market, it's completely insane!\"\n\n\"It wouldn't just have destroyed us,\" the man in the most expensive suit said. \"The whole economy is based on those ads. Everything.\"\n\nHe looked out the big 50th-floor window, then raised his hand which held a dozen of these devices. Who would he sell them to? It would be very dangerous. And very, very profitable. They probably saved that guy's live when they bought his invention.\n\n​\n\n​\n\n​\n\n​",
"“The Heartrender, version 6.78.”\n\nMagic. Hidden worlds by the dozen, each a universe far larger than what many will ever see in their lifetime. \n\nBut the man that walked into the office was no ordinary person. His eyes glittered faintly with power, as if a storm was raging behind them. The air shimmered where he walked. A wizard, and powerful at that. Clad in the classic shirt and jeans of someone obscenely rich, and followed by a cadre of glass-wearing nerds, the man walked confidently through his company building, casually grabbing a snack from the well-stocked lunch bar and inspecting the open office spaces and cozy couches full of baggy-eyes programmers. \n\nThey called his group Incubator, a double entendre for both their open purpose, to help young startups find their way, and their hidden one. The conversion of demons into software. Buggy, violent, and notoriously taxing, some of the most powerful libraries and greatest programs have been demons. The All-Seeing Eye of the First God, in the hands of the NSA. The Grand Crystalline Tree, Facebook. The Voice of Whispers from Beyond, Twitter. The Madness crown of the Two Swords, Reddit. Of course, the demons are never really gone, just weakened and slammed into their source code by powerful magic, bent to serve humanity. \n\nOf course, he had compatriots. Most famous are the pyromancers and astromancers of the south, known as the Defense Network, buried deep in the industrial complex. But for them, it was merely a matter of fire and metal, weaving spells of strength and might into roaring furnaces that shook the stars. \n\nBut here, in the Incubator, the spells are not for forging. They are for containment. \n\n“Sir, it’s awake again.” A young woman walked up to him, and whispered quietly. \n\nThe First One. The Tree-Snake. The father of the monster known as the End of Empires. Deep in the caverns beneath the Incubator’s sleek, modern glass exterior, chains of ones and zeroes are wrapped thick around a tree-like, bloodied monster bursting with power. \n\nToday, the Internet awakes once more. \n\n“Get your laptops,” the Wizard said. “We are going to fix some bugs.” "
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[WP] Everyone in the world has gained a superpower. From extraordinary to the mundane, for the past few years the whole of humanity has been ‘Gifted’. Everyone...except you. You eventually are placed in the lower class of powers until a man who can see the future tells you you are the ultimate hero.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"That's what he told me: My power meant that I was destined to be \"The Ultimate Hero.\"\n\nBut what did that mean? It sounded cool, but on a day-to-day basis it meant exactly nothing. I couldn't fly, I couldn't turn invisible, and I certainly couldn't shoot fireballs out of my eyeballs. \n\nOr even out of my ass, like my friend Keith.\n\nSo, I had a power that sounded super cool, would probably be super-useful someday, but wasn't actually useful *today*. I don't know what you would do with that, but I decided that it meant I was either screwed or blessed, and -- here's the important part -- nothing I might do could change that. \n\nIf I was the ultimate hero, and that was my power, then I was the ultimate hero no matter what I chose to do.\n\nSo, I sat on my ass playing video games all day.\n\nSeriously, I explained, didn't I? I was lamer and weaker than everyone, and nothing I did mattered. I maintain that this was a rational decision, and nothing to do with an inherent predisposition for laziness like my mother insists. \n\nAnd, by the way, if you agree with her: Fuck you.\n\nGiven that I didn't have a job, I wasn't exactly swimming in cash. I was therefore stuck with a truly ancient gaming system with these super-obscure titles. I didn't care though. I was actually really *good* at playing games, unlike everything else. It was the perfect way to distract me from that nagging little voice in the back of my head that kept insisting I was a loser.\n\nWell, it was until yesterday.\n\nThat's when the final end-credits of the game I've been working on rolled, and I heard the tinny music announcing I was \"The Ultimate Hero.\"\n\nI don't think my superpower is ever going to be all that great.\n",
"\"The Ultimate Hero?\" I echo dumbly. \"What the hell does that mean?\"\n\n\"Hell if I know, kid.\" The fortune teller shrugs. \"My Gift doesn't let me see the whole future, just the bits that mean the most to people.\"\n\n\"But you must know more than that!\" I shout. People walking past me along the boardwalk turn to look, but I don't care. \"What do you mean Ultimate Hero? Am I some kind of superhero like in those old comic books? Using my Gift to save people and fight evildoers?\"\n\n\"Possibly.\" The fortune teller replies. \"In my vision, you weren't really doing anything though, just standing in front of a crowd of people cheering for you. You had on some ridiculous skintight outfit, all silver and black with a mask over your face and a circle on your chest.\"\n\nDisappointment fills my chest and I snort. \"What good's a mask when there are people with the Gift of x-ray vision? And a circle on my chest? Why would I put something that's practically a big target sign on my chest?\"\n\n\"Again kid, I don't know.\" The fortune teller sighs. \"My guess is, it's part of the act.\"\n\nThe look on my face must have been really confused, because the fortune teller rolls her eyes and comments acidly, \"You know what superheroes are, but nothing about them, do you? Most of them wear stupid brightly colored outfits to draw attention to themselves.\"\n\n\"Why would they do that?\" I demand. \"That sounds stupid, and a lot like attention-seeking. Doesn't seem very heroic.\"\n\n\"A few of them were. But most of the heroes in the old stories did it to distract the villains from innocent people. At least that's the explanation they give.\"\n\n\"So you're saying I have to wear something stupid to make the bad guys attack me.\" My voice drips with sarcasm.\n\nThe fortune teller throws up her hands. \"I don't know the how or why of any of this, kid. One thing I can tell you is that your Gift must be real special to make a person like you into the Ultimate Hero.\" And with that, she draws the curtains of her booth window, shutting me out.\n\nWell that stung. The fortune teller's parting remark was almost as though she knew the truth about my Gift, or lack of one. But she couldn't have known that, could she? Then again, if she did, she probably wouldn't have told me that my future was to become some kind of costumed vigilante.\n\n\"So, find out anything interesting?\" I turn around to face Lily, who's returned from the ice cream stand with two ice cream cones. She hands the chocolate one to me and we walk away from the closed fortune teller's booth.\n\n\"Apparently the fortune teller can only see 'what means the most' to the person.\" I say sardonically. \"I think she's a fraud though, she told me that in the future, I'm the Ultimate Hero.\"\n\n\"Well, that sounds pretty good.\" Lily says brightly. \"Maybe your Gift is something really powerful, if you're a big hero.\"\n\n\"Yeah, but the fortune teller said she didn't see me using my Gift, just standing in front of a crowd in a ridiculous outfit.\" I kick at the wooden boards that make up the ground. \"How is that supposed to mean the most to me?\"\n\n\"Perhaps once you get your Gift, you won't think about it as much?\" Lily looks thoughtful.\n\n\"Easy for you to say.\" I reply bitterly. \"Your Gift is good luck, you don't even have to think about it.\"\n\n\"And maybe your Gift will be like that too.\" Lily smiles, ever optimistic. She points to the sky, which is quickly growing dark now that the sun has set. A bright streak of light flashes across the twilight. \"Look, a shooting star! Make a wish!\"\n\n*I wish my Gift would show up already.* I don't say it out loud though. We're fourteen, almost fifteen, but Lily still believes that wishes won't come true if they're said out loud. She's full of weird quirks like that, but Lily's my only friend, so I humor her.\n\n\"Oh, that's strange.\" Lily muses. \"The star's changed direction.\"\n\nEh? I look up to see the streak of light growing larger... \"It's headed right for us!\" I grab Lily's hand and pull her along, yelling at the top of my lungs. \"Look out!\"\n\nPeople scatter with screams as the now blinding light slams into the boardwalk. The force of its landing knocks Lily and me off our feet, and a shower of splinters and dust into the air. Fortunately, or maybe thanks to Lily's Gift, we've gotten away with nothing but a few scrapes and bruises.\n\n\"Tim, are you ok?\" Lily asks as I get up. \"Tim?\"\n\nI don't answer, my eyes transfixed on the crater left by the light, or whatever was emitting it, since it's no longer glowing. I approach the wreckage of the boardwalk, and gasp. Lying in the center of it all is a strange creature. It looks almost human, but its skin is a grayish green. Its head is elongated, though I can't see its face because it's covered by a reflective mask. It seems like an alien, but that's not what surprises me the most. \n\nWhatever this creature is, it's wearing a silver and black bodysuit that clings to its lean frame like Spandex, and on its chest is a large circle. It's exactly the same outfit that the fortune teller described me wearing in the future.\n\nThe alien stirs, coughing weakly, and points at me. \"You... come here...\" Apparently it knows English.\n\nAgainst my better judgement and Lily's protests, I climb into the crater and down to the alien. Now that I'm closer, I can see a gaping wound in its side leaking yellow liquid. I take a three-fingered hand in mine and feel for a pulse, but feel none. \"Are you alright? Do you need help?\"\n\nThe alien cuts me off. \"I am... beyond help... you must fight... fight him...\"\n\n\"Fight who?\" I ask. \"The guy who hurt you? How?\"\n\n\"Awiz Rahl…\" The alien coughs, and yellow spatters stain the black and silver. \"Take my... my belt... it will grant you power...\"\n\n\"I will.\" I promise, though I'm not sure how I'm going to keep that promise. I don't know how to fight, and the metal belt the alien's wearing just looks like one solid metal piece. \"What's your name?\"\n\n\"Kolen… Ohr… was my... birth name...\" The alien wheezes. \"But now... I am called... Starstrike…\"\n\n\"Starstrike.\" I repeat. \"I'll avenge you, Starstrike.\"\n\nThe alien doesn't hear me though. Its hand suddenly goes limp, and the body sags. I let Starstrike's hand fall, and look up at the night sky where he (or she?) had come from. There's another glowing streak approaching, this one a duller orange. Starstrike had mentioned an Awiz Rahl, perhaps this was him.\n\n\"Tim!\" Lily's frantic voice breaks my reverie. \"Tim, what the hell are you doing?\"\n\nI look over at my best friend, then back at Starstrike's body. \"Something stupid, I think.\" I reach down to the belt around the alien's waist. It's a band of silver metal, with a larger medallion in the center stamped with the same circle as on Starstrike's chest. I'm betting if there is a clasp, it'll be there.\n\nAs soon as my fingers brush against the metal however, the \u000emedallion leaps through the air and onto my stomach, encircling my own waist with a similar band of silver metal. Startled, I yelp and fall on my own ass as silver and black liquid flows out from the belt and forms into the now-familiar looking outfit. \n\nAlmost immediately, I can feel a difference. It's almost like a cold fire burning in the pit of my stomach, curling around my spine and into my shoulders. I clench my fists and know somehow that they can now punch through solid steel. I look the stars again and note how much larger the orange glow has gotten.\n\n\"Tim?\" Lily sounds really scared now. \"What's going on?\"\n\nI should be afraid. Wearing this suit makes me feel powerful, and I have no doubt that Starstrike felt the same way. Now I'm about to fight whatever it is that killed him, without a Gift no less. But the fortune teller's vision guarantees that I'll survive this, so in a way, I've already won. \n\nI grin at Lily. \"Wish me luck.\""
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[WP] You've just been hired to work at the Flavian retirement home. Sheepishly your boss informs you that your job is to help each resident pass on in a way their religion requires to reach heaven. Your first task? A battle to the death with 87-year old Gilbert so he can reach Valhalla.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The administrative chief, chief physician on retainer, a nurse and 2 orderlies were standing by along with what appeared to be a couple relatives.\n\n\"So boy, I've been waiting to go but you actually have to do me in in actual combat to the death. Think you can handle it?\"\n\n\"I love the confident smile Gilbert. Lets see, 5 years European martial arts and reenactments, 2 years jousting, 17 years combat operations in the Army, 27 confirmed combat kills, 2 by blade. I think I might qualify as a worth opponent and might actually be up to the task. My only question is, swords, axes or warhammers?\" The sudden sparkle on his face was intoxicating.\n\n\"Oh swords boy, and shields. Did you bring proper round shield?\"\n\n\"Center grips of course. I know you will be basically unarmored but do you mind if I armor up a bit? I've still got a wife and kids to tend to and while I want to send you off properly I do not wish to follow you.\" A crowd of some of the other residents was starting to gather as well. That could be bad.\n\n\"It has to be deadly and honorable combat boy. No one anywhere says it has to be fair. Feel free.\"\n\n\"Thank you.\" Body armor looks like plastic but is actually ballistic aviation plastic, it will stop a .22 so my vital organs will be safe. Arm and leg covers made from industrial carpet but covered in light fabric to look decent. If he had gone with axes or hammers they would not have been so great but for swords they should be good. Police \"red man\" helmet inside a 10 gauge steel crusader's helm borrowed from an old friend and a chainmail coif just in case to keep a random slash from opening my throat. All he has is sword and shield.\n\nBoth ready, he looks really ready and he has nothing to loose. Everything to gain. This might have been a bad idea.\n\n\"As you are ready Gilbert.\"\n\n\"Been ready lad.\"\n\nAnd with that \"An immediate lung going on the offense eh Gilbert?\" Easy enough to block now for his head. Crap he blocked!\n\n\"Don't want to make it to easy for you lad.\" Shit I think his blade just glanced of the back of my helmet. He wrap shoted me. Shield bash!\n\n\"ACK, HEY YA SHITER!\"\n\nOff balance, back hand swing.\n\n\"AAAAAAAA, Oh ya fukk!\" Oh crap I opened the right side of his stomach. Time to finish this, head shot.\n\n\"AAAAAAhhhaaaAAA!\" Crap he tried to block and I cut his hand off. Boss and family are going to be mad. Sounds like someone is vomiting. Shield drive him into the wall and\n\n\"Akgug pft.\" Sword up through the diaphragm into the heart or vital organs. He is actually smiling.\n\n\"Good travels Gilbert.\" He went fast.\n\nLeaving the \"clean room\" the residents have already left. Doctor, nurse and orderlies are making sure everything is good. Just the director and I think his family left.\n\n\"Sorry, that took more and got messier tha\"...Why is she kissing me and is that tongue?\n\n\"Thank you. It is better than he or we could have hoped for. Grand dad almost took you and would have if not for your helmet. The Valkyrie have surely taken him beyond now.\"\n\n\"You, you're welcome.\"\n\n\"Okay enough of all that. Man has work to do. Thank you all for coming and being here at the end. Come on, walk with me.\"\n\n\"Yes sir.\"....2 minutes and a good distance down the halls away.\n\n\"That was a great job. Look, I could not be happier and I hope it stays that way for a long, long time. You've earned a bonus for that but listen now. Your next job is old Mrs. Zhao, tiny Chinese woman. Should be easy to find. She is a follower of Jiang Ziwen though so, yeah, have fun with that.\""
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[WP] Killing someone gives you their best trait. You go to kill someone for their beauty trait. It's actually making scrambled eggs
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"You judge me. I feel it. Your eyes, looking at me, weighting me, condemning me.\n\n​\n\nI feel it.\n\n​\n\nThat is one knack I picked up over the years, over the killings.\n\n​\n\nWell. Judge me. \n\n​\n\nI confess.\n\n​\n\nIt started during a war. I was a young officer, barely graduated from academy, put in charge of a squad who didn't like me. Basically, I was a greenhorn. I guess it was my stupidity which put us in disaster - when the non-com very politely suggests that driving the vehicle a certain way might be a Bad Idea you absolutely trust her.\n\n​\n\nWe got hit by the missile and it killed half our people. Later I found out that it was one of those ancient things the americans distributed during the cold war to their proxies and which are - after changing hands dozens of times - apparently still in use in the hands of ISIS and the like, and this just added insult to injury. I mean honestly, that missile was almost ancient by our standards. Unfortunately, that did not bring my people back.\n\n​\n\nFortunately, it saved those who were not killed immediately - the explosion was less strong than that of similar modern weapons. We scrambled out of the burning ATV, and the Non-com managed to bring me and the other two survivors in some resemblance of order. I called in support, and we dove for cover.\n\n​\n\nAgain, fortunately for us, the terrorists were careless and advanced immediately. I think they wanted to loot our equipment or something. And one of them just kind of walked directly in front of my scope. I think everybody was surprised that I shot him, me and the non-com most of all. She thought me (and was rather justified in it) for too incompetent for that.\n\n​\n\nAnyway, my shot and the death of the terrorist gave my people the chance to return the favor of being shot at, and drove them back. The half an hour until the reinforcement arrived was hell, but during that time i noticed something. I was able to read the terrain like a novel. I knew behind which rock to hide, and most important, where they could hide.\n\n​\n\nUsing that, wour reinforcement were able to nail them down and even capture one of them. The colonel thanked me for the supposed success, while I was just thinking that I got lucky. Unlike my people.\n\n​\n\nHowever, the ability to read the terrain persisted. And when I killed the second time - this time we were the one laying the ambush - I noticed that I got the ability to hear very, very clearly.\n\n​\n\nIt took some time - and quite a lot of combat - until I understood it completely. Among other things I acquired the ability to hide, to shout very loudly, and extreme stamina. However, the understanding dawned after a certain mission. It was almost stupid. We stormed a hole, and there was this guy reaching for his handgun, whom I shot.\n\n​\n\nThen we found his rifle. And we knew who this guy was. We called him 'Devil's Falcon'. He had killed more than sixty of our people - there were very few could snipe like him. And then, I acquired his sniping abilities. I didn't know how, but I was suddenly able to hit a man with a bullet over much more than a mile.\n\n​\n\nIt proved addictive. I picked off dozens of them over the following years. I admit, sometimes the killing was not strictly necessary. But it benefited me, sometimes in little ways, sometimes quite strongly. I acquired whatever was best in them - very steady hands, a melodious voice, the ability to drive a motocycle in a crazy way, and a new nose, which proved to be more beatiful than the one I was born with.\n\n​\n\nWhen our unit was sent back, I felt regret. Regret, that I would not be able to gain more. I tried to get back into active, but then they promoted me to a point where I would not be able to go to the field anymore.\n\n​\n\nSo I switched carriers. I went to the police, to the teams they call in when there are terrorists or psychopaths. We live in dangerous times, and its quite amazing how often they call this teams in without ever notifing the people.\n\n​\n\nI killed more bad guys. I got a crazily healthy immune system. My beginning baldnes was reverted, and I got quite illustrous hair. People do not seem to think its unnatural that I acquire such traits.\n\n​\n\nI could read peoples emotions (that was from a bank robber). I acquired brilliant chemistry skills (from a professor who cooked to much meth and went on murdering his students).\n\n​\n\nAnyway, yes. It was not necessary to kill him. Don't get me wrong, he probably deserved it. He murdered his wife and children in cold blood. Poisoned them. But he had no weapon when I came in. He was just sitting there with a bottle of whiskey in one hand, and the phone with which he called us in the other.\n\n​\n\nBut the asshole was handsome, and I could just think when I saw him that I wanted to have his face. So I shot him. I guess that too was a kill that surprised everybody.\n\n​\n\nJust like that. There was no other motive.\n\n​\n\nWorst part is, I didn't get his face.\n\n​\n\nGuy was an incredible cook. \n\n​\n\nSo, at least I now can make delicious scrambled eggs, which is also kind of nice.",
"LastBreath.com, the developed world's leading auction house for the dying. Yeah, it really is a great thing to be rich in this world. You got the cash and you can learn to paint by someone who's spent their entire life honing their skills in just one instant. And it's a good trade off for everyone in these economic conditions. Yeah, I'm sure they'd love to pass their talents through the family line, but college is expensive. That's what I'm doing; I'm paying for two kids' college with this auction. \n\nSudden accidents are a hell of a way to go and usually there's not much value in a person's life who dies so early. See, it's the people who have honed their skills who really fetch a great price, but this guy is one of the most handsome men I've ever seen. Handsome and utterly without talent. LastBreath does a great job of working with the sellers to develop a document of trait probabilities, and this auction is as basic as you can get: just the price of a face. \n\nI hate the idea of scalpels, and really nature is the best surgeon there is. It's really not a huge expense, but my therapist says I should make an effort to reward myself for my hard work, so that's exactly what I will do. Oh, I've used the site for recreation once before. I took a one week vacation to Hawaii and learned how to surf from an old man who had won quite a few competitions. I really should put that talent to use again; maybe when I get this new face I'll put some color on it at the beach.\n\nThere he is, the man of the hour, and still looking as handsome as in his pictures even on his deathbed. The man's wife and children are waiting in another part of the hospital. I paid extra to no have to deal with them directly. Instead, they will be called in after I have completed my purchase and leave as per the agreement. I press the button. It's set up to give the buyer agency in the procedure, and to keep it as clean and sterile as possible. I sit in the provided chair and check bookings at a ski resort until the timer alerts me that the man is good and dead.\n\nThere's no change. Did I really get burned on this one? The problem is there is no way for me to check on the actual talent I received. The talent document has nothing listed to check. Well, that's fine. I'll keep my eyes open for another listing and maybe some day I'll discover my hidden talent. \n\nSo I woke up today and I found out why my face didn't change the first time. Scrambled. Eggs. Yeah, that man who had no talent was actually really god damned good at making eggs. I guess it all works out in the end. I can make the best eggs you've ever tasted and I've got a damn good looking face. ",
"\\[DISCLAIMER: Just starting out writing, I'm not the best just looking to improve\\] \n\n​\n\n​\n\nAll I can hear when I try to sleep is the sizzle of oil and butter. The sound has been an unfriendly reminder of the atrocities I've committed. I don't mind it anymore. Besides, there are worse punishments for murder, tinnitus is a blessing at this point. \n\nI was never easy to look at. Calvin was. That was my only justification when I planned the kill. If what the books said was true, I could take his life and steal his beauty. Well, at least that's what I thought would happen. To me, my plan was perfect. I knew that Calvin struggled in school and was overall a pretty, lazy person. He had no noticeable talents except for the fact that he had a face sculpted by the gods themselves. I was jealous, so I sought to take his looks for myself. This was not my first rodeo. I have stolen many, many traits before. The intelligence of Harvard researchers, minds of detectives, the slick tongue of a street salesman, etc. Calvin is the only person I regret. Not only because I'm still ugly, but because he was the only person I've killed who I've thought twice about. \n\nI stood there breathless and bloody. I had been waiting for the essence of life to spill all the way out of Calvin. As soon as the mystical liquid, I lapped it up like a dog in the desert. I waited a full 5 minutes, but nothing happened. Huh. Were my calculations off? Did I not drink enough? No, I had done the ritual perfectly so why is nothing happening? I needed to do more research. So, I found out everything about Calvin. His interests, friends, family, coworkers, anything or anybody I could get my hands on I did. I would ask them everything about Calvin, pretending to be a detective on the case. I would end each interview with the question \"What did Calvin do better than anybody you know?\". The answer was unanimous. The man could apparently scramble some eggs. And now so can I. \n\nThe amount of rage I felt when I learned this man had a secret egg talent was irrational. It was from that day did I swear off trait stealing. There was no way I could live down the guilt of killing somebody over some eggs! I doubled down on improving myself the old fashioned way. I tried to clear up my skin, I wore nicer clothes, and I tried to smile more. That was when I met April. She was as sweet as can be, and beautiful to match. From the day I met her I wanted to get to know everything about her. Her favorite color, favorite place to travel, favorite animal. I found out all her favorites. Just my luck that her favorite food... was scrambled eggs. Funny thing fate is. I killed Calvin so I could find a girl, but because I killed Calvin I am able to keep my girl. \n\n​\n\n​\n\n​",
"Selina aimed down the scope of her beloved PSG-1 at her target. Thomas Jackman. He was by far the most attractive man she had ever seen, and, unfortunately for her, she simply wasn't good enough for him. So now he had to go. \n\n\nAny person Selina killed resulted in her gaining their best traits. Unfortunately for Selina, alluring looks was not one she possessed. She'd only just started out \"collecting\", so she didn't have many super traits on her side. What she had collected so far included expertise in photography, cartography and gymnastic proficiency. The traits in her collection weren't leading to any kind of end result, it was really just whatever she desired at the time. \n\n\nSelina accidentally discovered her power when she'd killed the world's most talented assassin by trying to get her air con unit to work. The rusty old thing would cut out every now and then, so a few hard whacks was all it took to get it going again. She was halfway through giving the air con unit some well deserved percussive therapy when it detached itself from her high rise window and crushed a man on the street. \n\n\nNow she could possess any trait she wanted, with the killing expertise to see it through. An attractive quality could help her out a lot. \n\n\nThe sights settled over Thomas's head and the familiar yellow writing appeared above it. The writing superimposed itself above people as she aimed at them with her sights, putting their best traits on display for her to see. This one read:\n\n\n\"Scrambled eggs\"\n\n\n\"That can't be right! It doesn't make any sense!\" Selina thought frustratedly. \n\n\nSelina angrily tracked Thomas as he moved through the spacious suburban house and into full view of the bay window. She saw an elderly woman sitting at a table with a huge smile on her face, Thomas served her a plate of eggs and gave her a kiss on the forehead with similar visible joy. She could see the writing above his mother's head. It too, read \"Scrambled Eggs.\" \n\n\n\"Its a family recipe...\" Selina breathed in awe.\n\n\nThomas then began to spoon feed her, Selina watching the entire time. Some time had passed before Thomas pushed the elderly woman's wheelchair into the next room and out of sight. \n\n\n\"He makes them for his mother..\" Selina almost squeaked. \n\n\nShe then spoke with her voice almost shaking, tears secretly beginning to well in her eyes and her brow furrowed in protest.\n\n\n\n\"That's so lovely...\" \n\n\nShe put the rifle down. \n\n\n\nEdit: Spellcheck and formatting (apologies I'm on my phone) ",
"It was a shame to kill him, really. He was, in every way, a kind man. He picked up trash that wasn’t his. He always gave up his seat on the bus. Every Sunday, without fail, he made his mother breakfast. But I had no other choice. \n\nAnyone who knew him would agree. He was gorgeous - from the strong line of his jaw to the swoop of his dark hair to his taut muscles. He could’ve been a model, or an actor, or pretty much anything he wanted. No one would ever say no to him. \n\nThat was my plan, at least.\n\nI had already a solid few traits. I was a smooth talker and an expert liar. I could solve any math problem in my head and debate my way out of any tough situation. Even my perfect pitch had been useful on more than one occasion. \n\nIt still wasn’t enough. \n\nI could see the mistrust in people’s eyes. Sometimes it was a simple second glance at me. Other times I could hear the split second of hesitation in their voices. What really gave it away was the smiles - they always stopped before they reached the eyes. \n\nAll that would be different, now. \n\nI sat in my penthouse that night and ran my hand over my clean-shaven cheeks. Would the stubble appear there in the morning? Would I look like *him*? Or just a better version of myself? \n\nWhen I woke up the next morning, I didn’t run straight for the mirror. There was a certain pleasure that came from savouring the moment, and I’d come to crave the brief moments of discovery. \n\nI stretched out and lumbered to my kitchen. The morning sun peaked in through the grand windows. A light breeze ruffled the curtains. I stifled a yawn before turning to the refrigerator, removing the eggs, and cracking two into a skillet. A pinch of salt - a dash of pepper. Garnish with cilantro and a fresh slice of tomato. \n\nI shoveled the first bite into my mouth. I paused. \n\nIt wasn’t that it was bad - no, in fact, they were the best damned scrambled eggs I’d ever tasted. I spit them into a napkin and walked to the mirror. \n\nMy face, unfortunately, was unchanged. \n\nSo yes, it was unfortunate that he had to die. It was even more unfortunate that I did not benefit from it all. But, at the end of the day, it was a minor miscalculation. I had never misjudged a trait before - it was bound to happen at some point. In any case, it was no matter. I would just try again tomorrow. \n\n---\n\n/r/liswrites"
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[WP] The crime is unspeakable, the scene is horrific, the suspect list is empty. The NYPD calls their most trusted senior detective along with his police dog, a hardened Steve and his partner Blue. It’s been a long time since Blues Clues, and this is their last case...
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The Chief had assured us this Steve was the best detective he'd ever worked with. He arrived on the scene looking like a child whose mother was in a hurry that morning when she laid out his clothes for him; he wore a green rugby shirt that had never seen a match, over-sized khakis which swept the floor behind the heels of his shoes, and a haircut that suggested a stylist at Great Clips had run out of patience. My partner, Rodriguez, and I exchanged a glance, both of us raising our eyebrows in incredulity.\n\nSteve surveyed the room, never addressing us with his eyes. He scanned the whole scene continuously with a cold, stoic expression, not stopping to focus on any particular item. Smiling, he looked down at an arthritic dog who had just limped into the room.\n\n\"You ready to find some clues, Blue? Huh, girl?\" he beamed.\n\n\"Oh, *hell* no,\" Rodriguez interjected. She dismissed the animal with a wag of her index finger. \"That thing is not coming into my crime scene.\"\n\nThe dog, seemingly aware of the antagonism directed at her, hung her head down and whimpered. This mutt of no discernible pedigree was a pitiful sight to behold; aside from the limping, the dog seemed to be afflicted with a litany of ailments: eye infection, fleas, mange, broken tail, and a dozen other problems that would require a veterinarian's diagnosis. All of these issues were overshadowed, however, by the most heinous and sadistic treatment I have personally ever witnessed of any pet; Blue was covered, nose to tail, in blue paint.\n\n\"She's my partner! And if I'm being totally honest,\" Steve knelt down and scratched Blue's chin, inciting her tail to thump thump thump against the door frame, \"she's the better detective.\"\n\nSteve wiped his fingers on his khakis, smearing them with blue paint, as he stood back up. \"The Chief asked me to look at this crime scene as a *favor*. That's why I'm here, a favor for the Chief. Now, we?\" he gestured between himself and the mangy, paint-covered mutt, \"We come as a team. She goes, I go.\"\n\n\"You come highly recommended by the Chief, sir,\" I said before Rodriguez could sour things further. \"We have the utmost confidence in your ability. You and your partner are both welcome here. Anything you could tell us about this scene would be invaluable.\"\n\nRodriguez crossed her arms and glared at me. I could feel her biting stare but didn't look over or engage her because I knew I'd get my ass handed to me.\n\n\"Great,\" Steve's demeanor was strictly professional, \"now, have you questioned the witnesses?\" He gestured toward the kitchen table.\n\n\"What witnesses?\" I asked. Both Rodriguez and Steve rolled their eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, Steve because I wasn't up to speed and Rodriguez because I was indulging that lunatic.\n\n\"Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper, how are the kids, Cinnamon and Paprika?\" Steve asked as he sat at the table and got to eye level with the salt and pepper shakers. \"Alright, straight to business, then. What did you all see here? Huh? What happened?\"\n\n\"He's fucking crazy,\" Rodriguez whispered to me. She moved in to take action. Knowing her, she likely would have kicked the guy's ass as she tossed him from the apartment. I grabbed her shoulder and shook my head. She glared at me. It was an expression I knew too well, she wouldn't tolerate this much longer.\n\n\"Not talking, huh? I see how it is,\" Steve shot up from the table, knocking his chair back onto the floor. He stormed back into the living room. \"The witnesses aren't cooperating-\"\n\n\"You don't say,\" Rodriguez deadpanned.\n\n\"I just need to think,\" Steve said, plopping down in a red lounge chair in the corner. \"I need to sit in my thinking chair and think, think, think.\"\n\n\"What you *need* to do is control your damn dog,\" Rodriguez barked. \"That mutt has tracked blue paint all over this crime scene. There are blue paw prints on everything\"\n\n\"A clue!?\" Steve shot up from the chair energized by this development. \"Where?\"\n\n\"Look around you, dipshit!\" she snapped. \"There's paint everywhere! That's it. I'm calling the Chief. We are done with your ass.\"\n\nRodriguez stepped out of the apartment and into the hall as the pulled out her cell phone.\n\n\"Can you help me?\" Steve eagerly pleaded as he drew closer to me. \"Can you help me find a clue?\"\n\n\"Well,\" I said flatly, gesturing to the line of paw prints between us on the floor, \"there's a trail of them right here, for instance.\"\n\n\"She's leading us to something,\" Steve smiled. I tracked his movement as he followed the blue paw prints across the apartment where they abruptly ended at the wall. Directly above the trail of paint a framed picture hung on the wall. Steve removed the photograph from the wall and showed it to me: a family on vacation at the beach, playing fetch with a dog. \"She went in here, didn't she?\"\n\n\"Are you suggesting that your dog is *inside* that photograph,\" I probed. I approached cautiously trying not to say or do anything that might disrupt his world view. We had received training on how to deal with schizophrenics when we had joined the force but I had never had any practical application of the training until that encounter.\n\n\"Blue sca-doo,\" he nodded with a smile. \"We can, *too*.\"\n\nHis grin was detached from reality, he had clearly snapped and was bound to act unpredictably. I feared he was liable to do anything and I could not be left alone with him.\n\n\"I'm gonna go get my partner. Tell her what you've found.\"\n\n\"Blue sca-doo. We can, too,\" he repeated. His gaze returned to the photograph as he pulled it in closer to his face. He continued to repeat the phrase as I went to the door.\n\nAs I opened the door I heard glass shatter behind me and turned to see nothing but the picture frame laying on the floor. Rodriguez, hearing glass break, popped her head in through the door.\n\n\"Where'd he go?\" she demanded, holding the cell phone down to her chest.\n\n\"I- er- uh- well-\" I stammered. \"He's gone.\"\n\n\"Goddamnit, Chief!\" she yelled into the cell phone. \"The bastard trashed our crime scene and fled down the fire escape. Yea, well, thanks for nothing.\"\n\nI walked back over to the photo on the ground and picked it up to examine it. Rodriguez ranted and raved about how Steve had apparently been let go from the force due to drug use and how the Chief just had a soft spot for him. But as she rambled on in her anger I noticed something strange about that photograph, something had changed. \n\nAfter nine months of the case going cold I still keep that busted frame on my desk. I look at the man in the green rugby shirt, waving at the camera, who I would swear wasn't there before, and I hope he and his dog will pull through for us and come back with some answers.",
"\"Ra roww,\" said Blue, nudging the bludgeoned head of the most recent victim with her nose.\n\n\"That's an understatement,\" Steve said gruffly, pulling out his handy dandy notebook and marking elements of interest around the scene.\n\nBlue hopped around the scene playfully, sniffing at every piece of detritus and evidence left in the area. Four sets of footprints, a murder weapon left in the room, a spilled salt and pepper shaker, marked with an S and P. It left a rock in Steve's gut, but he was in no place to ignore all of these pieces of evidence. He couldn't place it, but something seemed familiar about this place. Blue seemed particularly interested in this crime scene more than the others.\n\nHis phone went off. It was the cheif.\n\n\"Oh. Hi, it's me, Steve,\" he said, somberly, carefully drawing a house in his notebook.\n\n\"Steve, thank God! I didn't know if you'd pick up. This madman has gone insane, we just got another report about this happening downtown.\"\n\n\"I'm aware, Blue and I are at the location as we speak. It's the same guy. Leaves extra pieces of evidence lying around. He's trying to get us off his trail, but Blue's nose never fails.\"\n\n\"I know they said you were the best, but I'll never understand how you get there so fast,\" said the chief in amazement.\n\n\"Blue has his ways,\" Steve said, looking to the painting of 'Starry Night' that they had most recently jumped through. \n\n\"That's not the only reason I'm calling. It's sick. The murderer-- they wrote out--\" he gagged over the phone, fumbling with some paper in his hands. \n\n\"What is it, chief? A clue?\"\n\n\"We... we just got a letter,\" he said slowly.\n\n\"We just got a letter?\"\n\n\"We just got a letter,\" the chief confirmed.\n\n\"I wonder who it's from...\" said Steve, making note of it and looking up to realize that Blue had run off into another room of the house.\n\n\"It's a letter from our friend, the murderer. I can't make heads or tails of it. It takes time to describe the last victim in visceral detail. Then it ends with code. It says 'if you like what I've done with red, wait till you see what I do with Magenta.' Any ideas?\" \n\nSteve's heart dropped into his stomach as he heard a yowl from the other room. He ran as fast as he could, worried that something may have happened to his partner in crime when he found Blue standing over a dog bed, colored magenta. It wasn't just any color of magenta, but the shade of his best friend. In it was something horrible. Next to it, a single, blue paw print. A clue!\n\nHe only now realized he was still holding his phone and hung up on the chief. There was no time to be distracted by idle conversation in the face of his best friend in grief.\n\n\"It's gonna be okay, girl. We'll find Magenta. We'll stop this madman. And I know how we're going to do it,\" he said, pulling out a sharp crayon to take another note.\n\n\"Ra roww?\" \n\n\"That's right. We are gonna play blues clues, but it's lost all its fun,\" he said, taking note of the first clue, the severed ear of the dog named Magenta.\n\n________________________________________________________\n\nFor more clues, come down to r/Nazer_the_Lazer!"
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[WP] you have dedicated your life to protect your people, your daughter, from the beasts. You are called upon to the market district and after a long and tiresome chase you have cornered the beast. You approached it, only to freeze as you hear “please, please I just want my daddy”
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"You lower your sword, lift up your visor. The beast stands in the square, ten stories tall. Smashed stalls and cowering merchants mark the path it took in its rampage through the city.\n\n\"What?\" Devon asks. He's new to the Beast Guard, still learning the ropes. You would rather die than admit it, but this new development has you stumped as well.\n\n\"It's just a ploy,\" you growl, \"keep your guard up.\"\n\n\"Are those tears?\" Devon points.\n\nDrops the size of bowling balls splash down on the rough cobbles.\n\n\"Oi!\" you use your best parade ground yell. The beast covers its ears, stumbles back, sits down on a watermelon stall. Juice the color of blood creeps across the cobbles. \"What manner of beast are you?\"\n\n\"B-beast?\" the beast stutters.\n\n\"Yes! You, beast! Don't play coy with me. Are you a troll or a sasquatch? Must we down you with fire or quicksilver?\"\n\n\"Not beast!\" the beast cries, raising two fists to stem the waterfall cascading down its cheeks, \"Daddy!\"\n\nYou decide you've had enough.\n\n\"Bring out the ballista!\"\n\nYou turn to Devon, but he's standing stock still, looking up. There's a pair of giant hands in the sky, and behind them, the face of the Creator.\n\nYour joints lock into place. You can't move.\n\n\"Damn it Arthur!\" the Creator roars, \"I told you to stay away from the war-gaming table!\"\n\nAnd then, a soprano female voice, \"Don't blame the baby! It's all your fault, Mark! Why can't you have a normal hobby like everyone else? You and your animatronic figurines, Arthur could have gotten hurt!\"\n\nThe hands of the Creator lift the beast out and over beyond the glass walls that surround the city. The voices continue their heated argument. The beast bawls. \n\nYou can move again.\n\n\"What was that about?\" Devon asks, but you're already turning away. As far as you're concerned, it's another job well done. \nJust another day in the Beast Guard."
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[WP] The cure for immortality was found a decade ago and now no one dies. You are the daughter of death himself and your father is slowly dying day by day, since no one dies anymore. So you take up matters into your own hands.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"Every day he slipped away more into something I couldn't recognize. His voice sounded pained and even though I knew it was him, I couldn't bring myself to look at the man who now never reaped. What used to be dark brown eyes that sparkled with joy when a person came to join our underworld had now faded to a lifeless gray. Even thinking about this made me upset as I sat in my office, quietly waiting for a new person wanting an age old family member dead.\n\nKnocks were becoming distant and seemed to be fading like the life from my father. I let out a sigh and leaned back in my chair. There were so many rules and laws to follow- I wasn't the only assassin but I would likely be the last. If my father died, I would die soon after and death would become nonexistent. Someone had to come. Please.\n\nTapping my fingers against my dark desk while gazing at the ceiling was all I did, waiting impatiently for someone to come in. Somebody has to want someone they've hated their entire life to die. All of those posters couldn't be for nothing. Finally I felt my phone vibrate and I quickly sat up, straightening my posture. I couldn't hear the knocks but I knew they were there.\n\n\"Come in!\" My voice probably sounded worse than my dad's the last time I heard him. Stress and the fear of your father dying does that to you.\n\nA young woman with brown mouse-y hair down to her chin walked in. Everybody who walked in was young but I ignored that and instead motioned for her to sit down. She looked around my mostly light office nervously before turning to look at me. Fear appeared in her eyes but she quickly tried to hide it by looking down. Not the first time.\n\nHer lips moved as she expressed what was needed, \"My mother needs to die. She still thinks I'm a child and tries to take over every time I parent my kids. I'm three hundred years old and I can't deal with her anymore! Please Morana? I saw your posters.\"\n\nMy phone vibrated with each word and I read out what she needed. With a small glance upwards towards her, I nodded and spoke in what I hoped was a low tone, \"Tell me where she lives and I'll get rid of her.\"\n\nMost people don't think of what'll happen after someone dies but I could tell this woman clearly put thought into this by the way she moved and her lips moved when words were supposed to come out. It wouldn't save my father completely but maybe I could try to wipe out everyone else in the family.\n\nI shook my head slowly after the woman left leaving a note, father would be disappointed in me but it was saving him. Quickly I pushed myself up and read over the note multiple times. Karen Smith. I sighed, this was the third one this month. My steps were small as I went over to my wall of filing cabinets. Each one stored information on each family and were colour coded, something Father had encouraged me to do if I ever had to take over.\n\nKaren Smith's file was short but sweet. I learned that she was allergic to milk but not deathly. Turning over to the next page, I noticed that she was deathly allergic to bananas. I could sell her banana cookies. Ideas started to flow through my mind as I sat down and looked back at my phone, hoping for any update from my father.\n\nI needed to get this family dead as soon as possible so that we could have life and death in a better cycle. It needs to be perfect again.",
"I thought this would be an easy task but I had underestimate how much my father actually need. \"Think Karen think!\" I said to myself, all these mechanical failures and \"unlucky accidents\" I've discovered can barely slow down his dying rate. He was fed to be way stronger and he the same rate if not more to recover. Why am I digging through schematics after schematics, patients profile after another, connecting dot to dot with red strings? Because they looked cool on TV tho very impractical. And also, as the punishment of joining the losing side of war, death and it's creation cannot directly kill any creature. The fabric of reality we're permitted to manipulate is minimal. Able to orchestrate some rocks flying into a driver seat is basically the maximum. So much power we possess but nothing I can do to help my father. I slam my hand towards the connecting board out of frustration but immediately regret with the pain. Why can I feel pain by this? Because I'm in mortal form, trying my best to raise suicidal trends , challenges. They are still lacking in magnitude, not to mention it gone away very fast.\n\nMaybe I need some celestials to help. War? She was banished from earth. Diseases? He's dying faster than my father. Apocalypse? There's no way he would care about my father , let alone asking favour from me. Seems no one can help me in this one.\n\n\"If only there's a way to inhibit my power then maybe I can skip the waiting for failing part.\" Since I'm the successor of death, anything that can increase our power will basically alert us, combined with ranged omniawareness , only convincing others to act is allowed. Either they are stupid idiots that can hardly do anything right or moral smart ass that notice the potential danger.\nWith current level of technology, no one can enter or exit a data base without rasing suspicions, this rules out any non crazy serial killer not to mention they will prefer quality over quantity.\n\n\"Seducing... Time consuming , natural disasters ... Can't interfere, large scale failure in events... Too many checking\" biting my nails trying to think of something that can work around the no kill rule.\n\n\"That's right ! it's a no kill rule , fight for survival is allowed.\" An age old idea spark into my mind,\" I'm going to create the cleaning fungus, eating up dead organic materials and maybe parasitic and maybe influence host to seek nutrition. It's a totally life giving creation, the opposite of kill\" \n___\n\"This is only the beginning.\" I think as I leave the hospital.\n\"The colourless solution dripping into your son's vein is basically the all counter to any flu , just keep it in there and your son get well in no time, entire hospital or even all human colony are using that , so don't worry about the safety concerns, they are perfectly sealed and monitored after production, the potion will release one at a time , there's absolutely no concern over containment\" explained by the nurse.\n\n\"These anti flu juice kinda taste good to me, good things I got a large amount of them for free.\" I said as I drink another one."
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[WP] You live in a world where you only age if you currently have children. Now, after 200 years of being a bachelor, you find a grey hair in your hairbrush.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"The alarm sounds. I fumble around for a brief moment before my smacking my clock with the back of my hand. What should have taken only a minute took much longer thanks to my sluggish movements. Today I was going to give a presentation at another University talking about the effects of immortality on the mind and yadda yadda. I sigh walking to the kitchen sink. Can I just get a break for once? Attempting to wake myself up I splash water on my face before looking in the mirror. \n\nGrey hair. Just one strand. Yet I knew it meant something more.\n\nAt first, a wave of panic washed over me. Many thoughts found themselves in my head. was I going to give up immortality? How long would it be until my hair would turn an ashen color? My face wrinkled and my own body giving up on me? Is this what being reminded of your own sense of mortality felt like? Had my time truly come? Then I remembered. Right.\n\nI stayed up all night yesterday writing my speech. Breathing a sense of relief I shrugged.\n\nMust've been the stress.",
"The grey hair. \n\nIt was a sign, an unwanted one. And not one that I ever cared to find, I had certainly enjoyed my fair share of women, perhaps more than my fair share if I was being entirely honest, Bachelorhood did not necessarily mean celibate after all. \n\nHeading for the armoire I dug into the bottom drawer, it was a bit egotist of me but from it, and the concealed compartment, I removed a book and a case. To buck the trend the book wasn't black, but still it was filled with names and numbers of my conquests. Of the case, well that would come later.\n\nI ignored the last twenty pages or so, they were all too recent for me to have gotten them with child. And so I came to the ten pages I felt were in the right time period and dialled the first number.\n\n\"Hey Miranda, it's Grant. Just calling to see how you've been and, you haven't had a baby recently have you?\" The conversation was not long, ten minutes of reminiscing and a negative on the baby meter. \n\nA week.\n\nIt took a week to go through the list and narrow it to four of my ex lovers who had born children in the appropriate time period. With that information, google and facebook, I began researching further, discarding two immediately, for I was neither black nor asian and neither was their mother. \n\nThat left two the research was harder now, namely because I wished to keep doctors, lawyers and scientists with tests out of it. Three months of aging passed before I was able to narrow it down, the data-mining and bribes paid to shady individuals had secured birth records for the two.\n\nAllyssa was the mother of my child, a beautiful baby boy who was perfect. I almost felt a flutter in my heart before I resolved to go and meet the child. \n\nGrabbing the case I headed for Allyssa's home, speeding along the lovely streets of the boulevard without attracting so much as a glance of curiosity, my neighbours were long since familiar with the growl of my cars engine.\n\nThree knocks. \n\nIt didn't take Allyssa long to answer the door smiling, though it was hesitant, \"Grant, it's been a while, please come in.\" The grey creeping into her own hair looked natural and lent her a wise air. \n\n\"Thanks Allyssa, sorry to bother you but after our conversation I thought maybe we should talk.\" \n\nShe beamed a smile, one of hope. \"Of course, come in, come in.\" She invited me in and we entered her lounge where our baby boy was playing in a cot. \"I was hoping you would.\" \n\nI took a seat while she took one facing me as I sat down the case on the table. I flipped the clips and opened it cautiously before smiling. \"It is really good to see you Allyssa, i'm sorry it came to this.\"\n\n\"I'm sorry too, I tried to contact you when...\" \n\nThe look of shock on her face was unforgettable, the horror, betrayal and pain all evident as the forty-five shell punched into her sternum, the suppressed crack of the handgun going off loud to his ears, the boy jumped.\n\n\"I'm sorry Allyssa, I really am. I thought you would prefer it this way, before I take care of our child.\" Blood leaked from her mouth as she slumped and I turned the gun on the boy. \"You weren't the first, probably not the last, but I will not give up immortality that easily.\" \n\nThe gun fired a second time."
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[WP] In a post-apocalyptic world where no one knows if they can wake up tomorrow, you are determined to run a build-a-bear store to bring laughter to the children.
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"**Welcome to the Prompt!** All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\n**Reminders**:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\\(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\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.*",
"I sat in the small “reception” area of the Mayor’s office. It was one of the few Pre-Flash buildings in the town, an old gas station. The mayor of Maraway (names because the gas station had been connected to a Subway) had claimed the old manager’s office as his own. I now sat by the old desk his secretary, a cold eyed woman sat writing stuff down. Across from me, two red shirted CDF guards eyed me. \n“Your proposal is shit.” Mumbled the taller guard, “ain’t no reason for us to make a lala land in our town.” \nA sharp jab hit the man in the chest, from his companion, a smaller black woman. “Shut up Damien,” she said, “Just because you ain’t got the joy anymore don’t mean you gotta drag the rest of the town down.” \n\nThey devolved into an argument and left the reception, leaving me and the secretary. \n\nFinally, the door opened, “Mr. Manring, come in.” I got up, and as I passed the desk, I heard a quiet, “Gold luck.” \n\n“Mr. Manring,” began Mayor Paulson, an old municipal judge, “I’ve read your proposal.....and I’m very puzzled.” He scratched his beard as he gazed at me.\n\nI gulped, I knew I needed the mayor’s approval to build in the town, as we had limited space and resources. If it failed, my dream would be crushed. I knew a guy had suggested we build a bigger watchtower get shot down quickly, and even someone who proposed expanding our farm plot, ringed by old semi trailers. \n\n“But, Mr. Manring,” He continued, “I used to hear cases out before my verdicts, and I see no reason to stop, so I want you to talk to me, tell me why you want this business, it’ll be nice and relaxed.” \n\nI was shocked, but I knew it was do or die (metaphorically) so I took a deep breath,\n“Mayor, I was in the army before the bombs fell, almost 15 years ago now. I watched some horrific things happen in those 15 years, things that made me refuse to touch a gun again...”\nThe mayor stared at me, and made a “Go On” motion with his hand.\n\n“I’ve seen families torn apart by bandits for sport, I’ve watched people literally melt because they fell into a pool of heavily irradiated water, I’ve seen monsters tear open an APC like it was a piece of paper.....and I realized a whole generation of children are going to grow up not knowing what it is like to experience joy, to have something that isn’t a gun or a machete from the time they can walk to the day they are buried......”\nI felt wetness on my face, but I held steady, \n“Mayor, I want these kids to have some happiness, and if I can’t do it here, I’ll go to one of the other CDF towns, and try there. Hell, I’ll build a shack myself and make it in the middle of the road. But I want to make a Build a Bear workshop.” \n\nI finished, and stared at the mayor. \n\nHe had a glint if a tear in his eye. “Son...” he began, “I haven’t heard a speech that moving in years. Your proposal is unorthodox, but I like it. Consider it approved.”",
"He ran his fingers up and down her softness. He squeezed her to his chest and then, let her fall to the ground. She laid there, her limbs splayed out and her face emptied of life. \n\nOutside, it was raining. The streets were filled with the flooding of six days of rain. He moved to the window and adjusted his cardboard sign. An explosion, three blocks away. Flames licked a once sturdy skyscraper, red exploded up and into the sky. Black smoke rose in a column and disappeared into the grayness of the city. Everything was gray now. \n\nExcept for her. She was a rich caramel brown with shining eyes and colorful clothes. She wore a small black smile. \n\nHe picked her up from the ground and wiped the dirt from her body. He turned her over and reached inside of her. He filled her with old socks and torn blankets. She was beginning to take shape. Her arms and her legs began to jut out of her torso like an inflatable Christmas decoration. He remembered Christmas decorations. Red and green twinkling on every corner, sale signs in every shop, pine trees adorned with silvery tinsel and strings of popcorn: it was a distant memory. When the world was sane. \n\nHe turned her over again. He brushed the dirt away from her glassy eyes and her simple white nose. He reached for the comb he had scavenged last week. He had found it discarded on the ground at an old pharmacy. Who could have thrown away such a beautiful piece of plastic? He brushed her hair. He brushed it back and down, back and down until she was covered in a creamy snug softness. \n\nHe moved to the fridge. He opened it. Every shelf was filled with pinks, purples and blues. A shelf for bows, a shelf for dresses, one for shoes and one for rainbow-colored accessories. Tulle burst from the edges, satin hung on tiny hangers and glittery shoelaces tied in perfect loops. The fridge was the safest place, nobody checked fridges anymore. This city had run out of food weeks ago. \n\nHe looked back at her and then, squared himself in front of the fridge. He saw it, the most perfect lilac bow with silver tails that rustled together as he picked it from the shelf. He grabbed her a purple tutu dress to match and fluffed it delicately with his fingers. He picked out clean white shoes. She would have the cleanest shoes for miles. \n\nHe dressed her. He zipped her into her dress and shined her shoes with his thumb and spit. He tied the bow between her ears, it flopped to one side in a perfectly crooked manner. He admired her. She was beautiful, absolute purity in the surrounding defilement of this world. \n\nThere was a soft knock on the door. \n\nA child stood beyond the glass, her hands cupped over her face so she could squint in between the grime. She was covered in black and half of her body was burned. Her flesh was red and strained from holding her together. He waved. She smiled and waved back. She had no teeth. Rain was dripping down her back, she was ankle-deep in a puddle. \n\nSomething moved behind her. \n\nHe approached the door and opened it for the child. \n\nThe child did not enter. She was terrified. \n\nHe handed her the Teddy Bear with the perfectly crooked bow, fluffed tulle dress and clean white shoes. The child was crying. Tears pooled out of her eyes as her smile grew wider and cracked her face into a strained mess of dimples. She clutched the Bear to her chest. She patted the Bear, feeling the softness he had worked so hard to achieve. \n\nA group of three men appeared from an alley. They were covered in ash, their faces completely black aside from white smudges for their scrutinizing eyes. \n\nHe pointed at them and the child nodded. He patted her head and put a finger to his lips. She nodded again as he closed the door. The child was quick, she skipped across the street and slid along a half-fallen brick building. She tucked the bear underneath her arm, she hopped on to a garbage can and pulled her small body up on to the roof. She watched the men pass. Her eyes still wet with tears, her cheeks singed with heat and her hands wrapped around a smiling Teddy Bear. \n\n​"
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