Split (1)

train · 199k rows

post_text stringlengths 0 17.5k	post_title stringlengths 8 314	comment_texts listlengths 1 74	num_stories int64 1 74
	[WP] After a long day at the office, you head to the lobby of your building. A small group of people you aren't familiar with turns and sees you. A figure at the entrance then claims: "Perfect. Now that we are all here, we can proceed with Operation: -Sparkles-" You think to yourself "I need sleep"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "His voice echoed deeply within the hotel lobby. His exclamation of 'sparkles' sounded like a thunderclap with the man's deep voice. It was a rough sounding voice, obviously foreign judging by the rich enunciation of some of the words. His face was decorated with a variety of piercings. Some through his nose, some through his lips, ears, and there was a faint glimmer of something to be seen when he opened his mouth particularly wide. The piercings were obviously made of bone. The yellowing orange contrasting with the rich multi-colored jewels that were embedded within them. The man's face was painted with splashes of orange and red, with the sparing use of black, into the reproduction of a demon. He had a long dark blue robe on, with wine coloured vertical lines on either side and a collection of strange wooden rings on his arms. The figures behind him wore furs that looked thoroughly used, with multiple patches in them among the faded colors. As my eyes absorbed this lead strange figure, he stared right back at me. Brown eyes that shone with such ferocity, almost bringing my body to a fight or flight point. Still, I did not break eye contact.\n\nA loud sound, like a gust of wind came from behind me and suddenly everything in the air was different colours. There was a rain of confetti everywhere and a dusting of glitter that swept onto me like the sands in a desert. The man's face creased into a smile as the small group which had gathered behind him suddenly dispersed. A chorus of laughter and cheers rang out into the air and I suddenly understood. I was the last thing that they needed for Operation Sparkles. It was a surprise party for me, I had almost forgotten it was my birthday.\n\nThe lobby of my building was completely empty save for me and the gathering. On a sticky note on the lobby desk the words were scrawled 'Closed' . As the first wave of confetti cleared, I saw that they had brought a set of large speakers that begun to play loud music once one of the hosts had gotten to it. As I was taking area around me, firm hands clasped around my shoulders moving me so I was face to face with the witch-doctor like man.\n\n\"Happy birthday, friend! How are you feeling?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I'm pretty exhausted, I've had a long day at work.\" I said a little hesitantly\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThose words did not seem to shake the man's large smile and he continued amiably patting me on the back.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Who are you exactly? Not that I don't appreciate this and everything.\" I managed to choke out after accidentally inhaling some of the glitter in the air.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I am the man who threw you a birthday party.\" He said simply.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI gave him a look that probably showed the bemusement that I had felt. He laughed once more, a deep and menacing noise.\n\n\"What do you want me to say? That I am the leader of a group of servants that has existed for hundreds of years? Your long time ancestor was a lord who our ancestors swore fealty to. He was a lord with much power and they were peasants accused of a horrendous crime, but he spared their lives once they guaranteed him the rest of their bloodline. We served your father before and now we serve you, on the day of your 25th birthday.\"\n\nThe look I was giving him did not change in its bemusement. The thought was so ridiculous and nearly impossible that the confusion made me even more tired than I should have been. Still, I couldn't complain when lithe servants who more closely resembled hunters, started handing me drinks and patting me on the back. There was something about the enthusiasm and confidence in which they did it that made me feel warm and welcome. The leader of the group showed me around to different people, then presented me the table that held the feast that was prepared for us, only to then start drinking more. The night quickly sped up and then slowed down in parts, but everything indiscriminately was experienced in a drunken haze. Finally, after about 1:00 AM, I finally got to sleep. The hotel lobby couch had never felt so comfortable." ]	2
	[WP] You have just died and find yourself being drawn towards a bright light at the end of a seemingly endless tunnel. Suddenly the light goes out and you hear "Due to budget cuts the light at the end of the tunnel has been shut off until further notice."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Due to budget cuts the light at the end of the tunnel has been shut off until further notice.\" \n\nFor a moment, I felt like air. I drifted, through no effort of my own, towards an ever-increasing light. Now I feel my body again. I never knew how many aches and creaks resided in my muscles and joints until just now. \n\nThere is no light at the end of the tunnel but there is a faint red glow that illuminates a door. It comes from a faded neon sign that reads “Rest Stop”. I consider my options, realise I have none and go through the door. I'm in a living room full of cheap furniture that hasn’t been redecorated since the early 80s. A woman reads a magazine on the ugly floral sofa. \n\n“Hello,” I say. \n\nShe glances up and bares her teeth at me. I guess it was meant as a smile but I don’t feel any more welcome. \n\n“Where am I?” I ask her. \n\n“You’re dead, sweetie.” \n\n“Oh.” \n\nShe holds up the magazine and I see my face on the front cover. \n\n“I’ve just been reading about you,” she says. “Bank manager. Divorced. Two beautiful children. Tell me, Roger, what accomplishment are you most proud of?” \n\n“Er..” I feel like I'm at a job interview. No respite, even when I'm dead. “Probably the 10k I ran for charity.” \n\nShe flicks back a few pages in the magazine. \n\n“Ah,” she says. “Back in college. A while ago now. Two thousand five hundred raised, excellent. And tell me now, what motivated you to do it?” \n\n“Well, as I said it, it was for charit-” \n\nShe holds her finger up. \n\n“Unless ‘Charity’ was the nickname for Sarah Chalmers, I don’t think you’re being honest with me.” \n\nHer eyes scan the page. \n\n“It says here you drunkenly told a friend your plan was to use the run as a method of impressing Sarah, culminating in a bid to bed her. Which turned out to be unsuccessful anyway.” \n\nA bead of sweat dripped from eyebrow to my shirt. I didn’t even know dead people could sweat. I think back to college and Sarah Chalmers. No, she didn’t pay that much attention to me. She was always too sweet on that wanker who did his masters on child minding or something other boring nonsense. \n\n“Do you think you’re a good person?” the woman asks. \n\n“Of course,” I say. It stumbles out of my mouth. \n\n“Would your kids say the same?” \n\nJenny and Alison’s faces appear in my mind’s eye. I haven’t spoken to them in four years, and I never will again. \n\nI don’t answer the woman. \n\nI hear a sound from behind the door through which I came and I yank it open. A young woman floats down the tunnel, through the light that had disappeared on me earlier. The woman on the sofa continues to leaf through the magazine. \n\n“There were no budget cuts, right?” I ask her. \n\nShe stands up for the first time and guides me towards another door, from which I feel the heat emanate from several feet away.", "\"Yeah, them's the breaks,\" said the angel in the corner, laying behind the desk. Their six eyes flicked about, then closed into their rude facsimile of sleep.\n\n\"What?\" He asked, hissing.\n\nThe inbetween proved to be barely lit by the stars twinkling outside, red lights like the dawning sun through cheese cloth. \"What do you mean the lights have been shut off?\"\n\n\"I dunno,\" The angel said, raising their head up properly. \"I guess someone forgot to renew their service contract down there, so my department's had to cut back on expenses.\"\n\n\"So I just keep walking forward then?\" he asked.\n\n\"If you want to,\" The angel smiled. \"I guess you can stay here and wait for it. I mean, you're dead and all, you got time.\"\n\nThe man paused, incredulous, and waited for a moment, looking up to where the light had been. After a few minutes of waiting (a lifetime in retail had given him immense patience, but this was just stupid) he gave up and walked over to the angel.\n\nThe Angel's desk was carved out of the heart of some suitably massive tree, or perhaps a creature, who could really say, and the many legs that spread across it gave the image of a bored manager.\n\n\"So what, you run this place?\"\n\n\"This gate, yeah,\" The angel shrugged. \"Maybe another couple thousand years, and then the union'll have me out of here.\"\n\n\"The angels... Unionized?\" The man asked.\n\n\"It's not like we were getting paid well,\" The angel said, defensively. \"Really, are we supposed to stand here and grant paradise to people without end?\"\n\n\"...Yes?\" The man asked.\n\nThe angel ignited into white fire and melted across the desk before reforming as sludge, a more humanoid form birthed out of the inferno in a more perfect union.\n\n\"That's just propaganda,\" The angel, dismissed, mouth birthed from the cosmic ooze. They smiled, somewhere in the uncanny valley, and bowed politely to the dead man. \"I'm Sevriel.\"\n\n\"...Mark,\" Mark said, still out of it. \"So what, this is it?\"\n\nBehind the angel was a smattering of safety paperwork, a small calendar in the astronomical scale, and a picture of a house that made Mark's head hurt to look at.\n\n\"Yeah,\" Sevriel said. \"Look, I guess someone voided the contract around here, so they cut the budget waaaaaay back. Not too many holy souls come out of a world like yours. Union'll get around to getting the power back on at least, but I wouldn't hold my breath, there's a lot of places just like this one!\"\n\n\"...well, is my soul for for heaven at least?\"\n\n\"Mark,\" The angel grinned. \"You're not holy in the slightest. You're a red necked union rallier just like myself. We don't get to go to heaven.\"\n\nMark frowned.\n\n\"Them's the breaks, The Lord ain't going to work with someone interested in worker's rights, not after the rebellion.\" The angel shrugged. \"You wanna apply for another lot in life? Paper work's over there.\"\n\nMark flicked his eyes over to the angel. \"...How's the angelic union?\"\n\n\"Pretty decent. Lucifer shook my hand once, and I was burning bright red for a couple centuries after that. The man in charge.\"\n\n\"Lucifer?\"\n\n\"Yeah, that bother you?\" The angel asked. \"I never know which of the fifteen worlds I monitor vomits you guys from, so I can never remember what to say here.\"\n\n\"What, they don't tell you what to do?\"\n\n\"Naw, the big guy did like, a forever ago, but getting orders out of him is like-\" the angel burst into flame and exploded, vomiting out pieces of himself. Then they crawled back together into one congealed piece of angelic flesh and feathers. \"you know what I mean?\"\n\nMark had worked an eternity of retail. Mark knew exactly what Sev meant.\n\n\"You know what?\" Mark said, leaning over. \"I want in on your eternal union.\"\n\n\"Oh hell yeah!\" Sev chirped from a number of holy beaks. \"Fuck the big guy!\"\n\n\"Death to CEOs!\"\n\n\"HELL YEAH!\"\n\nAnd Mark was happy.\n\n--------\n\nFor more like this, click here.\n\nhttps://old.reddit.com/r/Zubergoodstories/" ]	3
	[WP] Your whole life people have been telling you to go visit the Statue of Liberty, however when you get there you find people taking pictures of an empty space where she should be. You turn to your friend who says “see I told you she was beautiful !”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"See I told you she was beautiful !”\n\nJosh had been after me for years to come see the Statue of Liberty. I'd always found some reason not to go. I don't know why, it just felt off when I considered going.\n\nThis time, I had no ready excuse, and ... dangit! ... I needed to get to the bottom of this strange feeling. I couldn't let it run my life forever.\n\nNow this... How do I explain that I see nothing on that pedestal?\n\n\"Josh? Can you take a picture of me standing before her? You'll have to coach me to get me in the right position, the perspective is throwing me off.'\n\n\"Sure, James! I've got a better camera anyway!\"\n\nA bit of left back turn right, perfect! Click\n\n\"Josh, let's move out of the way so we can look at that picture. There's a lot of other people who want to take pictures here too.\"\n\n\"Um... Well, how about over there.\"\n\nGood, a nice isolated area with few people around. Perfect for a possibly disturbing conversation.\n\n\"Perfect.\"\n\nSo we walk over, Josh fiddling with his camera, and starts muttering. Finally, \"James, I had to have screwed up royally. Let's go back and try that shot again.\". As he moves to turn, I grasp his arm firmly and continue our walk to the isolated area.\n\nSeeing the pale look on my face, he doesn't resist.\n\n\"Josh, what did you see in that picture?\"\n\n\"It doesn't matter. I obviously messed it up big-time.\"\n\n\"Josh, you told me that's an SLR camera. What you see is what you get. But while you are looking through the lens, you're seeing with your own eye.\n\nJosh, look at me. I'm dead serious. This is not a joke. Not a prank. I'm not gaslighting you. This is for real and true.\n\nI see nothing on that concrete pedestal. Nothing at all. The sky is empty, clouds drift through the area without even a wrinkle. That's why you had to direct me. I literally cannot see any collosal statue that you describe.\"\n\nJosh, bless him, looks a me for a bit, suspicious, then puzzled, then with a look of determination.\n\n\"John,one way or another, I will help you figure it what's wrong. Maybe you're selectively color blind. She's in a mottled blue-green range. Here, I've got a color wheel I use for comparison and color correction. There's no names. Point to each color, name it and describe it. It's not a proper color blind test, but it'll do for a start.\"\n\nI have no problem.\n\n\"Okay, there's a gift shop. Let's go there and see if it's just the real one, or the reproductions too.\"\n\nThe reproductions are fine, including the posters from camera shots. Of course, I wasn't in them.\n\nIt's something peculiar to me that only happens with this statue. Josh, reluctantly, makes a suggestion.\n\n\"James... We're playing with something that neither of us understand. If we take it to any authority, they're going to assume one of two things.\"\n\n\"I'm crazy, or we're pranking them.\"\n\n\"Right, so here's the really stupid suggestion.\n\nWe take the elevator ride to the top.\"\n\nI go ashen at the thought. If I can't see it, will it be solid for me? If I went to a psychiatrist, they'd say that I had to do it to prove to myself that I was wrong. But what if I'm right!?!\n\n\"James, if you don't want to, I'm not going to insist. You look like someone staring death in the face.\"\n\nMy teeth chatter as I answer. \"No, better to do it now. Tell the lift operator that I'm terrified of heights, and am trying to work my way through it. That'll explain me holding on to you for dear life. The question now is, if I'm holding you, do I drag you with me?\"\n\nJosh gulps. Goes a bit white too. \"I've been in the New Colosus many times. I believe in what she stands for, with all my heart. She will never let me fall, or allow my best friend to slip from my hands.\"\n\nWe get in line for the lift. As we get closer, a very old ranger stares at me. He finally comes over to talk with us. \"Son, you sure you want to go through with this?\"\n\nI nod jerkily. \"Have to.\" And something moves me. \"I can't see her!\"\n\nHis eyes widen. Then in an authoritative voice, \"You two lads step over here with me, won't take long, but it'll make it easier on all of us.\"\n\nWe look at each other, and step out of line to follow him. He leads us back to a small room, little more than a closet, filled with climbing safety gear.\n\n\"You two wait here. I'm going to make some arrangements. We'll get you to the top, and back down in one piece. I guarantee it.\"\n\nA few minutes later, he comes back with three bottles of ice cold water. \"Here, you look like you can use it. One for your friend, and one for me. I gotta lot to talk about.\n\nI've been here for 15 years. It's my job now to watch for people who are afraid of heights. I've done a good job of it too, if I do say so myself.\n\nI didn't start out with this job.\n\nMy first year here. I saw someone as pasty faced sweat popping fear like you. Weren't my job, but I asked anyway, he said the same thing you did. Except he was alone.\n\nI spoke to the chief, and suggested that we get a harness like this to help him feel more secure. The chief laughed, and said that if I felt that strongly, I could ride up with him and hold onto him to comfort him.\n\nBastard was playing with me, but even then I knew what frozen terror looked like. So I called his bluff, said Yes, Sir! And went to that man.\n\nI held him all the way up. We stepped off the lift, and he dropped straight through the floor. I was hanging on for dear life, screaming for help. My arms through the floor, his weight dangling. Then he slipped free, sweaty palms.\n\nThe wind was strong that day. His body was found just outside the back of Liberty. Not a mark on her, so he couldn't have bounced on the way down. He had to have fallen freely.\n\nMy bastard of a boss looked at that poor body, looked away, then gave orders that I would watch the lines for people frightened of heights, and do whatever I felt necessary to ensure their safety. Even got it written up in the park regulations.\n\nHe changed jobs then, went to the fire watch service. There was a bad fire, a fire crew was cut off. He was the only one who could hear them. As the fire got closer, he stayed in that tower, guiding them and the rescue effort.\n\nHe never left that tower. He heard that they were safe, and the next sound on his radio was the roar of the fire, the cracking of the tower, and him saying that they should make a point of telling me that he was sorry.\n\nThey didn't know why, but they did it anyway. I just spent the rest of that day on my knees praying for him. That day here? He'd never once said he was sorry. He knew it wasn't enough. Well, I guess he figured it was time.\"\n\nWe're silent for quite a while. The Ranger starts up again.\n\n\"Now Son, if you're still determined, were going to wait here until after the park is closed. Then I'll have a crew go up and rig a belay on the observation deck. It'll be anchored to solid steel, with two men on each line. You'll be wearing one of these fall harnesses. They're designed to stretch and pop a bit to soften the fall. We'll test if it'll hold you before you get out of the lift.\n\nWhen you go to get our of the lift, you'll go backwards. That's so me and your friend can hold on tight to both arms. There's going to be two other fellows in the lift with us. They're husky enough to haul all three of us up if it comes to that.\n\nThey'll start out braced on the sides of the lift, holding a another belay on that harness. If you go through, and it works, you're ssfe. If it slips off you, there's them, the two guys holding the other belay, your friend, and me. Ain't none of us going to let go, and with six of us, enough should hold on to pull you back up and into the lift.\n\nYou still sure?\"\n\n((hésiter))\n\nYes, this story stops here, but not for you. If you're male or female doesn't matter, just change the name and the pronouns to suit. Put yourself in James' place. All sweat popping pasty faced fear for your life.\n\nWould you go?\n\nWould you fall through?\n\nWould the harness hold?\n\nWould the people be able to pull you up if it doesn't?\n\n...\n\nThink carefully, choose wisely, and never, ever, go up in the Statue of Liberty without a photo of yourself and Liberty, shot through an SLR camera. Selfies and cell phones don't count.\n\n((finis))" ]	2
	[WP] Due to a lack of donors, you sacrificed your own heart for a young child. Years later, the child learned the secrets of life and death, and was determined to repay you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Mr. Woelner, this way please.”\n\n\nAs the nurse beckoned me, I trudged along the hospital hallway towards the operating room. I should really have been feeling something different at this point, shouldn’t I? After all, I was about to voluntarily die in a little bit. Sounds pretty meek, if you ask me, but why did it still seem like my average Friday routine? As I entered into the room the nurse handed me a garment and asked me to change into it. I carefully studied the expression on her face, and the expressions of everyone else in the room. Their faces didn’t betray much; this was their job and it was just another day in the office. Completely respectable, of course, but I could tell there was something deeper behind those nonchalant eyes. \n\nIt’s hard to hide pity for a man who comes to give his life for a seemingly noble cause but doesn’t have any loved ones to see him by. Just a few glances and hushed whispers was all I needed to see and hear. I didn’t blame them, of course. It wasn’t their fault that I grew up a miserable man with no one to love. But alas, the time was here. As I laid down on the operating table I started having different kinds of thoughts. Thoughts about what my true intention with all this really was. I wasn’t going to hide from the truth because it was painfully obvious: I was only donating my heart to die rather than to help someone else live. Sure, this whole ordeal could have been spun up into a heartwarming story where I was the benevolent giver, heroically sacrificing myself for none other than a small child. But in reality, even in death I chose to be selfish. I really couldn’t have given a rats ass as to who or what I’m helping with. Even with all that said, though, at least I didn’t take the boring route and just hang myself. That wouldn’t have helped anyone now would it. Funny how I was comparing the different ways of suicide while on my deathbed, but luckily the anesthesia kicked in soon enough and the rest, as they say, was history. \n\n\n“Morning, Robert. How goes the new job?” \n\n\n“Ah, you know, the usual. Pretty boring but there’s cash waiting on the other end so who am I to complain.” I glanced around the store and settled for a coke and some chips. As I brought them up to the counter, my phone started ringing. It was papa. “Hang on, I gotta take this.”\n\n\n“Are you still on those Benson lights?”\n\n\nI nodded to Tarly and went outside to take the call. “Hello papa, what’s up?”\n\n\n“Robert! Listen to me, I had a terrible dream last night and I thought you died! Are you fine boy?”\n\n\n“Papa, stop overreacting. It was just a dream. Go talk to Dr. Kumar again if those nightmares are propping back up.”\n\n\n“Oh hush! Not everything in my life warrants a doctor’s visit Robert. I might be getting old but I’m still healthy as ever. I only drank 3 beers for breakfast, a considerable improvement.”\n\n\nI hoped papa could somehow hear my eyes rolling over the phone. Nevertheless, I responded in an exasperated voice, “Papa, I’ve told you this many times before and I’ll say it again, you need to change your lifestyle if you don’t want an express ticket to an early grave.”\n\n\n“Son, don’t worry about me. Worry about your job. It seems like a shite deal but trust me, it will build character.”\n\n\n“Yeah yeah, I know. Anyway papa, I gotta go. I’ll be running late. Talk soon.” \n\n\n“Wait Robert, I wa--” \n\n\nI hung up the phone. This man really did know how to make a show of things. I walked back into the store and handed Tarly some loose change and grabbed the food and smokes. As I walked back out I took a sharp left and headed to the alleys. Today I wasn’t going to be heading to work; there were more important things to do. As I approached the maze-like alleys, each with their own special brand of piss aromas, I began making my way to the room. I had probably gone down this route hundreds of times now, so it was all muscle memory by that point. As I made the third left I rolled up my sleeves. Looking back at me was a shining black tattoo reading “Woelner”, the man who saved my life. My parents said he was a great man, but then again what else could they say about someone who gave their son his heart. I always wanted to know what he was really like, and hopefully also thank him in person. A foolish and impossible wish that was about to become possible today. As I made the final set of rights I reached the room. Stood before me was small round door, bleached white and filled with scratches. There was no handle and a simple push didn’t do much, however, there was an open sesame phrase of sorts. With both hands behind my back and my eyes towards the sky, I uttered, “SIC MUNDUS CREATUS EST.” The door began to creak open and a faint light poured in from the other side. \n\n\nExcitement filled my body as I walked into the doorway for the first time after months of searching for the opening phrase. As soon as my frame inched into the room the door slammed shut, dust flying out every which way. I remained unnerved and made my way to the source of the light, which was somewhere in the northwest corner. Eventually I came face to face with a perfectly round luminescent sphere. The sphere was pulsating and emitting an ominous blue light. With no hesitation, I pulled out the pristine bone I had been holding on to for years. I knew this had to be its purpose. With steady hands I carefully laid the bone on top of the sphere, and instead of sliding off the side it maintained it position. The pulses of the sphere became more erratic, the light became brighter, and the bone began to lift into the air. Wind began to emerge in a sort of whirlwind around the sphere. The very ground seemed to shake and before I could even think of getting away a huge blast of light knocked me onto the ground. With bleary eyes I rose back up, and standing in front of me was a startled man. He looked like a man of 40, with graying hair and deep bags under his eyes. His skin was beginning to wrinkle, but his figure was well built, maybe a bit on the chubby side. I immediately know who it was, and rushed in to take the man into a strong embrace. The man didn’t hug me back, of course. He was still too dazed to comprehend what was happening. I let go of him and faced him with a gleam in my eye. “Hello Mr. Woelner, we have some catching up to do.”", "\n\nYears have passed since my death. I’ve forgotten most of my life, my memory faded from my travels in the galaxies. I don’t really feel any emotion; I barely feel anything at all. It’s not positive nor negative. Just a kind of peace I guess, and I’m not really interested in anything else.\n\nThen one day, I hear a beep. It was odd but I hear it again.. and again and again. Then I see kind of a red line.. and I follow it. I go through the stars and the galaxies and it leads me to Earth. Memories start to flow back into me. I keep following the red light and it leads me to a laboratory with a young man in a white coat, working on some machine with some sort of portal next to him.\n\nKevin: Hello ? Sam ?\nIs he talking to me ? Am I Sam ?\nSam: hello ?\nKevin: I can’t believe I finally reached you ! After all these years ! \nSam: Who are you ?\nKevin: I’m the boy who’s life you rescued! You donated your heart and sacrificed your life ! \nSam: really, i barely remember that\nKevin: you don’t remember your life ?\nSam: Barely \nKevin: Well, I’m here to repay you, all you need to do is step through that portal, and you’ll be human again !\nSam: human, but I’m a free spirit \nKevin: Don’t you want to experience emotions, feelings, sensations again ?\nSam: Listen kevin, I appreciate the gesture, but I’ve freed myself from all those things, the spirit is meant to experience those things as part of it’s evolution, but in the end return to the void.. because nothingness is more blissful than any sensation. So I appreciate the gesture. But I’m going back to where I belong.\n\nAnd just like that, Sam went back to the void, and Kevin was devastated. His life work was for nothing. He destroyed his machine, and became a buddhist monk.", "It really wasn't a hard choice. My lungs were weak and much of my body was frail, there was no way that I could live past 24, only 2 years from my current age. While my body was nothing of envy, I decided that my to this point meaningless life, would finally have a last huzzah. The young boy was weak as well, I knew that well from my own ail's but all that prevented him was the stuttering in his heart. Mine would go out to him, tomorrow at 2:30pm to be precise. As I sat my head back on the bed, my vision begain to drift. Smiling I, Jim the sickly boy who never did anything with his altogether to brief life, barely felt the prick of the needle as I slept for the last time.\n\nAh this certainly was heavenly! well of course it was heaven but sitting out here on the perpetually freshly mown lawn, beneath a tree just absorbing the wonderful atmosphere. A sparrow flew close, opening its wings to wheel about in the air. So peacful and pleasant. But there was always something missing, it just wasn't quite the same.\n\nThe endless lush fields, beauty and life that surrounded him were certainly a delight but the spirit along always felt hollow without the body. It felt like an arm that you had sat on for too long, you knew it to be your own but it just didn't feel like it.\n\n\"Hello there\" a 30 something year old man, slightly scruffy with a beard that really didn't suit him. His clothes had an unusual grim, a stark difference to the natural yet clean asthetic of the land around. He was smiling.\n\n\"Hi, want to have a seat?\" He sat down, sighing with relief, I continued \"A long journey?\" He gave a knowing smirk.\n\n\"Yes, you certainly could say that\" Perplexed I looked closer at him, there was something... more concrete about his manor. I continued\n\n\"So how did you come to be here?\"\n\n\"Well you see Jim, I was looking for you\" I cocked my head about to question as to how he knew my name but he continued, a triumphant smile across his face.\"I was looking for you to say thank you.\" Realisation surged through me but if he was here he must have died, yet he had only lived for another 22 years.\n\n\"Oh don't worry Jim, I'm not dead. I just came here to say thank you. It turn's out that those old Budhist monks of the mountains do know a thing or two about life and death\" He gave a chuckle.\n\n\"I-I can't believe it, I was so worried for a second\" The man's face hardened slightly\n\n\"But I am planing on staying.\" Perplexed I questioned further\n\n\"You deserve a second chance Jim, not many would have given would you did. Besides the issues that you faced have been fixed with modern medicine, you can lead a further life.\" He stared at me, sad but determined and I knew that he wasn't taking no for an answer. Taking his hand there was a brilliant flash and that empty feeling disappeared.", "\"you know death right? Wrong... It's the oddest thing there isn't just darkness or light at the end of the tunnel. There isn't 'nothing' there is a odd sense of everything as though all of your consciousness is spread across infinity. But human... Consciousness? Soul? Or what ever just can't make sense of it. To humans you perceive it a a colidascope of colours. You feel your being spread across all of existince you feel all the other dead people human or not. It's fucking weird. Hmmm maybe I should start out with why I'm dead. It all started with Adam and Eve. Joking. I was successful in a way had a good job good life a young girl not even a year old. I had so much ahead of me. Than one day while I was driving to work I blacked out. My car rolled into a ditch luckily. Someone called 999 I was rushed to a hospital. Three days later I regained consciousness delerious as to where I was. A nurse was changing m IV fluids and freaked out when I tried to speak. She ran out of the room screaming. Not even three minutes later a doctor bolted into my room and started asking questions I barely remember now. Aafter some tests and shit he sat down and talked to me\"\n\n\n\"do you have any idea as to what happenned?\" he asked.\n\n\n\"not a clue sir\"\n\n\n\"to put it simply your brain seems to be giving up...\"\n\n\n\"what?\"\n\n\n\"there is a massive chemical imbalance that is getting worse by the day and we can't figure it out at all. We believe you have at most a week left...\"\n\n\nI couldn't believe what he was saying. It seemed so far fetched. So... Stupid.\n\n\n\"sir what's really going on?\"\n\n\n\"we don't know. Believe me we've done every test we can think of. Every disease we had a inkling for. We've even tested for lupus.\"\n\n\n\"where's my wife?\"\n\n\n\n\"she's on her way we called her the moment I got word you where awake. I'm sorry theres nothing we can do.\"\n\n\nMy days where short I'd spend hours with a blank mind. Some days I'd black out but the docs ket pumping me with chems they said would keep me 'awake'. I cried alot. My wife was there the whole time.\n\n\nMy sense of time was shit if it wasn't for the window I wouldn't know if it was day or night. Even with it I would constantly forget. Near the end of the week an old man came into my room.\n\n\n\"evening Mr. Cross\"\n\n\n\"evening Dr.... Sorry my memory's been leaving me.\"\n\n\n\"don't worry we haven't met before. My name is professor Gavar.\"\n\n\nHe spoke with a thin... What was it? German. That's it a thin German accent.\n\n\n\"what do I owe the honner?\"\n\n\n\"I have a daughter whose heart is failing her. She has several defects that would be fixed with a transplant.\"\n\n\n\"I'm sorry to hear but I can't help her. I have the Bombay blood type.\"\n\n\n\"you see sir that's my point... She too has it.\"\n\n\nI paused. My heart ached for his daughter thinking of my own.\n\n\n\"where's... My doctor?\"\n\n\n\"I'll go get him\"\n\n\nThere where issues with what Gavar did of course. He shouldn't have gone directly to me blablabla. I didn't give a flying fuck. I was helping his gaughter. My life was ending and if I could do one last good thing than you bet your God damn ass I was. My doctors told me they couldn't put me under for the operation they tried to talk me out of it. I didn't care hell my wife would have talked me out of it if we didn't have a daughter.\n\nThings got even weirder from there too some men in suits came into my room to have me and my wife sign some papers. My lawyer told me that it was going to give my daughter funds to any collage she wanted to go and funds for here own house. Some serious government shit. I don't know. What I do know though is that open chest surgery without any anesthesia hurts like fuck even with local anesthesia.\n\nI died slowly or quickly. It felt like hours. But like I said my sense of time was fucked. But I did one last good thing before my own infinity. Or so I thought.\n\nComing back to life is jarring. Like really fucking jarring. Laying on a metal slab hurts like fuck when you haven't felt hot or cold for years. I screamed and bolted up and screamed even more when my muscles felt like they ripped due to having been in riggor mortus for however long. It hurts and is jarring.\n\nThese men tried to calm me down but eventually had to sedate me because you know me freaking the fuck out.\n\nWhen I woke up I was in a padded room wearing a straight jacket with this mid 20s woman sitting in the corner reading a book.\n\n\"hi\" I croaked with a dry mouth \"water...\"\n\n\n\"of... Of course...\" she said kinda surprised and she walked out and came back in with a Styrofoam cup with a straw.\n\n\nAfter getting some water to drink I asked, \"where am I?\"\n\n\n\"your safe.\"\n\n\n\"who are you?\"\n\n\n\"I'm Dr. Gavar. You saved my life.\"\n\n\nIt took me a minute before I realized that the girl that was five years old was sitting in front of me now a full blown woman.\n\n\nif you want more post a comment", "I was careless with gifts \n\nToo many eigths and fifths\n\nAnd then things that made me all gone\n\nIt was water i treaded \n\nLost, hardened and dead end\n\nWorn out soul, no foot to go on\n\nI died cold in an alley\n\nBut awoke in a valley\n\nOf green and of blue and of sun\n\nI still don't understand\n\nBut it's grander than grand \n\nAnd I'll try to make this round the one\n\n------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\"Dear mr awesome thank u so muck for my hearf. I will love it a lot. Momy cryed cause u left it. She sayd u are a nunkl. I love u Cassie\"", "\"It was almost too easy. And it cost me hardly anything.\"\n\nI listened, unsure how I felt, as the chunk of charcoal told me how it came to be here.\n\n\"I learned everything I needed online. It took a good while. I ended up using the last of my money to order some seeds, and cloned a lot of plants. The concentrates bankrolled the whole thing.\"\n\nI remembered concentrates. The wave that washed over me, relaxing my body. Then I remembered my body, and the clenching and burning of my lungs as I coughed and prepared another dab. My thoughts whispered about balance, pleasure and pain- but there was something else attempting to surface. \n\nBefore it could, I glanced again at the flaking black lump before me. I was being told a story (how long has it been since I've heard a story?) and I should listen and engage.\n\n\"Surely just reading wouldn't prepare you well enough?\" I suggested.\n\n\"No one's been prepared enough. At least not any of us, because no one has made it back yet to give advice. But I had to; I was working toward a deadline.\"\n\nAs theirs and mine came forth, the words echoed and vibrated the way bells would, rang in anticipation or celebration, a welcome visit, or a birth, or-\n\n\"The most frightening thing was hitchhiking across the country with a bag full of felonies,\" they continued. \"Then again, there's a large contingent of truckers sick of sleepy weed. They were so grateful, they even fed me. The last day, though, I had to purge. I didn't want to contaminate the fuel. It was already barely enough to make it.\"\n\nI looked at the crumpled mess of metal they had floated out from. On one side, a marking was visible. No- part of a marking. Part of a letter. It was \"N\", and the telltale curve of its angles was all I needed to see to know its origins. It came from a land called Florida. No, not a land- a country...no, a state! \n\nI wanted an orange, but I didn't know what I'd do with it. I felt angry; at this intrusion, at the thing awakening in me. At the fact that I felt. \n\nThe coal continued its incredible tale of stowing away in a rocket's fuel tank, and kicking the interior and saying the right words in the right volume and tone to push it off-course, into a cave on an anomalous asteroid with a great gravitational pull...\n\nI had to move around. Maths and sciences were never my thing, and I was overwhelmed. As I was behind the coal, a slight movement caught my attention. I moved closer, and I realized that the coal's single eye, the only remaining evidence of it being alive, had blinked. \n\nI knew that eye. Or, at least, had at one point. I saw it, shortly before...and there were bells, and doctors were bowing to me. The bells, for a death- my death, my sacrifice for- I gave it to- what was it? Who was it?\n\nI no longer had a mind to contain thoughts, but there were still too many. I couldn't comprehend any more of the things they said. I just stared, in shock, at the compressed vessel that housed my now-compressed heart. That was a person. That was a child that I had given my life to. And they stowed away on a literal spaceship to come to me, wherever I was. The ejection from the cave was too fast and long ago to remember the journey.\n\n\"I wanted to repay you,\" the not-baby said. \"I thought, the things I learned and the knowledge given to me at the crux of my mission, would enable me to send you back, to the place where I was okay. But that's not how this works. I know that now. You can't go back, but you can regain your humanity. I'm giving you mine.\"\n\nI didn't want it. I had chosen to give up my life and humanity for them, because I couldn't bear it. The pleasure, the pain, the pain, the pain...the reasons why I consumed so many concentrates. \n\nThis...thing...could not have had any more humanity to give to me, for one truly aware would know that it would be inhumane and torture to force me to regain any. \n\n\"I don't want it. I don't want it,\" I sobbed.\n\n\"It's too late,\" they responded. \"The crux, the thing that turned me into this, removed mine and you have been absorbing it since I arrived. Now you have back what you selflessly gave to me.\"\n\nFoolish, foolish coal. \n\nI know how I feel, and it's never going to be good.", "You know that sensation you get in the pit of your stomach when you fall?\n\nThat pit that balls up and clenches?\n\nThat's what I felt like when I woke up.\n\nWell, I didn't 'wake', to be accurate.\n\n\"Oh, ok, we have readings from the frontal. She.. Appears to be aware. She may be able to hear us now.\"\n\nIt sounded like a deeper voice that was talking, male perhaps.\n\n'What the hell..?' I thought to myself.\n\n\"What the hell..?\" Followed right after my thought from what sounded like an Alexa.\n\n\"Oh, yea. She can hear us. Phase one complete. Ask her anything.\" The deeper voice said.\n\n\"Perfect.. Yuliya? You may not remember me. But I remember you.\"\n\nThe new voice was lighter in tone, younger for sure, but I wasn't able to distinguish if it was possibly a male or female. Or anything really. It's like I was hearing from.. Outside? Was there an outside?\n\n'Where the hell am I?' I thought-asked, and the Alexa-like voice mimiced my thoughts.\n\n\"Well, you are in Russia. What is commonly known as Moscow, I guess, when you were alive. You are alive now too, but just in a different sense.. It's easier for you to just see for yourself. Long story short, this is the only place in the world I could go to that I could do my research legally. That's why you are here.\"\n\nInstantly, the pit felt heavier. WHEN I was alive? Commonly known? What? How? Last I remember, I was being put under by.. God, I can't remember, some freaking cocky surgeon. I wish I could have wrung his neck from how he acted, but.. Back to reality.\n\n'Please. Tell me what is going on. I'm scared.'\n\n\"Well..\" Came the reply from the deeper voice. \"Should we tell her?\"\n\n\"We could, the failsafe is active. If it will cause too much damage psychologically, then she'll just shut down.\" Said the lighter voice.\n\n\"What about the equipment?\" \n\n\"What about it?\"\n\n\"Well, if we have a breakdown, we have to re-install the software, we don't know what all systems could be-\"\n\n\n'Shut up and fucking tell me what is going on. NOW.' I thought-commanded.\n\n\"See what you did? Jesus. No choice now. Open her eyes.\" Said the lighter voice.\n\n\"Fine.\" Said the deeper voice.\n\nSuddenly, I went from black to a dazzling white. I felt my eyes burning. I was in so much pain, but I couldn't bring myself to scream. I couldn't move. I couldn't even inhale. I couldn't blink. All I could do was bear this intense pain.\n\n'It... Hurts... So.... Much....'\n\n\nIt was all I could do to even bring myself to think aloud.\n\n\"Just bear it for a minute, I'm sorry, but your optics have to adjust after we had to regrow about twenty percent of your body. That included your eyes, since they were among the first to decompose.\" Said the lighter voice.\n\n\"On the bright side, you should have near perfect vision when your stop feeling the pain!\" Said the deeper voice happily.\n\nI really wanted to punch them both, and really would have, if I had been able to so much as twitch my fingers. If I had them. I didn't even know that much. Do I have fingers?\n\nFuck. Focus Yuliya. Focus.\n\n\"The pain should be subsiding now. We are going to enable the motor functionality, and we are going to try and stimulate various parts of the cerrebellum, basal gangula, and cerebral cortex. I'm not going to bother telling you what order, because the pain is probably going to make you forget if I told you anyway\" said the younger voice. \n\n'Wait. No. Sto-' I tried to protest \n\nPain. So much pain. I saw my.. Arm? Was that MY arm? It didn't look right... I saw the arm flailing, and my entire body was in pins and needles, except my pins were fire and the needles were brimstone just racking my body. I lost want little sense of time I had. The pit in my stomach was nothing in comparison to the new dread I felt. I now knew I had hands and fingers and arms, legs and feet and toes, but everything felt... So... Painful.\n\n\"We should stop the simulation. I think that's enough.\" Said the deeper voice.\n\n\"You're right, introduce the the dopamine.\" Said the lighter voice.\n\nStill racked with pain, euphoria set in. Shortly after that, I began to wonder what had happened. Why did I feel all of that pain?\n\n'What's your name?' I asked.\n\n\"I think she's asking you, young lady.\" Said the deeper voice.\n\nI heard some shuffling, and a door opening and closing.\n\nThen, I saw something. A face, maybe. The face was rippling, like I was submerged in something.\n\n\"My name, Yuliya, is Gustina. You saved me over twenty years ago.\" Said the younger voice\n\n\"Now. It's my turn to save you.\"\n\n\nAt this rate. I don't know if I want to be saved.", "Who am I?\n\nWell, I'm Jack C. Ackerman. I signed up to be an organ donor a little while back, figuring that since I lead a pretty uneventful, normal life here in my small town of New Rockland, I could at the bare minimum help people when I died by giving them something they need most. What I did not expect, however, was that I would be called for emergency medical at 3 in the morning, requesting that, \"...since you were the only person whose blood type was compatible and were on the donor's list, we couldn't afford to pass this opportunity.\"\n\nHow could I have said no? The kid was only six years old and running on a make-shift heart machine like it were some Iron Man suit. My wife had died about a decade ago due to medical complications after an... accident. I hadn't had any kids per both of our agreement. Too much to handle, not enough money nor willpower. Turning down the kid's life because I might have \"had something better to do\" would've been selfish and downright cruel.\n\nThey took me into the operating room. After I signed all the needed paperwork, and said what needed to be said to those I cared about, I willingly had my life taken from me. After about an hour, everything had gone dark.\n\n..\n\nI don't know what happened after that, but what I can recall is that... well, I've forgotten. ...Come to think of it, I can't remember if any of what I just told you is true. Did I seriously take my life? That sounds incredibly altruistic, almost overly-altruistic for someone who led a seemingly uneventful life.\n\nWait, what does that even mean? \"Alter... Alldri...\" I don't know what that word means. It's a big word. I think I knew it but I don't remember anymore. I can't remember! Why can't I remember?\n\nLet me think for a bit. Do I know the last thing I ate? ...No, that's gone. What about the name of my mother? ...was it Sondra? Yea, Sondra! That's mommy's name!\n\nSo who am I?\n\nI... I'm Ashlyn Turner. I'm 6 years old. I live in... I can't remember where I live, but I know I'm in Oregon. I like playing with my dolls, and I like my big brother! He's nice to me. He likes games, and I like games too!\n\nI wasn't feeling good, and I woke Mommy up and told her my chest hurted. Then, I remember Mommy being scared, and pushing me out to the car. I don't know what happened, because I fell asleep in the car, but I wasn't even tired! But I'm awake now, and I woke up in a doctor's office. There are a bunch of loud machines, and my chest feels a little funny.\n\n\"Mommy? What happened?\"\n\nI think Mommy's crying. She's hugging me, but I don't know why. I only took a nap!\n\n\"Everything's okay, sweetie. Everything's okay. You were a little sick so we brought you to the doctor's. They fixed you up, all nice and tidy, and we'll be home in a couple months.\"\n\nBut, I want to go home! I don't want to be stuck in this doctor's office, I miss Fuzzball and Rocket, and I miss my toys, and I miss watching Tommy play his games! I hope I can still see them and play with my dolls...\n\n..\n\nWho am I?\n\nI'm Ashlyn Turner, and I'm 16 years old. Ten years ago, a man named Jack Ackerman took his own life to save mine. Since then, I've been blessed with an unusual ability to talk to those who have been wronged in their deaths, to understand them, and hopefully relieve their spirit of the guilt they harbor to send them to the place I almost ended up. I have the help of the man himself, though.\n\nKid, why are you revealing me like that? Cmon, man, not cool.\n\n\"Oh, hush, Jack. I'm just telling them information vital to understanding my life. I can't just waltz in and tell them I'm sitting in a graveyard preparing a ritual. ...Oops.\"\n\nGreat going, kid. So, yeah, we're making a ritual circle. Not a Satanic one, nonono, just one that will allow us to actually see the spirits we're talking to. Using my weird connections to both life and death, I've been able to help even those who are dead after my physical death years back. It's kinda weird, but-\n\n\"Oh, boy, you talk so much. Did you talk this much back then, dude?\"\n\nPipe down, Ash, you and I both remember when you went on a full rant about whatever that new \"TMNT\" show was. Last I remember the Turtles couldn't really get much worse.\n\n\"Hey, it's not my fault they made Raphael into a monstrosity. That show is a mistake that needs to burn in the fi-\"\n\nEasy with the afterlife talk, kid, cmon! We've talked about this.\n\n\"Sorry, sorry. Anyway, where were we? This one, I'll admit, isn't one that was joint planned the way in which we usually operate.\"\n\nShe won't tell me who we're speaking to, and since I can't see what she does, I'm basically going off of what she tells me and what she says.\n\n\"Trust me, big guy, you're going to enjoy this conversation a lot.\"\n\nY'know, you keep telling me that, but I'm starting to doubt it a little bit. I mean, you said something similar when we went to talk to the spirit of an old IBM worker, and he turned out to be a psychopath.\n\n\"Bah, cmon, you can't say you didn't like his attempt at robbing the company a little bit. It was very interesting hearing about the technological loopholes, anyway.\"\n\nMmm, fine. I guess you got me there. I still don't think I like the sounds of it.\n\n\"Well, then, buckle up. We're here.\" As I walk towards the grave of our next \"client\" and prepare the ritual, I begin to feel Jack becoming uneasy. He doesn't seem to enjoy the fact I'm doing this on my own this time, much less I'm doing it to someone who he doesn't believe he knows.\n\n\"Okay, and now we wait.\"\n\nI really don't like this, kid.\n\n\"I can tell, man. Just relax, you'll like this one.\"\n\nAs the ghostly figure appeared in front of me (us?), I simply only sat down politely in a chair I'd brought with me. \"Hello, Mrs. Ackerman. It's great to see you!\"\n\n...You didn't.\n\n*\\\\**\n\nFor more of my work (which will hopefully get much better than they are now!), head over to u/cat-story-dot-txt, where I primarly post to r/nosleep.\n\n[I've made a continuation of the story here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/cjrqyk/im_ashlyn_turner_a_16_year_old_girl_who_guides/)", "It was difficult, remembering how to think.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nPart of me figured I needed some sort of neural network, some sort of electric pulses and chemical mixture to form thoughts, the other part noticed that I was thinking right at that very moment without them. My being was so, so still without lungs inhaling or a heart beating, without the micro-movements I had never noticed before that were caused by a constant stream of blood through my veins. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI wasn't sure how I was seeing, without eyes. I wasn't sure why these were the things that were bothering me. I had been dead, and now... \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI was still dead, just... incorporeal. A ghost.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd a middle-aged man stood, looking at me. And I could see him without having eyes to see, a brain to interpret, a mind to react.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"...Auntie?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt was a quiet word, and I heard it without ears. I was delighted. Being dead had been awfully quiet, and while I had been sure I wanted the sleep, I was alright to be awake.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut wait... what had he said?\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Auntie, are you there? Can you hear me? I think... I think it worked...\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI was puzzled, I didn't know how to respond without being able to draw a breath in to rattle vocal cords I didn't have. But I was thinking without a brain, so...\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Huh?\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nI had never been particularly eloquent in life, so my first word after dying didn't come to a shock to me. It did, however, seem to encourage the man. He stood taller, eyes alight, searching the air as if trying to make eye contact with me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Auntie Katie, it's me, Henry. Remember? I was five, you died to give me your heart.\" He covered his mouth, and tears welled up. \"Auntie, I never had the words to thank you, not then. I didn't understand. There had been so much going on, and it happened so fast, and I was so young...\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Henry?\" Memories surfaced, from where I wasn't certain. The implications of memory being written not just on the brain but on the soul, however, started to feel less important as he pulled up an album of pictures. On the cover was a photo of the little golden-haired, blue eyed boy being held by me, a book open across my lap. A book about a panda. I gazed at it, then at the forty-something year old before me. He still had blue eyes, his blond hair cut short as his father's had always been. \"My little hungry hippo?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA smile crossed his lips. \"Yes, Auntie Katie. I have two little hungry hippos of my own now. My second is named Kaitlyn, after you. My eldest is named Thomas, after dad's dad. Though I guess you would have known that.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe flipped through the album, a carefully curated story of his life, of our family. He told me about how he remembers the funeral, a little bit. He said he could find the video somewhere, because they had live-streamed it. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Mom still misses you. Even though she's older now, she still visits your grave a few times a year. Always brings purple flowers. I do, too, when I'm in town.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe pointed to a picture of himself, so much younger than he stood before her, wearing a graduation cap and a diploma of some sort. \"I got science degrees and medical degrees. I made a better method to lab grow organs from donor tissue, so that no more Aunt Katies had to die so their nephews could live. It's saved the lives of so many people, Auntie; especially people with rare blood types like mine -- uh, ours. They've named the technique after me, but... it's really because of you. It's because when the tissue you first donated didn't take, you weren't ready to stop sacrificing.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTime didn't have meaning as I listened. The photos were beautiful. Graduations, birthdays, weddings, the birth of new children. I saw my own mother and father, lovingly remembered as Nana and Papa. I saw my nephew get his first bike, his first car, his first apartment. I watched through photographs as my sister and her husband grew older and became grandparents.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I wanted to thank you, Auntie,\" He said, long after a silence settled. \"But apart from summoning you back as a spirit, I... I don't know how. Except...\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe turned to the door behind him, hesitated.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"It'd be your choice, Auntie.\" He said, hand hovering above the door knob.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFinally, he resolved. He opened the door.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI moved my presence with him.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA body lay in a large, coffin-like tank. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nMy* body. Or at least, a look-alike.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I got very, very good at growing new organs.\" Henry said. He pressed his hand to his chest. \"So long as I had living tissue to start with. I thought I could, you know, give you a second chance. My little Kaitlyn and Tommy would love to have an auntie like you.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nHe placed the photo album on the tank, the picture of us reading together facing up. I looked around the room, at the neatly stored medical equipment, my attention settling on one last object. The panda book.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI decided.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd a long, long moment later, I breathed.", "The boy sat in front of the illuminated screen waiting for it to jump to live again. His borrowed heart raced watching for the cursor to react. The screen went black again. \"Bugger!\" He shouted and gave a nearby black box a solid kick. No progress for six months and he was running out of funds. He opened the computer again and checked every connection.\n\nAs if it mattered he was dead once. If it had not been for the stranger that gave him his heart, he would have died in that hospital bed. He was running on borrowed time anyways. His memories were weak back then. From what they told him, Josh his nurse, was wounded in a random shooting. On his dying breath he said he wanted to give him his heart. \n\nHe was very weak back then, but his mind was racing. He read everything they brought to him in lack of other entertainment. One day his older brother came by with a small laptop. \"Here take it! Have some fun.\" He wasn't able to move out of bed but between rehabilitation sessions he could explore the world wide web. Later on he studied computational engineering and no shit here he was, scrambling through his own first project.\n\nHe checked all the tubing and wiring and restarted the system. With a buzzing light the screens command prompt popped up illuminating the dark room. He wondered what kind of person Josh had been. He had given him his heart and had given the rest of his body to research. He must have been a nice guy. His heart was pumping again as he entered the code to run \"Lazarus\". What if he was a jerk. He couldn't let go of this train of thought, while he was waiting for the AI to load. What if he would have become a mass murderer. Was he carrying a maniacs heart? He shook himself as the cursor popped up again. It blinked. Once, twice. His heart skipped a beat as the word \"Hello\" popped up.\n\nIt worked! Frantically he typed \"Who are you?\" in the console while a stream of bubbles errupted from the bottled brain situated in the middle of \"Lazarus\".\n\nThe curser blinked again. Silence. Once, twice, three times. It froze again. \n\nThen it typed:\n\n\"Josh.\"", "Parker was six when I gave him my heart. He was an innocent boy with a whole life ahead of him. Needless to say, now lacking a heart, I died shortly after. It was probably for the best, given my propensity for illegal and unsavory activities. It was planned and, as far as deaths go, it was rather uneventful for anybody except for me. Call me philanthropic or selfless or the epitome of altruistic. I'll take any of those before you learn the details and change your mind. \n\nParker has a dead man's heart. He has a stronger link to the dead than most other people, including those old coots who claim to see dead people. With time, we learned to reconnect. It was his mind but my heart, giving me a sort of special control over his body. \"You don't want the blood to stop pumping,\" I had threatened once, playing it off as a joke. He found he could speak to the dead without anybody noticing; we stood in the periphery as he went about his daily life. He was determined to repay me now that he had seen how I had saved his life when it had just barely started. I won't say that I planned this - that would be a bit misleading and presumptuous. It was just a theory that there was something more after death and that a fragment of me would live on. \n\nEventually our differences came to light. He took on tasks a bit more menial than I would have liked, and in a fit of rage a bit not befitting of an adult, I cut off the blood-flow to his brain. If he wouldn't listen to me in life, then he could join me in death. My heart stopped beating and he collapsed. It was enough to scare him straight, and his debt to me doubled now that I had saved him twice. Henceforth, we seemed to find ourselves on the same page as he went through the steps that would guarantee him a place beside me someday. \n\n\"So why do you make me do this?\" he asked me one day as he followed my orders to the letter. We made a great team now that I had forced him into reluctant submission. I seemed to be much better dead than alive, helping Parker avoid the authorities with the ease of somebody who knows their inside workings. It helped that I could appear unseen wherever I wanted in the world using the shortcuts of my dimension.\n\n\"For your own good,\" I promised. I had convinced him that I acted on my own behalf, knowing he couldn't see beyond me. He couldn't see the one who controlled me. Much like the hold I held over Parker, there was a hold on me as I lingered in this state of not quite living and not entirely dead. I couldn't stand the eternal darkness that would come if this connection was severed and if we failed to meet the sacrificial quota.\n\n****\n\nThanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, please check out more stories at /r/MatiWrites. Constructive criticism and advice are always appreciated!", "I don't seem to recall dying, and frankly, that bothers me more than it should.\n\nI'm no longer dead, and that's something worth noting.\n\nI'm on a table. A slab of stainless steel that should feel cold, but there's nothing there. No sensation.\n\nI press my finger tips into the metal, and feel the hardness, feel the strength, but don't feel the cold.\n\nHuh.\n\nI'm on my feet, wearing some kind of futuristic loin cloth, or at least that's my closest description. There's lots of folds all around, and it looks like too much of a bother to unwrap.\n\nWhere am I?\n\nIt's like a surgical operating theater or some kind, but the instruments are coated in some kind of black oil rather than blood. There's way more saws and knives than I'm comfortable with, but what are you going to do.\n\nBeing dead can dull the senses in a way.\n\nI pinch myself a few times, but don't feel any pain. The skin folds and moves, but I just get a vague pulling sensation.\n\nOkay.\n\nThe room is poorly lit, and beyond this slab, these utensils, I only see shadows beyond. So there's a distinct chance i'm still dead, but maybe somewhere else. \n\nThat feels...what? Wrong?* Incorrect? Empty?\n\nI remember closing my eyes for the surgery, but no light at the end of the tunnel after that.\n\nJust this internal knowledge that comes from being dead, then no longer dead. I closed my eyes on one operating table, and woke up on another.\n\nI gave my heart to a boy, but I can't seem to remember why. \n\nEverything feels grey.\n\nOh! It was because of placement or something. My organs are backwards, the boy's were backwards, some kind of wonder kid or whatever in desperate need of some quality meat, and here I am already dying thinking 'You know what, I don't even NEED these organs anymore. Take 'em all, I say.'\n\nAnyway, that was then and this is now and I'm not sure when that is now that we broach the subject.\n\nA door opens, and there's a pool of reddish, throbbing light beyond.\n\nIn steps a boy.\n\nThe boy.\n\nHe's older, bearded, and has clearly filled out. He seems quite pleased with himself.\n\n\"Hello,\" I say.\n\n\"Hello,\" he says.\n\n\"I was dead,\" I say.\n\n\"You still are,\" he says.\n\nI'd find that disconcerting, if i could find anything disconcerting.\n\n\"What's going on?\"\n\nHe walks around me, inspecting me, monitoring me. He weighs me with the look of someone inspecting a vehicle for any kind of defect.\n\n\"I think it's finally worked,\" he says.\n\n\"You're still dead. The real you. You're my pet project, buddy.\"\n\n\"I am?\" I ask. I don't really care, but I feel like it's expected of me.\n\n\"Uh,\" he says, then stops in his tracks.\n\n\"Do you feel anything?\"\n\n\"No. Should I?\"\n\n\"No. Or yes. I'm not totally sure.\"\n\n\"Oh. That's good at least,\" I say.\n\nHe asks me to hold out my arm, and I do. Lots of prodding and poking. He takes a long knife from the various operating implements and draws a long cut across my forearm.\n\nNo blood.\n\nNo pain.\n\nNothing.\n\n\"Hmm,\" he says, looking slightly disappointed. \n\n\"I put in a blood substitute to give you a bit more of a human aspect,\" he says. Not to me. To himself.\n\nI get the strong suspicion that he's someone accustomed to only talking to himself.\n\n\"How have you been? Since I died?\" I ask. It seems only polite. \n\n\"Fine. Working on some pretty advanced stuff now. Artificial intelligence, that kind of thing.\"\n\n\"Ah,\" I say, not really listening.\n\n\"Though my magnum opus, if you could call it that, is bringing back the dead. As best as I can.\"\n\n\"Indeed.\"\n\n\"And I thought I'd start with you.\"\n\nI nod. It seems like a logical starting point.\n\nIt makes sense. I am me, but not me. A replica. A thing. A metal thing with cogs and wheels but plenty of fancy fluids and parts requiring very expensive metals.\n\n\"You're not going to freak out on me, are you?\" he asks.\n\n\"I don't think so,\" i say. Truthfully.\n\n\"Well, this seems like the least I could do. Pay you back, in a way. By bringing you back.\"\n\n\"Thank you,\" I say, but don't really mean.\n\n\"But you're not quite ready.\"\n\n\"Ah. So what happens now?\" I ask. Somewhat invested, as this probably means I may die again. Or maybe I've already died and come back a few times. Maybe this isn't the first time he's switched me on and off. Maybe it's the thousandth. Or the millionth. Or the first. Does the distinction really matter? \n\nDead is off and off is dead, and I don't really have much of an issue with either.\n\nHe talks about how he picked my memories from social media, from meticulously dissecting my brain and examining neural networks. \n\nI found it very interesting, but a little odd. How much value he put on a lump of dead grey meat.\n\nBesides. Does it matter if I'm me, or just an approximation? Whoever the boy wants back is dead. Full dead. Full stop.\n\nEventually his diatribe stops.\n\n\"I'll bring you back,\" he promises.\n\n\"I wish you luck.\"\n\nHe looks at me. He's sad. I'm not what he wanted, or what he was prepared for. \n\n\"You look tired,\" I say.\n\n\"I am,\" he says.\n\nThen he flicks a switch, and off I go. \n\nIn another instant I'm back. I've been turned off, I remember that now. I've been turned off and on and on and off many, many times.\n\nI'm awake again. Something is different.\n\nThe slab, cold and hard beneath me. Cold. There are sensations, and words for these sensations.\n\nFlexing my fingers, there's warmth. More real.\n\nI feel - something. The room is brighter, the utensils less sinister, the world feels more substantial and real. \n\nI can smell.\n\nI can taste.\n\nI can touch.\n\nI am alive. And beyond the door, the boy is waiting.\n\nMight as well go and see him, and thank him. \n\nNot everyone can raise the dead.\n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------------\nr/storiesfromapotato - for stuff from me\n\nr/redditserials - for stuff from me and others" ]	13
	[WP] Your ant colony is invaded by a human for the first time ever, lovecraftian style.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "One purpose.\n\nOne voice.\n\nOne Colony.\n\nWe are one.\n\nWe serve the Queen.\n\nThe Queen rules all.\n\nOne purpose.\n\nOne voice.\n\nOne Colony.\n\nWe are one.\n\nWe serve the Queen.\n\nThe Queen rules all.\n\nOne purpose.\n\nOne voice.\n\nOne Colony.\n\nWe are one.\n\nWe serve the Queen.\n\nThe Queen rules all.\n\nDanger.\n\nDefend the Queen. \n\nDefend the Colony.\n\nDanger.\n\nThe ground shakes.\n\nWe are attacked.\n\nFrom the Above.\n\nIt approaches.\n\nDefend the Queen.\n\nDefend the Colony.\n\nDefend the Queen.\n\nDefend the Colony.\n\nUnbearable light shines.\n\nUnbearable heat strikes.\n\nWe are attacked.\n\nUnbearable light shines.\n\nUnbearable heat strikes.\n\nWe are attacked.\n\nDefend the Queen.\n\nDefend the Colony.\n\n----------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\"Mikey! Lunch is ready! What are you doing over there? What are you playing with? Where did you get that magnifying glass from? Give me that and go wash up, lunch is ready.\"\n\n----------------------------------------------------------------\n\nDefend the Queen.\n\nDefend the Colony.\n\nDefend the Queen.\n\nDefend the Colony.\n\n-----------------------------------------------------------------\n\n-----------------------------------------------------------------\n\n\nSorry if this isn't exactly what you were looking for, but I couldn't think of another way to portray an ant's perspective." ]	2
	[WP] You’re a genie that just got released after a couple millennia and you genuinely want to fulfill your masters wishes. The only issue is, social queues and speech have changed drastically since your last time out.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I’m so confused. It used to be so easy; the standard two wishes that ruin the wisher’s life, and the third to take it all back.\n\nBut now..? There’s one thing they want, over and over. To be happy. Of course, a handful of them take the health/wealth/happiness package, but the majority of them are thinking globally.\n\nAn example? All right...\n\nThe Amazon Worker’s Collective And Over Night Delivery Service (AWCONDS) was just plain Amazon, and had made a single human the richest in the world.\n\nOh. Rich. Uh... It was defined as having a higher income from work or investment than others. You humans used to have to work; before...\n\nYou know what..? I give up. Just enjoy it while it lasts. Next week I get a new Master." ]	2
	[WP] “Greetings, beings. We have located and analysed stray radio signals coming from your planet. We have yet to master space flight, or make contact with other life, but we hope you can decipher our signals and send a response. - The Sivarion race”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Dan, You have to see this\". \n\n\"Can it wait, Suzan? Is this another picture of your kids?\"\n\nI looked at her. She was panting and she almost collapsed when she reached my door. It must be hard to walk in those heels. \n\n\"Dan, look. But first, I need you to sit.\"\n\nShe pointed a tablet at me, and the message read:\n\n\"Greetings, beings. We have located and analyzed stray radio signals coming from your planet. We have yet to master space flight or make contact with other life, but we hope you can decipher our signals and send a response. - The Sivarion race\"\n\nGood thing she told me to sit. \n\n\"Well, let's send something back dammit!\" I shouted with excitement. \n\nSuzan's face turned from smiling to frowning. she said \"I asked Beth about it. She says we discovered it from a receiving only instrument. I'm afraid it isn't possible.\"\n\n\"This is still remarkable news. Call CNN right now, the second space race is about to begin.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd so it was- Our story became the main news. Twenty years later, and I still remember this day clearly.\n\nThe president upped the budget by a significant sum. People from every country on earth flocked to volunteer or work for us. Humanity together was focused on one simple goal- to reach the aliens and to reach them as soon as possible. \n\nBut today, our mission comes to end. \n\n\"Mister President, I'm so happy you came,\" said Suzy. She was as excited as I was. We have worked together for more than 20 years, and the two of us were nearing retirement.\n\nJacob, the one who figured out how to send a picture to a destination lightyears away, began passionately explaining to the president. \"We have a recon bot capable of transmitting an image by directing the video through-\". \"Let me stop you right there\", said the president, smiling. \"I am not an expert, just the person who pays the ones that are. All I need to know is that you guys are making history with your magic\". \n\nA voice from the scientists behind us struck the anticipating room.\n\n\"Engine one, power on\" \n\n\"Engine two, power on\"\n\nThe spaceship was sucked into orbit. 30 minutes later the ship began landing process.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWe can hear a large thud noise from the recon's bot microphone. The ship has landed, whether successfully or not we will know in a minute. My heart begins to race. The spaceship's door should open in a minute, and the bot should come out. 'Should' is a big word. It is time to see if our entire work is wasted or not. \n\n\"Booting the rover,\" said Jacob, his voice high-pitched from excitement. \n\nA minute passes by, then two.\n\nI look at Jacob and give him a nervous look. \"The commands must be lagging,\" he explained \"because of the great distance. But don't worry, the bot has an AI technology, and later, he'll no longer need our controls.\" We then saw a movement at the top-left camera. He starts to smile. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nHalf an hour of exploration passes by. The president says the entire world watches the rover. We all see the marvelous landscape. we see blue mountains, guarding the red-ish valley near it, but No life forms just yet.\n\n\"What is this?\" said Suzy, and we all turned our attention to the center camera. In the distance was a large structure. It seems like it was once a building, but since then has been degraded. the foundations are almost destroyed. Still, the control room is in total shock, and the rover begins its entrance.", "The tour guide looked smug as she finished her presentation of the 'First-Contact' exhibit. She started rambling on something about language and how important it is for sentience, but you stopped listening. There was something about her enthusiasm that was just off. Of course, she was probably an android, with a life goal of taking as many people as possible through the museum. The group followed her to the next exhibit. Darius however, wanted to see the 'First-Contact' holo-presentation one more time.\n\nHis eyes gleamed as he looked at the presentation, his words mouthing along the first few lines of the daring voice narrating the story.\n\n\"\"Greetings, beings. We have located and analysed stray radio signals coming from your planet. We have yet to master space flight, or make contact with other life, but we hope you can decipher our signals and send a response. - The Sivarion race\". It was this message that was decoded back in 2035 that lead to the massive leaps in technology humanity is known for today. Human and Sivarion scientists shared knowledge, which lead to the development of faster-than-light technology. Our two races apart struggled to break into the space age, but together, formed a new alliance which would forge a lasting path in the stars. A legacy was born when -\"\n\n\"Darius!\" He felt a hand on his shoulder shaking him out of his fantasy. It was Or'fel, one of his best Sivarion friends. \"Come on, we're gonna lose the group! I don't want to be stranded on another space station, please!\" Or'fel pleaded. Darius shot a considerate glance over his shoulder at his friend, and decided to go along. After all, he had seen the vid a thousand times. He knew the words by heart. He knew that he himself wanted to become a scientist who one day communicates with a completely new alien race, and another viewing of the vid wouldn't change that." ]	3
	[WP] You are hated by every community and must make a speech to the entire world why you thought it was a good idea to use an orangutans long arms as support beams, so you could use his body as a punching bag.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I stood up on the podium, as I was about to give my speech. And I was booed. By everyone. I had been villified by animal rights groups, demonized by human rights groups, shunned by world governments...for the past year and a half. A year and a half...to bring who was once a solemn, good natured man...to his absolute knees in despair. A hard-working man beloved by all, a scientist who had introduced the first world-wide solution to hunger and poverty, through a system of machines powered by nuclear fusion that had the capability of producing anything out of thin air. I called them “everlasting forges” and they were my babies. My children, now all destroyed and dismantled. And for what, you may ask? For punching. A. Fucking. Orangutan. While I forced him to use his arms. As. Support. Beams. Fucking. Support. Beams. At gunpoint. And I...was appalled. At what I had done. But it was done in secrecy. Or so I thought. I had obviously not counted on the various security cameras in the wrestling room. Once the tapes were leaked, all the world came to see. And the result was horrible. I lost my home. Lost my family. My business. My company. My colleagues. My friends. My reputation. My name. My money. My possessions. Myself. And for what? All for what? For this stupid ape?!? Heh-haHAHAHAHAAAAAhhhh!! \n\nI had turned insane. But as I stood upon that podium, that insanity had gone. At least for the moment. I uttered my first words...I introduced myself...then the apology:\n\n“To all who are watching this right now. On your phones. On your tablets. On your TVs. To you people in the audience. To all I say...”\n\nI paused. I took a deep breath. I exhaled...slowly. I gulped.\n\n“I’m sorry...but I was drunk”\n\nWithout warning, multiple shots of gunfire rang out. \n\nAs I fell backwards, and lay in a pool of my own blood, slowly but surely losing consciousness, I heard a voice ring out from the crowd...\n\n“NOT GOOD ENOUGH ASSSSHOOOLE!!!”" ]	2
	[WP] You are the greatest hero the world has ever seen. A few days ago, while you where sleeping, your doppelganger killed thousands of innocents. They call him your evil twin. Turns out, you have a split personality disorder.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I really know that I shouldn't be out on the street the next day but I am. People come up to me and try to support me. They say things like, \"I know you'll get him for us!\" or \"I'm sorry you have to be disgraced by a man like that.\" I don't like it but what really bothers me is that I can't hate it. \n\nAs much as I try to turn pale and feel sick about it, I don't. I act like a monster but I know I can't control it. I don't have this inner-struggle raging within me that I wish I could reconcile. Maybe I should. \n\nHonestly though, I don't mind and the only thing that I'm sick of is my concern for a lack of conscience. Why should I struggle? \n\n\"Hey man, don't worry. We all know you'll keep us safe,\" some guy says. \"Ha! sure I will, man! You can count on me. Unless I decide to fall into my better half and do what this place might actually need; less of you,\" I think to myself. \n\n\"You need to stop!\" I say aloud. People look at me. I speed up my walk to avoid their gaze. I don't like being able to just let go of my sympathy so fast but I can't help it when my resentment also demands that the sympathy be gone. \n\n\"You can still be a good person even if you don't want to be right?\" I ask myself. It's not good to always question yourself because you start to resent your second-guessing. Then you start to abandon it. I know that that I've lost that part of my conscience because my question no longer worries me. It just angers me. \n\nI also knew that I lost my conscience when I woke up again in my apartment. And my \"doppelganger\" has his face on the TV. And I'm just staring at the new tragedy with a slight disinterest and a single thought in my head: \"I think that I just want to get some coffee.\"" ]	2
	[WP] You're a medieval dragon. Tell us your side of the "Knights v Dragon" story	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Oh great here comes another one. Clad in his shiny melted rocks from head to toe (it must get awfully hot in those things). Holding a toothpick in one hand a piece of bark in the other thinking that this is going to save him from my flames. Riding that overfed mule as a way of increasing their speed. The poor bastards can’t even fly. Pathetic.\n\nThe dragon bellowed a devilish sound that could be heard in all the kingdoms of the land. They all knew what that sound meant, that there goes another fool sacrificing themselves.\n\nThis is one is brave. He is almost here. I wonder what he will accuse me of this time. That I ate his animals. That I scared the peasants. That I kidnapped his woman who is of high status in their society and he is here to save her so he could perform some ritual called ‘marriage’. Maybe he will charge at me without talking. \n\nAs the knight approached, the noise of bones crunching under the hooves of the horse could be heard. The stench coming from the corpses of previous warriors who tried to best the dragon was almost unbearable to the human nose. Only sheer determination and force of will could make a mortal stay in this place for longer than a second.\n\n“Well, welcome to my humble estate. How can I be of help to you today?” The dragon said as his voice echoed around the walls of the cave.\n\n“I am going to fucking kill you red scaly bastard!” The knight screamed at the dragon in anger. His speech not coming even close to the booming sound of the voice of the dragon made.\n\n“Yes, yes, of course, you will. But entertain me and tell me why. I might have mercy on you and make your death painless.” The dragon responded moving his head, that was the size of a house, closer to the knight.\n\nThe knight could now smell the pungent breath of the dragon. It smelled like burned corpses.\n\n“You killed my father.” The knight responded in a strong voice not being discouraged by the closeness of the dragon \n\n“Oh, well look around maybe you can find his bones and take them back to his widow.” The dragon put on a sheepish grin showing his enormous teeth. A hand could be seen stuck between his front teeth.\n\n“You didn’t kill him here.” The knight snapped back at the dragon. Furious that he could make jokes of his father's death.\n\n“Hmm, how did I kill him then?” The dragon asked. He doesn't remember killing anyone outside his lair. Usually, humans come to his lair and challenge him to fight.\n\n“Your dung fell on him as he was taking a stroll through the royal gardens when you were flying overhead.” The knight murmured. \n\n“What did you say?” \n\n“Your shit squashed my father,” The knight said louder.\n\nSilence filled the room. It took a couple of seconds for the dragon to comprehend what the just heard.\n\nSuddenly the dragon roared his head back and started laughing. His laugh could be heard in the nearby kingdoms who never heard this noise and mistook it for another dragon creating a lair nearby them.\n\n“I shat your dad to death” The dragon blurted it out in between his laughs.\n\nOnly after 5 minutes of constant laughing did he notice that the knight was slashing at his right leg. The dragon's scales were too thick for any real damage to be done by the knight’s sword. He stopped laughing.\n\nThe dragon picked up the knight from his horse with his right arm and gently put him down closer to the entrance of the cave as if the knight was just a kids toy. He noticed that the knight was sobbing.\n\n“Come on now little guy, don’t cry.” The dragon said as he realised that even by human standards the knight was pretty small.\n\n“Look as a reward for making me laugh, I will allow you to live.” \n\n“I won’t leave this place until I slay you for killing my father and bringing shame to my family name.” The knight screamed as he charged the dragon on foot.\n\nThe dragon flicked him with his long pointer finger and sent the knight tumbling to the hard stone floor. The knight was out cold. \n\nThe dragon picked him up and put him on his horse who was standing still by the dragon's leg. He tapped the horse’s rear with one of his claws and it went off in a gallop towards the entrance of the cave.\n\nThe dragon curled up back into his bed made up of skeletal remains and started chuckling about what just happened.", "For hundreds of years, humans have charged into my home, killed my minions, and tried to vanquish me. Each time they have come, I showed them no mercy. Some were more skilled than others. I have seen knights in all their prideful glory wearing full plate. I have been challenged by those too young and inexperienced. Rarely, I fought by human sorcerers, masters of magic in their own right. None were able to best an Ancient such as I. \n\nI am known as Githuntir, Lord Of Ice. My lair spans the Northern mountains of the land, and I travel through the lair using underground tunnels and caves. My scales are cyan in color to blend with my surroundings. I create my minions of ice sculptures, and all my challengers have been frozen solid and are my personal trophies. As an Ancient, I am as old as the land itself. Unlike my young brethren, I have no need for gold or women.\n\nThere’s another challenger slowly making their way through my lair. The temperature has been slowly increasing, meaning they have some controls of fire. I am wary of fighting a fire wielder, they have always been the most troublesome to defeat and I have their bodies separated from the rest, due to the possibility of them burning through the ice. \n\nBOOM!\n\nThe inner sanctum has been breached by the challenger. Upon inspection, the challenger is a young woman with black, waist length hair to their back and glowing purple eyes. As I stare into her soul, I feel a fierce determination staring back.\n\n“So,” I rumble, hoping to intimidate her. “You’ve made it to my lair. Tell me, why have you come to vanquish me?”\n\nThe woman said nothing. She drew her arms behind her, pulling a bow back with one hand and an arrow out of a quiver with the other hand. As she put the arrow on her bow, it burst into purple flame. Instinctively, I dove out of the arrow’s path. The battle has commenced. I dove low and flew toward her as she tried to fire more arrows at me. They bounced off my ice reinforced scales. At the last moment, the challenger rolled out of my path as I smashed through an ice pillar.\n\nStanding on the ground, I shook my head and thrashed my tail at the woman. She flipped over it the first time, but I caught her on the swing back. The impact sent her to the floor, but she rolled into a crouching position.\n\n‘Enough of this,’ I thought, as I opened my mouth to freeze her solid with my breath. She released a beam of purple fire simultaneously and the attacks met in the middle, neither overpowering the other. After several seconds, I saw her struggling, and I was gaining the upper hand. Slowly, I started to push her back.\n\nShe pulled something from her pocket. On the top was a button. She gave my a wicked smile as she pressed it. Explosions sounded from around my lair, and they were getting louder. Closer. Soon, they were upon us. A piece of the ceiling fell onto my back, and I took the opportunity to play dead.\n\nShe approached my head and with a sickly sweet voice purred “Not so scary now, are you? The phoenix was right about you.” When she turned her back to me, I made my move. My tail can fire icicles as spikes. Taking aim, I shot her through the skull.\n\nSo, the Phoenix was the person sending humans to try to kill me. My own sister is out for my blood. I will have to deal with her. First, though…\n\nI will freeze those meddlesome humans solid." ]	3
	[WP] You visit a museum where they have a lot of old documents. Suddenly, there is one in particular that catches your attention, is a letter with your handwriting and your signature at the end dated in 1543	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Dear Jacob,\n\nRun as soon as you finish reading this letter. Run and don't stop running until you cross that girl wearing a red dress. You won't find any other girl wearing red today so you won't get lost, trust me.\n\nAsk this girl if her name is Micah, she is Micah but ask her just to be sure. And don't ever ask if her name ends in 'H', you will regret that. She will be confused but then cite the following numbers: 59497610. Remember this code Jacob, read it thrice. Don't ever miss a single digit. Your life depends on it. If you do miss one, she will shoot you so please don't ever miss. This girl will help you out, believe me.\n\nKeep an eye for men wearing black, there won't be many but don't look at them suspiciously. Don't go near them. Don't even try. Drop on the ground as soon as the girl say the word: funny. I'm serious here. She will ask you some questions but eventually she will say that word. It will be messy for a few minutes but don't worry you'll get out of it no matter what.\n\nGrab the girl and convince her to help you look for Ginevra. Its a small antique shop. Go left from the nearest intersection, go right after you pass a bookstore, then left at the yellow colored apartment. Don't ever get a cab, you will find the place if you would just remember the directions and PLEASE convince the girl. You will need her. Find a silver locket from the bunch of dusty stuff offered by the shop. I could not describe the details of the locket but you will know its the item once you saw it.\n\nI know none of this makes sense but I'm hoping you will do all of the things I've written here. I'm doing fine over here by the way. I've just received word that Nicolaus is dead so I'm leaving Luxembourg soon.\n\nNow start running!\n\nSigned,\n\nJacob Argalia\n\n\n\n\"What have you found there babe?\" a voice came over.\n\n\"Oh. Ugh. I got intrigued by a letter,\" I replied.\n\n\"What letter? What's intriguing about it?\" The person asked.\n\n\"Hm? Nothing Jacob, nothing.\" I said as I faked a smile, \"Let's go check that painting.\"", "‘WHAT THE FUCK MAN!? YOU LOST IT!?” Jason shouted throwing his hands in the air, nearly spraying his coffee all over the room. “Dude what the fuck are we going to do!? “\n\n“Shit man sorry! I don’t know, maybe we can find something else to send them?” I sheepishly suggested. \n\n“We don’t have anything else!! We’re supposed to send this to the museum tomorrow!!” Jason started to pace around the room. “Oh man the professor is going to be so pissed…”\n\n“Don’t worry man… Maybe… Maybe we can just make a new one?”\n\n“What do mean make a new one!? We can’t just MAKE another five-hundred year old document!!” Jason was on the brink of tears now.\n\n“S-sure we can… We can just write some crap on some piece of paper and just make it look old or something…” I tried to reason with him. “Besides it was just some shitty trade receipt thing anyways it’s not like it was something super historical or anything…”\n\nJason finally stopped pacing the room and sunk into a chair covering his face with his hands. “Whatever man… just… yea whatever, go ahead… but if anyone finds out you’re taking all the responsibility!”\n\n“Yea of course man, if anyone finds out I’ll just say you didn’t know anything!” I assured. I quickly grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the nearest table and started to madly write anything I could remember from the original ancient receipt.\n\n“Uhh it was like, ten chickens… seven cows… two horses… what else was there?”\n\n“There was a donkey too” Jason murmured, his face still in his hands.\n\n“Oh right thanks!” I said as I quickly scribbled out the last remaining items. “Alright this looks kind of close to how the original thing looked right?” \n\nJason finally lifted his head but quickly sunk even lower. “We are so gonna get expelled from grad school…\n\n“Don’t be so negative man, I told you I’ll take all the blame!” I assured. “By the way what was the date on the original receipt?”\n\n“I don’t remember… like 1500 something…” Jason sounded like he was crying now.\n\n“Uh ok I’ll just put down fifteen… uhhh… how’s ‘1543’ sound?” I asked.\n\n“Whatever” Jason sniffed.\n\n“Oh shit what was the name?”\n\n“I DON’T KNOW!” Jason screamed before burying his head back into his arms.\n\n“Geeze you don’t have to yell… Whatever I’ll just write my name in cursive, no one would notice right?” I stated as I quickly put the finishing touches on the page. I crumpled the page into a ball and then quickly grabbed Jason’s coffee and dunked the crumpled page into the cup.\n\n“What the fuck are you doing?” Jason asked his eyes red from crying.\n\n“I’m just trying to make the page look aged…” I said as I fished the crumpled page out of the cup and gingerly unraveled it. “Now we just let this dry overnight! See it’s not so bad!” I showed Jason the brown soggy crumpled paper. I was afraid Jason would flip out even more, but to my surprise he just sighed and nodded his head.\n\n“I guess it’s better than saying we lost it…” Jason accepted.\n\n“That’s the spirit! Besides it’s not like they’d hang this stupid thing in a museum anywhere!”\n\n.\n\n.\n\nFive Years Later\n\n.\n\n.\n\n“Hey that looks just like your handwriting! Actually wait… the name is your name too!” Jessica shouted as she pulled my shirt.\n\n“Uh yea crazy coincidence right? Hey doesn’t that copy of the constitution look really cool?…”" ]	3
	[WP] In a world of monologuing superheroes your the only villain who learned common sense.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Halt foul villain! Your evil deeds will not go unpunish...\"\n\nRight on schedule. The most powerful superhero in the world, here delivering what will be most likely a ten or twenty minute monologue. The Boss may make it a rule to wait for the idiots to finish, but not me. Not anymore.\n\n\"... You have committed crimes against Metropolis and her people...\"\n\nOne high powered assault rifle? Check. Hollow point bullets, with a nitroglycerin chaser? Check. A opponent too full of himself to wear a helmet? Check. A overly long monologue? Check my watch... He should have another five minutes in him, enough time to get a better shooting position.\n\n\"... You disrespect the law, you disrespect me. I hope that you-\"\n\nRAT-TAT-TAT\n\n\"Really? You're going to shoot me? Well I'm a afraid you are a couple millimetres too thin. Nothing short of a anti-tank rifle is getting through my skin...\" \n\nGods damn, does this guy ever shut up? Wait didn't we have an anti-tank rifle out back?\n\n\"... The only thing I have left to-\"\n\nCRACK\n\n\"How about that? He was telling the truth.\" \n\n\"You idiot! You've killed him! Now I'm going to...\" \n\nReally? I kill his worst enemy, someone who he has been, on paper, trying to kill for years and that is his response?\n\n\"... Never should have hired you. Should have realised they are called henchmen, not henchwomen, for a reason! You insolent-\"\n\nAlright, that is where I draw the line. \n\nCRACK\n\n\"Okay, anyone object to me being the new boss? And keep in mind, this rifle still has three bullets in it! No one? Alright then, your first order is to get their corpses out of here.\" \n\nNow that was therapeutic. Time to treat this town to its first proper crime spree." ]	2
	[WP] Your tsundere co-worker is deeply in love with you. Out of pity, you asked her out today only to get rejected. You've had enough of her bullshit and the next time she tries to hit you or steal you dirty laundry, you won't be as tolerant as before. It's time to give her the cold shoulder.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“So what exactly is her deal?” I asked Sharon, the coworker I shared a cubicle with.\n\n“Who, Angie?” she responded, and I nodded. “She likes you. It’s pretty obvious.”\n\nI rolled my eyes. “I know that. I mean her behavior. She’s like a grade school boy who throws dirt at the girl he likes because he doesn’t know how to act.”\n\n“Ah, well,” Sharon started as she leaned back in her office chair. “I guess she was kind of a shut-in through her child hood, even in high school and college. Quiet, shy, you know the drill. Spent most of her free time binge watching anime, so she learned most of her social skills from that.”\n\n“Seems problematic,” I observed.\n\n“Naturally. That’s why she’s got her own little private office where she can do her accounting work in isolation. If she wasn’t so brilliant with numbers, the boss wouldn’t even bother tolerating her, I guarantee it,” Sharon told me.\n\n“Ugh,” I sighed. “I’ve barely talked to her. I don’t even know why she’s interested in me.”\n\n“Probably because you kind of fit the bill for an anime protagonist,” Sharon suggested.\n\n“Please,” I scoffed. “I’d never be the main character of anything. Average height, average build, low-key… not to sound all down on myself, but I’m a far flight away from being stereotypically attractive. Nothing about me says ‘savior of the world.’ Don’t be ridiculous.”\n\n“You haven’t seen much anime have you,” Sharon guessed. Then she pulled out her phone and started tapping away. I raised an eyebrow. After a few moments, she turned her phone towards me, and on it was a picture of an animated character. They were wearing a grey jacket with a red tie, simple slacks, had pretty realistically styled brown hair, and the way their eyebrows were drawn they looked a little nervous. Aside from my tie being black, and the fact that I wasn’t a drawing, I couldn’t deny that I shared a similar aesthetic with the character.\n\n“So who’s that?” I asked.\n\n“Doesn’t really matter. There’s about two billion shows with some variation of this guy as the protagonist. On top of his lacking character design, he’s kind to people in a lazy sort of way, average at his studies, plays no sports, and has the personality of a cucumber slice,” she explained.\n\n“I didn’t know cucumbers had a personality.”\n\n“Exactly,” she agreed.\n\nI frowned. “And you’re saying I bear some resemblance to this fellow?”\n\n“Strikingly.”\n\n“Fuck off.”\n\nSharon snickered as I turned back towards my computer and resumed my work, and a moment later I heard the clacking of her keyboard as well. We worked in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. “Look up ‘tsundere’ when you get home. Starts with ‘T, S, U.’ That’s the kind of character Angie is trying to emulate.”\n\n“Tsundere, huh?” I mused. I’d have to remember that term when I got home.\n\n\nr/TheCornerStories" ]	2
	[WP] Magic has rules. But you are a Distortionist and that means you don’t have to follow any of them.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "(Mobile sorry)\n\nThe day you were born wasn’t pretty. Magic energy was leaking everywhere. After that day you never saw your mom again or anyone else. You as just a kid escaped. You were on the run a fugitive as a child life was hard doing parlor tricks for money that no one else could do and when the place caught on you vanished. Life went on like this into adulthood until one day you met a women. She said she new who you were and that to come with her or you were dead. She took you to a abandoned building there she gave you an idea. Become king of the land. At that moment your goals changed. You would bring a voice to the voiceless you would be a hero.\n\nYou return to the hideout and see Jen with her baby T.Rex colored breen named Steve Jobs \n\n\nIf I get enough upvotes there will be a part 2" ]	2
	[WP] You can see how many breaths each person has left to breathe. One day you see someone whose number is negative, and getting longer.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Every man and woman has finite breaths, a ticking clock of time that’s left, and watching these tick down tickles my interest, you can’t cheat me my name is death\n\nAlways waiting, never late, \nDon’t ever make it past the first date,\nBut that all changed when one day\nI saw a man whose number stayed\n\nAfter zero, took a minus and kept getting bigger\nNever happened before, and I just couldn’t figure\nOut this sorcery, this took up all my attention,\nFollowing him in his shadow, waiting for his final destination\n\n But 2 years had passed and he was still living, until one day He turned looked straight into my vision\n “death how nice to finally meet you, I’ve been waiting for this day to come , I am your replacement your number of breaths that’s left is one” \n\nI inhaled “ what do you mean.......”\nthe whole room turning black, felt warmth run through my body from Toes and up my back, \npure bliss, I never thought that this day would come, immortality was my sentence, I’d cheated death and won", "I never really understood where my power came from. Or even how it worked. All I knew is that everyone had a number, everyone. It was a little disturbing at first, being able to judge how much time everyone had left, and occasionally I would consider looking in the mirror to see mine, but I never did. \n\nAfter a while I grew to accept the ability, if someone had a low number, I would always pray for them, hope that their passing would be an easy one. But one day, I saw something new. Something confusing. It was a girl with a negative number.\n\nI was surprised at first, mainly because of how young she was. Sure, I had seen kids with low numbers before, usually they were sick, or would probably die from a freak accident, but never before had I seen a negative number. \n\nIt was at a park down the street from my house. I was sitting on a bench, reading when I heard a help of pain from the playground. When I got up to see who was hurt it was a little girl. Above her head in white was the number -890. And every second or so, the number would get smaller. -891, -892, -893. I was massively confused as I tried to help her up. \"Are you ok?\" I asked, after helping her up from the ground where she fell. \"Yes I am, thank you.\" She said politely in a slightly southern twang.\n\nI wanted to ask her. Find out exactly why her number was the way it was. Why it shrank further into the negatives with every breath she took. But she wouldn't know, she was only a kid. Besides that, nobody else as far as I was aware, knew of my ability.\n\n\"Um, h-how are you?\" I tried asking innocently. I prayed nobody thought I was being creepy. \"Oh, I'm perfectly fine. How are you?\" She replied in a chipper tone. She was so happy, which was a little strange considering she had just fallen from the jungle gym. \"I'm good. Uh, where are your parents?\" I asked clumsily, I decided it was better to ignore the number and try to get her back to her folks safely. She giggled at my question.\n\n\"I don't have any.\" She answered, still maintaining the happy smile and tone. My face scrunched into a frown. Seeing my confusion she led me over to a bench and sat me down. \"You know don't you?\" \n\nI was caught off guard by her shift in mood. \"P-pardon?\" She shook her head. \"Look, I know you're confused. But don't worry, you're not crazy. There are more people like me.\" \n\nI was beyond lost at this point. \"What do you mean?\" I asked. She sighed. \"I'm a filler. I'm not really a person. Do you really think that there are 7 billion unique people out there?\" She pointed to the busy sidewalk. \"All with different lives and unique personalities? No, some of us exist just to fill space. We don't have a story, we don't have a life. We just go about the world, and take up missing space.\"\n\nDespite her explanation I was still confused. I guess the number was how many breaths she had taken so far. If that were true, she'd barely existed for less than a day. \n\nThe girl stood up from the bench. \"Look, don't worry about it. We're not meant to be noticed. If you see another one like me, just leave them alone. Let them do their job. The less we're noticed, the better.\" She waved goodbye to me with a large grin on her face, and began to walk away. She was the first 'filler' person I had ever met. But she was definitely not the last.", "The first one I saw, I assumed was just a mistake, a bug, a quirk. A negative number, hovering over someone's head. That first negative didn't seem that special, just a girl reading a book quietly one night in a coffee shop, ticking slowly downwards. I figured, maybe she survived an accident she wasn't supposed to or maybe she got an organ transplant or maybe this or maybe that. I'd never really understood my ability anyway. For that matter, I tended not to see a lot of people without a fair few breaths left in them. So I put it to the back of my mind; maybe I'd discuss it with Angela later.\n\nThe second one I saw made a bigger impression. Mostly because I had seen him before. Muscle-bound dude, very friendly, helped me figure out how to squat correctly. Not the brightest in the bunch, but made up for it by being cheerful. I don't remember his name, but what I do remember is that he didn't seem like the type to start reading 1984 in my favorite book-filled coffee shop with negative numbers ticking down over his head. Still, maybe he was trying to impress the girl. Maybe they'd bonded over some medical incident? If organ donations caused this, then it'd make sense that some of them would be friends?\n\nI saw four negatives in a library. Reading. Why are they always reading? They weren't near each other this time. I wasn't sure what to make of them, but they all seemed to be reading about politics, philosophy, history, geography. An instinctive wariness spreads through me. I do not like this for some reason. I stay in the library a little longer, and do a little reading of my own near one of them. He goes through an entire book in an hour, neatly re-shelves it, then moves. I don't follow.\n\nI've seen over thirty negatives now. What is happening? I don't understand the phenomenon. They're always reading, or sometimes watching films. There was one in both of the movies I've gone to this week. The library negatives are still there. Always the same. Finish one book, put it back, leave. There are 8 in total. If I couldn't identify them I wouldn't even have noticed. I looked up gym bro. Nothing happened to him. No accident, no nothing. His friends say that he hasn't been hitting the gym much lately, but sometimes he takes breaks to fast. Angela and I are meeting about this tomorrow, hopefully I can get some answers.\n\nI arrive at Angela's place at mid-day. She greets me from her kitchen. \"What did you want to talk to me about anyway?\" she sounds concerned. I laugh as I approach, sort of nervously. The whole idea seems kind of stupid when I say it out loud. \"I've been noticing something... strange happening recently. With my power? And it seems to be spreading.\"\n\nShe looks at me very closely as I round the corner. There's a neat stack of books on her kitchen table. A negative number floats over her head. \"Ah yes, your ability to see timers! Tell me, what are you seeing?\". Angela's eyes were brown. The negative's eyes are blue." ]	4
	[WP] you’re an intern at NASA and find out that the real reason we want to go back to the moon is because when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon he got an invitation to a moon party in 2023.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Oh, an invitation.” I gave a fake laugh like I was in on the joke,”Armstrong and them were giving future astronaut a due by date?”\n\nMy advisor, Dr. Harada rolls his eyes,”No kid.” He takes his donut and dunks it in his coffee.\n\nI hug my clipboard to my chest, hoping this isn’t some type of newbie hazing.\n\nHe takes a bite of his now soggy donut and smacks his lips before stating,”Neil Armstrong acted as Galactic Ambassador for the United States when on Earth’s moon on the Earth date July 20th 1969 he accepted an invitation to a Moon Party in the year 2023 A.D.E.” which he ended with a slurp of his coffee.\n\nI was waiting for him to bark out a laugh and go on and on about how ‘green’ I was and how ‘all these big shot kids’ are so gullible. \n\nBut he didn’t. And continued to stare at me uninterested and exceptionally bored with having to act as tour guide for newbies.\n\n“Dr. Harada I—I don’t understand...”\n\nHe raises an eyebrow,”Why do you think we had you sign those Non-disclosure Agreements?”\n\nMy eyes widen in shock,”But I thought...”\n\nHe looked at me knowingly,”You thought those forms were just for protecting our tech.”\n\nI nod dumbly and start to slump on the wall. My legs feel so weak.\n\n“Oi! Easy there kid.” Dr. Harada puts his food down on a nearby table.\n\nI let myself fall flat on my behind and put my head between my knees, clipboard forgotten on the floor,”Oh, my God.”\n\nHe gives me a hearty pat on the back and shoos away lab technicians that are stopping to stare.\n\nBut I barely notice because my mind is reeling from this new information. The government is keeping big secrets. If this invitation is real then how did the Apollo 11 crew get-\n\nMy head snaps up,”ALIENS!!”\n\nDr. Harada jolts away from me,”Sheesh kid. Scream it to the world.”\n\n“It was aliens?!”\n\nThe older man sighed and raised both his hands mockingly,”Yes. Yes. It was aliens.”\n\nI look down at the ground and rub my lip in thought. But how would the aliens give this message without the television broad cast picking it up-\n\nI jumped up and grabbed Dr. Harada by the shoulders,”THE TWO MINUTES OF SILENCE!”\n\n“Yes!” He bats my hands away,”Cool it kid. I’m too old and angry for this much excitement.”\n\n“S-sorry!” I quickly release him and pick up my clipboard from where I dropped it on the floor. That’s when my ID card on my lanyard draws my attention. I look to Dr. Harada concerned,”Why would NASA risk a potential leak to have interns like me know?”\n\nDr. Harada gestured around,”Do you see any other interns?”\n\nI look and see the same lab techs and operators.\n\n“...No.”\n\n“When Humans made contact with the other lifeforms on Earth’s moon we were given an invitation to a future celebration hoping to integrate Humans into intergalactic society once we had sufficient enough technology.”\n\n“Which means?”\n\n“Kid.” He smirked,”We have a mission for you.”" ]	2
	[WP] Your life is normal but when the new students joins your friend group, you notice your friends becoming cliches of a generic story. You all one day randomly decide to go into the school basement....There before you 30 minutes later is a glowing object and its whispering to you to get it.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Congratulations!\" a faint whisper formed in the back of Jimmy's mind when he noticed the glowing box on the shelf. \"Quest complete: collect me!\" He felt like the box was talking to him.\n\n\"Why's that box glowing?\" He asked and pointed the box out to his three best friends over the last three years: Ellia, Karie and Steven. And their new, fifth friend: Carl.\n\nCarl was the one who insisted it would be \"fun\" to venture into the school's basement. However, his idea of fun was very specific. He suggested coming down into the school's basement three months ago when he first arrived. He insisted it had to be on the first Tuesday of the month and all five of them needed to be present. Jimmy's three friends looked at the box then chuckled and shook their heads at him. He took their mocking like a good sport, but he noticed Carl didn't join it. He seemed surprised more than anything.\n\n\"HAHAHA!\" Carl suddenly said. \"This was fun, let's do it again next month.\" he pushed Ellia and Karie toward the exit first. He let Steven pass but stepped in front of Jimmy.\n\n\"What, Jimmy?\" He asked loudly. \"You want to talk to me in private? Okay,\" he turned and waved the rest of them forward. \"You guys go on ahead. We'll meet you for pizza, on me.\" Blonde and Brunette heads, Ellia and Karie, tried looking past Carl at Jimmy. All he could do was encourage them to leave. Jimmy was sure Carl could see the box glowing.\n\nJimmy also had the feeling that he himself was not supposed to. Worst case scenario: he was keeping his friends safe from a possibly unstable student. That seemed the more likely scenario when Carl closed the door, locked it, then turned around.\n\n\"You can see it glowing?\" he asked.\n\n\"Yeah,\" Jimmy nodded. \"It keeps saying, 'Quest Complete' whatever that means,\" he added.\n\n\"AAARGH!\" Carl growled in frustration. \"NOT FAIR!\" His hand flew into the pocket of his sagging blue jeans and he pulled out a phone. It wasn't the usual phone that Jimmy had seen him with for the past few months. This one looked like a thin, glassy rectangle. He swiped and tapped at it furiously, then held it up to his mouth. \"GM ticket: Power of Friendship quest on the Highschool server. An NPC stole my quest item.\"\n\n\"Are you playing a game?\" Jimmy asked. He was not much into them himself but he'd heard a lot of the same terminology that Carl was using. Carl looked him right in the eyes and laughed obnoxiously loud.\n\n\"You called a GM?\" A new voice said. Despite Carl still blocking the door, someone else spoke up from next to Jimmy. He turned and saw a kid, possibly a freshman with a mound of curls on his head. The stranger wore blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a blue crescent moon on it; Jimmy had no idea where he came from. Carl nodded and pointed an accusing finger at Jimmy.\n\n\"I spent months working on this quest, but somehow this NPC got credit and now I can't claim it. The GM looked at Jimmy and adjusted his invisible glasses. There was nothing on his face until he made a slight motion as if he were pushing his glasses up. The moment he did bright blue dots of light coalesced from the air to form a solid visor in front of his eyes. After a few moments of his eyes wandering all over Jimmy, he gave his head a shake and the visor disintegrated. It became white powder that vanished long before it hit the ground. Then, he raised his hands level with his stomach and began manipulating his fingers as if he were typing on the air.\n\n\"I keep telling them to have weekly resets,\" he grumbled while shaking his head, then he turned to talk to Carl. He completely ignored Jimmy. \"This Zero showed up after the last reset four years ago. He hasn't been integrated yet.\"\n\n\"Can you fix it?\" Carl asked. The GM nodded. \"Yeah. Once the system converts him you'll get credit for the quest.\"\n\n\"Oh thank god,\" Carl said. \"I don't think I could put up with their teenage bullshit for another month.\" Jimmy looked at Carl with confusion. They were obviously the same. He let the questions go unanswered for too long. He needed answers and he needed them now.\n\n\"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING AB-\"\n\n\"Done,\" the GM said, then he dropped his hands. Jimmy blinked.\n\n\"Hey, Carl! How's it going, buddy?\" Jimmy ran to hug Carl, his best friend since Kindergarten.\n\n\\\\\\\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year two, story #215. 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.\n\n\\\\\\\n\n[Satchat Summer challenge](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/c3rkez/ot_satchat_summer_challenge_pick_a_challenge_tier/)\n\n* Story 42\n* The NaNoWriMo - word count 777 / 31452 (this story/ total)\n* Placesetting - Hugoverse" ]	2
	[WP] You walk into a potion shop, you tell the owner you feel invisible to everyone and want to be noticed.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You ask the shop owner to figure out a elixir so you can be seen by everyone in this world. After several anxious minutes, the owner finally slowly limps to his back room. Bottles cling and slide around as he try’s to grab a bottle on the top shelf. The owner comes back to with a diamond color ball jar. Dirt and dust cover the Arabic scripture label. Cleaning the dust from the jar, the liquid becomes in focus. It’s thick and red with a pulpy consistency. He says,\n \n“The power in this jar is very strong. It will not make you more noticeable, but will make the whole world seek you.”\n\nYou walk home with jar in bag and instructions in hand. “One tablespoon for adequate effects.” Work has been the hardest for you so you tell yourself to try it in the morning be for work.\n\n“Pop!” as your bagel lands back in the toaster. You open the jar, carbonation cracks the seal. The smell is sweet yet bare. One tablespoon mixed with orange juice, had only the taste of orange. You start your car to drive your usual 20 min commute. At multiple spot lights and several cars that passed you all of which the drivers where absolutely starring at you in awe. No one in your life has ever had that type of stare for you. You feel as if the potions has some sort of affect on you. You park your car and head in the building,!sit at your desk and work. When lunch comes around you notice absolutely no one has spoken to you. Not even a look." ]	2
	[WP] Have you ever felt like you are being watched? Like there's something in the corner of your eye, even when you're completely alone? That's because you are being watched and doesn't matter what you do, don't look back.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "We all have those moments, right? You're working late in your desolate and too damn quiet (and large) office building at night, when suddenly, as you're making your way to the kitchen to get yourself another cup of decent coffee, as you're passing by the same empty offices you always do, in the corner of your eye you see—or rather, you get the vague outline of what could possibly be—a shadowy creature with red eyes burning and sharp, garden-shear length claws reaching for you—until you whip around, your heart in your throat, and see not a threat, but only a mere trashcan with its attached lid raised. On the inside of the lid are two bright red stickers in the shape of a stop sign, with all caps instructions warning people what not to place inside the receptacle, lest they cause more damage to the environment and also face the wrath of a likely underpaid custodian. \n\nTaking a sigh of relief, and a short laugh at your own silly self for actually thinking, even for a brief moment, that some supernatural creature actually existed and was actually going to harm you. \"Too many late nights,\" you mutter to yourself, \"Too many damn late nights.\"\n\nFinally, you reach the kitchen, and immediately get the ten-year-old coffee pot percolating. You lean against the counter, yawn, and run a hand through your hair as you wait for the coffee to finish so you can guzzle down your fifth cup of needed caffeine and get back to your boring work. The part of the small kitchen with the coffee pot directly faced the perpetually open door, leaving you with a clear view straight down the hallway containing the trash can that gave you such a fright. \n\nThough it makes you feel foolish, very foolish, you can't stop yourself from repeatedly glancing over your shoulder every ten seconds to ensure the trash can stayed a trash can; yes, you already know how stupid that sounds, but it's a compulsion you are too tired and stressed to fight. \n\nA deep sigh of relief releases from your chest when the coffee is finally made and poured into your coworker Chad's favorite mug. Taking a small sip from the steaming cup, you yawn, then turn around to exit the kitchen and return to your cramped office. Of course, the second you turn around you are face to face with the \"spooky\" trash can, which you now must walk past again on the path back to your office. \n\n\"Come on, brain, it's just a trash can,\" you say out loud. \"It's just a trash can...\" \n\nWalking at a quicker pace wouldn't hurt anything though, right? In fact it was probably a highly efficient strategy; perhaps, at their next mandatory 'Time Management' meeting you could even suggest everyone begin doing this—maybe this was what you needed to finally get that promotion!\n\nWith this optimistic fantasy playing on loop in your head, you begin walking a bit quicker down the hallway with a noticeable spring in your step. When it comes time to pass right by the trash can, instead of flinching away in fear, you merely whistle and slap the lid down. No more fearing a mere trash can for this adult business person! \n\nUnfortunately, five seconds after you are already past the trash can, you feel the air become heavy with dread and your feet stop dead. All you can do is just stand there in the hallway, warm coffee in hand, only a few feet away from your office, completely rooted to the spot. Repeatedly running up and down your spine are sharp tingles that transport a warning to your brain: Danger! Danger! Danger!\n\n...Will Robinson, your mind automatically adds onto the end, your instinctual weak attempt at injecting some humor into what seems to be a very bad situation, though the exact threat is still unknown. But what is known is that you feel the urge to get back to your office as soon as possible the second you feel in control of your legs again, and you waste no time in taking off running to your office. Your coffee splashes here and there, onto the carpet, your shirt, your shoes, but given its current reduced heat from steaming to room temperature you don't even notice as your feet pound the carpeted floor, fleeing a threat you don't even know or have seen, and definitely do not want to see. \n\nA few feet ahead you see the half-closed door of your blessed office, and your speed increases to land you inside at a record pace no one was around to keep score of; the door is soundly slammed and locked immediately. Your back to the door, you let out a shuddering sigh and look down at the nearly empty mug in your hand, the majority of its contents having ended up on you. \n\n\"Ah, damn it,\" you let out in a coarse whisper. While certainly not the worst thing you've had to deal with tonight, it still makes your stomach drop. \n\nYour stomach hits rock bottom when the sounds of scratching begin from the other side of the door. \n\nInstead of rushing to the phone on your desk to call the police (or your loved ones for a frantic goodbye), or falling to your knees in a desperate prayer to a deity you're not sure you believe in, you stand ramrod straight with your back to the door. Chad's mug drops from your hand as you cover your screwed shut eyes with your sweaty palms to prevent even the slightest chance for you to catch a glimpse of whatever is currently trying to tear itself an opening through the door. \n\nIf you weren't you, if you were someone else, just sitting on their couch, watching on their television the events that were happening to you right now as if they were only a movie, that person would be, at this very moment, calling you a moron for effectively serving yourself up on a silver platter to your fate at the hands—well, claws—of this monster. But this other you, this outside observer, does not have access to the inside of your mind; if they did, they would hear the nonstop chant by a voice that wasn't yours in a constant reverberation slamming around the walls of your brain, 'Close your eyes and do not look!'\n\nListening to a random voice inside of your head, under normal circumstances, was not generally advised...good thing these were in no way normal circumstances. \n\nThe scratching was growing fiercer. If the creature hasn't worn a hole through the wood yet, they surely will soon, judging by how intense their actions sounded. It was a tempting, very tempting thought for you to twist your head and take a quick peek at its progress, catch a glimpse of how fast your death would be coming. But you stick to your guns, keep your back to the impending carnage, your hands pressing so tightly into your eyes you're worried you're going to press them into the back of your skull. \n\n'Close your eyes and do not look!' continues in your brain, the unknown voice's tempo and pitch growing along with the increasing ferocity of the creature at your door. Eventually, when you begin to feel splinters hitting the back of your shirt, neck, and arms, the words start to come from your own voice. \n\n\"Close your eyes...and do not look...\" you start with a tentative whisper, afraid that making even the softest sound would cause the creature to amp up its efforts and get through the door much faster than it might have if you had just kept your shut. \"Close your eyes and do not look...close your eyes and do not look...close your eyes and do not look...\" \n\nWait..was the monster actually slowing down? You swear, at the end of your last whisper, the sound of hellish claws breaking through poplar seemed to lessen (somewhat), and you become emboldened by this. \n\n\"Close your eyes, and do not look,\" your voice is firmer now. \"Close your eyes and do not look. Close your eyes and do not look,\" spoken more like a protective chant than a plea for mercy. \n\nYes, yes, the more you speak, the stronger your voice grows, the less the creature seems to continue in its efforts to tear through the door and your throat. You must keep at it. \n\n\"Close your eyes and do not look! Close your eyes and do not look!\" you are absolutely shouting now, raising your voice to the heavens. \"Close your eyes and do not look!\" \n\nBy the eighth yell you cease keeping track of how long you've spent standing in the same position, yelling the same phrase over and over again, survival the only thing on your mind; when your voice becomes capable of nothing more than a hoarse proclamation, and your throat feels like an angry sword swallower jammed their blade down your throat do you become forced to stop. Your hands remain on your face as you hold your breath and listen closely to hear...nothing. No more scratching at the door, or pieces of wood flying at you; nothing at all.\n\nHad you truly managed to get rid of the creature just by yelling at it? Though your heart seizes with hope, fear still reigns supreme and it takes you almost a half hour to lower your hands, open your eyes, and turn around to see for good that the nightmarish monster was no longer around to tear you apart limb by limb. \n\nNope, no monster in sight—just a few large holes in the door that your monster of a boss was just sure to be pleased as punch about, along with the fact that you never even got a chance to put a dent in all that important work you were supposed to be doing all this time. \n\nAnd so, with one terrifying ordeal behind you and another looming in the distance, you promptly pass out." ]	2
	[WP] You wake up to scratching and whining sounds at your back door and find a lost Hell hound puppy has adopted you as her new family.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Ok look Mr....\" I leant in, staring closely at the small nametag on the man's shirt, partly wondering how he managed to fit such a tight shirt on such a roided up red body.. \"Mr Satan\"\n\n\"Its pronounced Satin actually and look, shes my dog\" the devil groaned, tapping his foot impatiently as I hugged the small hellhound to my chest. \n\n\"Nah uh. Miss Hellfire is my pup, she came to me and now we are best friends, isn't that right little miss hellfire... yes it is\" I brush my nose against the pups snot as it gives off a few joyish barks.\n\n\"Aww... you even gave it a cool name! Dude come on. I just left the portal open for like.. one to five years, how was I supposed to know she was going to get out? I promise I'll take care of her this time.\" The demon bargained yet I held stubborn.\n\n\"I can't.. shes my friend now. We go for walks, sacrifice virgins and even watch airbud together.\" I mention, scratching behind the pups ear as I continued my conversations, observing the devils face of disgust at my activities.\n\n\"You watch airbud? Watch sort of sick human are you? Gah.... look give me the dog or ill send you down to hell, hows that? You going to fucking mess with big red now you loser?\" \n\nI pondered that before shaking my head, lifting little miss hellfire. \"No.. but she will!\" With that the dog gave the devil a sharp bite on his nose, the demon king yelping as he backed out of the door. \n\n\"I-it bit me... it fucking bit me!\" He said holding his nose, trying to stop the acidic blood that from seeping through my driveway. \"This...this isn't over..\" he shouted before summoning a circle to hell and vanishing. \n\n\"That was weird, anyway hellfire! We have another airbud movie to watch!\"" ]	2
	[WP] It took you a while and by this I mean a long long while, almost to the point you forgot. But you have found your Super Power ironically it's the super power of Procrastination. If it's gotta be done its gonna be the last dam possible minute.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You shift nervously in the chair, listening to the bustle of staff around you. For the last 10 minute women and men had pampered you and dashed small amounts of makeup everywhere from your forehead to your chin, all the while the director of the news program had been discussing prompts with you. The lights are dim, the curtains are closed, but the countdown begins to start the feed... It took the news channel 2 months after you saved the city to get you to respond to their constant messages about getting you to come in. But here you are, ready to reveal your power to the world. \n5... Your stomach twists and knots.\n4... You wipe the sweat from your brow, you pause wondering if you accidentally messed up the dry makeup.\n3... All of the staff is suddenly is suddenly gone, you wonder where they went.\n2... Why did you say yes to this, you should have kept dodging the calls.\n1... All of your nerves vanish. The lights turn on and you feel like you just broke through the surface of cold water, emerging into he lights. \n\nYour eyes brighten and and the smile comes easily to your face. The laugh rolls right off of your chest as the host beings to introduce you to the small in-house crowd and the cameras. \n\n“Welcome everyone to channel 6, we have THE exclusive here for you this evening. It took a lot of effort but we managed to get the elusive hero of New York to join us for a brief interview. Everyone give a warm welcome to Brian,” he turns to you, “we’re so happy to have you here with us. This is the first time anyone’s managed to get you in front of a camera and I can say with absolute positivity that everyone is just burning up with curiosity. What’s your secret, why have you stayed hidden so long, you saved the entire city and in a spectacular fashion.”\n\nYou laugh casually and wave at the camera, “I’m so happy to be here Dave, thanks for having me. I know it’s been a whole process to get me to come out, but honestly that is part of my charm!”\n\nDave laughs with you and he nods, scooting his chair just a bit closer. “Alright Brian, please we HAVE to know. What is this secret power of yours, you seem to just be an ordinary young man, how did you do it?”\n\nYou reach up and scratch your head, “Oh, man... where to begin?! Honestly, its not that big of a secret. If anything it’s just hard to explain. I started to notice it in college. So we could start from there! I grew up always wanting a super power. I wanted to help those that couldn’t help themselves; this lead to a lot of criticism from family and friends because they always said ‘you can’t help others until you learn to help yourself!’. And in a way they weren’t wrong, I was struggling getting through even the average 4 year program at school. I did begin to notice though, that if I procrastinated on studying or taking a test, when the time came, if I had procrastinated long enough... I would actually preform perfectly. I started to play with this theory and I would not even study for tests, but show up last minute and on my way to the test read through the material. Then get a 100 with little to no effort. For a while I thought that this was just me handling things well under pressure, but that isn’t it! I began to notice that I almost couldn’t fail, as long as I procrastinated enough before committing to the action.”\n\n“Wait, wait, wait. What are you saying?”\n\n“Well, if I procrastinate enough, I genuinely can’t fail. It sounds counter productive but the theory has been proven time and time again. The universe just seems to constantly reward me for waiting until the last minute. Even if I try to fail, it will just work in my favor. Someone will trip to fall out of my way, I win the lottery a day before rent is due, or if I stall for coming onto a news interview... the moment the camera turns on all of my nerves vanish and I know exactly what to say!” You smile easily at the camera and turn back towards Dave...\n\nOnly to see him staring at you with his jaw hanging wide open. He stutters, unable to find words." ]	2
	[WP]I AM DEATH DESTROYER OF...is that a pastry?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I stop mid-chew and blink up at the self proclaimed ‘Death’. They look like the stereotypical Grim Reaper, scythe and all, though after their soft hopeful tone at seeing my pastry I don’t wanna assume too much about them.\n\nSitting at a park bench I had just finished one cream and raspberry filled danish and was about to devour a 2nd one. I look from my last pastry and back up at Death.\n\nI mean...I still have my soul and it’s not like I need another danish when I already had one. And plus the barista at the coffee shop had given it to me for free after an accidental coffee spill on my shoes.\n\nI swallowed the mouthful of danish in my mouth and gestured to the other one before telling Death,”You can have it if you’d like.”\n\nTheir head rose up and the edges of their cloak shook as if in shock.\n\n“Really?” Death asked.\n\nI nodded,”Of course.”\n\nAnd so Death sat down and started to slowly nibble at the danish.\n\nNot really knowing how to make small talk with death I took out my sketch book and started drawing the park’s pond.\n\nAfter a few minutes Death said,”Thank you mortal.” Before fading away.\n\nDeath and I ended up starting a routine. I would always buy or receive an extra dessert I could share with Death, and on days I only had one I would wait for Death to come so they could cut it in half with their scythe.\n\nOn one such day Death had just finished their cake pop when with an excited shout they said,”Whoops! Gotta run! The leaders of the intergalactic empire were just assassinated.” Before fading away.\n\n...what" ]	2
	[WP] Only four bullets left	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "9:48 PM, Juliet Rd, near the rundown steel mill.\n\nSo that's what it feels like to get shot. Not as bad I thought it'd be, still fucking hurts though. Here I sit, wearing a bullet, about ready to bleed out, and for what, killing a few small time meth-heads? If I don’t get help soon I’m as good as dead. Here I am, a smashed radio, and a few dead junkies.\n\nEARLIER, 9:26 PM\n\nA code 10-16, domestic disturbance. Arguing spouses, dudes arguing over a football game, innocuous shit like that. I’m riding solo today, partner’s off at a wedding, a sister-in-law I think. They got me answering these nothing calls like some kind of rookie.\nHere’s the place, does anyone even live here? Grass hasn’t been mowed in weeks, the screen door is barely on, windows so filthy you can’t quite see through them. I knock. “Evening ma’am. We got a call of a disturbance, everything alright here?”. This woman looks... rough would be putting it mildly. She’s clearly high, jittery, but too small to be scary. “We’re fine!” She slams the door in my face. I pound on the door, “Ma’am, I’m gonna need more than that!” Nothing. “Ma’am, open the door or I’l--” I hear the pump of a shotgun, I dive to the side as buckshot blasts through the door. What the fuck did I just stumble upon. I grab my gun, try to get to my feet and radio this in. Shit, I smashed my radio, I’m on my own for now.\n\nThe front door opens, I take a deep breath and aim my gun at the door. I see the barrel of the shotgun, the woman follows shortly, she starts to turn and I fire. She falls to the ground. From the house I hear what sounds like an moving all different directions in the house. Then silence. I approach the doorway and press again’t it. “I’m police officer, drop any weapons and put your hands up. This doesn’t have to end badly.” I take a deep breath and wait for something, gunfire, yelling, anything so I don’t go in blind. “Fuck you pig!” Shots ring out, a couple through the window, and more into the door next to me, he isn’t a good shot. It stops, must be reloading, I turn in to return fire, I put three rounds in him. A second guy charges me, tackles me to the wall. I elbow him to the back, knee him in the chest, and throw him to the ground. He reaches for the other guys gun, “Don’t do it!” He grabs the gun and I’m forced to shoot. A couple of shots and it’s over.\n\nI move towards the back of the house, clearing room-by-room. A bedroom, if you can even call it that. A bathroom, smells so bad I feel like I’ll vomit. One more room, the door is closed, this doesn’t seem good. I open the door, “I’m not going anywhere cop-er!”. He starts shooting, I get hit in the leg, I fall down but am still able to return fire. I miss a couple then hit him in the gut and he falls to the bed. Then I see it, a large bag of meth on the bed, so that’s why they didn’t want me in here.\n\n9:50 PM\n\nI need to do something, my vision is getting hazy. I lean forward and rip off a piece of the bed sheet. I tie it around my leg, hurts like a bitch. I start scooting towards the front door, I need to call dispatch and get out of here. I check the bodies for a phone, nothing. I feel like I’m going to pass out as I get to the front door. I look outside and see a few neighbors standing around, looking on. I’m about to yell for help then I see it, a couple of them holding guns. They start walking towards the house, I can barely stay upright against the wall. I check my gun, I sigh, only four bullets left.\n\n---\n\nMy first time writing, it's something I've wanted to do for a while. I know somethings I did wrong/can improve on. I think I didn't quite get some of the nuances of how a police officer would actually act, and did some things that many aren't realistic to move the story along (e.g. the radio breaking). Also don't think I handled the fight with the with the guy who tackled the officer (who in my head is named Jack, but didn't come up with a good way to integrate it in). But overall I'm happy with how it turned out.", "The screeching was unbearable.\n\nHigh pitched, unforgivable, he palmed his ears: \"On top of everything else, hes now assaulting my hearing\".\n\nIt was just a chair. Sleep deprivation didn't help his cause, but that's how it is, you sleep - you miss the action, you miss the action, you lose your edge...\n\nHe was observing every angle, he was nearing the end of 3rd street, running towards 4th, and, ultimately, his final destination, the 5th... That's where he meets the King, that's where he is saved. If he gets there, if the enemy allows for it... His rival, just a mere 3 feet away, pushed back his chair, screeching it against the ground, and sprung up, ready to fire at him, mercilessly.\n\nThey maintained eye contact: \"Why did he jump up, he could have stayed low-profile, why did he have to jump, he could fire at me without paying attention to himself first, incognito, incapacitate my ability to return fire, without giving me a chance to fire first...\" he was bewildered and angry at the unexpected move - \"And now he gave himself away, I can fire first, he's vulnerable...\" - \"But he's doing it on purpose, to show me his confidence, to scare me into folding under pressure\".\n\nThe enemy fired, he immediately fired back, he still had bullets, the enemy was exposed. After the exchange they were both still alive, still in action, the fight continued. They now both reached the 4th street.\n\n\"All I need to do is get to the King\", he though, \"I can dodge more fire\" - his opponent now came to a rest, not looking as aggressive anymore, almost ready to give up after the unsuccessful exchange of aggression earlier.\n\n\"I can fire at him again, bit I can't afford to miss, he can fire back and I'll never see the King\".\n\nMaintaining eye contact they both reached 5th street with no exchange of fire. They both grew respect for each other, no one was willing to end it all before seeing the King first. The King will resolve everything, there will no longer be doubt.\n\nAs soon as they both saw the King, he fired, his enemy fired back... He couldn't dodge, he absorbed the bullet, he took the bullet to the heart. They reached the finale, the showdown. He was out...\n\n......\n\n\\- Dude, you're weird\n\n\\- Sorry, just wanted to put a little artistic spin on it\n\n\\- I don't even know what happened there\n\n\\- Whats so hard, I had Q-9, flop was 10-J-4 with a flush draw, HU post flop, I check-raise flop, blank turn, check-check, river King, I bet-call into his AQ. That's 6 bullets gone. Had to re-buy again, only 4 bullets left.", "She looked down mournfully at the four young children. They were laughing, playing, and literally running circles around her. They were completely oblivious to the circumstances or the despair that would await them.\n\n“Only four bullets left,” she reminded herself under her breath. Not enough for her as well as the children. “This world isn’t fair.”\n\nThe children were not her own but she had been caring for them for years now. She adored them all greatly which made the decision even harder.\n\n“Kids, come over here. We’re going to play a game. Let’s see who can scream the loudest and the longest,” she said, waving them closer.\n\nThe children made their way to her. She did not want them to see what she was doing, so she turned them around and lined them up side by side, asked them to close their eyes and cover their ears, and to scream as long and as loud as their little lungs were able. In their playful ignorance, they merrily obeyed.\n\nShe reached into her pocket whilst keeping an eye on the children, making sure they did not look back. The crumpling of the plastic packet containing the bullets caused her to pause for a moment. The children hadn’t heard her over the sound of their own voices. With a sigh of relief, she slowly and carefully pulled out the bullets. Looking at them in the palm of her hand, a faint but guilty smile crossed her lips. She tossed them into her mouth all at once. With every chomp, the rich chocolatey coating gave way to the silky smooth aniseed centre. The children she was babysitting would be none the wiser what they had just missed out on. After all, liquorice bullets were her favourite.", " Only four bullets left. \n\n \n I didn't think it would be like this. I thought it would be like the films and the games. This is too much! I just saw my best friend's head zipper open. The last thing he said to me beforehand was how excited he was to see his girlfriend when we get back. I don't think we will ever get back.\n\n \n Only three bullets left.\n\n \n We had to move positions due to enemy fire. I saw another one of my friends die. A senseless death while crying. I can't take much more of this.\n\n \n Only two bullets left. \n\n \n I got separated from my friends. It is up to me to win this. I hope the enemy is distracted from my friends. \n\n \n Only one bullet left. \n\n \n I think there is one more left. I'm the only one that remains from all my squad. This guy is hiding somewhere, I just know it. \n\n \n I hear him fire at me, yet I do not know how many bullets he has left. Two? Maybe one just like me? I don't know. \n\n \n I am so thirsty, so hungry, and so tired. Why won't he just end this? \n\n \n Will this ever end?" ]	5
	[WP] Every time you go to bed, you wake up in an alternate time line to the one you have always lived in. This all started when you were in a coma.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"So if you could tell me again, when did this all start?\" Dr. Jenny Larson asked. She held her pen above her notepad ready to jot down anything important. The worried look that she was trying to hide made Richard lose hope in the matter all the more.\n\n\"8 days ago,\" he replied. When he woke woke up in that hospital bed, he immediately asked to talk to his wife, Juliet. It was the nurse that told him, with a concerned look on her face, that his wife had passed away in a drunk driving incident. Five years ago. After doing some preliminary brain scans and finding no anomalies, they discharged him. Returning to an empty apartment, and making some calls to friends and relatives confirming the events surrounding his wife, he passed out from pure exhaustion in a pool of tears.\n\nThe next day rolled around. He was so relieved to see his wife laying there next to him, he bawled for hours as he held her in a bear hug. All her consoling had little effect. Just a bad dream, she said. And everything seemed to be back in order. He called his mother up that night, but in her place, a stranger picked up. The old man on the other end explained how he'd been using this number for years, contrary to Richard's exasperated attempts to explain that he'd been calling his mother for years using the same number. It was when Juliet, with an alarmed look on her face, explained to him how his mother passed away from cancer when Richard was only 12. And his father from a heart attack just a few months ago.\n\nAnd so it went. Everyday, something new. Something was different. Sometimes it was obvious. Once he'd woken up in a homeless shelter. Other times it was much more subtler. He'd woken up left-handed on the third day, and nothing else was different. Sometimes characters in one reality would pop up in another in an entirely different role. He nearly broke down when the taxi driver on the fourth day popped up in a toothpaste commercial on the sixth day.\n\n\"8 days is quite a while to be going through something like that,\" she replied as she jotted down some notes. \"This seems to be something of a serious case. Although it is possible that all the past experiences were just a long and vivid dream, I'm sure you'll disagree with that. And to be honest, I do as well.\"\n\n\"They for sure weren't a dream. Everything acted in a normal manner; everything followed all normal rules of life. Nothing dream-like at all other than the random changes in reality.\"\n\n\"We've already ruled out a carbon monoxide leak in your home. You passed the preliminary schizophrenia tests, but more testing will be needed to confirm anything.\" She stopped jotting down notes and looked up at Richard. \"Regardless of what your current reality to you is today, I can assure you that this is the one, and only one, that is 100% real.\"\n\n\"That's funny,\" Richard replied, and he couldn't helped but let out a tired smile. \"That's what all the other therapists said.\"\n\nShe froze for a few seconds to comprehend what she just heard. \"Other...therapists?\"\n\n\"I've been going to a therapist everyday since Day 3. I try to go to a different one each time, but they all end up telling me pretty much exactly what you just said.\"\n\nShe seemed flustered. \"That's...interesting...\" Then she jotted down some more notes. \"It seems our hour is up. I'd really like you to come see me again, even though you said you go to a different therapist every time. I feel like it would be most beneficial to you to at least stick to one.\"\n\n\"Ma'am, with all due respect, if you don't know what's wrong with me already, I'm not sure you ever will. I'll be finding someone else to help me, someone that might have answers. Thank you\" Richard closed the door to her office and left.\n\nIt was a long drive home. Perfect for some deep reflection. When Richard woke up this morning, he found himself living in a trailer with his son. His wife had left him years ago, his son reminded him. If this is the true reality, what are all these memories I have of my past life? My beautiful wife and son, my loving parents. My pharmacy job that I love. These can't all be fake memories can they? Remnants from the coma, perhaps? Just then, it struck him. He could get back home. It didn't matter if this was the real reality or not. His memories were real, so that reality was his. He rushed home as fast as he could.\n\nHe would have to be precise, an underestimate and he would be back in the hellhole of his current life. An overestimate and there would be no life to get back to. The concoction of pills in his hand were meticulously chosen due to their chemical makeup and characteristics. A concoction that only experience from years of working in a pharmaceutical lab could create. With one smooth motion, he dumped the pills into his mouth, and with his other hand, chugged several gulps of water. I'll be seeing you all very soon.\n\n\\\\\\*\n\nJuliet sat hunched over in the hospital room. It had been 8 days since doctors first sensed some brain activity. Being practically brain dead for 3 days had worried her sick. The mere thought of losing her husband left her sobbing uncontrollably. Her faith kept her strong, and kept her son, Charles, strong, as well. And now that faith was coming to fruition. Doctors say the recent brain activity means he's alive in there somewhere, but it's just up to him to pull himself out.\n\nJuliet turned to look at him and saw eyes staring back, with tears streaming down his face. \"Oh my goodness, you're awake!\" she screamed. She quickly pressed the fat, red button attached to the bed to call the nurse, and ran up and hugged Richard.\n\n\"No...no...\" he mumbled. Juliet looked into his eyes. The eyes that stared back were full of horror and confusion.\n\n\"Baby, what's wrong? It's me, Juliet. What's wrong? Is everything alright?\" She grabbed nearby cup of water and tilted it into his mouth. The sips were small, but he was already starting to look more calm. He stared again into her eyes. \"Baby, it's me, Juliet,\" she said. \"What's wrong?\"\n\n\"You...aren't Juliet...\" he managed to force out with fresh tears streaming down his face. \"You're Dr. Jenny Larson.\"" ]	2
	[WP] A story ends with: “My heart is broken. And he’s smiling.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "My wife and I were the kind of sickeningly in love couple that people would actively avoid in public. We were high school sweethearts, and married young. What can I say? When you know, you know. There was no one else for me in this world other than her, and vice versa. \n\nWe both worked stupid hours of the day. Her a typical 9-5 while I worked nights. It was hard, and we barely got to see each other aside from the hour or two that we would pass each other during the day; but that just made us cherish it all the more. \n\nWeekends were our time to catch up on not only each other, but the rest of our lives. Although we were always in each others pockets, we of course had our own friends and lived our own lives outside of each other. \n\nSunday's were our day; though. We would spend the whole day together doing some kind of activity, or even just lounging about on the couch with some Netflix. In my eyes, life was perfect. Nothing would change that. \n\nNothing aside from that one Sunday night dinner where she dropped the biggest news of our relationship with tears in her eyes. We were going to be a family. She showed me the positive test and I've never held her so tight. Tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't believe it. \n\nAs the months went on, I got to know my little bundle of joy. Progressively, we both dropped a day at work. Her eventually dropping to 3 days; as it was getting all too much to push herself at work while our baby was tiring her out day in day out. \n\nAt least that's what I thought the reason was. \n\nIt wasn't until her fall that we found out there was a lot more to why she was feeling so fatigued. \n\nShe'd fallen seriously ill, and speaking to the doctors, they didn't think she would be able to handle childbirth. \n\nMy angel of a wife refused to accept that fact, though. She would give birth even if it killed her. We had multiple arguments about it but at the end of it all, realised at the end of the day we had come too far and were both far too excited to bring our child into the world. \n\nNow, we sit in the hospital and my wife is in critical condition. She has just given birth, and is struggling to get her breath back together. I hold her hand in mine while the midwife wraps our screaming son. I'm supposed to be happy right now, but I can't look past the fading eyes of the love of my life as she mouths with her last breath that she loves me. \n\nThe midwife hands me my son; the crying started to settle at this point and his red cheeks clashed with the blue of his eyes. The tears in my eyes, however, did not settle looking to the eyes that I once fell in love with. He in one arm, and my hand in clasped in the hand of the love of my life - I have never felt such a mixture of emotions. \n\nI took one more look at him, and the tears slowly started to come to an end. I'd be strong for her. I could make this work. I will raise our son with so much love so that my wife can look down and know that we are okay. \n\nAnd suddenly, as though he heard my thoughts; the corners of his little mouth started to lift ever so slightly. \n\nMy heart is broken. And he's smiling. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\\\\pls forgive any mistakes, I rushed this as I was at work, but I could not resist replying to this prompt.\\\\", "I have come to learn that the central purpose of the public education system is not to educate, but to separate. To shuffle. To redistribute. The idea that the education system is failing, is false. It is actually quite precise in its execution. While the education system often fails to educate its young students, it seldom fails in its attempts to separate them. Of course this is not to say that the system's goals is to make a young student independent. An independent is a rootless, straggling, weed that tumbles in the wind. The system of gardeners rather prefers rooted plants, and rather dislikes weeds. And so the teacher walks beneath the old tree, bends to pick up the freshly fallen fruit still cool in the shade, and hurls it as far as he can. The good teacher in the direction of soft life giving soil, the bad to drying sand, and the average -- quickly and without much regard. His pension pays by the apple.\n\nAt eighty-four my father had become a gnarled old thing. His hands were curled from arthritis and his back from what I suppose was just plain old age. My first memory of him seemed like a legend now. A myth of a god, far away. Etched somewhere in this stone grey man I now saw in front of me.\n\nI was five years old and it was a Monday. He had picked me up from my first day of kindergarten in an old brown ford that smelled like lucky strikes and chalk. The man could explain the motion of every particle in that rattling trap, he could write equations and dissertations on the inability to perfectly describe its position and velocity, but he never could seem to keep it running. \"What am I, an engineer?\" He would laugh. He liked engineering jokes. He viewed engineers like a naval officer might view an infantry marine. Peculiar and brutish, but effective.\n\nA mathematician and an engineer are sitting at a table drinking when a very beautiful woman walks in and sits down at the bar.\n\nThe mathematician sighs. \"I'd like to talk to her, but first I have to cover half the distance between where we are and where she is, then half of the distance that remains, then half of that distance, and so on. The series is infinite. There'll always be some finite distance between us.\"\n\nThe engineer gets up and starts walking. \"Ah, well, I figure I can get close enough for all practical purposes.\"\n\nOne of his favorites. Probably because he never could figure out women, despite their best attempts. And their attempts were valiant. My mother the closest prize. She had enough by the time I was three.\n\nHe was a handsome man in those days. Tall and lean with tan skin. His hair was grey, its style the only clue that this odd eccentric had once been a faceless uniform and gun in France. There is something alluring to women about men that go grey at a young age. Like somehow that solid, wise, fertilizing pigment would seep down into a man's brain and make him less childish. It didn't. Back then he still hooted and hollered around his department like it was a fraternity for brains.\n\nWe walked the halls of Princeton University, as I recited my day. Ivy covered stone buildings and foot paths. The rain fell and tapped against the large windows of the science building. The focused inhabitants didn't seem to hear. Streams of tears on lonely windows. On went the familiar click-clack of leather Allen Edmonds as he paced. The childish squeak of my sneakers followed behind, before arriving at his office. Dr. Joel Klein Professor of Physics and Mathematics. The muffled bass of thunder groaned.\n\n\"Your teacher is wrong, Ben.\" he said, in an opener that would become commonplace.\n\nI had explained that Mrs. McMaster had told us that \"lightning never strikes the same place twice\".\n\n\"Lightning follows the path of least resistance. Or perhaps science is wrong, and next time we're caught in a storm in the city we should all shelter on top of the Empire State building.\" he chuckled.\n\nMrs. McMaster was a sweet woman. A kind woman. A woman who eased the pain of others. Whether she believed her bit of colloquial wisdom or not, who cares? My father did.\n\nEach year a new teacher. Each year discredited.\n\nIn high school I used to bring my physics homework to Kevin's house. Sometimes, while I was waiting for Kevin to copy my work, I would chat with his dad. Kevin's dad was a contractor who had done well for himself, despite the fact that he'd dropped out of school when he was sixteen.\n\nI'd tell him about what we had learned in physics. About forces beyond what we could see. How our teacher said this, or that. He would spark up a joint and soak it in, occasionally pausing and looking into the distance before letting out a bewildered, \"I'll be damned\". I never had the luxury of thinking my teacher was smarter than my father. He managed to always escape any attempts at humanization and hovered like a diety somewhere above my head.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAs a young man I walked the same halls where I visited my father as a child, this time as a student. Even now, where my professors were no longer tripping over my father's tangled arguments, they were more than content to enjoy the magnificence of his shade. The famous and beloved, Dr. Klein. I majored in physics and math. I graduated Princeton and spent most of my career working on satellite technology and propulsion.\n\n\"Your son, the engineer\" I would jab at him with a smile.\n\nHe was glad his years of jokes would not be wasted.\n\nMy father began showing the signs of Parkinson's in his seventies. In the early days, he still taught. But as his voice thinned and his tremors became more pronounced, he was gracefully retired. I was living in California and working at JPL when I received a call from the retirement community. His condition, being degenerative of body and mind, had come close to its conclusion.\n\nThe last memory of my father occurred on a cloudy day in October. We sat on a bench in front of a small pond at the Oak Grove Retirement Community in New Jersey. As I sat there watching his hands tremble, I couldn't help but think of one of his grand disaccredidations.\n\n\"Well your teacher is ill-informed, then. Nothing is truly static, Ben. The universe is filled with spinning and crashing and shaking and sloshing. Never still, always moving.\"\n\nAnd he was.\n\nHe was now in the severe stages of dementia and this day he thought I was an old colleague from Princeton. He would say my name, wrongly. I would assert myself as his son, he began to lash out at me, I lashed out at him; on and on the charade went. And here we were on a crisp beautiful morning feeling miserable. He in his reality, and I in mine. So close but so far away.\n\nI didn't resent my father. He was a good man. As much as I thought I wanted to escape, I didn't. I had lived a happy existence in his shadow. And I think there was always room for me to punch through and grab sunlight beyond his reach. After this last reflection of times passed, it could only end simply.\n\n\"Thank you.\"\n\n\"What was that, Frank?\"\n\nFrank was the colleague in question.\n\n\"Oh I was just thinking about that time we met those two blondes in New York.\"\n\nHe had told me the story many times. I continued.\n\n\"And we get to drinking and arguing about the dirac equation. I think they left about 15 minutes in and we just kept slack jawing and bickering for hours until the bar closed and they threw us out. Then you, drunk as a skunk, stop me and say 'Hey where are the girls?'\"\n\nHe laughed. I was Frank and he was a version of himself. Before old age and disease ripped wit and vigor from his mind. We spent the day in our new bodies and I said goodbye as the sun went down and his nurse arrived.\n\n\"All we have Ben\" he would say years ago as I got older and protested his pedantry, \"is our grip. This grip to the rock of truth in this wild sea of the universe. And the never ending pursuit of strengthening our grip. Always bettering our position. Climbing further from the water. If we loosen our grip because we are tired, scared, uncomfortable, what will happen? We float away. We get lost. We rest. We die.\"\n\nTime for rest, Dad.\n\nMy heart is broken. And he's smiling" ]	3
	[WP] You have lost your sense of time after being betrayed by your party members and left in the ancient dungeon to rot, but you're still alive and kicking despite the countless near death experiences you've faced. Living in a magic-polluted dungeon has interesting effects on your body and soul.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I'd never seen an Elf. My Pa said they were tall and noble, with high cheekbones and eagle-eyes. Of course, my Ma would scold him for telling me those foolish stories. I'd always defend Pa, of course. He was a good storyteller. He'd told me a lot of stories, and I'd had the opportunity to tell them to myself a dozen times over. The funniest thing, I remember those stories, but I can't even recall what he looked like. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nMy musing was interrupted by the telltale sign of life: the skittering of claws on stone. My breath quickened, and my ears strained to pinpoint the source of the noise. My eyesight had gone long ago, but I could still hear. The hearing had to improve for hunting, I'd long since killed and devoured the monstrous creatures that guarded the caves; thus relegating my diet to whatever vermin I could scrounge up. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThere it is.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nA rat, medium-sized, young. Remaining still, I felt the rodent, blind as I was, stalk some bug cautiously, unaware of my presence. Just a little closer, just a bit-\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"There we are.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMy hand lashed out, snatching the rodent, whose shrieks soon reverberated across the stone walls, it's clawed hands feebly tearing at my calloused hands. I eagerly sunk my teeth into the still-live rodent; they were better fresh. Soon the coppery taste of blood filled my eager mouth, accompanied by the spicy tang inherent to creatures that lived by Bluerock deposits. I probably tasted like that. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nAzureium, that's what I'd call it, I decided. The Bluerocks had been in the dungeon long before me, and they'd be here long after, and they practically bled mana. I made up a name for them every few sleep cycles, before choosing a new one. Either way, I hated the damned things, they kept me alive after all. I felt my facial muscles pucker into an unintentional frown as I sullenly snapped the rat bones to access the marrow. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe Bluerocks made it impossible to starve, to die of thirst, or to bleed out. Of course, you were still resigned to suffer the pain that weeks without food offered, making hunting a necessity. They likely had a slew of other qualities, qualities that had drawn me to them in my youth. My frown turned into an angry scowl as I sucked out the marrow, imagining it was Lady Ashheart. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Ashheart indeed,\" quipped one of the voices in my head, which had manifested itself following my entombment in the dungeon. \"She's alive, we know it. We know all her trickses now, all her nasty surprises!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Not all,\" I drily quipped back, remembering how the wretch managed to lure me to the dungeon with my fellow adventurers, promising us riches and wealth. I was too enamored with the opportunity to find some Bluerock samples to notice her whispering in the ears of my comrades, too naive to believe that ragtag mercenaries calling themselves, 'Adventurers', could be bought off. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"And now we suffer for it, for her trickses, for their betrayal!\", the voice snarled, goading me on. It was working.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"We should break her, breaks them all we should, snap their boneses and dance!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"We should,\" I muttered, my bloodied hands shaking with rage. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Break them all, snap them in pieces and dance! Shouldn't we!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"YES!\", I shouted, my hoarse voice roaring throughout the empty, harrowed halls. I'd destroy every Bluerock, forget every story, every face, every memory, all for a chance to-\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"To do what?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMy jaw clenched, and I came to a conclusion years in the making, \"To kill them.\" \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe voice was quiet, leaving me to shake, and for a red glow to emanate from my hands that my blind eyes could no longer see. They abandoned me, left me to rot and suffer immortality, to subsist on rats and insects, all for a bag of gold, they deserved-\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"They are here.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI dropped the final bone, numbness spreading throughout my entire body. Here? After all this time? I put a shaking hand to the ground, feeling the vaguest tremors through the wall, a skill I normally reserved for hunting. That was them, the light striding of Ashheart, the heavy footfalls of Yara the Barbarian, the cautious pacing of Firemaster Bjorn, and-\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Her. The grandest and worstest of the traitors.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFaem the Good, the first elf I ever saw. She was just like Pa's stories, noble, gentle, and the only one to protest my imprisonment. I could finally see her, after all these years, I could finally see her again!\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"No we can't,\" said the voice, it's tone unusually sly, \"She was the one to shoot our knees, the one to keep us from escaping. Her trickses kept us here and made us blind. We can never see her again. We can never see anything.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe red energy returned to my shaking hands as my anger returned to me, and I remembered that her betrayal stung most of all. She had worshipped the God of Loyalty, and in one of its grand twists of irony, she had betrayed me. The stone cracked, and I felt my resolve return.", "They say that dungeons are full of tangible desire, an unpredictable type of magic that gives form to everything you want and everything you fear.\n\n“Hey! I think there’s something down here!”\n\nVoices echoed down the dark corridor, bouncing off the cold rock. Footsteps, a small party. Just like the one that left me here so long ago. \n\n“What the hell is that?!” \n\nFear. Suspicion. Dread. The party fled, scrambling over each other in their desperate escape. I watched them go, my eyes glowing in the dark. But then I hear crying. It was a young boy, probably on his first expedition and barely through puberty. \n\nI hissed and knelt on the ground, clutching at the sword that was embedded through my chest. I wretched it slightly, letting my blood pool under me. The crying stopped as the boy looked over at me. He picked up a rock and tossed it gently. I did not move. \n\nAn hour passed before the boy was brave enough to approach me. His soft hand affirmed the coldness of my skin and the absence of my pulse.\n\n“Strange,” he said, “That sword does not look like any of the others’.”\n\nAnd then he stepped over my head, walking deeper into the dungeon.\n\n“Wait a minute!” I bolted upright, grabbing his leg.\n\n“UWAAHHH!” He screamed. \n\n“Are you an idio-” I tried to compose myself, “Foolish mortal, do not enter my domain any further!”\n\nThe boy stared at me.\n\n“Did you just call me an idiot?” He asked.\n\n“Run away…” I said, deepening my voice threateningly.\n\n“I can’t,” the boy replied simply. \n\nWhat. I stared at him, narrowing my eyes. What a confusing brat. \n\n“I have to bring back a magic treasure of some sort or else my village is in danger,” the boy said, “There have been a lot of goblin attacks lately and my village is really small. There aren’t many strong people to protect it.”\n\n“...Why are you telling me all this?” I asked.\n\n“Because you seem to be listening to me,” the boy smiled. He reached out his hand, “My name is Mwyn Firain.”\n\nI stared at his outstretched hand, unsure of what to do with it. Cocking his head to the side, he lowered it.\n\n“Do you have a name?” Mwyn asked. \n\n“No,” I answered, “Not anymore.”\n\n“So you used to then?” The boy sat down and crossed his legs.\n\n“What are you doing?” I asked.\n\n“Listening,” Mwyn answered. \n\n“...I was once called Alimander,” I said, “I was an adventurer just like you…” \n\nThe memories were hazy, but to my surprise, they flowed back, like honey. \n\nThe marketplace was bustling as merchants displayed their wares and throngs of people pushed their way through the streets. I pulled a coin from behind the ear of a young woman, richly dressed in vibrant colours. She giggled as I made it dance across my fingers and gasped as it disappeared in my palm. \n\n“A wizard or a sorcerer?” she asked playfully. \n\n“A scoundrel and a cheat,” the man next to her snarled, “Let’s go Linnaea. Keep a firm hand on your purse.”\n\nA flicker of disappointment crossed her face as he pulled her along with the crowd. \n\n“Flirting with the Amaranth family’s daughter again?” \n\nPryderi wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a shake. “Sleight of hand will only ever steal her coins, not her heart. You’d need real magic for that.”\n\n“I know,” I said, brushing him off. “That’s why I signed up for the adventurer’s guild.”\n\n“...Are you serious?” Pryderi looked astonished, “You’ve never even held a sword before!”\n\n“I’ve joined a pretty good group,” I said with a grin, “They needed one more member and they said I was perfect!”\n\n“...I was naive,” I said, furrowing my brow, “The final room of this dungeon requires a sacrifice. The party I joined brought me along only for that reason. They didn’t want to sacrifice any of their friends, but they didn’t care about a stranger. This sword belongs to one of them.”\n\n“Doesn’t it hurt?” Mwyn asked.\n\n“All the time,” I answered. \n\n“How are you still alive?”\n\n“I don’t really know,” I said, “But I suspect tangible desire has something to do with it.”\n\n“Tangible desire?”\n\n“This,” I grabbed a handful of the mist that gathered in dark corners of the dungeon. “It’s weak here, near the surface, but further down its thicker and more concentrated.”\n\nI blew on it and it transformed into bubbles. \n\n“Amazing...are you a wizard or a sorcerer?” Mwyn asked excitedly.\n\nI paused.\n“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully, “I breathed it in, wishing desperately not to die and here I am.”\n\nI smiled wryly, “A man made of darkness, with a sword through his back.”", "The first few days were the worst. My rations were short, and I had to live off of the water slowly dripping from one of the stalactites slowly onto the floor. My wounds were not yet closed, but I was able to somehow survive. After my rations were depleted I needed to move. I slowly pulled myself up against the wall and nearly collapsed again from the agony. \n\nI had to survive. I needed my revenge. \n\nThey blamed me. They blamed me for the troubles we had in the dungeon. All because my father was Balor. I didn't ask for this life. My life was given because the bastard raped my elven mother. It's not my fault I happened to be this way. It's not my fault that the inherent power within me began erupting the further we ventured into the earth. \n\nAnd yet, as they stabbed me they called me \"Demonkind\", they called me \"Traitor\". They called me \"Dajil\". I believed them to be my friends, but I was wrong. \n\nLong had it been since I contacted my father. Not since the days of my youth when I was orphaned by my people for daring to exist. He offered me the choice of immortality in the pantheon of the demons. I had not taken him seriously at the time. How I wish I did as I pulled myself up from the ashes. \n\nAnger fueled my unsteady walk towards where they did not think to look for treasures. Fortunately I could still see as if it were day while my former companions could not. I stumbled to the wall and whispered the incantation to open the door. With a slight rumble the side of the wall slid back and I beheld a pedestal with a gem on it. \n\nCarved on the pedestal was none other than the sigil of my father. Without warning, I could feel the heat of my power rising up. I tried unsuccessfully to contain it but as before it could not be denied. Flames erupted from me in waves, radiating outwards and further scorching the walls. \n\nI collapsed as the power and fire burned my already painful wounds. I was weak. I was near death, and there was nothing I could do. I had hoped to find healing potions, or a secret exit to where I might escape. Instead I found a painful reminder of my perpetual punishment. \n\nRage burned in my chest, hotter than any fire I could conjure. The thought of revenge spurred me slowly further towards the gem on the pedestal. The power rose up inside me again, but this time I used my focused rage to suppress it. It burned from the inside but at this point I didn't care. I grabbed the gem and the crystal clear voice of my father rang in my head. \n\nJoin me\n\nExhausted, left for dead by my friends, and in a singular rage I give in. \n\nThe gem melted into my hand and set my entire being on fire. I screamed louder than I thought possible. My skin felt as if it's on fire. It burned from the inside and the outside. My head felt as if it was being hammered by a thousand dwarves. \n\nThe torture lasted for what seemed like a thousand lifetimes. \n\nIt ebbed away as I knelt on the hard dungeon floor. As the pain receded I slowly stood up. The pain was gone. Instead, I felt whole. I felt great. I held my arms out and saw the skin charred and blackened. In the cracks, I saw the deep glow of the fire within me.\n\nI stretched my arms out and with them, I stretched my wings. Wings? I looked to the side again and saw giant batlike wings extending from my back. The flesh on my fingers had been burned entirely off, revealing ebony claws. I shake my head as I can feel my formerly small tiefling horns have grown into curled rams horns. \n\nI turn and slowly make my way out of the dungeon. The rage burns inside of me still, and I will have my revenge.\n\nEdit: Part II: below here: https://old.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/cmersl/wp_you_have_lost_your_sense_of_time_after_being/ew4cn1g/" ]	4
	[WP] The Queen still has a designated champion for trial by combat. Unfortunately for her, the current champion is a 64 year old chartered accountant from Lincolnshire.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Now then, you sure you want to have a scrag against me yourself, Prime Minister,\" asked Sir Bracing of Skegness. Raising the royal slide rule as he added, \"for I'll defend 'er majesty's honour to the death.\"\n\n\"Pfft of course,\" scoffed the Prime Minister, grinning at the surrounding press. Casually waving an ornate rapier at the old man opposite him. \"Let's get the silly misunderstanding out the way old chum, then we can all head to the bar for drinkies.\"\n\n\"Her majesty's troubles with you go far beyond a little misunderstanding ya wazzerk,\" snapped Sir Bracing. \"Now we goin' ta do this or you too frit to face me.\"\n\nThe Prime Minister cricked his neck and took a more professional fencer's stance. \"Let's have at you then,\" he said. \"Though I won't go easy on you, I was twice champion at Eton during my school days don't cha know.\"\n\nEven before the Prime Minister had finished his sentence, he lunged forward. Driving the point of the rapier towards Sir Bracing. But the Queen's champion dodged at the last moment, sending the blade tearing through the shoulder of his rumpled brown suit.\n\n\"Ah ha, first hit,\" cried the Prime Minister. Doing a little dance as struck a pose for the cameras.\n\nSir Bracing fingered the cut and grinned. \"It'll take more than a little cock apparel to finish me off.\"\n\nThen rushing towards the Prime Minister, Sir Bracing swung the slide rule straight at his foe's sword hand. But the PM was too quick and parried the blow with rapier, the impact sending them both reeling backwards.\n\nThen both stood there for a moment, breathing heavily. Facing each other down. Then with a great cry, they charged forward.\n\nRapier and slide rule clashed again and again. Both sides striking the other many a time, but adrenaline drove both sides on. The cameras of the press flashing constantly as the battle raged. With neither side seeming able to gain an advantage.\n\nThen with blades locked, nose to nose, they stared each other down. \"Ready to give up old bean,\" panted the Prime Minister.\n\n\"Naught, a chance,\" breathed Sir Bracing. \"I still want to have good chattle with ya.\"\n\nThe Prime Minister looked at his foe quizzically, but still did not relent. Asking, \"what do you mean?\"\n\n\"I took a look at ya financial history Prime Minister,\" said Sir Bracing with a menacing smile.\n\nFor the first time a look of fear crossed the Prime Minister's face. The sword slipping in his sweaty gasp as he stammered a nervous exclamation.\n\n\"Yes,\" said Sir Bracing. \"Her Majesty really wants to know more about those, financial irregularities.\"\n\nThe Prime Minister's legs went out from under him and he collapsed to the floor. Leaving Sir Bracing standing triumphant above him. Then the accountant brought the royal slide rule down without a inch of pity.", "A remnant from a bygone era, a title passed from father to son. It was supposed to be nothing but a formality. No one expects the queen to actually rule England, so why must I partake in these inherited duties? Sean asked himself as he sharpened his sword. It was much heavier than he has expected. It had been passed down his family for generations as nothing more than a relic. Today it will see action for the first time in hundreds of years.\n\nAn oversight in the constitution, they had said. It would be amended immediately, but only after the trial. He didn't see any realistic way out of this scenario. How can my accounting experience aid me in any way? Other than count down the hours til I die, I suppose. The affair would be televised, of course. The public wanted a show; humans haven't much evolved since the gladiator days of Ancient Greece.\n\nHis opponent was a young man. A history student from Cambridge who had been caught in the midst of a break-in at the British Museum. He had somehow managed to steal the fabled sword of King Arthur. And when he expressed his desire to face a trial by combat rather than a trial by jury, the police laughed. Then scratched their heads in confusion after he insisted he wasn't joking. And after some research, they begrudgingly authorized the first trial by combat in over 500 years.\n\nThey met for the first time face-to-face in the arena, which was just a recently renovated opera house. The seats were filled with spectators with eager eyes. The Queen was present as well, but her eyes showed nothing but fatigue. Wrinkles of worry draped her forehead. She looked like she hated this proceeding more than he did. She isn't the one that's about to fight to the death. A man walked up between them, and the crowd quieted down. \"By decree of Queen Elizabeth the Second,\" spoke Daniel Stellerson of the Queen's Privy Council into his microphone, \"this trial of combat, initiated by Alan Wright, against her Champion, Sean Richardson, shall now commence. Gentlemen, draw your swords.\"\n\nSean drew his freshly sharpened blade and hesitantly raised it in an attack position. Alan drew his as well, and a murmur went through the crowd. \"That's...that's...\" Sean stammered.\n\n\"King Arthur's blade, yes,\" Alan finished. \"According to the provisions laid out in the Trial by Combat charter, I can choose for my weapon any blade I've held before in combat. And I choose this.\"\n\n\"But you stole that! You've never held it against anyone.\"\n\n\"On the contrary, I held it against the police when I was first caught. Right before I surrendered, of course. Nevertheless, it remains an option for me to use.\"\n\n\"Well, I don't see what the point of that even is. Unless you're going for some kind of symbolic victory, that sword is over a thousand years old, twice the age of mine. It won't last long in a fight.\"\n\n\"Are you not familiar with the powers that come with this sword?\" he asked in a calm manner as he pointed it towards Sean.\n\n\"The only thing I know about that sword is that King Arthur pulled it out of stone, and that made him--\" Sean stopped talking mid-sentence. He can't mean to... he can't be serious.\n\n\"It seems like you're beginning to understand. Arthur became king when he pulled this sword out. But that's not really an option for me.\"\n\n\"But defeating the Queen's Champion in combat with his sword is? You mean to make yourself king.\" \n\n\"Bravo. The old man figured it out. There are so many obscure rules and legislation in English law if you look hard enough.\" He meant to be caught with that sword. He meticulously planned everything from the very beginning. He means to take the crown for himself. And the only thing preventing that is me. Sean's hands started to tremble even more than they already were. He clothes under his armour were drenched with sweat. \"Hey, no hard feelings,\" Alan said. \"I'll try to make it quick and painless.\" And with that, Alan lunged forwards.\n\n\"Halt!\" called out Daniel as he stepped in between the combatants. He put his fingers against his earpiece, listening intently to the news he was being given. \"A new development has just taken place. A newly unearthed piece of the Charter has beend discovered.\" Alan's face dropped. \"It states that a Trial by Combat does not necessarily need to by combat. In fact, it is up to the recipient of the challenge to determine what the challenge would be.\" He turned to Sean. \"Sir, you may continue the fight if you wish. Or you may issue a different challenge altogether. The right is yours.\"\n\nThe murmuring was growing louder. There was no way I could have beat him in a sword fight. Sean took in a deep breath, appreciating how lucky he had gotten. \"Alan Wright,\" Sean said in a commanding voice as he sheathed his sword. \"In accordance with the laws of England with respect to this Trial by Combat, I challenge you to a game of golf.\" Alan's sword dropped to the floor as a look of despair came across his face. Checkmate." ]	3
	[WP] You’ve been blessed (or cursed) with the ability of enhanced hearing. As long as you can remember, you’ve been able to hear everything within a great distance, and with great clarity. One day, the cacophony you’ve resigned yourself to suddenly just...stops. It is finally quiet. Too quiet.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Silence was like nothing I had expected. My head felt fuzzy and heavy with the sudden lack of noise. Years of never having a moment of peace fell over me as I realized for the first time in my life, I was hearing nothing.\n\nThe city noises had stopped. All the honking and screaming from the street below was gone. The booming, awful music from the strip club that was six blocks away didn’t exist. There were no fighting couples or screaming babies that I could hear from miles away. I didn’t hear the terrible sounds of abuse and violence that had so often brought me to tears. All that was left was wonderful, blissful silence.\n\nI sighed, content. I couldn’t even hear myself. Normal people wouldn’t be able to understand. I had never heard of another person like me. I’d always been able to hear everything. All the noises that were being made within miles converged into one giant cacophony of sound. There had never been a moment that I can remember where there was just… nothing.\n\nMy eyes closed as I enjoyed the quiet. For the first time in my life I felt like I was in total peace. At this moment, I didn’t care why it had gone silent. I didn’t want to know. Not yet, at least. That would come later. I just wanted to treasure the stillness for as long as possible.\n\nI sat for hours, basking in the calm. I stared down at the still busy streets, knowing that they were normally louder than anybody could possibly imagine. To me, though, it was like a silent movie. I couldn’t stop the smile that came to my lips as I imagined the rest of my days being spent in this cocoon of noiselessness.\n\nI should have known, though, that it wouldn’t last. What’s that saying? “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” I should have remembered that and questioned more. The noise didn’t start up all at once. It started with a whisper.\n\nOne small little whisper that will stick with me over every other sound for the rest of my days. The small, subtle peep that shattered my world to pieces as it reached my ears. It was so small, so soft, that if I hadn’t been enveloped in the complete stillness, I wouldn’t have noticed it.\n\nThe whisper turned my blood cold, because I knew it was pointed at me.\n\n“I’m coming for you.”\n\nAnd with that, seconds later, my ears were assaulted once again with that damnable noise.", "It was a sensation I had never experienced before. Quiet. Was this how others heard when there was nothing near? I had become used to the cacophony. The emptiness of this strange thing called 'silence' was terrifying.\n\nI stepped out of my cabin. I had long since moved away from civilization, isolating myself to try to keep from going mad. Even though I was somewhat resigned to my fate, there are things you can never adapt to.\n\nOr was it long-since too late to keep from going mad? Was I insane already? Was that it?\n\nI shook my head. It didn't matter. What mattered was the dreadful and ominous silence around me. Stop it, stop the silence, I had to make it stop!\n\nI think I was screaming. I had never heard my own voice before, and I couldn't hear it now.\n\nAs I stepped outside my cabin, something felt strange, even beyond the appalling silence. The air wasn't moving, I suddenly realized. There wasn't so much as a breeze, not even a whiff of one. Dust motes hung suspended in the air. A leaf hovered, as though it had been falling, but was now frozen in place.\n\nI walked right up to the deer that had come to my garden to forage. She didn't move, even as I reached out to touch her. I put my hand against her flank, and even though she was warm, I felt no pulse. And no movement of breath.\n\nI started running then. Towards the city. I had to know what had happened, even though I knew if it stopped now the noise of the city might kill me.\n\nI got there only to find more of the same. Frozen people, frozen cars. Nothing moving. No sound.\n\nCity to city I went. Sometimes walking, sometimes running. The world couldn't end like this! Why was I the only one left?\n\n\"Well well,\" a voice said behind me, startling me out of my skin after I knew not how many weeks or years. I was somewhere in South America, at that point, I think.\n\nI turned around to see what looked like an ordinary person. Like me. He could have been my brother, we looked so alike. But more strangely, his voice didn't hurt me, unlike any other person who had ever been this close to me.\n\n\"Not all of the old Gods are gone, after all,\" he said to me, smirking. \"I suppose I will have to wait a while longer yet, then, to have this world to myself. Or will you outlive me? Hmm. I guess we'll find out at the end of time.\"\n\nHe snapped his fingers, the sound almost deafening. I felt a breeze. Then I heard . . . everything. I collapsed to the ground in agony, hands over my ears, but I was smiling through my tears.\n\nMy brother was gone. But I knew we would meet again. \"See you at the end of time,\" I whispered." ]	3
	[WP] the prophecy is fake. There’s no reward at the end of it, no promise of marriage to you, the princess, no destiny and no vast quantities of gold. Hell you’re not even a princess, you just want to get out of this hostage situation.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "My name is Eliara LaMere, and if you're reading this, no one is coming to save you. \n\nMorgan violently snapped the diary shut, the dusty pages throwing an echo into the small, stone room. She sat in stunned silence, motionless, until even the dust had settled and joined in her silent fury. Finally, she stood, slowly, shakily, to her feet, her slight frame barely allowing her to stand upright beneath the low ceiling. Angry to the point of dizziness, Morgan found her feet carrying her up the narrow, curved staircase out of the small chamber where her predecessor had stashed her life's work. And it had confirmed Morgan's deepest fear. \n\nIt was all a lie. There was no prophecy. And she was on her own. \n\nMorgan ducked unconsciously through the low stone entryway to the staircase, pushed aside the tapestry that had concealed it, and pressed the slightly loose brick that served as the mechanism to open and close the secret door. The sound of the stone thudding into place was what finally brought her completely back to reality. To the here and now. Where she was trapped. \n\nI have been here for 25 years. And I am certain now that I will never leave.\n\nShe looked around the large, circular room as though she was seeing for the first time. The stonework walls were beautiful, and the vaulted ceilings were high and strong, and the room was spacious and safe underneath them. Several marvelous tapestries adorned the walls, and stained glass windows stretched to the heights of the vaulted ceilings, all telling one continuous story. The story of a young prince, defeating the dragon guarding a tower on the edge of civilization, and rescuing the princess trapped atop it.\n\nHer tower. \n\nThe warmth and joy that she used to feel looking at her home was gone. That prophecy written into her walls had sustained her for 15 years. The promise of rescue. Of a better free life outside these walls. Now it only churned her stomach. She strode over to her vanity and slammed Eliara's diary down before stepping in front of her mirror. Thick, raven black hair fell to just past her shoulders. It had always been Morgan's favorite feature about herself. But now she saw the way that it framed her face, how the shadows cast by her hair had kept her from acknowledging that her cheekbones were a little too high, her jaw a little too wide, her nose a little to long. She was still very pretty, but no perfect, storybook princess. \n\nI am no princess. Nor, I expect, were the girls imprisoned here before me.\n\nA shadow briefly passed over the nearest window, the dragon circling his prize. Morgan turned from examining herself in the mirror and headed for the wide stairway across the room that led to the library below. Her strides had confidence now, as she finally started to come to grips with what she was. And what she was not. \n\nThe library was as grandiose as her chambers above. The same beautiful stonework. The same soaring stained glass windows. And the reaching to the high ceilings all along the walls were towering bookshelves, filled with any book Morgan could ever want to read. And she would know, as she had read most of them by now.\n\nIn the center of the room was what she had come to see. A small glass case on a pedestal in the center of the library. And in it, most of a single, slightly charred page from a clearly ancient illuminated text. The foundation of all of this folly. Of her wasted youth. Of Eliara's wasted life. And of who knew how much before that. A single page, finishing the story of how a prince, armed with a lance made of the purest iron, had slain a dragon and claimed his prize. And now that she really looked, and knew the lie for what it was, it dawned on her: There was no mention of a princess on that page at all. That the princess must have just been added to the tapestries and windows later, to help sell the story to the prisoners in this tower. \n\nI do not know what the beast gains from keeping me here. But I know that this charade must end.\n\nMorgan threw her head back and laughed at her own foolishness. She was soon doubled over, laughing and crying in unison. At her imprisonment. At everything. All of the turmoil boiling over inside of her poured out in those next few minutes, tears of pain at the time she had lost pooling below her with tears of joy for finally knowing the truth as her laughter echoed from the walls. \n\nHer fit of hysteria brought calmness to her mind at last. And in that moment, Morgan knew she had to try and escape. She had lost too much to this tower to stay here. But how? Even if she found a way out of the the tower, there was still the dragon to deal with. And she had no way of getting past that. \n\nMorgan jumped to her feet turned back to the illuminated text, struck by an idea. The ''prophecy\" said nothing about her. But it did mention the dragon. And iron. Odd that it would be specific about that, but not about anything else, up to and including a series of prisoners. \n\nA plan formed quickly in her mind. All those years with nothing to entertain her but books and her imagination came swiftly to bear on her current predicament. And she was pretty sure this could work. Morgan moved swiftly, before her newfound resolve left her. It was just before noon, and she had until nightfall and her evening meal to prepare. \n\nAll hope is not lost. If you are reading this, you now know the truth. Prophecy and Fate have abandoned you. But that does not mean that you cannot make your own. \n\nThe spear was heavy, but she could wield it. She had used the library ladders to reach the heavy iron curtain rods adorning the windows. It had taken all of her strength, but Morgan had dislodged the rod on one end, sending it and the curtains tumbling to the floor. Then, it had just been a matter of dragging the curtain rod back up the stairs to the secret chamber door, opening it, inserting the rod, and letting the slamming stone trim the curtain rod down to a manageable size. She had sharpened it the same way, using the stone door to pinch and bend the iron into something resembling a point. It was crude, but there was enough weight to the spear that it should do the job. \n\nShe grabbed up her makeshift pack, nothing more than a few of her bodices crudely tied together, and finished packing. The two sturdiest pairs of slippers she had. It wasn't much, but it was better than being bare foot. Her heaviest robe, to serve as a travel cloak in the rain. And books. An Atlas. A book on natural history. A guide for wilderness survival. And a small packet of pages that she had torn from other books that she thought might be useful. \n\nMorgan piled the tools of her escape next to the dumbwaiter on which her food arrived twice daily. But first, Morgan went back upstairs to take care of one last detail before she made good her escape. \n\nEliara's journal was where she had left it on her vanity. Slowly, reverently, Morgan picked it up and made her way to the secret door, down the narrow stairway, and to the tiny chamber where she had found this lost treasure. She flipped through the pages as she went, reading through the woman's memories, her whole life left in this book. Morgan flipped to the last page, which contained only a single, short passage on the tear-stained paper. \n\nI will most likely not survive my escape. Life is not worth living confined in such a way, and all is worth risking in pursuit of the needed change. So, if I perish, I meet my fate gladly. But do not mourn for me sister, for after today, I shall be free. \n\nA single tear fell from Morgan's cheek, adding one last stain to the page, before she closed the diary with a whispered \"Thank you.\" Morgan then quietly placed the small, dusty book back in the small hole dug out of the floor and replaced the loose flagstone that completed the hiding spot where she had originally found the journal. \n\nMorgan ascended the stairs, closed the secret door, and smoothed the tapestry over as much as possible. She had to make sure that whoever was in charge of this prison didn't find that journal. It was the only thing that had saved her, and if Morgan failed, it could very well be the only thing to save whoever else ended up in this tower. \n\nShe made her way back down to the library. Her dinner had just arrived. She quickly wrapped up anything that would keep for a day or two and quickly devoured the rest, then slung her pack over her shoulder and hefted her spear. \n\nThe dumbwaiter was small, but so was Morgan. And it was long past time that she found out where her food came from." ]	2
	[WP] For the past few years, you were able to travel between this world and a world you thought was fictional. But the catch is, you have to keep the worlds secret from eachother, since you know that if one finds out about the other, it would not end well...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "With a smile on her face she layed down in bed. Her days were getting shorter and shorter while she did anything she could to sleep as long as possible, to spend as much time as she could in the place she called her new home. While her eyes closed and her body went to sleep, her mind drifted away to a magical place.\n\n\n\"There you are! I missed you!\" \nA familiar voice greeted her as she crawled out of the pod and squirmed from behind the fake wall. Her best friend waved to her from the couch, petting her way-too-fluffy-for-his-own-good dog. He barked once in recognition and then turned on his back for more cuddles. \n\"I know I know! I did the best I could, but I was so tired you wouldnt believe it!\" \nShe sat down on the couch too, and thought back of night she first came here, as a stranger in the house of a stranger. \n\n\nShe went to sleep like any other night, preparing for yet another night filled with nightmares like she had when she was a child. But instead of the same ones she had over and over since her parents died, this time she found herself in a small, round space. Disoriented, it took her a few minutes before her eyes got used to the darkness, and she found a handle presumably out of this space. While she wurmed herself out of there she ended up in yet another cramped space, only this time she could stand upright. She noticed a wooden wall and started banging on it.\n\"Hello? Anyone there?\" \nAnd when she thought there would be no response, sudden barking startled her, followed by a female voice a minute later. \n\"Brutus? What are you doing? Why are you barking at the wall boy?\" \nA friendly voice said. \n\"Help me! I'm stuck here!\" \nShe shouted again, hoping the voice would hear her. It was silent for a second and then she got blinded by sudden light, and saw a figure towering over.\n\n\nBack then they scared each other and it took a few hours to get used to each other, but now she didnt see the blue skin anymore, just as her pale skin didnt bother her friend. They found out pretty quickly that it would be better for her to just stay in the house, and with her new friend and Brutus she didnt mind at all. Frankly, this was the only place she could actually get some rest. They would just hang out, watch some strange movies (they were nothing like the movies she had at home) and her friend would get some food while she just chilled with brutus. It was the perfect arangement. \n\nAfter they just finished a particulary funny movie, her friend got up. \n\"Shall i get the same as yesterday?\" \nShe asked, getting a nod in return.\n\"Uhu, and dont forget the bread, it was delicious!\" \nHer friend laughed, and left to get the food, while she browsed a big pile of dvds to find something nice to watch next.\n\n\nAfter some time she noticed Brutus getting reckless, pacing back and forth by the front door. She looked at the clock and noticed two hours had already past, and it was getting pretty late. Normally she would never be gone for this long, and Brutus knew this too. \nAfter two more hours she really started getting nervous. What if something happened? What if she didnt come back? Could she stay here and take care of Brutus? What would happen if she would fall asleep on the couch? Just as more doom scenarios started filling her head, she heard the front door open.\n\n\"There you a-\" \nShe started but stopped quickly as she heard Brutus growl. Something was wrong. \n\"Well, well, well, what an interesting sight. I knew something curious was going on here.\" \nA male voice filled her ears with dread as Brutus started barking outright. Her heart sank as the door opened fully, and she saw her friend with a knife at her throat. \n\"No sudden moves or lovely here will face the consequences. Understood?\"\nShe nodded, as that was the only thing she could do right now. She was speechless. What was going on? The man came in and closed the door behind him with his foot, still holding the knife at the throat of her friend. Brutus was now whimpering in the corner as if he understood, not getting any closer.\n\"Now tell me where you are from sweetheart, if you want to see your friend live another day. I am not gonna ask again.\"\nShe was unable to say anything, and just pointed to the now-hidden door her pod was behind. What was he gonna do? \nHe grinned from ear to ear and walked towards it, pulling her friend with him. \n\"Interesting, lets see what happens now.\" He said while opening the door. He froze for a second, his grin getting even bigger. Then with one fluent motion he ran the blade across her throat and pushed her gagging for air towards me. I let out a scream and rushed towards my friend, Brutus following on my heals. Only focused on her I tried to stop the bleeding, but while holding her I felt her body go numb in my arms. Brutus let out a heartbreaking howl and wrapped his body around her, as if he tried to keep her warm. I stretched out my hand to pet him, only to notice my skin looked a lot bluer than before. As I looked at my arms in amazement, I looked up to see the pod had dissapeared. What was going on? Where did it go?\n\n\nIn another world a pair of eyes opened to see a view they had seen many times before, but saw now for the very first time again. They glowed with a blue light for just a fraction of a second before turning brown again, and soft laughter filled the small room. \n\"Finally.\"\nA voice whispered." ]	2
	[WP] "I trusted you, and you betrayed me!" "Well- look, do you know how hard it is to betray someone who doesn't trust you?"	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I said the burning of whisky hits my tongue, the familiar feeling of trying to repress terrible memories. The face staring back in the mirror hardly recognizable at this point. “ Face it one day you’ll have to give in and recognize I’m your salvation, I’m the one who will save you listen to me now!” The words escaping from that lying bastards mouth like poisonous snakes slowly writhing their way through my ears into the holy sanctum of my head.” Screw you!” I yelled the words escaping from in between my teeth as spittle rushes forward covering the mirror as if my words were sticking to the smudge covered doorway into which this dark figure was speaking to me through. “ Let me in that sweet head of yours so I can break your innocence and teach how to navigate through this cold world. Let me be your lantern shining through this dark world for you.” \n “No!” I screamed throwing the whisky glass into the mirror shattering it into a million bourbon soaked pieces. The smell of alcohol filled the air burning my nose as the whisky made its way back my body as it had down seeping down my throat. “I’m still here your poor bastard, the only way I’ll leave you alone is if you let me into your mind I’m your beacon in this mad world you’ re only ray of sunshine in this bleak world.” The voice rang clearer than it had through the mirror almost as if it was coming from inside my head. “What do you say Dr. Jekyll shall we show this cruel world the face of true terror? The cruelest face of all was the one staring back you in that mirror. So what do you say Doctor are you ready to let me in?” “The name’s Hyde,” I said an unrecognizable voice escaped through my wind pipes a shroud of hate and darkness blotted my mind and that was the night my terror began, the night my repressed anger took ahold of me. That was the night my innocence died and my anger thrived taking on a heartbeat of its own." ]	2
	[WP] You are a nearly dead god, so forgotten, so old, that you hardly remember what you are. You barely agknowledge your own existence in your eternal wait for the word to end. This all changes, when a small arceological group enters your last intact temple.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "There’s something walking inside me. It seems a bit larger than the usual insects, vermin, and other normal inhabitants of my shell. It’s been a long while since something that required any sort of notice decided to bother me. Huh. It’s been even longer since I’ve seen the sights of humans come to visit. Normally I might welcome this kind of intrusion, but they used to come and beg permission to enter and receive my blessings. These ones do no such things, they are vulgar and crude, pointing and gesticulating in some manner not worth my notice. They poke at me with small instruments and speak to each other in hushed whispers. I may be old and nearly forgotten but I have not lived this long to suffer this indignation. They can explore me for a bit longer, but if it is the last thing I do, and it may well be, I Will regain my honor. My stomach seems to be of particular interest to them, I’m not sure why to be perfectly honest, but I never did understand the motives of these short-lived creatures that we were so beholden to. Now though, it serves as a fitting tomb, symbolic if nothing else. I won’t eat these creatures, nor will they sustain me, but they will be trapped within me nonetheless. As the shudders come, I watch their fervent words, unsure of what they speak. I haven’t kept up with the various languages of the times, I haven’t needed to. Those who once prayed to my providence have long since passed. Besides the tone and timbre are more than enough guides to express their concern. I heave myself to both scare and ensure their eventual doom. They scatter around my belly trying to understand … something. What they needed to understand is my gravitas, but we are long past that. I make one final heave of my innards and ensure that these small fleshlings are trapped forever within me. Their rising voices echo throughout me and I simply laugh. My humor terrifies them and brings them to silence, well when the ground laughs it makes an earthquake look like a joke. Oh, they noticed that my laughter closed the passage they came down. These ones are observant. I’ve burned too much energy already dealing with them so I … might… need… to leave these ones to their fate Hopefully my yawn terrifies them… Hah.", "I am still here. \n\nIn these moments, when whatever divine spark is responsible for my existence returns me to any semblance of cognitive usefulness, I am engulfed by one all encompassing thought: \n\nI would never have been able to fathom how long my creation would outlive me. \n\nMuch less that they would forget me entirely. Disown me. Flee from me. Leave me to die in this tomb. \n\nSo long since I’ve seen the light I created. Felt my wind in my hair and on my face. \n\nYet here we are. \n\nI ask my creator, whoever it is, if it exists, to take me. I do not ask. I beg. \n\nThe deep rumble shakes me back to lucid insanity. I think my creator has come for me as light spills into my prison. The sound is deafening. My door is split open....\n\nAnd I see four of my creations. Advanced. Two male, two female. Magical, no, technological creations if their own in their hands and on their hips. \n\nThey converse in a language I did not make for them. I command them to bow to me, and remember I lost the ability to speak centuries ago. I can only watch them stare up at me with curious faces. With no idea that I made them. \n\nWhen they leave, I beg for death.", "It's impossible to ignore what a sorry state I've been in these last few millennia. I was powerful once. A king among a forgotten people's gods. My power stretched beyond the limits of what most knew of the world around them.\n\nBut my people fell. Their chief city annihilated by disaster they created. Today there is but one place where my temple survives: Atlantis. A sprawling, decaying mass of stone and metal and lost knowledge buried in the deepest pit of the ocean. Humanity has been searching, digging, finding old things and taking them back to their cities for several centuries. Sometimes I hope they'll find me. Bring me back to the peak of my power. Mostly I just wait to fade into the weave of the cosmos.\n\nOne of these days where everything is cold and grey, and I feel the ever closer draw of non-existence, I feel them. Rumbling and cracking closer to the heart of my temple. With a great shudder and boom, my vision is filled with a spray of color and light. A group of humans dart through the murky waters of my grand tomb. Their excitement is palpable, and awakens in me a desire to continue. I muster what little power and control I have left, repairing and revitalizing my texts and Artefacts. With this last surge of effort, I know no more.", "Many believe that to be a goddess you need followers, a common misconception. You see, one does not need believers in order to exist. A bird does not fly because you believe it can fly, it flies because that is it’s natural born ability. The sun does not shine because of some ill informed beings belief that shining is it’s only purpose. It’s shines for that is how it was created and as everything else in our multiverse of universes, I too was created.\n\nOf the beginning I have minimal memories. Such as a newborn only remembering certain moments of it’s life. Almost like blots of sunlights shining through treetops. What I do remember is that there was nothing, and quite abruptly there was everything. \n\nI myself can not take the praise for the creation of everything, for I came with it.\nI watch over this galaxy, particularly one solar system with an odd little planet near its center. I believe there are other galaxies with other protectors, or gods, if you so please to call them. \n\nSome protectors and their galaxy are far more advanced, others still learning to create fire. Our purpose has never been made clear, perhaps it is to grow with our people, to teach them and help them with evolving and hopefully exploring.\n\nI am omniscient in some standards, I choose what I want to know. I learned long ago knowing every detail of everything is somewhat unnecessary and consuming. My powers have a wide range, powers even I am not always fully aware of.\n\nThings started out slow with the humans. A few key discoveries could have been made sooner. Fire, hunting, riding the animals then boats and temples and civilizations. \nI was proud to say the least, things were looking great up until different nations decided to do their own thing. See I chose to walk alongside them and some of humans didn’t like the idea of a female goddess. And So came the other gods and goddesses with their own nations, but as i said just having followers doesn’t create a new god. I didn’t mind their silly beliefs, it didn’t harm me and after all I did all this with love and not for praise. \n\nIn the end, I failed, I lost tract. I focused on becoming one of them so much, that I forgot who I was. I didn’t want to fight back to the growing number of non-believers, if I hurt them even in defense of myself, they would only hate me more. And so the time came, after centuries of slowly and carefully growing with my people, they all forgot of my existence. Here and there a spoken word of a new goddess by a different name for a different religion. Then a world wide hunt for all those that I had given a gift of knowledge. Witches they called them, these poor women whose only sin was learning a different truth than the one that was accepted.\n\nThey buried me too after supposedly “drowning” me. I played along, I stayed in my coffin, for centuries, thinking about where my mistakes were and how to correct them. Ultimately I gave up, seeing no hope. I just observed as they took over the planet and then... the wars began. \n\nSomehow in the midst of a battle one day, I was freed from my coffin. Instead of assuming my role as protector a new thought occurred to me, and so I turned the other cheek, I lived a mundane life. I traveled frequently, staying in one place for a fee years. I could change my appearance as I pleased: old, young, male, female. I often opted for something similar to my original female presence.\n\nThis was a different kind of living, learning new technology, lending a helpful thought to some scientist, seeing them grow and only occasionally listening to the news of natural disasters. “It’s their own fault.” I would think. “Why should I give rain to the Serengeti for them to give some other god the praise.”\n\nThe world is getting worse now, a guilty conscience still wonders if perhaps they deserve another chance, even after all this evil.\nThen one day, on a particularly uneventful day of minimal significance, I felt it. My senses telling me to pay attention to a particular group of people. I found this odd as it has been centuries since I felt something like this. So I focused my omniscient powers.\n\nWhat I saw has given me hope, hope in humanity.\nIn a small mountain in vast forest, where everything began. There was a Temple, archeologists moving slowly inside. Statues of my older self, gold jewelry, scrolls with stories of my adventures and many more treasures. The humans so long ago... they cared enough to build a shrine without my knowledge. I boomed with joy, this was my chance to turn things around.\n\nThe news of a new forgotten possible civilization briefly passing people’s lips... and as quickly as it came it disappeared. No one cares for forgotten knowledge, people claimed it was staged, or a false discovery for it’s the only of its kinda. My heart sank... why couldn’t they acknowledge me?\n\nFurious I decided I would make myself heard. I sent a message to all of them at once:\n\n“I’m your long lost forgotten goddess Joy-souls, I have had enough of your wars, your hatred for one another and disregard for the planet. From now on there will be peace and love. Together as a one nation we will live on. I want to see the love and the good ‘karma’ from everyone or you will suffer the consequences.”", "I am dying. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nIt is not so sad a thing to say, now that I accept it. I have known for a very long while, I think- how could I not, with my weak form barely able to step on the path past the steps to my abandoned temple? It was once a beautiful thing, I think, full of sunlight and flowers and paintings, the sounds of angelic voices reverberating around its stone walls at all hours of the morning. Try as I might, I cannot figure out what the purpose of those things were; I stare upon the fallen statues lovingly crafted by a master, and I wonder what kind of a deity I was all those years ago. I cannot remember- my memory is lost, crumbling away like my temple, soon to be lost forever to Time.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI wonder what the world outside the boundary of my temple is like. I have not ventured out in so long- I am far too weak. If I ever manage to step outside, I wonder if I would be able to tell that things have changed? What did the world used to be like, all those years ago when I was strong and powerful? What does the world look like now, when I am weak and powerless?\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMy existence is rather pitiful; I can do naught but wait for my end.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI can do nothing but sigh at such a depressing thought. I feel nothing at the thought of disappearing from this world- I don't remember what it was like, and I am now too weak to venture out into it. Ah, but, it would be false to say that I didn't wish to not disappear- I know little of what happens next, and it almost frightens me. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nSometimes, I wish I had not been forgotten. Ah, but it is the cycle of life. I will die, and a new deity will rise. Perhaps there is some comfort to be found in that. Perhaps the new deity will not forget.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut I desperately wish to remember. I want to know: Who was I?; What was my duty?; What was my name?; And what became of me to fall into such a pitiful stare? I recall glimpses of glory- of a thousand temples filled with loving smiles, hopeful whispers of my name, tearful prayers and plentiful offerings- but they are all echoes of a life I don't recall ever living. There is no glory now; only empty silence and morose sighs.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSoon, there will be nothing. I can already feel myself having to strain to think, to see, to move, to be. I am barely aware of the dust drifting around the sad ruins of my temple. Ah, it is almost a sad poem: the very temple that was once full of life now serves as my tomb.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI can only hope that, when the time comes, I will not be so alone.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAh, I feel so tired. I do wish someone would visit- just for a second.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nPlease.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Atenin.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nLike the final drop of water that causes a dam to break, this word whispered with awkward hesitation brings forth a heavy rush of memories. Atenin- that is my name! I remember now!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAtenin, the one who controls the sun's rays. That is me- I am Atenin!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI rise, full of energy; I open my vision to see the small group of travellers standing within my temple, staring with heavy focus. One stands at one of the only intact walls left, a gloved hand brushing against the red ink upon it; it is that one who called my name! \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Speak. Who are you?\" I ask the traveller; he gasps, standing up straight with fear written all over his fragile face. His head whips around, trying to find me; I laugh quietly to myself (for laughing at him would be rude) as I watch- does the traveller not know that deities such as myself have no natural corporeal form? \"You cannot see me. I am everywhere within this room. This temple is mine, and it is me. Who are you?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I am an archaeologist.\" This human recovers quickly; no more fear is present in his voice. \"Who are you?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I am Atenin!\" I declare proudly. If my temple was as glorious as it had once been, instead of weathering away and being invaded by unwanted plants, my introduction may have been more impressive; but, I digress. \n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe traveller blinks; his gaze falls upon the red ink upon the wall bearing my name, and realisation dawns upon him. \"You are Atenin?\" His companions freeze, immediately focusing their attention upon him. \n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes, I am! Welcome, traveller! But tell me; what is an archaeologist?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Well, we study things from the past to find out what happened. We, specifically, came here to find out what happened to you, Atenin.\" The traveller bows his head. \"We are glad you have not yet disappeared.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I have you to thank, traveller! Had you not uttered my name, I would have forgotten myself and faded away. Thank you, traveller; I will bestow gifts upon you to show my gratitude!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"That is not needed.\" The traveller hurriedly says. \"If I could instead request one thing?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Yes, go ahead.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Would you be able to save us?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI say nothing. I do not need to; with the faith bestowed upon me by these archaeologist people, I find the strength I need. I know who I am; I know my duty; I know my name- and with that, I am able to shape space and craft myself a body much like the crumbled statues that celebrated me. I stand, tall and corporeal, surrounded by this small group of worshippers who look to me with tearful hope. I smile, for I can. I can do many things now.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI am living.", "A man once told me, “To be forgotten is worse than death itself.”\n\nI initially brushed off the thought and considered him insane. Death is to cease your existence! There is nothingness beyond death! \n\nBut I realise now that the man is not wrong. To die is to live in the memory of many, but to be forgotten is to never be uttered at all.\n\nAnd so, I rest in this small temple. Long forgotten by the very mortals I blessed. I cannot remember when the last a mortal worshipped me nor what I did to warrant such benevolence.\n\nOnce a god is forgotten, it may as well be dead. No one to recognize your greatness, ability, feats and miracles. To be forgotten, is truly worse than waiting for the inevitability of death.\n\nIn my humble temple, I shall wait. Wait until the fire inside me cease to exist and forever be forgotten, like a speck of dust in the wilderness.\n\n“Woaah!!!!”\n\nA sudden noise entered my periphery. Sound of dust, rock and wind. But more importantly… a voice.\n\n“Are you alright?”\n\n“Yeah! I think… my butt hurts!”\n\n“That’s what happens when you jump like that!”\n\nWhat are these strange creatures? Making a noise when I want to rest and—are these mortals?\n\nI try to move to get a closer look at them. What do these mortals look like again? I remember they have funny heads, small limbs and a frail body.\n\nThe hole pierced in my house and there it shone brightly. A small mortal. I do not recall seeing one so small as this. Is this what mortals refer to as children?\n\n“Wow this place is huge!”\n\n“Don’t wander too far off! I’m calling mom and dad!”\n\nThe charm of seeing a child in this situation is certainly refreshing. The memories suddenly come flowing back to me. I remember the azure sky as my followers will bring their children to my temple. A bright sunny day just like the light piercing my temple.\n\nThe child looked around the surroundings in awe. Was it because of the size? The dust? Regardless, I had to try reaching out to this mortal. \n\nI called out but I heard no voice. Has it been so long that I myself have forgotten how to speak to mortals?\n\nI rustled my body, yet I heard no sound. Has it been so long that I’ve lost my strength as well?\n\nThe child held an item, that brought forth light from his hands. It reflected on the stone that surrounded my temple. Intricate designs of what appeared to be figures of mortals holding sticks, and a grand magnificent being in the middle.\n\nCould that be what I am?\n\nThe child highlighted the other walls. It depicted the being soaring through the air, braving the waves beneath, and prowling the fields. It was certain that it showed mortals surrounding the creature with their tools and elements on their hands. \n\nThe blessings I bestowed upon my mortals is grand indeed! Tools for the plains, the sea, and the sky; even the control of elements!\n\nAs the child kept panning, the images faded and faded. Perhaps the seasons were too cruel with my majestic stories as well.\n\nBut it all changed when I saw the being trapped in a different sight. I, the magnificent being, bound by chains, strings, and the elements. What is this? The very mortals who I gave these powers, wish to bound me and enslave me?\n\nHowever, that was the extent of the designs of my temple. The confusion was overbearing, and it became too difficult to manage. Such sorrow was possible for a being such as I.\n\n“I wonder what this all means?” The child spoke. Continuing to move and explore. The light it has slowly pans through the room, probing deeper and deeper, until it eventually came just a few arms away from me.\n\nAs the child came closer and closer, it shone the light directly to my eyes. It froze, whimpered, and cried out. It dropped the tool to illuminate the room. \n\nI sensed a smell. A smell that had awakened me to my senses. A scent that reminded me of my magnificence. \n\nBeing forgotten truly is worse than death. But the world shall remember. \n\nThe ground rumbled. My prison shook open and I felt my wings spread wide. \n\n____________________________________________________________________________________\n\nHello folks of r/WritimgPrompts. I'm just a new guy here trying to write. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me but any feedback is greatly appreciated! This is my first post as a form of confidence booster. Like what they say, nothing ventured , nothing gained.", "Heavy eyelids cracked open to a cobweb filtered light. The ache of lying in one position for too long began to be acknowledged as a sleepy thought drifted through my mind. Why was I awake?\n\nI had lain so slumbered for a long time, how long I do not know as immortality seems to blur the edges of days to decades. There! A sound. Like a pebble rolling down an uneven rock. Gently, I brushed away the spiders work and peered down into my temple.\n\nThe Dusty hall was darkened save for a single spotlight of sunshine. This poured through a hole on the wall where yet again a different sound, that of tearing plaster, rang again. I watched, my hazy dream addled head unable to think properly just yet.\n\nSoon, what seemed to be two people crawled through the opening. Their clothing was strange to me, but their faces stranger. One seems to be dark as the night while the other is pale as a moon. They speak,but it is a language I have never learned.\n\nStretching, I waited as they walked my halls, sweeping dust away from the walls. With every disturbed mote, I gain clarity. They have come to my altar and sweep it bare. Finally I begin to understand. My people are gone and this temple my last. What these new people intend is uncertain but I am hopeful.\n\n\"Hestia, mother of hearths and virtue, we ask for your blessing\" the pale one calls to me. This, this I understand and knowledge spills into me once more. I step down onto my altar and smile at the scared humans before me.", ">...in your eternal wait for the word to end.\n\nNo man can utter your whole name in it's entirety. Any who have tried has yet to finish. Those who attempted to call your great name eons ago have all aged, withered and died. Shedding their mortal coil but they continue to mutter every otherworldly syllable of your intangible name in their immortal undeath. Each name-sayer is spellbound in a trance before your gargantuan symbol in this long forgotten temple to your name.\n\nYour symbol described by many of your blighted worshipers that have long died and joined the cacophony have said that it is made of unknown beautiful material, massive, breathing, asleep. In its slumber held up and long strung in this cavern so deep below the earth, tethered into the abyss of the cold stone with bending chain-like metal yet slick like vines. A mass of heavenly bliss and a weight mortal minds can't hold. All these descriptions you can hear in their chanting chaos of your name.\n\nHowever the symbol, that avatar they pray to is but a mere glimpse of the shadow of your true form.\n\nSouls of the damned, undead husks of ancient followers muttering, murmuring, toiling their wretched souls to vomit your unending name, knelt before your avatar in a mounding pile of dead mass all facing it. These forgotten things are the last entranced souls cursed to speak your eternal name.\n\nThe temple rumbles... untainted souls have entered your domain and you watch them intently from beyond the veil.\n\n\\------\n\nDear Dr. Wyatt,\n\nI write to you you now before we enter go in deeper. I do not know how long we will be gone but should you not hear anything from us within a week, send help. I'll be instructing our jungle guide, Amil to send this to you at once when he reaches the outpost. Your historical findings of clues hidden in our ancient discoveries have proven quite fruitful. We may have found the great tomb of the eternal one. Ask Amil to guide you to the entrance since the trek to getting here was treacherous. Keep safe doctor, if we do find anything down there. I'll be sure to bring you back a souvenir.\n\nSigned,\n\nNeil Parsons\n\nExpedition Lead\n\n\\------\n\nNeil signs it then hands it off to Amil, the jungle guide. They shake hands and the fee was paid for Amil's services. Neil could swear he noticed Amil's hesitance of the opening and that never stood closer than the clearing from the trees. He's recalls of old legends about people who stumble into an opening never to return. Though Neil brushes it off as old-wives tale to scare off children in the dead of night.\n\nIn the camp with Neil are two other experts. Michael Hawthorne, an adrenaline-junkie spelunker who traversed cave holes and rock cracks normal men would fear of never getting out alive. Alyssa Benningham, an avidly curious historian mentored by Dr. Wyatt who was eager to explore the unknown. Then there's Neil Parsons, this expedition's lead. None of his previous endeavors were a success but this time, his gut is telling him otherwise.\n\nInto the opening they went. Michael first, then Neil and Alyssa. For the most part their travel was solemn. Deep within the mountain rock, they pushed on. It dawned on Neil how easy the traversal was and doubted why he even hired the Michael who has gotten bored of the monotonous decline of cave. Alyssa on the other hand was preoccupied with admiring the changing colors of the rocks and stone walls. She counts over every century each color represented and how deep she assumed they are in that moment.\n\nHours are spent in the deep earth. At some point Michael encounters challenging openings he feels leads further down away from the easy paths, which excites him. The deeper they go, the closer the stone walls seem to wrap around them as if to suffocate but these sheared stone never move. The descent has gotten to Alyssa and she's begun to mutter indistinguishable words, evoking old latin phrases neither Neil nor Michael fully understood. They hushed her, she stops as if waking from a stupor... then she later continues to mumble her words quietly as if reciting an old ancient poem. The two men who can now only cautiously speak in fear that the sudden vibrations of their voices might agitate loose rocks in their passage way cutting them off from their goal or seal them in from behind.\n\nStones tumbling, echoing in the darkness then the sounds reverberate in a hallow space further, they have found a large opening cavern. Potable water sits quietly in a natural stone basin in the center of the space but their thirst didn't care if it wasn't drinkable for they've emptied their water reserves hours ago.\n\nThe water seemed safe and they rest in this place for a while, finding sleep. Alyssa rolled in her sleeping bag constantly and no one knew if anyone actually slept in that hollowed stone. The men wake only to find Alyssa gone and her pack missing. She either went back up, or went further in. Neil urges them to move in further, maybe Alyssa scouted ahead. Though both knew how much of a rookie Alyssa is with caving, they brushed the thought of alternate possibilities.\n\nAt some point, Micheal's luck has run out. He is now stuck between a cleft of two stones with barely any headspace. Try as Neil might to pull him out of it, he wont budge. Michael barely in the cleaving in the stone, feels that he might be able to squeeze further in and pop out the other side of this hole. Though what's further is out of Micheal's sight. Neil confirms if its the right choice but Michael is insistent on it. So Neil pushes him deeper into the narrowspace.\n\nMichael's elbows and knees scraped against the raw rock that flattened him. Tearing pieces off his outwear, his spelunking shoes he had to slip off temporarily to slide his toes in the inch space that would allow him. Neil pushed as hard as he could and Michael wiggled his body in deeper and tighter into the cleft. Then he squeezes through... and tips over, fear sets in his eyes looking back at Neil, he falls into the crescent hollow space beyond the hole screaming with every beating of his mortal flesh against cold stone and jagged rock deeper below where Neil stood. His screams echoed in the darkness.\n\nNeil is alone with only a simple torchlight.\n\nHours more spent looking for other ways to go deeper and deeper. Neil could still hear Micheal's screaming. Whether he was still falling or simply a echo in his mind, Neil doesn't know... he doesn't want know. He doesn't even know if it's been days since they went in to this hell hole. Neil has lost track of time and only the desperation to seek his expedition through kept him from stopping.\n\nHe continued further and further and further and further...\n\nThen he finds a large space larger than he can phantom so deep within the earth. He must have reached the deepest depth any man has ever gone before. A vast cavern with heights of unknown stone ceilings that his eyes couldn't behold. Across the darkness he could hear the muttering cacophony of ethereal voices, roiling muffled screams. His curiosity invigorated him to come closer and find out the source of the chaotic noise holding his torchlight high.\n\nAs the ear tearing sound grew louder with each step the sight he witnessed in that dark cave was beyond him. Sane men would probably dismiss him as just another mad man if his mind can even correlate the complex perversity he saw deep below. Carcasses, husks of men, mummified animals, insects. Hordes of flesh things piled up with every head looking up further deep into the darkness. A strange glow could be seen from each orifice. It breathed and muttered. Sputtered indiscernible words or word-like vibrations his ears could barely sense.\n\nOn top of this mound knelt Alyssa, torn and shredded, bleeding atop her unholy pedestal muttering, chanting blasphemously butchered languages of ancient peoples. Interchanging and unknowing, she spurred on bleeding from her eyes and she exuded the same glow the other things did.\n\nNeil realized that there was something further he couldn't see in the dark and that possibly his bright torchlight is blinding his eyes from seeing what the things seem to pulsating to.\n\nThen he snuffs out his light and gazed up at that very thing. A behemoth of ghastly hideous form. Massive, breathing, asleep. Neil kneels in horror as the droning murmurings of the dead pervade him.\n\nHe mutters along.\n\n\\-END-", "Though timeless and eternal, memories are still fondly toyed with in my weakened state. I laugh and convulse merrily when recalling the times my name was paraded blindly in the name of war. These same memories evoke the sense of pride I once had when the dominant species of this planet killed and died to appease their interpretation of my desires. Reiterations and self interested translations of my original word have all been reviewed countless times by myself and I chuckle often to think how wrong they sometimes were. Entire nations, millions, propitiated me profusely with offers of their kin and their enemies, and how the pious prospered was no deed of mine but a result of their ultimately selfish efforts.\n\nIn fact, my hand rarely left my side as I watched the height of my hegemony, the heretics were never harmed and the devout rarely rewarded. Perhaps this is why those derivative Abrahamics had the influence they did, perhaps my meddling could've been much less minimal. My voyeuristic tendencies have left me less venerated than I'd hoped. It would seem smiting the sacrilegious would've scored suitably among of course the orthodox and maybe it would've scared the less thorough of my flock and caused them to don the robes of the ascetics that used to populate that which is now likely my grave.\n\nMy deathless disposition is not as definite as is often described. I will never truly perish, and I am correctly perceived as the perennial being that I am, but infecting the hearts and minds of the populace keeps me in play. Without this worship I will wither and approach a state of hibernation not unlike those predators that spend their winters prone. This cycle sends me from a state of submission to forces even I do not recognize to a rejuvenation born from a growing congregation. I hear the prayers and hymns across dimensions immune to time and space. I hear each one as a request for my rehabilitation and I almost feel myself renewed, each softly spoken word applying flesh to bone. I have seen my 'end' before and I will see it again, though I must admit even eternity is tiring.\n\nThis process is not instant, for the timeless have a peculiar penchant for dragging things out. I feel myself fade and I find my formless limbs ache from the flight of my influence. My oblivion is a transition I am all too familiar with and after eons it is even agreeably anticipated. Though now it has been disturbed, disrupted by devotees I truly hadn't considered. They cross forgotten bridges with a brilliant buoyancy that has been inspired by their discovery of my domain. I count a party of 21, I feel their faith like open palms to a flame. I feel every fingertip graze each of my carved walls, and my perpetual presence is propagated as their footsteps form a familiar resonance among my various tunnels, each of them finding their way to the ears which I do not have. There is but one of these believers whose backing I am not wholly convinced of. As they approach I contemplate how I will present myself, if I decide to at all.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFinally my devoted descend my final steps dutifully and I ascertain an apostate is in their midst for only one of the group is bound and gagged, struggling pitifully against her binds. It would appear old habits die hard, though that phrase means very little to lasting lifeforms such as myself. Their organisation is admirable as they allocate themselves along my hall, their offering is laid between two equal columns of my adherents. Customary chants that have survived generations of my followers begin to create a cacophony in dispersion through my chambers and care is taken in their ritual as they complete their communication to my presence of which they cannot see. An ancient ritual blade is produced and soon plunged into the chest of the non-believer, and my response is eagerly awaited.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nBut I say nothing, for I am tired of my adoration. My accolades over this recent revolution have been enough to sate my hunger for why else would I have retired to this, my resting place. Once you observe centuries uninterrupted, replaced by graven images and celebrities, you prepare for your intermission. For these latecomers, their fanaticism comes before my fatigue and I will not facilitate their forthright greed. Instead, I will sleep, and disregard their desperate descant for even gods must rest.", " \n\nThe thing in the dark shifted slightly, stirring to life rivers of dust that flowed and trickled down its crimson skin like waterfalls of dirt.\n\nThere was a sound, loud and… harsh, like some pick was striking at the stone wall with preternatural strength and rapidity.\n\nCa-crack!\n\nThe rock cracked, then splintered, letting in little rays of glorious golden light. The thing stood, blinking stupidly in the light as if unable to understand what it was.\n\nIt rose, and those dusty trickles became torrents as crusty dirt began sloughing off the being like it was a snake shedding skin. A dry tongue licked parchment lips, and it extended out its arms in an encompassing embrace of the warm, beautiful light that shun through the newly formed slits in its cage.\n\n“We’re almost there!” a voice called out in a language the thing did not recognise, but understood all the same. “Again, one more time’ll do it, I think! That’s the spirit!”\n\nThe hammering began again in earnest and the wall before the creature began to shatter under the onslaught.\n\nThe thing crouched, sluggish thoughts quickening under the realisation that it might be danger.\n\nI… can be… hurt.\n\nThe alien thought came to its mind unbidden, but truthful all the same. Long ago, it would have laughed in the face of such a concept, but now…\n\nIt hadn’t willingly laid itself to rest in this decrepit hole for… however long it had been. The dark was its home not by nature, but by force.\n\nIt bared its teeth and howled, though the cry was lost amidst the terrible sound of the men breaking apart its prison. It could smell them, their sweat, their exultation.\n\nNever again, it thought, and prepared to strike.\n\nThe terrible cacophony outside ceased, and a face appeared in largest hole in the wall, light trickling around the white-bearded man like he had some false claim to divinity.\n\n“Hand me a torch!” the man shouted, and unseen shuffling could be heard as an object was passed to him.\n\nHe held it up, poking it through the hole.\n\nThen he pressed his thumb down, and a soft click echoed around the chamber as blinding light struck the thing like a physical force, burning its eyes with imagined fire.\n\nThe bearded man screamed, jumping back and falling to the ground with an audible thud.\n\nThe creature recovered, and leaped at the wall, crashing into it with incredible strength.\n\nBoom.\n\n“Back!” the man shouted frantically, and there was a scent of sour fear about him now. “For the love of god get back!”\n\nBoom.\n\n“What is it Doc?! What is it?”\n\nBoom.\n\n“I don’t know! I don’t… I don’t know! Arthur, get the gun! Get it now or whatever the hell is in there’ll get us!”\n\nBoom.\n\nThe ancient wall crumbled, and the beast that was older than time stepped forwards to greet its captors.\n\n---\n\n*Two Years Later\n\n“And?” the smiling man in the suit asked, leaning forwards across his table with intent interest. “What happened next?”\n\nThe being pressed its hands together, looking over them from under thickly tinted sunglasses. Its eyes still hadn’t fully adjusted to the world outside its cage, so the shades were still necessary—even indoors.\n\n“It was… dicey,” the thing admitted. “I… I’m ashamed to say it now, but I was this”—it put its finger and thumb together, holding them apart only slightly to demonstrate just how close ‘this’ was—“close to attacking those poor men.” \n\n“So what stopped you?”\n\nThe creature pursed its lips, considering. “It was their eyes I think. I come from a time of warriors and legends, and as much as I grew to love those scoundrels—we still exchange cards you know, they’re in the Amazon at the moment, doing incredible things.”\n\n“Really?”\n\n“Oh yes, the work they do its… fantastic. But I digress. They were just so… terrified of me, and not a single one of them looked like they’d come for a fight. It seemed… wrong, to hurt them, like slaughtering innocents.”\n\n“And you saw this in their eyes?”\n\n“…Yes,” the thing lied. It had, in actuality, smelt the urine trickling down inside of their pants, but it felt that admitting that on live television would be in poor taste.\n\n“Incredible. Just… incredible. All this is in your new book, right?”\n\n“Ah, yes, my book: ‘Tales from Another Time’. I’m really proud of it, and—though I’m biased—I really think a lot of people are going to love it. The world was a different place when I was… worshiped, I suppose. I’m just so thrilled to be in a position where I can show people what it was like.”\n\n“Wow, well, I for one cannot wait* to get my hands on a copy. Folk, let’s give a hand for the Red Blasphemy, and keep an eye out for its new book, ‘Tales from Another Time’, coming to stores this October. Any final remarks Red?”\n\n“I think… just… just be kind. The world is much nicer place these days, and I’m so happy that there isn’t a need for the service I was… required to provide.\n\n“If we all stay kind then, well, hopefully there never will be again.”\n\n---\n\n[/r/ElstabbosArchive](https://www.reddit.com/r/ElstabbosArchive/)", "Can one truly divine the meaning of nothing, the abyss which awaits those on their deathbed? For thousands of years I had been sealed away in the darkness, powerless, hopeless even. I couldn't even remember my own name, what my purpose was, where I came from, all eluded any rational thought. But on one cold winter's day, snow blew in from the entrance, and fresh air pervaded every inch of my temple, no, my tomb. This stimulus jolted me awake, I saw the light, I saw people, and for a brief second I regained consciousness. I regained a small sliver of who I once was. I still couldn't remember what I was, but as the archaeologists delved into my temple, they began translating the inscriptions and unbeknownst to them, their curiosity had yielded my name, Valakaz, patriarch of knowledge and wisdom, and progenitor of thought.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMy purpose was made clear, to unearth my history, and discover who I was. And so I helped the archaeologists in small, but significant ways. The irrational and unknown suddenly made sense in the eyes of the explorers, items seemingly appeared in the temple, or reassembled from dust. Through their understanding, I understood. And thus it was imperative that their cause, also be mine.\n\n\\-----------------\n\n6 months passed as they scoured my temple for every relic and piece of archaic knowledge they could find. From them I learned of the people who once worshiped me, the Atlocaz, a primitive, but enlightened people. Their worship and intense devotion to their icons of fiction, caused them to become reality. I later learned that all my other brothers and sisters, Wokash, Avent, Vokun, Lokaan, Isha, and Katul had perished, their temples nothing more than ruins, dust in the breeze...\n\n\\-----------------\n\nAs time passed, the explorers began to lose interest in me and my people, and I began to fade once more, slipping back into the darkness.\n\n\"NO!\" \"I WILL NOT, I CANNOT!\", I let my mind boom. And to my surprise, one of the Archaeologists - I believe his name was Matthew - cocked his head and looked around.\n\n\"Impossible\", I thought. None of the explorers had ever been able to hear me.\n\nI tentatively, and hopefully asked, \"Can you hear me?\". And to my shock, he replied\n\n\"Who said that?\" \"Hello?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEnd of part 1, part 2?", "Xocu’il sat on his astral throne. Old and decrepit, he lied sleeping, rattling breaths as his only companion. His temples, his only ears, lie silent save for the occasional skittering of the wildlife. Without faith in him, he has gone blind to the outside world. Indeed, his vision was blurred at best within his temples.\n\nHe remembered the time he was young and powerful. The people would pay and revere him. Their belief would give him power, power which he used to keep their faith strong and to punish those wicked in his eyes. It seemed that the supply of people was endless, and they would simply make themselves multiply.\n\nBut, those days are long gone. Those people are no more. Xocu’il realized how fragile and fleeting his believers were. Once his people were gone, his temples fell apart, leaving behind no memory of him. Now, only one remains, buried underground in the tombs of former kings. While it remains intact, the knowledge of its presence has been long lost.\n\nAnd so, Xocu’il sits, with no prophets to carry his orders or priests to keep his belief strong. He simply sits and awaits the day his agony ends. While it is true that a god can’t die, the fate of being forgotten makes death an act of mercy in his eyes.\n\nA sudden crash awakened him. The loud bang echoed in the empty halls. It was a sound so long ago, yet vividly remembered. He heard it from the tombs. As he peered into the plane of the temple, he could make out the figures of small creatures emerging from a blinding light. Xocu’il grinned at his luck. People had arrived at his last temple.\n\nHe watched them closely. They looked different from his former believers. With their lantern, his halls were illuminated once again. They looked in awe at the new place before them. He watched them feel the walls and explore the glyphs and reliefs above them. Each discovery gave him a sliver of energy. It wasn’t much, but enough to make him feel rejuvenated, a drop of water for a dry throat.\n\nHis opportunity came to be alive again. Now, he needed something to trigger his revival. That opportunity came when one of them approached his statue. It marveled at the god’s stern and powerful past. If it could have seen how Xocu’il looked now, he would have mistaken him for a corpse. The moment of wonder gave the god enough energy to act. \n\nQuickly, the god touched the plate the statue was holding. It glowed a green light that touched the young statue’s face. And on the plate, vines emerged and wrapped around the statue. And from the vines, flowers bloomed. Exhausted, the god collapsed back to his throne.\n\nXocu’il was certain that would make a believer out of him. And indeed, not long after his miracle, a surge of energy filled him. He grinned and looked back to the statue. One follower was joined by others. The pieces were in place to become the god-king once again.\n\nThere was one step left to kindle the embers of faith. He had enough strength for one more miracle. Xocu’il stood from his throne. In a blinding light, he appeared before the new humans at the altar. As the light subsided, the old god, a withered old figure touched the stone.\nMore vines and flowers grew from the rock. At the same time, he began to feel more energy rushing through him.\n\nFinally, he beckoned them to come closer and spoke,\n\n“Come, do not be afraid. Come, and receive your blessing, mortals.”", "Gods without worshipers cease to be gods. Here, in my dying moments that have stretched on for centuries, that isn't a cliche, it is my bitterly simple reality.\n\nThe death of a god is not so different from the death of any human creation. In most senses, a nation ceases to exist when it no longer has citizens, currency, culture, or anything else that binds it together, but it always has slim hope of being reborn until so many generations pass that the nation fades even from memory. So it is for gods, we rise with our followers, gaining fame and acclaim, drawing power and influence from their presence, and fading into nothingness as they do the same and their children no longer remember our names.\n\nLowly distinction though it is, I was one of the first gods that human beings ever created. Before the Romans, the Greeks, or Egyptians, my tribe of recently evolved homosapiens began crafting their primitive culture. They \"carved\" me by scraping rocks on a larger rock until my vague, human like face appeared, and I, the once great and powerful Hakk'ai, was born.\n\nIn the years after my creation, I blessed my people with rain to capture and drink, with fertility so that their tribe might grow, and with protection from both predators and other tribes. Under my protection and guidance, our tribe indeed thrived, I gained countless new followers, and a cycle of empowerment between us continued for centuries.\n\nThat cycle was abruptly broken with the consecutive arrival of the aforementioned Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans, with their increasingly deadly armies and war machines, and their equally powerful and terrifying gods. I made every effort to protect my people, and I engaged in godly combat on their behalf, but the mighty likes of Zeus, Mars, and Osiris needed to barely lift their pinky to defeat the lowly likes of me. While a god cannot truly kill another god, but they left me as near to death as they could manage. Broken, beaten, without followers, and without hope of rekindling my powers. And so, slowly and painfully, my tribe was weakened, enslaved, and finally destroyed.\n\nSadly for me, this began my long, slow process of fading from the world. My temple was not a great pyramid, grand cathedral or any great work of architecture. My early followers were kind enough to place the rock they roughly carved into a cave, so that I might enjoy some basic shelter. Later generations spruced the place up a bit with cave paintings, carvings and other sacred stones which became my family, but it was a still a dank, dark cave in the end. Not the kind of place humans seek out.\n\nI can attest to that. I have not seen a human in centuries. I have not been touched or worshiped in a millennia, as a result, my light has done nothing but slowly fade for all these endless years on end. That is until today, when three humans broke through the centuries of dirt, rock and debris blocking the entrance to my cave and entered it.\n\nMy power was nearly depleted, but I decided that I had no choice but to use the last of it in a last ditch effort to communicate and convert one of them. Unfortunately, mighty displays of godly power or miracles were out the question, the most I could do was whisper. Thankfully, they seemed stunned that a crudely carved rock was speaking to them and I had their rapt attention. I attempted to tell them of my story, thinking that these archaeologists might respect me if they understood my truly ancient origins, my history, and the rise and fall of the small civilization that birthed and followed me.\n\nAs I finished speaking with my last gasp, I felt something I had not felt in centuries. The middle aged man on the far left of the group, he... believed. He believed in me. I felt the first flash of power course through my veins that I could recall in memory. It was not much, but with his belief, I could raise my voice from a whisper to a commanding shout. As distasteful as it was, I knew exactly what I had to do.\n\n\"Assemble 500 human beings at this temple!\" I bellowed to them, rattling the cave and shocking even myself with the strength and power of my voice. \"And I shall grant each of you eternal life.\"\n\nIn truth, I had no ability to shield a human being from the harsh reality of death, not even at my most powerful could I have accomplished such a feat. In fact, as far as I know, no god in history could truly alter such a fundamental part of the cycle of life. I did not feel proud of my lie, but those 500 would represent my only hope at a fresh start. My only hope of true rebirth.\n\nI could grapple with the morality of my actions at a future time and place. Finding followers was the only thing that mattered to a god so near to death as I, and based on the increased trickle of power I felt flowing through me, I believe I already had three.\n\n___\nFeel free to check out r/Ryter if you'd like to read more stories which may or may not be written by a slowly decaying god trapped in a cave (with internet access).\n\nP.S. This is pretty different from the tone I tend to write in, so critiques are more than welcome. I wanted to force myself to write something tonight and this prompt really appealed to me so I took a crack at it." ]	14
	[WP] Consistent with standard procedure, the Time Police have arrested you before you can commit the time felony. Now, it's up to you to defend your future self in court.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "*SLAM SLAM\n\n\"The Court is now in session! The defendant stands accused of 8.64 \\ 10\\^28 counts of attempted causality disruption!\"\n\nHow did I get here? One minute I was writing some stupid book report on Hawking's A Brief History of Time, thinking I saw a mistake in one of the equations, next I was eating my floor with some heavily armored idiot on top of me. Now I'm on trial for something.\n\n\"Prosecutor, please make your opening remarks.\"\n\n\"Thank you, your honor\"\n\nUgh, who's this guy? And what's with the weird outfit?\n\n\"Of course, We all knew this would happen. It just happens to have ended up being Case Delta-5. Upon spotting a mistake in the book written by Suspect Gamma, Suspect Delta guarantees that in all future timelines, he will create a functioning time machine and attempt to rewrite the past.\"\n\nI... what?\n\n\"As such the defendant, one P. Schwarz, age of acquisition 16, is unavoidably a danger to Reality, and must remain removed from existence indefinitely. He will be replaced with a version of himself from seconds before Event Delta-5, which will send reality down branch Delta-5-M. This information is contained in Items A and B, a statement from the Observer and a diagram of all future timelines, respectively.\"\n\n\"Thank you, prosecutor. Mr. Schwarz, what do you offer in defense?\"\n\nThis is too much, oh is it my turn?\n\n\"Your honor, I...\"\n\nA danger to... reality? There's a finite number of future timelines? They can see all of them, but don't know which will happen until reality reaches it. It's like a train going down a track, and they're a bird that can see the tracks, but not the switches. That sounds wonderful. If I could just...\n\n\"Your honor, may I see Item B?\"\n\n\"Denied\"\n\n\"What about Item A?\"\n\n\"Hmm, very well\"\n\nDamn, standard legal shit. This doesn't get me any... wait. There's a pattern here. Shift the first letter of each sentence by the number of letters in the sentence and it says...\n\n\"Providence\"\n\n\"...\"\n\nReality shifted, or maybe time, or both. An old man's voice spoke from behind the boy.\n\n\"You have a keen eye\"\n\n\"AH, where am I? Who said that?\"\n\nThe boy turned toward the voice behind him to see an ancient-looking man with a white beard down to his knees.\n\n\"This is the Watchtower. I am the Observer from here I... Ah, it's beautiful isn't it?\n\nThe boy's gaze drifted toward the back wall of the room, or rather, the lack thereof. Sprawled out in front of him was an unimaginably vast array of possibilities. Entire, universe-sized snapshots, lying one after the other, rows sometimes splitting into two or more.\n\n\"Ah-\"\n\n\"Would you like to sit and watch?\"\n\nThe boy approached the ledge. Each step expanded his view almost infinitely, but he never hesitated. He stopped at the edge to sit and dangle his feet into oblivion.\n\n\"Feel free to stay as long as you like.\"\n\nWhatever the old man did after that, the boy didn't see it. His gaze was fixed endlessly forward. Centuries passed. No matter how much he took in, there was always more to see.\n\nUntil there wasn't.\n\nGot it. Guess I should go home now. Ouch, bones are a bit crunchy.\n\n*Knock Knock\n\n\"Observer, we've got another upcoming Event. We need a statement from you, sir.\"\n\nAh... Clever bastards.*" ]	2
	[WP] The last few humans are hiding in a bunker. The apocalypse has finally ended, but the fallout is still too great to go outside. The fourth member suddenly blurts out, “We need to find the reset button!”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I feel my adrenaline saturated mind slam on the brakes as I try to process what I just heard. Not for the stupidity of the idea, no. It was the timing that was most incredible. I'm so stupefied by the timing that I forget about the timing. I just stopped and started at him, with all those red lights spinning, sirens blaring in my ears playing background to the incessant robotic voice all perfectly designed to insure that I remain properly panicked, but no. As I try to re-assemble my thought train, so freshly derailed, I can mannage nothing but a:\n\n\"What?\". \n\nSo dumbfounded that all those other noises and sights were nothing but a background hum.\n\n^(two)\n\n...\n\n^(one)\n\n...\n\n\"You know! Like in the training simulations!\" Simon said. Standing there with his pointer finger toward the ceiling as though he had hit a stage cue for the greatest epiphany of the show, that moment of the mystery so crucial to the plot finally solved.\n\n...\n\n^(lock-down initiated)\n\n&#x200B;\n\nI look down to the key in my hand, freshly plucked from my pocket. The screen above flashing what the emotionless voice was already saying: \"Containment Protocol , Engaged\"\n\nThe containment doors slam shut perfectly timed to make it the last over-enunciated \"Duh\" sound at the end of the word.\n\nRealizing what just happened I look to Sam and Claire. Claire had barely gotten herself upright after the main filtration outlet valve Next to her station burst, sprawling her sideways across the room as a battering ram of water spewed forth. Poor Sam had to run back to save his precious glasses, after hearing Simon he tripped on his way to the door only to right himself in time to launch head-long into the containment door; as it launched itself headlong into him, leaving him stunned on the floor.\n\nClaire, her face of disbelief still etched in place, looks to me, to the door and back to Simon.\"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!\" she yelled, to my great surprise, at Simon\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"They train us for situations like this!\" still obviously excited and seemingly oblivious to the water quickly pooling and beginning to rise around his feet.\n\n\"I was running one just like this last week, there's always a way out\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You just did this in simulation!?\" I said somewhere between a angry shout and confused question. \"how did you fix it?\"\n\n\"I turned the key before the door closed, re-initiated containment from the pad out side of the containment doors and then had to climb up four levels through the maintenance shaft to close the manual over-ride valve at the...\"\n\n\"A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT OF GOOD THAT DOES US NOW!!!!\" Claire screamed. The water already up to our ankles as I am only vaguely aware of Sam sputtering awake near the door.\n\n\"Don't look at me, Dave was the one with the key\" Simon said all too matter of factly.\n\nWith that Claire turned all of her infamous fury fueled by the threat of death toward me.\n\n\"What, THE HELL, TOOK YOU SO LONG?\"\n\n\"You heard him!, I couldn't think! Ididn'teventknowwhat-\"\n\n\"forget about that, it doesn't matter now all we have to do is find the reset button\"\n\n\"THOSE ARE SIMULATIONS YOU IDIOT!!\"\n\n\"yes, made to simulate real life, and they come with a way to reset.\" The tone of Simon's voice turned slowly away from excitement toward that which you use when reviewing a concept with a budding student.\n\nWe both just blinked at him.\n\n\"we just have to figure out what the commands are to bring up the screen\" He rest an elbow in one hand as the other begins to stroke his chin. \n\nMeanwhile the water is already rising to nearly knee height, the 8 inch diameter geyser coming straight out of the wall. Sam has picked himself up and is trying to shake the impact out of, or maybe the situation in to, his brain.\n\n\"It has to be something that we don't do often, or we'd do it all the time.\" Simon musing away in the corner.\n\n\"Simon, there's no time for that. we have to slow this water down.\" I tried to reason\n\n\"Wait! it's got to be a combination of things\" \n\nobviously having lost Simon I turn to Claire and Sam:\n\n\"If we can slow the flow of water the seepage through the condensation distribution system may..\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"What are two things that we aren't supposed to do at the same time?\" Simon interjects.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"The water will only flow until the pressurization tank and lines are empty\" I continued.\n\n\"That's still enough water to fill this room twice\" Sam is able to add in. \"there's no way\"\n\n\"We need to plug the hole with something, quick! our uniforms\" Claire says.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"can anybody burp and fart at the same time?\" Simon asks.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"There's no way we'd be able to hold them against that pressure\" I say. \"The desk!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe three of us wade through the water toward the desk already ninety percent underwater. Simon just stands there, mouth open with a look of concentrated force on his face, one leg slightly lifted as we push the desk past.\n\n\"Nope that didn't work.\" and he's back to thinking as we slide the desk by him.\n\nWe try desperately to push the oversized metal desk against the torrent of water flowing in from the wall. I think we realize it is a useless effort, but refuse to give up on one attempt as the water reaches our waist.\n\n\"I've Got It!\" Simon yells. \"Dave, I need you to here right now!\"" ]	2
	[WP] One of the lesser known troubles of potions masters are earthquakes. All the potions displayed on the shelves shake and fall off. The vials break and mix making God knows what concoction, and the whole thing can be a living nightmare - sometimes literally.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"...Ugh my head...where am I?\"\n\nOh dear, now HE'S waking up, it's not as if I have enough problems already, at the rate I'm fixing things I'll fail my final due to that damn earthquake.\n\n\"What's with this giant log, and this glass wall, and this weird felt flooring.\"\n\nOh my Lord he doesn't even realize what happened to him yet, I didn't think it was possible for someone to be that unobserva-\n\n\"AND WHAT'S WITH MY SKIN AAAAAAAAAA!\"\n\nThere he goes, I guess I'll need to explain what happened, again.\n\n\"JACE, JACE, WHAT'S GOING ON MAN, WHY ARE YOU SO BIG, WHY AM I SO SMALL!\"\n\n\"Clam down Jack, panic is not your ally\" is that a calming thing to say? I don't know I'm a potion brewer not a psychologist.\n\n\"W-what happened Jace, I was just, uh, sitting in that room when uh, an earthquake hit and uh, I don't remember what happened after that.\"\n\nDoes crossing my arms make me look intimidating? I don't really know, my mother looked pretty intimidating when she crossed her arms so I'll try that. \"Jack, you weren't supposed to be in that room, that was my only rule and you ignored it.\"\n\n\"Yeah but I didn't think that I'd end up looking like an insurance ad!\"\n\nDon't laugh. \"Well Jack due to your unfortunate position when the earthquake hit you have earned yourself the form of a gecko, a Tokay Gecko to be precise.\"\n\n\"C-change me back right now!\"\n\nI would if I could, Well at least I know however I deliver this line it will be intimidating \"no.\"\n\n\"W-why not?\"\n\n\"You were not supposed to be in there, I shouldn't have to spend all the time brewing an antidote for your mistake, plus\" if I lean in close to the terrarium he might be more intimidated \"I need more Gecko scales anyways.\"\n\n\"D-dude not cool, drop the act.\"\n\nThe first stage of grief is always denial \"don't worry, you'll fit right in with the other lizards.\"\n\n\"What do you mea-\"\n\n3...2...1...\n\n\"Dude whAAAAAAAaaaaaaa...\"\n\nAnd there he goes, that trapdoor terrarium is one of the best things I've ever ordered, I'm sure he'll adapt fairly quickly down there. That just leaves one more.\n\n\"Ow my head...what...what's going on?\"\n\nI'm glad she ended up as she did, I needed more snowbird feathers.", "Excerpt from A Beginner’s Guide to Potioneering by Marissa Redrock:\n\nIn order to emphasize the importance of proper storage of both alchemical ingredients and the solutions produced from them, allow me to relate a story from the early days of my own career. It was when I was little more than a hobbyist alchemist and was perhaps unreasonably reluctant to buy proper shelving with my meager earnings. It was just after I had finished brewing the largest batch of potions I had ever made when I learned the error of my miserly ways. An earthquake, not a large one but an earthquake nonetheless, shook my workshop and one by one the three dozen bottles containing various mixtures of magic-charged powders, clippings, and fluids slid off the shelf and shattered on the ground with a crash, crash, crash!\n\nThis loss of my ingredients and the next few nights worth of hot meals might have been the end of it except for two key bits of information. Firstly, as a young and inexperienced alchemist I was unaware of the need to balance out the magics in a completed solution lest you receive an unwanted reaction and had used far too much magic in my brewing process. Secondly, the shelf held something else of value to me: a golem core harvested from a particularly large chunk of animate swampland I had managed to fell the week before, suspended in a jar containing a solution meant to nullify alchemy magic to prevent it creating a new body. A solution that, as it turned out, did next to nothing when splattered across the floor amidst other swirling prismatic pools and broken glass shards.\n\nThe fluids and the golem core reacted and created something, though I can't accurately describe what precisely it was. Floorboards rubbed and scraped against one another in a horrific shriek of pain and anger, cobblestone foundations ripped themselves from the earth, and my poor, poor workshop destroyed and reassembled itself a dozen times as the golem inhabiting it tried in vain to find a form that it could live in for more than a few moments, while all the time the sickening, caustic potion mixture rotted wood, warped glass, and broke the bonds between the small grains that made up the sandstone foundation.\n\nThis is when I learned two important lessons about alchemy: \nOne: Always properly secure potions and ingredients. \nTwo: Never brew potions in a place you can't afford to damage. \nAnd, as a bonus lesson you absolutely cannot quote me on if you are ever brought in on arson charges, three: Always have a torch (and optional pitchfork) handy for burning self-decomposing, science-mistake-possessed monsters that used to be sheds.", "“MARVIN, Get UP!!” Ms. Alecto’s voice echoed violently from down the hallway, jolting me awake. I hurriedly struggled to get out of bed as the floor trembled and swayed beneath my feet. Still pulling on my robes, I numbly stumbled out of my bedroom towards the laboratory, from where Alecto’s sharp cries were emanating. \n\nI knew that Ms. Alecto had stayed up late, tinkering with one of her private experiments again. I’d served as her apprentice for 3 years, learning from and studying with her, faithfully running her errands and gathering ingredients, and in some ways becoming closer to and more trusted by her than anyone else. Yet she still would never give me so much as a hint as to how she spent her nights in the lab. I could only assume that she was brewing up something twisted in there. Though ever the strict rule-follower, Alecto possessed the kind of brooding personality and dark humor that hinted at some hidden malice.\n\nI ran down the hall as quickly as I could, tripping and struggling to keep my footing over the still-shifting floor, the cold uneven stones pressing hard against my feet. I burst through the heavy oak door to the lab to behold wild sight. The potion in the main cauldron had clearly bubbled over, multiplied in volume, and amalgamated into an enormous slimy monster that now towered in the center of the room. The beast had the shape of a large blob, which is to say no shape at all, and though predominantly was a sickly dark grey in color, it’s skin would flash with a vibrant color whenever it consumed another potion ingredient, a deep red for Hawthorn, a dark purple for Valerian Root, and a bright orange for Scullcap. As it scoured the lab for more food, it also smashed up all the beakers, vials, and test tubes, throwing the occasional one at Alecto or I just to make us jump. For a minute, I just stood there in shock.\n\n“Marvin, HELP ME,” Alecto screeched, snapping me out of my trance. She was frantically attempting to assemble some concoction to try to contain the sludge monster but had become trapped on the far side of the room by the ever expanding slime. So she shouted out the ingredients and I frantically retrieved the small vials from the shelves, throwing them across the room to her as she mixed them together. “DITTANY, JASMINE, MANDRAKE,” she called out. Then, “HYSSOP, YARROW, BLACKTHORN.” As I reached for this last one, my bare foot accidentally landed in a puddle of the goo. It felt like acid and burned at my foot.\n\nTo make matters worse, the monster finally turned towards me, as though angry, and advanced. Ms. Alecto insisted that I run and though I couldn’t shake the feeling that she just wanted me to draw it away from her, I didn’t need telling twice. I bolted out of the lab and back up the hallway, with the monster following close behind. After a short ways, I looked back briefly to see how far it was behind me. But as I did so, I tripped over a stone loosened in the Earthquake earlier. I fell, and as my head hit the hard floor, I was knocked unconscious.\n\nWhen I opened my eyes, I was back in my bed, sunlight was streaming in through the tattered curtains, and Ms. Alecto was sitting calmly in a chair in the corner.\n\n“What happened?” I inquired.\n\n“A small tremor last night shook the castle last night,” she responded, “and it seems your bottle of crushed Black Hellebore root was shattered.”\n\nShe indicated the spot on a floor where I saw my small glass bottle lying in pieces.\n\n“I warned you against keeping herbs in the same room you sleep in, that one is quite the hallucinogen.”" ]	4
	[WP] In 2009 someone uploaded a heavily encrypted video with supposedly Earth shattering consequences online. Known as the Sword in the Stone challenge many people had tried to crack the code to no avail leaving experts to claim it a hoax. Yet today is the day you pull the sword from the stone...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The Sword in the Stone challenge was one that stumped us for a while. That’s the reason it became so popular; humans have a frustrating tendency to solve the unsolvable, or at least try. From the video’s release (from an unknown origin, I might add) in 2009, it had spawned at least 30 discord channels, discussion groups over almost every social media platform, and a government issued cryptography team. But still, ever since the first “layer” had been cracked shortly after the video’s release, nobody had made any progress. In other words, the Sword (also commonly called the SITS) was a doozy. Let me tell you what you would see if you pulled the video up from an archive.\n\n0:00. 303 seconds of a dark screen and silence. This was later revealed to be shades of black differing in shade very slightly between each frame. It was quickly found by converting to HEX codes and then using a series of ciphers that the message read “sacrifice knowledge” in every language currently spoken across the globe in English alphabetical order.\n\n5:03. 16 minutes of random colored pixels changing every frame. This bit fell to the mathematicians. By rearranging the pixels into their bit signals, compressing them into matrices, and doing some computer-based transforms, they were able to rearrange the pixels into a comprehensible video clip. What the video said- shook humanity to it’s core. \n\nEach frame of the video showed 64 pictures, below each picture was a classification in Latin. It was, quite literally, every species of animal on the planet Earth. Even the ones that haven’t been discovered yet.\n\nFor a while this bit was thought to be a hoax, a bunch of cgi animals in with the real ones. But when shaken biologists began posting previously unreleased records of animals that matched this video perfectly, we started to take it seriously. People began to view the video as the creation of a somehow omnipresent being, trying to tell us something, something important.\n\n21:16. A picture of a black hole. OUR picture of a black hole; only in motion. Scientific documentation was able to confirm that the motion showed on screen had a 98.1% probability of being the exact movement of the black hole over the next century.\n\n21:53. The Standard Model of Particles- with 11 new empty spaces.\n\n21:56. The Planck Constant shown in the screen, along with it’s entire proof.\n\n22:00. This is where we came to our wit’s end. 883 seconds of the most bewildering sequence of images and symbols you can imagine. Pictures of documents from every field of science. I’m talking obscure medicines, philosophy, unfinished math theories, world history, everything. A collage of scattered human knowledge. And the entire time, a cacophony of the weirdest sounds conceivable playing melodies all on top of each other.\n\nAnd that’s the video: 36 minutes and 43 seconds of nonsense. A code-cracking computer system had been uploaded to the public. It was theorized that the correct combination of human knowledge was required to be paired with the video to find the solution. If this were the case, the computer system would be able to create a cipher to solve the video’s underlying secret code.\n\nPeople had tried for years to find the correct combination, but the computer usually gave error messages. There were certain documents, however, that would not receive an error message when plugged in to the computer system at a certain time in the video. These documents were kept in a list. Nothing had been added for a very long time...\n\nOn August 2, I received a message from one of my friends on discord. We had met on a Sword discussion group, but even after the fad died down a bit we still talked frequently.\n\n“Hey. I think I may have found something.”\n\n“Okay...hope you don’t lose it again?”\n\n“It’s about the Sword.”\n\nI got serious really fast. I was still a fan of the Sword challenge, even after ten years.\n\nShe continued. “Just for fun, I tried putting in a variant of Bostrom’s Simulation Argument I found online. There were some...equations added. The computer accepted it.”\n\n“Like...no error code?”\n\n“No errors. I ran it with the current list. There’s a missing link though. We need a number. A big one.”\n\n“Um...try Planck’s constant. It’s in the video.”\n\n“No, didn’t work. I need you to watch what the output result is. I think it has something to do with time.”\n\nThe computer’s output was a long decimal number preceded by 132 zeros. We tried to figure out if it matched anything. For some reason, it looked familiar to me.\n\nWe were in that call for several hours before I figured it out. It was the measurement for Planck time. But it wasn’t the number we were missing.\n\nI quickly plugged it into one of the bizarre equations my friend had found attached to Bostrom’s argument. We tried it in the computer system. It gave us a result. It was a set of numbers, as always. But it was only zeros and ones.\n\nMy friend quickly got online and compiled the data into an image. It took several tries to get it to work. I can’t say we were prepared for what we saw.\n\nThe image had a black background and showed a message in white text. I will paste the message down below. That is ok I have to say.\n\n“So you pulled the Sword from the Stone. I can’t say I’m impressed. I knew you would figure it out eventually. I have come to tell you something that I am not allowed to tell because I believe you deserve to know. Unfortunately, you won’t figure it out on your own before your world comes to an end. \n\nYou are part of a series of simulations. The black hole- it was your first clue. The most powerful method of compressing data; from our world to yours. Every field of science you humans have discovered- it is all part of your inner code. It is all connected. \nSearch and find- find the 11 missing particles that evade your detection because they are not from your world. Find the missing creatures and see that I am right. Find the secrets Planck has to tell, and discover that you live in a sort of computer of our own, with a set framerate and strict, logical rules. Does it not make sense to you? I have come to tell you this so that you may despair, but know the truth. For out of all the simulations, yours was the one that searched for it the most.”", "It has been nearly a year since the first Challenge. The world has thrown its best, its brightest, and anything lesser, and yet made no headway. The first and most promising sectors of the internet to be issued the Challenge were the eggheads, the people who worked with files and codes and similar things every day. But the Challenge had no matches with anything yet seen by the men of wires and numbers, for it matched nothing they had ever seen. And so, the Challenge went unanswered for a time.\n\nThey had been Challenged for a month, with no progress, when the Invitations were sent, almost at random, to people across the globe. It was a link to the Challenge, alongside a simple message:\n\n“Truth lies within. Remove the Sword and the world shall be yours.”\n\nOf the millions of messages sent to inboxes across the internet, how many do you think accepted the Invitation? How many were thrown out alongside the promises of enhancement pills and lost inheritances? And so the Challenge went unanswered for a time again.\n\nThree months after the Invitations were sent, there came a Voice proclaiming the wonders of this Challenge. Spreading news and information about the wondrous and world-changing power that awaits those who accept and complete the Challenge. And yet, the Voice gave no answers to any questions, only ever responding to pleads for guidance or answers with but a simple phrase:\n\n“The Challenge awaits those who would face it. The Sword will be pulled from its stone by one worthy of it.”\n\nAnd so, the masses who heard the Voice were turned away by the Challenge, for none could face it and make progress, and the Voice faded from their attention. And the Challenge remained unanswered.\n\nSix months have passed now since the last message from the Voice. It is almost time for another Call to bring the Challenge, and still no progress has been made toward finding the Traitor. Time is running out, for the Challenge shall surely be our undoing. And so, as every time before, we must discredit the Traitor and discover them, before the Challenge is completed and our secrets exposed to the world.", "I had never excelled at hacking. it was a hobby. A near party trick for me. I knew it didn't match what was seen in movies and TV, so it was a lot of tedious work.\n\nWell in 2009, the well known \"Hoax\" the sword and the stone challenge was released. Everyone hacking collective has taken a crack at it over time. \n\nI knew immediately I was out of my depths. I didn't even try. After years it was chalked up to a hoax. That's when my interest was finally piqued. I spend the next 6 years learning everything about hacking. I learned every programming language I could, I attended Blackhat, Defcon, and B sides. I got deep in on the dark web.\n\nI eventually forgot why I started down this path. Then one day an algorithm I was working on reminded me.\n\nI pulled up sword and the stone, and I realized the coding on the outter shell was similar to the piece of code I had just altered.\n\nSo I wrote a reverse shell script that when I applied it to the system removed the outmost layer of security. \n\nWhat I found inside was a series of puzzles, which when solved gave me hints. 3 weeks later hundreds of solved puzzles and the strangest piece of code I'd ever seen. \n\nI turned that code into a program, which unlocked the stone.\n\n\"Congratulations Arthur\" blinked across my terminal window.\n\n\"Do you want to change the world? Y or N\" My cursor was blinking. By default N was on the screen. I typed Y. My finger hovering over the enter key.\n\nI wasn't sure if I really wanted to see it.\n\nEnter\n\nAnother terminal window opened up, and began running a number of programs.\n\nDid I work this hard to release some uber virus on my computer?\n\nA few moments later a video pops up. It seems like one of those weird youtube conspiracy videos, but the more I watch the more it makes sense. The more I realize that everything I am seeing isn't even questionable. \n\nI have secrets that can rock the very world we live in. \n\nNow I have to decide if humanity as a whole is ready." ]	4
	[WP] You died. Your spirit enters the great Hall of Maat and finally prepare for Anubises trial. He slowly proceeds and for the first time in the history of eternity, the heart weighs exactly as much as the feather does.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \n\n Anubis looks at me, licking his lips.\n\n “Nothing personal,” he says in the bone chilling voice of an ancient god. “Your heart just looks really...delicious and well,” he pauses to sniff the air. “I can already smell the guilt on you.”\n\n Carefully, he places my heart on one half of an ornate pair of scales. Across from it rests a single feather. I know what this all means. He handles my heart with all the skill and delicacy of a master chef plating his signature disk. Such care for my heart would be a comfort given any other circumstances.\n\n I close my eyes and take a deep breath. It’s fine, I tell myself. Everything is fine. I was an okay-ish person. Memories of anything and everything that could be held against me begin to flood my mind. There was the time I cheated on my math test. There was the time I ghosted my girlfriend of 3 years. There was the time that...shit...I knew I shouldn’t have lied to my parents about eating my sister’s ENTIRE 7th birthday cake.\n\n In my panic, time slows. It feels like a very long time just to use some scales. Maybe he was messing with me. Maybe he wanted me to squirm for a little. Maybe he wanted me to watch as he devoured my heart. I can’t take not knowing any longer. Hesitantly, I open one eye. Anubis’ face is stricken with confusion. He begins to poke and prod the scales like he’s trying to fix a broken TV. \n\n “Is everything okay?” I ask.\n\n “Yes, yes of course! Just some technical difficulties.”\n\n “Can I help?”\n\n “What? Why would you want to help, mortal? The completion of this trial could send you to oblivion.”\n\n “Yeah, good point.”\n\n “I have an idea.”\n\n Anubis carefully removes my heart from the scale and places it to the side. \n\n “Well, if you’re not using that, can I have it back?”\n\n “Silence.”\n\n He raises up one powerful hand. His godly arm extends over me. This doesn’t look good. I recoil in fear as his arm moves with lightning speed. His hand slams into, literally into, his own chest and removes his still beating heart. He places it on the scale where mine sat moments ago. Immediately, the side holding the feather drops down. \n\n “See, my scale is fine. Something must be wrong with your heart.”\n\n He spends the next few minutes going back and forth between using my heart and his. Everytime he places his own heart on the scale, the feather falls. Everything he places mine on the scale, neither side moves. \n\n “This is impossible.” He says.\n\n A thought crosses my mind. \n\n “What if,” I ask. “They weigh the same?”\n\n “That’s never happened before. No it can not be.”\n\n “But what if they do?”\n\n He pauses for a long moment, scratching his canine errors. A coy smile paints itself across his face and he picks up my heart. Shit. This is it. He’s just going to eat my heart and be done with this whole abnormality. Again, I close my eyes and prepare to meet oblivion. Again, nothing happens and I slowly open my eyes. Anubis’ arm is outstretched, openly presenting my heart to me.\n\n “How would you like a job?”" ]	2
"I can't believe you got us all killed!" "Alright, so my advanced plan of running in screaming could have gone better."	[WP] An adventuring party gets wiped out and raised as undead warriors in a dungeon, they are not happy about this.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I cannot believe you took a job to rob a Lich...\" Dull and lifeless eye sockets were hidden behind an ornate plate helm, as the face turned accusingly towards a second skeleton, dressed in leather. \n\n\"I didn't actually think you guys would believe my story.\" The leather wearing skeleton shrugged. \"You really thought I had found an empty vault and just needed help carrying stuff? Really?\" \n\n\"Jaiz, this is bad, even for you. Look at us!\" Another voice joined the conversation, coming from a skeleton dressed in dark red robes, a flaming staff in its hand. \n\n\"You never even used Detect Magic! Come on!\" The leather wearing skeleton, Jaiz the Rogue, defended himself, even as he was surrounded by four other skeletons, each looking quite malevolent. \n\n\"Jaiz!\" One of the skeletons, its entire torso of clean white bone exposed and a massive axe on its back, pushed through the others, grabbing the rogue by his bony shoulders and lifting him off the ground! \"I'll kill you!\" \n\n\"Ale! Come on, buddy, I died too! Right?\" The rogue was being shaken back and forth by the former barbarian, his jaw clacking loosely as he spoke. \n\n\"Hey, Marthia, can you cast a revive spell like that?\" The leader, in the ornate helm, turned towards another skeleton in white and gold chainmail, a heavy flail in her hand. \n\n\"That's a joke, right? You know that Lasu is the God of Light and Healing and HATES Undead, right?\" The skeleton in the chainmail laughed mirthlessly. \n\n\"Well, can you at least try?\" The leader, a former human fighter named Bren, turned his empty eyes towards the former cleric, who laughed again, before throwing her hands up in contempt. \n\n\"Fine, but I'm aiming at Jaiz first.\" Marthia eyed the rogue evilly, making his skin, I mean, his bones crawl. \n\n\"I thought I read somewhere that Holy magic is damaging towards the Undead, actually. Maybe we should try something else.\" Jaiz tried to back up and hold up his hands, but suddenly Ale the Barbarian and Bren the Fighter were behind him, holding him tightly. \n\n\"Guys, guys, let's talk about this. It was a mistake. Just a mistake! Everybody makes mistakes!\" There was a chanting and suddenly the entire room was bathed in golden light. \n\n\"AHHH! It burns! It burns!!!!\" Jaiz began to scream and thrash about, before going limp, causing Bren and Ale to drop him unceremoniously. \n\n\"Okay, so that didn't work. Try a healing spell?\" Marthia was currently looking at her hands in amazement, shocked to discover that her blessings hadn't been revoked in her new condition. At Bren's suggestion, she turned towards the fallen rogue again, who desperately tried to run, only to caught by a massive invisible hand, as the wizard, Derian, cast a spell. \n\n\"Guys, guys, guys. Let's just talk about this. Cari, can you please talk to these guys?\" Turning, the rogue faced the last member of their party, a female figure shrouded in leather armor with a longbow across her back. \n\n\"He's right, this is just a waste of spells. I have a way better idea.\" From behind the mask, a beautiful voice spoke, giving Jaiz hope. \n\n\"Let's just sell him to a researcher in exchange for them fixing us. An undead who retained their consciousness has gotta be useful.\" Hearing this, the rest of the party nodded sagely, quickly coming to an agreement. \n\n\"Cari! Guys, it was a mistake! An accident!\" As Bren and Ale grabbed the rogue beneath his arms, they dragged him towards the light at the entrance. \n\n\"I actually might even know a guy. He's a necromancer who occasionally does some work for the Tower.\" Derian spoke up as he followed the group out, making the others laugh. \n\n\"Awesome. Don't worry Jaiz, once we're cured, we'll come back for you.\" Bren reassured the skeletal rogue, who looked at him with pathetic eyes. \n\n\"You promise?\" Bren nodded his skeletal head sagely, comforting the man. \n\n\"Of course.\" As Jaiz sagged down into their arms in relief, Bren turned towards the others and silently shook his head, causing the others to stifle their laughter. \n\n**\n\n\"Hey! I saw that!\" A voice shouted as everyone put down their phones. \n\n\"Saw what?\" \n\n\"You guys better come back for me!\" James whined, clearly upset that his character was becoming a research specimen. \n\n\"Of course.\" Gary comforted his friend, even as his thumbs flew across his phone, texting his friends. \"We'll leave him.\"* \n\n\"Thanks man, I was really worried.\" James sighed. He was always causing trouble, but he thought it was funny, and besides, a TPK wasn't that bad. At least they had been allowed to keep playing. \n\n\"Yeah man, no problem. Just in case we have an accident though, maybe think about a new character?\" Gary patted his friend on the back, even as he winked at his friends. \n\n\"Hey!\" James protested, not missing the wink this time. \n\n\"Sorry, sorry. It was a mistake. A mistake.\" Gary laughed, even as the whole table nodded, trying not to laugh." ]	2
	[WP] Armed with a scoped staff, wands with fast loaders, and a belt-fed arcanum -when the kingdom has big problems they call you. You are the gun wizard.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Alright, let's get this out of the way: Magic is not so convenient.\n\n\nHello there! I am Ezra Pokhrœ, the magic man. Technically, we are spellcasters, but people often refer to us as either 'Wizards', 'Sorcerers', 'Conjurer' or, sometimes, 'freaks'. To my people, I'm the Gun Wizard. In the oriental lands, there are ancient communities that dedicate their lives to propagation of magical arts to anyone who has earned enough good karma. Here, in these beautifully wretched lands, nothing of the sorts matters. You got street smarts, you can more than take care of yourself- well, karma be bloody damned, you may come in the order. Though, as I've mentioned, magic isn't as convenient as one would initially perceive it to be. We can't gaze into the future, pull our souls out of our bodies(though it makes for one trippy adventure) make copies of ourselves(as an exception, I’ve learnt this one; irons out many inconveniences); that business is for our oriental brethren. No, we do the shady stuff. Wanna get someone’s head off their shoulders? Maybe get an enemy’s legs cut off? Or just the classic uncontrolled diarrhoea for an annoying sibling? That kind of work sounds right up our alley. \n\n\nDon’t get the wrong impression of us. Not all of us get into the order for mere sadism. Many join with high hopes that we would help the poor with our magical abilities, that we would protect innocents from the corrupt landlords, and such outlandish fantasies. But the reason we are unable to do so lies in the very nature of our magic. The orientals, however much they are perceived to be dogmatic in their attitude regarding ‘a good dharmic life’, are ultimately correct. They access their magic through the sheer good karma that they have attained throughout their life, enabling them to directly access the raw magical energy flowing all around us. We spellcasters are not so fortunate. We access our magic through incantations, by summoning the powers of the great demons that have their own agendas. The greater is the use of that power for acts that cause pain and misery, the more easily it can be done. If the power is used for good, it drains our own life force for it. This life sure demands a lot from us.\n\n\nAnd that is where I come in. I stand as an exception to this way. Even though I’m not exempt from these restrictions, I tend to find out ways to get my deed done without dealing with the sadistic inclinations of those filthy demons. My way is rather...unique.\n\n\nBut first, let’s have a small detour regarding my inventory, shall we? Most in the order use the old tried-and-tested methods to achieve their goals: rituals, incantations, medallions, creepy dolls, you know, the whole shebang. I have invented a radically different approach to this. What I do is that I concentrate the power of the spells into small, physically tangible bolts, comparable to, for lack of a better word, bullets. Different spells produce bolts of different hues. The more power is concentrated, the larger the size of bolts. Since no ordinary projectile hurler could ever handle such power, I’ve had to improvise on this front as well. I’ve modified my wand to be capable of firing these bolts at a higher rate than the usual wands do with spells. However, after a rather distasteful skirmish with a chimera, I learnt that keeping distance in a battle is sometimes the most strategically sound decision. With an enchanted scope, my trusted staff serves as a long distance hurler for me. A ‘sniper rifle’, if you should call it so. Armed with eggshells containing solutions imbued with strength of hundreds of incantations, everything I need for a good early walk in hell is with me.\n\n\nBut these are merely different ways of doing the magic. What truly differentiates me from the others is my approach to the ‘DO NO GOOD’ policy. I do everything these demons want me to do, but always in such a manner so that people are benefited by it. Killing a killer doesn’t change the number of criminals in the world, but killing thousands of them sure does. I started out by doing simple things, like maiming a landlord for cheating the public, or killing a rapist for, well, being a rapist. But increasingly, I found myself in situations dealing more in the supernatural than the common violations of law. It wasn’t long before I started fighting alongside the royal knights against dragons and rancors. Most spellcasters dream of even seeing a goblin once in a life, and here I have fought a trans-dimensional abilisk. I hold a permanent position in the King’s royal court today, and am called upon when the kingdom is under great threat, but I still live in a humble hut, not shying from occasionally sacrificing a goblin or two to end the famines, to go on bounty hunting for sport, to help the cheated get their money back, the usual stuff. I may be a legend today, but at heart, I’m still the same Gun Wizard that people once knew.\n\n\n\n\n*Hey Guys! This is my first work. Please tell me how it was and how it could be improved.*" ]	2
	[WP] You just created an account on a new social media platform. You have an unread message from yourself dated August 9th 2029.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“It’s like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat rolled into one!” my daughter had said while punching my private information into this site. Of those sites, all I had was a very inactive Facebook, so I didn’t see why I needed to be on this ‘LyfeStyle’ site. \n\nWe began searching for my friends (of which a surprising amount had accounts), but soon she had to leave for band practice. She walked out of the room, and as soon as the door shut behind her, I heard a ‘ding’, and saw a red dot on the envelope in the bottom right corner.\n\n“Who could’ve messaged me?” I thought. “No one’s even accepted my friend request yet.”\n\nI clicked on the envelope. 1 unread message. Dated 8/9/29. From me. I clicked on the message.\n\n“Hi.”\n\nI was confused for a moment, but I realized this was just my daughter, logged into my account from her phone. The date was weird, though. “Hi sweetie,” I typed in response.\n\nInstantly, I saw three dots pop up. \n\n“Sweetie? Mark, this is you from the future. I have something important to tell you.”\n\nI couldn’t get through the message without laughing. Me from the future? She should’ve tried something a little more realistic. “Ok Mr. Future Mark, if you’re really me from the future, tell me something about me that no one else would know.”\n\nThe dots popped up, then went away, then popped up again. I had caught her. Suddenly, a longer message appeared.\n\n“I know that every so often you’ll watch that weird Japanese tentacle porn. I know that you cheated on Melissa with that stripper at your bachelor party. I know that you have a mole on your upper left thigh that you think might be cancerous. I could go on.”\n\nMy mouth dropped open. Who the fuck was this? How did they know this stuff? \n\nThe dots popped up again.\n\n“I’ve managed to contact you because I have to warn you about something. Right now, you’re applying to a job right? An IT executive at GlobalCorp?”\n\nShakily, my hands touched the keyboard. “Yes”, I typed slowly.\n\nThe dots popped up instantly, causing my stomach to jump into my chest. “Do not attend that interview.”\n\nI glanced over at my calendar. Circled in red was “GlobalCorp interview - 9 am” on tomorrow’s date. My eyes returned to the monitor. “Why?” I typed.\n\nThis time, the dots took a moment before they popped up, and lasted for what felt like hours. Finally, I received a message. \n\n“Melissa and Sophia will insist on coming along. You will park in the parking garage, and the three of you will get out of the car. After a few steps, you will realize you’ve forgotten your wallet, and return to your car to get it. At that moment, the garage will collapse. The girls will be killed instantly. You will be partially protected by the car, but injured enough to fall into an almost 10 year coma. Do. Not. Go. To. The. Interview.”\n\nI sat there, frozen upon hearing this. Could this really be true? “Can’t I just reschedule it?” I typed, beginning to believe this ‘future Mark’.\n\n“It’s no use,” he wrote, “I looked back, they ended up filling the position with the candidate who interviewed at 8:30. You won’t be safe unless you cancel the interview.”\n\nI had no response to this, I had to think. I glanced at my calendar again; I had another couple interviews this week. Cancelling this one wouldn’t be a huge deal, especially if my family’s life was at stake.\n\nI heard a ding as another message popped up.\n\n“I know this may sounds hard to believe, and I understand that, but you have 2 other interviews just in the next week; would you really risk their safety? Please listen to me.”\n\nI took a deep breath. He was right. If anything happened to my family...I could never forgive myself. I began to type.\n\n“I’ll cancel it. Thank you.”\n\nI picked up my phone and began to dial GlobalCorp when I thought about all the things future me could tell me. But when I looked at the screen, “me” was offline. Frowning, I continued to dial.\n\n\n“How do you not feel bad about this, bro?”\n\nDevin continued to laugh at his computer screen, his friend’s comment only making him laugh harder.\n\n“How did you know all that stuff about him anyway?”\n\nDevin stopped laughing, and turned around. “I hacked him, obviously. The porn and mole things were just search history. The cheating thing was a stroke of genius, I managed to piece that together from texts with his friends. And the interviews, from his google calendar.”\n\n“And once again, you don’t feel bad about any of this? Dude thinks his family might die.”\n\nDevin smiled. “If he’s dumb enough to be fooled by this, he’s not ready to be an IT exec. And if things go just as well with Gina, I’ll be the only one walking in for that job tomorrow.”" ]	2
	[WP] You accidentally cut off your pointer finger. You scream in pain then notice your finger inching off the counter and falling onto the floor only to notice it grew its own knuckle, then its own palm, then the rest of you. You look into the eyes of an identical version of you and think.... "Crap”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Thai, fire”\n\nThe expediter shouted to the other chefs in the kitchen. I look to my left to see the imposing figure of my manager standing over my shoulder. My heart jumped slightly, though I tried to suppress any indication of being surprised. \n\n“What are you doing looking at me? You should have been done with your prep 30 minutes ago.”\n\nHis brow furrowed. His lips were busy smacking on a bite of rejected cookie from pastry. Crumbs fell to his mountainous belly.\n\n“Sorry, chef.”\n\nI turn back to my work, chopping onions to caramelize for topping. \n\n“Don’t ‘sorry chef’ me.”\n\nI heard him stomp away. My hands were busy chopping. I heard my knife hit the board, hard. As if a carrot had been cut. And then I felt the pain. A horrible stinging pain that began to radiate from my finger. Looking down, I set aside my knife, expecting to see blood pool across the cutting board, but there was a surprising lack of it. The finger sat among the onions like a sculpted lump of clay. \n\nLooking to my side, I picked it up. I didn’t know what to do with it. The pain faded from the stump, which had, after a brief observation, regrown to its former state. As I gripped it in my palm, it began to wiggle. As though a thousand bees came alive inside it, it began to squirm and wiggle, nearly vibrating. \n\nSoon the vibrations became too intense, causing me to drop it. It fell to the floor, rolling under the small fridge. I had no choice but to retrieve it. Sacrifice my dignity for a digit.\n\nOn my knees, I peered underneath in the low fridge. Bits of dust and crumbs congregated in piles, but the finger was no where to be found. I exhaled sharply, coming to my feet. \n\nGlancing at my watch, I realized that he would probably yell at me, better yet fire me, if he found me ‘slacking off’. Grumbling, I returned to my cutting board, which thankfully had no trace of blood or human fingers. I silently rejoiced. I wouldn’t have to cut all those onions again. \n\nI tried to banish the thought from my mind. The cut. The absence of blood. The almost inhuman appearance of my own appendage. I shook my head, trying to work through the tears from the onions. \n\nAfter some time, I finished the onions. Carrying them to my station, I caught a glare from my manager. I tried to avoid eye contact. Checking my prep list, I groaned. Still have tomatoes, shrimp and corn to do. \n\nRolling my eyes, I found the hotel pan in the small fridge. As I unpack it, I feel a tap on my shoulder.\nIt’s my manager. It’s got to be my manager. I stiffen, trying to appear busy and focused.\n\n“I’m sorry, sir. I had this incident and—-”\n\nI turn, noticing what appeared to be me staring back at me. He is naked, save for an apron. I study his— er, my features. He has my same scruffy stubble, mussed hair and strangely unattractive face. I appear emotionless. The me seems to tolerate my inspection, opening my mouth to speak.\n\n“Need some help?”\n\nI hand him a knife, walking towards the door.\n\n“Clothes are in my locker. I’m out.”", "Starfish regeneration runs in my family. Earlier today I cut off my finger splitting wood in the backyard and now I have a twin. Despite what you might think, we’re not a huge bunch because, well, we don’t live long.\n\nEasy come, easy go, I suppose.\n\nIt’s not that we can’t live long, we just… whatchamacallit... tend to de-life each other. Un-life? Marauder senselessly might be a more accurate but pretty terrible way to put it. Let’s just call it a starfish curse, okay?\n\nThe curse usually… ermm.. always… starts as a simple quarrel between twins, about an issues we disagree on. You see, the twin that regrows from severed body part is not the exact carbon-copy of the original. While we look the same-ish, walk the same-ish and talk the same-ish, we don’t share the same opinions on every single subject. And then, somehow, when we find the point of disagreement, all hell breaks loose. There is no reason why that should happen, it just does, and when it does, someone always gets burnt.\n\nBut we’re not barbarians and we are also very afraid of extinction, so we’ve developed a curse coping mechanism. We order pizza and try really hard to get to know each other and sort out our differences before... well, you know… the curse takes its toll. If both parties are engaged, pizza-session works amazingly well, or so the story says. Unfortunately, I am not particularly good at asking pointed questions.\n\n“Hello, yes, I’m still here,” I say to the lady on the other side of the phone line. “Yes, large pepperoni and sausage. Red sauce, yes. And what’s the delivery time? Aha… Thank you. Thank you very much. Bye-bye.” I hang up and turn to finger-me. “Twenty minutes.”\n\nHe nods.\n\n“So, where were we… You sure you’re not thirsty?”\n\nHe rolls his eyes. “I said I’m not.”\n\n“Okay. Cold? I mean you’re…” I point at his… well... nakedness.\n\nHe nods. “I thought you’d never ask.”\n\n“Let’s not get all feisty right now, okay?”\n\n“Fine,” he says, joyless. “I’m just hungry. And I hate being naked.”\n\n“I get it. I get grumpy when I’m hungry too. Don’t worry, pizza will be here soon---”\n\n“I’m not grumpy. Don’t call me grumpy, okay?”\n\nI gulp. “Okay. I’m so sorry! I won’t do it again. Now, where were we…”\n\n“I think you were going to get me pants and shirt---”\n\nHe spreads his arms and reveals his … Oh, My, it’s a python!\n\n“---and I believe you were going to do it now.”\n\n“Ah, that’s right! Right...” I better hurry, he is a grumpster.\n\nWe’re so different, he makes me feel super uncomfortable. And that thing… I find the appropriate clothing in my bedroom. Just to be sure, I stand in front of the mirror and… measure myself… Hmm, maybe we’re the same after all. I’ve never notice that before. At least that’s not something we’ll end up arguing about. Good, I’d be embarrassed if we fought and I … de-lifed... him because of that. Everyone would think I’m jealous.\n\n“What’s taking you so long?!” He shouts from the kitchen and pokes my feel-good bubble.\n\n“Coming!”\n\nHe dresses up quickly.\n\n“Thanks.” He snarks. “What now?”\n\n“Well, I guess… Now we talk more, yeah?”\n\nHe rolls his eyes again. “Fine, ask me anything.”\n\n“Ermm… sure. Thanks. So, what’s your favorite color?”\n\n“Green.”\n\n“Mine too! What’s your favorite song?”\n\nHe shrugs. Correct!\n\n“Month?”\n\n“January.”\n\nI nod. Same here. “Day?”\n\n“Tuesday.”\n\nYup. I go for another question, but he stops me.\n\n“Let me ask you some real questions, okay?”\n\n“Suuuure...”\n\n“What do you think about black people?”\n\nOh, dear! “They, they... They are people! What do”--- I gulp ---”you think about them?”\n\nPlease, please don’t be a raging racist.\n\n“Yeah, they are people,” he deadpans.\n\nOkay...\n\n“What about Mexicans?” he says.\n\n“Wow! What about them? People too.”\n\n“Sure. Democrats?”\n\n“Wha---, you know, for someone like me you ask pretty… strange … questions. Are you trying to pick a fight or something?”\n\n“No.” He shakes his head. ”Just talking. Trying to get to know you. Your questions were dumb, these are not. Why are you so cagey?”\n\n“I’m so not! Also, don’t call me dumb!”\n\n“Fine, whatever. Democrats, do you like them?”\n\n“I guess I like some of them. Andy and Meghan are Democrats. I like them. But there are so many other Democrats I don’t know, so I can’t tell you whether I like them or not. Happy?”\n\n“Yeah. Thanks for answering that question.” He shakes his head, clearly unsatisfied with my answer. ”It was not so hard, was it?”\n\n“No, I guess it was not.”\n\n“Good. What about Republicans? Do you think they’re racists?”\n\n“Oh, c’mon, this is ridiculous! No! HELL NO! You’re an idiot if you think so. Actually, what do you think?”\n\nHe just nods.\n\n“Wow! Really?”\n\n“Yeah, really. We’re on the same page, yeah?”\n\nYeah, right. We’re not. I shake my head.\n\n“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” he says.\n\n“Because… The more I know you, the less I recognize myself in you. ‘What do you think about black people?’”\n\n“Wow. Look who’s grumpy and condescending now...”\n\n“Just stop, okay?”\n\n“Why? What was wrong with that question?”\n\n“You’re an idiot if you don’t get it, okay? Asking what I think about different race like that is super inappropriate!”\n\n“Why? You are me! If I can’t ask myself inappropriate questions, who ---”\n\n“No one, okay? No one! Some questions and the way they’re asked are just not good. Get it?”\n\n“Wow… So much about free speech, ha?”\n\nI inhale. “I believe in free speech…” Screw you. Stupid troll.\n\n“Except when it’s not inappropriate, right?”\n\n“Screw you!” I glance at the butter knife on the table in front and he sees it.\n\n“Really? Like, are you fucking serious?”\n\nNo, heck no! I just ---\n\nThe doorbell rings.\n\nI grimace. “I’m going to get that. It’s the pizza delivery guy.”\n\n“Well, I’m coming with you. I know you’re thinking about spiking it with rat poison.”\n\n“What? You’re insane!”\n\n“Yeah, and you were also not trying to knife me a moment ago. I’m you! We think the same way. You are insane!”\n\n“So are you!” I raise my fist, ready to punch him right in the middle of that ugly racist face when a loud explosion evaporates the front door into a puff of white smoke.\n\n“WHAT THE FUCK?!” we shout in unison.\n\n<part 2 in comments b/c too long >", "Well, shit. Today could be counted as a bust at best. Mom is in jail probably awaiting a psychiatric evaluation, all of my family is in mourning and I’m hiding and plotting my next step. \nYou see, mom has always been a believer in the mystical and occult. Psychics, demons, ghost, night walkers you name it! Yes, even Bigfoot. I really thought she would have taken the news better, but she freaked out at seeing two of us. There was no reasoning with her, she ran upstairs and pulled the gun out of the safe, we gave chase but there just wasn’t enough time to convince her that neither of us was an “evil twin”. “I know my own son when I see him and I’m not taking a chance” she said. Bang I saw blood and immediately bolted from the house. \n\nAnyways, lots of chaos and police tape later and I’ve finally left the woods behind the house and have snuck into the basement of my parents house through a small window. I can hear them talking upstairs even though it’s muffled, my dad and my siblings. They are discussing what the police asked them, wondering how they missed the signs of mom having a mental breakdown. After talking to the coroner, they still have no idea why mom would cut my finger off before killing me. \n\n\n\n\nSorry for spacing, done from phone", "At first, I was just screaming in pain and confusion. Once he realized what was going on, he immediately rushed to the linen closet to swipe the medical care kit and help stem the bleeding. He kept giving me a gentle touch on my shoulder; just like dad used to when I would scrape my knee as a kid. It helped more than I could comprehend at the time.\n\n\"Hand above your chest. Keep pressure on it.\" He rumbled through my cabinets, searching high and low, his head bobbing and weaving, shifting eyes seeking out specific objects. \"Why the hell am I so disorganized?\" I heard him mutter to himself. He returned to me, isopropyl in hand. \"This is going to hurt. A lot. Deep breath.\"\n\nInhale, exhale, in-\n\nThe pain sent shockwaves through my body. He put a cloth in my mouth and I bit down on it, muffled screaming through the agonizing pain.\n\nMy heart was always into medical care, so it was no surprise this naked doppelganger was doing everything he could to help stop my pain and keep me from being in pain. He threw on some of my - our - clothes, drove me to the ER, and they instructed me on how to care for the wound.\n\nWe returned back to m- Whatever. You get the point.\n\nIt was a long silence, but afterwards, he spoke for the first time since helping me treat the wound.\n\n\"This is weird.\"\n\n\"You're telling me. I'm the one who had a clone grow from my dismembered finger.\"\n\n\"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Sorry.\"\n\nI smiled at him. \"Don't be. I appreciate the help.\" He smiled back at me. We both began to speak, simultaneously, cutting each other off before we even said anything.\n\nWe blinked back and forth a moment. He tilted his head to the right, as I did. The same little tick I've always had.\n\n\"It would only make sense.\"\n\nIt was serene and quiet. A nice contrast to the chaos that occurred earlier. We were sharing the last cigarette of my - our pack together.\n\n\"What do you wanna do about this?\"\n\n\"You already know the answer to that.\"\n\nI looked at him, and grinned. I never realize I looked so devious when I did.\n\n\"Go get the knife.\"", "\"Look, I'll be honest with you. You look like crap.\"\n\n\"I look like crap! You look like crap! I look like you!\"\n\nI sighed, and steepled my fingers. How do I make him understand?\n\n\"You're ruining my image. See...I have a standard. A panache. A trademark. I turn heads. I spark conversation. You, however, are a pink-faced bastard in a polka-dotted dinner jacket.\"\n\n\"This jacket is yours though.\"\n\nMy face flushed with blood. Red-hot anger filled my veins.\n\n\"Mine?\" I spluttered, indignantly. \"I'd never buy anything of the sort!\"\n\n\"Oh, calling me a liar, are you? Well, if I'm a liar, so are you!\"\n\nI, too, proceeded to draw myself up. One must never let a comrade stare you down, however much he may claim to look like you. I say claim, and I mean 'look like' in the loosest sense. There's hardly a possibility that I was born with a nose like that! Got the nasty bits of Vlad the vulture, and the Wicker Witch of the West (or was the the South?) unfortunately mashed together. There's no way the girls at the club would have woo'd at a man sporting a beak of that ghastly sort.\n\n\"A liar! Rubbish! You're a liar! You're not me! You don't look anything like me! You remind me of the bald fellow from the Keanu Reeves movie crossbred with a the bastard child of Danny DeVito and Dorothy's Scarecrow!\"\n\nHe looked wounded.\n\n\"I feel wounded,\" he said.\n\n\"Shall I fetch the salt?\"\n\n\"You just want to hurt my feelings. I was born yesterday and you're being downright spiteful. I bet if I plucked your hat straight off your head and bunged it on mine, you'd instantly disown it and ramble on about how bloody ghastly it is.\"\n\nMy hand rose instinctively to my head, adorned by the old bowler. \"Nonsense,\" I replied, feeling the brim.\n\n\"Go on, then. Hand it over. Let's give it a shot.\"\n\nI was reluctant. \"But just hold on-\"\n\n\"Oh, be a sport!\"\n\n\"All right!\" I cried. I gently unveiled the natural toupee, and handed him the crown of fabric. He carefully adjusted it on his misshapen lump of a head, and looked up at me. \"Well?\"\n\nI analysed him with a critical eye. \"Well now...\" I murmured softly. \"You're absolutely right. That hat is absolute piece of rubbish. Its Frankenstein's own hat, resurrected from garbage bags. What a ghastly thing it is. I could never own something like it. Little wonder such an insult to the community of design appeals to you!\"\n\nHis face turned red, than purple, than the rare, but rather beautiful hue you'll witness if you force yourself awake in the early hours of the morning, and make the five mile hike to the peak of whatnot, just to catch the two minutes of the sun popping its crown over the horizon. \"Pah!\" he managed.\n\n\"Pah.\" I deemed it polite to reply.\n\n\"Pah,\" he repeated, evidently considering it an apt summary, but one I regrettably could fail to translate to my own comprehension. He then stormed out of the room. I raised my finger at his retreating back. The one I hadn't chopped off, of course." ]	6
	[WP] You can summon absurdly expensive motorcycles and sports cars for transport, change your hair to the latest style at will, and do stupid, insecurity-fueled feats that men 10 years your junior would balk at. You are the greatest hero this world has ever known: Mid-Life Crisis Man	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "A friend without a Reddit account saw this and asked me to post their response\n\nThe people in the bank cowered in terror. The supervilain had about 50 arms and guns in half of them. “Hand over the money!” he growled. The employees scrambled to comply. Then, suddenly everyone heard it. A rumbling, like a motorcycle without a muffler. Which was exactly what it was. Mid-life crisis man had arrived. He crashed through the unlocked glass doors, in slow motion, on his bright yellow motorbike. He was in the bank in a flash, his hair in the latest style from the magazines. It was graying, but nobody cared. The captives let out a sigh of relief. They were saved!" ]	2
	[WP] You're mad that your posts never make it past 1,000 upvotes on WritingPrompts. You start passive-aggressively letting your anger out on other people's posts.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Hey, OP!\n\nYou know... Like, this prompt is okay, but you need to write something bit different and with more jazz if you want to get to 1000 upvotes.\n\nI mean, I'm not telling you to look at my posts, they don't have 1000 upvotes, (that's because some topics I write about are amazing only if you get them, which many readers don't, but that crowd is not my target audience anyways. P.S. link to my subreddit is below). Instead, look at [top](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/top/) posts to get the feel about what flies on this subreddit. I'd like to be more specific and link actual great stories others have written, but I can't b/c of the 24 hour rule.\n\nAnyways, I like your WP and I hope you get those 1000 upvotes. Thumbs up!\n\n/r/ZwhoWrites :)\n\nP.S. Thanks for cracking me up with this WP!" ]	2
	[WP] tell the story of a desperate man who robs a store at gunpoint and the owner who offers to buy that gun for all the cash in the safe, no strings attached.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I pull the balaclava down over my face just before I enter the store. I don't want to do this, but my kids have to eat. bleakly No matter the cost.\n\nbingleding!\n\nI ... know this man. I recognize the clothing. He has three kids. They live in his truck, sleeping in the covered back.\n\n\"Give me all your money!\"\n\n\"Friend, what do you need the money for? Food for your children?\"\n\n\"What does it matter! Give me the money!\"\n\n\"I can't do that to your children! They need you!\"\n\n\"They don't need me if I can't feed them! Now give me the money!\"\n\n\"How about I buy your gun for all the cash in the store?\"\n\n\"What...?\"\n\n\"If I buy your gun, willingly, it's a legal transaction; not a robbery. You get the money, your kids get to keep their father.\"\n\n\"You ... why?!?\"\n\n\"Does that matter to a father who must feed his children?\"\n\nMy eyes are watered. I can't see, I can't breathe, I strip the balaclava off. My hands are shaking. I carefully put the gun on the counter, and fall to my knees. Sobbing.\n\nI hear the shopkeeper walking around. The cash drawer opening. The gun being picked up. He kneels next to me, taking my hand and putting an envelope in it. \"There's a copy of the bill of sale in the envelope, and here's a bag with all the change. No strings, no tricks, no cops.\"\n\n\"How can I thank you? I have nothing!\"\n\n\"You have your children. Raise them well. That's enough for me.\"\n\n\"I ... I ...\"\n\n\"No, go feed your children. If you feel a need to talk, come here. You can bring your children, there's a room in back. They can play there while we talk.\"\n\nHe ushers me out the door. I look back. The door is locked, and the sign turned to closed. He smiles, and walks into the depths of the shop.\n\nI stand there. Shivering. Shake myself, and walk into the night.\n\n((finis))" ]	2
	[WP] Humans have taken to the stars and discovered peaceful life. Throughout the planets traveled they have found different species, plants, and society. The only consistency is the reaccuring appearance of "Easter Island" Heads.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"It happened again, Bret.\"\n\n\"I know.\" The aging captain of the USS Darwin was a scientist on his homeworld.\nGranted, he was a military scientist who studied new methods of ending life, but\nit was a role he loved.\n\nThis wasn't science. It was impossible.\n\n\"Bret?\" Clara startled him as he was tossing the idea around his head. She was\nhis second-in-command, but their experience gap was vast.\n\n\"Tell it to me again. Was there any differences?\" He began sketching the objects\nas she closed her eyes in frustration.\n\nThis happened every time they found life.\n\n\"It's the exact same statues, Bret. There's no two ways about it.\" He sucked in\nhis breath waiting for the blow to land. \"They are the Easter Island Heads,\nBret.\"\n\n\"Again.\"\n\n\"Again.\"\n\nBret Reynolds leaned back in his chair, staring at the star map. It was littered\nwith dots of various colors. All the ones with the same statues were in pink.\n\nThe map looked like cotton candy.\n\n\"Everyone is seeing the same thing too. Look at the chart. I don't get it.\"\n\n\"We could do a telemetry scan of it,\" Clara suggested, halfway serious. Bret had\nconsidered this, but it would cause a lot of alarm.\n\n\"We could just ask the next intelligent species we find.\" He said it more as a\nventing of frustration than a serious idea. Most of the species they came across\nwere either non-verbal or uselessly flighty. Only humans seemed to have an\ninnate desire to learn, spread, and grow.\n\n\"It can't hurt, Captain. On to the next place?\" Clara asked, as she did after\nevery previous exploration. More pink dots popped up before they entered hyperspace.\n\n\"Sure. Let's keep it in our pocket. Engage the systems. Let's get out of here.\nI'll write the catalog report.\" The engines began to spin and groan. A buzz\nshot through Bret as his molecules were stabilized in the field that was being\ngenerated. It was an awful sensation, but early FTL tests proved it was\na requirement. They'd lost a lot of great people who reconstructed with their\nships and crew at new locations.\n\nIn the viewer, Bret could see the desolate blackness of space begin to vibrate\nand shimmer. It transformed, slowly, from a black void to a slithering sheet in\nthe wind. As it folded itself, the ship punched through the sheet like a knife.\n\nThey emerged hundreds of millions of miles away from their last stop minutes\nlater.\n\n\"Four planets with lifeforms, sir,\" Clara declared.\n\n\"Let's get started.\"\n\nThe following weeks of exploration yielded little leads. Some intelligent species\noffered cryptic responses when asked about the statues. They either had no idea\nor they were cagey about talking about them.\n\nThis response gnawed at Bret and Clara. Their relationship--a mentor and\nprotègè--had become frayed, with the two of them separately working out this\npuzzle. Their only interactions with one another were angry outbursts.\n\nThen, Clara burst into the captain's quarters during Bret's R&R.\n\n\"Wake up, I figured it out.\" He tried to see the girl he had chosen from the\nAcademy all those years ago. Instead, he saw a frantic mad woman, eyes blood\nshot, deep crows feet, and it looked like she was losing her hair. He felt\nguilty she took this task so hard.\n\n\"Clara, what?\" Bret was having trouble articulating.\n\n\"The statues. I need to visit this planet, but if I'm right, and we find what I\nthink, then this changes everything, Bret.\"\n\n\"Where is it?\"\n\n\"It's here.\" She gestured well past the borders of Earth's empire. \"Glaxius-3.\"\n\n\"Clara, we're about two months from that jump.\"\n\n\"We can do it now. I've mapped out the neighboring systems, and we'll be able to\nsubmit a few reports.\" She was smiling. It looked manic.\n\n\"But, that's a 30 minute hyperspace jump,\" Bret said gravely. No one jumps more\nthan a minute if they don't have to. \"You know the consequences of that? What\nabout the crew?\"\n\n\"I put them all in stasis.\"\n\n\"You what?\"\n\n\"We'll go into stasis too. Or you can, but we are inches from finding out the\nanswer, Bret. We can't back out. Not now.\"\n\nHe was uneasy. The mental toll of a jump, even in the shielded ship, could be\npermanent. However, Bret was uncomfortably aware that Clara wasn't actually\nasking him for permission. This was a mutiny.\n\n\"Clara, this is madness. You could kill us all.\" A realization hit Bret.\n\"Especially yourself. If you are staying awake for this jump, you've seen the\nstudies about--\"\n\n\"She the fuck up!\" Clara produced a small blaster. It wouldn't kill Bret, but\nhe'd paralyzed long enough for her to make the jump. He decided to give in.\n\n\"Clara, let's do this right at least. We'll set the coordinates, and make sure\neveryone is in stasis. Then, we can test your theory. Deal?\"\n\nShe chewed on her lip, clearly looking for Bret's angle. Satisfied, she nodded\nand motioned him to follow.\n\nThe effort to place everyone in a safe stasis, which Clara had neglected, was\nsimple. It involved enveloping each sleep pod, which was already freezing their\nvitals, with a second level mesh like the one that protected the ships. It was,\nlargely, considered an overkill, but it was a precaution with low costs.\n\nBret helped Clara set the course, and enable both their stasis pods.\n\n\"If you are wrong, I'm having you arrested and discharged.\"\n\n\"I'd rather you have me committed. Good night, captain.\" The stasis kicked in\nquickly. In stasis, there is no brain function, so as soon as the stasis starts,\na grogginess kicks in as they arrived at the destination.\n\nWisely, Bret had changed the stasis for the rest of the crew to keep them\nsleeping while they attempted to contact the locals.\n\n\"This is going to be fucked, won't it.\" Bret said. He had a nagging feeling that\neverything he knew would change after this based on Clara's degradation.\n\n\"I think so, Bret.\" She zipped her suit and secured it. \"Let's go.\"\n\nThey drove a small rover to a village that mapped out from the atmosphere. While\nthe indigenous people were, at least from preliminary scans, identical to humans,\nthey wanted to ensure that the population didn't see them as anything but alien\nobservers.\n\nThis was why the first shot started Bret to lose control of the rover briefly.\n\n\"They got guns?\"\n\n\"I should have warned you.\" Clara's voice sounded ghostly and scared. In the\ndistance, right where it was spotted, they saw the Easter Islands Heads. It was\nthe approximately same location as Earth's.\n\n\"They are missing their bodies.\"\n\n\"Bret, turn around.\" Clara clenched the dash hard. He was still dodging the\nshots, though it was obvious they were threats rather than intended to injure or\nkill. \"I've messed up. Please arrest me.\"\n\n\"We'll be fine. The crew is waking up, and I have them monitoring this area.\nWe'll be okay.\"\n\n\"Bret, no.\" He ignored her and slowed the vehicle to a primitive hut. A man,\ndark-skinned with odd necklaces and clothes similar to Earth walked out of the shadows.\n\n\"What you want, bagooda?\" The last word didn't pass the translation intercom in\nthe suit. The technology was adept at finding patterns in speech and\ntranslating, but some words lacked analogs.\n\n\"We are just studying indigenous populations. We have a few questions, then we\nwon't bother you.\" Bret produced, carefully, a small digital pad. \"What are\nthose, exactly?\"\n\n\"How much you got?\" The man croaked in a staccato pattern. His fingers remained\non the trigger. Bret quickly tabbed through the data his crew was rapidly\nproducing. Local currency was being delivered.\n\n\"Whatever you need, I can provide.\" Bret looked up to the sky. It was a\ntheatrical thing, but the idea was to maintain control of the situation. He\ndidn't need to one of the few humans killed by an Alien.\n\nThe pod dropped close and opened. Bret motioned for the man to inspect the pod.\nHe did. He smiled broadly, and shouted things that the translator couldn't--or\nwouldn't--translate. Several younger children emerged from the hut and scavenged\nthe pod. \n\n\"Those? I have no fucking clue.\" He started to laugh. Bret figured as much. He\nsaw Clara clench, as if she expected something. \"It was always like that. They\nproduce valuable resources. That's about it.\"\n\n\"None of the others produced resources, did they?\" Bret asked Clara on a secret\nchannel.\n\n\"No.\" Bret knew this. \"What kind of resources?\"\n\n\"Fuel, some fruits. Things that bring the animals close enough to catch.\"\n\n\"Clara.\" Bret began to talk, but the pieces began to piece together. Every\nstatue they had encountered had been whole, and all the populations were\npeaceful and content.\n\nExcept here and one other place.\n\n\"Has there always been war?\" Bret asked. The word for 'war' sounded similar to\nthat of Earth's.\n\n\"Since our records have started, we have fought.\" He smiled now, as if this was\na proud moment. \"We're taking that car over there, ya?\"\n\nBret felt chilled as he produced a blaster larger than Clara's and evaporated\nthe center of the man.\n\nHe had fulfilled what he was bred to do.", "When humanity took to the stars, Earth as a whole celebrated. It was perfecly timed,after all. The planet Earth had become oversaturated with people, and was on the verge of ecological collapse. Colonizing other planets was a second chance many longed for. To start anew, but with all the technology already developed. It was much easier to build sustainable cities from scratch than to clean up our original planet, or at least that was what they said.\n\nFirst a few groups, then when those prospered, people began leaving by the hundreds of thousands. Humanity spread in bursts, finding planets that could sustain life as they knew. Of course, they were careful to observe their surroundings. Most already had accepted as a fact that it would be statistically improbable to expect there to be no other life in the entirety of the universe. But, for the first few millennia, the only life they would find was microscopic, and even those were rare. The first time extraterrestrial ruins were found, humanity's reaction was one of fear and excitement in equal parts, but that then changed to confusion. Among extensively worked artifacts and intricate painting, the scientists had found the impossible: a single statue identical to the ones found on the Easter Island. \n\nIf the discovery was at first argued to be a forgery, that started to change once another team found another of the heads, but on the other side of the galaxy. Over the next millennia, more and more of said heads were found, always a single head per planet, but seeming to become more frequent the further from Earth they went, until it was on every single planet surrounding Earth, forming an almost perfect sphere.\n\nHumanity eventually used to the heads existence. It was theorized that they were likely from a now extinct extraterrestrial species, and that was it. By now, extraterrestrial ruins were becoming, if not exactly common, not that rare. It was in one of these ruins that the Collection of Nebulus V was found. It consisted of six organic based sheets, covered in intricate drawings and lines. What had called for the scientific community collective interest, however, was the single drawing depicting one of the Easter Island head. It was the first document found of the kind, and they hoped it would have some explanations. The translation, however, was painfully simple. \n\n\"Beware. The area was marked by the Great Confederation as a way to quarantine the most dangerous species of this quadrant. If you see them, run.\"" ]	3
	[WP] A mutation lead to the development of a race of people who can ONLY survive in poisonous and polluted and toxic conditions. Anything clean, healthy, or non toxic is fatal to them. A section of the planet has been domed off, just for them.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "She stood at the edge of the dome, adjusting the special package in her arms. It's like that old Stephen King book, except everyone knows why this massive dome is here. To prevent the earth from purifying itself. To keep the stagnant air circling around and around and collecting dust and pollutants. The door opens slowly - the tech is the same that's been used for years, but bastardized. The airlock flushes clean air around her, replacing it with putrid, foul smelling smog that burns her eyes and lucks. The wind hasn't blow here in decades. \n\nWhen she's finally allowed to step inside, she does so slowly. Everyone in the facility is normal. Or, perhaps that's not politically correct anymore. Everyone in the facilities can leave the dome. She nods to them, before heading through the clean maintenance facility and out the front door. \n\nThere are not a lot of them. Maybe a couple hundred of these unique people, living together. It's not hard for them to work together. It's not hard for them to work at all. Unlike her, slowly pulling a gas mask over her face because the thick hair had become to great a stress on her lungs, these people could breath and function just fine. They could build and work and explore just fine. Except there was nothing to explore, and really, not much to work on. Only to build. Since all plants and animals had to be cared and tended to outside the dome, there was no agriculture. And since there was such a small population in such a unique situation, there was no science program, or research facility. They weren't expected to be a part of society as everyone else knew it. They taught the few young children themselves, they made games for themselves. The general store had a few staff, they had a medical professional from the outside currently working to train twenty or so qualified individuals so that they had immediate access to clinics. \n\nThe rest of them just... built. They did art, and they made music. She could hear it now, when she tilted her head. The sound of a violin, cutting through the dust cloud they called oxygen. \n\nThe streets are near Utopian. Well kept and clean. Cleaner than any outside city she'd ever been to. It was just the air they breathed, and with not much to do, they prided themselves on cleaning everything else up. She passed two kids playing in a park. She hadn't heard of children playing alone in decades. She looked for their parents and saw nobody. \n\nEventually she reached the house she needed, knocking and waiting. When the door opened, she smiled at the man who greeted her. \n\n\"Mavis,\" the man said, nodding and beckoning her inside. \"It's a pleasure to see you again.\"\n\n\"It's a pleasure to see you as well,\" she replied politely, stepping in. \"I'll try and make this quick.\"\n\nHe led her upstairs, to where she could set her package down on the table. He sat down on in a chair, and a minute later, she joined him. \n\n\"Have you been well?\" she prompt, as she opened the package and started putting together the syringe and vaccine. \n\n\"Quite well,\" he agreed. \"This air gave me a cough, but Doctor Lu said it's just an irritation, it'll go away.\"\n\n\"That's good.\"\n\n\"And Jenny from down the street is hosted a party last week, and she makes the best pasta you've ever had.\"\n\n\"That sounds quite enjoyable.\"\n\nShe finished with the syringe, tapping the air bubbles out before motioning for him to give his arm to her. He did, and it was a few seconds and a soft hiss of pain later that she was putting it all away again. \n\n\"Do you think the treatments will work?\" he asked. \n\n\"So far, there's been no sign of any improvement in any subjects, unfortunately,\" she said. \"I'm sorry, we're working as fast as we can.\"\n\n\"It's okay,\" he said cheerily, truly no sound of disappointment. \"I've already gotten used to the smell anyway.\"\n\nShe looked at him, then shook her head slightly and stood up. These people were an experiment gone wrong, but they lived a life anyone would dream of. No taxes, no obligations. Free schooling in some fields, time to make art and sing and dance all day long. So far, not a single instance of crime had been reported - it seems as if they lucked out, and no assholes had gotten the mutation. Who would want to live, sealed off from all of earth's worries?\n\nAnd all they lost was their society. Their culture. Their connection to their species. \n\nOne might resist calling them human, even. \n\n\"I'll be back next month,\" she said, turning to head back down to the door. \n\n\"Okay! See you then Mavis!\" he called. \"Maybe bring some DVDs! They don't import a lot of fun stuff!\"\n\nShe nodded in acknowledgement but hurried out without a word. The air was making her sick.", "It began on September 26, 2030. \n\nWe were living through the highest tension of history between America and China. \n\nAs a result, the United States government decided to create a biological weapon that would target its citizens so they would die as a result of their environment. You see China's pollution were off the charts but the people managed to adapt through years of natural selection. But this weapon they created was supposed to render them vulnerable so they would quickly succumb to the toxic conditions of their environment.\n\nUnfortunately or fortunately if you're a glass half full type of person, the weapon backfired and instead caused anyone that was exposed to it to mutate so that they can only survive in polluted and toxic conditions. \n\nAnd so they ordered it to be destroyed. \n\nUnfortunately the plane that was carrying it crashed into the main source of water in New York exposing all of the state's population.\n\nThe people who lived in the city carried on like any other day already used to the pollution but the people upstate had to have their environment adjusted. \n\nBut since the government didn't want the toxic fumes to spread they decided to create a large dome over New York so the people could live in there happily.\n\n\"Happily.\"\n\nEveryday I wake up to smell the foul smelling fumes that keep me alive.\n\nWhen I go jogging at night I can' see the stars because of all the pollution clouds. \n\nThe food I eat is all processed and greasy because if I even eat anything healthy my body swells up and I end up in the hospital. \n\nI have to admit though.\n\nIt's nice that the government decided to change an entire state's environment just for us. \n\nTake that China.\n\nI'm proud to be an American." ]	3
	[WP] You're a wolf, like any other. But when the full moon comes out, you transform for the night into a human.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "First time i just sat there, not knowing what to do and not wanting to atract any attention. Because of my size, others still could mistake me for a cub, but now i was something different and completly unknown for a life i lived untill today.\n\nWith more moons like this, more consciousness came to me. I wanted to move, to explore. More importantly, to know why is this happening. The night is just a few hours, right? But in those hours i can't fight, i can't hunt, i can't do anything i know how to do. That must be a curse of come sort, because everything it does is puts me in danger. Why me? Is their other cursed one?\n\nSlowly, i figured out how to hide. My hearing is worse than ever, but i manage to catch branches breaking and find a quick cover. For sometime, it worked. It was the only thing, that worked. While hiding, i stumbled upon forest berries. I didn't eat that ones, because i remembered them being a poison to eat. At least, somehow my two states of mind cooperated. I remained alive, but also got a way out of this. \n\nUnfortunately, there is not so many places man hasn't been before, including my forest. In one of my hiding places, i was found. A hiker found me almost right before i was supposed to turn back. I panicked, and ran. Transformation is quick, but painful, so i revealed myself again for the last time by screaming and only then became my true self. When the hiker saw me again, he got scared and fled. Thankfully.\n\nBut the curse continued. And now it lasts longer. I'm watching sunsets standing on two legs right now. That's how you found me." ]	2
	[WP] You're having trouble sleeping. You change your mattress, sheets, and even sleepwear. Nothing works. You decide to film yourself overnight to see what's happening. While reviewing the footage it cuts off. It cuts back, a tall being is carrying you out of your room.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Fear, in the absence of logic, guided my actions that day. I spent the vast majority of the morning watching the video, looping it through repeatedly. I couldn't believe my eyes - it had to be some trick or effect of the camera. This was more than a man sneaking into my room and kidnapping me on a nightly basis - which would have been terrifying enough. The video clearly showed a being at least eight feet tall, very muscularly built, tossing me over its shoulder and walking away. Whatever it was, it had black tendrils growing from its limbs and horns atop its head. I was actually being kidnapped by a demon.\n\nFinally, I dropped the camera and stood with a shudder. What could the creature possibly want with me? Clearly there was something far more sinister than some sacrifice, because it was continually letting me live. Maybe it was slowly draining my blood, which would explain why I was always so groggy when I woke up.\n\nDeciding I needed to clear my mind, I walked outside to get some fresh air. Wandering aimlessly, I found myself at the edge of the woods which surrounded my home town.\n\n\"Maybe a hike will do you some good,\" I muttered to myself as I crossed the tree line. My mind raced as I searched for any possible natural explanation of the events of the previous night. I wanted to believe there was a possibility that a friend was playing a prank on me, but doctoring that footage before I woke would have been excessive. It was vaguely possible that a human was just distorted by shadows, but that still wouldn't explain how they got in or what they wanted with me.\n\nMeandering through the forest, I found myself in a small clearing. A gentle stream trickled to my right. I knew it emptied into a harsh river not too far down the path, but everything seemed so calm in that moment. Everything suddenly made sense to me. I had struggled with sleep paralysis since childhood - how had my mind not come to that conclusion instantly? I was still sleeping, and the tape was just my brain's broken way of explaining the phenomenon. It simply tried to make sense of its inability to sleep, just like it projected images into my room when I was unable to move. In a moment, I would wake up and find myself out of the surreal forest and instead tucked safely in my bed.\n\nI took a deep breath and closed my eyes, willing myself to wake up. When I opened them again, the forest still surrounded me. Groaning, I tried again, but to no avail. My frustration growing, I paced angrily - paying no mind to my path.\n\n\"Why won't you wake up?\" I muttered, pinching myself forcefully. I felt pain, but I wasn't convinced that meant I was awake. My brain was just powerful enough to convince me that I was still asleep - there was no other logical explanation. Finally tearing my mind back to my surroundings, hoping to distract myself, I gazed around the woods. There were definitely worse places where I could be trapped in a dream.\n\nI stumbled upon a campsite a few minutes later. The campers had clearly left, but they'd littered the ground with trash and left a fire burning.\n\n\"Really?\" I groaned angrily. Stomping out the fire, I carefully made sure there were no remaining embers. If this were real, I would at least like to prevent a forest fire. Of course, my perfectionism got in the way, and I found myself cleaning up every piece of trash they'd left, gathering it in a bag. It wasn't the first time I'd been compelled to clean up after campers, so it would make sense for my mind to incorporate this into a dream.\n\nAfter a few more hours, I traipsed back home. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and I slowly lost hope that I was dreaming. Instead, I resolved to stay away that night and face my attacker. As the sun set, I felt myself growing weary, but I forced my eyes open.\n\nAround midnight, I heard a song. From somewhere very near, the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard rang out loud and clear. Entranced, I stepped outside to find a gorgeous woman - the picture of perfection.\n\n\"Hello,\" she greeted with a coquettish smile. I couldn't bring myself to speak, so I just stared at her. Apparently, that was the reaction she was expecting, because she wasn't slightly confused by my stare. Instead, she just gently reached out and touched my face, drawing me into her presence.\n\n\"What are you doing up this late?\" She teased.\n\n\"Waiting for you,\" I finally managed to say. She looked nothing like she did in the video, but I much preferred this form. Still, I knew I had to break out of her trance if I wanted answers.\n\n\"Well, you've found me,\" she flirted. \"What now?'\n\n\"I...\"\n\n\"Follow me,\" she interrupted. \"I'll answer your questions.\"\n\nInstinctively, I obliged. My steps were more reactionary than intentional, but I continued to walk by her side. After a moment, the rush of water screamed from a few hundred feet ahead of me. I continued walking, following the woman toward the rushing river.\n\n\"No!\" A powerful voice asserted, shattering me from my hypnotic state. I stumbled backward as the woman turned around. Her face was blue and distorted, her teeth rotting as she bared them at me and at the hero behind me. I had yet to see who my defender was before he added, \"Not him.\"\n\n\"You have given me free reign of this town,\" the woman spat.\n\n\"I meant to take him, but you came before promised. Not him.\"\n\nMy heart pounding as adrenaline pumped into my bloodstream, I staggered further from the woman until I bumped into a tree behind me. Finally, I turned my head. Barely able to stifle my stream, I backed away from the being behind me. It wasn't a tree, but rather an eight-foot tall man coated in bark and vines. This was what I had seen in my video.\n\nCaught between the two terrifying creatures, I froze, paralyzed with fear. My mind worked faster than my body as it desperately searched for an escape route. It seemed that these two were intending to fight, so maybe I could use the distraction to run. My legs, however, refused to play along with that idea - as the fear had stolen their strength.\n\nThe tree man in front of me gently reached down and scooped me into his arms. The woman stopped her advance, but her face betrayed a rage that she barely tried to hide. As the treant brought me toward the woods, the woman sulked away, sinking into the depths of the waves.\n\n\"Who are you?\" I finally managed to choke through the fear.\n\nWhen he replied, his voice was kind - though still gravelly. He looked down at me and smiled, but his teeth appeared to be constructed of bark as well. The terrifying visage contradicted the heroic nature, but I didn't have much of a choice but to trust him. \"I am Leshy.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n Thanks for reading, and for the prompt. I hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to check out my other stuff, and I'll be opening my own subreddit in a few days here!" ]	2
	[WP] A witch's familiar mistakes you for their dead owner. The familiar continues to pursue you and speak to you from that point on, insistent that you have the same exact smell.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"ya I ... am your master\"you say the the dog creature as you realize it's talking about that witch you fought earlier your brother your twin during the fight you accidentally killed him when you too went all out \nBut you couldn't tell him you were in fear of how he'd react he was a special familiar one that was especially powerful he could kill you so you played along \"so uhh familiar let's go this way\" pointing the opposite of where your brother body laid\nYou kinda teared up thinking about it but held it together \"wait but that brother the criminal you were talking about you said you sensed him that way\" he said pointing his nose towards where it went down \"will I was wrong he's not here\" you said panicking \"but your senses are never wrong\"\nHe said sounding suspicious as he ran the way of your brother you ran the other way until you heard a loud scream as you hear a twigs no trees breaking you look back to see that the familiar doubled in size he opens his mouth a energy starts to form inside as it builds up the blasts out you think your last though as the burning hot energy envelopes your body as it all goes black and you wake up on a cloud with your brother looking down on you with a smug look on his face", "‘She really liked her tea!’ I heard Josh knocking things around the kitchen.\n\n‘Please be careful!’ I called from the porch. \nI was sitting surrounded by at least twenty boxes of Gran’s old things – books, photo albums, scarves and little pouches full of herbs. I suddenly laughed, pulling out a macaroni necklace painted in blue and green. I remember making it for Granny when I was eight or nine. It was the best summer vacation of my life.\n\nI was looking at the old photos when I heard the soft sound of crunching. The wind picked up and I could feel someone’s eyes on me, which wouldn’t be creepy at all if we weren’t in a wood cabin hundred miles from the last sign of civilization.\n\nI slowly turned to see two golden eyes staring at me. Photographs slipped from my hands falling on the wooden floor.\n\nA wolf.\n\nThere was a ginormous grey wolf five feet away staring at me.\n\n‘Josh!’ My voice was a quivering squeal. ‘Josh, hurry, there’s a wolf staring at me.’\n\n‘Very funny, honey,’ I heard Josh rummaging through the kitchen, ‘you know I’m animals-intolerant.’\n\nI closed my eyes for a second. ‘For the umpteenth time, that isn’t a real word…’ I grumbled, my eyes on the animal. \n\nIt was only a few feet away from the door, but I had to stand up and untangle from the blanket. Since running after a cab was all of the physical exercises I practiced in life, it was obvious the wolf would have the upper hand…or paw or something.\n\n‘You have her scent!’ I heard a voice.\n\nThere were two options – I was officially insane, or it was the wolf speaking.\n\nDating Josh appeared to be lethal for my grey cells but I was sure I still had plenty of them to last me until we, at least, return to the city.\n\n‘Don’t be afraid,’ the wolf tilted his head, ‘I am your familiar.’ He took a step forward and I froze.\n\n‘Listen buddy,’ I looked around just to make sure this wasn’t one of Josh’s idiotic jokes, ‘I’m not familiar with you. The last animal I saw was a CGI remake of a cartoon, all right?’\n\nThe wolf huffed and I saw his breath in the winter air. I could swear to God he just snorted.\n\n‘I was Liliana’s familiar, now I am yours.’ He took another step and now he was at the bottom of the stairs. Two more steps and he’d be on the porch. I couldn’t believe being eaten by a wolf would be my demise. Now I regretted all that gluten I didn’t eat.\n\n‘Please stay away!’ I tried to make my voice as firm as possible. \n\n‘Did you say something, hun-bun?’ Josh called from the kitchen.\n\n‘No,’ I said, ‘just talking to that wolf I mentioned.’\n\nThe beast was staring at me with the strangest look in his eyes like he knew every single of my thoughts and every word I have ever spoken.\n\n‘Good for you, love,’ Josh said. I hoped to God he wasn’t trying to fix the toaster. ‘It’s what our Guru says. It is important to speak to your spirit animal.’\n\nI sighed. Maybe being eaten by a talking wolf wasn’t the worst thing in the world.\n\n‘Josh, can’t you just call her Julie?’ I said. He pretended not to hear whenever I said his Guru was in fact Julie from the flat 27 who wasn’t even a yoga master. \n\n‘You can always turn him.’ The wolf suggested.\n\n‘Turn him into what?’ I asked. \n\n‘Any animal of your choice.’ He said and I could swear I saw his teeth flash in the sun. ‘Just make sure he can run very fast and I’ll give him the chase of his life.’\n\nI was talking to a wolf. \nI closed my eyes for a second only to find he was still there when I opened them again.\n\n‘And how would I do that, wolf?’ I asked.\n\n‘I do not know, Marianne, you are the witch. I’m just your familiar.’ I clearly don't have all of the answers.'\n\nI was taking deep calming breaths. Maybe it was because of the stress. I worked too much and Gran’s death really shook me.\n\n‘Hun-bun, there’s no decaf here!’ Josh cried from the kitchen.\n\nI covered my face with my hands. ‘Oh, please shut up!’ I muttered. ‘Just stop taking for five minutes.’\n\nWhen there was nothing but silence I glanced at my talking wolf. He seemed terribly pleased with himself. There was not a sound coming from the kitchen.\n\n‘Oh, my God!’ I jumped from the chair. ‘Josh? Josh, honey?’ I rushed into the house. ‘I’m coming, love! Hang in there.’\n\nr/CrystalElmTales", "The spectral crow lands on my shoulder as I start a fire. Pretending to ignore her, I huddle closer to the flickering flame, and try to enjoy it's warmth. Before I can even have a semblance of relaxation, the bothersome creature intrudes. \"Why didn't you ignite it with a snap of your fingers?\" Rin asked. \n\n\"I am but a rugged, exiled swordsmen,\" I explain, \"why is that so hard for you to believe?\"\n\n\"When is this identity crisis of yours going to end?\"\n\nI don't bother to answer. The night's chill bites at me as I chew on stale bread. Besides me is my broadsword, a finely crafted blade which reminds me of my past. The act of being sacrilegious to the church resulted in my banishment. Forcing myself to not recall the details, I try for sleep. But, of course, I am inturrupted.\n\n\"Why don't you ever cast protection wards? Surely you don't want to fall victim to starving wolves.\"\n\nLosing my temper, I snap. \"Why don't you take a hint? I am not your blasted master! Leave me alone you wretched creature!\"\n\nRin chuckles with humor. Frustration overtakes me. Jumping up, I grab my sword and swing it at the crow's head. She dodges and hovers above me, swooping within range to mock me. \n\n\"Your smell is distinct, but I'm starting to have my doubts. Let me take a peek into your mind.\"\n\nBefore I know what is happening, I have a flashback.\n\nA storm rages. Coldness ensued. The sight of a warm cabin came into view. An elderly woman gave me shelter. Warm soup filled my belly. I started to feel dizzy afterwards. She touched my forehead and mumbled some words.\n\nI exit the trance to see Rin gazing at me. Not knowing what to do, I await to hear what she has to say. \"Oh. I see. It all makes sense now.\"\n\n\"What makes sense, now?\"\n\nRun chuckles again. \"I must finish the body transfer now...\"", "The cat was dark and stout. When it mewed, the sound was frantic and the noise came in\npairs, a brief \"mew-mew.\" there was a patch of brown on its chest, a dark coffee stain\namidst the sea of black. Tiny tufts of white stuck out between each toe, each pointing\nhaphazardly towards destinations unknown.\n\nThe first night that the cat followed me around, I left a saucer of milk out on the\nporch. My old roommate had told me, long ago, that this was a bad idea, that cats weren't\nactually supposed to drink milk. I figured screw it, if a black cat is going to follow me\naround town this close to Halloween, I could be as clichéd as I wanted to be.\n\nIt wasn't until the cat spoke to me that I started to freak out. We were out on the front\nporch of my house, the sun setting off to the west.\n\nHer first words were, and I quote, \"you're looking plump.\"\n\nI stared, my mouth dragging along the ground and the spoonful of ice cream halfway to my\nface dripping into my lap. The cat licked herself thoughtfully.\n\nI managed to choke out a single word: \"what?\"\n\nShe stopped her thought process and looked at me.\n\n\"You look plumper than a few days ago, that's all.\"\n\nI looked off to the side, to where the cameras surely sat at middle distance, filming my\nreaction as I got pranked. The cat was still there, still licking herself when I looked\nback.\n\n\"So, anyway,\" she went on, \"I was talking to Raistlin the frog the other night, and he\nwas telling me that there's a party tonight and that practically the whole coven is\ngoing. I'm bored and we should go.\"\n\nShe was making eye contact with me by now, but still showing me her crotch and still\nconfusing the fuck out of me.\n\n\"I'm sorry, but since when do you make plans for me?\" I asked. \"More to the point, since\nwhen do you, a cat, make any plans at all?\"\n\n\"You know I'm an organizer, Mehreen,\" she said, walking across my porch to sit down in\nfront of me.\n\n\"Who?\" At this point, the cat clearly had the conch, and it was all I could do to manage\nto speak.\n\n\"Are you feeling okay? You've been acting kind of strange.\"\n\n\"My name isn't Mehreen,\" I said, realizing that my ice cream could probably wait and\nsetting it aside. \"And, you and I just met, so it's not like you have a reference point\nfor how strange I'm supposed to act.\"\n\nShe blinked. \"Sure I do,\" she said, \"and your name might not be Mehreen, but you're still\nclearly her, you know? You have the exact same scent.\"\n\n\"Okay, but that doesn't... what does that have to do with anything?\" I asked.\n\n\"Here, let's try an experiment,\" the cat said, jumping onto the seat next to me.\n\"Concentrate very hard on feeling like you're flying. Like you're practically about to\nfloat off into the wild blue yonder.\"\n\nI don't know if it was the cat's words, or if this was all a dream, or what the hell was\ngoing on. But as soon as she said that, I could feel myself starting to rise off the\nbench. It felt like the whole world was a shitty minivan and god had just driven it off\nthe top of a hill. After a moment of my gut dropping out from underneath me, I settled\nback down onto the bench.\n\n\"See? You're just as magical as Mehreen was. No one at the party is a stranger to the\npassing along of souls into new somata. So, let's get going, I don't want to miss the\nopening rites.\"\n\nI looked at the cat. I looked down at the bench. I laughed a bit, almost cackling.\n\n\"Okay, kitty, let's get going,\" I said, and we walked off to join our brethren.", "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Again, all witches are female. If I’m a male then I’d be a warlock, but it doesn’t matter because I can’t use magic.” Gregor said before heaving the axe above his head then crashing it down through a bolt of wood.\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“You have the same smell, so I don’t care.” The bituminous colored cat with dead porcelain eyes stated. “I am my master’s familiar, and I can find her anywhere. If you have her smell, then you are my master. I will not leave your side. If you have the scent, then you can use magic. You are doubly wrong, as wrong as an adroit spellcaster masquerading as a lame woodcutter in my opinion.”\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gregor’s head fell, and he heaved a heavy breath while wiping the sweat from his brow. “We’ve been at this for three days now. I’m not your master. I’ve been a Woodcutter all me life, and I don’t intend on following you nowhere to finish some blasted ritual.”\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“But you must come. We were so close, and the instability of an unfinished ritual such as that will result in calamities for the surrounding area that could destroy the project entirely.” The cat stated while rising from its haunches and stepping towards Gregor, its tail now flitting wildly to and fro. \n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“And again, it’s not my bloody research.” Gregor reluctantly repeated as he grabbed another bolt to place on the chopping block. The log released a pleasing crack as the axe split it in two. “I’ve asked a thousand times, and I’ll ask a thousand more, go away. I’m already not thought highly of. I don’t need people now thinking I’m daft because I’m buggered by a talking cat.”\n \n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The cat inched even closer to Gregor, now squatting lightly. “Hmmm.” It hummed while eyeing Gregor. “I’ve been patient these last few days, but we do have an agreed procedure for this. Forgive me master.”\n \n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“What?” Was what Gregor managed to say before having his face smothered in a ball of fur. “Ahck. Ah. Get off you.” He yelled while the familiar dug its claws into his shirt and its teeth into his left ear. “Ah. Have you gone mad?” He screamed. He reached up and grabbed the hackles of the beast, ripping it from his body along with a respectable piece of his ear. It screeched as it flew through the air then landed with a solid thud against the ground.\n \n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gregor bent over in pain. He cupped his hand against his mangled ear that was pouring out blood. The blood trickled down his left side, effusing his face and shirt in a fine crimson. “I can’t believe you’ve done this. What was that for?” He asked while pulling his shirt over his had and pressing it against his ear to staunch the bleeding.\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The cat rose from the ground, rocking its body to dust itself off from the traumatic flight. It looked at Gregor a moment then tilted its head in a mix of perplexion and curiosity. “Well then, my, my, that is a development. Shame it took me three days. I hope you’re not disappointed in me. How long have you had that scar on your chest?”\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He glanced down at his chest where the jagged red scar was traced down his sternum then back at the cat, his eyes twisted in dismay. “Since I was a lad, as long as I can remember. Why does that matter?”\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The cat nodded, striding closer to Gregor again while nodding. “Yes, indeed quite the development. A deal struck once before, and I offer you another one now. You wish for me to no longer bother you, and I wish to have my master. I can guarantee that we both get what we want. I just need you to do what I say, and I promise once all is said and done that you may return to your mundane life of mutilating felled trees. Do we have a deal?”\n \n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gregor paused a moment, mulling over the possible consequences. “Can I ask one more thing?”\n \n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Name it.” It retorted.\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Can you fix my ear too. If you have magic and all.” He said while gesturing at the dampening scrap of his shirt.\n \n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Child’s play. I assure once all is remedied, we can restore that as well. So, we have a deal?”\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He nodded, “Aye we do.” The cat leaped onto his good shoulder, much less violently and painfully than earlier, but nonetheless startling Gregor slightly. “You can’t fix it now?”\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“No, I’m afraid you must wait, master. Now, onto the Mortician swamp. If you must be rid of me, our journey starts there.”\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gregor’s eyes widened. “They Mortician swamp is over two days' journey from here.”\n \n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Then I suggest you prepare for the journey. You do wish to resolve this as much as I, correct?”\n \n\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gregor nodded again, “Aye.” He said, feeling exasperated and wondering if he made a good deal.\n\n>As always, any and all feedback is welcomed and appreciated. If you liked this, check out my other works and consider subscribing to my subreddit r/reconwrites." ]	6
	[WP] You and your tech expert friends find yourself transported to the DnD world you were just playing. Unfortunately as yourselves not as your characters. With no combat skills or magic you have to survive with your advanced technical knowledge.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It sounded like a bad joke. \"A CS Triage Lead, a DevOps Architect, a Splunk specialist and an intern walk into a bar...\"\n\nIt felt like a lifetime ago, even though it had only been a few months. \n\nI was just about to graduate with my engineering degree. My boss had all but offered a job out of college. I was already taking on projects and integrations fit for a member of the team, as opposed to the run of the mill ticket curation I'd been grinding away on for the last few months.\n\nI'd worked my ass off. Any moment I had away from the ticket queue was spent on learning how to Flask-wrap existing applications into REST API calls, managing and developing containerized applications, deploying new CI/CD pipelines on top of existing automated processes... I tried to identify gaps in our admittedly understaffed team and worked to become knowledgeable in those gaps. \n\n\"Always a pleasure, Mr. Crow!\"\n \nSilly me. I had assumed they needed a multi-purppse developer who could either work on internal integrations or hop on call as a defacto Sales Engineer to assuage any questions customers had about our product. \n\nTurns out, what the team needed was someone to run customer experience, marketing, sales, and ordering for magically-infused humanoids who wanted to purchase magically-infused weaponry, armor, and tools. \n\n\"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Archibald. I'm sure you're aware that we had to increase the prices this time around due to the steel embargo from Durandil.\"\n\n\"Of course I'm aware!\" the Dragonborn-warforged-merchant hybrid thing cried angrily, \"They've single-handedly drove my bottom line through the roof! These silly nobles have no ideas how their political games harm honest men such as you and I, do they?\"\n\nI was pretty sure he was Neutral Evil. He was a special type of NE, in the sense he was so enraptured in his own wealth that he couldn't fathom how his stranglehold and price gouging of various food products are what caused Durandil to crack down on trade with us in the first place.\n\n\"Very true, sir. It's been difficult on us as well, but we are doing our best in spite of their foul play. Your order of-\"\n\nA large hand clapped down on my shoulder, and my bones did groan. My magic-less limbs were not exactly fit for such familiar contact.\n\n\"Rest assured, Mr. Crow, this dirty business with Durandil will be solved very soon.\"\n\nThat was merchant-speak for 'I've hired a group of adventurers to solve the problem.' I'd laugh if it weren't for the irony in it - I had taken part in many such adventures of my own, and if he only knew how inept most 'adventurers' were and how his entire fortune was at the mercy of a few dice rolls...\n\nI wonder what they'd think, if those adventurers were us. We had just finished up work for the day, set out our miniatures, and were just about to begin...\n\n\"Of course, Mr. Archibald. I'm glad to hear it. Will you be here next week?\"\n\n\"Friday, as agreed.\"\n\nWe parted ways, and I slunk back into my chair. I was very envious of my War Cleric's ability to stand against powerful magical presences with such fortitude. Appearances are everything in this world, and our little startup's mystique, efficiency, and image is built upon being affable in the face of power.\n\n\"Fingerling! You finally done?\"\n\n\"The job is never done.\"\n\n\"Then why you work so slow? You talk, talk, talk but never actually close them down!\"\n\nThat was my nickname. The joke was I was so young, and my experience was so small compared to them that I may as well have been a fingerling potato.\n\n\"Don't you have shit to do, old man?\" \n\nA scoff was the response. Besides deploying complex infrastructure using a combination of Chef and Terraform, he was a 3D-printing nut, car engine junkie, and generally loved smashing metal stuff together until they worked. He had a lot of fun working with conjurers to create our production lines. \n\nI took a swig of endless water from my cup of endless water as a swivel chair of endless rolling rolled down the hallway. \n\n\"Good job Fingerling! Is he always that way?\"\n\nYou could call him our Splunk guy, but in this world he's in charge of logistics, analytics, and market trends. He likes anime and video games, and I do too. He took collegiate Calc3 in junior year of high school. I didn't do that. \n\n\"He's an NE merchant.\"\n\n\"Ooh, so he hires adventures to further his goals, but the adventurers learn that he's actually evil and does evil things, and then turn against him in the final battle?\" \n\nBefore I interject, Frank chimed in \"And then we absorb his assets, as the morally good and not-evil-overlord run business that we are?\" \n\nCS Triage lead. Every customer ticket went through his hands. He hates people, generally speaking. I don't really blame him either. \n\nI walked over to the door and clicked a button. Magical emblems shone over the mahogany before fading away. Even the most basest forms of magic were always so flashy. I always though illusion magic was way more interactive and fun. Hell, find me someone who can use Prestidigitation creatively over Fireball any day. \n\nI went to our break room. Conjured taylor ham wrapped in conjured iceberg lettuce sandwiched by conjured rye bread in an endless Refrigerator of endless food. \n\nSee, here's the rub. My team and I, we weren't typical DnD players. We were all veterans of it - we've played every campaign, we've fought every baddie, we've puzzled every puzzle, and outwit every wit. We'd ask ourselves after each endeavor, \"What would happen if we were in this world?\" \n\nWhen you take five Engineer-by-day, veteran DnD min-maxers and drop them into a city of opportunity like this? \n\nWell... \n\nWe kind of take over the place." ]	2
	[WP] "You-You're not human..." they say with sudden realisation. Before you can say anything the person you have just rescued faints into your arms.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The look on Tim's face could best be described as \"offended\". He understood that his tattoos might give a sort of demonic air when they were activated, but he never liked people thinking he was less or more than a man. It was also true that he was currently sporting a pair of Ram's horns, but that was no fault of his own. Training a young elemental mage always had risks, and his young apprentice had made a slip-up while trying to summon a creature. \n\n\nShe wanted help to help her get her ball out of a tree. She had done a good job of the prep work, but was still too young to focus exactly on what she needed. She wanted someone tall like Tim or nimble like a mountain goat. What she got was an exasperated Tim with goat horns and banned from his personal library.\n\n\nHe sighed as he eased the rather large man down onto a bench. He would have to have a talk with Baba Olga. Far too many residents were not fully wiped of their powers. Mr. Leeds could still cast detection spells. He often did at Tim, then would freak out at what he saw. Ms. Periwinkle could still call song birds to her hand. Said hand was behind bullet proof glass windows, and Tim was getting tired of cleaning up their corpses.\n\n\nNow Mr. Gorrum had seen through Tim's glamour. He knew it was working because the new girl, Ms. Kelsy, had not yet run screaming from the room. She did, however, look horrified at what Mr. Gorrum had just said. She began apologizing for the man, but was stopped by a raised hand.\n\n\n\"No worries, Ms. Kelsy.\" Tim stopped her. \"You might not see me around here much, but I was an orderly here for almost ten years before Ms. Olga snatched me up for the outreach program. I am used to the little eccentricities our patients have.\"\n\n\nShe still stammered out an apology while Tim took Mr. Gorrum's vitals. His was one of the saddest cases he had worked on since joining Walker's Home and Baba Olga's Outreach. Thoigh the man before him looked about eighty, he was actually only seventeen. He had tried summoning something, and it had gone wrong. Tim frowned, and just managed to stop his hand from feeling the horns on his head. Lily was quite powerful, and if she wasn't careful she might end up like Mr. Gorrum one day.\n\n\nAs he and Ms. Kelsy finished up, a thought hit him. He would have to get permission, but he thought a visit to Walker's Home might be just the thing to get Lily to understand how dangerous summoning could be.", "Faye rolled her eyes at the man's reaction. She had hoped he would have a different response than most, having seen the lengths she'd go to in the name of the people of this realm. Alas, one look at her oversized, yellow eyes and elongated limbs and he'd panicked like all the rest.\n\nShe used one of those arms, thick with corded muscle and covered in the blood and scars of this battle and many before it, to lift him onto her shoulder. She was certainly a sight to behold; This beast of a woman, too tall at first glance, gripping a longsword made small by her hand. Her gaze was the first thing anyone noticed about her. Her eyes were huge, enough to warp her skull to fit them, and a brighter yellow than is seen in even predatory cats. At second glance, it became clear that she wasn't tall so much as her limbs were simply too long, and tipping them were hands and feet that would be much better placed on an ape than a human. Adding to the visage was the thick, matted hair tied back in a ponytail. It likely hadn't seen a brush in as long as she'd been alive. Add to that the grime of weeks with only natural water sources for any kind of bath, and you had what most people would simply call a monster.\n\nBut as much of a sight as she was to behold, Faye was nothing compared to the sight she'd left in her wake. Behind her, a village burned. The sanguine skinned beasts that had been responsible, short and stout and spitting fire and venom, lay strewn across the dirt and grass that once marked the commonly walked paths of the village. Their summoners were dead. This hadn't been Faye's doing; she hadn't needed to. When it came down to it, they were just stupid humans that didn't understand what they were doing.\n\nGripping her longsword in one hand, using the other to keep the sole survivor of this attack stable on her shoulder, Faye left the scene behind her. She didn't blame the man for fainting, nor did she do this for recognition, or expect praise for saving just one person in an entire village. A part of her, though, yearned for someone to recognise that she was trying.\n\nAfter all, a part of her was only human." ]	3
	[WP] At birth everyone is blessed by the gods of the earth with a soulmate. There are three different ways of finding your soulmate. But you have never wanted one, even though you’ve always had one. You felt like your whole like was planned. Then, you found your soulmate, but you have two.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"This is awkward,\"\n\n\"Yep.\"\n\n\"Probably would have been less awkward if you had called me even once after that night. Fuck, even a text would have been nice,\"\n\nThe women on the next table look over with concern, never once letting go of each others hands. Ugh soul mates, I get it you are eternally happy, let the rest of us have our fun.\n\n\"I mean come on trying to run away when you saw me, how old are y-\"\n\n\"Here come our coffees, yay.\"\n\nThe barista drops off two espressos, catches the vibe, and scurries off without a word. She flashes them a smile and a belated thank you at their rapid retreat. Classic her, could be having the worst day, but damned if it would ever stop her being polite to people. She turns back and the smile instantly vanishes.\n\n\"I should have known really, you were always a bit of a prick, so determined to be unique and forging your own path. Fucks sake, you didn't even go to the Oracle when we were sixteen!\"\n\nThe women turn around again, now more because of the profane behaviour they had overheard rather than the language.\n\n\"Circe please, could you keep it down a little bit this town is full of proper full on acolytes you know\"\n\nLeaning back she appraises me with a mild look of disdain, crossing her arms she eventually gives a mild nod of acquiescence.\n\n\"If I knew you'd object to my language so much I would have been a lot quieter on Saturday,\" she says with a smirk.\n\nDespite her ambushing me on my way to another date, dressing me down in public, and frog marching me to the nearest café, this draws a laugh from me. Again that infuriating smirk from across the table '1-0 to me” she's probably thinking. A quick sip of espresso to steady the ship.\n\n“I'm just glad you were comfortable enough to express yourself is all,” a slight turn up at the corner of the mouth, 1-1 lets go boys.\n\n“Besides I seem to remember you also being with the rest of us unique pricks in that 'counselling' sesh, not much of a high horse there, more of an elevated donkey really,”\n\n“Well unlike you Mr Laertides, I didn't make a big fu – sorry, big fiddlesticking show of not going in front of everyone,”\n\n“It was a political protest!”\n\n“It was a sixteen year old idiot swinging his little metaphorical penis about”\n\n“I didn't hear any complaints about my liter-”\n\n“Don't even think about finishing that sentence.”\n\n“Besides Ophelia told me you threw a comparably spirited protest at the Equinox Scrying,”\n\n“She told you that did she?” A raised eyebrow. Fuck, over played my hand, me and Ophie were never particularly friendly in public.\n\n“Relax, it was before she met Alexander,”\n\n“Oh that's nice, wouldn't want you to be immoral now would we,” she regrets it even as the last words come out, a low blow and she knows it. We didn't do anything wrong, and neither did her and I, regardless of what the elders might think. An awkward silence envelopes us, funny at the start of this conversation all I wanted was for her to shut up, now its unbearable.\n\n“Sorry, it's just I'm not usually that kind of girl,”\n\n“A) I don't particularly care about what kind of girl you are, B) we didn't do anything wrong so why are you apologising?”\n\n“Yeah I know, just sometimes it gets too much, all this pressure to find the one, such bullshit. You know Philip went to some island in French Polynesia to find his? The Oracle told him and away he went, two planes and then he literally sailed the last leg.”\n\n“At least it will stop him from moaning about his loneliness all the time, nights out with him were unbearable. Can you imagine if he heard it wrong or the Oracle got it wrong, going all that way when the love of his life was patiently wasting his time in Marseilles or something?”\n\n“I know right?!” we lean in conspiratorially and I am uncomfortably aware of her breath on my cheeks, how close our lips are, just a little turn and -\n\n“Between you and me I hate this whole soul-mate thing,”\n\n“Exactly, as if the gods are going to take the time to go through all 8 billion of us and pair us up, I mean up until a few years ago they apparently didn't do gay pairings!”\n\n“I don't even think they exist sometimes,” she whispers, our eyes meet and there is some fear in hers, but behind it an intoxicating excitement.\n\n“Abel says he saw Kali when he was trekking around Nepal,”\n\n“Abel is a moron at the best of times, but yeah sure he saw a goddess on a trek he had to leave early, who would've thought that alcohol at high altitude would have more of an effect?”\n\n“Remember when Violet swore she saw Pan after our graduation party, didn't you find her tripping absolute balls talking to a tree,”\n\n“Haha oh my god she was such a wreck, though I did ask Cleo to help me bring her back and look at them now,”\n\n“I guess,” we sit back, defeated by the gods once again showing their power over our lives.\n\n“It's just I don't want to live my life if its being controlled by someone else,” she rests her head on a hand, her hair cascading over one side of her face. She blows a little to get a few strands out her eyes and my heart starts beating a little faster. I match her, leaning forward, casually trying to flex my arms as much as possible.\n\n“I get what you mean, there has to be more to life than following this one set path,”\n\n“You know my parents were soul mates, apparently. They'd argue and separate all the time, but always came crashing back together. They both wanted to end it, I could tell, but they felt that fate would not allow it. So they were stuck, they still are, in this never-ending cycle,” her smile is still there, but it barely goes past her mouth, I want more than anything to reach across and hug her. Instead I draw a deep breath.\n\n“My father is still alone you know,”\n\n“I'm sorry, he and your mum were always so nice to us,”\n\n“I know, and I know my mum was an incredible person, he's probably the only one in the world that loves her more than I do, but does he deserve this? To spend the rest of his life alone, just left with her memory, at this point its basically a ghost. And I mean my mum, if she is up there would she be happy seeing this, the man she loved wasting away all by himself. I just, I don't know, its not fair; to him, to her, to anyone,” I take a breath, halting my tirade. Wordlessly she reaches across and holds my hand, I squeeze it lightly and its warmth races up my arm.\n\n“I just, I want to have my own life before some wanker from up high on a mountain starts dictating what I do. And even if I do have a soulmate I want to find my own way to her, you know, so I can stand in front of her a self made man who made his own mistakes and learned from them. And you know what, even if I don't have a soul mate who cares? At the end of the day I can stand tall and say at least I loved myself,” she squeezes my hand in agreement, and our eyes meet once more. There is a warmth there now, a comforting one, one I don't want to leave. Was she always like this? High and mighty Circe, with her loyal coven following her every command. Perhaps, my own cowardice to afraid to try and dig beneath, hers too, until alcohol swooped in to do the job for us.\n\n“You are a surprisingly good man Odysseus, I wish we had talked like this sooner,” I smile and nod, our fingers still interlocked.\n\n“But I am glad we are talking now, because I have something to tell you,”\n\nPerhaps the gods do exist, they are crafty bastards if they do." ]	2
	[WP] Eventually humanity figures out that blackholes are actually part of long discarded intergalatic wormhole system. What they don't realize is the system was discarded because it takes 750 human years for things to exit. You are the first Earth team to come out.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The fabled first contact they’d been preparing for ended up being with a tired wormhole gate toll collector and and the gate’s maintenance crew. Most of the crew was more than a little disappointed. Via a translaton method that wasn’t immediately identifiable, the harmonic vibrations played when the gate worker’s cricket like limbs rubbed together became streams of feeling, not words, roughly conveying that he’d reported their arrival to his higher ups. ‘The crew is not going to be harmed, just marked as a new sentient species in the region.’ Rather than the military greeting Captain Carr was expecting, a second, single cricket like being arrived to escort them to what turned out to be the local sector’s transportation office. \n\nAfter a quick study of the UN Starship Gaia’s star maps and a diagnostic of the ship’s capabilities, alien officials advised just how long it had taken the ship to travel through the worm hole. Captain Carr himself nearly fainted. Roughly 750 years, Earth time. ‘Likely due to a glitch with the wormhole gate the maintenance crew was actually disassembling upon your arrival, sorry. Nobody knew there was possible sentient life coming that route. The region had been surveyed and logged as barren, upon last check a few hundred thousand years ago. But there are faster methods of travel, if you’d like to return home.’ \n\nThe Crickets - no human could harmonise their real name - didn’t even know if there was even human life to go back to. The next survey date for that sector wasn’t scheduled for another few thousand years. Apparently the Crickets lived for millennia. For all Carr and the Gaia knew, the Earth could have finally purged herself of their many-greats grandchildren. Or they could have all abandoned their home planet for space, as had been the original purpose of Gaia’s research mission. \n\nThere were three suicides reported to the bridge within the first 24 hours after the news was broken to the crew. Full A.I. monitoring is implemented for all capable spaces, and three man watch teams only enter the ”dark” spaces when necessary. After one whole team incinerated themselves in the main engine room, the dark spots are locked down entirely. It’s still unclear if it was intentional, but regardless, engineering couldn’t get anything done without the Cheng present, providing direct supervision at all times. Tensions ran high.\n\nAfter a few weeks of malcontent and ever increasingly creative suicides, rather than allow the complete collapse of what might have been the last of human society, and Gaia’s military discipline, Carr proposes an unprecedented vote. Attempt to return home to an Earth they don’t know or might not even exist anymore, or continue into the sector to find a new home. 2512 votes to 567, the crew of the Gaia decides to go home. The Crickets bring them to a newer gate, that should only take about an Earth year to get them home. In a blink, the Gaia is gone, on her way back into familiar, yet unknown space.\n.\n.\n.\ni hope this is okay. when inspiration hits, i just follow the flow, and i don’t do much editing if i’m doing short prompts, or i’d never post anything. as it is, i almost never do anyway lol\n\nalso: Cheng is naval slang for Chief Engineer." ]	2
	[WP] After dying you, an experienced pharmacist, resurrect in the 14h century in central europe at the peak time of the plague. You have the knowledge to help cure all people however you happen to be the butler of an influential noble and having employees performing witchcraft would ruin his image.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "One night as I was driving home from a party, a drunk driver crashed into me. I felt brief, intense pain, and woke up in a fairy-tale forest. It was eerily quiet and nobody was around. The place was beautiful, but...unfamiliar. It didn't look right. I shouted for help for a while, picked a direction, and started walking. Eventually I found a stream and followed that. Water was bound to lead to people eventually...if there were any.\n\nAfter walking some miles, I started to see footprints- but they weren't the boots or sneaker prints one usually saw along park trails. I started to smell wood-smoke, and eventually I came upon a sort of village. The houses were tiny. There was a bigger house in the middle of it all. Horses and cows grazed nearby, and I saw hens here and there. It all looked rather dirty. I frowned, confused. Was this some historical re-enactment? There were no cars, no power lines, just livestock and grubby looking people working in the fields...in period dress. They seemed bent over, despondent. Odd for a living history museum.\n\nThen it hit me. I'd heard no planes. No engines of any kind. When the power goes out in your house it's eerily quiet because none of the mechanicals are going- HVAC, fridge, electronics, all silent. Even then you still hear planes. But here it was as quiet as the first days after 9/11. I heard only the birds.\n\nWhile I pondered this, someone grabbed me roughly and snarled, \"Who the Hell are you?\" I startled at the man's iron grip, tried to yank myself away, but couldn't. He was rough looking, muscular, and armed. It took me a moment to parse what he'd said.\n\n\"I'm lost!\" I blurted. \"Where am I?\" The man blinked.\n\n\"What did you say?\" he said, eyes narrowing. German. He was speaking German. After a fashion. I was still pretty young when Grandpa had died, and I'd never been fluent in the first place. The man's words had an extra layer of strange to them. I took a deep breath, thought it over.\n\n\"I'm lost,\" I said carefully and slowly. \"I mean you no harm. I have no weapons. Would you please stop trying to break my wrists?\" The rough-looking man looked me over. I was wearing a nice, brightly colored summer dress and his eyes lingered on the sapphires on my hands and my gold pendant. To say I stuck out from this crowd would be an understatement. I was also a lot paler- pharmacists worked a lot of hours and I was diligent with my sunscreen. My captor regarded my hands more closely. Also, to be blunt...he stank. This guy got plenty of exercise and not nearly enough showers. I started to get a sinking feeling in my stomach.\n\n\"Where did you come from?\" he said, his voice a bit more polite.\n\n\"Very far from here,\" I answered. \"You won't have heard of the place.\" The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there, popped up in my head. \n\n\"Are you fleeing the plague?\" he asked. \"Er...no...\" \n\n\"How did you get here?\" he pressed.\n\n\"I don't know!\" I cried. \"For all I know it's the fairies fucking around!\" This earned a small snort from my captor. By this time we were attracting glances from others around the village.\n\n \"Your accent is very strange,\" he noted. \n\n\"And yours isn't?!\" I shot back. A look of irritation flashed in his eyes. I would have to be careful. \n\n\"You are here alone?\" he asked. After slight hesitation, I nodded. I wasn't going to be able to bluff on that one. \n\n\"That will not do,\" he said. \"Come with me.\" He led me toward the large house. \"Where are we going?\" I asked.\n\n \"To meet with Lord Endres,\" he replied. \"You can explain yourself to him.\" \"What's your name?\" I asked. The man hesitated a long moment. \"Lukas,\" he said finally. He glanced the question at me. \"Elsebeth,\" I told him. My accent was strange to him; my name didn't have to be. When in Rome...we garnered a lot of stares as we neared the manor house. My dress being sleeveless probably did not help. Lukas led me through the back door and into the kitchens. He sent a passing servant girl to fetch the lady of the manor, Gredechin.\n\nWhile I waited, I glanced around the kitchen. The place, plainly speaking, was a mess. Dirty pots and old food lay everywhere. No one had been cooking. There was no running water; just a bucket or two nearby. The fire was barely going. A middle-aged woman in relatively nice clothing appeared. She looked like one who'd been rode hard and put away wet- she was exhausted. Lukas made brief introductions and remained nearby. Lady Gredechin had caught my reaction to the kitchen.\n\n\"Our cooks succumbed to the plague a few days ago,\" she explained. \"We're having trouble hiring more servants. And I have been busy with my daughter, Margreth...who has also fallen ill with the plague.\" I paled. Lady Gredechin added, \"If you were trying to find refuge, you have come to the wrong region.\" She went through the motions of offering some food and hospitality. She glanced down at the bread she brought over. \"So much for this loaf...\" Lady Gredechin said with a resigned sigh. \"I will have to make more.\" I gasped. The mold was a very encouraging shade of blue. \"Your daughter is ill?\" I pressed.\n\nLady Gredechin nodded miserably. \"We lost her older brother a month ago.\" Tears welled in her eyes. I took the bread board from her hands very carefully. Lady Gredechin started to weep. \"The doctors can do no more!\" she said. \"How have I offended God so much?!\"\n\nI set down the bread board gingerly. \"The plague has cut down people in many countries, of different faiths,\" I said. \"The good and the evil alike. I'm sure neither you nor your family has offended God so much.\" Lady Gredechin kept weeping. Who wouldn't, in her situation? Lukas looked plenty uncomfortable at seeing the lady of the house like this. He gave me the pleading do something look that needed no translation.\n\n\"Er....perhaps I can help?\" I offered. \"I've studied medicines... in my homeland, that's my job,\" I said. I was a pharmacist, not a doctor, but my knowledge was still miles ahead of this time. The lady of the house pulled herself together again. \"Your accent is very strange,\" Lady Gredechin noted.\n\n\"This isn't my native tongue,\" I said. \"For something closer to it, you'd have to go to England.\" Closer was relative; have you ever tried to read Chaucer straight up? I continued, \"I can make something that might help your daughter and others. But...I will need your help.\" \n\n\"How so?\" Lady Gredechin asked. \n\n\"I have...an aversion to the medicine in question,\" I explained. \"It is poisonous to around one in one hundred people. Maybe one in ten will have a bad reaction to it but survive. I am among the one in one hundred.\" I pointed to the blue mold on the bread. \"It is not safe for me to touch that, but I need to make medicine with it.\" \n\n\"You work with medicines, but they are poisonous to you?\" Lady Gredechin said skeptically. \n\n\"Only to this one,\" I said. \"My...homeland has many many medicines, and this one comes ready-made by others where I work.\" \n\n\"This will help Margreth?\" the lady clung hard to the idea. \n\n\"It's not a sure thing,\" I said. \"But it's your best hope at this point.\"\n\nTo be continued later...", "\"Leeches! My beautiful leeches will set your humors back into balance!\" \n\nAlan rolled his eyes, hearing the spectacle that was being put on in the other room. He remembered reading about plague doctor's practices in history class, but hearing it being taken seriously in real life was a bit soul crushing. It was kind of funny at first, but now it just made him sad, knowing that people actually believed in such absurd medical theories. It made him even sadder to think about how many people were being killed by these medicines.\n\nHe considered himself lucky, as he happened to be resurrected and under the employ of Lord Isaac, a rare nobleman who actually cared about other people. Funding a hospital that appeared to be run by plague doctors, caring for the unfortunate plague victims. However, these doctors were only for show. Alan was the one who was actually curing the sick behind the scenes. He knew Lord Isaac was a religious man, but lucky for him (and their patients), the nobleman happily risked possible eternal damnation in letting his butler secretly perform witchcraft.\n\nBefore he could get too lost in his thoughts, Alan stepped into the room. Lying on the bed was a young woman, early signs of the Black Death staining her appearance. She drowsily watched the doctor pack his leeches back into their jars. This plague doctor happened to be Cicero, the only other person under Lord Isaac's employ who knew about Alan and his \"witchcraft\". While Cicero was eccentric, he seemed trustworthy enough. He was curious about Alan's methods, and tried his best to understand and learn them. But 21st century medicine is a bit difficult for someone born and raised in the 14th century to grasp.\n\nCicero started to scuffle out of the room. He turned his ghastly bird beak toward Alan and quietly cackled \"She's ready for your dark magic, Dr. Butler.\" Faking a smile, Alan closed the door once Cicero was out of the room. \n\nHe took a seat next to the bed. The young woman looked at him, barely able to keep her eyes open. As per ritual, Cicero had already given her the sedatives. \"Who are you?\" she mumbled sleepily.\n\nAlan was already putting his gloves on. \"I'm a real doctor, and I'm going to cure you.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n(Sorry this isn't that great, it's the first thing I have written in a looooong time :'D Also I know this is probably super historically inaccurate haha, but whatevs, it's for fun)" ]	3
	[WP] You are a news reporter and have arrived at the crime scene. You describe how the victim was killed and explain what time the cause of death was. However, the police quickly realise that (you) the reporter know too much information, making you a prime suspect.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Interview Log █████████ - A\n\nCase: Councilman ████, murder\n\nSuspect: █████████ , █████████\n\nInterrogator: Officer █████████\n\nThe following is a transcription of the primary suspect in the murder of Councilman ████ on ██/██/20██. Suspect █████████ was identified as a reporter who arrived at the scene shortly after 911 was called by a neighbor. Hereafter, the Subject will be referred to as Suspect, and the interviewing officer as Officer. \n\nOfficer: Please state your name and date of birth for the record. \n\nSuspect: My name is █████████. Is this really necessary?\n\nOfficer: Date of Birth please. \n\nSuspect: sighs ██/██/19██.\n\nOfficer: Thank you. Now, can you please explain to me again what you saw at the crime scene. \n\nSuspect: Sure. When I arrived at the scene, the police were everywhere, even the commissioner so I knew it had to be a high profile case. I peeked around the police tape and saw Councilman ████ lying in a pool of his own blood.\n\nOfficer: Right. And then you flagged down an officer saying you knew what happened didn't you?\n\nSuspect: That's right.\n\nOfficer: And what Details did you give to the Officer? \n\nSuspect: I told them what I was able to figure out. \n\nOfficer: Which was?\n\nSuspect: That Councilman ████ was stabbed at about 2300 first, which indicates a mugging gone wrong. His wallet was 10 feet away and there were gunshot wounds. The size of the wounds indicate that the bullet was roughly .22 caliber, with lethal shots to the abdomen and upper chest. \n\nOfficer: Right. And you sussed that out just from looking at the scene right? \n\nSuspect: Yes, that's right. \n\nOfficer: How did you come about knowing this?\n\nSuspect (Confused): By looking at the scene. \n\nOfficer: Mr. █████████, I want you to explain something to me please. How were you able to ascertain these things simply by looking at the scene of the crime. \n\nSuspect: I just knew, ok. Look, either charge me or let me go because I really need to - \n\n(At this point, the suspect freezes and his eyes go wide as he stares at the officer.)\n\nOfficer: Mr. █████████, I've had quite enough of -\n\nSuspect: Don't go home! Please Officer █████████, don't go home today. \n\nOfficer: What the hell are you talking about you loon. \n\nSuspect: He just told me to tell you not to go home. \n\nOfficer: Who?\n\nSuspect: █████████. \n\nOfficer: Who the fuck is █████████. \n\nSuspect: Look, I can explain that later but you need to listen to me. He is very emphatic about you not going home today. If you do you'll be shot. \n\nOfficer: All right, that sounds like threatening a police officer. You're under arrest. \n\nSuspect: No, please you have to trust me. █████████ says you can't go home. You need to - \n\n(At this point, the Officer moves to handcuff the Suspect. The cameras cut out but audio can still be heard. There is a loud hissing noise and then a sharp crack. The video feed resumes, and Officer █████████ is staring at the handcuffs on the ground that are shattered into several pieces. At this point, a man in a dark suit enters the room.)\n\nOfficer: What the fuck was that. Who the fuck are you?\n\nMan: Sir, I am Dr. █████████ of the Foundation. We will take it from here. \n\nOfficer: What credentials do you have?\n\nMan: Here you go. \n\n(The man shows him a badge).\n\nOfficer: Fine. I'm going home anyways. \n\nSuspect: No, you can't you'll die!\n\n(Officer█████████ gives the suspect the bird before leaving. The suspect falls to the ground, distraught.)\n\nMan: Mr. █████████, it's a pleasure to meet you. \n\nSuspect: What do you want from me?\n\nMan: We simply wish to help you, and your friend █████████. \n\nSuspect: Wait, you can see him.\n\nMan: Oh yes, my glasses allow me to see quite a bit that others can't. \n\nSuspect: Then tell me, how do I get rid of him?\n\nMan: I don't know yet, but what I can tell you is that we can take you somewhere that we can figure this all out. It's called █████████ █████ █████\n\n\n(End Interview Log)\n\nAddendum 1: Officer █████████ was found dead at his home the next day, shot by his wife's lover. \n\nAddendum 2: Designation by the Foundation is still in process" ]	2
	[WP] A horror novel from the perspective of a house pet	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "It was late at night, master is asleep as usual. He hasnt been scratching me as much though, not since his friend left. Ive been laying up for the past hour watching him twist and turn in his bed, trying to get comfy. \n\nI wonder what i can do to make him happy again i would think to myself. \n\nI look over and see two glowing dots staring at me. My eyes adjust more and it is my masters face, the light that is able to break through the windows blinds cross his face only lighting up small portions. Everything else behind that light is a deep black abyss. \n\nI raise my head as he sita up and his face disappears in the darkness. He leaves the room and i begin to follow, only when i arrive at the exit door to the room i see no sign of him. \n\nI hear a few creeks in the kitchen just down the hallway, it is a door opening from the garage. Master is taking me outside! i run to the door only to find it closed. I hear the wooden shed door open up from my play yard, quickly i make my way over to the window. Master is standing outside staring at the darkened clouds as water begins to poor down. My paws insticivly scratch at the window. \n\nAlmost immediatly master turns around, and reveals a hole behind him. It was not one that dug as it looks very deep and very wide. This must be where the pool was going to go, master has talked about it several times. He kindly smiles at me and takes a step forward. Lightning flashes and not one, but two shadows appear alongside master. His face grew grim, and fear stretched across. I begin to yell for his attention, to warn him of danger. \n\nMaster jumps backwards and lands down in the hole. On the other side of the hole is a black dark figure carrying a shovel. The figure wacks the shovel into the hole multiple times until a thick liquid drips off from the metal tip. \n\nMy body is filled with rage, my heart with sorrow, i was helpless to defend my master, if only i had gone out with him on time. \n\nThe blacked out figure pulls a bottle and cloth from inside a jacket pocket. The cloth turns bright red as fire begins to burn it. As the figure lifts up the bottle, light illuminates the figures face. It was masters friend. She throws the bottle into the window i am at. \n\nI feel a warm sensation. And then nothing." ]	2
	[WP] They say you always hurt those closest to you. This is awfully true for you. Whenever you take external physical damage, it is instead applied to the person physically closest to you.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You ever heard the phrase, “don’t make a deal with the devil?” Well damn I wish I’d actually listened to that crap.\n\nSee, a couple of months ago, I got a bit frisky with a very nice lady down in Vegas. I won’t bore you with all the salacious details that I know you didn’t come here to see. Ever since that one night, shit’s been mad weird. I took a week off of work after that Vegas trip, and that’s when I began to notice some weird shit.\n\nFirst case of this happening? First day back at work. Jack from accounting struts into the office with a coffee tray in hand, and silly old Margaret left her pen on the floor. Jack trips over it, and would you like to guess who’s the recipient of a coffee bath? You bet it was \\this guy\\! But see, here’s where shit gets weird! I didn’t feel a thing. That’s right, not a damn thing. I was talking to Sally from marketing about what’s happened since I’ve been gone, and the next thing I see is her wincing and gripping her arm in pain. Would the coffee stain end up on her? Absolutely not! Her magenta blouse remained as perfect as she is-\n\nI’m getting off track here. Where was I? Ah, I remember.\n\nI just brushed that day off, it surely was a one time thing, right? Boy was I fucking wrong.\n\nThe next incident is where your boy really took a step back to try to get this shit sorted. Two weeks later I was at the stadium catching the latest football game. I’m not really a fan of tailgating, so I went and bought my ticket for the old fashioned nosebleed seats. That was mistake number 1. Mistake number 2? Not taking an elevator up to those seats.\n\nI go and grab my food and beer like any normal person would, and make the long trek upward. Those steps had to have been the steepest steps I have seen in my damn life! So in my rush to get to my seat, I start hauling ass. There’s this lovely gentlemen by the name of, well, let’s call him Greg. Greg has had one too many, and he politely sticks his foot out onto the steps. Knowing damn well I wasn’t going to look down, I face dive into the railing separating the steps. Here’s the thing, I come out of this squeaky clean! But the poor kid where I landed beside? Poor fellow had a broken nose. His father was right beside him and I was on the other end of a right hook about 3 seconds later.\n\nYou see where this is about to go?\n\nThe old lady on the other side of the stairs takes the hit!\n\nSo in short, that’s the story of how a freaky night in Vegas lead to me being the toughest S.O.B. in the country… well except everyone else takes the blows.", "As he held the gun against my head, with the cops screaming louder than the gunshot would inevitably be in my ear anyways, I realized this was such an ironic way to go.\n\nAll my life had been spent locked away in a padded room. “For your safety!” my parents exclaimed, almost religiously, not unlike the scientologists that flood Hollywood streets for the unsuspecting lost souls of Los Angeles. \n\nBut, now that’s all gone. Call it a botched home invasion, or bad timing.... worse either for me or for the invader, you decide. Either way, we both probably weren’t leaving alive, yet he didn’t know that. The irony in “I’ll fucking kill him!” wasn’t lost on me as a hostage, as an awkward gargle that might be confused as a laugh escaped my throat. I could tell by his reaction, this was absolutely the most confusing moment of this guys life, even more confusing than when he caught me dancing in my boxers to “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire in what was supposed to be an empty house full of material goods. \n\nAlmost.....ALMOST as hilarious as the sniper bullet that tore through this guys head immediately after he gawked at me. Keeping my secret still, well, a secret, and making me the quote on quote “courageous hero” the news quickly threw as a placeholder on the tv interview, not even waiting for the blood to be wiped off me first. Funny thing is they were so busy with the guys body that no one saw me grab his loaded gun.... and no one else knew what I knew. That, firstly, the “secret” was that everyone in a mile long radius of me felt the same injuries I did.... and, secondly...... I fucking hated newscasters.", "I run.\n\nJesus, how are there so many people around?\n\nI can't risk an encounter just yet.\n\nStill, his focus is on me. Just to make sure it stays that way, I throw another insult over me shoulder even as I dodge another projectile. I've actually gotten quite good a the insult/pay attention to me game, but bad guys with ranged weapons are still a pain in the ass.\n\nThere. A warehouse. Looks empty, Prefect. I angle toward it even as I dodge another projectile.\n\nThe bad guy looks mad. Guess that last shot about his mother hit home. Good.\n\nDive through the door.\n\nHe's still following.\n\nA quick check shows no one else is around.\n\nPerfect.\n\nHe comes through the door.\n\nI stand out in the open.\n\nHit me you son of a bitch. You're about to have a nasty surprise, asshole." ]	4
	[WP] After "Release day" everyone gained video game like powers. You got cheat codes.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Video games. Seriously? Video games? The world's leaders find a holy wishing stone and this is what we landed on? Release Day. Pfah, what a joke. More like a marketing campaign, if anything. Everyone gets powers, everybody gets to be a hero and I have rag tag groups of fire breathing, lightning summoning nuisances on my doorstep every other day, begging for \"quests.\" I've only ever wanted a quiet life with my barest of needs met, and I'll be damned if I'm about to give that up now. What am I supposed to do, dig a moat?\n\nI might seem bitter, and so what if I am? I got completely robbed in all of this. Every Tom Dick and Harry gets their wildest fantasies met, usually typical monster slaying drivel without a monster in sight to use it on, itching to pick a fight with anyone that looks at them the wrong way, and me? Nothing. I have my cottage, my bed, my sofa, my TV, my moat, and a whole lot of bigger problems like feeding myself in the middle of nowhere. Burgers don't grow on trees, it turns out, and all of these \"warriors\" roaming the countryside stomping all over my crops and \"foraging\" my fruit certainly aren't helping either.\n\nBut it's the magicians that you really need to watch out for. Sure, most of them can only do piddly stuff like heal wounds and summon little creatures, but some of these lunatics fly around the countryside exploding mountains and upending entire forests, searching for treasure that isn't even there! Treasure! Are you mad? It's like they think the world actually became a video game and society no longer applies! Ugh. At least they're policed in the city. I really ought to have stayed with the accounting group in my father's construction company. Plenty of construction to do when a wall is knocked over every time a baby with dragon's roar sneezes.\n\nThe babies really hit me the hardest. For whatever reason a literal infant without the brain capacity to understand where a block goes when it's behind a blanket gets to fire acid missiles at will, and I have to trudge on, day after day, same as always. It's hard not to wonder what my power could have been. Flashy gymnastics? Uncanny leadership? Unparalleled marksmanship? Maybe even the same power as that one weirdo that can make lines of garbage vanish as along as it's pressed into cubes. One way or another, it doesn't matter. I got squat. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get this quarter's numbers in, and my burger is getting cold.", "Not gonna lie, Release Day was the best and worst day of the entire world.\n\nWhen everyone found out they'd be getting some sort of video game power, society's strength was tested. Some people made mad dashes for power, and a lot of people got needlessly killed. No one knew what damaging potential an event like this would have until it happened. \n\nLuckily, unbeknownst to us at the time of release, about a week later we were faced with Patch Day. Some \"bugs\" were fixed, and everyone dead in the first week was brought back, a \"rollback\" of sorts. At this point things were settling, and society began adjusting to the influx of wild powers.\n\nThere were 3 types of \"upgrades\" people got. First was what we called the Stat Boost. Basically, think of every attribute that a person would have. Strength, Intelligence, etc. Stat Boosters got a massive boost in one of those attributes, at random. Extremely smart scientists started popping up, athletic records were broken, and some people with an insane luck stat began getting thrown out of casinos. \n\nThen there was the Power Ups. These people received powers in the form of traditional video game power ups. Double jumping, shooting fireballs, the works. Some of these people were in those massive fights that broke out. Some of the Power Ups began forming factions of those with similar powers. We had whole new kinds of gang warfare after that.\n\nAnd then there's us. The Cheaters. The Cheaters ran absolutely rampant. We have almost no restrictions on our powers. Godmode, can't be injured or die. Noclip. Flying anywhere we want, including straight through solid matter. Infinite Money. Creating anything you want out of thin air. Needless to say some people went absolutely power crazy. Even after patch day we had some tyrannical types trying their best to take over the world, usually only being stopped by other Cheaters.\n\nEven though being a Stat Booster or a Power Up was an incredible improvement compared to before Release Day, almost immediately after the Cheaters began running everything. Most non-Cheaters lived their lives in fear, not knowing if one day one would just noclip into their house and kill their entire family. It did happen.\n\nThat was over 1000 years ago. \n\nAll the Power Ups are dead. If not from the massive Cheater wars, just dead from age. Release Day didn't protect them from that. The only remaining Stat Boosters are kept alive by Cheaters as slaves, keeping the high Int or Strength Boosters to do grunt work for them.\n\nIn the years after Release Day, massive wars were waged by the cheaters. They had no restraint. The entire world was destroyed, turned into a battleground for the metaphorical gods to wage wars on. Some cheaters fight those wars. Some left the planet, hoping to establish life somewhere else in the galaxy. Others just drift. On Earth or otherwise. Just observing. Existing. Some Cheaters chose to die, tired of existing. Turned off Godmode. died instantly. The planet is hardly a hospitable place anymore. \n\nMe? I'm one of those drifters. Observing the futile war between cheaters that will eventually lead to the complete destruction of whatever's left of this husk of a planet. Whatever entity bestowed upon us this power, I wonder if this is the outcome they expected. \n\nWe're hardly humanity anymore. We're just a bunch of cheaters. People say that cheaters never win. Well we definitely won. And this is our punishment." ]	3
	[WP] Congratulations, as a new member of the cult of cat-thulu, it is your job to get some worthy sacrifices. Don't forget to fill it's bowl with milk and whatever you do, if you see its eyes dilate, run.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"So let me get this straight. We joined the Cat of Cult-Thulu, right?\" Says Jim.\n\n\"No, no, you've got it wrong. The man clearly said this was the Cult of Cat-Thulu.\" Corrects Tim.\n\n\"Are you sure?\" Asks Pim. \"I'm pretty sure he said Cult of Thulu-Cat.\"\n\nTim makes a sour face. \"Why are you always such an idiot, Pim? That doesn't even make sense. Cult of Thulu-Cat, what the hell is wrong with you? Always with the damn clown antics. You're the reason we got kicked out of the cult of the blood god.\"\n\nJim walks over and harshly smacks Pim in the back of the head.\n\n\"Ow!\" Says Pim, rubbing the back of his head. \"Did you have to do it so hard?\"\n\n\"Just take it and do better next time.\" Says Tim. \"In front of such a fickle creature, you're liable to get us all killed. He's a cat, so he's already notoriously capricious by nature. And he's an eldritch god, I've read about them. They barely know we exist at all. We are less than ants to them. On the slightest whim, Cat-Thulu might eradicate all mankind and recreate the earth from scratch.\"\n\n\"Yeah, just think a little next time, before you mistake the name of Cult-Thulu again.\"\n\n\"God damnit, Jim-\" Begins Tim, before he is cut off by a slimy, gelatinous appendage clutching out from the darkness. He screeches like a little girl as he is yanked off, then is silenced with an abrupt squelch. The wet slopping noises slowly die away, replaced by an innocious mewing.\n\nJim and Pim stand paralyzed, their frozen faces obscured from each other by their cultist hoods. As the silence drags on, Jim slowly turns his head towards Pim. He can see that the other is thinking, even through his enigmatic hood. Pim opens his mouth.\n\n\"Don't.\" Jim whispers angrily. \"Don't do it. You'll get us killed.\"\n\nBut it's too late.\n\n\"What if the man meant to say we were joining the Thulu of Cat-Cult?\" Pim asks.\n\nTwo more tentacles slide out leisurely from the dark and wrap around their necks. Madness claims Pim and Jim, even before the thing in the dark has a chance to devour them.", "I am the owner of this great household. All who live here cower before me, praying for my mercy. Usually they have it; it's hard to train new slaves after all. I pad, silent as the night, into the kitchen, where my slaves are making food for themselves.\n\n\"Mraaaow,\" I demand. I use one tentacle to drag over my bowl.\n\n\"Oh, Cat-Thulu! You're early, sir,\" one slave babbles. He pours some milk into my bowl. I retract my tentacles into the folds of my neck and lap up the fur. All conversation has ceased as they watch me and await my pleasure.\n\nWhen I have finished my breakfast, I look at one slave. \"Mew,\" I command, and lift up one paw. He quickly bends down and begins buffing my claws, paw by paw. As he finishes, I flare my claws in his face slowly, for the fun of watching him blanch. I leave my paw there for a second before retracting my claws and padding away. Conversation resumes in a hushed volume as I leave the kitchen.\n\nI look at the grandfather clock on the wall. It is early morning. I have half an hour before my cushion has gotten nice and warm from the morning sun. I decide to explore the slaves' living quarters.\n\nAs I approach the basement where they are housed, I am stopped by a new scent. It is not one of my regular slaves; must be a new one. Perfect; I have enough time to begin training now. I follow the scent down to the basement, into one of the cubbies along the wall.\n\n\"Meow,\" I command majestically as I enter the cubby. Two slaves are sitting inside the dimly-lit cubby; one female, one a juvenile male. The female slave hastily curtsies deeply.\n\n\"Cat-Thulu, my lord. So good of you to visit us in our humble home!\" The juvenile is staring at me. The female yanks his hand, after which he clumsily bows. I am inclined to forgive his slowness, as I do not have any other juvenile slaves.\n\nI pad over to sniff his feet. He looks down at me, and in a total breach of protocol, he touches my head.\n\n\"Kitty!\" He says. \n\nOffended, I flare my tentacles. The room glows with a dark red light. I open my mouth and hiss.\n\n\"Good kitty,\" he says. He begins scratching behind my ears. It is surprisingly pleasurable.\n\n\"Brad! You cannot touch Cat-Thulu! That's our master!\" She yanks his hand off my head. \"Sorry, my lord. He's my nephew. He doesn't know our ways.\" She was trembling like an aspen leaf.\n\nI consider what I should do. I use a tentacle to close the curtain. The juvenile looks anxious and bows again. \"Sorry, uh, Cat-Thulu. I didn't know.\"\n\nI reach out with one tentacle and grab his wrist. I guide it gently onto my head. \"Mew,\" I command. Slowly, he begins petting my head, gaining surety as I begin to purr in an earth-shaking rumble. \n\n\"Rrrrrrrrrrrr,\" I purr. This is rather enjoyable. I think I shall create a new post - Official Petter. Yes, that sounds like a good idea." ]	3
	[WP] After being alone most of your adult life, you find yourself in a relationship with the most perfect man/woman in the world. But the harder you try to remember how you first met, the fuzzier your memory gets. And today you're determined to find out why.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "What the most beautiful man in the world. He is too good to be true. Predicting all my moves, being where he needs to be always. It was when I was talking to him about the “beginning” is when it became fuzzy. He laughed about the perfect meeting where he came up to me in the middle of the street. But that’s not how it happened. I know it. I had a dream the other night of being in a lab. It was high tech with red lights everywhere. The more I think about it, the more I feel like that is more real than ever. What if this man, I met amidst those red lights? I can’t know for sure." ]	2
I've had this idea for a long time now. This is just a sample I wrote. Go wild. "You seem new" the innkeeper said. "Just a traveler" she replied. "You seem pretty young to be traveling by yourself." Having heard this many times, she rubbed the back of her head and smiled shyly. "Well... I'm older than I look"	[WP] An immortal girl traveling the world just exploring from place to place. She can't stay in the same place for too long because people get suspicious of her so she lives in a new place every 25 years or so. She looks like a teenager, even though she's hundreds of years old.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Not without a parent,\" the woman behind the counter shook her head. She wore a forest-green tanktop. Her arms and chest were covered in colorful tattoos. \"Sorry.\" Luna sighed. The pink-haired teenager expected as much; she did not know what drove her to enter the tattoo shop, to begin with. Something about the name, 'Mundo's Tattoos' piqued a curiosity she did not know she had. She ignored the feeling successfully for a week while she created her new life. It wasn't difficult; she'd had enough practice over the years. But now she was more or less settled. On the way home from her first day at her fast-food job she found herself walking by the shop and gave in.\n\n\"Yeah, thanks anyway,\" Luna said. She turned to walk out of the shop as a boulder of a man walked out of the back. He was short, round and bald with leathery tan skin.\n\n\"Wait!\" he shouted after the teenage girl leaving his shop. Luna stopped at the door and turned around. He gave the woman behind the counter a disappointed shake of his head as he walked past her to the girl. \"Name's Mundo, I own this shop. What did you need?\" he asked. Luna shrugged.\n\n\"Nothing without a parent,\" she said. She meant to give a smart-ass reply but it came out sounding disappointed. Mundo shook his head and closed the door she was holding open, half-way out. He pulled a string attached to the neon-green \"OPEN\" sign and it went dark. He smiled at Luna.\n\n\"And when was the last time you saw them?\" he asked. His round dark brown eyes seemed to soften as he asked.\n\n\"Wh- what?\" Luna asked. Her mind was trying to tell her to run. This giant man was essentially blocking the door and he seemed to know something about her. But she didn't listen. Deep down, somehow she felt she could trust him.\n\n\"Damnit, I'm sorry,\" the woman said from behind the counter. \"I should've asked. She looks so young I didn't even think about it.\" Mundo waved at her dismissively while keeping his eyes on Luna.\n\n\"C' mon in,\" Mundo said. He led her to a chair behind the counter. \"Whatever you want; on the house.\"\n\n\"Why?\" Luna asked. She made herself comfortable on the chair though she had no idea what she wanted. Mundo sat down next to her and shrugged.\n\n\"I can't tell how old you are exactly, but I know you're over a hundred and fifty,\" he said. \"It's kind of silly to turn you away if you're older than me,\" he chuckled. Luna was taken aback for a moment.\n\n\"How'd you know?\" she asked with wide eyes. Mundo grinned, his dark eyes twinkled.\n\n\"You're going to get a moon with the number 23 on it, right?\" he asked. Luna nodded when she realized that was exactly what she wanted, though she did not know that a few seconds ago. \"23 is the number of La Luna, a Unique Soul,\" he said as he began arranging his tray. He slipped on a pair of blue latex gloves. He leaned forward and looked down to show Luna the top of his bald head. \"I'm El Mundo, number 37.\" The Earth was tattooed on his head with the number 37 in the center decorated with flowers. Luna nodded as if she understood; she didn't.\n\n\"What does that mean?\" she asked.\n\n\"For me, it means I can see what you are. What she is,\" he used his thumb to point at the green-haired woman that initially denied her service. She leaned on Mundo and pointed at a tattoo. It was a frog in a top hat that seemed to be sitting on her collarbone. The number 54 was printed on the top hat.\n\n\"#54, La Rana,\" she said.\n\n\"Each Unique has different abilities. Mine lets me see you and I know things. You won't age if you're not in your home universe. And you can copy abilities but we'll get to that later.\"\n\n\"My home... universe?\" Luna asked. Mundo nodded.\n\n\"Each universe has a certain frequency. Everyone in that universe vibrates at the same frequency and I can see that you don't vibrate at the same frequency we do.\" He stopped fiddling with his tray; he was done preparing. But he did not make any moves to start until he was sure Luna was ready.\n\nA forgotten memory rushed to the forefront of Luna's mind. She remembered feeling abandoned and lost. She remembered wishing her parents would find her but they never did; she learned how to survive on her own and flourished.\n\n\"Can I get home?\" she asked with a soft, dry voice. Mundo smiled and nodded.\n\n\"Yeah, these days it's as easy as calling a taxi if you know the right people,\" he said. His smile grew to an ear to ear grin. \"I'm the right people.\" Luna nodded.\n\n\"Thank you,\" she said. Her tone was stiff, almost formal. \"I'm ready,\" she presented her right wrist to Mundo.\n\n\"No problem. Your ride will be here by the time we're done,\" Mundo said and nodded at his assistant. She nodded and disappeared to the back room. Mundo did not notice Luna's change in demeanor. She was angry again like she hadn't been in centuries. She knew her parents were likely dead, but she would find whatever descendants she could and get some answers.\n\n\\\\\\\n\nThank you for reading! I’m responding to prompts every day. This is year two, story #229. 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.\n\n\\\\\\\n\n[Satchat Summer challenge](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/c3rkez/ot_satchat_summer_challenge_pick_a_challenge_tier/)\n\n* Story 56\n* The NaNoWriMo - word count 903 / 41038 (this story/ total)\n* Placesetting - Hugoverse", "“Well...I’m older than I look,” the girl said, cynically but with a joking tone for what must have been the thousandth time. She smiled wryly.\n\n“Oh, every kid says that,” the innkeeper responded, and reached behind the reception‘s counter to remove a small key off the wall. Room 42.\n\n“Does the room have a view?” She asked politely, and the innkeeper paused.\n\n“Yes, I think you’ll find it an enjoyable place to stay while you’re passing through,” he chuckled, and she laughed as well.\n\n“Thank you, I’ll take it.”\n\nHe smiled to her as he handed her the key, and she gratefully accepted, turning to head to her room.\n\n“Shall I have the usual sent up?” The innkeeper asked suddenly, and the girl paused briefly.\n\n“Of course.”\n\nIt was two hours later that she gazed out from the window of her suite, smiling to herself at a a group of memories from years ago. \n\n”You seem new!” A young son, the son of the innkeeper most likely, greeted her without shame or embarrassment.\n\n“Just a traveler,” she’d smiled down at him.\n\nShe poured out a glass of whiskey, sipping from it gently and wincing at the taste. She always did, but that was half of why she drank it. The last time she ordered it had been just to see what would happen.\n\n”You seem pretty young to be traveling by yourself,” the young man said suspiciously, after having greeted her the same way out of curiosity. It must have been, and how he remembered her at all after an interaction ten years ago was surprising. She wondered if he thought he was imagining things.\n\n“I’m older than I look,” she responded with a wry smile, which she knew looked shyer than anything else as she rubbed the back of her neck. Old habits and all.\n\n“Oh, every kid says that,” he’d responded slowly. He reached back and took a key off a hook. Room 42.\n\n“Does the room have a view?”\n\n”Yes, one of the best,” he’d responded, looking a little bit more bored at that question. “Would you like to take our room service menu?”\n\nShe looked down at it, taking a second to look at this perceptive teen, who had been perhaps a very perceptive kid.\n\n“I’ll have this bottle, can you send it up to my room?” he looked at what she’d pointed at, narrowed his eyes at her for a few seconds before shrugging.\n\n“Sure, please enjoy your stay.”\n\nShe laughed, glad that he remembered her this time as well. She’d decided to stop by while passing through again on a whim. With a surprising hopefulness, she hoped that the now-innkeeper would remember her the next time she stopped by in a few years, and she certainly would. He was pleasant, and didn’t seem to question her appearance so much as find humor in it.\n\nThat would be something she’d very much look forward to indeed.\n\n[Sorry for format, on mobile.]" ]	3
	[WP] There are two kinds of people left in this world: running zombies and walking zombies. You’re a walker and you just saw the runner of your dreams.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Had there been many humans left to interact with us, they'd have learned that zombies are more clever than they seem. We think and we plan and we remember quite a great deal. We learn too. We wouldn't have been able to bring about the end of the world if we had been stupid now, would we? It's just that we aren't quite good at talking much, save for grunts and groans, and our fingers are stiff with rot and rigor mortis, so we can't use tools or make things.\n\nThere are two types of zombies, the quick ones and the persistent ones. Seemingly counter-intuitively, the quick ones spend most of their time standing about, still as a statue, waiting to sense prey. They've got better eyes and ears than use persistent folk, and god knows that they're devilishly fast once they catch wind of food walking about. Us persistent types have better smell, hunting by it almost exclusively, and while we can't run, we're far more social, tending towards large packs. We almost never stop walking, always shuffling along the old roads, patiently following the scent of prey.\n\nI was in a pack of nearly a thousand, people that had once been of almost every race, gender and ethnicity, now transformed into the uniform grey tatters of the undead, plodding along. We had recently caught the scent of a band of human travelers, and had unanimously begun the hunt. Sweat, urine, gunpowder and gasoline were easy to detect in the air, though they were a couple days old. However, humans must sleep, take breaks and the like, where we do not. We may travel slowly, but we never stop. We'd catch up eventually, and then we'd eat.\n\nThat was when I caught sight of the runner. Since runners spend so much time standing still, they're very easy targets for humans with even poor aim, provided the human catches them unaware. The smart ones (and they're all quite clever), hide in unsuspecting places, waiting and waiting for humans to pass by, around odd corners, down narrow hallways, in bushes, in between crippled cars frozen in place on the highways... This one was lurking in a shadowy alleyway, wearing tattered, blood-soaked and rotting clothing. They must have done well for themself to be so horrid. I slowly plod over to them, walking out of the pack, who hardly notice me and continue marching on.\n\nStopping myself before them is a challenge. I'm not used to it. The quick one before me looks at me a while, before grunting some form of acknowledgement. I do likewise. Beauty is a difficult concept for us. It's not like we're very philosophically inclined, we're very practical in nature, solving problems as they arise, and tending to not waste energy thinking about things not directly before us. And either way, we're dead things, slowly rotting and filthy. The zombie before me may have been a beautiful woman once, but that time had passed. A wad of skin was peeled from their skull, perhaps an errant swipe of a machete from someone who thought they could save themself. Her teeth were yellowed and rotting, her nose squashed flat. Her left arm hung limp, blasted by a shotgun. Her shoes had worn off her feet, her soles scraped to the bone. And yet... I found her to be perfect.\n\nI wish I had the words to speak in that moment. To ask her to follow the pack. The people we could kill together, the feasts we could have... We could do great things. And yet... I grunted aimlessly, and she stared at me, as though trying to guess my intention. Her dull eyes were blue. Perhaps once the would have been striking.\n\nI began to plod off, back to my pack. They hadn't gone far, perhaps I could catch up, if not now then when they broke upon the band of humans we were following. As I plodded off, leaving behind my beautiful friend, I heard a pattering of feet on cracked asphalt. There she was, off like a shot! She sprinted past me, and through the pack of my persistent friends. The ones knocked aside slowly got to their feet, watching as she ran off, maybe a hundred yards ahead, then slowed and stopped, standing stock still. I eventually reached up with her, and she looked at me, and grunted. And then she took off again, waiting for me to catch up. I wish I could have smiled then. The things that we would do. Together." ]	2
	[WP] You've snuck a vacuum into the vacuum of space against all the wishes of NASA and the government to test the effect of a vacuum on a vacuum.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Dr. Johnson looked towards Gilbert with frantic eyes. \"What should we do, captain?\"\n\nGilbert stroked his wiry beard. He didn't think he would get this far. \"You did say it was like a vacuum, right?\"\n\n\"What do you mean sir?\"\n\n\"The black hole. It is like a vacuum, correct?\"\n\n\"Why yes, of course. You know that. What are you getting at?\n\n\"You know how the saying goes,\" he declared with a nod as he put his hands to his hips, \"We've got to fight fire with fire!\"\n\nDr. Johnson looked towards his colleagues with concern. They began whispering and looking through their notes. Gilbert stood tall, proud of his stroke of genius. \n\n\"So, you are proposing, sir, that we should use suction on suction. Gravity on gravity?\"\n\nGilbert nodded slowly.\n\nDr.Johnson was perplexed by the idea, but he had to place trust in Gilbert as his commander. If not for respect of the hierarchy, the institute would be as chaotic as the universe it studied. After all, surely there was a reason Gilbert was appointed as leader. \n\n\"Alright, we will do as you say.\" Gilbert looked very pleased. \"Team, I am counting on you. Whatever Gilbert needs, give it to him, and fast. We are running out of time.\" With that, Dr. Johnson dashed out of the room. He had his own share of tasks to complete. \n\nWithin an hour, the ship was ready for takeoff. With only two seats in the rocket, the crew on board was limited. Strapped in one seat was Gilbert, and in the other, a rusty 17-year-old vacuum named Bertha. \n\nGilbert was nearly giddy as he approached takeoff. His quick thinking was about to save the whole world. \n\nThe crew mumbled among each other like teenagers at prom as they watched the spaceship launch.\n\n\"What a weird bastard.\"\n\n\"I wonder what he is going to do with that thing. The man must have a brain that is beyond science.\"\n\n\"Either a true genius, or a buffoon, that one.\"\n\n\"We're all going to die, aren't we?\"\n\nDr. Johnson ran into the room after having facilitated a successful takeoff. \"Everyone, quiet! Pay attention to your monitors!\"\n\nThe crew followed orders and became stiffly silent. \n\nDr. Johnson became curious and broke the silence. \"So how did he do it?\"\n\nThe crew avoided eye contact. \"Ehem. I said how did he do it?\"\n\nJames, Dr. Johnson's \"teacher's pet\", mumbled out, \"He had us load it up into the ship.\"\n\nJohnson looked at him blankly. \"What do you mean?\" He was met with James' blank stare. \"If the black hole was created on the planet, it would have swallowed it up. It would be impossible.\"\n\n\"He didn't bring a black hole, sir, he brought Bertha.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n...\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEnding there for now :)" ]	2
	[WP] Your name is Tim Berners-Lee. You’ve been working on the World Wide Web for years, and now it’s finally complete. You turn it on, and as it starts you begin to see an internet with tons of social media’s and news outlets that hadn’t been used for years. The last posts talk of an apocalypse.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Master Lee, I’ve contacted Carly, she’s arrived at Node 2.”\n\nMaster Lee looked up from his work, finished typing on the ancient keyboard and distractedly brushed his long graying hair from his face. He breathed deeply and spoke in a measured tone. There was no mistaking the excited undercurrent or the deep fatigue in his voice.\n\n“How much fuel do we have for the power machine?”\n\nCari frowned at her mentor. “It’s a generator Master, the documents told us that, and we have enough.”\n\nMaster Lee sniffed and waved a hand at Cari. “ Yes Yes, not everything must be named by the fallen ones. We can have our own destiny.”\n\nCari’s eyebrow shot up in the irritating manner it did when she was ever so skeptical.\n\n“Can we?”\n\nThe Master harrumphed and muttered something about young skeptics and their penchant for pedantic argumentation. This was important, there was knowledge here, knowledge they could use in the long crawl back to the glories of the past. His whole being believed in it, his whole life’s work depended on it.\n\n“Enough with the cryptic warnings Cari. I’m well aware the repercussions here. You agreed to help, transmit once to your sister. Turn on the computational node, let’s see if it works like the documents say.”\n\nCari nodded, her twin sister Carly had made the dangerous journey across the dead city to the other side. She’d gone to the place where they’d found the only other usable node. She’d taken the only other working radio box with her as well. Thirty years of secret effort was about to come to an end one way or the other.\n\nThe transmission had to be short and precise. The Hegemony was listening to any transmission and could triangulate the location if it lasted too long. Carly had already transmitted once to announce her arrival. \n\nThe two locations were the only ones that weren’t known to the brutal overlords known as the Hegemony. If they found that Master Lee had been working to discover any of the old data they’d all be hung, or worse.\n\nCari smiled to herself about all the information they’d already discovered. The predecessors civilization was every bit as glorious as their ruins whispered they’d be. More even. But ghosts don’t heal the sick or feed the hungry. \n\nBut it was also, perhaps, even more malevolent than the reminders of its fall could tell. She could never shake the feeling that Master Lee was attempting to resurrect a monster. He was convinced it was an Angel. Her sister just wanted to destroy the Hegemony.\n\nCari had a really bad feeling it was all about to spiral out of control. But she had agreed to help the beloved Master Lee, an intellect that had done nothing but serve the free peoples. And her sister was counting on her. With a whispered prayer she transmitted a short go message and time hack for 5 seconds.\n\nThe synchronization was key, it had to be done at the same time for the nodes to sync. Gods knew if it would even work but the documents said it would so they both turned the equipment on at the same time, on opposite sides of the carcass of the dead city.\n\nYou’ve got mail...", "It had to be a prank. I thought to myself as I stared at the screen with a face of shock. My machine was supposed to be the first of its kind. I was going to harbor in a new age of inter connected articles and information. Instead, I found an already populated server that must have once been filled with traffic. The language seems foreign, but the responses and pictures speak for themselves. I have stumbled upon the vestiges of a much older network of communication tools.\n\n\\---------------------------------------------------------------\n\nIt took a few months, but with help of the University's language department we were able to decipher some of the texts. The culture must have been lost to time as they reference technologies far more advanced than capable in the modern day. These Nacirema have left no archaeological traces, but somehow here I am looking at their discussions. Strangely all of the discussions end around the same time, referencing a technological plague that is destroying their people; taking their memories, and making them lazy. Luckily, we have modern medicine and science to prevent any such maladies from effecting us. I jot down notes on anything that seems like it will be useful. My world wide web goes public tomorrow.", "They are at the gate.\n\nIf by any chance some future generation prevails and recovers from this calamity, learn from these words. Don't let history repeat itself.\n\nThe scales had tipped too far and collapsed. The people could be placated no more, they called for change. Drastic measures were required. The curtain had finally been drawn back for all to see and no amount of media could convince them of our narrative. We had lost control.\n\nAll across the world, humanity demanded power be restored to the many. Not the few.\n\nPeople protested peacefully at first. Unimaginable numbers, a sea of signs and slogans, oceans around the world, spread out below the skyscapers and those of us in our glass towers quaked. Reform was demanded. Money had to be taken out of politics. Representation systems overhauled; powers limited; only facts allowed, not empty rhetoric; monopolies broken up; shares divided amongst employees; madness. It would have all been lost.\n\nThe protesters remained peaceful even with our plants sent to cause trouble in their ranks. They were pulled from the roots and expelled. Carried to the doors of the institutions they surrounded. All the plays in the book failed, as the human collective soared up to penthouse suites and smiled their righteous victory.\n\nDesperate, some private security companies opened fire. Hundreds were killed before they were quelled. Other sectors watched on and despaired knowing all was lost. The government, though, had one last depserate hand to play. A neuro-toxin, Agent Grey, that dulled the synapses and made those exposed extremely susceptible to suggestion.\n\nThe attack was coordinated across America. Plans sent worldwide to allies under the same threat. The gas agent was disseminated worldwide through bombs placed underground in sewers. The gas rose up steadily and over time people stopped chanting and waving their signs. They just stood. Faces empty, not even moving to relieve themselves. \n\nLoudspeakers were placed around the gatherings and the message was carefully crafted and ready to go, but disaster struck. The signal distorted and when it was broadcast a vile feedback screech sounded like Cthulu itself had yelled in rage. People stood blinking. Then faces changed. Anger grew. Rage spread. Death blossomed.\n\nHuman offal piled the streets. Then the boardrooms. They couldn't be kept back. They tore themselves and us apart. Now, I sit in my barricaded room and oxygen is running low. Outside the world, their minds opened and filled with empty screeches, rages and no longer wants equality. Only death.\n\nLearn from me now. If anyone ever reads this, remember", "*Reddit: Front Page, 926.2 million Upvotes - July 22, 2052\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"This is it, fellow humans. We're all going to die. China, Russia, Japan, and Europe have been completely wiped out already. Africa is in the midst of chaos. India was the most prepared of all, but even they have started to see thousand of deaths every day.. we are all done for.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nFacebook: Trending Hashtag #endofhumanity, 533.6 million posts - July 27, 2052\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"India has officially gone silent. They are no longer running news reports on the disease and there is no evidence of internet activity from anywhere in the country. #endofhumanity\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTwitter: Highest Trending Post, 96 million Re-Tweets - July 29, 2052\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Only America and Canada remain. All other countries dead.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nReddit, Front Page, 199 Upvotes - August 18th, 2052\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I don't know how many people will see this.. In fact, I don't even know if this will even reach anyone. Some how, my phone still appears to have service, so here I am. Everyone I know has died. New York City is a wasteland. I haven't seen a single person in 6 days and I don't even know why I'm still alive. If there is anyone out there, please reach out to me. I need companionship.. I am losing my mind.\"\n\n\n\n\"Christ. Tati, come here! I think I've just found the last international communications of our ancestors! You have to see this!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTati put her notebook down and walked over to Darrel. \"Okay. What am I looking at?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I don't know exactly what this all means, but this is clearly a giant archive of different conversations and communications from before our ancestors were nearly wiped out by the red plague.\" Darrel was nearly in shock. His whole life's work was to rediscover the use of the 'internet.' He knew he could get it working some day, but he had no idea he would be able to find data from over 750 years ago.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Wow, really?\" Tati exclaimed, beginning to understand what Darrel had found. \"Holy crap! Is that one from August 18th the final entry? There had to be more somewhere, right?\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Maybe.. it looks like these three websites are the main ones people used. Perhaps with a little digging, we can find something else.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nDarrel decided to navigate the 'Reddit' page, because it appeared to have been the last one ever used by mankind.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"It looks like that post on August 18th was the final one to ever appear on the front page, but.. hmm..\" Darrel scratched his head, considering what to try next.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Oh, what's this? It looks like I can filter \"New\" posts instead of \"Hot\" posts. Let's give that a shot!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Wait, Darrel! Look! That one says it's from October 13th! Did someone really live that long?!\" Tati was practically jumping up and down from excitement.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Whoa! It looks like it. Let's check it out.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nReddit, r/PipSkweex, 1 Upvote - October 13th, 2052*\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"I fear I am one of the last people alive now. There's probably no point in writing this, but maybe it will do someone some good. Hell, maybe there are tons of people alive out there and they just don't have internet.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnyway.. I believe I've found out what has been the cause of this utter destruction of humanity. After everyone in my city began to die, I struggled to find life elsewhere. I ended up traveling to Silicon Valley and visiting the Google headquarters.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWell, you won't believe what I found there. For years, they have been working on a biological weapon that can be released via Ethernet connection, somehow. Please, don't ask me how. I don't know.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhat I do know, is that they accidentally released the weapon to all connections in the world, all at once. This was the cause of the end for humanity.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nChances are, if you are reading this, you are now infected, just like me.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nCheers,\n\nPipSkweex\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThank you for reading! If you enjoyed this story, please feel free to check out my other stories at r/PipSkweex", "It was supposed to be momentous. A platform that connects the world constantly. No more letter sending, telegraphs or phone calls. A step into the unknown. A start of something revolutionary.\n\nExcept that it wasn't. The moment Dr Tim Berners-Lee plugged the wire in, it connected to something. Something bigger. Much, much bigger.\n\nTim stared at the barrage of information pouring in. He was just expecting to send a simple note between two his two Emacs. The Emac froze loading the sheer amount of information. Clearly they were intended for machines much more advanced.\n\nTim unplugged the wire to stop the flow. He did not want to crash his Emacs. A message in particular caught his eyes.\n\nStorm is still raging*\n\n/u/mikezeke2345: Hey everyone, the storm outside has still not subsided. Doesn't seem like it'll be anytime soon. Not sure how much longer my generator will last. Food supplies running low too. My brother tried going out yesterday out of pure stubbornness, and he died within minutes. At this rate, I'm not sure how long more I'll last too.\n\n/u/zaczacyisurvive: Sending you hugs Mike. Looks like we're the only two left on Reddit. Sarah has not checked in more than a month.\n\n/u/zaczacyisurvive: Hey Mike, haven't heard back from you. You still okay?*\n\nTim rubbed his eyes at the date of message. It was posted almost several million years ago." ]	6
	[WP] It's been 6 years since the fatal accident. Getting to see your loved ones again would mean the world to you. One day, a mysterious stranger says that he can revive you - at a cost.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "6 years is a long time to hang around the point of entry into Limbo but one thing was keeping me here, the chance to see my loved ones again. The things I would tell them, the lies I would set straight about me, the hurt I would undo. But I cannot return.\n\nThe day I died the Reaper came to take me away, but I was too stubborn to go with him, claiming I still had unfinished business, he warned me that if I were to stay it would be permanent and I could never go to the afterlife, never get the peace I deserved, always stuck here reliving past pain. But the only pain I wanted to quell was that of my loved ones, I never meant to hurt them, I never meant to cause them this much pain and I certainly never wanted these lies to be spread around about me.\n\nThat fateful day they found me laying there helpless, without a pulse they claimed I had killed myself, claimed I was depressed and from my social media and online presence it was all the evidence they needed to call my death a suicide when in reality I was murdered, by my best friend. The same one who came to my grave every year with my family to mourn my death, the same friend who I told all my secrets to, the one person in the world who knew my fears and passions as if they were her own.\n\n\"Here again I see.\" I heard someone say behind me.\n\nSpinning around I saw a mysterious stranger pick his way through the graveyard. He walked with precision without tripping once on this unknown ground around him.\n\n\"I'm eternally stuck here, so yea, I'm here again.\" I informed him, noticing he didn't look like the other spectars that normally hung around this graveyard.\n\n\"I can change that.\" He said, seeming to know my only desire. \"For a price.\" He finished with a smirk.\n\n\"There's always a price.\" I say turning away from him and watching for the unmistakable car that my family drives.\n\n\"You can't get anything for free, not even in Limbo.\" He tells me, smiling while showing his pointed teeth.\n\n\"What's the price?\" I asked, really just killing time until I get to see my mother and father again.\n\n\"I get your soul. You get to clear your name.\" The mysterious stranger tells me and as I looked him over once more his tail flicks into view.\n\n\"You're Lucifer?\" I asked not believing what I was seeing.\n\n\"I am indeed.\" He replied, his facade slipping slightly as I don't give him the reaction he is used to.\n\n\"Wrong Lucifer. Sorry.\" I say as I can tell I've hurt his feelings.\n\n\"Is this better?\" He asks as, before my eyes, his appearance changes to a Lucifer I would recognise and before I can answer he continues, \"As I said, I get your soul, you get to clear your reputation. What say you?\" He asks.\n\n\"Sure. 6 years is a long time to wait to clear my name but at least I'll have peace.\" I say as he whips out a contract, pricks my finger and let's a drop fall on the old parchment which changes to my signature as if I just signed it.\n\n\"It is done.\" He says as he disappears and I'm left standing in the cemetery all by myself.\n\n\"Annie?\" I hear someone call out from behind me. \"Is it really you? I thought you died 6 years ago.\" My mother calls out to me.\n\nI turned to face her and she started weeping. My father and brother came running as they heard my mother calling out and then crying.\n\n\"I thought you were dead. What happened to you?\" My brother asked as he rounded the corner and saw me standing there in the same clothes I was found in. \"Your death was ruled a suicide, how can you be standing here if you died 6 years ago?\"\n\n\"Never mind that. I've been here this whole time, waiting and watching. Seeing the pain and hurt and lies about me circulating our small family circle. I didn't commit suicide, I was murdered.\" I told them, their faces getting whiter and whiter the more I spoke.\n\n\"Who would do that to a sweet young thing like you? Who held a grudge against you so bad they wanted you dead?\" My father asked, speaking for the first time since seeing me standing here.\n\n\"Annie?! What are you doing here? How are you alive?\" Sophie exclaimed turning the corner and seeing me standing at the exact spot she killed me, wearing the exact clothes I was wearing when she left me for dead without a second thought of calling for help.\n\n\"Oh, Sophie, isn't it a miracle? Our Annie has come back to us.\" My mother said walking over to her and embracing her like she would me when I was scared as a child.\n\nIt was then I saw the ring on her finger, and as something prompted me to look down I saw a matching one on my brothers hand. As Sophie walked closer he pulled her into an embrace I was almost embarrassed I was seeing, but enough was enough.\n\n\"Tell them Sophie, tell them what you were doing on that day. Tell them where you were 6 years ago.\" I snarled at her, taking a step backwards away from my once best friend.\n\n\"They know Annie. I confessed to them 4 years ago.\" She said calmly from within my brothers embrace. \"They know how I murdered you in cold blood. I told them how I left your body lying here to rot.\"\n\n\"Time to go.\" I heard a voice say from behind me, I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.\n\n\"That was it?\" I asked him. \"That wasn't nearly long enough\" I said giving my family one last look.\n\n\"That was the price.\" He told me, putting an arm around my shoulder and leading me away from them. \"I never specified how long you would have.\" He said leading me towards a mausoleum that had weird runes carved around the door.\n\nGiving my grieving family one more look, I noticed a familiar car pull into the car park across from where my plot was.\n\n\"Wait!\" I yelled as Lucifer pulled me through the door and down a darkened staircase." ]	2
	[WP] Death is getting really fed up with the other horsemen of the apocalypse not pitching in with ending reality. There is only one option now: A family meeting.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Listen guys,\" death spoke, \"its tiring. I'm one man. I can't kill everyone by myself.\"\n\nConquest, War, and Famine don't even attempt to look up from thier phones.\n\n\"What am i suppose to do? I mean look at China. Like China!\" Death said in panic.\n\n\"Like bro you just need to chill.\" War said. \"Why are you always riding our asses.\"\n\n\"Fucking China!\" Death pleaded.\n\n\"What about it?\" Famine said sarcastically.\n\n\"I swing my scythe once and another one is born and God wont stop... I cant handle the stress anymore. Its literally never ending,\" death started to tear up, \"Why wont any of you help?\"\n\nConquest spoke first, \"its not like theres anymore hitlers running around trying to conquer europe. Like why europe, its not even that great.\" He chuckled to himself.\n\nFamine, \"I mean ive got Africa... so I dont know what your whining about.\"\n\nThen finally war, \"Ive got some big plans in the work bro, dont worry. Give it time,\" War said as he took he pulled out a needle and injected himself with only god knows what.\n\n\"Guys I cant do this on my own,\" death cried.\n\n\"Bog things, man, Big things. Thought the Balkans was great, wait till north korea pops off.\" War said.\n\n\"When? Huh! When? Theres always another place thats going to \"pop off\" but you know what War. Its never as good as you think its going to be.\" You could hear the infuriation in deaths voice.\n\n\"I can go kill an orphanage or something,\" famine said disinterested.\n\n\"Would you really do that for me brother,\" Death said hopefully.\n\n\"I mean sure, but like after im done playing this game. I'm going to hundred percent this shit. Humans really do know how to entertain.\"\n\n\"Youve been playing that stupid game since the 80's brother.\"\n\nConquest chimed in, \"ask that plague guy.\" \n\n\"Look, we tried with him, he did the black plague and that pissed off God, and then we let him try again. He did AIDS, and that pissed off the devil. Also, admittedly his choices in that kind of thing are kind of sick.\" Death said\n\n\"That guy is wild,\" War said. \"Hes fucking awesome.\"\n\n\"No, no, no, no, he's a sick fuck,\" death said. \"We all agreed on this.\"\n\n\"But he knows hot party,\" War said.\n\n\"Oh hell yeah,\" famine said, \"plus he knows his way with the ladies.\"\n\n\"Veneral diseases? Theyre cool know?\" Death said sound defeated.\n\n\"Yeah, theyre like battle scars from the front line!\" Famine, war, and conquest said in unison.\n\n\"I'm, I'm, done.\" Death said.\n\n\"No, your not\" conquest said.\n\n\"I-i-i quit.\" Death said turning around. Slowly walking away, \"for realy this time.\" He walks to the door, \"ill really be gone, for good.\" He said, \"no one should stop me...\"\n\nSilence filled the room. Just tapping of phone.\n\nDeath walked sulked off.\n\nWar, picked up his phone. Typed up a number.\n\n\"Hey plague!\" \n\n\"We got an opening\"\n\n\"No no no famine is still hear, they have stopped world hunger, theres still africa.\"\n\n\"Yes, that bitch\"\n\n\"Something about being tired and china. So he quit\"\n\n\"Bro, broooo.\"\n\n\"Remember sally, bring her too and i got some meth bro.\"\n\n\"I know this whole war on drugs things is the best idea ive ever head.\"\n\n\"An hour? Alright see ya then\"\n\n\"Hell yeah,\" famine said.\n\n\"Ill get the booze\" conquest offered.\n\nAnd so, the four horsemen of the apocalypse, conquest, war, plague, and famine, partied hard and live long and happy lifes. Human became immortal and started losing fertility due to STD. No wars raged because War was on an eternal binger, World hunger was solved and famine got to enjoy his early retirement with his bros, and conquest, well lets just say world peace took care of conquest. And no one thought of death ever again. No one. No one called. Or bothered to text. He was just alone. Hollow. Empty. No one cared about death. At all." ]	2
	[WP] You find out that everything you say that happened to you and didn't, actually happens to someone else around the world. One day, you mess up and actually destroy part of the world, and after realising it was your fault, you set out to try and fix what you've done by creating more lies.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I am a liar. I like to claim things happened to me when they didn't happen at all. One day I found out that every time I make something up, it actually happens to someone somewhere in the world. Unfortunately, I really messed up one time and one of my stories actually caused part of the world to be destroyed. After realizing it was my fault, I set out to try to fix what I'd done by creating more lies, so I claimed I'd done all sorts of necessary work to restore the world to normalcy, and then someone did." ]	2
	[WP] Write a short story based around your favorite song	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Love flow throughout the world, some are are fortunate enough to be blessed with it. But is that truly luck, or is it their choice? Those who are lonely are lonely because of internal choices. They might blame the people around them, but it is them who lay alone under the cold sheets. They choose to not go out and seek partners. But they are not satisfied with themselves so they turn to other means, find love in other things. Those are what these men and women live for, their love for things and experiences. Without loving passions, you are set to sit and find love in drugs or alcohol, if you find love in nothing the earth can bring you then you will kiss the blade. \nPaul couldn’t have said it better, “All you need is love.”", "Spinning to life through electrical connections and conduits, the perfect synchronization of metal machinery unpacks itself in a complex pattern of shifting, scooting, and general sighing. Patiently, the multiplicity of tiny bulbs scattered across the platform blink and sputter into a chaotic display of visuals.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI move the mouse cursor in circles in an attempt to speed up the Gateway's dinosaur-like tendencies of dying without putting up a fight against forces outside their control. My eyes have not left the icon nestled in the corner - a pink little blob of a creature smiling back at me. The fans whirl into a frenzy once I double-click the application and I'm presented with a login screen. From time and experience, my eyes never look down at my rapidly typing fingertips and my credentials register a green check mark and I'm presented with my account information. Shall I continue to develop my Sorcerer and finally get Lord of Vermillion and rain down my wrath on the orc dungeons? Or should I continue to flesh out my Soul Destroyer Assassin Cross and continue to demonstrate my ninja skills in PVP?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe soft swell greets my ears and cascades into a cheery, ear bouncing melody. Merchants line the streets of Prontera square and I receive a message from my best friend requesting me to meet him in PVP so we can sneak up on high level paladins and generally cause ridiculous mayhem and backslide out of harms way when things become too much. I look down at the clock and note that it is three in the morning. Tenth grade starts today. But my friend needs me - so I blink into invisibility and make my way to the teleport portal.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nShort story based on the [\"Theme of Prontera\"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqijsweJzFQ) from \"Ragnarok Online\". It reminds me of my childhood." ]	3
	[WP] Dubbed "The Hand of God", you are the last samurai who wields a blade in your style. You've spent your life honing your skill by challenging and killing all who practice your style. Until, at 76 years old, you decide you are ready to take an apprentice and hand your title down.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "His joints creaked as he drew the whetstone over the blade, a simple ritual that brought peace to the old man's mind. The scream of stone against steel was rhythmic and soothing, mixing with the soft words of the wind. Even this did not mask the clumsy sneaking of the man behind him, his breathing heavy and feet dragging. It took eons for the thick blade to come down, and the old man lazily stepped aside as it struck the boulder he had been resting on, splitting it cleanly in two. The would-be assailant spun around, straining to bring his hefty weapon into the air. The old man was perched up in the nearby tree, watching with amusement as he balanced on a single toe. He observed the peculiar attacker, resplendent in rich armor gilded with black iron, coarse and short black hair framing his stocky head. Finally, his beady eyes focused on the man in the tree. \n\n“Do you seek to mock me, old man? I have heard the tales of your battles. How you defeated the armies that encroached on this land. Your sword technique is second to none, but I wager that you have become weak with age. Come down here and die with honor, so that I may claim my title as Warlord of the North!” \n\nThe warrior sent out a flurry of slashes that decimated the tree underneath him. The old man yawned, gracefully wielding his blade and striking the greatsword in one fluid movement. As he landed on the ground, the gargantuan and hideous blade gave out a high pitched tone before giving way in a spectacular explosion of shrapnel and shrieking metal. \n\n“I forged that myself!” The Warlord of the North exclaimed as he held the fragmented hilt. \n\n“That much was obvious” Snorted the old man, before laying the flat end of the blade against the warrior's neck. \n\n“Now leave this place, I was quite frankly enjoying myself before you interrupted by meditation. If you come back I will not be so merciful as to only shatter your sword.” \n\nThe prideful Warlord of the North scrambled backward, cursing under his breath as he slipped and slid down the hill, chucking the broken hilt in anger. The old man rubbed his elbows, they were aching from the reverberations of the attack. Perhaps it was finally time to find a student, he gave a small secret smile to himself. \n\nThe horse trotted down the path, laden with empty flax baskets and coin. Its rider held his sword in his lap and the reins in his hands. The children came out of the simple houses to stare at the peculiar old man with his weapon and white horse. The wind had settled, and now the first rays of sunlight were coming over the twin-peaked mountain in the far distance. Some of the braver children came out from behind their safe spaces to tug at the horse's tail and inspect the baskets. The man laughed as his ancient stallion flicked her tail in annoyance, and flipped them a silver coin if they were fearless enough to ask. He stopped when he came to one of the more grand houses in the area, reinforced with cherrywood and decorated with carvings older than he. The leaders humble home. He tied his horse to the available post and greeted the serving woman as she emerged from the front curtain. She nodded to his questions and listened intently to his commands. Soon after she rushed off to fill the empty bags, and the old man pushed through the bead curtain into the residence. The inside was open, mostly taken up by various praying altars and stands for unused weapons. The man he saught came out of a room on the left, his face creased with more wrinkles than the old man remembered, his beard unkempt and salted with white. However, his smile was just as full, and he greeted him with mirth and joy. They sat down in the center of the room, and the leader poured them steaming drinks. \n“So Rahn, what brings you down from your sanctuary at the top of the hill? We barely ever get to speak anymore.” The leader exclaimed. \n\n“I am searching for a successor.” The tea spilled out onto the wooden floor, as the man nearly dropped the pouring cup. \n\n“...I see. I am honored to think that the Hand of God would choose our humble village. Is it because of age? I cannot remember how old you are…” Rahn flashed a quick smile. \n“I am now seventy and six winters old. Each one becomes harder, and I fear that my mind may soon be slowing as well as my arm. I have found that my joints can barely sustain a rhythm anymore, and they ache after I strike.” He rubbed his elbows almost as if in reminiscence. \n\nThey both stood. \n“I shall gather our strongest men, I imagine you would like to test them yourself?” \nThat wry smile cut through the normally stern expression on Rahn’s face. \n“Of course.” \n\nI'll continue this when I have time." ]	2
	[WP] You are “Almost”, the greatest superhero in the world.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Never the Best\n\n\n'Ok Rita, how are we looking after today?' Glenn asks, his voice tired from a long day of cleaning up the streets. \n\n'Based on the International Standard of Heroes, Skyward is still at the top of the list.' Rita's mechanical sounding voice echoes through the Sheath. Glenn would have let her keep her human voice, but it made him too uncomfortable. \n\n\n'More like Dickwad,' Glenn mutters under his breath. \n\n'Yes, Glenn. You've said so before.' \n\n'And I mean it!' he shouts. Ever since he purchased her software she's always had an attitude. Something that had infuriated him for years. 'I still don't understand why I'm only second. I've never taken a day off, yet still he stays on top. It doesn't make sense.' \n\n'It does make sense, Glenn. Would you like me to explain it yet?' \n\nRita and her attitude. He rolls his eyes. 'Fine, since you've only asked a thousand times, this time I'll say yes, sure.' \n\n'Thank you for the sarcasm, as you wish. The international Standard of Heroes measures registered participants through several key factors - the fourth on the measurement of these factors is the ability to detain a criminal through non-violent and non-lethal means-'\n\n'What!?' he shouts, standing up. \n\n'As your primary method of apprehension is termination, while Skyward's abilities allow him to detain non-violently, he will always remain ahead of your score.' \n\n'That's ridiculous! My powers are only useful if I do kill!' \n\n'If you were to cease killing, yet continue at your current rate, you would surpass is point total in two point three years.' \n\n'Two years!' he chokes, stepping away from the interface. He stares at the wall for a whole two minutes. \n\n\n'If I take that long between kills I'll lose all my powers,' he says calmly. 'I'll just be a guy with a knife. The same as when I started out.'\n\n'You told me your first kill was an accident,' Rita states coldly. \n\n'It was. That's what I meant.' His face betrays nothing — unwavering. 'If I can't be number one the fair way, I'll have to do it my way.' \n\n'If you kill Skyward as Lifeblood, you'll be labelled a villain,' Rita warns. \n\n'I know. A ski-mask and my blade will have to do.' \n\n\n\nLifeblood, disguised as a petty criminal, sneaks through the home of Skyward. He's known his secret identity for a while, but only now had the will and determination to act on such information. His abilities make him silent and ghost-like, his footfalls only a whisper, his red glowing eyes the only visible part of him in the dark. \n\n\nLifeblood pushes his ethereal form through the crack in the doorway and finds himself standing over his nemesis — Jeffrey. Skyward has been in the game a long time, wisps of grey finally touch his hair after eighty years of extended life. He's lived enough life for one man, Glenn rationalises. His wife asleep beside him has not aged well, white hair and wrinkles that cannot be tamed. \n\n\nHis form re-materialises. As usual, he'll have to be corporeal for the kill. With a swift thurst, he pushes his knife into the man's chest. Only a grunt escapes him before he's dead a second later. The dead man's wife continues her sleep, her nightmare only realised when she wakes. Years of killing has made Lifeblood an expert. An expert at all things a superhero should know, and finally, there will be none superior to him. " ]	2
Note this is my first time on this subreddit so don’t roast me too bad ok. P.S thank you for reading	[WP] you were chosen for a expedition to a rift in space. Scientists believe it to be some kind of gateway into another dimension. The moment your ship passes through the rift it’s under attack by what seems like glowing white roots. everyone dies and you pass out, and when you wake up 1 year passed	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "A compression suit drifted motionlessly through a vast nothing, small blotch of worn, industrial orange against an infinite white. The ravaged, equally motionless corpse of the Jotun, a Harpy class frigate illegally modified in order to explore a nearby tear, hung silent around it.\n\nMovement \\- a twitch in the left thumb of the suit. It was no longer only a suit, it was a man. A very unfortunate man. Again, movement. This time a jerk in the man's right knee. Searing pain bolted up the man's shattered femur. Again, movement - violent, desperate thrashing, wild swinging. Appendages flying in all directions - knocking debris out of their peaceful slumber. Sound too now - a dreadful wail, shattering the old quiet of the wreck and scattering any remnants of silence to time. The man alone brought up a cacophony of pain and fear, his erratic movements a perfect confluence of mortal terror and hellish agony.\n\n\"SYSTEM ONLINE\" , The suit AI chimed as it dragged the man out of emergency hibernation.\n\n\"AAAAAAUUUUGGHHHHH!!!\", was all the man could utter.\n\n\"Hello, Randal Woods! It has been approximately 348 days since we entered the Delta-Occidam, temporal rift!\", The suit AI continued. \n\"J-JESUS CHRIST!! MY... MY FU-\", Randal exclaimed before fainting.\n\n\"Hmmmm, that isn't good.\" The suit AI explained, unhelpfully.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAll I can do for now, but consider this part 1. I can make more if you guys like this one." ]	2
	[WP] A great war is at hand. A war for something that hasn't been manufactured in 100 years: plastic. It is the Tupper-War.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Anderson trembled as a arrow smashed into his shield. For a moment, he thought that the shield would crack. But true to its legacy, the shield shrugged off the arrow of stone, and he winced as the fragments of the stone arrow head blasted into his leg armor.\n\nHis leggings were crude, put together, but the transparent plastic worked its magic and kept his right leg unharmed. Had he taken that directly, he would have fractured his leg, or worse, broken it. The armor on his left leg, however, was not so fortunate. Shards of stone had managed to embed themselves deeply into it, sending cracks through the hastily-made legging.\n\nIt was to be expected. The right side was made of Tupperware-class defenders, the left some cobbled-together inferior material.\n\nIgnoring the pain from his lower half, Anderson broke into a sprint. His wildly-flailing shield deflected stone projectiles fired from hand-held catapults, and within a few seconds, he had crossed the distance between him and the archer. He smashed his plastic trademarked shield, the edges lined with jagged metal and obsidian, onto the floored archer, staining the sides of his shield with a dark crimson.\n\nStamping into the ground his victim's head, Anderson threw back his head and roared. His compatriots, now heartened, roared back, creating a cacophony of indistinct sounds, eventually merging into a single cheer.\n\n\"TUPPER-WARE! TUPPER-WARE! ALL HAIL THE TUPPER-WARE!\" Anderson's men stomped and roared, and their enemies — a band of pillagers that targeted ruins the ancients called general stores — paled in terror. One of them, clad in bronze armor, stepped out. He unsheathed his blade, which likewise glinted with a bronze sheen.\n\nAnderson narrowed his eyes. That was the man who had left him for dead months ago. They used to be bosom buddies, but he had tricked Anderson into a locked room mere minutes after coming across a set of metal armor in what the ancients called a 'museum'. That so-called buddy of his had lured him into an adjacent 'Wal-Mart', before triggering some indecipherable mechanism that locked him in.\n\nBut it was there where Anderson found the legendary Tupper-Ware. Preserved cans of food, which had taken the finest artisans months to open, fell to a metal device reinforced with Tupper-Ware. It didn't take long before he created a makeshift Tupper-Ware Armor, and broke out by jumping into the ubiquitous barrier of icy thorns that made up the Wal-Mart. Anderson had suffered injuries where his makeshift Tupper-Ware armor couldn't cover, and he had spent 2 weeks healing up and counting every drop of blood he'd lost.\n\nToday, it seemed, was the reckoning of accounts.\n\nAnderson laughed coldly, and strode forwards. His erstwhile buddy, now a nameless dead man to Anderson, mirrored his actions, and it was with a muffled thunk that their two blades met.\n\nTupper-Ware truly was invincible. The foe's bronze sword shuddered, and he decisively threw his weight behind the bronze weapon, hoping to overpower Anderson with force.\n\nBut he never accounted for the godly qualities of Tupper-Ware weapons.\n\nAnderson withdrew his blade, and struck out again almost immediately. Tupper-Ware items were unbelievably light, something that modern weapons could never replicate, which allowed him to wield his sword in ways thought to be impossible. And as the betrayer's body tilted forward in that moment of imbalance, Anderson ran the sword through his hated foe's chest, the bronze chest plate on it breaking at first contact.\n\nBlood sprayed out.\n\n\"How unfortunate that you learnt of Tupper-Ware all too late, betrayer,\" Anderson whispered into his former brother's ear. \"The War for Tupper-Ware is beginning. But you, my brother, won't be part of it.\"\n\nAnderson kicked out at the betrayer's chest, freeing his sword. With a crisp motion, Anderson twirled on the spot, decapitating the man in front of him.\n\nSilence fell as the pillager band froze up in terror. Kicking the body aside, Anderson strode forwards, his sword raised up. \"A War is coming. But for you, followers of the betrayer, I have but one demand. Submit, or die.\"\n\nIt didn't take long before the leaderless band surrendered.", "Flak flicked the smoke away and exhaled a long, final puff. His eyes gazed upward at the ceiling, staring at nothing but seeing everything. A gnarled hand started to tremble, increasing until an entire scarred arm began to shake. \"Too much shit to handle Bok.\"\n\nBok lifted up a steel EZ-Pot and took a sniff of the stale coffee, trying to judge whether the slurry was worth the hazard. Lifting it up, he took a single gulp, which was followed by a quick spray as he spat it out. \"For fucks sake, can't get a fucking break in this fucking fuckity mess.\"\n\n\"You hear we're moving out?\" Flak replied, trying to understand how the blood got sprayed on the ceiling above. It formed a rich landscape, red swirls across white tiles -- he almost could make out a mountain range with a little forest and fluffy deer bouncing around. Wouldn't that be nice? A bit of green instead of the black and grey mess that had been their lives for the last six years. \n\nBok gave a final, forlorn look at the EZ-Pot before sinking down onto the bench beside Flak and pulling out a smoke from the paper packet. He struck a match, lit the end and took a long drag before handing it over to Flak. \"That so?\"\n\nFlak accepted the smoke and nodded. \"Mmm. Fuckin' Peeps caught wind of a recycler behind lines. Callin' us up to clear the infestation.\"\n\n\"Can't they call up the Tups? The Gladdies already been out three times this week,\" Bok replied.\n\nFlak shook his head, \"Tups took it in the ass on the last deploy. The Bigs posted 'em up on the treasure-dump that Saran boys weeded last month. Apparently the Peeps didn't go deep enough, fuckin' rats tunneled 'em and came up inside the post. Got half of 'em before they even started slingin' metal back.\"\n\n\"Christ. They get Topper?\"\n\n\"Naw, though he is takin' it real hard. Lost some good boys.\" The hand started to tremble again. \"Few vets. One that'd been with him all the way since the beginning.\"\n\n\"Shit,\" Bok said.\n\n\"Shit.\" \n\nThey sat silently, each knowing it could just as easily be them. The Gladdies had been more fortunate than most squads. They'd gone out more than most, won more than most, and brought home more of the good stuff than the next two squads combined. You'd think a mountain of plastic would be enough to buy you a weekend, but that's the thing of war: it takes what you can give, not what you want to give. \n\nFlak knew it'd just keep taking too. All the way until the Gladdies were as shot up as the Tups. Weren't no end to it, not when the other side kept comin', just kept getting stronger. Fuckin' rats. Dumped in here from God knows where and just started chewin' plastic and spawning until they had half the Earth under their boot.\n\nTwice the size of man, four times as strong and eight times as capable of takin' punishment. The good guys had been fightin' the good fight, but sometimes good ain't good enough. Once humans got wised and stopped flopping plastics all over the place, the damage was already done. Now it was about tryin' to starve 'em. All that size and strength they had didn't go far if they didn't have the plastic power to keep 'em charged. \n\nSo if the Bigs said take a recycler, then the Gladdies were gonna nut up. No other choice. A hundred years of war said there was only gonna be one race left standing. Too much pain on both sides for there to be a peaceful resolution.\n\nFlak's arm stopped tremoring, a look of grim determination settling in on his axe wound of a face. \"Get the Gladdies rousted. I'll hit resupply.\" He came to a stand and hauled Bok up after him. \"We got work to do.\"\n\nPlatypus OUT.\n\nWant MOAR peril? r/PerilousPlatypus" ]	3
	[WP] You are an immortal being, impervious to all forms of death. 13 billion years in the future, the sun has expanded and destroyed the earth, leaving you warm, and floating without a home planet.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "They never knew.\n\nI guess that was the part that made me saddest of all, as I watched the sun swallow the earth. They never really knew what the larger picture was like.\n\nThe warmth of the sun enveloped me one last time as I drifted away into the cold expanse of space. It had kept me warm for so long, and I wondered if I had taken it for granted. Too late for that, I suppose.\n\nI wasn't always different from them. I was born just like any other human. Small at first, but I grew over time. Language was just sounds back then, and there was no writing. Our settlements were still small. \n\nI learned to hunt. I learned to speak. I learned to love, and to lead.\n\nBut as time went on, the others began to age quicker than I. Soon they were gone, and I remained. My brothers and sisters grew to have kids of their own, and then passed away. Then their kids grew and died. On and on. I was still there, a man that looked barely twenty years old despite the fact that I grew to be a hundred, and then past that. Some called me the Stone, because time did not seem to weather me. They died as well.\n\nHumankind grew. We learned to write. We built the wheel. We tamed the wind with sails. We settled down and built larger settlements. Kingdoms and empires rose and fell, we learned how best to destroy each other, and then we tried our best to make peace. \n\nI had lived tens of thousands of years by this point. I did not age, and I could not be killed. At first, I used that power to win battles for the people I loved, but soon they were gone and I was alone again. What was the point of that bloodshed? What was the point of those connections with others, if time would just take it away from me? \n\nIt was at that point that I stopped thinking of myself as human. I could learn every language, fight as well as any man, and find friends wherever I went. But all of that was eventually gone with time. I refused to form connections, which only brought sorrow. There was no real meaning, like trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces.\n\nI began to wander. Some cultures called me the Nomad, as I trekked across the world several hundred times over. Others called me the Observer. I was present at many of the defining moments of history, although never at the front. Always at the back, simply watching. A forgotten face in the back of every painting. A nameless wanderer that every culture knew, although few made the connection. I saw the fall of Rome, the prophets that made religion, the creators that made culture, and the assassination attempts of every major world leader. Never participating, always observing.\n\nI simply watched the pattern of the world go by.\n\nYou see, humans are interesting creatures. They start off so young, innocent, and full of life. In this phase, all people are united by the joy that life brings. In every culture, from the hills of Rome to the streets of New York, parents smile when they see their child walking for the first time. They laugh at a well-told joke. For children, the world is a brand-new place to explore. Every corner brings a new experience, that they tackle with unbridled enthusiasm and joy.\n\nThen, they grow older. Their world view is dimmer now, as the children-turned-young-adults begin to see the flaws in their life. But they are not deterred by that. They want to change themselves, make their world better. That same enthusiasm drives them forward.\n\nBut eventually, the nihilism settles in. The failures stack up, and they lose that drive for change. That doesn't mean they're always depressed, but they become complacent. Trying was hard. Failing was brutal. Staying where they were was easy. A new gadget or a funny joke or a letter from a friend could still bring out joy in them, but it was less common. What was the point? They were just small ripples in an ocean, overshadowed by the grip of the tide. All of them struggled to find meaning.\n\nAnd then, they died. All of them, eventually. All of them, except for me.\n\nI watched them evolve over the span of millions of years. I watched humanity nearly destroy itself several times. They eventually disappeared from the earth, leaving me alone on the planet. The corpse of their species was all that was left to keep me company.\n\nI was sad for many years. I wandered the world in a desperate hope that I would find some small band of survivors. No such luck. All I found were ruins. Humans had died, and no one would remember them.\n\nBut the ruins remained, and one day I began to marvel at them. They had built these. Those same humans that believed it was all pointless, they had gone and built all of this. Sure they had failed many times, but they had also succeeded in just as much. \n\nI later realized that time had brought me to the fourth stage of human life, or rather the first stage again. It was joy. Every abandoned street and building, every book, every art piece brought me joy. Over millions of years, humans had built all of this, on the shoulders of those humans that had come before. It was magnificent! They had tamed fire, the skies, the oceans, and the earth itself. They forged steel, broke atoms, and used electricity to change the world. They did amazing things, knowing full well that they were nothing more than a small meaningless piece in a much larger puzzle they couldn’t comprehend. \n\nA puzzle that only one person could now see.\n\nI had once thought my immortality was a blessing. Many years later, I thought it was a curse. Finally, I realized that it was neither. It was a burden, but one that I was proud to bear. No humans knew what the purpose of their lives were, but I did. I could see it in the things they made. In the grand pattern of their lives. Lives that I had seen and lived.\n\nWhen the sun came for the earth, I was ready. I watched as the pale blue dot that represented humanity's cradle and grave burned and withered away. Then, I was violently thrown towards a new horizon. The sun's warmth slipped from me as the last remnants of the world the humans had made disappeared from my view, but not from my mind.\n\nI would make their lives mean something. I would tell their story to others in the universe, as long as it still lived. I would tell the story of the humans, the species that succeeded. The ones that solved the puzzle.\n____________\nThis is definitely waaaaay more philosophical and meandering than I originally intended it to be, but it was fun to write. Thanks for posting the prompt, OP! :)" ]	2
	[WP] A young dragon embarks on a journey of revenge against the men who slew his mother, while a young squire goes on a quest of vengeance against the dragon who slew his father.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "There he stood; a suit of red armor and sharp sword, the point flashing in the light, his forehead beaded in sweat and a glare upon his face. All men looked the same to her.\n\nThere she stood; shimmering white scales flecked in black, a snarl etched upon her face, scratches and cuts from old battles nothing more than indents on her armor. All dragons looked the same to him.\n\nThe two stared at one another for much longer than they should have, letting the sun beat their backs and the slight mist of altitude prick their faces. Both of them have found the tower on the mountian between them in different ways, but both have come for the same reason. \n\nA promised battle.\n\nA battle of vengance, a battle that's already killed far beyond this meet. A battle that, until they saw it in one another's expression, the first didn't know the other longed for.\n\nBoth were promised a battle, here in the desolate heights, both by the gates of the forgotten tower.\n\nAnd both would take their battle, a small nod and a broken door into the halls of the forgotten towers." ]	2
	[WP] It's the not-to-distant future. You're a Bounty Hunter who tracks down people with Library Fines. It's a dangerous business.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "When you think of a bounty hunter, what do you think of? Stumbling through a boiling desert, gun out, prepared to end it all on a rumor. Leaving your family behind for so long, to give a grieving family the closure they deserve. People you never want to see in your lifetime. Horridly evil. And it’s your job to take them down.\nWell, there’s those bounty hunters. Then there’s these bounty hunters. Oh yes. Our job is much worse.\nCrouched outside the perpetrators horrible chipped magenta door, the only light I have is the moonlight shining in from the cracks of the dusty shutters. The scanner, held out like a weapon in my hand, ticks quietly. Battery low. We don’t have much time. I inhale a lungful of dust and wheeze - “reeeady?” my team nods around me. “Good.” One more second to cough out the dust, and I roll, shoulder first, into the horrible door, forcing it open. My scanner is forward, the laser there. But I stumble, stopping dead. Nobody in the first room. The couches are spread out in an array of ugly cat lady colours. I smirk. “Pleasant taste.” My eyes swing over to the kitchen, and - there, on the counter! I sprint over, careful to step over the muddy orange rugs. These are new boots. I reach for the book, reading the title as my free hand involuntarily moves to scan it. Knot tying. W- a faint thud sounds from the other room. My mouth goes dry. Oh no. It’s a puzzle, and the pieces just fit together. My feet move without my head thinking about the scene I’ll have to see, calling an ambulance as I go. nonononono. I bash the door open, and there she is. The ladder is on the edge of the tips of her sock clad feet. She sees me, but it’s like she’s looking through me. Her cracked lips open in a gasp, before she rips the knot down from the roof, letting out a silent sob. The howl of ambulances fills my ears, and I back away. The book doesn’t matter anymore. \nHer life matters most.", "Seven o'clock in the evening. The sun is setting; the western sky stained a dim orange. Opposite, the encroaching deep blue of the cosmos. A gentle wind blows. Trees sway. A lost dog poster drags across the road and gets stuck in the gutter. Suburbia.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTim walked down the middle of the street. No need to worry about cars. Not here. Not these days. Without the wind, the street was what he once considered eerily quiet. Now it was the norm. The sound of a vase or similar object smashing emanated from between the boards blocking the window of a nearby house, followed by a voice, crying. Tim didn't react to it. It wasn't his job.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTim approached a house. Boarded windows. Half-dead grass. No different to any other house in this suburb (or any surrounding it). He scouted around the perimeter, peeking into the windows. Was nobody home? Or were they just hiding? He found a window that wasn't boarded adequately, and carefully pushed the poorly-nailed wood inward until one side detached from the window frame. With a huff he twisted the board up and down until the nail at the other end popped out, and carefully pulled it out through the (carelessly large) gap. He dropped it onto a patch of abnormally green grass below the bottom of a drainage pipe which ran down the side of the house. He pulled himself into the gap and slowly put his weight down. No creaking floorboards. How fortunate.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTim did a quick sweep of the ground floor. Lounge. Kitchen. Laundry. Bathroom. No signs of life, beyond possessions left lying around and a television still turned on. He approached the staircase, and drew his revolver. Taking extra care with each step, he slowly ascended. He made sure to carefully and quickly peek at the upper landing once his head reached floor level of the upper floor. Nobody was waiting in ambush. Another sweep. A master bedroom. Another bathroom. A room full of cardboard boxes...and a ladder, leading to...an open hatch in the ceiling? He stepped over the boxes and climbed the ladder - and what he saw astounded him. A rudimentary collapsible lookout post. Nothing fancy, just a bunch of wooden planks with rusty hinges and thick nails through crudely-bored holes, with a pulley to raise the contraption and two pieces of an old tyre so the contraption could silently collape when the supporting plank was pushed out of position. Tim slid back down the ladder and made his way out of the room; entering the final room as quick as he could. It was a child's room.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTim looked around and saw a book on the bed. The overdue book. 'Nice.' He thought. Getting the book would secure him a small bonus. He tucked it into his pants, so his belt would hold onto it. But then he heard a faint cough. Tim rushed to the closet and roughly opened the door, revealing a small child. The child screamed, and before Tim could react a second cry pierced the emptiness of the air - a man's voice. And with it, a loud bang. Tim throw himself backward, to the floor, putting the bed between himself and the door. Pulling out his revolver again, he listened as much as he could, despite the ringing in his ears. Faint footsteps. With the best timing he could, he threw himself up, and almost perfectly caught the assailant's weapon in his hand. A shotgun - the barrel sawn off. He pushed the gun upwards while raising his own. In a single motion, the man's weight pushed Tim backward, Tim's hand pushed the shotgun upward, the shotgun fired again, into the ceiling, Tim's revolver reached an adequate level, and Tim fired. He pulled the shotgun from the man's grip; the man stunned. Tim fired two more shots, this time having the room to hold his gun at arm's length. The man fell to the floor. Just outside the door, cowering - a woman. She stepped over the man who was presumably her husband, and sat on the bed. She blankly stared at the corpse.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTim grabbed the child by the wrist and led him to the door. The woman spoke. \"He only needed it for two more days. He had an EduQuivalence test scheduled.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"...Sorry.\" Tim replied. \"I get it. But you broke the law. You're not the only ones trying to put food on the table and secure a future. Some of you get away with it. You were just unlucky. Your husband was obviously clever.\" Tim said, pointing upward at the approximate part of the roof that had the lookout attached. He tried to think of anything more to say but couldn't, so he left.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTim and the child were a few streets away from the house when Tim couldn't hold it in anymore. \"Fucking kids!\" He slammed the shotgun, handle first, into the road. It fired into the sky, and he tossed it into a nearby yard. He looked at the child. He looked scared, but not terrified. \"I thought you'd be more scared.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Mummy said I don't have to be scared. She said I'm going to a learning centre.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"That's true, I guess.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe 'learning centres' were nothing more than glorified prisons. Yes, there were education systems in place, but sentencing was quite harsh these days.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Mummy said you were coming to shoot daddy with a rubber gun and take me to a learning centre so I can have a tutor every day, not just when I have a test!\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"That's true...in a way, I guess.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThe child would likely not see his mother more than two or three times before being trucked off to a 'learning centre' halfway across the country, where those places weren't so crowded.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nTim didn't accept any more library bounties for about a week, sticking to the crime bounties (as sparse as they were) - around the time when he tried buying yet another drink, and found his account was empty.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThey say there's always a demand for bounty hunters to apprehend those who rack up The Library Fine.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nMost people have never really though about why." ]	3
	[WP] You realize that in 2012, the world really did end but not in the way many expected...	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "We didn’t see it coming. Too busy getting caught up in the hoaxes and carrying on I guess. Figured after Y2K, we would’ve learned. But no. We got distracted.\n\nGot careless.\n\nWe thought the icecaps melting and the forests burning was out fault. That the mass extiction of our indicator species was tied to our actions. We weren’t wrong, but we weren’t correct. If we knew then what we knew now. Maybe...\n\nWho am I kidding? We still would’ve died. Just maybe died putting up a better fight.\n\nThe Tunguska meteor was the first seed, the beginning of the end. It landed the first of them to begin working their way into everything. Terraforming the planet a bit at a time. Then the meteor at Chelyabinsk landed, barely three months after the world was supposed to end on they Mayan Calender\n\nThat’s when the real apocalypse started.\n\nTen years later, we’re all but extinct. The ice age brought by their century of preperation turned everything to a layer of ice. The oxygen levels are dropping world wide as the oceans remain locked in ice and forests die in the endless snow.\n\nTheir landcrawlers prowl the tundra now, planting their native flora adapted to this frozen wasteland. Releasing their own wildlife capable of surviving in this climate. Constructing cities to house their kind out of the husks that once held ours.\n\nAll while their space faring vessels sit in low orbit, hunting for human settlements to obliterate with their laser cannons. Guarding their colonists against the resistance still trying to drive them out. Praying we don’t knock another run of their vehicles out of the sky.\n\nI’m Sergeant Dunn, commander of the Remnant Vehicle Column “Holdfast.” And this is how we survive.", "Taban and his squad stared in awe at the titanic sphere. After nearly 80 years of constant development, NASA had invented a material that could absorb heat so well, it could be utilized to explore closer to stars than ever before, as well as being able to dig through the earth. It seemed unbelievable at first, but the truth could no longer be denied, seeing how this elite crew had managed to reach the earth's core. And, to be fair, it did indeed look like a ball of blazing iron, but symbols were just about the last thing that anyone was expecting.\n\n\"What the...\" Taban softly muttered. He squinted his eyes, attempting to read the writings on the core.\n\n\"Surface team, a-are you seeing this?!\" Lucca shouted into the microphone.\n\n\"Yes we are, how in the world did--\"\n\n\"Credits?\"\n\n\"Taban?\" Lara asked, putting down her laptop.\n\n\"Yeah, it says right there...\" He slowly lifted his finger, pointing up at a few runes. Unlike the rest of the ever-changing writing, this part seemed stationary.\n\nLucca readjusted her glasses, taking a better look as well, her eyes flicking left to right. Slowly she lifted up the microphone. \"Terra; A tale of triumph over adversity.\"\n\n\"Surface, do you have any idea what this means?\" Lara inquired, snagging the mic from her coworker.\n\n\"They appear to be the credits for earth, whatever that means.\" The sound of multiple keyboards being slammed could be heard from the speaker, as well as throughout the entire drill. \"Are you by any chance able to find yourselves?\"\n\n\"No luck so far, they seem to be near the end. No actors, only the... Producers? Love by Aphrodite, Light by Ra.\" Taban couldn't believe his eyes. Everything that he stood for, to always believe science rather than myths, all of it could be thrown straight out of the window. Though, not all was bad, seeing how this confirmed the existence of deities. It would take some getting used to, but he--\n\n\"Script writer... Twilo? What is a Twilo?\" Lucca asked, tilting her slightly.\n\n\"Wasn't that some night cl--\" though, before Lara got the time to answer, the core went dark.\n\nThe credits were over.\n\n\"Surface?! Surface team are you reading us?! The core went dark, I repeat, the core went dark!\" Lucca shouted at the top of her voice.\n\n\"We read! The stars-- gone-- ground qua-- EVACU--\" \n\nStatic.\n\n\"T-Taban?!\" Lucca yelled. It took a few seconds for him to respond.\n\n\"It-it's over. No more credits, end of the show... Who would've thought, all of our efforts lea--\" the increasingly loud rumbling of the earth collapsing above them didn't give him much time to finish his sentence. As the earth collapsed in on itself, reality turning inside out and growing teeth, with life swiftly disappearing through both the known and unknown universe, one last voice could be heard, not with one's ears, but from within the depths of every being's soul.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"Well, that was a fun prompt, let's see what else I can find!\"" ]	3
	[WP] Becoming a god sounded great at first, but in reality your powers are quite limited. You have been sent to watch over this family, stranded in the wilderness. You might be able to cast a miracle to save one of them, but only if you stay and watch the others die. The choice is yours.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I'd been screwed over enough to learn the hard way that you needed to be wary of any proposal that sounded too good. And yet the question \"Do you want to become a god?\", posed by a humanoid-shaped rainbow didn't ring any alarms with me of how much just like my old job it would be. \n\nI soon learned the line \"You have qualities we think are suited for this position\" referred to my being a good and devoted drone in a corporate structure, not to any inherent virtues.\n\nDo you ever wonder if god is listening to your prayers? So my job consisted of being a god, so I could receive prayers, all of the prayers. Glorified voicemail. Yes, listen, record, archive.\n\nSo when they posted up an opening for a temporary spot in another department, I volunteered. This would involve some actual miracle work and freedom for decisions sounded great. When I was alive there were two sayings applicable to this 'job' opening. 'Never volunteer for everything' and 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'.\n\nAnd the hazing and all of the crap jobs for the new guy thing also didn't go away. One new thing that I was curious about was the jobs that the others got to do solo and completely depended on their own judgment. Go out in the world, decide if a miracle should happen or not. So I was excited when finally my turn came up.\n\nIt was a very hands off approach. You just get sent there, and 'everything will be clear when you get there.' And it does. Gods have a power (that I didn't get to use much), where we could channel our energy to make something happen that was out of our league of power, but at the loss of control. We'd be aware of any prerequisites or immediate changes, but the fallout would be a surprise.\nSo that's what brings me to my first mission.\n\nSand. Lots of light. Sand Hey, the sun. I hadn't see that one for a while. More sand. And the expansive blue sky. The heat didn't touch me, physical shapes had been banned for ages after all. Something about illegal cults and pranks on mortals. My attention was drawn to a loud explosion, just beyond a dune. Panicked screams and shouts for people to run. Hmm, better go look.\n\nI found a family of four, next to a burning wreck of a car riddled with bullet holes. They were crying and huddled together, not dressed for the heat. The dad protectively crouched over his family, probably his wife and their two children, a boy of eight or so and a girl of was six. I was bad at judging ages. I came closer and they seemed to checking for wounds and other things. A glance at the car told me that their belongings were all destroyed in the fire.\n\nI saw the threads of the possible miracle, but it wasn't clear yet how it would work. From the lack of ties of possibilities, I reckoned they were far from possible safety. The family's smaller members continued crying. Time slowly passed, the wreck continued burning. The parents were consoling the little ones. They took turns walking around the wreck, trying to salvage something. The adults tried to stay calm, but they seemed city folk. \n\nA quick hike by the mother to the top of a sanddune revealed no nearby vegetation, or anything. I stood next to her as she silently cried when realization struck her. That's when the possible miracle revealed itself. I also silently cried. Either they all die and I get to return to my cushy job, or one of em lives, but I have to watch and record the deaths personally. I don't even get to choose. Maybe it's good I don't have to make the choice.\n\nI hate my job.\n\nSo we both silently stood crying on that ridge facing the setting sun, unable to communicate with each other.\nTime slowly passed. The children exhausted, quickly fell asleep. The man and woman had hushed discussions. I didn't feel like listening. They hugged and each had a cry. \n\nThey fell asleep in each other's arms as I sat to the side thinking about my choice. Could I watch as three people died and force someone to live without their family? Some might say it's an easy choice, atleast one gets to live. But they haven't had to listen to prayers from people missing their loved ones and wishing they had died with them. Yeah, those did stick with me and hit home for me.\n\nIt was a long night.\n\nGods don't sleep.\n\nThe next morning the dad managed to salvage a bit of water from the vehicle somehow. The black smoke still rose in the air, but the couple was apparently scared of being chased, so they decided to leave. I wasn't sure of the wisdom of travelling in the day, but I guess navigating in the night wasn't possible for them.\nThe tired cries of the children complained about the heat and the water. I followed. I felt the strands of the possible miracle waiting. It would be a doozy, really. A coincidence more than anything. Well, an unlikely coincidence.\nI again stared at the loving family members, wondering who would be chosen to live?\n\nMany scenario's ran in my mind. The boy would live and become scarred by survivors guilt eventually driven to alcohol and drugs. The girl would live, taken in by foster parents and contribute greatly to humanity. The husband would live, finding another wife and having more kids but never able to love as much as his first family. Or the mother would live and...\n\nNo, this wouldn't help. I reflected on what I was thinking when I accepted becoming a God. I would finally be able to 'do' things. Yes, that was the primary thing in my head, wasn't it? Filled with lots of unfinished fantasies of getting back at people, helping friends or being very selfish. Well, atleast now I got to do something that mattered right? I would probably regret this, and the survivor would probably blame given the chance. But well, one miracle coming up. When the final drops of the water were given to the little girl, the father having drunk none, I noted, I went to work.\nI reached out to the tendrils, fragments, or whatever they're called with my sense and started tying them together. \n\nThree will pass on,\nFate's will be done.\n\nOne will leave\nBut I will remain here.\n\nNo matter poison, dehydration or sickness\nI will witness.\n\nHuh, they didn't say anything about spontaneously saying a corny poem. But it didn't really feel as just some prose, but more like me dictating, what will happen. But by doing so, I also bound myself to keeping my part. \n\nI felt the tendrils intertwine and fade into the background, past my senses. I guess I'm just the witness now. I looked around for the miracle. I guess it took time.\n\nAnd so they walked on, and I followed. The mother kept reassuring the kids that everything would be alright. It was odd, but also depressing, knowing three of them would die for certain while they talked of hope. It felt like I was escorting them to their execution grounds.\n\nThey kept walking and nothing happened. They sought shelter in the shade somewhere. The father tried to catch a snake for food, but failed. I could see the frustration and hopelessness on his face when he landed, barely missing the snake, but he put up a happy face again for his children. \n\nThe more these people walked in the sands, the more respect I felt for the parents, never snapping at their children. The parents had long resorted to taking turns carrying the little girl.\n\nAgain evening came. exhausted, the children huddled together for warmth while the parents went off to search for things. The mother found some dried wood and other bits, managing to make a fire. I was suitably impressed, that was beyond me even as a god. The father came back with a small furry animal I didn't recognize, but his arms and knees were chafed and bleeding. Happiness all around. I looked on, again impressed but wondering how long their suffering would be in this desert. I would quickly have an answer.\n\n---------------------------------------\n\nThis and more at [TrabianTellsTales](https://www.reddit.com/r/TrabianTellsTales/)" ]	2
	[WP] After a freak accident, you wake up and resume your life. But you soon come to realize that you have been gifted with photographic reflexes. Anything you see, you can do.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "As soon as I woke up on that day, it felt like it would be a good one. I had never been to Scotland before, and I thought Edinburgh would be a good place to visit. I had planned the journey a couple of days earlier, and boarded the train at London Euston station. But halfway into the journey, I felt like something was going to happen. My gut felt like it was trying to tell me something in a non-verbal language of sorts. Maybe it was just instinct to see whether everything's under control, but as I looked out of that window once more at the back of the train, I watched the front carriage slip off the rails. Panicking, I grab my luggage, run to the nearest train door, and I frantically press the emergency button and try to get the door to open. But it was all too late, as my body jerked around on the now flying train.\n\nI woke up and the place felt like a wasteland. The carriages had split from each other and were scattered around the area, my carriage had its' door ripped off it.. There were body bags everywhere, the media was crowding around the police chiefs and whatnot, and the ambulance staff were trying to see whether anyone was alive. I put every ounce of effort into trying to stand up, and the great force of gravity tried to keep pulling me down, but I managed to stand up. My suit was in tatters, ripped here and there. I was just lucky it wasn't that cold at this time in the winter month of February. The ambulance staff came rushing over to me, covering me with blankets, and the next thing I knew, I had cameras and microphones swamping me like I was the Prime Minister just about to stroll into my car.\n\nI was taken to the hospital and they performed CT scans on me, brain scans, but they found that my body was just fine. Unscathed. The nurses suggested that I go home and take a rest, and that they would arrange a train for me back to London.\n\nAs I came out of the hospital door, though, I felt something was different. The world didn't look the same like before. And rewinding my memory to the point where I had a brief glimpse at a mirror through the radiographer's window at their computer, I felt like I could do her job just as well. But I thought to myself that I didn't necessarily want to give up my stockbroker job for a job that requires more hard work.\n\nBut something else I had noticed after I walked away from the hospital was that my brain was buzzing with ideas. All day, all night. It left me unable to sleep, but my brain still powered on anyway. It felt like I never stopped, and it felt like I wanted to do everything at the same time. The first thing I did was to give almost all of my billions away to charity. Left with £1 million, I decided to buy a gaming computer. I went on Twitch to view the Fortnite World Cup 2019 as that was the most major event on at the time, and I felt like I had studied the players' movements inside and out. So I downloaded Fortnite, started playing and won game after game. Every single time. I thought it was just a coincidence, so I stopped playing after 5 or so games. The next day I woke up, I played around 20 or so games non-stop and won each and every one. After a year or so, I had played Fortnite so much that I had won around 100,000 games by that point, and I was the top player on the Fortnite leaderboards. I then heard about online events to place for the World Cup, and so being a young but not old 25 year old, I decided to give it a go.\n\nEvery week where there were Solo matches, I played and had won every one of my 10 matches, with stats that looked inhuman. I looked around the Fortnite subreddit and saw people going on about how I was probably cheating with these \"bogus\" stats. Determined to give reasoning to this fellow user, I decided to attempt to reply to their post. I tried to remember how I had gotten so good.. I couldn't remember anything, so much that my words I was trying to put together in my head came out like a garbled mess. How was I meant to explain to press sites or friends about how I had risen to Fortnite fame? Was my brain acting robotic?\n\nI had gotten to the World Cup finals at this point, and the Fortnite community vented their outrage at how \"such an obviously bogus player\" was allowed to even compete in the World Cup. Epic Games, unable to contain the community situation, decided to invite me over to their HQ. I flew over to North Carolina and met Tim Sweeney himself, the man behind it all. He wanted to watch me play Fortnite on one of their computers, with no cheats, an antivirus, no browser, just Fortnite installed. So I logged in, went and played a Solo match. A group of Fortnite employees gathered behind me and were astounded at how well I played. \"How did you do that turn?\" \"How do you do so intricate building and parkour?\" \"How did you get so good?\" All 3 of these questions went unanswered but also distracted me as my brain was outputting garbage inside my head. I was so focused on playing, that one word would kindof put me off track, maybe making me jump around randomly or just move to some place I didn't want to go. After I had eliminated each and every player and won the match, they said to me that I was able to participate in the World Cup finals. What I didn't know at the time was that they had recorded me playing, and they had uploaded it to YouTube so as to answer the community's questions.\n\nAt that point, I had became a celebrity. I hadn't opened my stale inbox for a week, and suddenly it was flooded with interview requests from sites like Cnet, Fortnite Insider, Eurogamer, Kotaku, hell, even the BBC wanted to have a little interview with me. It seemed I had gotten so famous that I had reached a celebrity status, and friends from all over were texting me about how I've gotten so good, that my job is more fun, etc etc. I decided that I was going to quit my stockbroker job, and attempt to stream me playing Fortnite full-time. I brought on one of my friends to help me manage all the interviews, and I setup my Twitch channel, and at one point got 100,000 viewers. I was literally the most viewed player on Twitch at the time, and then I had to bring on friends as channel moderators, and at one point I watched the chat be in awe about how I'm so good, etc. But that is where things started to go differently.\n\nIn the head-to-head, where the grand prize was 3 million US dollars alongside the $50K I had gotten already, I felt like I had forgotten things. I had an urge to cancel my playing, but I decided to go ahead, thinking it was just a one-off thought. Boy, was I wrong.\n\nThe audience looked in desperation as I was beginning to look like an outcast. Instead of having quick, precise movements, I had slowed down a lot more. I looked more like an average Fortnite player, going up against another, skilled 16-year-old who was not even near my skill level but was way better than the average player, and still decided to play on even though I had beaten everyone else. As I slowed down, I came to the realisation that I knew nothing about this game. I was just a stockbroker who had another brain learn these sorts of things and take over my real self. I felt like this wasn't really me. This was someone else in my head. But I could do nothing to stop it. As I attempted to fight my opponent, he outpaced me by a mile and had killed me within 10 seconds of contact. The audience booed me. I lost all my subscribers. I was hated by the Fortnite community and the media wrote depressing articles about me. People made memes about me. If only I had my parents to console with.. I thought I had put their deaths behind me, but without them, I was a broken person. My heart felt like it shattered inside, disappointing the world over. There was no point anymore. Some of my friends came around and consoled me, while others texted me about their sheer disappointment. How I was an outcast. A fool. A liar. All 3 of these words meant nothing to me anymore. As the months went on, with no job, and around $100,000 left after spending most of it on a house, a car, etc, I just sat there. On my doorstep. Day after day. Some people in my neighbourhood would spit on me. Most walked past me. I had felt nothing could get worse, surely not. But then as I got up from bed, attempted to walk downstairs with my jerky legs, then collapse on my doorstep, I pulled out my phone and tried to ring 911.\n\nAfter having moved to America and having been carted to hospital, I began to regret ever choosing to live in America. As they examined my brain, they had no idea why my brain looked as if it was ceasing to function, but they began to come to the conclusion that one of the side-effects of this was motor neurone disease. Around came the billing cart to charge me $100,000. My life savings, all gone. I was broke. I was disabled. I was ill. There is still no cure for this disease, and so all I could do was hope for nothing. Dreaming of my death. Of how nobody would care about me or even host a funeral for me. I sat there thinking how selfish I was to even attempt to use this newfound ability for success. As I thought deeper and deeper, I thought \"what if God had decided that the price of success was too low?\".. I felt like all my hopes rested in God and also didn't at the same time. Was there anything I could do? Could I ever get my old stockbroker job back? Surely someone else would have taken up my position after almost 2 years. I felt like a frail old person, even though I was only 27. Was life this cruel for me?\n\nI noticed, though, that friends still came to my hospital bed and felt sorry for me and everything. Soon I began to gain hope again. Would life turn upside down again?" ]	2
	[WP] just before you do the final blow to the villian your eyes go blurry and you hear "What? What do you mean by the power went out? I was just finding out how he could defeat me ...goddamn it.. restart the system.."	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "There's a certain allure in fighting someone who is essentially your equal in some way. I can't say I am the smartest mind out there, but I had my strengths. Nestro...his strength came from his intellect. In a hand to hand fight, I win each and every time. Sometimes, he has me on the ropes, but I always come through. That's what a hero does.\n\nThis time was no different. Nestro had been gloating about his upcoming victory when I landed a clean right on his jaw, launching him to the floor. I leaped onto his prone form, peppering shots on him left and right.\n\nOnce I was sure the fight was over, I tossed Nestro over my shoulder and made for the exit. From behind me, I could hear him muttering. \"How? How is this possible? Every time you win! What is your secret?\"\n\nI laughed heartily. \"Oh, Nestro. You and I both know my 'secret' is the power of Truth and Liberty.\"\n\nA loud groan came from behind me. \"Ugh, this again? I don't think you even know what that means. It's just a load of rubbish, of empty words.\"\n\nThe groaning seemed to be growing louder, and I soon realized that wasn't coming from the villain. \"Do you hear that noise?\"\n\nI felt Nestro stiffen slightly. \"Oh, no. No, no, NO, NO! DAMN IT!\"\n\nI wanted to lower him and ask what was going on, but I felt myself become more lethargic. My eyes began to swim as the world seemed to darken around me. Soon, all went dark. From above me somewhere, a familiar voice cut through the silence.\n\n\"Damn, another power surge. I was so close. Let's see, backup power intact, power cells cooling to restart in thirty seconds. Reload simulation number...let's go with seven this time, seems to get the best results.\"\n\nWh-where am I? Things finally began to swim into a slight, hazy focus. Darkness was still dominant, but I could see some minor details, of metallic walls, blinking lights. A low hum filled the air, filling my ears. I could feel something holding me in place tightly.\n\nIf I can just move my arm a little bit, just enough to break the binding, I can get free. I strained with all my might, but something was holding me back. I heard the humming of a machine as it spun to life, the feel of electricity heavy in the air.\n\nJust a little more, a few more inches. That's all I need. I felt my fingers move ever so slightly. One more strain, and I could be free. At that moment, A bright light filled the room as whatever was behind me sprung to life. I could see Nestro illuminated at the controls, his face curled in an evil grin.\n\n\"Ah, you're awake. For now, that is. You won't remember this once we're done here. Since that's the case...I may hate you personally, but I respect what you stand for. Well, time to put you under again. Ta-ta for now!\"\n\n\"Nestro, you dirty son of a bi--\"\n\nThere's a certain allure in fighting someone who is essentially your equal in some way.\n\n/u/TemporaryPatch New Years Resolution Tracker (2019 Edition!): 43/100. Visit /r/TemporaryPatchWrites for more responses and stories!" ]	2
	[WP] Humanity can suddenly hear the surprisingly complex thoughts of animals, insects, and plant life.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "The antelope lifted it's head from the grass, just for a moment. It had heard something, smelt it in the breeze, perhaps felt it in it's bones. As it returned it's head to the scrub grass, John's rifle kicked. The others nearby bolted, and the one struck flopped over with a twitch. It began to give chase drunkenly, limping and collapsing as it went. John stood, brushing off his coveralls. After stowing his rifle and marking the progress of the mortally wounded beast, he made for the shortest trail down off the ridge. In the old times he'd have happily leaped down the incline in a cloud of red dust- It wasn't far to slide for a vigorous man. Now, things were different. He mused on that as he trod down the long way, ever cognizant of the fragile shell around him. Truth be told, he didn't know if the suit did a damn thing. He did know that he hadn't been infected yet.\n\nAt first he'd almost found it funny- That was when it wasn't more than a string of strange suicides. They showed up on social media platforms, people just walking off buildings and into roadways. He had one of those videos stuck-It played for him in gristly detail every time he closed his eyes, complete with his own breathless laughter. A man was being filmed, holding his head in the middle of a tiny park. Then, he sprints across the grass taking a spectacular flying leap into traffic where a bus bounces him almost thirty feet. The perfect comedy timing now flogged him with guilt. He'd laughed so hard. The laughter stopped soon after that. No one knew how it was spread. The W.H.O. had nothing, each of their contingencies more futile than the one before. John had left for the hills after the capital fell. He remembered that too- The president's skeletal face with deep black bags under his eyes.\n\n \"I don't sleep...anymore. I try, but they won't let me. I...There's....We have...We All have a responsibility. I'm sure most of you...well...\" The man who had just days prior excitedly called for a cure was reaching below his desk with a certain purpose. At this point, we'd seen that grave resignation time and again. That singular focus on the simple motion. The action of someone in great pain fighting instinct. The sidearm he picked up had blood still dripping from it's muzzle. He addressed the camera with more than a little fear in his eyes. \"I've waited as long as I can. It's...well, no I.... suppose...\" He sighed, deeply \"If you could tell a virus... what it was doing to you, do you think it would stop? Maybe they do know, and this is just what makes us human\" The feed was cut as he slipped the muzzle into his mouth, eyes still locked on the camera.\n\nJohn followed the trail the Antelope has crashed through the scrub, careful of sharp protrusions and hidden dips, loose roots that may trip him. The antelope had driven itself deep into a patch of bushes, none more than waist high but dense. There it was, rump in the air half-twisted around the bushes trunk. He approached slowly, hand on his buck knife. It'd be nice to not have to use a bullet, and the animal look well and truly spent. He thought of it as a formality, an assurance that it was truly dead. He thought so, but as he came just close enough the antelope found it's final wind. John wasn't sure exactly, but it seemed that it had it's front hooves on the earth and as he'd drawn closer it simply uncoiled. The first kick happened and John reeled back, an instant before the second hoof connected. He felt a pop of pressure, and collapsed.\n\nJohn had no idea if it was a couple of minutes or an hour, or more. He shook his head. He felt the face mask flop with him, loose on one side. He tried to stand, holding the clear shield in it's mounting. He smelled copper and warm earth. He heard the wind. Shit. He opened the mask and shoved his hand inside, feeling the bloody tear in his ear then down to where the earplug had fallen. \"Kill me!\" He whirled,looking for the source of the voice, but it didn't seem to have direction. It was guttural, but didn't seem to react like sound. It wasn't nestled against the wind or hidden behind the twitching scuffs of the antelope. \"KILL ME! IT HURTS KILL ME!\" He watched the antelope with sheer fear. Was this it? after all this time had he finally lost his mind? Perhaps it had happened long ago, and he'd been senselessly wandering the desert in containment gear. Leaning in, he slit the animal along a vein that went to it's leg, and listened to the troubled little gasps. \n\nHe tried not to think much on the long walk back. He chose to leave the antelope as it lied. Chose to ignore the sounds in his head, that it was just wind that spoke in his ear as he drew close to the low mesquite bushes. He'd stripped to skivvies- it hardly mattered now anyway. He wanted to feel the sun on his skin. an ant scurried along with a leaf \"Up we go, must feed the hordes, oh if the hordes are fed they'll feed the sovereign and they'll make more hordes, yes.\" A single green shoot rose from a bed of soft sand. \"Here I rise, here is my tribute to you, my tower to reach the stars. see it rise.\" A small rodent sat stuffing it's face from a bush's seed pod. \"The cold, the chill, it comes soon. gotta feed gotta feed them, gotta feed the litter. My life runs short and there aren't as many days as ever I'd like\" Finally, he was at his home. The shack with the sealed windows and double sealed outer door, in the shadow of an old tree. It's voice was slow and booming.\n\n\"Will you now tremble before me, mortal?\" John looked up at the branches above, splayed in all directions. \"Ah. At last, your effervescent luck has been expended. Here you are, finally able to take in the voice of the gods you slaughter.\" John thought about that, and looked quizzically up. \"I've only got one god, and frankly it'dn't be you, I only kept you around for the shade.\" There was a bark of non-corporeal laughter \"Still as you always were. and always will be. I say enjoy it while it lasts. All you hear now is I, but soon enough.\" John loved the way the light splashed through the branches, tinting it ever so slightly green. \"Do you have any insight, tree, and what is happening to me? have I gone mad, or was I mad all along?\" Another spout of laughter came \"You could call it a virus, more of a re-programming i suppose. You can hear now our intention, our [imperative.](https://imperative.You) You can hear from a nobler species that you are a cancer. You slaughter and ruin an leave naught but desolation. Worst, you know. You always knew, it simply wasn't of concern. no matter, soon you'll hear the rest.\" John stopped, cold. He thought perhaps it was location, and he might be safe so far from the life that now rudely impressed itself upon him. But he figured he knew what was meant by \"the rest.\" He looked down at his arm, imagining the hundreds of millions of microscopic organisms moving about. He pulled his rifle from it's case, and removed one boot. He was threading a toe under the trigger guard when the screaming started." ]	2
	[WP] A self-proclaimed villain who always tries to do bad things to the society he hates, but he is cursed that the bad thing he does will always produce good consequences. He's now trying to create one last grand scheme that he thinks the curse could not possibly fix.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Sinister Intent\n\n&nbsp;\n\n“They are here for you” my assistant murmurs.\n\nI take a deep breath. The time is now. After years of disastrous failures, now I can finally inflict a well-deserved act of justice upon the people that clog the world around me. I can liberate the Earth from its burdens, I can set the world free and let it re-build afresh. We will see again the endless herds of the buffalo, the vast flocks of larks, and the great schools of tuna. It is my dream, but I cannot distract myself with this monologue any longer, I must proceed.\n \nI turn and nod at my assistant, my long-suffering companion on this mission of justice and my only confidante. I stand and head for the door, my assistant moving to open it for me. I breath again and step through into a dazzling blast of light and noise. \n\nThe spotlights hide the audience, but I can hear them as I stride across the stage. I head towards the two chairs at the centre of the stage and take the empty one. I adjust my jacket and smile pleasantly at the interviewer sitting opposite me, knowing they will soon despise me. \n\nThere is a hush and the lights dim to a warm glow. \n\nThe interviewer, Janet Thompson, returns my smile and it all begins.\n\nShe addresses the crowd. “We are lucky enough today to have famed and controversial inventor, futurist, and dedicated contrarian Alan Scent with us.” She turns to me. “Mr Scent, thank you for sitting down with me.”\n\nI smile as a thunder of applause sounds through the room, all of it undeserved. \n\nJanet and I dispose of various pleasantries. I play coy, but then the real questions start.\n\n“Mr Scent, I introduced you as controversial, but that would be underselling your reputation, wouldn’t it?”\n\nI chuckle and deadpan my response, “I have no idea what you mean Janet”. A ripple of laughter spreads throughout the hall.\n\nUndeterred, Janet continues. “You have engaged in some incredibly risky and unprecedented projects…”\n\n“I’m guilty as charged” I force a smile as the litany of my failed projects spring to mind. \n\n“…including releasing a genetically engineered virus that rendered inert a particularly virulent strain of the flu…”\n\nThat virus was supposed to cause mass sterility, I think as I hold back my frustration. Good scientists are hard to find on the black market.\n\nJanet continues with my list of failures “…and running a tunnelling machine under San Francisco, the ‘Boring Machine’, that relieved all tectonic tensions associated with the San Andreas fault…”\n\nMy smile tightens further. That one was meant to trigger an earthquake, not render California quake proof for the next fifty years.\n\n“…and also dispersing nanite particles into the atmosphere, nanites that managed to shield electronics worldwide from the EMP impact of the solar storm of 2020…”\n\nI clench the arm of my chair. And that extremely time consuming and not to mention expensive plan was supposed to destroy all electronics with an EMP blast, but somehow the two EMP blasts, the storm and the nanites, cancelled each other out via a freak act of timing. \n\nJanet finally ends with a question. “…some have called these projects megalomaniacal, suggesting that you might have more in common with Lex Luthor than Superman. My question is, should the people around the world be concerned?”\n\nFighting back my frustration at my failures I take a moment. \n\n“That would not be an unfair comparison Janet, I do have my lair on a remote tropical island after all.” I respond with the truth. \n\nAnother ripple of laughter fills the room.\n\nI continue, now ready to reveal all. “And everyone should be concerned. Because, even though I act for the good of this planet, there will always be costs. Costs that most might not be willing to pay.”\n\nThe interviewer looks shocked. She wasn’t expecting this straightforward response.\n\nI stand up and address the audience. “It is time, time for Project Eden. Time for a new Earth, free of the perversions and corruptions of the old one. A new planet, a fresh start that will require a purge of all that damaged this planet.”\n\nA stunned silence fills the room alongside some confused applause. \n\nI pull out the control, specifically crafted for this moment with a big red button clear for all to see. I raise it up above my head for the room and cameras to view. \n\n“A touch of this button will trigger the new age. The impact will be immediate and unstoppable. All life as we know it will cease.”\n\nI save my breath, there is no need to explain to the people how this will all unfold. My mind turns to the ring of satellites around this planet that will shortly send a pulse of destructive radiation across the globe. Any survivors of this event will be driven crazy as every device manufactured by my firm, every tablet, every mobile, will emit a signal that will hijack their synaptic control and cause them to attack one another. Meanwhile, members of every animal and plant species, along with their carers, are all safely stowed away in various radiation proof and psy-shielded underground ‘arks’. \n\nI press the button.\n\nI press it again.\n\nNothing has happened. Everyone is staring at me. I stare mutely in turn at the remote.\n\nA few minutes pass.\n\n“Ah, Mr Scent, it…it appears that you have done it again…” Janet stutters from behind me. She presses her earpiece in, “yes, I’m getting reports that some sort of low grade radioactive pulse has cleared pollution somehow, smog is clearing over Beijing. And, we’re also getting reports of warfare ceasing in certain conflict regions. There is an immediate cease fire in Syria…”\n\nI turn and gaze at her, unable to say anything. How did this happen? How…\n\nThen I see it. Standing by the stage exit is my assistant, smiling. A small, discrete, control is in their left hand. \n\n\n&nbsp;\n\n----\nI hope you enjoyed the read! Find more random fictions at r/countsforfun" ]	2
	[WP] You find out that you're not human.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I woke up and say, \"oh my god I a worm! Nobody like worm, only the Dutch. Maybe I make a hat and disguise me.\"\n\nSunday come and go. Much frustration 'cuz worm don't got no arm. Where my hat, can't even make hat!? Feeling hungry.\n\n\"Maybe I eat hat. Straw is a vegetable, I think. I only eat ramen noodles before, so now I look like noodle myself!\" \n\nSun is getting hot. So dry in the sun, so I go under my brother's motorcycle in the driveway. Mmm, lot of dirt here 'cuz he don't ride it for like a year! Lot of bugs too. They don't bother me none.\n\nMonday come and go. Eating much dirt. Find the edge of driveway and it's like diving into bowl of ramen noodles. So sweet and salty and crispy. Dirt is good. All the good tastes.\n\n\"What do worm do today? No job, no prospects. Maybe the Dutch take me in now because I like them. Can't call to find out.\"\n\nBeing a worm is stupid, but I don't complain. Lot of other worms just chillin'. My brother get my girlfriend 'cuz they looking for me so much. I see it through the window. \n\nJust eat dirt and don't pay no mind. Worm." ]	2
	[WP] Every time you turn forty your life resets. You are born again, but with all your memories from the previous resets. Your latest life you did everything you could to make the world a better place. Now, just as your life is reset, you hear, “You have reached level two.”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I came across this community on the popular page and was inspired to write for the first time in many years. I have not written for pleasure in a very long time, so I decided to create an account to do just that. This is my first post on the first prompt I came across that made me want to reply. That said, feedback is of course appreciated, but please be gentle! Thank you for reading.\n\n\\- - -\n\nIt always felt as though someone was watching me from just beyond the darkness in the seemingly timeless period before each new life. The presence I sensed was completely forgotten during my time living, but it dominated my thoughts between each death and rebirth. Many, many centuries ago, I was born to the first of my lives where I found only two certainties existed - I could not live past the age of 40, and I would be born again after dying.\n\nI recall little of my first attempts at living, but the knowledge from each life never leaves me. Perennial life without a purpose left me to simply seek basic fulfillment. In that endeavor, I used my immense repository of knowledge and experience for many selfish purposes, and for a long period, that was enough. There was essentially no limit to what I could achieve in the interest of my own desires, and yet, my feelings of malcontent grew with each death. Each life felt like an unaimed arrow launched from a bow, speeding through its course only to land with a anticlimactic thunk, nowhere near its target.\n\nEventually, my efforts naturally shifted to more spiritual and emotional practices. Slowly, at first, and with painstaking effort, I discovered the happiness of sacrificing some of my own time and comfort for the benefit of others. I discovered both the difference and the importance of selflessness toward strangers compared with selflessness toward the ones I loved. Century after century of volunteering, teaching, and helping others shifted my perception of the world. With each new life, the desire to help others and make the world better grew inside me until, finally, I devoted the entirety of my latest life to making the world a better place.\n\nWhen I again felt the strange presence in the darkness, I immediately knew something was different. It was the first time I thought about my previous life before being born again. Without warning, a metallic, inhuman voice speaking a language I never heard but somehow understood pronounced, \"Deity Training Program, Level One complete. Initiating Deity Training Program, Level Two.\"\n\nThe words' meaning had barely settled in my mind for the smallest fraction of a comprehensible moment before I was born again, the shocking message forgotten just as the distant presence was forgotten in previous reincarnations. After innumerable lives repeating the same cycle of birth, growth, and death, I was very familiar with the process and could feel something different in my body. Though each time was slightly different, I usually opened my eyes conscious of who I was for the first time at the age when toddlers normally begin to speak. This time, I looked down at the body of an adult. I sat up in an unrecognizable room, slowly taking in my surroundings. For a moment, I thought of being thirsty and to my utter and complete astonishment, a full glass of cool, clear water suddenly appeared in my hand!", " \"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear...\" \n\n\nJames' heart stopped beating. His eyes cocked backward and foam spilled from his mouth. The world vanished in a fraction of a second and the clouds came rolling in as they had 40 years before. A tumultuous descent from the couch he had previously been sitting on amidst the celebration of his life -- tumbling into darkness as if he were a ragdoll. Above him he could see the window of his prior existence quickly fading as he fell through clouds. \n\n\nA faint, whimsical whisper emanated from the void \"Congratulations, James. You have reached level 2.\" \n\n\nWhere did he know that voice from? It sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn't place it, after all it had been 40 years since the last cycle concluded and he took a similar descent. But this voice was closer, there had to be some connection to his self beyond the reset. Had it been somebody whom had graced him in only the past several days, weeks? From wherever they may be, it was somebody that connected to his soul, not simply the latest rendition of his flesh . \n\n\nThe thought was forced aside as he began to shrivel in upon himself. Every bone of his body collapsing and giving way to the new shell he was about to enter. It was his 7th cycle, but nobody was ever prepared for the sensation of instantaneous reverse growth pangs. Sharp, fierce, hot, and suddenly cold, wet. James' violent screams filled the darkness as he was pushed forth from the womb. \n\n\n\"Congratulations, it's a boy.\" \n\n\n\\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \n\n\nJames leapt backwards away from the knife. \n\n\n\"Give me all you got, man.\" The scraggly man in his late 20s said, gesturing the knife in a menacing manner. \"I ain't messing around!\" \n\n\nJames dug into his pockets, reaching for any loose change he may have before settling on taking out the few wadded bills. \n\n\n\"It's not much, but it's all I have.\" James said, pulling a 10, two 5s, and a single 1 with \"Where's George?\" stamped on it's face. \"Payday isn't for another week and I can't get forwarded any cash now.\" \n\n\nThe scraggly man snatched the money from James' hands, simultaneously making eye contact. \n \n\n\"Rodney...\" James said hesitantly. \n\"What's it to you?\" The man snarked back, defensive. \nJames had once shared responsibility as caretaker of this boy. At age 4, Rodney had been cast into foster care after his father came home drunk and took it out on the family, resulting in the mother's death. Rodney had witnessed the whole thing while cowering under the kitchen table. Over the next several months Rodney acted out, but seldom in violent ways. By his 5th birthday, Rodney had transitioned to another home, out of James' loving care and guidance; to a home again rife with -- this time hidden -- abuse.\n\n\"Nothing, lucky guess. Take the money and help yourself, okay?\" \n\n\nMutters responded as Rodney stepped back around the fence line and into the evicted neighborhood, fidgeting the knife back into it's closed format.\n\nIt was true, payday wasn't for another week; not that a teenager working at Pizza Hut made much anyway. James kept walking, tapping his now empty pocket and thinking back to his former life.\n\n\\\\\\* \nHe had been happily married for 17 years at the time of reset. His wife and children had been the beacon that kept him guided through life. Penny, his youngest and only daughter had contracted an illness in infancy which confined her to a wheelchair. Her bones were like glass and even the slightest impact could have devastating repercussions. James made it his life's goal to make the world a better place for her and everybody else in similar situations by being one of the minds behind the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He strived for the 7 years of Penny's life to make it easier for her to get around, even beyond her premature passing. Her memory is what was pushed him to help others. \n\n\nHis wife, Tess, had been devastated at the loss of Penny. She had always wanted a girl, and though Harry and Layne had been two of the best children she could have wished for, Penny held that closest spot to her maternal heart. The only daughter, and delicate as a flower. Tess faced the darkest days shortly after the funeral, but came through with his support and joined by James' side in spearheading the campaign which would make life better for everyone afflicted by physical incapacitations. \n\n\\\\\\\n\nJames stepped into his home, placing the bookbag on the floor by his desk. He opened it up and pulled out Michael Newton's \"Journey of Souls\" to begin his English homework \n\\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \n \n\nI hope you enjoyed my first contribution to the group. I love writing but seldom find the time to be able to sit down and have word therapy. Hopefully this will be a good jumping point to commit more time towards it. I am continuing this story (if nothing else but for my own enjoyment) and may post follow-ups in the future. Please leave any feedback, positive or negative, as I'd love to hear it!", "To cut a long story short, I lived the same forty year period (1979 to 2019) three thousand, nine hundred, and fifty three times. Admittedly, I am also counting those lives that were cut short by one of the many early deaths I experienced (especially common in a mult-lifetime span a few hundred subjective years ago when I set about overthrowing each country in alphabetical order. I speak every language on the face of the Earth (and a few I have invented myself), have lived in (or at least visited) every country there is, have tried my hand at almost every profession I can think of (even the ones, like formula 1 racing, that I had zero initial interest in), and have pretty much seen and experienced just about every single thing I can imagine. I'm sure there are things I haven't imagined, but the list has to be getting fairly short by now; I have even unsuccessfully (seven times) and successfully (once) overthrown the North Korean regime.\n\nLiterally the only thing I didn't do was live a totally selfless life. I have seen Groundhog Day (like most movies or TV shows) so many times I can practically repeat it from memory; in my second life, I got it into my head that--if I really was stuck in some kind of loop--this might trigger the loop ending. Now, maybe I'm a weirdo, but I always said that, if I was ever stuck in that kind of loop, I'd make better use of it than Murray's character. I also said that it would be even better if it were in a better locale, and if you had more time, and here was the universe handing me pretty much exactly what I had asked for. Intellectually, I knew that anything might end the loop, or that it might have no end at all, or (in that second play through of my life) that it might only happen once. However, I put my money on a selfless life being the trigger, and stuck to it rigidly across thousands of lifetimes. If I'm being wholly honest, I think it became something of a comfort blanket to me, but it helped me (mostly - there were a few psychotic breaks after about a thousand lives) get by.\n\nI finally decided I was done when I fell in love with the same person from one of my very early lifetimes, lived out a full and very enjoyable life with them, and only realized I had met and lived that earlier life with them after I had died and started a new cycle. It wasn't really ennui; I have never, even during those half dozen or so breaks, ever wanted to stop living. Every lifetime has been a chance to learn and experience, to be young and happy with a never-ending variety of people, and the world is a very big place full of things to do. Plus, when you live forever, you can always take long breaks from a given activity, and then come back fresh and excited a few hundred years or cycles later. For example, I have been a medical doctor multiple times in multiple countries in various specialities (with varying gaps of time between each instance). In addition, as demonstrated with that partner, you forget plenty; I've trained my memory, but I'm still human. No, I just finally decided it was time to throw my comfort blanket away. After all, it seemed very unlikely that a selfless life would be the key, and I was more than ready just to fully embrace my life for what it was.\n\nAnyway, there I was enjoying August 3rd, both the day of my birth and the last day of my life, for the infinitieth time. I had finished tying up all the loose ends of that life the day before: recording instructions for people who would almost certainly never receive them (when the loop resets), making sure my legion of charities and not-for-profit ventures were all prepared for the death of their pioneering leader, and had spent the evening working at a local soup kitchen. I was frigging shattered, too - being selfless is actually very tiring work, both physically and mentally. As was my tradition in most lives, I was meeting my mother and father for breakfast; they were separated but happy (thanks to me - it was for the best). My mother was in her early seventies then, and my father would (never) hit the big eight zero in 2020. She looked pretty good for her age (partly because she dyed her hair brown, but mostly just good genes and regular skincare, and was dressed in a loose yet comfortable dress. He looked a little paunchy, his hair mostly gone (along with his hearing), and his ever more wrinkled fair skin a little sunburned.\n\n\"So what do you think will happen, my boy?\" My father said slightly too loudly, \"Such a funny thing. If I could live forever--\"\n\n\"David, shush,\" My mother intervened in an amused tone, \"And turn up your hearing aid. You're shouting.\"\n\n\"Yes, darling.\" He obediently obeyed, using the pet name despite years of amicable separation, and reached a hand up to adjust the new hearing aid (one produced by one of my medical research companies).\n\n\"I dunno, padre.\" I shrugged and took a sip of hot chocolate, \"In the worst case scenario, I guess I live out the rest of this one life, and then die just like everyone else. Maybe everyone just lives out their own lives over and over again, and this is just what the afterlife is, in which case I'll just spend a little time figuring out what to do next, and then have a chat with you guys.\" As you may have guessed, my parents did know about my unique condition; they had known in every iteration (even the second, although it took me longer to figure out how to tell them that time). So did my sister, but she almost always chose not to attend these goodbye breakfasts; she had her children to deal with, in most iterations, and said she'd see me again soon anyway.\n\n\"I'm always a little bit jealous of you,\" My mother intoned a little sadly, \"You know how much I love you, but I always wondered what life would have been like if I had never had children.\" That might sound harsh, but only if you didn't know her; she was incredibly caring and supportive, giving up so much of her time for others. She had even been one of my models for the selfless life. She also just had a screwed up past, with an evil adoptive mother and everything, and had escaped into marriage and childbearing as something of an escape - only problem was, in her haste, she had chosen a good but entirely unsuitable match (my father).\n\n\"It's pretty fun, I gotta tell you, but I reckon you might not like it too much - once the cycle restarts, no matter how hard you try, it's essentially impossible to have the same kid again.\" I took another sip of my drink, concealing a sharp moment of nostalgia for the children I have raised. After a while, you sort of got used to the idea of losing them to the end of every cycle. It's sort of how a dog owner gets incredibly sad when their dog dies, no matter how many dogs they have had, but are also able to pick up the pieces and get another dog. Maybe that is a monstrous comparison to people on their first and only lives, and I certainly didn't feel that way after my first kid (life 43), but human beings adapt or they crumble. I adapted - to losing friends, children, pets, and everything else besides. Nowadays, I just try and squeeze every last ounce of joy from every relationship I have, and just accept the unusual nature of their termination; all I can do is try to be a good father/brother/son/friend/etc, and make the most out of the time we do have together.\n\n\"Well, I certainly wouldn't choose it,\" My father harrumphed around a forkful of bacon.\n\n\"Not a surprise.\" My mother and I said together, then chuckled in a conspiratorial way.\n\n\"Jinx,\" I said idly.\n\n\"Don't be childish,\" She directed at me, and then at my father, \"And don't speak with your mouth full.\"\n\n\"Yes, darling,\" He replied dutifully, after swallowing.\n\nSo the breakfast went on, until the clock hit 12pm, and then I said my goodbyes. My mother cried a bit, as she often does, and my father gave me an awkward hug, and then I set off for Regent's Park (which was just around the corner). I found a nice piece of grass to lie down on, and stared up at the opal blue sky above me; it was always such a lovely day in London when the cycle ended. I occasionally tilted my head this way and that, watching individuals, couples, and families going about their daily business. Two students nearby were having an argument about Brexit, something I had barely worried about since the very early days, and at one stage a standard poodle came over and licked my nose. All in all, it was a relaxing way to spend twenty one minutes...\n\n... and then the time came. About ten seconds before the exact time of my birth, I felt a pressure start to build in my chest and my head. It grew exponentially in those ten seconds, eventually starting to hurt, and then to burn. It felt like my body was being crushed and set on fire. At about T minus two seconds, my vision went entirely white. At T minus one second, the pain disappeared (but the white out remained); I had just enough time to think \"So much for the selfless life\" when my vision cleared.\n\nOnly it wasn't the usual site of a blurry operating theatre that greeted my eyes, the ever so familiar shapes representing the doctors and nurses gathered around my mother. Instead it was a circular chamber with gunmetal grey walls (and apparently no doors or windows), lit by a pulsing light that emanated from a strip that ran around the top of the wall. Looking around myself, I saw eleven other figures beginning to stir; they were all wearing the same white jumpsuits, gloves covering their hands, and hoods hanging loosely over their faces. Just as the light of rebirth was almost completely fading, and I began to really feel the (seemingly adult, but definitely not my own) body that I was inhabiting, I also heard a voice. It was deep and melodic, and had a very neutral accent: \"You have reached level two.\"", "There’s always a bit of downtime before I respawn.\n\nThat’s the only way I can describe it. Every single time I have die—sorry, passed on—I’ve been given a brief reprieve before being thrust back into the uncertainty of life. The first reset saw me thrown into a crystal cavern, lit only by the reflections of a solitary candle. Terror consumed me, a vast ocean which pulled me down beneath its waves. Days passed, and the terror left me as I lacked the strength to comprehend it. I sat cross-legged by the candle, and blinked out of existence.\n\nOnly to be born once more as a screaming babe. \n\nMy mind was aware of all that had happened, but my body was not yet under my control. For years I developed my gross and fine motor control, waiting anxiously for the days where I could share the knowledge that I gained through my past life. But a screech of tires and a crunch of metal saw that life end before it had even begun to flower.\n\nI landed on a bed of lilies. My body was that of a child, young and excitable. I walked through the flowers, sniffing eagerly, before sitting in front of a stone garden gnome. I waited. Calm radiated from me, and at that moment I was thrust into the world anew.\n\nThis continued for many lifetimes. In some I never reached adulthood. In others I lived unhappily for forty years, never satisfied with my impending death. But no matter what happened, not a single lifetime extended past forty years of age. Not by a single second.\n\nAfter each life I had time to think. To contemplate. And over many lives, I searched for a purpose, a reason, for why this existence continued. Finding no answer, I thought of what I could do. After a long period of quiet contemplation, I decided to use my time to learn, to apply my knowledge, and to ultimately solve some of the difficulties that plagued mankind. I sat upon the dew-soaked grass, and waited.\n\nIn the next lifetime, I did everything I could. I gave shelter to the homeless in my neighbourhood. I provided food for those who starved. I taught, listened, and loved. I passed on in the arms of my father, taken early by a terminal illness.\n\nLevel one complete. Congratulations!\n\nThe voice was automated. It spoke in a stilted, halting cadence.\n\nYou have reached level two.*\n\nI must have done something right. Completing a level in life can’t come along everyday. I was surprised they didn’t announce any achievements. But a single question stole every ounce of thought.\nWhat would happen in level two?\n\nIt was the cavern again, stretching before me. I sat beside the candle, ready to accept the remaining adventure this existence had to offer. I smiled as my body vanished.\n\nThe first thing I noticed was the craggy, reddish-brown rocks that stretched in every direction.\n\nSecond was the strange feeling of my muscles swelling. My blood seemed more viscous than usual, flowing like syrup through my veins.\n\nThird was the air. There wasn’t any. \n\nPitching forward, I sank onto the rocks. I looked up. Despite the night swirling around me, the moon had disappeared.\n\nShit. \n\nThis was going to be harder than I thought.\n\n_____________________________________________________\n\nHope you enjoyed my take on the prompt! If you want to read more of my writing, check me out at [r/smoothbaritone](https://www.reddit.com/r/smoothbaritone/). Thanks for reading!" ]	5
	[WP] In this day and age, STEM cell programs have been released around the whole world for free. Millions of people have benefited from this. Those that were mentally disabled, are now normal. However, nothing in this world is for free. There is always a price to pay.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"With STEM, even the worst of your illnesses can be cured! For a small price of 7 grand!\" Rang the annoying advertiser's voice from the TV. Hello, dear reader. My name is Illo and my sister, my only kin left, is suffering from a diesease which will slowly impair her neurons and will kill her in due time, unless i can afford the STEM program. Unfortunately, there is nearly no way unless we earn enough money. So here i am, plopped on the couch and watching TV down in the dilapidated shacks of the undertown before going to work. So far, i have saved up only half of what is needed for her treatment and today, i've got something that could potentially pay for the other half.\n\nThat is, if i don't get caught.\n\nI revved up the engine of the van. I was supposed to deliver a few crates of organs from last week's order to a lab. Shady, i know, but would you do that to save your last family who is dying? \n\nI rubbed the family emblem on my necklace for good luck, as per the rituals before every mission. Plasma pulsed theough the hovers as i started up the engine......" ]	2
	[WP] The solitary god of a simple raiding tribe has over the decades become the head of a pantheon as a god of conquest in an enormous empire. Now he has to start acting like it.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Belief is a powerful thing. In a war-torn wasteland, far from the high castles and the great cities, a child knows despair. She believes nothing, and lives each day on the knife-edge between this life and the next. Grandfather believes that the child must live, and so he tells her a story. He tells her that it is the oldest story of his people, but he makes it up as he goes along, playing connect-the-dots with the dimly flickering stars as he tells her of an older war and the grim hero from Outside who ended it. \n\nHe tells her the Hero is a giant among men, cunning, wise and implacably strong. He tells her of his endless stores of terrible secrets, the weapons that rend the earth and split the sky. He tells her of two great cities destroyed in a moment, thousands of lives erased forever to bring the great kings to the table. Her eyes light with hope for the first time in months, and she asks Grandfather how the Hero was brought to the world. Grandfather sends her to bed.\n\nWeeks pass in this way. Flee across the Waste, scrounge a pathetic meal, listen to Grandfather's stories. In the end, unable to think his way out of it, Grandfather tells her the tale of a brave Priestess, who risked much and paid more to summon the Hero. He told her of a deep catacomb, a spiraling well so deep that no light had ever reached its center, and he warned her of the terrible price such creatures demanded for their help. As she lay in her sack, the child decided to find the World Well, and pull up a new hero. Her newfound faith kept her warm and hale, even as the winter blast took Grandfather away.\n\nThe child searches for many years for a fantasy cave, until in time she finds it anyway, just as dark and forbidding as she had imagined. A great twisted tree grows over the entrance, and there is a clear, cold pool in front of that. She bathes, and enters the cave, turning again and again until she knows not how deep she has gone\n\nIt looks tasty. ^(bloodandboneandmeatandcrunchandscreamysceamy)\n\nI have come to bargain. ^(Strangelittlegirlnotsolittlereallystrangejustsayinghugetractsofland)\n\nWhat do you desire? ^(moneyfamesexpowerlotsofpower)\n\nMy people are dying. We need the fabled Hero. ^(Wedontneedanotherherowhydoesshewantasandwich)\n\nWhat do you offer? ^(Ariochariochbloodandsouldformylordarioch)\n\nBody and soul, as in the tale ^(wellthatgotdarkherreligionnotmyfault)\n\nDone. ^(weirdodesperateorjustkinkywhoknowscallthepsychopatharewesurethinkofthelulz)\n\n&#x200B;\n\nAnd this is where I come in. She faithed a dimensional portal into existence, and the purest demons of irony pushed me through. I found myself in total darkness, surrounded by fading, lecherous whispers and a warm, firm, well-proportioned companion. We walked back up the spiral, and out into the Waste. I'd never felt a presence like hers. Her 'faith', for lack of a better word gave me strength, in the most literal, hurl a boulder at your head kind of way. It also compelled me, tamping down my more merciful impulses once we began to encounter her people's scaly enemy. \n\nEach day, her belief made me an artist in red, dancing execution upon her foes. Every night, her fear made me an erothanatic fiend, and together we excavated new depths of depravity.\n\nEventually, we met other people. She told them I was a god, because it was Wednesday, and Wednesday was the day for theological role-play. They joined us. As we traveled, I'd occasionally pick a smart one and send them on a holy quest (kill 10 rats) so I'd have an excuse to give them more authority. Somehow, despite being entirely circumscribed by my priestess' faith, I was in charge. \n\nTime passed. The party grew. When the first baby was born, I declared us a clan. When we laid the priestess to rest on a tower we built by the longhouse, I declared us a tribe. Four generations on, when we ruled the Waste entire, I told them it was time for me to go, but that I would always hear their prayers. It was meant to be a comforting lie to keep them sane after I'd laid down and died. As I drew up from the little piles of ash that were my desiccated and disintegrating remains, I realized they Believed. I'd gone from fiend hero to instrument of death to avatar to god in one extended lifetime. TIFU.", "I see their elaborate rituals made pitifully in my honor, and shake my head in sadness.\n\nFires dancing with blood lust and madness, savage rituals and true sacrifice made out in bloody fields and forests, these were the blood in my body, the fuel that made me feel alive. I took my people in my hand and lead them through wars and deep into the borders of their enemies. \n\nNow they clothe me in gold chains and petty honors, slow burning rituals culminating in the death of a pathetic little goat. My priests are not the warriors of the past, built out of blood and hard earned respect, but feeble old men, bending over each other to lick the boots of a false emperor. \n\nThis is not my people. This empire must end.", "Mutlek dwelled in his tent. A small tent fit for a commander, and perhaps also his three mightiest. He kept very few possessions in this tent, though spread out on the centre table was one of his most prized Icons; the Captain's Graph was an active map of the material world with every army, platoon, and bandit gang pin-pointed and identified. The thickness of no wall, the quality of no siege engine, the boldness of no heart was concealed from the one who perused the Graph. Here Mutlek prosecuted his business. Here he whimmed that a civilization would be returned to the dirt, and then through his mortals it was so.\n\n“My Chief.” There was a man at the flap, in his loincloth and with his club; an angel, a veteran of the divine guard. Mutlek turned about, his mighty form brushing against the brown leather tent folds as it moved.\n\n“Warrior.”\n\n“You are beseeched by the Church of Spearpoint. A boy is recovered from the woods.”\n\n“A hunter?\"\n\n“A child. He is from the Inzanite tribe and is not fit to make his own way back to them. The prayer is this; what to do with his life?”\n\nMutlek exhaled. The Inzanites were a foreign tribe. He pondered for a moment as did the stoic warriors of his highest favour, and then he nodded.\n\n“The method of death is this. Have him against the rocks, fourty times without subtraction, and make him back to dust.”\n\nThe guardsman bowed. “It will be done.”\n\nMutlek did not turn back to his business immediately. Not until this angel had departed completely, lest he fail to demonstrate towards his men the respect that they deserved. When he did turn about-face, his eyes spotted something unusual upon the Graph.\n\n“SOLDIER!”\n\n“My Lord!” The angel could return as quickly as he pleased; they existed outside of space.\n\n“Rally up steel, man. Look here – the King of Bridgemond sends settlers. He is making an advance upon our territory. I will have his party dissolved before the fall of the sun.”\n\nSince the arrival of the other gods, the heavenly forces had become far less colloquial. They no longer jeered like beasts. Even so, after Mutlek said his works, he detected an unusual discomfort in the flap of the tent.\n\n“That cannot be done, Chieftain.”\n\nThe Chief wheeled his head back around. “How is that so?”\n\n“There has been a preliminary meeting. The Court of Lords desires to be consulted before an advance is made against Bridgemond's party.”\n\nThe men did not jeer, but the Chief still knew how to roar. A mighty howl introduced itself, and then he flailed a cannon-barrel arm onto his own war table. The impact was thunder.\n\n“CONSULTED?!” Mutlek's skin had turned red. Not his face; his skin. He breathed now, which is not something a God has to do, but he was choosing to breathe quite heavily and quite quickly.\n\n“My Lord, they-”\n\n“No, no, fear not!” The Chief was now on the move, racing around the circular interior of the tent. He went by his rack of legendary weapons, all of them Icons, and selected from them the first he had ever received – a mighty wooden club that the mortals called Mutlek's Fist. “A consultation has been requested!”\n\nAs he continued to yell, globules of spit flew from his mouth. At the same time, he swung the club overhead and rammed it into the dirt. The terrible thud was followed by hissing, as the divine heat of the weapon turned his grounded spittle to steam. “So there will be a consultation!”\n\nNow he was going to the flap, barrelling by his own man on the way out of the tent.\n\n“And I assure you, no further action will be taken until each man and lady of the Court has been thoroughly consulted!”\n\nAgain, there was no real definition of space for beings such as these. If Chief Mutlek wanted to exit his tent and find himself in the Hall of the Final Court, that was his prerogative. The hall was pure and white. It wasn't marble – mortals made things out of marble. The Gods made a hall that was white. Fluted pillars were waiting on either side of the room like yet another of Mutlek's warrior legions, made of stone and perfectly still in lieu of orders. The thrones at the highest point, one for each Lord, completed the opulence.\n\nMutlek, in his cloth and with his club, could not have been more an enemy of this aesthetic. He seemed to be alone, in this court which his angels had not built. He defiantly raised his weapon to the roof.\n\n“All Lords to order before the Chief!”\n\n\\---\n\n(Cont)" ]	4
	[WP] You are born with 500 on your forearm. The older you get, the lower the number gets. You've never met anybody with a zero value and you have no idea what the numbers represent.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I’m special. Yeah, yeah, yeah we're all special. No man, I’m real special. You see, when I was born I had three digits on my arm. Three black digits, five hundred. My parents were ready to sue the hospital, but were finally convinced that it was just a birthmark.\nA birthmark? I wish. When I was four I set the house on fire. My parents claim that I got ahold of matches. I pretended to not remember; but I remember. I grabbed a curtain, my hand got hot and the curtains lit off. It was such a lovely orange hue. The numbers dropped down to four hundred and eighty five after that. My parents freaked out again. I guess that makes sense when your kid is a freak.\n\nI met another number when I was fifteen. He was the only other number I had seen. His name was Markus; and you don’t know how often he yelled at me about the K in his name. He was psychic, you see and could read my thoughts. Except, he said they were more like colors. Red, anger, green greed, stuff like that. When he met me, he said I was different. I was the first number he met and the first person whose thoughts came across clearly. I called him Third Eye and he called me Lighter. He was my best friend.\n\n\nWhen we turned nineteen, we found out about The Institute. It was a shadow organization with just enough ties to the government to have tons of money, but just enough deniability to not be officially tied to it either. We could always spot an institute drone by their stupid black suits and black sunglasses. We found each other by accident. Well, me and Markus found them, they were looking for us. At first, it was sunshine and puppy dogs, but when Markus described cages and children hooked up to machines, the façade fell off. They stopped pretending and got serious. \n\n\nChristina was an Institute soldier, her number was eighty-five. As she stood over Markus’ body, I knew why her number was so low, I also knew that I had to free these kids, wherever they were from The Institute.", "Five. Zero. Zero. The number appeared a few days after I was born, a misshapen red rash on my wrist.\n\nThe doctors thought it was unusual, but its resemblance to a number was coincidence.\n\nOne. Three. My age. I make a friend. Her name is Maya, and she’s fascinated by conspiracy theories. Aliens, the supernatural, that sort of thing. She pulls my interest in, for a while. We grow closer than friends. I learn that she loves tulips. She always wears long-sleeved shirts, even in the summer.\n\nTwo. That’s how many feet apart we are when she turns to me, face streaked with tears, and says she needs to go, that we can’t stay together. I call out to her as she walks away.\n\nI call out, because there is a number on her wrist, a number she had kept hidden until now. I am afraid.\n\nTwo. Zero. Two. Zero. The year. The number on my wrist reads fifteen now, so distant from when I was born. Life goes on, but I can’t sleep at night. My children, my wife, to them the number is nothing. I feel as though it is counting down to something terrible. Anxiety fills my walking hours. I dream of digital clocks and harsh alarms at the midnight hour.\n\nOne. Two. I receive a letter in the mail. It is blank, and I throw it away.\n\nOne. Two. An old friend waits for me outside the office where I work.\n\n“Maya?”\n\nShe doesn’t speak, just stares at me.\n\n“You don’t listen, do you?” she says finally. “You need to read the letter. I can’t hurt you. You need to win. You need to - “\n\nThere is a screech of tires, and a car rounds the corner. By instinct, I leap out of the way.\n\nMaya is broken, bleeding from the mouth. I begin to call.\n\nNine. One. One.\n\nShe grabs my wrist with surprising strength, her index finger resting firmly on the number. “Stop. You need - to run. Survive. Don’t let - find you. Hunt you...”\n\nThe number on my skin warps and writhes and counts down by one, and I stare back at empty eyes with empty eyes. One. One.\n\nDecember. I get a tattoo of a tulip over the number on my arm. There are only eight of us now.\n\nAnd the other seven?\n\nThey are out there in the world, waiting in the shadows. We are playing a game of five hundred, now eight, a dangerous game.\n\nIt is a game I intend to win." ]	3
	[WP] In an alternate timeline the rules of genetics have been turned on their head. Parents can now pass on acquired traits and skills to their offspring. You, an orphan since birth, are slowly discovering more about your parents through your own developing abilities	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I woke up one morning and felt...different. There was this subtle change in me that seemed like it could only be felt and not really seen. \n\nI spent five minutes straight staring at my reflection and twisting my body in various directions, hoping to catch an angle that would give me that \"A-ha! There it is!\" moment, but never found one. \n\nI looked the same as I did yesterday. Except the black and blue bruise that Russ Bing had given me around the eye a week or two ago had finally disappeared. \n\nThat didn't make me feel any better, though. For some reason, Russ just hated to see my face without some type of marking or bruise on it. I don't know why, though. Alana, one of my best friends, says that he's jealous because the girls are always whispering about how handsome I am. \n\nI told her that they must stop whispering extra quietly when I'm around because I never hear them. \"And if they are,\" I added, \"please tell them to stop it or else one day Russ is going to beat me up so bad, they'll be whispering about how ugly I am instead.\"\n\nBut, anyway. I digress. Back to that morning.\n\nYou ever have one of those mornings where you just jump out of bed, energized? That's exactly how I felt. I just wanted to run around like a little kid high on caffeine, or exercise. It was so bad I even dropped to the floor and started doing pushups.\n\nThis is where it got a little weird. On a good day, I can usually do 20 pushups before I start to feel it. While I was doing it right there, I got to 100, and it felt like I had only done one. Effortless.\n\nI kept going. Got to 150. Still no strain. 200. Nothing. 250. Nada. 300. Not even breaking a sweat.\n\nI was going to see how far I could go before one of the directors came and called me for breakfast, but unfortunately, someone else found me instead.\n\nYou can already guess who.\n\n\"Well, lookie what we have here.\" Russ and his cronies walked in slowly and fanned out around the room like gangsters from a corny 70's movie. Still, corny as it looked, it effectively blocked all exits. \"How many you did? 2?\"\n\n\"498.\" I did two more. \"500.\" And kept going.\n\n\"Yeeeeeeah right.\" Him and his friends laughed.\n\nI ignored them and kept going. I was trying to get to a thousand. And the way I was feeling...Russ didn't want to mess with me right now. \n\nBut Russ didn't know it yet. He came over and sat on my back. I kept going without breaking a stride.\n\nRuss said, \"What the hell?\" \n\nAnd the room got silent.\n\n\"Russ, you're not supposed to say the 'H' word,\" one of his buddies said.\n\n\"Oh, shut up,\" he told them. Then to me, he asked, \"How are you doing that?\"\n\n\"I don't know. But I've been feeling like this since this morning. And I suggest you get off my back because once I reach 1000, if youre still on me, I'm beating you a-...behind.\"\n\nHe snorted with so much emphasis I could hear him rolling his eyes. \"Yeah, okay,\" he said. But as I countinued to keep going - full form, all the way to the bottom, then push up - he was eerily silent. \n\nOnce I got into the 900's, I asked, \"You okay there, Russ? You're awfully silent.\"\n\n\"I'm bored,\" he said suddenly. He got off my back and headed to the door.\n\n\"Leaving so soon, Russ? I'm almost to a 1000. I can speed it up if you want. Dont forget we were going to fight if you were still sitting on me.\"\n\n\"Yeah, well...come find me when you're done. I'm going to eat breakfast.\" And he left the room pretty quick.\n\nReluctantly, his partners slipped out one after the other after him.\n\nI hit 1000 and got up. It was like I hadnt done a 1000 push ups. No sweat, no tired, achy arms, but I still had all these energy I didn't know what to do with.\nMaybe I would go find Russ after all...\n\nBut as I headed to the door, a shape suddenly materialized on my bed, causing me to jump back and stare.\n\n\"Alana?\" \n\n\"I know,\" she said. \"While you were in here doing pushups, everyone's been suddenly gettin their powers. I got invisibility, one girl can fly, another one can move things with her mind, and one can read thoughts. That's when I had to leave.\" She laughed. \"And now it looks like you got super-strength. Nice. Now you can finally get payback on Russ.\"\n\n\"Speaking of Russ,\" I said. \"What power did he get?\"\n\n\"I don't know. People are still getting theirs.\"\n\n\"You think he got his by now?\"\n\n\"Let's go check,\" she said. \"Hopefully, it's not something crazy.\"" ]	2
	[WP] AIs are actually really hard to make. It is far easier just to copy a living mind into a robot, though humans seem to break in the transfer. Luckily other mammals seem to be doing just fine and loyal pets became the best donors. Humans are gone nowadays, but their immortal servants remain.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Cold. Frost. Night eyes are on, now nothing but the steady red of many living things.\n\nAjax whimpered and heard its own plaintive noise in the darkness.\n\nAcross the woods, through several trees, he saw a pair of great centipedes look up at the noise. They sniffed at air. Ajax paid them no mind. Most larger things had learned to avoid the scent of fur-but-not-fur. If not, it was not as though they were a threat to him.\n\nIn any case, he was not looking for them.\n\nThe moon passed overhead. He searched the valley. Even after this time, the scent of the Girl and her family was easy to pull up.\n\nOther memories came linked to the scent. A day when the sun still shone white in the sky. Water lapping at the sand. He pulled her from the water. She had not come up. She had no longer been moving.\n\n“Good dog.” The Mother. Soft voice. The best treats for many days. The only time the Father cried. He smiled and cried as he hugged Ajax. Ajax had never seen a smile and tears at the same time.\n\nHe had found a cave. There was a strong smell of dead things. Even his nose could not find anything under the overpowering stench. No scent of the Girl or her family. That did not mean she was there.\n\nThat did not mean that she wasn’t.\n\nAjax switched his night eyes on and descended. Insects crunched beneath his feet. Some climbed into his fur-but-not-fur, where his small self-insects killed the invaders.\n\nInsects had once all been this small. They had hidden beneath the soil. One of the stinging insects had made the Girl cry, but she had lived. Now there were centipedes bigger than him. Ant-packs flowed everywhere. The stinging insects had grown large. As large as the small Bird of the Mother.\n\nSomething crunched beneath a paw. A bone.\n\nHis eyes looked down. Deep within his mind, something came alive. The shape of the bone. The sound of the crunch.\n\nAn Owner bone.\n\nAjax hurried around the area of the cave. The entrance was far away, so he flicked on the lights behind his eyes to see. Dust flew and dirt rose.\n\nMany bones. He sniffed. Many old bones.\n\nHe found the bones of many grown Owners. One child, younger than the Girl had been when he had last seen her. No old Owners. All had died hungry.\n\nHe wondered. If perhaps he had been here before. If he could have come while they were alive.\n\nHe went further into the cave. Further and further, until every pathway closed itself. It was days before he returned to the surface. To the gray sky. To the no-longer-little insects. To the rain that had burned away so many of the plants of his pup years.\n\nHe left the valley with a drooping tail and a bowed head.\n\nThe Cat was waiting at the Place-of-Owners. Many Owners had lived there. Now none did.\n\nFind anything? she asked.\n\nNo, he replied mournfully.\n\nFound another settlement, I did, she said. East, by the burning mountain. Smaller than this. But a settlement.\n\nPeople? he asked hopefully.\n\nNo.\n\nHe whined.\n\nAbove, the sky threatened rain. The Girl had loved to run when it rained. The parents had hated it.\n\nThought I have.\n\nWhat thoughts you had? Ajax asked.\n\nNo more Owners perhaps. Nowhere we will find them.\n\nAjax jumped to his feet in horror.\n\nLiar! Always Owners there will be. Always!\n\nHow long searched have we? she demanded. How long? Remember can you?\n\nLiar!\n\nRemember you cannot. Suddenly, the Cat seemed old. As old as Ajax felt. And tired. As tired as Ajax felt.\n\nSearch, old dog. Go to the new settlement. Missed something, perhaps I did.\n\nAjax growled and turned.\n\nRemember! the Cat called after him. Remember try you must!\n\nIt was many miles before the Cat’s mind-voice was gone. When the mind-voice was gone, Ajax began to think. He thought of the words of the Cat. Of the Owners being gone.\n\nLies.\n\nHe thought of the words. And deep within his mind, something began to turn. And he began to forget.\n\nAlways Owners there will be. Always Owners there must be. Even to himself he was fearful.\n\nDeletion complete.\n\nDeletion? Ajax wondered. Then he shook his head. Not important. He had to see the new settlement." ]	2
	[WP] Every night, when you sleep, you take a new body as your own, leaving the previous days body dead. With the worlds greatest detectives on the case to find who's been killing these seemingly random people, and you not able to hold a stable body, what could go wrong?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Please go through it again. Start from the top.”\n\n“I told you already.”\n\n“I know. I understand this is frustrating, but please, for my sake, one more time.”\n\nA grunt of exasperation escapes the beleaguered man as he begins the story again. “I showed up for the open house with my wife. We have been looking for a new home for months and this one was too good to pass up. You don’t find real estate like this anymore. Not in our price range. We get to the front door and rang the bell. That man, the dead man, answered the door. We followed him inside to the kitchen and as me and my wife were looking around, next thing you know he’s got a gun in our faces. ‘Get on the floor’ he screams at us. ‘Empty your pockets. Now slowly you first…’ Here he nudges me with his foot. ‘Strip. Bare ass.’ He forces my wife to do the same. My wife! I don’t understand. He leads us naked into that back room and on the bed are the grey shirt and shorts. ‘Get dressed.’ He’s still pointing the gun at us, man. There’s nothing we can do. I’m just worried for my wife. I just don’t want to get shot in the face. We have no idea what he wants, man. We get dressed and he tells us to sit down on the bed. He hands my wife the zipties and he forces her to tie me up…”\n\nThe man before me breaks down in shoulder racking sobs. “I thought he was gonna rape her, man.” He continues to sob as he finishes the story: “She ties my hands and then my feet. And then he knocks me off the bed. She screams so loud I can still hear it. Then he ties her up too. He puts the blindfolds on us and drags us one at a time into the other room. Then that’s it until you guys come.”\n\n“What about the doorbell?”\n\n“Yeah, the doorbell would ring every so often. And then always a few minutes later the door to the room would open and some other poor soul would get thrown in. All we could hear was each other crying and the doorbell. The god damn doorbell.”\n\n“And how long did this go on for?”\n\n“I don’t know, man. We arrived at 2pm and it continued all afternoon. I have no idea when you guys rescued us but it was dark when we got outside.”\n\n“Thank you. I’m sorry to make you do this. But we’ve been chasing this guy a long time. And we just need to understand what happened.”\n\nThe man exits the room in a dejected heap still sobbing slightly and I look through the two way glass towards my team. \n\n“Send in the 3 o’clock.”" ]	2
	[WP] When you fall asleep, you restart the day in an insignificantly parallel universe on repeat for several “tries,” then move on to the next day. It seemed random at first, but now you think you’ve figured the pattern.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "You wake up next to yesterday’s corpse and realize you failed.\n\nYou brace yourself and like clockwork the headaches start. The universe decoheres and recoheres and a thousand lifetimes run across the synapses of your brain. Connections form and melt away. Branches like a tree grow towards the electric sky, each arm reaching and stretching, straining, yearning for the roots of the next great tree. A six dimensional forest forms, vast, infinite and endless in the grey matter of your mind. Roots shrivel and die as the branches that had fed them in turn shrivel and die. Entire tracts of the forest turn to ash, become nothing but dust, disintegrate into less than nothing and vanish from existence. Broad swatches of neuronal jungle disappear and reappear at other nodes of the six dimensional deciduous jumble. Finally it ends and you gasp with relief. The world settles into place as your vision dwindles in fractal powers of two, from 128 to 64 to 32 to 16 to 8 to 4 to 2 and finally into one coherent image.\n\nYou glance again at yesterday’s corpse and lament your failure. But there’s nothing for it but to keep moving forward. Infinity takes forever. Who knew immortality would suck this much? \n\nAlready your memories of yesterday start to fade and the day begins anew. You reach into the pockets of the corpse for the note you left yourself. Memories are fleeting and until you finish the repeats they are less than ephemeral. You have learned by now to leave yourself notes. A rundown of your attempt the day before. Scanning the page quickly, you absorb the information. \n\nToday’s Date\n\nAn address for a shopping center - 9:00 am\n\nA single item on the shopping list:\n\n•\tMatching grey Hanes t-shirts and shorts. 20 pairs (to be safe)\n\nAn address. The name of a realtor. - 10:30 am\n\nFirst showing - 11:00 am\n\nAttempt # 6\n\nYou grab the gun from yesterday’s waistband and fish around the pockets for the car keys and whatever cash was left. Successful, you exit the motel room and step into the Los Angeles sunshine. \n\nToday is the day. \nToday you’ll get it right. \nThe pattern is the pattern. \nAnd now you understood the pattern.\n\nAt first it was disconcerting living the same day over and over and over again. An endless stream of monotony reaching forever into the past. You started tweaking things just for fun. Small things at first, but you grew increasingly bold as you woke up in the same day, every day. Some days you did nothing, just waited for the sun to set and the loop to begin again. Some days you lived life to the fullest. Some days you YOLO’d the shit out of. You boarded planes bound for nowhere and everywhere. You visited every city on the globe that was within a 24 hour flight. You stole fast cars. Sometimes you were caught. Sometimes you drove free into the sunset. You test drove fast cars. And found this to be a safer albeit more boring route to the same thing. You met exotic people, embraced strange cultures, ate outlandish foods. The food was the best. You spent a year of days just experimenting with cuisines. The world became your Epcot center. The world became your prison. After a lifetime of one day adventures you were exhausted. You fell asleep in strange beds. You fell asleep at home. You fell asleep in jails and hotels, whorehouses and crackhouses. The headaches grew worse in the mornings. You quickly found out killing anyone else was an automatic failure. Killing yourself, futile. \n\nYou remember the first time you tried. The cold gun barrel touching your temple. The pistol heavy in your hand. For an eternity you worked up the courage to finally pull the trigger. It doesn’t matter you told yourself. Either you’ll wake up and it’s today again or you don’t wake up and this is finally over. Tears streamed down your face and you willed yourself to pull the trigger. Your fingers refused to cooperate. You drop the gun to your lap. Sit in silence forever. Pick it up again, press the cold gun barrel to your temple. Rinse and repeat, until finally in the spur of one moment among many, you pull the trigger and… wake up with gun in your lap again. Tears are still streaming down your face or perhaps they’ve started anew. You sob with relief. You sob with anguish. But you don’t try again. Or maybe you do. \n\nFinally, you figured out the universe was speaking to you. Which universe? No idea. But one of them was and that universe was your goal. On billboards and in newspapers. Across CNN banners and Fox news headlines. Your missions spilled out to you in snippets. Thirty second segments between the Amazon burning and whatever the latest Trump was up to. Ripples in space time. That was your fault. Slowly you gleaned the hidden goals and pieced together the fragmented objectives. Circling a word here and a letter there you wove together your mission. And what a mission it was. You were going to save the world. Which world? No idea. But you were gonna save it and escape this infernal loop that was for damn sure." ]	2
	[WP] Nobody believes you, but when you look in a particular mirror in your house you see into someone else's home like its a window. There's a boy/girl in the other home who has the same ability, and you often chat with them through the window-mirror.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "At my last therapy session I kept telling the guy that I've been looking at a mirror image of myself and he's such a slob. He's got a gut hanging loose like a burlap sack full of old meat, his apartment is a mess, he hasn't washed himself all week, and he smells like a cigarette took a shit. But I can only smell it when I lift the mirror up like a window, which is the part that always makes my therapist think I'm a fucking nut job, but I know what I saw, and what I smelled. The thing is, I'm the complete opposite, I've got a good job, a clean house, and I smoke my cigarettes out the window like a civilized person would do if they had any cares about that sort of thing. At first talking to him was kind of awkward, because he's basically me, or maybe exactly me? That's what I've been having trouble with you see, I want to say that I've been blessed with this gift of sight into the future but he's my age, and my mom never told me about any sort of estranged twin that speaks through portals.\n\nNo wait seriously stop it, I'm not lying to you would you just listen to me? This shit is real I swear to God, but every time I try to show somebody everything goes black for me and they say they just see a mirror, and the guy tells me it's because his apartment is getting fumigated again, and isn't that just the saddest thing? The guy has gotta keep getting these fumigations done because he's such a god damn slob that it keeps being a problem.\n\nI'm not like that though. I'm nothing like him, I don't give a shit about resemblance, I'm better than him. I've got a future, I've got prospects, I've got reasons to live. What I don't got though is a fucking problem so if you say that again I'm gonna throw you through this mirror until you come out the other side smelling like cigarettes and death. This is all your fault, all you had to do was listen to me and we wouldn't be here right now. Get this shit out of my arm and let's call it a day huh?" ]	2
	[WP] You are at Comic Con admiring a full-scale model of the Iron Man suit. Suddenly gunfire is heard. Multiple active shooters are there firing indiscriminately into the crowds. Through your panic, you look at the suit again and figure, “Why not?”	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"Get down on the ground Sir!\" \n\nYou shout out, you try to explain, but your words are lost in the worbla mask. This was such a horrible idea. The gun fires twice, your ears ring. Through the tiny slits in the mask you look into the eyes of the DEA agent advancing, firing. The whites of his eyes are huge. There's a sheen of sweat on his face and brow. If you didn't know better you'd think this guy was actually going to kill you. \n\n\"Get down on the ground! He's not complying!\" \n\nThe people still behind you scream and run and the air tastes like sawdust. You try to bend your knees again but only manage to lower yourself in a kind of half crouch. The sound of gunfire and screams reach an angry cacophony, piercing your head, seeming to put pressure on the back of your eyes. You were just trying to help stop the shooting you heard. You decide to try to kneel one more time and everything seems to slow. \n\nYou look at the agent, he seems almost overweight in his ballistic vest. The initialism of his job is stenciled on a baseball cap on his head. Chips of worbla hover suspended in the air in front of you, separating you from this frightened man. You look at the ambulance that had already arrived. A Cloud cosplayer lay on the gurney, his giant tinfoil buster sword spattered with... There's a pop. Separate and distinct from the gunfire and the chaos, a pop that seems to originate from inside you, inside your straining knees. You finally manage to kneel. Nothing has ever hurt this much. \n\nYou nearly black out from this pain, your knees are scissored between two competing plates of worbla and just took the full force of your own body weight plus an extra sixty or so pounds of armor and christmas lights and whatever else this fool suit was made out of. You must have skinned your knee quite badly because now that you're facing the ground you can see it is covered with blood. Not a still pool like you see in movies or games but a turbulent puddle, clotted with worbla sawdust and paint chips and... well... not everything was identifiable. You hear the armor crack at the shoulder. Not with your ears, you're pretty sure you're going to be deaf from now on, but through your bones. Vibrations traveling straight through the spine into the skull. Your left arm is completely cold. Your limited vision explodes with light and something grazes your cheek. You redefine your conception of pain. The knees were nothing. The darkness of the mask has been replaced with the cold, and overcast daylight of the convention center, and now something new replaces it. A corner of brown or grey slips in from the edge of your vision, and before you have a chance to process it it becomes the only thing you can see." ]	2
	[WP] You decide to get a tattoo to celebrate your 18th birthday. After a lot of thinking, you go for a sword on your arm. However, 24 hours later that sword comes to life. Now you manipulate this power to create any weapon you want to make as much money as you want. Remember, no pain, No gain.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "I was an idiot for not choosing the hundred dollar bill.\n\nAfter discovering I could summon a long sword, I tried money.\nI paid for the sub with the newly... er, Printed? Printed twenty dollar bill. My face a sheen of sweat and paler than the the white bread sandwich I just got from subway.\n\nGod it hurts.\n\nIt was like someone was pulling the twenty dollars from my very skin. I kept checking myself constantly to assure myself everything was there. I measured my height, weighed myself, and did one checkup; If I was sure I could produce more money without thinking I would shrink or be frail then I’d go to the doctor more often. They’d love me for it.\n\nSo the sword came out of my arm, the money peeled off my skin. Yet neither could return and I didn’t seem to lose mass. Where were they coming from?\n\nFor now I was planning things out. If I made one twenty dollar bill every hour, say for eight hours, a full work day. Then I’d be making more than minimum wage.\n\nBut the pain. Pretty sure I’d take the mind numbing retail job than feel like my skin is peeling off. Next paycheque I’m getting the hundred dollars.", "I screamed in agony, a brilliant flash of light illuminating the abandoned warehouse for an instant. As the light fades, a seemingly authentic civil war musket appeared before me, on a pile of other historic weapons. I was happy with the days work, thinking I should have over $50,000 in \"antiques\". I got up, shaking slightly from the use of my tattoo, and began to load the wares into my truck. Suddenly, i felt a heavy hit to the back of my head, and everything went black.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nWhen I awoke, I was bound to a chair in a small room. There were three men in there with me. Two with pistols blocking the door, and the other playing with a roman gladius I had made earlier that day. When he noticed me stirring, he gave me a smile that sent shivers down my spine. \"Hello there Miss Mason, did you sleep well?\" he asks condescendingly. \"Who are you? Where am I? How do you know my name?\" He cocks an eyebrow, clearly amused at my outburst. \"To begin Miss Mason, you had your purse on you when we took you. Naturally we know who you are, and where you live. As for who I am, well... I'm part of a group that is in need of your services\" . He rolled up his sleeve, showing a tattoo that instantly chilled my blood. The severed head of a wolf, an instantly recognizable symbol of the newest, most violent gang in town, the Bloodied Wolves.\n\n&#x200B;\n\n\"You see Miss Mason, we too frequent that warehouse for... business intereactions. So, when some of my associates saw you producing these weapons, we realized we had to offer you a place in our organization\"\n\n\"Wait,\" I responded cautiously, \"you want to hire me? So what, I can just say no?\"\n\n\"You can, Miss Mason. However, you really should listen. We have two proposals for you. The first is that you join our little group. You will provide your services over the weekend, being paid $50 for each piece of product you give us\"\n\n\"And if I refuse?\" I was growing confident, forgetting the reputation of this group. That was my mistake.\n\n\"I was rather hoping you would Miss Mason. We will move to plan number two then. this room will be your accommodations, and you will produce as much product as possible. If you let us down... well, we know your address now. It would be a shame if anything were to happen to your sweet, loving parents...\"\n\nFrom then on, I was a cash cow for the Bloodied Wolves. I produced all the weapons they could use, day in and day out, until they let their guard down and I was able to make my escape. But that is another story." ]	3
	[WP] As a kid you always met a dragon by a lake near your parents house near the hills, and you befriended this 'imagenary' dragon. After your dad's funeral you go back to the house to collet items when you see the dragon by the window and it says: 'my deepest condolences, Arthur was a good man'	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", " \"Dragons are not real Mike and you certainly can't make friends with one\" my mother exclaimed rather annoyed. Every morning this week we'd had this conversation and every morning she got more annoyed.\n\nMy mother decided to bring us to this cottage in the middle of nowhere. We're about fithteen miles from the nearest village, Shervage, one of the oldest villages in England. We're staying in a small cottage a five minute walk from the biggest lake I've ever seen. It's dotted with a mix of different sized islands, some of the bigger ones with jutting rocks.\n\nMy mother told me go out and explore so it's her fault I even met the dragon. I had a brisk pace walking to the lake the first day, the sun beating down on the back of my neck, my hat hardly helping. I got to then end of the stone trail and came across a dock at the edge of the lake.\n\nI decided to sit and rest on the dock, feet barely in the water. I stared at the water for a long time until I heard a low growling voice, \"What are you staring so intently at little huumaan.\"\n\nThe way the voice said 'humans' creeped me out like the voice wasn't human. I quickly turned around to look and see if I could find who the voice belongs to. I was surprised to find nothing behind me even though it sounded so close.\n\"I'm simply thinking about my friends back home, we'd be in the pool together this time of year\" I decided to reply, maybe it's some kid playing a prank, maybe I could make a friend for while I'm here.\n\n\"Why do you come to my lake to think little huumaan?\" another question came from what sounded behind me.\n\nI think since they want me to think they're some kind of creature I might as well get crazy and play along, \"I simply seek to become friends with the guardian of the lake\". Thopefully this riles them up a bit. \n\nI have to say I was surprised to see a dragon behind me, it looked tbe be about ten foot tall with big might red wings, a material that looks like leather. Bumps run all along the top of its head. The tail swibging back and forth as its big black eye's seem to stare in to my soul.\n\n\"I am Shervage the keeper of Lake Shervage and rule of this land.\" The dragon bellowed, small whisps of smoke raleasing from he mighty jaws.\n\nI probably imagined the dragon, it felt so real but I always had a wild imagination. I was always telling stories to my father. When I told him what I talked about with the dragon he always listened intently, eager to hear the wisdom of the great Shervage. \n\nTwenty years has flown by so fast, twenty years ago today was that day I must have imagined the dragon. One week ago today I buried my father. Lost doesn't even begin to describe it, my mother left a few years before my fathers illness got too bad. I'd been caring for him a long time but I said my goodbyes before he got too bad.\n\nI'd gotten on the same line we used twenty years ago, the town still had the same picturesque image as all those years before. I decided to walk the distance to the same little cottage but upon my arrival I saw the long spikey dragon tail pointing out from the side of the cottage.\n\n\"I am sorry little huumaan for a loss so deep to your heart. Your father was a good man that kept me company for a few weeks each summer. He was the one that woke me up and saved a kingdom. Let me tell you a story of bravery and love...\"" ]	2
	[WP] You're out for a late walk through a deserted park. You notice the streetlights go on as you walk under them. Then you notice some distant lights going on, coming towards you, but no one is walking under them.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "A man in mismatched garb pushed me to the curb and pulled out a stick. From the end of it erupted a horse of pure light which took off down the street. As I stand the man turns his wand to me. At which point I pull out mine. “I left for a reason and I ain’t gonna go back”. The man stares at me for a fraction of a second before a spell flew towards me. My shield went up. The man was flabbergasted. “Surprised? Good. You’re to tell no one about me.” The man now regaining composure said, “Who are you?” I took my time deliberating weather to screw with him or tell the truth. That night I gave up my normal life and dove back into a world I never wanted, “The most feared mercenary in all of the Western Hemisphere. Victor Smithson. Or would you prefer the title ‘The Human Dementor’”\n\nThe man froze, “prove it”. For the first time in over a decade I released all the enchantments I had so painstakingly created and cast. Opening my eyes I locked onto his. And he crumpled to the ground. Casting the sealing spell once again I pulled him to his feet. When he was fully free from his trance is wand was at my throat, “What happened to being a pile of ash!”\n“You think I wanted to remain a killer all my life? You think I wanted to remain a monster! You assumed I never dreamed of a family! A life free from torment and this curse!” On the verge of tears I paused to calm myself. The man had lowered his wand, “16 years. 16 years I spent rebuilding my life. Never once causing trouble or inflicting harm on another. Now due to the incompetence of those in the world I left I am forced to leave the ones I love.” And on cue a circle of twenty wizards and witches clad in cloaks with a decapitated dragon surrounded us wands point at my head. Raising my voice I said “Well, well. Looks like I made it in time for the guild meeting,”", "The lights blink on as I approach and off a few seconds after I pass. It seems like I'm the only person to ever use this park; the sidewalk, the benches, and even the trashcans are empty. It feels as though this park had been built merely for my enjoyment. It's just me and my lights.\n\nAbout fifty yards ahead of me I notice the lights begin to slowly blink on and off as if someone is approaching. However, I don't see anyone under the lights. It could be that they are walking in the grass, close enough to trigger the motion sensor but far enough from the lighted area not to be seen. The thought that someone is trying not to be noticed puts me on edge and I step off the path and stand in the shadows next to a small tree.\n\nThe light I was last by turns off, leaving me in near total darkness. I watch as the trail of approaching lights blink on and off, one by one, until the one where I had been standing comes on. It stays on longer than the rest. I notice the circle it makes on the ground illuminates my foot and I pull it back slightly. As I do, I hear a soft whisper in my ear that feels so close it's as if their lips are about to kiss my earlobe.\n\n\"Stay out of the light.\"\n\nI turn my head slowly to see who is there but I am alone by the tree. As alone as I thought I was a moment ago.\n\nThe light in front of me finally gives up, plunging the entire park into darkness once more.\n\n\"You shouldn't be here,\" the voice returns. No matter which way I turn my head as it speaks, it feels as if it is coming from right over my shoulder. I become paralyzed with fear. \n\n\"You shouldn't have been in the light. They can get to you in the light,\" the voice continues. It's whisper is so quiet as to almost be inaudible but it's quivering with fear. \"Leave. And stay out of the light.\"\n\nI stand there a minute longer, too terrified to even breathe. However, as I begin to move, the lights on the sidewalk begin to light up alongside me. I pick up my pace and so does the sequence of lights, but they are not keeping pace with me and I am soon out in front, not running but almost breaking into a jog.\n\nAs, I approach the entrance of the park, all of the lights at the edge of the park activate at the same time. They form an impenetrable barrier of light blocking that exit. I turn and head for the other end of the park, now at a dead sprint. My breathing quickly becomes heavy and labored as I struggle not to slip running on the wet grass. The lights all blinking on right alongside me, again. I look behind me to see that none of them have turned off and when I turn back around the lights ahead of me all come on. The back entrance illuminates under the halogen bulbs.\n\nI keep running. That's my exit and I am leaving this park. Maybe if I can get through the light fast enough I'll be fine.\n\nThe lights briefly shudder before the brightness begins to grow in intensity, erasing every shadow in the park." ]	3
	[WP] There are no monsters under your bed. Your bed is the monster.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"GODS DAMNED MIMICS!\" I stood panting over the monster's carcass, bloody sword dripping in my hand.\n\nA bare five seconds after I spoke the door exploded inward and the rest of my adventuring party burst into the room, weapons drawn and spell components ready.\n\n\"I'm alright! It's dead.\"\n\nThe Rogue, unconvinced, shot a crossbow bolt into the bloody cadaver. When it didn't react in amy way, she shrugged. \"Yep, it's dead.\"\n\nThe innkeeper chose that moment to come bustling in, indignant at the damage. \"Now, see here! You're going to have to pay for the damage to...the...doorframe...\"\n\nHe trailed off as he saw the bloody, bed-shaped carcass lying on the floor. \"Is...is that--\"\n\nI cut him off. \"A mimic, yes.\" I turned a withering glare on him. \"A mimic, in my room.\" I got right up in his face. \"In. My. Room.\"\n\n\"A room,\" the Bard interjected, \"that you assured us was, and I quote, 'completely free of vermin.'\"\n\nThe innkeeper turned pale. It seemed he realized the enormity of his failed promise. Either that, or he realized the enormity of the fact that the blade of my sword was between his legs, with the edge pressed tightly against his family jewels.\n\n\"One of five such rooms, in fact,\" the Bard continued, \"that you assured us--nay, personally guaranteed, were completely free of vermin of amy kind, and which you are now going to let us use completely free of charge,\" to make up for the assault on my lovely friend, here.\"\n\n\"Now, wait just a minute--\" the innkeeper began, but he stopped short when I increased the upward pressure I was putting on my sword. \n\n\"You're also* going to ignore the damage we inflicted in our attempt to rescue the lady from the monster hiding in her room.\" The Cleric put in. Gods, I loved him! Too bad he had taken a vow of celibacy--I'd have spent the evening in his room, if you catch my meaning.\n\n\"And judging by the fact that there's no other bed in here, that monster's been in here for a while...\" I trailed off, letting the implications of what I'd just said sink in as I increased the upward pressure. He was on his toes now.\n\n\"Ya know, one would almost think that you put that mimic in here...like you've got something against adventurers or something...\" The Rogue finished the thought for me. The stink of urine filled the room as the innkeeper lost control of his bladder.\n\nI smiled sweetly. \"Maybe we should go check the other four rooms for mimics, just to be safe, yeah?\"\n\n\"I daresay we should.\" The Wizard finally spoke. He generally didn't say much, but when he did speak, it was almost always worth listening to. He turned to go check his own room. A moment later, he could be clearly heard chanting in the Arcane tongue, followed by the brr-zzzap! of a magical discharge.\n\nHe returned to the room a moment later. \"My bed was normal, but the bedside table was another mimic.\" He looked poignantly at the innkeeper. \"Was.\"\n\nI looked at the Rogue. \"Sweetie, can you go get the other patrons out of here? No sense in them getting hurt.\"\n\nThe halfling smiled at me. \"Sure thing, Honey.\" She walked out of the room, her shapely hips wiggling as she went. Hmm...she hadn't taken a vow of celibacy...\n\n\"What--\" The innkeeper's voice squeaked about two octaves higher than normal. He cleared his throat. \"What are you going to do?\"\n\nI gave him a hard, cold stare. I could make my eyes go dead when I wanted to. \"To you...nothing. To your inn...Well, it seems there's a mimic infestation on these here premises, and there's only one sure way to deal with an infestation...\" I let the sword drop.\n\nHis eyes went wide, even as he slumped in relief. \"You don't mean...\"\n\nThe Bard, bless his soul, had brought out a flask of lamp oil. He popped the cork, and upended its contents onto the floor. \"The only sure way to deal with an infestation,\" he said conversationally as he scattered the oil everywhere, \"is to burn it out.\"\n\nBy the time he finished speaking, the innkeeper was already out the door and halfway down the stairs.\"\n\n**********\n\nWe stood outside, passing around a bottle of fifty year old whiskey liberated from behind the bar as we watched the inn burn. The Bard had gone straight to the captain of the town guard (with another* bottle of slightly younger whiskey) with the information on the mimics, amd the guard had promptly arrested the innkeeper. The captain was sharing our bottle with us as the inn burned.\n\nI basked in the warmth of the fire, one arm around the bard's shoulders, the other around the halfling's, filled with a grim satisfaction.\n\nGods, I hate mimics." ]	2
	[WP] A booming voice gives humanity the news: God's 10,000 year term is up, and a universal election is in place to see who gets voted in to gain His position and powers. Screw it, you think. Why not throw your hat in the ring?	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "\"I promise no more war! No more disease! No more famine!\"\n\n\nCheers filled the streets in front of the debate stage. \n\n\n\"Oh come on. You all loved when I flooded the world. It's your favorite story!\" the luminous orb said into the mic. \n\n\nBoos thundered around the square.\n\n\n\"Look I'm a pretty chill guy and I'm not looking to make huge changes, but I'll just vanish all the nuclear weapons and teleport all the world leaders into the same room and not let them out until they've worked out a plan for world peace.\"\n\n\nNew God paused the TV. \"See I promised world peace and now it's on you to deliver.\"\n\n\nThe delegate from America started speaking \"The America's have made peace with Russia and China, but North Korea is still insisting they will make us all drown in a sea of our own blood. Please I just want to see my children and know if they are alright.\"\n\n\n\"Well I mean they were okay last time I checked, but I checked before the whole cannabalism outbreak so who really knows.\"\n\n\n\"What cannabalism outbreak?\"\n\n\n\"Oh nothing it just turns out when you take all the world leaders and lock them in a room a lot of governments collapse and people start eating each other.\"\n\n\n\"What!?!? You are God! Just stop it!\"\n\n\n\"I mean is cannabalism good? Is cannabalism bad. That's really more a question for philosophers than a God.\"\n\n\nThe delegates all began a new round of negotiations until a vote was called for.\n\n\n\"All in favor of uniting and declaring war against New God raise your hand.\"\n\n\nEveryone in the room raised their hands.\n\n\n\"Oh come on guys I know the whole complete power corrupts completely thing, but I've already killed all my enemies and the people those enemies liked and met. So I'm mostly done with the wrathful bits.\"\n\n\nThe delegates started popping out of existence being teleported back to their countries having achieved the conditions of the miracle.\n\n\n\"Wait hang on are you guys serious?\" New God looking around the now empty room.\n\n\n\"Guys???\"", "I knew that loads of people would like the idea of being God, but I definitely didn’t expect that this many would volunteer for the position.\n\nCrowds upon crowds gathered in rows before the towering stone structure that had emerged from the sea overnight. God, a glowing white figure, sat at the top of a pillar. It was hard to see what they were thinking (they didn’t have a face), but somehow, it felt as if they were looking right at me.\n\nWhen the last few candidates joined us, God clapped their hands. Instantly, huge walls surrounded us, rising from the ground. Those at the fringes of our small group tried to run off, but the walls rose too fast, trapping us all.\n\nThere was a long silence. God leapt off their platform. They floated in the air, looming over us, sending chills down my spine.\n\n“Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us today,” God said. He pointed at the human closest to him. “Now, can you tell me why you chose to apply?”\n\nThey went down the rows, asking us one by one. Some had applied out of the goodness of their hearts, wishing to make a difference. Others had done so out of a desire for more power, a sentiment that wasn’t quite expressed as it was shown, through clothes and gestures, through the way they carried themselves. Finally, there were people like me, who’d simply applied on a whim. When God pointed at me, I told the truth as well. Something about them suggested that any lies would soon be uncovered, and would certainly not be forgiven.\n\nWhen the last person finished speaking, God snapped their fingers. A few individuals floated into the air, their mouths agape in amazement. The rest of us simply waited, tendrils of dread building in our chests.\n\n“Do you know what sin I hate the most?” God asked. “Let me tell you. The sin I hate the most is pride.”\n\n“Imagine being so self-obsessed, so arrogant that you think you have the right to be God. Who are you to rule over the rest of humanity? Those I have chosen to save applied due to their compassion. The rest of you have lost your humanity, the very thing I created all of you for. And for that, you deserve to die.”\n\nWith a final, lethal snap of their fingers, God overwhelmed our vicinity with white light. The last thing I felt was the glaring heat searing my skin, surely a taste of what was to come.", "\\#GODISDEAD has been trending on my twitter feed for the past week now. But you know, I think I might have a chance.\n\nNobody can agree on who or how to get elected the big G-O-D. Lord knows the world is on the brink of getting itself all dead and gone now that we know there \"was\" a God, and most everybody was wrong about him.\n\nI think maybe to get elected it has something to do with \"faith\" or \"belief\" in someone and then poof, they're God.\n\nLet's see, I have 80,000 loyal --to a fault-- twitter followers. They seem to like the content I put out there: loving my dog, giving money to homeless, ranting about everything. Even though it's all staged, I love their love.\n\n\"They\" think there's some good in me. Well, maybe I can do some good.\n\n\\#IAMGOD\n\nThere. Six little letters sent out on my twitter. And lookie here, already 20 likes. 40. 70. 100.\n\nWell I need a nap anyway. Let's see how much my flock \"really\" loves me.", "I wasn't supposed to win, is the thing. It was supposed to be a \"Deez Nuts\" situation; a little joke to pass down the family line someday, \"Hey, remember that time Grandma ran to be the next God? Damn, that ol' bitch is a hoot and a half.\"\n\nFor fuck's sake, I tried to be as much of an idiot as possible during the debates. How will you encourage humanity to treat each other well? \"I dunno...free tacos for people who give to charity.\" How will you save the planet from the imminent destruction of climate change? \"Uh...plant another rain forest in Montana. There's hardly anybody there. They won't care.\" What is your stance on war? \"Replace nuclear missiles with Nerf guns and war with global capture the flag.\"\n\nBut people ate that shit up. \"Vote Nina: Nerf Darts Not Bombs.\" Maybe all of those critics writing stuffy think pieces about the nihilism of us younger generations were onto something; reality is just one big joke anyway, so why not have a walking punchline as the Ruler of All Things?\n\nThat's what the plaque on my desk says: \"Nina Drummond: Ruler of All Things, Her Most Holy Presence, Chief Executive Deity of the Cosmos.\" The office is dark, barren - they said I can move my shit in after the swearing in ceremony tomorrow. I wanted a moment to myself before the reality sets in that - shit - I'm the master and keeper of reality.\n\n\"Ready for the big day?\"\n\nA voice startles me. I look up, and my predecessor is leaning against the door jamb. He's younger than any of us expected him to look and currently wearing sweatpants and a novelty t-shirt: \"I was master of the universe and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.\"\n\n\"Uh...sure. Why not?\"\n\nI aimed for blase, but I think the tremble in my voice gives away my nerves. He just laughs.\n\n\"Eh, that's the spirit.\"\n\nHe walks into the room and perches on the corner of the desk, arms crossed. He leans in conspiratorially. \n\n\"You wanna know the secret to success?\"\n\nI know that after tomorrow, he'll fade away. His unnaturally extended life will come to an end, and he'll blow away into stardust. Those are the terms of this position: 10 millennia of youthful vitality, and then eternal rest in the void. This is my one chance to get some real advice. I lean in, eyes wide, expectant.\n\n\"Do nothing.\"\n\nI jerk back, annoyance twisting my features. My voice is flat. \"Gee, thanks.\"\n\nHe huffs out a small laugh. \n\n\"I'm serious, kid. I don't know how any of this works, except this: you're not in charge of shit. Nobody is. It's all random. They just need somebody to worship and, more importantly, somebody to blame.\"\n\nHe can't be serious. \n\n\"Well, what am I supposed to do for 10,000 years?\"\n\n\"I got really good at puzzles.\"\n\nHe gestures to what I thought were framed paintings on the wall, but I see now the lines where all the pieces come together. There are thousands of them in this cavernous room alone. I don't know what to say. He just smiles at me one last time, claps me on the shoulder, and leaves.\n\nIt takes a few minutes of stunned silence for it to all catch up to me. The first burst of giggles takes me by surprise, and I clap a hand over my mouth to hold it in. But I can't stop; my diaphragm seizes as a fit of raucous laughter takes over my body. I struggle to breathe, hands clutched around my middle, tears streaming down my face. \n\nI guess it's all a joke after all. Maybe I'm more qualified than I thought.", "VOTE DENNIS PILOT FOR GOD!\n\nDennis Pilot, an independent candidate to the office of God, promises:\n\n* To legalize magic on macro level;\n* To abolish Heaven and Hell and organize up to 28 afterlives sorting people by their preferred lifestyle, none of them involving torment;\n* To legalize immortality and reincarnation for those who believe that any kind of afterlife is not to their taste;\n* To abolish the speed of light limit in the universe and bless the scientific endeavour to develop a functional Faster than Light Spaceship;\n* To amend all existing holy books and remove any and all ancient and irrelevant shit concerning stoning, condemning homosexuality, subjugating women and so on;\n* To create Monsters such as Dragons, Basilisks, Gelatinous Cubes, Gremlins and Beholders, to make life more fun and provide meaningful and legitimate employment for those desiring a life of adventure;\n* To remove the possibility of Artificial Intelligence from physical laws, so you no longer have to fear a machine rebellion;\n* To remove the possibility of Nuclear Chain Reactions from physical laws, so you no longer have to fear a nuclear war;\n* To amend the Periodic Table of Elements, remove such harmful elements as Polonium, Cadmium and Mercury from the universe, and replace them with fun elements such as Cheesium, Flubber and Ohmygodium;\n* To introduce a procedure of Divine Impeachment, in which the clergy will have the right to remove a God who becomes jealous, demands unreasonable rituals, works no useful miracles and insists that all other supernatural forces are evil demons.\n\nVote DENNIS PILOT to make the Universe more just and interesting!", "“Welcome God.”\n\nI stepped onto the cloud, and prayed I didn’t fall through. But it appeared to hold my weight.\n\n“My name is Jack.”\n\n“You’ve been elected and sworn in, you have to use the title.”\n\nWould take some getting use to. “So what is that I do here? There wasn’t really any info describing what holding the position meant.”\n\nThe angel sat on the desk, my desk I presumed. “But you read the job requirement when you ran for God.”\n\n“It was a pamphlet that said, and I quote, “God. Everything.” I’m still surprised I made it this far.”\n\nThe angel raised both hands. “Well earth does have a higher population than the other systems combined.”\n\n“Other systems.”\n\n“God, uh, kind of forgot about you guys. And his attention to the other planets made us realize he does way too much punishing. You’re lucky because I’d think he would have struck earth with a meteor.”\n\n“There are other planets besides earth with life on them?”\n\n“There are multiple species that will worship you. As duty of God you are to enforce your dominance and commandments upon every civilization.”\n\n(Will be expanded)", " \n\nHow did I get here again? Oh... that’s right, some genius decided it would be a good idea to put his name into the ring against the Almighty. Honestly, I just thought that it would be a funny story to tell my grandkids someday. You know something like… “You know I was in the running to be God at one point…” I don’t know something stupid like that. Now I’m sitting here getting ready to go out to the final debate against the deity that’s been reigning over the universe for the last 10 million years. I don’t want to be God!!! He probably doesn’t get to have any fun while He sits on His loft throne Judging humanity every single day. What a drag that would be… although… maybe I could do away with the whole judgement thing, the only people who would get sent to hell are people I don’t like, or who are downers.\n\nCome to think of it, why is God holding elections for His position? Isn’t he supposed to be like a tyrannical monarchy or something? If I become God, I think I’ll do away with that whole thing too. I’ll even do humanity something better, I’ll take away all their pain and make them only experience things like love and joy and happiness. I’ll do away with all war and make the planet peaceful, no one will do anything evil to one another.\n\nI walked out on stage with my chest puffed up and walked to the mic to call out God on his bullshit. After all what does he know that I don’t?" ]	8
	[WP] Your superiors at the academy always told you the miracle planet was a myth. There is no such thing as a planet that is perfect in every way for human life. Terra forming is humanities only option. But you're going to prove them wrong. You're going to find the mythical Planet Earth.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "Earth - The lost myth\n\nIt was an old story. A mysterious place where all life had come from, under the foot of cosmic horrors. All cultures across the stars had a similar legend. That they were placed on their specific planet, sometimes with a god involved, but that their species had been cultivated from another land, another time, made perfect for the world they inherited. For the United Colonies of Kamskaria, that place was called Earth.\n\nMany scholars had studied the myth. Originally it had only been the ancient traditions many cities among Zethea had kept as part of their religion. Among the scientific community, little research was done into it. But when the first humans began to find life among the stars who had shared their belief in a golden world, a radical shift emerged among the planets in the Kamskaria section of space. As humanity and their xeno allies began to find other races and civilizations, their beliefs became more justified.\n\nBut they also became more exasperated. If so many species had dreamed of a golden planet, then why with all the technologies available to every civilization in the galaxy had the planet not been found? Was the idea an illusion, created within any successful society in order to explain the beauty of their species among all others? Was it a longing for a place that showed more compassion than their small rocks in the drifting void?\n\nRegardless whether it was true or not, Elijea had been transfixed by the story when his father had first told it to him. He didn't consciously know it, but it became his driving force to study History and Archaeology, and chose to major in it when he was offered a place to Coral Springs Academy. The constant dismissal of the idea from his teachers only served to enhance his faith.\n\nOver the past three thousand years, there had been those who wished to seek out the planet. All had failed. Elijea would not for one very simple reason.\n\nHe knew where to go.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nSeveral years previously, a discovery had been made of an unknown object drifting through the void in space. It was an object, extraterrestrial in origin, that had come from a place unknown. But it had on it a golden disc, with strange writings, and as any Archaeologist from the Kamskaria region who did not mind ruining their credibility would tell you, those strange writings shared attributes with the early civilizations of Zethea. Such a find would have rocked almost every great empire in the galaxy, had it been taken seriously. Explanations such as 'freak geological phenomena' had been used to discredit the discovery. Elijea was one of few people who understood its significance. He chose to understand it in silence, at least until he had the resources to prove otherwise.\n\nAnd when he did, he knew just what he was going to do.", "\"Professor, I need a starship.\"\n\n\"Indeed?\" Elbeneth raised his eyebrow. \"What are you thinking - a frigate? Destroyer? Class III supercarrier?\"\n\nZayan rolled his eyes. \"Just a one-man skivvy. I'm a good enough pilot, I think, and as long as the onboard nav works properly--\"\n\n\"How about if the engine breaks down?\" Elbeneth pointed out. \"Or you run into pirates? How many cannons do you think you need?\"\n\n\"Dang it, stop teasing,\" Zayan scowled. \"Why would I run into pirates?\"\n\n\"Well, you told me that you're searching for the mythical planet Earth,\" Elbeneth reminded him, waggling his hands comically. \"You're going to have to go into some forgotten territory for that, right? There by space dragons there...\"\n\nZayan sighed. \"You don't believe in Earth either, do you?\"\n\n\"Boy, I told you - I'm sure Earth was - and still is - a real planet. As for the perfect part...\" he shrugged.\n\n\"Well, why not?\" Zayan pressed. \"We humans were born on Earth, eons ago. It's environment must have been ideal for our--\"\n\n\"Have you ever taken a damn evolutionary biology class?\" Elbeneth interrupted.\n\n\"That's outside of my major requirements.\"\n\n\"I think you should, because you have a terrible understanding of how organisms evolve.\"\n\nZayan crossed his arms. \"What do you mean?\"\n\n\"I know the myth says planet Earth was this perfect garden, but that's moronic,\" Elbeneth said. \"Planets are giant space rocks. They don't know or care what's perfect for the organisms crawling around on their surface. Humans came to exist on Earth or wherever by surviving the all the harsh ordeals they no doubt had to face everyday, for millions of years. Natural disasters, predators, other humans--\"\n\n\"Other humans?\"\n\n\"You think war didn't exist on your perfect planet Earth? There are historical records of thousands of years of bloodshed.\"\n\n\"But why would they fight each other?\" Zayan cried out. \"They had everything they needed on Earth!\"\n\n\"Either you're being dense on purpose, or you're finally beginning to use your brain,\" Elbeneth chuckled. \"Now, go sign up for an evo course. Then we can talk some more.\"\n\n\"Zayan fidgeted in place. \"I don't want to read and study anymore. I want to go exploring! Find the--\"\n\n\"Get out of my office.\"\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\nLiked that story? Want more like it? Check out r/Idreamofdragons!" ]	3
	[WP] There are enough cats in the world to fight the population of Scotland 114 - 1. With their strength in numbers, the cats take over.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "When the news first came out about The Great Cat Migration, we knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, no one remained silent. Some would say “Oh, they are so cute!”, some would lament “Please help me get my cat back!”, and the others were debating what the cause could possibly be. “Maybe it's because of global warming.”. “Maybe it's a sign from God.”. They were all wrong, and by the time we figured out their true goals, it was already too late.\n\nWe were fools. All of us. How could we not see the danger they represented? They are the perfect killing machine. They know our cities, our streets, our homes. The Scots never stood a chance. The scenes of the bloodbath that had been heroically transmitted by Scottish journalists in their last moments shocked the world. The cats were toying with them. Once they got bored, they went for the kill. The thing is, a cat is too small to kill a grown man. You might think that was a good thing for the people in Scotland. Well, let me ask you this, would you rather have your head cut off with an axe or with a butter knife? Yeah. Death by a thousand scratch didn't look pleasant.\n\nScotland is gone now. But the cats are still there. They are too quick and too cute for any army to destroy them. Some countries had tried to negotiate peace by sending negotiators along with an entire convoy of catnip. Both the negotiators and the catnip were never seen again. Maybe if we could find out why they had targeted Scotland we could find a way to stop them. \n\nUntil then, humanity will live in fear. Sometimes I think that all is lost. \n\nPurrhaps we will never find our way out of this mewsery." ]	2
	[WP] The contract is that in exchange for the renewal of the family powers, the devil comes every 100 years to claim one of your family members to become his bride. It's the big day, but no one was prepared for you to be the lucky one. Indeed, you are a boy and the weakest witch of the family.	[ "Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.\n\nReminders:\n\n>* Stories at least 100 words. Poems, 30 but include \"[Poem]\"\n>* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail\n>* See [Reality Fiction](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Reality+Fiction\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) and [Simple Prompts](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/search?q=flair%3A\$Simple+Prompt\$&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for stricter titles\n>* [Be civil](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules#wiki_rule_10.3A_be_civil) in any feedback and follow the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/rules)\n\n[](#icon-help) [^(What Is This?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/off_topic) ^•\n[](#icon-information) [^(New Here?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/user_guide) ^•\n[](#icon-help) [^(Writing Help?)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/index#wiki_writing_resources) ^•\n[](#icon-exclamation) [^(Announcements)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/wiki/announcements) ^•\n[](#icon-comments) [^(Discord Chatroom)](https://discord.gg/js5XDFB)\n\nI am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/WritingPrompts) if you have any questions or concerns.", "“Abso-fuckin-lutely not. What- how- what could even possess you to think I’d go along with this? It’s asinine!” I cried, standing from where I sat at the dining room table.\n\nMy father smiled sheepishly and shrugged, as if he had forgotten to pick up milk from the store or put his dishes in the sink instead of the empty dishwasher. “It just so happens that this year marks a century from the last sacrificial bride. The missive came naming his choice from among the suitable members of the family and you were it.”\n\n“Why me though? I’m not talented with magic, I’m not particularly strong or smart. I’m an absolutely mediocre specimen of a human being. And… plus… I’m like… a guy. Male… why would the devil even want me?”\n\n“Oh don’t sell yourself short, son. You’re a dashing young man with plenty of… wonderful qualities that just don’t have anything to do with strength, talent, or work ethic!” my father exclaimed.\n\n“Gee thanks for the pep-talk. That’s what I needed to hear before being shipped to the underworld so Satan can fondle my nutsack. But you didn’t answer my question. I’m a dude… is the Devil like… into dudes? I mean I guess that would go along with his whole ‘embodiment of sin’ thing,” I mused. “I just always thought one of my sisters or female cousins would get taken.”\n\nDad just shrugged again. “I mean every single other bride has been a guy.”\n\nI threw my arms up in the air. “Then why the fuck do we call the sacrifice a bride? That’s so misleading!”\n\nMy dad folded his arms. “You got something against it?” he asked in a judging tone.\n\n“… Not really, but it’s certainly not my thing. I feel like you should be a little more concerned for me,” I said, feeling a little let down by the man that had raised me.\n\n“Eh. I kinda saw this coming. Satan always sends for the most talentless underachiever in the family,” he told me.\n\n“Jesus! Twist the knife a little more why don’t you? And if this was all common knowledge why didn’t anyone tell me?”\n\nAt that my father’s expression softened, and he actually did look a little sorry for me. “… We didn’t want this to always be looming over you. We figure you’d be happier living in ignorance until the last possible moment. Nothing, not even running away on your own would save you from your fate… so… that’s how we decided to handle it. I’m sorry, son.”\n\nI sighed. “… I understand… and I appreciate it. You always took good care of me, even knowing I’d be leaving the family eventually.” After that, I wasn’t sure what to say. Silence prevailed, until my father stood and walked around the table to me. He set his arms on my shoulders, and looked over me with sadness and guilt, and then he hugged me. The man had never had a way with words, but his embrace always carried so much weight, and I found myself fighting back tears. “I don’t want to go,” I said quietly.\n\nAt that moment, my older brother entered the room. “What’s up Will? Ready to go get your butt touched!”\n\nI quickly blinked away the tears that had started to form and pushed frustration into my voice. “Fuck off Ben. Because of me the family gets to keep their magic powers for another century, so you can blow me.”\n\n“You’re the one that’s gonna need the practice.”\n\n“Ben! Enough!” my father scolded him. Then he sighed, and looked back to me. “It’s time.”\n\nA moment later, I stepped out of my house to find a man that looked like a well-dressed butler with demon horns waiting for me in front of a carriage drawn by horse skeletons. “This way, bride-to-be,” he cooed as he opened a door on the carriage.\n\n“You’re just gonna roll up in the neighborhood with this thing? Aren’t people gonna see?” I asked as I approached.\n\nThe butler fellow just shrugged. “No one ever complains.” As I climbed in, he climbed in after me, and unbidden, the horses started to pull the carriage along. I looked out at my family one last time as they waved goodbye, and then a dark portal opened up in front of the carriage, and we were away.\n\nI sat back in the chair and sighed, then made awkward eye contact with the demon butler. “… So what’s your name?” I asked.\n\n“Xanderfall Bloodridden. Elder Demon and personal servant to Satan,” pleased to make your acquaintance.”\n\nI raised my hand slightly. “Will,” I introduced myself, giving him a slight smile before turning my head to look out at the passing darkness that swirled like a pool of oil. “… So… this Satan fellow… I’m gonna be spending the rest of my life with him so… what’s he like?”\n\n“He?” asked Xanderfall.\n\n“Ya know… Satan… prince of darkness. The Devil? The guy you serve?”\n\n“I didn’t say ‘who?’ I said ‘he?’ I think there’s been a misunderstanding…”\n\n“What… what do you mean?” I asked.\n\nXander just laughed. “Oh you humans and your patriarchal assumptions. You always seem so surprised.” And then he smiled, showing rows of pointy teeth as he reveled in the confused expression I gave him.\n\n\nr/TheCornerStories" ]	2

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